You Are the Mute [Comprehensive Martial Arts] - Chapter 10
No one expected Young Master Wang to make the first move. He appeared to lack any martial arts skills, yet his movements were astonishingly swift, catching everyone off guard. The folding fan he had been holding transformed into a lethal weapon in an instant.
Young Master Wang’s gaze toward Yuan Dongyuan carried a chilling edge, though a smile remained plastered on his face. “Old Manor Lord Yuan,” he said lightly, “show some respect to Miss Qiao, or else…” He chuckled softly. “I’ll have to ask you to remain silent… permanently.” The blue-glowing blade hidden within the fan proved his words were no empty threat.
“Um…” Chief Escort Wang’s voice trembled slightly. “Let’s all calm down and resolve this peacefully. Harmony is paramount, isn’t it?”
Young Master Wang tilted his head and smiled, exuding a rakish charm. “I’ve been perfectly calm all along. It’s Old Manor Lord Yuan who’s become overly agitated. To spare Miss Qiao any further distress, I must ask him to quiet down.”
As he spoke, he seemed to be currying favor with Qiao Yiying. Yet, to her ears, his tone carried an unsettling familiarity. Strange, she thought. I’ve never met this man before. Why does he speak to me as if we’re acquainted?
Who exactly was this man?
Yuan Suiyun sneered. “Miss Qiao speaks harshly, and my father is wrong to defend me with a single word?”
“Of course,” Young Master Wang retorted, his voice ringing with self-righteousness. “Anything that upsets Miss Qiao is wrong. Remember, you’re here to seek her divination, not to act like lords. Besides, everyone knows Miss Qiao’s divinations are like divine pronouncements, accurate for both past and future. Her readings aren’t always favorable, but no one has ever been as disrespectful as you two, father and son, reacting to a hint of misfortune with such rudeness.”
He glanced at the three members of the Li Family. “Even those three over there haven’t said a word. Yet you two act so high and mighty. Wuzheng Manor has long been in decline. Don’t think everyone still owes you deference. I certainly don’t. You’re just an old codger and a blind man. Do you really think you’re gods or immortals, deserving of everyone’s reverence and kneeling?”
Young Master Wang’s words were as venomous and cruel as Qiao Yiying’s earlier divination. Combined with his disdainful glare, they were enough to drive anyone half to death with anger.
The moment those words left his lips, Yuan Suiyun, who had managed to maintain his composure until then, flew into a rage. Nothing infuriated him more than being called a blind man, and the young master’s venomous tone only deepened his fury. He was about to strike when Young Master Wang pressed his fan forward slightly.
“This fan is coated with poison that kills on contact,” he said. “A mere scratch on Old Manor Lord Yuan’s neck will be fatal. If Young Manor Lord Yuan wants to fight me, he clearly doesn’t care about his father’s life.”
The mockery on his face intensified. “Though, perhaps that’s understandable. Young Manor Lord Yuan might harbor resentment toward his father. After all, as long as the old man lives, you can’t become the manor lord of Wuzheng Manor. To me, Wuzheng Manor is worthless trash, but some people seem to covet it dearly.”
Young Master Wang made no attempt to conceal his deliberate provocation. If it succeeded, all the better; if not, at least he could disgust this father and son.
“You…” Yuan Suiyun’s killing intent surged. Yet, paradoxically, this murderous impulse calmed him completely. He took a deep breath and clasped his hands in a formal bow toward Young Master Wang. “I apologize for my earlier rudeness. Please release my father, and we can discuss this rationally.”
After leaving this place, he would utterly destroy the Wang Family, leaving them destitute and ruined. He would capture this man before him, take him to Bat Island, cut out his tongue, gouge out his eyes, and let him suffer endless humiliation in the Bat Cave until he died. Only this thought could quell the burning rage in Yuan Suiyun’s heart.
Young Master Wang sneered, “You think I’ll release him just because you ask? Not a chance.”
Hearing this, Yuan Suiyun forcibly suppressed his fury. Very well, very well indeed. He would make this man wish he had never been born.
Chief Escort Wang glanced anxiously at Qiao Yiying. “Miss Qiao, what should we do?” He had thought he was dealing with a virtuous family, but Young Master Wang’s true nature had proven far more formidable than anyone could have imagined. Not only was his martial prowess undetectable, but his silver tongue had thoroughly antagonized the Yuan Family.
I hope Miss Qiao doesn’t think I’ve mishandled this, Chief Escort Wang thought despairingly.
Qiao Yiying twirled the jade flute in her hand, activating the System’s query function. To conserve energy, she asked only one question: whether Yuan Suiyun had already begun establishing Bat Island. The System returned an affirmative answer.
Qiao Yiying raised her eyes to Yuan Dongyuan, who was being restrained but still seething with anger, and flashed a malicious smile. “Old Manor Lord Yuan, I haven’t finished speaking yet. You can get angry later. It’s true that your son has no burial place. He fell into the sea and died, so naturally, he has no burial place.”
The mention of the sea made Yuan Suiyun’s heart skip a beat. Could it be…? No, impossible.
Meeting Yuan Dongyuan’s still furious gaze, Qiao Yiying’s smile widened. “But I think that’s far too merciful for him. After all, the Bat Young Master should be sliced into a thousand pieces, slowly dying in agony. Only then can we appease the spirits of those he harmed.”
The moment these words left her lips, Yuan Suiyun struck. Though blind, he moved with deadly precision toward Qiao Yiying, his attack aimed squarely at her vital points.
Whoosh!
Faster than Yuan Suiyun’s strike was Li Xunhuan’s flying dagger. Though he hadn’t yet achieved the legendary status he would later earn in the Jianghu, his dagger skills were already formidable. To evade the blade, Yuan Suiyun twisted his body, altering his trajectory.
At the same moment, Young Master Wang kicked open the door to Yuan Dongyuan and flung his folding fan at Yuan Suiyun.
The fan was coated with a deadly poison, and Yuan Suiyun naturally had to dodge.
In the blink of an eye, the situation had shifted to two against one, with Young Master Wang and Li Xunhuan facing Yuan Suiyun. As they fought, Li Xunhuan couldn’t help but glance at Young Master Wang in astonishment. Who was this man? His martial arts were unfathomably profound and mysterious, far beyond those of an ordinary fighter.
Young Master Wang had no such reservations. He showed Yuan Suiyun no mercy. Though Yuan Suiyun’s martial arts were formidable, he had yet to acquire the Martial Arts Manuals he would later steal. Against Young Master Wang, his skills proved utterly inadequate.
Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Yuan Suiyun was subdued. Young Master Wang showed no restraint, first immobilizing Yuan Suiyun by striking his pressure points, then crushing the bones of his right wrist with a brutal stomp.
Li Xunhuan frowned, about to protest, when Master Li signaled him with a meaningful glance. Swallowing his words, Li Xunhuan retreated to stand behind Master Li.
Young Master Wang flashed Yuan Suiyun a chilling smile. “You shouldn’t have tried to touch her.” Anyone who dared to lay a hand on her would pay the price.
Chief Escort Wang stared in stunned disbelief. Before today, he could never have imagined such a scene unfolding.
Qiao Yiying cast a deep, lingering glance at Young Master Wang before turning to Yuan Dongyuan, who lay motionless, his ribs likely broken from the kick and his acupoints sealed by Li Xunhuan. She chuckled softly. “After losing his sight, your son blamed the world, convinced everyone owed him something. That’s when his already dark heart began to fester.”
“You… you’re lying…” Despite being unable to move and the searing pain in his ribs, Yuan Dongyuan still managed to defend his son. If he could move, he would have fought these slanderers himself!
“Really?” Qiao Yiying raised an eyebrow. “You were completely unaware of everything he did?”
Yuan Dongyuan’s expression faltered.
Qiao Yiying continued, “To exact revenge on the world and soothe his festering heart, Yuan Suiyun transformed into the Bat Young Master and established Bat Island. He kidnapped women, sewed their eyes shut, and imprisoned them in the Bat Cave, using them to entertain the men who came to the island.”
Upon hearing this, the Li Family trio and Chief Escort Wang’s expressions immediately darkened. The Li Family members, in particular, glared at Yuan Suiyun with undisguised loathing.
No wonder Miss Qiao treated him so coldly. Now it all makes sense.
Qiao Yiying continued, “The Bat Young Master either tricked or stole Martial Arts Manuals and acquired secret martial arts lore, which he then sold to eager buyers. Who knows what a rotting blind man needs money for, but he certainly amassed a fortune. As for how many people died or were harmed in the process, he couldn’t care less.”
She rose and approached Yuan Dongyuan, looking down at him from above. “Old Manor Lord Yuan, were you truly unaware of your son’s actions? Or were you merely feigning ignorance to make him feel better about himself?”
“I didn’t! He didn’t!” Yuan Dongyuan retorted, but even a blind man could see through his flimsy denial.
Qiao Yiying glanced at him dismissively, took the fan from Young Master Wang’s hand, and strode to Yuan Suiyun, pressing the fan’s edge against his throat. “Yuan Suiyun, you consider yourself noble, entitled to decide the fates of others. But you never imagined the day would come when your own life would hang in the balance, did you? I wonder… is your blood red like ours?”