Inner Demons

Chapter 26: Half-Dead Qiao Duanhong

Li Yunxin's expression shifted. He stared at the object for a while, then softly sighed.

Accepting such things was far easier for him than for anyone else in this world. Similar plots abounded in movies and novels – Immortals playing tricks on mortals, gifting an item. No matter how you threw it away, it would always reappear in your embrace or on your body. Now, he was truly witnessing such divine power.

He laid his fingers on the hilt of the sword at his waist, rubbing it for a moment before sighing again: "Let's go. Still to Weicheng."

Since he couldn't get rid of this thing with his current cultivation, he could only carry it. But if he ran off with such an item, and that Bai Yunxin found him again... she might get angry.

Perhaps she'd tear him apart upon meeting him. Such demons were capricious, completely unpredictable by normal human standards.

So he drew the sword from his belt, held it in his palm, and whispered, "Let's go."

The sky was still dark, but the moon was not obscured by layers of clouds. A gentle breeze swept across the meadow, making the wild grasses sway slightly, like a deep, dark green ocean. Li Yunxin drew two more papers, clutching them in his hand, and cautiously walked down the road with the Cat Demon.

Perhaps Bai Yunxin had killed both the Six Ghosts of the River when she arrived, or perhaps she hadn't...

After three steps, Li Yunxin stepped on a stiff body. He looked down and saw a headless corpse.

Hmm... indeed, they were all killed. The deceased wore a blue Daoist robe, his head bitten off – it seemed the little maid had done it.Next to the swordsman's body were two more corpses, members of the escort agency.

Probably... they were all dead.

But he still needed to go to Weicheng; he needed a place to stay. Li Yunxin glanced at the "Qiao Jiaxin" beside him, frowning slightly. Actually, this little girl could still be useful...

Just then, a rustling sound came from the grass beside them. Li Yunxin immediately swung his sword back.

The extremely sharp blade effortlessly sliced through the wild grass, cutting it off cleanly, like a bolt of white silk, going straight into the depths of the grass, stopping right at someone's neck. Only then, by the moonlight, did he clearly see that it was... Old Daoist Liu.

It seemed the old Daoist hadn't known if the newcomers were friend or foe and was planning to sneak away, crouched low in the grass, but Li Yunxin heard the sound. Now, a shining blade stopped at his neck, the skin already cut by the edge, scaring him speechless for a long while, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

When Old Daoist Liu rolled his eyes and also saw that the person in the moonlight was the young Li Yunxin, his throat moved a few times, then he pounced and hugged Li Yunxin's legs: "Master! Save me! There are monsters!"

Li Yunxin quickly covered his mouth: "Don't shout! I ask you, are all those swordsmen dead?"

"Dea... dead, yes..." Old Daoist Liu wiped his eyes. "This old man, after all these years, truly had his eyes opened today... sigh, who'd want to have their eyes opened like this? I mean, meeting you, Master, is a good thing, but at first, I thought I saw ghosts and demons... they truly are demons, Master, biting off heads with one bite! If it weren't for this old man..."

"Alright, it's fine now. I've seen the demons, and they've already left." Li Yunxin retracted his sword, pried Old Daoist Liu's hands off his legs, and pulled back the Cat Demon, who kept trying to poke at Old Daoist Liu's loose topknot. "I ask you again, how many people from the escort agency are still alive?"

Hearing Li Yunxin's words, the old Daoist blinked, staring straight at him: "Master, you... you fought with that demon?! Did you drive them away?!"

Then, he stared at Li Yunxin in astonishment for a while, suddenly bowing down: "This humble Daoist has been muddled for so many years, but now I've finally seen a true divine being! I beg you, Master, please accept me as your disciple, so that this humble Daoist can also glimpse the Grand Dao of Painting in my lifetime, this humble Daoist—"

Li Yunxin sighed: "Are you insane? Can you answer my question before talking about anything else?"

"Her father is still alive, only her father is left," Old Daoist Liu quickly raised his head from the ground and wiped his face, then carefully looked at Qiao Jiaxin. "Eh? This child... is... lost her mind?"

The Cat Demon blinked: "Hmm? Bah! Bold! Hmm... This empress... hmm? Bold!"

Li Yunxin sighed, pulling the Cat Demon behind him: "She saw a demon and was scared senseless. Qiao Duanhong is still alive? That's good. Where is he?"

Old Daoist Liu scratched his disheveled topknot, moved two steps to the side, and pushed aside a clump of wild grass: "...Here he is."

Li Yunxin then saw the barely alive Qiao Duanhong. As the head of an escort agency, almost touching the edge of a second-tier expert, he seemed to have fought hard earlier. His body was covered in sword wounds, especially his legs. Perhaps his desperate struggle angered the swordsman, who then intended to slowly torment him to death.

But he didn't expect that if a bad person played like that, there might be a reversal – the little maid rushed over and bit off his head.

However, Qiao Duanhong's legs seemed to have been crippled. The bone fragments of his knees were exposed, bleeding profusely. It was unclear if he could be saved – Old Daoist Liu probably thought he couldn't.

Li Yunxin walked over and poked several of his major pressure points, and the blood flow from his wounds gradually diminished. The Pressure Point Blood-stopping Technique was a skill both cultivators and martial artists learned, but it wasn't as miraculous as it sounded. It was an emergency measure, temporarily stopping blood flow. If too much time passed, some parts might be permanently damaged.

However, Li Yunxin thought Qiao Duanhong's situation wouldn't worsen – his legs could not be saved under current medical conditions; being able to save his life alone would be an immense blessing from his ancestors.

Old Daoist Liu seemed unreliable, and Qiao Jiaxin was even less dependable. Li Yunxin thought for a moment, then tore strips of cloth from Old Daoist Liu's clothing and roughly bandaged Qiao Duanhong.

Then... the situation became quite complicated.

Li Yunxin now realized how convenient "cutting scenes" were. For example, one scene shows one side suffering a tragic victory with a bunch of barely alive but satisfied, tragically smiling injured people, and the next scene is them wrapped in bandages lying in a comfortable, dry sickbed.

But now, Old Daoist Liu looked like he could be blown over by a gust of wind, and Qiao Jiaxin was still an undeveloped girl... he couldn't carry this strong man far by himself.

The situation was very annoying.

"Let's wait for a cart," Li Yunxin said. "Counting the time, it'll probably be light in another two to four hours – yes, two to four hours. If we meet someone who can take us, then he's lucky. If not, then he's lived his life through wind and rain."

After saying that, he tried to carry Qiao Duanhong on his back, with Old Daoist Liu supporting him, weak-legged and wobbly. They stumbled along for over ten minutes until they reached the previous crossroads, then set Qiao Duanhong down on a patch of grass.

And began to wait.

Old Daoist Liu huddled beside him, trembling, pondering for a long time before asking: "I say, Master, what are you..."

Li Yunxin raised a finger: "Listen to me. Don't ask about my origins, and don't tell anyone about what happened tonight. I don't want my identity known; I'm here Undergoing Tribulation. If you want to learn something, I can teach you, but if anyone asks about today's events, you'll be a hero. This girl was scared; when her family asks after she gets back, you know what to say. In short, I don't want to be disturbed, and I plan to stay with you for a while. If you're obedient, I'll first teach you the 'Brocade Robes at Night Journey Painting,' how about that?"