Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wild Chapter 87: The Tianbao Brothers

Morning.

The room was unusually quiet.

Yu Ye sat on the couch, his upper body bare.

His skin was delicate, resilient, and carried a faint, jade-like luster. What had once been a thin frame and narrow waist had grown much sturdier. At seventeen, he had already become a robust young man.

Yet a large bruise, dark and purple, marked his back—an alarming sight.

This wound was left by Gan Xing’s flying sword, which had nearly pierced through him. Fortunately, the protective true energy he cultivated had shielded him from a fatal blow, though it could not spare him the agony of torn flesh, jarred organs, and reversed blood flow. Now, after consuming two spirit stones and a bottle of elixirs, and after seven days of focused healing, his injuries were no longer serious and his expended true energy was almost fully restored.

Yu Ye dressed, then looked down to survey his spoils.

Laid out before him were two storage rings, two flying swords, seventeen spirit stones, more than twenty talismans, three jade slips, several bottles of elixirs, scattered gold and silver, and other personal sundries.

To take a life is always to gain something!

Perhaps this is why people are so eager to fight and kill!

Seventeen spirit stones—far more than his previous windfalls. Among the twenty-odd talismans, most were Fire Talismans, with two Wind-Riding Talismans and two Dragon-Subduing Talismans.

Of the three jade slips, two contained cultivation methods of the Immortal Sect.

Jiao Ying had once told him: there are many methods in the Immortal Sect, but to covet them all is to master none. The Celestial Steel Sutra and Seven-Kill Sword Aura were enough to occupy him for a lifetime of training.

The last jade slip was a map of the Great Marsh, marking the exact locations of eight Daoist sects and Spirit Dragon Valley. This confirmed his previous suspicions: the conspiracy of Nanshan, Bu Yi, and the others was indeed tied to Spirit Dragon Valley—or, more precisely, the remains of cultivators hidden there. And it all involved Yu Ye himself.

With a sweep of his sleeve, Yu Ye stowed everything away.

He was now skilled and fluid in using spiritual sense to move and store objects. Practice makes perfect—so the saying goes.

Yet his haul this time included not only spirit stones and swords, but a living person as well!

Yu Ye swung his legs off the couch, stretched his waist, then opened the door and stepped out with anticipation.

Crossing the little courtyard, he reached the storeroom.

Just as he came to the door, a faint, agonized scream sounded from within—

"Ah..."

The door was tightly shut.

Knock, knock—he rapped twice.

A moment later, the door cracked open and Ren Liang’s head poked through. He gestured furtively for Yu Ye to enter.

Yu Ye stepped inside, and the door slammed shut behind him.

Ren Liang gestured, "My elder brother and I wouldn’t dare disturb you, Third Brother, but we haven’t been idle..."

In the corner of the storeroom was a hole. A wooden ladder led down into the underground cellar.

Yu Ye descended.

The cellar was stifling.

By the flickering firelight, Tian Bao stood shirtless, whip in hand, looking fierce and menacing: "Damn it, confess honestly..."

On a wooden rack nearby, a middle-aged man hung with hair disheveled, also shirtless but covered in blood. The wound in his shoulder was especially ghastly. Perhaps unable to withstand the torture, he pleaded, "I’ve confessed eight times already. Just kill me..."

Crack—the whip lashed; a roar followed—

"Trying to scare me, are you? You want to die... Third Brother..."

Tian Bao was about to explode when he saw Yu Ye. He wiped sweat from his brow, visibly relieved: "These last few days of questioning have been far more exhausting than killing!"

He dragged over a wooden stool and sat, steam rising from his sturdy frame.

"My thanks to you both!"

Yu Ye acknowledged their efforts, then asked curiously, "He’s confessed eight times. What has he said?"

Tian Bao took the earthenware jug Ren Liang handed him and drank, then said, "His name is Hong An, claims to be a rogue cultivator from Zhongshan, Qizhou. His parents are dead, he’s unmarried but has consorted with courtesans."

"Oh? Anything else?"

"There’s more... What was her name again...?"

"And?"

"He came to the Great Marsh and sought out brothels. What sort of high-minded cultivator is this? He’s a lecher, plain and simple!"

"Why did he come to the Great Marsh?"

"Wasn’t he chasing women... He clearly hasn’t told the truth, the bastard..."

Yu Ye waved a hand.

The man bound to the rack shook his head in pain. "Seven days... Seven whole days these two have tortured me, just to find out how many women I’ve slept with... I..." He sighed bitterly, unable to bear the humiliation. "How could I be so disgraced..."

Yu Ye was silent.

The Tian Bao brothers, knowing his plan to capture a cultivator alive, had been very enthusiastic. When he brought this man in, the two took it upon themselves to guard, interrogate, and torture him. But they were only men of the martial world, and could extract no real secrets—only causing the prisoner endless grievance.

His name was Hong An.

"Friend Hong An!"

"You..."

Expecting Yu Ye to be even more ruthless, Hong An was surprised to hear the young man’s calm tone, even addressing him as ‘friend’.

He looked at the youth and said bitterly, "You’ve crippled my cultivation. I am no longer a cultivator."

Yu Ye placed a few pills in his mouth and applied another to the wound on his shoulder, then stepped back. "Brothers, untie him. Give him meat and wine to fill his belly."

Though confused, Tian Bao and Ren Liang busied themselves.

Moments later, a table was set up in the cellar with a basin of meat and a jug of wine. Hong An, draped in a long robe, was seated at the table, still weak from his ordeal.

"Damn it, my Third Brother serves him food and drink, and he acts all bashful!"

"Ha, so arrogant before, and look at him now..."

Tian Bao and Ren Liang stood guard, taking the chance to mock and humiliate him. Not long ago, the cultivators of Qizhou were insufferably arrogant, hated and feared by all. Now, completely at their mercy, the brothers could finally vent their long-held resentment.

Yu Ye stood aside and spoke softly, "When you’ve eaten your fill, answer a few questions."

Perhaps the medicine worked, for Hong An regained some strength. He slowly raised his head. "And after you question me, you’ll kill me?"

"I won’t kill you," Yu Ye replied firmly.

Hong An was silent for a while, then said, "Ask your questions."

Yu Ye nodded, "Several groups of cultivators have arrived in Qizhou. How many are rogue cultivators, how many are disciples of the Immortal Sect, and how many have reached Foundation Establishment?"

Hong An considered. "From what I know, there have been three groups. Years ago, Elder Bu Yi brought three Qi-Refining friends to the Great Marsh. After their deaths, he summoned twelve more from Qizhou, mostly rogue cultivators. Gan Xing and I were among them, but half died again and nothing was achieved. The elders of Yun Chuan Immortal Sect became angry, so Elder Nanshan was sent, leading three Foundation Establishment disciples and ten Qi-Refining disciples."

"So in all, about thirty people in total. I’ve killed several..."

"One at Beiqi Mountain, one at Taiping Monastery, two outside Qingye Town, two outside Xingyuan Valley, one in Spirit Dragon Valley, one in Lingjiao Town, two at Chenling Mountain—ten in all, killed by you. Including me, that’s eleven."

"Can all these be counted against me?"

"Who else in the Great Marsh Daoist world can slay experts above the fifth level of Qi-Refining? Whenever someone goes missing, you’ll be blamed."

"Which Immortal Sect does Nanshan belong to? Will more experts come?"

"Nanshan and the other Foundation Establishment elders, including Bu Yi, all hail from Yun Chuan Immortal Sect in Zhongshan, Qizhou. As for what happens next, how would a rogue like me know? I was only hired for a few spirit stones. But Elder Bu Yi did warn us not to speak of our mission in the Great Marsh, or we’d be severely punished."

"Why such secrecy?"

"It concerns the secrets of the Immortal Sect—who can say for sure?"

"But you must know the mission’s goal?"

"To seek out a treasure."

"What treasure?"

"A treasure from overseas."

"Overseas—meaning Qizhou?"

"No, not Qizhou. It’s said to be from the fabled land of Yanzhou."

"Yanzhou—a legendary place?"

"I’ve never met a fellow cultivator who’s been there."

Their question and answer ranged far and wide, full of implications. The Tian Bao brothers, bewildered and bored, exchanged a look and slipped quietly up the ladder, leaving only Yu Ye and Hong An in the cellar.

Yu Ye poured Hong An a bowl of wine, set down the jug, and paced as he continued questioning—

"What exactly is this treasure, and what use does it have?"

Hong An sipped the wine, gathering his strength, and answered—

"I once asked Elder Bu Yi, but even he knew little."

"If he knows so little, why does he pursue me so relentlessly?"

"You’ve mastered the lost sword aura of the Great Marsh, and others have accused you. It’s impossible to clear your name, especially after you’ve killed so many. The grudges only deepen..."

"It must have been Chen Qi who framed me. Where is he now?"

"I’ve never met him. But after he accused you, Elder Bu Yi let him leave the Great Marsh. He may already be in Qizhou."

"Tell me, why are Nanshan and Bu Yi so eager to found an Immortal Sect and summon Daoists and martial artists from all over for a grand ceremony?"

"The founding of the Immortal Sect was Nanshan’s idea, nothing to do with Bu Yi. Nanshan hopes to gather all the Daoists and martial artists under his banner. In his view, it’s both a shortcut to finding the treasure and a way to deal with you. He wants you to have no foothold in the Great Marsh, forcing you to beg for mercy in the end!"

"So, as you say, Bu Yi and Nanshan are at odds?"

"Bu Yi failed in his duties and was reprimanded by Nanshan. Bu Yi resented this, and Nanshan was angry at his insubordination. But since both are Foundation Establishment peers, they can’t openly fall out. Gan Xing, myself, and others were caught in the middle, sent to Chenling Mountain to hunt for spirit stones..."

"I crippled your cultivation. Can you ever train again?"

"You... is this how one cripples another’s cultivation? If I didn’t die to your sword aura, I nearly died to your fists! Now you wonder if I can ever train again? You should repay me for decades of lost time..."

Sudden fury and despair filled Hong An’s voice.

Yu Ye had no words. He cupped his hands silently and left.

Climbing the ladder and leaving the cellar, he found the Tian Bao brothers waiting in the storeroom.

"Third Brother, let’s go have a drink. We can question him more some other day!"

"There’s nothing left to ask," Yu Ye replied coolly, then strode outside.

Crossing the courtyard, he found himself by the pond.

Early spring had passed, yet the pond still lay barren. Only the distant hills and forests showed a faint, fresh green. Even the once-gray sky seemed a little brighter.

Yu Ye paced the pond’s edge, mulling over the conversation in the cellar.

Then, footsteps sounded behind him. Tian Bao, now dressed, and Ren Liang approached, looking relaxed and satisfied.

Yu Ye raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

The two brothers grinned at him, as if everything was understood without words.

Yu Ye suddenly realized and asked, "Did you kill Hong An?"

"If there’s nothing left to ask, what’s the use of keeping him?"

"I promised not to kill him. How could I break my word?"

"You didn’t break your word, Third Brother. The two of us did it..."