Upon hearing the news, Zhu Zhang hurriedly arrived. How clean can a rooftop exposed to the element be? He watched helplessly as his own family’s young master sat down just like that, feeling a tightness in his chest.He was truly unable to comprehend why people in the Jianghu liked to slide up onto rooftops. Sitting together in a spacious, clean hall, drinking tea, eating snacks, and telling stories—wouldn’t that be more enjoyable?
Li Sui ignored the courtyard full of guards poking over like springtime bamboo shots. He said: “The last person Chi Tian killed was Xiang Jin, the Sect Leader of the Jinqian Gang. He led disciples from the Burning Fire Hall, massacring the entire Xiang family overnight, sparing no one, men, women, young, and old. The blood washed away by the rain turned the entire street red.”
A timely string of thunder echoed in the distance, causing Young Master Zhu to shudder involuntarily.
Li Sui turned to look at him, frowning: “Just listening to it, and you’re already scared?”
Zhu Yanyin answered truthfully: “Not really scared, but the idea of an entire family being slaughtered sounds quite gruesome. Did Chi Tian had a grudge against him?”
“Total strangers with no grievances .” Li Sui’s gaze returned to the distance. “Xiang Jin was one of the top ten experts in the martial world, managing dozens of escort agencies for the Jinqian Gang, running a considerable business. Chi Tian wanted his money and also coveted his internal energy.”
Zhu Yanyin was surprised upon what was said. Robbing for money and killing; he could still understand, but could you really rob internal strength as well?
He had previously read a storybook about a demon monk from the Southern Seas who practiced evil techniques and could drain people’s life force, leaving them as dried husks. However, the writing was quite crude, and the demon monk’s internal strength absorption mostly took place in bed, with few descriptions of martial arts techniques. Instead, there are many warblers and swallows being tossed on red waves. There was frequent “undoing the belt buckle,” at every turn, making it seem like everyone was constantly unbuckling belts, almost like a tailor. He had thought it was just a money-making ploy by the booksellers, but now that he heard Li Sui mention it again, could there really be such indescribable martial arts in the world?
Li Sui looked at his astonished and nervous expression, and asked: “What are you thinking?”
Zhu Yanyin lowered his voice: “How do you absorb internal energy? Is it done in the bedroom? After absorbing, will the other person turn into a dried-up husk?”
The old steward in the courtyard: “……”
Listen to what a terrible question this is, the Jianghu leads people astray, oh, how the Jianghu leads people astray!
He pounded his chest and stamped his feet.
Li Sui said: “Chi Tian practices a skill called ‘Devouring Moon,’ specifically designed to absorb internal energy. It won’t dry up a person but will cause the opponent’s tendons and bones to break, brain to burst, a body that feels like it has been crushed by a heavy object.”
Zhu Yanyin couldn’t help but imagine the scene, and his face visibly turned pale.
Another round of thunder rumbled into the distance, and the black clouds rolled, forming layer after layer of vortex. In this environment, hearing about the leader of Demon Cult and brains bursting was indeed horrifying. It felt like at any moment someone would emerge from the ground, clad in tattered robes stained with fresh blood, wielding a long blade, laughing hysterically while coming to kill.
Rain began to pour, a downpour in the blink of an eye.
The old steward felt relieved, finally having a legitimate reason to take his young master away from the devil’s… no, from Palace Master Li’s hands. He quickly sent the servants to the roof. Zhu Yanyin had intended to express his thanks to Li Sui, after all, no matter how terrifying the story was, it was just a story.. But before he could speak, he was already led down by the servants. Zhu Xiaosuu immediately brought a large umbrella over, and now, even his line of sight was completely blocked.
After finally finding a gap to turn around, the rooftop was already empty, without a trace of anyone.
….
After a while, Jiang Shenglin came knocking on the door, holding an umbrella, and said in surprise: “I heard you willingly told Young Master Zhu a story for quite some time?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Ol Vel rabbv ys atf ajyif, cbcmtjijca: “Cr sbe rjlv, gfaegclcu j ojnbg ab tlw obg atf lmf yibmxr.”
Aljcu Vtfcuilc kjr nfgs qifjrfv, yea ja atf rjwf alwf, rbwfktja kbgglfv: “Ktlr alwf, sbe vlvc’a wfcalbc jcs rfma ifjvfg rfnfglcu tjcvr jcv offa ktlif qgjmalmlcu wjgalji jgar, vlv sbe?”
Ol Vel rjlv: “Yo mbegrf cba.”
“And there wasn’t blood flowing everywhere with brains flying around like melon seeds, right?”
“……”
Jiang Shenglin’s heart was filled with an indistinct ominous feeling: “Didn’t I repeatedly emphasize that you should tell him about martial arts competitions and unsolved mysteries in the martial arts world? Did you talk about them?”
Li Sui remained expressionless: “En.”
Jiang Shenglin: “What does ‘en’ mean? Do you think I won’t ask Young Master Zhu?”
Li Sui replied coldly: “You dare.”
Jiang Shenglin: I knew it! So you went and spouted nonsense again!
How could someone not even know how to tell a story? The Divine Doctor was utterly perplexed, thinking that the young master from Jiangnan must have been frightened into countless nightmares and unable to sleep peacefully.
By this time, it was already deep into the night.
Zhu Yan sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the rumbling thunder and the falling rain, not feeling any sleepiness.
Steward Zhu Zhang looked through the window four or five times, seeing the candle inside the room still lit. He then had someone prepare a pot of calming scented tea and personally brought it in.
“Uncle Zhang,” Zhu Yanyin asked, “why haven’t you rested yet?”
“I came to check on Second Young Master,” Zhu Zhang set down the tray, “You’ve been sitting on the rooftop for quite a while. Be careful not to catch a cold again.”
While pouring tea, he carefully observed Zhu Yanyin, “Did Young Master get frightened tonight by the story of the demonic leader killing people? Your complexion doesn’t look good.”
“Previously, I often heard people talk about the Demon Cult, but I never thought they would truly be killing without blinking an eye,” Zhu Yanyin frowned, “And then there’s the Jinqian Gang, who did nothing wrong but were brutally wiped out; it’s unpleasant to think about.”
“The atrocities of the Burning Fire Hall and Chi Tian go far beyond this,” Zhu Zhang said, “Otherwise, the Wulin Alliance would not have traveled a thousand miles to the Xuecheng together. This time, I am afraid, they are determined to fight to the death. After all, if he were to cause chaos again, using the Devouring Moon demonic technique to absorb the internal energy of a few more people, he will truly become invincible in the whole world.”
Zhu Yanyin was puzzled: “How does Uncle Zhang know this much clearly?”
Zhu Zhang chuckled: “Young Master has forgotten that those people who told you stories in the carriage along the way were all personally selected by me.”
The stories told were also carefully screened, and terrifying and bloody tales like the devils killing people certainly couldn’t reach the ears of their Young Master. Besides, there were many more significant secrets of the Jianghu. Those people ordinarily didn’t dare to talk about them, however, facing the generous rewards offered by the Steward of Zhu Family, everyone scrambled to outdo one another to lower their voices and reveal everything they knew and heard, true and false.
For example, the relationship between Li Sui and Chi Tian.
Zhu Zhang explained, “Palace Master Li and the leader of the Demon Cult grew up together as brothers under the same master.”
Zhu Yanyin’s hand trembled, nearly dropping the cup in his hand onto the ground.
Recently, Zhu Zhang had heard quite a bit, and now, all the pieces were falling into place. It was said that the two’s master was named Tian Menzi, who, although never appeared on the rankings of the Wulin, was recognized for his profound and mysterious martial arts skills. He lived with his two disciples in the northeastern Xuecheng, with his whereabouts unpredictable, never participating in the Jianghu’s affairs, focusing solely on studying martial arts. The Ice Cavern Ghost City built there was the precursor to the current Burning Fire Hall. Later Tian Menzi died of illness, and his two disciples disappeared for several years. When they reappeared, one had fallen into the demonic path, and the other, although not yet possessed by the devil, wasn’t much better off. In any case, they both became figures that made martial artists tremble with fear.
Zhu Yanyin found it unbelievable: “There’s such a thing? I’ve read many martial arts novels, why haven’t I seen a single word of it?”
Zhu Zhang was perceptive: “Where did the Young Master read these martial arts novels?”
Zhu Xiaosui: “!”
Zhu Yanyin’s gaze was innocent: “Nowhere, I haven’t read any.”
Loyal Old Steward: You have, and I’ve heard it. I’m bitter and resentful and want to return to Jiangnan to apologize for my fault.
Zhu YanYin urged, “If Palace Master Li and Chi Tian are really brothers, it’s impossible that even Brother Mingchuan wouldn’t tell me. Could there be a misunderstanding?”
Zhu Zhang said: “This matter is widely known in the Jianghu. People don’t talk about it not because they’re afraid but because there’s no need.” After all, the broken lips over a cup of tea and after dinner are mainly for amusement, not for the purpose of throwing away one’s life. If it weren’t for the generous reward offered by the Zhu Family, no one would have been willing to bring up this matter just for attention.
Zhu Yanyin still found it hard to believe. Although Palace Master Li did often resemble a demonic figure, the matter of being sworn brothers was…. No matter how one looked at it, it was very strange. The only common point might be their naming style—one called his dug underground palace “Wanren” while the other had a “Burning Fire” Hall in the northeastern snowfields. They both were as twisted as they pleased.
Zhu Zhang asked: “What is the Young Master thinking?”
“Um?” Zhu Yanyin snapped back to his senses, “No, I still want to hear more about Palace Master Li.”
“There isn’t much more.” Zhu Zhang instructed Zhu Xiaosui to fetch hot water for washing, then advised, “If the Second Young Master truly enjoys the Jianghu, listen to more stories on this journey. Perhaps in the future, you can have the Eldest Young Master organize a martial arts competition in Jiangnan, inviting various sects to compete for days and nights. As for the grudges between the Wulin Alliance and the Demon Cult, as well as Palace Master Li and Chi Tian, real swords and real guns lead to one’s death. It is not convenient for us to get involved, so we have to stay away from them.”
He spoke sincerely, almost shedding a handful of loyal servant tears on the spot. Although Zhu Yanyin nodded in agreement at that moment, after seeing Zhu Zhang off, he couldn’t help but spend most of the night thinking about Palace Master Li. There were no specific reasons, just a feeling that someone like him must have many stories hidden within his heart.
The real-life Jianghu was even more brutal and bloody than depicted in novels, so it can be inferred that the real-life grudges and entanglements must be even more bizarre and sinister than those in stories. The Second Young Master Zhu had actually read numerous stories of brothers-under-the-same-master turning enemies, mostly due to power, wealth, or junior martial sister. However, connecting these with Li Sui’s “You all must die” expression, he felt that none of these reasons seemed likely.
He yawned, wrapped in a silk quilt, and stared absentmindedly at the dawn outside the window.
In the blink of an eye, the sky brightened.
The morning after the rain was neither cold nor hot. The air was fresh, perfect for traveling. Zhu Yanyin initially planned to catch up on sleep in the carriage, but the drowsiness had already passed. He felt foggy-headed and uninterested in sleeping. So, he simply crawled out and sat beside Uncle Zhong, dispiritedly watching the trees on either side of the mountain road.
Zhu Zhong smiled and said: “Young Master, why do you seem so lacking in energy?”
“En, didn’t sleep well,” Zhu Yanyin yawned incessantly.
Not far from the group, Jiang Shenglin was earnestly engaged in educating. Look, look! What did I say last night? Young Master Zhu was really scared by your story about the extermination of a family by a demonic sect and couldn’t sleep all night. He has dark circles under his eyes, it’s simply a sin. Why aren’t you saying anything? What are you thinking?
Li Sui, with his facial nerve paralysis: “I’m thinking about when to throw you down the mountain.”
Jiang Shenglin felt his chest tightening: “Forget it. In the future, stay away from Young Master Zhu.”
Suddenly, the Snow-Kicking Black Roan moved swiftly, trotting briskly forward.
The ruthless Palace Master on horseback: “?”
Zhu Yanyin held a bean cake, feeding his family’s Night Jade Lion.
The large white horse ate delicately, only nibbling a small bite after a long time. Uncle Zhong cheerfully suggested, “They are not hungry. Young Master should go and feed the horses behind—”
Before he could finish his sentence, a jet-black horse’s head affectionately approached.
Li Sui: “…”
Zhu Yanyin held up the bean cake, lifting his head in surprise.
Li Sui, dressed in black, with a cold, stern expression on his face, stood against the sunlight with an imposing presence, as if he wasn’t there to mooch a meal but to slaughter the entire household.
The Snow-Kicking Block Roan, was quite similar to its owner in terms of freeloading—when it came to eating, it opened its mouth and ate with great conscientiousness, not considering itself just another horse.
Zhu Yanyin belatedly recalled the warning “This won’t happen again” from the valley. Immediately, he withdrew his hand, “I didn’t feed it; your horse came over by itself!”
Palace Master Li squeezed out a contemptuous and arrogant “Hmm” from his nostrils.
Whether he was awkward or not is hard to say. Anyway, even if the Demon Lord felt awkward, he expressed it with indifference and a dominating aura, making it hard for ordinary people to discern.
With the clouds surging like a vast ocean beneath me, I soar through the air with a sense of righteous abandon.
Translator’s Rant
Borrowing the nagging from the Divine Doctor Jiang, the apprehension-toward-Jianghu from Steward Zhang, the courage from Second Young Master Zhu, and the running-away skills from Zhu Xiaosui, this translator is writing a note to the Palace Master of Wanren Palace:
‘Your horse is more courageous than you.’
The translator has run away for life.
Snow-Kicking Black Roan really does consider itself a “I-am-different-from-others” kind of horse!
Thanks for the chapter!
The horse playing Cupid 😂
the LS’s horse is so silly too lmaoooo 😭😭😭😭
Thanks for the chapter