Chapter 610: Chapter 340: The Five Swords Arrive, Madam Deals with the Cur, Xiao Wanjian Yields, A Grand Duel Arranged (Part 4)

At this moment, Han Qingxiao appeared with a golden disc, assisting the Five Mountains Sword Alliance. Lin Aoshan happily exclaimed, "Boss Han!" Han Qingxiao was a member of the Celestial Patrol Bureau in the current dynasty. After entering the tunnel, he was surrounded and attacked by a heavy guard and got separated from Li Xian and others.

Han Qingxiao thought at that time, "If I continue to wander aimlessly, I will inevitably waste my efforts. It would be better to use the golden disc to first sketch a Garrison Map and a Tomb Map." Relying on the golden disc, he wandered among the many garrisons at the tomb, observing the terrain and drawing a map of the tomb, clearly marking the strategic points.

Over the last ten days, he focused solely on this task, and later he began to hear the ominous echo of bells. Feeling more urgency, he dared not easily reveal himself, secretly maneuvering around. Until he saw He Wentian frequently mobilizing troops, he knew something was drastically changing internally. Seizing the chaos, he hid and made contact with the members of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance.

Seeing the Five Mountains Sword Alliance struggling with their unfamiliarity with the terrain, he appeared to assist them. In this way, He Wentian lost his advantage and couldn’t help but panic. He no longer dared to entangle himself in the tomb. He didn’t hate the Five Mountains Sword Alliance; he loathed Wen Caishang.

All causes and effects were stirred up by Wen Caishang. He wanted to escape the tomb and order troops to guard the tunnel. Anyone who appeared would be immediately shot with arrows. By this time, he was exasperated and no longer capable of successful maneuver.

Unexpectedly, while fleeing, he was suddenly ambushed by a soldier who attacked him, catching him off-guard and injuring his leg. Shocked, he turned back. That soldier removed the disguise, revealing it was Gu Nianjun!

Back then, Gu Nianjun accidentally stumbled into the "Nine Orifice Dragon Heart Acupoint," and was quickly besieged by soldiers. After evading them, the more she pondered, the stranger it seemed. So she found a way to infiltrate the soldiers.

She and Wen Caishang entered the underground chamber one after another. The terrain in the tomb was dim, and both women caused chaos and were besieged. Gu Nianjun hid, while Wen Caishang revealed herself, leading the soldiers to only realize Wen Caishang had infiltrated the tomb, neglecting Gu Nianjun. When the enemy went to besiege Wen Caishang, there were many casualties, necessitating an external troop supplement. Gu Nianjun took advantage of this to slip inside.

At that time, no one knew of her presence, only thinking it serendipitous that Wen Caishang attracted He Wentian’s attention, causing him to inevitably become negligent while tending to other matters.

Gu Nianjun originally intended to scout and then leave. But by fate, she overheard He Wentian’s plot to capture the women of the Five Mountains Sword Sect and then frame the Flower Cage Sect. To her tremendous shock, she thought He Wentian, though seemingly gentle on the surface, harbored such ambitions and acted with treachery and ruthlessness that was despised, wanting to sneak out and inform others.

But before she could escape, she learned that He Wentian’s plot had succeeded and the women from the Sword Sect had been captured. Gu Nianjun was startled out of her wits and thought to herself that she wasn’t quite familiar with the tomb. Being able to sneak in unnoticed was already a stroke of luck. Perfectly escaping would inevitably reveal flaws. Since she had infiltrated the enemy, why not take this chance to secretly figure out where the women were held?

So she cautiously observed the situation while exploring in secret. Her success was limited, but at the most crucial moment, He Wentian was thoroughly defeated. In this manner, the members of the Sword Sect saw the light of day again, and after several twists and turns, secretly captured He Wentian, while the sect remained unharmed.

After resting for a few days, the clans showed a whole new face. But thinking it over, there was one matter that still needed resolution. Wen Caishang had deceived and killed the disciples of the Sword Sect, which ultimately needed a conclusive end. Yet handling this matter proved quite tricky. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Hu Yueyue said, "This matter was first instigated by He Wentian. If we seize this chance to attack, it may seem that we lack reason." Xiao Wanjian said, "I’d rather appear unreasonable than leave the fallen disciples without explanation. Certainly, He Wentian is extremely despicable, but is Wen Caishang any better?"

Duan Yixin said, "Indeed, matters in the main hall can’t be taken into account. We, as martial artists, ultimately need to settle things through martial arts." Hou Yuande said, "That might be true, but inciting something that leads to death is not a good idea."

Hu Yueyue suggested, "Why don’t we challenge Madam Wen to a duel, determined by victory or defeat, not life or death? If she loses, she must find a way to memorialize the deceased disciples. If she wins, we won’t pursue this further, and grudges will be completely settled."

Thus, the Five Mountains Sword Alliance delayed departing, keeping an eye on the developments in the city, awaiting the appearance of Wen Caishang and Li Xian before formally initiating a meeting.

...

In the main hall of the Azure Fragrance Pavilion, Hu Yueyue exchanged glances with the five elders and said, "Madam Wen, regarding the affairs in the underground chamber, there were indeed villainous machinations. But our Sword Sect disciples did perish, and their deaths cannot be in vain. We five wish to invite you for a duel to settle the score, filtered by victory, not determined by life and death."

Li Xian’s eyes flashed with a peculiar light.

(ps: It’s already two in the morning again, really too tired. Thanks to everyone for the monthly ticket support. I originally planned to write energetically to return the favor, and extend the Chapter to 8000 words. But then I received a call for weekend overtime, too busy with work. Let’s see when I can blast out more! Or perhaps plan an extra Chapter?)