Jin Se

Chapter 20

At the moment, Shi Wuduan was not alone. Banya wasn't the only one who'd taken advantage of the chaotic martial conference. That evening, when the festivities were at its peak, he'd returned to find that there was someone in his room - a round-faced young girl who seemed fifteen or sixteen at most. She tensed when he entered and suddenly sprang up, wildly gesturing as she explained, "Little shishu, don't... don't be afraid, I'm...."

Shi Wuduan merely glanced at her without even slowing his steps. He casually shut the door and replied, "One of Kuruo-shishu's disciples, I suppose?"

This girl wasn't very old at all and, from the sound of it, was probably one of Kuruo's grand-disciples. He'd never met her before.

Though, that was only to be expected. Bitan was keeping close watch on all of Kuruo's skilled disciples and grand-disciples already. Only a timid and plain little girl like her would be able to sneak in unnoticed. "What's your name?"

She hesitated before shyly answering, "You can just call me Hui-er, little shishu."

Shi Wuduan poured a cup of tea for her and explained, "Take a seat, I knew there was someone in here already. When you entered, you triggered the 'Welcoming Array' I'd set. I could tell from the visitor's weight who's disciple you are."

A girl's weight was vastly different from an adult man's, and the only place for little girls in the sect was under Kuruo's authority. Shi Wuduan didn't explain further, he went straight to the point and asked, "Does Kuruo-shishu have any urgent orders for me?"

Perhaps he'd gotten used to speaking in a dull drone, but his voice didn't sound worried or anxious in the least, and was very soft as well. The young girl who, taking a risk for the first time, had initially been very panicked calmed down unconsciously. She thanked him for the tea and said, "Shizu told me to check up on you to see how you were doing. She also said that if you were... if you were being trapped here by that villainous Bitan, that you shouldn't act recklessly and that she'd definitely find a way to get you out of here."

Shi Wuduan smiled and thought, does not acting recklessly mean that there won't be people after my life anymore? Not to mention that Kuruo herself is already a clay statue crossing a river, does she really have the time to be worrying about others? Still, he appreciated her intent. He nodded, "I really am unfilial, to have made Kuruo-shishu worry about me. Is Kuruo-shishu still well?"

Hui-er's eyes redded, nearly on the brink of tears. Shi Wuduan silently sighed and had to remind her, "Hui-er, this place isn't safe, please keep it short."

Hui-er nodded and forcefully wiped her tears, but she couldn't resist scrunching her face. She bit her lips to furiously resist her sobs. After a while, she finally said, "Shizu and all the shibo and shishu, and all the shijie and shimei know that the sect master was killed by those two villians, Bitan and Banya, all because he didn't agree to the ritual to borrow luck. Back then when the imperial edict reached Jiulu Mountain, the sect master staunchly refused to receive it, and then, who could've thought that there'd be such traitorous people in our Xuan Sect..."　　

So it was like that after all - Shi Wuduan had long since figured it out. His expression didn't change as he silently listened.

"When shizu came here long ago to cultivate, she'd already stopped caring about the strifes and struggles of the mortal world. She said it made no difference whether they borrowed luck or not, but, how dare they.... how dare they defy their superiors and order the murder of fellow sect members?"