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Wen Xinzhao’s beautiful eyes focused. “Brother Su, you suspect that the Ferryman’s client was a disciple of Cloudsky Divine Palace?”
Su Yi shook his head. “I don’t suspect it. I’m sure of it.”
Wen Xinzhao’s gaze frosted over. She wouldn’t have guessed that one of the sectmates traveling with her had hired Su Yi’s would-be assassin! Her heart instantly filled with anger.
She took a deep breath, then said, “Then
 Brother Su, what would you like me to do?”
Su Yi said, “How about remaining uninvolved?”
Wen Xinzhao thought it over, then nodded. “Alright.”
Su Yi rose from his wicker chair and looked at the picturesque beauty in front of him. “I chose not to act at the Zuo Family estate because I was worried you’d get stuck in the middle, beset on both sides. I’m very pleased with your response.”
As he spoke, he put his hands behind his back and strolled out of the room.
Wen Xinzhao was stunned. So he
 Was worried about my feelings?
As she thought, she turned and chased after him.

..
A hall on the top floor of the treasure ship.
“Senior Apprentice Brother Huo, not even the Ferryman was a match for Su Yi. What do we do now?” said Qian Tianlong, looking deeply anxious.
When he thought back to what had happened in the Zuo Family estate, he felt a chill in his heart.
“What’s there to be afraid of? The Ferryman failed, but that’s a problem for the Sea of Bitterness. It has nothing to do with us,” said Huo Yunsheng between sips of wine.
“But
 I’m afraid Su Yi already suspects us,” sighed Qian Tianlong.
“So what if he suspects us? Without proof, he won’t dare touch us. Don’t forget that we’re disciples of Cloudsky Divine Palace. There’s no way Su Yi would dare disregard our sect!” Huo Yunsheng laughed coldly, not at all concerned.
“You’re absolutely right, Senior Apprentice Brother Huo,” said Sun Feng.
Bang!
It was then that someone kicked down the hall’s tightly shut door. The group turned to look and saw Su Yi’s tall, lean figure sauntering toward them.
All three of them were stunned, and their expressions shifted dramatically.
“Kicking down the door and forcing your way inside? Don’t you think that’s a bit overly brazen?” Huo Yunsheng snorted coldly, and his expression darkened.
Qian Tianlong suddenly realized something, then gulped with great difficulty. “Su Yi
 You
 What did you come here for?”
Su Yi’s gaze swept across the three of them, and he said flatly, “You’re nothing but a pack of clowns. Before this, no matter how much you jumped around, I couldn’t be bothered to pay any attention to you. I would never have thought you’d go so far as to hire an assassin to target me. Do you really think I don’t dare to kill you?”
It was as if Qian Tianlong had been struck by lightning. This guy
 Don’t tell me he already knows the full story?
Huo Yunsheng’s brow furrowed in displeasure. “Su Yi, are you sure you’re not making a mistake? The Ferryman tried to kill you, but what does that have to do to us? Don’t try and pin crimes on the innocent.”
He seemed perfectly calm.
“That’s right. What right do you have to accuse us of trying to have you assassinated? Do you have any proof?” Sun Feng snorted coldly.
However, Su Yi merely laughed. “I’ve come here to kill you. Since when
 does killing someone require proof? Childish.”
Huo Yunsheng, Qian Tianlong, and Sun Feng stiffened. Their expressions changed dramatically.
They certainly wouldn’t have guessed that Su Yi would be this domineering!
“Su Yi, we’re disciples of Cloudsky Divine Palace. You might be strong, but aren’t you worried about the consequences?” said Huo Yunsheng gravely.
“You certainly can’t represent the entire sect.” It was then that Wen Xinzhao walked in, her beautiful face icy and her bright eyes filled with fury. “Just who hired the Ferryman? I urge you to tell the truth. Otherwise, I’m afraid no one can save you!”
Huo Yunsheng’s expression changed dramatically. His heart ached, and he sounded aggrieved. “Senior Apprentice Sister Wen, you’re a disciple of Cloudsky Divine Palace too. How could you speak up on behalf of an outsider?”
Wen Xinzhao just said icily, “I’m not here to help either of you. I won’t get involved, no matter what happens. I’ve already said everything I had to say. You three had best look after yourselves.”
With that, she stepped aside; it seemed she just planned to watch.
Huo Yunsheng, Sun Feng, and Qian Tianlong’s hearts sank.
Sun Feng suddenly shot to his feet and shouted, “I’m going to go find Martial Uncle Zhang! I refuse to believe he’ll remain uninvolved!”
As he spoke, he started walking, but just as he was about to leave—
Bang!
Su Yi raised his hand, and Sun Feng’s entire body trembled, as if a divine mountain were bearing down on him. He collapsed to the ground, both ashamed and enraged, his expression as unsightly as could be.
“You were the first to jump out, so let’s start with you. Tell me: who was it that hired the Ferryman? If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine too; I’ll just send you on your way,” said Su Yi. He looked at Sun Feng and said flatly, “Listen carefully: I’ll only give you three breaths of time to think it over.”
Sun Feng shuddered beneath that calm, indifferent gaze. He glanced at his companions, as if begging for help.
“One.”
Su Yi started counting.
In Sun Feng’s ears, that casual, indifferent tone was like the sound of impending death. It filled Sun Feng’s heart with extreme terror, and he cried out in a panic, “Senior Apprentice Brothers, hurry up and say something!”
“Two,” said Su Yi.
Huo Yunsheng suddenly slammed the table, rose, and bellowed, “Su Yi, do you really think we
”
Bang!
Before Huo Yunsheng could finish, Su Yi flicked his finger, boring a bloody hole through Sun Feng’s forehead. Fresh blood gushed from the wound, and he toppled over backward, dead.
In the last moments before his death, he looked to Huo Yunsheng and Qian Tianlong for help.
This bloody spectacle stirred his companions, who both felt a chill in their hands and feet. They were so scared that their souls practically left their bodies.
Wen Xinzhao’s heart shook, and the look on her beautiful face shifted.
Before this, she admired Su Yi’s attainments in the Dao of the Sword. She saw him as her guide, and she respected him deeply.
She had an extremely good impression of Su Yi. He was calm, and he stood out from the crowd.
She would never have thought that when he killed, he’d do it with such dispassionate ease, as if he were squishing an ant.
“Sun Feng obviously knew the answer, but he preferred to die than share it. I actually think better of him now,” said Su Yi. He then looked at Huo Yunsheng and Qian Tianlong. “Didn’t your consciences hurt when you watched him die?”
Qian Tianlong shuddered, then broke down completely and threw himself to his knees. He shouted, “I’ll talk! I’ll talk! It was Huo Yunsheng who hired the Ferryman! It had nothing to do with me!”
The entire room fell silent.
Wen Xinzhao sighed to herself. She disdained Qian Tianlong’s weakness, and moreover, she was beyond disappointed to discover that Huo Yunsheng was the Ferryman’s client.
Huo Yunsheng seemed caught off guard too. His expression gradually darkened, and when he spoke, he paused for emphasis between each word. “Qian Tianlong, I truly wouldn’t have guessed you’d be this cowardly!”
Qian Tianlong shrieked, “Senior Apprentice Brother Huo, I’m not wrong, am I? You were the one who suggested we hire someone from the Sea of Bitterness to assassinate Su Yi. At the time, I’d never even heard of the Sea of Bitterness!”
He was frantically trying everything he could to save, all in hopes of saving his life.
“You
 I’ll kill you, you traitor!” Huo Yunsheng drew his sword and slashed at the kneeling Qian Tianlong in fury.
Su Yi didn’t stop him.
He certainly had never promised to ensure anyone’s life if they answered his questions.
Splurt!
Qian Tianlong’s head rolled to the floor. Astonishment and disbelief were written all over his face. It seemed he wouldn’t have guessed that Huo Yunsheng would kill him before Su Yi got the chance.
When Wen Xinzhao saw this, a phrase rose unbidden to her thoughts: they're turning on each other like starving dogs.
“Su Yi, leave me a path to life, and I swear that all grudges between us will end here. I won’t make any trouble for you ever again.” Huo Yunsheng’s eyes flashed like lightning, and his expression was dark and imposing. “If you refuse, even if you kill me today, the Baqiao Huo Family won’t let you off!”
He spoke every word with assurance, but his tone had a hint of madness.
He obviously knew he was no match for Su Yi; he was effectively gambling.
“Fellow Daoist Su Yi, might you
 Give Huo Yunsheng a chance?” Zhang Yuntao appeared, looking frantic with concern. “The Baqiao Huo Family is one of the Great Xia’s three top clans. Their accumulations run incredibly deep, and you absolutely cannot overlook them. I’m well aware that that won’t be enough to scare you, but isn’t it better to avoid trouble when you can?”
Zhang Yuntao had no choice but to intervene. Huo Yunsheng was the son of the head of the Huo Family. If Zhang Yuntao stood back and watched him die, and if the Huo Family took him to task for it, this would implicate him.
Su Yi’s eyebrows shifted up, and he glanced at Zhang Yuntao. “He hired someone to assassinate me. He ought to pay for his crimes, yet he’s shameless enough to proclaim that we’ll be even if I spare his life. Tell me
 Is that any way to talk?”
Zhang Yuntao grimaced, but before he could say anything, Huo Yunsheng lowered his head and apologized. Circumstance was stronger than any man; he had no other choice. “Su Yi, I can compensate you like the Zuo Family did and use treasure to make up for my mistakes.”
“Your life isn’t worth even a single coin.” Su Yi’s eyes flashed with disdain, and he flicked his fingers.
A streak of sword qi shot forth, like an unstoppable arrow. It flew at unbelievable speeds, piercing a hole through Huo Yunsheng’s cranium.
Bang!
A bloody hole formed, and Huo Yunsheng’s entire skull burst into fragments.
Zhang Yuntao’s hands and feet shook, while his heart sank.
Wen Xinzhao pursed her lips but said nothing.
After this incident, she realized that although Su Yi looked calm, casual, and detached from worldly affairs, when he saw someone as an enemy, he paid no heed to threats or the potential consequences.
From this, she could see just how lucky the Zuo Family really was; they’d practically escaped from the jaws of death.
“Fellow Daoist Su, when I return to the sect, I’ll be sure to report the truth of what happened. If you wish to silence me, you can do so now.” Zhang Yuntao took a deep breath and said gravely.
Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.
The look on Wen Xinzhao’s pretty face shifted, and her heart was suddenly on tenterhooks.
Su Yi looked at Zhang Yuntao in surprise. “I only kill those I ought to kill.”
Zhang Yuntao was stunned, and his gaze was conflicted. “You
 Aren’t you worried about becoming Cloudsky Divine Palace’s enemy?”
Su Yi said calmly, “It’s Cloudsky Divine Palace that ought to be worried about becoming my enemy and whether or not they can bear the consequences of doing so.”
With that, he put his hands behind his back, turned, and walked off.
Wen Xinzhao thought for a moment, then said, “Martial Uncle Zhang, when we go back, I’ll tell Master what happened, the full truth. I trust that with our seniors’ wisdom, they’ll make the most rational choice.”
Zhang Yuntao sighed. “Xinzhao, you’re still young. You don’t understand at all. This isn’t a question of who’s right and who’s wrong. The crux of the matter is that if a sect cannot protect its disciples or avenge them when they fall
 it’s destined to decline and disappear.”
Wen Xinzhao’s bright eyes focused. “Martial Uncle Zhang, are you saying that it’s highly likely that the sect will disregard the question of who was in the right and see Fellow Daoist Su as its enemy?”
“It’s not ‘highly likely.’ It’s absolutely certain!” Zhang Yuntao paused here and took a deep breath. “Unless Su Yi possesses enough power and majesty to strike dread into their hearts, the sect’s leadership will surely have him eliminated!”