On the third day, some guests came to Wansui Gu and they were received by Zhou Xiangnu and Yanzi outside the valley.
Among the guests were two seniors of Tianhe Monastery, named Xianche and Xiannan. They came to pick up the four young monks who were kidnapped by Fuchang Long the other day and saved by Jinshui and his friends.
The other guest was Shixiu Daochang, the Taoist Priest who mentioned Lin Xiaoyan abducting to Jinshui and friends a few months ago after they left Yiling District. He came without his best friend, the weapon maker Peng Yang, to pick up the four young Taoists taken by Fuchang Long also.
The last guests were three elders of Haitang Jian Pai. They were nuns now and named Yien, Yixin, and Yiting. They originally intended to persuade Yuan Wancui not to see the owner of Wansui Gu and continue the enmity with Yumen sect. They came with six Haitang Jian Pai disciples released by Yanzi from Zhou Sangong's men the other day.
Yanzi wanted to return the former victims of leiying poison to their elders as quickly as possible as she didn't like to deal with those guests. But the Monk Xiannan asked to meet Jinshui. She thought that Jinshui already saved their disciples, and those elders should thank him, so she invited Jinshui to meet them.
The young victims caught by Liangshan Liu Mo had completely recovered from the leiying hua poison, and their condition had completely recovered. The arrival of the elders to pick them up at Wansui Gu was of course a great relief, the two young priests wept endlessly when they saw their uncle's arrival.
"Hua Shaoxia's name has been heard by many for a while now. I never thought that I would meet you once. It turns out that you are still young," the old monk Xiannan said to Jinshui. "The other Yumen descendants, I believe are also talented younger generation figures, what a fortune for the Yumen. Hua Shaoxia, you have helped our apprentices, this merit to us is incomparably small."
Jinshui just listened, Monk Xiannan spoke slowly but clearly, his words were humble but at the same time guarded his own dignity and the name of the sect he carried.
"Although in the martial world, people call Yumen a demonic sect, in fact, what the Yumen people practice is not any cult. On this matter laona doesn't want to say much," Monk Xianche continued. "If I'm not mistaken, the name of this demonic sect emerged precisely from the previous Yumen people who did a lot of cruelty, the rules of the sect did not respect humanity, and also the arts that you studied were on average cruel."
"Dashi, in the past if there were indeed mistakes made by our jiaozhu as well as the other predecessors, we eight descendants would definitely try to correct them wholeheartedly, not to continue in any form of cruelty," Jinshui replied seriously. "Jinshui hopes that Dashi will also give us a chance."
Monk Xiannan laughed briefly. "We will not make things difficult for the eight descendants, we will only be the viewer. After all, the cruelty of the Yumen people in the past has already had its own punishment, and the debt has been paid off. We also hope Hua Shaoxia not to look at the past. Haitang Jian Pai's Yuan Zhangmen is gone, if there has ever been a slight misunderstanding with Haitang Jian Pai, can it be forgotten?"
It turned out that this old monk came to Jinshui to reconcile Haitang Jian Pai's dispute with the Yumen descendants some time ago. The nun Yien drew closer, bowing her head once before Jinshui.
"Hua Shaoxia has saved Yuan Zhangmen's disciples, pinni Yien thank you," she said calmly. "Regarding the matter at Haitang Jian Pai not long ago, the cause was that we only looked at Yumen's reputation in the past, not taking into account future possibilities. Regarding this, I think Hua Shaoxia can also understand it."
She did not apologize, only gave a few subjective reasons. Jinshui basically didn't like making enemies, Yien's words were only kept in his heart, he didn't want to say another word. The differences in perceptions could create an endless discussion.
"Hua Shaoxia, you have saved four nephews, I don't need to say much anymore." Shixiu also said. "My old words still apply, they haven't changed one bit."
"The past doesn't need to be mentioned anymore, Hua Jinshui will also not keep it in his heart," Jinshui said. "Regarding the revival of Yumen, zaixia has no way back, had to ask Kewei Dashi's blessing."
As the guests left, another guest came closer. It was a familiar figure to Zhou Xiangnu, the purple-dressed girl who asked Zeng Baifeng to use fayi chuan to save Yuan Wancui from the leiying hua poison the other day.
"Jiejie, it was that girl who trick our father to start a rebellion in Wansui Gu," Yanzi quickly reminded her.
"I know."
Zhou Xiangnu immediately unsheathed her whip and charged toward that purple-dressed figure. The figure didn't move, didn't even blink when the tip of the whip arrived right in front of her.
Qingyi didn't show any defensive efforts. The sound of cloth tearing was heard, and the purple dress was torn by the whip. Zhou Xiangnu saw that the opponent didn't dodge or retaliate, her blood heated up more and more, once again swung the whip, this time aimed at the face.
Zhou Xiangnu was not spared by her father and her face was slashed during the chaos. It was all because this woman in front of her had courage the rebel in Wansui Gu. Recalling the wound on her face that couldn't possibly disappear completely, resentment instantly seared through all the layers of her blood.
The tip of the whip barely touched Qingyi's skin, Jinshui suddenly shot ahead, and the tip of the whip was caught with his bare hand. Zhou Xiangnu was shocked. Jinshui caught the edge of her whip was not the first time. At the buchui liao wine shop a few months ago, when she fought with Xu Qiao, she was humiliated even more.
"Hua Jinshui, you dare to interfere?" Zhou Xiangnu called out to him.
"Zhou Guniang, you should not be so harsh to someone who doesn't fight back," Jinshui said.
"It was this woman who poisoned us all, incited my father, and caused chaos in Wansui Gu," Zhou Xiangnu did not agree with him. "Hua Jinshui, I don't care if she is your former lover, I only know that she is not only the enemy of Wansui Gu now, but also the enemy of all Yumen descendants."
Jinshui didn't want to argue with her. He turned to Qingyi. He had buried their past deep inside, his hope for Qingyi was long gone, but after all this girl was the daughter of Menggui, one of the eight guardians of Yumen. Without eight guardians there will be no eight descendants, and his debt of gratitude was as deep as the ocean. Jinshui once promised to take care of Qingyi, even now he couldn't afford to see Qingyi as an enemy. No matter how cruel her actions were, to Jinshui, Qingyi had her reasons.
He took off his own outer coat and put it on Qingyi's shoulders to cover her torn clothes. Qingyi looked at him with moist eyes. It was hard to tell what this girl was really thinking. Yanzi prepared some secret needles, ready to attack if Qingyi did anything to Jinshui. Zhou Xiangnu was annoyed, and could only lash the whip in her hand onto the ground speechlessly.
Qingyi didn't intend to fight anyone today. She grabbed Jinshui's hand, then fell into his arms.
"Don't let me go," she whispered in his ear. "Jinshui, I know I was wrong. Today came to apologize to you, I hope you can listen to me for a while."
Jinshui said nothing. He knew he should try to escape from the hug, but he didn't. He already had Xu Qiao, and all of his love was only for Xu Qiao, but when he faced Qingyi, he turned weak, unable to resolutely refuse, unable to express a single word of hostility.
"Jinshui, you don't have to be Yumen descendant anymore, will you?" Qingyi whispered in his ear. The words that had such an impact on Jinshui, he was about to get out of Qingyi's embrace. But the woman's whisper seemed to have magic power, binding him tightly, making him continue to listen further.
"It's not what you wanted, you actually have no obligations either," Qingyi continued. "I'll tell you a secret. You know, your mother was a maid. It was Gu Chenhui who arranged for her to be near your father. Your father never liked her, never agreed with Gu Chenhui's intention to take her as a concubine."
Jinshui was silent for a moment as if he was being hypnotized so that this fact, which he wasn't ready to hear, flowed into his mind. Qingyi whispered ever quieter, but her every word became clearer and louder. Jinshui's body trembled, he wanted to get away but his strength seemed to have completely disappeared.
"Wu Youwei was drunk that day, mistaking your mother for Gu Chenhui, I guess you already know what happened that night," Qingyi spoke again. "After realizing that, he was furious, driving your mother out of Baiyu Shan with her senile father. Gu Chenhui just then didn't get in the way either, no one got in the way. Your mother harbored a deep hatred to death. I believe the guardians never told you this fact, right?"
"What? I...."
"Jinshui, your father and mother didn't want you. They didn't expect you to be Yumen descendant. Gu Chenhui couldn't have children. She was the one who planned everything. She had Moying find you and arrange for you to be the leader of the eight descendants. She was lying to keep you loyal to the Yumen Jiao, all for her own purposes."
Qingyi paused for a moment, waiting for Jinshui's reaction, but Jinshui just didn't move an inch.
"We can just leave everything, okay?" she continued, "You still have me. I... I tried to destroy eight descendants for you, for your own good. You can come with me now. Would you just come with me? We can be together forever, no need to think about unpleasant things, happily ever after."
Jinshui's feelings and thoughts were completely chaotic.
The rain started to fall, quickly turning heavy. Jinshui felt Qingyi let go of her embrace, then took a step back away from him.
Xu Qiao was already there, looking at Jinshui with red and swollen eyes. Jinshui didn't know how long she's been standing there or how much she's heard.
"Jinshui Gege...."
Jinshui hadn't fully regained consciousness yet. Qingyi considered that all that needed to be said had already been said. She had her own beliefs about what would happen next. When Xu Qiao lunged at her, she had no intention of fighting, then darted away without saying a word, leaving only a gentle, devilish smile. Her qinggong skills were better, Xu Qiao was of course no match for her.
Xu Qiao was more worried about Jinshui, not pursuing any further. She ran through the rain and fog, back to Jinshui who was still standing where he was. Hugging Jinshui, she cried uncontrollably.
"Qiao-er...." Jinshui opened his eyes. He reciprocated the hug, but his feelings were very chaotic, his current handle was only Xu Qiao, and his strength was only Xu Qiao, but he really didn't know what to do in order to maintain the grip and strength that only one left and was so fragile. The reality he had just heard dealt a huge blow to him. His parents' past, his father's, and his duties as Yumen descendants, all suddenly turned into an unnecessarily heavy burden.
"Qiao-er, they don't want me...."
"You are not allowed to see her again, do you hear me?" Xu Qiao loudly yelled at him. The roar in the sky sounded loud, making her even more frightened, making Jinshui even more erratic.
"I should not be the descendant of the Yumen, not supposed to be their leader," Jinshui said in a daze. "I can't... can't..."
"No! You should not listen to her. Jinshui Gege, you can only listen to me. We... we have to go back to Wansui Gu now...."
--
Changes in a human's life can happen slowly over the years, but they can happen in the blink of an eye.
Yanzi let Jinshui and Xu Qiao stay in her room that night, provided two sets of clean clothes for them to change into, then left without saying a word. Jinshui just sat on the wooden cot, for a while trying to calm down, mustering his internal energy to overcome the cold.
The heat from his body flowed and evaporated the water from his drenched clothes and hair. While it was raining hard outside, and the cold air was seeping in through the crack in the window, the feelings of the two people in the room were hard to put into words.
"Qiao-er, come here, I'll help you dry off."
Jinshui looked at his lover with a slightly strange look. Xu Qiao stepped closer slowly. Jinshui stretched out his hand to her, and she took that hand. She felt the pure energy flow into her body, the cold and wet feeling slowly disappeared, and the warmth was felt throughout the skin.
"We leave this place tomorrow," Jinshui told her, "I will have Huang Yu and Liao Xian take the others straight to Baiyu Shan. You and me, just the two of us, we go somewhere else. I want to calm down, temporarily do not want to be with them. I... regarding the role as the leader of the eight descendants must indeed be reconsidered."
Xu Qiao withdrew her hand. Jinshui's tone trembled slightly, the look in his eyes was very strange. The influence of Qingyi's words was still on his mind, Xu Qiao was secretly horrified.
"No!" she yelled. "You must not be far from Huang Yu and the others. Right now, absolutely not!"
Jinshui stood up and took another step to her slowly.
"That little fox Qingyi could come again at any time and at that time if you are influenced by her, I wouldn't be able to do anything," Xu Qiao said again, "Huang Yu and the others can protect you. How can you leave them? Jinshui Gege, if you walk away from them at this moment, you will definitely make mistakes and regret it for life, you know that."
Her words were very reasonable. True, Qingyi was extremely influential. In front of her, Jinshui was powerless, his current chaotic mind was only one result. Xu Qiao dared to take both of Jinshui's hands, looking at him reassuringly.
"Jinshui Gege, from now on you can't see Qingyi again, nor can you let her see you," she coaxed, "I don't know anything about your past with her and I don't want to know either. The Yumen descendants trust you, rely on you, you must never abandon them."
Jinshui held her hands tightly. Xu Qiao's gleam told him, for the time being, he couldn't act on his own accord. Because his will was influenced by others.
"All right, I will listen to you," he surrendered, "as long as you are by my side, I will only listen to you alone."
Jinshui brought his face closer to Xu Qiao's. He didn't want to think about anything, didn't want to feel anything but think about Xu Qiao, feel Xu Qiao's existence alone.
"Jinshui Gege...."
"You know I love you very much," Jinshui said in an unusual tone. His voice trembled. "I once said, if one day you can't adjust to my role as one of the Yumen descendants, you can leave me at any time. At this time, may these words be considered as never existed?"
"What?" Xu Qiao asked innocently. "I...."
Jinshui didn't explain, not wanting to get another answer or words to mess with his mind again. He slowly kissed Xu Qiao's lips. A single tear rolled down, and he didn't care. At this moment, he didn't want to think about the pain, about his father, about his mother, about anything. He didn't want to remember, but Qingyi's words also couldn't just disappear, making him very messy.
The light of the oil lamp on the table seemed to dim, Jinshui hugged Xu Qiao with all his heart, he let himself cry until he was tired. They no longer spoke to each other, they just cried silently.
Only after falling asleep, Jinshui found himself in a pitch-dark forest, surrounded by the sounds of clanking swords and screams full of emotion. He was tired and scared, flashes of light appeared around him, it was a sharp weapon ready to tear his body and take a piece of his life slowly by force. He ran aimlessly, the weapons kept chasing him, and he felt that the whole world didn't want him to live, everyone wanted him to die.
He woke up suddenly. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead, his hands trembled, and his body felt weak. His breath hitched as he looked around, slowly finding himself still in one of the rooms in Wansui Gu. The rain outside was just drizzling, there was no sound of clanging weapons, no sound of human screams. He closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to calm himself. It was just a nightmare.
"I can't... I don't want to go crazy..." he muttered to himself. When he got off the bed, he found Xu Qiao sleeping beside him. Xu Qiao accompanied him crying until she was exhausted too. When Jinshui touched her arm, the girl didn't react at all. He stared at the girl, various kinds of feelings swirling within him but he couldn't express it properly.
"Qiao-er, please forgive me," he whispered softly, "I shouldn't involve you. My problem, I have to solve it myself. Don't worry, I just need to calm down a bit. If I'm already strong enough, I'll definitely come back and continue living the way you want."
He moved Xu Qiao, tucking her in the blanket tightly. The girl didn't wake up at all, her condition for the last three days was always like that, sleeping more deeply than usual. Jinshui kissed her forehead gently before leaving the room. The xuanlong sword was on the table, for once he didn't want to take it with him. He looked at the sleeping Xu Qiao one more time before he closed the door.
Of course, he didn't know, Xu Qiao was able to fall into a deep sleep due to the influence of the leiying hua poison in her body, which had penetrated into every cell of her blood, although it was temporarily restrained by the medicine Zeng Baifeng prescribed especially for her.
Jinshui headed for the deepest part of the valley. The cold air there increasingly felt. The fog blocked his view, but he ignored it. Footsteps took him farther and farther away, the rainwater drenching his head again, washing away his thoughts, cooling the emotions that were heating up in his body. The rain came down again in torrents, the wind was very piercing. His tears had dried, but his chaotic feelings had not abated.
Jinshui's memory of his mother was completely absent, nor was he able to remember clearly how he had met Moying for the first time. He was in awe watching Moying play with the sword, and how happy he was when the main guardian of Yumen taught him basic fighting techniques.
He only remembered part of the incident when his grandfather was killed, the situation at that time was very chaotic. Moying took him running, far away, but he never asked why. Then he also met the other descendants. Among all of them at that childhood age the oldest was Li Qian, and the youngest was Liuxin who became the center of attention for all of them.
"I am the descendant of Chailang, only a messenger to gather the others. Our true leader is not me, but him." He remembered Huang Yu's words to Lin Jixuan at that time. "Moying is the leader of the eight guardians, his sole disciple will naturally become the leader of the eight descendants."
"Hua Jinshui has the power bestowed by the main guardian of the Yumen, and he was also the illegitimate son of the demon head Wu Youwei," Bao Xinfei's words were also still in his memory.
Qingyi's words entered his mind again and again, swirling in his brain, and he couldn't control it.
"Your father and mother didn't want you. They didn't expect you to be Yumen descendant. Gu Chenhui couldn't have children. She was the one who planned everything. She had Moying find you and arrange for you to be the leader of the eight descendants. She was lying to keep you loyal to the Yumen Jiao, all for her own purposes."
He fell on the tall grass, a mud puddle greeted him.
"No one wants you," Qingyi's voice sounded again. "You are unworthy to be the leader of the eight descendants. Unworthy. Unworthy."
There was only darkness around him, rain water was like millions of needles piercing into his skin. His head was pressed by a heavyweight, making him unable to move. He tried to stand but he couldn't. In the middle of that dark and lonely valley, he fell unconscious.