warning: there might be some adult content in this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.
While Xie Tianhu, Huang Zhe, and the others spent the night at the ruins of the Yumen base at the foot of the mountain, Gu Chenhui led Jinshui and his friends to the Bai Family's residence in another part of Baiyu Shan.
This Bai Family residence was a complex of buildings that had existed for hundreds of years, perched on a wide plain some distance behind the former Yumen headquarters, surrounded by a number of precipitous cliffs and ravines.
When Baiyu Shan was made the Yumen headquarters, Wu Youwei and his men set up their own building under the mountainside, at that time the Bai Family residence only had a few people living and Yumen members were also forbidden to enter without permission.
Since Gu Chenhui's mother, the great master of Baiyu Shan, disliked crowds and needed more peace, her personal residence was later moved to the sunset peak, while this residence of the Bai Family was left unoccupied and left alone for several years. Therefore, when the Yumen base was destroyed, no one disturbed this place.
A number of people were already waiting in the front courtyard of the Bai Family residence when Gu Chenhui arrived. Most of them wore simple clothes, some carried weapons at their waists, but more carried hoes, sickles, and brooms, apparently having just finished cleaning the yard and several rooms. On each person's sleeve was embroidered the Yumen crest.
A girl in red came up to Gu Chenhui and greeted them according to the Yumen etiquette.
"Jinshui, this lady is called Yaoyao, she is the granddaughter of Dongjie Tang Tangzhu (Autumn Hall Master) Yi Pengpian, Yi Tangzhu," Gu Chenhui introduced the girl in red to Jinshui and his friends. "She was given orders by her grandfather to lead the new members who had been secretly recruited for the past thirteen years."
"Xiaonuzi Yaoyao meet Jiaozhu," the girl in red came forward and saluted Jinshui. "Laofuren a few days ago accepted all of us here and we've also cleaned up this place." She addressed Gu Chenhui as Laofuren meaning Old Madam and already called jiaozhu to Jinshui.
The descendants introduced themselves to the young girl. Those who met for the first time greeted each other, the situation was quite lively.
"You all can stay here for a while, maybe later slowly rebuild the Yumen base down the mountain," Gu Chenhui said. "The great master of Baiyu Shan has given permission, you can meet her tomorrow and thank her in person."
The day was nearing its end. Gu Chenhui then left them all with the two girls Hanleng Shuang Yin, going to have her rest in taiyang feng. The next day the descendants also had to go to taiyang feng to meet the great master of Baiyu Shan, not knowing whether they would receive full support or there would be some conditions. Today they were all tired, but no one was in the mood to go to bed quickly.
Jinshui was ushered into a room specially prepared for him, a stone room that was spacious and separate, had its own anteroom, and also a closed practice room. Xu Qiao followed him there with Huang Yu, Li Qian, Shuqin, and also Yanzi.
"I have reattached his bones and given medicine, but he still needs to recover," Li Qian said to Yanzi. "Today he shouldn't be fighting Xie Tianhu, even though he was using a wooden cane, still he made me worry that his bone joints aren't perfect."
Xu Qiao took over Jinshui from Li Qian and supported him to sit on a lounger. Li Qian then checked the condition of Jinshui's feet himself and found nothing wrong.
"It seems that it's all right, I'll make medicine so that Jinshui Gege can recover quickly," Yanzi said, she looked a little uneasy, and did not immediately check Jinshui, maybe because she felt bad there were many people watching her.
"Jinshui Gege, does it still hurt?" Xu Qiao asked.
"No," Jinshui answered. He passed the porcelain bottle he always carried to Xu Qiao, asking her to take one of her pills.
Xu Qiao had endured the pain for a whole day, her face looked tired and pale, and it seemed that she had really pushed her energy to bring Jinshui to this room.
"Qiao-er Jiejie, how did that pills get into Jinshui Gege's hand?" Yanzi asked her.
"Jinshui Gege doesn't let me have more than one pill a day," Xu Qiao replied. "He says…." She didn't want to say that Jinshui had already called the medicine made by Wansui Gu not good. "He said I only need one pill a day."
"Xu Guniang, you go with Zhou Guniang," Huang Yu said to Xu Qiao. "Just let Li Qian take care of Jinshui."
Xu Qiao still wanted to stay because she was worried about Jinshui, but she also felt her own unusual condition. She just followed along when Yanzi pulled her out of the room, to another room not far away. Huang Yu also came out and followed them secretly.
Yanzi closed the bedroom door and immediately pulled Xu Qiao onto the bed, checked her pulse, and took the porcelain bottle from her hand, finding only ten pills left. She counted the days using her fingers.
"Qiao-er Jiejie, I gave this medicine when I was at Wansui Gu, asking you to have one every day and you can't miss a single day," the little lady said quickly, "have you ever forgotten to take it?"
"That day at Wansui Gu, Jinshui Gege just left, I was so worried about him that I went to look for him," Xu Qiao said, "I think there were one or two days I didn't take the medicine."
"What?" asked Yanzi.
"I don't really remember," Xu Qiao replied, "but it doesn't matter, I then drank one and felt better, then I drank one every time I felt tired until I met Jinshui Gege and he was there to help me with his inner energy."
"What?" Yanzi asked again. "Do you also drink more than one pill a day? How many times did you do that?"
"I don't know, I can't remember," replied Xu Qiao. "What is this pill anyway?"
"This medicine… this medicine is to keep the leiying hua poison in your body from spreading," Yanzi said. "When you forget to drink it for just a day, then the poison can no longer be contained. After that, every time you drink it again, it only restores your strength for a while, it only covers the poison's effect, however… it can't stop you from dying."
"What did you say?" Xu Qiao asked in surprise. "Since when did I get exposed to leiying hua poison? Why don't I know?"
Yanzi didn't answer. She was very confused and at that moment all she could think of was going to her older sister Zhou Xiangnu to ask if there was any other way to deal with leiying hua poison. She then ran out of the room, leaving Xu Qiao alone in confusion.
Xu Qiao got off the bed and was about to return to Jinshui's room, informing him, but had not yet walked out of the door when she found Huang Yu already standing in front of her, apparently having heard all the talk just now.
"Huang Erge," she saw Huang Yu's expression clearly mention that the Chailang descendant knew everything.
"Xu Guniang, I need to talk to you alone," Huang Yu said slowly, "can we talk inside?"
Xu Qiao forced a nod and then let Huang Yu into the room, closing the door behind her. Huang Yu stood silent for a while, he also didn't know how to convey what he knew.
"Xu Guniang, I hope you don't tell Jinshui about this matter," Huang Yu said after a minute, his tone low and restrained, "everything has just started, and you also understand Jinshui's situation. I don't want him to worry about you."
"I won't tell him," Xu Qiao replied. "Huang Erge, what do you know? Can you please tell me? Leiying hua poison, at that time you all helped many people in Wansui Gu, using the energy of wuqing xue to suck the poison out because there weren't many antidotes. What does that have to do with me? I remember I was just helping Jinshui Gege, he didn't even let me take the poison."
"That day Jinshui had sucked up too much poison, he could endure it because he had the inner energy given by his master Moying Shibo to protect him," Huang Yu said. "But by that time Ma Yongtao and the other members of Liangshan Liu Mo had already returned, we were all worried that we couldn't hold them back, moreover I was worried that Jinshui was exerting himself too much on the poison, the results would not be good for him."
"I remember," said Xu Qiao, "Jinshui Gege forced himself too much that day."
"I had to use my chess pieces to disrupt his concentration while he was still sucking poison from the last person," Huang Yu continued, "you also remember what happened next."
"The poison seemed to reverse and the last person instantly lost his life," Xu Qiao replied. "At that time I was also still using inner energy. As the poison turned back to that girl Caiqin and also spread inside Jinshui Gege's body, it entered my body as well."
"That's what happened," Huang Yu said regretfully. "At that time I didn't think much either, I just wanted Jinshui to stop taking the poison. I knew that disrupting his concentration would be very dangerous, but I also had no other choice. According to my calculations, Jinshui can still resist poison and as long as he swallows the antidote quickly then he won't lose his life. Naturally, I don't care about Haitang Jian Pai disciple. I just didn't expect you to be affected too."
Xu Qiao staggered backward, clutching the table to support her weight. It was really unexpected that she had been exposed to the most terrible Wansui Gu poison without her knowing for the past two months.
"The last antidote was given to Jinshui, then Feng Yeye asked Yanzi to make medicine for you. At that time I heard that in three months Feng Yeye would be able to cure the leiying hua poison, so I'm not worried," Huang Yu said again, "we don't have the need to tell you about this matter, as long as you take the pills given by Yanzi, one pill a day."
"But then I went to find Jinshui Gege myself, and since I didn't know the importance of this medicine, I missed some," Xu Qiao looked at the porcelain bottle Yanzi left. "Huang Erge, there are only ten pills left, does this mean that ten days later, I will die?"
"Leiying hua poison is not a poison that can take someone's life just like that," Huang Yu said. "Yanzi had explained it to us, the nature of this poison is to bring about a slow death. About you… I don't know how much time you have."
"You don't want me to tell Jinshui Gege, because you don't want him to worry about me, do you?" asked Xu Qiao, trying to understand his thinking. "Don't worry, I won't let him find out. Besides, at the moment Laofeng is also trying to make a cure for me, maybe tomorrow the cure will already be there and we also don't need to worry anymore."
"Zhou Sangong has been caught by Liangshan Liu Mo," said Huang Yu, "he was the one who created poison, he probably knows how to cure it. I'll have Yanzi meet him and ask him."
--
Shuqin asked Li Qian to go rest, saying she would help Jinshui treat his leg. Without hesitation, the girl took off Jinshui's shoes, rolled up the trouser pipe, and cleaned off the remnants of the bone grafting medicine so she could apply the new medicine.
"I am the shengnu of Yumen, and I should be serving the new jiaozhu." Shuqin said bluntly. "You are the new jiaozhu appointed by laofuren, there is no need to be shy about this custom." She called Gu Chenhui laofuren also.
"Shengnu." Jinshui didn't know clearly about the shengnu, and actually didn't want to question it, but he also couldn't avoid the fact that this shengnu had something to do with him. He felt a little uncomfortable because the person treating his leg was a beautiful woman who was still a stranger, but he also tried not to think too much and just let her do her work.
"Shengnu is the girl that jiaozhu furen prepared for the next leader of Yumen," Shuqin explained. "It was laofuren who brought me into joining the Yumen since childhood, along with two other sisters. We learned wuqing xue and trained yun xia shen gong energy since that. In time, when the new jiaozhu is appointed, one of us will use the energy we have learned since childhood to help that new jiaozhu to obtain the last level wuqing xue, to master its eighth level."
"You mean, wuqing xue can only be learned to the highest level if there is help from a shengnu?" Jinshui asked. "All this time I thought the higher level is just not easy to reach. Master Moying only told me that I had to wait for the time to come."
"Yes," replied Shuqin. "But your Master Moying didn't necessarily know the real detail."
"No wonder, I feel every time I try to reach one higher level I feel like there is one shortcoming. No wonder my father didn't master it to the highest level either. However, if it really needs help from others, why a shengnu?"
"Because only a girl who is pure can learn yun xia shen gong perfectly," said Shuqin, not a bit shy about mentioning chastity, as if her mind had been prepared since childhood. "If we lose our purity, then our yun xia shen gong energy will decrease a lot, it can no longer be used to help the new leader to perfect wuqing xue."
"Apparently so," Jinshui didn't see anything wrong, but he had a bad feeling. "Is only the jiaozhu allowed to master the highest level of wuqing xue?"
"Only jiaozhu." Shuqin turned to look at his face. "According to the Yumen ancestral law, when a new jiaozhu is chosen, the new jiaozhu furen will select three girls as shengnu. These three shengnu will be raised to wait for the next generation of jiaozhu. Once the new jiaozhu candidate has been determined, then we will take turns helping him train wuqing xue from one level to the next. Until in the ritual to reach the highest level, only one of us would be chosen."
"We eight descendants all learned wuqing xue, was it only the jiaozhu who studied this in the past?" Jinshui asked again. He liked to hear Shuqin's explanation.
"Wuqing xue is indeed the highest martial skill in Yumen, it's not that other members can't learn it, but besides jiaozhu, of course, they won't get help from shengnu and have to rely on their own abilities to obtain any level," Shuqin continued. "As for yun xia shen gong, is a secret method to train inner energy. Apart from shengnu herself, only the jiaozhu and jiaozhu furen are allowed to know the details. Of course, the jiaozhu and furen shouldn't be studying on their own."
Jinshui listened. Shuqin replaced the medicine with a new one, applied it carefully, then bandaged his feet back up.
"You said that there were three shengnu," Jinshui said. "But there is only one required to help new jiaozhu reach the highest level of wuqing xue. The other two shengnu should be able to help others, shouldn't they?"
"According to our ancestral law, prior to the final ritual, there would be a life-and-death match, witnessed only by the new jiaozhu," Shuqin continued her explanation. "Rules are, we are not allowed to use weapons, and the winner is also not necessarily the one with the highest skills, but is determined by the decision of the new jiaozhu."
"What do you mean by life-and-death match?" asked Jinshui. "Shengnu were asked to kill each other?"
"The two shengnu who lose, then their fate will also be determined by the decision of the new jiaozhu," said Shuqin. "In previous generations, most were blessed with an honorable death."
"Honorable death?" Jinshui was really shocked. "Life-and-death match is really common in the martial world, but forcing the lose one to commit suicide, and call it honorable death? No wonder Yumen is called a heretic sect."
"In this generation, there is only one shengnu, naturally there is no need for a life-and-death match, you don't have any choice either," Shuqin said again. She had tidied up Jinshui's clothes and shoes, then washed her hands in the provided basin.
"Why not let three shengnu at once help obtain the highest level of wuqing xue?" asked Jinshui. "The help of three shengnu is certainly better than one. Why force the other two to die in vain?"
"If the new jiaozhu wishes, it's actually permissible to keep all three," said Shuqin softly. "But this shengnu who is still alive, her fate will not be any better. At the appointed time, one shengnu or all three at a time must help the new jiaozhu to perfect his wuqing xue, putting all of our energy as a result of years of practice, while wuqing xue has the power to suck in other people's inner energy. Of course, the shengnu would be seriously injured as a result."
Jinshui still remembered. After Moying gave up all the energy of decades of training to him, that main guardian's body turned weak. But Moying was not an ordinary figure. In a short time, he was able to perform daily activities normally, even though he had no internal energy left. Would a shengnu be seriously injured because the abilities weren't as good as Moying or other guardians?
"Yun xia shen gong has different characteristics compared to wuqing xue," said Shuqin again. "Helping the new jiaozhu to perfect wuqing xue was also not like lineage guardians like Moying or the others giving inner energy to the descendants. The descendants who received energy were at their low level, certainly couldn't be compared to someone who had mastered wuqing xue to the seventh level."
"Apparently so," Jinshui said. "Then my father is not willing to learn the highest level of wuqing xue, is it because he doesn't want to hurt a girl?"
Shuqin smiled. Jinshui's question to her was still very innocent.
"Of course, it's not like that," she said, "your father appointed Menggui and Shuiyao as guardians because they didn't completely master yun xia shen gong and because they looked up to jiaozhu furen who had previously painstakingly trained them since childhood. But Miaoqin, the shengnu who completely mastered yun xia shen gong and was ready to help him, was forced to commit suicide before doing her task."
"Why?" asked Jinshui.
"Because Miaoqin was unwilling to accept another position, telling jiaozhu that she was destined to become a shengnu and must fulfill that destiny," Shuqin said.
"I don't get it," said Jinshui. "If she wanted to stay as a shengnu why did my father kill her instead? Not wanting to hurt but instead forcing suicide, is so unreasonable."
Shuqin smiled again. She approached Jinshui, and sat beside him. Not at all uncomfortable even though she was a shengnu and by her side was a man.
"We helping the new jiaozhu train the highest level of wuqing xue is not the same as helping at the previous levels, moreover it is not the same as the guardians handing over the internal energy to the descendants," she said again, "at that time we had to be in a closed room, just the two of us. Of course, during the twelve hours of the energy transfer process, we must unite, and there shouldn't be any disturbance at all."
Jinshui shook at the words must be in a closed room, just the two of us. Yumen leader was male, shengnu was a girl. If Xu Qiao found out that Jinshui was alone with another girl in a closed room for twelve hours, she would definitely be very sad.
"A shengnu is obliged to maintain chastity not only for the sake of maintaining the purity of yun xia shen gong energy but also for the sake of that day," said Shuqin again. "The position of Yumen leader is very honorable, a woman who has been touched by another man is certainly not worthy anymore. On that day, we had to undress and touch each other, too... that time the shengnu might have to pass the chastity on to the jiaozhu in order to unite with him."
The utter shock at the words, Jinshui's already tense facial expression stiffened even more. Instantly, he felt cold sweat all over his body. He was not ignorant of the relationship between men and women. During his time with Xu Qiao, he had always been careful, never going out of his way. He never imagined that he would have to be involved with another woman. Never before had he known that this peak of Baiyu Shan had already prepared such a girl for him.
"What?"
"After this task is completed, there is also no way of life for a shengnu," Shuqin continued. Her voice was low but clear enough. "We will be seriously injured and crippled for life and considered useless. Since shengnu is the deepest secret of the Yumen Jiao, at that time our existence must be eliminated completely."
Jinshui was completely taken aback. No wonder Yumen was often referred to as a demonic sect. In fact, within Yumen in the past, there had been this kind of extraordinary cruelty and perverted ways. Aside from the shengnu issue, who knows if there were any more secrets surrounding his father and this position of Yumen leader?
"I won't allow it," he said. "All Yumen's cruel traditions, I will not pass them on. If I want to reach wuqing xue to the highest level but I have to use this method, then I'd better not learn it to the highest level. After all..." he almost mentioned Xu Qiao. For the rest of his life, he would only love Xu Qiao alone, not get involved with other women.
"It's an honor to us," Shuqin suddenly said. Clear and firm. Her tears almost flowed. She had been waiting for Jinshui for her life, secretly hoping to be able to complete her task as a shengnu, even though in the end she will also face death. She had felt disappointment when he found Jinshui was just a young man with disabilities, but now that feeling had completely changed. "Since joining the Yumen, our lives belong to the leader, there will be no regrets."
"Human life is a matter of Heaven. How can there be a fate set by humans like this? I can't...."
Huang Yu walked into the room with quiet steps. He heard quite a lot of the conversation just now, of course, he had his own thoughts. Jinshui as the head of the Yumen in the future must master the wuqing xue to the highest level, no matter how much it cost.
Shuqin put away the medicine and water basin. Jinshui could only lie still in his bed, at this time did not want to say much about this shengnu, already knew Huang Yu would not support his idea.
"Dashanzhu is still in seclusion and doesn't want to see anyone, maybe tomorrow we won't be able to see her either." Huang Yu talked about other matters. "You still have time to recover your legs, in the meantime, there is no need to think about anything. Shuqin Guniang, had to trouble you."
Shuqin just nodded her head. Her face seemed to have calmed down. She had been used to covering up her true feelings all her life, no one needed to know what was on her mind.
"How's Qiao-er?" Jinshui asked Huang Yu, he knew Huang Yu just came out of the room and must have followed Xu Qiao and Yanzi.
"She's fine," Huang Yu said slowly, covering up perfectly, "just tired of following us all around for so long. You don't need to worry, she will quickly adjust to this place and it seems we don't need to take her anywhere anymore either."
"Let her stay with me here," Jinshui said, "I haven't told Wu Furen yet, but I will tell her soon, asking her to bless me and Qiao-er."
"There's no need to rush, you also still need to recover your legs and prepare for the upcoming fight," Huang Yu said. "There are many Yumen followers who are new here, and they don't accustom to the old Yumen traditions. The owner of Baiyu Shan was also more conservative and strictly followed the Han people's norms. You and Xu Guniang haven't gone through the wedding ceremony yet. It's not good for you to stay in the same room. For the time being, she better stay with my sister and Yanzi. After everything is settled, you may discuss the marriage with laofuren."