Jinshui could not sleep that night.
One month earlier he and Xu Qiao had left the medicine hut on top of the mountain, heading east until they found a small hut on the shore of a deserted lake. Jinshui helped Xu Qiao clean the hut and then they tried to slow down the effect of the poison inside Xu Qiao's body with the help of wuqing xue. One month passed quickly, but the process of curing the poison was still a long way to go.
Xu Qiao felt the pain several times. The zhaobai poison in her body did not react immediately when exposed to sunlight, but slowly damaged the skin and possibly her internal organs. Jinshui was devastated to see the young girl's face and hands turn blue. He exhausted himself several times to keep the poison from reacting further the last few weeks. Jinshui unknowingly developed a special feeling, making him willing to do whatever necessary to save Xu Qiao.
"Jinshui Gege, am I going to be so ugly?" the young girl lady asked him. Jinshui couldn't see her whole body, but Xu Qiao could see it herself. Seeing blistered and blue skin was terrible for a girl, especially for a little girl who loves beauty. When she saw the reflection of her own face in the basin, she immediately burst into tears.
"You won't," Jinshui told her. "I won't allow it. Don't worry. We have plenty of time. You have just been exposed to poison and the poison must be slowly cleansed. When you're completely clean, you'll be even more beautiful."
"Is that true?"
"You have to trust me."
That day Jinshui took his sword to the riverbank and practiced alone. He started to play the sword while memorizing the theory in chapter four of wuqing xue. The sword in his hand was played with a slashing motion, dry leaves flying around him.
The cloth-wrapped sword flashed like lightning, the dry leaves flying in the air more and more, Jinshui felt his inner energy increase with every move he made. This was indeed the way to train wuqing xue level four and also five.
Jinshui still clearly remembered everything Moying said while passing on his energy. Practicing wuqing xue should not use emotions. If you use a certain feeling then this energy becomes strong but can hurt the owner when the feeling was altered. When using hatred to train it, this energy became an evil force and it would be difficult to control.
Dry leaves scattered in the air of his sword. Jinshui's expression had changed, and the air around him had changed. However, as the dry leaves fell to the ground, Jinshui's ears caught the whirring sound of a small object flying toward him.
He parried with his sword, catching one with two fingers. It was not pebbles or any common type of secret weapon, but a china chess piece. The distinctive secret weapon made Jinshui freeze for a moment. The chess piece seemed to wake him from the effects of his training.
"Hua Jinshui, I congratulate you. You have already mastered the fourth level of wuqing xue."
A shadow appeared out of nowhere, but Jinshui couldn't see the face hidden in the dark. Yet, he knew there was only one person using a chess piece as a secret weapon.
"The descendant of Chailang. You are finally here," he said.
"You remember me," the figure said.
"You want to collect us?" asked Jinshui.
The man smiled briefly. His voice was more like a child's voice. "I'm still too young, the time hasn't come yet," he said.
"Then what did you come to see me for?" Jinshui asked anyway.
"Chailang Shifu is gone, his last message was for me to find all of you, to reunite the eight descendants of Yumen," the figure said. "For the past few years, I've been staying at home but I could not stop thinking about everyone, and in the last few months I've been trying to locate you. I found traces of you and the descendant of Huling Shishu around Haitang Jian Pai's headquarters. I saw the tree destroyed by Moying Shibo's energy. But you already left when I found that underground cave, while the descendant of Huling Shishu now lived with a village woman."
"Zhu Guniang," Jinshui said, he remembered leaving Baique that day. "How is she now?"
"She was seriously injured, but the village woman who helped her knows how to keep her alive," the figure didn't want to tell a complete story, "I know she can take care of herself there. My priority is to find you."
"Just tell me the place and time," said Jinshui, "I'll find you there."
"It's in your hands," said the figure
Jinshui raised his hand, showing the black chess piece he had caught earlier. He crushed the chess piece easily to find inside a small piece of paper with two lines of words, mentioning a place called Yongjiu Tavern and Inn, Chen-an City, four years from that day. Jinshui looked at the figure of the owner of the chess piece.
"Why?" the figure knew what he was going to ask. "I know we are the descendant of a demonic sect, but that doesn't mean we have to meet secretly in a hidden alley. This Yongjiu Tavern and Inn has been famous for generations. Four years from now, we eight descendants will openly gather there, let the entire martial world know our existence."
Jinshui could memorize the two lines of writing until the time came, he then tore the paper and threw it away. The descendant of Chailang turned around and was about to leave.
"Wait," Jinshui stopped him.
"What is it?"
"I need to ask you a question," Jinshui said. "I remember a part in the wuqing xue section owned by the descendant of Ducao Shishu. There is a way to remove poison from someone's body. Did Chailang Shishu ever tell you anything about this?"
"Removing poison from someone means that the poison will be transfered to your own body," the figure replied curiously, "who are you going to take the poison from?"
Jinshui didn't give an answer, he stepped towards the hut, a gesture to ask for Chailang's descendant to follow him.
A young man figure stepped out of the darkness of the night, approaching him. He was a young man wearing a long, dark blue robe, playing a chess piece between his two fingers. The young man's face was smooth, his hair neatly arranged, the appearance of a young master and not the least bit resembling the descendant of an evil sect. Jinshui recognized him as a cold-faced little boy with a mysterious smile on his face who had also been present on Xuanwu Lake seven years ago. Chailang's descendant, Huang Yu.
They entered the hut and found Xu Qiao inside, sleeping soundly under the blanket. A hint of blue on her face did not detract from her beauty, Huang Yu looked at the young girl's face without coming close.
"It's her," he said slowly.
"You know this girl?" asked Jinshui.
"I met her a few days ago," said Huang Yu. "You want to cure her?"
"She was poisoned by someone from Wansui Gu," Jinshui didn't want to tell the whole story.
"Wansui Gu," repeated Huang Yu. "Poison from Wansui Gu can only be cured by someone from Wansui Gu."
"I can deal with the poison, no need to find the creator," said Jinshui.
"You're going to use your own body, I cannot agree with you," said Huang Yu.
"If there is a way to transfer the poison, I can deal with it," replied Jinshui. "I have the protective energy from Moying Shifu, the poison will not be able to take my life."
"Then why don't you just teach her to develop wuqing xue energy," Huang Yu spoke without thinking of any consequences. "As long as she can only master the first level, then she will be able to transfer the poison to you. At that time, I guess you just need to persuade her."
"Is this going to be dangerous to her?" asked Jinshui.
"Learning wuqing xue will not do any danger to her. It's just...."
"Just what?" asked Jinshui.
"It's just, she will become one of us," said Huang Yu.
"How so?"
"The wuqing xue manual belongs to our sect," said Huang Yu. "Anyone who learns the manual can find the weakness and possibly will find out how to overpower it. Any outsiders who learn the manual will be given two choices. The first one is to join us, to become one of Yumen's disciples. Otherwise, there will be only one remaining choice."
Jinshui understood. "Dead," he replied coldly.
"I believe you don't want me to kill her, do you?" Huang Yu pointed at Xu Qiao, still playing with the chess piece in his hand.
Jinshui did not say anything. He knew he could not ask Xu Qiao to become a part of Yumen. He just wanted to save a life without expecting anything in return. Huang Yu could read his mind, he smiled mysteriously.
"I know I cannot make you change your mind, but I will not leave you alone," later he said, "I will find some herbs, perhaps it will help you overcome the effect of the poison. I'll come back in the next few days."
--
Jinshui played with a sword by the river, Xu Qiao watched it while sitting on a rock. The sky was bright. The sun's rays had disappeared over the horizon, but the light that came with it had not yet passed. The scenery around the small hut was breathtaking, the natural atmosphere made Xu Qiao not easily bored. By now she had forgotten the poison in her body, had forgotten about Bao Xinfei, had forgotten about that nightmare. It was as if she had forgotten the past and found a new life.
The sword in Jinshui's hand was just a wooden sword, light but looking very powerful. Jinshui's every movement was so beautiful that Xu Qiao clapped her hands in praise. Under the remaining golden sunlight, every technique played looked more alluring, its shrewdness was magnetizing.
"Come here," Jinshui smiled and invited her. "Take a sword and play with me."
"I can't…." Xu Qiao can be considered the grand disciple of the sword god, and her father was nicknamed the ironwood sword, but apparently, she was quite aware that her own abilities were still low, showing her abilities in front of a high-skilled figure like Jinshui would only disgrace the name of her master and his family.
"I will teach you," Jinshui persuaded her.
Xu Qiao only hesitated for a while. For a while, she had been very interested in every technique that Jinshui played using that wooden sword. She wanted to be able to imitate the same moves but was worried about the name Yumen Jiao or wuqing xue. When Jinshui persuaded her to practice with him, the worries were completely gone, she then took another wooden sword and started to shadow Jinshui's every move.
"These techniques have no name. As long as you can calm the mind, calm the heart, and unite with the sword, then you will be able to feel it. The sword will guide you," Jinshui told her. "Feel the sword with all your heart, if you can not involve emotions it will be very good, but a happy heart will bring grateful results. Try it."
Xu Qiao played with the wooden sword and shadowed him. She closed her eyes for a moment, then glanced at Jinshui. There was a strange unexplainable feeling in her heart, making her smile to herself.
They simultaneously played the first move. The sword spun overhead, aiming at the empty target at the same time. Xu Qiao didn't know if the move she was playing was right or not, but she slowly felt that the sword in her hand was guiding her more, and she subconsciously followed. Simultaneously, a warm air ran through her body, when she looked at Jinshui there was only one feeling that was getting stronger.
Jinshui taught her some basic theories and techniques, then also taught her to increase her inner strength based on this wuqing xue theory. Xu Qiao was still young. She knew what Jinshui taught her was from the demon sect's manual, but she was very interested in such beautiful techniques. Each complexity of the movement had its own attraction. The internal energy training that accompanies it was also able to reduce the discomfort caused by poisons inside the body.
However, learning wuqing xue manual will not bring any significant results in a short time. Although Xu Qiao was considered intelligent and Jinshui was really patient, wuqing xue was Yumen's highest prowess. According to Moying, no one was capable of mastering level eight in this era. Each level was getting more and more complicated and difficult, learning it required not only intelligence but also talent. Xu Qiao's talent was not that great.
On the third night, Jinshui used his inner energy as usual to overcome the effect of the zhaobai du and zixie du within Xu Qiao's body. It would take him at least eight hours, during which time his concentration should not be disturbed, otherwise his energy would turn back on himself, and Xu Qiao would at least be seriously injured.
Jinshui had only mastered wuqing xue to the fourth level, he had not been able to transfer all of Moying's inner power to anyone else, but in the process of teaching wuqing xue and channeling pure energy, Jinshui had passed on the abilities that are similar to those inherited by Moying to him.
"Jinshui Gege, normally you only need three or four hours, but why do you say you need eight hours this time?" Xu Qiao asked.
"Don't you want to be free from the poison soon?" Jinshui asked gently.
"Of course I do, but…." Xu Qiao had her own girl issue. "If I'm cured, are you still be with me, and so kind to me?"
Jinshui smiled at her, helping her sit up on the bed. "You seem to like me very much," he said, "you wouldn't want me to leave you."
"Of course not. Jinshui Gege is very kind to me, and also taught me good sword techniques. You are just like…"
"Like what?"
Xu Qiao didn't want to answer, she just chuckled.
"Never mind," Jinshui said to her. "Sit down, don't move. Eight hours is not long, I will help you get rid of the poison."
"Can't move? What if I'm bored?"
Jinshui smiled. "Then just go to sleep. Eight hours later when you wake up it's all better."
Xu Qiao didn't say much anymore. After a while she fell asleep, Jinshui began to concentrate, gathered his inner energy in his palms, and slowly flowed into Xu Qiao's body to control the two zhaobai and zixie poisons. He closed his eyes.
Time passed slowly. Four hours later beads of sweat began to trickle down Jinshui's forehead, his face was turning red, a sign that he was channeling large energy. Xu Qiao was sleeping, unaware of what was happening, nor would she hear the sound of a musical instrument strumming in distance.
The tips of Jinshui's ears moved. He heard the voice, at first faint and distant, but after a while, it seemed clearer and nearer, seemed to be aimed at him. Jinshui tried to keep his mind focused, he knew enough about the consequences if affected by this distraction. He didn't know who played music at night in such a remote place. If it was the enemy, Jinshui just hoped that nothing would happen to Xu Qiao.
But until a few hours later nothing was heard other than music in the distance, no one appeared. Jinshui continued to concentrate. He knew the sound of the strumming of music was meant to distract him, but he persisted. Hours passed, and he finally let go of his hands.
Jinshui stood up weakly. His hands looked blue. The process just now was draining his energy, he also knew it would still take at least three times the same process to control both poisons in Xu Qiao's body and transfer them in his own. If there were more disturbances, it was likely that the process will be even more difficult.
He stared at the tiny face for a moment. He had pushed himself too much, but not without any results. Xu Qiao's skin no longer looked blistered, only slightly blue. The poison had been controlled, so far at least it wouldn't do any more physical damage. The young girl still had a chance to grow into a perfectly beautiful woman.
He laid Xu Qiao on the bed and covered her when he heard the soft footsteps of a pair of feet approaching the hut, going inside uninvited. The person who played the musical instrument earlier was a woman he never met before.