Chapter 121 – The Return of Su Ling (Part 1)

"I lost again!" Su Yu stared at the board, his eyes nearly bulging out. He smacked his forehead and muttered, "How strange! There are so few pieces, and I was watching so carefully—how did I still not see that you'd already lined up four in a row?"

Go had many pieces and often took a long time to play, so occasional oversights were understandable. But this game only had a few dozen moves and took less than a quarter of an hour. How could he still be so careless?

Unwilling to concede, Su Yu urged, "One more round!"

Su Ren chuckled. It was already the dead of night, and he had no desire to keep playing—not because the game wasn't fun, but because his opponent was too weak to be interesting. Yet, despite having no interest in Go, Yu had taken an odd liking to this simpler five-in-a-row game. It had been four or five days, and he clung to Ren for a match every day, only to lose each time without exception.

Stretching as he stood up, Su Ren replied, "Let's stop for tonight. You still have training tomorrow."

Su Yu grabbed the hem of his brother's sleeve and pleaded anxiously, "Second Brother, just one last game, please!"

Left with no choice, Su Ren sat back down again. This time, Su Yu played with utmost care, every move made with deliberation and focus.

This scene struck Su Ling, who had just returned from the palace banquet, as rather odd. When had Yu become interested in Go? It piqued his curiosity. Entering the study, Su Ling walked up behind Su Yu and, upon seeing the chaotic and disorderly cluster of pieces on the board, furrowed his brow deeply.

Su Ren had already noticed his arrival and greeted softly, "Elder Brother."

"Elder Brother?" Su Yu looked up in confusion and glanced around before finally spotting Su Ling behind him. He exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, when did you return?"

A faint scent of wine lingered on Su Ling. Su Ren, placing another piece on the board casually, said with a smile, "The Northern Qi delegation arrived today. His Majesty hosted a banquet in the palace. I suppose Brother came back for that, right?"

Su Ling neither confirmed nor denied it. His tone turned cold as he asked, "Has anything happened at the estate?"

Seeing them leisurely playing a game, it didn't seem like anything had gone wrong. But for Binglian, a sword that had remained dormant for decades, to show such an anomaly—what was the reason?

Su Ling's serious expression made Su Yu's heart skip a beat. Could it be that he had found out about the competition he had with that woman? Though it wasn't anything terrible, if his elder brother discovered he had used new recruits to wager instead of practicing formations, he would surely explode with fury.

Flustered, Su Yu cast a glance at Su Ren, who merely smiled calmly and answered with ease, "No, nothing out of the ordinary."

Su Yu secretly admired him. As expected, Second Brother was a master of lying with a straight face. "Nothing unusual?" Then why was he acting so guilty?

Su Ling became convinced that something had indeed happened to Binglian. His sharp brows knitted as he asked, "Who touched Binglian?"

"What?" Su Yu froze—so that's what he was asking about! He let out a sigh of relief and cried out, "Who would dare touch that thing?"

That sword was eerie and cold. He had tried to grab it once as a child and nearly froze to death! Clearly, Binglian had chosen Qing Mo—so much so that even the Chixue Sword, hundreds of miles away, sensed its reaction!

Su Ren felt a flicker of delight at the thought of Su Ling's eventual reaction when he found out. But now wasn't the time to reveal it—this was something their elder brother needed to discover himself for maximum entertainment.

Feigning confusion, Su Yu asked, "Is something wrong with Binglian?"

"It's nothing," Su Ling replied. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped. The other two stared at his back, expecting him to speak. After a moment, they heard a cold voice tinged with disappointment: "Ren, your game has worsened."

"I—" Su Ren stood frozen, half-laughing, half-crying. His skill hadn't declined—they weren't even playing Go...

Unfortunately, Su Ling had no interest in listening to his explanation. His tall figure had already disappeared beyond the courtyard.

"Ha—" Su Yu finally snapped out of it, and the study erupted into boisterous laughter. It was too funny—Second Brother finally had his day!

The crescent moon hung like a hook, stars scattered across the sky. The forest, so lively in recent days, was eerily quiet tonight. Shadows blanketed the woods, not a single light or silhouette in sight.

Behind a thick tree trunk, a figure leaned against the bark, eyes half-closed in a relaxed pose. Yet across her shoulder rested a longbow, a quiver of arrows lay at her feet, and a finely crafted dagger was strapped to her waist—a fully armed hunter.

Yes, Gu Yun was going hunting tonight.

Three days remained until the military trial. She was relatively pleased with this batch of young soldiers. For new recruits, she could confidently say that in terms of endurance, explosive strength, and agility, this team was the finest among the Su family's new army.

She had given them the night off—partly to let them recover and prepare for the grueling training she had planned for tomorrow, and partly because—tonight, she intended to catch that rat.

For five days, she had been plagued by the unmistakable sensation of being watched. She was certain someone had been spying on her, and now that she had a chance, she planned to confront him.

Night deepened, and silence blanketed the land. Gu Yun's half-closed eyes snapped open. She suppressed her presence and curved her lips into a faint smile.

Her prey had arrived.

Ao Tian moved like a ghost, silent and swift, materializing in the usual spot where he lay hidden. The forest offered only the quiet chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves—no trace of the brash female voice he had grown accustomed to.

She hadn't come tonight?

A strange restlessness tugged at Ao Tian. Was it disappointment or simply a lack of entertainment?

Just as he was about to leave, a cold voice called out from nearby, "No show tonight? Since you're already here, why not reveal yourself?"

His step faltered—she was here?

And he hadn't noticed?

A rare flicker of surprise crossed his usually impassive black eyes. He turned slightly toward the voice.

Through layers of trees, he saw a petite shadow standing proudly in the forest. As she approached, she demanded, "Who are you? Why have you been spying on my training?"

Gu Yun could only see a dark silhouette in the distance—his features obscured. She used the excuse of questioning while rapidly closing the distance. Just as she was nearly upon him, the figure leapt, vanishing seven or eight meters away in an instant.

"Trying to escape?" Gu Yun gave chase, raising her longbow and drawing an arrow toward the fleeing figure.

She had practiced alongside the soldiers in recent days. Though a bow was no match for a firearm, it was still a long-range weapon worth wielding.

The arrow whistled past Ao Tian's ear. The fierce wind showed her ruthless intent—she had truly fired at him!

With a sudden leap, Ao Tian soared into the treetops. The canopy shook, branches trembling violently, and then—silence.

Gu Yun held her breath, listening intently, but there was no trace of movement.

He had escaped!

What a pity—if only she had her M92F, he wouldn't have gotten away.

Lingyun Pavilion.

Two swords, one white, one crimson, lay silently upon a stone table. At first glance, they seemed unremarkable. But upon closer inspection, the white sword shimmered like ice beneath the moonlight, the red blazed like molten lava. Placed side by side, a faint energy seemed to pulse between them.

Su Ling held Binglian in his hand, running his fingers along the blade. A chill seeped into his palm, just as always—no signs of damage. So why had it acted up the other day? Why had even Chixue sensed its agitation?

Lost in thought, Su Ling suddenly felt Binglian grow colder still, its chill sharper than ever. A pale gleam flickered repeatedly across the blade—signs of excitement.

What was happening to Binglian?

Just as he was about to draw the sword for closer inspection, it abruptly fell quiet. At that moment, Su Ling also sensed someone approaching Lingyun Pavilion.

From the side entrance of the training grounds, Gu Yun walked into the General's Manor, head lowered, deep in thought. Who could that person have been? It couldn't be Su Yu—he lacked both the skill and the motive.

Then... could it be the General himself?