Urban Martial Saint

Watching the streak of Qing Mang rush in like lightning, Ye Qing was startled and instinctively reached out to catch it. Unexpectedly, the Qing Mang veered past his palm, entwining around his arm before coming to a halt.

Ye Qing had no idea what had transpired; he scrutinized his right arm and saw something wrapped around it resembling a bracelet. Yet, on this bracelet was strung a series of jade-like beads, similar to the prayer beads held by Buddha’s Son. Though Ye Qing wasn’t knowledgeable about the value of antiques, he understood clearly that these beads were undoubtedly priceless treasures.

With the prayer beads wrapped calmly around his arm, Ye Qing’s confusion grew deeper. What exactly were these beads? Why had a streak of Qing Mang turned into a dazzling bead bracelet upon settling on his arm?

Ye Qing reached out to touch the prayer beads, yet they remained motionless, quietly coiled around his arm like ordinary prayer beads. Ye Qing tried to remove them, but the string was too short, just enough to cover Ye Qing’s wrist, making it impossible to take off. When he tried to tug at the beads, he found the string lacked elasticity and was incredibly tough, impossible to pull apart.

Ye Qing’s curiosity intensified, but he speculated these beads must be relics left by Guiguzi, perhaps possessing a special purpose. Though puzzled, Ye Qing didn’t attempt to remove them again, deciding instead to take them out and consult Taoist Sect masters in the future, seeking insight into their nature.

After pulling down his sleeve to cover the beads, Ye Qing finally looked ahead. The massive stele had been shattered into fragments, revealing a dark, winding Stone Corridor behind it. This seemed to be the path leading out of the Gate of Life.

Ye Qing entered the Gate of Life to find this exit. Now having found it, he was relieved, finally able to leave.

Having found the exit, Ye Qing didn’t rush in but first tidied up the stele fragments scattered across the ground. Some fragments were engraved with characters, and Ye Qing picked them up, intending to let Fu Qingping examine them later, to gauge his understanding of the matter.

Moreover, Ye Qing knew these characters couldn’t be seen by the Seventh Elder. If he spotted them, he’d surely learn the secrets within the Tomb of Guiguzi. Ye Qing couldn’t deceive him then; to save Huangfu Ziyu, he must conceal the truth from the Seventh Elder.

The stele was too severely shattered, with small pieces everywhere. Ye Qing searched for a while before finding a fragment containing complete characters, though there were only about seven or eight characters, offering little content.

Unable to piece these characters together, Ye Qing set the fragment aside, tidied up the scattered debris, and then turned to leave.

Ye Qing had deciphered the maze behind, so retracing his steps posed no issue. However, there was a minor episode when Ye Qing entered; he overheard Old Chen’s muttering.

”Oh, I should’ve never followed this brat. Locked in there in the cave, at least I had water and fish. What’s the use of being here? This brat purposely trapped me here. Damn it, what kind of place is this, like a labyrinth? I’m almost exhausted, can’t find my way out.”

Following the voice, Ye Qing saw Old Chen muttering while moving forward, appearing quite fatigued. His clothes were dusty, marked with numerous tears, hinting at frequent falls. Attempting to walk out, he’s likely been wandering around by chance. Yet, despite his luck, escaping the maze isn’t easy, so after this long, he still hasn’t found a way out. From his endless muttering amid exhaustion, one can’t help but admire his knack for chatter.

Watching Old Chen navigate, Ye Qing felt puzzled. He suspected Old Chen’s identity was more than merely a simple Tomb Robber, deliberately leaving him in the maze to see his capabilities. But now, observing Old Chen, he seemed genuinely clueless, merely a typical Tomb Robber. Could it be Ye misunderstood, and Old Chen truly was just a Tomb Robber?

Ye Qing pondered briefly, deciding curiosity had the upper hand. Old Chen’s background was too suspicious, needing clarity. Certainly, within Guiguzi’s Tomb, questions would remain unanswered; Old Chen must be taken out for thorough inquiry.

Taking a few steps in the maze, Ye Qing suddenly stepped sideways into a pit. Emerging from it, he stood behind Old Chen, who, still unaware, hesitated over which direction to choose.

”Hey, Old Chen!” Ye Qing went over, slapped Old Chen on the back, and shouted.

”Oh my!” Old Chen’s startled cry resembled seeing a ghost, leaping up. Realizing it’s Ye Qing, he sighed with relief, glaring, ”Young Ye, trying to scare me to death? Haven’t you heard? Fright scares people to death. Though I’m brave, such scare tactics aren’t right. I mean, others aren’t like me, they aren’t as brave. If frightened, they’d drop dead. Scaring me is no issue, but what if someone else? How would you explain? So I say...”

”Alright, alright!” Ye Qing interrupted before Old Chen’s words could run endlessly.

Old Chen, disgruntled, replied, ”What’s with that? I’m not finished. You’re trying to change the subject, huh? I’m addressing a moral issue, I...”

”If you wish to stay trapped here, keep talking; I’m leaving!” Ye Qing dryly retorted.

”No, no, I’ll stop!” Old Chen immediately followed, clutching Ye Qing’s arm, fearing abandonment. Whether intentional or not, he inadvertently grasped Ye Qing’s wrist where the beads were, feeling them.

Ignoring Old Chen, Ye Qing navigated the maze’s layout, steadily walking out. Old Chen closely tailed him; Ye Qing didn’t glance back, thus missed Old Chen’s subtle smile behind him, relaxing upon touching the beads.

Ye Qing had studied the maze thoroughly, and within five minutes, they emerged from it outside.

”Oh my, finally out, I’m exhausted!” Exiting the maze, Old Chen beat his chest, resuming his incessant mumbling: ”Brat, confess, did you intentionally trap me inside? You hold a grudge, luring me in on purpose. I’ve seen through your schemes; you’re full of guile, worse than annulling kindness among kin, exactly like you...”

”Damn!” Even Ye Qing, in character, couldn’t suppress a standard expletive. Without waiting for Old Chen’s reply, he turned towards the Stone Corridor.

The stele of Guiguzi’s Tomb was gone, the path found. Next, leading everyone out of the tomb. Calculating the time, it had been over two days since entering the cave. Fortunately, they had food and water to endure. But Wen’er and Fu Qingping’s bodies were struggling now.

Ye Qing fared better; while unable to utilize the three forces within him, they strengthened his body greatly. More than two days without much rest, yet Ye Qing remained vibrant, much to his relief.

Three stood anxiously in the Stone Corridor; they worried since Ye Qing had been inside for over ten hours. Wen’er contemplated checking, fearing the Seventh Elder might attack Fu Qingping, opting to wait outside for news.

Ye Qing spent significant time in the maze, and even more at the stele. In such darkness, time seemed imperceptible, leaving Ye Qing unaware of how long he’d been inside.

Seeing Ye Qing, the trio rejoiced. Wen’er almost leapt over, eagerly grabbing Ye Qing’s hand, ”Ye, you… you finally came out!”