Jianghu Demolition Squad

Martial Arts Competition Under The Heavens (Part Seventeen)

Jiang Ying was even more excited, throwing herself at Wei Ran’s legs. In her great joy, she cried out, “Senior Brother, did you hear that? Your leg injury can be healed! You’ll be able to stand up again, ride swift horses, and travel the jianghu! I knew it, I knew that Senior Brother wouldn’t be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life!”

After Wei Ran’s injury, which rendered him unable to stand or wield a sword, the once proud man was reduced to a shadow of his former self, causing a deep sense of regret within Wuxia Palace, particularly among his siblings and mentors who felt profound grief for his condition.

Wei Ran remained stunned, barely reacting to the flood of words and emotions surrounding him.

Jiang Ying stood up, wiped the tears from her face, and ran to Wei Ran’s bedroom. She retrieved his sword and walked up to Wei Ran, placing the sword in his arms. “Senior Brother!”

As if waking from a dream, Wei Ran tenderly stroked his sword, his fingers trembling. He gripped it tightly and turned to Mo Wen, asking, “Miss, are you… are you telling the truth?”

Still skeptical due to the successive disappointments that had followed his injury, which had once led him to hope but ultimately left him more disheartened, Wei Ran had maintained a facade of indifference, though internally he despaired over his inability to wield a sword again. Moreover, the death of Mo Chenggui and his own inability to avenge him had deepened his despair, making him feel like a burden to his sect. The responsibilities towards his sect and the return of Yan Li were what kept him from giving up entirely.

Now, learning that there was hope for recovery, it felt like a dream, and he didn’t dare to rejoice immediately.

Mo Wen nodded. Thinking that he was still concerned about whether the treatment would require risking his life, she pulled over Yang Chun, who was sitting at the end, chatting with Yu’er and teasing the Wuwei Palace disciples. She pointed at Yang Chun and said, “You don’t need to worry. This man recently obtained a treasure called Jin Gu. If there’s any issue with the medication, testing it with the Jin Gu will immediately show if it’s a success or failure, avoiding any risk. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him.”

Yang Chun, who was being held by the collar by Mo Wen, had a blank expression on his face, “Ah? Um… yes, that’s right!”

Wei Ran tightly gripped his sword with both hands, his head lowered. “How… how can I ever thank you…” His voice trembled uncontrollably, unable to suppress his emotions.

Mo Wen waved her hand. “It’s not a hundred percent guaranteed success. Um…”

She was interrupted mid-sentence as Qing Jiu covered her mouth from behind. Hua Lian chimed in from the side, “You are Yan Li’s senior brother, we’re all family here. There’s no need for thanks.”

With a grand gesture, Jian Mo Bei swept his robe aside and bowed deeply to Hua Lian and the others, a solemn thanks offered without reservation. Yan Li and Qing Jiu quickly assisted him, as he proclaimed “Regardless of the outcome, you all are benefactors to Wuwei Palace.”

That day, Mo Wen took Wei Ran’s pulse and tested his condition, staying until evening when Jian Mobei insisted on hosting them warmly, reluctant to let them leave.

However, the group had no choice but to leave, as Qing Jiu’s Gu poison was due to flare up again.

Whenever the day of Qing Jiu’s gu poison outbreak approached, Mo Wen would calculate the time and take Qing Jiu’s pulse. If she detected any abnormalities, she would administer an antidote. Although it was called an antidote, the medicine was potent, and after taking it, Qing Jiu would experience fatigue for at least a day and need proper rest.

After the group returned to Ningqing Garden, it rained that night. As expected, Qing Jiu’s Gu poison flared up. After taking the medicine, she fell into a deep sleep.

The candlelight flickered, casting a pale light on Qing Jiu’s face.

Yu’er sat at the table, gazing at her for a long time. During the day, she had been able to ignore Qing Jiu due to her own awkwardness, immersing herself in discussions about the Taixu Sword Art with the young disciples of the Wuwei Palace. She had originally worried that returning to their shared room at night would heighten the awkwardness. But now that Qing Jiu had fallen ill, there was no need for awkwardness, yet Yu’er felt a sense of unease in her heart.

The night was deep, and the clouds lingered in the dark sky, casting the manor in shadows.

Yan Jianyu walked slowly with an umbrella near the rockery in the main courtyard garden of the manor, stopping by the pond.

From around the corner gate came two figures—Yan Siguo and a subordinate holding an umbrella for him.

Upon seeing Yan Jianyu, Yan Siguo changed direction, walked through the pavilion, and approached him, saying, “Second brother, why are you not resting at this late hour?”

Yan Jianyu replied indifferently, “Eldest Brother isn’t sleeping either.”

Yan Siguo said, “Father asked me to discuss the matter of fellow martial artists disappearing from the manor.”

“Eldest Brother is truly busy with countless matters.” Yan Jianyu mocked with a cold laugh, “But are those people even worthy of being considered fellow martial artists of our Mingjian Manor? If you ask me, Eldest Brother, you shouldn’t have invited these shady characters in the first place. Look at the sort of people who have come! It’s no wonder we have such problems when we mix with the wrong crowd. It’s only been two days, and already such incidents are happening!”

Yan Siguo frowned and said solemnly, “Indeed, I have been lax in my screening, but once they are guests in our manor, we should not treat them so dismissively. Moreover, the responsibility for the manor’s security has always been yours, Second Brother. There are loopholes in the manor’s defenses, and people have disappeared without the guards noticing. With such an incident occurring, you should also reflect on your own shortcomings and seek ways to make amends.”

After a moment, Yan Jianyu said lightly, “I was just lost in thought over the lake, figuring out how to restructure the manor’s defenses. That’s why I couldn’t sleep.”

Yan Siguo said, “That’s good, but be mindful of the cold. Go back after a while.”

Yan Jianyu replied, “I understand. Eldest Brother, Father is still waiting for you. You better go back to him.”

Nodding, Yan Siguo turned and left with his subordinate, blending into the night until they disappeared.

A few moments later, rustling sounds came from the bushes, and a figure emerged from behind the rockery. The figure was indistinct in the darkness, and he chuckled, “The manor master truly values his eldest son.”

Yan Jianyu gritted his teeth, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. He glanced coldly at the speaker and said in a low voice, “We agreed that you could only use those who came up the mountain alone, without any reputation. Why did you still provoke people from the Qixian Palace?”

The person waved his hand and laughed, “Oh, when such a prime opportunity presents itself, how could I not take it? Those two disciples just happened to wander far enough to run into me—it was fate.”

Yan Jianyu said, “Do you realize how much trouble you’re causing me? Tonight, my father called Yan Siguo over, probably to have him take over security responsibilities of the manor. If you keep choosing people for your experiments, it’s only going to get more difficult…”

The person interrupted, “Whether it’s difficult or not is my concern, Second Young Master, you needn’t worry about that.”

Yan Jianyu snorted coldly, “Your concern? If you’re caught, won’t it implicate me as well?”

The person remained unconcerned and asked, “Is the Second Young Master scared?”

“I’m not scared of anything!”

“Then why hesitate, Second Young Master? I provide ‘materials,’ and in return, you receive the ‘finished product.’ We’ve accumulated a substantial stockpile, so even if our scheme is exposed, with those resources at your disposal, you needn’t fear the wulin. With them, not just this manor, but even Jiuxiao Manor, the Moonless Sect, and essentially all of Central Plains’ wulin could be in your grasp.”

Yan Jianyu said, “Then hurry up and finish your task!”

The person laughed, “Second Young Master, there’s no need to rush. It won’t take much longer…”

Before he could finish, footsteps sounded from the end of the garden, and the man vanished into the shadows as quietly as he had appeared, his words lost to the wind.

Yan Jianyu swung his sleeve and, holding his umbrella, left in the opposite direction.

The next day, intermittent rain continued to dampen the already gloomy skies, enveloping the world in a light mist.

After the effects of her gu poison, Qing Jiu was lethargic and resistant to taking her medicine. Usually, she could be coaxed into drinking half a bowl, but this time, she wouldn’t even take that much until Tang Linzhi forcibly fed it to her.

Drenched in cold sweat, Tang Linzhi wiped the sweat from her forehead, exclaiming, “We can’t keep indulging her like this!”

Yu’er stood by helplessly. Although she believed that the medicine was necessary, as Mo Wen had said it would nourish the body, she felt a pang of heartache when Tang Linzhi force-fed Qing Jiu.

After lunch, Yu’er went outside the manor. On a previous visit to the ginkgo forest, she had spotted chestnut trees.

She searched and easily found the tree, thriving and full of ripe chestnuts in the autumn season.

A smile broke on Yu’er’s face as she picked up a stick, gave a light hop, and leaped up the tree. With a flick of her wrist, she knocked the fruits down.

The hard, prickly shells of the chestnut fruits were dense with spines. Yu’er took out a cloth from her possession to wrap them up and carried them back to the manor.

Just as she was about to reach Ningqing Garden, she heard someone calling from behind, “Miss! Miss, wait!” The voice was somewhat familiar.

Yu’er looked around, seeing no one else, she turned and saw a figure in a scarlet dress, sword in hand, striding through the misty rain with a smile, “It’s you! Perfect, this saves me the trouble of searching for you in Ningqing Garden.”

“Second Miss Jun?”

Jun Sixue’s smile was bright, “You recognize me, that’s even better.”

Yu’er smiled back. Due to the events at the Fanyun Fuyu Thirteen Fortresses and at the bottom of the Cloud Ladder, she had a favorable impression of this Second Miss Jun. Seeing that Jun Sixue didn’t recognize her, she didn’t mind. “Do you have something to discuss with me?”

Jun Sixue said, “It’s my third uncle. He wants to meet you and requests the pleasure of your company.”

It was Jun Lin.

Yu’er remembered him well; he had a refined appearance and a gentle gaze, which made him seem approachable. Yet the thought of meeting him unsettled her for reasons she couldn’t pinpoint.

Noticing her reluctance, Jun Sixue quickly reassured her, “It’s just to have some tea and chat. It’s not anything bad. Don’t worry.”

After a moment’s consideration, Yu’er nodded and followed her.

Their destination within Jiuxiao Manor was close to the main courtyard, surrounded by splendid pavilions and lush greenery.

Jun Sixue led her into a house. The main hall was spacious. A man was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, while a gentle female voice said, “Third Uncle, please, have a seat and wait. Second Sister will definitely bring her here.”

Jun Lin shook his head and sighed, “Sixue can be impulsive. If she gets angry, she might offend her…”

Jun Sixue stepped into the room and said, “Third Uncle, you underestimate me too much.”

Jun Lin’s eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around as Yu’er entered.

She was dressed in a white robe, her coat dampened at the shoulders by the mist, her black hair wet, a few strands hanging over her forehead, making her skin appear even more pale. It was unclear if it was the rain that made her eyes sparkle unusually bright.

Jun Lin stared at her for a long time, feeling a pang of pain as he found her more and more familiar. Fearing that his emotions might frighten her, he forced a gentle smile and gestured to the side, inviting her warmly, “Miss, please have a seat.”