With Qi emerging from the water, Xue Qing greedily inhaled several breaths of oxygen before carrying him back to shore, just as the old turtle had carried Tang Sanzang across the Tongtian River in the past. Although Qi couldn't swim, he knew how to hold his breath—martial arts practitioners could hold their breath for long periods, preventing him from fainting—but lying on the ground was still somewhat disheveled. Both their clothes were soaked. Xue Qing's originally light and elegant gauze dress, now heavy as armor after absorbing water, clung to her body, damp and clinging. Fortunately, it was late autumn and the weather was cold, so her undergarment was thick enough to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions, though the large lotus flowers embroidered on it were vaguely visible, which wasn't very aesthetically pleasing. Qi fared somewhat better; wearing black clothes, even when wet, nothing was visible.
In TV dramas, this kind of situation usually only happens between the male and female leads. Typically, the two would build a small fire together, the female lead blushing as she strips off her wet clothes, telling the male lead not to peek. The male lead, meanwhile, would help her dry her clothes while subtly glancing at her. Xue Qing had actually brought a tinderbox, but when she pulled it out of her bosom, it was soaked through and probably unusable. Besides, the surrounding area was overgrown with weeds, without a single tree; starting a fire would require setting the mountain on fire. Xue Qing had no choice but to wring out the water from her clothes, starting from the hem. Since Qi was a man, it was much easier for him. He simply turned his back to Xue Qing, took off his outer garment, and wrung out his clothes shirtless. Xue Qing couldn't take her eyes off Qi's bare back. His body was covered in scars of all sizes; if it weren't for the chaotic nature of the scars, she would have thought he had carved a map on his back.
Qi felt Xue Qing's gaze and turned to meet her eyes. Xue Qing felt she should explain, lest Qi think she was a pervert. Stunned by the almost completely unscathed skin, she struggled to speak: "Your injuries..."
Qi silently wrote on the ground with his finger: Task.
Xue Qing nodded. Yes, this is the martial world. Who can escape with injuries? Just surviving is already a miracle. People like her, who receive such courtesy and protection in the Central Plains, are rare indeed. Xue Qing sat with her knees drawn up, letting the breeze blow on her. She was no longer in that concrete jungle where even a single punch was illegal. Fighting wasn't illegal, and killing wasn't a crime. This was the martial world—full of people, but few survived.
Qi wrung out his clothes, put them back on, and stood up, looking at Xue Qing with a questioning gaze. Xue Qing's clothes were still damp, but she didn't look as disheveled, so she also stood up: "Come on, how do we get back? Climb up?"
Qi nodded, grabbed Xue Qing, and leaped up the hillside with his light-footed skill. The sudden high jump almost made Xue Qing vomit.
"Big brother, can you tell me what you're planning to do? I'm a little afraid of heights," Xue Qing complained, then remembered that Qi couldn't speak. Fine, she guessed she was out of luck.
Qi made Xue Qing lie prone on the hillside, letting her grab onto something emerging from the soil—it was unclear whether it was plant roots or vines. He then lay beside her in the same position, one hand climbing upwards while the other held onto Xue Qing to prevent her from falling. It hurt to have her fingers digging directly into the soil, but when in danger, the body becomes less delicate. Xue Qing endured the pain in her fingertips and climbed upwards with Qi. When they were almost at the top, they stopped and listened intently to the sounds coming from the summit. If the fighting hadn't stopped, going up would only be more dangerous. After listening for a while, the summit was quiet except for the sound of the wind; the fight must have ended. Xue Qing slowly climbed up. There were indeed no people standing on the mountain, but there were many people at her feet, and many corpses lay on the ground.
Having never even witnessed a crime scene in modern times, Xue Qing had never seen a massacre involving dozens of people. She screamed and crouched on the ground in terror. The wounds of the recently deceased were still fresh, blood gushing out. The blood from several people pooled together, meandering like a small river, emitting a pungent, bloody stench. Qi Jingmo watched Xue Qing crouching on the ground. Although he had never met her before, he had heard some stories about her. The current Xue Qing was completely unlike the seasoned and ruthless woman he remembered; she seemed like a young girl just entering the world of martial arts. Could it be that even a person's nature could change if they went mad?
After sobering up, Liu Ying groggily got out of bed and drank two cups of Lingzhi water prepared by the maid to relieve the hangover, which made her head much clearer. She searched everywhere for Xue Qing but couldn't find her, and a bad feeling crept into her heart. Since her cultivation went awry, her martial uncle had become incredibly lazy, delegating everything to Liu Ying and avoiding lifting a finger himself. The only things she would do personally were tasks assigned by Yan Ming, so now, it was Yan Ming giving her orders again.
After hastily tidying her clothes, Liu Ying hurriedly grabbed her sword and went out to find Xue Qing. The main peak was the most suitable place to do some shady things, and she had a feeling that Xue Qing was on the main peak. Liu Ying ran all the way to the top of the mountain.
Even before reaching the summit, the smell of blood filled Liu Ying's heart, causing her even greater anxiety, fearing that Xue Qing might be in danger. Upon reaching the top, she saw corpses lying side by side on the ground, and Xue Qing was crouching alone, seemingly too terrified to move. She had indeed changed. Before, she was a woman who could stand atop thousands of corpses without flinching. But why did he so yearn for this change? Before, he had simply followed her, nothing more. Although he wanted to repay her kindness, he never had the chance. She was strong, not allowing anyone to interfere in anything. Now, she directed him, depended on him, and this feeling he enjoyed. He felt he no longer just wanted to follow her; it seemed he also wanted to protect her.
"Uncle-Master." Liu Ying walked to Xue Qing's side, squatted down to her height, and saw her terrified face. Unable to suppress her emotions any longer, she hugged her.
Feeling the warmth of the firefly's body, Xue Qing burst into tears: "Why do they do this? Weren't they all members of the Qilin Pavilion a hundred years ago?"
Unable to answer, Liu Ying could only hug Xue Qing even tighter.
"If the Qilin Pavilion had been unified sooner, none of this would have happened. Liu Ying... should I not have stopped Xiao Guiying?"
"I will stand by you in your decision," Liu Ying said gently.
"Xiao Guiying is excellent and upright. He will definitely not make things difficult for the people of Xilin Pavilion after the unification."
“Master Xiao is indeed a rare person,” Liu Ying said softly.
"Let's go back and talk about it. It'll be hard to explain if someone sees us here." Xue Qing stood up, still feeling a little dizzy at the sight of the corpses all over the ground.
Liu Ying gently took her hand and led her away. His scent, like sandalwood, had a soothing quality. Xue Qing glanced back; Qi was gone. He must have run away when Liu Ying arrived. Given his elusive nature and the shocking scars on his back, she wondered what kind of tasks Yan Ming always assigned him.
Not long after returning to Dongqi Pavilion, Xiao Guiying summoned several of his capable generals to discuss something in his study. Walking down the corridor, one could faintly hear the sobbing of a young maid. The rivalry between the two pavilions had always been conducted with the bottom line of avoiding death. This time, however, the Xilin Pavilion Master was truly determined to fight to the death. What he couldn't have, he wouldn't let Xiao Guiying have either. His final wish was to make both Xilin and Dongqi Pavilions disappear from the martial world.
When death is imminent, the sight of those corpses is the deepest shock. Xue Qing hated Yan Ming for treating her life like an ant. If she became an accomplice in trampling on the corpses of hundreds, she would never forgive herself. What difference would there be between her and Yan Ming then? The original novel didn't describe how Xiao Guiying unified the Qilin Pavilion, only how he loved his people like his own children and how highly respected he was after rebuilding it. In short, he was a model of a wise ruler. The power of the Western Qilin Pavilion was already weak. Cutting off the external support from the Underworld and creating some trouble for the Kunlun Palace to attract attention made the barren Western Qilin Pavilion easily cut down.
All of this is predicated on Xiao Guiying being able to muster the resolve and ruthlessness to deal with Xilin Pavilion. Xue Qing needs to have a talk with Xiao Guiying.
Xiao Guiying looked somewhat haggard. This was the first time so many people had died since he became the head of the Dongqi Pavilion, and they had died at the hands of the Xilin Pavilion, which was of the same origin as him. It was a great tragedy.
"Uncle Xue, please sit down." Xiao Guiying wearily poured tea for Xue Qing.
“Pavilion Master, do you still believe that the two pavilions can be merged without casualties? I think Pavilion Master Xilin has already shown you his determination,” Xue Qing said.
"Uncle Xue, this is an internal matter of Dongqi Pavilion, and I, Xiao, will make the decision myself." Xiao Guiying was somewhat annoyed.
Xue Qing shook her index finger: "It's not just your problem. At least my second senior brother doesn't think so. I've always thought it was shameless of him to force my senior sister to get the Lingyu Sect involved in this mess. Now I'm starting to understand his feelings. He's doing something that others wouldn't dare to think of, or even if they did, they wouldn't dare to do—unify the world. I agree with him. The best way to reduce conflict is to become one. You can't wait any longer. You have to know how many people will die in the long wait. Pavilion Master Xiao, please send troops to the Xilin Pavilion."
"I thought the Lingyu Sect was a benevolent sect that did not value martial arts." Xiao Guiying's words sounded more derogatory than complimentary.
“I am not Xue Qing of the Lingyu Sect. I only represent myself. Pavilion Master Xiao, I know you are afraid, and I am afraid too. But I am tired of living a life of ignominy. There is no point in hiding. I want to do what I want to do.”
"This is a very important matter, I need to think about it some more," Xiao Guiying said wearily.
Xue Qing wasn't worried. Whether in the original story or now, Xiao Guiying had no other choice. When he heard the weeping in the corridor and saw the corpses being brought back, he would make the same decision as Xue Qing, just like the ending of Cang Zhi Tao: "We are truly like those small pieces of wood floating and sinking on the vast ocean. Since that's the case, why continue to create so many positions, leaving behind hands covered in blood that can never be washed away, and countless tragedies, all for the sake of these positions between nations?" Ironically, those who betrayed their friends and used every scheme for their own positions were all compatriots after Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms. If they had to fight to the death, they might as well gather all the small pieces of wood and unify this world.
Author's Note: ╭(╯3╰)╮ Thank you lihuizi for the generous ticket!
I searched my own name and found that I have 3 main characters and several supporting characters, most of which are **... Okay, my name is pretty neutral, so don't play the bottom, I want to play the top!
Senior Brother Arrives
On Mount Goulu, Cocoon Butterfly and Dongchou had been living together for some time. Dongchou was lying on a large rock by the cliff outside the thatched hut, drinking wine from a gourd in his mouth, when Cocoon Butterfly brought a bowl of dark soup to Dongchou's side.
"Second Uncle, it's time to take your medicine." Jian Die put down the plate and placed the bowl of medicine to Dong Chou's lips.
"Leave it there," Dongchou said.
"Okay, I'll go cook. The doctor said you need to eat on time for your illness." Cocoon Butterfly smiled and ran back into the house like a puppy.
Dongchou stared at the bowl of medicine. He didn't let the doctor tell the truth—his illness was incurable. He poured the entire bowl of medicine off the cliff, feeling a sense of catharsis. Since contracting this disease five years ago, he had consulted numerous renowned doctors, and the conclusions were remarkably consistent: there was no cure. No one could know the devastating blow this was to him, a man who was then full of vigor and ambition. Since his remaining years were already too few to fulfill his ambitions, why should he exert himself any longer? He drank heavily every day, finding pleasure in a life of drunken stupor. The strong liquor numbed his senses and alleviated his pain. From then on, alcohol became his last treasure in life.
His greatest wish was to die peacefully in a drunken stupor, until Xue Qing came to him and mentioned the Martial Alliance. This rekindled his interest in getting involved in the martial world. No one knew what his biggest dream was in his youth—peerless martial arts? The position of sect leader? Neither. Even his fellow disciples never knew his true thoughts. Fifteen years ago, the Central Plains did win the war against the Desert, but the number of casualties in the Central Plains was twice that of the Desert. The Central Plains had many sects, each with its own agenda, letting others sacrifice while they reaped the benefits. Without unified command, although victory was achieved through greater sacrifice, the Central Plains was left scarred.
At that time, Dong Chou wanted to recommend his master, the former leader of the Lingyu Sect, as the leader of the martial arts alliance to create a unified organization for the martial arts world. He failed, as the former leader of the Lingyu Sect died of illness shortly after returning to the Central Plains. Dong Chou did not give up. He wandered the martial arts world alone, interacting with various sects, devoting his life to researching a sword technique that was completely different from the Lingyu Sect's "fast, ruthless, and accurate" style—a technique that used softness to overcome hardness. Just as he was planning his remaining years, he contracted this damned terminal illness. Was this a great irony of his life? He succumbed to despair, he fell into depravity, he stopped striving for anything, because he thought he had no more chances. But unexpectedly, just when he was about to reach the end of his road, a glimmer of opportunity appeared. He didn't care who became the leader in the future; he only wanted time to allow him to complete the construction of the martial arts alliance. Otherwise, his life would be filled with regret.
Alcohol is something that's hard to quit once you're hooked. Even though he knew it was harmful to his health, Dongchou couldn't stop pouring himself a drink. A loud crash came from inside; it must have been Jiandie smashing a pot lid while moving firewood or kicking a metal bucket while pouring water. Dongchou was used to it and didn't pay much attention, continuing to drink. The little girl was quite nimble when she was fighting, but she was completely useless at housework, lacking both her father's caution and her mother's shrewdness.
Just then, a grayish feather landed on Dongchou's face, tickling him. He opened his eyes and saw a plump pigeon struggling to flap its wings, a letter tied to its red leg. Dongchou reached out and grabbed the pigeon, unwrapped the letter, read it, crumpled it into a ball, and his face lit up with joy. He jumped off the stone, entered the thatched hut, threw the letter into the stove, and said to Jiandie, "Girl, quickly pack your things, we're going to Dongqi Pavilion."
When Dongchou arrived at Dongqi Pavilion, Xue Qing and Liuying came out to greet him, performing the master-disciple and senior-sister rituals respectively. The master-disciple ritual involved Dongchou suddenly thrusting his sword at his disciple. Xue Qing finally saw the Suwen Sword that had been pawned to buy wine. The sword was unexpectedly gentle, as soft as moonlight. Its pure white blade softened the sword wielder's murderous aura, and its unfinished state, devoid of patterns, made it even more unique. Liuying, not to be outdone, drew her Qingyun Sword to fight back. Xue Qing yawned and said to Jiandie, "They're going to keep this up for a long time. Come on, Auntie will take you inside to sit down."
Give the butterfly a colorful embroidered ball and let her play while the three Lingyu Sect members and the Pavilion Master of Dongqi Pavilion plot together.
“Recently, people from the Desert Wilderness have appeared near the West Lin Pavilion. I wonder if Pavilion Master Cheng is colluding with the people from the Desert Wilderness. He is being extremely reckless,” Dong Chou rebuked.
Xue Qing touched her nose, realizing that she was one of the henchmen of Mohuang who colluded with Pavilion Master Cheng. Liu Ying's unintentional glance made Xue Qing lower her head in shame.