“Bring me harm?” Qin Yun appeared surprised.
However, he secretly gave his approbation. Qin Yun was very impressed with the various deeds Hu Si had done according to the intelligence he received! However, he wanted to get a feel for his character up close.
Five taels of silver a month was very attractive to the present Hu Si; however, he rejected it without hesitation. He was unwilling to implicate a stranger.
“Mr. Qin, you can easily learn that back when I fought fiendish demons, my dantian was maimed and I lost my arm. However, I did manage to knock open the gate of immortality in the past, after all. Logically speaking, I should still be physically strong even with my dantian maimed. I should be able to feed my family through labor,” said Hu Si as he shook his head. “Unfortunately, my present strength is incomparable to even that of a commoner’s. Why you might ask? It’s because I was secretly sabotaged by others.”
“I was still a Li Mountain Sect disciple, after all. Although I was crippled, the Li Mountain Sect would still investigate carefully if I were killed. Therefore, they did not dare kill me. Or perhaps, they did not wish to kill me… They would rather me lead a wretched life.” Hu Si spoke very calmly. He did not show any anger. Perhaps all his anger had been exhausted.
“Back then, I showed off my abilities to their full extent and abhorred evil. Indeed, I unintentionally offended my fellow disciples. Or I might have rubbed some factions in Li Mountain City the wrong way. I acted so recklessly back then. Now, I’m just a slightly special ant for them to step on.” Hu Si shook his head.
“I see.” Qin Yun nodded slightly. “Then, have you never thought of leaving Li Mountain City?”
“Leave?”
Hu Si shook his head. “All I wish is to lead a peaceful life and be filial to my elderly mother. In this city, I can be there at my elderly mother’s funeral when she passes away. This is the Li Mountain Sect’s territory after all. They can’t act too brazenly here. If I were to leave Li Mountain City… my death would be certain in the rural wild. Perhaps my corpse might be eaten by wild beasts. I can’t die now. I still have my elderly mother and wife.”
Qin Yun nodded.
“I understand,” said Qin Yun with a smile. “However, if your enemies are only of that level, I believe I can still deal with them.”
Hu Si looked at Qin Yun in astonishment.
Qin Yun drew the sword by his waist. It was, in fact, a very ordinary mortal sword. It was not even a Dharma artifact.
But at that moment, Qin Yun released a terrifying might through the sharp sword.
“Boom!”
The terrifying Sword Qi did not dissipate and instead remained sturdy. It stifled Hu Si to the point that he could not help but have a change in expression.
He was once the best disciple of the Li Mountain Sect’s younger generation after all. He was quite knowledgeable too. Furthermore, he had seen the might that Li Mountain Sect sect master produced with his strike. Although the terrifying Sword Qi in front of him was not being released, the sense of suppression was no less than his sect master’s.
“Senior…” Hu Si’s eyes lit up. “Senior, for you to use such a powerful Dharma treasure, your strength is probably no less than that of my Li Mountain Sect’s sect master.”
Little did he know that it was just an ordinary sword.
“I came to Li Mountain City to cultivate in peace too. I have no need to fear even the entire Li Mountain Sect, much less those enemies you mentioned,” said Qin Yun with a smile. “Now, are you still willing to help me watch over my house?”
“Yes, definitely.” Hu Si was so excited that he went to kneel down but he was stopped by Qin Yun.
“Then, you will stay at my place from now on. Your family can come too. If it’s possible, help me by making meals as well. That will be another five taels of silver a month,” said Qin Yun.
Hu Si burned with excitement. “Thank you, Senior. Thank you!”
The days ahead were going to be good! He would finally have the money to afford herbs for his elderly mother’s illness. His wife need not work so hard washing clothes daily anymore.
“Mom! Hui’er! Hui’er!”
Hu Si immediately went into his small and dark house. After a while, he brought his elderly mother out. The woman with freckles was supporting the elderly mother as they walked out.
“Senior, this is my mother. And this is my wife,” said Hu Si immediately.
“Greetings, Benefactor. I have heard everything from my son. My son will definitely work diligently for you.” The elderly woman’s hair was grizzled and she did not look well.
“Greetings, Benefactor.” The young fox demoness to the side bowed too. However, she felt a little uneasy.
“I heard from my husband that this cultivator is very strong and doesn’t fear his past enemies. Is such a powerful cultivator… really so kindhearted as to help my husband? Could it be that he’s targeting me?” The young fox demoness was a little worried. “Even my husband does not know that I’m a demoness. If it is revealed, will he despise me?”
The young fox demoness was filled with worries.
In order to conceal her identity as a demoness, she had faked being an ordinary ugly woman that fled to Li Mountain City for safety. In her bid to help with the family income, she used one of the only means that were available to the common housewife—doing laundry for others! She had done so to prevent her identity from being exposed.
“Brother Hu Si, do you want your entire family to follow me now?” asked Qin Yun.
“This…” Hu Si hesitated for a moment as he looked at his mother and wife.
“Why not tomorrow?” said Hu Si. “Senior, there’s a lot of things to move if we are moving. Furthermore, this residence is a rental. The clothes that we have washed for others haven’t dried either. They have to be delivered tomorrow. Senior, why don’t I come to your place tomorrow afternoon?”
Qin Yun hesitated for a moment before saying with a nod, “Alright then. Tomorrow it is. I live in the western part of the city, the second mansion on East Sixwave Bridge. There’s a peach tree by the door. I won’t overstay my welcome, goodbye.”
“Senior, let me see you off.”
Hu Si immediately went with Qin Yun to the door.
As for the young fox demoness, she helped the elderly mother to the door and watched from afar.
“All will be well in the future. All will be well.” The elderly mother’s eyes were filled with happiness.
However, the young fox demoness was filled with unease.
“Mom, Hui’er.” Hu Si walked back in with a face filled with delight. “Our lives will be better from now on. Hui’er, you don’t have to wash clothes for others anymore.”
The young fox demoness forced a smile.
…
Night fell.
Poor families used lamp oil sparingly. Once it was dark, the Hu household’s surroundings turned pitch black. Few poor households had lit lamps.
There was only the faint moonlight that scattered down on the impoverished district.
Sou! Sou!
Two figures descended like the wind. They were the Chu family’s Mr. Fu and Young Master Meilun.
“Now that it’s dark, no one will dare walk around randomly,” said Mr. Fu with a smile.
“It’s time to take action.” Young Master Meilun was feeling a little anxious.
“Young Master Meilun, more haste less speed.” Mr. Fu chuckled. “We shouldn’t rush when it comes to such matters. Let’s agree on the terms first. You have to give her to me after two days.”
“Don’t worry. When have I ever not kept my word?” said Young Master Meilun. “Furthermore, Old Master will suspect me if there’s too long a delay. I’ll end up in trouble too and I definitely don’t want trouble for myself.”
“Yes, that’s good.” Mr. Fu nodded. “I do not wish to have to take the young fox demoness from you by force.”
Sex blinded the eyes of judgment.
Mr. Fu knew very well that Young Master Meilun was someone who easily got hotheaded. Therefore, he got the unpleasantness out of the way first.
“Enough, enough. Let’s take action quickly,” urged Young Master Meilun.
“Yes.”
Mr. Fu nodded.
Following that, he extended his hand as an eight-trigram disk array appeared in his palm.
“Go!” Mr. Fu waved his hand as the eight-trigram disk array quickly disassembled into eight pieces. They flew in different directions and landed, creating an area around them that spanned a thousand feet. It naturally encompassed many residences, including the Hu household.
“The array formation has been set up. It can be triggered by a thought,” said Mr. Fu with a smile.
“I’ll be leaving it to you, Mr. Fu.” Young Master Meilun said with anticipation.
Mr. Fu nodded and activated his Dharma Eyes. He instantly saw the young fox demoness’s demonic aura inside the house. Then, he sent a voice transmission.
“Young Fox Demoness, aren’t you going to come out? Do you want to implicate that crippled trash?” A voice transmission reached the young fox demoness’s ears directly.
“Oh?”
The young fox demoness who was sleeping with her husband in the house heard the voice transmission. It made her expression change drastically. “I’ve been discovered? Did that Mr. Qin who came today really have ulterior motives?”
She first looked at her husband before clenching her teeth. A fierce look flashed in her eyes before she silently left the house.