He had learned this truth through his own experiences; for were not those who now wielded absolute power once the lowly of the sect?They had all been simple servants, stable boys, loaders on the wharves, floor sweepers, and dishwashers—nearly every one had risen from the lower echelons!
To capture the hearts of the teeming masses, one must perform heroic exploits!Naturally, a man as crafty as Chen Shuyuan had already prepared the next act of his meticulously crafted masquerade...
Even though no soul survived the entourage of the Master's sons, rumors began to permeate the Jianghu that before the massacre of the Lin Clan, a passerby had chanced to hear the sound of a fiddle, accompanied by a terrifying, low-humming song.Sources of unknown origin suggested that the voice sang in a foreign tongue of the Huan from beyond the passes.To perform such music and song was no simple feat, for the singer must have mastered the regulation of breath and the training of throat muscles to produce such a resonant, echoing hum.
Through these rumors alone, Kokochu Shulu (阔阔出·舒鲁 : Kököchu Shūlǔ)—known by the title Jian Yin Yin' (剑隐音) –The Hidden Blade Melody- and Master of Tian Si Bang (天驷帮) -the Celestial Steed Sect-, a major horse trader in Shaanxi with a mixed heritage of Mongol and Tangut blood—immediately became the prime suspect in the mass slaughter of the late Divine Eagle Sect Master's family!
The reason was plain: the music and singing in the rumors pointed directly at the Master of the Celestial Steed Sect, whose personal weapon was a blade concealed within a fiddle, and who was known for his fondness of playing and singing the soaring melodies of the steppes.
Furthermore, Kököchu was a man of illustrious renown... Naturally, only one who possessed such immense prestige and commanded a formidable power base would dare to meddle with the formidable influence of the Divine Eagle Sect.
This horse trader of mixed Mongol and Tangut heritage was not only the Master of the formidable Celestial Steed Sect but also the supreme leader of various influential factions along the Silk Road stretching into the Western Regions.Consequently, he emerged as the prime suspect, inviting the gravest of suspicions regarding the massacre.
However, there remained a hidden background untold by the common folk of the Jianghu: Shortly before the slaughter of the late Sect Master Lin Xiu's family, members of the Celestial Steed Sect and its affiliated camps had engaged in a violent conflict with Persian monks (Bosi Seng : 波斯僧) of the Fire-Worshipping Cult (Zoroastrianism : Bai Huo Jiao : 拜火教).That clash was of unprecedented ferocity, causing the elite experts of both sides to fall in countless numbers.Kököchu lost his most trusted generals and a multitude of valiant warriors in the fray; it was whispered that this event had diminished the martial strength of the Celestial Steed Sect by half.As these events occurred beyond the frontier passes, the inhabitants of the Central Plains remained largely oblivious—with the sole exception of Chen Shuyuan.He was intimately aware of the matter; indeed, it could be said that he himself had instigated at least thirty percent of the turmoil to create this very spectacle!
With the rumors of a singing and fiddle-playing murderer growing increasingly intense, the Divine Eagle Sect finally took action.Chen Shuyuan led a host of a thousand men from Taiyuan, ostensibly to pay their respects to the deceased, with the entire company garbed in white mourning attire.Nevertheless, such a move naturally birthed deep skepticism regarding his true motives.Kököchu Shūlǔ could not be certain whether this arrival harbored a hidden objective to annihilate the Celestial Steed Sect under the pretext of believing the fabricated rumors.
But naturally, Kököchu was besieged by a growing anxiety, for in its current state, his sect could not hope to prevail over the Divine Eagle Sect under the formidable leadership of the "Celestial Sword Divine Eagle." Though he was guiltless of the slaughter, he understood that merely waiting for time to vouchsafe his innocence would yield no fruit. To manifest his sincerity and pure intentions, the Master of the Celestial Steed Sect dispatched a missive inviting Sect Master Chen Shuyuan to a cordial gathering at his own headquarters—a gesture of opening his hearth to prove his good faith. Chen Shuyuan, in turn, returned a missive with exceedingly humble and polite words, accepting the invitation and expressing gratitude for the warm hospitality offered by the host; furthermore, both parties proposed to disarm before participating in the banquet.
On the destined day, Sect Master Kököchu Shūlǔ secured his fiddle-blade and the armaments of his followers within the treasury, barring the heavy doors with iron bolts. This was carried out under the watchful gaze of the Divine Eagle scouts who had arrived to inspect the grounds prior to the Master's arrival. For their part, the Divine Eagle Sect likewise bore no weapons; the Master had ordered that the armaments of those attending the feast be stored at their lodgings, left in the care of the remaining subordinates. This act of transparency was performed in the presence of the Celestial Steed guides who had been sent to lead the way.
Affairs appeared to be proceeding with seamless grace—at least, so it seemed in the mind of Kököchu. As the procession of the Divine Eagle Sect arrived, Sect Master Kököchu Shūlǔ awaited them before the gates with a beaming smile, bowing so low that his body nearly touched the earth. Chen Shuyuan manifested an equal display of etiquette and propriety, rushing forward to support him and halting the bow before returning the salute with profound reverence. His mouth was full of laudatory words, humbly claiming himself a junior who could not possibly accept such a salute from a host of such seniority and prestige. The atmosphere was radiant with smiles and pleasantry.
The Master of the Celestial Steed Sect led the Divine Eagle procession within, while the orchestra played a thunderous and grand melody to welcome the honored guests. Suddenly... a young girl, a relative of one of the sect members, came running rarily from the rear, clenching a fan in her hand with a joyous and carefree air. In that instant, every member of the Divine Eagle Sect halted their steps as one.
"Lady Lin's fan!" a clamorous shout erupted from the ranks of the Divine Eagle Sect
Indeed, that very fan was a personal possession often seen in the hands of Lady Lin, the late Master's widow; it had vanished from the site where the corpses were found, unseen by any soul, yet it now reappeared in the hands of a young child within the domain of the Celestial Steed Sect This revelation served as instantaneous evidence, confirming the dark rumors that had permeated the Jianghu
Chen Shuyuan tilted his head, his piercing radiance fixed upon Sect Master Kököchu Seizing the moment while his adversary was still mired in bewilderment, he closed the distance and swept a claw towards his throat! However, Kököchu Shūlǔ, a martial expert of high station, was not to be easily overcome; despite the suddenness of the onslaught, he managed to execute a backward somersault, evading the lethal talons by a hair's breadth
Before he could even utter a single word of inquiry or explanation, the disciples of the Divine Eagle Sect smashed open the gift chests they had brought, which were found to be secretly laden with a multitude of blades and armaments Prepared for this very hour, they brandished their weapons and commenced a ruthless slaughter of everyone within the Celestial Steed Sect without discrimination Simultaneously, signal rockets were fired into the sky, their thundering noise echoing everywhere.
Stricken with alarm, Sect Master Kököchu charged through the melee, attempting to reach the armory, but he found his path blocked by a member of the Divine Eagle Sect. The man was of monstrous stature, garbed in Mongolian attire and appearing to be of mixed heritage exactly like himself. At this stage, the Master of the Celestial Steed Sect finally realized that he had fallen into a treacherous trap within his own walls—this entire banquet was but a meticulously crafted masquerade to provide a pretext for the annihilation of his sect!
With no path of retreat left, he was forced to fight to the death! The two warriors of Mongol blood clashed in a bout of wrestling, their physical power appearing almost evenly matched. But in that destined moment, a sound of a blade slicing through the void emanated from his rear. Kököchu heard only that, and suddenly his vision seemed to look in separate directions, beholding images from two sides simultaneously in a manner most impossible... yet it was so, for his frame had been cleaved asunder into two halves, split clean from the crown of his head downwards!
"Do not dally! Slaughter every soul within the sect!" Chen Shuyuan roared. Suddenly, a thunderous shouting erupted from outside as hundreds of Divine Eagle Sect disciples, who had received the signal, surged forward fully armed to join the fray.
"Today, the City Magistrate and the General have merely arranged a tryst to sip tea outside the city for approximately three double-hours, choosing to turn a blind eye," Chen Shuyuan rebuked his 'Second Brother'—who favored dueling to test his skills—in a low, severe tone. "This is the only window they have granted us; we must sweep the grounds clean with haste. Otherwise, the tens of thousands of taels paid, alongside the profit-sharing of the businesses along this trade route, will be insufficient to ensure we do not fall as defendants before the law. The hour is late; you must not concern yourself with proving a difference in martial prowess!"
The Celestial Steed Sect was annihilated within a single day. Furthermore, in the span of but half a month during Chen Shuyuan's campaign in Shaanxi Province, he successfully razed numerous bandit camps, assemblies of heroes, schools, and minor sects. It could be said that he had achieved absolute dominion over the spheres of influence and businesses of the Western Celestial Steed Sect.
Yet... what satisfied Chen Shuyuan most in that hour was his achievement in establishing renown as the one who avenged the late Sect Master Lin's family. This feat alone was sufficient to win the hearts of every member within the sect, from the upper echelons to the lowly subordinates!
When no obstacle remained to obstruct his power, whether from high or low, Chen Shuyuan feigned a reluctant acceptance of the succession... becoming the third Sect Master of the Divine Eagle Sect!
He had ascended in this manner, slaughtering countless souls; and among those who perished by his hand, a number were individuals who had placed their absolute and unswerving trust in him! To place trust in those close to one is a hazardous affair. And what of himself? Was he currently in a situation where those he trusted were plotting his own ruin?
Recalling this, the Old Sect Master could not help but shudder involuntarily; yet he possessed enough presence of mind to instantly suppress his expression, returning his countenance to its original state of calm.
Chen Shuyuan fixed his bulging eyes upon his two sworn brothers standing before him once again.They had grown up together within the Divine Eagle Sect, observing each other's conduct and knowing their temperaments since youth, having shed blood like water in their shared struggles to reach this day.Yet... deep within the hearts of his two sworn brothers, did they harbor the same dark reflections regarding the treacherous scheme executed against Sect Master Lin Xiu and his family?
This was a question that had perpetually bred skepticism in his mind; for this reason, more than ten years prior, he had taken a youthful genius under his wing to nurture him, and that person was the Chief Steward, Liang Jingtian.His intent was not merely to have a brilliant strategist to manage affairs on his behalf as he often claimed, but in truth, he sought someone to suppress and counterbalance the power of his two sworn brothers.
By rank, the Chief Steward could not possess authority superior to the Vice-Masters; however, through the brilliance of this man who acted as the brain of the sect, his สอง sworn brothers were compelled to rely upon him.In every undertaking, he would allow the three of them to deliberate and reach a consensus before presenting the matter for his final consideration, ensuring that no singleบุคล could secretly amass prestige to overthrow him.It was a calculated balance of power designed to keep them all in check while he sat throning above them all, free from the anxiety of having his absolute dominion eroded or usurped; yet... that was merely his own calculation.
Reflecting upon his own history, he pondered: if Sect Master Lin had not been wounded in the heat of battle, would he ever have found the opportunity to strike?Had Master Lin not met his end then, would he not still be merely a lowly old servant to the Master's scions today?
Man proposes, but Heaven disposes...This realization weighed heavily upon his heart; at all times, he had to seek ways to block every loophole, lest another find the opening to seize the absolute dominion he had painstakingly won through blood and strife.
"In truth, in whom else can I place my trust...?" the Old Master lamented in a low murmur.
As he spoke, he gently stroked his chest. When his hand brushed against the hard scales beneath his silken robes, a surge of morale instantly returned.For that which he felt was the very guarantee of his existence—the only thing he could truly trust and rely upon!
He was clad in the "Divine Power Armor," a mystical fish-scale regalia forged from meteoric black iron from the heavens.Though light in weight, it was peerless in strength; no blade, spear, or martial power could hope to scratch his skin.Woven together with gold thread, divine silk, and human hair, the Master of the Divine Eagle Sect wore it upon his person at all times for protection. This, and only this, was what he believed he could "trust"!
"An open spear is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is difficult to guard against," (Míng qiāng yì duǒ, àn jiàn nán fáng : 明枪易躲,暗箭难防) the Old Master murmured once more.He then lifted his cup, inhaled the fragrant scent of the tea, and took a slow sip to settle the turbulent emotions within his mind.
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