Chapter Twenty-Six: It Makes No Sense

At the far end of a long street in Yuanzhou City stands a crude stone arch bridge. Beneath it flows not the sprawling Huming River of Huming Province, but a rather inconspicuous, narrow ditch.

The ditch is foul and filthy, concealing the corpses of who knows how many souls. One such body floats upon the surface, accompanied by fish, its face frozen in a smile as if in great contentment.

Jie Peiling stood upon the small bridge, gazing down at the life that had been vibrant just a short while ago, now lying still in the water. He pondered in silence.

The man was dead; what was to become of the marriage contract? He did not know where Qionglinyan’s home was. No one in all of Yuanzhou City knew; the only person who did was now dead.

Qionglinyan’s final wish had been for him to safeguard the marriage contract. He had wanted to participate in the imperial examinations to better himself, only to find that no matter how exceptional he was, it was to no avail—simply because he refused to surrender that piece of paper. As a result, no one dared to hire him. He was clever, yet foolish. Had he handed over the contract, the Chu family would not have treated him poorly. Just like the young girl who died at Wang Shiming’s Flower Herb Shop—her body had left the younger brother of the Chu family’s young master half-dead, yet even then, the family chose to settle the matter with money rather than exterminate her kin.

Of course, this was also to the benefit of their own family. The scandal had already occurred and grown so large that, if it continued to develop, their reputation would spread throughout Yuanzhou City. More importantly, the girl was not a commoner and could not simply be discarded. In this world, a good reputation is essential. They did not want such trouble, and in any case, money was the least valuable thing to them.

As Jie Peiling pondered this, he jumped off the bridge, his feet landing on the muddy bank of the ditch. The murky water surged up to meet him. He reached out and plunged his hands into the black liquid. The surrounding fish bumped against his fingers as if offering him strength. He wanted to take the body away; after all, it never belonged here.

Qionglinyan had given him the contract merely to fulfill a final wish. Having lost his tether to life and suffering such blows, his heart had turned to ash, leading him to seek death.

At that moment, the sound of air being pierced reached him. Jie Peiling scooped up Qionglinyan’s corpse and stepped back onto the small bridge.

Chu Xianlü was shocked; she had not expected that retrieving an unwanted corpse would invite an attack. She did not understand why Jie Peiling would do such a thing, nor did she find him filthy; she simply followed behind him.

Then, a young man in a pale gray robe emerged slowly from the shadows, his expression malevolent.

Jie Peiling asked, "Who are you?"

The youth replied, "Chu Yizhuo."

Upon hearing the name "Chu," Jie Peiling understood why the other had acted this way. "The man is already dead. No matter how deep the hatred was while he lived, it should fade now."

Chu Yizhuo sneered, "You should know where I come from. I will give you three seconds to consider, or do not blame me if my blade shows no mercy."

"That makes no sense."

"Sense? In Yuanzhou City, the imperial court is not the authority; only my Chu family is. I advise you to be sensible, for I fear I might not be able to stop myself from beating you to death. I do not care who you are or what your background is; I would not mind one more corpse here."

Jie Peiling replied, "I beg you not to die."

Chu Yizhuo was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. "In Yuanzhou City, few of the younger generation dare speak to me like this. Clearly, you are not among them. Tell me, you knew him—is the marriage contract in your hands?"

Jie Peiling said, "The marriage contract is in my hands."

Chu Yizhuo’s expression relaxed. "Then why not hand it over quickly?"

"I was hesitant before, not understanding why Qionglinyan would suddenly regret his decision to call off the engagement. But now I understand, and I have decided. I had intended to return the contract, but I have changed my mind. I will not hand it over."

For some reason, after these words, the wind in Yuanzhou City grew cold, and the atmosphere became oppressive for those present. Standing in the shadows, Chu Yizhuo’s face twisted, his brow furrowed like deep ravines, swept by waves of dark energy.

Chu Yizhuo sneered twice. Unlike the earlier encounter with Qionglinyan, which had been a mere formality, he drew his sword with a sharp ring and slashed with all his might into the air before him.

A crescent-like arc of light appeared, brilliant and sharp. It seemed to shimmer within the water, yet the blade’s light did not appear in the air or above the bridge; it appeared directly within Jie Peiling’s eyes.

He was far stronger than Qionglinyan. The attack was swift, reaching him the moment it was unleashed.

Jie Peiling did not attempt to counter the strike; he leaped aside, landing on the bank beside the ditch. He glanced back to see the small bridge carved away by the sword light, a large portion of its stone foundation sheared off.

The moment Chu Yizhuo had drawn his sword, Jie Peiling had already moved. By the time the killing intent of the blade light filled his vision, his body had already vaulted away.

From the first sneak attack, Jie Peiling knew that he could not lower his guard when dealing with this man; one could never tell when he would strike.

Chu Yizhuo gave him no time to breathe. As soon as he landed, several more beams of sword light passed silently through the air, reaching him in an instant.

Before his feet had even touched the ground, Jie Peiling had prepared himself. As his toes met the earth, he took two steps to the west, then retreated rapidly, leaving a trail of afterimages.

Chu Yizhuo raised an eyebrow. He had never seen such footwork in Yuanzhou City, nor had he witnessed it during his exchanges with various sects.

Where did this man come from?

Not only him, but Chu Xianlü was also astonished; this footwork would be considered top-tier even within the Chu family.

Accompanied by several distinct, sharp cutting sounds, the wall just to the left of Jie Peiling was pierced through. The sword marks were clear, cutting straight through without a single fragment of stone falling away; everything had been pulverized.

Chu Yizhuo struck repeatedly, his spiritual energy rapidly depleting. His face grew distorted as he watched Jie Peiling dodge the increasingly violent attacks with ease.

Suddenly, Jie Peiling stopped. Cyan wind swirled in his right hand, and with a sharp *clang*, he caught one of the sword beams between his fingers.

"Nothing special."

Jie Peiling said calmly. As he spoke, he exerted force with both hands, and the sword energy shattered, dissipating into the air.

Chu Xianlü, standing to the side, had done nothing but watch. Seeing this, she smiled and said, "Go, Qionglinyan!"

Upon hearing the name, Chu Yizhuo froze. He looked at the corpse beside Chu Xianlü, stunned. If the one living was Qionglinyan, then who was this before him?

He realized then that this person was likely a decoy. The real Qionglinyan was still alive—why else would he refuse to surrender the marriage contract?

Then, Chu Yizhuo noticed the young woman. She wore a veil, and her attire was both luxurious and familiar; her voice was crisp and clear.

He knew who she was.

But why?