Jianghu Demolition Squad

Between Buddha and Demon (Part Three)

Since there is a ‘before’, there must also be an ‘after’.

As for where they would go after visiting Jile City, Qing Jiu already had an idea in her mind, so she remained silent.

As the group traveled westward towards Jile City, the season turned to autumn. Along the way, Qing Jiu Gu poison flared up twice. Since she didn’t engage in combat, it didn’t escalate to the point of being on the verge of death like the night she encountered Yu’er. However, she was increasingly losing control.

One day, just outside Jile City, as they passed through a forest without yet entering the city, Tang Linzhi, suddenly raised her hand to signal a stop: “Someone’s here.”

Yu’er and Qing Jiu, too, sensed it and looked towards the forest, only to see a figure hurrying out to kneel before Yu’er and bow: “Little Shishu!”

The group was momentarily stunned, recognizing from his attire that he was a disciple from the Wuwei Palace.

Yu’er and the others vaguely remembered him. He was the disciple whose sword had been broken on stage during the martial arts competition years ago.

His face could barely conceal his excitement as he treated Yu’er with great respect, performing the courtesy due to an elder.

This disciple mistook Yu’er for a master, a confusion originating from his mistaken belief that Yu’er was a disciple of Daoist Yiye. Despite Yu’er’s clarifications, the disciple continued to address her incorrectly.

Yu’er asked, “You’re a disciple of Wuwei Palace. Why are you here?”

Knowing these travelers were closely connected to the revered Yan Li, the disciple did not hide the truth. It turned out that all the disciples from Wuwei Palace were stationed in this forest.

He led the group to where the Wuwei Palace disciples were stationed. Guards were posted around the perimeter, and many disciples were resting deeper within the forest. Upon his arrival, the disciple called out loudly, “Eldest Senior Brother, Senior Sister!”

Jian Mobei shouted back, “What are you yelling about? Where are your manners!”

The disciple was still overjoyed and grinned, “Shishu, look who’s here!”

Jian Mobei, along with Wei Ran and Jiang Ying, approached. Upon seeing Yu’er and the others, he was visibly shaken and hurried over, exclaiming, “It’s really you…”

The three of them were beside themselves with joy. Jian Mobei said, “Third Miss Jun, esteemed benefactors…”

Suddenly, Jian Mobei’s expression turned solemn, “Disciples of Wuwei Palace, listen up!”

The group was curious, only to see the surrounding disciples stand up straight and face them properly. Jian Mobei ordered, “Bow!” and all the disciples bowed deeply.

Despite Yu’er’s typically detached demeanor, she couldn’t help but be startled; Yang Chun and others were utterly astounded.

Wuwei Palace was renowned in jianghu as a revered sect with a hundred years of distinguished history. There were many disciples present, probably about half of Wuwei Palace’s members, most of whom were of the same generation as Wei Ran and Yan Li, making Yu’er their junior as Yan Li’s half-disciple. She couldn’t accept such a grand gesture.

Yu’er returned the bow, saying, “Senior, what are you doing?”

Jian Mobei called, “Ran’er.”

Wei Ran stepped forward, his recovery evident as he walked with ease, his tall figure dignified and graceful, causing relief among the onlookers. Such a remarkable individual deserved to roam freely under the heavens instead of being confined to a wheelchair. Mo Wen’s efforts had not been in vain.

Wei Ran lifted his robes and knelt before everyone: “Miss Mo Wen, I am eternally grateful for your tireless efforts in curing my chronic illness. I owe her a debt as great as life itself. I will never forget the great kindness and virtue of all of you. If there is anything you need in the future, I am willing to serve you like a loyal servant.”

In this world, a man kneels only to heaven, to earth, and to his parents and teachers. For someone as exceptional as Wei Ran to kneel before them was a testament to his immense gratitude. Mo Wen had not only saved his pride and honor but had given him back his dignity, for which he was deeply grateful.

It was no surprise that Wei Ran was the next in line to become the sect leader of Wuwei Palace. The sect was renowned for its virtue and the strong bond between its members, who treated each other like family. Since Wei Ran had been saved, it was as if they themselves had been saved. Therefore, they bowed to express their respect.

As Wei Ran was about to kneel, Yu Er stopped him, preventing him from going all the way down. “You are too kind,” she said. “Senior Wei Ran’s injury was healed by Mo Wen, there’s no need to kneel before us. Besides, Senior Wei Ran is Yan Li’s senior brother, which makes him family. We don’t need thanks for helping our own.”

Yu’er used her internal energy to support Wei Ran so he couldn’t kneel. Wei Ran was astounded. Back then, he had noted Yu’er’s exceptional foundational strength despite her young age, predicting she would achieve great things. Now, seeing her profound internal energy and rapid growth only increased his respect for her.

Tang Linzhi waved her hand dismissively and said, “Enough with all the thanking back and forth. It’s getting tiresome. We’re here to find Yan Li. We heard on the way that there’s been trouble between you and Jile City. Did you manage to rescue Yan Li?”

They had received a message from the Yanyu Pavilion while on their way to pursue Qing Jiu. Liu Xiu reported that the situation between Jile City and the Wuwei Palace had become increasingly tense, with several clashes already occurring. The hostility had escalated to the point where a full conflict could lead to mutual destruction.

Jile City was, after all, under Wu Yu’s control, where she held considerable power. Jian Wangchen, as the sect leader of Wuwei Palace, had to secure the palace, and with the sect unable to deploy its full strength, they would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage against Jile City.

If a full-blown war erupted, Wuwei Palace would be the first to suffer. Once news of Jile City’s attack on Wuwei Palace would spread throughout the Jianghu, and given Wuwei Palace’s prestige and connections, more factions would come to their aid, seeking retribution. This would inevitably lead to widespread bloodshed.

This was something Yan Li did not want to see, and naturally, neither did Yu’er and the others. Thus, as soon as they captured Qing Jiu, they hurried to Jile City. It seemed, for now, that a full-scale war had not yet broken out.

Jian Mobei listened to Tang Linzhi’s words and sighed deeply, then began to recount the events of the past few days.

After Wei Ran’s legs had recovered, he and Jiang Ying came to the south to find Yan Li, but she had disappeared. After years of searching without success, it was only recently that Yanyu Pavilion confirmed Yan Li was indeed in Jile City, and they finally received this news.

Wuwei Palace, upon learning this, immediately sent disciples to Jile City. Initially, they tried to negotiate peacefully with Wu Yu to release her, but Wu Yu ignored them.

Direct confrontation would benefit neither sect, something Jian Mobei understood well. He also knew that Yan Li, being who she was, would likely take her own life out of guilt if she learned that countless disciples had been harmed on her behalf. To prevent this, he had always avoided direct conflict. Instead, he had sent disciples to sneak into Jile City a few times, trying to secretly extract Yan Li. However, with many skilled fighters in Jile City, they had never succeeded.

Until two days ago, when five disciples disappeared, everyone suspected that Jile City was responsible. This ignited outrage among Wuwei Palace disciples. While they weren’t afraid of death, they were initially hesitant to engage in conflict. However, Jile City’s escalating aggression made it impossible to back down any further.

The people were ready for war, just waiting for the right moment to storm into Jile City. It was at this time that Yu’er and the others arrived.

Yu’er said, “Senior, why don’t you let us try first and see if we can rescue Yan Li before making any further plans.”

“You?”

Yu’er called out, “Yang Chun.”

Yang Chun stepped forward, giving Jian Mobei a formal bow, and said with a smile, “Senior Jian.”

Jian Mobei stared with wide eyes: “Two Sleeves of Spring Breeze?”

Yang Chun chuckled, “Old Senior, our lightness skills are quite decent. One more night won’t make much difference. How about we wait one more night before engaging Jile City?”

Jian Mobei pondered, “This…”

Wei Ran spoke up, “Shishu, if we can avoid bloodshed between the two sides, we should. As he said, waiting one more night won’t make a difference. Let’s follow Third Miss Jun’s suggestion and rescue Junior Sister first, then investigate the reason for our disciples’ disappearance in Jile City.”

“Agreed!”

With that decided, they planned for Yu’er, Hua Lian, Yang Chun, Tang Linzhi, and Wei Ran to infiltrate Jile City that evening.

As night fell, under the clear moonlit sky, Yu’er pulled the rope in her hand, lifting Qing Jiu up, “You’re coming with us.”

Qing Jiu tilted her head, looking at her. “We can’t leave anyone with good lightness skills behind,” Yu’er explained, “I don’t want you taking this chance to escape.”

Reluctantly, Qing Jiu thought to herself that this girl was getting sharper by the day.

Jian Mobei inquired, “Third Miss Jun, who is this?”

Yu’er glanced at Qing Jiu, and a mysterious smile suddenly appeared on her usually expressionless face. She said, “She is a prisoner of my Mingjian Manor.”

“Won’t bringing her into the city cause trouble?”

Yu’er replied, “It’s not a problem. Her lightness skill is not inferior to mine, and she is quite reasonable. If we explain the consequences to her, she might even lend us a hand and atone for her crimes.”

Yu’er emphasized the word “reasonable” heavily. Qing Jiu remained silent.

Hearing this, Jian Mobei said nothing more. The group of six set off, silently crossing the city gate, heading towards the palace in the center.

Under the melting moonlight, in a tranquil room with a clear lamplight.

Yan Li was kneeling on a cushion, holding a whisk, her head slightly bowed, eyes closed. After a long sigh, she opened her eyes.

In this serene and peaceful place, even as she recited scriptures, she found it hard to detach from the worldly disturbances.

‘Those people came with overwhelming force, and the City Lord was wounded,’

‘Is Jile City easy to provoke? The other side did not gain any advantage either,’

The dialogue between two maidservants during the day lingered in her mind, refusing to fade.

Yan Li stood up and walked outside. The courtyard was elegantly arranged with exotic pines and orchids, all meticulously placed by Wu Yu after Yan Li began residing here.

She paced around the courtyard, circling repeatedly without crossing the threshold. Looking up at the moonlit sky, her slender shadow fell upon the wall.

Time flew swiftly, and now, reflecting on it, she realized she had been living here for six years.

Trapped here, cut off from news, she had no idea how Yu’er and the others were faring. Only recently had Wu Yu mentioned that Wuwei Palace had reached Jile City.

Since then, Wu Yu had not visited this place.

Gazing at the full moon in the night sky, Yan Li felt a sense of life’s cyclical nature, reminiscent of the moon’s phases. Memories of the past six years flooded her mind.

When she first regained consciousness, she found herself within the palace of Jile City. After learning the truth, she watched as Wu Yu said with a smile, “She personally handed you over to me, you should blame her.”

She was too angry to speak.

Wu Yu insisted on keeping her in Jile City, a place she couldn’t escape on her own.

She didn’t struggle; instead, she spent her days meditating and chanting scriptures, detached from worldly concerns as if she could ascend to heaven at any moment. Her nature was inherently indifferent and uninterested, and once her detached nature revealed itself, it seemed that no emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure could disturb her.

This was even more difficult for Wu Yu to accept than open hostility. It took two years before their relationship began to thaw slightly.

The climate in Jile City was humid and hot, and at that time, Yan Li neglected to care for her underlying injuries, causing her leg ailment to recur. She did not show it openly, and by the time Wu Yu noticed, it had become quite serious.

A physician examined her and prescribed daily acupuncture and foot soaks to alleviate the condition.

One day, as she was soaking her feet with her eyes closed, someone approached to wipe her lower leg. Thinking it was a maidservant of Jile City, she said, “You don’t need to trouble yourself.”

But when she opened her eyes, it was Wu Yu kneeling in front of her, dipping a cloth in the medicinal water in the bucket and wiping down from her knee.

Two maidservants stood behind her, looking straight ahead.

Yan Li was startled, “You don’t need to do this…” Her first thought was that someone of her status shouldn’t be kneeling in front of others. As the City Lord, Wu Yu was lowering herself to wash her feet, which confused Yan Li for a moment when she saw it.

Wu Yu changed to a dry cloth, gripping Yan Li’s ankle to lift it out of the water. As Yan Li began to retract her foot, Wu Yu held on firmly.

Yan Li broke out in a sweat and said, “Wu Yu, I can do it myself.”

Wu Yu gestured to the side, and the two maids withdrew.

Sitting on a stool, Wu Yu ignored Yan Li’s protests, methodically drying her legs and placing them on her own lap. “Why didn’t you tell me about your leg injury?”

Yan Li was silent for a moment, then replied indifferently, “You and I are merely acquaintances, there’s no need to discuss such matters.”

“Acquaintances?” Wu Yu scoffed. “What kind of acquaintances share the pleasures of the bedchamber.”

“It wasn’t my desire,” Yan Li stated flatly.

Wu Yu refused to let it go, a cold smile forming on her lips. “We made a deal the second time, but what about the first?”

Yan Li frowned in silence, then, after a long moment, she met Wu Yu’s gaze directly. “Wu Yu,” she said, her voice firm, “if you insist on bringing this up, then let’s settle it once and for all. It’s true that I was once entangled in a passionate love. But I have severed those ties, renounced worldly desires, and fulfilled all earthly bonds. You can imprison this physical form if you wish, but one day, body and soul will separate, and I will be truly free from all attachments!”

“You claim to have severed worldly ties and be free from attachments, yet you’re willing to die for that person!” Wu Yu countered.

“This Yan Li is not the Yan Li of Wuwei Palace,” Yan Li retorted. “This is the Yan Li of the Seven Star Lords. Do you understand?”

She tried to pull her legs away, but Wu Yu held them firmly. “I don’t care what you say,” Wu Yu declared, her gaze intense. “I want the Yan Li of Wuwei Palace, and I want the Yan Li of the Seven Star Lords. I want your body, and I want your heart!”

Wu Yu raised her eyes to meet Yan Li’s. Her face, a masterpiece crafted by the heavens, was both alluring and domineering. “Yan Li,” she said, her voice a blend of tenderness and possessiveness, “I have an eternity to spend with you.”