Jianghu Demolition Squad

Unfamiliar with the Five Tastes of Life (Part Four)

After she entered the Ghost Sect, the world no longer knew of Lin Zigui; only the Ghost Sect assassin, Qing Jiu, remained.

Although Qin Gui had taken her as a disciple, she was absent from the Ghost Sect for at least four months each year, so she trained in martial arts alongside the other disciples.

In the Ghost Sect, it was the older, more experienced assassins who taught the disciples. The disciples varied in age, but they all learned the same skills and endured the same rigorous training regimen.

For teenagers, this was not much of an issue, but for nine or ten-year-old children, the challenges were significantly greater, and the disparities in capability were stark.

The art of assassination especially tended to boost the morale of the younger ones. Training could be monotonous, so inevitably they would look for fun to pass the time, with the strong bullying the weak being a common occurrence.

Having spent a year growing up wild in the mountains and struggling to survive among wolves, Qing Jiu was less afraid of death than others. As Qin Gui’s personal disciple, her unique status meant that despite her youth and being a girl, no one dared to provoke her; however, this also fueled jealousy among others.

On this day, Dao Gui came to test the disciples’ skills, adhering to an established tradition of the Ghost Sect.

Dao Gui was known for not stopping until his opponents cried and begged for mercy. As he flipped through the roster scroll selecting candidates, someone pushed Qing Jiu forward from behind.

Dao Gui glanced at her and said, “I hear Qin Gui recently took on a new disciple. Is that you? Step forward.”

Knowing there was no point in refusing, Qing Jiu took the longsword handed to her by the instructor and stepped onto the training stage.

Usually, whether practicing alone or sparring, everyone used real swords, which dazzled under the sunlight.

Dao Gui tossed the roster scroll aside and, without drawing his sword, said, “Begin.”

Qing Jiu feinted a move and aimed straight for Dao Gui’s chest.

For someone Qing Jiu’s age, her strike was incredibly fast, but for Dao Gui, it was unimpressive.

Dao Gui’s hand shot out like a tiger’s claw, evading the longsword and grabbing Qing Jiu by the neck, lifting her off her feet and throwing her to the side before she could change her technique.

“Is this how your master teaches you? All flash, no substance, try again!”

Qing Jiu gripped her sword, pushed herself up, and attacked him again.

This attempt was still disastrous, and unknowingly, she used the Lin family’s sword technique, failing to make even a single effective strike. Dao Gui delivered a palm strike, knocking the sword from her hand, and she fell to the ground, spitting out blood.

Dao Gui, with his hands clasped behind his back, sneered at her, “I heard you were once a servant of the Lin family. The move you just used wasn’t the Ghost Sect sword technique; was it the Lin family’s? What a disgrace, like a dog that tries to imitate a tiger.”

Qing Jiu knew he wasn’t criticizing the Lin family’s sword technique, but rather her poor execution. Yet, she still felt insulted on behalf of the Lin family.

She picked up the sword, shouted, attacking for the third time.

Perhaps driven by sheer determination, she managed to last three moves this time before ultimately being defeated and disarmed by Dao Gui, who then struck at her chest with her own sword.

She fell to the ground, her sword narrowly missing her skin, but her clothes were torn, and the handkerchief her mother had left her was snatched by Dao Gui.

The handkerchief was the only thing her mother had left her. Her face paled as she exclaimed, “Give it back!”

Dao Gui held the handkerchief in his hand and said, “Want it? Come and get it yourself.”

She got up and charged at him barehanded. Even with a sword, she could only last three moves against him; without one, she was even more outmatched and ended up even more miserable.

She stubbornly refused to yield and was beaten until there wasn’t a single uninjured spot on her body. Kneeling on the ground, she coughed up blood; her nose was wet and sticky, smearing bright red with each wipe.

Dao Gui twirled the handkerchief and laughed, “Still not begging for mercy?”

No matter how stubborn or tough the disciples of the Ghost Sect were, under his hand, they all ended up begging for mercy after a while.

Furious, Qing Jiu grabbed the hem of Dao Gui’s robe, dragged herself up, and clung to him.

Dao Gui stood right next to Qing Jiu, not that he couldn’t dodge, but he hesitated for a moment, and Qing Jiu climbed up on him.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, grabbed his arm, and reached for the handkerchief in his hand.

Unexpectedly, Dao Gui delivered a sharp elbow strike to her head. Qing Jiu’s mind buzzed, disoriented and unable to recover for a long moment.

She knew that if Dao Gui went all out, a single palm strike could easily kill her.

Yet, she wasn’t afraid. In fact, she almost hoped that Dao Gui would beat her to death. If she died, she could finally see her parents again.

Dao Gui raised his arm high, and Qing Jiu, with her shorter reach and lesser strength, couldn’t pull his hand down nor reach the handkerchief.

Feeling frustrated, she lunged forward and bit down hard on his wrist.

Those watching from below shook their heads, thinking she was courting death by daring to offend Dao Gui, which surely meant her end.

Qing Jiu bit down fiercely, nearly tearing off a piece of flesh.

Yet Dao Gui seemed impervious to pain, laughing heartily. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to release her bite.

He didn’t bother to tend to the wound but instead grabbed Qing Jiu by the hair and pulled her close.

In Dao Gui’s eyes, Qing Jiu saw the same kind of madness and reckless smile that her master had.

Dao Gui grinned and said, “Little brat, I’ve taken a liking to you. Come and be my disciple!”

Suddenly, a sword light streaked towards Dao Gui, swift as lightning and overwhelming in its force. Dao Gui dodged, but in the chaos, both the person and the handkerchief were snatched away.

Qing Jiu only saw a blur before she found herself being held by another.

“Master…”

Qin Gui threw the handkerchief onto her face and addressed Dao Gui, “Dao Gui, if you want to take her as your disciple, you’ll have to get my permission first.”

Jian Gui sheathed his sword and added, “Dao Gui, you’re breaking the rules.”

Dao Gui wasn’t bothered and smiled at Qin Gui, “There’s no rule against taking someone else’s disciple.”

Qin Gui sneered back, “You might want to see if you can survive long enough to take her.”

Dao Gui drew his long sword, the blade reflecting the harsh sunlight as if challenging the sun itself: “I’ve long wanted to experience the Seven Absolute Sounds of the Qixian Palace. Today, let me open my eyes!”

When Ghost Kings fight, the lesser ghosts suffer. The people below were as silent as cicadas in winter; not a single one dared to come up and intervene.

Jian Gui stood between the two, “Private duels are forbidden within the sect.”

Reminded of the rules of the Ghost Sect, Dao Gui reined in his aggression, immediately extinguishing half of his fighting intent. Qin Gui hesitated to make a move, and finding the situation dull, she sheathed her sword.

Qin Gui gave him a cold glance, picked up Qing Jiu, and left the training stage, heading back to her quarters.

Qin Gui and Jian Gui had returned from a mission, recalling that they still had a disciple to test. They had intended to test her skills and relieve their boredom by teasing her a bit, but they didn’t expect that she’d been tormented by someone else, and quite severely at that.

So disappointing.

Qing Jiu, having held on by sheer willpower during the ordeal, collapsed from exhaustion as soon as she stepped off the stage.

Her injuries were severe, both externally and internally. Qin Gui had someone apply medicine, but by evening, although still awake, she developed a fever.

Qin Gui was really worried that Dao Gui had tormented her to death. Not only would it be a slap in her face, but she would also lose her source of amusement in the future!

Yet administering the medicine proved difficult; half of what was fed to her was vomited back up. Qin Gui, irritated, threw the bowl to a subordinate, “Get out and bring another bowl.”

“Yes.”

Sitting impatiently at the bedside, Qin Gui muttered, “Raising a child is so troublesome.”

Qin Gui’s hand rested on Qing Jiu’s neck as she said,” Why don’t I just kill you and save the trouble?”

She then chuckled, “Though I’d somewhat regret it.”

Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, Qing Jiu woke up, her eyes cloudy and confused. From under the covers, she stretched out her hands, grasped Qin Gui’s hand, and called out, “Mother.”

Startled, Qin Gui yanked her up from under the blankets and snapped, “Little brat, look carefully. Do I look that old?”

Delirious with fever, Qing Jiu didn’t care about the rebuke; her eyes brimming with tears, she wrapped her arms around Qin Gui’s neck, repeating, “Mother.”

“Get off me!”

Qing Jiu had always regretted letting go on the boat. Now that she had the chance to hold onto her mother, she was unwilling to let go, and Qin Gui found herself unable to pull away.

Once Qing Jiu started crying, she couldn’t stop. Sick people tend to be a bit weaker, and she seemed determined to cry out all the grievances she had endured over the past year. The more Qin Gui scolded her, the harder she cried.

Annoyed, Qin Gui stuffed her ears and exclaimed, “You little brat, your crying is giving me a headache!”

She considered using a acupoint to knock Qing Jiu out.

The subordinate who had gone to fetch the medicine returned and, seeing the situation, hesitated before speaking, “Master, she’s already gravely injured. If we knock her out, it might be impossible to feed her the medicine, and her condition could worsen…”

“She’s so noisy. If I don’t knock her out, how can I make her shut up?”

“Perhaps… Master, maybe you could try soothing her a bit.”

“You expect me to soothe her!” Her voice thundered, terrifying the subordinate into immediately kneeling and begging, “This subordinate has offended you. This subordinate deserves to die.”

Qing Jiu’s tears fell on Qin Gui’s neck, the wet patch on her clothes uncomfortable against her skin. Qin Gui tilted her head and coldly ordered, “Get out.”

“Yes.”

“Bring me the medicine.”

“Yes…”

The subordinate bowed and retreated. Qin Gui, holding the bowl, muttered, “So noisy.”

Qin Gui looked at Qing Jiu, torn between feeling it was a pity to lose her and the hassle of keeping her.

After some thought, she unconsciously began to soothe Qing Jiu’s back, which, surprisingly, seemed to work.

The door was not closed, and when Jian Gui entered, he immediately noticed Qin Gui’s softened expression as she gently coaxed Qing Jiu.

He was stunned. He had known Qin Gui from their early years, and after she left the Qixian Palace, it was he who introduced her to the Ghost Sect. Although she was young, her talent and their connection had quickly elevated her to one of the five ghosts.

Although her position was high and her duties were numerous, the extensive killing she experienced had weighed heavily on her, imbuing her with a murderous aura. When Qin Gui left the Qixian Palace, she was no longer as pure and harmonious as before; now, she was even more deranged.

But in that moment, he thought he saw a glimpse of the young woman she once was.

Jian Gui smiled and said, “It’s rare to see you so caring.”

As soon as Qin Gui raised her head, her eyes and gaze had the usual madness, “I thought I picked up a source of amusement, but I didn’t expect to pick up a troublemaker.”

“It must be hard for you to be a mother at such a young age.”

“Even you can make jokes now.”

“…”

Qin Gui half-coaxed, half-forced the medicine down, and by midnight, Qing Jiu’s fever had subsided.

Qing Jiu had a rare pleasant dream. In her usual dreams, she witnessed the gruesome scenes of her family’s death, but in this dream, her mother was alive, came to her, held her, and spoke to her.

Qing Jiu was reluctant to wake, but a throbbing headache brought her back to consciousness.

Upon opening her eyes and seeing everything upside down, she first thought she was still dreaming, only to realize she was actually hanging from a tree.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

“Master.”

Leaning on a thin bamboo stick, Qin Gui smiled warmly, “As an assassin, you should always be alert at all times. You didn’t even know when you were tied up and slept like a dead pig. If someone wanted to slice you into thin pieces and cook you, you’d still be sleeping!”

Qin Gui smacked her bottom with the stick. Although the blow was heavy, it wasn’t unbearable.

However, Qing Jiu felt humiliated. Only her father had ever swatted her bottom to scare her, but Qin Gui was not her father. Moreover, she felt she had grown up now; just as it’s inappropriate to hit someone’s face, you can’t just casually hit someone’s bottom either.

Hanging upside down, all the blood rushed to her head, her face already flushed, but it turned even redder when Qin Gui hit her, spreading to her ears and neck.

She struggled with effort, but with her hands tied, she could only wriggle helplessly like a beached eel, her waist flailing back and forth.

“You, you let me down!” she demanded, her face turning a deeper shade of red, her eyes bloodshot.

Qin Gui poked her cheek with the bamboo stick: “You want to bite me, don’t you?”

“How have I been teaching you? When sparring with Dao Gui, you couldn’t even last one move. You’re simply disgracing your master!”

Fuming, Qing Jiu really wanted to lunge and bite her, but Qin Gui poked her back with the stick. “You never even taught me any martial arts!”

Qin Gui paused, realizing that was indeed the case: “I didn’t teach you because you never asked!”

Qing Jiu, realizing it was pointless to argue, simply glared at her and refused to speak further.

Suddenly, another voice intervened: “Since you’ve taken her as a disciple, you can’t just keep putting it off. It’s timely that you came now, or next time she might really end up becoming Dao Gui’s disciple. How about I teach her swordsmanship when you’re busy?”

Qing Jiu looked in the direction of the voice and noticed Jian Gui sitting at a stone table drinking tea.

Qin Gui, smiling, said, “Oh my, it’s rare to see you meddling in other people’s business. What’s gotten into you today?”

Jian Gui took a sip of his tea, offering no explanation.

“Forget it, it’s good if you teach her,” Qin Gui conceded.

She hit Qing Jiu again with the stick and warned, “Next time, if you can’t last a move against Dao Gui, let’s see what you have to say.”

From that day on, whenever Jian Gui was at the Ghost Sect, Qing Jiu would train under him.

Jian Gui sword training always involved sparring.

To teach Qing Jiu swordsmanship, he sparred with her directly.

Needless to say, Qing Jiu was always on the receiving end of a beating. Jian Gui never unsheathed his sword, but even blows from the scabbard were incredibly painful.

The pain was bearable, but what truly frustrated Qing Jiu was that, even against Jian Gui, she still couldn’t last a single move.

Not to mention landing a hit, Jian Gui’s sword was an inch longer than the average, and his style involved wide, sweeping strokes that Qing Jiu couldn’t even get close enough to counter.

After being knocked to the ground countless times, Qing Jiu panted, “It’s not fair!”

“What’s not fair?” Jian Gui asked coldly.

“A common saying goes, ‘an inch longer, an inch stronger.’ Your sword is longer than mine; you have the advantage.”

Jian Gui, seemingly reasonable, drew a dagger: “Fine, I’ll use a dagger against you.”

“Your arms are longer than mine, too.”

“Alright, I won’t fully extend my arms.”

“You’re older than me! You have twenty years more experience!”

“I won’t use my internal energy.”

“Fine.”

Qing Jiu scrambled to her feet, taking a deep breath. This time, she was determined to last at least ten moves.

But she still failed after just one move, falling to the ground and clutching her shoulder, which was sliced open and bleeding profusely.

Jian Gui threw the dagger to the ground with a snort: “In the future, when you fight others, no one will care about your age, what weapon you use, whether they’re taller or shorter, or think about going easy on you. They will only care about how to kill you!”

“You have talent and you are clever, but don’t waste your intelligence on petty complaints!”

“Let this wound on your body serve as a lesson, a reminder for you to always be cautious in your life!”