Zhang Zheliang declared that it was time for him to take a long rest, so he then left them all behind, imparting a copy of his yin shou yang zhang manual to the remaining member of Jianyin Bang, Han Budian, and he even apologized to his disciple Yue Songdai for having to leave him once again.
Yue Songdai only responded flatly and he didn't ask much. Xianjing Wang had already left Liuxin and he could still be with that sweet little princess, meaning he wouldn't be alone anyway. Moreover, he was also not someone who is greedy for martial inheritance.
Jinshui and his friends left the remnant of the Jianyin Bang headquarters that day, saying goodbye to Han Budian who was still grieving over the death of his master and cared less about other matters.
They rented a small inn outside the city and had some rest there for a few days for the injured ones to recover quickly, as well as prepare for the long journey to Baiyu Shan.
But it was just one night after, when Huang Lian and Yin Xiuchen returned from buying some food, they already informed the others that news of the massacre at the Jianyin Bang headquarters had spread outside the city and that some of Zhong Shaoyan's old friends had arrived. Some came to pay their last respects, but more were concerned if the Yumen descendants were also involved in this incident.
"Han Shaobangzhu had already told them that this was Xie Tianhu and Xun Tianyi's doing, but those people didn't necessarily believe it," Huang Lian told the others, "rumors said that Xie Tianhu had died long ago, and there was no logical explanation as to why he would be alive and carrying out massacres against members of his own sect. Han Shaobangzhu was also still in a state of mourning, he couldn't explain in detail just to defend us."
"Some saw Lin Tongtian participating in the massacre, and some said they saw the Yumen descendants fighting with Lin Tongtian, and they have also seen on the scene," Yin Xiuchen continued. "Good thing no one recognized me and Huang Guniang in the market, nor would anyone care about a blind woman listening to their talk."
"We better leave this city as soon as possible," Huang Yu said. "Our next destination is Chen-an City, and then head straight to Baiyu Shan. This journey is quite far and there are fifteen of us, we cannot continue walking together without drawing any attention."
"How about each of us goes with our respective partners?" Yanzi suggested. "Jinshui Gege can go with Qiao-er Jiejie. I can see they want to be alone for quite a while now. Li Qian Gege can go with Huang Lian Jiejie, Liao Xian Gege and Yin Jiejie. Qin Gege with his wife, of course, while Liuxin Jiejie with Yue Shaoxia. I am Yanzi, since Lin Jixuan is not here, I can go with Zhu Jiejie."
"You may come with us," Shangguan Ruyin said, "It will be better for Yujiang to have you around."
She was still holding her poisoned son in her arms. Baby Qin Yujiang had been sleeping continuously since yesterday, both of his parents taking turns forcing food into his tiny body to keep him alive. Yanzi was the only hope for the child, and Yanzi was also the one who can take him to ask help from Zeng Baifeng in Wansui Gu.
"I'll go with you two," Zhu Baique said to the couple.
"What about me?" asked Huang Yu.
"Huang Erge always has two beautiful sisters accompany you everywhere, do want to replace them with me?" Yanzi talked about Huang Yu's two loyal servants.
"It's settled then," said Liao Xian, "we will meet each other on the way anyway. If anything happens, we know what to do."
"Lian-er," Huang Yu called his sister, "do you really prefer to go with Li Qian?"
"It's fine for me," Huang Lian replied while hiding the blush on her cheeks. "I've been with him since we left Bai Tu Shanzhuang."
"You were with Qin-xiong and his wife, with the others," Huang Yu protested. "You and Li Qian are not married, you should not go with just him. The Yumen people don't really care about norms, but you are the daughter of the Huang Family, you have to remember that."
"Yu, ever since you left Lian-er with me at Bai Tu Shanzhuang, you have never asked her back, nor do I intend to return her to you," Li Qian said. "I, Li Qian, married and lost my wife before. In terms of age, there is also quite a big difference with Lian-er. However I like Lian-er, I hope you will accept and give us your blessing."
"Lian-er," Huang Yu called his sister again.
"Erge, can we just discuss this later?" Huang Lian said as she hid behind Yin Xiuchen's back.
"You…." Huang Yu also hopes that his younger sister can join the Yumen sect, but what Li Qian said just now was indeed the core of the problem between them. Now they were about to go on a long journey with their respective partners, even though he can't accept it. "You come with me," he said to Huang Lian. "Li Qian, sorry to trouble you, but it will be better for you to go with Zhu Guniang."
"Erge," Huang Lian disagreed.
"Yu, I will marry your sister," Li Qian said. "Now you don't have to worry about anything, and I can take your sister with me."
"Huang Erge, Lian-er is my junior. She still has her master, but her master is currently not here, you can consider me as her legal guardian," Xu Qiao said, "I don't mind setting her up with Li Qian Gege. I have my Jinshui Gege, Lian-er seems to also have her Li Qian Gege. You hope your sister can marry one of the descendants of Yumen, if you don't bless her with Li Qian Gege, do you plan to betroth her to Lin Jixuan?"
"Eh, what has Lin Jixuan anything to do with all this?" Yanzi protested.
"I don't want to talk about it," Huang Yu didn't want to argue and quickly left the room and everyone.
"Liuxin, you don't mind going with me, do you really?" Yue Songdai asked Liuxin.
"I'm okay," Liuxin replied briefly with a smile.
Liao Xian and Yin Xiuchen left Wuzhang City that day, followed by Qin Liangjie and his wife Shangguan Ruyin, leaving together with Li Qian and Huang Lian before Huang Yu changed his mind and stopped them. Zhu Baique was still heavily injured from the flute battle that day, she waited another day to get better before leaving with Yanzi.
Liuxin and Yue Songdai also departed, almost at the same time as Huang Yu and his two loyal servants Xiaoshan and Xiaohu who still needed to recuperate. Jinshui and Xu Qiao were the last, they kept a certain distance from the others.
"Jinshui Gege, isn't Zhang Laoqianbei currently still depending on the help of others to survive and using that huanming yao?" Xu Qiao asked Jinshui. "He went alone, where do you think he's going?"
"He must have his own considerations," Jinshui replied. "We don't know what will happen in the future. It is possible that one day there will be a chance to meet again, he will be completely healed and no longer need to depend on huanming yao, nor will he have to worry about harming others when his memory is gone."
"Do you think he will go to Wansui Gu then?" asked Xu Qiao again.
"Wansui Gu?"
"Thirteen years ago, after fighting with your father and being seriously injured, Zhang Laoqianbei also went to Wansui Gu to ask Zeng Laoqianbei for help. They are still considered friends, am I right?" asked Xu Qiao.
"Then maybe we will visit him there," said Jinshui. "The long way to Baiyu Shan will pass Wansui Gu, stopping by for a while won't hurt."
They walked their horses through the city gate, and Jinshui tried to avoid the gaze of several men holding axes by pretending to be limping. They already dressed as peasants and had some wheat sacks put at the back of their horses.
"Jinshui Gege, Zhang Laoqianbei at that time stayed in Baiyu Shan for a while to help your father obtain the highest level of wuqing xue, namely the eighth level," Xu Qiao continued after they were far enough from the city gate, "I have two questions. Does the leader of Yumen Jiao have to master wuqing xue to the highest level? Is this highest level so difficult to obtain that your father went to the extent of asking Zhang Laoqianbei to solve it?"
"The leader Yumen would have to master wuqing xue to its highest level and only the leader is privileged to master to that highest level," Jinshui replied. "Moying Shifu told me, indeed the eighth level Wuqing Xue is very difficult to learn. But I also never asked how the other leaders before my father managed to master that eighth level. Within Yumen, there was a secret way to learn that highest level, but somehow my father didn't use it."
"Then what will you do to master that eighth level?" Xu Qiao asked again.
"I don't know. The wuqing xue manual I memorized has no clue," replied Jinshui, "perhaps, the answer lies in Baiyu Shan."
"The leader must master the highest level of wuqing xue, if Jinshui Gege can't master it to the highest level, does that mean you don't have to be the new leader of Yumen?" Xu Qiao hoped.
"How could I?" Jinshui quite understood her thought. "My father didn't master it to the highest level but he was acknowledged as the leader anyway. I guess I'll follow in his footsteps, not mastering to the highest level."
Jinshui and Xu Qiao arrived at a crossroads by the end of that day, halting their horses there. The atmosphere at dusk was calm, the two of them had just passed through the hilly area, in the distance, a large road appeared to a city, and several carts of merchants were seen passing there.
"Jinshui Gege, which way now?" Xu Qiao asked.
"That path is the one we should take if we are going to Baiyu Shan," Jinshui said, pointing to the left path. "Meanwhile, the other road goes to Nanyang City."
"Nanyang City?" asked Xu Qiao. "Yongjun Hui headquarters were in Nanyang City. Do you plan to go there and pay a visit to their leader, Huan Jiaozheng, Huan Menzhu?"
"Huan Jiaozheng was the most influential figure in the Yumen destruction thirteen years ago," said Jinshui. "The descendants have revealed their identities, but until now there has been no sound of movement from Yongjun Hui's side. I really want to pay a short visit to Nanyang City to find out what Hei Bao Jiangjun is up to against us."
"You want to confront Huan Menzhu alone?" asked Xu Qiao.
"How do you think the ability of the leader of Yongjun Hui is?" Jinshui asked.
"Huan Menzhu's ability is probably above Zhong Bangzhu's, below that of Yuan Zhangmen," Xu Qiao said. "If Jinshui Gege fighting him one on one, I'm pretty sure you can defeat him. However, Huan Menzhu is also not a yongjun (always a knight), he will definitely find an excuse to ask the Yongjun Hui assassins to face you first, at least make Jinshui Gege tired first, then he will take his spot. Since you are already known as Wu Youwei's son, he could tell this way of fighting was fair enough for everyone."
"Half of the original twenty-four of Yongjun Hui's assassins were killed during the attack on the Yumen headquarters, the rest were later finished off by Ducao Shishu," said Jinshui. "If I'm not mistaken, the current Yongjun Hui assassins are newcomers, their abilities aren't even half that of the original twenty-four."
"It's still quite troublesome though," Xu Qiao replied, "even more troublesome because the Jinshui Gege can't kill them."
"Why can't I slaughter them?" Jinshui asked. "My xuanlong jian is a sword inherited from the demonic sect, has a thirst for human blood, and it seems like it's been a while since it hasn't had blood to drink."
"Jinshui Gege," Xu Qiao scolded him with a smile, "I know you don't really want to cause trouble in Nanyang City."
"Huang Yu and the others are not far away, maybe we can come there with you and introduce ourselves to Huan Jiaozheng in person," Jinshui said. "Huan Jiaozheng didn't show up for the meeting in Yiling District a while ago, I guess he's also a little regretful that he missed the chance to meet the eight disciples of Yumen guardians."
"If the Yumen descendants all came to Yongjun Hui's headquarters in Nanyang City to see Huan Menzhu, the result could be worse," Xu Qiao said, "Huan Menzhu must have immediately mobilized his people against and expelled you. However, the Yumen descendants were all highly skilled in martial arts, and even Liuxin Meimei had received inner energy from her master. Even if you don't intend to completely slaughter the Yongjun Hui members, at least you will cost a lot of lives. With Yongjun Hui's current reputation, the martial world will not stand still and there will be more and more people who want to reject the return of Yumen sect."
Jinshui nodded his head and smiled. "Qiao-er has already thought of everything," he said. "Okay, I'll do as you said. My plan to visit Huan Jiaozheng could be done at a later date when Yumen Jiao had returned and our past reputation had been repaired. At that time, Huan Jiaozheng would have no reason to refuse our visit."