Without Yu Xiu at their tails, Cui Buqu found the way out very quickly. Alas, one second they were stepping back out into the open sky, yet the next, their footsteps halted.
One person was standing at the exit of the cave with his arms crossed as if he had been waiting for a long time, for his expression changed once he saw them running out.
"It seems like Yu Xiu has been dealt with."
Cui Buqu's footsteps paused.
Fan Yun smiled when he saw it, "If it hadn't been me who moved those people away and left you the kerosene and dagger, you may have still been trapped inside. If it hadn't been me who helped you by stopping Yuan Sansi, now that you've dealt with Yu Xiu, you would have another enemy to face."
Cui Buqu nodded, "Thank you, teacher."
His expression and attitude seemed to indicate that Fan Yun owed to help them, for there was no humble gratitude about it.
Even if Fan Yun was a man of high virtues, he couldn't help raising an eyebrow, "Buqu, after many years of not seeing each other, you've become more unkind. I've helped you so much, yet you still lift your guard against me. It feels so cold to have your suspicions on me."
Cui Buqu looked both disinterested and unmoved by it, "Teacher, you worded it too seriously. The best ending you could have expected was that all the members of the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai were killed by Feng Xiao, while Feng Xiao himself and I both perished in the array. A pity that the Heavens will not grant you your wish; you've waited here for practically half a day, I can't believe that you actually waited until both of us came out alive."
If Fan Yun had the intention to rescue them, he could have entered the array himself. Yet, he was waiting outside, proving that although he hadn't taken any measures to kill them, he had not been hoping that Cui Buqu and the others would be alive either.
Fan Yun was stunned, then he laughed.
He knows Cui Buqu has seen through his thoughts, but he hadn't expected the other to be so completely thorough.
Feng Xiao took two steps forward, shielding Cui Buqu from the front, either on purpose or by accident.
"Senior plotted a scheme to lure us here and the intention was for the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai and us to fight at close quarters. Presently, may we know how much of your goals have been achieved?"
Fan Yun watched his actions and laughed as he spoke, "You're injured, and I am not. If I were to attack Cui Buqu now, you cannot stop me."
Feng Xiao only said five words, "I could at least try."
Perhaps he could not kill Fan Yun, however, the other would not have any advantage either.
Fan Yun did give this a thought.
If he could get rid of both Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao at once, half his goals were already accomplished.
However, he had been injured as well while battling with Yuan Sansi a while ago. If he wanted to kill Cui Buqu, he would first need to kill Feng Xiao. Considering Feng Xiao's capabilities, even if he was already injured, he would not tolerate being perceived as a wounded tiger. In the end, it was more likely that both sides would endure great losses.
Before the secret gathering in Tiannan, Fan Yun had, too, once thought that Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao were only getting along on the surface, but not in their hearts. Although they similarly served the Sui Empire as officials and trusted followers of the Emperor, they could still add to the misfortunes of the other, pushing each other down in pits when the chance arose and felt no pity for it. This was originally a very usual way of thinking, however, he never expected both of them to willingly set aside their differences during punishing situations, gathering their strengths as they worked together, and could even walk out safely from the Twin Spinning Compass Array.
Since he couldn't get rid of these two people at once, then there was no need to act on impulse.
Fan Yun couldn't help sighing darkly with regret.
Making sense of this thought, he lets go of it, broad-chested and unprejudiced.
"I truly am insincere about joining the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai, but without me, mayhap you people would have never known that this place is one of their lairs. This time, not only could you escape completely unscathed, but you have even accomplished a great deed. You should thank me. It was a pity that the Pavilion Lord did not come as promised; this person's malice has achieved to such an unfathomable degree that one would find it hard to look beneath his skin, his schemes laid so deeply hidden that it has rendered him unpredictable. He may have already suspected me a long time ago and the secret gathering this time is probably a test of my loyalty."
Cui Buqu, "Since the teacher does not belong to the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai, surely he could tell us now, who on earth is the Pavilion Lord? Where does he come from, and what is his background?"
Fan Yun hesitated, "You people have seen him before. He visited the outskirts of the city once; during that time when Duan Qigu was eliminated by you people."
Cui Buqu shot Feng Xiao a glance on instinct, just as the other also shot him a glance.
Bing Xuan, Yan Xuexing, and the names of the others reeled themselves up in Feng Xiao's sea of thoughts, and finally, it fell upon two words.
Xiao Lu.
Almost simultaneously Cui Buqu also said, "Xiao Lu?"
Fan Yun nodded, "That's right."
This person's demeanour and elegance heralded him as an outstanding man among people; his literary abilities were renowned in this present age and was equipped with a good set of skills in the martial arts. However, due to being an invalid because of his right hand, he could only wield the sword with his left and could not assume the post of an official. A man of talents yet cannot use them where they are needed, this truly made everyone feel pity.
Cui Buqu's impression of him was quite good; perhaps because both of them were similar in their birth, born with a defect, or perhaps it came from his admiration of talented people. However, he was not surprised at this identity of his being the mastermind behind the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai.
Feng Xiao squinted his eyes, "That is to say, he was deliberately hiding his abilities the last time he fought with me?"
Fan Yun said, "I was not present that day, however, this person's talents are incredibly high, and his martial arts are not beneath you. If he lost to you simply after a few moves, then I could only say that it was deliberate."
Cui Buqu raised a brow, "That time he was there to rescue a relative of his who was kidnapped by Duan Qigu. I saw with my own eyes that women called him 'Seventh Brother'."
As the Pavilion Lord of the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai, if he could not even rescue his relatives and had to offer them to his subordinates to play with, then that truly was too comical.
Fan Yun smiled, "This is a case of being blinded by your own intelligence. As far as I know, those women were all tortured until their consciousness was no longer intact. How could they recognize a relative in a heartbeat? Regardless of what Xiao Lu says, as long as he came with concern and intentions to rescue them, he would be acknowledged as someone else. If I anticipated correctly, Xiao Lu never allowed that woman to speak much while she was conscious."
Cui Buqu nodded his head, "That was my negligence."
Fan Yun said, "In the past, I travelled across Jiangnan and met Xiao Lu when he was heavily injured, hiding beneath waters among bamboos. There were strong enemies ahead of him and pursuing soldiers at his back. As a matter of life and death, I reached out to save him. To repay me for saving his life, we often kept in contact. His intelligence is not beneath you, being able to unravel everything with a single hint. It was then my love for talents grew."
Feng Xiao pretended to be shocked, "How strange this love of yours is! Not only were you a good teacher, you even liked to pick up a rock and pound your very own legs!1"
Cui Buqu's lips twitched slightly.
Fan Yun laughed bitterly, "There is no need for you to injure my pride with words. I truly have mishandled this matter. That time, I only thought he was a god-given talent, ambitious but failed, so I answered every question he asked, hiding nothing from him. All until two years ago, he invited me to join the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai, saying that the position of Master Three was made for me. Only then did I discover that he has quietly gathered so many top-tier masters, and has already plotted such a vast scheme."
Cui Buqu spoke hesitatingly, "Xiao Lu is someone from the Southern Dynasty, and the Xiao Clan was a family from the former royal families. He should have countless networks and relatives. Presently, the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty, Chen Shubao, is an overwhelmingly disappointing person. Heroes who are at least capable would think of permeating into the Southern Dynasty and wrestle for the throne, and they might even succeed. However, I have never heard about the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai doing anything to the Southern Regions."
Fan Yun, "That is right Because the few times he schemed against Chen Shubao were secretly ruined by me."
A sudden realization hit Cui Buqu.
This explained everything.
Since Fan Yun was a subject of the Southern Dynasty, naturally, it was his goal to destroy Xiao Lu's schemes, yet at the same time could not allow Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao to be the victor. If Xiao Lu and Cui Buqu fought to the death that and resulting in both sides suffering great losses, it would be Fan Yun's greatest benefit.
Cui Buqu said blandly, "I can't believe that someone like you, teacher, who has been intelligent your entire life, boasting about how you saw through all the great powers of this world, yet you still conduct foolish things—giving everything you had to aid a decrepit and muddle-headed Emperor that is already beyond saving."
Fan Yun's smile finally showed a hint of bitterness.
"You thought wrong. Chen Shubao's incompetence that has reached such an extent, comparable even to the Emperor of the Shu Han Dynasty2 during the Three Kingdom's period, is not something I do not know. Only, an old friend bestowed me this task, and I cannot refrain from giving it my full effort. To attempt despite one knowing to succeed is impossible; since I took the decision on this matter, I have considered what is to come, that I will most likely come across an overwhelming defeat before I die."
Cui Buqu, "Who is that old friend of teacher's that could make him bend backwards for them?"
"This person is in the past; there is no use in mentioning." Fan Yun closed his eyes, concealing all the fragileness he had unconsciously shown. When he opened his eyes again, he was once again that Master Zhuge3 who sat waiting to reel for benefits, the one who played on both sides of the chessboard by roaming between Cui Buqu and the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai.
"Leave aside meaningless banters. I have already told you such a piece of important information from the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai. As compensation, shouldn't you people also show some sincerity?"
Cui Buqu, "What do you want?"
Fan Yun smiled and said, "From either one of you, your life."
He turned hostile and attacked at will; his words hadn't yet finished and nothing changed on his smile, yet his figure had already lunged itself like a rolling wind, reaching out a hand at Cui Buqu!
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[1] Pound your very own legs: Feng Xiao most probably meant that Fan Yun likes having his students (people he had taught in person) against him.
[2] Emperor of Shu Han Dynasty: This is Liu Shan, the son and successor of Liu Bei from the Three Kingdoms.
[3] Master Zhuge: A well-known master strategist, strategist of Liu Bei, from the period of the Three Kingdoms.