However, opening it once required an extra two taels of silver. Usually, people trading inside the cabins activated the soundproofing array beforehand.
This cabin had been chosen in advance by the company commander. Yun Que assumed the other man had activated the soundproofing array, but he had not expected the man to be so stingy. To save money, he had not turned on the array at all, with the result that their entire conversation just now had been overheard.
The company commander let out a sneer, his slanted eyes narrowing into a cold glint as he stared at Mu Qingyao.
"Easy. I'll handle it."
Yun Que folded his arms, watching the show. "Let's hear how you plan to handle it. You aren't going to silence her, are you?"
The company commander said coldly, "Silencing her is too much trouble. Knock her out first, then pour two catties of Forgetting Sorrow Powder down her throat. She certainly won't remember anything about today."
"Two catties?! Isn't that a bit much? Won't an overdose kill her?" Yun Que asked.
"Not at all. The Forgetting Sorrow Powder I concoct won't kill anyone within five catties. Five catties makes you forget who you are, four catties makes you forget your parents and children, three catties makes you forget how much money you have at home, and one catty makes you forget every experience within a single day. To be on the safe side, we have to pour at least two catties down her throat," the company commander said indifferently.
Mu Qingyao listened with her eyes wide open.
There were methods like this?!
She had seen her share of despicable and sordid people, but this was the first time she had ever encountered a fellow who could speak of such despicable deeds with such righteous confidence.
Yun Que was thoroughly amused. He pointed at Mu Qingyao and said, "Do you have any idea who she is? She is Princess Lingyun. How many catties of Forgetting Sorrow Powder do you think is appropriate now?"
Mu Qingyao raised her chin slightly, the noble aura of a princess unmistakable. "I've never tasted Forgetting Sorrow Powder. This Princess would very much like to experience it."
"Hah! Picking up some random little girl and claiming to be a princess? Yun Que, are you trying to kill the donkey the moment it leaves the millstone and break things off? Got a new partner, so you're kicking the old partner to the curb? You think I'd fall for that?" the company commander said with utter disdain.
It was not until Mu Qingyao produced that Yin-Yang Token forged from purple gold that the company commander's expression changed instantly. He dropped to one knee.
"Mei Qian, company commander of Baiyu City, pays respects to Your Highness the Princess!"
Mu Qingyao held back a laugh, pointing at Yun Que. "This person knows many of my secrets. How does Commander Mei think it best to deal with him?"
Mei Qian stood up and stared coldly at Yun Que. "Your Highness need not worry. I'll handle it. First, I'll knock him out, then I'll pour twenty catties of Forgetting Sorrow Powder down his throat."
"Twenty catties?! Even a pig couldn't swallow that much, how are you going to pour it into me?! Didn't you just say anything under five catties won't kill someone? Twenty catties—are you trying to poison me to death?!" Yun Que cursed.
"Your physique is too strong; twenty catties is just a conservative figure. We'll start pouring and see how it goes; if that's not enough, we'll add more," Mei Qian scoffed.
"Whose side are you on, you bastard?" Yun Que cursed.
"I, Mei Qian, forever stand on the side of power," Mei Qian said coldly.
"Fine! Mei, old pal, starting today we are through. Our ties are severed, and there's no friendship left between us," Yun Que said.
"Friendship? Was there ever such a thing between the two of us?" Mei Qian asked.
"Oh, right, I suppose there really wasn't. Never mind then, I won't blame you. But don't go crying for help when I'm the one doing the chopping," Yun Que said.
Mu Qingyao finally lost her composure, covering her small mouth as she burst into laughter.
Mei Qian's ears twitched slightly as if he had heard something, and with tactful submission, he bowed and said, "This humble subordinate will take his leave first. If Your Highness has any commands, this subordinate will not hesitate to go through fire and water."
With that, he made to leave.
Instead, Yun Que got up ahead of time, blocked the door, and activated the soundproofing array.
Seeing Yun Que's half-smile, a flash of anger crossed Mei Qian's face.
He had a strong premonition that he was about to be scammed!
***
The second half of the auction had not yet started. "Commander Mei, don't be in such a hurry to leave. I have an even more profitable deal here."
Yun Que smiled amiably.
Mei Qian's expression grew steadily uglier. He gritted his teeth in secret, wishing he could smash through the wooden wall and get out immediately.
Mei Qian had long been familiar with Yun Que. He knew Yun Que's abilities all too well and had even witnessed what Yun Que looked like when he killed demons.
Whenever he hunted down a demon beast, Yun Que's face would display the exact same smile he wore right now.
"The city gates are a vital post, I can't dawdle too long. Especially today with the Grand Market; things are chaotic both inside and outside the city. I have to get going," Mei Qian said coldly.
"Oh, stop it! You didn't even go near the city gates for the entire night during last month's Grand Market—what are you in such a rush for today?"
Yun Que chuckled. "Let's talk about my business first. Princess Lingyun plans to return to the Imperial City soon. Commander Mei only needs to escort the Princess safely to her destination to receive a reward of one thousand taels of silver. What do you say? Think about it. This is a massive deal—one thousand taels! It's enough for you to buy plenty of spiritual materials for Body Refining. If you're still not satisfied, the Princess can provide you with a recommendation slot to become a member of the Imperial Guard in the Imperial City."
Hearing this, Mei Qian's eyelids twitched.
One thousand taels was indeed a lot, and a spot in the Imperial Guard was alluring enough. If he could join the Imperial Guard, his official registry would naturally be transferred to the Imperial City as well.
Living in the Imperial City was not only the dream of ordinary commoners, but also the dream of martial artists like Mei Qian.
Beneath the Emperor's feet in such a prosperous place, complete with the presence of a powerful demon-subduing array where there was no need to be on guard against fiends and demons—the allure of the Tianqi Imperial City was by no means small.
Mei Qian subconsciously glanced at Mu Qingyao.
Mu Qingyao slowly nodded. "An Imperial Guard commander."
Hearing those four words—Imperial Guard commander—made Mei Qian draw in a sharp breath.
Though both were company commanders and his official rank would remain unchanged, an Imperial Guard commander in the Tianqi Imperial City compared to a city gate commander in the border town of Baiyu City was a difference as vast as heaven and earth!
Salary, connections, and opportunities for promotion were completely different.
Mei Qian pondered for a moment. "To dispatch subordinates to accompany you requires an order from the city governor. Leaving one's post without authorization violates military law. If Your Highness wishes to summon guards, you can go to the Governor's Mansion; the Governor will surely dispatch heavy troops to escort you. Once the transfer order is issued, this subordinate will not hesitate to go through fire and water."
Since Mei Qian was hiding behind official jargon, Mu Qingyao didn't say anything further, nodding to indicate she understood.
Afterward, Mei Qian took his leave and prepared to depart.
Just before leaving, Yun Que suddenly said, "The Princess is traveling incognito this time, Commander Mei. Make sure you don't go spreading it outside. Otherwise, if anything happens to the Princess, you really will have to go through fire and water."
Mei Qian hurriedly promised, "Your Highness, rest assured. This subordinate will never leak Your Highness's whereabouts."
With that, Mei Qian glared at Yun Que, his lips moving to form three silent words: *You win!*
"Don't want your silver? Seventy taels! I'll give you cash after the auction ends," Yun Que called out.
"Deduct it from the tab! I still owe you a hundred and twenty-five taels!" Mei Qian threw the door open and left without even looking back.
Leaving the Old Tree Mercantile, Mei Qian walked through the long street with a cold face, stepping into a deserted alley.
"Just how much lingering death aura is on Princess Lingyun?"
Mei Qian pressed a hand against his heart-protecting mirror, muttering strangely to himself.
"A lot. More than three hundred lives have ended because of her recently."
The heart-protecting mirror flashed with a dim luster, and an aged voice came forth.
"When Princess Lingyun travels, there should at least be Rank Eight experts guarding her. Appearing here all by herself means her guards were all killed! She's become a hot potato! With so much lingering death aura on her, why didn't you say so earlier?!" Mei Qian complained.
"Who could have known the Princess would show up so suddenly? I told you long ago to stay away from that punk surnamed Yun. He's a jinx," the aged voice said.
"I'm going to take sick leave the moment I get back and hide for half a month. Any faction eyeing Princess Lingyun is not something a low-ly company commander like me can afford to provoke. That deadbeat Yun Que has led me to my doom. This isn't muddy water—this is a bloody volcano! Jump in and you die!" Mei Qian cursed.
"True enough, your vision is still clear enough. It wasn't a waste of my years cultivating you. But you'd better speed up your cultivation, or that punk surnamed Yun will leave you further and further behind."
"Within a year, I am confident I can break into Rank Seven. Even if Yun Que is faster than me, he won't be able to shake me off by much."
"Heh, your caution is good, and your ambition is not weak. But your vision doesn't look far or deep enough. Do you know that the baleful aura on Yun Que has grown heavier again?"
"He's nothing but a butcher. You said long ago his baleful aura is like a mountain. Can baleful aura make a meal?"
"This time is different. The new baleful aura on him is very strong; I reckon it's two Rank Sevens."
Mei Qian's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, a deep terror welling up in his eyes.
"Killing two Rank Sevens at the same time..." Mei Qian whispered in horror.
"Dig up the treasure as soon as possible. You should know what the things inside mean to a martial artist. Don't forget that Yun Que is a martial artist too."
"With you around, do you really think I couldn't beat him?"
"Heh, don't be too arrogant. Beating that Yun Que isn't difficult. However... that blade of his—I'm not confident I can handle it."
Mei Qian furrowed his brow tightly and quickened his pace. "I understand."
***
Old Tree Mercantile.
The second half of the auction continued.
Yun Que sat in a second-floor private room, drinking tea and eating pastries, still devouring them in his usual ravenous manner.
Soon, the food on the table vanished completely.
"That friend of yours seems very cautious," Mu Qingyao sat by the table, resting her chin in her hand, smiling as she looked at Yun Que.
"Not just cautious; he's sinister and cunning too, a man who recognizes only money and no one else. He's no friend of mine—half a friend at most." Yun Que hadn't eaten his fill. "Are you going to give me any more pastries or not? Who's supposed to get full on this little bit?"
"Aren't you afraid he'll blab about my whereabouts and draw the Red Lotus Cult here?" Mu Qingyao asked.
"Your Highness can rest easy on that. Mei Qian never does anything without a profit. Betraying the Princess is far too dangerous, and that fellow is terrified of dying. He avoids muddy waters like this," Yun Que said indifferently.
Only when one understood another well enough could they be considered friends.
Even if it was only half a friend.
"Why did you leave me all alone at the medical clinic?"
Mu Qingyao asked with a slight smile, her tone devoid of interrogation, filled only with curiosity.
"We agreed I'd escort you to Baiyu City, and our deal ended there," Yun Que replied defensively.
"Since Mei Qian is half a friend of yours, then am I your friend?" Mu Qingyao's smile was exceptionally lovely, radiating pure flawlessness.
"This... I suppose so." Yun Que couldn't go against his conscience.
After all, along this road the two of them had saved each other's lives and gone through life and death together.
"Since we count as friends, then if I die on the way back to the Imperial City, would you feel sad? Years from now, would you still remember me—this friend who once helped you find a snake egg?" Mu Qingyao's voice was ethereal, as if she were confiding a secret.
"Hey, playing the emotional card like this ruins the fun. Before you were bitten by the snake, I risked my life to save you too. We're even now." Yun Que said.
"I didn't ask you to escort me back to the Imperial City. I just want to know: after I die, will you still remember me?"
Mu Qingyao turned her head to look toward the bustling auction hall. "I have very few friends. Traveling about year-round, I treated all my guards as friends, but they all died—died because of me. I don't want a friend like you to end up dying in a foreign land. After tonight, I'll go to the Governor's Mansion to seek an official military escort. Whether I can make it back to the Imperial City alive depends on my own fortune."
"Your Highness has great fortune and will surely have a smooth journey." Yun Que thought for a moment and said, "If Your Highness should fall, I will remember you as a friend."
"Then that's enough." Mu Qingyao beamed with a smile, looking very much like a blooming pear blossom.
Yet both people in the room knew that when a flower bloomed to its absolute limit, it was the beginning of its withering.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going. The mountains are high and the waters are long, Your Highness—until we meet again." Yun Que cupped his fists.
"Until we meet again," Mu Qingyao said softly.
After Yun Que left, the young Princess's smile gradually faded. She quietly watched the auction all by herself.
Solitary and alone, she looked like a flower frozen in the wind and snow.
Life always had its partings.
The bustling auction ended not long after, the crowds dispersing to leave behind the empty, echoing hall of the mercantile.
Mu Qingyao was the last to walk out of Old Tree Mercantile.
She walked the streets entirely alone.
Her steps, though slightly lost at first, gradually grew steady and brisk.
From the very year she decided to search for the spirit flower, Mu Qingyao had known she would face the constant danger of forfeiting her life.
How far she could walk this road, and for how long, she did not know.
Yet since she had chosen this path, she would walk it with firm resolve—just like the senior brothers and sisters who had fallen in battle for the sake of the spirit flower.
Without a shred of resentment or regret!
A magnificent, large fish swam past Mu Qingyao.
Lively drums and music followed close behind.
The young Princess paused on the street and looked back. Marching down the long avenue was a troupe performing a dragon dance.
The giant fish served as the decorative head at the very front of the procession, crafted from colorful paper and startlingly lifelike.
Behind it were over a dozen men in black wearing painted face masks, manipulating a golden dragon that spanned a great length.
This was the grand finale event of every Grand Market in Baiyu City.
The Dance of Fish and Dragons!
The sides of the street were packed with onlookers, their faces beaming with joy amidst ringing laughter and cheer.
The fish and dragon soared up and down in the dancers' hands, carrying with them earnest prayers to banish disaster and bring down blessings.
Mu Qingyao watched with rapt attention, a look of relief gradually dawning upon her pretty face.
Despite the proliferation of demons and fiends in the world, and the endless natural and man-made disasters, the people had not despaired; they were still living as best they could.
Living out that brilliance that belonged uniquely to them.
*"May there be no demons or fiends in this world..."*
The young Princess prayed silently in her heart, completely captivated by the Dance of Fish and Dragons.
As the dragon head swept past her side, one of the masked dancers extended a hand, gesturing for Mu Qingyao by the roadside to join them.
Mu Qingyao was startled for a moment before smiling and extending her hand. Under the dancer's hand-in-hand guidance, she quickly mastered the footwork of the dragon dance.
It was Mu Qingyao's first time dancing with the dragon.
She danced to her heart's content, laughing freely. At that moment, she forgot all her troubles.
When the procession reached the plaza at the far end of the street, fireworks ignited all around, illuminating the sky like a magnificent sea of blossoms.
An entire night of the Dance of Fish and Dragons.
The sea of blossoms cast its glow across the border town.
The celebration had drawn to a close, but the crowd had not yet dispersed. Bonfires were lit in the center of the plaza, and the people gathered in circles, singing, dancing, and reveling through the night.
Mu Qingyao stood by the edge of the plaza.
Her delicate, pretty face was slightly flushed from the night wind. Standing right beside her was the dancer who had just taught her the dragon dance, still wearing a mask.
"For a young lady, it's best not to casually hold hands with strangers. Careful you don't get carried off."
The dragon dancer spoke in a low voice.
"For someone who dances the dragon, it's best not to keep carrying a blade on your back. Careful you don't slice the dragon."
Mu Qingyao tilted her head up with a soft smile.
The dragon dancer sighed, took off his mask, and revealed himself to be Yun Que.
"You figured out it was me early on?" Yun Que asked.
"Otherwise? Do you think I'm the kind of girl who'll follow just anyone who invites me?" Mu Qingyao retorted.
"You're so smart, you should know that someone like me can take risks for money. Human lives all have a price; if the reward exceeds ten thousand taels, it's enough for me to risk my life. Your moon jade—ten thousand taels probably wouldn't even buy it. Why didn't you use that jade to make use of me?" Yun Que frowned.
"I didn't want you to lose your life, because you're my friend."
Mu Qingyao whispered softly, a lingering tenderness welling up deep within her clear eyes.
***
Beneath the bright fireworks and amidst the joyful songs, the young Princess's lovely face appeared all the more radiant, enough to leave one mesmerized.
Yun Que kept his brow furrowed, sizing her up for a long moment just as he had when he first met her.
"So this thing called friendship is far too troublesome. At most, I only look for half a friend," Yun Que sighed.
"Why not look for a whole friend instead of insisting on half?" Mu Qingyao tilted her head slightly, curious.
"Half a friend is the most convenient to use. You can betray them at any time without a hint of guilt," Yun Que said.
"Then am I half a friend, or a whole one?"
Yun Que did not answer the young Princess's question. Instead, he sat down beside an old tree.
"I don't like friends, because you can never see through the human heart. You never know when your friend might kill you."
Yun Que patted the scabbard at his back. "My blade is my first friend. If I ever get the chance, I'll bury it with my own hands."
Mu Qingyao sat down beside Yun Que, able to feel the seething hatred flowing at the bottom of Yun Que's eyes.
"A martial artist's blade or sword is their second life. Why would you hate a blade?"
"When I arrived at Green Fox Mountain, I was taken in by an old hunter. He taught me how to hunt and how to set traps. At the time, I thought I had a family again. But the very next year, the old hunter died."
Yun Que looked up at the starlit sky, murmuring, "That day, I went out alone to set traps and left my blade behind in the cabin. When I returned, there was nothing left of the old hunter except a human skin—his flesh and blood completely hollowed out. My blade doesn't just hunt demons; it eats people too."
From Yun Que's account, Mu Qingyao heard a painful experience, and the clever Princess also roughly guessed the secret of the former dynasty's Demon Slaying Bureau.
"The reason the martial artists of the Great Yan Demon Slaying Bureau were mysterious and powerful must have something to do with the weapons they used," Mu Qingyao said.
"There is a special kind of martial artist in this world who uses demon blood for Body Refining, demon bones to strengthen their physical bodies, and demon souls to fortify their spirits. They coexist with demons and are not tolerated by the cultivators of the world. People turn pale at the mention of them, calling them demon martial artists or Demon Blood Martial Artists."
Yun Que's voice grew low.
"Creating a Demon Blood Martial Artist is extremely difficult. It requires sealing the divine soul of a demon into one's own body, and then refining the demon's corpse into a blade or sword to serve as a natal weapon. Once successful, one can borrow the demon soul to wield power comparable to the demon clan. The drawback is that once the natal weapon snaps, the Demon Blood Martial Artist perishes along with it. I am perhaps the last Demon Blood Martial Artist left in this world."
Mu Qingyao listened quietly.
Even though Yun Que's voice remained calm, the young Princess could still hear the bitterness buried deep in his heart.
A Demon Blood Martial Artist was merely a more pleasant term for a monster.
Neither human nor demon, a demon martial artist had stepped outside the bounds of the pure human race to become a weapon of war deliberately crafted solely to exist for slaughter!
It wasn't until now that Mu Qingyao finally understood why Yun Que had said earlier that his life had long since been sold.
Demon martial artists all sold their lives to their blades and swords!
The blade snaps, and the person dies!
"The method for creating a Demon Blood Martial Artist is known only to the Grand Preceptor of the former dynasty's Tianshu Bureau. You people of the Jin State shouldn't harbor any further delusions; I alone cannot prop up the Demon Slaying Bureau. No amount of money will work. If your Tianshu Bureau were to open a Coroner's Office with decent pay, I might consider it." Yun Que said.
Hearing this, Mu Qingyao, whose mood had originally been heavy, nearly burst out laughing.
As dignified as the Tianshu Bureau was, how could it possibly have a Coroner's Office?
Yet, upon second thought, the Tianshu Bureau specialized in bizarre cases and demonic disturbances within the Jin State; having a dedicated Coroner's Office to investigate the causes of death from corpses actually seemed quite fitting.
"Without this blade, you probably wouldn't have survived the battle in the Demon Capital. Even though it killed the old hunter, it also protected you. If you wield it with caution, it will surely become your greatest asset in the future."