WITHOUT YUXIU hindering them, Cui Buqu swiftly found a path out of the array. But moments after making their grand escape, they found their way barred again.
A man stood at the entrance of the cave, his hands behind his back. It seemed he'd been waiting a long time; when they walked out, he didn't appear surprised in the least. "I see you've dealt with Yuxiu."
Cui Buqu stopped in his tracks.
Fan Yun smiled. "If I hadn't sent the guards away and left you the lamp oil and dagger, you might still be a prisoner. And if I hadn't obstructed Yuan Sansi for you just now, you'd have found yourself up against another powerful enemy directly after dealing with Yuxiu."
Cui Buqu nodded. "Thank you, Xiansheng."
That expression, that demeanor—there was no trace of either gratitude or shame, as if Fan Yun's assistance was to be expected. No matter how well-mannered Fan Yun might be, he couldn't resist raising a brow. "Buqu. It's been so long, yet if anything, you've become more callous. You remain on your guard even after the assistance I've rendered you. To think you mistrust me still—it's truly saddening."
Cui Buqu remained unmoved. "Xiansheng is not being entirely honest. For you, the best outcome would have been for Feng Xiao to slaughter everyone in the Thirteen Floors, then perish together with me in the array. It's a pity the heavens didn't grant your wish. You played a long game, yet here we are, still alive."
Had Fan Yun truly planned to save them, he could have entered the array at any time. Yet he'd waited outside. Perhaps he hadn't tried to kill them, but neither had he wanted them to live.
Taken aback, Fan Yun began to laugh. He'd known Cui Buqu had seen through him, but he hadn't expected it to be so completely.
Feng Xiao took a few steps forward, interposing himself between Fan Yun and Cui Buqu. His feet seemed to have moved unconsciously. "Sir, you were the one who lured us here," he said. "You hoped we would clash with the Thirteen Floors and destroy each other. How close are you to your goals now, I wonder?"
Fan Yun saw what he'd done and smiled. "You're injured, but I am not. If I wish to kill Cui Buqu now, you cannot stop me."
Feng Xiao spoke only three words: "I can try."
Perhaps he couldn't kill Fan Yun, but he could certainly make things difficult for him.
Fan Yun gave it some thought.
If he could write off both Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao in one stroke, he'd have achieved half his goals. But he too had been injured during his fight with Yuan Sansi. If he wanted to kill Cui Buqu, he had to go through Feng Xiao. And even injured, Feng Xiao's martial prowess meant he was still dangerous. There might be no victor at all, yet both of them would pay a steep price.
Before the secret meeting at Mount Tiannan, Fan Yun had assumed Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao were at odds. Though they were both Sui officials and close confidants of the emperor, they were happy to kick each other when they were down and showed each other no sympathy. Fan Yun had never imagined that, in the face of danger, they would willingly put aside their prejudices and work together to safely escape the Ursa Major Twin Jade Array.
Fan Yun heaved a silent sigh of regret. Perhaps it was time to come clean. "It's true I was never loyal to the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai. If not for me, you might have never known this place existed. Now you've got a great accomplishment under your belts, and you've even escaped unharmed. You ought to thank me. Though it's unfortunate that, despite saying he'd come, the pavilion leader never arrived. The depths of his malice are beyond comprehension, and his inscrutable exterior conceals a scheming heart. He must have suspected me for a long time—this secret meeting was a test of my loyalty."
"Since you're not truly a member, there should be no issue telling us who the pavilion leader is, as well as his origins and background," said Cui Buqu.
Fan Yun considered, then said, "You've seen him before. He was in Qiemo when you confronted Duan Qihu."
Cui Buqu instinctively glanced at Feng Xiao, who met his eyes. Feng Xiao was running through the list in his mind: Bing Xian, Yan Xuexing, all the others they'd encountered. Finally he landed on one name.
Xiao Lü.
As soon as he thought it, Cui Buqu spoke: "Xiao Lü."
Fan Yun nodded. "Correct."
Xiao Lü was elegant and refined, an illustrious name among his peers. In the Southern dynasty, he was both a renowned member of the literati and a skilled swordsman. But his withered right hand meant he could only wield the sword with his left, and he was unable to become an official. He was exceptionally talented, yet had no outlet for his gifts. It was a terrible pity.
After their interactions in Qiemo, Cui Buqu had been left with a good impression of him—perhaps out of an awareness of their shared rocky beginnings, or because he admired a fellow intellectual. It didn't surprise him in the least to hear Xiao Lü was the mastermind behind the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai.
Feng Xiao narrowed his eyes. "He deliberately hid his strength when I fought him."
"I wasn't there, so I couldn't say," said Fan Yun. "But I can tell you he's a man of incredible talent, not at all your inferior as a martial artist. If he lost to you in a few moves, he'll have done so on purpose."
Cui Buqu frowned. "He said he was there to rescue a relative kidnapped by Duan Qihu. The young woman called him Qi-ge—I heard it myself."
The idea that the pavilion leader of the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai was unable to protect his own kin—that he had been forced to let his subordinate use her as a toy—was laughable.
Fan Yun smiled. "In that case, you were misled by your own cleverness. From what I understand, those women had been tortured to the point of insanity. A fleeting moment would hardly be sufficient for her to recognize her kin. Regardless of what name Xiao Lü called, if someone showed concern and attempted to help her, it's natural she might make a mistake. I'm guessing Xiao Lü didn't give the poor woman time to fully regain her senses."
Cui Buqu nodded. "I was indeed negligent there."
"Years ago, I happened to encounter Xiao Lü while traveling through Jiangnan. He was seriously injured and hiding beneath a bamboo raft in the water, with enemies ahead and pursuers close behind. I saved him from the danger, and he expressed deep gratitude. After that, we maintained contact and often exchanged letters. He's no less intelligent than you, able to grasp grand concepts with only the slightest hints, and so I greatly admired his talents."
Feng Xiao feigned astonishment. "What peculiar hobbies you have, sir. Not only do you enjoy playing master to others, you have a knack for picking students who turn on you!"
The corners of Cui Buqu's mouth curled slightly.
Fan Yun also gave a wry smile. "No need to mock me. It's true I gravely misjudged his character. At the time, I viewed him as merely a talented young man from a prestigious clan, frustrated in his ambitions. Whatever he asked, I answered without hesitation. Two years ago, he invited me to join the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai and expressed his desire for me to take the position of San-xiansheng, third among the directors. Only then did I realize how many masters he'd been quietly recruiting, and the magnitude of the scheme he'd woven."
"Xiao Lü hails from the Southern dynasty," mused Cui Buqu. "The Xiao clan was the ruling family of a previous dynasty, and their social connections are extensive. By contrast, the current emperor of the Southern dynasty, Chen Shubao, is a second A-Dou2—he's a fool beyond saving. There is no shortage of capable individuals eager to exert their influence over the Southern dynasty, or even claim the throne for themselves. Yet if the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai have accomplished anything in the south, I've heard little about it."
"You're right," said Fan Yun. "Because each time he schemed against Chen Shubao, I quietly sabotaged him."
Understanding dawned on Cui Buqu—now everything made sense.
Fan Yun served the Southern dynasty, so he wished to thwart Xiao Lü's ambitions there. But he would be no better off if Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao emerged victorious. The best outcome as far as Fan Yun was concerned was for Xiao Lü and Cui Buqu to engage in a match that would ensure their mutual destruction.
"I never imagined someone as intelligent as Xiansheng, who claims to know everything about the world and its politics, would do something so foolish," said Cui Buqu. "To think you would pour all your energies into assisting such a hopelessly incompetent king."
A hint of bitterness finally warped Fan Yun's smile. "Now there you're mistaken. Chen Shubao is not merely incompetent; he's so inept even the foolish emperor A-Dou of Shu Han pales in comparison. Of this I'm fully aware—but an old friend entrusted me with the task, and thus I have no choice but to give it my all. I know it's impossible, but still I must make the attempt. From the moment I swore this vow, I was prepared to fail utterly."
"Who is this old friend for whom Xiansheng is willing to do so much?" inquired Cui Buqu.
"He passed long ago. There's no point in mentioning him now." Fan Yun closed his eyes, burying all the tribulations he'd weathered and the weaknesses he'd inadvertently revealed. When he opened them again, he was once more the accomplished strategist, the Zhuge Liang who'd masterfully played Cui Buqu and the Thirteen Floors against each other in order to reap the rewards.
"Enough chatter," Fan Yun said finally. "I've given you crucial information about the Thirteen Floors—shouldn't you offer me something in return?"
"What do you want?" asked Cui Buqu.
"Either of your lives will do."
Before the words were out, he was moving, the smile still on his face. Fan Yun swept toward them like a whirlwind, his hand outstretched to grab Cui Buqu.