Jianghu Demolition Squad

Between Buddha and Demon (Part Seven)

Mo Wen led the group around the flower field to a tall tower standing alone, leaning against the mountain wall with half of its structure protruding out, as if embedded into the rock itself— a marvel of architectural ingenuity. From the outside, the tower appeared complex, and once inside, it proved even more intricate with its many twists and turns, easily disorienting anyone not careful enough to keep their bearings.

For Tang Linzhi, who had a poor sense of direction, navigating this labyrinth was a tremendous challenge. After only a short walk, she admitted defeat and let Mo Wen take the lead. Yang Chun and Hua Lian followed behind, with Qing Jiu and Yu’er next, and Qi Tianzhu bringing up the rear.

The first level of traps could be considered gentle, but the second level escalated with crossbows, silver needles, and smoke bombs set to disorient. Xuhuai Valley was the premier medical sect in wulin, a repository of all medical knowledge. Getting hit by one of these needles meant instant incapacitation, but fortunately, everyone was highly skilled. With Tang Linzhi knowing how to navigate and disarm these traps, avoiding them wasn’t too difficult.

By the time they reached the third level, the passage had narrowed to only allow two people to walk side by side. Yang Chun performed several somersaults to avoid triggering the transparent, thin, and finely spun silk threads. These threads, nearly invisible even in daylight due to the dim light inside the building, would activate the entire mechanism if touched, trapping everyone in the corridor with no escape, like turtles in a jar.

If Tang Linzhi had not consumed the thousand-year-old python gallbladder, enhancing her eyesight and hearing, even her profound skills would not have allowed her to detect the arrangement of the silk threads.

The first three in line had already made it past the threads. Yang Chun, who hadn’t consumed the snake gallbladder and thus had inferior eyesight compared to them, had to carefully follow their steps. He joked, “I thought this secret archive would be like a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den, but it seems it’s not that scary after all.”

He was almost out of the passage, with Yu’er and Qing Jiu in the middle, and Qi Tianzhu at the other end, ready for any sudden occurrences.

Hua Lian, fanning himself, called out, “Stop jumping around like a monkey! Hurry up and get over here before you trigger something!”

As if in response to his words, Tang Linzhi’s ears picked up the faint sound of a thread snapping. Her heart tightened as she shouted, “Yang Chun!”

Yang Chun felt something brush against his leg and leapt forward swiftly, making it to the other side. He patted himself down to ensure no hidden weapons had struck him and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he suddenly heard Qi Tianzhu shout in alarm, “Girl! Miss Zhi Huan!”

Yang Chun turned his head to look and saw a crack appearing in the center of the passageway floor, splitting towards both sides like a stone beast opening its huge mouth, ready to swallow them both.

It was unclear what dangers lurked beneath—whether it was filled with venomous snakes, scorpions, or lined with spikes and spears. The mere thought sent shivers down Yang Chun’s spine. He cursed his carelessness.

The floor split apart with alarming speed, merging seamlessly with the walls, leaving no protrusion to grasp. Yu’er and Qing Jiu, caught off guard, tumbled into the abyss. Qi Tianzhu, too far away, was powerless to help.

The chasm was deep, but it held no venomous creatures or deadly traps. Instead, a small opening on each side began to gush water, filling the pit. As Yu’er and Qing Jiu were still falling, they tried to grab onto the walls, but the moss-covered walls were too slippery to hold. Resigned, they landed in the water below.

Water rippled around them, splashing against their faces. Yu’er pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her face as Mo Wen called down to them from above, “Don’t panic, I’ll find a rope to pull you up.”

But they were in a secret archive filled with books, not ropes. Her gaze swept the area, finally settling on Hua Lian and Yang Chun.

Tang Linzhi looked at them too and commanded, “Get undressed!”

Understanding her intention, Yang Chun hesitated, “We must observe propriety between men and women. In broad daylight, this is quite inappropriate…”

Impatient with his dallying, Tang Linzhi cut him off, “It doesn’t matter. We’ll consider you as sisters. Just hurry up and stop stalling!”

With a resigned smile, Hua Lian began untying his sash and removing his robes, urging Yang Chun, “Brother Yang Chun, let’s hurry and take them off. You can’t expect them to remove their clothes instead.”

Yang Chun reluctantly stripped down to his undergarments. Together, the group twisted their sashes and robes into a makeshift rope. Before they could finish, however, the ground trembled, and the separated floor began to close.

Down below, Yu’er and Qing Jiu had initially remained calm. After wiping her face, Yu’er reached out to hand her handkerchief to Qing Jiu. But the simple act seemed to trigger another mechanism, causing the walls to start closing in.

The walls converged with a force exceeding a thousand pounds. If they couldn’t escape in time, they’d be crushed into pulp.

Yu’er cried out, “Linzhi!”

Tang Linzhi responded, “Hold on!” and quickly scrambled to find the mechanism to stop it.

The relentless walls continued to advance, constricting the space around Yu’er and Qing Jiu. The water level rose rapidly, reaching their waists. Qing Jiu slammed her palms against the encroaching stone, her powerful strikes shaking the walls but failing to halt their progress.

Finally, when the space narrowed to barely enough room to turn around, Qing Jiu pressed both palms against the walls, exerting all her strength to prevent them from closing further. But the pressure was immense. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her entire focus consumed by this struggle for survival.

Above, Hua Lian and the others had finished fashioning their rope and tossed it down. “Yu’er! Miss Zhi Huan!” they yelled. “Climb up.”

“You go first!” Qing Jiu insisted, knowing that if she let go, both would be immediately crushed.

Yu’er, however, seemed oblivious to the urgency of the situation. With a serene expression, she used the handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Qing Jiu’s neck.

Exasperation and anger surged through Qing Jiu. “Do you want to die here?!” she snapped

Yu’er’s expression remained calm as she unfolded the handkerchief, revealing a single character embroidered in gold thread on one corner: ‘Lin.’ “Do you recognize this, Miss Zhi Huan?” she asked. Anyone else, witnessing her seemingly nonsensical actions at such a critical moment, would have thought she’d lost her mind.

Qing Jiu froze, her anger evaporating as she realized Yu’er’s intentions. A wave of weariness washed over her. “It’s that traitor’s handkerchief,” she conceded, defeated.

Yu’er smiled, though her eyes weren’t smiling, “How did you come to possess her personal belongings?”

“I…”

Before Qing Jiu could offer an explanation, Yu’er reached out, her hand closing around Qing Jiu’s mask.

Alarm jolted through Qing Jiu. She tried to pull back, to dodge, but her hands slackened for a fraction of a second, and the walls lurched inward. She quickly regained her grip, her strength nearly failing.

She was trapped, like a fish on a chopping block, with nowhere to escape.

Yu’er managed to grasp the mask she had long sought to remove, and this time, she was able to pull it off, leaving no place for the person to hide.

As she slowly peeled away the mask, Yu’er’s heart pounded, her body flushed with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Familiar features emerged, and tears welled up in her eyes.

A lump formed in her throat, each beat of her heart echoing the pain that filled her chest. She cupped Qing Jiu’s pale face in her hand, her fingers tracing the beloved contours. A broken laugh escaped her lips. “Miss Zhi Huan,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, “do two people in this world possess the exact same face? What excuse will you offer now? Will you claim you simply resemble her?” Tears spilled over as her laughter dissolved into a sob.

“Yu’er.” Qing Jiu choked out, summoning the familiar name with a familiar voice.

Overcome with emotion, Yu’er leaned in, embracing Qing Jiu tightly. She held her love close, cherishing the warmth of her body, their heads tilting, their necks entwining in a gesture of intimacy.

“You’re still alive.”

Qing Jiu lowered her eyelids, biting her lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

Their bodies pressed tightly together, their clothes soaked by the cold water, clinging to their forms. Qing Jiu could feel the softness and the burning warmth of the body in her arms.

Yu’er whispered close to Qing Jiu’s ear, “Our hearts have never been so close as they are now. There are only two layers of skin between us, and I can feel every beat of it.”

“I am so close to it, yet I still don’t know what it’s thinking. I need to ask it… Why does it feel so cold?”

Yu’er cupped Qing Jiu’s face, gazing into her eyes. “Why so cold?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “How could you stand by and watch us suffer, heartbroken and terrified? What did we do wrong?”

“Why wouldn’t you acknowledge me? Why wouldn’t you acknowledge me…?” Her voice cracked, and a sob escaped her lips.

The walls had stopped closing in at some point, unnoticed in the intensity of the moment. Yu’er pulled away, her heart aching. Qing Jiu wanted to speak, to explain, but words failed her.

Yu’er wiped the tears from her eyes and turned toward the dangling rope, grabbing it and swiftly climbing up.

Qing Jiu’s arms fell limply to her sides, her gaze dull as she watched Yu’er go. The ache in her chest intensified, a relentless throb of pain.

Yu’er reached the top, Hua Lian and Yang Chun standing nearby, silent and unsure how to react. Mo Wen, who had been helping Tang Linzhi disable the mechanism, approached, seeing Yu’er emerge from the chasm. “Are you alright?” she asked, concerned?”

Her gaze shifted behind Yu’er as Qing Jiu climbed up using the rope. Both Mo Wen and Tang Linzhi stared at her, stunned.

“Qing Jiu?!” Mo Wen exclaimed, her voice a mixture of disbelief and excitement. “Hua Lian, is that Qing Jiu? It is Qing Jiu! Ah! Ah! Ah! Where did you come from?!” She grabbed Qing Jiu, examining her from head to toe, even touching her face, as if to confirm she wasn’t an imposter. How could someone who had vanished six years ago, their fate unknown, suddenly reappear before their very eyes?

Tang Linzhi walked to the edge of the pit, peering down into the empty darkness. Realizing that Zhi Huan was indeed Qing Jiu, a surge of anger coursed through her. She slapped Qing Jiu hard across the face. “Was it fun tricking us?!” she yelled. “You… you’re unbelievable! As a friend… If we weren’t under someone else’s roof, I’d give you a proper beating!”

Yang Chun, while getting dressed, began to cry, “It’s really Miss Qing Jiu! Oh, it’s wonderful, you’re really here! I thought, I truly thought you were…”

Among them, only Hua Lian was calm, his feelings having swung from one extreme to another, now settling into a quiet acceptance. After six years of bitterness, he could finally let go, exhaling a breath of relief.

Qing Jiu managed a weary smile, “I’m sorry… for making you worry for so long…”

Qing Jiu felt someone’s gaze and turned to see Yu’er had already looked away.

The others expected her to clarify her identity and provide an explanation, but Qi Tianzhu had already joined them. Hua Lian said, “We triggered the mechanism; I’m not sure if it alerted anyone in Xuhuai Valley. We should retrieve the scrolls first.”

Everyone agreed and headed for the top floor. This time, Tang Linzhi, Mo Wen, and Yu’er led the way, with the other four trailing behind. Yang Chun kept talking to Qing Jiu non-stop, recounting his searches from the deserts to Dali, from the Western Regions to the Eastern Seas, haunted by the fear that she might have been reduced to nothing but bones.

Qing Jiu’s gaze followed Yu’er, who, unfortunately, never looked back, walking forward silently without uttering another word.

Hua Lian, tapping his folding fan against his chin, noticed Qing Jiu’s look and said, “Qing Jiu, don’t you think it’s time to explain?”

Qing Jiu turned to him, her expression indifferent, “What kind of explanation?”

Hua Lian asked, “Where have you been all these years? What have you been doing? Why didn’t you come to see us? And now that you have, why won’t you acknowledge us? And about Yu’er…”

Anticipating what he might say next, Qing Jiu interrupted, “Hua Lian.”

“Give me some time.”

Hua Lian stared at her, then closed his mouth, no longer pressing the issue.

When the group reached the top floor and retrieved the scrolls Mo Wen needed, the return journey felt much lighter.

They arrived safely back at their accommodations, they considered leaving under the cover of night to avoid any conflict with Xuhuai Valley. However, Mo Wen, absorbed in the scrolls, thought they might need medicinal herbs from within Xuhuai Valley, suggesting they review everything that night to take whatever was necessary and avoid a return trip.

When they returned, Yan Li was still awake. She glared at Qing Jiu. “So it really is you,” she said, her voice laced with accusation. “Good! Good! Are you prepared to apologize for your actions?”

Qing Jiu responded, “Do with me as you please,”

Yan Li scoffed, a wry smile twisting her lips. “What would a few pounds of your flesh fetch? Who would even want it?!” Despite her harsh words, a sense of relief washed over her.

Before they could exchange many words, Yang Chun came out and called, “Miss Qing Jiu, Miss Mo Wen is asking for you.”

“For what?”

“Miss Yu’er mentioned you’ve been vomiting blood recently because of the poison. Miss Mo Wen heard about it and wants to check your pulse to see how you are doing.”

Qing Jiu frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Yan Li asked, “Are you now avoiding healers out of fear of your illness?”

Qing Jiu smiled, “Where did that come from?” and followed Yang Chun inside.

Inside the room, Yu’er was also present. Qing Jiu looked at her for a long time before calling out, “Yu’er.”

Yu’er responded indifferently, “Hmm.”

Qing Jiu wanted to talk to her but hadn’t yet organized her thoughts.

Mo Wen was sitting at the table, skimming through a medical scroll with impressive speed. Seeing Qing Jiu enter, she patted the seat beside her, gesturing for her to sit down.

Qing Jiu sighed inwardly and took the offered seat. Mo Wen, still buried in her scroll, fumbled on the table for a while without finding Qing Jiu’s wrist, then patted the table again, “Hand.”

Qing Jiu placed her hand on the table, and Mo Wen, following the touch to her pulse, felt it for a while, muttering to herself before suddenly looking up from her scroll, “You!”

She closed the medical scroll and looked at Qing Jiu. Qing Jiu raised her other hand, pressing down on the one Mo Wen was using to feel her pulse, and looked into her eyes, asking, “Do you need the other hand too?” Mo Wen’s words were swallowed back down.

Mo Wen, with her back to Yu’er, missed the chance to see the clues in Mo Wen’s eyes that would have revealed much.