Chapter 54: Qin Yuan Passes Away

Chapter 54: Qin Yuan’s Transcendence

“I joined the Great Unity Society last year through Hu Bolong,” Yang Huchan transmitted quietly.

Hu Bolong—the second-in-command of the Great Unity Society.

Qin Yuan had heard of him but never met; it was said he was a tall, strong, handsome man.

Yang Huchan’s circle of friends was truly impressive and impossible to disregard.

“So, it’s about to begin?” Qin Yuan asked.

Yang Huchan looked at Qin Yuan with surprise, then sneered coldly after a moment: “You wouldn’t know?”

Yang Huchan prided himself on having met countless people in his lifetime.

He had never encountered anyone as death-averse as Qin Yuan.

Such a person could not possibly be oblivious to danger.

“I really don’t know,” Qin Yuan said with wide eyes, feigning ignorance.

He had known about this from the very start.

With emissaries from the Taoists, the Five Beasts Immortals, and the Gu tribe all right under their noses, yet failing to discover anything, he might as well have dispersed all his magical power.

Yang Huchan didn’t bother pressing the matter further but looked toward the Great Commander’s Mansion with deep concern.

Knowing the temperament of his sworn brother, once he found out, there was little chance of mercy.

Suddenly, Yang Huchan regretted joining the Great Unity Society.

At fifty-five years old, how many years did he have left?

Even if the Great Unity Society could seize the world, it would take at least a decade or more.

By then, he would be deaf and blind.

If he wanted to continue serving, no one would want him.

“It’s starting,” Qin Yuan said.

At that moment, squads of troops poured into the city from outside the walls.

Their cultivation levels were no lower than seventh rank.

Ninth rank and Grandmasters were plentiful.

In several places, combat fluctuations approaching the Mountain and Sea Realm had already erupted.

If these fighters scattered, it might not be so threatening; but tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands—Qin Yuan himself could not handle them all.

Not to mention the schemers lurking behind who, for unknown reasons, had not yet revealed their fangs.

“Why didn’t I see this coming?” Yang Huchan asked as his words fell.

From the direction of the city gate, a towering blaze shot into the night sky.

It illuminated the darkness.

At the same time, the slaughter escalated to a new level.

“It’s started!” Yang Huchan’s teeth chattered in terror.

A sense of helplessness and fear, coupled with the biting cold wind, nearly brought him to his knees.

Qin Yuan paid him no mind.

His gaze fixed on one spot.

There, over a hundred Taoists were engaged in the carnage. Should he take advantage of the chaos and kill a few?

After some thought, Qin Yuan abandoned the idea.

Now was not the time to strike in secret.

“Dragon slaughter…”

“Dragon slaughter…”

The voices carried endless grief and indignation.

They were soon drowned out by even fiercer sounds of battle.

The Great Unity Society, weak in strength and ill-prepared, fell faster than Qin Yuan had anticipated.

Before dawn, the fighting was over.

Due to the intense shock and a night spent braving the cold wind, Yang Huchan fell ill.

Before leaving, he insisted on handing the Left Historical Institute over to Qin Yuan.

Regardless of seniority, prestige, or their relationship, Qin Yuan was the natural choice.

***

Qin Yuan wanted to feign illness as well, but no one would believe him.

Pretending to be wounded had already been tried once.

Helpless, he could only... transcend.

Yes, truly transcend.

Qin Yuan had long wished to fake his death and escape.

What followed was a massive manhunt.

Thousands upon thousands were captured and killed.

Many of them were innocent.

No matter how much they protested, no one heeded their cries.

The Great Commander had said: “Better to kill a hundred thousand innocent than let one guilty go free.”

The entire capital was terrified.

Previously, Duan Hu had pretended to be tough.

But this Great Commander didn’t even bother pretending.

A gang leader involved in various illegal dealings sighed: “Compared to these people, I’m a saint who eats vegetarian food and chants Buddha’s name.”

He was arrested that very day for sympathizing with the Great Unity Society.

The gang leader explained: “Even if I wanted to join, they wouldn’t want me.”

Another charge was added—that he had long admired the Great Unity Society.

Without trial or execution grounds, he was killed outright.

Many, unwilling to harm their comrades from the old battlefields, were ruthlessly arrested and executed.

There were numerous such cases, rapidly spreading beyond the capital.

Deaths surged exponentially.

To speed up the killings, methods continuously evolved and grew more brutal.

In Qingzhou, a massive tent was erected, people were herded inside, and poisonous smoke was released.

In Zhongzhou, large-scale mass executions by pit burial were carried out.

In Yuezhou, people were driven directly into the sea.

...

The entire realm was dyed blood-red.

Months passed in the blink of an eye.

Though the slaughter continued, its intensity had greatly diminished.

In the third lane of the Western Alley.

At the Qin family residence.

Qin Yuan celebrated his fiftieth birthday.

“Wishing Uncle Shi longevity, health, and ever-expanding progress on the martial path,” said Li Shoumin, who wore a sword at his waist in preparation for a sword dance performance.

Colleagues from the Left Historical Institute offered their congratulations.

Even Yang Huchan, bedridden and ill for months, attended.

“When I was young, when a ninth-rank expert celebrated a birthday, half the martial world would be stirred. Now...” Yang Huchan shook his head with a sigh.

The world was changing too fast, even someone as adaptable as he struggled to keep up.

“Fame isn’t always a blessing,” Qin Yuan smiled.

Yang Huchan nodded.

After seeing so much over the years, he understood.

The higher one climbs, the harder the fall.

Though Zheng San was at the height of his power now, sooner or later, he would die ignominiously and become the laughingstock of the world.

“Come on, pay your respects to Uncle.”

Li Shoumin brought his three sons before Qin Yuan.

“Wishing Uncle brilliance like the sun and moon, and eternal youth like the seasons,” the three vigorous boys knelt together, speaking in unison.

The emperor was long gone; comparing Qin Yuan to the sun and moon was no taboo.

The sun and moon endure forever—hardly a wish for an early death.

Qin Yuan was in good spirits today and didn’t admonish the children.

He even gave each of them a large red envelope.

The three boys grinned from ear to ear.

They kowtowed again to Qin Yuan.

“Someone has brought a letter,” a colleague entered and said.

Qin Yuan took it, opened it, and saw it was written by Shao Pingping, who had gone to Changbai Mountain.

Besides congratulating him on his fiftieth birthday, she sent a drop of condensed ginseng essence.

It was sealed with vibrant vitality.

This young fellow had truly found a rare opportunity.

Qin Yuan was surprised but also touched.

Despite benefiting himself, he hadn’t forgotten his old uncle.

“Brother Yuanda, Brother Yuanda...” another voice came.

Qin Yuan had already noticed.

It was Lü Yunfei, whom he had rescued years ago.

The crowd parted.

Dust-covered and with hair frosted like snow, Lü Yunfei was supported as he walked over.

Qin Yuan stood and helped him to a seat.

“I didn’t expect everyone to still remember me, especially you, Brother Yunfei. At my age, traveling thousands of miles, I really feel ashamed,” Lü Yunfei said.

“Then drink more with me to ease your guilt.”

Lü Yunfei chuckled, then asked confusedly, “Where’s your sister-in-law?”

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

Qin Yuan had many sisters-in-law, but none lived here.

Lü Yunfei, realizing this, sighed enviously: “Ten years, a dream of the capital, winning a notorious reputation at the pleasure house.”

“That’s not even rhyming,” someone teased.

The crowd laughed again.

Suddenly, their laughter faded and stopped.

All eyes turned to Qin Yuan.

His face, once flushed with health, had turned deathly pale.

Li Shoumin’s voice trembled: “Uncle Qin?”

“I’m fine. Didn’t you say you’d perform the sword dance for me?” Qin Yuan forced a smile.

After hesitation, Li Shoumin drew his sword and began to dance.

Though not as graceful as a pleasure house courtesan’s dance, it carried a sense of freedom and unrestrained spirit.

It was quite pleasing to watch.

“With a sword, how can there be no zither? Who brought the zither?” Yang Huchan laughed.

“I did,” someone said.

Yang Huchan took the zither and began to play.

Amid the flowing, melodious music, Li Shoumin danced, casting clear shadows.

“Fifty years of life, like a dream and illusion; where there is life, there is death; what regrets have the brave?” Qin Yuan raised his cup and took a sip.

His body rapidly transformed from bottom to top into a shower of light, drifting away with the wind until vanishing from sight.

“Uncle Qin!”

“Yuanda!”

“Master!”

...

The courtyard filled with mournful cries.

After Qin Yuan’s death, the donkey he kept starved itself to death.

On the day of Qin Yuan’s burial, many elderly women appeared—some from pleasure houses, others from noble families.

...

(End of chapter)