Chapter Ninety-Two: Help Me Kill Someone

“Where am I?”

Feeling the jolting beneath him, Su Bai slowly cracked his eyes open.

The first rays of the morning sun at the edge of the horizon left him a little dazed.

“I remember that old crone struck me with a blow of her spiritual sense, and then I lost consciousness.”

As he tried to figure out what had happened afterward, Su Bai suddenly felt as though something was held against his chest. He blinked hard at last, and the scene before him came into focus.

His hands were tied, and his arms were wrapped around Gu Fanshuang’s waist. Her three thousand strands of dark hair fluttered with the wind and brushed his face. After long hours of wind and sand, the faint fragrance on her body had already been worn away, yet the figure facing away from Su Bai seemed all the more steadfast.

At that moment, a savage gale swept down, and sand raged across the land of Bing Prefecture.

With one hand, Gu Fanshuang gripped the reins tightly to steady the horse beneath her, while with the other she held Su Bai’s hands.

In a low voice, she said, “Soon. We’ll be there soon. Su...”

The instant Su Bai’s hand turned to grasp hers in return, she lost the rest of her words. Her eyes were instantly flooded with tears from the surge of emotion.

Five days. At last, he had woken up.

But the sandstorm was far too fierce. The two of them could not meet each other’s gaze or speak properly. They could only hold on to each other’s hands so tightly, passing their boundless feelings through that touch.

Sensing Gu Fanshuang’s trembling body, Su Bai gently rested his head against her back, softly rubbing against her in an attempt to comfort the aggrieved look that still remained on her face.

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the storm finally began to subside. Su Bai was just about to ask Gu Fanshuang what had happened while he was unconscious when she suddenly turned around and wrapped him tightly in her arms.

Her voice choked with tears as she lightly pounded his chest with both fists. “You nearly scared me to death! Next time you see something like that, absolutely do not rush in again! Don’t forget what you promised me.”

With his hands still bound, Su Bai gently patted her back and said with a trace of amusement, “Am I not fine? The fortune-teller who divined my fate when I was born said I was fated to be a stubborn old tortoise. I’m not so easy to kill. Look at me.”

Gu Fanshuang looked up at him, only for Su Bai to make a ridiculous face at her. That expression of exaggerated cleverness made her burst out laughing.

“Look at you. You’re so much prettier when you smile.”

Gu Fanshuang’s jade-like face reddened slightly. She gave a soft snort and turned her head away.

“It’s only because you keep making me worry every single time,” she said, shooting him a sideways glance. “If you want me to smile at you more, then stop taking so many risks.”

“All right, all right, I know. I’ll definitely listen to you from now on,” Su Bai said softly, drawing her into a tighter embrace.

“Hmph. You only say nice things with your mouth. Next time, you’ll still do the same.”

“That’s what you said. Then I’ll go and risk my life again next time.”

“Oh, you are so annoying!”

“Hahaha!”

Su Bai did not ask Gu Fanshuang what had happened after he fell unconscious. From the evasive look in her eyes, he could tell she was deliberately hiding something. If he forced her to say it, it would only add sorrow to both of them. After thinking it over, this was probably the best way to let it go.

Then he suddenly remembered something.

“Did she just call out a ‘Su’ earlier? The wind and sand were too loud, so I didn’t hear clearly. Could I have heard wrong? She shouldn’t know my real name...”

...

Qing Prefecture, Moon Sound Gate

A middle-aged woman with patchwork clothes all over her body hurried toward the mountain gate.

“Stop right there!”

Sure enough, just as she was about to enter, the four disciples guarding the mountain on either side drew their swords and blocked her path.

“Who are you? If you have no token, get lost while you still can.”

The middle-aged woman was none other than Qian Biman, whose makeup had been torn away to reveal her true face. She was already seething from Gu Fanshuang’s refusal, and the fire in her heart had not yet died down. Instead, being challenged by these disciples only made her fury burn hotter.

She said nothing. Standing where she was, she recalled the scene from five days earlier when Gu Fanshuang had refused her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. In a low growl, she said, “These younger generations dare speak to this old woman like that now!”

“What is she mumbling about?”

The female disciple who had just mocked Qian Biman cast a disgusted glance at her shabby clothes and, pretending not to understand, said to the sisters beside her, “Old people these days just rely on their age to camp out here and refuse to leave, then expect us to escort them out like they’re some honored guest. In my opinion...”

Before she could finish the third word of her second sentence, a slap landed heavily on her fair cheek. The force was so great that she was knocked backward and fell on her back.

“You!” The female disciple clutched her face and stared at the middle-aged woman in disbelief, her features twisting with rage.

Disciples of a major sect naturally carried themselves with pride, especially those who thought highly of themselves. In her case, that arrogance had only grown stronger.

The other disciples around her had already noticed that this middle-aged woman’s speed had far exceeded anything they could match, but the one who had been slapped had not realized it at all.

Just as she struggled up from the ground and pointed at Qian Biman’s face to curse her, how could Qian Biman possibly let some little yellow-haired girl strike back?

Before the disciple could even speak, another slap struck her on the other cheek.

“If you dare say another word, I’ll cut out your tongue.”

After leaving those words behind, Qian Biman swept her sleeve and strode into the mountain gate.

The remaining disciples lowered their heads, not even daring to look up.

What a joke. This old woman was clearly an elder of the sect. Crushing them would be as easy as crushing an ant. Not everyone was as foolish as the first girl.

When everyone saw that Qian Biman had gone, they finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Senior Sister, what should we do about Junior Sister Guo?” one of the female disciples asked, stepping forward while her eyes drifted, almost imperceptibly, toward the Junior Sister Guo she had mentioned.

Looking at the girl who had already fainted, the senior sister’s face showed a trace of displeasure. “A traitor who has no respect for her teachers at all could never be a disciple of our Moon Sound Gate. Hurry up and carry her away as far as possible.”

“Yes!” The woman lowered her head after receiving the order, a dark smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

Then she raised her head and said to another person, “Didn’t you hear what Senior Sister said? Come with me and throw this wretch out.”

“Oh, oh, oh.”

The two of them carried Gu Chao away and dumped her in the woods two li off. Bi You turned to another female disciple and said, “Go back first. My stomach is hurting badly, so I’m going to find a place to deal with it.”

“All right, Senior Sister. Come back soon.”

“Mm-hm.”

After the woman left, Bi You drew the long sword at her waist and walked up to Gu Chao.

“Let’s see how smug you were when you were flattering Senior Sister all day long. And now? Hahaha!” Looking at Gu Chao’s swollen cheek, Bi You’s eyes flashed with a trace of cruel pleasure.

As she spoke, Bi You raised her sword and slowly approached Gu Chao...

...

Qian Biman did not know that merely being in a bad mood and slapping that disciple twice had sealed the girl’s fate forever. But even if she had known, she would not have felt any pity for the life or death of someone like that.

Suddenly, a gentle and heart-stirring voice sounded beside her ear.

“Senior Sister, you’re back?”

As the words fell, a noblewoman in palace attire appeared before Qian Biman and raised both hands to bow deeply.

“Sixth Junior Sister.”

Qian Biman returned the courtesy politely, then asked first, “What happened in the sect over these past few years?”

“Nothing major happened inside the sect. Though a elder from the Grand Derivation Sect came here and stayed for a few days to recover from injuries.”

“Oh? The Grand Derivation Sect is in Qi Prefecture. Why would one of their elders come all the way to Qing Prefecture? Could there be some important matter?”

“I don’t know about that, Senior Sister. If you want to find out, you can just ask him directly. He’s in the inner chamber behind the back mountain. The eighth room from the left.”

“There’s no need. That concerns his sect. It’s better for us not to inquire too much.”

“I wonder whether Senior Sister has found a suitable disciple in the empire these past few years?”

At Ni Tianling’s words, Qian Biman fell silent.

Seeing her like that, Ni Tianling gently placed a hand on her shoulder and soothed her in a warm voice, “It’s all right, Senior Sister. You still have plenty of time. There’s no need to rush. Perhaps the right apprentice is still in her mother’s womb and hasn’t even been born yet. In a few years, she may come to worship at the mountain gate of her own accord. Senior Sister mustn’t trouble herself over this.”

The heart-warming voice carried a faint ripple of spiritual sense. Qian Biman naturally knew that Ni Tianling meant her no harm; she was only trying to keep her from dwelling on the matter.

So Qian Biman nodded and gave a low, muffled “Mm,” then said, “Such things really cannot be forced.”

Yet in her heart, she had begun to think of something else.

Seeing that Qian Biman’s expression had eased somewhat, Ni Tianling clasped her hands and said with a hint of apology, “The sect master senior sister assigned me some matters. I’ll be going now. When there’s time, we sisters can talk again.”

Qian Biman nodded and half-jokingly said, “All right. I was just about to go back as well and change my clothes. My residence hasn’t been cleaned in ages. I’m afraid I won’t even have tea to serve you.”

Ni Tianling covered her mouth and laughed softly. “Hehe, Senior Sister is joking. This junior sister will take her leave first.”

“The eighth room from the left...” Qian Biman murmured, her eyes drifting toward the back mountain.

...

Inside a dim chamber, an old man with a head of silver hair sat cross-legged upon a meditation cushion. Inner force flowed endlessly through his body in a continuous cycle. After completing a small circulation, he stopped the flow of power and sat motionless, like an old monk deep in meditation.

Then he opened his eyes. They gleamed like jewels shining in the night, but the vicious light within them made one involuntarily shudder. This man was Xi Menghe, the one who had come to Moon Sound Gate to recover from his injuries.

He first examined the arrow wound on his shoulder, then cursed in a low voice, “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!! It was all that barbarian hound who ruined my plan! I wish I could flay him and pull out his tendons!”

“I think you’d better take care of yourself first. What’s the use of barking threats in here?”

A strange female voice suddenly sounded in his ear, and Xi Menghe instantly activated his inner force, ready to strike at any moment.

At the same time, he shouted toward the darkness, “Who is it!”

He swept the area with his spiritual sense, but found nothing at all. At once, he knew the person’s strength was far above his own. He immediately softened his tone and said, “Which senior is here? If what I just said displeased you, then this junior offers sincere apologies. I ask only that Senior not take offense.”

“Put away that act. You’re already over a hundred years old, aren’t you? And I’m younger than you, so don’t call me senior.”

At that moment, Qian Biman was dressed in a pale blue palace dress, her hair arranged in a high bun, with two loose strands falling by her ears and draping over her shoulders.

With a delicate wave of her hand, the dark chamber was instantly lit by lamps. Xi Menghe narrowed his eyes and looked at Qian Biman.

After staring at each other for a long while, Xi Menghe was the first to speak. “If I am not mistaken, you must be Moon Sound Gate’s Supreme Elder, Qian Biman, the one known in the martial world as the Demonic Zither of the Mortal World?”

Qian Biman’s lips curved slightly. “At least you have some eye for people. Still, guessing right doesn’t earn you a reward.”

“I wonder what business you have with me, Lady?”

Having confirmed her identity, Xi Menghe let the inner force filling his body disperse, returning to his cross-legged posture.

Qian Biman, however, wasted no time and spoke straight to the point. “I want you to help me kill someone.”

“Who?” Xi Menghe asked without changing expression.

Someone Qian Biman could not kill herself, yet she wanted him to kill instead. That meant the target was surely not beyond his power; likely just some junior from the martial world whom she did not want to handle personally for fear of lowering her status. Xi Menghe did not mind at all. What did it matter if he could make the Demonic Zither of the Mortal World owe him a favor?

“A boy in the Heart-Guarding realm. He’s with a woman in plain clothes. You absolutely must not kill that woman. I still have use for her.” Qian Biman paused, then said with some puzzlement, “For some reason, the dantian of that boy has been sealed by some special method, so he cannot use a shred of his power...”

Before Qian Biman could finish explaining, Xi Menghe’s fists tightened and he asked urgently, “Is that woman about seventeen or eighteen, and does she use hidden weapons?”

“You’ve met her?” Qian Biman raised a brow, testing him.

Xi Menghe did not answer directly. Instead, he continued, “Does the man beside her have a beast mark on his chest, and can he speak Mongolian?”

“Yes. Do you have a grudge against them?” Qian Biman asked after a slight pause.

Then her tone took on a warning edge. “You may kill that boy if you like, but if you dare lay a finger on that girl, I will grind you to dust and scatter your ashes.”

Xi Menghe drew a deep breath and lowered his head, recalling the barbarian disguise Su Bai had worn beside him. His teeth clenched so hard they ached.

His fury was already breaking through the heavens.

“I never imagined you’d learn so many things, to the point that you even fooled me. Good! Good! Truly splendid!”

The pain from his shoulder only made Xi Menghe’s rage harder to contain. Especially when he thought about how he had searched for the donkey only to find the donkey was himself all along, his gaunt body trembled uncontrollably.

This left even Qian Biman somewhat puzzled and curious. What on earth had that boy done to make this old fellow this angry?

Lifting his head, Xi Menghe said through gritted teeth, “I came here for that boy. I have an old grudge with him that has not been settled, and he even pretended to be a barbarian and commanded troops to ambush me. I wish I could devour his flesh and sleep on his skin!”

“In that case, our goals are unexpectedly the same,” Qian Biman said with an amused smile.

“Indeed.” Xi Menghe also smiled darkly. “Do you know roughly where the two of them are now?”

“At normal speed, they should have already passed the border between Qing and Bing Prefectures. But that man was struck unconscious by my spiritual sense. Without ten days or half a month, he won’t wake up. By that calculation, they should still be in the southeast of Bing Prefecture, near Qing Prefecture.”

Upon learning Su Bai’s location, Xi Menghe slapped his thigh, his eyes glowing faintly green in a way that was truly eerie.

“Good. I left a mark on that man before. As long as he is within ten li, my spiritual sense will detect him.”

“That’s best of all.” Qian Biman folded her arms across her chest and smiled. “Then I shall wait here for your good news?”

Xi Menghe gave a low, sinister laugh. “Mingli, this time I will not let you escape from my grasp again!”