Chapter 52: If You Dare

The next morning, as dawn broke, a large contingent of constables from North City surrounded the area, startling the local residents who quickly realized something significant had occurred. As people drew closer, their faces paled with terror; some even squatted down and vomited on the spot.

The scene was simply too gruesome.

At least a hundred corpses lay in a heap—some fully clothed, others naked—all with their throats slit, without exception.

It didn’t take long before someone recognized the identity of the dead.

They were members of the Heavenly Path Gang!

From the gang leader, to the deputy, down to every core member, all present, not a single one missing!

At first, no one dared utter a word; the onlookers stood silent, faces ashen, eyes filled with horror.

But when the North City Prefect arrived with a retinue of officials, one attendant announced loudly to the assembled crowd:

“The Heavenly Path Gang, all one hundred and twenty-three members, including sixty-five core figures—save for one who surrendered himself—have all met their end! From this day forward, the Heavenly Path Gang is eradicated from North City!”

Many among the crowd wore expressions of disbelief.

After a long silence, someone trembled as they asked, “All dead? Only one left… and he turned himself in?”

A nearby official, his own face pale, announced in a loud voice, “The one who turned himself in was a low-ranking new recruit, just a fourteen or fifteen-year-old street urchin tasked with night watch. Last night, he happened to be in the outhouse and escaped the slaughter by chance. Terrified by the carnage, he fled home, and his family, upon learning what happened, brought him to the authorities this morning to plead for leniency. As for the rest, all have been confirmed dead—this malignant tumor will plague North City no more!”

When the official finished, the crowd stood in stunned silence for a moment, hardly able to believe it. But as their eyes fell on the mound of corpses, reality began to set in.

Suddenly, someone broke down in loud sobs, “I saw him! The beast who beat my son to death—he’s here! I remember the tattoo on his arm—there’s no mistake! Serves him right! Serves him right!”

“Are those wretches really all dead? Heaven has eyes! Thank you, my lord, thank you!”

“My daughter-in-law was driven to suicide by them, and my son was maimed when he sought justice. Thank you, Prefect, for avenging my family!”

With a great rush, a mass of townsfolk fell to their knees, weeping and giving thanks.

The North City Prefect sighed and bade them rise. “I am deeply ashamed. The hero who destroyed this evil gang was not an officer of the court, but a mysterious champion who acted out of a sense of justice. In a single night, he wiped out these villains and saved North City from a grave scourge. I dare not claim credit for Heaven’s work; I must make this clear to you all.”

The Prefect was a sensible man. Over the years, he and his predecessors had exhausted every means, yet failed to uproot this cancer. And now, overnight, someone had cleansed the gang from top to bottom without leaving a trace. Even the hidden underground facility—known to no one—had been discovered, sending shivers of cold sweat down his spine when he heard.

Those who died there were even more remarkable, though most were anonymous. Yet several bodies were recognized—disciples of the Zhaoyang Sect.

This was a matter of enormous consequence; even if such an achievement could earn him several promotions, he dared not accept the credit.

For this reason, he had the terrified young thug brought before the crowd to testify, lest anyone accuse him of fabrication.

Stripped of the protection of his gang, the boy was just another pale, trembling youth. When he caught sight of the “mountain of corpses” nearby, he nearly collapsed, barely held upright by two bailiffs.

Countless vengeful stares fell upon him—had it not been for the multitude of officials and constables present, the crowd might well have torn him apart.

“You—tell everyone what you saw last night,” a bailiff commanded harshly.

The boy stammered through chattering teeth, half-sobbing, “Last night, my stomach was bad—I kept running to the outhouse. Around midnight, I saw through a crack in the door—a man in a cloak and black mask went into the others’ quarters. After a while, women came running out… After I finished, I felt something was wrong, went to look, and saw—they were all dead…”

…

“The Zhaoyang Sect has suffered a devastating blow this time! With the black underworld of North City uprooted, the other cities are now on high alert. I expect a sweeping purge, perhaps even involving the backing sects of the Jin Kingdom…”

Outside North City, two riders traveled side by side.

The swordswoman wore a look of satisfaction, her smile radiant as she gazed at Qin Yue.

There was no denying that her younger brother was remarkable—not only had he rid the people of a great evil, but he’d reaped a fortune in the process! What’s more, he’d cleverly released a seemingly inconsequential boy in the midst of it all.

In doing so, he’d neatly extricated the Jin Kingdom’s authorities from suspicion, while digging a pit for the Zhaoyang Sect.

—“Your own people went mad; it has nothing to do with outsiders.”

The boy’s public testimony would soon circulate throughout the martial world…

Cloak and black mask—outsiders might not know, but those with ties to the Zhaoyang Sect couldn’t fail to recognize who that described.

Had the authorities made such a claim, there might be doubts. But the sole survivor of the Heavenly Path Gang, a low-ranking youth, had pointed the finger—the credibility was too high!

It was a masterstroke. Liu Tong was now dust and ash; no one could ever find him.

Moreover, the bodies of over thirty Zhaoyang Sect disciples in the underground facility—those who’d taken their own lives—had not been put on display by Qin Yue. They were the very ones captured in the recording stone, including the middle-aged man who’d taught them their secret phrases—a Zhaoyang Sect inner disciple at the Insight stage, a high-ranking elder of the Jin Kingdom’s branch!

None had escaped.

Qin Yue had cut every last throat.

Those men, disciplined in the ways of a great sect, carried nothing that could reveal their identity—ironically making it easier for Qin Yue to redirect the blame back onto the Zhaoyang Sect itself.

There was nothing the sect could do but swallow this bitter pill.

If word got out that they’d constructed an underground complex capable of hiding thousands of troops, and had secretly nurtured a notorious gang like the Heavenly Path, their reputation would be utterly ruined.

They would have to accept this silent loss, and would likely soon go mad seeking Liu Tong!

The thought filled Hu Jiuyan with delight, though she also felt a tinge of regret—if Qin Yue weren’t such a prodigy in the cultivation arts, he’d have thrived in the Bureau of Thief-Catchers.

But Qin Yue, of course, could not remain.

Last night, he’d seized over forty thousand spirit stones!

More than five hundred medicinal herbs of the Qi Gathering and Insight levels, and over seventy of the Subtlety level!

This was a staggering fortune.

To build their power base, the hybrid sects had spared no expense; and after the chaos, those evil cultivators had funneled vast resources here.

Qin Yue had taken the lot in a single raid. He wanted to share some with Hu Jiuyan—without her, none of this could have gone so smoothly.

But she declined: “You are the sect’s future hope. Only when the Saintess and you rise will we truly thrive. Besides, my cultivation method is different—don’t worry about me. Next time we meet, perhaps I’ll have entered the Dao Realm!”

Her smile was radiant; though she’d spent years wandering, her skin remained fair, her features flawless, and her gaze lingered on Qin Yue with undisguised affection.

As they’d ridden more than ten miles from the city, Qin Yue spoke: “Let’s part ways here. Don’t worry—everyone knows where we stand, and I’ll stay in touch with you often.”

“Be careful of those who defected from the Heavenly Net Sect—they truly deserve death, trying to assassinate you. Luckily, the Saintess and Sect Leader have kept information on disciples like us strictly confidential, or we’d all be in greater danger.”

Hu Jiuyan looked at him intently. “In truth, the Sect Leader and Saintess are under tremendous pressure. The Sect Leader took a great risk by personally recruiting you this time—take care of yourself above all when you get there.”

She took a pouch from her person. “Here are five thousand spirit stones I’ve saved over the years—”

Qin Yue waved her off. “I’ve just struck it rich, sister. You keep it and focus on raising your cultivation. Once I’m settled, I can collect more. I won’t lack for spirit stones. Oh, and this is for you…”

He handed her two slim booklets—his reconstructed insights into the Heavenly Net Sect’s core techniques and sword manual, imbued with powerful mental intent for immediate comprehension.

Hu Jiuyan took them, flipped through a few pages, and paused, surprise lighting her eyes.

Her cultivation was not the highest, but her judgment was keen.

After a moment, she gazed at Qin Yue with gentle eyes, her lips pressed together, a delicate blush on her cheeks. From her person, she drew a fragrant sachet.

“There’s a peace charm inside—my mother left it to me. I want you to have it now.”

Seeing the bashful swordswoman, Qin Yue accepted with a smile.

“I’ll keep it safe.”

“I want you to keep yourself safe!” Hu Jiuyan turned her horse, drew close, and embraced him tightly, her voice trembling in his ear as she whispered, “Farewell!”

Her heart pounding, cheeks aflame—her little brother was still too young to understand matters between men and women, so she had to take the initiative and hug him herself…

With a squeeze of her long legs, her horse neighed and galloped away.

“Elder Sister, you smell wonderful! Next time, let’s dual cultivate together!” Qin Yue called after her, looking at her retreating figure.

Hu Jiuyan, already far off, swayed in the saddle, nearly falling, and turned her flushed face back to him—

“All right—if you dare!”