Chapter 345: Hero?
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Old Master Chu sat in a carriage, watching people go past through the gap in the curtains. His expression was ashen and his eyes were ice-cold.
The woman's suicide vexed him greatly.
However, he was unaware that, at that moment, Qin Yun was watching him with his Eye of Lightning open in his glabella from a yard a kilometer away. He too was staring coldly.
Subordinates were either driving the carriage or following on horseback as they passed through the bustling streets of Li Mountain City.
"Stop!"
Old Master Chu's aged voice rang out.
The carriage rapidly came to a halt.
"Old Master?" whispered the horse driver outside.
Old Master Chu gently lifted the curtain of the horse carriage and shot a glance at a poorly-dressed young lady in the distance. Her clothes looked baggy and there were freckles all over her face. She looked rather ugly but in fact, one could tell that she would be rather pretty without the 'freckles.' The freckles tended to give others a strong sense of aversion.
The young lady carried a pile of old clothes as she walked quickly with her head lowered.
Although Old Master Chu had completely converged his aura, his eyes, ears, and nose were keener than those of the average immortal. His eyes were able to clearly see a demonic aura coming from the young lady.
"And she's even a young fox demoness? Fox demonesses are all extremely bewitching. They are a lot more interesting than female humans." Old Master Chu's eyes lit up.
"Mr. Fu." Old Master Chu spoke out.
"Yes, Old Master." A man on horseback came forward and inquired with a voice transmission, "Is there something you need?"
"Do you see that young lady carrying a pile of old clothes?" asked Old Master Chu. "Quickly bring her to my residence. Remember, be careful. Make sure nothing goes wrong."
"Old Master, don't you worry." Mr. Fu looked at the young lady and meticulously cast his Dharma spells to inspect her. He could not help but be astonished by what he saw. He immediately said with a voice transmission, "Old Master, that's a young fox demoness."
"Aren't you confident you can capture her alive?" asked Old Master Chu.
"It will be trivial," said Mr. Fu assuredly.
"Alright. Get it done. You don't have to follow me." Old Master Chu then closed the curtain.
The horse driver continued leading the carriage ahead.
Mr. Fu dismounted his horse and handed it to a servant behind him. Then he walked leisurely behind as he stalked the young fox demoness.
"Mr. Fu! Mr. Fu!" He heard someone calling him.
"Oh?" Mr. Fu turned his head and saw the Chu family's Young Master Meilun approaching with two subordinates.
"Young Master Meilun." Mr. Fu was very polite.
Chu Meilun said with a voice transmission, "Mr. Fu, I saw everything. Who has caught the eye of my old master now?"
Although Old Master Chu's 'unique hobby' was kept confidential, there were servants and Chu family members of higher status who knew of it. However, none of them dared to expose him. This was because anyone that dared to do so would be killed! They might even implicate their close ones! The Chu family was much more intimidating than even the provincial government.
"It's that freckled lady carrying the clothes," said Mr. Fu through a voice transmission.
"Freckles?" Meilun gave her a look and could not help but reveal a look of disgust.
"Young Master Meilun, that's because you aren't seeing it right. The freckles are fake! That is a young fox demoness," said Mr. Fu through a voice transmission. "In terms of charm, fox demonesses are even better than the most renowned courtesans in the brothels. She might be wearing tattered and baggy clothes but if she were to change into a fitted dress and reveal her original looks, you might be rooted to your spot."
"Fox demoness?" Chu Meilun's eyes lit up when he heard that as he chuckled through a voice transmission. "Mr. Fu, I have enjoyed many beauties but I have never experienced a fox demoness. Mr. Fu, you know what I mean!"
Mr. Fu was one of the top three mercenaries of the Chu family.
Although he followed Old Master Chu usually, it was unknown when Old Master Chu would die from his terribly old age Therefore, Mr. Fu kept up extremely good relationships with the best scions of the younger generation. For example, Chu Meilun had already knocked open the gate of immortality. He was, however, extremely lustful and frequently flirted with or abused women. Some would occasionally lose their lives to his cruelty.
However, Mr. Fu ignored all of this! What he cared about was having a strong backer in the Chu family as well as gaining benefits for his cultivation.
"Young Master Meilun, she has been earmarked by Old Master." Mr. Fu frowned slightly. "It might be a little difficult."
"I'll use her for two days before you hand her over to him, alright?" Chu Meilun said with a voice transmission. "I need your help on this matter. After all, you do know that I have just knocked open the gate of immortality. I have no confidence in dealing with a fox demoness. Once it's done, I'll reward you with a ninth-grade Dharma treasure!"
Mr. Fu's eyes lit up the moment he heard that. He nodded slightly. "Alright, then it's settled. However, it can only be carried out at night. There are too many people watching during the day."
"Alright. I'll join you when you do it. Capture her and take her directly to my residence." Chu Meilun was filled with anticipation.
…
"This Old Master Chu has eyes on the young fox demoness?" Qin Yun frowned. "I spared the three lesser demons in the city because they did not commit any obvious sins. Especially this young fox demoness, she's the cleanest of them all!"
Qin Yun's Eye of Lightning could easily see everything.
The young fox demoness carried the old clothes all the way to a very dilapidated commoner house.
"Second Madam, you're back?"
"Yea."
The young fox demoness smiled as she greeted her neighbors before entering her home.
"The eldest son of the Hu family sure lucked out. A cripple like him actually managed to get a woman. Auntie Li, your son brags so much but he doesn't have a woman although he's nearly thirty, right?"
"Listen to this crappy mouth of yours. How can the Hu family's eldest son compare to mine? Her face is covered in freckles. I wouldn't want her even if she was given to us."
"Wasn't the Hu family's eldest son a hero in the past? As a disciple of the Li Mountain Sect, he apparently knocked open the gate of immortality and killed more than one fiendish demon in his time. Back then, he saved many people by slaying fiendish demons. Unfortunately, he lost his arm during a battle with the fiendish demons. It was said that his dantian was maimed and he could no longer engage in Qi Refinement for cultivation, becoming a cripple."
"Yes, he was indeed deserving of being called a hero. But so what? That doesn't put food in your stomach!"
"True, it's best to not be a hero!"
The women discussed.
Qin Yun's Eye of Lightning saw this scene and heard everything they said.
"Don't be a hero?" Qin Yun muttered softly.
He recalled how his pregnant wife had been abducted. If his wife had given birth to their daughter, his daughter was probably a teenager by now.
"Xiaoxiao…"
Qin Yun held back the intense worry and longing for his wife.
He had obtained a detailed report about the various disciples of the Li Mountain Sect from the Inspector Heavenly Alliance. It was a second-tier sect and there were fewer than thirty disciples. One of them was Hu Si.
Hu Si was fearless! He abhorred evil! He always charged headlong into battle when dealing with fiendish demons. He was one of the best disciples of the Li Mountain Sect's younger generation. However, despite being extremely powerful, he was inflicted with heavy injuries because he was not careful while fighting fiendish demons. He lost his arm and had his dantian maimed, becoming a cripple! And as he abhorred evil, he had offended the affluent figures of Li Mountain City. He was poisoned by them in retaliation. Although he did not die, his condition turned worse. His lifestyle was now much worse than most people's. It was as though he was a swine.
He led a life like a swine!
His own father had died of hunger due to a lack of food during the cold winter.
The Chu family, with its unique position, gave Hu Si the job of 'delivering timber.' However, due to his poor physical condition, he could not deliver much timber. He led quite an abject life.
"Don't be a hero?" Qin Yun shook his head. As he had spent time in the border's battlefield during his youth, Qin Yun hated to see heroes bleed and tear.
…
About an hour after the young fox demoness returned home, Qin Yun came to their door and gently knocked on it.
"Creak." The door opened. It was a bearded man with a missing arm. He looked at Qin Yun perplexed and asked, "You are?"
"My surname is Qin. Are you Hero Hu Si?" said Qin Yun with a smile.
The man immediately said, "Please, don't call me that. I don't deserve it. Mr. Qin, please come on in."
Qin Yun looked at the man and felt the fear in him. He could not help but sigh. "He was a cultivator that reached the eleventh stage of Qi Refinement back then. He was on the crest of success but in just a few years, he becomes horrified and uneasy when I address him as a hero… He truly has lost all his ambition. That's right. Relatives are distancing themselves from him and he is mocked by others. Even his parents are starving, so much so that his father starved to death. No matter how heroic one is, their ambition would probably be worn away under such circumstances."
Qin Yun knew what Hu Si had experienced and felt greater empathy for him.
He did not wish to see a hero end up like this.
"That young fox demoness also entered the Hu family a year ago," thought Qin Yun. "She washes clothes to add to the household income but they barely get by. It's unfortunate that this young fox demoness has been targeted."
"Please, have a seat. Here, have some hot tea." Hu Si quickly poured Qin Yun tea.
Qin Yun sat down and looked at the tiny yard that was only a few strides wide. The stone stools and table took up nearly half the yard. He said, "Brother Hu Si, I took up residence in Li Mountain City and am lacking help. If you are willing to watch my mansion and clean it, I'm willing to pay you five taels of silver every month."
He happened to be staying in Li Mountain City for about half a year.
He could also take the opportunity to watch over Hu Si before deciding how he could help.
Hu Si was alarmed.
Five taels of silver?
He might not have thought much of it in the past but he was now in desperate need of it! After all, his wife barely earned two taels of silver a month from washing clothes. He earned less than his wife!
"No, I can't. Mr. Qin, I appreciate your kindness. If I were to work for you, I might only bring you harm," said Hu Si immediately. At that moment, he still was unaware that a huge opportunity had arrived in front of him.