Chapter 134: Jealousy

Flower Butterfly ultimately could not bring herself to voice the thought that he must have died. If a person had truly entered paradise, he would never again feel any pain. Yet although the oppressive sensation had weakened somewhat, she could still clearly feel it; it had not truly vanished. For a moment, she could only stand there in a daze, staring at the scene before her, utterly unable to react. Even her mind seemed to have short-circuited.

The feeling had come suddenly and disappeared just as quickly. She was, after all, an exceptionally intelligent woman, and she understood at once what had happened. The Han Tanyi before her was plainly alive.

Ever since she had learned of the sword strike in Xiyang City three years ago, the depths of this woman’s heart had changed completely. She had hoped he was still alive and yearned for the chance to see him again. Yet there had been no further news of the man anywhere in the martial world. Even the Blue Lotus Sect had sent word that Shui Linglong, in her search for him, had scoured the entire realm. Despite that, she had failed to find even the slightest trace. Gradually, Flower Butterfly’s heart had cooled, and it had even begun to carry a hint of self-reproach.

But just when the thought of giving up had reached its deepest point, he had appeared before her once more. Whoever it was would have found such a thing impossible to accept easily.

That face was still exactly as she remembered it. In the eyes of others, his frontier attire and sparse stubble might have helped them connect him with the Han Tanyi who had vanished three years ago. But to Flower Butterfly, his face had barely changed at all—save for the greater weariness in his expression and the faint trace of pain revealed as he struggled to withstand Shen Wansan’s blow.

“What are you waiting for? Get out of the way! I can’t hold on much longer!”

Seeing Flower Butterfly standing there in a daze, Han Tanyi could not help shouting sharply. A full-powered strike from someone like Shen Wansan was astonishingly formidable. Who could withstand it with ease? Besides, Han Tanyi had rushed over only because the scene had looked so dangerous and his heart had leapt in alarm. Even if he truly possessed the strength to receive such a blow, he could manage no more than seventy or eighty percent of it at present.

That overwhelming spiritual power had crashed into his body. How could he possibly endure it? With the Azure Swan in his hand, the shock transmitted through the sword made the web between his thumb and forefinger feel as though it were being torn apart. He could faintly sense a thread of crimson trying to seep through the narrow wound. Clearly, he was merely forcing himself to hold on. Not only was the pain unbearable, but his body was also retreating step by step.

Yet even after his shout, Flower Butterfly still seemed unable to recover. She gave an absent-minded little “oh,” but her body remained rooted to the spot, her expression foolish and bewildered.

Han Tanyi was about to retreat directly in front of her. The distance between them was no more than a few yards when another figure suddenly came rushing forward at tremendous speed. The motion was so swift that, in an instant, no one could make out the newcomer’s features.

Compared with such movement, her actions displayed not the slightest hesitation. In one fluid sequence, she seized Flower Butterfly and flung her several yards away. Then she spun around violently, pressing her palm against Han Tanyi’s body.

Spiritual power erupted through him in an instant, fierce beyond measure. It forcibly pinned Han Tanyi’s body in place.

“Well, well. Who would have thought it? After more than three years without seeing one another, we old friends meet today in a place like this—and greet each other in such a fashion. It really is laughable.”

Though her voice was calm, the teasing within it was unmistakable. There was no doubt that the newcomer was Shui Linglong.

She had originally been traveling alongside Han Tanyi, never far behind him. But after what had just happened, the turbulence in his heart had clearly quickened his pace, and his sudden dash had opened a little distance between them. By the time she arrived, all she had seen was Han Tanyi being overwhelmed.

There was a counter for every force and a person for every person; that was an unchanging truth. Shui Linglong might not have cared about Flower Butterfly, but she could not possibly disregard Han Tanyi. That was why this scene had unfolded.

And it had to be said: Shui Linglong’s abilities were truly remarkable. She had used only seventy or eighty percent of her strength, yet when her spiritual power poured into Han Tanyi’s body, the young man felt an intensity he had never experienced before descend upon him. With that force behind him, the suffocating pressure that had nearly crushed him suddenly seemed to break open.

He could not help roaring. Then, with a fierce shove, he forced Shen Wansan backward.

Perhaps because the rebounding force was so great, both figures trembled slightly when they finally came to a halt.

“It’s you two?”

Unlike Shui Linglong, Shen Wansan said little, but every word carried unmistakable astonishment. He had expected someone to come rescue Flower Butterfly. He had even considered that Xiao Jinghao or Dao Tianfeng might come in person. But he had never imagined that the two people standing before him today would be these two.

The last time they had met had been in a ruined temple. Whether they were enemies or allies had never been clearly decided, either then or now. Yet judging by the scene before him, they had plainly taken the opposing side.

“Since you chose to come and save this little girl, it means that the question between us from three years ago has already been answered. It seems we are more likely to become enemies after all.”

No matter how powerful Shen Wansan’s attack had been, once it was obstructed, its momentum had already begun to fail. To continue pressing forward would have been meaningless. His body naturally halted and fell back, and he showed no intention of attacking again.

Indeed, even Shen Wansan could not claim absolute confidence against the three of them at once. Besides, if certain matters could be resolved through conversation, that might be a rarer and better method than relying on force. Even so, spiritual power still swirled around him. Conversation might not truly be effective. If it failed, then he would have no choice but to act—and acting would be far more straightforward.

“You’re mistaken. We neither wish to be your friends nor your enemies. We came this time mainly to repay a debt on behalf of my friend. He feels he owes you something, and naturally cannot let it go. Once he has repaid it, we will leave. As for how you, Lord Shen, choose to judge us then—whether as enemies or allies—that will be your concern. Isn’t that right, Tanyi?”

At that moment, the woman’s seductive charm was displayed to perfection. Shui Linglong was still exerting herself with all her strength, but she appeared to be under little pressure. Even as she spoke, a teasing smile played across her face, as though none of this effort mattered in the slightest.

Yet her words carried an odd undertone, making them difficult to understand. If she had merely spoken in accordance with Han Tanyi’s intentions, there would have been nothing strange about it. But the intimacy of the way she addressed him was excessive, almost as though she were deliberately showing it off before others.

Han Tanyi had no way to explain himself. With Shui Linglong’s help, the oppressive sensation weighing upon him had naturally weakened, and he felt somewhat better. Even so, he remained caught between them. Both Shen Wansan’s power and Shui Linglong’s were acting upon his body, and under the pressure of both forces, he was far from comfortable.

For a while, he could not speak. Of course, he had no idea what he could possibly say.

If Shui Linglong’s words and actions were strange, Flower Butterfly was no different—in fact, she was stranger still. From the instant Shui Linglong appeared, Flower Butterfly’s eyes had never left her face. The moonlight was hazy and made it difficult to see clearly, but from that graceful figure, those exquisite features, and even that voice, she could tell that the newcomer was unquestionably a beauty of rare perfection.

She had known this already, yet when Shui Linglong appeared before her for the first time, Flower Butterfly still felt an indescribable emotion rising within her.

She was a woman. Jealousy was a natural instinct that could not easily be avoided. Since the other woman was prettier and more beautiful than herself, there was no possibility of their becoming friends. And there was also Han Tanyi between them.

There was a saying: even if one did not care for something, one still did not wish to see it taken by someone else. Besides, after more than three years, Flower Butterfly herself still had not fully understood whether she truly liked him or not.

Flower Butterfly possessed such thoughts, but Shui Linglong was hardly any different. If there had not been a considerable measure of jealousy in her heart, why would she have inexplicably spoken such a long passage?

Perhaps, at that moment, only Han Tanyi felt truly awkward.

Shen Wansan withdrew his hand, and Han Tanyi naturally took advantage of the opening to regulate the somewhat chaotic spiritual power within his body. It was perhaps also an excellent form of concealment.

And so the four people stood there with four different thoughts in their hearts. For a time, the entire surroundings fell silent once more. Only the dry leaves that had not yet reached the ground continued drifting through the air with the wind, giving off faint rustling sounds.