Chapter 69
Zhao Jiangui is dragged down the path by those two guards, he doesn't at all know what it was Wen Zhanglao actually forced him to take. At this moment, he only understands that his internal breathing is erratic, just a little movement causing acute pain in his core. He doesn't have even a bit strength to resist.
They toss him into the dungeon. Seeming to worry that medicine will lose effectiveness, they also fetch rope, tie him up, and leave him like this.
Xiao Lin was imprisoned earlier, his condition isn't as good as Zhao Jiangui's at all. Zhao Jiangui sees the corners of his mouth are bruised, appearing to have been beaten. He sees Zhao Jiangui tossed in, hastily runs up to him, and helps him up, face wailing like he's at a funeral. He opens his mouth to say, "Zhao Daxia, it was me who implicated you."
Zhao Jiangui almost doesn't even have the breath to speak.
Xiao Lin looks like he seemingly is already going to cry, "If not for my excessive carelessness, Jiaozhu indeed wouldn't have realized I gave word to the Alliance."
Zhao Jiangui however still feels somewhat uneasy.
He always thought Ji Han long ago realized this matter, but planning is just planning, and instead they took advantage, that's all.
He thinks as such, suddenly feeling emptiness and desolation in his heart, actually pressing down with a feeling of being continuously distressed.
Xiao Lin says, "Zhao Daxia, what would be best for us to do now."
No speech comes out from Zhao Jiangui.
His mind is in absolute chaos, he naturally doesn't have the least idea either.
A moment passes, there's a noise outside. Zhao Jiangui lifts his eyes to look towards the outside, and Ji Han comes in, bringing Wen Zhanglao and Wei Qi with him.
His heart trembles. He actually doesn't know what to say to Ji Han.
Ji Han gazes at him with an icy cold expression. Wen Zhanglao scrambles to open his mouth to speak first, casting a sidelong glance at Zhao Jiangui, speaking with Ji Han, "Jiaozhu, it's time."
Ji Han says, "Wait."
He orders people to open the prison cell, taking a step forward, standing before Zhao Jiangu, and gazing down at him.
"Zhao Jiangui, you thought my swordsmanship inferior to yours." Ji Han says haughtily, "You say my technique is completely without defense, but you don't know, offense is the best defense."
Zhao Jiangui is dazed, recalls that day he said this to Ji Han.
Did Ji Han really already know at that time that he was tricking him?
Ji Han extends a hand out to touch the sword at his waist.
Wen Zhanglao inevitably reveals the pleasure on his face.
Yan Buhuo worried Ji Han wouldn't make a move, and so had him come to watch Ji Han, not thinking Ji Han to be this resolute and straightforward, however much they had wanted it.
Ji Han has pulled out this sword.
The sword glare flashes, a strand of loose hair sliced from in front of Zhao Jiangui's forehead falls to the ground, and Ji Han has already returned the sword to its sheath.
"My sword isn't at all slower than yours."
He speaks softly.
Zhao Jiangui stares fixedly at his face, not half a sentence coming.
He just then barely hadn't avoided the strike. It's because his acupoints have been sealed, and he's also been fed poison. But if he was free as usual, could he have avoided the strike? He thinks it and lets it go, feeling he has thirty percent certainty at most, and Ji Han has injuries that haven't yet healed. This strike really isn't his full strength...
Originally earlier he had known he was tricking him, deliberately just pretending this appearance to lead him into taking the bait.
Wen Zhanglao also says, "You should get to work."
Ji Han lowers his brows calmly watching Zhao Jiangui for a while, suddenly a bit of something like loathing comes with a frown, he says, "Killing him would dirty my hands."
Wen Zhanglao says, "If you don't kill him, this old man won't have a way to justify you."
Ji Han says, "Wei Qi, come."
Finishing the statement, he then turns and leaves. It seems it's sufficient to treat him like some nauseating thing, even to the extent that he's unwilling to turn back to glance at him.
Wen Zhanglao frowns, now unsure if he should stay or leave. Hua Hufa has come in from outside the cell, saying to him, "Wen Zhanglao, you should set out."
He's forced to turn and glance at Wei Qi, also following Ji Han out.
Wei Qi sends a look towards the guards, and those few guards soon retreat.
"The guards in this cell, are all former brothers* of my Eagle Hall." Wei Qi sighs, saying, "Zhao Daxia, I never expected you to finally end up this way, and I still have to get you out."
Zhao Jiangui hasn't spoken at all.
"Looks like you and I share a friendship to some extent. I don't want to make things difficult for you either." He fishes out a dagger from his sleeve, "But I can also leave you an intact corpse."
Xiao Lin face turns pale with fright, almost throwing himself at Wei Qi and risking his life.
When all is said and done his wugong is not high, and he's knocked out by the chop of Wei Qi's hand. Zhao Jiangui already feels he'll undoubtedly die by this turn, simply closing his eyes, only hoping Wei Qi can be direct in his hit.
Wei Qi's hand rises and the knife falls, and the ropes around Zhao Jiangui's body are cut open.
Zhao Jiangui stares blankly, turning his head to look at him.
Wei Qi smiles lightly towards Zhao Jiangui, "However Jiaozhu still doesn't want you to die."
Zhao Jiangui stays lifeless in the same spot for a time, not knowing what Wei Qi means. Once his spirit returns, he suddenly feels wild with joy in his heart. Still fearing he has misunderstood, his face watches Wei Qi eagerly, wanting confirmation. However, he also doesn't know how to open his mouth to inquire, probably can't ask him:
Your sect leader could still like me?
This sentence is really far too conspicuous, a little unlike him.
Wei Qi seemingly puts up with smiling at him, saying, "Jiaozhu ordered this subordinate to proceed in getting Zhao Daxia out."
All things considered, Zhao Jiangui suppresses the urge to go back to that question. He pauses slightly, asks Wei Qi, "Where is Ji Han going?"
Wei Qi says, "The martial world's conference convenes in half a month, right now he's hurrying out to Baicang City, more or less at this moment.
Zhao Jiangui's heart suddenly sinks.
"Originally Jiaozhu hadn't realized your plan at all." Wei Qi says, "At most he thought Zhao Daxia somewhat odd."
Zhao Jiangui inevitably opens his mouth to inquire, "When did he know."
"If the Haoran Alliance can place an informant in our sect, naturally I have a way to bribe a member of the Haoran Alliance, too." Wei Qi lowers his voice, "Zhao Daxia, when you appeared, my insider happened to tell me this news. Of course I wanted to inform Jiaozhu of this matter."
Zhao Jiangui asks, "When was that?"
Wei Qi says, "When you guys hadn't yet come back to the Holy Sect."
Zhao Jiangui's mood suddenly sinks. He never thought that Ji Han had considered him from that time. Thinking now, even if that slip of paper all is that Ji Han deliberately had him see, if the Haoran Alliance received his news, then they're truly going into the Demon Sect's trap.
He knows he has to be upset over this matter, however he doesn't know how Ji Han was also feeling in his heart at that time. He was wrong from the beginning, but Ji Han was just planning. In whatever case, he's absolutely unable to blame him.
Wei Qi continues, "There is matter, I think Zhao Daxia also doesn't know."
Zhao Jiangui, "What matter?"
Wei Qi hesitates slightly, seems also to ponder whether he wants to tell Zhao Jiangui this thing, He finally clenches his teeth and makes up his mind, pressing his voice down, "The old sect leader is still alive."
Zhao Jiangui's spirit almost doesn't come back.
"The sect members are numerous and chaotic. The old sect leader has many ruthless people under his command, all believing that one must strive for the position of sect leader." Wei Qi speaks, "Several months ago, people came to assassinate the old sect leader. He was seriously injured, claiming he died suddenly from serious illness to the outside. He also ordered Jiaozhu to ascend into his position, wanting Jiaozhu to get to the bottom of this matter."
Zhao Jiangui is dazed, "This really isn't...to make Ji Han into bait?"
Wei Qi says, "Since childhood, Jiaozhu has been surprisingly gifted, his swordsmanship long ago exceeding that of the old sect leader. Those assassins can't injure him easily, but killing the old sect leader was easy to do." He pauses slightly, speaking this downwards, "That day Hanya came to assassinate, Jiaozhu... To make Zhao Daxia trust him, Jiaozhu purposely got injured, however evading vital points. The injuries weren't at all as serious as Zhao Daxia thought."
Zhao Jiangui says in disappointment, "He wasn't going to be injured."
Wei Qi says, "Yes."
Zhao Jiangui, "Yan Daifu is to make me not realize this matter, too. He deliberately made up that he doesn't like spectators when he's saving people as an excuse."
Bringing this thing up, Wei Qi's expression is somewhat bizarre, however he hasn't said anything more. He only claps his hands, summoning one of the Demon Sect's guards.
Wei Qi says, "Zhao Daxia, in the cell there is a secret path, bring Xiao Lin and follow him. Only Wen Zhanglao has the antidote to your body's poison. I've left someone outside to rescue you, that person will surely have a way."
Zhao Jiangui's muffled voice answers.
Wei Qi hesitates, saying, "Zhao Daxia, this matter is wholly at the old sect leader's behest. If Jiaozhu himself could decide, he absolutely wouldn't agree to do this."
Zhao Jiangui thinks a bit, asks Wei Qi, "Ji Han made you tell me this?"
"Jiaozhu only sent me to get you out of the Demon Sect. He doesn't want me to say whatever else." Wei Qi forces a smile as he says, "If Jiaozhu knew I talked to you this much, I'm afraid he'd want to have me led to the torture chamnber for punishment."
Zhao Jiangui inevitably wrinkles his brows, saying, "Why did you tell me this much?"
"Can Zhao Daxia still remember the circumstances that day when you went to the town down the mountain? They were good to you, merely because Jiaozhu was always good to us." Wei Qi eyes droop, saying in a gentle voice, "I just don't want to see Jiaozhu work only for others and not himself."
Zhao Jiangui's heart is at a loss, for a time actually not knowing what Wei Qi means by this.
Wei Qi already urges him to hasten his leave.
That guard carries the unconscious and unwaking Xiao Lin, bringing Zhao Jiangui from the secret path out of the Demon Sect.
The secret path's exit seems to be down the mountain from the Demon Sect. They make their way out from the exit, and Zhao Jiangui sees that outside is a clearing in the woods.
There is a carriage already waiting in the woods.
They go towards that carriage. The driver sits alone, sees them coming over, and turns his head towards them with a smile.
"Zhao Daxia, I've been waiting for you all for so long."
It's Yu Xian'er.
Zhao Jiangui wrinkles his brows and stares at him. Yu Xian'er curls his lips, saying, "Zhao Daxia, I'm really not a member of the Demon Sect, however Xiao Wei** says there are many familiar faces down the mountain. If he gets you guys out, the old sect leader will certainly find out."
Zhao Jiangui says, "You know everything?"
Yu Xian'er smiles faintly, "Xiao Wei keeps few things from me."
Zhao Jiangui, "That day you clearly said there were many things he couldn't tell you."
Yu Xian'er says, "Your Jiaozhu made me say that."
Right.
Zhao Jiangui's face turns gloomy.
Even Yu Xian'er's talks like that, everything is what Ji Han made up to trick him.
He had just thought himself totally unable to blame Ji Han, however at this moment he's already starting to get a little bit angry.
That guard follows along the road back.
Yu Xian'er is still talking.
"Zhao Daxia, your body's poison, there is only that Wen Zhanglao has the antidote. Fortunately we prepared earlier." Yu Xian'er says, "Leaving this town, then traveling a day's distance, there's a highly skilled doctor traveling at this point as luck would have it."
He sees Zhao Jiangui hasn't spoken, soon asking, "Zhao Daxia, you aren't angry with Jiaozhu?"
Zhao Jiangui is still blank-faced, no words fall.
Yu Xian'er can't help smiling as he says, "If Jiaozhu knew you were angry like this because of him, surely he'd be quite pleased, too."
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*Not literally brothers.
**Xiao Wei (like Xiao Lin) is just a diminutive/affectionate way of calling the person, so this is how Yu Xian'er refers to Wei Qi, whom he is extremely close to.
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