Xiaohu, Ysabel, DongBin, Jaya, you are welcome. Hungry, it doesn't seem like it. Chowbeng, Sky, well, I also hope that he will be back. So far older characters keep appearing. Finger crossed ... Akolaw, that was an excellent suggestion, just what I expected from you, Senior ... It will be fixed. Thank you .

The only explanation was that this mask was created meticulously based on Yue Shan's real face, and that his own build closely resembled Yue Shan's.

Naturally his personality traits, voice, and poise differed vastly from Yue Shan's, but because in her heart Zhu Yuyan was already convinced that Yue Shan was hiding to train some 'Huan Ri Da Fa', which, as the name implied, it was some kind of skill to shed one's mortal body and exchange one's bones, she thought that the changes in his appearance was because he has mastered said skill; unexpectedly she really mistook the Ma Liang galloping into the capital [I could not find reference on this idiom], and was duped to believe that Xu Ziling was really Yue Shan.

But if he spoke a few more words, he guaranteed that Zhu Yuyan would see through him.

But he could not stay silent. That day he and Kou Zhong, Ba Fenghan, three men joined hands fighting Zhu Yuyan, they still ended up barely get away with their lives. Although presently his skill has improved significantly, compared to Zhu Yuyan, there was still some distance. Of course, it would be best if he could wriggle out his way without having to fight at all.

Xu Ziling was silent for half a day, before letting out a cold humph and striding forward toward the cabin window on Zhu Yuyan's right side. And then, making his voice deep and hoa.r.s.e, he said, "You still cannot forget him for forty years, you still cannot forget him!"

Perhaps because what he said struck the load on Zhu Yuyan's mind, unexpectedly she did not reply.

Xu Ziling's remark definitely contained boundless wisdom.

Concerning the grat.i.tude and grudges of the people of Zhu Yuyan's generation, he only knew bits and pieces from what little things Lu Miaozi told him.

According to Lu Miaozi, because of his infatuation with Zhu Yuyan, he nearly lost his life, luckily he used a mask to escape.

And it was quite possible that the mask he was using was this exact mask that turned him into the 'Overbearing Saber' Yue Shan.

There were two reasons to support this theory.

First of all, Lu Miaozi's build was tall and imposing like Xu Ziling. Naturally it was very close in size with Yue Shan's build, otherwise now Xu Ziling could not deceive Zhu Yuyan.

The second reason was that with Zhu Yuyan's eyesight, even if Lu Miaozi was wearing a mask, in just a glance Zhu Yuyan would be able to through him from his physique, his movement and his demeanor. In this case, he could only disguise himself as someone whom she knew, and had to look alike without any flaw if he wanted to have any hope of deceiving her.

Following this rationale, there must be a subtle and intimate relations.h.i.+p among the three, Yue Shan, Lu Miaozi and Zhu Yuyan.

What Xu Ziling was saying was actually very vague, and could be interpreted many other ways. In short, in human life in the human world, grat.i.tude and grudges, pa.s.sion and enmity are inevitable, no matter how much one tries not to go there.

At this time, although he could escape to the river any moment, he really did not wish to leave that quickly!

The cabin fell into an awkward silence, only the voices of the porters loading and unloading the goods on the dock and the sound of the river lapping against the hull of the s.h.i.+p came through the window.

The tone of Zhu Yuyan's voice turned cold as she softly said, "Look!"

Xu Ziling turned around to look.

Zhu Yuyan raised her hands to lift the muslin toward either side, exposing her face, which had always been hidden deep behind the veil.

※ ※ ※

Kou Zhong observed for quite a while, still he had not found a good way to sneak into the enemy's s.h.i.+p, not only because the opposite party had people standing guard on the deck, but also because they had their people on the dock watching for any suspicious people in the vicinity. In broad daylight, even someone with better qinggong would be unable to find a solution.

Li kid having a s.h.i.+p in here was naturally reasonable, but that box was definitely questionable. If he did not guess incorrectly, the content of the box must be a person; otherwise, it would not need any ventilation holes.

Who could it be? Kou Zhong pondered for half a day. Finally he made up his mind and walked toward the s.h.i.+p in large strides.

※ ※ ※

Xu Ziling took a look; immediately his stare turned blank.

Time did not leave any trace on her face; looking at her left to right, top to bottom, she was still radiant with youth, looked only a few years older than Wanwan.

With the veil still covering half of her face, he could only able to see most of it, but the exposed part was charming, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with intoxicating grace.

Her pair of pretty eyebrows slanted up toward her temples, her pair of black-as-a-dot-of-lacquer eyes was extremely full of spirit; her gaze was enough to bewitch any man falling upside-down. Combined with her tender and soft white skin, which looked like it was sculpted out of faultless white jade, no one would not be overwhelmed by breathtaking feeling.

In term of beauty, she was really not inferior to the peerless beauty Wanwan; moreover, in term of appearance, there was even a striking resemblance between the two, making him think that there must be a mother-daughter relations.h.i.+p between them.

In term of personality traits, she was delicate and pretty beyond comprehension, definitely would not make people a.s.sociate her with the sinister, heretical Yin Gui Pai.

In that moment, Xu Ziling was so surprised that his mind went blank; he was unable to think.

It was beyond his expectation.

The veil went down again.

Zhu Yuyan spoke indifferently, "If in my heart Yuyan still cannot forget men, how could I master the 'Tian Mo Da Fa' [demonic great method]? The pa.s.sion, joy, love and desire that bewilder that turn common people upside down are just the barrier on the road. Xiao Shan, if you still cannot break through this point, there is no way you can wipe away the disgrace of Song Que's saber."

Listening to her, Xu Ziling felt the chill creeping up in his heart.

Although the tone of her voice was flat, there was a hint of sincerity that grew from her heart, demonstrating her deep conviction of this matter, penetrating the as-it-should-be-by-rights, callous feeling.

It should be noted that human has seven emotional states [in traditional Chinese medical theory and therapy, namely: joy, anger, anxiety, thought, grief, fear, fright] and six desires. Even extremely vicious, exceedingly evil person would still have love in his heart. But Zhu Yuyan did not have this problem. According to her logic, there was fundamentally no virtue and evil, good and bad, hence she did not have any psychological barrier, everything she did thus became necessity, by fair means or foul.

Xu Ziling was afraid she might be able to see through his expression, hence he turned around to look out the window, and spoke in heavy voice, "How's my old friend doing?"

Zhu Yuyan sat back into the chair; she spoke gently, "You still envy him?"

Immediately Xu Ziling felt his scalp went numb; it was only this moment that he knew the relations.h.i.+p between Zhu Yuyan and Song Que was really not simple.

Zhu Yuyan went on, "Were it not for your jealous heart that day, how could he exploited that feeling, breaking your saber and making you run away to the northern desert, the ill.u.s.trious name of your entire life went down the drain?"

Xu Ziling calmly said, "Yuyan, you are skilled in the technique of observing the heart distinguis.h.i.+ng the thought; could it be that you cannot sense that I already have sky-and-earth-turning-upside-down changes, yet you still say such an irritating remark?"

The fact was that he did not know what to say, so he might as well take a risk out of desperation, trying to probe her outlook on him, this counterfeit Yue Shan.

Zhu Yuyan spoke gloomily, "You have become so formidable, like you have changed into a different man. Did Song Que's saber injure your qi pa.s.sage so bad that your voice become so hoa.r.s.e and unpleasant to hear?"

Xu Ziling thought that it would be best if you think so; thereupon he coldly said, "We have nothing more to say, I won't mind your business anymore; I am leaving!"

He was about to go through the window, when Zhu Yuyan gently said, "Don't you want to see your own daughter?"

Xu Ziling was severely shaken, "What?" he blurted out.

His shock was genuine, because he thought he had revealed the cloven foot.

Kou Zhong walked over toward the gangplank. Two men appeared on the deck and shouted, "Who's friend?"

Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, "Tell Pang Yu to roll out and see me!"

The two men's countenance changed slightly; this man has come to cause trouble.

Kou Zhong raised his qi and unleashed his qinggong, with one leap he landed on the deck. "Where's Pang Yu?" he shouted.

He thought that if he killed one of the fierce general of Li kid's Heavenly Policy Mansion, he would weaken Li kid's power by a notch too, hence it would be worthwhile.

More than a dozen enemies swarmed out of the cabin door and fanned out to besiege him, and only then did Pang Yu step out leisurely. Stopping about a zhang away in front of him, he spoke arrogantly, "You have the impertinence to mention me by name and create a disturbance, friend must not be a nameless man; report your name to me."

Kou Zhong applied his internal power to change his voice; giggling, he said, "Pang Xiong just made a wrong guess. Xiaodi is indeed a nameless man. En garde!"

The Moon in the Well left its scabbard and swift like the wind and thunder it hacked down on Pang Yu's face with a violent qi power, rolling toward the enemy.

Pang Yu had never imagined that this plain and ordinary-looking man would attack as soon as he said he would; hastily he pulled his sword and swept it across to block.

'Dang!'

Sparks flew. Pang Yu felt that not only this saber was as heavy as the mountain, it also a strange force sucking his breath.

While he was overwhelmed with shock, Kou Zhong already flipped overhead and slipped into the cabin door.