The young man went down the mountain and left Xu Qiao alone. Xu Qiao waited for a while until he was gone, then walked to the forest. She could see the mountain range by the forest and found a complex of buildings hiding behind the fog. She was quite confident to enter the place by dark.
She found a sloping cliff not long after, the rocks protruding on the cliff wall invited her to use the qingong her father had taught her. Her ability was average, she could not reach the roof of the house in one jump like his father or his parents' friends who often visit Huofeng Lou. But in a place like this, she suddenly wanted to practice for a while.
She made a leap to the cliff, easily reached the first big stone, and increased her confidence. She took another leap to another stone, and another, and made it safely to halfway.
Her small body flew to another stone, one step farther than the previous ones. She managed to reach the stone precisely, but her foot didn't step on a stone strong enough to support her weight. She slipped when the stone collapsed, all very sudden, and she failed to catch a nearby branch.
She rolled down the cliff, found a rabbit hole, and fell into an underground cave. She screamed in shock, her body kept rolling until she hit a stack of dry grass.
Xu Qiao was barely still conscious. She tried to open her eyes yet she could only see darkness. She trembled in pain, felt like her bones were all cracking. She fell hard to the ground. She touched her head before trying to think further, and she felt her bad headache. Everything was blurry for one second, and for the next second, it was a complete dark.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself inside a cave and it was almost completely dark too. Slowly, she could see a glimpse of sunrise light from above, and hear the water dropping to stones. She tried to wake up and now she could feel the pain in her legs, arms, her back, and even her forehead. She was hurt on her way to this cave, only she didn't really remember the details.
"You wake?" someone else's voice was heard. Xu Qiao found the source in an instance. A stranger was there in the dark.
"Who… who are you?" she asked.
The stranger was a male figure, ages unknown. He was thin and tall, but his bones looked strong. His face was dark, rather dark blue as if he was poisoned. It looked like the same color applied to his body. His facial hair was untrimmed, his hair was long and muddy. He looked like a dirty beggar with his shabby clothes. In total, the man was completely frightful.
Xu Qiao screamed in shock. She had never seen such a hideous figure before, even in the last couple of months wandering in the martial world with all the surprises.
"Who am I?" the man asked her, his tone was really calm. "I am not a good person, obviously. I have had no family since my grandfather died, nobody wants me. Since my master died, I have no friends, only enemies. You little rabbit, if you want to be one of them, it's fine."
The man laughed cynically, creating a bad impression. Xu Qiao didn't want to look scared, she turned her head away. The man came closer to her, suddenly caught her chin, and carefully examined her face, even opening her eyelid. He did it really fast, Xu Qiao didn't have a chance to avoid him.
"You are just a little girl," the man said, "too bad."
He let her go and stepped back. Xu Qiao stared at him, she felt sympathy.
"Too bad, you have a short life," the man continued.
Xu Qiao knew she was infected by a strong poison, the man just told her the truth. She kept staring at the man, and slowly realized that despite his horrible appearance and dreadful face, the man had soothing eyes and calming expression. He could be a friendly figure to anyone. She could feel that he was not a bad guy, after all, her fear turned down easily.
"I'm poisoned," she told him. "How did you know?"
"It's zixie poison from Wansui Gu you have there. If it doesn't kill you, you will be paralyzed for life," said the man. "I thought I Hua Jinshui will spend the rest of my days alone in this cave, I should be grateful to have you as a company."
"You are poisoned with zixie poison too?" asked Xu Qiao. "Who are you again?"
"Well, I never tasted zixie poison myself, but I meet the people of Wansui Gu several times," said the man. "They never gave away antidote, you know, never. They poisoned anyone but cured no one. You cannot even catch their friend to force them to hand over the antidote. They have to die even if they were accidentally poisoned."
"What?"
"Everyone will die eventually, no need to worry," the man waved his hand, "just some poison, no big deal."
Xu Qiao removed some wheat from her hair, she tried to remember how she entered this cave in the first place.
"I came here to avoid Bao Xinfei," she said, "I was thinking about hiding in that headquarter. Never occur to me, that I will fall into this cave and meet you here."
"Who is Bao Xinfei?" asked Jinshui.
"Someone I don't like," Xu Qiao didn't want to mention a stepmother.
Jinshui walked to the fireplace and sat by the remaining ashes, playing with a stick in his hand. He signaled Xu Qiao to come closer.
"What do you want?" Xu Qiao hesitated.
"I'm boiling some wine," Jinshui said, "do you want to drink with me here or do you prefer to wait for the poison inside you to react and feel the pain there?"
Xu Qiao had no better thing to do. She was trapped in this cave, she had no idea where the exit was, and she didn't even know if she had a chance to get out. She wanted to stay away from her stepmother anyway, getting out now will get her another problem. Making friends with a lonely weirdo might bring another joy in her life, the happiness she could no longer feel since Bao Xinfei came into her family.
She came closer to the man and saw a burned soil jar in the ashes of the fireplace. The jar lid was already opened, but she didn't smell any fragrance.
"What are you doing?" she asked Jinshui.
"This is a buzui jiu (no drunk wine)," Jinshui answered her. "It's a very rare type of wine, you have to try a sip."
"Buzui jiu?" asked Xu Qiao. "What kind of wine cannot make us drunk?"
"You don't believe me?"
There was only one bowl there. Jinshui poured some of his wine into it and handed it over to Xu Qiao. The girl didn't take it. She had never drunk wine before, his father didn't allow her because of her young age.
"I'll drink first," Jinshui looked a little offended, he poured the contents of the bowl into his own mouth, only in one big gulp. "Good wine," he loudly amazed.
Xu Qiao snatched the bowl from him and poured some liquid for herself.
"I want to see how this wine cannot make us drunk," she said before drinking. There was no wine smell from the bowl, she didn't have to taste it first. But that buzui jiu was not real wine. Xu Qiao spit it out immediately.
"This… is just water," she yelled at Jinshui, "you tricked me."
Jinshui laughed so hard he rolled on the ground, his voice was all over the cave. This man was a lunatic, thought Xu Qiao.
"Of course, it's just water," Jinshui said a while after, "I've been locked up in this cave for eight months, almost forget the pleasure in human life. The ladies in Haitang Jian Pai are just like nuns, they eat only plain rice and tasteless vegetables. They never even had tea, there is no way on earth they will be so kind to buy me real wine and then deliver it here to me."
"You really tricked me," Xu Qiao threw him some grass.
Jinshui laid down on the cold floor of that cave, enjoying the rest of his so-called not-drunk-wine as if he really tasting some great wine. Xu Qiao shook her head. She could still feel the dizziness for falling down here, but Jinshui really took her attention.
"Buzui jiu was created from hundreds of years of cave water, boiled really slowly in the ground, covered in solid rock to keep the fragrance," Jinshui chattered to himself, "there is only one jar in the world, really a rare treasure no man can buy."
"Are you really insane?" Xu Qiao asked.
Jinshui didn't reply. He was busy with his beverage.
"You said you had been locked for eight months in this cave," Xu Qiao spoke again. "Who locked you here and why?"
Jinshui poured the last of his buzui jiu to his body, make himself wet, then sat down. The empty jar was put in the ashes of the fireplace. He put his hands before his chest before moving his two pointy fingers to the side of his forehead. A thin smoke came out of him. The water on his body evaporated. Xu Qiao stared at him and was fascinated. This was clearly some high form of inner energy. She wondered who Hua Jinshui was.
The show was only a brief. There was no trace of fake wine on Jinshui's body after that. He glared at Xu Qiao.
Jinshui was the young boy disciple of Guardian Moying taken to the Purple Orchid Garden by Xuanwu Lake seven years ago. Of course, he was no longer an innocent boy with the kind heart he was. The last seven years weren't easy for him, more and more people hunted him and his master. Moying taught him well though and told him a lot.
"What do you know about Yumen Jiao (Yumen Sect)?" Jinshui asked Xu Qiao suddenly. "Have you heard of it?"
"Yumen Jiao?" asked Xu Qiao. She was the daughter of the owner of Huofeng Lou, she heard a lot regarding clans and parties in the martial worlds, the name Yumen was no stranger to her. "Yumen was a demonic cult, they practiced sorcery and do demonic activities. Their previous leader was said to cultivate by performing some evil ritual with human sacrifice."
Jinshui stared at her. "How did you little rabbit can say so much about a cult?" he asked. "Did your mother and father tell you about violence in the martial world in person or did you secretly listen when the adults were having a conversation?"
"There is nothing to hide there," said Xu Qiao. "Our Huofeng Lou often had guests from the martial world, they met my father and talked about everything. Me and my sisters, we can listen to them."
"Ten years ago the leader of Yumen Sect, Tongjian Lei Shen (The Bronze Sword) Wu Youwei, was killed by Liangtian Jian Shen (The Bright Sword) Zhang Zheliang," Jinshui started his story. "Yumen headquarter was destroyed shortly after, all Yumen disciples were slaughtered. There was no mercy to their family members down to their infants. Yumen was supposed to be totally destroyed at that time. But the eight guardians of the sect could not let that happen."
"All I heard about Yumen is that it was the enemy of the whole martial world," Xu Qiao said to him. "Soon after their leader was killed, it was a good chance for everyone to destroy the whole sect, eliminated all the members, and wipe out the name from the world. If any of the guardians were still alive, it will be just a matter of time before they were founded."
"The guardian knew they could not escape their fate during the period, but they were prepared. They transferred their inner energy they practiced their whole life to their descendants, eight considered gifted children. They passed down their weapon as well, and also, divided their wuqing xue (heartless manual) into eight parts, each was given to one of the children."
"Transferred their inner energy?" asked Xu Qiao, "is that possible?"
"Other could not do that, but the guardians had that ability," Jinshui answered, "that was the reason for the duty to choose eight children as descendants."
"Yumen was a demonic sect," said Xu Qiao. "Their eight descendants will be given deviated power as well. Then it should be the duty of anyone in the martial world to eliminate them too."
"The choosing of these eight new descendants was a secret order from our leader to the guardians. Other members only knew the original descendants, and they were all killed during the battle in the Yumen headquarter," said Jinshui. "The martial world had no knowledge regarding this secret order, and therefore they weren't aware of the existence of the eight descendants."
"Our leader?" Xu Qiao repeated.
"Until about two years ago, Yuan Wancui, Yuan Zhangmen of Haitang Jian Pai found out the trails of the two last guardians of Yumen, Moying, and Menggui. With them were two of the eight children and Menggui's daughter. She found out that the guardians already prepared the resurrection of Yumen Sect."
Jinshui told his story attractively. Xu Qiao listened carefully to his every word.
"Moying was killed by Yuan Wancui, and Menggui was wounded. It wasn't clear what happened to Menggui's descendant and daughter after the fight up there," Jinshui pointed up of the cave. "Moying's descendant was taken to Haitang Jian Pai's headquarters and became a servant, the partial script was taken from him. But he didn't forget everything his master told him, he secretly continued practicing the manual he'd memorized. Until he was caught eight months ago, and Yuan Wancui had him locked in a cave."
"Why didn't she kill him?" Xu Qiao asked calmly, but she then realized the point of the story. "You.. you are one of the eight descendants? You are the one tasked to revive Yumen sect?"
Jinshui nodded his head.
"I'm the descendant of Moying. Yuan Wancui locked me here and didn't kill me even though she already found out that I have my master's inner energy and I will rebuild Yumen one day," said Jinshui. "It wasn't her character, I suppose, because she hates Yumen deeply and she should not give me any chance."
"You… should be killed," Xu Qiao hesitated. She heard so much about Yumen's bad reputation while in Huofeng Lou. However, she had never witnessed one with her own eyes. She found Jinshui nothing like an evil person, instead, he was just a pitiful young man who had no family.
"Yuan Wancui gave me some kind of poison, not a deadly one, but it makes me unable to walk during the day," Jinshui continued. "I catch only a little sunshine that time, my skin all turned dark like now. That old woman said I should just stay in this cave." He didn't speak honestly about 'a little sun shine'. "Last eight months, I had no choice but to stay here."
"Did she want to use you to find the other descendants?" asked Xu Qiao.
Jinshui smiled bitterly. "That will not work," he said.
"Why?" asked Xu Qiao.
"The guardians chose their descendants carefully. Five of eight were the children of reputable families, they have the protection from their parents. Yuan Wancui caught me by accident, and she knew I will not tell her anything. Even if she does meet the other, she would not easily see any sign on them. Our guardians prepared everything carefully. The descendants were the last hope for Yumen, we should not expose ourselves until the time has come."
"But you cannot rebuild the whole sect alone, you will contact the other seven soon or later," said Xu Qiao. "The guardians also divided the manual of your sect into eight pieces, meaning they were expecting you to work together in the future. There must be one of you at least, who knows how to find the other seven."
"You are a smart girl," smiled Jinshui. "You're right. Only one of us can find the other seven, and that is the descendant of Chailang. The fate of Yumen in the future depends entirely on him."
"And I guess you know how to find him," said Xu Qiao, "Yuan Wancui also knows you can be used as bait."
"I really don't know how to find him, or the others," Jinshui spoke honestly. "I only knew their name, but I don't know their families or their whereabouts. My master told me to practice wuqing xue according to the manual I memorized years ago while waiting for the arrival of the Chailang's descendant. I don't know how long I have to wait for him, and I don't even know whether or not he will come."
"When he comes and ask you to rebuild Yumen sect, will you do it?" asked Xu Qiao.
"Sure will," said Jinshui.
"But Yumen is always a demonic sect that will bring nothing but disaster and chaos to the martial world. If that's what you really ask for, then you are evil. My father said that this kind of person can be killed."
"Who is your father?" asked Jinshui. "And what does a little girl like you know about chaos and disaster in the martial world?"
"Tiemu Baojian Xu Chenghai from Huofeng Lou," Xu Qiao mentioned her father without hesitation.
"Xu Chenghai?" Jinshui heard about him from Moying. "Your father was a good friend of Zhang Zheliang's clan."
"That's right, and I did learn a few martial techniques from Liangtian Jian Shen's first disciple, Gang Jiao Daxiong (The Iron Foot) Zhang Xianghui," replied Xu Qiao. "I can call Liangtian Jian Shen my grandmaster. While you and me, we are enemies."
"How old are you again? "
"Fourteen."
"Gang Jiao Daxiong Zhang Xianghui died about ten years ago along with his master," said Jinshui, "Are you saying that he taught you those few martial techniques when you were a toddler?"
"You don't believe me?" asked Xu Qiao. "You're right, I was just three years old when I started to learn martial arts. Master Zhang came to our place, showed me some tricks and he promised to take me as his student when he came back. He never came back, but I already consider him as my master. Hence, you are enemy."
Jinshui laughed again. "You are nothing but a young girl, and I will root in this hell cave, with you buried beside me," he said. "Our fate brought us together here. There was no rancor between us. The problem of two generations before us should not be our burden. We have only days, perhaps, we should enjoy it."
"You told me the guardians prepared everything carefully, they should know that you would be able to find a way out of this place," Xu Qiao said. "You will not die here. You will find Chailang's descendant and he can cure the poison in you."
"Maybe," replied Jinshui. "I don't know for sure though."
"Promise me one thing, will you," said Xu Qiao.
"Promise you a what?"
Xu Qiao put up her little finger. "Please promise me, you will not become my enemy. I already consider you as my friend, and hope we can be friends for a long time."
Jinshui smiled vaguely. "Xiaoguniang, I Hua Jinshui was chosen as one of the eight descendants of Yumen, I cannot escape my fate," he said, "if I give you my promise, I'm afraid you will have to join our Yumen."
Xu Qiao was just a young girl, she could only understand that much. "You trusted me, willing to tell me the most important secret of your life," she talked to him seriously. "It's a pleasure to be your friend. I'm afraid I would really hate it to become your enemy."