26: (End of Volume) The Road of Jianghu is Long

Within Wuyou Hall, there was a deathly silence.

Among the dried corpses and fragments of gold and silver littering the floor, only Lin Que stood proudly alone.

He calmed the surging True Qi within his body and strode towards the massive "ghost-riding gāluó" statue.

The statue's six arms were raised high, holding aloft six treasure boxes that emitted a purple halo, as if offering the final tribute to the victor.

"Let me see what treasures these are that made the Five Great Families fight so desperately."

Lin Que tapped his toes, his figure soaring like a great roc spreading its wings, easily leaping onto the statue's arm.

Click.

The first box opened.

Empty?!

Lin Que frowned, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

Click.

The second one, empty?!

Click.

The third one, still empty!

"Was I beaten to the punch?"

Lin Que's eyes turned sharp.

Impossible, he watched the Five Family Heads enter. Besides them, who else could... *Burp~*"

Right at that moment, an extremely lazy, satisfied burp sound came from behind the statue's most ferocious main head.

Lin Que turned to look.

He saw a small beast, its body snow-white with only its tail fiery red, lying sprawled on top of the statue's head. Its belly was swollen like a balloon, and its two little paws were still patting its belly contentedly.

It was precisely the Heavenly Demon Ferret that had been missing for a long time.

Seeing Lin Que look over, the little creature wasn't flustered at all.

It struggled to roll over, blinked at Lin Que, its expression seeming to say: What took you so long? I'm stuffed.

"You little thing..."

Lin Que was both angry and amused.

"So we were fighting for our lives down there, and you were up here having an all-you-can-eat buffet?"

The Little Snow Ferret seemed to understand Lin Que's teasing. It shrugged humanly (though it had no shoulders), then opened its mouth.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Accompanied by three streams of light, three undigested glowing orbs were spat out, landing right in Lin Que's hands.

Combined with the remaining three unopened treasure boxes, a total of six treasures, all accounted for.

Without hesitation, Lin Que quickly inspected them one by one.

The first item: [Top-Grade Spirit Stone] (from a box). This was a fist-sized, purple crystal. The moment it touched his hand, the "Moon Devouring Art" within Lin Que's body began to circulate wildly. The energy contained within was simply immense, a hundred times purer than the previous moon essence stone!

"A good thing. With this, I have the confidence to consolidate the Marrow Cleansing Realm and even attempt to break through to the next realm."

The second item: [thousand changes multi-treasure pearl] (from the ferret's mouth). This was a silvery-white metal orb, seemingly ordinary. But as Lin Que infused a trace of internal energy, it began to change shape like flowing liquid. Saber, spear, sword, halberd, even a shield, at will, its hardness comparable to divine weapons and Sharp Weapons. Lin Que willed it, and it transformed into a simple silver ring, slipping onto his index finger.

"Essential for killing, looting, and ambushing."

The third item: [Heaven-Snatching Pill] (from the ferret's mouth). A Golden Core pill emitting a rich, strange fragrance. The System prompt showed this pill had the function of "snatching the creation of heaven and earth," capable of reshaping one's foundation and improving one's Aptitude.

"Perfect. Although my body has undergone multiple enhancements, my foundation is still that of a mortal. With this, it will be a true rebirth."

The fourth item: [Yellow Springs Water] (from a box). A sealed jade vial containing a drop of liquid as black as ink. This thing emitted a heart-palpitating Death Qi. According to the silk scroll beside it, this single drop could pollute a great river. If a living person consumed it, they would instantly transform into a "complete Monster," feeling no pain and possessing immense strength.

"A weapon of mass destruction. Keep it for ambushing people."

The fifth item: [Golden Cicada Shedding] (from a box). This seemed to be the shed shell of a golden cicada, thin as a cicada's wing, with no aura fluctuations. Lin Que couldn't discern its use for now, but since it was placed here, it was definitely no ordinary item.

"Keep it for now."

The sixth item: [Fallen Package Incomplete Manual] (from the ferret's mouth). This was a tattered map made of unknown material. Most of the map was blank, only a winding red line finally pointed to a location circled in cinnabar. Next to it were two small ancient Seal script characters—Southern Commandery.

"Another map? It seems the Nine Nether Heavens Legacy is not limited to one place. Southern Commandery, huh..."

Lin Que stored all six treasures away, feeling greatly reassured. This trip to Guanglin Mountain was a huge windfall.

However, the moment he took the last treasure.

Crack——!!

A deafening, earth-shattering cracking sound came from within the statue beneath his feet.

Immediately after, the entire Wuyou Hall began to tremble violently!

The gold bricks on the ground split, the night pearls on the walls fell one after another, and the massive "ghost-riding gāluó" statue developed countless cracks, as if something terrifying was about to burst out, or as if the Formation supporting this place had completely collapsed.

Boom!!

The dome overhead began to collapse, huge rocks falling like rain.

"The mechanism activated! This place is going to collapse!"

Lin Que's expression changed.

The people of the Nine Nether Heavens were indeed vicious. The moment the treasures were taken, it self-destructed immediately, leaving no path of survival for those who came after.

"Little guy, let's go!"

Lin Que scooped up the round-bellied Little Snow Ferret and stuffed it into his robe.

"Seven Absolute Saber Technique"—Startling Thunder Step!

His entire person transformed into a blur, frantically weaving through the collapsing rubble. Now at Marrow Cleansing Perfection, his Physical Body was incredibly strong. When encountering unavoidable large boulders, he simply smashed them apart with a punch!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The palace behind him was collapsing, the steps beneath his feet were breaking. This was a race against death.

Finally, in the darkness ahead, a faint glimmer of light appeared.

That was the exit!

"Open for me!!"

Lin Que roared, his entire body's True Qi erupting. He shot forward like a cannonball, violently smashing through the last huge rock blocking the cave entrance!

Bang!

Fragments of stone flew.

Lin Que's figure soared into the sky, landing steadily in a pine forest halfway up Guanglin Mountain.

The moment he landed, a dull rumble came from behind him.

The earth collapsed, dust filled the sky.

That "Nine Nether Heavens Broken Temple" that had devoured countless lives and buried the elites of the Five Great Families completely sank deep into the earth, leaving no trace.

Lin Que glanced back at the billowing dust and patted the dust off his clothes.

"Dust to dust, earth to earth."

...The next day, early morning.

Liujiaji, three hundred li from Qingzhou City.

This was a peaceful and harmonious small village, with cooking smoke curling up and the sounds of chickens and dogs.

Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, a burly young man with an anxious face kept pacing, occasionally standing on tiptoe to look towards the road. It was Er Niu.

Since running here yesterday, he hadn't slept a wink.

News from the Su Family had already arrived—the Family Head, the Eldest Young Master, and all the elite Guards had all disappeared in Guanglin Mountain, reportedly due to a landslide. And the Chief Steward Su Fu, who stayed behind at the manor, was also found dead on his sickbed last night, his death gruesome, as if scared to death.

The Su Family had collapsed overnight.

Er Niu didn't care about the Su Family's collapse; he only cared about that one person.

"Brother Lin... please, you must be alright..." Er Niu's eyes were red, his hands clasped together in constant prayer.

Right at that moment.

The morning mist dispersed. A tall, straight figure, backlit by the sun, walked unhurriedly over from the road.

He wore a brand new blue robe, carried a simple pack on his back, and a snow-white small beast perched on his shoulder.

Er Niu froze.

He rubbed his eyes, looking at the figure in disbelief.

"Bro... Brother Lin?!"

Er Niu let out a loud shout and dashed over. Rushing up to Lin Que, this strong man who was built like an ox had tears streaming down his face. He wanted to hug Lin Que but didn't dare, only standing there awkwardly, grinning foolishly.

"Brother Lin! It's really you! You're alive and back! That's great! Wuwu..."

Lin Que looked at Er Niu crying his eyes out, a warm feeling surging in his heart. In this cold world, having someone who sincerely hopes for you to live is not easy.

"What are you crying for? Bad luck."

Lin Que laughed and punched Er Niu's shoulder, "Am I not perfectly fine?"

"Ah! Ah! I won't cry!"

Er Niu wiped his face roughly, "Brother Lin, the Su Family... is the Su Family really gone?"

"Gone."

Lin Que's tone was flat, as if talking about a trivial matter.

"No one will chase us anymore. You are a free man now."

"Free man..." Er Niu muttered to himself, seemingly not yet accustomed to this change in status.

The two sat under the old locust tree, chatting for a long time. Lin Que recounted some of his experiences in the mountains (omitting the bloody killings), and Er Niu listened with shock and awe.

The sun rose higher.

Lin Que stood up, patting the dirt off his pants.

"Er Niu, what are your plans next?"

Er Niu was stunned for a moment, the smile on his face gradually fading.

He glanced at Lin Que, then subconsciously looked back at a thatched cottage in the village. There, a girl in a floral dress was feeding chickens, occasionally stealing shy glances in their direction.

That was a girl in distress Er Niu had rescued yesterday. Although they had only spent a day together, it seemed this simple guy's soul had already been captivated.

Er Niu lowered his head, rubbing his hands somewhat awkwardly: "Brother Lin... I... I want to stay here."

"I know I'm dumb, I can't keep up with your pace. The places you go must be like dragon's pools and tiger's dens, I'd only be a burden if I went."

"I want... I want to marry a wife here and live a peaceful life."

Lin Que followed his gaze and saw the girl.

He smiled. A very sincere smile.

"That's good."

Lin Que patted Er Niu's shoulder, "Everyone has their own Dao. Your Dao lies among the fields, that may well be a kind of blessing."

Not everyone is suited to fight in the storm of blood and wind.

To live a peaceful life is a luxury many Martial Artists seek but cannot obtain.

Lin Que took out a warm, smooth jade pendant from his robe.

Last night, he had sealed a strand of his "Marrow Cleansing Energy" within this jade pendant.

"Take it."

Lin Que stuffed the jade pendant into Er Niu's hand.

"Consider this Brother Lin's wedding gift to you."

"Wear it close to your body, don't lose it. If you ever encounter any trouble you can't solve, or if someone bullies you, crush it."

"The power inside is enough to protect your entire family for a lifetime."

Er Niu gripped the pendant tightly, tears threatening to fall again: "Brother Lin... are you leaving now?"

Although simple, he could sense it.

The aura about Lin Que had changed. It had become deeper, more distant, like clouds in the sky, destined not to linger in this small Liujiaji.

"Leaving."

Lin Que turned around, waving his hand behind his back to Er Niu.

The Heavenly Demon Ferret on his shoulder also imitated the gesture, waving its little paw.

"Brother Lin! Where are you going?!"

Er Niu chased a couple of steps, shouting loudly at the receding back.

Lin Que's footsteps didn't stop.

On the wind, came his calm and resolute voice:

"Southern Commandery."

As the voice fell, he was already far away.

Only Er Niu remained standing under the old locust tree, tightly clutching the jade pendant, watching that figure disappear at the end of the road.

Sunlight shone on Lin Que, casting a long shadow.

Ahead was the unknown Jianghu, a vaster world, and also more perilous traps.

But he feared nothing.

Because his saber was in hand, and the demon was in his heart.

On to the next volume: The Soaring Dragon in the Sky!