Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 113: Injured

Shi Zhongyu came from a prominent family and always dressed in elegant and refined attire, exuding an air of righteousness. Seeing Shi Zhongyu in her current state, as if she’d just been fished out of the mud, even Su Si was taken aback for a moment.

Luckily, Su Si was used to playing roles. He quickly softened his aggressive stance, and the killing intent faded from his eyes, transforming from menacing to feigned strength. Within moments, under Shi Zhongyu’s pressure, he melodramatically surrendered. Shi Jingzhi discreetly donned a Nuo mask, grabbed the medicine box and flag, and strutted out of the medicine pile.

Yin Ci, seeing the dramatic turn, had no choice but to follow suit and wear a Nuo mask as well.

The Sun Clan was a major medicine dealer, so any associated doctors would surely be skilled. As expected, the bandits didn’t harm the two of them. They just seized their horses and took the people, returning fully laden. These bandits didn’t return to any stronghold but went straight to a village near Shafu. Everywhere within the village, torches were lit, with big pots placed on stone stoves. Liquor jars were scattered haphazardly, with leftover lamb bones strewn all around—it looked just like a bandit hideout.

The leader ordered their horses to be taken away, and the five members of the Kushan sect were pushed to kneel in front of the stove.

“Come on, one by one, state your names. The doctor can stay; if the rest of you aren’t worth anything, I’ll kill you all for entertainment today.”

Shi Zhongyu stepped forward, shielding the five. “Kill for fun? Ma Shili, you and I agreed before—rob the wealthy, but harm no one. Why did you lay a hand on those coachmen?”

Ma Shili grinned, revealing his yellow teeth, and said slyly, “Young lady, I haven’t killed anyone today. The Sun Clan isn’t like any other. If we don’t kill them, and Elder Sun traces this back to us, we won’t be able to handle the consequences.”

Shi Zhongyu’s expression darkened. With one hand behind her back, she subtly signaled Shi Jingzhi to stay calm.

Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci exchanged glances—it seemed that this woman from Taiheng had other plans here and was trying to buy them some time.

Shi Zhongyu continued, “I’ve only been here for two days, and you’ve already broken our agreement. With Taiheng coming, you all…”

Ma Shili’s smile faded quickly. “Enough of your prattle. Young lady, I listened to you the other day because of your pretty face. You know very well the situation in this village. Acting all high and mighty here? When there are bad guys everywhere, why is Taiheng specifically targeting me?”

Shi Zhongyu took a deep breath, her face even more clouded.

However, she bought enough time for Sect Master Shi to concoct a story. The cunning Shi Jingzhi began a dramatic act, lamenting to Shen Zhu. “Miss, oh Miss! Why is your fate so bitter? If you had just reached Shafu and gotten married, the old master wouldn’t have pursued this matter…”

Shen Zhu, seeing the emotional performance, casually wiped away “tears” with a handkerchief, hiding her rolling eyes.

Shi Jingzhi, with feigned sadness, turned to the bandit leader Ma Shili. “Sir, our young mistress is the great-granddaughter of Elder Sun. She’s had a hard life, having taken medicines from a young age. Now, she’s eloped, even needing me, her physician, to accompany her.”

Ma Shili, feeling smug and astute, remarked, “Tsk, I knew it was about an elopement. The girl is pretty, but untouchable. Good, someone take care of them. We’ll find a way to blackmail that old man later!”

With so many descendants of Sun Huaijin, even Yin Ci would have to check in detail. This bandit certainly couldn’t determine the truth.

“Which of them is this bitch’s lover? Kill him first!”

“Stop!” Shi Jingzhi stepped in front of Su Si. “The young mistress is deeply in love with this young master. If you kill him, she won’t be able to bear the grief.”

Su Si was so taken aback by this sudden twist that he stood dumbfounded for a moment before remembering to play along. “Yes, that’s right. My family is respectable and local to Shafu. If you kill me, the authorities will surely investigate to the end.”

He had lived in the Chigou Sect for a long time, so naturally, he picked up the Shafu accent.

Ma Shili hummed twice and looked at Yan Qing with narrowed eyes—Yan Qing had a blindfold and carried a sword on his back, dressed simply like a martial artist. If he wasn’t the lover, then he was useless. The bandit rubbed his stubble, revealing a hint of murderous intent.

Su Si pulled Yan Qing over. “This is my brother, with whom I grew up with. On this journey, as I fled with… Miss Sun, it was thanks to him that we were safely escorted. If my brother dies because of me, I’d be too ashamed to live!”

As he said this, he forced out a few tears, looking even more pitiful than Shen Zhu.

Yan Qing: “…”

This was Ma Shili’s first encounter with such a thrilling scene. He counted on his fingers: If he killed the doctor, the young mistress would die. If he killed the lover and his brother, after the lover died, the young mistress would still die. They say beauties have short lives*, but the beauty’s luck before him seemed paper thin and was simply a walking dead.

*(红颜薄命) Idiom referring to how beautiful women (in the olden days) often suffers badly despite their beauty and talents (AKA beauty and tragedy often go hand in hand).

Feeling frustrated that he couldn’t kill anyone, Ma Shili turned to Shi Jingzhi. “Remove your mask; it’s ominous.”

“My face has been burnt. It’s hideous. If you see it, you might find it even more unlucky.” Shi Jingzhi replied, pushing Yin Ci slightly behind him. “My disciple suffered the same fate. We  were burned together.”

Ma Shili: “…”

Ma Shili: “Fine, fine. We have too many doctors already. All of you, get out. Miss, take these people with all their baggage and leave. It’s annoying.”

Sect Master Shi babbled on, barely placating the bandits. Unfortunately, Shi Zhongyu, being new here, was obviously not trusted by the bandits. She and the members of the Kushan Sect were taken into the largest courtyard in the village.

Despite being the largest courtyard, the walls were made of straw and mud. The yard was crowded with dirty-looking people. The smell of urine and sweat was overpowering, causing some to gag. Inside the house, there was a brick bed filled with straw and old cloth, which served as the communal sleeping area.

Under his Nuo mask, Sect Master Shi’s face turned green.

“Miss Shi,” he said urgently after the bandits left. “Why did you leave us behind?”

Although Shi Zhongyu couldn’t see Shi Jingzhi’s expression, his intention to flee was clear. She wiped the dust off her face and sighed deeply. “You have many treasure maps and the ‘key’. You should be looking for the Shirou. Why come here?”

Shi Jingzhi pondered for a moment, then replied, “We do have the ‘key’ set up by Yan Budu. Once Sect Master Qu finds the Shirou, it’s not too late for us to negotiate.”

Shi Zhongyu looked at him with a complex expression. “It’s said that the Kushan Sect is ungrateful and greedy. But I think Sect Master Shi is straightforward. Have you heard that Chigou is going to have a new Patriarch?”

Su Si remained silent, barely moving.

Shi Jingzhi: “I’ve heard a bit.”

“The young Patriarch who was killed was an imposter. Someone emerged with the Bone Sweeping Sword of ancient origins, and with the endorsement of a great elder under Matron Wuxue, they’ve now been recognized by Chigou. Chigou, known as the top demonic sect, must undergo a universally acknowledged succession process in the martial world—Taiheng and the Yueshui Pavilion are coming. I assume you know.”

Shi Zhongyu touched her cheap sword, looking down.

“The new leader has taken power, and Chigou has completely changed its face. In the past, whenever someone unearthed an ancient relic, Chigou would buy it at a higher price than other shops. Now, they not only refuse to pay, but they also search every household, killing those who refuse and taking their treasures.”

Shafu, close to the ancient northwest battlefield, often had locals trying their luck in the desert. In a village like this, not having an ancient artifact was shameful. Chigou used to only rob major tombs and only targeted the rich, but now, they act just like the original Ling Sect.

Yan Qing couldn’t help but ask, “They just kill people? The government doesn’t care?”

“Shafu is far from the Emperor’s reach. The government, having benefited from Chigou, doesn’t care.”

Shi Jingzhi realized, “So, this village…”

“Yes, it’s a big village known for tomb raiding, producing many skilled people for Chigou. Now that they’re targeted, they can only shelter the bandits, choosing the lesser of two evils.”

No wonder Shi Zhongyu didn’t act against the bandits. For the village, the disorganized bandits were manageable, but not the behemoth Chigou Sect. It wasn’t surprising Chigou initially skipped such problematic villages.

But how long this could last was uncertain.

“I’ll tell you everything I know about the situation here,” Shi Zhongyu said. “With Chigou in front, and Taiheng and the Yueshui Pavilion behind, it’s best to hide here until the situation is clear.”

“That strict?”

“I have informants in Taiheng. The one coming is Qu Duanyun himself, accompanied by Prince Xu Jingming.”

Shi Jingzhi clicked his tongue. “Taiheng’s horses are fast. I thought they were already here.”

Shi Zhongyu shook her head. “They went to the northwest forbidden area first. They won’t reach Shafu for another two or three days.”

“…I understand. Thank you, Miss Shi.”

……

That night, Sect Master Shi couldn’t stand the general sleeping area. He ran out of the room and sat against the wall in the courtyard, burying his head in Yin Ci’s hair trying to use the scent of his lover to dispel the surrounding stench. Fortunately, it was a warm spring night. The two huddled together, not feeling cold at all.

“She said we were frank, but she never mentioned what she’s doing here,” Shi Jingzhi muttered.

“Maybe she’s observing Taiheng’s reactions. With chaos ensuing, the old Taiheng would probably take action. But now, it’s hard to say. Shen Zhu is staying with her. Perhaps she could get some information out of her.”

Yin Ci stroked Shi Jingzhi’s long hair and yawned.

“A doctor, right?” A voice urgently interrupted. “Someone’s in a bad state here. Come quickly!”

The injured person was a woman around forty. She had lost one leg, and the stump below the knee was rotting and swollen, oozing with a foul-smelling pus. The woman was barely breathing and burning with fever, clearly on the brink of death.

Shi Jingzhi, unlike Yan Qing, wasn’t excessively kind-hearted, but he wasn’t cruel enough to stand by and watch either. He immediately rolled up his sleeves to check her pulse.

The woman had a robust physique and solid martial arts skills. Even with one leg missing, she hadn’t reached the point of being completely helpless. The medicine Sect Master Shi had obtained from the Sun Clan was quite effective. Before long, the woman regained consciousness and frowned, “What…”

“Sister Hua, you’re awake,” the person beside her exclaimed. “Ma Shili kidnapped a doctor, and I fetched him to see you.”

“They robbed several medicine carts today, Sister. There’s hope for you.”

This woman, beyond her prime, had black hair streaked with white. Her face showed a few wrinkles. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, with a hint of sharpness in her eyes, but fortunately, she didn’t seem malicious.

Sister Hua scanned the room, her gaze resting on the master and disciple. Struggling, she propped herself up and bowed shakily to Shi Jingzhi. “I am Chigou’s Hua Jingchun. Thank you for saving my life… Ah, I used to be from Chigou. My apologies for any misunderstanding.”

While she verbally expressed gratitude, there was an undeniable arrogance in her tone that left others at a loss for words.

Before Shi Jingzhi could respond, she seemed to realize something and laughed self-deprecatingly. “It doesn’t matter. The Divine Chigou Sect, the Divine Chigou Sect… has died long ago with Matron Wuxue.”

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