Blood sedge

Chapter 1206 Acting without Striving

An hour later, in the inner courtyard, in the study.

The sun was shining warmly outside, and the air inside was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen sat facing each other by the window, with a chessboard and a pot of fragrant tea on the table between them.

At this moment, Xunzhen was intently watching the black and white chess pieces scattered across the board. After much deliberation, he slowly dropped a white piece from between his fingers, then picked up several black pieces that were surrounded by others. He looked up at Liu Xunyi with a smug expression and said with a provocative smile, "Hero Liu has miscalculated. Be careful, one wrong move and you'll lose the whole game."

Liu Xunyi smiled faintly, not in a hurry to make a move. Instead, she picked up the teapot and thoughtfully poured Xunzhen a fresh cup of tea, asking with a smile, "How is this tea?"

Liu Xunyi's answer was irrelevant, which made Xunzhen pause slightly, and she picked up the steaming teacup with a suspicious look.

"Watch out, it's hot!"

Seeing Xunzhen about to put the hot tea into her mouth, Liu Xunyi quickly reminded her.

Unexpectedly, Xunzhen merely smelled the aroma of the tea, then placed the teacup back on the table and said, "Guzhu Zisun, it's a good tea, but it's a bit old."

"Truly impressive." Liu Xunyi clapped her hands in praise, then added meaningfully, "The tea may be a bit old, but the flavor will be weaker, which is not a big deal. However, if a person is old... then it's hard to say what will happen."

“Old people are shrewd, how can they not be sensual?” Xunzhen glanced at the tea leaves swaying in the cup, then looked up at Liu Xunyi, who was deep in thought, and teased her sarcastically, “I suddenly realized that you are not a block of wood after all, and you also know how to care for people.”

As she spoke, Xunzhen pointed her slender, jade-like finger at the teacup on the table.

"I..." Teasing from Xunzhen every now and then, Liu Xunyi suddenly felt his face burning. He wanted to make a strong excuse, but when he saw Xunzhen's smile, he suddenly felt guilty and said softly, "Zhen'er, you have already borne too much burden that you should not have to bear. From now on, as long as I am here... I will no longer let you carry any burden or suffer any harm, even... just the scalding heat of boiling water."

"Why...why are you suddenly saying all this?" Liu Xunyi's deep affection caused Xunzhen, who had originally intended to tease him, to change his expression and become somewhat at a loss.

“Do you remember when I was still recovering from my serious injuries, we had a huge fight in that bedroom?” Liu Xunyi pointed to the bedroom on the north side and said, “At that time, you were so angry with me that you spilled the tea and burned your hand, but I… I ignored it and didn’t even ask you a question.”

"So you noticed. I thought... you didn't even look at me properly." Recalling that time, Xunzhen's smile gradually became somewhat poignant. "Back then, we were both furious, like oil and water, neither of us willing to give in. Every word we uttered was a sharp blade, and we wished we could pierce each other's hearts on the spot. Thinking back, it's only been a month since then, but for me... it feels like a lifetime ago, like a long dream."

"That kind of thing will never happen again."

Watching Liu Xunyi, whose eyes were full of tenderness, solemnly make her promise, Xunzhen, lost in thought, smiled and readily replied, "Okay!"

"You seem rather unhappy. Is it because of the matter of holding the seal?" After a moment of looking at each other, Xunzhen composed himself first and asked curiously, "Didn't you anticipate this whole thing happening today?"

"So what if I expected it?" Liu Xunyi said helplessly. "Even if I plan it out a hundred times in my mind, when I actually face it, the feeling is still not quite the same."

"So you politely declined the proposal to take over the seal ceremony because Murong Bai and Deng Quan didn't show up?" Xun Zhen recalled the scene just now and couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Did you see how interesting the faces of those people in the Prince Xian's Mansion were? They would never have imagined that you would refuse to take over the Prince Xian's Mansion. Especially Xie Xuan, his dumbfounded look was truly rare."

"Don't you find it strange?" Liu Xunyi asked. "Second Master Xie is mature and experienced, with a calm and collected demeanor. He is the kind of person who would remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him. How could such a composed person lose his composure because of a single sentence from me?"

"You mean..." Xunzhen frowned slightly, pondering, "His panic wasn't just because you refused to take the seal, but also because... you mentioned Murong Bai and Deng Quan? Could it be that Murong Bai and Deng Quan weren't actually returning home to visit relatives as he said, but had gone somewhere else?"

“When I was at the Prince Xian’s residence, I never heard of Seventh Master or Eighth Master having any relatives in their hometown.” Liu Xunyi neither confirmed nor denied Xunzhen’s guess, but only stated her own doubts. “Moreover, how could the two of them be visiting their relatives at the same time? Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”

"This matter is indeed suspicious. It seems that Xie Xuan is hiding something from you."

“It’s not just Second Master Xie who’s acting strangely, but also my elder brother Lin Fangda,” Liu Xunyi added. “This morning he specifically asked me where Murong Bai and Deng Quan were, and his expression was very strange. I guess… he knows something.”

"Lin Fangda?" Xunzhen was taken aback. "Since you're brothers, why not just ask him directly?"

“Although my elder brother is not very shrewd, he is quite stubborn. If he wanted to tell me, he would have said so long ago, and he would not have made things mysterious.” Liu Xunyi shook his head slowly with a solemn expression. “I suspect that he must have something he is reluctant to say.”

After speaking, Liu Xunyi cast a sincere gaze at Xunzhen, who was listening intently, while a sly smile appeared on her lips.

"Why...why are you looking at me like that?" Sensing Liu Xunyi's "ill intentions," Xunzhen subconsciously leaned back, asking warily, "What kind of trick are you up to now?"

"Um... I would like to trouble the all-powerful Miss Xunzhen to do me a small favor." Although Liu Xunyi appeared harmless, he clearly lacked confidence when he said these words, and could only use an awkward smile to cover up his unease.

Xunzhen saw right through Liu Xunyi's thoughts and said with some doubt, "If we want to find out where Murong Bai and Deng Quan are, we can only start with Lin Fangda right now. Xie Xuan is meticulous in his work, and touching him rashly will only alert him. Liu Xunyi, do you really want me to investigate Lin Fangda in secret? He is your sworn brother."

“Precisely because he is my elder brother, I cannot stand by and watch him get involved in this pointless conflict.” Liu Xunyi looked ashamed, but her tone became increasingly firm. “You have seen the situation today. The Prince Xian’s Mansion and I… are not entirely of one mind. Therefore, I cannot rely on the people in the manor for the time being. Even Ling Qing, Xu Heng, Liao Chuan, and Liao Hai, brothers who have risked their lives with me… I dare not trust them now. After all, they are disciples of the Prince Xian’s Mansion, and they will be somewhat bound by Master Xie, Su Tang, and Luo Qi. Moreover, with their abilities and methods, they probably cannot find out the truth of this matter. Therefore…”

"I'll help you investigate." Looking at Liu Xunyi's gloomy expression, Xunzhen's heart softened, so he agreed without waiting for Liu Xunyi to finish speaking.

Liu Xunyi looked at Xunzhen, who seemed confident and composed, with a complex mix of emotions that she couldn't quite describe.

He gently held Xunzhen's soft, boneless hand. Although no words were spoken, the two understood each other perfectly.

"What are your plans now?" Xunzhen asked with concern. "Do you intend to stay away from the Prince Xian's residence until Murong Bai and Deng Quan return?" "To be honest with you, even if Murong Bai and Deng Quan come back, I have no intention of taking over the Prince Xian's residence." Liu Xunyi gripped Xunzhen's hand tightly, as if reflecting her inner struggle and gamble. "Even in this Danfeng Garden, I am constantly under surveillance and restricted in every way. If I were to enter the Prince Xian's residence, given the current situation, would Liu Xunyi... still be Liu Xunyi?"

“I’m afraid…it’s not possible.” Xunzhen said bitterly, “Once you enter the manor, there will be no more Liu Xunyi in the world, only one ‘Young Wise King’ who imitates the Northern Wise King in everything.”

“I understand Master Xie’s thoughts. It’s not that he doesn’t want to relinquish power, but he doesn’t want to hand over the reins of the Prince Xian’s Mansion to me now,” Liu Xunyi said self-deprecatingly. “He thinks that I am reckless, impulsive, lack a sense of the big picture, and like to act on impulse. If he were to hand over power to me, he might ruin the future of the Prince Xian’s Mansion.”

"So he wants to change you, to make you into the kind of person he envisions a lord of the manor, a second Prince Beixian." Xunzhen sighed. "I shouldn't have said these things, after all, Prince Shaoqin hopes you can take over the Prince Xian's manor as soon as possible..."

"Does the Young Prince of Qin hope that I will take over the Prince of Xian's Mansion? Or does he hope that I will become his most powerful ally in the Central Plains?"

“This…” Xunzhen was taken aback, and hesitated, “What’s the difference between the two?”

“Of course there’s a difference!” Liu Xunyi understood Xunzhen’s dilemma, so she patiently explained, “Although I don’t plan to join the Prince Xian’s Mansion, I also won’t sever ties with it. Not only that, I will maintain close ties with forces like the Valley of Heartbreak, Dragon Elephant Mountain, and the Xiangxi Teng Clan. You might want to think about it: if I really become the nominal head of the Prince Xian’s Mansion, a puppet of certain people or interests, I will inevitably become estranged from other sects. In that case, would I gain power or lose power?”

"This..." Liu Xunyi's words were far beyond Xunzhen's expectations. She pondered the deeper meaning in Liu Xunyi's words and said, "If you become a puppet lord in name only, and lose the trust of other forces as a result... you will naturally lose power."

"If I lose power, what will become of the young Prince Qin?"

“The young Prince of Qin has invested a great deal in you and has high hopes for you. Of course, he doesn’t want you to lose power…” At this point, Xunzhen gradually understood Liu Xunyi’s intentions and asked in surprise, “So… by not entering the manor, you have actually preserved your power?”

"That's right! Only by firmly establishing oneself in the central position can one command widespread support in times of crisis."

"But Valley Master Xiao is your mother, and Clan Chief Teng is your maternal grandfather. Even if you become the head of the Prince Xian's Mansion, I believe they will not turn their backs on you..."

"Of course they won't betray me, but that doesn't mean they're willing to be at the beck and call of the Prince Xian's Mansion." Liu Xunyi shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Blood ties don't mean there's no selfishness, and they certainly can't be placed above the interests of the sect. If I were to take over the Prince Xian's Mansion, in what capacity would I face Valley Master Xiao and Clan Chief Teng? As the leader of a faction that rivals me? Or as a close relative with whom I can talk about anything? Furthermore, if I were in trouble and needed their help, should I do it in the name of the Prince Xian's Mansion? Or in the name of my son and grandson?"

"This……"

"Ultimately, the Prince Xian's Mansion doesn't belong to me, nor can I fully control it. If I were to use personal connections to collude with Valley Master Xiao and Clan Chief Teng, they would see me as someone who could easily benefit others." Liu Xunyi analyzed calmly, "In terms of public opinion, whether it's the Valley of Heartbreak, Dragon Elephant Mountain, or the Teng Clan of Xiangxi, I'm afraid they, like other sects in the martial arts world, don't want the Prince Xian's Mansion to become the only dominant force in the martial arts world. At that point, let alone providing full support, it would be more than enough for them not to hinder us from behind."

“Liu Xunyi, I thought that you would be lost in the joy of reuniting with your blood relatives and forget everything else after just finding your family.” Xunzhen smiled with satisfaction, “But I didn’t expect you to see this matter so clearly. It seems that you are calmer and more rational than I thought.”

"They do care about me, but they can't sacrifice the fate of their disciples just because they care about me, nor can they let their life's work be reduced to ashes just because they care about me. I don't want to, and I can't, force them to choose between love and duty... That would be too cruel for anyone," Liu Xunyi said, word by word. "But if I become the head of the Xianwang Mansion, I will inevitably have to go through with it. Using my name to win over other forces, then gradually eroding them, and thus strengthening the Xianwang Mansion, is the shortcut that Master Xie and the others have been dreaming of. Master Xie knows this, I know it, and Valley Master Xiao and the others know it too."

At this point, Liu Xunyi glanced deeply at Xunzhen, who seemed hesitant to speak, and said with a wry smile, "Perhaps... this is also the result that the young Prince Qin has been dreaming of."

"I……"

"It's alright! This game was played openly from the start, with various forces secretly vying for power. It began the moment the anti-traitor conference ended." Liu Xunyi didn't want to put Xunzhen in a difficult position, so she pretended to be nonchalant and reassured him. "Since this absurd game started because of me, I should end it myself."

"But the current situation is chaotic. The Golden Sword Dock in the south is poised to strike, and the Mongols in the north are watching with predatory eyes. If Shen Dongshan's news is true, a bloody storm will surely erupt in the Central Plains martial arts world." Xunzhen pondered for a moment, then felt a surge of worry. "No! No! If things become turbulent, and you remain alone, refusing to align yourself with any powerful faction, relying solely on balancing tactics to connect various sects, you'll ultimately be a disorganized mess, and I'm afraid... you won't be able to withstand the pressure. If that's the case, you might as well join the Prince Xian's Mansion; at least..."

“The Central Government!” Liu Xunyi gently patted Xunzhen’s hand, reminding him cryptically, “Who said the Central Government is all alone?”

“Central hub…central hub…” Gradually understanding the unspoken meaning in Liu Xunyi’s words, Xunzhen first looked surprised, and then her eyes were filled with admiration as she looked at him. “It seems that Master Liu already has a complete plan. May I ask if you can tell me about it?”

"Of course!"

Liu Xunyi deliberately put on a smug and proud look in front of Xunzhen. Then he placed a black piece on the chessboard. The game, which was originally clear in terms of victory or defeat, was reversed in an instant. The white pieces, which had been in a strong position, were cut off by a small black piece, making it difficult to defend both ends and causing them to collapse in all directions.

“Shen Dongshan’s gift of this mansion is truly timely. I plan to… establish my own independent business, named ‘Buzheng’ (meaning ‘No Contention’).” Liu Xunyi spoke of his boldest plan in the most calm tone, “A Buzheng Gate that belongs entirely to me and is under my control… will be the central hub.”

"The Buzheng Sect?" Xunzhen understood Liu Xunyi's true intentions, but she didn't think it was a wise move. She sarcastically remarked, "Giving up the powerful and well-established Prince Xian's Mansion, you insist on starting your own sect from scratch, building a tiny Buzheng Sect. Liu Xunyi, do you know that establishing a sect is no child's play?"

"I wouldn't presume to establish a new school of thought; it's merely a way for me to find a place to settle down and make a living."

"He who does not show himself is enlightened. He who does not assert himself is distinguished. He who does not boast of his achievements is meritorious. He who does not pride himself is enduring. It is precisely because he does not contend that no one in the world can contend with him!" Xunzhen pondered the three words "Gate of Non-Contending" and couldn't help but sigh, "Non-contention, non-contention, seemingly carefree and detached from worldly affairs, but in reality harboring great ambitions, what a wonderful Gate of Non-Contending."

“If even you think this way, then surely everyone in the world would.” Hearing Xunzhen’s words, Liu Xunyi couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. He then slowly rose, gently pushed open the window, letting the dazzling sunlight pour in, enveloping him in its light. Xunzhen couldn’t see whether his expression was joy or sorrow, only that his slightly lonely and resolute voice slowly revealed himself. “Zhen’er, several seasons have passed, half a lifetime has gone by like floating clouds. I’ve had enough of having my fate held in the hands of others. Now I have come to my senses. Rather than relying on others, I should take root in myself. I, Liu Xunyi, do not seek fame or fortune in this life, but only that I no longer have to look at other people’s faces or be subservient to them! However, my decision to establish my own sect is not only out of consideration for power, nor is it entirely because of the pursuit of freedom. There is another reason, which I… only want to tell you, and that is to clearly distinguish the boundaries with all the sects and forces I am close to, and never to be mixed up with them again.”

"Why?" Xunzhen was shocked.

Liu Xunyi smiled bitterly and murmured, "You know that I now hold multiple identities and am already deeply mired in a quagmire from which I cannot extricate myself. Whether it is the conflicts of the martial world or the wars between ethnic groups, I cannot stay out of it. Therefore, in the future, I will inevitably be caught in one life-and-death storm and dangerous choice after another. I cannot be favored by the heavens forever. If one day I really end up in a desperate situation where I lose everything, I hope that the Xianwang Mansion, the Valley of Heartbreak, the Teng Clan of Xiangxi... will all have room to withdraw and will not be bound to me and forced to die with me."

"Liu Xunyi, you..."

“I named myself ‘Buzheng’ not out of ambition to be ‘unrivaled in the world,’ but rather because I hope to uphold the Way of Heaven and wish to… benefit without harm, and act without contention.”

……