This battle was a complete victory.
The members of the Black Fiend Cult were wiped out to the last man.
Afterward, the group searched through the subterranean den beneath Qingyang Manor, uncovering numerous remains.
These corpses were piled high as a mountain; who knew how many lives had been lost to the Black Fiend Cult?
The scale of their slaughter was far beyond what met the eye on the surface.
Aside from that, they also found many Black Fiend Cult records, letters, secret manuals, and the like.
Among them, a manual titled *Record of the Azure Corpse* caught Fang Shuwen's attention.
He flipped through it and could essentially confirm that the two azure-faced, red-eyed men he had encountered back at the Sun household had cultivated this very martial art.
Yet the method for cultivating this technique was exceedingly cruel: practitioners had to soak and roll in medicinal brews from childhood, then scour themselves against iron sand.
Intact skin would be ground to tatters, heal, and be torn apart once more.
Only after endlessly repeating this cycle until a layer of azure skin grew over the entire body could one be considered to have attained minor accomplishment—which corresponded to what those two men had achieved.
According to the manual, if one cultivated this martial art to the realm of great accomplishment, invulnerability to blades and spears was merely commonplace; one could even swallow gold and digest iron, remain impervious to all things, and turn the body into the deadliest weapon, capable of severing metal and cleaving jade with a simple flick of the nails.
However, this copy preserved by the Black Fiend Cult contained only the teachings up to "azure skin."
As for how to progress beyond that, the book gave no indication.
Besides these items were the gold, silver, and jewels amassed by the Black Fiend Cult over the years.
Though the Daxuan Money House was not large, it had accumulated a fortune.
Now that this stronghold had been wiped out and the Daxuan Money House had no one to run it, the business would naturally have to close its doors for good.
Yet the common folk who had deposited their silver in the money house were the ones left in misfortune.
This treasure could be used to compensate them.
As for how to handle all this, Fang Shuwen did not need to concern himself; Master Fang would contact the City Lord's Estate, report the situation regarding the Black Fiend Cult, and see the remaining matters through step by step.
With that, matters here were brought to a temporary close.
The party escorted the victimized maidens back to Guangning City; once their backgrounds were determined, they could be properly resettled.
These maidens were not all from Guangning City. Most had been abducted from elsewhere, while some had been bought from human traffickers.
Though the Black Fiend Cult's Black Fiend Demon Skill defied heavenly morals, there was one saving grace: the strict requirements regarding blood meant that these girls had not been violated, suffering only terrible torment.
If they returned home and rested in peace, their bodies would recover without lasting harm.
Yet gossip was a fearful thing...
And on that front, no one could do anything to help.
The following day, Zhou Qingmei bade Fang Shuwen farewell.
She was to return to Zhujige Pavilion alongside Zhang Fang.
Given what had transpired, she had to report back to her sect and explain the situation, as well as locate the whereabouts of Zhou Feixiong.
She invited Fang Shuwen to visit Zhujige Pavilion as a guest, but Fang Shuwen declined.
For one, now that the Black Fiend Cult matter had concluded, there was no need for him to keep serving as her escort.
For another, he needed to make a trip back to Julu City.
He had left in such a hurry that he hadn't informed Eldest Senior Brother or anyone at the martial arts hall, so he needed to return and let them know he was safe.
At the farewell, the most reluctant to part was actually Fang Lingxin.
Clasping Zhou Qingmei's hands, she talked on and on. Together with Master Fang, she saw her off for a full ten li, and only at the Ten-Li Pavilion did she tearfully wave goodbye to Zhou Qingmei.
...
...
Along the thoroughfare, the sound of galloping hooves approached from afar.
A man and a woman were spurring their mounts onward, riding at full speed.
Seeing that the sun had reached its noon zenith, they finally reined in by the roadside.
Tethering the horses to a tree, Zhou Qingmei retrieved some dry rations from her bundle, turned around, and tossed them to Zhang Fang.
Zhang Fang took a bite.
"These rations are dry as bone. Junior Sister Zhou, just what is Brother Fang's background?
"A martial arts prowess like that is far beyond ordinary men. How much do you know about him?"
"Not much," Zhou Qingmei said.
"He's merely a guard my father hired for me. At most, you could say he's an escort blessed with fairly good aptitude and comprehension, wouldn't you?"
"Have you taken a fancy to him?"
Zhang Fang said with a grin.
"Don't be shy. It's just the two of us fellow disciples here. If you're interested in him, your senior brother can ask Master to play matchmaker on your behalf later on.
"An outstanding talent like that would make a fine junior brother-in-law."
"We aren't like that at all! Just eat your food. Can't even eating shut your mouth?"
"Still denying it?"
Zhang Fang said with an easy smile.
"When you said goodbye back there, I saw those lingering, reluctant looks between you two.
"He didn't secretly follow along, did he?"
As he spoke, he stood up and glanced around in all directions.
"Let me see... Where is he hiding?
"Brother Fang! Brother Fang!
"Come out already, I see you!"
"Aiya!"
Zhou Qingmei felt a headache coming on.
"Senior Brother Zhang, could you be quiet for a moment? He's already headed back to Julu City!
"How could he possibly be here?"
"He's already gone back?"
Zhang Fang's voice suddenly turned low and somber, every trace of his playful demeanor vanishing from his face. He said softly, "If he's gone back, then no one is left to protect you.
"Junior Sister... that night, did you really not notice anything?"
"Huh? Notice what?"
When Zhou Qingmei answered, her head remained lowered, her eyes slightly vacant.
"Seems you truly didn't know..."
Zhang Fang sighed, his right hand moving onto the hilt of his sword.
"A pity. To be honest, your senior brother quite liked you. After all, a girl as pretty as you doesn't come around often.
"Yet since the Young Cult Master wants you dead... you have no choice but to die!"
*Shing!*
The longsword cleared its scabbard in a flash, darting like a serpent flicking its tongue. In a thousandth of an instant, it was already at Zhou Qingmei's throat.
*Clang!*
A sharp, ringing clash!
Zhou Qingmei's broken sword was already in her hand, parrying this fatal thrust.
Yet her body could not help but slide backward half a zhang. Her sword hand trembled faintly, strands of stinging pain radiating from the web of her hand. When she lifted her gaze, disbelief filled her eyes:
"Senior Brother Zhang... you want to kill me?!"
"Junior Sister Zhou, you can't blame me for this."
Zhang Fang tilted his sword tip toward the ground.
"It is not that I wish to kill you, but you... Wouldn't it have been fine if you had just quietly returned home to visit your family? Why did you have to meddle in business that wasn't yours?
"What did Fang Lingxin have to do with you?
"Her abduction was her destined fate; why did you have to save her?
"The Young Cult Master is an extremely cautious man... Though you didn't recognize him, he refused to wager an unpredictable future on your eyesight.
"So he could only order your death—along with the entire Zhou household!"
Zhou Qingmei's face turned ashen.
"Zhang Fang... you really are from the Black Fiend Cult?!
"Just who is this Young Cult Master?!"
"At this point, what meaning is there in asking?"
Zhang Fang said impassively.
"Without that Fang Shuwen to protect you, you are already as good as dead.
"Junior Sister Zhou, you are no match for me. Better to end it cleanly and take your own life."
Zhou Qingmei exhaled slowly and suddenly smiled.
"Very well. You're right, I am indeed no match for you.
"Yet to be sent on my way in total ignorance leaves me unreconciled...
"For the sake of having grown up together since childhood, would you at least let me die knowing the truth?"
Chapter 28