Chapter 283

Chapter 283: The Tampered Heaven-Climbing Steps

In the Martial Alliance’s back courtyard, inside the Hall of Purple Star, Chen Xin Yue walked into the main room with a pale face.

Chen Ruo Lan came out from the practice room, took one look at Chen Xin Yue’s haggard state, and turned her eyes away coldly.

Color drained even more from Chen Xin Yue’s face as she whispered: “Mother.”

Chen Ruo Lan said nothing.

Chen Xin Yue dropped to her knees and pleaded: “I was wrong. Please give me another chance.”

Chen Ruo Lan answered in an icy voice: “You can’t even handle a wild girl. Useless. What happened yesterday was only a small punishment and a big warning.”

Chen Xin Yue’s eyes went red as she said: “Mother is right.”

Seeing her daughter like this, Chen Ruo Lan could not stay completely hard-hearted. She sighed and said: “Enough, get up.”

“This time I was also careless. I did not expect that little wretch to have some luck. She not only knows Young Lord Li, she also knows Commandery Governor Su.” Chen Ruo Lan’s face was dark.

These years, she had stayed in the Martial Alliance. By relying on her father’s ties with the old alliance leader, she had gotten a helmsman’s seat, but it still felt not quite legitimate. She did not want to be a hanger-on forever; she wanted to cement the relationship.

Sadly, Jiang Yu Chuan was too stubborn. Xiao Qing Xuan had been mad for more than ten years, yet he still would not leave her. He even pushed the blame for the child’s kidnapping on her and had treated her coldly ever since. If Xin Yue had not gone to wait on Xiao Qing Xuan these last few years, giving her a reason now and then to see Jiang Yu Chuan, she might never have seen him again.

The thought made her burn with unwillingness. When the little wretch came back, of course she was upset. But her words carried little weight, and no one cared. She nudged Chen Xin Yue to stir things up, and her daughter proved just as useless. Not only did she fail to shame the little wretch, she almost got herself ruined, forcing Chen Ruo Lan to lie low for a while. Retreat, however, was not her nature.

“I heard Madam Song invited that little wretch to a meal at Lotus Blossom Tower. I will find a way to take you along,” she instructed. “Remember to keep calm and make her believe you want to be sisters.”

Chen Xin Yue bit her lip and said: “Yes, Mother.”

Seeing her daughter so obedient, Chen Ruo Lan nodded, satisfied: “Once she lowers her guard, ask about her foster parents in the capital. What are they that Commandery Governor Song and Li Chang Huai would give her so much face?”

A mere Second Miss from the second branch of the Martial Alliance could not command such honors.

As for Li Chang Huai… thinking of Yu Zhi Yi’s face, Chen Ruo Lan felt she had guessed the reason.

Yu Zhi Yi had no idea she was on someone’s mind. At that moment, she stood before the Heaven-Climbing Steps and asked with interest: “Is there some trick to these steps?”

“No special trick,” Jiang Liu Yi said as he explained for his sister: “It is just faster to go straight up and down. Most people who come to the Martial Alliance are experts of the Martial World, so they take the Heaven-Climbing Steps to save time.”

“The winding mountain road next to it is for the experts’ family members. Also, every so often the Martial Alliance holds events, like the Heaven List and the Earthly Ranking contests. Those big events draw Martial World experts and ordinary people who admire the martial world. Some big powers also care about showing off. Those folks choose the winding road.”

After all, people might arrive in luxury carriages or sedan chairs; you could not ask them to get out and climb.

Not to be outdone, Jiang Liu Yun added with some pride: “Except for invited forces and clans, everyone else who wants to compete or watch has to buy a ticket to get the right to enter and watch.”

Yu Zhi Yi asked, curious: “Oh? How much is one ticket?”

“This year it’s ten taels of silver per person,” Jiang Liu Yun said. He looked pleased with himself. “Father is running things this year, and he set the price.”

Ten taels was a lot for normal folk, but for major powers, big families, or roaming heroes of the Martial World, it was not much. It was also a way for the Martial Alliance to earn money.

All of that was reasonable.

The only problem was the thin layer of dark energy on the Heaven-Climbing Steps.

Yu Zhi Yi’s face went still. Somehow, Jiang Liu Yi caught her puzzlement and kept explaining on his own: “The Earthly Ranking tournament is set for half a month from now.”

This was also why Jiang Yu Chuan had urged Yu Zhi Yi to come back sooner. He wanted the whole Martial World to know that he had found his precious daughter. Of course, if Yu Zhi Yi did not want it, he would not force her. He would just leave for a time, since he still had to oversee the tournament.

Yu Zhi Yi had not expected to return in time for such a major event. Then she remembered how secretive father and sons had been along the road, and she understood. They had wanted to give her a surprise.

“Brother, bring a few people over to help,” she said.

Jiang Liu Yi was puzzled as he asked: “What for?”

Yu Zhi Yi pointed to the Heaven-Climbing Steps, which to her eyes showed a faint blue-black haze, and said: “Someone has tampered with these steps. People who walk on them will have bad luck at best, and at worst, there will be bloodshed. Right now the baleful energy on them isn’t strong, so the effects won’t be too serious. But if someone gets hurt and bleeds on the steps, the energy will thicken.”

“The stronger energy will then cause even more injuries.”

“Repeat that a few times, and very soon someone will die here.”

The Jiang brothers’ faces changed together.

Of course they did not doubt their sister’s judgment. Their father was in charge of this Earthly Ranking tournament. If someone died, he would be the first to be blamed.

Just then a scornful voice came from behind them as someone said: “So you plan to be a fortune-teller now?”

Jiang Liu Bin walked over, surrounded by a group of boys and girls. His face was full of mockery, and the teens looked at Yu Zhi Yi with odd expressions.

“Jiang Liu Bin, will you die if you don’t act like a jerk for one day?” Jiang Liu Yun snapped, fuming.

Jiang Liu Bin laughed and said: “Am I wrong? She doesn’t dare walk the Heaven-Climbing Steps, so she claims the steps are cursed. Isn’t that a joke?”

“We walk this road every day and nothing happens.”

The boys and girls did not dare to mock Yu Zhi Yi openly in front of Jiang Liu Yi, but their looks were still strange.

“Believe it or not,” Jiang Liu Yun shot back, “we didn’t ask you to believe, and we didn’t ask you to help. Why are you being so snide?”

“You may not have asked for my help, but you were about to have people mess with the Heaven-Climbing Steps, right?” Jiang Liu Bin said, shaking his head. “Everyone in the Martial Alliance is here because of my father’s name, and he pays their monthly stipends. I have no objection if you tell them to do their proper jobs, but if you want them to help a female charlatan make a mess, I have the right to stop it.”

On this point, he felt justified and was not afraid of being rebuked by Jiang Liu Yi, since in his view Jiang Liu Yi was in the wrong.