Forgotten Tale of Jianghu

Xin Long…

He watched as Xu Zhu Han and his entourage disappeared into the distance. His gaze lingered — cold, calculating — while the words exchanged between them echoed in his mind.

Then, a smile. Faint... Controlled... Satisfied...

Yes.

Satisfied.

For him, those words had been more than enough — a carefully crafted web of meaning, subtle yet piercing. Words that only he truly understood, their weight and consequences rippling beneath the surface.

Still wearing that quiet smile, he shifted his gaze away from Xu Zhu Han's retreating figure. His body turned, calm yet purposeful.

And his cold, dead eyes fell upon the small Silent Serenity Apothecary — a place soaked in distant memories.

…

Murong Jing stared at Seductress Weiwei, who now stood before him — having returned to the sect after completing her "task..."

It was too much of a coincidence.

She had witnessed it — Zhen Yi's assassination. While gathering herbs deep in the forest, she'd stumbled upon the moment they struck him down.

What was he to do now?

He studied Weiwei carefully. Her head was lowered, lips trembling, fear rippling through her delicate frame.

Beside her, Kong Sunmu, Wu Ji, and the other three elders stood with cold, hard faces, their gazes drilling into her.

They were the ones who had brought her here, weren't they?

Murong Jing's voice broke the silence — calm, steady, but ice-cold.

"Can you truly keep your mouth shut, Weiwei?"

Each word was a blade, slow and deliberate.

She had pleaded — again and again — swearing she saw nothing, heard nothing.

Killing her wasn't an option.

Weiwei wasn't just any woman. She had done things for the sect — things most would not dare attempt. Her usefulness couldn't be discarded so easily.

But could she keep her promise?

That... only time would tell.

As Murong Jing's words hung in the air, Weiwei quickly lowered her head, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"I'm certain, Sect Leader... I've never done anything to harm the sect..."

Yes. She didn't want to die.

Illusion Mistress Weiwei had to keep her mouth shut.

She had heard Zhen Yi's cries, and she had seen — with her own eyes — what they had done to him.

The only way to survive was to repeat those words over and over.

Yet… the words Zhen Yi had shouted still echoed in her mind.

"I'll trust you, Weiwei... You can return to your room now..."

Before she could gather her thoughts, a cold voice spoke beside her.

It was Kong Sunmu, the deputy leader.

Weiwei bowed her head quickly, not daring to linger. With hurried steps, she left Murong Jing's chamber.

Even as she walked away, she could feel their gazes — sharp, heavy with suspicion — drilling into her back.

She knew.

They didn't trust her.

"Hah… are your ears clogged, or are you all just deaf?"

The moment Weiwei left the room, Murong Jing finally released the fury he had been holding back, his voice a harsh snarl.

His words struck like a whip, and Kong Sunmu and the others immediately lowered their heads.

Before they could respond, Murong Jing cut them off.

"We were too focused on the fight, Sect Leader… Weiwei only made one mistake — she saw what we did to Zhen Yi. But she can be trusted. And Zhen Yi… we—"

"Enough with your excuses..."

Murong Jing's voice was sharp, his anger crackling through the room.

"That bastard, Xin Long — that so-called 'nephew' of yours — is the only one I'm worried about..."

His teeth ground together, and his voice grew colder.

If Xin Long finds out about this, do you think he'll let it go? That snake might not have the strength to face us yet, but once he returns to Kunming City, it's only a matter of time… His mind, his schemes — they're no less than ours…

"And don't fool yourself, Kong Sunmu... A disciple doesn't need to call someone 'Master' to be loyal... The hatred that comes from betrayal burns far deeper than any devotion ever could… The moment Xin Long learns of this… his wrath will be unstoppable…"

Murong Jing's fury hung in the air — dark, unrelenting.

Yes.

Of all people, he knew the danger that Xin Long posed.

Cold… Ruthless... More bloodthirsty than any of them.

Before Kong Sunmu could finish his sentence, Murong Jing roared in fury, his voice sharp with anger.

Yes, it was true. When it came to Xin Long, no one knew better than him.

More cold-blooded. More ruthless.

Brilliant in both mind and strategy.

A victorious return meant one thing — he could not be killed.

No execution.

No assassination.

For one full week, he must be allowed to indulge in absolute happiness.

This was the most ironclad rule of their sect, a commandment that could never be broken.

He was the sect leader.

Yet even as the leader, he could not break the sect's ironclad rule — a rule he himself had once established.

A leader was still a leader.

And a rule was still a rule.

If Xin Long found out during this one-week period, they would be left with no choice but to stand by idly, watching him — a man who had done nothing wrong — walk free.

And the consequences that would follow…

"Huu… Wu Ji, Luo Tuo… The two of you—go to Kunming at once… Before Young Master Xu dies, kill that mangy beggar first..."

With a long sigh, he fixed his gaze on Wu Ji and Luo Tuo, his voice calm but merciless.

He didn't believe in trust. Not in Wei Wei, not in fate. That was why he always ensured things were handled with absolute certainty.

The moment his words fell, Wu Ji and Luo Tuo bowed slightly and departed without hesitation.

He watched them go, his dark eyes narrowing. His attention, however, didn't just linger on them—it also fell on Kong Sunmu, who seemed visibly uneasy, almost as if the string of curses just now had struck a nerve.

He understood. He rarely lashed out in such vulgar fury. But if these fools had the intelligence of mere dogs, wasn't the fault theirs?

…

Xin Long's footsteps came to a halt in front of the Silent Serenity Apothecary.

His heart, calm as an untouched lake, now rippled—its steady beat quickening ever so slightly.

Above him, the full moon hung high, its silver glow piercing the wintry night. Stars gathered around it like silent sentinels, their faint lights blending with the soft flicker of the lanterns swaying outside the shop. The sign—Silent Serenity Apothecary—stood bold and clear, illuminated beneath the pale radiance.

Snowflakes tumbled without end, their icy touch biting into his skin. Yet no matter how cold the wind grew, it could not still the raging pulse within his chest.

The apothecary doors had been reopened.

And with a restrained breath, Xin Long stepped inside—his heart pounding louder than before.

The moment he crossed the threshold, his gaze locked onto a pair of icy blue eyes.

A single heartbeat.

Then another.

He saw her.

End – 36