Before Life and Death, All Are Equal

Wu Qianhuan thought about it carefully and couldn't help but feel a little admiration.

This method of writing secret messages was indeed ingenious. The only drawback was that it required a book of strange tales to accompany it, which could easily leave clues.

But this displacement method compensated for that deficiency...

She immediately nodded:

"Okay, I understand. What then? If I write the secret message, how should I give it to you?"

"Hmm... the oil and grain store will do."

Chu Qing said:

"In the alley behind the Chen Family Oil and Grain Store on North City Street in Heavenly Dance City. After you've written the secret message, find a stone and place it on top.

"I'll have someone check every night at midnight. I won't miss your letter."

Wu Qianhuan carefully noted it down. After taking another look at Chu Qing, she said:

"Alright, I've finished what I needed to do. I'll take my leave."

"Please 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 the Valley of Ten Thousand Nights is limited. I'll have to trouble Young Miss Wu for a favor and some information."

"That's easy."

Wu Qianhuan seemed to have been prepared. She directly took out an envelope from her怀 and threw it to Chu Qing:

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

"Good, good, good. I will definitely engrave it in my heart. After I've marked the prices, Young Miss Wu, don't forget to prepare the silver."

"...You'll get your share."

Wu Qianhuan's face darkened slightly before she leaped away.

It wasn't until Wu Qianhuan had completely disappeared from sight that Chu Qing thoughtfully looked at the Profound Gloom Sword in his hand.

"Starting after the New Year, the Valley of Ten Thousand Nights has been active in Heavenly Dance City.

"This sword, on the other hand, was obtained before the New Year...

"However, it's called the Profound Gloom Sword, not the Green Leaf Sword. Is there something hidden in the hilt of this sword?"

He examined it carefully. This sword should have been made by a master craftsman. The hilt was forged seamlessly, without any traces of splicing.

Chu Qing searched but found nothing, then chuckled to himself.

"That's right. I told Wu Qianhuan that information before. There's no reason she would overlook this sword, so how could she not have checked it carefully?

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

For some reason, he suddenly recalled Xin Youhen's words before he died:

"The lost secret transmission of the Valley of Ten Thousand Nights?

"But how to explain 'Tian Tian Tian'?

"This is likely not really three 'Tian's. That person was short of breath while dying, and it's more likely they repeated one word three times.

"So, what starts with 'Tian'?"

After thinking about it carefully and finding no related content in his mind, he gently shook his head.

Things he couldn't figure out, he wouldn't think about for now.

He was an assassin. Why waste his brain on this?

Things that required brainpower should be left to Chu Tian and the others.

Thinking of this, he looked at Er Gou, who was still sitting in front of the Earth God Temple, his expression somewhat complex.

Er Gou, if left alone, should be close to death.

Chu Qing gently exhaled and, with a flick of his hand, threw the wooden box over.

The sudden movement startled Er Gou.

He subconsciously looked up and saw a masked man in black sitting quietly on the roof, watching him.

"It's you?"

Er Gou looked at the mask and immediately recognized Chu Qing. For a moment, he felt the blood flowing through his body become alive.

"Inside is Tang Xi's head."

Chu Qing said softly.

Er Gou's body trembled upon hearing this, then he took a deep breath and reached out to open the box.

A pale face was revealed before his eyes.

Er Gou watched silently, his eyes burning with fury.

But tears flowed down his face uncontrollably.

At first, it was silent weeping, then it turned into a loud wail.

Only after he finished crying did he kneel down towards Chu Qing, prostrating himself on the ground:

"Thank you, benefactor... for avenging my wife!"

"Benefactor?"

Chu Qing's voice sounded particularly cold at this moment:

"You call me benefactor? Have you forgotten the agreement I made with you that day?"

Er Gou shook his head repeatedly:

"Er Gou wouldn't dare to forget. From today onwards, this life belongs to the benefactor."

"If that's the case, there is no benevolence between you and me. You don't owe me anything."

Chu Qing said softly:

"Your life in exchange for Tang Xi's life is very fair."

Er Gou was stunned:

"How can my worthless life be compared to someone like Tang Xi?"

"There is no high or low, noble or humble life..."

Chu Qing's voice suddenly reached Er Gou's ears. Er Gou's heart jumped, and he found that Chu Qing, who had been on the roof, was now by his side.

He placed one hand on his shoulder and spoke in a low voice:

"No matter what kind of peerless hero or earthly emperor you are, you will eventually die.

"Before life and death, everyone is equal.

"Er Gou, remember, you sold your life to me... From now on, unless I agree, you don't even have the right to die."

Er Gou nodded subconsciously, feeling that Chu Qing was right, yet also feeling that something was off.

He lowered his head and pondered, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Then he heard Chu Qing ask:

"Do you still have family at home?"

"...No."

Er Gou's expression was dejected:

"I'm the only one left."

Chu Qing nodded, and suddenly grabbed Er Gou's wrist. A purple light flashed from his fingertip and instantly entered Er Gou's body.

Before Er Gou could understand what was happening, he saw Chu Qing fling Er Gou's hand away.

His body spun uncontrollably, and fingers like raindrops fell, tapping on various acupoints on Er Gou's chest and back.

After each finger landed, a purple light flashed.

After tapping over thirty acupoints in total, Chu Qing flipped his palms and pressed his hands against Er Gou's back.

Intense pain immediately surged from all over his body, causing Er Gou to cry out involuntarily.

"Hold it in, don't shout."

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

Although Er Gou didn't know why he was suddenly being tortured, remembering the previous agreement, he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.

He was also a very resilient person, having broken through many limits under Tang Xi's constant coercion.

Although the pain in his body was now like being cut by knives, and his forehead was covered in fine sweat, he persisted in not making a sound.

An incense stick's worth of time passed in the blink of an eye, and wisps of white mist also rose from the top of Chu Qing's head.

Suddenly, he exerted slight force with his palms, and Er Gou's body involuntarily stumbled forward.

After stumbling a few steps, he finally stabilized himself and turned to look back. He saw Chu Qing slowly lowering his hands, the purple light in his eyes quietly fading.

His heart inexplicably tightened, full of confusion, but he didn't know how to ask.

Chu Qing, however, seemed to have seen through his thoughts and spoke indifferently:

"Tang Xi planted a Demonic Seed in your body to fuel your hatred, wanting to use your heart to cultivate.

"Now he is dead, but this Demonic Seed is still there.

"Since you have entered my door, your life and death are naturally at my will. How can you die by the hand of another?"