Chapter 28

Chapter 28: The Jun Brothers

The night was deep, with thick clouds obscuring the moon.

In such an environment, even the slightest bit of light would usually stand out. But in front of Bai and Mei, there was a bonfire, along with the crackling of burning wood and the nostalgic air of reminiscence... On top of that, the incoming person’s lightness of movement was equally impressive, so much so that it was only at this moment that they realized someone was approaching.

Recalling the various behaviors of the Twenty-Eight Generals at the Chang residence, the swordsman and the swordman grew wary.

They exchanged a glance, each reaching for their weapon at their side, adopting a defensive posture as they watched the figure gradually appear at the temple entrance.

One... two!

Two torches flickered in the night, and the newcomers quickly realized there were people inside the temple.

The two parties stared at each other from a distance of several feet. The flames swayed, casting shifting shadows on their faces.

"This is..." Bai Zhengliu murmured softly.

"Bai-ge! Mei-ge!" The person at the temple entrance recognized them and excitedly called out, "What are you doing here?!"

...

...

Jun Yang, Jun Tao.

Disciples of Emei, they had once formed the Demon-Slaying Alliance with various other sects in the martial world, aiming to kill the Blood Demon. They had acted alongside Bai and Mei at that time, so they shared a bond.

The two were brothers, and from a young age, they practiced Emei swordsmanship together. Individually, they were already skilled, and when fighting together, their coordination was impeccable. After reaching mastery, countless evil men had fallen into their hands.

Now, upon meeting again, both sides were surprised but happy. Bai and Mei relaxed and immediately invited the Jun brothers to join them by the fire, generously offering roasted chicken and wine.

The Jun brothers accepted the roasted chicken but declined the wine. They both wore a slight bitter smile. Though they had spoken first earlier, it was now their turn to explain: "Actually, we came out to find someone."

"Find someone?" Bai Zhengliu immediately asked.

Jun Yang nodded. "Yes. Three months ago, our senior sister Nie Qing’e sent word back, saying that she and her husband would be returning to the sect soon."Jun Tao added, "Senior Sister Nie's husband is a Wudang disciple, surnamed Lu, given name Qing. Have you two brothers heard of him?"

Mei Yinghan nodded, "I have heard of Lu Lang from Wudang."

Bai Zhengliu then said, "From Wudang to Emei, it shouldn't take more than three months... Could it be that they haven't arrived yet?"

As he spoke, his brows furrowed slightly, and he too sensed something was amiss.

The Jun brothers sighed together. The elder brother, Jun Yang, said, "Exactly! By all logic, Senior Sister Nie should have arrived by now, but we’ve had no word from them. If this were before, we’d assume something happened on the road and delayed their journey. But after the Blood Demon incident, even if something delayed them, it’s impossible they wouldn’t send someone to deliver a message!"

Jun Tao added, "Master is very worried, and my brother and I have been constantly thinking about it. So we decided to come out and search."

Jun Yang nodded, "From Wudang to Emei, the journey is long, but Senior Sister Nie always takes the same path." He looked around, "This temple is one she often stays at. So, my brother and I decided that since we’re in this area, we should check the temple. We only arrived here in the middle of the night..." He paused slightly, "It seems we’ve disturbed Bai-ge and Mei-ge. I truly apologize."

As he spoke, the brothers both cupped their hands toward Bai and Mei.

Bai and Mei immediately returned the gesture, their concern for Nie Qing'e growing.

Mei Yinghan asked, "How long have you been out? Have you found any clues?"

Jun Tao replied, "It's been over twenty days. As for clues, we haven't found any."

In Bai and Mei’s minds, Jun Tao was the more lively one of the brothers. But today, he seemed much more composed.

Perhaps it was because of the Blood Demon incident, or perhaps it was simply due to his concern for Senior Sister.

Bai Zhengliu said, "Mei and I asked around earlier. If you go half a day further, there’s a place called Tan Family Village. Have you been there?"

The brothers shook their heads, "We plan to visit there tomorrow."

Bai Zhengliu glanced at Mei Yinghan. As he turned, their gazes met.

Hurrying on their journey was important, but finding out about the disappearance of Nie Qing’e and her husband was equally urgent. They understood each other's thoughts in a glance, and both nodded in agreement. They turned to the Emei brothers and said, "Here’s the plan. When we reach Tan Family Village, we’ll ask around with you."

The Jun brothers were visibly pleased upon hearing this. One of them said, "Thank you, brothers!"The other one also said, "Clearly, this is our Emei's matter, but it's troubling that the two of you brothers have had to take on the burden. It's truly undeserved."

Bai and Mei both replied, "This is not 'Emei's matter.' If Senior Nie has encountered an accident, it should be considered a matter of the martial world."

The other one added, "The Blood Demon incident has just been resolved. At times like this, we cannot afford to be careless about any situation."

The Jun brothers thanked them gratefully, then changed the topic: "By the way, we haven’t heard why you two are here. Is there something we can help with?"

"If there's anything Emei can assist with, we will certainly not hesitate!"

Upon hearing this, Bai and Mei exchanged another glance.

They communicated through their eyes. Bai Zhengliu: "Should we tell them here?"

Mei Yinghan: "Just the two of us, it might lack some credibility."

"..." This was exactly what Bai Zhengliu had been worried about from the beginning. But since they had asked, not telling them seemed awkward.

Mei Yinghan understood this logic. After thinking for a moment, he finally said, "To be honest, Bai and I encountered something difficult to speak of in Guang'an Prefecture. We are on our way to Tianshan to report to the sect. If nothing unexpected happens, your master will receive the message in two months."

Tianshan's eldest disciple spoke solemnly, and the Jun brothers were immediately startled, their expressions becoming serious. "What exactly happened? Mei-ge, please tell us!"

"Does Mei-ge mean that after returning to Tianshan, you’ll send out a hero’s invitation? Could the Blood Demon be resurfacing in the martial world?" Jun Tao guessed, but immediately shocked himself with his own thought. It was still Jun Yang who shook his head, saying, "Whether the Blood Demon is dead or not, we saw it with our own eyes."

Jun Tao exhaled, "That’s true."

Jun Yang looked at Mei Yinghan, "Mei-ge, what is it exactly?"

Mei Yinghan said, "It’s not the Blood Demon. But compared to the Blood Demon, it might be even more dangerous."

Bai Zhengliu chimed in, "Let me explain. Speaking without evidence, you two disciples might find it hard to believe. So, do you have any items on you? Don’t tell us who they belong to, just bring them out for us to see."

Upon hearing this, both Jun Yang and Jun Tao looked slightly puzzled. But Mei Yinghan had already thought it through. Compared to directly saying, "We encountered a ghost," it would be more believable for them to actually witness the existence of strange and supernatural events.

Exactly. After memorizing The Star-Recording Tome for so long, Bai and Mei had indeed found a spell within it that could be completed without needing to rely on those unfamiliar items bearing strange names. It only required a little fresh blood to complete the incantation.And since they had just killed the chicken that night, what they lacked the least right now was fresh blood.

In the eyes of Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan, the Jun brothers whispered a few words to each other, then took out a copper coin.

"This thing, money, is hard to trace its owner," Jun Yang said. "But this one is the one we used for a bet earlier, and it definitely has an owner. However, I don’t know... Bai Ge, Mei Ge..."

Mei Yinghan softly said, "You two disciples, please watch."

Jun Yang hesitated for a moment and closed his mouth.

Both he and his younger brother were filled with doubt. However, both Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan were outstanding among the younger generation of martial artists. The Jun brothers had even witnessed their prowess firsthand during the battle against the Blood Demon, and they held them in the same high regard as their own master. While they had doubts about their methods and words, they still listened attentively.

But they didn't really have much room for doubt anymore.

In the eyes of the Jun brothers, Bai Zhengliu placed the copper coin in the space between the four of them, then smeared a little vivid red color on it.

Then, the copper coin moved.

Bai Zhengliu focused on the coin, his lips slightly parted as he whispered a series of low incantations.

—Originally, this technique was meant to prove something to the senior members of the Tianshan Sect. A spell with no harm in itself was not easy to find in The Star-Recording Tome. Bai and Mei had put much thought into it, but neither of them had expected they would first need to prove it in front of the Jun brothers.

Fortunately, the action was quite successful.

Under the incredulous gaze of the Jun brothers, the copper coin, which had been lying on the ground, slowly began to stand upright.

The brothers widened their eyes, and the younger one, Jun Tao, finally showed a bit of the impulsiveness that Bai and Mei had once been familiar with. He reached out a hand and circled around the coin.

Jun Yang called to him, "Jun Tao! Bai Ge and Mei Ge are still watching! What are you doing?"

Jun Tao excitedly turned his head, "Brother! This copper coin really moved on its own!"

No, it wasn't just moving!

It wobbled left and right for a moment, as if it had chosen a target. Then, the copper coin began to roll forward!

In the astonished gaze of the Jun brothers, the copper coin steadily rolled to a stop right in front of Jun Tao. At that moment, another thing happened that left the brothers completely stunned.The bloodstains on the coin slowly faded under their gaze, until they completely disappeared!

The two of them looked at Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan in astonishment. Jun Tao even picked up the coin, examining it closely, turning it over and over, looking at every side repeatedly, before finally unable to hold back and asking, "Bai Ge, Mei Ge, what exactly is this?!"

Bai and Mei both let out a long sigh. Bai Zhengliu had already done the work, and now it was Mei Yinghan's turn to explain.

Mei Yinghan: "This is the 'difficult-to-speak matter' I mentioned earlier to you two disciples."

This chapter marks the start of a new side story.

(Although they haven't officially entered yet.)