Chapter 196 - To Save a Life

The turn of events left Chi Nanwei feeling a bit dazed. She followed Xue Qiming out of the inn and onto the street, head full of a fog of thoughts.

She didn’t see Ye Beizhi and the others outside the inn, likely because they had gone ahead back to their own lodgings.

Xue Qiming turned back to look at Chi Nanwei.

"What’s got you spacing out?"

"

Ah... huh

?" Chi Nanwei opened her mouth, and a jumble of confused sounds spilled out.

"Lead the way. I don’t know where you’re staying," Xue Qiming said.

Chi Nanwei snapped out of it and quickly said, "Ah... right, right, this way."

After walking nearly two streets, Chi Nanwei suddenly stopped. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Xue Qiming spun around, glancing back the way they came. "Someone following us?"

Chi Nanwei’s urgent face bounced in front of Xue Qiming as she yelped, "We forgot Big Brother Dingwu!"

Xue Qiming froze for a moment, his gaze shifting awkwardly to the side. "Seems like... we did?"

"What do you mean,

seems like

! Go back and save him!" Chi Nanwei stomped her foot angrily, prepared to head back.

Xue Qiming quickly grabbed her. "Hey. Don’t bother. No one’s going to harm him. Let’s get back to your place first."

Chi Nanwei frowned and glared at Xue Qiming. "You beat the innkeeper that hard and still say no one’s going to hurt Big Brother Dingwu?"

"You don’t get it," Xue Qiming said, spreading his hands. "Since I wrecked their place... they have to keep your Big Brother Dingwu under close watch to demand compensation from us. Since they're depending on him to collect, who’s going to hurt him? You think they’d kill him?"

Chi Nanwei was dumbfounded by his logic, but just as she was about to retort, Xue Qiming cut her off. "Let’s go. As long as no one dies, it’s not a big deal. Come on, your Mute Ye is probably getting impatient."

Chi Nanwei bit her lip for a long moment before stomping her foot. "Fine! I’ll drop you off first, then come back to get Brother Dingwu!"

The three quickened their pace, and before long, they reached the inn where Ye Beizhi and the others were staying. Climbing the stairs and entering the room, they found Tang Jinnian was already awake and tied to a chair. Ye Beizhi stood nearby, while Baili Gucheng sat across from him.

Xue Qiming grinned as soon as he saw how Tang Jinnian was tied up tightly. "Yo! Woke up pretty fast,

huh

?"

The atmosphere in the room had been calm, but as soon as Tang Jinnian turned and saw Xue Qiming, he nearly leapt out of the chair, cursing loudly. "You filthy beggar! You dared ambush me?! We’re not done!"

Xue Qiming pursed his lips and nodded. "Look how excited he is. Looks like I didn’t break anything important."

"Enough." Ye Beizhi interjected. Although he stopped Xue Qiming from saying more, his gaze remained fixed on Tang Jinnian.

Baili Gucheng, who had been sitting with his head down, finally raised his head and gave Xue Qiming a faint smile. "It’s been a while."

"Yeah, it has." Xue Qiming nodded. "What’s this I hear about you crippling yourself with qi deviation?"

"Not completely crippled," Baili Gucheng said with a bitter smile, "I can still circulate qi, but if I push it, I might lose my life... So basically crippled."

Xue Qiming picked up a teapot from the table and poured a cup for Xue Niang. Then he tilted his chin toward Yang Lu, who was lying unconscious on the bed. "She’s the one who can save you?"

Baili Gucheng turned his head to look at Yang Lu, his expression complicated. After a long pause, he nodded slowly. "That seems to be the case for now."

Xue Qiming took the tea from Xue Niang and drank it in one gulp. "What are we waiting for? Just take that Transcendence whatever Stone," he said, jabbing a finger at Tang Jinnian. "This guy’s such a miser. If he has anything good, he’s keeping it on him!"

Tang Jinnian’s feet weren’t bound, so he kicked at Xue Qiming and shouted, "I’ll kill you, you shameless bastard!"

Xue Qiming leapt back to dodge, grinning as he reached out to poke him again.

"Leave him alone!" Rao Shuang slapped Xue Qiming’s hand away and stepped in front of Tang Jinnian.

Xue Qiming awkwardly withdrew his hand. "We're just playing around, don't get mad..."

"I don’t want to do this... but we’re desperate," Baili Gucheng muttered, lowering his head again.

At that moment, Chi Nanwei walked over and tugged on Ye Beizhi’s sleeve, and whispered in his ear, "Brother Dingwu is still at the other inn. He’s alone and hasn’t woken up. I’m worried he might be mistreated. Should I go and get him back?"

Ye Beizhi turned his head slightly and said, "..I’ll go."

Chi Nanwei thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I’ll get you some silver. Pay what needs to be paid, but don’t get into a fight."

Ye Beizhi nodded.

Seeing that Ye Beizhi agreed, Chi Nanwei went to her room to fetch the silver.

The room fell silent for a moment before Tang Jinnian spoke. He gestured toward Yang Lu on the bed with his chin and asked Baili Gucheng, "Who is she to you?"

Baili Gucheng was silent for a long time before he answered, "A benefactor."

"Heh," Tang Jinnian sneered. "She’s Impending Sword’s benefactor, not mine. Why should I save her? There’s only one Transcendence Stone in this world, and I plan to use it to craft a living puppet. If I give it to you, what am I supposed to use?"

"Puppets are dead," Ye Beizhi said, staring at Tang Jinnian, "People are alive."

"That’s true," Xue Qiming chimed in. "You can always make more puppets, but once someone’s dead, that’s it."

"Shut up! Who asked you to talk? Stay out of this!" Tang Jinnian snapped at Xue Qiming.

Xue Qiming’s eyes widened. "Hey, you’re tied up and still so arrogant? Let me tell you, just because they’re too polite to snatch it doesn’t mean I am. If I really wanted to take it, no one here could stop me."

"Then go ahead, take it! Go on, go on!" Tang Jinnian sneered at Xue Qiming. "And what then? Shove it down her throat? See if it kills her or not? Let me be clear! No one here but me knows how to refine the Transcendence Stone. If you’ve got the guts, try and take it."

Xue Qiming fell silent. Baili Gucheng lowered his head further, and Ye Beizhi said nothing.

Rao Shuang looked at Yang Lu on the bed, then at Baili Gucheng’s pained expression. Tentatively, she said to Tang Jinnian, "Maybe... maybe you could save her?"

"Shut up!" Tang Jinnian growled at Rao Shuang, who bit her lip and retreated behind him.

The room fell silent once more.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Xue Niang suddenly spoke up.

"

Um

..." The girl’s voice was still youthful but unusually clear. She pointed at Rao Shuang and asked Tang Jinnian, "If it were her lying on the bed... would you save her?"

Tang Jinnian froze, not expecting such a poignant question to come from Xue Niang, let alone the way she phrased it.

Tang Jinnian turned to look at Rao Shuang and found her glancing at him as well. Their eyes met briefly before quickly looking away.

"Ah, this is so annoying..." Tang Jinnian took a deep breath. "I’m good at killing, not saving... Fine, I’ll do it. But to refine the Transcendence Stone, I’m still missing some items."

"What do you need?" Baili Gucheng raised his head sharply.

Tang Jinnian chuckled and turned his gaze toward Xue Qiming’s waist.