Jianghu Demolition Squad

The Child Returns Home (Part Three)

Yu’er had memorized the route through the back of the valley during her previous explorations. After entering Xuhuai Valley and staying there for a long time, everyone had become quite familiar with the area.

At this moment, they split into two groups: Hua Lian and Tang Linzhi in one, and Yu’er and Yang Chun in the other. One group headed towards the dungeon of Xuhuai Valley, while the other bypassed the flower fields to reach the medical hall.

The disciples imprisoned in Xuhuai Valley didn’t require much effort from Hua Lian and Tang Linzhi to find; they were openly moving in and out of the courtyard.

Of course, they were not free. The disciples were shackled, closely followed by guards armed with swords.

Tang Linzhi leaped to the second-floor pavilion and glanced down into the courtyard. The sight sent chills down her spine.

The courtyard was filled with corpses. The Xuhuai Valley disciples, each holding a silver needle, were busily applying acupuncture to the bodies, their needles seemingly coated with some unknown substance.

Tang Linzhi jumped back down, and Hua Lian asked, “What did you see?”

Tang Linzhi shook her head, “Just young disciples. Bai Sang isn’t here, but there are quite a few guards – four in the watchtower to the east, six down below, and five at the front gate. We don’t know if there are any walking corpses yet. If we attack now, we’re sure to alert others.”

Hua Lian pondered and said “Since Valley Master Bai and the elders aren’t here, let’s wait and see how Little Yu’er’s side is doing.”

Winter days were short, and night fell quickly. As dusk approached, the sky transformed, clouds gathering in the north, a chill wind picking up.

Yan Li felt a surge of restlessness. She took out some copper coins and silently cast a divination. The results were clouded, the future obscured, much like her previous reading for Qing Jiu.

She was studying the coins in her palm when a sharp whistling sound pierced the air. She looked up and saw a flare of fire shooting skyward, piercing the gathering darkness.

Someone shouted, “The Young Mistress and the others have sent a signal! They must have succeeded!”

Ye Sheng frowned, “That was too quick. Just scouting the vast Xuhuai Valley would take a considerable amount of time, it’s impossible they succeeded as soon as they entered.”

“Something must have gone wrong then.”

Xin Chou, who was also with them, looked anxiously towards the distance, “Master is in trouble! Chou needs to save her! Master will be angry if something happened!”

His words were jumbled and incoherent, confusing everyone.

Only Yan Li understood; by ‘master’ he first meant Yu’er, and secondly Qing Jiu, because Qing Jiu had told him to listen to Yu’er, and so he also regarded Yu’er as his master.

Wu Yu lazily lifted her eyelids, “Regardless of whether they succeeded or not, that signal means they’re in trouble. Are we just going to ignore it?”

The leader of the Beggars’ Sect, Yi Song, nodded and said, “That’s right, whether they succeeded or not, we can’t just ignore it.”

He thought for a moment and made up his mind, looking at Ye Sheng and Wu Yu, “You two, we can’t all go in. Which one of you will stay behind and provide support?” implying that he himself was determined to enter the valley.

Wu Yu scoffed, “You want to go into the valley and face the walking corpses with only swords?”

Wu Yu’s lead general wielded the divine weapon “Chuanyun,” a fact well known among the group.

Having such a weapon during their incursion into the valley meant that if they encountered any walking corpses, they would not be entirely at a disadvantage. This assured a more stable entry for the forces of Jile City.

Yi Song managed to grasp her meaning from her words, although he was displeased with her mocking tone. Considering the extraordinary circumstances, he didn’t take it to heart and simply said to Ye Sheng, “Sect Leader Ye, then you stay here and guard this place.”

Ye Sheng had no objections. As everyone prepared to move, he cautioned, “Everyone, be careful.”

“We will.”

Shortly after Yan Li sent up the signal, another flare rose from the north, indicating that the group in the front valley was also ready to move.

Wu Yu and Yi Song led their people into the valley. Yan Li, holding a map drawn by Hua Lian, led the way, with Xin Chou carrying two massive hammers beside her.

Without the presence of Xuanji Tower members, Xin Chou was fearless, no longer holding back.

Throughout their advance, he smashed through both visible and hidden guards with his hammers, his attacks as powerful as the splitting of heaven and earth. Trees and grass were obliterated, flesh and bone no match for his might. Those who managed to dodge his blows were picked off by the archers at Wu Yu’s side.

Their progress towards the valley was smooth, with only minor resistance. Whenever a particularly fierce walking corpse appeared, the group surrounded it, and Si Yu dispatched it with a single thrust of his spear.

After passing through a sparse linden forest, they reached the northern flower fields. Before they could emerge from the trees, the sound of fighting reached their ears. They cautiously approached and saw a group of people battling their way through the forest.

Leading the group were over a dozen figures, their hands and feet shackled, their movements hindered by the clanging chains.

Xin Chou’s body was extraordinarily large, and was instantly recognized by these people. It was like finding a beam of light in their dire situation, and their faces involuntarily showed expressions of joy.

Yan Li exclaimed, “It’s the Xuhuai Valley disciples!”

The group, hearing this, hurried forward to help.

Hua Lian and Tang Linzhi were locked in battle with eight opponents, four of whom were walking corpses.

Both Tang Linzhi and Hua Lian were injured, their breathing heavy.

The signal had not been sent by the two of them, and upon seeing it, they also had doubts, feeling that it came too quickly.

But regardless of the reason, the fact that the signal had been sent meant something had gone wrong.

Tang Linzhi and Hua Lian had intended to take advantage of the chaos. Although the commotion had thrown the guards into disarray, none had left their posts; instead, a group was approaching from the distance, seemingly headed their way.

They realized they had startled the enemy, and if they returned empty-handed this time, it might be even harder to rescue the disciples in the future.

Since the signal had been sent, they knew reinforcements were on their way. With a combined effort, they might be able to get the disciples out.

Resolute, they launched their attack. Like caged beasts unleashed, their initial assault was fierce and overwhelming.

Tang Linzhi, honed by an additional six years with the Tang Sect, fought with the ruthless efficiency of an assassin, her attacks swift and deadly. The sheer intensity of her presence and the aura of bloodshed that clung to her momentarily stunned their opponents.

This gave Hua Lian an opportunity to rescue the disciples and lead them out of the courtyard.

Hua Lian was also shocked by the sight of rows upon rows of corpses, which eerily resembled a sacrificial ritual of some dark cult.

Upon inquiry, he discovered that these disciples had been forced by Wu Chang to create walking corpses here, embedding Gu into bodies and performing specific acupuncture, tasks that only trained healers could perform.

They were unwilling to participate in such atrocities, but their master and Valley Master Bai’s lives were in Wu Chang’s hands. They had no choice but to obey.

The dozen or so shackled disciples could not move quickly. Tang Linzhi and Hua Lian, preoccupied with combat, were unable to free their hands to unlock the shackles, so the group navigated their way messily towards the back of the valley.

Finally, reinforcements arrived.

Upon seeing Tang Linzhi and Hua Lian’s injuries, Yan Li had a general idea that the enemy was not easy to deal with, unlike those in the forest who could be easily eliminated.

Yan Li cautioned Yi Song, who was about to engage: “Sect Leader, don’t underestimate them.”

Yi Song agreed, but he found it dishonorable to rely on overwhelming numbers. He only took a few disciples with him to assist. Wu Yu, however, had no such qualms. Her forces surged forward, eager to engage the enemy.

Despite their efforts, they could not immediately overcome the eight men and two walking corpses.

These enemies fought with strange and unsettling techniques. Normally, when a martial artist uses their internal energy, it’s released gradually, building in intensity. Even for those with profound skills, whose mastery has reached the pinnacle, this process, though accelerated, still exists.

But these fighters released and withdrew their energy with unnatural speed, like a sudden torrent of water bursting from a broken teapot. Their movements were swift, their internal energy deep and potent.

Although the group managed to rescue Hua Lian and Tang Linzhi from the encirclement, both were severely injured, and they only managed to kill one walking corpse, while the rest sustained only minor injuries.

“Everyone, disengage!” Yan Li shouted. “We need to retreat from the valley!”

As her words fell, a thunderous boom erupted like a massive clap of thunder, shaking the ground.

Yan Li saw flames skyrocketing from the direction of the medical hall; the sound came from there, suggesting an explosion had occurred.

Tang Linzhi’s eyes were red, blinded by rage, didn’t listen to Yan Li.

Yan Li called out “Linzhi” twice more, but Tang Linzhi didn’t respond. Seeing that enemy reinforcements had arrived and fearing they would be trapped, she prepared to act decisively.

Wu Yu grabbed a golden whip hanging from a subordinate’s waist and lashed it out.

Tang Linzhi heard the sound of the whip tearing through the air behind her and dodged to the side, breaking away from the battle. As she withdrew her hands and came to her senses, she glared at Wu Yu angrily, “What are you doing!”

In her anger, Tang Linzhi’s accent slipped out.

Wu Yu lazily responded, “I don’t understand.”

Yan Li sighed and said, “Linzhi, our priority is to rescue the disciples of Xuhuai Valley. We don’t need to directly engage with them. Don’t disrupt the plan.”

“It was Yu’er who sent the signal,” Tang Linzhi argued, her voice frantic. “They went to the medical hall. Something happened there! We can’t just abandon them!”

The direction of the medical hall was engulfed in flames, their tongues licking at the twilight, painting the night sky a fiery crimson.

Yan Li said, “There are people waiting to support them at the front.”

The group was already gradually retreating, but Tang Linzhi stood still until Yan Li grabbed her arm and urged, “Let’s go! The pursuers are already on their way; we must not let them catch up…”

“Trying to escape? Where do you think you’re going!”

The voice that spoke was powerful and deep, resonating like the roar of a dragon or the howl of a tiger, echoing through the valley.

The pursuers were getting closer, soon within everyone’s sight, and to their surprise, it was Wu Chang and Lingyun themselves who had come after them.

Yan Li frowned, eyeing the two closely.

Lingyun had already drawn his Aihong sword. Wu Chang carried Bai Sang in his arms. Bai Sang’s eyes were closed, her moon-white robes stained with blood, resembling the winter plum blossoms against the snow.

Yan Li retreated to Yi Song and Wu Yu’s side, her voice low. “They don’t look like they’re pursuing us,” she whispered, a note of suspicion in her voice. “They look like they’re running away.”

Wu Chang’s hand curved around Bai Sang’s neck, his long, sharp fingernails digging into her delicate skin.

The disciples’ hearts trembled, feeling Bai Sang’s neck was too delicate and fragile under Wu Chang’s nails, as if a slight scratch could rupture her veins, causing her to bleed out and die.

“You vile dog!” one of the disciples shouted. “Release our Valley Master!”

Wu Chang sneered coldly, “What did I say before? Do not attempt to escape; the lives of your elders and valley master are still in my hands…”

As he spoke, the disciples realized their elders were missing. “Where are our elders?!” they demanded.

Wu Chang merely smiled, a cruel and chilling expression. Lingyun chimed in, his voice deceptively gentle, “Come back now, and your Valley Master might just live.”

Yi Song quietly asked Yan Li and Wu Yu, “What should we do?” With Bai Sang in their hands and wounded, he couldn’t decide whether to fight or retreat.

“You…!” The disciples, realizing that their elders had likely been murdered in cold blood, trembled with rage. Their breaths grew ragged, their bodies burning with fury.

A gust of north wind swept through the valley. A few disciples noticed something falling from the sky, dark and fluttering, raining down upon them.

They thought it was snowing, but when they caught it in their hands, they realized it was ash.

The medical hall was burning, and the wind carried the ash to them, leaving the disciples feeling a profound sense of emptiness.

They couldn’t comprehend how the Xuhuai Valley, a place of healing and generations of benevolence, could be reduced to such a state, facing such a tragic fate.

Was the world truly so unfair, rewarding evil and punishing the good?

One young disciple, overwhelmed by the series of devastating events, broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. “Why? Why is this happening?!”

His outburst unleashed a wave of grief among the other disciples. Tears flowed freely, their sense of injustice and despair deepening.

Yi Song, enraged by the sight, snapped, “Stop your sniveling! Real men shed blood and sweat, not tears!”

His anger overwhelmed his better judgment. “Damn these bastards!” he roared. “Let’s fight!”

With a roar like a lion and eyes sharp as knives, he swung his wooden staff and charged towards Wu Chang and Lingyun.

With a single call, hundreds responded. Those who were retreating turned back, their cries of “Kill!” echoing through the air as they charged out of the forest like a pack of wolves descending from the mountains.

Lingyun laughed mockingly. “Fools! You’re no match for us!”