Immortalis

Corpse Demon Eleven

Shen Qingshi's fever finally broke in the late hours of the night.

When she opened her eyes, the campfire hadn't yet died out. Zhou Huai nearby was fast asleep—clearly, the young master had never been hunted like this before in his life. Coupled with carrying Shen Qingshi on his back while fleeing for their lives and rescuing others, his energy was completely drained.

Shen Qingshi quietly got up and tentatively touched the arrow wound on her shoulder. It didn't hurt much anymore, just as she had suspected. This was a specially made sleeve arrow with an extremely fine arrowhead. While it easily penetrated the body, it was rarely fatal if vital areas were avoided.

If they truly intended to kill them, why use such a concealed arrow? The poison used wasn't instantly lethal either, even giving them time to administer an antidote.

The more Shen Qingshi thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Just then, Yang Wujian returned from gathering firewood and entered. The two silently looked at each other for a long moment before quietly stepping out of the ruined temple together.

"You've exhausted the young master... Earlier, he fought his way through the encirclement with just his White Rainbow Sword. This was probably the first time he's killed someone in his life. When he returned, he stared blankly at the blood on his hands for a long time."

In the deep silence of night, located in the outskirts, not even birdsong could be heard. Yang Wujian handed Shen Qingshi a cold, hard bun: "Young Master Zhou saved this for you. Even though his own stomach was growling with hunger, he still remembered to break off a piece for you, saying you'd lost so much blood and would need to eat something when you woke up... It seems he's truly grateful you brought back Zhou Jinglei's body for him earlier."

"He can't stay with us forever."

Shen Qingshi took a bite of the bun and said softly: "The White-faced Guest is too dangerous. He's the sole inheritor of the White Rainbow Sword in this world, and the only heir of the Zhou family. He can't casually throw his life away."

"I never expected you'd come to care about Young Master Zhou."

Yang Wujian couldn't help but laugh.

He could sense it—just like after the first Blood Washing—Shen Qingshi seemed to have changed somewhat. Perhaps her gaze had softened a little, or her tone had lightened slightly. In any case, it was difficult to describe in just a few words.

This time, since both had already revealed their secrets to each other, Yang Wujian simply said directly: "Blood Washing can help remove accumulated toxins from the body. Perhaps it can also help eliminate some effects of the poisons you took in Longevity Palace as a child. You should have felt it yourself after the last Blood Washing, right?"

Felt it...

Shen Qingshi looked at her palm. She did feel very strange now, hesitating for a moment before saying: "When I just woke up and saw Zhou Huai, I felt... very safe."

She truly didn't know how to express it, finally forcing out these few words with difficulty.

Since childhood, she had always operated alone. Even with Cao Zhao around, to establish herself in the Zhaoming Division, she often had to rely on herself. Cao Zhao wouldn't help her with everything.

Shen Qingshi had never even considered before that someone would take care of her like this when she failed a mission.

Hearing Shen Qingshi's unprecedented confession, Yang Wujian was momentarily stunned before laughing again.

"So you've had a tough life before... I've been meaning to ask, have you ever suffered grievances in the Zhaoming Division?"

"Grievances?"

"Then how do you know so much about those despicable methods used in brothels?"

"Just seen too much in the inner palace..."

"What about Cao Zhao? Did he ever..."Yang Wujian was about to speak when he saw Shen Qingshi tilting her head, seemingly not grasping the implied meaning in his words. After hesitating briefly, he ultimately felt such thoughts were underestimating Shen Qingshi and changed the question: "What about me? Do you feel safe when you see me too?"

Yang Wujian no longer wanted to ponder whether Shen Qingshi had shielded him from the arrow out of ulterior motives or genuine sincerity.

Perhaps he had already begun acting foolishly fifteen years ago when he let her go.

This time, Shen Qingshi remained silent for a long while. She had intended to say that seeing Yang Wujian only made her want to protect him and keep him from dying, but before she could respond, the sound of footsteps suddenly emerged from a nearby thicket. Both Shen and Yang immediately grew alert.

Since witnessing the Ghost Market in Jingyang City, they knew there were ruthless figures there who couldn’t be taken lightly.

Sure enough, seven or eight people soon emerged from the bushes one after another, led by the tavern proprietress they had encountered in Jingyang City’s Ghost Market.

Seeing their swords already drawn, the woman smiled warmly and said, "Don’t misunderstand, young masters. We’re not here to take your lives... We just need to ask for a token to report back."

"What do you mean?"

Yang Wujian sneered, "If you want to fight, then fight. Trying to trick us into lowering our guard is pointless."

Hearing this, the woman wasn’t angered but sighed instead. "Young master, you don’t understand—we have our difficulties too. The owner of Handkerchief Street is wealthy and influential, forcing us to take this job or risk losing our livelihood. What happened in the city earlier was unavoidable; we had to put on a show."

"Put on a show?"

Shen Qingshi frowned, recalling the non-lethal thin arrows. "Why would you do that?"

The woman introduced herself: in the past, she was the renowned Jianghu assassin Ling She, skilled with a soft sword. She had largely retired, but Young Master Guanhuo’s harsh threats left her no choice but to come to Handkerchief Street.

Yang Wujian couldn’t help but laugh, "In this line of work, how can there be times when you’re forced by ‘tyranny’?"

Ling She sighed repeatedly, "Every trade has its hardships. Even in this profession, there are moments when we must bow our heads. Besides, I frequent Jingyang often, and Thousand Cliffs Fortress lies just outside the city—how could I avoid it?"

To show sincerity, Ling She even instructed her companions to sheathe their swords. Only then did Yang Wujian and Shen Qingshi lower their weapons. Ling She continued, "Truthfully, no one wanted to take this job. Although Young Master Guanhuo is not to be trifled with, who would dare provoke the White-faced Guest?"

"What?"

Shen Qingshi and Yang Wujian were both startled. "The White-faced Guest, he..."

Ling She explained helplessly, "The White-faced Guest often takes jobs in the Ghost Market, so he naturally learned that Young Master Guanhuo is hunting you... He sent us a message saying he hasn’t bothered with Guan Huo these past six years, but the favor wasn’t for Guan Huo’s sake. If we kill you over this matter, it would mean crossing him... He told us to weigh the consequences and not bring trouble upon ourselves."

Then, Ling She recounted the cause and effect the White-faced Guest had outlined in his letter. The events of six years ago were far less complicated than they had imagined.

Shortly after Zhu’er left on her own to meet Hu Rui, Handkerchief Street discovered their courtesan was missing.After all, although Zhu'er enjoyed more freedom than the other girls, she was still in Handkerchief Street. Guan Huo couldn't possibly let his money tree disappear just like that. That very night, after failing to find her in Handkerchief Street, Guan Huo went to the Ghost Market and spent a fortune to have Zhu'er brought back.

At that time, although many people searched for Zhu'er due to Guan Huo's high bounty, only one person actually found her trail.

The White-faced Guest.

Yang Wujian was stunned: "What? That's how the White-faced Guest got involved with Handkerchief Street back then?"

Ling She chuckled: "The Ghost Market takes on all kinds of jobs. Even though the White-faced Guest has extraordinary skills and moves like a ghost, he doesn't always get assassination contracts... At least not six years ago."

According to the White-faced Guest's own account in the letter, after accepting Guan Huo's bounty, he quickly found Zhu'er's shoes and a blood-stained dagger beside the Meat Well outside Yongyi County.

Following the footprints, the White-faced Guest also discovered Hu Rui's lifeless body in the nearby woods. Judging by the bloodstains beneath him, it seemed he had abandoned Zhu'er by the Meat Well while severely wounded, then walked all the way here before finally collapsing and dying from excessive blood loss.

The White-faced Guest naturally didn't stand on ceremony with Guan Huo. He casually threw Hu Rui's corpse down the well and took Zhu'er's belongings back to claim the reward.

What even the Ghost Market's top killer didn't expect was that no sooner had Young Master Guanhuo paid him for finding Zhu'er than he immediately offered an even higher price with just one condition.

He wanted the White-faced Guest to take the blame as the White-faced Fox who had abducted the five girls.

Hearing this, Shen Qingshi couldn't help but frown: "You mean Guan Huo secretly made the White-faced Guest shoulder Hu Rui's crimes?"

Ling She said: "You could put it that way. After all, the White-faced Guest already has many lives on his hands - a few more wouldn't matter... As long as he cooperated with Handkerchief Street in staging a show to cover up Hu Rui's affairs, Guan Huo would not only give him a large reward but even grant him anything he wanted."

"It sounds like Young Master Guanhuo doesn't realize what a dangerous person he's dealing with."

Yang Wujian sneered inwardly, thinking that playing these convoluted games with the White-faced Guest would only lead to one not knowing how they died.

"It seems you're quite aware of the Ghost Market leader's capabilities."

Ling She also smiled: "However, the White-faced Guest still agreed because it cost him nothing. But now that Guan Huo wants to silence you all, his deal with Guan Huo has reached its end. So he sent us this letter... I believe anyone in the Ghost Market with half a brain knows whether to choose silver or their life."

So the White-faced Guest doesn't want them dead?

Is it because of Shen Qingshi?

Yang Wujian almost immediately thought of the fake Song Lan's ambiguous attitude toward Shen Qingshi, yet the peculiarities in this matter seemed to extend beyond just that.

Why did the White-faced Guest casually throw Hu Rui's corpse down the well, only for it to land exactly where it could be found?

Even if Hu Rui had gone mad from entering the Meat Well, how could Zhu'er, being just a woman, have stabbed Hu Rui - who was strong and had practiced martial arts since childhood - so severely?

In all this, was Zui Xiang merely Young Master Guanhuo's pawn?Just as Yang Wujian was utterly perplexed, a drowsy Zhou Huai emerged from the dilapidated temple. The moment he saw the dense crowd ahead, his sleepiness vanished entirely. White Rainbow slid from its sheath with a sharp ring: "What are you all doing here? Do you think the number of people who died by my sword today wasn't enough?"

Ling She raised an eyebrow: "So this must be Young Master Zhou. I heard you wreaked havoc in the city earlier—fortunately, those you killed were all from Thousand Cliffs Fortress. I suppose there will be a few more bounty notices for you on the Ghost Market soon."

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Strangely enough, it was only after White Rainbow had truly tasted blood and taken lives that Zhou Huai began to feel a subtle sensation.

It seemed as if he had only just stepped into this martial world.

Ling She laughed heartily: "As expected of the young master of White Rainbow Tower. I might as well tell you—someone recently put a bounty on your head in the Ghost Market. Probably your father's sins coming back to haunt you... Though the portrait looks nothing like you."

As he spoke, Ling She actually pulled out Zhou Huai's bounty notice. The drawing depicted Zhou Huai wearing a bamboo hat, rendered so crudely it was barely recognizable as him.

"With just a chin showing, how could anyone recognize me from this?"

This was Zhou Huai's first time appearing on a bounty notice, and he never expected to be drawn so poorly. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. Meanwhile, Yang Wujian's expression abruptly changed the moment he saw the portrait, as if struck by a realization.

He recalled the painting of the White-faced Fox that Zui Xiang had drawn—also wearing a bamboo hat and veiled, but rendered with exquisite detail. One could even make out the refined, heroic features beneath the thin veil, completely different from Zhou Huai's appearance.

Previously, they had assumed the veiled figure was Song Lan. But if Zui Xiang was merely a pawn sent by Guan Huo to act out a role, why would she depict someone she was framing with such meticulous detail?

"It's Zhu'er, the courtesan of Full Spring Tower. I saw her portrait in the tower—they say when she first arrived, she was so beautiful she had to wear a veil daily to keep from overwhelming the establishment's threshold..."

Chu Qiao's words from not long ago echoed in his ears. Yang Wujian couldn't help but frown.

"I think... things might not be as simple as we assumed."