Shu Yue studied Lu Baiyu with narrowed eyes. There was a hint of fear in the old man's eyes, which piqued her curiosity even more. How powerful was that man to turn an elder into such a coward?
So, he's really a Saint rank? Shu Yue wondered.
She had no doubt this time. Judging from what Lu Baiyu said, that man was clearly strong, proving her suspicion that he was indeed from a different clan--a powerful clan. Lu Baiyu, an elder and an SSS-rank warrior, even admitted that he had no chance of winning against that man.
Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile.
This is getting interesting.
She was up against not only a clever but also a strong man who might have already attained the highest rank possible.
But there was still one thing that she was dying to know.
"What clan is he from?"
Lu Baiyu was quiet for a minute, then said, uncertainly, "I don't know. . . I'm not sure."
Shu Yue arched a skeptical brow.
"I'm swear it's the truth!" Lu Baiyu roared, his face flushing with anger and frustration. He clenched his fists, as if trying hard to keep himself from lashing at Shu Yue. "I know nothing about that man, so stop asking me about him. I've already told you what I know."
Shu Yue stared at him in silence for a moment, her face emotionless. Lu Baiyu seemed to be telling the truth this time, so Shu Yue didn't ask him again or press him on it further. It just made sense that the mysterious man would not reveal information that could be used against him. He even toyed with them by wearing different belts to confuse them about his actual rank.
But he gave a specific location where he could be found.
Somehow, Shu Yue was more uneasy than relieved knowing that information. She found it odd that the man would simply reveal his current location. Unless he was just messing around, as he always did, and it was all a trap.
Or maybe he really wanted to be found.
Perhaps that information was actually meant for her. He knew she was looking for him, so he used Lu Baiyu as an unwitting instrument to inform her of his whereabouts.
She set her mouth in a firm line.
That cunning bastard!
The mysterious man was most likely trying to lead her to the inn. It was definitely a trap. Nonetheless, she had to admit he was really clever. He had planned things with precise calculation, and almost everything that had happened since her victory in the sparring match had been manipulated by him.
But Shu Yue couldn't let him continue to play her like a fool. Who knew what that man was up to? Since he knew her true identity, could he have been aware of her plans? Whoever he was, he had to be silenced as early as possible. Shu Yue couldn't risk having him ruin her plans. Not right now, when she hadn't even done anything.
She clutched the sword tightly in her grip. She wasn't going to let him keep pulling the strings. Now that she was aware of what he was trying to do, it wouldn't be hard to counter him. He was tricking her into believing she was winning this game of cat and mouse, and Shu Yue would do the same.
She'd play his game, pretending to fall into his trap. She'd make him feel like he was winning.
Outsmarting a hidden opponent was a tricky situation, so she had to be more careful. She shouldn't appear too naive or too smart. If she played her cards right, she would have the upper hand.
One mistake and it was game over.
As Shu Yue pondered, the image of the man she saw on the street in front of the Lu residence flashed through her mind. A sudden little chill went over her.
Don't tell me that's him?
Shu Yue's brows knitted as she thought about his grey belt and the strange aura he was emitting. Her lips twitched, knowing she might have already met the person she was looking for and hadn't even realized it.
No wonder he didn't look like a mere civilian.
That reminded Shu Yue of one thing.
"Elder Lu," she said. "You mentioned earlier that the man told you something and you assumed it was about me. Can you tell me what he said?"
Lu Baiyu's mouth hardened. He was silent for a moment as she glanced at the sword in Shu Yue's hand. "He warned me not to lay a hand on someone. Now I'm pretty sure he was referring to you. It actually makes sense. You won the sparring match and ended up with the soul-binding scroll. And right after I recruited you to be my disciple, he showed up and warned me. It fits too well to be a coincidence."
That puzzled Shu Yue. "He warned you not to harm me?"
Lu Baiyu nodded stiffly. "Yes, and he also told me not to make things difficult for you, but I did..." He faltered. Despair slowly etched his face, and his voice trembled with fear. "He might punish me for it. No, he will punish me."
The old man's figure turned into a blurry shape as Shu Yue fell into deep contemplation. She had no doubt that the mysterious man was referring to her after hearing what Lu Baiyu said.
But why would he say that? What kind of game is he actually playing?
"I already told you everything I know about that young man," Lu Baiyu said in a hard voice. "You got your answers, now release my grandson."
Shu Yue looked at him, then smiled. She stepped closer to him and handed Lu Rui's sword to him.
"Don't worry about little Rui," Shu Yue said assured him. "He's already being escorted back to your residence as we speak."
"And why should I believe you?"
A sudden gust of wind blew over them, ruffling their robes. The bamboo stalks swayed, and the leaves rustled. There was a familiar scent; a familiar presence nearby. Xiao Ran was already here, faster than Shu Yue had expected. She cocked her head to one side and smiled wickedly at Lu Baiyu.
"Why is Elder Lu supposed to believe me, my dear fox?" Shu Yue said, a little louder.
A soft rustle behind them announced someone's arrival. Seconds later, Xiao Ran stepped out from the bamboo trees. Lu Baiyu narrowed his eyes as he watched the fox-human approach. Xiao Ran's footsteps came nearer, and then he appeared beside Shu Yue, his arm brushing lightly against her shoulder.
"He's already on the way here, Young Mistress," Xiao Ran informed Shu Yue in a quiet voice. "He should be here any minute." He took another step and handed Lu Baiyu a scroll, his face impassive.
Lu Baiyu narrowed his eyes. He shot a glance at Shu Yue before taking the scroll from Xiao Ran. Cautiously, he unrolled the scroll. His frown deepened as he read. He then looked up from the piece of white parchment and glared at Shu Yue.
"How can this piece of paper prove that my grandson is safely returned?" Lu Baiyu snarled. The paper in his hand crumpled as he clenched his trembling fist. "You think you can fool me that easily? There's a possibility that my daughter was under threat when she wrote this letter."
"I didn't threaten her," Xiao Ran muttered matter-of-factly, his face expressionless.
Shu Yue met Lu Baiyu's eyes calmly. He was being cautious, and she couldn't really blame him for that. Xiao Ran being here indicated that the task Shu Yue assigned to him had been completed, so it was the truth that Lu Rui had been returned safely to the Lu residence. However, a letter that might have been manipulated wouldn't be sufficient enough to support that claim.
"Of course, that's not enough," Shu Yue sympathized. "You could go home now to confirm that yourself, but I still have one more question for you."
Lu Baiyu's face took on an ugly expression. "I already told you everything I know about--"
"Claw of the Eternal Beast," Shu Yue interjected, her tone dry.
"What?" Lu Baiyu looked confused.
"Was that man the one who taught you about that sword art?"
"Him? No, he had nothing to do with it."
Shu Yue studied Lu Baiyu intently for a second. "I see. So there's another man you're working with. Tell me, what clan does your loyalty lie with, Elder Lu?"
"W-what do you mean?" Lu Baiyu asked, clearly taken off guard. His grip on Lu Rui's sword tightened.
"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, Elder Lu. I'm asking if your loyalty still lies with the Ophiuchus Clan."
Lu Baiyu stared at her for a moment. Then he laughed, humorless. "You're very sharp, young lady. I'm impressed that you figured that out in just a day. But tell me, who would want to be part of a clan that even the Emperor has turned his back on?"
Shu Yue's brows lowered into a frown, but she kept her cool. "Which clan are you working with?"
"Let me ask you something, Young Lady Chen." Lu Baiyu reached into his robe and took out something. "Have you ever thought of joining another clan yourself? Those who want to become strong shouldn't be in this fallen clan unless we don't mind being an average martial artist." As he stretched out his hand and opened his fingers, something glimmered on his palm. It was a silver token. His mouth curled into a smirk. "But we don't want that, do we?"
Shu Yue narrowed her eyes. This token was similar to their clan's token. The only difference was the symbol inscribed in the center. It was a curved M with the final slash pointing upward with an arrow tip.
Her eyes widened.
It was the Scorpio Clan token!
"Now, tell me," Lu Baiyu went on. "Do you want to become strong enough to merit enlisting in the Imperial Army?"
Calm down, Shu Yue reminded herself. She squeezed her hands into tight fists, hidden in her sleeves, and fought against a surge of anger. But it was getting harder and harder to maintain her composure the longer she looked at the silver token.
"I see," Shu Yue said. "So your so-called secret manual came from the Scorpio Clan."
After hearing about the Claw of the Eternal Beast, Shu Yue had already suspected that Lu Baiyu was cooperating with another clan. Because where else would he be able to obtain a copy of the Ophiuchus Clan's long-lost martial art? Shu Yue could only think of those who stole their manuals--the Zodiac Clans. However, what she didn't expect was that it would be the Scorpio Clan of all clans.
"That's right," Lu Baiyu said without a trace of shame or guilt. "Aren't they kind enough to give us a copy of such a powerful martial art?" His mouth stretched into a wide grin, his eyes shining with gratitude.
Foolish human! That martial art belonged to the Ophiuchus Clan in the first place.
But, of course, Lu Baiyu didn't know that. Being one of Ophiuchus's five high-leveled martial arts, Claw of the Eternal Beast was only learned and used by the former elite troops of the clan under the leadership of the previous chief. However, after the execution of Shu Yuzhen and Ophiuchus's fall from grace, most of them betrayed the clan.
Therefore only a few could recognize this martial art here, and Lu Baiyu wasn't one of them. He was promoted to the position of an elder under the governance of the current clan leader, so he had no knowledge of the Ophiuchus Clan's five ancient martial arts.
Shu Yue opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, a voice interrupted her.
"You're a traitor, master?"
Lu Baiyu froze, his face turning pale as he looked past Shu Yue, at someone who wasn't supposed to be here today.
"Fa Xiang?" Lu Baiyu said, his expression somewhere between shocked and confused.
A faint smile appeared on Shu Yue's lips.