Xu Qiao sat on the pavilion in the garden, looking at the artificial garden covered in a thin layer of white blanket. The air was cold, and the wind breezing to the sea of clouds up in the dim sky.
Jinshui put a coat over her shoulders, and then with her enjoying the view, his heart ached once again. He could only stay with his girl for a moment and soon he would have to leave. He grabbed Xu Qiao's hand. He didn't know how to start his words, but those words couldn't be left unsaid.
"Lao Guishou and Lao Diaoyan sent the news," he said, "they found Huang Zhe. We... we have to go and kill him before he finishes his training and another victim falls."
"But you said there are still another two months," said Xu Qiao.
"The quicker it gets done the better," said Jinshui. "This person is so cunning, can't be trusted. We don't know if he will keep the time limit given or not. He has my xuanlong sword, and what we worry the most is that he uses that sword, impersonating me like a year ago, and creating irreparable damage to Yumen's reputation."
Xu Qiao stared at him. She could still hear those words clearly, instantly she understood their meaning. She bit her lip to hold back her feelings. Jinshui's heart ached even more. He really didn't want to leave.
But he had to choose between his girl and his newly built Yumen Sect. He didn't have many options but to sacrifice the girl.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I've succeeded in mastering wuqing xue to the highest level. By now I should have prepared myself to help you and remove the poison in your body, but there is work to be done. I... had to ask you to wait here for me."
"Can't… I am selfish just this once?" Xu Qiao asked him haltingly. Her voice was very low, and the suffering she was unbearable.
"Many have died at the hands of Huang Zhe. He became like that, we also have to take responsibility. There can't be any more victims."
"This is also my fault." Xu Qiao touched Jinshui's face with one hand. Her tears dripped. She knew Jinshui didn't belong to her alone, indeed Jinshui and the others should act before the whole world found out about the presence of the fake Yumen Mowang with the real xuanlong jian because that would make the return of the Yumen unacceptable. Also, she didn't know how many more people will die. "This face… will I never see it again?"
"You will see it, there must be a chance to see it again," Jinshui said, "as long as you wait for me for a while, when we come back there will definitely be many opportunities for us."
Using the eighth level of wuqing xue to remove all the poison from Xu Qiao's body would take at least seven days and seven nights. After that Jinshui would need some recovery in no short span of time. Of course, if Jinshui helped Xu Qiao before leaving for Luoyang City, he would no longer be able to fight Huang Zhe. If he forced himself, his life will be at stake.
Yanzi had already told Jinshui, if Xu Qiao wasn't helped soon then she would slowly become disabled. Currently, she had difficulty speaking. She will lose her hearing and sight soon. Fear in the silence and boundless darkness would make a living person prefer to die.
Jinshui did not even dare to imagine. Perhaps it would be better if he wasn't Wu Youwei's son, not the primary descendant of Yumen, or not the new leader of Yumen. He wished he still had a chance to choose Xu Qiao and could ignore the others.
"In the end… I still couldn't adjust to you being the Yumen leader..." Xu Qiao continued. She tried to smile, tried to stay strong even in her deep disappointment and extraordinary fear. She turned around, about to walk away from Jinshui.
"Qiao-er," Jinshui was still holding her hand, at this time he didn't want to let go. He pulled Xu Qiao into his arms and gave her a soft hug to calm her down. Xu Qiao shed tears in his chest, realizing she couldn't blame Jinshui, because Jinshui also had no other choice.
"Jinshui Gege… just kill me," she finally said again. "I don't want to force you, nor do I want to trouble you anymore. I... really can't live without my hearing and sight. How am I supposed to know when you're back later? If I can't see or hear anyone, how do I know where you are?"
"You can still feel me," Jinshui released the hug, clasped her two hands, and handed her an iron plate. It was the command plate of Yumen leader left by his father. "You asked me to kill you, what kind of words are these? You know I don't have the heart to do that. Haven't we both agreed, as long as we are still alive then we still have hope?"
"Jinshui Gege...." Xu Qiao wanted to say, she couldn't. She's just an ordinary girl. However, Jinshui's gaze gave her another strength, she had to live for him.
"Your life is mine, no one can take it including yourself," Jinshui said again, "hold this command plate at all times. Having it is the same as you have me by your side. No one and nothing will ever hurt you. I will ask Shuqin and the two girls Hanleng Shuang Yin, also Huang Lian, Shangguan Ruyin, and Yin Xiuchen to take care of you. Whatever happens, wait until I come back. You must live, for me you must live. I will definitely try to come back as soon as possible. Just a Huang Zhe, finishing him off wouldn't take that long."
The other descendants had arrived there. Huang Yu, Li Qian, Qin Liangjie, Liao Xian, Lin Jixuan, Zhu Baique, and Liuxin. Even Shuqin and Ma Yongtao were coming too. Except for Shuqin, they had all changed their clothes and carried their weapons, ready to go. Huang Yu took a step closer to Jinshui.
"Jinshui, we have decided, we will go without you," he said, getting straight to the point. "You stay here and save Xu Guniang."
Jinshui looked at him. These words came out of Huang Yu's mouth, he could hardly believe it.
"Don't underestimate our capabilities," Li Qian continued, "eight descendants minus one are still more than enough to deal with a Huang Zhe."
Huang Yu, Li Qian, Qin Liangjie, Liao Xian, Lin Jixuan, Zhu Baique, Liuxin, and Ma Yongtao, eight people couldn't possibly be compared to a single Hua Jinshui even though Hua Jinshui had now doubled in his martial skills.
"Even though he has practiced some demonic arts, we are sure that we will be able to beat him without Hua Gege," Liuxin continued.
"I will take your position," Ma Yongtao also spoke, "As another descendant, not Yumen leader. I haven't had the chance to pay your punch yesterday, wait for us to come back later, I will definitely count it all on you."
"Helping Xu Guniang cannot be delayed, nor will we be so heartless," Huang Yu said again. "Jinshui, I know what position she has in your heart, I won't fight over it anymore either."
"Jiaozhu, Shuqin will still be here, there is no need to come with them," Shuqin said. She had cultivated inner energy all her life but she wasn't experienced in actual combat. "I can help you take care of shaofuren." She called Xu Qiao shaofuren meaning young madam.
They all unanimously asked Jinshui to stay. He had no other choice. He also had hoped for an ending like this, but he couldn't say it out loud. This time instead his friends united in asking him to save Xu Qiao first, a request that was difficult to refuse.
But Huang Zhe asked Jinshui Gege himself to come down the mountain to fight him," Xu Qiao said. She knew the words written on the fan. "If Jinshui Gege doesn't come, then I don't know what he will say about Jinshui Gege."
"Ah, what kind of thing is that Huang Zhe?" asked Lin Jixuan. "No one would believe him anyway."
"We will finish him off before he has a chance to speak," continued Qin Liangjie.
"Just someone like him, the seven descendants coming at him is already giving him too much face," Zhu Baique spoke too.
"Alright, I'll give you a chance," Jinshui finally said, "eight descendants minus one plus a replacement, if we can't face one Huang Zhe then how will we face the whole world? All right, you go first, I'll try to catch up as soon as possible."
Huang Yu and the others responded with enthusiasm.
"In the future, Shuqin along with Huang Yu, Li Qian, Qin Liangjie, Liao Xian, Lin Jixuan, Zhu Baique, and Liuxin will become the new eight guardians of Yumen," Jinshui added, "continuing the duties assigned by Moying Shifu, Chailang, Ducao, Menggui, Baigu, Xiezhang, Huling and Shuiyao Shishu, protecting our Yumen sect and preparing the next descendants. Soon, I will restore the eight stages within Yumen leadership too."
"What about me?" Ma Yongtao asked.
"I'm still thinking about a suitable position for you," Jinshui said. "Ma Xiongdi might become one of two deputy chiefs along with Yaoyao Guniang."
A decision that satisfied all. Shuqin's status had also changed officially, and now she was no longer the servant of the new leader but was in an equal position with Huang Yu and the others. Her duty as a shengnu was over, and she didn't get honorable death, instead, she got her freedom. She was very grateful. The cruel destiny for generations of shengnu had been abolished, so there was only loyalty to the new Yumen.