Chapter 43 : Chapter 43
Chapter 43: For Si'er's Sake, I Spare You This Once
"Why are you here?!"
Cheng Yue was stunned to encounter Cheng Yu and let out a cry of surprise.
Seeing her notice him, Cheng Yu gave a cold laugh. "Why should I not be here? On the contrary, what are you two doing running all the way here from the north?"
"You fellow!"
He still possessed that same attitude of utter disrespect toward her, his elder sister! The shock in Cheng Yue’s heart was quickly overridden by fury.
At the same time, Cheng Si turned her head in confusion, only to see the figure that had haunted her dreams. She froze on the spot instantly.
"Who are you?!"
Gao Yun and the others were extremely dissatisfied to find someone daring to speak to the young ladies of the Cheng family in such a manner. How could there be such a person in Dragon Abyss? He was a disgrace to their region!
"You have no manners and are a disgrace to martial artists! How dare you speak to Heroine Cheng like that? Apologize immediately!"
Gao Yun stepped forward coldly. When he saw Cheng Yu’s Jinyiwei attire, his disdain deepened. He reached for the sword at his waist.
"So you are nothing but an Imperial Hound. No wonder you are so uneducated. Apologize to Miss Cheng at once! Otherwise, you shall learn the consequences of offending the Sword-Forging Manor!"
"Oh? Do you know what happened to the last person who spoke to me like that?"
Cheng Yu wondered what clown had jumped out of nowhere to call him an Imperial Hound. He had no idea where the boy got such courage. Naturally, Cheng Yu had no intention of wasting words with someone like this.
His body moved in an instant, and the Thunder-Cleaving Xiuchun Saber lunged out with terrifying force.
Gao Yun had never expected Cheng Yu to strike so suddenly. He had no time to react or defend himself. He had only just begun to draw his sword when an arm was severed from his body.
His sword fell to the ground like a piece of scrap metal. Blood sprayed out like a fountain, causing a wave of panic in the surrounding area.
[Host... Reward: Six months of Hard-Body Technique bitter cultivation!]
"Murder! Run for your lives!"
Gao Yun was in agony, shouting out with pure hatred. "Ah! You dared to strike me!"
The other disciples were also pale with shock. Senior Brother Gao Yun was at least among the top three of the Sword-Forging Manor's young disciples. His martial cultivation had reached the Fourth Rank, which was enough to earn him a spot on the Human Ranking. They had not expected him to fail to last even a single move against this Jinyiwei.
They drew their swords one after another, cursing loudly.
"Who are you?! You dared to attack someone from the Sword-Forging Manor. You are finished!"
"Our Sword-Forging Manor will never let you go!"
"This thief is quite skilled. Let us all attack him together!"
Just as they were preparing to besiege Cheng Yu, an unexpected voice rang out.
"Second Brother!"
Cheng Si’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief. As she looked at Cheng Yu holding his Xiuchun Saber with a cold expression, she felt only immense heartache.
Second Brother had once said that if he did not have to climb out from the brink of death, why would his blade always be stained with blood?
Tears fell from her eyes unconsciously as she ran toward Cheng Yu in excitement.
"Hmm? Si'er?"
Seeing Cheng Si, memories of the painful struggle on Mount River-Severing flashed through Cheng Yu’s mind. Among those memories, only the appearance of this young girl, his biological sister Cheng Si, brought beauty and healing.
The girl would never criticize his strength or personality; she would only embrace him with maturity and tolerance. She would listen to Cheng Yu’s stories of things she had never experienced with eyes that were clear and pure.
Cheng Yu did not put up any guard, allowing Cheng Si to run up and hug him.
"Brother, I missed you. Have you been doing well?"
Cheng Si buried her head against Cheng Yu’s chest, the fragrance of a young girl wafting from her.
"I have been doing well."
Cheng Yu sheathed his Xiuchun Saber and reached out a calloused hand that had once been stained with blood. He gently stroked Cheng Si’s hair, just as he used to do when telling her stories on Mount River-Severing.
Although Cheng Si's strength far exceeded what Cheng Yu's had been back then, she was still only a fifteen-year-old girl. She would still grip Cheng Yu's hand in fear when hearing of terrifying cases, and her eyes would still turn red when hearing of his brushes with death.
Cheng Yu was never a demon who disregarded family ties; he simply hid himself very deeply, revealing his true self to only a very few people.
While the siblings were enjoying their reunion, the others could no longer sit still. The disciples of the Sword-Forging Manor were shocked, even forgetting about Gao Yun, who had lost an arm and was bleeding all over the ground.
"Heroine Cheng called him brother? Is this man the Young Alliance Leader, Cheng Feng? Why is he dressed as a Jinyiwei and wounding people?"
"This isn't Young Alliance Leader Cheng! He is currently exchanging martial insights with our Senior Brother and the others!"
"Then he is Great Hero Cheng’s other son? How could he be such a brutal person?"
"Stop talking, look at me first..." Gao Yun’s weak voice drifted over. Only then did the others notice him and hurry to provide him with medicine and bandage his wound.
An answer had formed in their minds. It made sense why he could defeat Senior Brother Gao in one move; he was the son of Great Hero Cheng.
"Even if Senior Brother Gao spoke disrespectfully first, how could Great Hero Cheng’s son strike so ruthlessly?"
How could Great Hero Cheng have such a son? Was he not the most dedicated to righteousness and the path of heroism? How could he fail to educate his own son properly, letting him become a Jinyiwei? Could there be some hidden secret...?
Upon hearing these words, Cheng Yue’s face darkened. She felt she had lost a tremendous amount of face and shouted at Cheng Si.
"Little sister, get back here right now! Why are you talking so much to a fellow who has disgraced our family tradition and reputation?!"
But Cheng Si was busy catching up with Cheng Yu and did not hear her sister’s words at all. Meanwhile, after these words were spoken, the people of the Sword-Forging Manor completely confirmed Cheng Yu’s identity. He was indeed the son of Great Hero Cheng.
Gao Yun gritted his teeth and sat up to speak. "Heroine Cheng, I was at fault for interfering in your family matters without knowing the facts. But your Cheng family is a bit too arrogant and overbearing! My Sword-Forging Manor is not something to be bullied at will! We will definitely demand an explanation!"
After speaking, he endured the pain to pick up his severed hand and led his fellow disciples away.
Cheng Yue knew that Great Hero Cheng had completely lost face this time. She felt ashamed and humiliated, and her anger toward Cheng Yu intensified.
On the other side, Cheng Si pulled away from Cheng Yu’s embrace and playfully pinched her nose, waving her hand in front of her. "Second Brother, you smell so strongly of alcohol."
"I drank quite a bit with an old gentleman who shares my spirit and whom I respect deeply. When meeting a kindred soul, a thousand cups are too few!"
"Shares your spirit? More like birds of a feather flock together!" Cheng Yue walked over with a dissatisfied expression, looking at Cheng Yu with rage.
He was indeed an Imperial Hound with no concept of morality, striking with such a cold and ruthless hand. No wonder father refused to forgive him; keeping a son like this was nothing but a disgrace!
"Who asked you? Is it your place to speak here?" Cheng Yu’s voice rang out coldly.
"Presumptuous! I am your elder sister!" Cheng Yue cursed.
Cheng Si was caught in the middle, feeling distressed and anxious, but she eventually spoke up. "Sister, why are you talking about Second Brother like that?"
Second Brother was a pitiful person, and both their parents were hypocrites; she had to stand on her brother's side.
"Si'er, you! What kind of spell has he cast on you?!"
Cheng Yue had not expected Cheng Si to speak up for Cheng Yu. In a fit of rage, she drew the sword from her waist and pointed it at Cheng Yu.
SCHWING!
To her surprise, her sword was quickly blocked by a cold, gleaming Xiuchun Saber engraved with thunder patterns. The blade did not stop there, coming to a halt directly in front of Cheng Yue’s neck.
"When speaking to me, do not move your weapon. For Si'er's sake, I spare you this once."