Jianghu Demolition Squad

Moving Like the Stars (Part Sixteen)

Lingyun had stumbled back in panic, retreating a good thirty meters away. Jun Zhen, who had intervened, was quickly subdued by a man wielding a willow-leaf saber, forced to the outer edges of the skirmish.

Composing himself, Lingyun, with his face ashen and clutching his severed hand, shot Jun Zhen a sideways glance and nodded toward the two men guarding Qing Jiu’s side.

The two approached cautiously but no sooner had they come close than a clear whistle cut through the air: “You bastards, take this!”

Out of nowhere, a figure with extraordinary lightness skills had infiltrated the outer circle without alerting anyone, their presence only made known by their shout.

A blur of azure darted forward, a sleeve flicked to unleash a whirlwind of hidden weapons like a torrential downpour of dark rain, while the other sleeve cast a cloud of white powder that spread everywhere with the wind.

The crowd, realizing the powder was poisonous, hurriedly covered their faces with their sleeves while trying to fend off the barrage of concealed weapons. Chaos ensued, and their defensive circle showed a crack.

Seizing the moment, the azure figure dashed out, swooped up Qing Jiu, swiftly twisted his foot, took the Liangyi sword, and made their escape without a moment’s delay.

Like lightning, the figure moved with only a fleeting shadow visible, and it was only in the moment they picked up Qing Jiu that Lingyun got a clear view of their face: “Two Sleeves of Spring Breeze, Yang Chun!”

Lingyun called out coldly, “Feixu!” As soon as the words fell, the man with the willow-leaf saber leaped forward in pursuit.

Back when Yang Chun was at Mingjian Manor, he had pestered Mo Wen and Tang Linzhi for some life-saving tools.

Though he was unmatched in lightness skills, his combat skills were lacking. As the saying goes, ‘If you walk by the river often, you’ll eventually get your shoes wet’ And in case of emergency, if he couldn’t run, he least something to save his life.

He knew the capabilities of Mo Wen and Tang Linzhi—one excelled in various poisons and the other was a Tang Sect disciple specializing in hidden weapons.

After much coaxing and pleading, he managed to obtain a paralyzing drug from Mo Wen that worked upon skin contact, and Tang Linzhi crafted a sophisticated hidden weapon for him, which fit perfectly in his wide sleeves. At the flick of a mechanism, a hundred silver needles would shoot out.

Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the first time he would use them would be in such a situation.

Against moderately skilled fighters, the concealed weapons held some threat, but against those with profound abilities, they were less effective. Had it not been for Yang Chun’s superior lightness skills and his stealthy approach, catching Lingyun and the others off guard, he might not have reached Qing Jiu.

The moment Yang Chun hoisted Qing Jiu onto his back and sprinted off, each step propelled him a significant distance, much like a hummingbird darts through the air.

Yang Chun soared towards Yong City, his lightness skills widely recognized as the best in the world—a reputation well earned. Although he lacked the endurance of old demons like Jie Qianchou, his speed was unmatched.

Feixu, an assassin from the Xuanji Tower, was also skilled in lightness skills. Yang Chun had met him once before over matters concerning the Yanyu Pavilion and had already witnessed his skills. Under normal circumstances, evading Feixu alone wouldn’t be difficult, but now, burdened with Qing Jiu, he was inevitably slower, allowing Feixu to closely pursue, with several shadows from Xuanji Tower relentlessly following.

Sweat dripped down Yang Chun’s forehead. A natural coward at heart, he always preferred flight over fight. Having witnessed Feixu’s methods before, he believed that if they were to engage, he would be beheaded in a single move. He cherished his life and under normal circumstances, would have avoided Feixu at all costs.

Yet, just moments ago, he had acted against his usual caution, driven by urgency without a second to think.

Qing Jiu, leaning weakly against Yang Chun’s shoulder, murmured, “Yang Chun…”

Trying to mask his nervousness, Yang Chun’s voice came out strangely high-pitched: “Miss Qing Jiu, it’s me!”

After a tense silence, when Yang Chun thought Qing Jiu would say no more, her faint voice came through: “Let me down. With me, you can’t escape.”

Yang Chun was agitated, his voice trembling as he protested, “What are you talking about? I… Although I, Yang Chun, may be a coward who fears death, I have never abandoned a friend to save myself!”

He felt a dampness on his back and the strong scent of blood. Recalling the wound he had seen on Qing Jiu’s chest as he rushed to her aid, he shook his head vehemently, reassuring her, “Miss Qing Jiu, don’t worry. Once we get to Yong City, you’ll be safe.”

“Brother Qi, Miss Yu’er, and I received a letter from Yanyu Pavilion. Palace Master Gong Shang chose a group of skilled fighters from Qixian Palace to join us in Hangzhou in our search for you. Mingjian Manor and Jiuxiao Manor have also sent skilled protectors to secretly safeguard Miss Yu’er. When this trouble began, they revealed themselves and are now ready to follow Miss Yu’er’s commands. We have nothing to fear!”

After a while, Qing Jiu weakly called out, “Yu’er…”

Yang Chun quickly added, “We rushed from Yangzhou to Yong City, and upon hearing that there was trouble in the city, we learned that you had already left the city and taken another road back to Suzhou. I’m faster on foot, so I got here first, but it won’t be long before Miss Yu’er and Palace Master Gong Shang arrive as well. Don’t worry!”

As they spoke, the sound of a blade slicing the air rang out from behind them. Yang Chun, alert, dodged to one side as a dagger whizzed past his calf.

This evasive move slowed him down, and Feixu immediately caught up.

Yang Chun kept running for his life, but as Feixu drew closer, the foreboding thought, ‘My life is over,’ flashed through his mind.

Just then, the sound of galloping horses came from behind, followed by the clash of swords.

Another gust of wind signaled the arrival of someone else. Yang Chun heard a furious shout, “You little bastard, how dare you scheme against my sworn sister? I’ll make sure you die a horrible death!”

Recognizing the voice as Hao Yun’s, Yang Chun couldn’t help but cry tears of joy. He glanced over and saw people from the Yanyu Pavilion and Xuanji Tower fighting fiercely in the distance. Hao Yun, wildly brandishing his zhanmadao, was locked in combat with Feixu.

It turned out that while Yang Chun and Qing Jiu had separated from the group in Yangzhou, the people from Yanyu Pavilion had come from Suzhou. Hao Yun, who had been idly wandering in Jiangnan after the New Year, was noticed by Liu Xiu, who then invited him to join. They arrived in Yong City just in time to run into this situation on this very road.

Yang Chun glimpsed several figures approaching, including Lingyun and Jun Zhen. Although he didn’t recognize Lingyun, he knew he was the one giving orders among their group. Fearing to stop, he pushed himself to run even faster.

After what felt like an eternity of running, his heart still pounding, he finally realized it was quiet behind him—no more sounds of fighting or pursuit.

Before he could catch his breath, the person on his back groaned and spat out several mouthfuls of blood. Alarmed, Yang Chun hurried even faster, saying, “Miss Qing Jiu, hold on. Before we left, Miss Mo Wen sent a message saying she would be arriving soon. Miss Mo Wen’s medical skills are divine. She will definitely be able to heal you, definitely!”

Qing Jiu grasped his arm, her voice strained as if she was biting down hard to speak, “Yang Chun, I entrust you with three things…”

Hearing her words, which sounded like last wishes, Yang Chun grew even more panicked, replying, “No, no way! Miss Qing Jiu, I’m not capable of such things. I mess things up more than I fix them. You should handle these matters yourself once you’re better!”

Qing Jiu coughed twice more, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She closed her eyes, weakly pleading, “I beg you…”

Yang Chun’s throat tightened, and after struggling to speak, he could only muster a choked, “Mmm.”

After catching her breath, Qing Jiu continued, “First, return the Liangyi Sword to Wuwei Palace and convey a message to Daoist Yiye: ‘This student lacks virtue and has failed to live up to your great expectations.’”

Yang Chun, his throat dry, managed to reply, “Alright.”

“The second thing,” Qing Jiu struggled to reach for the jade flute at her waist. Her hands slipped twice before she finally managed to grasp it, “Give this jade flute to Gong Shang…”

Yang Chun waited in suspense, but when Qing Jiu did not mention the third task, and her voice grew even weaker, he urged anxiously, “And what else?”

“And…” Qing Jiu struggled to speak, her hands weakening, her vision blurring into a white expanse as she stared into the distance, momentarily lost before murmuring, “Yu’er… tell Yu’er to return to Jiuxiao Manor…”

“Alright…” Yang Chun agreed softly.

Before he could finish, Qing Jiu’s hands fell limp, and the jade flute slipped from her grasp to land in the snow.

Yang Chun stopped, calling out, “Miss Qing Jiu…”

There was no response. The blood that had stained his neck was now cold, and his heart chilled.

“Miss Qing Jiu!”

He was about to turn back when a sharp, metallic clang rang out. A jolt of pain pierced his head and his legs gave way, sending him crashing to the ground. In that hazy moment before he blacked out, he glimpsed a figure standing in the forest, but he couldn’t make out who it was before darkness consumed him..

When he woke up again, it was to someone shaking him vigorously. They slapped his face and pinched his nose. He groggily opened his eyes, and seeing the person in front of him, muttered, “Brother Qi…?”

“You’re awake.”

Yang Chun was paused for a moment; then a shiver ran through his body, snapping him to full alertness. He leapt up as if on fire, his face and head dripping with cold sweat, “Where’s Miss Qing Jiu? Where’s Miss Qing Jiu?!”

Qi Tianzhu was holding the Liangyi Sword, and Yu‘er stood beside him, holding the blood-stained jade flute, “There was no one here but you when we arrived.”

Yang Chun, recalling the moment before he lost consciousness, felt as if struck by lightning. He knelt on the ground, his energy drained, then raged at the snowy ground, “Those heartless bastards! They couldn’t even leave Miss Qing Jiu’s body in peace! They’re vicious, absolutely vicious!”

Yu’er staggered back a couple of steps, barely managing to stay upright. Even as she fought to control her breathing, her voice trembled, “Yang Chun, what do you mean by that?”

Engulfed in his own grief and anger, Yang Chun failed to notice Yu’er’s distress. He crawled over and clung to the legs of Yu’er and Qi Tianzhu, tears streaming down his face, crying, “Brother Qi, Miss Yu, I have failed you!”

Yu’er’s lower lip quivered as if it might bleed, her body swaying as though she might collapse. Someone at her side quickly supported her, expressing concern, “Young Mistress.”

Gong Shang held the zither named ‘Lieshi,’ his heart anxious but his tone still gentle: “Yang Chun, please tell us what happened. Tell us everything.”

Between sobs, Yang Chun briefly explained how he had rescued Qing Jiu, how seriously she was injured, their flight to this place, the ambush that led to his fainting, and their current plight.

Yu’er’s gaze drifted into the distance. There was only one path in and out, flanked by snow-laden forests. They had encountered no one suspicious on their way here, and the path was blocked by people from Yanyu Pavilion along with the surrounding snow forests…

Yu’er’s eyes suddenly sharpened as she spotted something, and she hurried toward it with disordered steps.

On the edge of the path, a few fresh red spots were visible on the snow. Taking a few more steps into the forest revealed scattered droplets of blood, like red berries thrown across the snow.

Yu’er felt as though she had plunged into an ice cellar. Her body numbed by the cold, her mind remained piercingly clear. She darted toward the fading trail of blood, her urgency mirrored by Yang Chun, who scrambled and tumbled in his haste to follow. Seeing this, Qi Tianzhu and the men from the two manors quickly joined the pursuit, lending their urgency to the chase.

Gong Shang did not bring anyone from Qixian Palace with him, but instead went to assist Yanyu Pavilion.

Unbeknownst to them, the sky had darkened ominously, and snow began to drift down once more. The cold wind howled through the trees, carrying a mournful wail across the desolate landscape.

Beyond the snow-laden forest and across the wide-open plains, the world dissolved into a grey haze. Yu’er paused by the river’s edge, her gaze sweeping over its vast waters. The sky merged with the earth in a seamless expanse of desolate grey.

Scanning her surroundings, Yu’er found no sign of life; not a boatman in sight, and the blood trail she had been following abruptly ended. With the trail gone, their scant clues evaporated into the chilly air.

Yu’er stood motionless, the snow quickly piling up around her. Even if there were more bloodstains, they would be buried under the heavy snowfall.

The snow had been falling all winter, blanketing the earth, burying houses, forests, the entire jianghu. Yet, it couldn’t cover the joys and sorrows of the human heart.

Yu’er cried out towards the river, “Qing Jiu!”

Her voice carried far over the water, unanswered, like the lonely cry of a migrating goose against the vast, empty sky.

Yu’er swayed, her internal agony so intense that she vomited blood, her vision darkening as she fell forward.

The people from the two manors were shocked: “Young Mistress!”

“Third Miss!”

Qi Tianzhu, quick to react, caught her in his arms, calling out in panic, “Girl!”

Translation notes:
If you walk by the river often, you’ll eventually get your shoes wet  (常在河边走，哪有不湿鞋) – A Chinese idiom that means ‘it is inevitable to make mistakes or encounter problems if you engage in risky or dangerous activities.’