Ye Beizhi had known that two people were hiding on the rooftop all along.
Initially, he thought the two were Golden Stinger's accomplices who planned on ambushing Dan Qinghe from the shadows. However, he grew suspicious upon noticing the gap in skill between Golden Stinger and Dan Qinghe. With Golden Stinger's abilities, dealing with Dan Qinghe alone should have been a sure thing. Additional schemes were unnecessary.
Next, Ye Beizhi considered the possibility that the two were Dan Qinghe's allies, but their expressions didn’t suggest that either. Regardless, Ye Beizhi had no intention of getting involved at first. The jianghu had its own rules; no one wanted to create enemies for no reason. It was unwise to stir up trouble, especially since he had to protect Chi Nanwei as well.
Thus, Ye Beizhi chose to watch, until the moment the two on the rooftop seized their chance to strike.
The pair, a burly man and a lean, tall woman, leapt down from the rooftop simultaneously, launching lethal strikes. The woman gripped a dagger in each hand, aiming directly at Golden Stinger’s back. The man, wearing spiked knuckle dusters, descended straight toward Dan Qinghe’s head with both fists clenched together, ready to split his skull.
As soon as the pair revealed themselves, Ye Beizhi acted without hesitation. With a single step forward, he positioned himself between Golden Stinger and Dan Qinghe. Golden Stinger, thinking Ye Beizhi had finally decided to attack him, was already prepared.
He immediately shifted his move to kick Ye Beizhi, but before his foot could fully rise, Ye Beizhi struck his right rib with the hilt of his blade, sending him flying. In the same instant, Ye Beizhi shoved Dan Qinghe aside, just as the pair's attacks arrived in a flash.
The pair of ambushers were no ordinary fighters. Though their plans were disrupted by Ye Beizhi, they didn’t falter in their attack. Without hesitation, they shifted their focus to Ye Beizhi, and adjusted their strikes at him.
Ye Beizhi’s right hand had long been resting on his Tang blade. With spiked knuckles above and dual daggers ahead, he crouched slightly, bracing his left fingers against the blade's edge and drew the blade from its sheath with his right hand.
The slash swept upward, and Ye Beizhi in place with its momentum. The brilliant arc of the blade etched a perfect circle, as though a full moon had risen in the courtyard.
The shocking exchange occurred in an instant. Golden Stinger, still mid-air from being shoved, was nearly blinded by the dazzling brilliance of the blade.
The woman wielding the daggers staggered three steps back to disperse the force, but the man above wasn’t as fortunate. With no leverage to reduce the blow, he was flung far away by the force of Ye Beizhi’s blade. When he finally landed, he felt a tightness in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The woman exhaled a turbid breath and squinted at Ye Beizhi, carefully studying him for a long moment. "Such exquisite swordsmanship," she admired, "You’re no nameless figure. Do you dare to state your name?"
By now, the burly man had recovered. Stepping beside the woman, he glared at Ye Beizhi fiercely.
Ye Beizhi didn’t respond. He was busy scrutinizing the pair as well. The reason he had intervened earlier was simple, he had immediately noticed their attire. The man wore a copper earring, and the woman had a golden bracelet on her wrist.
Their outfits were in the style of Northern Qiang.
On the side, Fang Dingwu had helped Dan Qinghe to a sitting position and approached Ye Beizhi. With a tone of curiosity, he remarked, "Brother Ye, look at that man’s ear... It’s rare for men from the Central Plain to wear earrings."
Ye Beizhi shifted his Tang blade slightly in his hand and asked in a low voice, "Northern Qiang?"
This time, the pair remained silent, making no rash movements. It was clear they were wary of Ye Beizhi.
Ye Beizhi tilted his head slightly, pondering for a moment before asking again, "Hmm... the Qihuang Society?"
At this, the pair’s expressions finally changed. They had never expected to have their affiliation exposed in such a remote mountain village.
The Qihuang Society was a term that came to Ye Beizhi after a brief moment of thought. He had seen it mentioned in a note passed along by Ye Fan.
"Hehe..." The woman suddenly let out a laugh, her eyes glinting as she winked at Ye Beizhi. "Young hero, it seems like you know a thing or two. Why not share it all with us?"
The woman’s words were effectively an admission to Ye Beizhi’s earlier question. While Ye Beizhi hadn’t heard of the Qihuang Society’s name, its existence wasn’t exactly a secret among the Northern Qiang people. The Storm Listening Pavilion had an extensive intelligence network, and Ye Fan had naturally uncovered details unknown to the average person. As a result, Ye Beizhi had some understanding as well.
The woman’s voice was melodious, like an oriole’s song, but Ye Beizhi paid no heed. Tilting his head slightly, he asked again, "Mingmu? Anshen? Tongluo? Xuming? Hmm... or Huitian?"
The woman remained silent for a long time, seemingly weighing her options. She glanced at the man beside her, then clasped her fists toward Ye Beizhi and said, "Xuming... Chuan Xinlian."
The man also clasped his fists and added, "Tongluo, Bai Shao."
"How many of you are there?" Ye Beizhi pressed further, his gaze fixed on Chuan Xinlian. He could tell this woman was in charge. "How many of you have come to the Central Plains?"
The woman shut her mouth and met Ye Beizhi’s gaze silently, clearly unwilling to answer.
Ye Beizhi asked again, "Was Cloud Hawk Liao Zhengfeng killed by you?"
The woman remained silent.
Ye Beizhi continued, "Was the death of Snow Ridge Sword Immortal Wu Lan your doing?"
The woman closed her eyes, still refusing to answer.
"Flying Dragon Stronghold Zhou Ersi."
"Flying Sand Fortress Wang Yanzhang."
"The Eight Heroes of Benlu."
"No response?" Ye Beizhi's gaze suddenly sharpened. "I only care about one thing... Xuanfeng Valley’s Shi Wufeng, who did it?"
The woman opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "Why ask so much, young hero? Life and death will be decided today. You know we won’t answer, so why keep asking? Or perhaps you already know the answers yourself. Why bother?"
"But..." The woman slowly traced her finger across her lips, smiling coyly. "I could tell you who killed the Serpentine Spear..."
Ye Beizhi frowned, and Fang Dingwu asked in confusion, "Serpentine Spear?"
The woman took a step forward, her smile radiant. "So, you really didn’t know? The jianghu of the Central Plains has so many busybodies... Isn’t the renowned Serpentine Spear Dan Qinghe of Xiangxi standing right here?"
Ye Beizhi and Fang Dingwu simultaneously turned to look at Dan Qinghe, who was sitting on the side. The wiry man's complexion was still pale, but he nodded when he saw their gazes, tacitly acknowledging the claim.
The woman squinted at Ye Beizhi, like a venomous snake ready to strike.
"Of course, he’ll die by my hand tonight," she hissed.