Episode 09 : White Rabbit Village - Chapter 3

Jinshui followed Xu Qiao leaving Bai Tu Shanzhuang area, walking along the shore of the lake to a small forest nearby. They didn't forget to avoid Haitang Jian Pai camp for sure. Xu Qiao didn't say a word, nor did Jinshui know how to make her start the conversation.

"Qiao-er," Jinshui called her after some awkward silence, "do you have something to tell me?"

"Jinshui Gege," Xu Qiao took his hand and gripped it tightly. "Three years ago you saved my life. If it wasn't for you there would be no Xu Qiao today. Tell me, how do you want me to return the favor? I will do it with all my heart."

"I never wanted you to return the favor," Jinshui replied. "You see, even Li Qian's father has already given me some herbs. Soon, the traces of the poison will be completely gone, and we can forget what happened three years ago."

"You can forget it, but I can't," replied Xu Qiao, "I have troubled you for three years, if I am not given the opportunity to repay this kindness, then I will forever be restless."

"Qiao-er, having you here with me, I'm already feeling very happy," Jinshui said. "If you really want to return the favor, then I wish to be together forever, can you promise me?"

"Jinshui Gege, of course, I want to be with you forever. I am willing to be your servant, it's just… it's just…."

"It's just what?" Jinshui knew the answer, only he was unable to say it out loud.

"Jinshui Gege, erniang asked me to return to Huofeng Lou, and I also want to return to Huofeng Lou with her," Xu Qiao said. "Can you come with me too?"

"Qiao-er, you know I can't."

"I know, of course, I know that," said Xu Qiao. "You want to stay with Huang Erge and collect all eight descendants, then rebuild your sect, carry on the task left by… by your master."

"That's right."

"I know I can't step in your way," said Xu Qiao, "I'm just a young girl after all, and I don't have that superpower."

"Bao Xinfei knows you are with me," guessed Jinshui. "What did she say to you?"

"Erniang didn't say anything," said Xu Qiao. "I told her, I just want to repay your kindness."

"Yuan Wancui asked you to kill me, didn't she?" Jinshui's tone changed. Yuan Wancui had been keeping an eye on Xu Qiao since her arrival yesterday. He could guess that the news saying that the daughter of Huofeng Lou's owner was with Yumen's primary descendant had already reached Haitang Jian Pai's leader. Yuan Wancui then asked Xu Qiao to go with her, but then Xu Qiao was still able to return to Bai Tu Shanzhuang, her attitude was strange and her expression was different. Jinshui could immediately guess that the rotten old lady didn't just let her go. In addition, Bao Xinfei was coming, and what happened yesterday seemed to have deeply affected Xu Qiao.

"Jinshui Gege, you know I can't do that to you," said Xu Qiao. "I will never divulge the identity of the descendants to anyone, especially to those who have problems with you."

"I know, I trust you," said Jinshui, his tone was softened again. "You don't have to worry, we will not come to a stage in which I have to kill you because you betray us the descendants of Yumen."

Xu Qiao bit her own lip to contain her emotions. Jinshui hugged her, and they then sat on a large boulder, spending time enjoying the view together. It was sometime later that they returned to Bai Tu Shanzhuang while holding hands.

"Jinshui Gege, what will you do next?" Xu Qiao asked. "I want to stay with you to find the next descendants, until the last one, and also find the person who killed my family and Huang Erge's parents. After Bai Tu Shanzhuang, who are we going to meet?"

"I don't know that yet," Jinshui replied honestly, "Huang Yu is the one arranging everything. There are two left, I really don't have a clue as to what we have to do after."

"Hua Jinshui!"

A shouting voice was heard from the other side of the lake. Jinshui and Xu Qiao simultaneously turned their head, finding two young men standing on bamboo rafts, paddling fast through the water as if they were hunting for something.

Jinshui immediately recognized the young man on the first raft, who had just shouted, as the main disciple of Jianyin Bang, Han Budian. The other man on the second raft was none other than the junior of his master Zhong Shaoyan. Liangtian Jian Shen's half-mad sixth disciple Yue Songdai.

Han Budian immediately jumped from the raft, not attacking Jinshui but his sword pointed straight at him. Yue Songdai took his raft ashore, but he didn't carry a weapon and didn't intend to have a fight with anyone, it seemed that he was just following along.

"Han Dage," Xu Qiao greeted the two. "How did you two get here?"

"Xu Guniang, you've been with this man since that day you visited our Jianyin Bang headquarters," Han Budian said to her, "do you know his identity?"

"I'm totally aware," replied Xu Qiao, standing in front of Jinshui.

"Qiao-er, he knew," Jinshui said, softly pushing her aside. "Han Shaobangzhu called me just now, do you have something to ask me?"

"You called yourself as the primary descendant of Yumen Jiao," Han Budian spoke firmly at him, "That fake Yumen Mowang, does he have something to do with you?"

"That fake Yumen Mowang is Huang Zhe, the first son of the Huang Family of Hailang Biaoju," Jinshui said. "I helped capture and hand him over to your followers a few days ago. As far as I know, he's been brought back to your Jianyin Bang headquarters in Wuzhang."

"The girl from Wansui Gu, the one with the whip, came and gave him a chance to run away," Yue Songdai replied. "He ran this way and shouldn't be far from here."

"We've been here for a while, but we didn't see anyone else," replied Xu Qiao.

He had just finished his words when they saw a shadowy human figure streaking through the trees, into the darkness of the forest. The shadowy figure was like holding two small children, and deliberately made a sound of laughter to provoke Han Budian and the others. Han Budian quickly rushed after him, Yue Songdai followed.

"You go back to Bai Tu Shanzhuang, wait for me there," Jinshui said to Xu Qiao, then jumped after the two. Xu Qiao had not yet decided whether to follow Jinshui or do as he asked, a commotion sound was heard from the direction of Bai Tu Shanzhuang's gate, making her rush over there.

"Yuan Zhangmen, we were kind enough to invite you to rest at Bai Tu Shanzhuang yesterday, but you refused," she heard Li Qian's voice, "If anything happened to your follower outside our territory, it's not our responsibility."

"I know Hua Jinshui is staying in your place," Yuan Wancui's voice answered. "He knew I had met Xu Guniang, and he retaliated by injuring several of our disciples and taking two girls away. Just hand him over."

"On what basis are you saying Hua Jinshui injured and kidnapped your people?" Li Jue asked. "Did you see for yourself?"

"The kidnapper was using wuqing xue energy and he wielded a black sheathed sword," Yunhe replied. "That description matched Hua Jinshui."

The ladies of Haitang Pai led by Yuan Wancui were already standing in front of Bai Tu Shanzhuang gate, apparently looking for some missing members. They were intercepted by Li Qian and his brother Li Jue, accompanied by some servants and also Lin Jixuan and Yanzi.

But since Yuan Wancui was a sect leader and it would be inappropriate for her to attack a group of young, the fight had not broken yet. Li Qian and his friend had no intention to have anyone hurt, thus they were only quarreling.

"The kidnapper ran that way," Xu Qiao immediately shouted out, "Han Dage has already chased after him."

"Han Budian is here? He must be chasing Jianyin Bang's fugitive to this place." Bao Xinfei was also among the ladies of Haitang Jian Pai, hearing Xu Qiao's words she immediately dashed to the pointed direction. Yunhe followed with Yunli and Yunxue, while Yuan Wancui remained there watching over Li Qian and the others.

"Yuan Zhangmen, did that man kidnap two young girls?" Xu Qiao asked Yuan Wancui.

"He did," Yunxi was the one who replied. She had just recovered from the poison and was still so weak that she couldn't join the pursuit. "Shuang-er and Xiu-er are both orphans and sanshimei is about to take them as disciples. Unexpectedly they were kidnapped by that man."

"Did you see that kidnapper's face?" Yuan Wancui asked Xu Qiao.

"He's no Hua Jinshui," replied Xu Qiao.

"Yuan Zhangmen if you think our Bai Tu Shanzhuang is hiding people, feel free to come in and search our place," Li Qian said, letting the servants open the gate widely.

Li Qian had already opened the gate. But of course, Yuan Wancui wouldn't just barge into Bai Tu Shanzhuang for fear of not finding anything in there and embarrass herself for making a false accusation. She left, and returned to the pier where she and his students camped for the night, Yunxi and the others followed.

"Xu Guniang, where's Jinshui?" Li Qian asked Xu Qiao.

"Chasing that kidnapper," replied Xu Qiao. "Someone trained your wuqing xue in a heretic way, then used an appearance similar to Jinshui Gege and killed people. He has become a fugitive of Jianyin Bang for months, and now he is messing around here."

"Li Qian, I'll go help Jinshui," Lin Jixuan said.

"I'll go," said Li Qian, "you stay here and don't let anyone come inside disturbing my father's peace."

--

Jinshui chased the shadowy figure who was bringing two little girls into the deep of the forest. He spotted a body of Haitang Jian Pai disciple hanging from a tree branch with one hand crushed. However, he had not yet approached the body when he saw a tall, large figure with his head covered with a wide hat already standing on a branch of another tree not far away.

"It's you again," the tall figure recognized Jinshui as the young man who followed him and his skinny friend in Wuzhang City a few days ago. "Hua Jinshui, son of the late leader of Yumen Jiao, Tongjian Leishen Wu Youwei."

He mentioned the name Wu Youwei with admiration and hatred at the same time. Jinshui really couldn't guess whether this person was Yumen's friend or foe, or just someone else who had nothing to do with his sect.

"You know the late leader of our Yumen?" Jinshui asked the tall figure.

"I met him once," the figure didn't give him much detail.

"Why did you kill the ladies from Haitang Jian Pai?" Jinshui asked him again.

"It wasn't me," the figure replied coldly.

Jinshui knew that the tall man's ability couldn't be underestimated. He immediately drew his sword and lunged at him while exerting his inner energy, not wanting to be defeated like the other day. He didn't see the figure of the skinny one, but it didn't mean that the tall man was alone.

"Boy, you have pretty good martial abilities," the big tall man said in a deep voice, "you're still young and you've already mastered wuqing xue to the fourth level. Looks like I have to kill you before you resurrect Yumen Jiao."

"What enmity do you have with our Yumen?" Jinshui tried to gather more information, he played a trick from wuqing xue and the xuanlong sword in his hand almost managed to tear the opponent's shirt off. Only the tall man hastily dodged to the side.

"There was no enmity. Everyone knows Yumen is a heretic sect."

The tall man suddenly held a large saber in his hand, using it to confront Xuanlong sword. Two men were fighting on a tree branch, the sound of the clanking of weapons was deafening, the leaves were falling, and the wind around them was very noisy.

Jinshui felt that his opponent's strength was so intense that even Moying's inner energy inside him was not enough to overcome him. The saber on that tall man's hand was also extremely vicious, each of his strikes aimed at an important body part with the intention to kill. Not only that, that man's fighting experience was also much better, leaving Jinshui without the slightest chance of recognizing the source of martial technique he used.

Dozens of moves passed quickly, Jinshui was forced to only stay in the defense position, the tall man attacked and slayed his saber mercilessly, almost severing Jinshui's neck once.

"Hua Jinshui!"

Bao Xinfei had already arrived there too, followed by her juniors Yunhe, Yunli, and Yunxue and several other Haitang Jian Pai disciples. They didn't care about the tall man wearing hat. As soon as Bao Xinfei recognized Jinshui, she charged at him, two long pieces of silk scarf stretched out from her sleeves, about to wrap around Jinshui's leg to prevent his escape.

Jinshui jumped down from the top of the tree to avoid the new attack, leaving the tall man behind. Yunhe and her sisters thought Jinshui as the one who just kidnapped the girls from their camp, some were trying to find the twins Shuang-er and Xiu-er around the area, and others had drawn weapons and surrounded Jinshui.

"Bai Shimei!" one person found a dead body on the tree and called out to Bao Xinfei. "Dashijie, he killed Bai Shimei!"

Jinshui had barely taken a breath, Bao Xinfei had already charged at him with her three juniors, Jinshui was forced to fight the three women. The tall man on the tree had also prepared a secret weapon, scattering it into the arena regardless of who Jinshui was against. Two of Haitang Jian Pai's disciples immediately fell to the ground, Jinshui himself managed to drop the secret weapon aimed at him.

Li Qian arrived a few minutes after, seeing Jinshui having trouble dealing with Bao Xinfei and her juniors, he did not immediately do something to help his friend, realizing that if he used his prowess it would confirm his identity as another Yumen descendant. It was not that he didn't want to reveal this identity, he just knew that the time wasn't right yet.

"Kewei, I saw someone took Shuang-er and Xiu-er there!" he shouted. "Please help them!"

His shout only had an effect on Yunhe and the others, instantly they all followed him in pursuit of the designated direction. Bao Xinfei didn't know Shuang-er and Xiu-er, her main concern was to finish off Jinshui so that Xu Qiao wouldn't have to be with him and dishonor the Xu Family's name.

The tall man with the hat was still there, having descended from the tree branch and together with Bao Xinfei charged toward Jinshui, apparently wanting to kill Jinshui for fear that his identity would be discovered by the primary descendant of Yumen.

Jinshui fought two at once, and both were equally highly skilled martial artists. It was really troublesome for him. One time he was hit by the tall man's saber, and once he was slashed by Bao Xinfei's san li bao lian.

"Xu Furen, this man is the one who killed the Huang Weiqun and his wife, I saw it for myself," Jinshui forced himself to speak during the fight, one hand confronting the tall man's attack, sword and saber were clashing. "He's the one who killed your husband, Xu Chenghai, Xu Louzhu."

"What did you say?" asked Bao Xinfei. For the first time, her attention was drawn to the tall man. She seemed to have seen the figure before, only half of his face was now covered by a bronze mask, and with the shadow of his wide hat, his figure couldn't easily recognizable.

The tall man with the saber was still locking Jinshui with the weapon in his hand, the other hand had gathered inner energy and then slammed into Bao Xinfei. Bao Xinfei was forced to dodge, and the tall man left Jinshui to aim for her. Jinshui wiped the blood that was flowing from the corner of his lips, again cast inner energy, and charged toward the tall man.

An intense triangular fight ensued between them, and the tall man with the hat amplified the attack with the intention to kill both of his opponents. Bao Xinfei struggled to survive and was curious to know the identity of the tall man, and at the same time wanted to kill Jinshui. Jinshui didn't want to hurt Bao Xinfei, but he didn't want to just die either.

In the midst of the chaotic situation, suddenly another person wearing wide hat appeared from Bai Tu Shanzhuang's direction, carrying a body on his shoulder. Behind him seemed to be running after two people, one was Huang Yu, and the other was the eunuch Yuanxia. Huang Yu managed to block that skinny man, and together with Yuanxia tried to snatch the body that the skinny was carrying, which was none other than Liuxin.

The fight just started among them when one more figure appeared in the place. It was Yuan Wancui. Because Yuan Wancui didn't know the tall man and his skinny friend, her attention was immediately drawn to Jinshui. She joined Bao Xinfei strike Jinshui with the twin swords in her hands which were extremely dangerous.

Huang Yu saw that Jinshui was in a very bad state, he released a few chess pieces at the tall man and also at Yuan Wancui, then quickly jumped over the skinny one's head, snatching Liuxin from his hands in a flash. He was about to hand Liuxin over to Yuanxia, but the young eunuch was already involved in the fight between Jinshui and his opponents.

At that time Yuan Wancui was still attacking Jinshui with both swords in her hands. Jinshui tried to dodge with lots of difficulties. There was the sound of his clothes being torn for a moment before he felt a warm liquid run down his waist. He had no time to take a single breath when the tall man's high-pitched punch was already in front of his chest, then hit him hard, making him stagger for a moment. The xuanlong sword in his hand was caught by Bao Xinfei's shawl, and the tall man tried to snatch it away.

Li Qian returned to the place with Yunhe and the others. They had found the twins Shuang-er and Xiu-er, and probably managed to snatch them from their kidnapper but the kidnapper had already run off somewhere.

The skinny man saw another group of people coming, No one knew what was going on in his mind, he immediately grabbed Shuang-er and threw her at Jinshui. The body of the xuanlong sword was still wrapped around Bao Xinfei's shawl, while Jinshui's hand was still gripped by the tall man. Shuang-er's body was instantly stabbed into the sword without anyone being able to block it, shocking all who witnessed it.

Bao Xinfei's shawl was torn, and the big tall man let go of Jinshui. Shuang-er's body only moved for a moment, then was completely silent, leaving her twin sister to scream in horror. Jinshui did not dare to draw the sword. At that time if the tall man, Yuan Wancui or Bao Xinfei, or anyone else attacked, they would easily take his life.

Yuan Wancui, who took the first opportunity, jumped up and was about to blow Jinshui's head in a single slash of her sword. Yuanxia was close by, trying to get in the way because he knew Jinshui was his master's friend, and the sword in Yuan Wancui's hand instantly slashed the young eunuch almost to pieces.

"Jinshui Gege!"

Xu Qiao was present at the same time as Yuanxia's body collapsed to the ground. Li Jue, Lin Jixuan and Yanzi followed behind her. Han Budian and Yue Songdai came from the other direction, all apparently hearing the sound of a bustling battle and Xiu-er's screams, now watching what happened. Jinshui stood in the center of the arena with the sword in his hand stabbing the body of a little girl.

Xu Qiao went straight to Jinshui, and didn't care how others stared at her. She knew her stepmother and the Haitang Jian Pai ladies wanted to kill Jinshui, and they would not let him get away.

The tall man looked startled seeing Xu Qiao's arrival, then immediately turned around and sped away. His skinny friend followed instantly. Huang Yu handed Liuxin to Yanzi, then jumped and chased the two.

"Erniang, I promised you," Xu Qiao spoke in a trembling voice. "Please give me some time."

Xu Qiao pulled Shuang-er's dead body from the xuanlong sword, then handed her to Yunhe. Xiu-er saw her twin sister just die, she had already fallen unconscious.

"Xiao Qiao," Bao Xinfei said, "kill him now."

"Jinshui Gege is injured, I won't do any harm to him," Xu Qiao replied coldly and firmly, vaguely impacting anyone. "If anyone here wants to kill him, I fight them to the best of my ability. Losing a life for Xu Qiao is meaningless, just consider it to return the favor to him."

She took the xuanlong sword from Jinshui's hand, returned it to its scabbard, then led Jinshui away from the place. Jinshui knew he was seriously injured, would not be able to fight anymore, and was still deeply affected by the death of a little girl at the tip of his sword just now. That he was able to stay awake alone was incredible.

"We leave now," Yuan Wancui talked to her disciples. She still remembered her request to Xu Qiao to tell the identity of each of the eight descendants of Yumen, and she hoped to find them all. Killing Jinshui only was not enough, she already suspects several others and she really wants to be able to finish them all.