I had no intention of entering the martial world.

Chapter 42 The Downpour Is Coming

Lu Chenzhou was silent for a moment, then asked:

"Do you really know any clues about the White Rainbow Sword?"

Yuehua looked at him with a complicated expression:

"I know part of it. But I promised Eunuch Qin I would trade clues for your life. Now you're safe, the clues..."

"Give it to him," Lu Chenzhou interrupted her. "Tell him."

Yuehua was taken aback: "Why? You know perfectly well that once he gets the White Rainbow Sword, he'll open the Heavenly Gate, and then..."

"I will kill him before he opens the Heavenly Gate," Lu Chenzhou said calmly. "But before that, I need him to help me find the White Rainbow Sword."

Yuehua stared at him for a long time, and suddenly understood:

"You want to use him as bait?"

"Yes." Lu Chenzhou nodded. "Eunuch Qin is powerful and has eyes and ears all over the world. It's easier for him to find the White Rainbow Sword than for us. Once he finds it, we'll seize it."

"The risk is too great." Yuehua shook her head. "If we fail, not only will the White Rainbow Sword fall into his hands, but you will also die."

"If we don't do this, I'll die too," Lu Chenzhou said. "Ten days? We can't possibly find the White Rainbow Sword in ten days. Only by using Eunuch Qin do we have a sliver of hope."

Yuehua fell silent.

She had to admit that Lu Chenzhou was right.

Ten days is too short.

So short that there wasn't even time to leave Lin'an.

"What do you want to do?" she finally asked.

"Give the clues to Eunuch Qin, but divide them into three parts," Lu Chenzhou said. "Each part is genuine, but none are complete. Only when all three parts are put together can we find the White Rainbow Sword. That way, he will have to take us with him."

Yuehua's eyes lit up:

"A good plan. But Eunuch Qin isn't a fool; will he fall for it?"

"He will," Lu Chenzhou said. "Because he's even more anxious than we are. He's been preparing for the Heavenly Gate Project for thirty years. Now that the Azure Sword has appeared and the Purple Lightning Sword is in our hands, he will definitely not let this opportunity slip by."

Yuehua thought for a moment and nodded:

"Okay, I'll make the arrangements. But before that, you need to leave Lin'an. It's too dangerous here."

"Where to?"

"Quanzhou," Yuehua said. "The last clue to the White Rainbow Sword points overseas, and Quanzhou is the largest port and a necessary stop on the sea route. You go there and wait for me, and I'll lead Eunuch Qin there."

Lu Chenzhou looked at her:

"And what about you?"

"I'll stay and handle things," Yuehua smiled. "Don't worry, the Sword Inquiry Pavilion has been operating in Lin'an for a century; it has the ability to protect itself. Besides..."

She paused, her gaze deepening.

"I also want to see what tricks Eunuch Qin is up to."

---

Three days later, at Quanzhou Port.

The sea breeze was salty and damp, carrying the smell of fish and a faint aroma of spices. Large and small boats were moored on the dock, their masts like a forest and their sails like clouds. Merchants, sailors, and laborers in colorful clothes moved about among them, their shouts, bargaining, and boatmen's chants blending together in a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Lu Chenzhou and Chu Xueya sat on the second floor of a teahouse, by the window, where they could clearly see the entire harbor.

Chu Xueya's complexion had improved somewhat, but she was still a little pale. She sipped her tea, but her gaze kept drifting towards Lu Chenzhou, her eyes filled with worry.

Three days ago, following Yuehua's instructions, they left Lin'an overnight. Traveling south with almost no rest, they arrived in Quanzhou within three days.

Over the past three days, Lu Chenzhou's condition has worsened.

Although the poison had been eliminated, the agitation of the Azure Sword Qi became increasingly apparent. His eyes began to glow with an uncontrollable blue light, and his emotions became increasingly unstable—sometimes he would suddenly erupt in rage, and sometimes he would fall into a prolonged state of numbness.

Chu Xueya knew that time was running out.

"When will Pavilion Master Yue arrive?" she asked softly.

"It should be soon." Lu Chenzhou looked out the window. "She said three days, and today is the third day."

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.

The two looked down.

A group of soldiers were patrolling the dock. The leader was a young official dressed in brocade robes, holding a portrait in his hand, and checking each passerby.

"It's Zhao Yuanjing's men." Chu Xueya's expression changed. "He's caught up with us."

Lu Chenzhou narrowed his eyes.

The portrait depicts him and Chu Xueya.

"Let's go." He put down his teacup and stood up.

But it was too late.

One of the soldiers looked up and saw them on the second floor.

"Over there!" the officers and soldiers shouted.

In an instant, dozens of soldiers surrounded the teahouse.

Zhao Yuanjing stepped out of the crowd, looked up at the second floor, and wore a victor's smile:

"Lu Chenzhou, Chu Xueya, you can't escape. Come down and surrender obediently, and I'll let you die a quick death."

Chu Xueya drew the Purple Lightning Sword.

Lu Chenzhou pressed down on her hand:

"Don't use force. This is a port; if a fight breaks out, innocent people will get hurt."

"What should we do then?"

Lu Chenzhou didn't answer, but just looked out the window.

At the dock, a ship is slowly leaving the port.

It was a large merchant ship with a strange symbol painted on its sails—three wavy lines inside a circle.

The ship of the Stormy Waves.

Lu Chenzhou's eyes lit up.

"Jump," he said.

"What?"

"Jump into the sea, swim upstream." After saying that, Lu Chenzhou grabbed Chu Xueya's hand and jumped out of the window!

"Grab them!" Zhao Yuanjing shouted.

But it was too late.

The two of them, like two large birds, drew an arc in the air and fell into the sea with two "plop" sounds.

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows!" Zhao Yuanjing shouted in exasperation.

Arrows rained down, shooting towards the sea.

But Lu Chenzhou and Chu Xueya had already dived underwater and were swimming towards the merchant ship of the Jingtao Society.

---

On the deck of the merchant ship, a man in a sailor's uniform was directing the hoisting of anchor.

Suddenly, he heard a splashing sound coming from the side of the boat.

Turning around, I saw two people climbing out of the sea, soaking wet and looking utterly disheveled.

"Who goes there?!" The man drew his knife warily.

"Find Shen Xingyao," Lu Chenzhou said, panting.

The man was taken aback, looked him over carefully for a few moments, and then suddenly recognized him:

"You are... Lu Chenzhou?"

Lu Chenzhou nodded.

The man's expression changed, he sheathed his knife, and whispered:

"Come with me."

He led the two down to the cabin and into a secret room.

Inside the secret room, Shen Xingyao was looking at a nautical chart. She was startled to see Lu Chenzhou and Chu Xueya.

"What are you doing...?"

"It's a long story," Lu Chenzhou interrupted her. "Could you take us out to sea?"

Shen Xingyao glanced at their disheveled appearance, then looked out the window—on the dock, the soldiers were still searching.

She was silent for a moment, then nodded:

"Okay. But you have to tell me what happened."

Lu Chenzhou briefly explained the situation in Lin'an.

Shen Xingyao's expression turned serious after hearing this:

"Eunuch Qin... So it was him. No wonder the Jingtao Society's business has become increasingly difficult these past few years; it turns out he was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes."

"Do you know him?" Chu Xueya asked.

"I don't know him, but we've fought before," Shen Xingyao said. "Three years ago, a shipment of goods belonging to the Jingtao Society was seized. I went to smooth things over and encountered an old eunuch. His martial arts skills were unfathomable; I couldn't even withstand a single move from him. Later, I learned that he was Eunuch Qin from the Directorate of Ceremonial.

She paused, looking at Lu Chenzhou:

"Are you looking for the White Rainbow Sword?"

"Yes."

"I know a clue," Shen Xingyao said.

Lu Chenzhou and Chu Xueya exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

"Where?"

"Ryukyu." Shen Xingyao pointed to a dot on the nautical chart. "Three years ago, a fleet of our Surging Waves Society encountered a storm near Ryukyu. The ship sank, and the survivors drifted to a deserted island. On the island, they found an ancient temple, and inside the temple was a sword—a white sword with a rainbow-like sheen on its blade."

White Rainbow Sword!

"Are you sure?" Chu Xueya asked.

"I'm not sure." Shen Xingyao shook her head. "The survivors were all ordinary sailors who didn't know martial arts and didn't recognize the White Rainbow Sword. They only remembered that the sword was very special, and that just one glance at it made them feel a tremor in their hearts. Later, when they left the deserted island and tried to go back to find it, they could no longer find that island."

Why?

"Because that island... moves." Shen Xingyao said eerily, "Or rather, it only appears at specific times and in specific places. Like a mirage, it exists in reality, but is elusive."

Lu Chenzhou frowned:

"Are there any more specific leads?"

"Yes." Shen Xingyao took out a tattered sheepskin from her bosom. "This is a nautical chart drawn by the survivors, marking the last known location and time of that island."

Lu Chenzhou took the sheepskin and unfolded it.

The drawing is rough, but you can make out the general location—east of the Ryukyu Islands, in a sea area known as the "Devil's Triangle".

The time is the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month each year, at midnight.

"July 15th..." Chu Xueya calculated for a moment, "Ten days left."

It was exactly Lu Chenzhou's deadline.

"So, you're going to Ryukyu?" Shen Xingyao asked.

"Yes." Lu Chenzhou nodded. "Could you give us a ride?"

Shen Xingyao remained silent for a long time.

Then she said:

"Sure. But I have one condition."

"What are the conditions?"

"I want to go with you." Shen Xingyao looked at them. "The Jingtao Society has been severely suppressed by Eunuch Qin over the years, and I want revenge. Besides..."

She paused, then lowered her voice:

"My father disappeared three years ago in that area of ​​the sea. I want to go find him."

Looking at the determination in her eyes, Lu Chenzhou recalled the stubborn and lonely girl he knew in Jiangling.

"Okay," he said. "Together."