Episode 07 : The Descendant of Dream Angel - Chapter 2

Jinshui left the Wine Valley only with Xu Qiao, heading towards Jianyin Bang's headquarters in Wuzhang City at a leisurely pace. Xu Qiao didn't say much, her mind was troubled. She followed Jinshui in order to repay her debt of gratitude, secretly also because she just wanted to stay with Jinshui. But she also realized that Jinshui was the primary descendant of Yumen, the most important part of an extinct demonic sect, and she knew Yumen's reputation in the past.

Four of the eight descendants had already gathered, and this made her feel uneasy. She didn't know whether to let them go and even support them, or whether she needed to tell someone. There was nothing to worry about, she told herself, because until now the four descendants who had gathered had never done anything to disturb the peace of the martial world, or did anything that was not in accordance with justice.

"Jinshui Gege, what are we going to do in Jianyin Bang headquarters?" she finally asked Jinshui, trying to conceal all her doubts.

"Huang Yu said that the descendant of Shuiyao will be there," replied Jinshui, "we will pick her up."

"The Descendant of Shuiyao?" asked Xu Qiao. Another descendant. She really wasn't sure if she will let all eight revive a demonic sect.

"You'll like her," said Jinshui. "Liuxin is a sweet little junzhu (princess) and she is our beloved little sister."

"Junzhu?" asked Xu Qiao. "One of five children of respected families is a princess?"

"His father is Xianjing Wang, also known as Yi Wang (Prince Yi), a relative of the current emperor," Jinshui said.

"The second son of Hailang Biaoju's chief, the son of Lin Family from Wuling, and a junzhu," Xu Qiao said, mentioning the identity of Huang Yu, Lin Jixuan, and Liuxin. "Who are the last two children of respected families? Can you tell me now?"

"I haven't asked Huang Yu either," said Jinshui. "He will only tell when it's time to meet them."

"Jinshui Gege," Xu Qiao stopped her step. "If all eight descendants of Yumen all gathered together, will you really revive the sect? Yumen's past reputation wasn't very good, would you also be like that?"

"Yumen's past reputation wasn't very good," Jinshui stopped walking too, repeated her sentence once, "can you tell me what the wasn't very good reputation?"

"For example, the previous leader of Yumen once gave orders to kidnap children who were considered talented, take them from their families, and killed whoever stand in the way," said Xu Qiao.

"The guardians had already chosen talented children," said Jinshui, "but I can assure you, no one was killed for standing in their way."

"And then, it is said that in the past, the Yumen people practiced a number of heresies, there was also a ritual to sacrifice human," Xu Qiao said again, "rumor also said to reach the highest level of wuqing xue will require a certain ritual of draining someone's blood."

"Qiao-er, we don't need someone else's blood," replied Jinshui smilingly. "I haven't practiced to the highest level, don't know if there's a need for a sacrifice. It's just that I've memorized the entire wuqing xue theory, with no mentions of the sacrifice of human life. It's probably just being exaggerated by those who don't like our sect."

"The previous leader of Yumen was said to be very cruel. If he doesn't like someone, he will order to kill the entire family and everyone with the same surname." Xu Qiao lowered her voice, apparently realizing that most of Yumen's past reputation was only spread by other people. People who didn't like Yumen.

"I also don't know what we'll do when we're all gathered together," Jinshui said. "I just know, each of us has the inner energy given by the guardians of Yumen, we met ten years ago, and it can be said that we have a similar fate. It's possible, we will just get together and become good friends without resurrecting any sects."

"That's right, Yumen was a sect," Xu Qiao replied with a smile, "only eight descendants without seeking followers or spreading any teachings, there will be nothing to worry about."

They continued on their way out of the mountain range, not long before they found a high road. It was past noon, Jinshui took Xu Qiao to have a rest at a small tavern by the road before continuing on.

The two of them had just had a cup of tea when an old man came in shabby clothes, his hair and beard were all white, and his body was hunched over as if he was a very old man.

The old man approached them and sat not far away, putting his bamboo stick just beside the table. Xu Qiao briefly glanced at the bamboo, Jinshui watched a little longer, A green bamboo stick that looked ordinary, but the material was very good, there was a row of small, illegible engravings in the middle.

Jinshui observed the old man, the face behind his white beard was not as old as it should be, his eyes were still very fresh, his steps just now were also silent, and the beat of his stick was not heard. Jinshui had seen a similar bamboo stick three years ago in the hands of Zhulin Shen Jian Zhong Shaoyan, the current leader of the Jianyin Bang, only this bamboo stick was smaller and more like an ordinary bamboo stick.

"Xiaoer, quickly prepares food for your big master," the old man suddenly shouted. His voice was considered loud for an elderly person. The other guests looked at him, looking disturbed by his impolite attitude. Xu Qiao was drinking her tea again when she felt the old man looking at her with a strange look.

Jinshui knew the old man was staring at his girl, he felt displeased, and at the same time curious about the old man's identity. He quietly exerted his inner energy, stomped one foot lightly, and made the table where the old man was sitting vibrate. The wine that had just been served spilled, and the bamboo stick fell. The old man only had time to catch his bamboo, he failed to avoid the spilled wine that quickly soaked his clothes.

"Rotten brat, you have huge energy," the old man immediately looked at Jinshui, a young man with a black face like someone who had a disease, but being with a beautiful girl was really not compatible.

"Laorenjia (old man), I don't know what you're talking about," Jinshui replied flatly. "This lady and I are just enjoying tea here, not bothering anyone."

"What is this lady to you?" the old man asked again, he stood up straight and no longer stooped, it was clear he was still sturdy and strong.

"He's a friend," Xu Qiao was the one to reply to his question.

"You are the little miss who fought Jiuwei Bian Zhou Xiangnu a few days ago in Wuzhang City," the old man said again, "and he is the beggar who helped you snatch the nine-tailed whip."

"Yeah, maybe," Xu Qiao replied casually, "I don't really remember."

"A friend of mine recognizes the beggar who helped you the other day as the person who committed the massacre in Wansui Gu about three years ago," the old man said again. "That person used the signature skills of the Yumen sect that had long perished, many later calling him Yumen Mowang."

"Yumen Mowang?" Xu Qiao asked, imperceptibly looking at Jinshui. Jinshui had informed her that three years ago he had indeed gone to Wansui Gu to ask Zhou Sangong and his master Zeng Baifeng for the antidote for zixie and zhaobai poison, but was blocked by their followers and forced to kill. This news apparently spread all the way to Wuzhang City.

"Rumor in the martial world says that Yumen Jiao still has a number of descendants who want to revive their sect," the old man said again. "Xu Guniang, have you heard of this?"

Xu Qiao was never good at lying and covering up everything, for a moment the answer to the old man's question was clearly written on her round face. Jinshui rose to his feet, picked up the package containing the xuanlong sword hanging from his back, and prepared to fight.

"Yue Songdai!"

The sound of someone screaming was heard before Jinshui revealed his identity. And it was followed by the incoming of a number of people wearing similar colored clothes from the north side, in each hand holding a bamboo stick the same as the old man brought. The person in the front was a middle-aged man of medium stature, he was the one who just shouted. Jinshui recognized him as the leader of Jianyin Bang, Zhulin Shen Jian Zhong Shaoyan he saw three years ago.

The "old man" jumped away from Jinshui and Xu Qiao, but had not yet left the place because he was suddenly intercepted by people with bamboo sticks, leading to a small fight in that place.

Xu Qiao gently touched Jinshui's hand, shaking her head slowly to ask him to restrain himself. Jinshui again kept the xuanlong sword on his back, looking for an opportunity to slip away to avoid unnecessary fights.

Among the people of Jianyin Bang was a handsome young man who had been present with Zhong Shaoyan in Huofeng Lou three years ago. The main disciple as well as the young leader of Jianyin Bang, Han Budian. Han Budian immediately recognized Xu Qiao, and apparently also recognized the friend she was with. He was watching closely, giving Jinshui no chance to leave.

For a while, they watched the "old man" fight Zhong Shaoyan's men, not caring even if he was hit by bamboo sticks several times. The "old man" also used Jianyin Bang's signature moves, only his every move was irregular and not perfectly trained. His movements were crazy, even though he had been beaten but never took the opportunity to hit his opponents back.

Zhong Shaoyan grew impatient, he pulled the end of his bamboo stick. The ordinary-looking bamboo stick was apparently a long thin sword, the tip drawn by its owner was the hilt of the sword. The sword came out of the sheath, and Zhong Shaoyan then played a move that Xu Qiao recognized as one of the zhu lin jian shu (bamboo forest swordsmanship) namely shen lin feng bao (storm wind in the forest).

This technique was one of the skills of the Sword God Zhang Zheliang, Zhong Shaoyan's deceased master. Each of Liangtian Jian Shen's disciples possessed different abilities, the one that Zhong Shaoyan mastered the most was zhu lin jian shu. The simple sword moves, in use require speed and only rely on agility. Facing a formidable foe would of course not be of much use, but just for the sake of beating up a half-mad Yue Songdai was more than enough.

Zhong Shaoyan had managed to snatch a piece of fake skin and white hair from the half-mad "old man" in no time, revealing his true face as a young man of about twenty-five years old, his face stubborn and his eyes sharp.

"You rotten old brat!" the young man, Yue Songdai, yelled at Zhong Shaoyan, "esteemed leader Jianyin Bang, only knows to oppress the younger. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the whole world?"

"Everyone knows you're my sixth junior, I can beat you up as I like," Zhong Shaoyan retorted. "You've already wreaked havoc in Jianyin Bang's headquarters, burned the warehouse, and damaged the signage, I should take action against you as well."

He threw off Yue Songdai's disguise, then attacked again with the sword in his hand, not wanting to kill but obviously going to suffocate him in just a few strokes. Yue Songdai was really overwhelmed, twice his face was hit by the Zhulin Shen Jian's sword, not bleeding but looking red.

Jinshui saw that the last move used by Zhong Shaoyan was a bit similar to the way the person in black mysteriously injured Huang Weiqun and his wife three years ago. A wound that cuts the outer skin so thin that it doesn't bleed, but hits the inside more deeply. It was just that the attack on the Huang Weiqun husband and wife three years ago was a lethal attack, whereas this one was just to teach a lesson.

How strange, thought Jinshui, Jianyin Bang is a pure straight line and has always been known to prioritize the spirit of knights, how could it be possible to have such a cruel technique?

Zhong Shaoyan had had enough of hitting his junior, he touched Yue Songdai's acupuncture point to make him unable to move a muscle. The young man's face was already dirty, there was still one more puncture mark that turned blue. Blood dripped slightly from the corner of his lips, Zhong Shaoyan's punch just now was definitely not a joke.

"Take him back to headquarters, lock him up in his room," Zhong Shaoyan ordered his followers. Yue Songdai was immediately dragged away, Han Budian kept an eye on Xu Qiao and Jinshui.

"Xu Guniang," Han Budian said later, "you rarely get to visit Wuzhang City. Since you are here, why don't you stop by our Jianyin Bang headquarters for a while?"

Zhong Shaoyan didn't come with his men who took Yue Songdai away, he turned to Xu Qiao and Jinshui, not recognizing them.

"Shifu, this lady is the fifth daughter of Huofeng Lou's owner in Anhui, Xu Qiao, Xu Guniang," Han Budian introduced the girl to his master.

"You must be the youngest daughter," Zhong Shaoyan said, "I have visited Huofeng Lou several times, but have never met Xu Louzhu's daughters in person."

"Zhong Bangzhu," Xu Qiao greeted him, "Han Dage."

"Xu Guniang don't you want to introduce your friend?" Han Budian asked. Yue Songdai in disguise as an old geezer earlier mentioned a friend who recognized Jinshui as Yumen Mowang. Judging from the way the young bangzhu was paying attention to Jinshui, the friend he mentioned might have told Han Budian too.

"He is Hua…." Xu Qiao was a bit hesitant to introduce Jinshui's real identity, but she also can't just lie.

"I'm Hua Jinshui," Jinshui answered honestly, not wanting to conceal his identity. "Xu Guniang and I, are indeed going to visit the headquarters of Jianyin Bang."

"Hua Jinshui," Zhong Shaoyan repeated this name as if he had heard it before. But he wasn't very intelligent, and he didn't remember the name Hua Jinshui mentioned by Bao Xinfei in Huofeng Lou three years ago when interrogating Huang Yu about the Yumen descendants.

"Hua Shaoxia," Han Budian was also in Huofeng Lou at that time, he had better memory and he remembered, only he didn't want to show it right away in front of Xu Qiao. "Hua Shaoxia, if you don't mind, can stay at our Jianyin Bang headquarters for a few days."

Jinshui was a little hesitant. He was on the way to meet Shuiyao's descendant at the Jianyin Bang headquarters, the invitation from Han Budian was actually a good opportunity. However, the young man already suspected his identity, this invitation could be just a trap.

"My student here likes to make friends with anyone, hope you don't mind," Zhong Shaoyan said along. "Our Jianyin Bang Headquarters hasn't had any visitors from young generation in a while, it seems he's getting bored already."

"Invitations from Bangzhu and Shaobangzhu, of course, we don't like refusing," Jinshui replied. "Then we have to trouble you."

Zhong Shaoyan had already gone ahead of them after the other followers, he seemed to be venting his anger by scolding Yue Songdai, and it wasn't clear what he said. Han Budian asked Xu Qiao and Jinshui to come with him.

"Han Dage, that young man is your master's sixth junior, meaning he's your uncle," Xu Qiao said to Han Budian, distracting his attention from Jinshui. "What happened to him? Why he and your master don't seem to get along well?"

"Liushishu (sixth uncle) I was adopted as a student by grandmaster when he was very young," said Han Budian, "grandmaster then handed him over to my master to be educated. Liushishu didn't seem to like this arrangement and always wanted to go with the grandmaster. And my master is not really happy about taking care of a junior," he lowered his voice a little, "so, over time, the relationship between the two of them turns like this."

"Apparently so," Xu Qiao replied, "then what Zhong Bangzhu said about him setting fire to the warehouse and destroying the signage is true?"

"Just a little damage," said Han Budian, apparently not wanting to tell the truth. "They will reconcile tomorrow anyway."

He turned to Jinshui, and was about to ask something but he really thought about everything carefully.

"Han Dage, a few days ago Jiuwei Bian Zhou Xiangnu was looking for you in Wuzhang City," Xu Qiao said to him again. "How did you come into conflict with the daughter of the poison master of Wansui Gu?"

"Zhou Xiangnu was looking for that person," replied Han Budian.

"Looking for who?" asked Xu Qiao again.

"Since the past few months in Wuzhang City there has been a mysterious killer," Han Budian replied as he secretly glanced at Jinshui. "The killer's identity is unknown, he comes at night wearing all black clothes, his face is covered, and people call him Yumen Mowang. The victims were unlucky people, all of whom died with the same features as those killed around Wansui Gu about three years ago."

Again the name Yumen. Xu Qiao was silent for a moment, she didn't know how to get Han Budian to tell more without involving Jinshui.

"What features?" Jinshui curiously asked.

"They have broken bones," replied Han Budian, "Reportedly this is one of the characteristics of someone practicing the second level of Yumen Jiao's mainstay, wuqing xue."

Xu Qiao had only practiced the first level of wuqing xue, naturally didn't know how to train the second level. She knew Jinshui knows the most, only she couldn't directly ask him at this point. But she knew Jinshui had mastered wuqing xue to the fourth level, it was impossible to still train at the second level. Whoever the killer was, definitely not Jinshui.

"The murders in Wuzhang City happen every ten days and there are already a dozen victims, making the city officials nervous and then asking our Jianyin Bang for help," Han Budian said again. "Later we found out, Yumen Mowang who appeared in Wansui Gu about three years ago wields a heavy and sharp sword, while this Yumen Mowang doesn't have a similar weapon. The real Yumen Mowang's strength is so strong that people with inferior skills fall apart, but the fake ones purposely crush their bones to practice heretical arts."

"Fake?" asked Xu Qiao.

"Perhaps it's just petty criminals imitating, or someone stealing wuqing xue lessons from somewhere," said Han Budian, "or maybe the news about the Yumen descendant who recently appeared in the martial world is true." Han Budian once again looked at Jinshui.

"Then what does Jiuwei Bian Zhou Xiangnu have to do with it?" Xu Qiao asked again, distracting Han Budian.

"This fake Yumen Mowang is also using a secret needle weapon belonging to Wansui Gu, honglongchen," said Han Budian. "If my guess is not wrong, he stole it from Wansui Gu, and his daughter Zhou Sangong chased him all the way here."

"Zhou Xiangnu knew you are the one handling the case and she came to ask you about it," Xu Qiao guessed. "Then that fake Yumen Mowang, has he been caught? Or have you already found out who he really is?"

"He should be back in action tomorrow night, and we've already arranged a plan to catch him," said Han Budian, "this time, he won't be able to escape."