Jianghu Demolition Squad

Unfamiliar with the Five Tastes of Life (Part Three)

The woman who approached wore a lake-colored silk dress, with a graceful and elegant appearance, but her demeanor and actions betrayed a reckless, almost arrogant air that contradicted her graceful appearance.

She cradled a zither in her arms, strolling casually amidst the scattered corpses, her expression unfazed by the carnage.

“I heard those men were quite skilled,” she remarked, her voice tinged with amusement. “But it seems they failed to finish the job. Even a weak, helpless little girl managed to escape.” She reached Lin Zigui, grabbed her by the collar, and lifted her effortlessly off the ground.

“Little girl, who are you?” She scrutinized Lin Zigui from head to toe.

Lin Zigui was crying and sobbing, her eyes red and swollen, tears brimming. Looking at the person in front of her, she could only see a blur, “I…”

“Hmm?”

Lin Zigui hesitated for just a moment. The woman, sensing an opportunity, a sly smile curving her lips, pressed further. “You were clutching the head of the Lin Clan leader, kneeling before his wife, weeping so sorrowfully. Are you a member of the Lin family?”

Remembering her mother’s instructions, Lin Zigui choked out a reply, “I am a servant of the Lin family, the master and mistress were kind and generous to me. I’m heartbroken by their senseless deaths.”

“Quite a grateful servant. What’s your name?”

“I am called Qing Jiu.” Lin Zigui replied, blurting out a fabricated name. It wasn’t entirely random, but as she spoke the name, her tears flowed even more freely. She couldn’t reveal her true identity with her parents’ bodies lying nearby.

Her family was gone, not only in reality, but even in name.

The woman took Lin Zigui ashore. The wedding boats were completely engulfed in flames and about to sink.

Lin Zigui stood on the shore, facing the direction of the boats, and knelt down, kowtowing three times.

Their journey to Hangzhou had been filled with the promise of spring, with melting snow and budding willows, an auspicious beginning.

Now, as they departed, the road ahead stretched before them, cold and bleak, shrouded in sorrow and despair.

The woman led Lin Zigui through the streets. Under a large locust tree, near the eastern bank of the river, a man waited for them.

Dressed in dark blue attire, a long sword strapped to his back, he was a striking figure with sharp eyebrows, piercing eyes, and a resolute expression. “Qin Gui,” he greeted the woman as she approached.

He frowned, noticing the young girl beside her. “Who is this?”

“This girl claims to be a servant of the Lin family,” Qin Gui explained. “She was the only one alive on those boats. I brought her back to see if we could learn anything. How did things go on your end?”

“No one survived at the Lin estate,” the man reported. “They set fire to the house.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Zigui immediately looked toward the horizon. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, confirming the man’s words.

That plume of smoke felt like a venomous serpent coiling around her heart, its fangs sinking deep into her flesh.

Her face paled, her eyes filled with a dazed helplessness. She instinctively started walking towards the burning house, but Qin Gui grabbed her, pulling her back. “Trying to run?” she asked, her voice laced with amusement.

The man glanced at Lin Zigui dismissively. He considered her insignificant, a mere child. He knew if Qin Gui intended to keep her captive, the girl wouldn’t escape, not even if she had wings.

“We were too late,” he said, turning back to Qin Gui. “We didn’t get the Fenghou Sword. The deal fell through. Should we return to the Ghost Sect and report, or should we continue pursuing those responsible for the Lin Family massacre?”

Qin Gui tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “We’ve worked hard enough. We deserve some rest. Let Judge handle the rest. Leave it to Dao Gui and his men.”

Her presence in Hangzhou had been driven by a personal interest. She knew Lin Qingchao’s maternal family was from Hangzhou, and she had been curious to meet them. To her surprise, they were all gone before she even arrived, wiped out completely.

Having settled on their next course of action, they retrieved their horses and rode out of Hangzhou.

Lin Zigui, numb and compliant, allowed them to dictate her movements. As their horses galloped through the streets, they passed by the Hua residence.

Lin Zigui saw Uncle Hua emerge from the house, nearly tripping on the steps in his haste. Several servants trailed behind him, and Eldest Brother Hua was at his side, offering support.

She knew he must have received the news. She wished she could jump down from the horse and cry out the horrors she experienced on the boat, but when she thought of the corpses of the Hua family’s mother and daughter, she was afraid to face him.

Wang Chang, who had been protecting her, was dead, and Yue’er’s fate remained uncertain. Would she bring danger upon Uncle Hua and his son if she approached them?

Lin Zigui buried her face in Qin Gui’s robes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Impatient, Qin Gui clicked her tongue, “Little brat, don’t dirty my clothes!”

She tried to suppress her tears, her body trembling with suppressed grief. Her pale face and swollen eyes evoked pity in anyone who saw her.

Before leaving the city, Lin Zigui remained fearful of encountering those responsible for the massacre, keeping her head down and her mouth shut.

That evening, unable to find a village to stay in, the three made camp in the wilderness.

They sat around the campfire, surrounded by darkness, with only the light of the fire illuminating their faces.

Lin Zigui, exhausted yet unable to sleep, saw nothing but blood and corpses when she closed her eyes, a relentless replay of the horrors she had witnessed.

The initial shock and disbelief had subsided. Acceptance had settled in, leaving behind a cold, empty despair and a burning desire for revenge.

The more she dwelled on the deaths of her loved ones, the more unbearable her pain became.

With her young and impulsive nature, she ultimately didn’t understand the need to bide her time and didn’t know how to endure.

“Does the Ghost Sect accept any kind of killing job?” she asked, her voice small and hesitant.

The man didn’t bother to look up at her, his gaze fixed on the fire.

Qin Gui, however, seemed interested in conversing with her, smiling as she said, “Oh? A lowly servant knows about the Ghost Sect?”

“I have a business deal I want to make with you!” Lin Zigui announced.

The man looked up, giving her a more scrutinizing glance.

Qin Gui, smiling slyly, asked, “What kind of business do you want to make?”

“I want the lives of everyone who attacked the Lin family today!”

Qin Gui grabbed her by the collar, pulling her close and pinching her cheek, “That’s quite a hefty request. Can you afford the price?”

“I, I…” Lin Zigui suddenly realized, her family was destroyed, she was no longer the daughter of the Lin family but a rootless servant with nothing to offer.

There might still be something of value, the sword, but her mother had said…

Before she could speak, Qin Gui continued, “Since you know that Ghost Sect is in the business of killing, did you know that we also eat people?”

Lin Zigui was startled and shook her head.

Qin Gui’s fingernail traced a line down Lin Zigui’s cheek. “Your skin is so smooth and delicate,” she purred. “I imagine your flesh must be quite delicious.”

Looking at Qin Gui’s blood-red lips, suddenly imagining them stained with blood. The woman’s voice took on a sinister quality, and as she caught a glimpse of her sharp teeth, Lin Zigui recoiled, a shiver running down her spine.

Qin Gui’s eyes twinkled with a darker amusement, “How about this? I’ll take on your business, and in exchange, I’ll take you.”

The man’s expression changed as he sternly called out, “Qin Gui!”

According to Ghost Sect’s rules, there were no jokes in their words. Once they said they would take on a business, there was no joking around. This job had to be accepted.

Caught up in her own enthusiasm, Qin Gui snapped, “Don’t meddle.”

The man cautioned, “The forces behind those who attacked are powerful and mysterious. Their identities are unknown, their influence vast and hidden. Pursuing them would make you many enemies. This mission is far too dangerous…”

Qin Gui gave him a sidelong glance, “Jian Gui, you’re meddling too much.”

Jian Gui’s lips tightened, he said no more. He knew better than to argue with Qin Gui. She hated being questioned or challenged, and he wouldn’t be able to sway her.

Qin Gui then turned back to Lin Zigui, tapped her forehead gently, and said, “You’re a clever one. There’s a spark in your eyes. I imagine your brain must be extremely delicious. There’s a delicacy, you see, where they crack open a monkey’s skull while it’s still alive, pour fine wine into its brain, and then consume it. They say it’s exquisite. I imagine human brains would be just as flavorful.”

Qin Gui licked her lips, then placed her hand over Lin Zigui’s heart. “And you’re so loyal,” she continued. “Your heart must be warm and sweet.”

“Every part of you is a valuable ingredient.”

Lin Zigui, her stomach churning at the vivid descriptions, clapped a hand over her mouth, nausea rising in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“So, do you still want to do this deal with me?”

Lin Zigui looked at her for a long time, then dropped her hands, declaring, “I’ll give it to you! As long as you kill them, I’ll give you anything!”

This time, it was Qin Gui who was surprised. Jian Gui sighed, “Let’s see how you handle this one.”

Jian Gui appraised Lin Zigui, remarking, “Such bravery and composure, you don’t seem like an ordinary servant.”

Qin Gui suddenly burst into laughter, “Good, very good.”

She grabbed Lin Zigui, tossed her onto a horse, and mounted behind her. With a crack of her whip, the horse whinnied and surged forward, galloping into the mountains.

They rode until the dense forest made it impossible to proceed. Qin Gui dismounted, pulled Lin Zigui down, and continued deeper into the woods on foot.

She stopped before a cave and tossed a dagger at Lin Zigui’s feet. “Since you’re so eager to make a deal,” she said, her voice cold and mocking, “I’ll allow it.”

“But you’re still too scrawny, not enough meat on your bones. I’ll leave you here to fatten up for six months. If you’re still alive when I return, all the better.”

“But if you’re not…” she continued, her smile turning predatory, “well, that means you weren’t sincere enough. What a waste of such fine ingredients. Consider it an act of mercy on my part, feeding you to the wolves and tigers.”

With that, Qin Gui turned and walked away, leaving Lin Zigui alone. The howls of wild beasts echoed through the forest, even the calls of partridges sounding eerie and ominous. Fear gripped Lin Zigui, and she took a few steps after Qin Gui, but the woman was too swift, disappearing into the dense undergrowth.

After abandoning Lin Zigui, Qin Gui rode back, rested overnight, and then returned to Ghost Sect with Jian Gui.

Over the next six months, Qin Gui was busy with various missions. Occasionally, she would remember the girl she had left in the wilderness. She assumed Lin Zigui had either become a meal for wild beasts or managed to escape. Gradually, the memory faded.

It wasn’t until a year later that she remembered she still had an ingredient growing in the wilderness.

Bored lately, she felt a surge of interest and decided to visit the mountain forest where she had left Lin Zigui.

She found the cave, following her memory, but despite searching the surrounding area, she couldn’t find any trace of the girl. Just as she was about to give up, a sudden rustle caught her attention.

Something moved with lightning speed. Reacting instinctively, Qin Gui spun around, her hand shooting out like a viper, seizing the attacker’s throat while her other hand clamped down on their wrist.

She found herself holding a child, their face and clothes covered in dirt, their clothes ragged and torn.

It was only when she noticed the dagger in the child’s hand that she recognized this was the ingredient she had left in the wild a year ago.

Several wolves emerged from the trees, encircling them, baring their fangs and growling menacingly.

Smelling the bloody scent on Lin Zigui and seeing the fierce light in her eyes, Qin Gui’s eyes lit up, smiling, “You’ve become the alpha wolf!”

“Good, I like that!”

Lin Zigui was young and frails. Even adults couldn’t fight against a pack of wolves, let alone her.

But humans possessed a weapon that set them apart from beasts: intelligence.

Despite her age, she was resourceful. She had smeared herself with wolf urine and feces, masking her scent and allowing the pack to accept her as one of their own.

But being a member of the pack wasn’t enough to guarantee survival. She had challenged and killed the alpha, claiming the leadership for herself.

The pampered life she once led as the cherished daughter of the Lin Family felt like a distant dream, a stark contrast to her current existence in the wilderness, where she lived like a wild animal, surviving on raw meat and instinct.

Qin Gui, delighted with her discovery, brought the “wolf cub” back to the Ghost Sect. After a thorough cleaning, Lin Zigui resembled the delicate young girl she once was, but her eyes now held a hardened edge, and her body no longer possessed the fragility of a sheltered young mistress.

Lin Zigui remembered their agreement and was prepared to face her fate. But instead of being dismembered or having her skull cracked open, she was met with a single silver needle.

Qin Gui declared, “I want to take you as my disciple. If you agree, your master will help you investigate and track down the mastermind behind the massacre of the Lin family, without missing a single one. If you don’t agree…”

Qin Gui’s eyes narrowed, her smile turning predatory. “Only members of the Ghost Sect and the ghosts of the dead may enter this place,” she said. “Now that you’re here, you have two choices: become one of us, or die.”

Lin Zigui showed no fear. She knelt before Qin Gui, bowing her head respectfully. “Disciple Qing Jiu greets Master.”

“Clever girl.”

With a flick of her hand, Qin Gui inserted the needle into her heart meridian. A searing pain ripped through her, as if something were crawling beneath her skin, tearing her heart apart. She gasped, clutching her chest, writhing on the ground in agony.

Within moments, she was drenched in sweat.

Qin Gui crouched beside her, removing the needle and placing a pill in Lin Zigui’s mouth.

“From now on, you are my disciple, Qin Gui’s disciple. You must remember, for people of the Ghost Sect, once you step into the Hall of the King of Hell, we fear nothing!”