Chapter 51: The Master of the Su Family Fort

Earlier, when Shen Lian sought shelter from the rain, it was an old servant who had brought him in, then vanished without a trace. This was merely a remote hall, after all; the master of the fortress had kindly allowed travelers to escape the downpour, but offered little else in the way of convenience.

Shen Lian had initially been drawn by the words "Su Family Fortress," unconsciously ignoring other details; otherwise, he might have noticed some peculiarities about this place.

Accompanied by a fit of coughing, a man emerged from the inner door. His features were remarkably handsome, rivaling the skill of any master craftsman, his attire sumptuous yet fashioned from materials and techniques Shen Lian had never seen. His skin was finer even than Xiao Zhu’s, and his slender fingers seemed equally suited to playing the zither or wielding a sword.

Yet those refined hands held a silk handkerchief to his lips; the cough emanated from him. If not for the sound, Shen Lian might never have noticed the man.

For the first time in his life, Shen Lian encountered someone who could move without making the slightest sound. His own hearing was excellent, yet he detected no footsteps, no creak of joints as the man walked.

Ku Hui, usually so relaxed, now bore a trace of gravity upon his face. Even amid such a tense scene, he showed not the least disturbance at the newcomer.

Outside, the rain had ceased; water trickled from the eaves, a gentle patter like the evening bell.

The man’s gaze swept over the three standing in the hall. Xiao Zhu unconsciously tapped her folding fan, appearing calm, yet her hand gripped the handle tightly, veins like jade etched upon her skin—clearly, her composure was only surface deep.

Ku Hui lowered his eyes beneath the scrutiny of the middle-aged man, though the heaviness between his brows could not be concealed.

Only Shen Lian, once past his initial surprise, appeared as usual. Yet inwardly, he practiced the mental discipline from the "Supreme Purity Spiritual Treasure Natural Heart-Locking True Solution," for the man’s gaze was extraordinary. It was like a tiger just awakened—not fierce, yet possessing the unassailable majesty of a king, compelling one to bow, to submit.

“Who are you?” Xiao Zhu was the first to break the silence.

Shen Lian sighed inwardly; Xiao Zhu’s impulsiveness proved she was not on par with Ye Liuyun. Though Shen Lian had been lucky enough to defeat Ye Liuyun that day, he would never underestimate her—she was the most astonishing talent he had ever encountered. No one could live better than Ye Liuyun with crippled legs.

“I am, of course, the master of this place,” the man replied with a smile.

“I asked for your name.”

“This is the Su Family Fortress; naturally, I bear the surname Su. As for my given name? Even if I told you, you would not know it. Names are but labels; our meeting is fate. Night has already fallen—why not share a meal and rest here till morning?”

The master’s tone was light, his smile serene, yet even his invitation carried an undeniable authority beneath its gentle surface.

“Forgive me, uncle, but my mother expects me home for dinner,” Xiao Zhu replied with a charming smile, seemingly unconcerned with the tangled heap of the three Northern Marauders nearby.

With a flick of her toes, like a drifting cloud, she glided toward the door. Her movement was graceful and ethereal, truly a delight to behold. An ordinary person, if distracted even for a moment, would find Xiao Zhu vanished from sight.

Xiao Zhu was shrewd. With her objectives accomplished and faced with Ku Hui, Shen Lian, and the enigmatic master of the fortress, there was no benefit in lingering—better to retreat first. She was a woman, and even if she fled, her reputation would not suffer.

Her speed was impressive, and she stopped just as swiftly, pausing at the threshold.

The master was already standing before her.

She hesitated, then struck with her folding fan, pausing like a swallow mid-flight before accelerating suddenly. This blow was a test of coordination and control, deadly yet beautiful.

Shen Lian observed, unable to suppress his admiration. Though women had their disadvantages in martial arts, their bodies were naturally more flexible than men’s—a testament to the fairness of the Dao.

Earlier, Xiao Zhu had easily cracked Li Zhuang’s skull with her fan. Now, her strike was far more powerful than before.

Within arm’s reach, Shen Lian knew even he could not evade such a blow.

The master did not evade. The fan passed through his shoulder, and Shen Lian seemed to hear the sound of a bubble bursting.

The master dissolved into a puddle of water; Shen Lian’s heart quickened—this was clearly a Daoist technique.

The water-formed simulacrum shattered, droplets scattering.

An invisible shield appeared around Xiao Zhu as the power of the Vajra talisman manifested.

Drops of water hung in the air, slowly falling.

Suddenly, a thread of white light appeared, passing through the shield as if it were nothing, striking directly inside. It was like a knife slicing through tofu—no resistance at all.

Xiao Zhu cried out in surprise, then stared, dumbfounded.

The white ray, fine as silk, broke through the shield and wound swiftly around Xiao Zhu, binding her so she could not move.

The shattered droplets from the simulacrum fell onto the floor, mixing with bloodstains. Instantly, the corpses of the dead became pools of murky yellow water.

The water gathered into a sphere, rolled outside beneath a loquat tree, and seeped into the earth.

The three Northern Marauders, though touched by the droplets, were unharmed; only the flesh and blood served as fertilizer.

Shen Lian’s keen eyes saw the lone branches of the loquat tree sprout tender leaves at a visible rate.

The master seemed not to have moved, still standing where he was.

He noticed Shen Lian’s gaze and said, “This loquat was planted by my late wife years ago and grew tall and wide. Later, when I married again, my new wife ordered me to cut it down. The tree had gained some spiritual awareness, so I transplanted it here to this secluded courtyard. Today, it received some nourishment; next year, it will surely bear delicious fruit. Alas, the three of you may not live to taste the wine I’ll make from them.”

He laughed heartily. Using dead bodies as fertilizer—even Ku Hui found it chilling.

Xiao Zhu narrowed her beautiful eyes, then smiled brightly. “Uncle, I just remembered—my parents aren’t home tonight. I’ll stay and have dinner here; I won’t leave.”

The master replied leisurely, “I was only joking. How could I harm such a lovely young lady?”

He flicked his finger, and the white thread binding Xiao Zhu snapped loose, straightening in the air like a spirited snake before darting into the tip of his finger.

Shen Lian thought: The master of this place is clearly no ordinary man. I wonder how he compares to Xin Fourteenth Lady and her daughter.

The methods of the fox spirit and the master here were beyond Shen Lian’s understanding, impossible to weigh.

This time, Xiao Zhu dared not attempt escape, obediently returning to stand beside Shen Lian.

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