Heaven-Collapsing Start [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Gu Yun did not return to that small courtyard, nor did he go to the manor where the Demonic Sect had been brought to justice; instead, he turned and headed for the Escort Agency.

Dr. Dong had also come along on this trip, just in case, to provide timely treatment for the injured brothers during the siege of the Demonic Sect. However, since Dr. Dong possessed no martial arts, he had not gone directly to the scene to participate in the confrontation but had remained stationed within the Escort Agency.

At this time, the atmosphere inside the Escort Agency was solemn; after all, no news had been sent back yet. A disciple of the agency waited at the entrance, gazing out at the pouring rain, ready to receive messages at any moment.

Suddenly, a figure blurred through the curtain of rain, approaching at extreme speed. Before the disciple could react, the figure rushed past him like a whirlwind, bringing with it a gust of damp, rainy air.

As Gu Yun entered the agency, he shouted at the top of his lungs: “Dr. Dong, save him!”

His voice was hoarse and shrill, carrying a sense of tragic wailing.

Dr. Dong walked out of the front hall and saw Gu Yun. His gaze shifted downward to the figure in Gu Yun’s arms, and his expression suddenly changed.

“Follow me, quickly.”

Pushing open a door to a room, Gu Yun needed no further words from Dr. Dong; he went straight in and placed the person on the bed, then stood aside with a tense expression, completely ignoring the fact that he was soaked to the bone and in a wretched state.

He still remembered that burning temperature in his arms, the feeling of it gradually disappearing and turning cold was more helpless and desperate than anything he had ever felt. He could barely control his trembling hands.

He could only comfort himself over and over: perhaps the rain was too cold, perhaps the wind was too chilling; Elder Brother would surely be fine. He didn’t even dare to reach out and check his brother’s pulse again, fearing it was an illusion.

Inside the silent room, it felt as if even the air had stopped flowing, causing the head of the Escort Agency, who entered later, to lighten his footsteps.

He had learned everything from the Martial Arts Alliance disciple who followed Leader Gu—the good news that the Demonic Sect had been annihilated, and… casting his gaze toward the thin young man lying on the bed with eyes closed and a pale face, the agency head’s heart was incredibly conflicted.

Sigh, who could have imagined it.

The agency head could only stand to the side as well, quietly waiting for Dr. Dong’s diagnosis. However, with a relatively clear mind, he immediately noticed something wrong.

Ji Liang lay flat on the bed with his eyes closed. His hair and green robes, soaked with rain, dampened the pillow and bedding. However, his chest showed not a single ripple of movement.

The agency head’s eyes widened slightly, and he blinked, finally confirming he hadn’t seen wrong. He shifted his gaze to Leader Gu beside him, only to see him looking on with a tense and anxious expression, appearing as though he hadn’t noticed or rather, he noticed but subconsciously denied it, unwilling to admit the worst outcome, still harboring that sliver of hope.

After a long time, Dr. Dong finally let go of the hand.

He shook his head.

Although Dr. Dong was honored by others as a “Divine Physician” and his skills were worthy of the title even for someone with one foot in the grave, he had the confidence to pull them back; his proud medical skills had now been defeated by the same person three times in a row.

The first time was the reason for this person’s “resurrection” being pierced through the heart by a sword and yet not dying.

The second time was the lingering ailment left behind after that resurrection, which made him feel helpless for the first time.

And the third time was now.

From the moment Gu Yun carried this person back, Dr. Dong saw at first glance that the situation was very grim, even.

Thinking of a certain possibility, Dr. Dong did not immediately reach a conclusion but quickly began emergency treatment. However, it was of no use.

The pulse beneath his fingertips had stopped; the heart was no longer beating. The skin was pale and cold; shortly after leaving Gu Yun’s embrace, it no longer possessed a trace of warmth.

He just lay there quietly on the bed with his eyes closed, as if he had merely fallen into a sweet dream, and one only needed to call him gently to make those calm, waveless eyes open once more.

Yet, it was only a fantasy after all.

“Dr. Dong, my brother… when will he wake up?”

Gu Yun spoke softly and cautiously, as if a slightly heavier tone would break something. He still did not believe his eyes; he did not believe what he saw. He was still deceiving himself.

Dr. Dong suddenly felt a bit sorry for him, sorry for this Alliance Leader Gu, who had always been resilient and unyielding, never to be defeated by anything, yet in the end, the people he cared about had died because of him twice in a row.

First, having to face each other with blades, then the surprise of finding Ji Liang still alive, and now, once again watching Ji Liang die while being powerless to stop it.

At this moment, under Gu Yun’s gaze which still carried a hint of expectation and plea, Dr. Dong silently packed away his medical tools and let out a deep sigh.

“Leader, please restrain your grief…”

As if suddenly struck by a heavy hammer, Gu Yun dithered for a moment. He couldn’t stop his feet from stumbling as he took a half-step back, his throat dry and his voice incredibly hoarse.

“Dr. Dong, could you… look more closely? Perhaps you missed something; Eldest Brother is just…”

He likely didn’t even believe these words himself. Who was Dr. Dong? Was there any doctor in the world with more profound skills? No. When a fact is admitted by Dr. Dong personally, even if you don’t believe it, you must.

Dr. Dong sighed again, shook his head slowly, and stepped out of the room.

Watching this scene, the agency head standing nearby also felt terrible, as if a heavy stone were pressing on his heart, making it hard to breathe. He thought for a moment and also stepped out of the room, intending to leave the space for the brothers separated by life and death. Before stepping out, he took one last look back and saw the young Leader Gu kneeling by the bed, with tears vaguely tracing down his face which looked neither like crying nor smiling.

…

This rain came quickly and left just as fast.

In less than an hour, it stopped. The dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and sunlight spilled onto the earth once more, shining on the shimmering roads; the weeds by the roadside appeared even greener. This timely rain seemed to sweep away all the dust in the world, making heaven and earth bright again.

Inside the manor where the Demonic Sect had hidden, all members were brought to justice. The corpses of Sect Leader Yin Ren and the Right Envoy were placed in prominent positions for all to see. As for Xu Wei, this fellow seemed to have been frightened out of his wits by the scene of the Sect Leader’s death, unable to muster any thought of resistance; he was captured alive by the Alliance, though his future fate would likely not be much better.

The sky cleared, without a cloud for ten thousand miles; the sun was bright.

The Martial Arts Alliance crowd was soaked, yet they couldn’t stop the joyful expressions on their faces. At the same time, there was some complexity mixed in, because they thought of that startling sword strike, the figure who held the sword, and that sentence:

“Everything has nothing to do with me.”

It was as if that person’s pale face appeared before them, his expression extremely indifferent and calm, as if nothing could move him anymore, as if he had already become numb. When he spoke that sentence, his voice didn’t have a single ripple of emotion.

There was only that one short sentence. It fell into the ears of the crowd who were stunned at the time, and before they could even think, that figure had walked straight away, ignoring everyone.

It wasn’t until Leader Gu confirmed the actual death of the Sect Leader that they reacted, but at that time, it was the best moment to confront the remnants of the Demonic Sect, so they had no time to think deeply. Now that the dust had settled, those irrepressible thoughts sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain.

Undoubtedly, everything Gu Yun explained proved Ji Liang’s innocence. While the crowd felt regret and shame, they couldn’t help but wonder: why was Ji Liang able to kill the Sect Leader? Had his martial arts recovered?

The crowd didn’t know, but thinking of that startling sword strike, they believed no one present could have blocked it. Regardless, regarding Ji Liang, everyone tacitly remained silent.

…

In the unnamed small courtyard, Ah Heng looked at the clear sky after the rain, yet his chest felt stifled as if blocked by a stone; his worry for his teacher had not diminished.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled. With a firm gaze, he gripped his sword and stepped out of the courtyard.

Ah Heng first arrived at the Demonic Sect’s manor. This place had clearly undergone a great battle and was further washed by heavy rain; everything was a mess. The corpses of the Demonic Sect were piled together. In a prominent position, he saw the corpse of Sect Leader Yin Ren and Xu Wei, whose tendons in his wrists and ankles had been severed and whose martial arts had been abolished. He let out a vicious breath of relief in his heart.

But where was the teacher?

Ah Heng looked around, but there were only unfamiliar faces; he did not see his teacher’s silhouette.

“You must be Ah Heng, right?”

A voice came from the side. Ah Heng turned to look and saw an old man with graying hair walking over slowly. Although he knew these people were from the Martial Arts Alliance, a trace of wariness still rose in Ah Heng’s heart.

As if seeing through his vigilance, the old man said: “Don’t be nervous. This old man sees you seem to be looking for someone. Let me guess… is it Ji Liang?”

Ah Heng frowned. “Do you know where my teacher is?” His tone couldn’t help but carry urgency.

That old man was Elder Wang, who was very familiar with the youth. After all, the youth had been kidnapped by the Demonic Sect, and the Alliance had spent quite some effort investigating the matter. Seeing that the youth was still alive and hadn’t been killed by the Demonic Sect, Elder Wang pondered for a moment, as if seeing that this youth had been used by the Demonic Sect to restrain Ji Liang…

Coming back to his senses, the urgent look on the youth’s face was already obvious. After a pause, Elder Wang put his hands behind his back and said, “This old man should know where he is. You just follow us.”

…

More than half an hour later, the Martial Arts Alliance crowd and the injured brothers on stretchers arrived at the Escort Agency.

Upon entering, they keenly sensed a heavy atmosphere in the air. Seeing Dr. Dong walk over familiarly to treat the injured on the stretchers, Elder Wang scanned the area but didn’t see Leader Gu Yun, so he couldn’t help but ask:

“Has the Leader not come here?”

The one who answered him was the head of the Escort Agency, but for some reason, he was a bit hesitant, saying: “Leader Gu has returned, it’s just…”

Elder Wang frowned, a bad premonition rising in his heart. “Just what?”

Before the agency head could reply, the youth holding the sword nearby suddenly interrupted, his eyes bright: “Then is my teacher here too? My teacher’s name is Ji Liang.”

He saw the agency head’s body stiffen, his expression seemingly indescribable. After quite a while, he let out a heavy sigh.

“You two… follow me.”

That sigh felt as if it had fallen onto everyone’s hearts. Now, not only Elder Wang but even Ah Heng, who thought he had found his teacher, couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. He gripped the sword in his arms and followed the agency head’s pace.

Some high-level members of the Alliance also went along, likely looking for Leader Gu.

The journey wasn’t far; in just two or three minutes, they arrived outside a room. The agency head raised his hand and knocked. Getting no response, he said loudly: “Leader Gu, Elder Wang and the others are back.”

After a long while, the still door suddenly opened a crack from the inside, and Gu Yun’s face appeared, looking both pale and haggard. His lifeless eyes swept over the group outside; when he saw the youth Ah Heng, he paused slightly.

Then, he opened the door completely and said to the crowd: “Come in quietly. Don’t… wake Elder Brother.”

Ah Heng couldn’t wait any longer and entered the room first. However, the joyful expression on his face froze when he saw the silhouette lying quietly on the bed.

Thanks to his increasingly refined martial arts, Ah Heng was no longer the youth who understood nothing. Therefore, he noticed it immediately. He had never imagined this image, so the impact was quite large.

“Teacher… is he asleep?”

Ah Heng didn’t approach further but asked Gu Yun beside him, his expression blank.

But the first to respond to him was not Gu Yun, but the Alliance members who had followed in. Upon seeing Ji Liang’s corpse, they all couldn’t help but gasp; they likely hadn’t guessed this possibility either.

Yet, the fact was displayed before them.

At this time, Ji Liang’s corpse had been rearranged by Gu Yun. The messy hair and robes had been dried by Gu Yun using internal energy and laid out properly. He looked as though he were merely sleeping.

However, that ashen skin and that unmoving chest all stated the fact to everyone.

Ji Liang was dead.

Suddenly, a dull thud brought everyone back to their senses. Looking over, they saw Ah Heng had punched Gu Yun in the face, yet Gu Yun didn’t dodge or block, taking it head-on. A bruise appeared on Gu Yun’s face, showing the youth’s strength and lack of mercy, but he seemed not to care at all. He just looked at the youth, who was promptly restrained, and said with a pale face:

“…I’m sorry. Failing to protect the Elder Brother is my fault.”

The youth struggled desperately, not caring even when his sword fell to the ground. His eyes were fixed on Gu Yun, as if the moment the people restraining him relaxed even slightly, he would pounce regardless of everything to strike Gu Yun’s face again.

However, no matter how he struggled, it was in vain. In the end, his strength was exhausted, and he grew quiet, his throat sobbing like the final wail of a wild beast.

…

Ji Family Villa.

In the simple and quiet backyard, Ji Liang’s mother, Su Rong, was kneeling under the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva as she did every day, her head bowed and hands pressed together, praying for her son.

“…For all the sins committed by my son, this humble woman is willing to suffer in his stead. I only hope my son can return safely…”

After an unknown amount of time, the door was suddenly pushed open. A maid walked in quickly, breaking the room’s silence.

“Madam, the Young Master is back!”

The mother, who had her eyes closed, snapped them open and stood up quickly. Looking at the maid, she said excitedly: “Is Liang-er back? Where is he?! Never mind, I’ll go myself—”

Having said that, she hurriedly left the quiet room, not noticing the maid’s hesitant expression.

…

“Brother Yan, I heard Liang-er is back. Where is he—?”

The voice arrived before the person.

In the front hall, the father’s body suddenly stiffened. He turned around slowly to see the mother rushing in from outside, her face filled with unmaskable surprise and excitement.

However, as soon as she entered, she saw the frozen atmosphere. She still had a smile on her face, but it was somewhat stiff as she asked: “Wh- what is wrong?”

Her eyes swept around, trying to find that deeply missed silhouette, but besides the father Ji Yan, Gu Yun, and a few Alliance disciples, there was no one else.

“Brother Yan, where is Liang-er?”

The Su Rong before him had swept away her former sorrow and was radiant again. Upon learning of her son’s return, the stone in her heart had finally fallen, and she had become happy.

However, facing such a mother, the father’s throat choked up, as if he were blocked; he couldn’t say a single word.

The two stared at each other quietly. From the grief flowing in the father’s eyes, the mother seemed to realize something, yet also as if she realized nothing. Before she could ask again, Gu Yun, who had been quiet and silent nearby, suddenly knelt down.

The mother’s face suddenly changed, and she said sharply: “Get up!”

However, Gu Yun remained kneeling straight up, without a single movement.

Out of necessity, the mother looked at the father again. By now, the joy and excitement on her face had vanished. She said to the father without emotion: “You tell me.” Her tone was hard.

However, the one who answered her was Gu Yun, kneeling on the ground. He took a deep breath, as if needing to clear the gloom from his chest before he could manage to speak with difficulty.

“I failed to protect the Elder Brother… Please punish me, Foster Mother!”

Her pupils widened slightly. The mother suddenly turned her head to meet the father’s pained expression. Finally, she slowly shifted her gaze, landing on the coffin she had ignored all along.

It was placed right in the center of the hall so conspicuous, yet making one subconsciously ignore it.

After a long while, she rushed over. It was as if all color drained from her face in an instant. Her fingers gripped the edge of the coffin, trembling uncontrollably. However, when she saw the silhouette lying quietly inside, her red-rimmed eyes finally overflowed with scalding tears.

As if unable to bear seeing this scene, the father tilted his head back and blinked, trying hard not to let the sour liquid flow from his eyes.

When he saw Gu Yun arrive carrying a coffin, when he personally lifted the lid, when he saw Ji Liang’s corpse lying inside with his own eyes?

Could it be… is this Heaven’s punishment for him? Making him experience the joy of his son’s resurrection, only to lose him again… He clearly wanted Liang-er to live…

…

This time, Ji Liang finally had a normal funeral, instead of a lonely grave in the wilderness after death with nothing else.

The people who came to offer their condolences were unexpected; basically all the high-level members of the Martial Arts Alliance came. Even the hot-tempered Fifth Brother had to admit Ji Liang’s contribution and felt regret for his death.

After everything ended, the father temporarily kept the youth named Ah Heng.

“Are you willing to take me as your foster father?”

He naturally knew this youth was Ji Liang’s student, or even his disciple. When he said this, it was as if he were trying to make up for something in a daze.

However, the youth merely said expressionlessly: “I am not willing.”

Having said that, he walked straight away. Just before leaving, he turned his head to look at the desolate middle-aged man and finally left a sentence:

“You are not worthy of being Teacher’s father.”

He didn’t see that as he spoke those words, the middle-aged man suddenly staggered a few times and gave a miserable smile.

Yes, in the martial world, he was praised by everyone as the Great Hero Ji who was loyal and righteous, but in being a parent, he was an utter failure. This bitter fruit was something he would have to taste for the rest of his life.

…

Five Years Later.

Who does not know of the peerless swordsman who has risen in the Jianghu? Clad in white like snow, with a sword like a rainbow not a single opponent he sought out could last more than three moves.

It is heard that this swordsman’s name is very simple, just two characters: “Ah Heng.”

It is heard that this swordsman was once recruited by the Martial Arts Alliance but refused without hesitation.

It is heard that this swordsman had a master the Young Hero Ji who caused such a stir years ago but unfortunately, he is already dead.

It is heard…

On a precipice, the strong wind blew the hem of Ah Heng’s robes. His sleeves fluttered as he lowered his eyes and took out a somewhat worn embroidered pouch from his robes, slowly stroking it.

Behind him, a woman suddenly appeared and knelt respectfully on one knee toward him.

Ah Heng turned sideways, his gaze falling on the woman as he spoke slowly:

“Chun Niang…”