Chapter 176 Clarifying the Misunderstanding
At this moment, the candlelight in the room flickered slightly, as if an invisible force was stirring the air. Ximen Tianyu clenched his fists, and the spiritual power in his body surged quietly, ready to deal with the attack that might come at any time.
"Come out, hiding is not what heroes do."
Ximen Tianyu's voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the empty room, trying to lure out the enemy hiding in the dark.
However, the only response he got was dead silence. Ximen Tianyu frowned, and was about to use the power of the Heart Mirror to conduct an all-round search, but the next killing move had already arrived quietly.
There was a sound of "swoosh" breaking through the air, and a black shadow suddenly rushed out from the shadows, holding a long sword and slashing at Ximen Tianyu with a sharp blade. The speed was so fast that it almost exceeded the limit of what the naked eye could capture. If Ximen Tianyu had not reacted in time, he would have been in danger.
"Who are you? Why did you attack me?"
Ximen Tianyu dodged and shouted at the same time. He felt that he did not have such a deep hatred with anyone, and the other party's intention made him feel confused.
The black shadow did not answer, but his attack became more and more fierce, with each blow aimed at the vital points, obviously intending to kill Ximen Tianyu.
Ximen Tianyu's heart trembled, but he also responded to every move and every style more carefully. He knew that in this narrow space, a long fight would be disadvantageous to him, and he had to find a way to break the situation as soon as possible.
"Heart mirror, open!"
Ximen Tianyu shouted, his eyes instantly becoming as deep as the night sky, and everything around him became extremely clear in his perception. He caught a trace of the shadow's weak magic power, as well as the familiar outline hidden under the cloak.
"Brother Shi, is that you?!"
Ximen Tianyu's voice was full of disbelief. He never expected that this sudden attack came from Shi Feiyang, the man who brought him into the club.
As he was shocked, his movements slowed down by a beat.
Seeing this, Shi Feiyang attacked more fiercely, as if he wanted to take this opportunity to defeat Ximen Tianyu in one fell swoop. However, Ximen Tianyu was only a fourth-level cultivator after all, and even though his emotions were surging, he still relied on his extraordinary reaction speed and cultivation to barely avoid Shi Feiyang's fatal blow.
"Brother Shi, is there any misunderstanding here?"
Ximen Tianyu resisted while questioning, his voice full of confusion.
Shi Feiyang's cloak was slightly lifted during the battle, revealing his stern face, but his eyes were like deep pools, and it was impossible to see his emotions. "Misunderstanding? You were going to reveal our brotherhood's plan to the Dao League, right? I really didn't expect that the Dao League would send a genius like you to be an undercover agent in our brotherhood."
Shi Feiyang's sneer echoed in the room, and Ximen Tianyu's heart sank to the bottom. Judging from the meaning of Shi Feiyang's words just now, it was obvious that he had mistaken him for an undercover agent of the Dao League.
"Brother Shi, please listen to my explanation. I am not an undercover agent of the Dao League."
Ximen Tianyu explained eagerly, but he did not dare to slack off at all.
"Explain?" Shi Feiyang's sword moves became more and more fierce, and each strike was filled with unquestionable murderous intent. "From the first day you joined the Brotherhood, I have doubted you. It is unreasonable for a casual cultivator with unknown origins to suddenly possess such amazing cultivation. Moreover, you have shown an unusual interest in 'that thing' in the ruins."
Ximen Tianyu's heart tightened. He didn't expect that his motive of revenge for his parents would become a reason for suspicion. "I am just curious about unknown things. This does not mean that I am a spy of the Dao League."
He tried to persuade Shi Feiyang, but the other party obviously would not listen to any explanation.
"Curious? Humph, your curiosity is too strong. Even if that's the case, why did you take out the sound transmission magic weapon just now?"
Shi Feiyang's sword force did not decrease, and every strike was carried with unquestionable determination, as if he wanted to pour all his doubts and anger into this battle.
Ximen Tianyu retreated quickly, avoiding another wave of attacks, feeling mixed emotions. He knew that his explanation at this moment might be just a pale sophistry in the eyes of the other party. But the current situation forced him to speak again:
"Brother Shi, you misunderstood. I took out the sound transmission magic weapon not to inform the Taoist Alliance, but to contact a friend of mine and ask for clues about 'that thing' in the ruins. My parents' death may be related to it. I have been tracking it for many years just to find the truth and get revenge."
In order to get rid of the suspicion of being an undercover agent of the Dao League, Ximen Tianyu had to reveal his true purpose and the knot in his heart for many years. His words revealed firmness and determination, and every word seemed to come from the bottom of his heart, shaking the air in the whole room.
Shi Feiyang's attack paused for a moment, but his cold eyes were still fixed on Ximen Tianyu, as if trying to find the answer from his eyes. The air was filled with tension and confrontation, and time seemed to freeze at this moment.
"revenge?"
There was a subtle fluctuation in Shi Feiyang's voice, as if he was touched by Ximen Tianyu's honesty, but years of caution and loyalty to the Brotherhood prevented him from believing it easily.
"Brother Shi, although we haven't known each other for a long time, I don't think you are a cold-blooded person. I only tell you about my past, and I hope Brother Shi can keep it a secret for me."
A complex emotion flashed in Shi Feiyang's eyes, and the tip of the sword in his hand drooped slightly, obviously weighing Ximen Tianyu's words. In the room, the candlelight was still swaying, but the atmosphere in the whole room was much more relaxed than before.
"Simon, you know the rules of the Brotherhood. Any behavior that is detrimental to the organization will be punished most severely. But... if what you said today is even a lie, I, Shi Feiyang, will be the first one to not let you go."
Although his words were harsh, they actually gave Ximen Tianyu a chance to explain.
Ximen Tianyu took a deep breath and used the power of the mind mirror to share part of his past memories with Shi Feiyang.
This includes the process of him hearing that his parents were murdered when he was a child, then being bullied by servants, and then escaping from his family alone.
"I fled to the deep mountains by myself, and received the inheritance from a great senior, and then practiced this skill."
"And now, I joined this fraternity only because I heard that the fraternity's intelligence channels extend in all directions, so I want to use it to investigate the murderer who killed my parents."
Ximen Tianyu appropriately concealed the parts about Tushan and Chunzhi Yangyan to avoid revealing more unnecessary secrets.
Shi Feiyang was silent for a moment, as if he was digesting the memories Ximen Tianyu shared. He knew very well that a person's memory could not be forged, and Ximen Tianyu's honesty alleviated a lot of his doubts.
(End of this chapter)