Elder Brother Wu

Qin Xuan did not press further; speaking at all had only been to remind him not to be too clever for his own good. Everyone had their secrets. Qin Xuan had no desire to dig deeper, but he was unwilling to be used by others. He returned the axe to Zhu Gui and, while at it, checked on Zhu Ping, who remained unconscious. Zhu Gui asked anxiously, "Young Master Qin, can my brother still be saved?" "He was struck by a yin creature. Fortunately, the yin spirit was not too vicious—it only drained some of his vital energy. It's nothing serious; he will wake after a night's rest." Zhu Gui let out a breath of relief and cupped his hands. "Young Master Qin, we are deeply grateful for your rescue this time. If there is ever anything we can do, just say the word." Qin Xuan waved his hand. "I am quite friendly with your master Zhu, and we are acquainted. No need to stand on ceremony." Zhu Gui thanked him repeatedly before laying Zhu Ping on a pile of hay to one side. Liu Xi and Yu Han now sensed something was amiss too. The people in this ruined temple were highly unusual. Having just fought the yin spirits, they were now each at their post, orderly and calm—more composed than these Qi Refining cultivators. Clearly, they were far from ordinary merchant guards. The two were about to step forward and speak with Qin Xuan when the swordsman Old Huang spoke first: "Young Master Qin, you know mundane martial arts?" "Is that strange?" "It is." Old Huang held his blade and spoke bluntly: "As far as I know, cultivators of the immortal path mostly look down on mundane martial arts. Jianghu people fight, and Qi Refining cultivators fight a longer-lasting fight—what's the difference? To a Qi Refining cultivator, mundane martial arts do not involve spiritual qi, so they cannot compare with the subtlety of Twelve-Storied Tower arts, and few take interest. Besides, Qi Refining consumes the mind and spirit, leaving no leisure for other pursuits." Qin Xuan said slowly, "It just so happens that I have both the interest and the leisure." Old Huang nodded, taking it that Qin Xuan relied on his extraordinary talent and could afford to squander it. Little did he know that Qin Xuan had practiced martial arts first and only later learned he had a spirit root. "You ask me a question, and I will ask you one in return." "That's fair," Old Huang agreed. "Please go on." Not only Liu Xi and Yu Han pricked up their ears. Jinghui and Jinyanshu, meditating ten paces away, also focused their attention to listen carefully. Alas, no one could even see Qin Xuan move when he spoke; he had used a sound-transmission technique. Old Huang hesitated not, nor made a sound, but quickly shook his head. It was a silent exchange, and no one knew what they said. When Qin Xuan had finished asking, he closed his eyes to rest his spirit. Liu Xi and Yu Han understood and no longer disturbed him. That night, everyone harbored their own thoughts, but no further trouble occurred. By daybreak, the rain had just eased and the clouds were gradually dispersing. Everyone pushed open the doors and stepped out to find the mountain scenery washed clean, lush green dripping with color. Droplets clinging to the overnight rain caught the rising sun, glittering brightly, transformed into countless specks of broken gold. After a night of fright, seeing such scenery now made their hearts and minds suddenly feel open and refreshed. Zhu Gui put away his axe, took a deep breath of fresh air, and laughed. "What lovely spring scenery on Yunxiu Mountain! Those filthy things from last night were like a bad dream." Zhu Ping beside them had already woken up, with no serious trouble. The two led the way once more, returning to the place where they had buried Huo Yu's bones yesterday. The coffin was shattered all over the ground, so they had no choice but to bury the remaining bones on the spot. The Geng family head poured a cup of wine as an offering and lit five sticks of incense, then did not linger. At this point, the person leading the way had become Old Wu. Holding a compass, he followed the sand and water of Chongxi Valley in his search, and with the Zhu brothers' help, soon locked onto the path. Qin Xuan followed at the rear and noticed that Jinyanshu and Jinghui both looked unwell. No wonder. If they had not encountered evil qi, their magical weapons would certainly not have been damaged by these yin spirits with little power. After traveling some twenty-plus li, the terrain grew deeper and the forest denser. Ancient trees reached to the sky, vines hung to the ground, and thick fallen leaves lay underfoot. Sunlight filtered through layers of branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow. As they walked, a sudden chill struck them, vastly different from the earlier warm spring sunshine. Old Wu paused, looked down at his compass, and the needle spun around several times before settling, pointing to the front-left. "We're here," Old Wu lowered his voice, and immediately several sturdy men came forward to push aside thickets of brush. After going less than half a li, the view suddenly opened up. Before them lay a cold pool, some seven or eight mu in area, its water dark green, bottomless, with cold mist hovering above, swirling without dispersing. Gnarled old trees surrounded it, their twisted branches stretching out angrily. Even more strange was that on such a spring day in these deep mountains, thin ice had formed on the pool's surface. Bubbles occasionally rose from the pool's depths, making a "gudong" sound, and when they burst, they released a fishy, cold qi. "Demonic qi!" Not only Qin Xuan, but even Liu Xi and Yu Han felt it. "What a sinister pool," Jinyanshu frowned and said, "Family Head Geng, there is probably something in this water." No sooner had he spoken than the pool water suddenly surged, and the thin ice in the center shattered. Everyone stepped back several paces, hands on their weapons. They saw the water part, and a thing emerged from within. First a head of yellow hair, then a face white almost without color. The face had regular features, with a cold, stern demonic qi between the brows and eyes. The eyeballs were amber-colored, with pupils narrowed into a thin line. He slowly rose from the water, exposing bare shoulders and chest, his skin covered in fine scale patterns. Below the waist, submerged in the water, a huge fish tail could be seen. It was actually a fish demon. The demon glanced over everyone, finally resting on Geng Zhi, and pulled up the corners of its mouth, revealing two rows of dense, sharp teeth. "Geng Zhi, you are indeed bold." Qin Xuan's gaze swept the surroundings, and he understood. *The Geng family lot are clearly not dealing with this demon for the first time.* Zhu Ping and Zhu Gui of Lianyun Manor saw Geng Zhi walking toward the demon and panicked, hurrying to move closer to Qin Xuan. The matter had exceeded their expectations. Fortunately, there were two people behind Qin Xuan just as clueless as they were. Qin Xuan gave a reassuring glance, then looked back to see Geng Zhi already at the poolside, cupping his hands toward the fish demon: "Long time no see, Brother Wu. You have achieved human form—congratulations." He was very courteous, but the fish monster immediately flew into a rage, glaring: "Do not call me brother! Call me Elder Brother Wu. Do not forget how my children died!" Geng Zhi stroked his goatee and said with feeling, "Of course I dare not forget." "With the strange occurrences on Yunxiu Mountain, I almost couldn't find Elder Brother Wu's whereabouts. Today, meeting again, I have brought what Elder Brother Wu wants." "Really?!" "Naturally." Geng Zhi changed the subject: "I also ask Elder Brother Wu to allow me to enter the pool to visit the Patriarch." The fish demon's eyes turned: "Then come!" Having said this, it turned and vanished into the cold pool, leaving a huge whirlpool in place. Geng Zhi turned and looked at Qin Xuan, Monk Jinghui, and Jinyanshu: "Gentlemen, why not enter the pool together with Geng." Monk Jinghui's expression was unchanged, and Jinyanshu wore a look of vigilance; neither spoke. Qin Xuan smiled. "Family Head Geng can pay respects to the Patriarch himself. Why bring outsiders?" Geng Zhi paused, knowing that if he concealed things further, these three before him would never agree to take the risk, so he said in a low voice: "This demon was originally a spitting-water fish that swallowed a transformation grass, with nearly two hundred years of cultivation. However, it has always cultivated in the pool and does not know any demonic arts. Its methods surely cannot compare to yours. Even if you cannot defeat it underwater, leaving would be easy as pie." When he finished, the three merely watched him silently, without moving. Geng Zhi showed the smile a proper businessman should have: "There is a great opportunity underwater. You will certainly not make this trip for nothing." Jinyanshu was somewhat tempted but could not make up his mind, and unconsciously looked at Qin Xuan. But he saw Qin Xuan nod directly: "I am very curious. Family Head Geng, do not disappoint me." "Certainly!" While speaking, a jade talisman appeared in Qin Xuan's hand. If there were an accident, he could still contact Temple Head Wu. In Pingyuan Commandery, there were things Old Taoist Wu could not settle, but this demon was not among them. With this life-saving talisman, he had the confidence to go see this so-called opportunity. Seeing this, Jinyanshu nodded as well. Monk Jinghui, however, became cautious and asked, "How exactly did the children mentioned by this fish demon die?" "Ah, speaking of this is ill-omened." Geng Zhi was rather at a loss: "That year, I went into the mountains to sacrifice to my ancestors, and unfortunately encountered yin soldiers passing through. The fish demon's children had their souls hooked away by the yin soldiers, yet they claimed I led the yin soldiers to them, and left word that they would find me for revenge. To save my life, I have spent these years searching for what it wanted. Fortunately, I found it." Monk Jinghui asked again: "And what is this opportunity?" Geng Zhi shook his head, his words earnest: "This... you will know after entering the pool. Even if it fails to meet the masters' expectations, I, Geng, can guarantee the masters will not return empty-handed." "Amitabha." Monk Jinghui put his palms together. "The fish demon is vicious. This humble monk will enter the pool to ensure Family Head Geng's safety." ...