The long-awaited day had finally arrived. Xu Qiao didn't know why her drowsiness that night came too soon. Of course, she wouldn't have thought at all that Jinshui had put a sleeping pill into her drink. Xu Qiao's consciousness was already halfway down when Jinshui guided her to sit on the bed.
"Sit down, concentrate, don't think about anything, concentrate on both arms, flow slowly until you feel the warm air coming together," he hinted, "no matter what happens, you can't stop or we both lose a life."
"It's not been three days, are you going to use your strength to expel the poison again?" asked Xu Qiao.
"Just do it, please."
Xu Qiao did as she was told, she began to concentrate her mind, not realizing that what she was using was wuqing xue energy and gathering poison from all over her blood, flowing slowly through her cells, concentrating in her arms.
Jinshui sat across from him, placing two palms on Xu Qiao's shoulders to help her. In his semi-conscious state, Xu Qiao could still feel some strange vibration. After all, she was a girl and Jinshui was a young man.
Xu Qiao didn't know Jinshui would use his own body to take the zhaobai and zixie poison, she just felt a strange vibration, a vibration that the simple mind of a little lady couldn't decipher.
"Jinshui Gege...."
"Don't say a word, just concentrate and let the energy flow to me."
The two types of poison had already concentrated. Xu Qiao's palms turned blue. Jinshui saw it. He knew there was no going back. He quickly pulled the two blue palms, pressed against his chest. Xu Qiao let the energy flow into him, and the poison slowly dissipated. Jinshui felt like there were thousands of needles stabbing into every cell in his body, he endured the pain. Beads of sweat fell on his forehead. Fresh blood flowed from the corners of his lips.
"Jinshui Gege, you...." Xu Qiao could see the blood on his lips, she knew something was not right.
Xu Qiao was about to withdraw her hand, but couldn't. She kept pushing the poison from her body to Jinshui's. Her inner energy was still not enough but Jinshui continued to help her. The two blue palms slowly changed color. Jinshui's skin also turned black. The pain he felt was getting more and more unbearable, clearly visible on his face.
"Jinshui Gege...."
The thousands of needles seemed to move within every inch of his flesh. Jinshui almost screamed, almost stopped everything, but he continued to endure, second by second, the torment he received was worse than he had ever imagined. Yet when he looked at Xu Qiao's face he felt that it was all worth it.
The pain was getting worse. Jinshui brought his face closer, then kissed Xu Qiao's lips whether consciously or not. Xu Qiao was shaking violently, her concentration had completely dissipated, but the poison had moved, and she only felt a slight tightness in her chest from the impact of her own energy. Jinshui forgot the pain for a few seconds, but then he collapsed on the bed, Xu Qiao's palms left a burnt mark on his skin, and fresh blood oozed out from the corners of his lips.
Jinshui was still conscious. His job was done. The precious young girl had escaped death, she could return to her family tomorrow and he didn't need to worry anymore. He tried to get up, then hugged Xu Qiao tightly.
"I like you," he spoke silently, "I really really like you. If only I can keep you by my side, I will do everything to make you happy. But you are not mine, I have to return you to your family. I have to wait until you grow up before I can see you again. Maybe three or four years from now, do you still remember me then?"
Huang Yu left his two mute servants in front of the hut, then stepped inside alone to see Jinshui.
"It's time," he said to him, "Xiaohu and Xiaoshan told me, Bao Xinfei already knew what happened in that little forest. She already knew your identity as Yumen descendant, and she is on her way here now. I'm sure you don't want to see her, I don't think you need to meet her again."
Jinshui let go of Xu Qiao, and wrapped her tightly with her blanket, dodging as her tiny hands tried to reach out. The young girl was in a very weak state and the effects of the drug were still strong on her, she was only able to call out softly. Jinshui stepped out of the hut without looking back, Huang Yu came after him. The door was closed from the outside, separating them.
They left the hut, still having time to see a shadowy figure approaching from a different direction. Huang Yu pulled his two servants to hide in the shadow of the trees. Jinshui just stood where he was, staring at the hut stiffly, almost deciding to go back.
A while had passed since Bao Xinfei had entered the hut, Jinshui saw a tiny figure running out of the hut with staggering steps, trying to call out and crying, falling to the ground. Xu Qiao apparently didn't want to take it for granted that Jinshui was gone, and Bao Xinfei came to take her back to Huofeng Lou.
"Jinshui," Huang Yu reminded him.
The pain in his chest reminded Jinshui of his condition. He didn't want to leave Xu Qiao, but he also didn't want Xu Qiao to know what he had done to save her from zixie and zhaobai poisons. Without much thought, he turned around and ran away with all his remaining strength without looking back.
--
Jinshui was unconscious for the next three days and three nights. He fought the effect of the two types of poison he had taken from Xu Qiao during the period. Huang Yu used the energy given by Chailang to keep his life. Anytime during those three days, Jinshui might be dead and Yumen might lose its primary descendant.
They stayed in a cave in the deserted mountains, and the two servants Xiaohu and Xiaoshan took turns guarding, hunting, and preparing meals for them. As Huang Yu had told Xu Qiao, these two servants weren't actually mute, they just didn't talk much. Both of them were also trained assistants, and they were able to do various tasks required by their masters.
Jinshui's condition was slightly better on the fourth day. Huang Yu escorted him out of the mountain cave, asked his two servants to buy a horse carriage when they found the nearest village, asked Jinshui to rest in the horse carriage, and then ordered Xiaohu and Xiaoshan to race the carriage to Luoyang City.
"You are going to take me to Hailang Biaoju," Jinshui guessed. "I don't know what your father will say if you bring home a Yumen descendant."
"I don't have to take you to Hailang Biaoju," replied Huang Yu. "Luoyang is a big city, I'll find you a place to stay. Xiaoshan," he turned to the servant riding her horse beside the carriage. "You go first, prepare everything, and make sure no one will disturb Jinshui during his recuperation."
Xiaoshan nodded once, then spurred her horse and left them. Jinshui didn't say much, sat down cross-legged again, and controlled the pure energy in his body. The pain caused the poisons in his body emerged again, and he didn't like to trouble his friend.
"I should take you to Li Qian, the descendant of Ducao Shishu," Huang Yu said, "but what I do know is that he and his family left the capital a few years ago, I also haven't received any news of his whereabouts now. Li Qian's father mastered medication, your current condition won't trouble him."
"I can still use my energy to overcome the effect of those poisons. I will not die," replied Jinshui.
"You have the energy given by Moying Shibo all right, you won't die it's true, but those two types of poison that your little lady gave you will slowly destroy your body, make you neither alive nor dead," Huang Yu replied flatly, "only rely on yourself, you won't be able to overcome the two poisons fast enough. My guess is that in at least three years you will turn into a half human half demon, feel pain every day, and may lose your clear mind."
"You didn't study medication, don't know that for sure," Jinshui replied calmly.
"And it's just for a girl," sighed Huang Yu again. "You really did your best to disappoint Moying Shibo, all descendant brothers and sisters, and our late jiaozhu (sect leader)."
With Huang Yu's arrangement, they had no trouble along the way. Jinshui's condition could be said to be quite good, but he would not get any better. The zhaobai poison that returned to his body made it impossible for him to be touched by the sunlight, his skin turned black and covered in bluish bruises. The pain continued to bother him, but he tried not to show it, and tried to rely on himself to survive.
The horse carriage left the last village before they arrived at Luoyang City. That night Huang Yu asked Xiaohu to race her horse through the forest, hoping to reach Luoyang before sunrise. Jinshui's current appearance could attract people's attention, Huang Yu hoped to be able to take him safely and hide in a place he arranged so that the effects of the poison could be overcome.
"I've asked Xiaoshan to find the best healer in Luoyang and waiting for us in Junyi Inn in the town edge," Huang Yu told Jinshui. "Xiaoshan already knows we don't just need an ordinary healer, but someone who is familiar with various kinds of poisons. Our Huang family has many acquaintances, it is not difficult for us to find this kind of healer."
The carriage stopped after midnight, while it was still in the middle of the forest. The atmosphere of people screaming and the clanging of weapons sounded faintly in the distance, both Jinshui and Huang Yu could hear them.
"See who is fighting in the middle of the night," Huang Yu gave orders to the two servants.
Xiaohu jumped lightly from the driver's seat, easily floated into the trees and approached the direction of the fighting sound to see who was fighting. She returned a little later, reporting from the front of the carriage.
"Ershaoye (Second Young Master), it's dashaoye (First Young Master) and Lao Li, they're surrounded by a number of people wearing black masks, they look like criminals."
"My brother?" Huang Yu asked, he quickly got off the horse carriage and followed Xiaohu back in the direction of the fight. Jinshui didn't want to wait without doing something, he then took over the reins of the carriage horse and spurred it on to follow Huang Yu and the servants.
There was already a fight not far ahead. Two men were surrounded by a dozen black masked figures. Among the two men was a young master with a luxurious appearance, the other seemed to be an old servant. The young master's clothes were torn in several places and one of his sleeves was cut by a blade. When Huang Yu and others arrived, the old servant had been kicked to the ground by one of the enemies, and could only roll on the ground in pain before being completely stunned.
"Huang Gongzi (Young Master Huang), you can tell us now where did your father take the chest," one of the black masked men talked to the young master.
"I don't know," the young master replied, "my father never told me anything about his business."
"The content of that chest is very precious, you must have known something," another black masked man said, "if you heard anything about it, you will definitely want to ask further to your old man."
Huang Yu scattered some of his chess pieces twice, knocking out half of the people in black masks. This secret weapon of him was not only precise and fast but also using Chailang's inner energy he had, the first four went straight to the mask men's eyeballs and instantly killed them. The next four hit deadly acupuncture points on those men, and the other four lives simply vanished.
Xiaohu did not wait for orders, she also spread out a number of secret needles and killed two men at once. Simultaneously, she also charged toward the rest of the masked men and the next moment had already clashed with them. Huang Yu himself aimed for one person who seemed to be the leader, and in a short time managed to hit the man's chest until he vomited fresh blood. Huang Yu grabbed the man's neck and was ready to break it with just a snap.
Jinshui had already arrived at the end of the battle arena, witnessing how Huang Yu and his servants mercilessly massacred the men, but he had no intention of interfering. Those men in black masks were all covering identity, their actions toward the old servant Lao Li were also merciless, no one would think of them as a bunch of good people who didn't deserve to die.
"Spare no one," Huang Yu gave his order, asking his servant to kill the rest of the masked men.
The young master in luxurious clothes also did not want to be left behind, joining the massacre for the rest of his enemies. In an instant everyone in black mask was lying on the ground lifeless, only the leader still seemed to move.
"Ershaoye," Xiaohu picked up a black plate belonging to one of the masked men that had fallen to the ground and handed it to Huang Yu.
"Are you from Nanyang?" Huang Yu showed the black plate to the leader of the masked men. "What is your relationship with Mr. Huan?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," the leader replied fiercely. "We came here because we got the news that someone deliver a wooden chest to the head of Hailang Biaoju. The chest was said to contain a treasure left by Liangtian Jian Shen Zhang Zheliang."
"Who sent that wooden chest to my father?" asked Huang Yu.
"I don't know," said the man, "I only heard that the chest would be sent to Xu Chenghai in Huofeng Lou, Anhui Province."
Jinshui gasped in surprise when Huofeng Lou's name was mentioned. Huofeng Lou in Anhui was the residence of the Xu Family, and Xu Chenghai was Xu Qiao's father. Someone asked Huang Yu's father to deliver a wooden chest and it created a nasty rumor.
"What did you say?" Huang Yu asked. He also looked at the young master in luxurious clothes. "Brother, you know anything about this?"
The young man in luxurious clothes was Huang Yu's older brother, named Huang Zhe. Huang Zhe was the first young master of Hailang Biaoju, the eldest son of Huang Weiqun. He was only two years older than Huang Yu, and throughout Luoyang City he was known as a spoiled young master who liked to act as he pleased.
"About half a month ago our father did receive a sealed wooden chest from a friend, I don't know who, father said the chest should be taken to Huofeng Lou in Anhui Province," Huang Zhe replied, "Father then went to Anhui, took the half of our men with him. Not long after they left, there were several people who came to our Hailang Biaoju, asking about Zhang Zheliang's treasure, some mentioning white fans, some mentioning a map, and of course, a wooden chest."
"Who?" asked Huang Yu. He didn't feel the need to seek information from the leader of the masked men anymore because his brother could tell quite a lot. With one hit, the man's skull cracked, and he died without making another sound.
"You master such great strength, it seems that father is really unfair to the two of us, just passing on the theory wu xie xin fa (bloodless theory) to you," Huang Zhe saw him being able to kill a man so easily, he expressed his jealousy. "Seeing how well your technique in using a secret weapon, I guess mother has also taught you how to use baihuachen (one hundred flower needles). Am I right?"
"Who came to Hailang Biaoju asking about all kinds of treasure?" Huang Yu ignored his brother's jealousy, and he asked again. "Father's friend who gave him the sealed chest, do you know who he is?"
"I don't know who he is," Huang Zhe replied loudly, apparently not liking to explain to his younger brother. "The rumor about some treasure left by the late Sword God Zhang Zheliang was spreading in the martial world lately, who do you think would be interested? The criminals, the people from Wansui Gu, even those who claim to be members of the pure righteous parties will also want to know what kind of treasure received by our father."
"Where is father now?" Huang Yu asked him again, he looked impatience. "Has he returned to Luoyang?"
"He returned two days ago," replied Huang Zhe, still with a haughty tone. "Then hastily ordered Lao Li to take me to the ershu (second uncle) place in Nanyang, also ordered Zhen Naima (Aunt Zhen) to take sanmei (third sister) to the capital to meet Meng-yi (Aunt Meng). I just left Luoyang, already met these masked men." He pointed to the bodies of the people in masks who were killed by Huang Yu. "You know the rest."
"Ershaoye," Xiaohu called Huang Yu, guessed that something had happened to Hailang Biaoju.
"Oh, there's more," Huang Zhe continued, "when father returned two days ago, he was accompanied by two of Huofeng Lou's disciples, and then Xu Wuguniang also came with her new mother, to see father, but they all then left in a hurry, returned to Huofeng Lou."
Jinshui gasped in surprise again. Xu Wuguniang and her new mother were obviously Xu Qiao and Bao Xinfei both. It seemed that Xu Qiao had asked Bao Xinfei to take her to Hailang Biaoju's headquarters in Luoyang to find Huang Yu, because Huang Yu would know where Jinshui was. Huang Zhe's words made Jinshui feel very sad, realizing that Xu Qiao was not willing to be abandoned by him just like that.
"You better go Nanyang as father asked you to do," Huang Yu said to his brother again. "I'll see you there later."
"I don't take orders from you," Huang Zhe replied unhappily, then left alone, not even minding Lao Li who was still lying on the ground.
"Xiaohu, you stay here and help Lao Li," Huang Yu did not hinder him, and immediately gave orders to his servant. "These bodies, you don't have to take care of them."
The servant girl just nodded, then tried to wake Lao Li up. Huang Yu picked up the two carriage horses, holding out one of them to Jinshui. Jinshui accepted without asking much, together with Huang Yu then rode the horse towards Luoyang City, straight to Hailang Biaoju headquarters.
It was still dawn, the sun had not yet risen. Approaching Hailang Biaoju headquarters building, thick smoke seemed to be rising high, making Huang Yu's feelings suddenly uneasy. He raced faster across the city streets, nearly crashing into some of the beggars who had just woken up. Jinshui continued to follow, he knew something had happened to his friend's family.
Hailang Biaoju headquarters building was almost completely burned down, around the ruins there were only a few townspeople trying to help put out the fire. There was no sign of the people in black masks like those in the forest, there was no sign of the presence of people from the martial arts community. Of course, there were no Huofeng Lou disciples.
Huang Yu jumped down from his horse quickly and immediately dashed towards the ruins of the building, trying to find his parents. At the front of the ruins were a number of charred bodies, presumably those of Hailang Biaoju servants. Huang Yu tried to find his mother and father among them, but none of his father's bodyguards were even there, it was possible that they had already left before the fire started.