Before Life and Death, All Are Equal

Wu Qianhuan considered it carefully and couldn't help admiring the method.

The Secret Letter Writing Method was indeed ingenious. The only flaw was that it required a copy of Records of the Strange, which could leave clues.

But the misaligned text made up for that shortcoming...

She nodded at once.

"Fine, I understand. What next? If I write a secret letter, how should I get it to you?"

"Hmm...the oil and grain store should work."

Chu Qing said:

"In the back alley behind Chen Ji Oil and Grain Store on North Street in Heavenly Dance City, put a stone on top of the letter once you've written it.

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

Wu Qianhuan made sure to remember that, then glanced at Chu Qing before saying, "All right. I've done what I came to do. I'll take my leave."

"Miss Wu, wait a moment."

Chu Qing suddenly spoke up.

Wu Qianhuan stopped and turned to look at him.

Chu Qing smiled.

"Come to think of it, I know little about Ten Thousand Night Valley. I'll have to ask Miss Wu for a favor and some intelligence."

"That's easy."

Wu Qianhuan seemed to have come prepared. She pulled an envelope from her robes and tossed it to Chu Qing.

"This has information on the various experts of Ten Thousand Night Valley. Memorize it."

"Great, great. I'll commit it all to memory. Once I've marked down the prices, Miss Wu, don't forget to prepare the silver."

"...You'll have it."

Wu Qianhuan's face darkened a little before she sprang away.

Only after Wu Qianhuan had vanished completely from sight did Chu Qing look thoughtfully at the Xuan You Sword in his hand.

"Ten Thousand Night Valley started operating in Heavenly Dance City after New Year's.

"But this sword was obtained before the New Year...

"It's called the Xuan You Sword, not the Green Leaf Sword. Could there be something fishy about its hilt?"

He examined it closely. The sword seemed to have been crafted by a master, and its hilt was forged as one seamless piece, with no sign of joints.

Chu Qing searched but found nothing, and let out a rueful laugh.

"Right. I told Wu Qianhuan about that clue earlier. There's no reason she would have overlooked this sword. How could she not have examined it closely?

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

For some reason, he suddenly remembered what Xin Youhen had said just before dying:

"A secret inheritance lost by Ten Thousand Night Valley?

"But how should I explain 'Tian Tian Tian'?

"It probably doesn't mean there were really three 'tian's. The man was dying and short of breath; he was more likely to have repeated a single word three times.

"So what was the word that started with 'Tian'?"

He thought it over carefully, but nothing came to mind, so he shook his head.

If he couldn't figure something out, he could leave it for later.

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

Thinking should be left to Chu Tian and the others.

With that thought, he looked at Er Gou, who was still sitting in front of the Land God Temple, his expression complicated.

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

Chu Qing let out a soft breath and flung the wooden box toward him.

The sudden noise startled Er Gou.

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

"It's you?"

Er Gou recognized Chu Qing at once from the mask. For a moment, he felt the blood coursing through his body come alive.

"This is Tang Xi's head."

Chu Qing spoke softly.

Er Gou's body trembled at the words. He drew a deep breath, then reached out and opened the box.

A pale head appeared before him.

Er Gou stared at it, his eyes burning with fury.

But tears began to fall despite himself.

At first, he wept silently. Then his sobs turned into a wail.

Only after he had finished crying did he kneel before Chu Qing and prostrate himself on the ground.

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

"Benefactor?"

Chu Qing's voice was now especially cold.

"You call me your benefactor? Have you forgotten the agreement we made that day?"

Er Gou shook his head repeatedly.

"I wouldn't dare forget. From today on, my life belongs to you."

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

Chu Qing spoke softly.

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

Er Gou was stunned.

"My wretched life could never compare to someone like Tang Xi."

"No life is worth more or less than another..."

Chu Qing's voice suddenly sounded in Er Gou's ear. Er Gou's heart lurched, and he realized that Chu Qing, who had been on the roof just moments ago, was now beside him.

Chu Qing pressed one hand against his shoulder and spoke in a low voice.

"No matter if you're a peerless hero or an emperor, in the end, death awaits you.

"Before life and death, all are equal.

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

Er Gou nodded without thinking. Chu Qing's words seemed right, yet something about them felt wrong.

He lowered his head and pondered, at a loss for what to say.

Then he heard Chu Qing ask, "Do you have any family left?"

"...No."

Er Gou looked dejected.

"I'm the only one left."

Chu Qing nodded, then suddenly seized Er Gou's wrist. A streak of purple light flashed from his fingertip and shot into Er Gou's body.

Er Gou still had no idea what was happening when Chu Qing abruptly let go of his hand.

Er Gou spun around against his will as fingers fell like raindrops, tapping acupoints across his chest and back.

A flash of purple light followed each tap.

Chu Qing struck more than thirty acupoints in all. Then he turned both palms over and pressed them against Er Gou's back.

Violent pain surged through Er Gou's body, making him cry out.

"Hold it in. Don't make a sound."

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

Er Gou didn't know why Chu Qing had suddenly started torturing him, but remembering their earlier agreement, he clenched his teeth and stayed silent.

He was a resilient man, and Tang Xi had forced him past his limits time and again.

Now, though the agony in his body felt like knives twisting inside him and cold sweat beaded across his forehead, he still endured without making a sound.

An incense stick's worth of time passed in the blink of an eye. Wisps of white vapor rose from the top of Chu Qing's head.

Suddenly, Chu Qing pressed with both palms, and Er Gou stumbled forward against his will.

After a couple of staggering steps, he steadied himself and turned to look. Chu Qing slowly lowered his hands, and the purple hue in his eyes was quietly fading.

Er Gou's heart tightened for no reason. He was full of questions but didn't know how to ask.

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

"Tang Xi planted a Demonic Seed inside you, stoking your hatred so he could use your heart to practice his martial arts.

"Now he's dead, but the Demonic Seed remains.

"Now that you've joined my sect, your life and death are mine to decide. How could I let you die at someone else's hands?"