Chapter 197 — True Anger

Suddenly a low roar, like the snarl of a wild beast, came ringing out—from within the Jade Balance Hall itself. Everyone was startled, and then discovered that the strange sound issued from that somewhat uncanny dark-green immortal sword in Su Wan's hand. Her five fingers gripping the sword were pale, the slender knuckles bloodless from the force of her grasp, as though the sword too sensed something. The blazing sword-light upon the immortal blade, already bright, now flared greatly, and it gave forth a sound like the roaring of a savage beast.

An immortal sword of such commanding force and fierce intensity, held in the hand of a woman who ordinarily seemed so gentle and compliant—yet there was not the slightest sense of incongruity. Rather it was like a tiger given wings, the air of slaughter and war about her redoubled.

Xiao Yichen instinctively stepped back, his scalp prickling, and yet he could not tell where he had said the wrong thing. This was, after all, his elder uncle-master, and her husband Tian Buhui was moreover the First Seat of Dazhu Peak, a person of great power and standing in the Canglan Sect—one not lightly to be offended under any circumstances. By rights, Su Wan's blundering into the Jade Balance Hall was already a grave offense, and yet by the look of her, where was any trace of fear? She plainly meant not only to make trouble, but to make very great trouble indeed.

Amid the strange, low growling of the dark-green immortal sword, Su Wan said to Xiao Yichen, word by word, in a cold voice, "Call Daoyan out. I mean to ask him properly just what he has done to Buhui."

Xiao Yichen's whole body shook violently, and he jerked his head up. In the Jade Balance Hall all had fallen utterly silent.

Just then hurried footsteps suddenly came from the rear hall, and an aged voice carried from afar: "Junior Sister Su, has something happened to Junior Brother Buhui? Whatever the matter, let us talk it over calmly. We are all of the Canglan Sect—you must on no account do anything rash!"

With the voice, several elders came filing out from the rear hall. Of the two in the lead, one had black hair and one white, both wearing white beards. But that aged voice had come from the elder with the blacker hair; the white-bearded elder was Elder Fan, who in years past, when Zhang Qingyue was still on Canglan Mountain for the Seven Veins Martial Contest, had served as arbiter of the bouts.

In these ten-odd years the Canglan Sect had passed through two great wars and calamities. Of the previous generation of elders, some had died, some had been wounded; their numbers were no longer many.

Su Wan watched the several elders come forward, frowned, and gave a cold snort—yet showed not the slightest sign of relenting. The white-bearded old man, Elder Fan, glanced at Su Wan, coughed once, and muttered a couple of phrases under his breath.

The black-haired elder beside him looked around. Seeing the dozen-odd young disciples with swollen faces, he frowned, and was just about to speak to Su Wan when she said coldly to Elder Fan, "Senior Brother Fan, were you cursing me just now?"

Elder Fan, glared at by her eyes, flushed red, but at once shook his head. "Not at all, not at all, Junior Sister Su. You and I and Junior Brother Buhui have been friends these many years—I admire you too much to curse you. How could I?"

The black-haired elder turned and looked at Elder Fan, frowning. Elder Fan gave a dry laugh, made a gesture, and said, "Senior Brother Yang, you speak, you speak—"

The black-haired elder, addressed as Senior Brother Yang, turned back and said to Su Wan, "Junior Sister Su, very well, calm your anger first. Tell me just what has happened. You are ordinarily a cautious and gentle person—how is it that today you have done a thing that even Junior Brother Buhui might not dare to do?"

Su Wan's face remained icy, but the light upon the immortal sword in her hand slowly dimmed somewhat, and it no longer gave forth that low, strange roar. Those around quietly breathed a sigh of relief; with Su Wan standing there gripping her immortal sword, her might had been so great that ordinary Qingyun disciples had truly trembled with fear.

Su Wan looked at Elder Yang, the corner of her mouth twitching, and said with a cold smile, "What Buhui dares not do, I may not necessarily shrink from. I want to see Daoyan. Bring him out."

The elders looked at one another. After a moment Elder Yang coughed and said, "Junior Sister Su, our senior brother the Sect Master has been in seclusion many days, and it truly is not convenient for him to come out. You had best first tell us what it is that has so angered you. And besides—what has happened to Junior Brother Tian? Why is he not with you?"

Su Wan's willow brows drew together, her clear beauty now charged with three parts more of fierce wrath, and she said loudly, "Is it not that your Jietian Peak has taken him into custody!"

At these words the faces of Elder Yang, Elder Fan, and everyone up and down Jietian Peak changed drastically. Elder Yang said urgently, "Junior Sister Su, on no account must you speak wildly of such a thing. Junior Brother Tian is the First Seat of the seven veins of Qingyun; in our Canglan Sect, next to Senior Brother Daoyan the Sect Master, he and Senior Brother Zeng Shuchang are the most esteemed. And we are all disciples of the same school besides—how could there be any such thing as taking him into custody? It is utterly impossible!"

Su Wan gave a cold laugh and said sternly, "Do not think we know nothing of what has befallen Senior Brother Daoyan. It is precisely because he knew the gravity of the matter that Buhui risked great danger to come up the mountain and counsel him. Yet he has gone and to this hour there is no word of him. If I do not come to you for him, whom should I seek?"

Elder Yang was dumbstruck. Elder Fan, standing to one side, suddenly turned to Xiao Yichen. "Nephew Xiao, has First Seat Tian Buhui of Dazhu Peak come to Jietian Peak in recent days?"

Xiao Yichen shook his head blankly. "No, he has not. This disciple has always managed the affairs of Jietian Peak, and in these several months Uncle-Master Tian has indeed never sent word that he meant to come up Jietian Peak."

Su Wan glanced at Elder Fan and said coldly, "And what do you suppose he came for—to send a card and pay a formal visit, and sit waiting over tea?"

Elder Fan's old face flushed, and he said no more. Elder Yang had already turned to Xiao Yichen: "Nephew Xiao, since that is so, go at once to the Ancestral Hall on the rear mountain and inquire of our senior brother the Sect Master. If possible, it would be best to invite him here, so that we may all speak face to face and understand one another."

Xiao Yichen hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Very well, I will go at once." With that he turned and strode quickly toward the rear hall.

After watching Xiao Yichen's figure disappear, Elder Yang turned back and said with a faint smile, "Junior Sister Su, this old one knows well the depth of feeling between you and your husband, and that in your concern your heart is bound to be in turmoil. But for you to charge so rashly into the Jade Balance Hall—truly, that is going a little too far, is it not?"

Su Wan was silent a moment, then said mildly, "Senior Brother Yang, you are quite right. If it turns out that nothing has happened to Buhui, and it is only my own suspicious heart conjuring phantoms, then Su Wan shall of course submit herself to the judgment of the Canglan Sect's laws—"

Elder Yang waved a hand and smiled. "See here, that was not what I meant—"

Su Wan cut him off, her tone shifting, sharp as a blade: "But if indeed something has happened to Buhui on this Jietian Peak, Senior Brother Yang—" Her clear, bright eyes flashed, a keen light passing through them, and her words came with the surging passion and resolve of her heart, without the slightest wavering or room to turn back: