Chapter Ninety: Unexpected Outcomes
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“Cough...”
Under the waning moonlight on the official road, the cold gleam of Flying Snow flashed as the blade was drawn.
Zhang Chen watched intently from the side, ready to strike at any moment.
Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the thief showed no immediate reaction. Instead, he seemed to slowly retreat, then suddenly fled, leaving behind his hoarse voice, “I’m not wasting my strength on you.”
Qin Yi and Zhang Chen prepared to give chase, unwilling to let him escape so easily.
Jiang Yao was also on guard, ready to intervene and stop the thief.
“Hahaha! You thief, now that you’ve come, don’t even think about running.”
At that moment, from far down the official road, a voice like thunder echoed—familiar. The thief halted his footsteps. In the distance, a group of people appeared.
As they drew closer, their features became clearer. Finally, Qin Yi recognized them—it was the contingent from the West River Martial Hall.
Zhan Beihai smiled at Qin Yi, “Brother Qin, you’ve really helped us a lot this time!”
Qin Yi smiled back, “Brother Beihai, you’re too kind. This is simply what cultivators ought to do.”
Zhan Beihai laughed heartily, “Haha! Now I’m glad I refused your help twice.”
“Hmph! Trying to run? Surround him!”
Suddenly, Zhan Beihai snorted coldly. The thief had hoped to slip away while Qin Yi and Zhan Beihai were talking, but Zhan Beihai had been watching him all along. Now, they closed in and surrounded him.
The thief was trapped and, with a hoarse voice, said, “None of you have any grudge against me, yet you’ve chased me twice. Do you really think I’m easy to bully?”
He paused, then said, “If you stop now, I won’t hold it against you, not even with those two. How about that?”
Zhan Beihai sneered, “Thieves like you deserve to be exterminated by all. Don’t talk about mercy; you should worry about yourself first!”
“Attack! Capture him alive!”
At Zhan Beihai’s command, the West River Martial Hall members launched a coordinated assault.
“Damn it! Want to capture me alive? Just try!”
The thief seemed enraged, shouting hoarsely.
But what followed left Qin Yi astonished. The thief didn’t use any techniques or deploy any magical artifacts. He relied solely on his Golden Core level cultivation, matching the West River Martial Hall members blow for blow. Even though he fought head-on, occasionally stronger, he was ultimately outnumbered.
“Cough...”
Flying Snow quivered, striking swiftly toward the thief—not aiming for a vital spot, but assisting the West River Martial Hall members in subduing him. Zhang Chen also aided their efforts.
To be honest, the two of them were quite effective. Flying Snow’s blade was sharp, and though Zhang Chen’s talisman cultivation wasn’t strong enough to harm a Golden Core cultivator, he was difficult to fend off.
After a prolonged battle, the fight circle grew ever smaller.
“Bang...”
Suddenly, Zhan Beihai struck the ground hard. The earth resounded fiercely. He shouted, “Earth Cage, emerge!”
In the next instant, the section of the official road beneath the thief glowed. The glow revealed a net. Moments later, a huge ochre net burst from the ground, enveloping the thief.
Feeling the sudden change beneath his feet, the thief attempted to escape.
“Whoosh...”
But at this critical moment, Flying Snow pierced forward swiftly, forcing the thief to dodge amid a barrage of fierce attacks from the West River Martial Hall.
The ochre net quickly enveloped him, blotting out the sky and sun.
“Retract...”
Zhan Beihai withdrew his hand from the ground and stood, commanding. The ochre net shrank tightly, binding the thief firmly; every strand pressed closely against his body.
Qin Yi and Zhang Chen looked closely and noticed the thief’s figure was somewhat stout.
“Hahaha! The Earth Cage is my signature move. Let’s see how you run now.”
Zhan Beihai looked down at the thief, who lay on the ground, fully ensnared in ochre strands, and laughed triumphantly.
Qin Yi and Zhang Chen approached to get a better look.
As they drew nearer, their brows furrowed deeply—the thief’s tattered Taoist robe, though ragged, looked familiar.
Getting even closer, they confirmed it was indeed a Taoist robe from Taiyi Mountain, well known to them.
Qin Yi suppressed the sudden thought in his mind: Taiyi Mountain had many disciples, and quite a few were stout. How could this be Zhu Chunfu?
Yet, considering the thief’s Golden Core level and other behaviors, Qin Yi grew uneasy and quickened his pace.
What annoyed Qin Yi was that the man had his back turned and his face partially covered with cloth.
Zhan Beihai smiled at the thief, “Brother Qin, what do you suggest we do with him?”
Qin Yi and Zhang Chen were silent for a long time before Qin Yi reluctantly said, “Brother Beihai, why not bring him back to Taiyi Mountain?”
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Zhan Beihai said nothing, waiting for Qin Yi’s next words.
Zhang Chen sighed, “Though the Taoist robe is torn, it definitely belongs to a Taiyi disciple.”
Hearing their conversation, the thief seemed to shrink slightly.
Zhan Beihai and the West River Martial Hall members were all startled. Zhan Beihai chuckled, “Brother Qin, since he’s your Taiyi disciple, should we untie him now?”
Tying up a Taiyi disciple in front of so many others was somewhat embarrassing for Taiyi Mountain.
Qin Yi waved his hand, “No need. He’s not weak. If we free him now, he might escape again.”
Qin Yi kept moving, trying to catch a glimpse of the thief’s face but remained unsure.
Zhan Beihai seemed to understand and told the West River Martial Hall, “Quick, tear off the cloth covering his head.”
“Shh...”
The thief, trapped and unable to resist, had the cloth covering his entire face roughly torn apart, revealing most of his face.
Qin Yi was momentarily stunned; so was Zhang Chen. Neither spoke.
Embarrassed under their gaze, the thief avoided eye contact, especially with Qin Yi. If it were allowed, he seemed ready to hide in a hole.
Qin Yi sighed helplessly, “Brother Beihai, untie him.”
Zhan Beihai guessed they were acquainted but asked, “What’s going on, Brother Qin?”
Qin Yi said, “Brother Beihai, just release him for now. If he runs, I swear I’ll catch him again. If I don’t, I’ll bear his fault.”
Zhan Beihai signaled others to loosen the bindings, “Brother Qin, no need for that. I trust you. Without your help today, we might not have caught him.”
He paused, then looked at the thief, continuing, “But I want to know why he’s after that father and daughter.”
Qin Yi waited silently as the man composed himself. Then he looked at the still embarrassed man and said, “Third Senior Brother, don’t you think it’s time to explain?”
“Third Senior Brother!” Zhan Beihai was shocked and immediately realized, smiling awkwardly at Zhu Chunfu, “So it’s Senior Brother Zhu. My apologies.”
He knew the disciples under Master Zixuan, told by his brother, including Zhu Chunfu, who supposedly rarely left Taiyi Mountain.
Zhu Chunfu shook his head helplessly, “Your intentions were to uphold righteousness, nothing wrong there.”
Zhan Beihai asked, “And you?”
Zhu Chunfu sighed, “Yes, I’ve been chasing that father and daughter. But...”
He hesitated, then continued, “How do you know that father and daughter are ordinary people? If they were, could they have evaded me for so long?”
Zhan Beihai and Qin Yi narrowed their eyes.
“Hey! Look, they’re trying to run!”
Suddenly, Zhu Chunfu shouted toward Qin Yi and the others behind him.
Qin Yi and Zhan Beihai turned and saw the two turning to flee. Bai Xiaoying and Lin Yuxiao stepped forward to block them but failed.
Seeing this, Zhu Chunfu shouted, “That old man is a Golden Core cultivator, even though his wounds are healing.”
Qin Yi and Zhan Beihai exchanged glances and prepared to leap forward.
“Cough...”
At that moment, a cold gleam flashed nearby, followed by Jiang Yao’s cold voice, “One more step and you’ll die...”
Under the waning moon, the cold plum blossom stood before the two.
The old man, who had just fiercely pushed back Lin Yuxiao and Bai Xiaoying, stared at the sword tip pointed at him by the cold plum blossom. He dared not advance further, cold sweat streaming down his body. In the past, even if he couldn’t guarantee escaping the sword’s wielder, a single blade wouldn’t frighten him so much. But times have changed.
The young girl frowned.
Qin Yi and Zhan Beihai hurried over, followed by the others. Only Zhu Chunfu hesitated, especially when he glanced at Lin Yuxiao, who was also looking at him.
Though reluctant, Zhu Chunfu finally approached.
Qin Yi asked, “What’s really going on?”
Zhu Chunfu gestured toward the two and said, “Ask them. They know everything.”
Zhu Chunfu felt extremely uncomfortable now. Jiang Yao, despite everything, had shown him face by deliberately ignoring him. Bai Xiaoying, with her cold nature, was truly ignoring him. But Lin Yuxiao’s gaze was unbearable—unwavering and piercing. Zhu Chunfu was annoyed because even though it wasn’t daylight, his awkwardness was clear.
Qin Yi chuckled and asked the young girl, “I trusted you so much. Now, tell me, what happened?”
The girl blushed and seemed embarrassed, “Big Brother, I had no choice. When my grandfather was badly hurt, I was desperate to save him, so I... I...”
Her tears nearly fell.
Qin Yi looked at Zhu Chunfu and smiled, “So you mean all your money was swindled by them.”
Zhu Chunfu’s face darkened.
Qin Yi sighed, “Jiang Yao said you’d last a month outside. Looks like she overestimated you.”
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Zhu Chunfu was so angry he almost lost words, finally stammering, “Everyone has a first time. Even a genius like me can’t be an exception…”
But as he spoke, his confidence waned, even the word “genius” sounded faint. The gazes around him, though mostly kind from the West River Martial Hall, carried considerable meaning.
The gaze from Lin Yuxiao was the hardest to bear.
Qin Yi sighed, thinking that if he had gone out alone, it wouldn’t have been much better.
He looked at the young girl and said, “Even so, you shouldn’t have lied. Wasn’t there another way?”
“I... I...” The girl stammered, unable to answer.
“The martial world is perilous. He is a Golden Core cultivator. Should we just wait to be slaughtered when he finds us?” The old man spoke calmly.
Qin Yi sneered, “So now that you’re in my hands, you think you can be slaughtered at will?”
The old man lifted his head, his aged face serious, “Do what you will with me, but please spare my granddaughter. She only lied because she was desperate over my injury. The rest was my doing.”
He looked at Qin Yi and the others, “Martial grudges should not harm wives and children. You cultivators surely understand this.”
“Grandpa,” the girl sobbed, her voice trembling.
The old man patted her head, “She’s young and kind-hearted after all.”
Qin Yi was helpless, thinking this matter didn’t concern him much. He looked at Zhu Chunfu, “What do you want? Handle it yourself.”
Under everyone’s gaze, Zhu Chunfu fell silent. After a long while, he said five words: “Just pay back the money.”
The girl brightened, “Really? You’ll forgive us if we repay?”
The old man was clearly surprised.
But her joy faded quickly. They had deceived Zhu Chunfu of his money; if they had money, why would they need to cheat?
Zhu Chunfu said, “I didn’t say you have to pay back immediately, but you must find a way to repay soon.”
The old man looked toward the distant sky, “We’re not far from Beihai City. I still have some savings there. How about repaying there? Otherwise, I’m at a loss.”
Zhu Chunfu hesitated. Qin Yi stepped forward and smiled, “That works. We’re heading to Beihai City anyway.”
Zhu Chunfu asked curiously, “Why are you going to Beihai City?”
Qin Yi said, “The Fish-Dragon Fortress has relocated to Beihai City.”
Zhu Chunfu nodded.
Qin Yi smiled at Zhan Beihai, “Brother Beihai, since you’re here, why not come to Beihai City with us? I’ll take you to Zhang’s Tavern for a few drinks.”
He continued, “Your West River Martial Hall folks have always admired the Martial Emperor of West Sea City. We have no chance to see the West Sea tides, but visiting would be nice. What do you say?”
Zhan Beihai, generous by nature, immediately laughed, “Heh heh! Of course, we’ll drink. And we must see the scenery of the South Sea.”
Qin Yi laughed, “Then let’s go.”
The group set off again. This time, they chose to walk rather than fly on swords, as Beihai City was near. Walking felt pleasant.
Along the way, the girl approached Qin Yi, thanking him, “Big Brother, thank you so much!”
Qin Yi shook his head, “You should thank my Third Senior Brother. If not for his kindness, any other Golden Core cultivator would have slaughtered you.”
The girl looked at Zhu Chunfu gratefully, “Thank you, Big Brother.”
Zhu Chunfu smiled wryly. The life of roaming the martial world was certainly not easy.
Suddenly, he remembered Qin Yi had been out wandering for a long time.
Qin Yi smiled at the girl, “I understand you had no choice this time, but promise me, no matter what happens in the future, never lie again. Be an honest child, alright?”
The girl nodded without hesitation. This time was because her grandfather was gravely injured, forcing her to resort to deceit. She never intended to escape afterward. She wanted to explain to Zhu Chunfu, who seemed like a good person, otherwise she wouldn’t have tricked him so easily. But now that her grandfather was recovering, she had to obey him.
Qin Yi noticed the girl’s gaze lingering on Jiang Yao and smiled warmly, “Is she pretty?”
The girl snapped out of her thoughts, cheeks flushing red, lowering her head without a word.
Qin Yi laughed, “If you want to be as beautiful as her someday, be a good person. She’s a truly outstanding good person.”
The girl still didn’t look up but stammered, “Big Brother, is he your... you...?”
“Mm!” Qin Yi nodded with a smile.
Unbeknownst to them, Jiang Yao was watching the two with great interest.