Chapter 118
The sudden turn of events caused everyone else to stop what they were doing and stand scattered in the rain.
Seeing that the man in black had been killed on the spot, the remaining men in black cursed a couple of times and quickly retreated and fled while the cultists were distracted.
The group rushed into the bamboo forest and fled in panic, but someone had already blocked their way on the path ahead.
Yin Qiu's hair was disheveled, and her soaked clothes were stained with thick blood. Her eyes were cold, and she raised her hand to summon Zhu Bing in the air. Without saying a word, she attacked the man in black head-on.
"Don't fight her!" shouted one of the men in black. "Run!"
But Zhu Bing had already swiftly crossed the rainy night and was right in front of them. Several people raised their swords to block, but were knocked to the ground by the cold killing intent emanating from Zhu Bing. Seeing this, the Ziwei Sect members behind them also rushed over. The crowd quickly surrounded the men in black.
Everything happened so fast that the men in black didn't have time to retreat. The cultists, swords in hand, closed in step by step, and Yin Qiu, sword in hand, came from the front as well. The men in black had no way out and could only stand back to back, looking left and right with serious expressions.
"Senior brother, why don't we make our move?" one of the men in black whispered. "If she doesn't die, we will!"
"Yes, Senior Brother! She's broken through the sword formation and is at her last gasp; she can't defeat us!"
"No!" shouted the man in black who had previously suggested not fighting Yin Qiu. "Our master made it very clear that we must not kill her. This is just to give Meng Wugui a warning. If Yin Qiu really dies, then everything will be over!"
"Are we just going to let others slaughter us?!"
"Whose life isn't a life? I don't want to die here!"
"Shut up! Didn't you see Ji Wanshu is here too? They're all going to die anyway!"
After his reminder, the others seemed to suddenly realize what was happening and turned their gazes toward the depths of the bamboo forest on the other side. The place was still the same as before. Ji Wanshu stood with his sword in hand, while Wen Chaoyu lay with his head tilted back. Although the two did not make any extra movements, it was clear that they were silently confronting each other. However, they knew very well that Ji Wanshu had arrived. Even if Yin Qiu was only holding on for a moment and might not be able to kill them, with Ji Wanshu there, they were doomed to die this time!
After a brief analysis, the outcome of their fate became clear to everyone.
When you're at your wit's end, even a god can't save you.
“In that case,” one of the men in black said, turning his longsword to face his own neck, “it’s better to entrust your life to yourself than to someone else!”
After saying this, he gritted his teeth and actually committed suicide in front of everyone.
The bright red blood splattered in the rain, seeming so insignificant. The man in black bit his lip, as if trying to preserve his last shred of dignity, without making a sound. He bent his knees and knelt down, then collapsed heavily into the mud pit.
Seeing this, the cultists standing around couldn't help but urge them on.
"You've got guts! You lot, why don't you do it yourselves!"
"You'll be a hero again in eighteen years. What kind of skill is it to bully a little girl? If you dare to commit suicide, I'll admire you as true men!"
"Stop struggling in vain! You've reached a dead end. Either commit suicide like him, or let us send you on your way!"
The ridicule and mockery were incredibly grating to their ears. Witnessing their companion commit suicide, the men in black were filled with rage and leaped up again, attempting to fight their way out.
However, the cultists would not give them that chance. Yin Qiu shouted, "Leave some alive!" and the cultists rushed forward to fight the black-clad men who were fighting like cornered beasts.
With the leader of the men in black dead and Ji Wanshu descending from the sky, the cultists, who were initially at a disadvantage, were now in high spirits. Their skills seemed to have improved in an instant, and they attacked together. After several rounds of fighting, they did not disappoint, causing the men in black to fall to the ground in a sorry state, coughing up blood and dying.
The swift rain swept across the land, quickly turning the warm body cold. Blood seeped out, congealing into a dark red mass, which was then washed away by the heavy rain and quickly seeped into the soil, leaving no trace.
In the bamboo forest, only one man in black remained standing in the same spot.
He didn't turn around or make any other move, but the commotion behind him already foreshadowed the fate of his companions. He watched Yin Qiu slowly approach and gently threw away the sword in his hand.
Then, he took the initiative to raise his hand and remove the black mask covering his face.
A handsome and familiar face suddenly came into view, and Yin Qiu froze, standing still in disbelief.
In an instant, countless images rushed in, like a fierce gust of wind, sweeping through Yin Qiu's mind.
"Junior Sister! Your kung fu is terrible. Let your senior brother demonstrate for you!"
"Oh dear, Uncle-Master was just kidding you! That candy is edible! How could you believe that?"
"My uncle deducted my money for drinks this month, so this is all I have left. I'm already being generous enough to buy you candy, and you still complain it's not enough!"
"I heard you're invincible on Tianyin Peak. Come on! It's been a while since we sparred. Let me, your senior brother, have a go at you!"
...
·
Her words echoed in her ears, and scenes of their past interactions flashed before her eyes. Yin Qiu's eyes widened, and she staggered two steps in the rain, her voice hoarse as she said, "You..."
“Junior Sister,” the young man in black smiled at Yin Qiu, his tone filled with bitterness and sorrow, “you may do it.”
His smile was the same as before, but in Yin Qiu's eyes, that familiar face seemed like a completely different person.
"Why..." At this moment, Yin Qiu was overwhelmed with shock, and after a long while, her eyes finally reddened. "Why?"
"Don't ask, I don't want to say, and I can't say," the young man's voice was gentle, and his eyes were still looking at Yin Qiu as if he were looking at a younger sister. "I have no regrets about dying at your hands, but I'm sorry to disappoint you. I won't tell you anything you want to know."
Tears fell silently, only to be swallowed by the cold rain in the next moment. Yin Qiu's face was deathly pale, and she could not speak.
Physical pain might be bearable, or one could grit their teeth and endure it, but seeing their senior brother, who had been by their side for many years, suddenly turn into a killer who was hostile to them, Yin Qiu found it hard to believe and accept. She clutched her chest and took two steps back, her hand holding Zhu Bing trembling violently.
“Actually, from the very beginning, we never intended to kill you,” a trace of sorrow flashed in the young man’s eyes. He turned his head away, as if he couldn’t bear to look at Yin Qiu’s current state. “You know, if we really wanted to kill you, we wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to set up the sword formation. We just wanted to trap you and then leave. But we really didn’t expect the Ziwei Sect to come, and Senior Sister Ji also came. These were all things we hadn’t anticipated. So, seriously injuring you this time was also unexpected.”
No wonder the man in black had kept his distance and refused to make a move; it turned out they never intended to kill Yin Qiu.
So who is that man in black?
Able to wield several longswords single-handedly, and also control a sword formation, Jingyue Peak's secret guards are all top talents in the palace, but only one person can do both.
"Senior Brother is dead," the young man forced a smile, "He died by your and Senior Sister Ji's swords, which is worth it. From the day you came to Jingyue Peak, we foresaw this day would come. That's why over the past few years, we... we've all treated you like a younger sister, cherishing you like a precious gem..."
The purpose is to make up for any mistakes that may be made in the future.
It turns out that their kindness towards her wasn't so pure; it was merely out of guilt. In fact, their past sincerity was actually concealing a hidden scheme.
Yin Qiu's face turned even paler, and her hands trembled even more violently.
She had no family or relatives since childhood. After meeting Man Jiangxue, she regarded Man Jiangxue as her only one. But after that, she met the secret guards of Jingyue Peak. They took great care of her and indulged her in everything. They spoiled her so much that she could have whatever she wanted. In the past few years, Yin Qiu really regarded them as her brothers and family members other than Man Jiangxue.
But tonight, she realized that it was all fake, everything was fake.
The wind and rain ravaged everyone's appearance, leaving them unrecognizable. People who had been together day and night underwent drastic changes in an instant. When they looked at each other, the distance between them seemed to be suddenly separated by blood, impossible to cross, and impossible to touch each other again.
"Who is it?" With the light gone from her eyes, Yin Qiu asked in a daze, "Who wants to kill me?"
The young man remained silent.
“Your initial purpose in lurking on Jingyue Peak was certainly not to deal with me,” Yin Qiu said. “The person you really wanted to keep an eye on was actually your martial uncle, wasn’t he?”
The young man looked conflicted: "Xiao Qiu, don't ask anymore..."
"Are you in cahoots with that piper?" Yin Qiu pressed. "Who is he? Why isn't he here?"
"The piper?" the young man asked, puzzled. "...What piper?"
He didn't know?
Connecting Afu and Meng Wugui, Yin Qiu was completely convinced that, besides the flute player, there really was someone else who wanted to deal with her!
Yin Qiu tried her best to calm her restless emotions, and walked a little closer to the young man, questioning him: "Who do you work for? What exactly does the person behind you want? I can spare your life, as long as you tell me the truth, I can let you go, I promise you."
The young man paused for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled: "Even if you let me go, I won't live. I have family, and they know nothing about me. I can't implicate them. Just kill me and give me a quick death."
"Then who will give me a quick death!" Yin Qiu finally couldn't help but raise her voice, crying out in grief, "You followed me all the way from the palace to Wei City, simply because Meng Wugui spread news about my mother. You're so anxious that you're using my safety to blackmail Meng Wugui into not causing trouble, which means Meng Wugui must know some unspeakable secret! And once that secret is made public, it will be extremely detrimental to the people behind you. But you can't really kill me, because if I die, Meng Wugui will definitely break ties with you completely! At that time, the people behind you will reveal their true colors and be in the eye of the storm!"
The young man stared at Yin Qiu in astonishment.
"Stop talking...stop talking..."
Yin Qiu raised her hand and forcefully wiped away the tears on her face. She released Zhu Bing, grabbed the young man's collar, looked into his eyes and said, "Back then, during the Ruyi Gate Incident, were you involved? You know where my mother is, don't you?"
"No, I don't know..." The young man retreated hastily, not daring to look at Yin Qiu again, "I really don't know..."
"You must know!" Yin Qiu gripped him tightly and continued, "Even if my mother was weak after giving birth to me, her martial arts were so good. She was the chief disciple of Yunhua Palace. She wouldn't fall so easily! Besides, Ruyi Sect was the most prestigious sect besides Yunhua Palace back then. Even if my father was there to tip off the Ziwei Sect, Nangong Min still wouldn't have been able to wipe out the entire Shen family so easily! It was you, it was you and that person who secretly tampered with things and helped the Ziwei Sect. It was you who killed all my family members, and now you want to kill me!"
"No, that's not how it is..." The young man gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently, his face contorted with pain. "We didn't help the Ziwei Sect. The Ruyi Gate incident was orchestrated by Yin Xuan and Nangong Min from beginning to end. My master... he can only be said to have reaped the benefits, he wasn't the real mastermind!"
Yin Qiu smiled sadly and said dejectedly, "But he also fueled the fire and committed crimes. The Shen family massacre is inextricably linked to you. Otherwise, why would he have gone to such lengths to deal with me more than ten years later, and why would he have done everything he could to silence Meng Wugui?" At this point, she thought of the voice that had guided her when she broke the formation, "Is my mother really still alive? Is she... already dead? Perhaps my mother was killed by the people you worked for. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so eager to call you over to stop them after hearing the news that my mother was in Weicheng."
After speaking, Yin Qiu paused for a moment before continuing, "Unfortunately, you ultimately failed. You intended to kill me in secret, but Meng Wugui used a 'lure out' tactic. She probably knew you didn't have the guts to kill me directly, so she only sent Afu to help me, also in order to successfully lure you out. Although many people died tonight, you still failed in the end. And if the person behind you finds out, he probably won't be able to sit still."
The young man's eyes were bloodshot, and his arms hung limply at his sides: "Xiao Qiu..."
Yin Qiu felt a chill in her heart. She recalled that unfamiliar yet gentle voice, and how it repeatedly told her: Don't be afraid.
Child, don't be afraid.
"But I'm so scared..." Tears welled up, and Yin Qiu choked back sobs. "I'm not afraid of getting into trouble myself, but I'm so afraid that something will happen to my martial aunt. You've been watching her at Jingyue Peak for so many years. What are you trying to do? My martial aunt is a good person. Don't you know that?"
The young man closed his eyes and murmured, "I know, of course I know..."
Yin Qiu looked at him in despair, tears streaming down her face: "I only have my martial aunt left, I only have her left..."
The wind and rain howled, and the world was battered and bruised by the storm. Yin Qiu's knuckles turned white as she clutched the young man's clothes tightly. She lowered her head and burst into tears.
A moment later, the cold rain that my fingertips touched suddenly became warm.
The warm, sticky liquid was unlike ordinary rainwater, nor was it tears. Yin Qiu opened her swollen eyes and saw bloodstains spreading across the fabric in her hands.
She paused for a moment, then slowly raised her head. The young man looked down at her, his complex gaze containing countless emotions, but most of all, it was guilt and tenderness.
Blood gushed from his mouth and nose, flowing down with the rain and onto Yin Qiu's hand. Yin Qiu stared blankly at him, then heard the young man say, "Before I die, the only thing I can remind you is that, apart from your martial uncle, don't trust anyone, especially Meng Wugui."
“You are very smart. Some of what you said earlier is true, and some I don’t even know. When the Ruyi Gate incident happened, I was still young and had not yet become who I am today, so there are many things I wanted to tell you, but I was powerless to do so.”
"But there's one thing you need to understand. Since Meng Wugui knows that secret, why didn't she tell you? If she was worried about being retaliated against, she shouldn't have released the news about Uncle Shen, nor should she have orchestrated everything tonight. This shows that she's not afraid of anyone at all; she's carrying out her own plans. But the Nine Immortals Hall is so low-key and mysterious that we know very little about Meng Wugui's background and life. She's the most dangerous person. Actually, if she had just behaved herself, my master wouldn't have harmed you. If he wanted to kill you, he would have done it more than ten years ago. He would never have let you live to this day. But Meng Wugui insists on stirring up trouble. She doesn't care about your safety. What is she planning to do?"
Yin Qiu heard everything he said, but her face remained expressionless. She simply raised her hand and wiped the blood from the young man's bleeding lower face.
"On the surface, she helped you once five years ago and again five years later, but she avoids you as if she's deliberately avoiding you. What is she avoiding?" The young man's voice grew weaker as he spoke. "And then there's Wen Chaoyu. She's a member of the Ziwei Sect. She has no right to help you. Who told her about tonight's events? It's impossible for Meng Wugui; she has no dealings with Wen Chaoyu and couldn't persuade her. But if Meng Wugui really did invite Wen Chaoyu, then you need to think again. There's no such thing as a free lunch. What benefits did Meng Wugui promise Wen Chaoyu for coming?"
"If it was someone else who invited Wen Chaoyu, then who was that person? What was their purpose? What exactly happened at Ruyi Sect back then, and does Wen Chaoyu know about it? She was lying in ambush at Yunhua Palace, so why did she suddenly expose herself and return to Ziwei Sect?"
Yin Qiu looked bewildered, and her hands gradually stopped moving.
The young man reached out and gently stroked Yin Qiu's head. He smiled and said, "Xiao Qiu, I can't help you with these mysteries. I've told you everything I could, except what I couldn't say. The rest you'll have to figure out for yourself." He closed his eyes, and his body began to sway. "And...and also, senior brother...senior brother is sorry..."
·
Her clothes slipped from her hands, and more blood flowed onto the back of her hand. The figure in front of her fell to the ground, splashing up a large amount of water and mud, which slapped heavily against the hem of Yin Qiu's skirt.
She stood numbly in the rain, her stiff hand raised, staring blankly at the person on the ground coughing up blood.
Yin Qiu called out, "Senior Brother..."
No one answered.
All that answered her was the endless cold wind and the incessant, weeping cold rain.
Yin Qiu was in a daze, her tears had dried up. She bent down and touched the young man's chest, where there was no heartbeat.
The believers standing around witnessed the whole thing, but the torrential rain was too loud, and they didn't hear much of the conversation between Yin Qiu and the young man. But when they saw the young man suddenly collapse to the ground, one of the believers walked to Yin Qiu's side, looked at him, and said with an ambiguous expression, "He severed his own heart meridian. He's beyond saving. Just who are these people?"
Yin Qiu did not answer.
Perhaps noticing her dazed state and somewhat blank expression, the cultist sighed and instructed his subordinates, "They're all dead. There's no need to fight anymore. Where is the protector... protector?"
The group looked towards the other end of the bamboo forest, only to find that Ji Wanshu and Wen Chaoyu were no longer there.
Xue Tan suddenly appeared out of nowhere and shouted, "The Protector has been captured! Let's run!"
"Arrested?!"
The believers' expressions changed drastically at first, but then they calmed down.
Having seen Ji Wanshu's icy demeanor earlier, the cultists consciously ignored Wen Chaoyu. Seeing that Yin Qiu had stopped the men in black, they all rushed over to help. Now that they heard that Wen Chaoyu had been arrested, who else but Ji Wanshu would do such a thing?
Without hesitation, the followers dragged their weary bodies and fled out of the bamboo forest. Only Xue Tan said to Yin Qiu before they left, "Little sister! Miss Ji had a fight with my protector and didn't have time to take care of you before. Don't worry, she will come to find you with my protector soon!"
After saying that, he didn't have time to care about Yin Qiu's reaction. He ran out with a limp. Several believers found him alone and hurriedly turned back to catch Xue Tan, supporting him by the arm and carrying him away.
The figures left one after another, leaving only Yin Qiu and the young man's quickly cooling corpse in the vast bamboo forest.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and it hurt when it hit my skin.
It hurts so much...
Exhausted, Yin Qiu collapsed to the ground. She looked at the young man's face, which had turned ashen in an instant, then looked up at the dense, chaotic rain and the bamboo branches swaying in the air.
The night sky remained deep and dark, filled with clouds. The hour of Yin (3-5 AM) had long passed, yet the sky was still slow to brighten.
Zhu Bing continued to emit a strong light on the ground, and the light reflected on Yin Qiu, making her eyebrows and eyes look particularly dark.
She sat there blankly for a long time, or perhaps not long at all. Her eyes stung, and she could no longer shed tears. In this moment of relaxation, all the pain she had endured that night came rushing back in an instant. Those immense pains were like sharp swords, mercilessly stabbing her body, making it hard for her to breathe.
Afu was awakened by the rain in the woods on the other side. She took a deep breath, jumped up with a jolt, and stared in astonishment at the empty bamboo forest.
What happened?!
Where are they?!
"Yin Qiu... Yin Qiu!" Afu shouted, hurriedly using her lightness skill to search around, "Yin Qiu! Where have you all gone!"
After a while, her gaze was finally drawn to Zhu Bing's radiance.
Yin Qiu sat there all alone.
"What happened?" Afu, carrying her bow, quickly flew towards Yin Qiu, looking around blankly. "I was only dizzy for a moment, how come I woke up and you're all alone!"
Yin Qiu's lost thoughts were finally pulled back somewhat. She moved her gaze to look at Afu and said softly, "Dead."
Seeing her miserable appearance, Afu's expression changed, and she asked, "Who...who died? Where is Wen Chaoyu?"
“They’re all dead,” Yin Qiu picked up Zhu Bing and stood up very slowly. “They’re all dead…”
Afu stared in disbelief and exclaimed, "They're all dead? Wen Chaoyu is dead too?!"
Completely bewildered, she looked around and, sure enough, couldn't find Wen Chaoyu. Then she saw Yin Qiu staggering towards the edge of the bamboo forest, so she quickly followed her and asked, "Where are you going?"
Yin Qiu sheathed Zhu Bing into a dagger and hung it at her waist. She did not answer Afu's question, but dragged her tired body to the outer edge of the bamboo forest.
There was a body lying there.
Yin Qiu walked forward expressionlessly, bent down and tore off the black veil covering the corpse.
Afu peeked out from behind her and asked in surprise, "He's dead too? Who killed him? Did you know him?"
Yin Qiu remained silent for a long time before saying, "I know him."
Who is it?
"Senior Brother."
"Senior Brother?" Afu asked in surprise, "Is he from your Yunhua Palace?"
Yin Qiu hummed in agreement and said, "My senior brother is very good to me. He bought me lots of candy behind my uncle's back. The Purple Sound Heart Sutra is very difficult to learn, and it was my senior brother who secretly read the manual behind my uncle's back and taught me move by move..."
Looking at her profile, Afu suddenly found herself at a loss for words. She wasn't good at comforting people, so she asked haphazardly, "Oh... teaching you kung fu is a good thing, so why did he have to peek at the manual?"
Yin Qiu was silent for a moment, then said, "Because only the senior disciples of each peak can learn the Purple Sound Heart Sutra, and he is not one of them."
Afu felt a little uncomfortable. She rubbed her hands together, wanting to hug Yin Qiu, but then hesitated to touch her. Afu could only scratch her face and ask, "Oh...and who are you?"
Yin Qiu said, "Neither do I."
Just as Afu was about to ask again, "Then how can you learn it?", Yin Qiu took another step.
"Don't follow me," Yin Qiu pushed Afu without turning her head, "You can go now."
Afu watched her staggering figure, a turmoil stirring within her. She sighed, "How can I feel at ease if I don't follow you around like this..."
Yin Qiu suddenly stopped in her tracks, and said without turning her head, "Fu Xiang is your senior sister, right?"
Afu was stunned when she heard this.
She stood frozen in terror, speechless for a moment. The rain continued to fall, but at that moment she broke out in a cold sweat.
"Don't follow me." Yin Qiu gradually walked away.
Afu felt as if her feet were rooted to the ground, unable to move an inch. She was shocked and flustered, and was at a loss for what to do after being frightened by Yin Qiu's words. She could only stare blankly as Yin Qiu's thin figure got further and further away from her.
The ground was covered in water, making it difficult to walk. Yin Qiu slipped and fell in the mud. She used Zhu Bing to help her get up, but quickly fell back down.
She simply didn't have the strength to get up.
The surroundings were still filled with the noise of rain, and the world was still as noisy and chaotic as ever, but Yin Qiu knelt on the ground, her heart at peace.
She wasn't thinking about anything, she just felt so tired and wanted to close her eyes and take a nap.
The torrential rain battered and drenched people. Yin Qiu tilted her head back and fell backward, finally closing her aching eyes.
The icy rain poured down on her, almost soaking her completely, but the next moment, the rain seemed to stop. Although the sound of rain continued around her, only a few raindrops fell on her face, and the previous urgency was gone.
Someone approached her silently, and then a pair of hands, still warm, reached out and pulled her tightly into their arms.
She tried to open her eyes to see, but Yin Qiu's eyelids were too heavy to lift. She could only curl up weakly in that person's arms, hearing his hoarse voice say in her ear, "I'm late... I'm late again..."
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