Jianghu Demolition Squad

Martial Arts Competition Under The Heavens (Part Twenty Seven)

That night, when Gong Shang returned, his expression was mournful, and his eyes were weary. Upon Qing Jiu’s inquiry, it was indeed confirmed that the bodies of the two Qixian Palace disciples had been found.

In this world, it is important to bury the dead so they can rest in peace. Yan Beili had already sent someone down the mountain to prepare coffins. They were just waiting for Bai Sang to determine the cause of death. Once the coffins were ready, they would place the corpses inside.

Gong Shang was deeply saddened by the untimely death of his disciples, troubled not only by not knowing the identity of the enemy but also by the fact that their bodies had to remain exposed, unburied. This left him in a state of melancholy, and he retired to his room early to rest.

As the evening brought a cool breeze and a clear moonlit sky, the serene beauty was striking. Since Yu’er needed a quiet place to recuperate, Qing Jiu chose not to stay with her but instead resided in the room next to Yu’er’s.

In the middle of the night, Qing Jiu was awakened by a disturbance. Her eyes opened wide, clear as though she hadn’t been roused from sleep.

She quickly dressed and leaped out of the room, using her lightness skills to ascend to the roof for a better view. From there, she saw flames rising and heard a noisy commotion spreading from the east side of the manor.

The breeze carried a faint scent of blood.

With a sharp glance, Qing Jiu remembered Yang Chun’s mention of the location where the bodies were kept being on the eastern side. After a moment of contemplation, considering that Ningqing Garden was on the outermost part of the villa and quite far from the commotion, she decided that to understand what was happening, she needed to investigate herself.

Qing Jiu leaped towards the direction of the disturbance, crossing several rooftops before suddenly stopping.

Standing atop a flying eave, her robes fluttering in the wind, she had a commanding view of Mingjian Manor. As she turned to look back towards Qixian Palace, at the edge of her vision, shapes in the darkness were difficult to discern, with some areas beyond the reach of the moonlight.

Qing Jiu focused and listened carefully. Sure enough, she could still hear very faint sounds, like the whispering of insects.

After another glance towards the east, Qing Jiu decided not to head there but instead turned back towards Qixian Palace.

Her form graceful as drifting clouds, she landed on the wall and saw Yu’er emerging from the house, taking slow steps as if intending to leave.

Qing Jiu, surprised, descended and asked, “Yu’er, why are you up? The night air is cool. I clearly told you to rest well inside.”

Yu’er did not respond, continuing her silent, soundless steps forward.

Qing Jiu frowned slightly and called out softly, “Yu’er, where are you going?”

Yu’er still didn’t respond, as if she hadn’t heard.

Sensing something was wrong, Qing Jiu moved to block Yu’er’s path. Yu’er, however, sidestepped her. Qing Jiu’s expression changed, and she called out loudly, “Mo Wen!”

Qing Jiu hugged Yu’er from behind. Yu’er struggled silently, not too violently. Qing Jiu turned Yu’er around and held her face, calling out, “Yu’er!”

Yu’er’s eyes were vacant as she looked at Qing Jiu, showing no reaction.

Mo Wen, wearing an outer robe and slippers, walked out from under the eaves. Seeing the situation, she hurried over, grasping Yu’er’s right hand. Her eyes flickered, and with a flick of her left hand at her waist, a silver needle appeared between her fingers. She instantly pierced the acupoint on the back of Yu’er’s neck with the needle.

Yu’er’s body instantly went limp and she collapsed into Qing Jiu’s arms.

Mo Wen used a dagger called “Yan Shou,” to make a shallow cut on the skin near the silver needle on the back of Yu’er’s neck. As she pulled out the silver needle, a long black worm was still wriggling on its tip. It took a while before its body stiffened.

Mo Wen wrapped the long worm in a silk handkerchief and applied medicine to Yu’er’s wound before bandaging it. She said, “That was close. Fortunately, the Gu worm hadn’t penetrated too deeply.”

Qing Jiu, holding Yu’er in her arms with her cheek against her hair, coldly stated, “A diversion, then.”

“Looking at Yu’er’s symptoms, this Gu can control a person once it enters the body.” Mo Wen stepped forward and checked Yu’er’s meridians. She was quite surprised and sighed, “I can’t believe there’s such a Gu in this world.”

Mo Wen asked, “Qing Jiu, did you see the person who planted the Gu?”

Qing Jiu said, “There was a disturbance at the eastern morgue, so I went to investigate. On my way, I heard strange noises and felt something was off. When I returned, I saw Yu’er walking outside, unresponsive as if controlled by someone else, like a puppet.”

Mo Wen asked, “What kind of noise?”

Qing Jiu said, “The sound of insects.” As soon as she returned to the Qixian Palace, the sound became more distant.

Mo Wen pondered, “In the Miaojiang, controlling gu worms can be done with medicine, scent, movement, or sound. That insect noise was probably used to control the Gu worm inside Yu’er.”

In the Mingjian Manor, there were many skilled masters gathered. If it weren’t for the fact that the chirping sound was a common occurrence in the mountains, it would have been easily discovered by others.

“What a scheme,” Qing Jiu chuckled coldly. “Whatever your schemes, whatever your plans, I had no intention of interfering. But you just had to come and provoke me.”

Cradling Yu’er, who had recovered but still appeared frail and thin, Qing Jiu felt her delicate softness even more as she nestled in her arms.

After carrying Yu’er back to her room, the candlelight revealed a thin trail along the edge of the bed. Mo Wen touched it, noting its stickiness.

Mo Wen murmured, “This is a trace left by the Gu worm.”

Qing Jiu glanced at it, her eyes narrowing into a cold glare, her expression darkening.

After taking Yu’er’s pulse again, Mo Wen said, “Although we removed the Gu worm in time, Yu’er was already injured, and this ordeal might leave her somewhat weakened.”

Qing Jiu sat on the edge of the bed, her brows slightly furrowed. She asked, “Will there be any long-term effects?”

Mo Wen said, “It’s nothing serious. Today, Yu’er managed to find a spiritual herb for me, completing the ingredients I needed. Once I refine the pill and she takes it, she will become even stronger. Don’t worry.”

Qing Jiu tucked Yu’er’s hand back under the covers and said, “I understand. You should go back and rest first. There will be much to do tomorrow.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll stay here, just in case that person hasn’t given up and tries another sneak attack.”

“Alright. If anything happens, call for me.”

Mo Wen walked out of the room. Gong Shang happened to arrive. He was staying in the front courtyard, and having heard the bad news during the day, his mind was in disarray. Only when Qing Jiu raised her voice to call Mo Wen did he realize something was wrong and hurried over to check.

Mo Wen gently closed the door and explained the situation to Gong Shang. Their footsteps and voices were low and faint, gradually fading away, and the room became silent once again.

The candlelight flickered. Yu’er lay in bed, the shadows cast by the canopy spreading diagonally across her body, half enveloping her. Qing Jiu reached out her hand, gently touching Yu’er’s cheek, which was soft yet chillingly cold.

In the deep of the night, a sigh was heard.

The next day, because Qing Jiu mentioned an incident at the eastern morgue, and despite her reluctance to encounter Bai Sang, Mo Wen felt uneasy. Given the strange nature of the Gu worm found in Yu’er the previous night, she felt compelled to check the bodies for confirmation. After disguising herself, she headed to the eastern morgue.

Yang Chun came by around noon, bearing messages from Mo Wen.

The day before, the guards at the morgue had all been found dead; by the time someone heard the disturbance and checked, there was blood everywhere but no sign of the assailant. Mo Wen had secretly investigated and discovered that the guards had died from internal injuries, their organs shattered by force.

Qing Jiu was in deep thought when Yang Chun asked, “I heard that Miss Yu’er was also targeted last night. Who was the foolish one who had the audacity to do such a thing?”

Qing Jiu said, “The person wasn’t caught.”

Yang Chun, slightly surprised, didn’t probe further, only asking, “How is Miss Yu’er now?”

Qing Jiu said, “She’s fine.” Yu’er had already woken up but had no recollection of last night’s events. She was still a bit dizzy, so Qing Jiu had Gong Shang play the zither to soothe her, and she fell asleep again.

Yang Chun said, “Speaking of which, Manor Master Yan is so angry that he’s lost his senses. So many people have just died, and he wants to present the Fenghou Sword at a grand banquet today. Miss Qing Jiu, with so many things happening, who knows what those people in the shadows are scheming? Isn’t Manor Master Yan just asking for trouble by bringing out the  Fenghou Sword now? What if someone steals it?”

Qing Jiu laughed, “He’s not confused. He’s a man of righteousness and fears no evil.”

Yang Chun asked, “What do you mean?”

Qing Jiu said, “He’s trying to lure the snake out of its hole. The Mingjian Manor is in the open, while the assailant is in the shadows. No matter what the Mingjian Manor does, they are in a passive position. The longer it drags on, the worse it is for Mingjian Manor. It’s better to bring out the Fenghou Sword today. If the people in the shadows are after the sword, they will have no choice but to show themselves. Manor Master Yan Beili is looking for a direct confrontation.”

Yang Chun asked, “What if they’re not after the Fenghou Sword?”

Qing Jiu snorted coldly and said, “Even if they’re not after the sword, they will still show themselves.”

Yang Chun was puzzled, but Qing Jiu didn’t explain further. She said, “Yang Chun, go and call Brother Qi and Brother Hao. Then, join Hua Lian and Linzhi to attend today’s grand banquet.”

Yang Chun tucked his sleeves into his arms and joked, “Si Ming, I can’t help but feel this banquet seems like a trap. Look at me, so frail and delicate, hardly a gust of wind could knock me over…” At first, he thought the banquet was nothing special, but after Qing Jiu’s few words, he felt that the grand banquet was filled with undercurrents and dangers.

Qing Jiu laughed, “I saw you chase the Aihong Sword down into the Tomb of the King; how can you now be afraid of attending a grand banquet where the heroes gather to see the Fenghou Sword? Remember, the Fenghou Sword is even more powerful than the Aihong Sword. Besides, evil cannot prevail over good. With so many heroes present, what could possibly go wrong?”

Yang Chun wavered, but then he thought that with Hua Lian and Tang Linzhi there, even if something happened, he could always hide behind them. He patted his chest and declared generously, “Then this junior will risk his life to accompany you, my lady!”

With that, he went to the Ningqing Garden to call the others. Before long, Hao Yun and Qi Tianzhu arrived at the Qixian Palace. Yu’er had already woken up and was chatting with Qing Jiu in the courtyard to pass the time.

Qi Tianzhu was furious when he heard that Yu’er had been targeted. Hao Yun, with a zhanmadao slung over his shoulder, sat on the railing, holding a wine jug in one hand. He grinned and raised his chin at Yu’er, saying, “Sister Qing Jiu, did you call us here to be this little girl’s guardian deities?”

Qing Jiu made a mock bow towards Hao Yun and laughed, “Thank you for your trouble, Brother Hao.”

Hao Yun stroked his beard and laughed, “This is just a trivial matter, no need to be so formal with your Big Brother. It’s just a pity that I can’t go and take a look at the Fenghou Sword that Manor Master Yan is presenting today.”

Qing Jiu said, “Brother Hao, it’s better not to join in the excitement tonight.”

Hao Yun asked, “Why not?”

Qi Tianzhu brought out a chair for Yu’er, placed a soft cushion on it, and moved it under the sunlight for her to sit on.

Basking in the sunlight, Yu’er, hearing Qing Jiu’s remark, asked, “Qing Jiu, do you know something?”

“I don’t know,” Qing Jiu responded, “but by tonight, we will. Don’t worry about it. After tomorrow, we’ll leave.”

Yu’er was startled and asked, “Where are we going?”

They had been wandering from Yan Ling Mountain to Huxiao Mountain, without a permanent place to stay, essentially without a home. So when Qing Jiu mentioned going back, Yu’er wasn’t sure where that would be.

Qing Jiu said, “Back to Jiangnan, to the Qixian Palace. We’ll wait for your injuries to heal, and then we’ll…”

At this point, Qing Jiu paused for a moment. Yu’er continued, “And then we’ll go look for Meiren Gu?”

Qing Jiu smiled and said, “Yes.”