Death Sutra Chapter 18

Chapter 18  Break Out

Han s.h.i.+qi was returning to the castle soon, so Servant Ji announced this news loudly with a face full of expectation, like a young wife waiting for her husband’s return. Meanwhile, the way he looked at Gu Shenwei changed.

Servant Huan was the treasure that he would send to Han s.h.i.+qi. It was not easy to get a stable backer, so he couldn’t have even a little bit of ‘jealousy’.

Gu Shenwei, forcefully renamed Servant Huan, was released from all his ch.o.r.es. He had nothing to occupy himself with, his only task  was to rehabilitate and wait for Han s.h.i.+qi’s ‘favor’.

“Smile more, don’t behave like as though someone from your family has died.” Servant Ji scolded Servant Huan like this often and always tried to take a chance to teach him some skills.

Gu Shenwei had no choice but to avoid him. Han s.h.i.+qi and Servant Yao were originally two irrelevant things, but now they were mixed together. Servant Yao and Han s.h.i.+qi had made the same demands, and Gu Shenwei’s envisaged solution was also a.s.sociated with both of them simultaneously.

Servant Yao must die and Gu Shenwei must retrieve the white silk. He had mastered both yin and yang energy, so he could start cultivating according to the shortcut manual. If balanced power was really as powerful as his father had said, he could execute his revenge soon.

Although there were hidden dangers while practising the shortcut manual, and it may break out in two or three years, Gu Shenwei didn’t care. As long as he could kill all of his enemies and save his missing sister, he wouldn’t mind paying any price.

As for his own life or death, he hadn’t cared about it since early on. Sometimes when he stared at the brand on his right arm, he felt death was a better choice than living.

The signs of Servant Yao’s Qi deviation became increasingly apparent. The dull pain had spread from his tianchi acupoint to his tianquan, quze and even neiguan acupoint. Sometimes, his arms would keep trembling. If Servant Yao knew even a little bit about internal Qi, he would have known that something was wrong. However, not only did he have no doubts, he even practised harder.

Gu Shenwei would pretend to persuade him to practise slower, but the more he did so, the faster Servant Yao practised. He truly believed that there was nothing wrong with his arms and that the symptoms would naturally alleviate once he reached a higher level.

Gu Shenwei had almost recited the whole normal balanced power training method to him, but the descriptions of yin and yang energy after the third level was so fascinating that Servant Yao became even more reluctant to slow down the rates of his practice.

It was difficult to have a solid foundation for practising balanced power. Moreover, it was less powerful than other techniques in the beginning. Once a pract.i.tioner reached the third level of both yin and yang energy, however, they would have a huge internal Qi improvement.

Gu Shenwei had secretly been looking for the white silk. He would stealthily search whilst helping Servant Yao adjust his posture, but the white silk was too soft and thin, so it was difficult for him to feel for it through the clothes. He had also searched Servant Yao’s luggage while he was away; he had even searched the other teenagers’ luggage but had not found it.

Servant Yao had hid the white silk very well.

Han s.h.i.+qi’s return date was approaching and Gu Shenwei was almost running out of patience. He had once wanted to ask Xue Niang for help, but the fact that a killer fancied a catamite was too embarra.s.sing. Not to mention, Xue Niang might not be willing to interfere. Furthermore, the key problem was still unsolved; Han s.h.i.+qi wou

ld recognize Servant Huan as soon as he saw him.

Unless, he fought again and had his face so badly beaten that Han s.h.i.+qi couldn’t recognize or even have the slightest interest in him like a month ago.

But this simple plan was challenging to enact. The relations.h.i.+ps among the nine teenagers were different compared to when they had first entered Golden Roc Castle. Servant Yao’s status had gradually increased and the five teenagers were completely under his mercy. Even Servant Huan was considered to have joined Servant Yao. Only the brothers Servant Qi and Servant Xie were on their own.

Though they were estranged and rarely spoke, if he had to choose a friend in Golden Roc Castle, Gu Shenwei would rather choose the two brothers. Gu Shenwei contemplated for a long time, and believed that in the end he could only choose them to fight.

Servant Qi did not seem to know kung fu, but he was very strong and powerful. Gu Shenwei just hoped that he would not anger him too much.

All Gu Shenwei could do now was wait. The day that Han s.h.i.+qi returned to the castle would be the day he fought with Servant Qi.

Gu Shenwei often sat alone on the edge of Groaning Ghost Cliff when he had nothing to do as n.o.body would bother him there. No matter how willing Servant Ji was to teach him the ‘skills’, he still would not go there.

He had always wondered how many corpses the cliff had swallowed. Did the fallen corpses gradually rot, or had they been eaten directly by beasts? Perhaps there were real tigers and wolves wandering around at the bottom of the abyss, waiting for food to fall from the sky.

In the end, Gu Shenwei suddenly realized that he was thinking about his destiny. To live and wait hopelessly for revenge, or simply jump off the cliff and forget about everything?

Deep inside his heart, he hated that he was burdened with such a heavy responsibility and had an aversion to enduring humiliation and bearing a heavy load. He should be living a  completely different life right now.

“It is G.o.d’s will.”

Gu Shenwei had always used these words to summarize the result of each thought. He must have the support of G.o.d’s will; only then could an orphan with low martial arts skills take revenge on the killer organization that dominated the Western Regions.

Gu Shenwei was like a devout believer who was dying yet living on due to his persistent belief. He believed in the unnamed G.o.d’s will, he must believe it; he had no choice but to believe in it.

And G.o.d’s will really manifested itself once again.

Servant Yao died on the thirtieth day after they had entered the Castle. For the rest of his life, Gu Shenwei would not forget the way Servant Yao had died. Although he hadn’t killed him with his own hands, he was the first person who had died because of him.

That morning, nine teenagers went to the eighth young lord’s yard to bow to the eighth mistress as usual. The Miss was on fire as soon as she appeared in the courtyard. “What does her Meng family have to be proud of? Her ancestors were nothing but pedlars and menial servants. Even now, they are just moneylenders and a group of gambling organizers. People who had died because of them were not any less. How could her family have run their business properly if not because of my father’s mercy?”

“You don’t have to be angry, Miss. You’re the daughter of Big Head G.o.d. It’s not worthwhile for you to fuss about these sn.o.bbish people.” Maidservant Xiao Sui persuaded. She was the previous Xiao Ru. The maidservants’ names, ‘Chen Xin Ru Yi’, had been banned, so they were forced to change their names as ‘Chen Xin Sui Yi’.

  The Unique King’s wife was surnamed Meng and was born in a very rich family in Jade City. Her family was actually one of the richest families in the Western Regions.

“Hm, Shangguan Family is the same as my father’s family, they all commit murder and arson. If she was so n.o.ble, then why did she marry someone from the castle? I……”

Xue Niang stopped the Miss in time. This was Golden Roc Castle and it was better not to reveal its inside stories.

The Miss entered the great hall, her figure blocked by a screen. Only then were the servants allowed to raise their heads, although they were still kneeling.

“Swear.” The Miss ordered. Like all pretentious and n.o.ble people, she gained a trace of satisfaction from these insincere oaths.

The servants had to repeat the oath one by one. They were interrupted by the Miss frequently. When the Miss felt that someone’s tone was not genuine, she would order Xue Niang to poke him until she was satisfied with his oath.

Everyone’s oath was almost the same as the one they had made on the first day. They had to repeat their oath again every time the Miss was in a bad mood.

This was, by no means, the beginning of a good day, but there was not much difference from the usual. After they finished their routines, the servants could escape the sights of the Miss and Xue Niang and go about their day normally. Gu Shenwei sometimes speculated that Servant Yao might not have lived a good life by staying here and following Xue Niang to practise martial arts skills, but he had never mentioned it.

The oaths had almost come to an end; only an old woman who had a numb tongue was left. She repeated the oath again and again, but still couldn’t speak it clearly. She had always been like this. As long as Xue Niang urged her to repeat it one more time she would always recite it completely, though she would forget the next time.

The Miss constantly accused the old woman of not being loyal enough. At the same time, it was mixed with disorderly accusations of the Meng and Shangguan families. Just at this moment, Servant Yao did something that surprised everybody. He laughed.

This was not an ordinary laugh but a roaring laughter, which soon became a wild laughter. In the end, he had laughed until he was out of breath, as if all the people in the yard were clowns, and the most ridiculous one was the Miss sitting behind the screen.

Servant Yao laughed so strangely that no one was able to react until he rolled around on the ground while laughing. Xue Niang ran over and kicked him at the lower flank, scolding,

“Are you nuts? What are you laughing at?”

The area she had kicked was a crucial acupoint on the human body, but it didn’t affect Servant Yao. He continued laughing, one hand holding his stomach while the other hand pointing at Xue Niang’s face.

Although Xue Niang was experienced and prudent, she was a little bit confused. She couldn’t help but raise her hand and wipe her face. Then she became angry and kicked him several times in a row. They were all harsh moves aimed at the key acupoints.

Servant Yao no longer rolled, his body as stiff as a statue falling down. Still, his laughter was never ending. Instead, it became more and more shrill, like a howl or roar coming from the innermost parts of his body.

All the people in the yard were scared and backed far away. From behind the screen the Miss frightenedly asked,

“He, is he bewitched?”

Xue Niang didn’t believe anything about possession by evil spirits. She kicked at Servant Yao’s temple acupoint again, and his laughter finally stopped. “Don’t worry, Miss, he was just going through Qi deviation.”

Amongst all of them, only Gu Shenwei understood that Servant Yao’s Qi deviation had broken out, but the situation was still beyond his imagination. He had always thought that when Qi deviation occurred, one would vomit blood then die.

Xue Niang ordered the teenagers to carry Servant Yao back to their place.

There were ready-made rooms specially for hosting dying servants in the small courtyard. The teenagers carried Servant Yao in directly then rushed to disperse, leaving Gu Shenwei alone.

Servant Ji had heard the sound and came over to investigate. Although he was happy about Servant Yao’s fate, he also didn’t want to stay with the dying. He ordered Servant Huan to stay there while he, himself left quickly.

Servant Yao was not dead, but his breathing was too weak to be noticed. After Gu Shenwei determined that there was no one inside or outside the room, he climbed onto the brick bed and searched Servant Yao’s body inside and out. He then put his palms at the tianchi acupoint on either side of Servant Yao’s chest. He utilised his yin energy and transferred internal Qi into Servant Yao’s body.

Within a stick of incense time, Servant Yao cried out ‘ahh‘ and woke up. His eyes were blank, but he no longer laughed.

“Where’s the white silk? Give it to me now.”

Gu Shenwei said in a panicked voice. He could not let Servant Yao simply die like this. That piece of silk that had just resurfaced was the core of his entire revenge plan.