Blood sedge

Chapter 1194 Taking a Different Approach (Part 1)

"If I am powerless to help, what is your worst-case scenario, brother?" Xunzhen ignored the implication in Wu Shuang's words, her beautiful eyes, gleaming with a sharp light, fixed on him, and asked meaningfully, "If you have to make a choice, will you give up Shen Dongshan or Liu Xunyi?"

“Young Prince Qin has never been one to choose between fish and bear’s paw; he must have both, and neither can be lacking.” Wu Shuang’s tone was calm, even slightly teasing, but a chilling glint flashed in his eyes. “If it really comes to the worst... then we can only ask Tang Afu to do it.”

"Tang Afu?" Xunzhen exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, you really dare to think of such a thing as Tang Afu?"

"If necessary, we can only sacrifice those who are not important to the young King of Qin." Although Wu Shuang did not say it outright, the murderous intent hidden in his words was enough to send chills down one's spine.

“You underestimate Tang Afu.” Wu Shuang’s resoluteness seemed to be nothing to Xun Zhen, and his words were full of sarcasm. “If you make a move against him, Liu Xunyi and Xiao Zhirou will not sit idly by. Even if you are lucky enough to succeed, they will definitely pursue the matter to the end, and the situation will only become more chaotic at that time.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Shuang paused slightly, then a sly and helpless smile appeared on her lips as she casually reminded him, "If you haven't forgotten, little sister, I... am not important either."

"What?" Xun Zhen's expression changed, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that you want to..."

"I'm not that stupid. I won't risk my life for it." Wu Shuang knew Xunzhen was worried about him, so he explained with a smile, "The affairs of the Central Plains are not really my concern. If I really kill Tang Afu and it leads to encirclement from all sides, at worst... I can go back to the Western Regions and continue being a carefree young master. If all else fails, I can travel around the world. I don't believe that the Young King of Qin would force my father to kidnap his son and turn himself in because of a mere Tang Afu. Haha... If he can't find my whereabouts for three or five years, I don't think Liu Xunyi will relentlessly pursue me. After all, I once saved his life, so I don't think he'll be stingy with this small favor."

"Brother..."

“You’re only doing this for your own pleasure, but you’re leaving a mess for me to clean up.” Wu Shuang seemed to want to keep Xunzhen from getting sad, so he joked, “Liu Xunyi was already very wary of you, and with my antics, I’m afraid your situation will become even more difficult.”

“This method harms both the attacker and the defender, and is by no means a good strategy. Brother, you must not take such a risk.” Wu Shuang’s honesty and loyalty moved Xunzhen to tears, and his anger gradually subsided. “The Ruthless Swordsman is not just a name. Although his martial arts are not as good as yours, he is not an ordinary person either. If we fight to the death, even if we do not alert Liu Xunyi and Xiao Zhirou, you will have to pay a heavy price if you want to succeed. It is not worth it.”

"That's why I asked my sister for help." Wu Shuang smiled slyly. "I believe that as long as you are here, you will definitely not let your brother go on the run."

"To be entrusted with such a heavy responsibility, I..." Xunzhen felt a mix of emotions at Wu Shuang's unconditional trust, unsure whether to be moved or melancholy.

"What? Even you're not confident you can persuade Liu Xunyi?"

“Liu Xunyi is the kind of person who would rather risk his own life than betray a friend. If I try to persuade him, even if I bring up all the past favors I've done for him, I'm afraid I won't be able to sway his mind.” Xunzhen’s eyes darkened, and his worry deepened. “Liu Xunyi personally promised to help Tang Afu avenge his family. Knowing him as I do, getting him to voluntarily break his promise is harder than climbing to heaven. Even I… once promised Tang Afu to help him get revenge. If I change my mind at the last minute, it would be tantamount to breaking my promise and losing face in front of Liu Xunyi. In that case, no matter what I say, he will only hear it as a malicious attempt to sow discord.”

"So you mean... this is a dead end?" Wu Shuang looked disappointed.

“If we focus our efforts on Liu Xunyi, we are doomed. But if we take a different approach and try to bypass Liu Xunyi…” Xunzhen’s mind raced, and after much deliberation, he finally spoke softly, “As far as I know, Liu Xunyi and Shen Dongshan don’t have much interaction, and there doesn’t seem to be any deep-seated hatred between them. Therefore, his attitude towards Shen Dongshan is largely not up to him.”

Wu Shuang nodded thoughtfully: "You mean... we shouldn't start with Liu Xunyi?"

"The one who tied the knot must untie it; the key to this matter still lies with Tang Afu," Xunzhen said noncommittally. "I believe... as long as we can change Tang Afu's mind, Liu Xunyi will collapse on his own. I guess... Liu Xunyi's attitude of neither agreeing nor refusing today is most likely to leave a way out for all parties."

"All parties?"

“Tang Afu, Shen Dongshan, us and the Prince Xian’s Mansion, and maybe even…” Xunzhen counted on her fingers, “himself.”

"Himself?" Wu Shuang was skeptical of Xunzhen's analysis. "You mean Liu Xunyi is actually willing to accept Shen Dongshan, but is just held back by..."

At this point, Wu Shuang's expression shifted from belated realization to sudden understanding, and then she couldn't help but burst into laughter, mocking, "I originally thought Liu Xunyi was a righteous person who only wanted to get things straight and not by shortcuts, but I never expected... that he would also have such a deep-seated and cunning mind and treacherous scheme. It seems that Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao's evaluation of him was not entirely slander. This person, like Luo Tianjin, has two minds and two faces." “In the martial world, one is often not in control of one’s own destiny.” Xunzhen vaguely recalled his heartfelt conversation with Liu Xunyi, a touch of sorrow unconsciously appearing in his eyes. He smiled bitterly, “In chaotic times, people’s hearts are unpredictable. Without a bit of cunning and shrewdness, one would be at the mercy of others. He is upright by nature, but unfortunately, he has been framed repeatedly and has fallen on hard times. It is through these bloody and painful lessons that he has slowly learned these lessons. Moreover, he is no longer a lonely person without any ties. Even if he does not cherish his own life, he has to consider the lives of his close friends and relatives… Right now, it is not that he needs Shen Dongshan, but that the Xianwang Mansion, Jueqing Valley, and even Longxiang Mountain and Xilu Martial Sect all need Shen Dongshan’s help to get out of their predicament.”

What was said in jest was taken seriously. When Xunzhen subconsciously mentioned Liu Xunyi's difficulties, Wu Shuang's gaze towards her subtly changed, gradually shifting from initial mockery to suspicion, and finally to a scrutinizing look tinged with amusement.

"Brother...why are you looking at me like that?" Noticing Wu Shuang's strange gaze, Xunzhen immediately realized that he had been too lenient with Liu Xunyi in his daze and had said too much, so he quickly explained, "I was just stating the facts."

“It seems that the young Prince Qin’s worries were not unfounded. Your attitude towards Liu Xunyi… is indeed different from before.” Wu Shuang stared intently at Xunzhen and reminded her with a hidden meaning, “Sister, you are a smart person. You should know that the young Prince Qin only uses Liu Xunyi and that his fate was already sealed. Be careful not to play with fire and get burned.”

Looking back at the earnest Wu Shuang, knowing that he meant well, Xun Zhen, her mind in turmoil, hesitated for a long time before finally managing to utter, "I know."

"I knew you knew what you were doing." Hearing Xunzhen's reply and knowing that she was still rational, Wu Shuang's face once again showed that usual cynical and charming smile.

"Let me ask you a question too, brother: are your feelings for Yun Jianping genuine or feigned?" Xunzhen's thoughts shifted, and he directly changed the subject. "She is Liu Xunyi's own sister. What if Liu Xunyi suffers because of us... how will you get along with her?"

Faced with Xunzhen's blunt questioning, Wu Shuang was taken aback at first, then her smile deepened: "Yun Jianping and Liu Xunyi are different, and I am different from you."

"Oh? What's different?" Xunzhen pressed for details, showing no intention of letting Wu Shuang off the hook.

"Women are inherently gentle, and ultimately they need someone to rely on. And your reliance... can only be the young Prince of Qin."

As soon as Wu Shuang spoke, Xun Zhen's expression became quite interesting, showing a mixture of anger, shame, resentment, and helplessness.

An eerie silence lasted for a long time, and Xunzhen, who was usually eloquent, did not utter a word in rebuttal.

Seeing this, Wu Shuang stopped trying to embarrass himself and seized the opportunity to steer the conversation back to reality: "You just said that as long as Tang Afu's mind can be changed, Liu Xunyi's attack will crumble on its own. But you should know that ever since Tang Afu escaped Shen Dongshan's clutches when he was young, he has hated Shen Dongshan for as many years as he has lived. His initial motivation for practicing martial arts was revenge. He longs to tear Shen Dongshan apart, and how can such deep-seated resentment and hatred be changed so easily? Trying to persuade him to change his mind is not as simple as just killing him. Little do you know, Tang Afu is still guarding Shen Dongshan's villa with his sword at this very moment."

"Since he was so close, why didn't he just rush in and start a massacre?" Xun Zhen sneered softly, asking a question instead of answering.

“That’s because of Xiao Zhirou…” As soon as the words left his mouth, Wu Shuang suddenly realized, and then a look of wild joy appeared on his face. “Just like brine curdles tofu, one thing subdues another. I understand! Xiao Zhirou cares about Liu Xunyi’s safety and will definitely not stand by and watch him fall into Jin Fuyu’s trap. Therefore, she will definitely persuade Tang Afu to give up his revenge.”

"There are only two things that Tang Afu cares about most in his life: first, his blood feud, and second, Xiao Zhirou, who gave him a second chance at life. Even Liu Xunyi, who is loyal to him, is ranked after these two things," Xunzhen said unhurriedly. "Xiao Zhirou is no ordinary woman. It's true that she cares about Liu Xunyi, but it's probably not possible for her to suppress her hatred for Tang Afu. Not to mention that we don't currently have the ability or means to force her to subdue Tang Afu, even if we did, we absolutely must not use it, otherwise it would only backfire."

"Then you mean..."

"As far as I know, Xiao Zhirou's weakness, besides her two children and Teng Sanshi, is none other than Granny Peach Blossom, who has been so kind to her." Xunzhen pondered, "Granny Peach Blossom is getting old and probably doesn't have much time left. Her greatest wish is to see her godfather, whom she has been thinking about for nearly sixty years, one more time before she dies."

Having said all that, Xunzhen turned her expectant gaze to Wu Shuang, but Wu Shuang, who had been listening with great interest, now had a furrowed brow and a solemn expression.

“In all the world, only you can fulfill Granny Peach Blossom’s wish. Brother, you should know that Granny Peach Blossom’s adoptive father is your master… Master Kong Sheng.”

……