A Glimpse into the Hundred Faces (27)
“But Master, we still haven’t caught Lu Jiu…” Yun Yanqiu looked puzzled, not understanding why Li Zhoubai was urging him to leave at this critical juncture.
“It’s alright, I’ll force him out.” Li Zhoubai raised his eyes, his gaze turning cold. He drove Yun Yanqiu away in an almost commanding tone. Yun Yanqiu was unwilling, but had no choice but to obey.
Yun Yanqiu bid farewell to Li Zhoubai and went to Jinzhou to pick up Qingbaique. However, when he arrived in Yuancheng, Qi Rongting told him that Yingying had already been taken away by Zhao Huairen.
"He didn't leave any message about where he went?" Yun Yanqiu raised an eyebrow, quite surprised by the news.
However, Qi Rongting could only helplessly shrug: "Brother Zhao said he was going to take the child who escaped from the den of demons to find his relatives. But I don't know exactly where they are."
Yun Yanqiu was speechless, feeling a sense of frustration, as if he had shot himself in the foot. He was the one who had stopped Qi Rongting from leaving Yingying, and now Zhao Huai Ren had disappeared with Yingying, leaving Yun Yanqiu with no choice but to suffer in silence.
Staying in Yuancheng wouldn't necessarily guarantee that they'd see Zhao Huai Ren again, so Yun Yanqiu decided after much deliberation to return to Ganzhou first.
Seeing him about to leave, Qi Rongting couldn't contain his curiosity and chased after him, asking, "Brother Yanqiu, how is Senior Qin's matter...?"
Yun Yanqiu paused, her expression complex as she lowered her eyes: "Lu Jiuzhong hasn't been caught yet, but Master won't let me continue helping..."
"This..." Qi Rongting was completely confused and could only comfort him by saying, "Maybe he thinks it's too dangerous and wants you to stay away from him."
"Perhaps..." Yun Yanqiu couldn't figure out what Li Zhoubai meant, and a sense of disappointment welled up in her heart again.
"Brother, don't overthink it. Just think of it as going back to rest for a while. Maybe Senior Li will catch the murderer in a few days?" Qi Rongting encouraged him. "By the way, you haven't met your little niece yet, have you? She's so cute, you'll definitely like her when you meet her!"
"niece?"
"Yes, my sister-in-law gave birth last autumn equinox. We originally wanted to invite you back for the full moon celebration, but unfortunately we couldn't get in touch with you at that time."
Last autumn, he was following his master everywhere in search of the whereabouts of the Puppet Sect... Yun Yanqiu lowered his eyes and remained silent.
"We haven't even chosen a name for the baby yet. My sister-in-law and the others said we have to wait until you get back." Qi Rongting couldn't help but smile as he said this. "Since you're going back this time, why don't you help your little niece come up with some ideas?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Yanqiu was stunned, a subtle feeling stirring within him. It was similar to the feeling he had when he learned of Yun Yuxi's pregnancy, yet somehow different. He said nothing more and boarded the carriage home. The journey was bumpy, and he didn't return to the winery until late at night.
There was no wind tonight. He saw that the gate was tightly shut, and the red lantern hanging above the gate was suspended motionless in the air, with only moths fluttering their wings and dancing around the lantern. Yun Yanqiu stood at the door, his gaze fixed on the flickering flame inside the lantern, and pursed his lips.
He suddenly felt a little timid, unsure how to face the newborn child in his family.
To be honest, even now, Yun Yanqiu still doesn't really feel like he's become an uncle. He hesitated for a while before finally deciding to go up and knock on the door.
The moment he touched the door knocker, a barely perceptible wisp of demonic energy brushed past his fingertips. Yun Yanqiu's heart skipped a beat. He pushed open the door forcefully, looking around. The house was quiet, filled with the familiar, rich, and intense aroma of wine. He strode into the backyard. Moonlight followed Yun Yanqiu's figure to the ground, where bamboo racks for drying wine were neatly arranged. Dozens of wine jars stood quietly in the corner, the red cloth covering their mouths faintly covered with a layer of dust. Everything seemed normal.
Yun Yanqiu continued walking in, his footsteps particularly clear in the silent night. He walked faster and faster, passing through a long corridor without seeing a single light.
This shouldn't be happening. Yun Yanqiu's unease grew stronger. He rushed to his parents' courtyard, shouting, "Father! Mother!"
There was no response. He rushed into the room and found two raised figures lying on the bed. Yun Yanqiu rushed forward and turned the people on the bed over. The moment he saw their faces, he was suddenly stunned—the people lying on the bed were his parents. The two old people were breathing evenly and looked relaxed, as if they were sleeping peacefully.
Perhaps his voice was too loud. The two elderly people were light sleepers, and the shout made them frown and slowly open their eyes.
"What's going on so late at night?" Yunmu grumbled, then rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Old man, get up and check..."
As she spoke, she suddenly caught sight of a dark figure standing by the bed. The moonlight shone on the figure, outlining Yun Yanqiu's tense expression.
"Ayan?" Yunmu's eyes widened in surprise. Yunfu, who was beside her, also sat up in surprise: "Why are you back?"
"Father, Mother...you're alright..." Yun Yanqiu breathed a sigh of relief.
"What could possibly be wrong with us?" Yunmu said reproachfully, but her eyes still showed joy. "What's wrong? Have you run into some trouble? Tell your parents."
"It's nothing, it's nothing..." Yun Yanqiu said as she retreated to the door. "It's good that you're all alright. Get some rest."
Just as he was about to close the door and leave, Yunmu suddenly called out to him, "Don't rush off. Your friend has lent you his yard to rest in. Why don't you just stay here with us tonight?"
Yun Yanqiu paused, "Friends? What friends?"
"Who else could it be? It's none other than Master Lu—"
The words "Master Lu" floated lightly into Yun Yanqiu's ears, and her heart, which had just settled down, suddenly tightened.
"This Master Lu is much more approachable than Master Li."
“Your sister is always busy with all the things, and he's the one who keeps us company and chats with us.”
"He can also play leaf-playing games, and he's quite good at it."
"I never knew you had such a friend. Why didn't you bring him home sooner?"
"You mean Master Lu, he..." Buzz—
Yunmu's mouth opened and closed, and every word she uttered sent chills down Yun Yanqiu's spine. He froze on the spot, the buzzing in his head growing louder and louder, until it completely engulfed everything around him.
Lu Jiu finally came looking for us? When? How long has he been at our house? What did he do to my parents? Does that mean he's...?
Yun Yanqiu was terrified, and even her hands and feet turned ice-cold.
No, he couldn't let Lu Jiuzhong run rampant in his house! He suddenly realized this and immediately drew his sword.
"Ayan, what are you doing?!"
Yunmu's scream pierced the night sky. Yun Yanqiu rushed out of the house without looking back, but suddenly stopped in the courtyard.
The cold moonlight poured down, illuminating a tall, slender figure in the courtyard. The person slowly raised their head, revealing an almost demonic face—pale as paper against crimson lips, a wicked smile playing at the corners. Their phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, a bloodlust swirling within them, as they gazed at the sword in Yun Yanqiu's hand with a half-smile, showing no fear, only a deeper, more alluring smile that chilled the heart.
"Is this how you treat your friends?" Lu Jiu sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Lu Jiuzhong!" Yun Yanqiu roared, his sword pointing directly at his opponent. But as soon as he moved, a sudden weight pressed down on his waist. He turned sharply and saw his mother clutching his robes tightly, almost prostrate on the ground. Her eyes were empty and lifeless, all the luster from before gone. Her bare feet dragged across the rough ground, leaving several glaring streaks of blood.
Yun Yanqiu's heart trembled violently, and he dared not move again. He glared at Lu Jiuzhong, his voice almost tearing apart: "What did you do to my mother!"
"Heh." Lu Jiu finally took out an exquisite dagger from his sleeve. He removed the sheath, and the sharp blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight. "The two elders are truly blessed. Although they are mortals, they have both a son and a daughter, a harmonious family, and their business is thriving. They are also enjoying their retirement in this beautiful place with green mountains and clear waters..." His fingertips swept across the blade, and the smooth surface reflected his scarlet eyes. "It's truly enviable."
Before he finished speaking, Yun's father had already walked slowly to Lu Jiu's side, his expression blank, his eyes empty, like a walking corpse.
"Father!" Yun Yanqiu screamed, only to be met with Lu Jiuzhong's even more rampant and sinister laughter.
The demonic cultivator casually raised his hand, as if to swing it towards Yun's father's neck.
"Stop—!" Yun Yanqiu's eyes widened in fury as she hurled her longsword with all her might. The blade pierced the air, but Lu Jiuzhong effortlessly sidestepped it, only slicing off half of his sleeve. The longsword embedded itself deeply in the wooden pillar, trembling violently.
The next moment, blood splattered.
Yun's father fell to the ground silently, a shocking scarlet line appearing on his neck.
"Lu Jiuzhong! I'm going to kill you—!!"
Yun Yanqiu struggled frantically, but Yunmu's hands gripped his waist like iron clamps. The more he struggled, the deeper her nails dug, tearing his flesh, and blood trickled down his robes.
"Don't rush, it's not over yet." Lu Jiu smiled sinisterly, then turned around and slowly drew the longsword from the pillar, his fingertips lightly tracing the blade. "It's truly a fine sword, it must be quick to kill." He casually twirled the sword, his scarlet eyes surging with killing intent. "You used this to kill Yin'er back then, didn't you?"
"Yes!" Yun Yanqiu gritted her teeth, her eyes wide with anger. "She deserves to die! You deserve it too!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Jiu's gaze darkened. His smile vanished, and the surging violence in his eyes became almost tangible: "How come the words coming out of your mouth are exactly the same as those of that bitch Qin Wenshuang?"
Yun Yanqiu stared intently at him, her words dripping with anguish: "I truly regret not killing her sooner. I should have torn her to pieces back then!"
"court death--!"
Lu Jiuzhong's demonic energy suddenly surged violently. He slashed out with his sword, and Yun Yanqiu had no time to react. His chest was already torn open, and blood gushed out! At the same time, the shackles around his waist suddenly disappeared. Yun Yanqiu lost his balance and staggered to his knees. The excruciating pain almost tore his mind apart.
"Surprised?" Lu Jiu looked down at him, the tip of his sword lifting his chin. "I taught Li Zhoubai his swordsmanship." The blade pressed against his Adam's apple, inch by inch digging into his flesh. "How could he take in such a piece of trash like you?"
"Ugh—!!"
The sword suddenly pierced through Yun Yanqiu's left shoulder. Lu Jiuzhong expressionlessly withdrew the sword, bringing with it another spray of blood.
"Killing you like this is too easy for you." Lu Jiu finally kicked him away, turned around and saw a flash of light—Yunmu's head rolled to the ground.
Blood splattered before his eyes, but Lu Jiu didn't even blink.
Yun Yanqiu's breath caught in his throat. He trembled violently, blood blurring his vision, and all he could hear was the frantic pounding of his own heart.
“Let me think, who else…” Lu Jiu finally lowered his eyes, flicked the blood droplets off his sword, and said thoughtfully, “Oh right, you have an older sister. She had a baby girl, right?”
"Bastard...!!!" Yun Yanqiu's roar was no longer human. An unprecedented heat exploded from his dantian and burned his whole body along his meridians.
Lu Jiu ignored his shouts and paced back and forth, his tone as gentle as if discussing the weather: "That little girl is really cute. Yin'er was just as fair and tender when she was born..." He suddenly turned around, seemingly troubled, "The older one is easy to deal with. Just dismember her, cut off her head, and hang it at your door for passersby to see. But the child... what should we do with her?"
"It would be a shame to kill him, but he's too small to be a puppet. Let's just throw him into the blood pool..."
He lightly tapped his chin with his fingertip, his voice abruptly ceasing. Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet cracked, spiderweb-like patterns spreading in an instant. Tiny pebbles trembled and then eerily floated up.
Lu Jiu suddenly looked up—
The kneeling figure of Yun Yanqiu was engulfed by the blinding azure light. The light distorted the air, creating a violent hurricane. Fallen leaves, pebbles, and even splattered blood were drawn into it, forming a massive vortex around him. The azure light grew stronger and stronger, gradually condensing into dozens of pure white spirit swords, their blades crackling with lightning-like spiritual power, their tips all pointing at Lu Jiuzhong.
"Interesting." Lu Jiu narrowed his blood-red eyes, a hint of amusement curving his lips. "You actually know how to do this..."
call out--!
The spirit sword whistled through the air, and Lu Jiu's sleeves fluttered, instantly shattering most of it. However, a sharp sword aura still grazed his cheek, leaving a conspicuous bloodstain.
Yun Yanqiu slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes devoid of any humanity, filled only with overwhelming killing intent. A beast-like growl rumbled from his throat, and the next second, dozens more spirit swords materialized out of thin air, even more formidable than before!
"Oh......"
Lu Jiu moved with ghostly speed, but gradually struggled against the ever-changing attacks. A sword aura grazed his shoulder, drawing a spray of blood. A hint of surprise finally flashed in his eyes—
Now!
Yun Yanqiu moved with lightning speed, seizing the fleeting opening. A spirit sword materialized in his palm, aimed straight at Lu Jiuzhong's heart!
Pfft—
The dull thud of a sword piercing flesh rang out.
Yun Yanqiu suddenly looked up, only to see Lu Jiuzhong's face twisting and changing—that face that should have been ferocious had now become... Yun Yuxi.
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