Episode 07 : The Descendant of Dream Angel - Chapter 3

It was already dark when they arrived at Jianyin Bang's headquarters, but all the lights had been turned on and things seemed bustling. A number of people gathered in the front yard, most of them neatly lined up. Not only the members but there was another group of strangers in dark clothes, some of them tall, well-trained men, others women in disguise. It looked like there was a guest visiting.

In the center of the forecourt was also a horse-drawn carriage, although it didn't look luxurious but was definitely a fine carriage with two of the finest horses. The curtains on the carriage hadn't been opened yet, it seemed that the one inside was a dignitary guest.

"Bangzhu, they're coming to see you," a member of the Jianyin Bang approached Zhong Shaoyan as he entered the yard while handing him a name card, apparently containing the identity of the guest who came.

Zhong Shaoyan received the card, his face turned shocked, also showing deep concern. He quickly asked his followers to prepare the siyuanfeng (western garden building), then approached the horse-drawn carriage.

The coachman got off. He was a man who wore a long black shirt made of good material, in his hand he held a fochen (speeding). He should have been a man, but his face was pale white and silky smooth, his movements were soft and graceful that resembled a girl's. Xu Qiao had never seen a coachman like this before.

"A taijian (eunuch)," Jinshui whispered to her. "Servant from Yi Wangfu (House of Prince Yi)."

"Servant of Yi Wangfu?" asked Xu Qiao, the word descendant of Shuiyao as said by Jinshui a while ago almost slipped out of her mouth. "How did a servant from Yi Wangfu know the leader of Jianyin Bang?"

"I don't know," replied Jinshui. "Really didn't expect any of this."

Xu Qiao was about to ask Han Budian, but Han Budian had already left to accompany Zhong Shaoyan to welcome the guest.

The young eunuch who met Zhong Shaoyan bowed deeply to him. Yue Songdai who was still being held back by the Jianyin Bang members gaped at this scene and felt very disapproved to see his senior receive such respect.

"Zhong Bangzhu, junzhu wants to ask for your help," the young eunuch said in a suppressed tone to Zhong Shaoyan.

"Junzhu, how did you come to our Jianyin Bang?" Zhong Shaoyan asked.

"Zhong Dashu," came the soft voice of a real girl from inside the carriage. The next second the owner stepped down with the support of a young maid who always lowered her head. The princess was about the same age as Xu Qiao, dressed in all white and not wearing any jewelry like she was in mourning, her little body seemed to be shaking a little. The weirdest thing was that her eyes were covered with a piece of white cloth as if she was injured and totally blind.

Yue Songdai saw the little princess get off the carriage, instantly his gaze fell on her without the slightest bit of blinking. Liuxin was a beautiful young girl, her skin was smooth like porcelain, her cheeks were slightly flushed, her movements were also soft and attractive, and even the cloth covering her eyes made her look even more graceful. Several members of Jianyin Bang quickly turned their heads and didn't dare to look any longer.

"Zhong Dashu, I come here to ask for your protection," the young princess said, "but I'm afraid I cannot explain it here."

"Junzhu, please come inside," Zhong Shaoyan quickly replied. "We can have a meeting in the main hall."

They entered the main hall. Only Han Budian and a few main bodyguards of Jianyin Bang accompanied Zhong Shaoyan inside, the rest stood outside guarding the door. Yue Songdai was dragged away, Jinshui and Xu Qiao were also escorted to other sections of the building complex prepared for them.

"What? Lao Duxie came to the capital?" only a slight voice of Zhong Shaoyan was heard by Jinshui.

The Jianyin Bang members escorted Jinshui and Xu Qiao to the eastern part of the headquarters, to a separate building complex with a multi-story building in the center. The building was a place to receive guests, it had several rooms like an inn. Since Jinshui and Xu Qiao were not husband and wife, two separate rooms were provided for them. A number of servants had also prepared dinner in the dining room.

"Hua Shaoxia, Xu Guniang, if you still need anything, just tell the servants," the member of the Jianyin Bang who escorted them was named Yang Biao, a young man the same age as Han Budian, and who was his third junior. "Shifu and dashixiong have guests today, they can't have dinner with you. Please make yourself home. Xu Louzhu, Xu Guniang's father also visited here several times."

Yang Biao left them. The waiter also served fragrant wine. Really this Jianyin Bang headquarter was not stingy at entertaining guests.

"Jinshui Gege, we came here to find your little sister, how are we going to meet her without Zhong Bangzhu knowing?" Xu Qiao asked Jinshui silently after the servants also left them. "Zhong Bangzhu shouldn't know that that junzhu is one of the eight descendants of Yumen, what are you going to do to make sure he stays ignorant?"

"I have no plan, yet," replied Jinshui, apparently he also didn't expect Shuiyao's descendant to come in such condition. "I haven't heard from Liuxin Meimei in ten years. If Huang Yu was here, he could tell us more."

"I'm wondering what that junzhu and Zhong Bangzhu talk about," Xu Qiao said, "do we need to go to the main hall and secretly listen to them? I overheard them mentioning the leader of Wansui Gu."

"We have food and wine here, I prefer to wait patiently," Jinshui said smilingly. He poured wine into the cup and had a sip.

"Eh, I wasn't allowed to have wine while I was poisoned, why this rule didn't apply to you?" Xu Qiao asked curiously.

"The critical period of the poison has long passed, there is no need to avoid the sun, wine, or anything else for me now," said Jinshui. "Qiao-er, three years ago when I infiltrated Huofeng Lou, I remember Bao Xinfei did mention my name in front of Zhong Shaoyan and his disciple Han Budian. Today I introduced my name but Zhong Shaoyan didn't have a clue. Han Budian obviously hadn't forgotten, but he didn't say anything."

"He knew you are Yumen descendant?" Xu Qiao asked in a low voice. "Jinshui Gege, we cannot stay here for long."

"He didn't reveal my identity in front of his teacher and his men, I don't think we need to worry," said Jinshui. "I guess he'll be right back here to see you and watch over me at least until tomorrow night when that murderous Yumen Mowang appears again."

"Jinshui Gege," Xu Qiao looked anxious.

"Those Zhong Shaoyan and his student, why do I see a not-so-smart teacher blessed with a talented student? Can you tell me about it?" Jinshui asked.

"Zhong Bangzhu is the fourth disciple of Liangtian Jian Shen Zhang Zheliang, I believe you have heard about that," Xu Qiao told him. "After the sudden death of his master, the position as the leader of Jianyin Bang was indirectly passed to him."

"Ehm," replied Jinshui. He started to enjoy the dish on the table.

"More than ten years ago when Liangtian Jian Shen went to your Yumen headquarters to challenge the leader, he was there with the first and second disciples. First disciple Gang Jiao Daxiong Zhang Xianghui later also died with him in Wansui Gu," Xu Qiao said. "The second disciple Xie Tianhu was seriously injured and lost his ability to walk, then taken to our Huofeng Lou and my father let him live in daxian ke."

"Xie Tianhu is Liangtian Jian Shen's second disciple?" asked Jinshui. "You call him Xie-shu, and three years ago he was a victim of the massacre in Huofeng Lou. His body was in one of seven coffins I saw in the main hall then."

"Correct," replied Xu Qiao. "You know my father befriended Liangtian Jian Shen's disciples. When Xie-shu was seriously injured, my father tried to find the best healer and the most effective medicine, treating him until he recovered. However, since then Xie-shu couldn't walk anymore, he couldn't take responsibility as the new leader of the Jianyin Bang. He preferred to stay in our Huofeng Lou and studied literature there."

"But there's still the third disciple and the position of Jianyin Bang Bangzhu should be his," Jinshui said again.

"The third disciple is a woman, she's married and has not interfered in the affairs of the martial world. Thus the position of leader of Jianyin Bang was given to the fourth disciple, Zhong Shaoyan Bangzhu," said Xu Qiao. "Only, Zhong Bangzhu is a simple-minded person, one might say less intelligent. He also knows he doesn't have enough skills to be a good leader of the Jianyin Bang."

"He takes this position as leader until he was able to pass it to his student, Han Budian," Jinshui guessed.

"No one knows where did Zhong Bangzhu find a very talented student like him, but he has always had high hopes," said Xu Qiao. "That Han Dage is a smart person, his memory is very good, someday he will definitely be able to be a better leader than his master. I heard Zhong Bangzhu long ago gave all the manuals left by Liangtian Jian Shen to him so that he could study on his own."

"You know him quite well," said Jinshui. "Is he considered a childhood friend to you?"

"Ah?" Xu Qiao was a bit nervous, realizing Jinshui was showing jealousy. "You know that his master and my father used to be good friends, and they came to visit our Huofeng Lou several times."

"Xu Guniang talks about me?"

Han Budian was already present in the room, immediately approached Jinshui and Xu Qiao, and took a seat. Without hesitation he also took the cup and poured the wine, acting casually as if Jinshui was also an old friend.

"Han Dage, aren't you with Zhong Bangzhu meeting guests?" Xu Qiao asked him.

"Junzhu is not feeling well, and my master asked her to have some rest. Tomorrow we will talk about what needs to be discussed," said Han Budian, his eyes did not leave Jinshui, as if he was observing him.

"How can Zhong Bangzhu know a junzhu?" Xu Qiao asked again. "And how did a junzhu come to your Jianyin Bang headquarters? I don't remember Jianyin Bang having business with a member of the imperial family."

"I don't know clearly either," Han Budian said. "Liuxin Junzhu came here asking for our Jianyin Bang's protection because the wangfu she lives in is no longer safe. Some men from Wansui Gu reportedly came to the capital a while ago and created a mess."

"Is that Liuxin Junzhu ever causing trouble with Zhou Sangong from Wansui Gu as I did?" asked Xu Qiao.

"It wasn't Zhou Sangong, but the old owner of Wansui Gu, Lao Duxie Zeng Baifeng," replied Han Budian. "Zeng Baifeng was the one coming to the capital."

"A little junzhu can offend Lao Duxie Zeng Baifeng," said Xu Qiao, "that's interesting." She secretly glanced at Jinshui, telling him it might have something to do with Liuxin's identity as one of the eight descendants of Yumen.

"Hua Shaoxia, I've asked some brothers of our Jianyin Bang to spread throughout the city to find that fake Yumen Mowang tomorrow night," Han Budian said to Jinshui. "Of course, I hope you and Xu Guniang can join us."

"I don't like to interfere with Jianyin Bang's affair," Jinshui said, "Xu Guniang is a girl, and it's not appropriate to ask her to go out at night to catch a killer. If we're still here tomorrow night, I can only help keep the killer from disturbing her."

"Hua Shaoxia really cares for Xu Guniang, what a fortune for the Xu Family," said Han Budian. "If you don't mind I ask, which sect is Hua Shaoxia from? Can you tell me the name of your master?"

"My master is dead," Jinshui replied shortly.

"If so, can you tell me about your father?" asked Han Budian.

"My mother never told me who he was," said Jinshui, his expression slightly changed as he couldn't say anything about his father.

"Sorry," Han Budian felt a little uneasy. "Regarding the identity of this fake Yumen Mowang, I don't know if Xu Guniang can give a hint," he turned to Xu Qiao, but was clearly still watching Jinshui's every move. "Huofeng Lou used to be known as one of the information centers of the martial world. We are hunting a murderer who practiced Yumen Jiao's manual in a misguided way, perhaps Xu Guniang had heard of."

"If my father is still alive, maybe he can tell us something," said Xu Qiao, "but xiaomei is just a girl, I cannot help Han Dage anything."

Han Budian became a little embarrassed, realizing that it would not be easy to trick Jinshui and Xu Qiao to reveal more. "It's getting late, I'm going to see my master," he said to them. "Tomorrow I'll talk to you again."

He left the two of them. Xu Qiao breathed a sigh of relief as Jinshui almost exposed his identity as the primary descendant of Yumen and started a dispute with Jianyin Bang in front of Han Budian.

"Jinshui Gege, do you know something?" she asked Jinshui in low voice after a moment. "The real Yumen Mowang is you, am I right? The murders happened around Wansui Gu three years ago as mentioned by Han Dage, it was all you, right?"

"Yes," Jinshui admitted.

"Then who is this fake one?" asked Xu Qiao again.

"Fake? How do you tell that Yumen Mowang is a fake one?" Jinshui asked her. "That fake Yumen Mowang might be a real one too, don't you think?"

"I've been with you for more than eight days, as well as Huang Yu and his two servants, there's no way you go to Wuzhang to kill people during that time," Xu Qiao said confidently. "That fake Yumen Mowang isn't that good either. If he's you, the member of Jianyin Bang would not be able to catch a look."

"I want to know who he is too," said Jinshui. "Each of eight descendants only has one piece of the manual of wuqing xue, but we had been well trained by the guardians and we never need to use the human body to train in a misguided way."