Jianghu Demolition Squad

The Child Returns Home (Part Nine)

In winter, the days dawn slowly, and by the time it fully brightened, a fire had just finished burning.

At some point, the sounds of insects had ceased, and the walking corpses stood motionless.

Everyone was exhausted, and, unable to care about the cold ground anymore, they collapsed.

The disciples of Xuhuai Valley couldn’t rest yet, busy tending to the wounded and worried about the safety of their valley master. They sent people to search for her, but without any news, they couldn’t help but feel anxious.

While Yu’er and Qing Jiu were dealing with Lingyun’s ashes, Tang Linzhi and her group returned.

Tang Linzhi was dragging someone along—it was Feixu upon closer inspection.

Tang Linzhi had suffered a wound on her right shoulder, hastily bandaged with a cloth that still showed fresh blood stains.

Although Feixu was limp and being dragged by Tang Linzhi, he was still conscious, but his legs had been injured like Yang Chun.

Hua Lian was carrying Bai Sang, and Qi Tianzhu, a robust man, carried Yang Chun on his back and held the unconscious Mo Wen in his arms.

The sight was pitiful and chaotic, with the unconscious and the bleeding everywhere.

Yu’er hadn’t had the chance to ask about the situation when Tang Linzhi brought Feixu forward to Qing Jiu. After fighting non-stop all night and losing too much blood, Tang Linzhi, with pale lips, also couldn’t hold up any longer and abruptly sat down, taking a long breath.

Feixu lay in front of Qing Jiu. Seeing both Qing Jiu and Yu’er safe and spotting the Aihong sword, he understood Lingyun’s fate and stared blankly at the fire.

Qing Jiu glanced at Feixu and asked Tang Linzhi, “What happened to him?”

Hua Lian handed Bai Sang over to some Xuhuai Valley disciples who had come running and said, “Brother Qi came to find me and asked me to find Linzhi to deal with the person secretly controlling the walking corpses…”

He had gone to the back of the valley’s and learned that Tang Linzhi and Mo Wen had gone after Wu Chang. Worried they weren’t a match for him, he went to find them, only to discover that Tang Linzhi and a group of Beggar Sect disciples had already brought back Mo Wen and Bai Sang.

Hua Lian recounted the events: Wu Chang tried to control Mo Wen but was instead killed by the walking corpses. After sighing over the tale, Hua Lian explained his purpose to Tang Linzhi.

They hardly had a moment to breathe and followed Tang Linzhi on the trail.

The source of the insect sounds wasn’t just one place; the reason the valley echoed with them from all sides was that people were hidden everywhere.

The heroes sent out had already eliminated several sources, but the insect sounds persisted, and they couldn’t find the remaining ones.

However, Tang Linzhi led some people to the secret archive of Xuhuai Valley.

Hua Lian laughed, “They really know how to hide. The secret archive is full of traps, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we hadn’t been there before and witnessed these traps, we might have been completely wiped out there. Even so, we suffered a lot…”

Hua Lian gestured towards Feixu with his folding fan and said, “This man was one of Qianqiu’s fierce generals. You were unconscious at the time, and Yu’er and I lured him away. If we hadn’t happened to encounter the brothers from the Beggar Sect, we almost would have died at his hands. Just now, Tiger Lady fought with him and almost lost her life too, if not for my intervention…”

Tang Linzhi glanced sideways at Hua Lian and snorted, crossing her arms and tilting her head defiantly towards him. “Why do you make it sound so bad? Are you saying I’m not as good as him and only won because of you? Just now, it was clearly your interference that messed up my attack. If not for your meddling, I wouldn’t have been injured by his additional strike!”

Hua Lian twirled his folding fan and retorted, “Tiger Lady, you really don’t know how to appreciate good intentions. If I hadn’t intervened, Feixu’s willow-leaf saber would have been as swift as the wind and lightning. Before you could have taken him down, he would have dislocated your shoulder, leaving you no chance to strike.”

Tang Linzhi countered, “My sword technique is exquisite, perfectly balanced in offense and defense. I could have blocked him. You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The two bantered back and forth, gradually straying from the main topic. Qing Jiu gently coughed and said simply, “Enough.” Only then did the two stop.

Yu’er asked, “Linzhi, you should have just dealt with him. Why did you bring him here?”

Tang Linzhi explained, “He once spared my life, and I don’t like to owe favors, so I didn’t want to kill him myself this time. I thought since he was Lingyun’s subordinate, maybe he also… well, I brought him here for Qing Jiu to handle.”

Qing Jiu nodded, indicating she understood her intentions.

She turned to Feixu, who was still silently staring at the pile of ashes, silent the whole time.

Qing Jiu said, “You are a loyal servant, but your master was not a good man. I won’t make this difficult for you.”

As soon as Qing Jiu finished speaking, her sword moved, and Feixu’s head fell.

“In your next life, be sure to choose a good master,” Qing Jiu said crisply, executing the act without hesitation. Feixu did not flinch or dodge; his life was taken as simply as cutting grass.

Sheathing the Fenghou Sword, Qing Jiu picked up the Aihong sword and asked, “How is Yan Li?”

Tang Linzhi recounted what had happened in the forest. Lingyun had used Aihong to drive everyone mad. Fortunately, Gong Shang arrived just in time, but Wu Yu was severely injured trying to save Yan Li.

Yan Li was now tending to her. Xin Chou woke up, realized what he had done, and was terrified that Qing Jiu would blame him upon her return, he wept uncontrollably, sobbing loudly. Yan Li had to both care for Wu Yu and comfort him.

Qing Jiu said, “We’ve finally made it through this long night. Rest now, let the disciples of Xuhuai Valley tend to the wounds.”

Noticing her expression, Hua Lian asked, “Where are you off to now, without even a break?”

“Today is a good day to settle all old scores.”

Qi Tianzhu was unaware of Qing Jiu’s enemies in Ghost Sect, and Tang Linzhi didn’t know that people from Ghost Sect had arrived. The two were somewhat confused, only Yang Chun and Hua Lian truly understood what she meant.

Yang Chun remarked, “Miss Qing Jiu, you made a deal with them, and it doesn’t seem right to burn bridges this way.”

Qing Jiu responded, “Business is business, and personal grudges are personal grudges. Now that the walking corpses are dealt with and Lingyun is dead, the business is concluded—it’s time to settle accounts, isn’t it?”

Yang Chun was speechless.

Qing Jiu moved to the front of the valley, with Yu’er following closely.

Holding Qing Jiu’s hand, Yu’er could feel Qing Jiu’s excitement, knowing she had resolved a heavy burden and was feeling lighter. Seeing Qing Jiu’s relaxed and joyful demeanor, Yu’er also experienced a wave of relief and happiness, a gentle smile spreading across her face.

People in the front valley were scattered around, sitting on the ground.

The arrival of Jie Qianchou and the people from Ghost Sect eased the tense atmosphere. While their arrival didn’t single-handedly win the battle, it undeniably reduced the casualties.

Many people gathered around Jie Qianchou. He was highly respected and now seen as a savior, so many thanked him, leading to endless polite exchanges, which he found quite taxing.

Qing Jiu looked around but didn’t see Dao Gui or Gui Jianchou; of the Five Ghosts, only Qin Gui and Jian Gui remained, the others had silently departed.

Ghost Sect always operated like this: arriving like ghosts and leaving without a trace.

“Master, where are Dao Gui and Gui Jianchou?”

Seeing her approach, Qin Gui, knowing she had killed Lingyun and in high spirits, replied, “They have returned to Ghost Sect. The judge left only me and Jian Gui here to collect ping zhuang.”

“Ping zhuang” is a term used by Ghost Sect, referring to collecting payment for a transaction.

Qing Jiu thought to herself, “They left quickly.”

She suspected that the judge had ordered the two to leave. The judge was shrewd in business. Dao Gui and Gui Jianchou weren’t the type to shy away from a fight; they would relish a challenge against a strong opponent. If she sought revenge, they would not hide.

But Ghost Sect doesn’t engage in pointless actions. Now that she had rejoined Ghost Sect, she was no longer considered a traitor. Killing her would break the rules and serve no purpose.

Anticipating that Qing Jiu would seek them out for a settlement after everything was resolved, the judge knew that Dao Gui and Gui Jianchou would not evade her. Preferring peace before settling debts, he instructed them to return to the Ghost Sect immediately after completing their tasks.

Qin Gui understood why Qing Jiu was looking for those two. Dropping the corpse she was holding, she approached Qing Jiu and expressed her dissatisfaction: “Disciple, it was that despicable Lin Qingchao’s fault in the first place. Why do you always have to make things difficult with your master because of her?”

Hearing her call Lin Qingchao that way, Qing Jiu’s face darkened, “Have I ever opposed you?”

Qin Gui casually tossed her jade zither to Jian Gui, who was standing behind her. Holding a long sword longer than ordinary blades, Jian Gui nodded slightly, his features sharp and his eyes expressive.

With her hands now free, Qin Gui stepped forward and cupped Qing Jiu’s face. Qing Jiu didn’t pull away, and seeing this, Qin Gui’s mood brightened, her earlier gloominess evaporating as she laughed, “Those two old men should have been born women. Otherwise, why would they act like gossips, always complaining to your master about your betrayal of the sect, claiming I raised an ungrateful wretch.”

“Let your master see. Hmm, you do quite resemble one.” She tugged Qing Jiu’s face left and right.

“Your master is very annoyed. There’s a rule in the sect prohibiting private duels, so she can’t take action against them. This is giving her a headache. When I get a headache, I can’t help but lash out at others, causing many in jianghu to chase after me. It’s very troublesome. Tell me, isn’t seeking revenge against them tantamount to opposing your master?”

Qing Jiu didn’t respond. Jian Gui, standing behind Qin Gui, suddenly spoke, his voice deep: “Little Ghost, you betrayed the Ghost Sect, so you were at fault first. Lin Qingchao provoked you and took you away, violating the rules of the Ghost Sect. There was nothing wrong with Dao Gui and Gui Jian Chou killing her.”

Qing Jiu looked at him and said, “Master is right, but rules are rules, and human feelings are human feelings. I can understand, but I cannot forgive. One day, I will kill those two to avenge my aunt.”

Yu’er, hearing Qing Jiu’s respectful tone, which was unlike her usual indifference to others, was quite surprised and observed Jian Gui more closely.

She had thought all members of Ghost Sect were like Qin Gui and Dao Gui—mad and unrestrained. Yet Jian Gui appeared dignified and handsome, a man of imposing presence.

Qing Jiu’s respect was not merely superficial, prompting Yu’er to suspect that Qing Jiu called this man ‘Master’ because he had taught her something, undoubtedly swordsmanship.

Jian Gui half-closed his eyes; he was known to give advice just once. Hearing Qing Jiu’s resolute tone, he chose not to say more, except for a final warning: “If you kill those two, it will be considered another betrayal of Ghost Sect. The sect will inevitably send someone to deal with you.”

Suddenly, Jian Gui’s eyes snapped open, fierce and commanding: “If it were me, I would show no mercy.”

“I understand, Master,” Qing Jiu responded. She then handed over both the Fenghou and Aihong swords to Jian Gui, stating, “These are the payments for this transaction.”

She handed over the swords without hesitation. These were dues owed to Ghost Sect, and she held a deep-seated disdain for these divine swords, feeling no regret as she relinquished them.

Qin Gui took the swords, examining them with some disdain, “These two swords are so dark. They’re not as nice to look at as shiny silver.” She then asked Qing Jiu, “What about the remaining two items?”

“The intelligence network of Xuanji Tower still needs to be dealt with, and as for the silver, I’ll go to Hangzhou after some time to collect it.”

“Troublesome.”

As the four conversed, Jie Qianchou, spotting Qing Jiu and Yu’er approaching, seized the opportunity to extricate himself from the crowd, loudly announcing, “Ah, everyone! Everyone! This old man truly didn’t invite the Ghost Sect. The person who invited the Ghost Sect is right over there. If you want to thank someone, go thank her. This old man just came to join in the excitement with his disciple.”

The crowd looked in the direction he was pointing. They saw two graceful figures standing side by side, facing the rosy glow of dawn, beautiful like celestials.

“Isn’t that the Young Mistress of the manor?”

“Who is the other person? Don’t recognize her.”

“Isn’t that the one with the Fenghou Sword? She’s truly formidable.”

Someone murmured dreamily, unable to help themselves, “A match made in heaven. That person standing beside the Young Mistress looks so well-suited for her.”

Another scoffed, “Are you blind? Look carefully, that’s a girl.”

Hearing this, Jie Qianchou suddenly had a realization that surged through him, overwhelming his senses and causing him to black out momentarily.

When others asked about Qing Jiu’s identity, without thinking, he blurted out, “The Star Lord Si Ming, do you recognize her?”

“The Star Lord Si Ming?! Is it really him? Isn’t he known for his unmatched charm, more handsome than a celestial being?”

“Nonsense! Clearly, it was a handsome monk!”

“Nonsense! It was a Taoist Priest!”

Jun Lin, overhearing this, watched Yu’er and Qing Jiu. Since Yu’er had returned to the Jun family, he hadn’t seen such a smile on her face. Observing Qing Jiu, he felt an uneasy premonition stirring within.