Chapter 89 Massacre of the City
Ji Shi brought Chu Jianshan back to Changjin Mountain. On the way, Ji Shi asked him his name, but Chu Jianshan couldn't come up with one, so he just gave him a random name.
“Um… Immortal Master,” Chu Jianshan called out to Ji Shi, who was about to leave, “has that Venerable Master of Linyi Sect really done a lot of evil deeds over the years?”
Ji Shi asked with some doubt: "Aren't you from Linyi Gate? Shouldn't you know more about this than I do?"
Chu Jianshan was stunned, not understanding why Ji Shi was so certain that he was a member of Linyi Sect. But then he thought that Ji Shi had been acting as the head of Changjin Mountain for so long, he must have memorized what everyone looked like.
"I... I'm just a handyman," Chu Jianshan offered an excuse: "We don't dare to inquire too much about what's going on upstairs."
Ji Shi lowered his eyes and remained silent for a while: "He is indeed utterly wicked."
Chu Jianshan hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?"
Ji Shi sighed and said, "After that battle, Linyi Sect was severely weakened, but because they had the power of the Demon Clan, other sects dared not provoke them. Originally, the two sides could have maintained peace for several decades by coexisting peacefully, but Cheng Yuan used some unknown method to greatly increase the strength of the Demon Clan, and they became completely obedient to them. In just two years, before the sects could recover, countless people were killed or injured. Linyi Sect is now even more powerful than before."
"This is troublesome..." Chu Jianshan frowned.
Ji Shi: "What did you say?"
"Ah...no, no!" Chu Jianshan changed the subject, asking, "Given Linyi Gate's actions, doesn't Changjin Mountain...have any plans?"
Mentioning this, Ji Shi frowned even more deeply. "With Sect Leader Jiang retiring behind the scenes and the elders either dead or injured, Changjin Mountain is no longer what it used to be."
"So today you still..." Chu Jianshan paused for a moment, "...still want to go to Linyi Gate to snatch the corpse."
Ji Shi: "The body of Immortal Chu must not fall into his hands under any circumstances, no matter what..." Ji Shi was so angry that he couldn't speak: "Let him humiliate it like this!"
Thinking of that scene, Chu Jianshan closed his eyes again, regretting that he hadn't brought it up.
Ji Shi snorted: "Even if my Changjin Mountain falls into ruin, I will risk my life to bring Chu Jianshan home."
Chu Jianshan looked at Ji Shi with a glint in his eyes, deeply moved. It seemed that time could indeed change a person. Ji Shi used to be the most afraid of death, but now he was like this, and he didn't know if it was a good thing or not.
Ji Shi said that since he had openly rebelled, Linyi Gate would definitely not tolerate him. He was told to stay in Changjin Mountain in peace, and that he would be given travel expenses when he wanted to go home in the future.
Chu Jianshan agreed, secretly amused. Ji Shi was still the same Ji Shi, much more mature now, but still so sincere and trusting. He didn't know how to be wary of people.
He couldn't stay at the Sleepless Abode, so he could only sneak a peek when there were fewer people around.
The doors were tightly shut. My older sister was gone, and I suppose Ji Shi didn't have time to clean up. The yard was overgrown with weeds, and there wasn't even a place to stand.
Chu Jianshan suddenly heard Chu Qinglan's voice in his mind.
"When you were born, your mother had someone tell her fortune..."
"That old Taoist priest was all pretentious, insisting that you were a cursed loner, destined to have no family to accompany you in your old age. Bah! He's the one who's a cursed loner!"
"After hearing this, guess what Mother did?" Chu Qinglan smiled and tapped his nose. "He grabbed a big stick and beat the man out. I've never seen him act so wildly before! So, don't believe that old man's words. It's just servants gossiping."
After the Chu family's misfortune, they went into hiding. Chu Qingyuan also fell ill many times and couldn't remember most things, only the feeling of being in his older sister's arms.
Back then, there was no money for medical treatment, so Chu Qinglan could only hold him and cry as she coaxed him to sleep.
He often heard his older sister muttering, "I'm not a cursed loner, I'm still here for you, I'll be with you for the rest of my life!"
"Ah Yuan... will also spend his whole life with his sister." He struggled to say this.
Chu Qinglan cried and laughed, laughed and cried, and in the end she could only nod repeatedly, saying, "Okay, okay."
The memory remained there. Chu Jianshan looked down at the weeds, which were blown about haphazardly by the wind and floated aimlessly.
Ironically, fate seems to enjoy playing tricks on those who don't believe in it.
For several days, Linyi Gate remained inactive, leaving Chu Jianshan completely baffled. The corpses had been stolen, yet Cheng Yuan remained unmoved, which was unlike his usual self.
But it's better not to stay put; he can use this time to see Ah Sheng.
Fanghua Pavilion used to be planted with Jiang Rusheng's favorite flowers, and their fragrance could be smelled from afar. But now, when he arrived at the gate, he only saw a desolate garden.
Chu Jianshan's heart skipped a beat, and he stopped in his tracks.
Given Ah Sheng's intelligence, it's impossible that his death wouldn't arouse her suspicion. If she suspects Jiang Yan, given Jiang Yan's style, she might very well kill her own son to eliminate any future troubles.
"Who goes there!" someone called out from behind.
Chu Jianshan turned his head and saw an old acquaintance.
"Greetings, Immortal Master." He bowed to the visitor.
"Are you from Changjin Mountain?" Li Xi stared at his face, slightly taken aback.
Chu Jianshan lowered his head slightly and replied, "It wasn't before; it was Immortal Master Ji who brought me back."
When Ji Shi was mentioned, Li Xi didn't react much, only saying, "I have no right to interfere with his decision. If you want to stay, then stay."
"Thank you, Immortal Master," Chu Jianshan straightened up, showing no intention of leaving, and seized the opportunity to ask, "May I ask, Immortal Master, why are you not planting any flowers in this fine garden, thus wasting such good land?"
Li Xi sighed, "It used to exist, but later no one took care of it, and it gradually fell into disrepair."
"Oh?" Chu Jianshan asked in confusion, "Why is no one taking care of it? Where is the owner of the garden?"
Li Xi frowned as she looked at him: "Why are you asking such detailed questions?"
Chu Jianshan lowered his head: "Please forgive me, Immortal Master. My family is just a gardener, so seeing this scene, I couldn't help but ask a few more questions."
Li Xi was silent for a moment, then said, "That garden is not a place you can approach. It's surrounded by guards. You should leave quickly."
Li Xi turned and left, but Chu Jianshan remained standing there.
He breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that Fanghua Pavilion was still guarded meant that at least Asheng was still there.
Those guards must have been on duty for a long time, as they looked exhausted. Taking advantage of their shift change, Chu Jianshan climbed in through the back window.
Upon entering, the air was filled with the stench of blood.
It was too dark inside, so Chu Jianshan could only grope his way forward step by step, calling softly, "Young Master...?"
"Who goes there..." A hoarse voice rang out. Chu Jianshan turned around and saw the person chained up and covered in wounds.
He took out a tinderbox he always carried with him, and with trembling hands lit the candle. When he saw the person in front of him clearly, Chu Jianshan couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
He suppressed his overwhelming hatred and gently brushed the hair away from Jiang Rusheng's face.
Jiang Rusheng slowly raised her head. The candlelight flickered in her eyes, and it took her a while to see the person in front of her clearly.
Almost instantly, his eyes widened, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "Uncle?"
Chu Jianshan's throat tightened, and he didn't respond. After a while, he said, "Young Master has mistaken me for someone else. I am not Immortal Venerable Chu."
The light in Jiang Rusheng's eyes dimmed, and she said, "I was wrong."
Chu Jianshan tried to pull on the iron chains binding her hands, but they wouldn't budge.
“It’s no use,” Jiang Rusheng sighed. “I’ve tried this thing. It can’t be opened with a key, and you don’t have much spiritual power anyway. Don’t hurt yourself.”
Chu Jianshan withdrew his hand and asked her, "Was it the sect leader who imprisoned you?"
Jiang Rusheng didn't intend to hide it and nodded, "Yes."
"Who has the key? I'll go steal it." Chu Jianshan didn't realize that he was getting a little agitated.
Jiang Rusheng was stunned for a moment, then asked him, "Why did you save me?"
"I..." Chu Jianshan was speechless for a moment, "I just can't stand that beast in human form imprisoning his own daughter."
Jiang Rusheng lowered her eyes, "There are many unexpected things in this world."
Chu Jianshan asked, "Ji Shi... what about Immortal Master Ji? Won't he save you?"
Jiang Rusheng gave a bitter smile. "That fool thought I hated him and didn't want to see him. Later, Jiang Yan said he would take me to the mountain spring to recuperate, and he never mentioned seeing me again."
She looked up at Chu Jianshan and asked him, "Do you really want to save me?"
Chu Jianshan nodded without hesitation: "Yes!"
"That's settled then. You can pass on my message."
Chu Jianshan: "For whom?"
Jiang Rusheng: "Bai Qianfan, a junior advisor to Emperor Xuanzong."
After Chu Jianshan left, Li Xi, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally appeared.
Jiang Rusheng didn't look at him, but instead looked in the direction Chu Jianshan had left, and said, "I owe you a thank you."
Li Xi was silent for a moment, then said, "It's something I owe you."
Jiang Rusheng turned to look at her: "Once he leaves, there's no turning back for you."
Li Xi raised her eyes: "I've long since run out of options."
...
Three days later, at Guiyan Hall.
Inside the hall, everyone was discussing matters when a person rushed in through the door. Chu Jianshan noticed something was wrong and followed him.
"Big...Senior Brother!" The man almost tripped over the threshold, stumbled and ran to Ji Shi, panting heavily.
Ji Shi frowned and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"
"Qingyao...Qingyao City has been massacred!"
Everyone present fell silent.
"Who did this!" someone in the crowd shouted angrily.
"Is there even a need to ask?" Li Xi said calmly, "Who else besides Linyi Gate has such abilities?"
"Aren't they...aren't these lunatics afraid of divine retribution?!"
Li Xi sneered, "You know perfectly well that no one can do anything to them except for the will of Heaven."
Ji Shi, suppressing a trembling voice, asked, "How many people were slaughtered?"
The disciple reported: "Nearly half, all the able-bodied men have been slaughtered, leaving only the elderly, women and children in the city. They even said... that they will come back in three days to kill the other half of the people in the city."
Ji Shi asked, "Then... what about Lord Lin?"
"The city lord was seriously injured and is currently recuperating at the Lin residence."
Ji Shi slowly exhaled, but his brows remained furrowed.
“Disregarding the laws of Heaven, they truly deserve to be punished.” Jiang Yan’s voice came from the doorway.
Upon seeing Jiang Yan return, Ji Shi was initially shocked, but then rushed over as if he had instantly found his pillar of support.
"Master!"
Jiang Yan smiled and patted his shoulder, telling him, "You've had a tough time these past few days."
Ji Shi shook his head: "It's all within a disciple's duty."
Jiang Yan didn't mince words and directly gave the order to everyone, "We can't wait three days. Gather the sect members today and do everything we can to protect the remaining people of Qingyao City."
The crowd replied, "Yes!"
“Ji Shi,” Jiang Yan turned to look at him, “you take a group of people first. I need to gather all the disciples of Changjin Mountain and meet them on the third day. Qingyao City is in your hands.”
Ji Shi subconsciously doubted himself, but faced with this situation, he had no choice but to accept it. So he bowed to Jiang Yan, raised his hand, and solemnly said, "This disciple guarantees that as long as the city stands, I will stand with you."
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