Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

Blood dripped steadily from the wound. Tong Wanli, his face ashen, glanced at the gash and then at Ye Jingshuang before him.

”Your Swordsmanship... is truly impressive.

”I haven’t seen you in many years, yet your skills have advanced this far.”

Ye Jingshuang’s gaze turned cold.

”You still haven’t answered my question.

”How did the people of the Heartless Ghost Mansion know the Jiaowei was in the possession of my Ye family?”

”The answer to that question... don’t you already know it?”

Tong Wanli smirked.

”I told them, of course!”

In truth, based on today’s confrontation, Ye Jingshuang had already arrived at the answer to this question long ago.

But hearing Tong Wanli admit it with his own lips still sent a chill through her heart.

She looked at Tong Wanli, her gaze complex.

”Why?

”Did my Ye family ever wrong you in any way?

”Our families have been friends for generations... I even saw you as a close elder, as family. You... how could you...”

”A close elder?”

Tong Wanli shook his head and chuckled.

”When did you ever see me as a close elder? If you truly did, how could you have rejected my son time and time again?

”In what way was my son not good enough for you?”

Ye Jingshuang stared at Tong Wanli in astonishment, completely unable to believe he would say such a thing.

Jiang Ran, however, pointed to the corpse cut in two not far away.

”Is that the son you’re talking about?”

”...”

Tong Wanli’s expression instantly darkened, but he just let out a cold snort.

”Those who achieve great things aren’t concerned with trivialities... He’s already dead. If he could have delayed you for a moment to allow my escape, he could rest in peace in the afterlife.”

”What a fine ’not concerned with trivialities.’”

Jiang Ran gave a dry laugh.

”In your eyes, even your son is a triviality, so the Ye family naturally meant even less.

”Yes, and I imagine your two younger brothers were nothing more than stones blocking your path.”

Hearing this, Tong Wanli’s expression flickered.

Ye Jingshuang was taken aback.

”Could it be... those two also died by your hand?”

”And shouldn’t they have died?”

Tong Wanli’s voice was cold.

”Just because my aptitude was inferior to theirs, I deserved to be humiliated by them?

”I am the eldest son, yet my father, simply because of my poor aptitude, wanted to pass the position of Patriarch to them!

”By what right? BY WHAT RIGHT!?”

At this point, Tong Wanli grew agitated, his voice rising.

”Anyone who blocks my path deserves to die!

”They were exceptionally gifted, blessed with superb talent, but they lacked my tenacity! I trained day and night; every bit of my martial skill was earned by risking my life.

”So why is it that I have to risk life and limb for everything I want...

”...while they get it all so easily?

”Tell me, don’t they deserve to die?”

’He’s mad...’

Ye Jingshuang looked at the savage expression on Tong Wanli’s face, her heart filled with disbelief.

She had considered that Tong Wanli might have been deceived by villains, or perhaps he had some unavoidable reason for his actions.

While that wouldn’t have stopped her from seeking revenge or made her show mercy in her attack just now...

...deep down, she had still held onto a sliver of illusion about this elder.

But now, watching Tong Wanli’s hysteria, as if he were revealing his true, monstrous form, she finally understood.

The man before her had been wearing a false skin from the very beginning.

And hidden beneath that skin was the most venomous heart in the world.

”And your father... Ye Konggu!”

Having said this much, Tong Wanli no longer cared about holding back. He decided to vent all the resentment that had been building in his heart. He looked at Ye Jingshuang.

”He clearly had the ability and the opportunity to dominate the world.

”But he chose to turn a blind eye to it all...

”...and even gave away such a great treasure as a common dowry for Ye Ning.

”What an absolute joke!

”Ye Konggu... he didn’t deserve to possess the Jiaowei. He didn’t deserve it!!”

”So you colluded with the Heartless Ghost Mansion, destroyed my Ye family, and slaughtered every last person in the estate?!”

Ye Jingshuang roared, ”Are you even human?!”

”A man must look out for himself, or be destroyed by heaven and earth!

”If Ye Konggu didn’t want to become supreme in the martial world, what’s wrong with me taking his place?”

Tong Wanli laughed maniacally. At the same time, his Inner Strength flared, and Ye Jingshuang felt a tremendous force strike her, sending her flying back.

The longsword in her hand was pulled from Tong Wanli’s chest.

Ye Jingshuang landed more than ten feet away. Tong Wanli, meanwhile, spat out a mouthful of blood and clutched at his wound.

His face grew even paler as he looked up at Ye Jingshuang.

”This was all something your father gave up... If he didn’t want it, you can’t blame others for taking it.”

”Actually, I also have a question I’d like you to clarify for me, Senior.”

Jiang Ran’s voice cut in.

Tong Wanli’s brow furrowed as he glared at Jiang Ran.

”What kind of freak are you, and where did you come from... If you hadn’t interfered.

”Even if Liu Wenshan had intended to deceive me, he couldn’t have caused much trouble on his own.

”Who... are you?”

”I am Jiang Ran, an Assassin.”

Jiang Ran smiled.

”...You meddlesome pest.”

Tong Wanli snorted, his body no longer able to support him as he collapsed to the ground.

Jiang Ran then asked:

”You were the one who told the Heartless Ghost Mansion that the Jiaowei was with the Ye family.

”Within the Ghost Mansion, there hasn’t been any turmoil for years, and no one has ever escaped... and with your abilities, Senior Tong, causing chaos in the Ghost Mansion would likely be beyond your reach.

”What I’m curious about now is, how did you get in contact with the Heartless Ghost Mansion?

”And how did you manage to anticipate your enemies’ moves so perfectly?”

”...”

Tong Wanli looked at Jiang Ran, then suddenly burst out laughing.