Chapter 921 No Shame

"How could Brother Tang kill me?"

"Whether it is true or not, you will know once you ask."

"Do you want me to kill him?"

"You won't kill him."

"Why?"

"You and Tang Afu admire each other and are close friends, so you are reluctant to kill him."

"So...what do you want me to decide?"

"I'm not asking you to decide whether to kill or not, but whether to keep or not."

"What do you mean?"

"The Merciless Swordsman is quite capable. If we can get his help, wouldn't it be a great help to us?"

"But he is from the Heartless Valley."

"I know! If he doesn't agree, we'd better part ways with him. This trip to Mobei is to find Su He's whereabouts and to avoid Qingfeng's edge. Therefore, the fewer people who know our whereabouts, the better. If Tang Afu has ulterior motives, keeping him around will cause endless trouble."

"Brother Tang's presence at Tianyuan Inn is indeed suspicious, but... I don't think he will harm me."

"I hope so!"

……

It was late at night and the Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond were peaceful and quiet.

Liu Xunyi came to the stream carrying a pot of wine, sat on the ground, looked up at the starry sky, feeling quite lonely and isolated as if "I raise my cup to invite the bright moon, and my shadow and I become three people".

The stream gurgles, the cold wind blows, the clouds are hazy, the stars and the moon are dim.

No matter how swaying the pines, the moon in the water, or the mist and clouds, Liu Xunyi had no intention of appreciating the creation of heaven and earth or the natural charm of autumn. Because in his mind, Xunzhen's "unpleasant but honest advice" kept echoing.

The thought lingered and could not be dispelled, causing Liu Xunyi to fall into deep contemplation, unable to extricate himself for a long time.

"what are you doing?"

Suddenly, a cold voice sounded from behind Liu Xunyi. Then, Tang Afu's thin figure gradually walked out of the darkness. At this time, he was holding the Merciless Sword in his hand.

"The night is long and I have no mood to sleep. I came out to enjoy the breeze, the moon and a few drinks."

Liu Xunyi had already recognized Tang Afu's footsteps, but he neither stood up nor turned back. He just nonchalantly raised the wine jug in his hand and shook it gently a few times as a greeting.

"When will the bright moon appear? I raise my cup to ask the sky. I wonder what year it is in the palace in heaven?" Liu Xunyi looked into the night sky, and his imagination ran wild. Without turning his head, he asked, "Brother Tang, look, the sky is full of stars, and I don't know where the sky ends... Is there anyone like you and me who walks alone and stands alone?"

Seeing that Liu Xunyi was in a trance, talking drunkenly, and completely defenseless against him, a faint cold light flashed in Tang Afu's eyes.

At the same time, his right hand slowly reached towards the hilt of the sword.

"I don't know, and I'm not interested in knowing." Tang Afu answered casually while approaching Liu Xunyi step by step.

Liu Xunyi picked up a stone absent-mindedly and threw it far into the stream, saying, "Brother Tang, it's rare to have a cool autumn night and a quiet valley. Why don't you have a dream meeting with Zhou Gong? You came out in the middle of the night... Are you afraid that I'll be lonely?"

"If I dreamed of meeting Zhou Gong, wouldn't that mean you'd have waited for nothing all night?"

Liu Xunyi's question was meaningful, and Tang Afu's answer was meaningful. The two people's moods were like a stone thrown into the water, breaking the calm and causing ripples.

It seemed as if they had already anticipated the intention of meeting tonight, but no one was willing to be the first to break this window paper.

At this moment, Tang Afu was seven steps away from Liu Xunyi, and his right hand gripped the hilt of the sword tighter.

In just seven steps, Tang Afu's swordsmanship was enough to kill most people in the world. Even if Liu Xunyi was an expert among experts, he couldn't completely avoid Tang Afu's killing move without any defense.

In other words, if Tang Afu suddenly attacked, the drunk Liu Xunyi would be killed at least.

However, is Liu Xunyi really drunk?
"The mountains and rivers are difficult to cross, who will pity the lost? We are all strangers when we meet by chance."

"What?" Tang Afu was stunned, as if he didn't understand the hidden meaning of Liu Xunyi's words.

"Brother Tang, have you ever tasted the feeling of being betrayed by the world?" Liu Xunyi asked instead of answering, with a playful tone containing a hint of bitterness, "Today, I am like a stray dog. No matter where I go, I will be despised and looked down upon. I have worked hard for the people, but the people regard me as an unforgivable traitor. They deliberately plotted against me and hunted me down by all means, wishing to skin me alive to relieve their hatred. I don't understand, what is the irreconcilable hatred between me and the world? Why does everyone gnash their teeth at me and hate me as if I had killed their entire family? ? Would my existence... really disturb their peaceful world? Would my existence... really make the world so unhappy? Little did they know that two months ago they still regarded me as a loyal and courageous hero. Why in the blink of an eye... everything changed? What makes me laugh and cry the most is that those who praise me and those who slander me are basically the same group of people, and they... have probably never seen me, let alone know me or understand me. Whether they praise or scold, they are all hearsay and repeat what others say. Is there really such a perverse saying in the world that three people make a tiger and a lot of people's words can melt gold? Alas! I really can't figure out the world and people's hearts..."

Listening to Liu Xunyi's speech, which was not sure whether it was self-deprecating or complaining, Tang Afu couldn't help but recall his unfortunate childhood.

Back then, the Tang family was tragically wiped out. He was defrauded of his huge fortune by Shen Dongshan's sweet words, and then he was fed poison and kicked out of the house. He cried out to heaven and earth for help, but no one answered him.

Therefore, he had experienced the feeling of being betrayed by the world. He had also experienced the days of being despised and looked down upon.

Perhaps out of old friendship or out of a shared fate, Tang Afu, who wanted to take the initiative, was once again entangled. After hesitating for a long time, he slowly loosened his sword and ultimately did not launch a sneak attack on Liu Xunyi.

At the same time, Liu Xunyi, who had his back to Tang Afu, raised a gratified smile. He tucked his left hand in his sleeve and slightly closed it. The three stones between his fingers were instantly crushed into powder and scattered silently in the weeds and mud.

"In fact, Xunzhen has told me everything that happened at Tianyuan Inn." At this point, Liu Xunyi raised the wine pot and drank a few mouthfuls. Then he flicked his sleeves and said in a gloomy tone, "I also asked Miss Pan about this matter. Her memories are similar to what you said. The people who appeared at Tianyuan Inn that day were Ji Hou and Fu Yin. I guess the people who knocked Miss Pan unconscious and poisoned the food and wine... were them."

"So what?" Tang Afu narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone as calm as the water in a stream.

"Ji Hou and Fu Yin were originally the elders of Peach Blossom Sword Island. However, after Yu Wenxiu's death, instead of regrouping and seeking revenge, they scattered like monkeys when the tree fell, and led their people to seek other supporters, and switched to work for Jin Fuyu. I guess they are both sycophants at heart, so it's not surprising that they help the tyrant to do evil." Having said this, Liu Xunyi suddenly turned around and looked at Tang Afu with a solemn and complicated look, "But I don't understand, you are obviously different from them, why did you become Jin Fuyu's pawn?"

Hearing this, Tang Afu's expression suddenly changed, but it was fleeting. He asked calmly, "How do you know that I am Jin Fuyu's minion?"

"You, Ji Hou, and Fu Yin all appeared in the kitchen of Tianyuan Inn at the same time... How could such a coincidence happen in the world?" Liu Xunyi sneered, "You lied and said you just happened to pass by. How can such a lame excuse be convincing? A real man should be upright and have the courage to take responsibility for his actions. Your goal in coming to the outside of the pass was not Granny Taohua, but me."

"So what?" Tang Afu smiled nonchalantly, "Your head is priceless. Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao promised you a huge profit. I don't know how many people in the martial arts world are drooling over you."

"So, you admit that you are here to kill me?" Seeing Tang Afu speaking frankly, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Even if you don't ask, I don't intend to continue hiding it." Tang Afu was indifferent to Liu Xunyi's reaction, "I came here to take your life."

"Brother Tang, you have always been clear about gratitude and resentment, and you have never been willing to kowtow to the powerful. How much benefit did Jin Fuyu give you to deserve your being driven by him?"

"It's useless to say more now." Tang Afu held the Merciless Sword horizontally in front of him and said expressionlessly, "Since you already know my intentions, there's no need to pretend. Just attack!"

"No! If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have let me reach the Tiger's Den Dragon Pond alive." Liu Xunyi turned a blind eye to Tang Afu's provocation, unwillingly saying, "Although Xunzhen has been sending people to guard against you, I know in my heart that with the skills of a ruthless swordsman, if you really wanted to kill me, not to mention Abaolu and his men, even veterans like Huang Yangming and Mei Zichuan would not be able to prevent you from doing so. From Tianyuan Inn to the Tiger's Den Dragon Pond, you had too many, too many opportunities to kill me along the way, but you never did it. This shows that I didn't misjudge you..."

"I didn't kill you before because your life was hanging by a thread, and I didn't want to take advantage of your misfortune and win unfairly. However, not killing you doesn't mean I don't want to kill you, nor does it mean I've given up the idea of ​​killing you. Now that you've recovered, I don't have to be shy anymore. It's time..."

"Why?" Seeing Tang Afu's stubbornness, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but feel angry. "Whether they don't know the truth or are blinded by greed, they are chasing me... I have nothing to say. But you are different. You are not a person who takes advantage of others' misfortune. Knowing that Qingfeng and the court have framed me in every possible way, why do you help the evil? For gold, silver and jewelry? For martial arts secrets? For power and status? Or... for women?"

"I'm not interested in anything you said." Tang Afu said coldly, "I have to be loyal to the person who entrusted me with the task. I'm only interested in your brain now."

Looking at Tang Afu, who was stubborn and determined to go his own way, Liu Xunyi felt both annoyed and helpless.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally gave up his inner obsession and waved his hand lazily at Tang Afu, saying bitterly: "Forget it! You are not my opponent, and I don't want to kill you. You...just go!"

"I never give up halfway when doing something." Tang Afu refused seriously, "I know that you have inherited Huang Yangming's internal strength for decades, and your current strength has greatly increased. I also know that I am probably not your opponent. But I can't be fickle and go back on my word. Therefore, you and I must make a decision tonight. Even if I die in your hands because I am not as skilled as you, I will have no regrets."

After saying this, Tang Afu, who was heavy with thoughts, made up his mind, his eyes became fierce, and he drew his sword out of its sheath with a "clang".

In an instant, a silver arc streaked across the sky, reflecting a faint and eerie light under the moonlight.

"Liu Xunyi, I am not trying to assassinate you secretly now. I am challenging you openly! The victory or defeat depends on your ability. Life or death... we owe nothing to each other."

……

(End of this chapter)