M49S Vol 1 Chapter 49. Silver Serpents Dance

Chen Boyan was the last to perform the Wind and Thunder Technique. Of course, it was not because he deliberately waited for the end to draw attention. His mind had simply been elsewhere, consumed with thoughts of Meng Qiqi. By the time he came to, everyone else had already finished.

Xiao Yu’er and everyone on the terrace looked at him in confusion, unsure what had happened.

Chen Boyan leapt out toward the lake. As Wuwang was drawn, both wind and thunder surged forth.

“One, two, three, four…” Tu Youqiong crouched by the railing, counting the thunderbolts in excitement. The others also stared intently at Chen Boyan, their hearts tense with anticipation. Some even quietly harbored thoughts of rivalry, eager to measure themselves against him.

In the murky sky, flashes of light flickered now and then. Thunderclouds drifted with the wind. The instant the gale erupted around Wuwang as its center, thunder and lightning arrived right on cue.

In an instant, silver serpents danced.

Chen Boyan looked up at the serpents in the sky, while those in the dueling arena at the center of the lake looked up at him. He made no superfluous movements, nor did his expression change in the slightest. He simply watched the heavenly lightning strike down, again and again, roaring across the sky. His figure stood suspended in midair, as steady as a mountain.

The scene could not be described as awe-inspiring. Shen Qingya, too, had been elegant and composed when calling the lightning. But as they watched, the crowd gradually quieted. Only Tu Youqiong’s voice counting still echoed across the terrace.

No one could explain it, but everyone felt the same: no matter how fierce the thunder from the heavens, it could not shake Chen Boyan in the slightest. It was common knowledge that he was born with a sword body. Tempering through lightning held no benefit for him. That was why he had cast aside that step entirely, and as a result, summoned lightning faster than anyone else.

But that speed still seemed to leave him dissatisfied.

And the thunder above showed no sign of ending.

So he swung Wuwang, and under the astonished gaze of the crowd, drew several bolts of lightning at once. Then, just as they closed in, he raised his sword and struck.

Can lightning be cut?

The answer was no.

But Chen Boyan did it anyway. Sword qi clashed with the lightning, and in the next instant, the calm thunderclouds surged violently as though enraged. Blinding flashes poured down, nearly engulfing his entire figure.

“Senior Brother!” Tu Youqiong and Xiao Yu’er cried out in alarm, their voices taut with fear.

But the keen-eyed had already noticed the thunderclouds rapidly dispersing. After that overwhelming cascade of lightning, sunlight finally began to pierce the gloom, scattering in all directions at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The sky had cleared. The lightning that had rained down now faded in the daylight, gradually vanishing until nothing remained. And there, within it, stood Chen Boyan.

The entire terrace fell silent.

Zhong Wu stood with his mouth agape, unable to form a single word. Xu Mengyin’s eyes shimmered with astonishment, while

Shen Qingya could only smile helplessly, unable to stop memories from resurfacing. Back then, they had all been around eighteen, at that age when one rode fine horses in bright garments, eager to show their brilliance. Chen Boyan was the quiet, restrained type, but every time Meng Qiqi threw everything he had into putting on a dazzling display, the one who stole the spotlight would always be Chen Boyan.

Shen Qingya used to sit silently to the side, watching the two of them clash.

Chen Boyan would say it wasn’t on purpose. Meng Qiqi would reply with a single “heh.” Sometimes, the two would start fighting. More often than not, it was Meng Qiqi who picked the fight under the pretense of sparring. Yet nine times out of ten, it ended with him being pinned to the ground by Chen Boyan.

Did he ever admit defeat?

Of course not.

Was Shen Qingya annoyed watching them?

Very. No one ever cared how he felt. All he wanted was to quietly sit off to the side and play his zither.

Seven sevens make forty-nine. That was the final number of thunderbolts summoned by Chen Boyan. Shen Qingya murmured the number under his breath and suddenly smiled in a knowing way.

A junior martial brother nearby, who had never seen Shen Qingya smile like that before, asked, “Senior Brother, what’s going on? Something good happen?”

Shen Qingya replied, “Nothing. I just suddenly remembered. The crabapple tree in the courtyard should be blooming soon.”

On the other side, Chen Boyan returned, and without waiting for the Wang clan to announce the final results, flew off on his sword. Seeing their eldest senior brother leave, the disciples of Gushan followed without a word. Not a single one of them cared about the final ranking.

Wang Ziqian stared after their retreating figures. Inside his sleeve, his hand clenched into a fist, fingernails digging deep into flesh. Ever since the Knock upon the Immortal Gate began, he had gone out of his way to curry favor with Chen Boyan, yet he had not spared him a single glance.

So be it. But today’s competition was supposed to be his chance to shine, and once again, they had stolen all the attention.

Did they really think he couldn’t see that Wang Ziling was on their side? That useless fool, what right did he have to stand above him?

The bitterness in Wang Ziqian’s heart nearly spilled out through his eyes. At that moment, the murmuring of those around him slipped into his ears.

“I’d say Gushan Sword may have kept a low profile for years, but they’re still formidable. Far stronger than Beidou, at the very least. Who said Gushan was in decline?”

“Hasn’t that been the talk of the cultivation world these past two years? No one expected Chen Boyan to be this powerful…”

“Beidou came in with a fierce presence, but when faced with Gushan, even they lowered their banners. In the end, these upstart sects just can’t match a place with real foundation.”

“And what about that Wang Ziling? Wasn’t he supposed to be a complete good-for-nothing?”

“Yeah… he really does seem more capable than Wang Ziqian. Do you think all those rumors were planted by the Wang clan, just to—”

“Shh, don’t say things like that…”

The scattered whispers poured over Wang Ziqian’s heart like scalding oil, bubbling up with blisters of blood. Bit by bit, the voices peeled away from his consciousness, growing more and more distant. Sunlight bathed his body in warmth, yet he stared at the shadow cast at his feet, his face utterly blank.

“Ziqian. Time to go home,” came a sudden voice.

Wang Zi’an had walked over and called his name.

Wang Ziqian looked up and responded, then broke into a light jog to catch up, walking obediently at his cousin’s side, just as he used to. But as Wang Zi’an looked at him, a faint unease stirred in his heart.

This younger cousin had always been proud and competitive. Unfortunately, he lacked the talent to match. And with the patriarch having only one son… all he could hope for now was that Ziqian wouldn’t stray down the wrong path.

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Chen Boyan walked swiftly into Chanhua Tower and headed straight up to the fifth floor like a gust of wind. He pushed open the door. Inside, the room was completely empty. Meng Qiqi still had not returned.

He frowned and turned back to find Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao answered truthfully, “Senior Brother, I don’t know where Master went. He hasn’t contacted me.”

“Does he often disappear like this?” Chen Boyan asked.

“Not always,” Xiao Xiao replied. “When Master goes out to handle something, he usually brings us along. But sometimes the situation is too dangerous and not something he can explain clearly, so he goes alone. But Master is always careful. He probably won’t get into trouble. Please don’t worry.”

Xiao Xiao spoke plainly, answering every question without reservation.

Chen Boyan handed him the letter Meng Qiqi had left behind. “Take a look.”

Xiao Xiao opened it. The note said that if he did not return by tonight, Xiao Xiao should go seek out the Holy Sovereign and proceed as planned. There was no need to wait for him.

The letter had clearly been written in advance. That meant Meng Qiqi had anticipated someone would try to intercept him. As for who that might be, Chen Boyan could not help thinking of the package he had personally delivered to Wang Jing.

He had said that Wang Jing would recognize the sender upon seeing it. Now that Wang Jing knew it came from Meng Qiqi, what would his reaction be? Chen Boyan was certain the people who ambushed them last night were not Wang Jing’s. There had to be others hiding in Jinling.

He had originally intended to wait for Meng Qiqi to return and discuss everything with him. But now that he was missing, Chen Boyan could not wait any longer.

He said, “Just follow what he told you to do. If you need help, go find Senior Brother Dai. He’s clever. He will know what to do.”

“I understand, Senior Brother,” Xiao Xiao replied.

That night, Chen Boyan quietly left Chanhua Tower and reappeared half an hour later at a shipyard within the city. The workers had long since gone, and the surroundings were utterly still, not a single soul in sight.

After a short wait, a shadow split off from the cargo stacks and slowly took on human form. In the blink of an eye, that shadow became a flesh-and-blood man. Under the clear moonlight, his face came into view. It was Chen Zhan.

“Young Master,” Chen Zhan greeted Chen Boyan with a bow.

Chen Boyan signaled for him to dispense with the formalities, then got straight to the point. “Have you seen my Little Martial Uncle?”

Chen Zhan replied, “I have not. But there was a targeted ambush in the city earlier today. A number of people were killed. Since cultivators were involved, the matter was handled by the Wang clan in accordance with protocol. But it seems they suppressed the incident. I haven’t heard a word about it.”

“What about Gu Shutong?”

“He has returned to the inn.”

The exchange between master and subordinate was crisp and efficient. At the end, Chen Boyan shifted the topic.

“How is my Third Uncle? Is he well?”

Chen Zhan replied, “Reporting to Young Master, the Third Lord is attending a performance at the Wang estate tonight. Lady Wang keeps a private opera troupe. When the Third Lord heard of it, he expressed interest, and so Lady Wang had them set up a stage.”

“Good,” Chen Boyan said decisively. “Send people out to search for Meng Qiqi. If anyone tries to harm him, whether or not they’re from the Wang clan, kill them.”

Chen Zhan froze. “Young Master, this…”

“Uncle Zhan. Do as I say,” Chen Boyan said quietly. His gaze was deep as the night and cold as frost.

That look awakened memories buried deep within Chen Zhan’s mind. He remembered when the Young Master had not yet entered Gushan and spent most of his time stationed with the Black Feather Guard in Yinshan. Even now, having taken Gushan as his sect, with the bearing of a refined gentleman and the aura of a celestial, he was still a son of the Chen family. And Chen men had always been the kind who licked blood from blades.

“If the Third Uncle asks,” Chen Boyan’s voice sank slightly, “tell him you discovered something in Jinling that matches exactly with the Black Demon from Yinshan.”

“The Black Demon? Young Master, is that true?” Chen Zhan asked, startled.

“We can’t be certain yet,” Chen Boyan said. “Just keep looking. If Third Uncle doesn’t ask, then don’t tell him for now.” He gave a few more instructions, and the two parted ways.

When he returned to Chanhua Tower, Xiao Xiao had also come back from an errand. Upon seeing Chen Boyan, he immediately stepped forward.

“Wuyan has been captured,” he reported. “He’s now with the Holy Sovereign. But…”

Chen Boyan understood. “But my Little Martial Uncle still hasn’t returned.”

“Yes,” Xiao Xiao said with a helpless look.

“I see.” Chen Boyan’s expression remained composed, but just before turning back to his room, he suddenly asked, “Has he ever mentioned that string of grass beads to you?”

Xiao Xiao shook his head. But after a moment, something came to mind. “He didn’t speak of it directly, but he cherishes that string deeply. He once said it’s more important than his own life.”

“Is that so…” Chen Boyan murmured, repeating the words under his breath, then returned to his room.

Xiao Xiao stared at his retreating figure.

His master truly had never shared the story behind the grass beads. But when they first arrived in Jinling, he had once joked with Xiao Xiao, “If your Senior Brother ever asks about them, just tell him the beads are more important than my life.”

Xiao Xiao had asked why.

He had only smiled and said, “Just teasing him.”