Chapter 74

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Chapter 74: Mortal Body

As dawn broke, Ming He hastily bid farewell to Governor Chu, pulling Qin Chu Yi along into the carriage. She had no intention of ever returning to this place, and Chu Yi Qing need not come either.

Even if their lifelong commitment was a pretense, she would stand by Chu Yi Qing, providing her with a safe haven and a stable life. If Chu Yi Qing never found a man she loved, continuing this way would be just fine.

As for herself, Ming He doubted she would ever marry anyone.

Inside the carriage, Qin Chu Yi gazed at her with a teasing smile. "The Young Master seems quite eager to leave the governor’s residence," she remarked casually, while pondering how to help Ming He recover her memories.

The cause and effect of the mortal world, the Ancient Realm Trial—since she and Ming He had appeared in the same place with such a connection, they would both need to remember in order to pass.

"Of course, we won’t be coming back here," Ming He replied, her lips pressed together, her disdain evident. She felt a surge of indignation on Qin Chu Yi’s behalf.

Qin Chu Yi paused. "Are you standing up for me?" she asked, her eyes bright and clear, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Yes… yes, I am," Ming He stammered, her words faltering under Qin Chu Yi’s radiant gaze. She felt a twinge of shyness but spoke honestly. "It’s alright. The escort agency will be your home from now on."

"Good," Qin Chu Yi replied, her smile deepening, her tone soft. "I understand."

A quiet stillness settled over the carriage.

"Young Master, there are… bandits ahead," the driver’s trembling voice broke the silence after some time.

Bandits? Ming He’s heart skipped a beat. They were on the main road, and even as they entered the mountain path, bandits shouldn’t be here. Moreover, the carriage was surrounded by escort guards. Who would dare to attack?

"Stay inside the carriage. I’ll take a look," Ming He instructed Qin Chu Yi, lifting the curtain. Before her stood a group of fierce bandits on horseback, wielding curved knives, their black attire uniform and menacing.

Black Wind Thieves.

Ming He’s heart sank. She immediately understood. Zhang Gui, her Shishu, the Second Master of the Zhenyuan Escort.

Only the escort agency knew about her journey with Qin Chu Yi. The Black Wind Thieves had clearly been hired, just as her father had been ambushed and killed while protecting a secret escort.

"Yi Qing, come down," Ming He said, pulling Qin Chu Yi out of the carriage and shielding her from the leering gazes of the bandits.

The Black Wind Thieves wouldn’t back down after being paid; their greed was evident. Ming He knew she couldn’t talk her way out of this. The only option was to fight through the encirclement.

"Young Master, go first," one of the escort guards said, gripping his knife tightly, his expression resolute, instinctively using the familiar title.

"Alright," Ming He agreed without hesitation. To outsiders, she appeared frail and sickly, and staying behind would only hinder the guards.

"Let’s go," she whispered, tightening her grip on Qin Chu Yi’s hand before turning onto a narrow, winding path to evade the bandits. More guards would come from the agency eventually; she just needed to buy time.

"Charge!"

"Kill the one in white!"

"Kill!"

The Black Wind Thieves surged forward, their long knives slicing through the air with a menacing hum.

"Protect the Young Master!" the escort guards shouted, their spirits unyielding. But they were outnumbered, and the sudden attack scattered them, forcing each to fight alone.

Ming He led Qin Chu Yi through the twisting mountain paths, her heart pounding, her breaths heavy. Her body was still too weak.

"I’m sorry for dragging you into this," Ming He said, glancing at Qin Chu Yi with a pang of guilt. Though they had faced many challenges, Qin Chu Yi had grown up in a governor’s household and likely had never encountered such violence.

Unlike Ming He, who had been exposed to such chaos from a young age and had grown accustomed to it.

"It’s fine," Qin Chu Yi replied, shaking her head. If the bandits caught up, she wouldn’t be entirely helpless.

"The Young Master runs fast," a rough voice called out ahead. Ming He looked up to see a tall, burly man with a long scar across his face, his gaze fixed on her and Qin Chu Yi like a predator eyeing its prey.

Ming He felt a jolt of alarm, her first instinct to shield Qin Chu Yi behind her. She clenched her fists, her eyes fixed on the approaching figure. He stood alone, a curved knife in hand, clearly having pursued them on foot along the winding mountain path where horses could not go. She wondered how the other escort guards were faring.

A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind, but her face remained calm and composed. “Did Zhang Gui send you?”

“Zhang Gui, that useless fool, cannot command us,” the burly middle-aged man scoffed. “But our young master did accept payment from Zhang Er Ye.”

He was certain Ming He would die today, so he spoke without restraint. After his words, he lunged forward, raising his curved knife with sharp, menacing eyes, a mix of ferocity and murderous intent. “Let me send you to the heavens.”

“Hmph.” Ming He snorted coldly, pushing Qin Chu Yi aside. She avoided the knife’s tip with her right hand and struck the man with a powerful punch to his chest, knocking him back several steps. The impact sent a jolt through her fist, soon staining her pale lips with blood.

“You know martial arts?” The man hesitated, shocked by the unexpected blow that had injured him, his breath faltering.

“I never said I couldn’t,” Ming He replied with a faint smile, raising her fist to strike again, aiming for the crown of his head. Her gaze was sharp and ruthless, matching the murderous intent of a man hardened by years of bloodshed.

“Such cunning,” the man muttered, realizing the Young Master of the Zhenyuan Escort had deceived everyone with her reputation for being frail and unskilled.

“And there’s more,” Ming He said with a light laugh, watching as the man braced himself against her punch. Her left hand, unnoticed, gripped a small, sharp dagger. In the instant he was distracted by blocking her fist, she plunged the dagger into his heart, killing him instantly.

It felt oddly familiar. This was her first time killing someone; why did it feel so natural?

As she withdrew the dagger, a few droplets of blood splattered her face, the contrast of white and red creating a striking, vivid beauty.

Turning around, she saw Qin Chu Yi watching her from a few steps away, her expression a mix of surprise and contemplation.

“What’s wrong? Are you scared?” Ming He approached, her voice low and tinged with exhaustion. Not being skilled in martial arts was a lie; being frail and sickly was the truth. Killing wasn’t hard—she simply lacked the strength to do so.

Because of her weakness, her dagger could not pierce deep enough to end a life, which is why she claimed not to practice martial arts.

“No,” Qin Chu Yi shook her head, but suddenly her eyes widened. A black shadow charged toward Ming He, its murderous intent mirroring that of the previous assailant. She wanted to step in to protect Ming He, but her position didn’t allow for action.

“Clang!”

It was the sound of a sword piercing flesh. Ming He also spotted the shadow rushing at her from Qin Chu Yi’s expression, but time was short. Acting on instinct, she pulled Qin Chu Yi to the right, and the long sword grazed her heart, injuring her right shoulder, but the rest was manageable.

Yet, her strength was nearly depleted from the earlier fight, and she feared she couldn’t escape death this time, regretting that she had put someone else in danger.

Ming He looked at Qin Chu Yi in her arms, feeling a sense of despair. Had she known this would happen, perhaps staying at the governor’s residence would have been better; at least she would still be alive.

As she reflected, she watched Qin Chu Yi stand up straight from her embrace, reaching out to grasp the tip of the sword offered by the shadow without any visible effort.

Qin Chu Yi wielded the sword with ease, ending the shadow’s life. She turned to meet Ming He’s astonished gaze, a smile on her face. “I never said I couldn’t fight.” She was, after all, Qin Chu Yi.

Ming He stood frozen, feeling an uncanny familiarity with this appearance; it seemed as if she was always meant to be like this—heroic and free-spirited.

“Young Master, Young Mistress!” calls from the escort guards approached from the distance.

Ming He steadied herself and took Qin Chu Yi’s hand. At her burning gaze, she tossed the long sword aside and lowered her head to clean the blood from her hands, then led her out.

Si’er rushed ahead, “Is the Young Master alright?” After a moment of hesitation, she leaned in close to Ming He and quietly murmured a few words.

“I understand.” Ming He nodded, a cold light flashing across her face. Si’er had been sent to follow the accountant, and her arrival with the escort guards was due to that accountant visiting Zhang Gui yesterday, which led to today’s assassination attempt.

“Let’s return first.” Ming He held her right shoulder and led Qin Chu Yi into the carriage. The white fabric of her clothing had already been stained red with blood, resembling a blooming rose, contrasting beautifully with Ming He’s pale lips.

“I’ll help you bandage your wound.” Qin Chu Yi pulled out a medicine box from a hidden compartment in the carriage. “You wouldn’t want a doctor showing up, would you?” After all, her identity must not be revealed.

As she spoke, she began to tear open Ming He’s shirt, exposing the injury marred with blood. Ming He’s skin, pale and translucent, reflected years of frailty, yet it looked lovely on her, like untouched snow on a mountain peak.

Qin Chu Yi opened the pouch of wound medicine and sprinkled some powder evenly on the injury. Almost instantly, she saw Ming He’s brow furrow tightly, her pale lips pressed together, as if she was holding back a cry of pain.

“Does it hurt a lot?” Qin Chu Yi was slightly stunned. She remembered how Ming He had emerged from the stone forest, her blue clothes almost entirely stained with blood, yet she had managed to block a fatal strike from the Envoy of the Black Wind Alliance without flinching. Now, the sword of the Black Wind Thief had only barely pierced her wound, so the pain, in comparison, was vastly different.

But Ming He’s reaction was also quite different. Before, she hadn’t seemed to feel any pain—had she been suppressing it? Now, as the Young Master of the Zhenyuan Escort, this was likely her first time sustaining such an injury, which made her appear somewhat “delicate.” Though it was only “delicate” when compared to the Ming He of before.

“It’s nothing,” Ming He replied simply, her gaze distant and unfocused. She felt pain because she had never experienced such an injury before.

Yet deep within her soul, she felt no pain; this wound was insignificant compared to what she had endured in the past. But had she ever been injured before?

As she pondered this, she stared blankly at Qin Chu Yi, who was carefully tending to her wound. The woman in red attire was focused, tying the white cloth into a neat bow. Sunlight filtered through the carriage window, casting a soft halo over her gentle profile, making her look radiant and beautiful.

“All done,” Qin Chu Yi said, securing the bandage with a light touch and speaking in a cheerful tone.

The searing pain in Ming He’s right shoulder persisted, and the sensation felt increasingly familiar. She thought she had grown accustomed to it.

A fleeting light passed through her eyes, and when she looked up again, she seemed like a different person. Meeting Qin Chu Yi’s bright gaze, she lowered her head to adjust her clothes, her expression slightly awkward. “Thank you… Senior Sister,” Ming He said.

“Hmm,” Qin Chu Yi nodded absentmindedly, but her expression shifted a moment later. “Hmm? What did you just say?” Had she just called her Senior Sister?

“I said thank you, Senior Sister,” Ming He replied, a faint smile in her eyes. “I’ve remembered.”

The Vast Ancient Realm, the cause and effect of the mortal world.

Qin Chu Yi must have recalled her memories at the governor’s mansion last night, while Ming He’s recollection was triggered by the familiar pain from the Black Wind Thief’s sword.

Ming He thought of her identity in this small world of cause and effect, a faint smile on her lips that didn’t reach her eyes. The Young Master of the Zhenyuan Escort!

A sense of loneliness washed over her. She hadn’t expected the realm spirit to grant her such a noble identity. Despite the many strange occurrences, she had always been just one step away from remembering.

Ming He chuckled softly, pushing aside her inexplicable emotions, and glanced at Qin Chu Yi, her gaze softening. “But now I remember. We’re still here, which means we haven’t completed the Trial.”

Qin Chu Yi had already figured it out, and naturally, Ming He had too. So, what was the key to the Trial?

She looked down at the wound on her shoulder, lost in thought, then raised her eyes to speak in unison with Qin Chu Yi: “Zhang Gui.”

Both of them had appeared directly on the wedding stage, and the first key figure Ming He had seen was Zhang Gui. Upon closer reflection, her marriage to Qin Chu Yi had also been orchestrated by Zhang Gui. Therefore, Zhang Gui must be an important figure in the cause and effect of the mortal world.

With this clue, following the trail wouldn’t be too difficult.

Zhang Gui had hired the Black Wind Thief to ambush the Young Master of the Zhenyuan Escort and later conspired against her. Additionally, with the account book Si’er had obtained from the accountant, which revealed Zhang Gui’s embezzlement of funds to hire assassins, the evidence was undeniable. Ming He tossed the account book in front of the escort masters.

According to the rules of the martial world, Zhang Gui should have paid with his life, leaving no trace of his body and no peaceful end.

Yet, even though Zhang Gui was dead, she and Qin Chu Yi were still here. The Trial remained incomplete. Why?

Ming He and Qin Chu Yi stood in the courtyard, exchanging glances.

“This is the first Trial of the Vast Ancient Realm—the cause and effect of the mortal world. The realm spirit mentioned Trial Participants One, Two, Three, and Four,” Qin Chu Yi mused.

“If we are One and Two, then who are Three and Four?” Ming He suddenly understood Qin Chu Yi’s implication. “Are you saying…”

She paused, her eyes gleaming with realization. “The Black Wind Thief?” The black-clothed masked man had also entered this realm. He was the Envoy of the Black Wind Alliance, so how could they not be connected?

“Exactly,” Qin Chu Yi affirmed. “Before the Vast Ancient Realm appeared, we were confronting the Envoy of the Black Wind Alliance. After the realm appeared, we temporarily escaped the danger.”

But the danger was only postponed. The ancient realm had its own spirit, and it followed the natural order of cause and effect without interference. Thus, it had brought the events preceding the realm’s appearance into the Trial.

If they failed to complete it, both she and Ming He would still be in life danger.

“So, we must eliminate the Black Wind Thief to complete the Trial?” Ming He followed Qin Chu Yi’s train of thought, formulating a plan. They could only rely on their own strength to defeat the Black Wind Thief, as this was the situation they had faced before the realm’s appearance—part of the cause and effect of the mortal world.

They couldn’t seek help from the government or the escort agency, but the black-clothed masked man had the entire Black Wind Thief at his disposal.

“But how can we possibly eliminate the Black Wind Thief?” Ming He asked with a wry smile. They had no spiritual energy, only mortal bodies. This was a lower martial world, while the Black Wind Thief possessed internal energy. They were clearly outmatched.

“We can do it,” Qin Chu Yi said with unwavering confidence. “We are sword cultivators, and that is enough.”

The woman in red attire smiled faintly, picking up a long sword from the weapon rack in the courtyard. “True sword cultivators do not rely on spiritual energy. The sword cultivators of ancient times were the real masters. Back then, when the myriad techniques were just emerging, only Swordsmanship was considered the supreme Great Path. A sword cultivator’s strength lies not in cultivation or spiritual energy, but in the sword they wield.”

As Qin Chu Yi spoke, she swung her sword, and a resonant sound echoed through the heavens and earth. “The small world of cause and effect has sealed away spiritual energy and cultivation, but the sword intent remains.”

She sheathed her sword and turned, her aura cold and sharp, handing the hilt to Ming He. “I haven’t fully grasped true sword intent, so I cannot manifest it here. But you can.”

Ming He understood the sword intent of heaven and earth. As long as the heavens and earth existed, her intent would endure.

“Alright,” Ming He said, taking the long sword and twirling it lightly. The resonant sound of the heavens and earth grew stronger. She gazed at the clouds above, her expression calm. As long as the heavens and earth existed, the sword intent would remain unshaken by external forces—it resided solely in her hands and in her heart.

“Then let’s set out,” Ming He said with a clear smile, ready to eliminate the Black Wind Thief.