Before Life and Death, All Are Equal

Wu Qianhuan thought it over carefully and could not help but feel some admiration.

This method of writing secret letters was indeed ingenious. Its only flaw was that it required a copy of Records of Strange Tales, making it easy to leave clues behind.

Yet this displacement method made up for that shortcoming...

She nodded at once.

"Alright, I understand. And then? If I write a secret letter, how should I deliver it to you?"

"Mm... the oil and grain shop."

Chu Qing said:

"Behind Chen's Oil and Grain Shop on North City Street in Heavenly Dance City. Once you have written the secret letter, weigh it down with a stone.

"Every night at midnight, I will have someone check it. Your letter will not be missed."

Wu Qianhuan carefully committed this to memory. After giving Chu Qing another glance, she finally said:

"Very well. I have finished what I came to do. Farewell."

"Wait, Young Miss Wu."

Chu Qing suddenly spoke.

Wu Qianhuan stopped and turned back to look at him.

Chu Qing smiled.

"Speaking of which, my understanding of Valley of Ten Thousand Nights is limited. I will have to ask Young Miss Wu for a favor and some intelligence."

"That is easy."

Wu Qianhuan seemed to have prepared for this already. She directly took an envelope from her robes and tossed it to Chu Qing.

"This contains information on the various experts of Valley of Ten Thousand Nights. Just memorize it."

"Good, good, good. I will certainly carve it into my heart. Once I have marked the prices, Young Miss Wu, do not forget to prepare the silver."

"...You will get your silver."

Wu Qianhuan's face darkened before she sprang away.

Only after Wu Qianhuan had completely vanished from sight did Chu Qing thoughtfully study the Profound Gloom Sword in his hand.

"After the New Year, Valley of Ten Thousand Nights began operating in Heavenly Dance City.

"This sword, meanwhile, was obtained before the New Year...

"Yet it is called the Profound Gloom Sword, not the Green Leaf Sword. Could there be some mystery hidden within its hilt?"

He inspected it carefully. This sword appeared to have come from the hand of a renowned master, and its hilt had been forged as one seamless whole, without the slightest trace of joining.

Chu Qing searched for a while without result, then gave a mute smile.

"Right. I told Wu Qianhuan that information before. There was no reason for her to overlook this sword, so how could she possibly have failed to inspect it thoroughly?

"If there truly was anything inside, she would have taken it long ago... But if something really was hidden in the hilt, what could it be?"

For some reason, he suddenly recalled Xin Youhen's words before his death.

"Valley of Ten Thousand Nights' lost secret transmission?

"But how should 'heaven heaven heaven' be explained?

"It was most likely not truly three heavens. That man had been short of breath as he died; it was more likely that he had said the same word three times.

"Then what began with 'heaven'?"

After thinking carefully, he found nothing relevant in his mind and gently shook his head.

If something could not be figured out, then he would set it aside for now.

He was an assassin. Why waste his mind on such matters?

Tasks requiring thought should be left to Chu Tian and the others.

At that thought, he looked toward Er Gou, who was still sitting before the Land God Temple, his expression somewhat complicated.

If Er Gou were left alone, he would probably die soon.

Chu Qing let out a soft breath, flicked his hand, and tossed the wooden box over.

The sudden movement startled Er Gou.

He instinctively looked up and saw a black-clad man in a mask sitting quietly on the roof, watching him.

"It's you?"

Seeing that mask, Er Gou immediately recognized Chu Qing. For a moment, it felt as though the blood flowing through his entire body had come alive.

"Inside is Tang Xi's head."

Chu Qing spoke softly.

Er Gou's body trembled. Then he took a deep breath and reached out to open the box.

A pale head appeared before his eyes.

Er Gou stared at it quietly, blazing fury burning in his eyes.

Yet tears also flowed down uncontrollably.

At first, he cried silently. In the end, it became a heart-rending wail.

Only after he had finished crying did he kneel toward Chu Qing, prostrating himself on the ground.

"Thank you, benefactor... for avenging my wife's death!!"

"Benefactor?"

Chu Qing's voice was especially cold and impersonal now.

"You call me benefactor? Have you forgotten our agreement that day?"

Er Gou shook his head repeatedly.

"Er Gou would not dare forget. From today onward, this life belongs to you, benefactor."

"If so, there is no debt of gratitude between us. You owe me nothing."

Chu Qing said softly.

"One life of yours in exchange for one life of Tang Xi's. It is fair."

Er Gou was stunned.

"My worthless life—how could it possibly be mentioned in the same breath as someone like Tang Xi?"

"There is no distinction of high or low, noble or base, among human lives..."

Chu Qing's voice suddenly reached Er Gou's ears. Er Gou's heart jolted, and he discovered that Chu Qing, who had been on the roof moments ago, had somehow arrived at his side.

One hand rested on his shoulder as he spoke in a low voice.

"No matter whether you are an unmatched hero or an emperor of the mortal world, in the end, death cannot be escaped.

"Before life and death, all are equal.

"Er Gou, remember this. Your life has been sold to me... From now on, unless I agree, you do not even have the right to die."

Er Gou nodded instinctively. He felt that Chu Qing was right, yet also felt that something about it was wrong.

He lowered his head in thought, unable to find anything to say for the moment.

Then he heard Chu Qing ask:

"Do you have any family left at home?"

"...No."

Er Gou looked dejected.

"I am the only one left."

Chu Qing nodded. Suddenly, he grabbed Er Gou's wrist. A flash of purple light flickered from his fingertips and instantly entered Er Gou's body.

Before Er Gou could understand what was happening, Chu Qing had already flung his hand aside.

His body involuntarily spun around as fingers fell like raindrops, striking acupoints across Er Gou's chest, back, and body.

With every strike of a finger, purple light flashed.

After striking more than thirty acupoints in all, Chu Qing finally turned both palms over and pressed his hands against Er Gou's back.

Intense pain immediately surged from every part of his body, making Er Gou cry out despite himself.

"Hold it in. Do not make a sound."

Chu Qing's voice suddenly came from beside his ear.

Although Er Gou did not know why Chu Qing was suddenly tormenting him, once he remembered their earlier agreement, he clenched his teeth and remained silent.

He himself was a person of great endurance. Under Tang Xi's relentless pressure, he had broken through many limits.

Now, though agony churned within him like blades twisting through his body and dense beads of cold sweat formed across his brow, he still endured without a sound.

In the blink of an eye, the time it took for an incense stick to burn had passed. Wisps of white mist also rose from the top of Chu Qing's head.

Abruptly, Chu Qing exerted slight force with both palms, and Er Gou staggered forward involuntarily.

After stumbling two steps, he finally steadied himself. Looking back, he saw Chu Qing slowly lowering his hands, the purple hue in his eyes quietly fading.

For no reason, his heart tightened. He was full of confusion, yet did not know how to ask.

Chu Qing seemed to see through his thoughts and spoke calmly.

"Tang Xi planted a Demonic Seed within you, stirring your hatred in order to use your heart to cultivate his art.

"Now he is dead, but the Demonic Seed remains.

"Since you have entered my service, your life and death are naturally mine to decide. How could I let you die at another's hands?"