Chapter 24: Qu Yang

The journey remained far from peaceful. Then again, traveling long distances in ancient times was inherently a high-risk endeavor. Ordinarily, as the young head of the Fuwei Escort Agency, Lin Pingzhi could have simply brandished the agency’s banner to ensure a smooth, if not entirely trouble-free, journey from Fuzhou to Hengyang.

However, Wang Jingyuan had forbidden it. As he put it: "Where else would you find such perfect opportunities for target practice? Aren’t these just ready-made training dummies? Go on, Junior Brother, just make sure to wound them, not kill them."

Since his senior brother had issued the order, and the adversaries were clearly villains, Lin Pingzhi had no choice but to bite the bullet and engage. What puzzled him, however, was that every time, Wang Jingyuan insisted he only incapacitate the enemies rather than finish them off.

At first, Lin Pingzhi assumed Wang Jingyuan was acting out of mercy, but once he had subdued the bandits, Wang Jingyuan would invariably step in and execute them all.

On this day, another highwayman fell under Wang Jingyuan’s blade. A look of satisfaction crossed Wang Jingyuan’s face, causing a chill to run down the spines of Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi.

*As expected,* Lin thought, *farming mobs is the fastest way to level up.*

Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, Lin Pingzhi asked, "Senior Brother, why do you always have me leave them alive, only to kill them yourself?"

"Do you remember how many people I’ve killed on this trip?"

Lin Pingzhi pondered for a moment. "I’ve lost count, but I’d estimate over fifty."

"These people are monsters; they deserve to die regardless. But if I made you do the killing, you’d be the one responsible for all these deaths along the way. Would you be able to live with that?"

Lin Pingzhi knew himself well. He wasn't afraid of killing, but he couldn't bring himself to slaughter so many strangers without cause. He shook his head. "I probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night."

"There you have it. Such things are far too heavy for a young man like you. Let this sweet—er, this heavy burden—be mine to bear alone."

"Senior Brother..." Lin Pingzhi was deeply moved. "But this will weigh on you, too."

Wang Jingyuan shook his head. "Not at all."

"Your state of mind is truly beyond my reach," Lin Pingzhi said with admiration.

Wang Jingyuan grinned. "That’s because I enjoy it."

Looking at Wang Jingyuan’s radiant smile, Lin Pingzhi felt a knot in his chest. He couldn't help but wonder: Is the Mount Hua Sect truly a righteous sect? And what was it that his senior brother did to the bodies after killing them...

Yue Lingshan remained silent, merely rolling her eyes. After all this time, she had long since accepted the fact that her fellow disciple was mentally unstable.

"A young man with quite the bloodlust," a raspy voice suddenly drifted from nearby. Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi tensed, scanning the surroundings. As for Wang Jingyuan, he remained crouched on the ground, busy looting the corpses.

An expert might be able to hide their aura, but they couldn't hide their nameplate or health bar. Wang Jingyuan had noticed Qu Yang and Qu Feiyan’s health bars trailing them at a distance for some time. Since the bars were yellow, he hadn't bothered with them. They had no personal grudge, and Qu Yang wasn't him; there was no reason for the man to suddenly decide to launch a volley of Black Blood God Needles at him. So, he had ignored them.

But since the man had spoken, he could no longer pretend not to notice. "I am merely punishing the wicked and eliminating evil. Besides, as an elder of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, you are the least qualified to lecture me on this."

Hearing this, Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan were on high alert, feeling as though they were facing a great enemy. Qu Yang, hiding in the shadows, was equally startled. He was certain he had never encountered this person during his travels. How could he identify him just by his voice?

Wang Jingyuan casually flipped his hand and produced a bottle of wine. "I bought this to build rapport with the Senior Martial Brother, but since we’ve run into each other, Elder Qu, would you like to join me for a drink?"

A lean, refined-looking old man emerged from the nearby bushes, his eyes sharp and piercing. By the time he reached them, Wang Jingyuan had already spread a mat over the corpse-strewn ground and laid out various rations.

Wang Jingyuan poured wine into several cups. Qu Yang did not stand on ceremony; ignoring the sword-wielding Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi, he sat down at the edge of the mat and began to drink.

Wang Jingyuan beckoned the other two. "Stop posing. If he truly wanted to kill us, the three of us together wouldn't be enough to stop him."

Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi realized he was right and sheathed their swords. Still, they remained wary, sitting cautiously behind Wang Jingyuan.

Wang Jingyuan raised his cup and downed it in one gulp. Qu Yang accompanied his drink with some dried rations.

Wang Jingyuan glanced at Qu Yang. "An old hand like you, shouldn't you check for poison before eating or drinking? What if I spiked it?"

Qu Yang continued to eat and drink as if he hadn't heard, but Lin Pingzhi, who had just raised his cup, hesitated. Seeing Wang Jingyuan and Qu Yang already finishing their first round, he grew angry with himself, feeling he was being far too cowardly. *So what if it's poisoned? If I can take a Demon Cult elder down with me, I won't have disgraced the righteous path.* With that, he stiffened his neck and downed the drink.

After finishing the dregs in his cup, Qu Yang replied, "You spoke so openly about the Mount Hua Sect’s schemes to seize the 'Bixie Sword Manual'—why would you bother with poisoning a drink?"

Wang Jingyuan shook his head. "News travels fast. 'Schemes'? It was the Head Escort Lin of the Fuwei Escort Agency who gifted it to Mount Hua of his own volition. Also, your judgment of character is truly poor."

Qu Yang frowned. "Did you poison it?"

"I did not."

Qu Yang drank another cup. "If it isn't poisoned now, then my judgment is sound. If you were a fool, you wouldn't have known my identity and still invited me to drink. If you were a villain, your fellow disciples wouldn't choose to live and die by your side."

Wang Jingyuan looked at Lin Pingzhi. "He’s just an honest man who gets taken advantage of easily."

He then looked at Qu Yang. "You count as a decent man, with moral standards above the average for this martial arts world. Since we’ve met, it’s only natural to share a drink."

Qu Yang’s eyes brightened. "It is rare to see someone so young devoid of sectarian prejudice."

Wang Jingyuan denied this. "Who says I have no prejudice? I have plenty of it. It’s just that there’s no one else around here..."

Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi: "..."

Wang Jingyuan continued, "With no one watching, I can drink and chat with you. If we ran into each other in a public place, I would be your sworn enemy, and I would curse you. I would curse you quite viciously, so please don't take it to heart—our factions differ, after all, and we’re all just trying to make a living."

Qu Yang burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! You truly are a fascinating person!"

Wang Jingyuan glanced to the side. "You’re sitting here feasting while your granddaughter stands by and watches—is that appropriate?"

Qu Yang’s brows twitched. "Feifei, since you’ve been discovered, come over and have some food."

Rustling sounds came from the other side, and a moment later, a small, nimble girl in green with dark hair skipped out. Her smile was as sly as a fox, her brows still touched with childhood innocence.

She fluttered her large eyes, looking Wang Jingyuan up and down. "Big Brother, how did you find me and Grandfather?"

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"Hmph, stingy!" Qu Feiyan sat down beside Qu Yang and began to hungrily devour the rations.

Qu Yang cast a glance at Wang Jingyuan. "As an elder of the Holy Cult, I am well-informed about the Five Mountain Sword Sects. I might not know about the others, but the Mount Hua Sect has been dwindling in numbers. I know every disciple under their banner, yet you appeared out of nowhere. I assume you joined Mount Hua only recently. Yet, a newly recruited disciple like you is able to take the Sect Leader’s daughter on a thousand-mile journey to Fuzhou to accept a disciple on behalf of your master. May I ask, young man, who exactly are you?"

Wang Jingyuan shook his head. "My situation is too complex. It would be too difficult to explain in terms you could understand, so I won't bother. Why don't we talk about something important instead?"