Facing the demand to release the man, Yin Shanhe saw that he had not grasped the meaning of his words, and reminded him again, “Brother Qing, I said I am not acting of my own free will.”
The previous address of “Brother Qing” had held a teasing connotation, but now there was genuine admiration within it, a respect born of strength.
After their exchange, he was very clear that the strength of this thug in his eyes had far exceeded his expectations. Once the blade was drawn, it had been but a hair’s breadth, almost cutting him down with a single strike.
It was fortunate that he had launched a sneak attack beforehand and inflicted severe injuries on the other, compounded by the fact that the opponent was dragging an unhealed broken leg. Otherwise, he would not have been the other’s match at all.
Even so, the opponent had still left a bloody gash upon his body. If the opponent had exerted even a fraction more strength in that strike, his life would have been forfeit.
Thinking back on it now, he still felt some lingering fear. Had it not been for choosing caution at the final moment, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Fortunately, he had listened to that Tanhua scholar.
His own death would have mattered little. From the day he had agreed to serve another, he had prepared himself for the fact that his own life and death were no longer his to command. What he feared was jeopardising the Young Pavilion Master’s life, and being unable to face the Pavilion Master’s trust.
Qing Ya did not have so many thoughts. He was a straightforward man. Whether looking down or looking up, one saw people. There was nothing noble or lowly about it. If you lost, you admitted defeat. If you fell, you simply got back up again. But now he did not understand, and retorted, “What do you mean, not acting of your own free will?”
Yin Shanhe did not even want to spell it out. He admired this man’s strength, and saying it aloud would be an insult. Yet, thinking that he would have to face it sooner or later, he spoke it out anyway. “That Tanhua scholar demands a life for a life. Only if I hand you over to him will he release the Young Pavilion Master.”
Qing Ya’s eyes instantly widened. After a moment of stunned silence, he asked suspiciously, “Why the hell does this sound like bullshit to me? What does he want me for?”
This was precisely the reason he had not understood the other’s words just now.
Not to mention him, but even Yin Shanhe did not quite understand. “He said it is a life for a life, because you were the one who led us here to kill him. He said he cannot swallow that anger. But it feels as though he wants you for another purpose, because he wants you alive.”
Qing Ya was shocked and doubtful. “You sold me out? You told him it was me who led you here to kill him?”
Yin Shanhe, “No. The Young Pavilion Master’s temper would make him even less likely to compromise with him. We also do not know how he found out.”
A scene suddenly flashed through Qing Ya’s mind. It was that earlier, on that reef, he had seemed to sense something amiss. The corner of his mouth could not help but twitch.
Having spoken to this point, being willing to waste words on this, Yin Shanhe could already be considered to have expressed his respect for him. With a flick of the “Weed-Severing Blade” in his hand, he sheathed it back into the scabbard behind Qing Ya’s back, and gave him the words, “Brother Qing, my apologies.”
With a five-fingered grasp, the broken smoking pipe on the deck was sucked back into his hand, and tucked back into his waistband.
Hearing those words, Qing Ya suddenly came to his senses, and hurriedly said with a cheerful tone, “Well then, let us discuss this further. As long as we join forces, we will surely find a way to rescue Young Master Long.”
In truth, he simply did not want to fall into Yu Qing’s hands. He had led people here to kill the man. Even a fool could tell that nothing good would come of it. Who knew what methods that dog of a Tanhua scholar would use to torment him.
For some reason, he felt that falling into that dog of a Tanhua scholar’s hands might be even more terrifying than falling into Xi Qingyue’s hands. It felt even more unsettling.
Starting from Wang Wentian, then Wen Hou, then Wang Xueting, and now Long Xingyun, every single person who had acted against that dog of a Tanhua scholar had fallen. Was it now his turn? What on earth did that bastard want him for? The more he thought about it, the more his heart trembled.
“There is no need for such trouble.”
How could he not know what the other was thinking? Yin Shanhe’s reply was clean and decisive. Grabbing him, he leapt into the air and flew straight towards the brightly lit Zilan Island.
Pang Chengqiu and Cui You immediately flew up in succession and gave chase.
The two merman boatmen at the sterns of the two boats looked at each other. The merman from the other destroyed boat swam over. A few peanuts floated over from somewhere, bobbing beside the boat…
The sounds of fighting had started quickly and ended just as quickly. Suddenly, they were gone. The outcome was unknown. The three martial brothers on the island could not help but feel uneasy in their hearts.
For safety’s sake, the three left the island and dived into the water, hiding themselves to observe from the shadows, also prepared to run at any moment.
It was not until they saw a figure leap into the air and enter the bright illumination of Zilan Island, seeing that it was Yin Shanhe bringing Qing Ya back, that the three of them breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Cui You and Pang Chengqiu also flew onto the island one after another, following Yin Shanhe.
Upon landing, Yin Shanhe saw that the three martial brothers were no longer at the scene of the incident. He immediately used his arts to proclaim in a loud voice, “The man has been brought. Where is the Tanhua scholar?”
His voice rolled and echoed in all directions.
Before long, Yu Qing and the other two arrived, holding the drenched and unconscious Long Xingyun hostage.
Seeing Yin Shanhe return victorious, the three martial brothers did not relax either, still maintaining their vigilant, observant posture.
This concerned their own lives. They had no capital for arrogance. How could they not be careful?
What the three saw was the naturally dishevelled Qing Ya. They also discovered that Yin Shanhe was clearly injured, with half his face covered in blood. As the three chief culprits, they felt rather awkward.
Pang Chengqiu flew into a rage at the sight of them, pointing at the three and roaring, “What do you think you are doing? Are you tired of living?”
Who would have thought that Qing Ya would let out a cheerful sound, interrupting with a forced smile, “Why such a big temper? We are all friends. Any misunderstanding can be cleared up once spoken.”
As soon as the words fell, he was thrown out with a muffled grunt.
Yin Shanhe casually tossed him to the ground, staring at the three martial brothers and saying, “Tanhua scholar, the man you wanted has been captured. I have fulfilled my promise. It is time for you to release your hostage.”
“I am a man of my word. I will naturally honour what I have promised. It is just…” Yu Qing, speaking with conviction, then looked down at Qing Ya, who could not move on the ground, and sighed, “It is just that this junior’s cultivation is inferior to others. If you have arranged this as a performance, once Brother Qing erupts, we will not be able to withstand it.”
Qing Ya, humming and hawing, smiled and said, “There is no need to be so tense. We are all friends. Let us talk things over nicely.”
He was indeed adaptable, which had something to do with the environment he had grown up in all along. When it was time to put on airs, he was the famous Brother Qing of the Sea Market. When it was not time to put on airs, he could also lower his posture.
Yet no one paid him any mind. At this moment, Yin Shanhe’s eyes held only the attitude of the Tanhua scholar. “That is simple. Have one of your men come over and verify first.”
Yu Qing looked at the two men to his left and right, and replied, “Everyone here is family. Whoever goes over to verify could potentially be taken hostage. In my view, it would be better if the senior showed some sincerity.”
Yin Shanhe said in a deep voice, “What sincerity do you want?”
Yu Qing, “The sincerity to put us at ease. Just let us believe that you are not colluding to deceive us.” After speaking, he also cast a glance at Qing Ya on the ground.
Qing Ya, on the ground, who was trying to put on an amiable smile, instantly felt that something was amiss, and immediately said solemnly, “Brother Yin, Brother Shanhe, leave a line when doing things, so we may meet again in the future. I did not want to come. I was forced here by you. You cannot burn the bridge after crossing the river…”
His barrage of words failed to stop Yin Shanhe.
Understanding Yu Qing’s meaning, Yin Shanhe took a deep breath, and suddenly struck out with his foot, stomping on Qing Ya’s broken leg.
A crisp cracking sound rang out. It was the sound of bones breaking.
“Nngh…” Qing Ya let out a muffled grunt of pain on the spot.
“Brother Qing!” Pang Chengqiu cried out in alarm, yet did not dare to act rashly.
The truth was that acting rashly would be useless. At this time and place, Yin Shanhe’s cultivation and strength were sufficient to control both him and Qing Ya. Acting rashly would only result in one more person lying down. It would be of no help.
Crack! The other leg of Qing Ya was also stomped on, producing the sound of breaking bones.
Qing Ya shouted in pain, “Yin Shanhe, if you have the guts, kill me!”
He stopped playing the grandson, and directly spat out vicious words, his face filled with fierce malice.
Yin Shanhe, however, responded with a clean and decisive action. Grabbing him and pulling him up, he let go, then shaped both hands into tiger claws. Before Qing Ya could fall, both claws simultaneously gripped his upper arms, ruthlessly squeezing out two crisp cracking sounds, before releasing his hands.
He now admired Qing Ya’s strength, but that did not mean that Qing Ya’s significance in his eyes could outweigh Long Xingyun’s.
If the other had said that killing Qing Ya would result in releasing Long Xingyun, then he would have unhesitatingly eliminated Qing Ya to ensure Long Xingyun’s safety.
Qing Ya, who was nearly fainting from the pain, then collapsed to the ground. His eyes rolled back, and his face was deathly pale as he gasped for breath. The pain left him without the strength to speak. No matter how great his resentment and malice, they had to temporarily vanish into smoke.
Pang Chengqiu watched with his fists clenched, his teeth bared, his face filled with grief and indignation.
The three martial brothers were also made to twitch in expression by this decisive crippling of the man’s four limbs.
Yin Shanhe stared at Yu Qing and said, “Are you satisfied this time? You do not have any other excuses, do you?”
Yu Qing’s Adam’s apple moved. The other had directly crushed the bones of Qing Ya’s two legs and shattered the bones of Qing Ya’s two arms. The matter was laid out before his eyes. It could not be fake. To say anything more now about worrying that the two sides were colluding to deceive him would truly be unreasonable.
It also genuinely proved that Qing Ya had been subdued, and they could safely take custody of him.
After a brief moment of consideration, he said decisively, “Young Pavilion Master Long cannot be given to you yet.”
Yin Shanhe’s face instantly turned gloomy, the killing intent in his eyes evident. “I see you really are tired of living.”
Yu Qing ignored his death threat, and directly addressed the matter. “Call the boat. Let us return to the Sea Market together. Once we reach the Sea Market, none of us will dare to fight openly. At that time, I will naturally return Young Master Long to you. What do you have to worry about?”
Put this way, Yin Shanhe roughly understood his meaning. Despite his own guarantee, the other was still afraid he would go back on his word, afraid that once the hostage was released, he would immediately deal with them. So they wanted to hold the hostage until they reached the Sea Market before letting go.
He looked down at Qing Ya at his feet, then raised his eyes and asked, “And you dare return to the Sea Market?”
Yu Qing repeated a principle, “Once we reach the Sea Market, I will have no choice but to release him.”
The implication was that whether he dared to return was his own affair, and none of the other’s concern.
Yin Shanhe looked at Qing Ya again. “And he is to be allowed to return alive as well?”
Yu Qing, “Yes. I said I want him alive.”
Hearing this, Qing Ya, who was trembling in pain on the ground, also felt as though he had taken a dose of painkiller. He actually stopped caring about the pain, and was wondering what on earth this dog of a Tanhua scholar wanted to do.
Of course, since his life was not being demanded, he was somewhat relieved.
Pang Chengqiu, who was beside him with a face full of grief and indignation, also felt somewhat more at ease.
Since this was the case, Yin Shanhe did not waste any more words. Turning back, he gave an order, “You go call the boat over.”
“Yes.” Cui You accepted the order and flashed away.
Once the boat reached the shore, the people on the island also arrived at the shore. Qing Ya, with his four limbs broken, was also brought aboard by Mu Aotie. The three martial brothers wanted him, and Yin Shanhe did not quibble over this. He had no use for Qing Ya anyway.
The merman who had destroyed the boat also surfaced at this time, shouting, “My boat was destroyed by you lot. And what about the agreed boat fare for the return journey? How is that to be settled?”
Yu Qing, “What are you shouting about? They broke it, so they will naturally compensate you. That one, when we get back, have all the boat fares collected from the people on that boat.”
The people on that boat referred to Yin Shanhe, Cui You, and Pang Chengqiu.
His words were also meant for the boatman on his own boat. Why not save a bit of money when you could?
In truth, the three of them had already searched Long Xingyun’s person thoroughly. Was it not permitted for them to gain some benefit when the other wanted to kill them?
Later, if the other claimed the money on his person was gone, they could completely push the blame away, saying they did not know, that perhaps it was lost after soaking in the seawater, and so on.
They had even thought of an escape route after taking the money. They had thought they could make a fortune, thinking that a figure like Long Xingyun would certainly have a lot of money on him. They discovered that Long Xingyun did not even have a single copper coin on him. A grown man had gone out without carrying any money on him. This greatly disappointed the three martial brothers, so they could only make a passing remark now to save a bit of small change.
The shouting merman immediately looked at the people on the other boat and asked, “So it is settled then?”
Yin Shanhe took charge and said, “You will not be shortchanged your money. Just ferry us properly.”
With these words as a guarantee, the two ferry boats set off again. Only the boatman who had come with Yu Qing wore a look of dissatisfaction. It was clear he looked upon Yu Qing and the others with disfavour. The impression of one million taels was not so easily dispelled.
After the two boats had sailed into the distance, an old man with a fishing rod over his shoulder and a fish basket at his hip walked out from behind a patch of purple thatch, watching the ferry boats depart into the distance…