That same night Huang Yu rode his horse towards the headquarters of Jianyin Bang in Wuzhang City. Zhong Shaoyan and Han Budian followed him. Bao Xinfei stayed behind in Huofeng Lou, taking care of what was left in the Xu Family.
Just half a day after leaving Fulong Cheng, they heard the sound of a bamboo flute, which was the sign of the Jianyin Bang members to call their friends or ask for help. Han Budian quickly took the lead in turning the horse's run towards the source of the sound. Not far away, in the middle of a rice field, they found two groups of people were having a fight.
Huang Yu's father, Huang Weiqun was there with his wife Huang Furen and four of their bodyguards. They were assisted by eight members of Jianyin Bang, fighting dozens of men wearing grey-colored uniforms. A number of bodies appeared to have been lying around the arena, it seemed that victims had fallen from both sides.
"Huang Weiqun, I know the artifact is in your hand, not in Huofeng Lou," a woman's loud yelling sound was heard. "Huofeng Lou is destroyed, Xu Louzhu and his wife are all dead, and the artifact was never in their place."
The owner of the voice was the leader of the men in grey, a young girl wearing a dark green robe, sitting on horseback at the edge of the arena. Her face was white and stern, and her eyes were sharp and showed malice. Her voice was high-pitched, it seemed that there was no intention of letting anyone escape today.
Huang Weiqun and his wife looked exhausted, the four remaining Hailang Biaoju bodyguards and even the Jianyin Bang members who were with them had also been injured and looked exhausted. Even though some of their opponents had also been injured a lot, the situation couldn't be said to be balanced.
Soon after asking his people to leave Hailang Biaoju's headquarters in Luoyang a few days ago and asking trusted servants to take their son and daughter to different places, Huang Weiqun and his wife apparently went to Jianyin Bang's headquarters in Wuzhang City. This decision was taken because the wooden chest that brought trouble to the Huang Family was the legacy of the previous leader of the Jianyin Bang, Liangtian Jian Shen Zhang Zheliang, and they thought that Jianyin Bang should be responsible for providing protection.
Only when they arrived at Jianyin Bang's headquarters, the head of Jianyin Bang, Zhong Shaoyan, had already gone to Huofeng Lou with the main party disciples and important members. Huang Weiqun was worried he and his wife would bring trouble to Jianyin Bang, so they decided to go back to Huofeng Lou.
In order to avoid being chased by people who wanted Zhang Zheliang's artifact, they took a slight detour, allowing a few small members of the Jianyin Bang to send word to Huofeng Lou so that Zhong Shaoyan could meet them halfway.
"They are from Wansui Gu," Zhong Shaoyan recognized the men in grey clothes as part of the poison valley.
Huang Yu almost mustered the energy Chailang had given him, lunging headfirst at the woman to finish her off. However, he was aware that Zhong Shaoyan and his disciples, as well as so many members of the Jianyin Bang were there, and he couldn't just show his true abilities because it would immediately confirm Bao Xinfei's accusation that he was one of the Yumen descendants.
Zhong Shaoyan was a leader of a major party, he would not initiate an attack on a young girl. Han Budian was also a gentleman, he hesitated to deal with girls. The two master and student chose to jump into the battle arena, helping Huang Weiqun and his group.
A secret weapon had already been released by Huang Yu, aimed at the girl in green. Everyone's attention was on the battle, not paying much attention to how Huang Yu used his distinctive chess pieces, the energy used was greater than what a young man should have.
The secret weapon hit the green-clothed woman's riding horse, shocking the animal into standing on its hind legs, and knocking the rider off the saddle. The girl in green quickly untied the reins, then nimbly also jumped into the air and landed on the ground with both feet, letting her horse run away.
Just as she stepped onto the ground, Huang Yu was already in front of her. Sensing a strong energy rushing towards her, the girl quickly turned around, dodged it, and engaged herself in the battle in the center of the arena. The whip in her hand had already unraveled and grabbed one Huang Family's bodyguards who was collapsing, using him as a shield from Huang Yu's weapon.
It was a nine-tailed whip, not an easy weapon to control but it was used by a young girl not more than twenty years old. Huang Yu recognized this weapon as a special weapon belonging to the eldest daughter of Baisui Zuodu Zhou Sangong of Wansui Gu. The girl was named Zhou Xiangnu, nicknamed Jiuwei Bian or the Nine-Tailed Whip.
Huang Yu was forced to withdraw from the attack because he didn't want to hit the dying bodyguard. He grabbed the man and still managed to let him safely to the edge of the arena. Zhou Xiangnu grabbed a member of the Jianyin Bang using her whip, and this time Huang Yu didn't really care, just let him instantly die. Huang Yu continued to chase Zhou Xiangnu, about to catch her. The two Wansui Gu members who were in the way were thrown away. Two Jianyin Bang members looked at each other, surprised by this young man's strength.
Zhong Shaoyan and Han Budian had already taken down several other Wansui Gu people. However, the remaining Huang Family bodyguards had collapsed to the ground and succumbed to their wounds. Huang Weiqun and his wife were now fighting Zhou Xiangnu. It seems that Zhou Xiangnu intended to capture Huang Furen first in order to force Huang Weiqun to surrender.
Huang Yu tried to restrain himself, committing a massacre like when helping his brother a few days ago was the same as revealing his identity as the descendant of Yumen in front of the people of Jianyin Bang. He knew he could save his parents by revealing all his abilities, but it will bring other difficulties, and again his family will get into trouble. He didn't forget that his younger sister Huang Lian was still in Huofeng Lou.
At that moment at the edge of the arena were also present a number of other groups, all wearing black clothes with their faces tightly covered. They did not attack, only their gazes were clearly fixed on the Huang Weiqun and his wife, one person seemed to be pointing at Huang Yu while talking to his friend.
At that moment, Zhou Xiangnu had managed to catch Huang Furen's neck with her bladed whip, forcing Huang Weiqun to release the Wansui Gu member he had nearly hit.
"Huang Weiqun, your wife is in my hand," the girl said firmly. "I'm not going to ask for the second time. You know what I want."
"Let my wife go."
What happened next was too fast, and was not expected by anyone. Huang Weiqun suddenly collapsed to the ground, at the same time Huang Furen also spat out fresh blood from the corners of her lips, her body trembled for a moment then escaped Zhou Xiangnu's whip, startling everyone. Zhou Xiangnu's expression immediately changed, really didn't expect two of her prey to suddenly collapse like that.
Huang Yu shouted instantly, directly hitting the rest of the Wansui Gu members and rushing towards his parents. Huang Furen had already lost her breath, but Huang Weiqun still managed to reach her before becoming completely silent. Huang Yu was still trying to transfer some of Chailang's energy to his father, trying to keep the old man alive, but Huang Weiqun's wounds were on his neck. The veins had been severed and it was impossible to reconnect.
At that moment, Han Budian caught a glimpse of two shadowy figures in some distance, both wearing dark clothes with their heads covered with wide hats, darting away from the place. Another shadow appeared out of nowhere and chased after them. Zhou Xiangnu also saw the two shadows that flew away, she preceded Han Budian in pursuit, realizing that it could be the two shadows that had caused Huang Weiqun and his wife to suddenly collapse and lose their lives.
Zhong Shaoyan was too late to find out what had happened, but he didn't rush to catch up because he was blocked and immediately got into a fight with the people in black who had just arrived with the rest of the Jianyin Bang members who were still there. One person in black appeared to be carrying a large bow and a number of arrows on his back, he tried to approach Huang Yu to catch him. Zhong Shaoyan blocked, directly by twisting the bamboo stick in his hand.
The bamboo stick was big and heavy, not an ordinary bamboo stick because inside the bamboo rod was tucked a thin sword, a very special designated weapon. Zhong Shaoyan himself has rarely taken out the sword in any fight, mostly using the bamboo stick as his primary weapon.
This time he had pulled a sword from inside his bamboo stick, and stabbed directly into his opponent's face cover, forcing the man to take a bow on his back to parry because he didn't expect that Zhulin Shen Jian would actually intend to unmask him first. His well-trained hand movements don't have time to cover up his distinctive style.
"You are from Yongjun Hui," Zhong Shaoyan recognized the fighting skill of the opponent, "you take part in pursuing my master's inheritance."
The people in black knew they had been recognized, their leader then removed the mask, and the fight stopped instantly. The leader was a young man in his late thirties, his facial bones were clear, his eyes sharp and his lips curled into an unsightly smile. Zhong Shaoyan recognized him as the second-in-command of the current leader of Yongjun Hui, named Li Zuyang and titled Heimo Laoying (Black Demon Eagle).
"Rumor in the martial world, an artifact of Liangtian Jian Shen is now in the hands of Huang Weiqun Zongbiaotou of Hailang Biaoju and it has something to do with Yumen sect," Li Zuyang said, "Zhong Bangzhu also knows we Yongjun Hui initiated the attack ten years ago to the main headquarters of Yumen, painstakingly destroying the sect, sacrificing so many of our brothers. Of course, we don't want any object capable of supporting the revival of Yumen appearing in the martial word. Moreover, we don't want it to be controlled by an unauthorized party."
"Huang Zongbiaotou only helped a friend to send it to my senior brother in Huofeng Lou," Zhong Shaoyan said. "I remember it was my master Zhang Zheliang who went to great lengths to stop Yumen's cruelty, you Yongjun Hui only took the opportunity to slaughter innocent people."
"Zhang Zheliang Laoqianbei only fought Yumen's leader," Li Zuyang replied. "Yumen's leader was dead, automatically all his followers must be exterminated."
Li Zuyang stepped closer to Huang Yu, ignoring the people of Jianyin Bang. Basically, there was no enmity between Yongjun Hui and Jianyin Bang, Zhong Shaoyan also had no reason to take action against Yongjun Hui's second-in-command.
"Huang Gongzi, I have no enmity with your Hailang Biaoju," Li Zuyang said softly. "I just came here to ask your father where the wooden chest he brought to Huofeng Lou is now."
Huang Yu had put the bodies of his parents in a row, closing their eyes. He didn't shed tears, but his eyes were red, he struggled to hold the energy Chailang gave him so as not to stir up and cause everyone to ask for his identity.
"Who told you about the wooden chest contained an artifact left by Liangtian Jian Shen?" he asked Li Zuyang.
"This…." Li Zuyang didn't prepare the answer regarding the origin of the rumor. "This has been the talk of the whole Henan Province, from Nanyang to Luoyang anyone knows about it."
"My father had given the chest to the second disciple of Liangtian Jian Shen, Xie Tianhu, and Xie Tianhu lived in Huofeng Lou," Huang Yu answered honestly because Zhong Shaoyan and his followers were still there and they can vouch for him. "If you want that chest, you just ask the person who killed Xie Tianhu."
"Who?" Li Zuyang asked again, and his smile disappeared.
"Your Yongjun Hui has so many members, should be able to find a murderer," replied Huang Yu.
Li Zuyang knew he couldn't ask further, then approached the bodies of Huang Weiqun and his wife. Huang Yu was worried that he would search for the bodies of his parents, he was about to get in the way, but Zhong Shaoyan held him back.
Li Zuyang only checked the wound on Huang Weiqun's body, finding that there was a thin, deep scratch on his neck. Huang Yu also knew there was a wound on his parents' necks, the wound that caused their death. It wasn't from Zhou Xiangnu's bladed whip, the wound was so thin that it didn't bleed, but instead directly sliced through the internal organs, causing death in no time.
"Your parents were killed by someone's secret weapon," the Heimo Laoying said. "In the martial world, only a few can wield this weapon, apart from Huang Furen herself, I don't know of any other living figures."
Huang Yu also knew one person with the ability to wield such a shrewd secret weapon, but he knew it was impossible to mention it in front of Li Zuyang, moreover, it was impossible to let Zhong Shaoyan hear about it at this time. Apart from Huang Furen, the ability to wield this kind of secret weapon was mastered by his own master Chailang, as well as himself.
"Just leave, all of you," he said coldly, "my parents, and our bodyguards, I will take care of them myself."
Han Budian had already returned to the place, apparently was unable to catch up to the two dark-clothed men who had flown away, even Zhou Xiangnu had also disappeared somewhere, leaving the rest of the Wansui Gu people killed by the Jianyin Bang members.
"Those two men are very fast," Han Budian said. "There's one more person chasing after them, I've lost track of him too."
"It's okay," replied Zhong Shaoyan, "we have to go back to Huofeng Lou."
The remaining people of Jianyin Bang helped their injured friends, some collected the bodies of those who were killed, then carried them all away, not even paying attention when Li Zuyang and his followers said their goodbyes, just letting them go.
Huang Yu collected the corpses of the Huang Family bodyguards, refused the help of the Jianyin Bang members, and once again asked them to leave him alone. He then dug a hole in that place using the remaining weapons from the fight. Zhong Shaoyan and Han Budian and the others couldn't do anything, then left him.
Jinshui only came when the people of Jianyin Bang had already passed and the sky was getting dark. He followed Huang Yu silently as he left Huofeng Lou with Zhong Shaoyan and Han Budian, watching everything. At first, he thought with Huang Yu's ability, with the addition of the two master and student from Jianyin Bang, they can save Huang Weiqun and his wife. Unexpectedly two dark-clothed men attacked them, and everything happened so fast.
"I was close to revealing my identity as Yumen's descendant, but I know that just my ability alone, even with the energy from Chailang Shifu, I won't change anything," Huang Yu said as he continued to dig a hole. "I will only make my parents share the pain if those people find out that their son had been chosen by a guardian of Yumen."
"I followed you since Huofeng Lou, I saw and heard everything," Jinshui said, helping him dig the hole. "You've done it right, revealing your identity as Yumen's descendant in front of those people would give us no choice but to kill them all. We don't have such power."
"I should be able to save my parents," Huang Yu said again. "But I didn't."
"Those two men came unexpectedly," Jinshui replied. "They are both very skillful, even I could not catch up with them. In the martial world, not many have this kind of ability."
"They killed my parents!" Huang Yu screamed, the calm that had been there for him was completely broken, and the turmoil of anger and pain all became one. He vomited fresh blood.
"Yu," Jinshui guided him away from the unfinished hole, "I know you have the knowledge of many figures in the martial world and have begun to estimate the identity of the two men, but now is not the time to think."
"You're right," said Huang Yu, "we have to bury them first."
They dug a big hole and buried the bodies of all the Huang Family bodyguards who were killed there, then cremated the bodies of Huang Weiqun and his wife so that the ashes could be taken to their hometown. Huang Yu and Jinshui paid their last respects after.
"Your Xu Guniang wasn't in one of those coffins," Huang Yu said to Jinshui later, taking his mind off the death of his parents and having to take care of their bodies himself. "She fell unconscious several times when she witnessed what happened to her parents, as well as her four older sisters. Bao Xinfei gave her a sedative and let her rest in her room."
"I know," Jinshui said.
"That white steel fan left by Liangtian Jian Shen is a precious object that can support, or hinder the revival of our Yumen," said Huang Yu again, "you don't want to take it?"
"If I take the fan today, they will easily put the blame on you," said Jinshui. "I'll take it another day."
"Today I almost reveal the identity of the Yumen descendant several times," Huang Yu said. "It's really not easy to hide the energy our master gave us, really want to use it to beat everyone in my way."
"We have the energy given by the guardians of Yumen, but it doesn't mean that we can outperform everyone," Jinshui reminded. "That Bao Xinfei is a smart person, that Zhong Shaoyan is also not inexperienced. We also can't just finish off Jianyin Bang's people."
"You cannot finish the remaining Xu Family," Huang Yu replied sinically.
Jinshui was silent for a while. Indeed, he didn't want any disputes with the Xu Family members, including Bao Xinfei. He didn't want to feel guilty for Xu Qiao.
"What do you have in mind now?" he asked Huang Yu later.
"My brother has gone somewhere, my sister is in Huofeng Lou, and my parents are gone, my next plan is of course to practice wuqing xue, mastering the power given by Chailang Shifu, only then I can take my revenge," Huang Yu said sharply, " Of course, I also need to help you get rid of the poison in your body, find our other brothers and sisters, then resurrect our Yumen Jiao."
"You really want to collect them all and revive our Yumen?" asked Jinshui.
"I wasn't sure then," replied Huang Yu, "but Chailang Shifu had given this task before he died, and I had to fulfill his last wish. I'm sure you don't want to forget your Master Moying's order either, do you?"
--
Jinshui and Huang Yu hid in the ruins of a nearby building as the morning sun rose. Jinshui removed his cloak, broad hat, and face mask, revealing his increasingly horrific state as the effect of the zixie and zhaobai poison. He sat cross-legged in the corner of the room, arranging his breathing and using the pure energy to overcome the work of the poisons.
Huang Yu also sat down, trying to control all the emotions that were messing with his mind today. He had been learning wuqing xue since childhood, and should be able to control himself and be calm at all times, but what happened to his parents really broke everything, inflicting deep wounds on him.
It was just after noon, that Huang Yu just felt better. He let Jinshui continue to concentrate on controlling the effect of the poisons. He went hunting for wild animals, looking for drinking water and some forest fruits. Not long after he returned, lit a fire, and grilled some fish for him and Jinshui.
"How're the poisons?" he asked Jinshui after. "Can you get rid of them?"
"I can only suppress the effect, can't get rid of it with my current abilities," replied Jinshui. "If I really want to get rid of these poisons, I have to go to Wansui Gu, meet Lao Duxie Zeng Baifeng in person to get the antidote."
"Zeng Baifeng had been hiding in Wansui Gu for a long time, never going out, and never seeing anyone," said Huang Yu. "Wansui Gu for these few years was taken care of by his second disciple, Zhou Sangong and he doesn't like giving away antidote."
"I know," replied Jinshui, "I just don't see any other way."
"I'm not sure we can find Li Qian, meaning we really have to go to Wansui Gu," said Huang Yu. "We return to Huofeng Lou tonight."
"Huofeng Lou?" asked Jinshui. "What for?"
"I want to see the bodies of Xu Chenghai and his family and everyone killed a few days ago," replied Huang Yu.
"You want to see if they share the same wounds with your parents," guessed Jinshui.
"The wounds were so thin," said Huang Yu, "In the martial world there are not many people who can inflict such wounds. I have a guess, but I need to confirm. There are dozens of bodies in Huofeng Lou, maybe it can give us more clues."
"Who do you think the killer is?" asked Jinshui again.
"I can't say for sure now," replied Huang Yu. "Oh, since we're going to Huofeng Lou, maybe later you can meet your young lady and take her with us. I'm sure, she will give a very big hint."
They raced their horses and returned to Huofeng Lou just as the sun was beginning to fade. As night fell, they arrived at their destination. However, they were too late, the bodies of the Xu Family servants, as well as the seven coffins, had all been burned and it was no longer possible to examine the cause of death.
Bao Xinfei, Xu Qiao, four disciples of Xu Chenghai, also Huang Lian gave their last respect. Huang Yu was a bit relieved to see his sister in good condition.
"Your girl is there," he whispered to Jinshui, "this is your last chance to take her with you. That white steel fan, maybe you should take it as well."
Jinshui didn't respond to his words, he preempted darting out of the place. He realized his current condition, seeing Xu Qiao would only frighten the girl. Huang Yu didn't push him further, he followed and, in a moment, they had left Fulong City again, headed for Wansui Gu.