Thick white smoke filled the air. Liu Yan suddenly felt something rope-like coil around him several times before yanking him violently from his chair. Someone then bound him tightly with it and carried him swiftly forward on their back. As the smoke cleared, he saw the person carrying him was a young man clad in black martial attire. A long sword hung at his right waist, while a small black bow was strapped to his left—undoubtedly the source of the deadly arrows that had just struck. Liu Yan was momentarily stunned. This was an extremely young man, likely only seventeen or eighteen, with wheat-colored skin at the nape of his neck that exuded freshness and youthful innocence.
Yet he had shot the Shaolin monk without hesitation and seized Liu Yan with ruthless efficiency—actions that starkly contrasted with the youthful naivety he radiated. Liu Yan recognized him. This black-clad youth was named Ren Qingchou, an awkward and unremarkable name belonging to a quiet boy who rarely spoke in public. During his stay at Piaoling Mei Yuan, he seldom left his room and always kept his head down when encountering others, as if even a few words would make him shy. Liu Yan had almost never spoken to him. It was said this youth was Qu Zhiliang’s disciple, gifted with extraordinary talent and formidable martial arts. Yet the disciple bore none of his master’s domineering aura and never even mentioned his master’s name.
"Ren Qingchou," Liu Yan murmured. "Put me down." Ren Qingchou shook his head, his voice sounding peculiarly innocent. "Sister Hui told me to bring you back." Liu Yan was momentarily taken aback. Sister Hui? After a long pause, he faintly recalled a woman surnamed Wen among the White-Clad Servants—Wen Hui. She hailed from Mount Emei, but among the servants, her martial arts were unremarkable, her looks plain, and she lacked eloquence or literary talent. Thus, his impression of her was hazy. After the battle at Good Cloud Mountain, she should have been taken back by the Emei Sect—how was she still with Ren Qingchou? "Why are you in Luoyang?"
"Lady Bai ordered Wei Beiyin and me to intercept Tang Lici on the road with four leather-winged men and seize the Green Enchantment Pearl," Ren Qingchou replied, his tone not disheartened but tinged with frustration. "But Tang Lici was simply too formidable. He killed Wei Beiyin and the four leather-winged men in a single move. I..." Liu Yan chuckled. "So you fled?" Ren Qingchou nodded. "Yes. But if I train for a few more years, perhaps I’ll be able to kill him." Liu Yan laughed softly. "Is that so? In truth, you could have killed him last night..." Ren Qingchou was stunned. "Why?" Liu Yan exhaled slowly. "Because he’s the type of person who grows more reckless the worse the situation becomes..." Ren Qingchou fell silent. After a long pause, he sighed. "Sister Hui said the same thing." Liu Yan replied indifferently, "What do Bai Suche and Wen Hui want with me? I’m already a cripple—useless to the Dissolute Shop.""You..." Ren Qingchou paused, then said softly, "How can you say that? Even though you're crippled, Sister Hui still..." The skin on the back of his neck suddenly flushed red. "Sister Hui still cares deeply for you. She said... she said as long as I bring you back, she'll serve you for the rest of her life." Liu Yan watched coldly as the black-clad youth failed to conceal his bashfulness. "What else did she promise you?" Ren Qingchou's ears turned red too, but he still answered, "She said she'd serve you for life, be your maid, and then spend her life with me." Liu Yan sneered, "You believe her just because she promised?" Ren Qingchou replied, "Sister Hui wouldn't lie to me." Hearing his unwavering faith, Liu Yan had a bellyful of sarcasm ready, but for some reason, his heart suddenly cooled. He sighed, "What if she lied to you?" Ren Qingchou said, "I'd forgive her." Liu Yan remained silent for a long while before speaking slowly, "Why did you join the Dissolute Shop? For your Sister Hui?" Ren Qingchou nodded, "Mm." Liu Yan said coldly, "For your Sister Hui, you can just kill people indiscriminately?" Ren Qingchou was taken aback, "But... but they were trying to capture you. If they took you away, I wouldn't be able to save you. The Shaolin Temple's Six Paths of Reincarnation is heavily guarded, and the Shaolin monks are highly skilled. If they took you, you'd surely die. I didn't want Sister Hui to be sad." Liu Yan said indifferently, "No more killing from now on."
"Why?" Ren Qingchou's voice was full of confusion. Liu Yan didn't answer. After a long pause, he said, "Just obey me." Ren Qingchou fell silent. He had always been an obedient child. A while later, Liu Yan added, "The monk you killed was a good person." Ren Qingchou said, "He wanted to kill you. Why are you speaking up for him?" Liu Yan looked at his neck, "I don't want to speak for him. I just don't want to see you regret it in the future." Ren Qingchou carried him forward at a swift and steady pace, "Then you've killed so many people. Will you regret it in the future?" Liu Yan laughed but didn't answer.
Before long, Ren Qingchou carried him to the foot of a hillside on the outskirts of Luoyang and stopped. Liu Yan looked around. At the base of the hill was a dense forest with no houses in sight. Among the trees stood two women—one with her sleeves behind her back gazing at the mountain, the other leaning against a tree with her head bowed. Ren Qingchou walked up to the woman by the tree, "Sister Hui." His voice was filled with joy and cautiousness.
The woman looked up. Liu Yan saw her gentle face—not particularly beautiful but not unpleasant either. When she saw him, her eyes reddened, and she said to Ren Qingchou, "You've worked hard." The woman with her sleeves behind her back turned around, revealing a delicate oval face—it was Bai Suche. "Revered Master."Liu Yan said indifferently, "After the defeat at Good Cloud Mountain, I became useless to the Dissolute Shop. Let us never speak of the title 'Revered Master' again." Bai Suche remained silent, and silence was tacit approval. Wen Hui, however, said, "No matter how the Revered Master changes, to me, you will always be the Revered Master—that will never change." Liu Yan ignored her and looked at Bai Suche. "You had me taken back because of the antidote for the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill, didn't you?" Bai Suche nodded. "Indeed. Everyone in the Dissolute Shop has taken this pill. Although it's said that as long as one continues taking it when the dosage period ends, they will remain unharmed, I still hope for a safer method." Liu Yan's voice was somber yet melodious. "There is no antidote for the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill." Bai Suche was taken aback. "I don't believe it."
Liu Yan raised his hand and lightly brushed the black veil over his face. His fingers were as white as jade, as if cast from porcelain. "The efficacy of the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill comes from its poison. The poison allows one to break through limitations, numbs certain pains, and thus enables martial arts to reach new heights. If there were a medicine that could remove this numbness, the Ape-Demon Nine Hearts Pill would lose its effect. Moreover, the suffering one feels after exceeding the dosage period is mostly because the body has grown accustomed to the pleasure of the pill's effects—not because of the poison itself. Therefore, there is no antidote." Bai Suche gazed at Liu Yan, her tone calm. "I see. Then you—" She turned away. "Have no reason to remain here any longer."
OpenNovel