Song of Everlasting Regret - Chapter 6

The group pursued the thief for two entire streets.

Ordinary petty thieves were guilty and afraid of the light, scurrying into dark corners like rats. This thief, however, was cunning enough to flee toward the night market, boldly walking beneath mountains of lanterns.

The market occupied the center of the street, while brothels lined both sides of the canal. At night, the area was exceptionally lively, with an endless stream of people coming and going.

Once the thief slipped into the crowd, it was like a drop of water vanishing into the sea. Capturing him became a hundred times more difficult.

Then again, without considerable courage and skill, how could anyone have dared steal from Zhongwu Hall? They simply did not know what sort of background gave this man the confidence to run wild there.

Lou Jing could tell that the thief knew he was being pursued. He was deliberately leading them in circles, trying to shake them off.

Anyone else might have been dazzled by the flowing crowds and red lanterns filling the street, but Lou Jing had once played a fishing game with her senior brothers and sisters.

Countless red carp were raised in Chengxin Lake. They would choose one with a distinctive pattern, and whoever caught that particular fish first would win.

It was not a game just anyone could play. One had to remember the carp’s markings, swim well, possess sharp eyesight, act quickly, and control one’s strength precisely enough to catch the fish without injuring it.

Through this game, Lou Jing had trained an exceptionally keen pair of eyes.

While fleeing, the thief swiftly changed his disguise. He transformed into a stooped old man carrying a shoulder pole.

The disguise fooled Cao Ruxu and the others, but it could not escape Lou Jing’s eyes.

Lou Jing gathered her qi, took several steps through the air, and flew onto a pavilion overlooking the street.

No matter how well the thief disguised himself, he was still like that red carp—the markings on his body could not truly change.

The thief carried a long banner pole. Folded, it served as a spear; unfurled, it became a banner.

He would never abandon his personal weapon, yet it was too cumbersome to conceal easily. The thief had therefore cleverly hung two winnowing baskets from it and hidden the weapon beneath the carrying pole.

Even so, there were still flaws.

Moreover, martial artists naturally walked with light, agile steps. It was difficult to alter such habits suddenly. This stooped old man’s footsteps were far too light.

Lou Jing fixed her gaze on him but did not alert him. She followed quietly.

Noticing Lou Jing’s movements, Cao Ruxu also realized that something was strange about the old man and began following in secret.

However, there were too many people. The thief eventually sensed them.

He immediately discarded his disguise and fled at full speed.

The thief was more familiar with Xuzhou City’s streets and alleys than they were. Even while being surrounded by so many pursuers, he slipped through a gap in their encirclement.

The moment he turned a corner, he disappeared.

The group arrived soon afterward but found no sign of him.

There was only a large restaurant before them, named Apricot Blossom Heaven.

After some thought, they concluded that the thief could not have vanished into thin air. He must have escaped inside.

Apricot Blossom Heaven was the largest restaurant in Xuzhou City. It consisted of five towers—east, south, west, north, and central—connected by elevated bridges.

At night, a thousand lamps burned together, illuminating the place as brightly as day.

With carved beams and painted rafters, it was magnificent beyond comparison. No other establishment in the city could rival its splendor.

Every seat inside the restaurant was occupied.

Performers sang beside the tables, while vendors selling fruit and small dishes moved through the passageways. All kinds of people mixed together, and the noise was overwhelming.

Cao Ruxu stationed four men around the restaurant’s four sides to prevent the thief from escaping. The rest entered to search.

The first floor was easy to inspect because the guests sat in open areas without partitions.

The second and third floors were more difficult. They consisted of private rooms and elegant chambers, each concealed behind curtains or closed doors. Searching for someone required intruding upon the guests within.

Cao Ruxu was confident in his status and unafraid of offending anyone.

He searched the rooms one after another, determined to capture the thief.

Lou Jing held her sword in her arms and followed coldly behind them.

After finishing the eastern side of the second floor, Cao Ruxu and his men turned around and nearly collided with Lou Jing.

“Go away! Why do you keep following us and interfering?”

Lou Jing replied indifferently, “Does this restaurant belong to you? You are allowed to walk here, but I am not?”

Cao Ruxu passed her and headed west.

“I do not care where you go, as long as you do not obstruct me from catching the thief!”

“What a coincidence. I am also here to catch him.”

Cao Ruxu said impatiently, “What thief are you catching?”

“Does this thief belong to your family too? You are allowed to catch him, but I am not?”

Lou Jing gave a cold snort. Frost seemed to gather in her gaze as she stared at the servant beside Cao Ruxu.

“Had my senior brother not delayed that man, you probably would not even have seen his shadow.

“When I capture him, I will question him properly about who is behind this. Then I will bring him before Hall Master Mu to settle the matter.

“When that time comes, I hope this servant beside you will clearly explain what he meant when he asked whether the people of the Qianyuan Sect had some secret dealings with the thieves!”

The servant had not expected Lou Jing to hear everything he had said earlier.

For a moment, he did not know how to respond and looked toward Cao Ruxu.

Cao Ruxu’s priority was catching the thief. He did not want to argue over the matter now.

“Do as you please.”

They began searching the private rooms on the western side of the second floor one by one.

Their conduct was extremely overbearing. If someone refused to open the door, they broke it down. Angry curses rose continuously around them.

Inside one private room on the western side of the second floor, the door opened slightly.

A pair of eyes peered outside for a moment before the door closed again.

The person who had looked out was a burly man dressed in coarse black clothes, dust from the road covering his body.

A pregnant woman was also inside. She supported her waist with one hand, her swollen belly protruding before her.

The man said, “A group of martial artists has arrived. They are searching every room. They will probably reach us soon.”

The woman’s face was filled with worry.

“How many are there?”

“Four in total. They are not those old fellows. The newcomers appear young, but I cannot judge the depth of their skills. There may also be people guarding the restaurant outside. If a fight truly begins, it will be difficult to predict the outcome.”

“What should we do?”

The man pondered for a moment before speaking decisively.

“If they truly came for us, then we can only flee. Madam, rest assured. Even if I must sacrifice my life, I will escort you safely back to Jiangnan.”

The woman touched her belly, her face pale.

“We should not have entered the city.”

The man looked at her stomach and sighed.

“Madam is close to giving birth and cannot continue traveling. Entering the city was unavoidable.

“Who could have expected the Mu family’s wedding to draw countless martial artists here, leaving us unable to move freely?

“The people the Alliance promised to send have still not contacted us. And at this critical moment, our whereabouts were somehow exposed.”

The woman was about to speak when the man raised a hand, signaling her to remain silent.

He whispered, “They are coming.”

A knock sounded outside.

At first, it was only two light taps.

“Honored guest, we are delivering hot water.”

No one answered for a long time.

The knocking grew rougher.

Finally, the door bar shattered, and Cao Ruxu and his men broke inside.

The night wind rushed against their faces.

The window overlooking the street was wide open.

Cao Ruxu hurried to the window and looked out.

A black-clad figure was carrying something in his arms. Nearly blending into the darkness, he used qinggong to leap from the building and flee into an alley.

Cao Ruxu struck the window frame.

“Thieving bastard! Do you think you can escape?”

He immediately led his men after the figure.

Lou Jing had been blocked by Cao Ruxu’s people and stood at the rear. She had not even caught a glimpse of the escaping person.

She only knew that whoever had occupied the room had fled through the window like someone guilty of a crime.

Seeing Cao Ruxu pursue them furiously, she followed.

After leaving Apricot Blossom Heaven, Cao Ruxu released a signal and summoned the men guarding the building’s four sides.

Together, they chased the black figure westward.

Yu Jingqiu had fallen one step behind.

When the thief deliberately led Lou Jing and the others through winding streets, she lost track of them.

She searched along the way but found no trace.

Just as she considered turning back, a red flare suddenly shot into the night sky.

Someone had released a signal.

Yu Jingqiu recognized it as the signal Caoliu Manor used to contact its members and headed toward it.

She arrived at an exceptionally bustling and magnificent restaurant.

After entering, she found the crowd so chaotic that she had no idea where to begin searching.

Yu Jingqiu went to the central courtyard.

Using a light step, she rose into the air like a crane soaring into the clouds and landed on the eaves of the central tower.

Looking down from above, her field of vision became far broader and clearer.

Those involved in a situation were often confused, while an observer saw things plainly.

She was about to leave and abandon the search when a figure on an elevated bridge to the southeast caught the corner of her eye.

Her departing steps halted.

When she looked directly at the figure, she realized it was none other than the thief who had fought Lang Ye and stolen the Jade Buddha’s Hand.

She had worn out iron shoes searching for him, only to find him without effort.

Although the thief had changed his clothing and removed the painted mask, his posture and build remained the same.

Most importantly, his unusual weapon had not changed.

That was how Yu Jingqiu recognized him.

He carried a bundle beneath one arm and followed a waiter, apparently heading somewhere.

Yu Jingqiu flew forward and blocked his path.

“Brother, you have taken something that does not belong to you. It would be best to return it at once.”

The thief froze when he suddenly saw her.

His gaze moved past her toward the waiter, then returned to Yu Jingqiu.

Without saying a word, he removed the weapon from his back.

Seeing this, Yu Jingqiu knew that further persuasion was useless.

Her long sword left its sheath, releasing a vast and powerful sword intent.

The thief moved his spear.

It lunged toward Yu Jingqiu’s face like a black python emerging from its cave.

Yu Jingqiu guided the spear aside with the edge of her sword, stepped away from the attack, and prepared to close the distance between them.

Unexpectedly, when she used her sword to redirect the spear, its blade sliced through the cords binding the banner.

The black banner suddenly unfurled above Yu Jingqiu’s head like dark clouds covering the sky.

Faint threads of golden light flowed across its surface.

This banner was no ordinary cloth. It had been woven and embroidered with special threads capable of blocking blades.

When the banner swept past her, Yu Jingqiu felt the fierce wind sting her cheeks.

The banner was soft and endlessly adaptable.

If her sword advanced an inch, the banner retreated an inch. It was like thrusting a blade into water—the water could never truly be cut apart.

The thief’s techniques were also strange and unpredictable. No matter how Yu Jingqiu shifted and moved, she could not escape the banner.

Though only a single piece of fabric, it seemed to enclose an immeasurable space.

Had Yu Jingqiu possessed Lou Jing’s temperament, she would have attacked the shield with the spear, using the overwhelming strength of her sword to violently break through the encirclement.

However, Yu Jingqiu’s techniques had always been gentle. They lacked Lou Jing’s fierce and decisive intensity.

Instead, she calmly searched for a flaw in the man’s moves.

Her gaze eventually settled on his feet.

The banner’s size was limited. It could conceal his head, but not his feet.

No matter how quickly it moved, an opening would inevitably appear somewhere for a brief instant.

Yu Jingqiu watched carefully.

As the banner shifted, a gap appeared on its left side.

She seized the opening and struck like thunder, filling her sword with true qi.

The force made the banner snap loudly in the air.

The thief had neglected his defense.

Yu Jingqiu’s sword aura struck him, forcing him to leap several steps backward.

He covered the wound at his waist, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Although it was only a minor flesh wound, every hair on his body stood upright.

He became exceptionally vigilant.

The person before him could not be underestimated.

Whether or not he could defeat her, continuing the battle would only place him at a disadvantage.

He glanced behind him, launched a feint with his spear, and immediately retreated.

Yu Jingqiu pursued him closely.

Had the thief abandoned the Jade Buddha’s Hand, she would not have pursued him so relentlessly.

Yet even after falling into a disadvantage, he stubbornly refused to release the bundle and free one of his hands.

They fought as the thief retreated, eventually reaching the central tower.

The guests inside Apricot Blossom Heaven seemed accustomed to such scenes. They merely moved to a safe distance and watched the excitement, showing no panic.

Long before Lou Jing and Cao Ruxu chased their quarry into Apricot Blossom Heaven, someone had secretly noticed the disturbance.

A graceful woman stood beside the gallery railing on the second floor.

Her body seemed boneless as she leaned lazily against it, watching Cao Ruxu and his companions search the first floor.

She laughed charmingly.

“What kind of performance is this? A few brats who have barely grown any hair dare cause trouble inside my Apricot Blossom Heaven?”

A man who appeared to be a manager approached from behind and whispered in her ear.

“Madam Yan, the Little Immortal has arrived.”

Madam Yan immediately straightened, crying out, “Who did you say is here?”

The man repeated quietly, “The Little Immortal. She is waiting in the hidden floor.”

The woman’s relaxed demeanor vanished completely.

She no longer cared to discover what Lou Jing and Cao Ruxu were searching for. She hurriedly turned and left.

Apricot Blossom Heaven appeared to have three floors from the outside.

In truth, it had four.

The misaligned doors and windows visible from outside created the illusion of only three stories.

One floor was concealed between the second and third floors. Without knowing the correct method, it was difficult to find the way inside.

Madam Yan hurried to the hidden floor and entered an elegant chamber.

The room was warm and fragrant.

Behind a curtain of pearls, a person with skin as white as snow sat on a couch.

Although the weather had already warmed in the fourth lunar month, she was still wrapped in sable fur.

Three people stood beside her.

Madam Yan pushed open the door.

Her beautiful face nearly twisted in distress as she pointed at the three attendants.

“You! You brought only the three of them with you?”

The person lifted a cup and took a sip.

“This tea is quite good.”

Madam Yan nearly choked from frustration.

“Zhongwu Hall and Caoliu Manor are celebrating a wedding. Xuzhou City is packed with people from the martial world!

“That Cao family boy is causing trouble downstairs in my restaurant right now!

“My dear ancestor, if something happens to you, do you want the Steadfast Star to skin me alive and burn Apricot Blossom Heaven to the ground?”

The person behind the pearl curtain set down the cup and slowly said, “She does not know I came here.”

Madam Yan’s expression changed.

She calmed down, though her delicate brows remained slightly furrowed.

“You even concealed it from her. Why did you come to Xuzhou City?”

“To retrieve something.”

“Do you need my assistance?”

“After they succeed, they will come to Apricot Blossom Heaven. They know the code phrase. Tell your people to watch for them and receive them properly.”

“That is already the rule. Even without my instructions, my people would never neglect anyone who gives the code phrase.”

Madam Yan twisted a strand of hair hanging beside her temple around her finger.

“Long Chou’s woman and his subordinate are inside my establishment right now. What do you want me to do with them?”

“Long Chou is dead. They are no longer useful.”

“Leave them alone?”

The other woman gave no answer.

Madam Yan understood the silence as agreement and smiled toward the person behind the pearl curtain.

“Long Chou had a lifetime of heroic… notorious deeds. He was arrogant for most of his life and could overturn clouds and summon rain with a turn of his hand.

“Who would have thought he would ultimately fall because of a woman?”

Madam Yan sighed softly.

“In the past, he entered and left the Central Plains as he pleased. Even when martial artists discovered him, he escaped safely.

“After succeeding again and again, he naturally lowered his guard. Sure enough, he finally fell into their trap.

“The ancients spoke truly: when one constantly walks beside the river, how can one’s shoes never become wet?”

“Do you pity him?”

“I only thought that he fought desperately to protect his woman and their unborn child. Although he committed countless evil deeds, at least he could still be called a man.

“Had that woman agreed to return to Jiangnan with him earlier, none of this would have happened.”

Madam Yan smiled.

“Those righteous martial factions certainly moved quickly once they received the information.”

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

A man’s voice came from outside. It belonged to the manager.

Madam Yan did not open the door.

“What is it?”

The manager said, “Someone gave the code phrase and asked to come to the hidden floor to meet the guest.

“But on the way, an unknown young woman appeared. Her martial arts are extraordinary, and she began fighting him.

“He cannot handle her and wishes to ask the guest for assistance.”

The person behind the pearl curtain raised a hand, preparing to order one of the three attendants to help.

At that moment, all three attendants’ expressions changed sharply.

Their bodies tensed, gathering power as they looked toward the ceiling.

Above this room was the third floor of Apricot Blossom Heaven.

The floors were soundproofed, so noises should not have carried through.

However, all three possessed exceptional hearing, and the disturbance above was growing increasingly violent.

Only moments later, a thunderous crash sounded overhead.

A hole burst open in the ceiling.

True qi swept through the room, setting the pearl curtain clattering wildly.

Two figures fell through one after the other.

The first crashed down, covered in sword wounds. Although numerous, none of them was fatal.

The second figure followed with a sword pointed at the fallen man, its blade gleaming coldly.

It was Yu Jingqiu, who had been pursuing the thief.