Jianghu Demolition Squad

The Child Returns Home (Part Six)

The walking corpses tore Wu Chang into pieces. Given Wu Chang’s skills, even if he couldn’t resist, escaping wouldn’t have been an issue. But his entire focus was on Mo Wen.

The original source of the turmoil surrounding the human Gu experiments was precisely this—to create a Living Gu like Mo Wen, who had escaped their control and grown independently into what he considered a perfect creation.

She was his obsession, his long-sought treasure. He had searched for her relentlessly, driven by years of yearning. Now, having finally found her, he wouldn’t let go, not for anything.

Mo Wen didn’t spare him another glance. She took a deep breath, her eyes still wide with lingering anxiety.

Mo Wen’s wounds from the bite wound continued to bleed. She brought the wound close to Bai Sang’s lips, and the blood dripped slowly, drop by drop, onto Bai Sang’s pale lips and slid down her cheeks, much of it going to waste.

Mo Wen gently pried open her mouth and fed her the blood.

After Wu Chang’s death, the walking corpses that had consumed Mo Wen’s blood stood aimlessly, its purpose lost. The others, unaffected by her blood, continued attacking the Beggar’s Sect disciples.

Tang Linzhi, having dealt with Wu Chang’s remaining two subordinates, approached Mo Wen and grabbed her wrist. “That’s enough!” she exclaimed.

Mo Wen, her gaze unfocused, looked up at Tang Linzhi in confusion.

“If you don’t stop the bleeding soon,” Tang Linzhi warned, “she’ll be dead, and you’ll be next!”

Tang Linzhi grabbed Mo Wen’s pack and began bandaging her wound. As an assassin, she was well-versed in treating flesh wounds.

Having lost a significant amount of blood, Mo Wen’s body finally reacted, and she fainted, collapsing into Tang Linzhi’s arms.

“Hey! Mo Wen!”

Tang Linzhi slapped her face gently, relieved to see she had only fainted.

She finished bandaging Mo Wen’s wound haphazardly and tossed her aside, turning her attention to Bai Sang.

Tang Linzhi pulled open Bai Sang’s robes to examine the wound. It was deep, located in her chest, but thankfully not fatal. The excessive blood loss, however, was alarming. Though the bleeding had stopped, Bai Sang remained unconscious, her pale face a mask of death.

As Tang Linzhi tended to the wound, she couldn’t help but wonder about Wu Chang’s intentions. He had threatened to use Bai Sang to control Mo Wen, but then he suddenly attacked her. Yet, he hadn’t killed her outright, choosing instead to leave her bleeding. Was it merely a tactic to intimidate Mo Wen?

But the stab wound to Bai Sang’s chest was a decisive blow. A moment’s hesitation, and Bai Sang would be dead. It was a strange way to threaten someone.

Tang Linzhi couldn’t make sense of it. Of course, she couldn’t, because Bai Sang had inflicted the wound on herself.

With Wu Chang holding Bai Sang hostage, threatening the elders and disciples, forcing them to become his pawns, the Xuhuai Valley’s century-old reputation was on the verge of ruin. Bai Sang couldn’t allow that to happen.

She valued the Valley more than her own life. Though physically frail, she possessed unwavering resolve. Death was a small price to pay for preserving her honor.

She still carried Mo Wen’s Yan Shou dagger with her. When Wu Chang approached again, demanding their surrender, she had already decided to die with him.

However, things didn’t go according to plan.

Wu Chang arrived with Lingyun. They knew about the impending attack on the Xuhuai Valley that day and intended to take Bai Sang and escape through the back of the valley, leaving the attackers to find an empty valley.

Bai Sang refused to be their pawn, a tool to threaten her people. Seizing a moment of distraction, she launched a surprise attack.

Her internal energy was sealed, leaving her only a split second to succeed.

But both Wu Chang and Lingyun were skilled martial artists, and they had anticipated her move. They effortlessly dodged her attack.

Having failed, Bai Sang, with grim determination, turned the blade towards her own chest.

This unexpected move shocked Wu Chang and Lingyun. They hadn’t expected such a bold and decisive act. Having moved away to avoid her initial attack, they couldn’t reach her in time to prevent her suicide.

As Bai Sang prepared to end her life, Yu’er, hidden in the shadows, was forced to intervene. She threw her Si Ming dagger, striking the hilt of Bai Sang’s blade and knocking it away.

Yu’er and Yang Chun had stealthily entered the valley and found this location, lying in wait on the roof beams, yet had not made their move.

When Wu Chang and Lingyun arrived, Yu’er was ready to strike, but the sudden turn of events forced her to reveal herself.

Lingyun sneered, “When did a rat sneak in?”

He drew his Aihong Sword from behind and thrust directly at Yu’er.

Yu’er countered with her own sword, the force of their clash shattering the roof as they landed on the eaves.

Lingyun pursued her relentlessly, saying, “So it’s you. Seeing you reminds me of Si’er I haven’t been able to find her lately. Do you know where she is?”

Hatred burned in Yu’er’s heart. She despised Lingyun for hurting Qing Jiu, for trampling on her kindness and trust.

She had never been one for harsh words, unable to articulate the depth of her loathing. Instead, she poured all her rage and resentment into her swordsmanship.

The Sword Saint’s style was sharp and aggressive, as relentless and unforgiving as a blade.

Yu’er usually held back in fights, never aiming for a fatal blow, always leaving her opponents with a breath of life. But facing Lingyun, all she desired was his death. Unburdened by restraint, she fought with a ferocity that surprised even herself.

However, Lingyun was no ordinary opponent. As they exchanged blows, he accidentally dislodged the signal flare from Yu’er’s waist. A streak of fire shot into the night sky.

Both of them were startled. This wasn’t the right time to signal for help. Lingyun had intended to kill Yu’er, though capturing her alive would have been preferable. But with the signal sent, he couldn’t afford to linger.

A scream pierced the air from below, followed by the unmistakable sound of Yang Chun’s voice.

As Yu’er glanced down through the hole in the roof, distracted, Lingyun seized the opportunity, leaping off the eaves and preparing to escape.

Wu Chang emerged from the medical hall, carrying Bai Sang, followed by several men.

Yu’er started to pursue Lingyun, but he turned, glancing back at her with a cruel smile. “Aren’t you going to help your friend?” he taunted. “The medical hall is rigged with explosives…”

Yu’er froze, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the situation. She couldn’t abandon Yang Chun, but she doubted she could hold off so many opponents alone.

She rushed back into the clinic. The sounds of insects filled the air, masking the telltale hissing of a lit fuse. Yu’er strained her ears, unable to pinpoint its location.

Yang Chun lay on the ground, his arms straining to keep a walking corpse, armed with a sword, from impaling him.

After Yu’er and Lingyun had burst through the roof, Wu Chang had been busy tending to Bai Sang’s wounds.

Yang Chun knew he was no match for Wu Chang, but his lightness skills ensured that Wu Chang couldn’t touch him.

Still, he felt like a kite; as long as the hostage was in Wu Chang’s hands, he was tied by the strings Wu Chang held.

Desperate, Yang Chun decided to try freeing the elders. While Wu Chang’s attention was focused on Bai Sang, he quietly approached the imprisoned elders.

A skilled thief by trade, lock-picking was his specialty. Within moments, he had unlocked the shackles on one elder’s wrists.

The click, though faint, reached Wu Chang’s ears.

He turned, a sinister smile spreading across his face. “Well, well, another little rat,” he drawled.

Yang Chun scrambled back, anticipating Wu Chang’s attack. But before he could react, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. He looked down in horror to see a walking corpse holding him captive. Their movements were always silent, catching him completely off guard.

Wu Chang, familiar with Yang Chun’s reputation, chuckled darkly and threw the dagger he had taken from Bai Sang’s chest towards Yang Chun’s legs, aiming to cripple his ability to escape.

The corpse’s grip was unbreakable. Yang Chun couldn’t dodge, and the dagger plunged into his thigh, eliciting a cry of pain.

Wu Chang then carried Bai Sang and left, leaving the walking corpse behind to deal with the elders and Yang Chun.

Yu’er arrived just in time, slicing off the walking corpse’s head with a single stroke. She then turned her blade towards the elders, severing the chains binding their hands and feet.

She helped Yang Chun to his feet and told the elders, “Wu Chang has lit the fuse, we need to get out quickly!” The location of the fuse was unclear, and it was unknown how long before the explosion would occur. Without time to ponder, she helped Yang Chun out through a broken window.

Almost at the moment they exited, the medical hall exploded.

The force of the blast, amplified by the unknown quantity of explosives Wu Chang had planted, was deafening. A wave of heat washed over them, followed by a shower of debris. Wood splintered, stones flew, and flames erupted, reaching towards the sky.

Yu’er’s ears bled from the deafening roar, and a stray piece of wood sliced open her forehead, blood trickling down into her eye.

She groaned, struggling to get to her feet.

Yang Chun lay beside her, his legs peppered with wood shards, blood staining his clothes. His injuries weren’t severe, but he couldn’t walk.

The crackling flames sounded distant and muffled to Yu’er’s ringing ears.

Yu’er scanned the area but found no trace of the elders.

A sinking feeling gripped her heart. Despite her adeptness at lightness skills, which allowed her to move swiftly, she had barely escaped the engulfing flames. If the elders, less capable in combat and slower in movement, were behind her, their chances of escape seemed grim.

The flames danced and swayed, casting flickering shadows that stretched and contorted like demons in the night.

“Elder!” Yu’er called out, unsure of their names. “Elder!” Her own voice sounded distorted, her ears still ringing.

There was no response. As she reached the side entrance near the eastern wall, she noticed a hand protruding from beneath a burning timber. She approached cautiously, the heat scorching her skin, a chilling premonition gripping her heart.

A wave of despair washed over her as she stared at the lifeless hand. She stood there, frozen, overwhelmed by guilt and grief.

Suddenly, a wooden door on the side burst open. Yu’er looked up, spotting a figure emerge from the inferno. Hope flickered within her, the possibility of another survivor. But as the figure drew closer, she realized something was wrong.

The flames cast an eerie glow upon the approaching figures, distorting their shapes. Yu’er frowned, her heart pounding as she noticed another figure, then another, and another. Too many figures. It was as if the entire hall was filled with people.

They marched forward, and Yu’er’s eyes widened in horror.

These were not humans but all walking corpses.

Fire couldn’t destroy them. The explosion had shattered their cages, freeing them to roam under the influence of the Gu insects, emerging from the inferno like nightmarish creatures.

Yu’er rushed back to Yang Chun, realizing that more walking corpses were emerging from the flames on his side as well.

She helped him up, desperate to escape.

Yang Chun shivered, exclaiming, “How come there are so many walking corpses here? Good heavens! How many graves did Wu Chang rob?”

With Yang Chun injured, their progress was slow. The walking corpses, relentless and driven by a singular purpose, quickly surrounded them.

They were trapped, caught in a deadly net with no escape. Yang Chun’s injury rendered him immobile, a burden that would only slow Yu’er down.

Despair settled over him as he considered their situation. After a long moment of internal struggle, he made a difficult decision. “Miss Yu’er,” he said, his voice resolute despite the tremor of fear, “leave me behind. Escape on your own. You might stand a chance alone. But with me, we’ll both die here.”

His words were brave, but his fear undercut the valiant facade.

Yu’er didn’t hear him. Her ears were ringing, and her mind was preoccupied with other concerns.

She hoped their allies from the valley front wouldn’t arrive. Judging by the sheer number of corpses, hundreds strong, a confrontation would result in a bloodbath, likely ending in mutual destruction.

But if no one came to help, she and Yang Chun would truly be doomed to die here.

Their allies, alerted by the signal, arrived, only to be greeted by a horrifying sight.

These walking corpses killed on sight, and seeing a large group of people suddenly approach, were drawn by their presence and most of them broke off from surrounding Yu’er and attacked the newcomers.

Yun Wangran and Jun Lin, their hearts filled with worry for Yu’er, had been among the first to arrive. Seeing her surrounded, they immediately led their forces to her rescue.

They breathed a sigh of relief when they confirmed that her injuries were minor, limited to her ear and forehead.

Yang Chun recounted what had happened along the way. They speculated that the explosion inside the medical hall was intended for the heroes. However, Lingyun and Wu Chang hadn’t expected Yu’er and her group to have the courage to enter Xuhuai Valley alone, which disrupted their plans, leading them to ignite the gunpowder prematurely.

Yu’er was about to ask if Lingyun and Wu Chang had retreated through the back of the valley, and if they might encounter Yan Li and the others, when Hua Lian arrived.

Hua Lian informed them that Yan Li and her group had encountered Lingyun and Wu Chang and were currently engaged in battle. They were outnumbered and struggling to hold their own, requesting reinforcements.

However, dealing with these hundreds of walking corpses proved to be a challenge. They didn’t have the luxury of time to spare, and they needed to send out skilled individuals to locate and deal with the source of the insect sounds. Stretching their resources too thin would create a domino effect, leaving them vulnerable on other fronts.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t just abandon their comrades in the back of the valley, though. Reluctantly, they dispatched a group led by Hua Lian to provide support.

Leaving was easy, but returning proved to be a nightmare. Walking corpses seemed to lurk around every corner.

As dusk settled, a heavy snow began to fall. The fire at the medical hall raged on, consuming nearby buildings, its flames growing ever larger.

The brighter the fire burned, the darker their surroundings seemed to become.

With heavy hearts and no clear solution in mind, they feared they couldn’t rely solely on stopping the insect sounds to control the walking corpses’ movements.

What if they couldn’t hold out until then?

This was a desperate gamble, but they couldn’t think of any other solution.

As they struggled to formulate a plan, a group of figures emerged from behind them.

They tensed, fearing Wu Chang had circled around to attack from the rear. But that didn’t seem possible. They had left men guarding their backs. Wouldn’t they have alerted them?

Were these the reinforcements from the rearguard? But that didn’t feel right either…

As they tried to make sense of the situation, the sharp, resonant notes of a zither sliced through the air, each pluck imbued with a chilling killing intent.

“Qin… Qin Gui!” someone gasped.

“It’s the Ghost Sect!”

Everyone was both shocked and afraid. The sects that specialized in assassination were notoriously unpredictable, and it was difficult to distinguish between friend and foe. Whoever could afford the price could hire them.

But if it was someone from their side who had hired these assassins, wouldn’t they have said something? If not, it must have been Wu Chang and Lingyun who had hired them…

As they organized their rear defenses, they pondered how their guards had allowed these intruders through. Could it be that those guards had already been eliminated?

It wouldn’t be surprising, given the Ghost Sect’s reputation for ruthlessness and cunning.

But then, to their astonishment, the newcomers bypassed them completely, charging directly into the throng of walking corpses.

A figure clad in green followed close behind, leaping into the battle. The sight brought a wave of relief, a sense of stability in the midst of chaos.

It was none other than Jie Qianchou who had arrived!

It turned out that the Ghost Sect was not an enemy but an ally, brought here by Elder Jie Qianchou!

But then another thought struck them: Jie Qianchou had no connection to the Ghost Sect. How could he possibly have summoned them?

If not him, then who?

The Ghost Sect assassins were ruthless and efficient, cutting through the walking corpses like a scythe through wheat. It wasn’t long before they realized that Qin Gui wasn’t alone. Dao Gui, was among them, wielding Baihong, another of the eight divine weapons.

The verse ‘Exploring the tiger’s den, entering the dragon’s lair, a breath towards the heavens forms a white rainbow,’ truly demonstrated its extraordinary divine might.

Soon they witnessed the arrival of Jian Gui, Gui Shou, and Gui Jianchou, increasing their astonishment. With all five Ghosts present. Whoever was behind this not only commanded immense respect but also possessed unimaginable resources to bring these formidable figures together.

The Ghost Sect members charged into battle like tigers among sheep, their inherent madness fully unleashed. Given that the Ghost Sect had produced such unpredictable figures as Meiren Gu, it was clear that the rest of its members were far from ordinary.

Those who witnessed Dao Gui’s frenzied assault, his aura radiating a palpable bloodlust, his lack of fear as he reveled in the carnage, instinctively moved away. He fought with a manic glee, a chilling smile etched upon his face.

Despite their unease, they felt a sense of relief that the Ghost Sect, for all its madness and darkness, adhered to certain codes and principles. Dealing with them was far preferable to facing off against individuals like Lingyun and Wu Chang, who seemed to operate without any boundaries.

Qin Gui, clutching her zither in one hand and the head of a walking corpse in the other, studied it with morbid fascination. Its eyes still twitched, its mouth opening and closing as if trying to bite. She giggled, turning to someone beside her, “My disciple, these things are so amusing. Do you think I could take a couple back home to play with?”

The figure beside her wore a hooded cloak, its dark fabric pulled low to shield them from the snow, obscuring their face. They glanced around, seemingly searching for someone, then suddenly spotted something in the distance and darted towards it, their movements swift and agile.

Walking corpses blocked their path, but the figure’s sword flashed, weaving a net of impenetrable light, effortlessly cleaving through the throng.

“Did you see that swordsmanship?” someone whispered, awestruck. “It’s too fast. I couldn’t even count the strokes. How many times did they strike?”

“I couldn’t see clearly either. Who is that? They’re with the Ghost Sect, but they don’t seem to be Jian Gui.”

“Hey, isn’t that… Isn’t that the Fenghou Sword?”