Chapter 43: Already Here
Wen Rou thought for a moment before speaking.
"But since he ran, that puts me in a difficult spot…
"I can suppress the poison to stop it from spreading, but I can't remove it."
"How long can you hold it back?"
"About one hour. After that, it'll start spreading through my meridians from the palm of my hand.
"In roughly ten hours at most, I'll die."
Her tone was calm and unshaken, as though life and death meant nothing to her.
Chu Qing nodded.
"Can you move?"
"No."
She answered honestly.
"Then forgive me."
With that, Chu Qing lifted Wen Rou and carried her inside, seemingly forgetting all about Mei Qianluo.
He set her down on his own bed and said, "Focus on suppressing the poison. Don't let it spread.
"I'll go find an antidote for you."
Wen Rou hesitated briefly. "Be careful, then."
Chu Qing was momentarily speechless.
"You actually trust me? You don't even know who I am."
"I trust you," she replied evenly. "If you hadn't stepped in, I'd already be dead."
It was a fair point. Since she was Chu Fan's junior sister, he couldn't just watch her die in front of him.
Smiling faintly, he said, "Then stay here and keep the poison under control. I'll be back soon."
With that, he took his blade and stepped out into the night.
His mind, however, had already drifted elsewhere—he needed to move again.
This place was no longer safe.
Before, there had still been a small chance that Wen Rou might bring Chu Fan over to "visit." But now, after saving her life, that possibility had grown tenfold.
He had no choice but to relocate.
Still, thinking back over the night's events, he couldn't help feeling a touch of melancholy.
Surviving in a world like this was no easy task.
If it hadn't been him living here tonight but some ordinary townsman instead—two wandering martial artists fighting on their roof, leaving corpses in the courtyard—what would that poor soul think upon waking the next morning?
And knowing Mei Qianluo's cautious nature, he probably wouldn't have spared the homeowner either.
He himself had said he was plotting something major and could leave no witnesses behind.
To common folk, such encounters were pure misfortune—suffering disaster without even knowing why.
"Even in Tianwu City," Chu Qing mused, "under Wu Ganqi's capable rule, things like this can't truly be prevented.
"The hardships of this world always fall hardest on ordinary people."
Thinking that, he followed the traces Mei Qianluo had left behind.
He was a killer—tracking was second nature to him.
With one arm severed, Mei Qianluo's wound was bleeding heavily; it would be impossible for him to hide his trail.
Finding him now was almost too easy.
So Chu Qing didn't worry about him escaping.
If anything, letting him run was better—it meant the trail would lead to something bigger.
…
…
The numbness in Mei Qianluo's arm had long faded, leaving behind waves of unbearable pain that made even breathing difficult.
A heavy dizziness surged through him again and again, nearly toppling his consciousness.
He had to watch out for possible pursuers while also avoiding the Tianwu Guards.
If they found him in his current state, things would turn disastrous beyond measure.
The only small relief was that the young man behind him didn't seem to be chasing.
At least for now, the night remained silent.
"Who was that man?
"That girl named Wen Rou was struck by my poison. Without the antidote, she'll last no more than twelve hours.
"I only pray he doesn't bring her to the Chu family, or my identity will be exposed."
Mei Qianluo staggered through the streets, feeling his strength slipping away.
But ahead—just ahead—was his residence, where the Second Master of the Divine Sand Gang, "Demon Staff Fulong" Ge Jingchun, was stationed.
If he could just reach that place, he'd be safe.
Once there, he would have Ge Jingchun personally finish off those two, ending tonight's disaster once and for all.
The thought rekindled his determination.
He forced himself forward, each step feeling like a lifetime.
At last, he crashed into the courtyard gate, breaking it open with a loud bang.
The sound rang sharply through the quiet night.
There were people inside—more than one.
Blinking through the haze of pain, Mei Qianluo saw Ge Jingchun gripping a man by the throat, lifting him effortlessly into the air.
Disturbed by the noise, Ge Jingchun frowned and turned.
When his eyes fell on Mei Qianluo's severed arm, his pupils contracted.
"What happened?"
He flung the man in his grasp aside. The black-clad victim fell to the ground, coughing violently but somehow still alive.
Mei Qianluo, barely able to stand, asked hoarsely, "And you… what's going on here?"
"An escaped survivor from the Xia family," Ge Jingchun replied coldly. "He managed to follow me here after you left. Thought he could poison my tea. I played along, drew him out… it took some effort, but he's dealt with now."
At the mention of the Xia family, Mei Qianluo immediately understood.
The Xia family was a renowned clan within Divine Sand Gang territory—wealthy merchants rather than martial nobles like the Chu family.
For years, they had served as the gang's personal treasury, bled dry whenever money was needed.
But ambition had gotten the better of them. In secret, they had tried to pledge allegiance elsewhere.
When the gang discovered it, the Xia family was exterminated overnight—over one hundred thirty lives wiped out, and their fortune seized in full.
Yet somehow, one had escaped.
Mei Qianluo looked at the black-clad man and exhaled slowly.
"Fortunate he couldn't endure much. Otherwise, he might have ruined everything…
"No matter. Brother Ge, let me handle this one.
"I ran into a powerful opponent. Failed to kill him—and in just one exchange, he took my arm."
Ge Jingchun's aged eyes darkened with gravity.
"I thought you'd killed him at least. He cut off your arm and left you alive?"
Mei Qianluo froze.
"We bore him no grudge. He…"
He couldn't finish the sentence. His face went ghostly pale.
A moment ago, he had assumed Chu Qing's mercy meant the man didn't wish to kill unnecessarily.
But was that even possible?
"You've lost too much blood," Ge Jingchun said grimly. "Your head's gone dull."
He reached into his robes and tossed over a pill.
"That man is likely already here."
At those words, cold terror gripped Mei Qianluo's heart.
Even his blood seemed to freeze in his veins.
(End of Chapter)
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