Killing Night

Xing Li stood stunned for quite a while. The slash that had cut through empty air had nearly strained his arm; even now, his fingers trembled faintly, and he could not summon any strength for a long time.

He had swung at that man with desperate force, only to cut through a sheet of paper.

The four constables had never seen anything like this—though Daoists could produce such illusions as well. But Daoists across the realm all claimed to be disciples of the Sage of Calligraphy; who would have the leisure to play such tricks? Besides, in a tiny place like Qinghe County, Daoists with real cultivation were rarely seen.

The suddenly swelling silhouette and the azure gleam when it vanished left them dumbstruck. At the very least, it looked very much like an immortal's method. Only now did the constables realize that the painter had put on a grand show, made fools of them, and escaped.

Anger rose in Xing Li's heart. It came from two feelings: being deceived, and being understood.

"Chase!" He gripped his steel saber and strode out.

But the constables hesitated. "Chief... that man really knows demon magic!"

Without turning around, Xing Li spat onto the ground carpeted in dead leaves. "If he really knew demon magic, he'd have killed us long ago! It's called a blinding trick! If you let him get away tonight, how are you going to answer to the county magistrate?!"

In truth, the county magistrate was not all that occupied his mind. He wanted even more to catch that brat and break his arms and legs—how dare he, how dare he use that one thing, the deepest wound and greatest pain in his heart, as bait? First giving him a little hope, then immediately shattering it?!

The pursuit continued for half an hour. The four constables might have lacked experience, but Xing Li was an old hand. He had once been a hunter, and only became a government officer after County Magistrate Shen Zhimo took notice of him.

Thus, Li Yunxin's trail was as clear as could be to him. Knowing that Li Yunxin was wounded, Xing Li should have caught him quickly. Yet events went against expectations. Over the course of half an hour, that youth had actually been leading them in circles.

He remained around this stretch of woods, never fleeing farther away. It looked as though he had gotten lost.

Logically speaking, a youth who had eaten only one full meal in three or four days and had an injured arm should not have had such stamina—how could he endure pursuit by five strong, able-bodied adults for so long? By then, Xing Li began to doubt the background Li Yunxin had given—that he came from some mountain village in Ding Prefecture. Was there something suspicious about it?

He yearned to catch that fellow quickly, and the yearning grew ever more urgent. So he decided to split into three groups. The four constables would divide into two groups, while he would go alone. Since the youth was lost and unable to leave, one of them would eventually catch him.

The decision was carried out. The constables had also realized that, since the youth had done nothing at all over such a long half-hour, perhaps Xing Li was right—perhaps he only knew a few blinding tricks.

Thus, in that pitch-black night, they split up.

About a quarter of an hour later, Xing Li realized that his decision had been correct.

A cry of pain came from the west. It was brief, cut off abruptly. The four constables were all his trusted men, and he knew their voices well. He knew that wail belonged to none of them.

They had caught him.

With a cold snort, he sprinted toward where the scream had come from. After passing through dense woods, shrubs, and wild grass, he finally reached the place and sneered.

Li Yunxin seemed to have been knocked to the ground. He leaned against a tree so broad one person could barely encircle it, clutching his left arm.

The four constables had surrounded him, short eyebrow-height cudgels in hand.

Xing Li let out a long breath, tightened his grip on his saber, and walked over.

The youth had not been as relaxed as Xing Li had thought. He was gasping heavily now, his chest heaving like a bellows. Clearly, he stood at the brink of total exhaustion.

Xing Li darkened his face and said through gritted teeth, "Run. Where can you run to?"

Clutching his arm, Li Yunxin tilted his head against the trunk and said weakly, "You look pretty angry."

"You dared to deceive me, you little bastard."

Li Yunxin gave a forthright, scornful laugh. "Are you insane?

I didn't provoke you or offend you. I passed through your precious territory and got seized by you people, then you wanted to kill me to pin the blame on me. From beginning to end, what the hell did any of this have to do with me? And now, because I refused to obediently let you kill me, your fragile little heart got hurt? Do you think the whole world is your mother?"

Xing Li did not understand one of his phrases, but he knew it was nothing good. Nor did he wish to keep talking to him, lest the night grow long and dreams multiply. This youth might have had no other skills, but his real kung fu was probably all in that mouth of his. So Xing Li said nothing, leveled his saber, stepped forward, and raised his hand to chop down.

At that moment, the youth suddenly shouted, "You finally came!"

Xing Li saw that his gaze was fixed behind him. Alarm jolted through his heart, but he immediately saw through the youth's clumsy trick—he was merely putting on a show to make him turn around. Thus, his saber only hesitated for the briefest instant before continuing downward.

Yet that moment of hesitation ultimately gave Li Yunxin time to react. He tilted his head aside, and the saber struck the tree trunk.

Xing Li snorted coldly, pulled out his saber, and swung again.

Then he heard the sound of something tearing through flesh, followed by the sound of a heavy sack dropping to the ground.

A warning flashed through his heart like a sudden gust. He immediately turned his saber crosswise, spun around, and sprang diagonally back a step, seeing the sight behind him.

A thick stench of blood spread through the air. All four men behind him had fallen to the ground. Their bodies were no longer recognizable: some heads lay off to one side, while some torsos had been torn in two. Blood gushed out like spring water, quickly soaking a broad stretch of earth.

And it had taken only... a single breath.

This was not something a human could do.

Immense terror seized his heart. He had to force himself not to close his eyes, to lift his head and focus his mind, before he dared look at the figure standing not far away.

In the night, he could make out a handsome face, fair as polished jade. Clad in a grand robe patterned with clouds, he stood with his hands behind his back. The hem of his robes stirred faintly in the night wind, untouched by the slightest trace of blood.

Xing Li recognized that face. He would never forget it for the rest of his life.

Five years ago, the owner of that face had devoured his wife and child right before his eyes. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he had ridden the clouds away.

It was that demon...

The nightmare had become real. Sweat poured down like rain. His inner clothes were soaked through in an instant. Scenes from the past flashed repeatedly through his mind, leaving it a chaotic blur. Xing Li's eyes bulged, his throat making a rattling sound, but his instinct to survive ultimately gained the upper hand. He immediately crouched low and darted beside Li Yunxin, pressing his saber against Li Yunxin's throat.

"Don't... come closer," he rasped. "Don't come closer. If you come closer, I'll kill him. I'll kill him!"

Ninth Young Master truly did not move. With great interest, he looked at Xing Li, then at Li Yunxin. Then he raised a hand and pointed at the youth. "You called me here?"

"I had no choice." Li Yunxin spread his hands with a bitter smile. "Otherwise, I would have died. I don't even have the strength to move now."

"Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"

"Friends?" Ninth Young Master laughed strangely. "What kind of thing is that?"

"For example... we met on a rainy night. You saved my life, and we had a pleasant talk. Then tonight, I thought of you again. Though we still aren't very familiar, I thought perhaps you could help me, so I called you here." Li Yunxin paid no heed to Xing Li's trembling hand beside him. With smiling eyes, he said calmly, "Though I was afraid you might eat me, I was still willing to trust you. That's what friends are."

Ninth Young Master thought about it, then smiled in the night wind. "It seems not eating you was the right choice. You truly are an interesting little thing."

Li Yunxin bared his teeth in a grin. Inside, he let out a long breath.

He finally came.

The Great Dao had no form, yet all things possessed spirit. A painter drew the myriad things between Heaven and Earth, blending that trace of spiritual energy into his paintings. To certain beings, spiritual energy should be extremely sensitive. Earlier, he had tried to paint Ninth Young Master, and so borrowed a little of his spiritual energy.

Whether he was human or demon, since he appeared to possess vast supernatural powers, he was bound to be exceptionally sensitive. His father had told him of these things, but this was his first time doing it tonight—and he had gotten it right.

The two of them spoke as though Xing Li had been left to the side. Naturally, he sensed that the situation was not right, and that it was rather strange. Gritting his teeth, he pressed down with his steel saber, drawing a line of blood across Li Yunxin's neck. "You two are in league... I knew I was right..."

Li Yunxin frowned slightly and looked at him. "That's a real shameful thing to say. Tell me, are you ruthless, or are you pathetic? The enemy who murdered your wife and child is standing right in front of you, yet you come over here to argue with me. You can really endure—you're truly cruel to yourself. So you grab me to vent your anger. I played you once, and your little heart couldn't take it, so you flew into a rage."

He slapped the ground and shouted, "Think about your wife and child! Dead! Right before your eyes! Even if you keep cowering like a dog tonight, you still won't live! Kill me—kill me, and you'll still die! You watched when your wife and son died, and even today you haven't learned a thing; you still want to drag someone down to the grave with you?! You're going to die anyway today! Do you want to die like a dog, or do you want to be a man for once and try swinging that saber? Your wife and child are watching you!"

Xing Li's breathing grew heavier, and the saber in his hand began to tremble as well.

Ninth Young Master watched with his head tilted, seeming to grow more and more interested.

"Are you afraid now? Are you afraid? You're very afraid, aren't you? The moment you think that you might die, you become even more afraid, right? Are you still thinking of escaping, running, staying alive? I'm telling you, there's no chance today! You're dead for sure! If you've got any guts, then right now, take a deep breath. Yes, just like that—take a deep breath. Then don't think about anything. Stand up and charge over there and kill, kill, kill, kill—go now! One, two, three! Go!"

"I'll kill you—!!"

Xing Li sprang up from beside Li Yunxin like a red-eyed wolf.

When Li Yunxin counted to three, Xing Li's saber swung toward Ninth Young Master.

With a wet squelch, Xing Li's head flew into the sky.