Sunset Clouds

19.

"So, what we can conclude is that his death is caused by a devil cultivator?"

"Yes and no, we also-"

A light shone from a certain pair of siblings' direction. Everyone stopped talking, interested in what was happening. LongYue hastily paled, and fumbled around, searching for something. ZhongYi as well had stopped focusing into the discussion, and was instead looking at LongYue searching around.

After a short while, she finally took out a magatama-shaped jade with a quiet "aha!". She cupped it in her hands, observing it as it sent out fluctuations of spiritual power, and paled rapidly. She turned to her eldest brother, and ZhongYi plucked it out of her hands, observing it.

Since everyone was curious about these two's sudden and weird actions, they quietened down. Just then, the magatama... scattered into dust.

ZhongYi frowned, then stood up immediately. A wave of his hand, and his sword, which was kept in a box to prevent there being a sudden scuffle from breaking out, flew out and went to his hand.

The young man then faced the two people from WanYuan peak. "Where is my little brother?"

Lu YanShui frowned, wondering what on earth just happened. He was about to answer, when the old man beat him to it. "He is currently in my courtyard, he should be safe."

"Safe?" ZhongYi uttered coldly, and a wave of spiritual power gushed out, overwhelming the succeeding disciples that were in the hall. Some of them shuddered, some of them whimpered, and some hid behind their peak masters. It felt as if a heavy cloud were settling in on them, lightning zaps also somehow appearing. Out of the disciples in the room, only LongYue and Jiu MianMian weren't affected. "If he was safe, then the protection jade would not react."

The old man frowned. "You gave him a protection jade? What for?"

LongYue stepped in front of her brother, ignoring his warning glance. Her hands formed fists at her side, and she glared at Lu YanShui. "Why would we not give him one?" She retorted. "When we came to visit him, he was staying in a room far away from the common grounds! It was obvious that you had placed him there!"

At the end of her sentence, she pointed to Lu YanShui. Lu YanShui frowned slightly, then defended himself. "I ordered my inner disciple to place him in the rooms nearest to my courtyard."

"So, you're just pushing the blame to your inner disciple?" LongYue's face grew flushed due to anger. Just as she was about to continue her tirade, someone spoke up.

"You said that the jade broke, shouldn't you go and save him?" It was Fan Ming, who spoke up in order to stop the kid from roasting her friend.

"That is right," ZhongYi agreed, and then placed a palm on LongYue's shoulder, his sword held in his other hand. "Then, we'll go-"

"Wait!" The old man interrupted them, standing up from his seat. "Let this old man come as well."

As no one else were particularly close to the boy, even though he is the clan head's son, they didn't stand up. Lu YanShui wordlessly followed his master in standing up.

LongYue looked at her father. "Papa, you're not coming?"

Xu Father shook his head. "I will have to stay here to resume the discussion."

Even though he was deathly worried for his son, he still had a duty to complete as the clan head. He offered an apologetic smile to his youngest daughter, and ruefully continued. "If you find the one that is hurting our little phoenix... leave some for me."

LongYue nodded. "Un!" She turned to her eldest brother. "Let's go, brother!"

ZhongYi silently lit a paper talisman up, and then they disappeared with nary a sound. The Old man and Lu YanShui left as well, in a whirlwind of leaves and flames.