Dozens of corpses lay sprawled across the official road, the stench of blood thick in the air. Occasionally, a traveler would pass by, their heart trembling at the sight, each one swiftly diverting their path, careful not to provoke the cloaked swordsman standing there.
Teng Qingshan stood silently, watching the young girl.
"Wuwu..." The girl wept for a long time, her cries gradually subsiding.
In a single day, she had lost everyone dear to her. The blow was too immense. She had cried beside her mother’s body until her mind, previously a blank slate, slowly cleared. The girl suddenly stood up and looked toward Teng Qingshan. A strange light flickered in her eyes as she took two steps forward.
"Bang!"
The girl immediately dropped to her knees, bowing her head as she choked out, "Benefactor, I beg you, avenge me! Kill those villains! I am willing to serve you like an ox or a horse for the rest of my life to repay you!"
What power did a weak woman like her possess for revenge? She had witnessed the strength Teng Qingshan displayed in slaying the bandits moments ago; she was convinced he could easily eliminate the people who had wiped out her entire family. Now utterly alone and without support, seeking vengeance was impossible. She had no choice but to plead with Teng Qingshan! And her only bargaining chip...
...was herself!
"Get up. First, cremate your mother," Teng Qingshan said.
"En," the girl nodded quickly.
Looking at the tear-streaked face of the girl, especially a face identical to the younger version of his wife from his previous life, 'Little Cat,' Teng Qingshan couldn't help but treat her with more kindness. The tragic fate awaiting this girl, when compared to Little Cat's, stirred a pang of pity in his heart.
On a patch of barren land not far from the roadside, flames burned fiercely, and the smell of scorched flesh permeated the air.
The girl knelt before the pyre, solemnly kowtowing three times. She looked up at the fire, tears welling in her eyes: "Mother, rest assured. Your daughter will certainly avenge Father, Grandfather, and the rest of the family. She certainly will!" After speaking, she kowtowed three more times before standing up, her eyes still wet.
"Benefactor," the girl looked at Teng Qingshan.
In the girl's heart, Teng Qingshan was a supreme expert. Just saving her was already more than she could have hoped for. She was a girl who understood propriety. She knew... she only needed to obey Teng Qingshan’s commands. No need to speak unnecessarily.
"Come with me to Wu'an Commandery City first," Teng Qingshan instructed.
"En," the girl nodded.
Immediately, Teng Qingshan mounted his Green-Maned Horse, and the girl mounted the Yellow-Maned Horse, and they rode side-by-side toward Wu'an Commandery City.
On the official road.
"What is your name?" Teng Qingshan asked.
"Li Jun!" the girl replied.
Teng Qingshan repeated the name softly, nodding. When he first saw this girl named 'Li Jun,' his initial thought was that Little Cat had been reincarnated. However, the girl’s reaction to the bandits clearly showed she possessed no ability to resist at all. In his past life, his wife, 'Little Cat,' was a master of Xing Yi Quan.
Serving alongside Teng Qingshan, she was one of the four A-rank assassins of the RED organization!
The assassin duo, 'Wolf and Cat,' was incredibly famous!
If it were Little Cat, even if she hadn't reached his current achievements, she would still be at least a first-rate martial artist.
The image of his cold, decisive, yet tender wife, 'Little Cat,' surfaced in Teng Qingshan's mind. He glanced at the girl beside him, who possessed the exact appearance of Little Cat in her youth. He sighed internally. No matter what... Little Cat belonged to the past life. In this life, there was no Little Cat!
Helping this girl so readily was purely for the sake of the wife he had deeply loved in his previous life.
"Benefactor, you may call me Little Jun!" the girl said, looking at Teng Qingshan. "What should I call the Benefactor?"
"My name is Teng Qingshan," Teng Qingshan stated plainly, hiding nothing from the girl. "Little Jun, how old are you this year?"
"Thirteen," the girl replied. "Teng... Brother Teng!" The girl nervously glanced at Teng Qingshan, and seeing no displeasure on his face, continued, "Brother Teng, why are we going to Wu'an Commandery City... My home is not there. I... I want revenge."
Teng Qingshan looked at her. "Revenge? Who are your enemies?"
"I... I don't know," Li Jun bit her lip and shook her head.
Teng Qingshan frowned. "You don't know your enemies, how can you seek revenge?"
Li Jun's face instantly turned pale.
"Right. Not knowing the enemy, how to take revenge?" Li Jun silently shed tears, murmuring, "It was dark, I didn't see clearly at all. Mother pulled me away to flee for our lives. I only saw many corpses... I, I, I don't know who they are, I don't even know what they looked like!"
Seeing Li Jun like this, Teng Qingshan sharply uttered, "Stop crying!"
Li Jun froze.
"Tell me everything about your home," Teng Qingshan said. "Judging by your attire, you must come from a wealthy family. You probably live within the city... Few people dare to commit murder within city walls. Based on your family's situation, the friends your father knew, and so on, there is hope to find them."
Li Jun's eyes lit up with joy. "My, my family is in Wan City, over a hundred li from here. My father is Li Yuan, a merchant in Wan City. My grandfather is called..."
Li Jun clearly and thoroughly explained all the details of her family.
"En," Teng Qingshan nodded and looked at her. "Do you intend to seek revenge yourself, or shall I do it for you?"
"I want to take revenge with my own hands, but I have no way to do it myself," Li Jun said bitterly.
"I can arrange for someone to teach you how to practice internal strength," Teng Qingshan offered.
Li Jun shook her head. "When I was little, my father sent me to Azure Lake Island, hoping I would become a martial artist. However... I could never cultivate any inner strength. Furthermore, the martial artists on Azure Lake Island all said that all my meridians were too impure, making it impossible to circulate any inner strength cultivation method."
Teng Qingshan sighed inwardly upon hearing this.
Innate meridians difficult to cultivate... Practicing Xing Yi Quan might work.
However, mastering Xing Yi Quan was extremely difficult and demanded exceptional aptitude. Relying on Xing Yi Quan to achieve revenge might mean never succeeding in her lifetime.
Yang Province, Wu'an Commandery City, Willow Lake Street.
Willow Lake Street was beautiful, one side facing the lake, lined with endless willow trees whose branches swayed in the breeze, while the lake water beside them rippled with the wind. The scenery was indeed stunning.
This Willow Lake Street was the exclusive residence for the wealthy and prominent families of Wu'an Commandery City. Those mansions occupied vast grounds and were incredibly expensive.
"Summon your Master Wang here. Tell him someone from Jiangning Commandery City has arrived," Teng Qingshan said, standing before the entrance of one mansion.
The two guards at the gate were startled.
"Sir, please wait a moment, I will report immediately," one of the guards rushed into the mansion. Li Jun stood behind Teng Qingshan, nervously observing everything... This mansion was even larger than her family’s. Having lost all her relatives, Li Jun now had only the man before her to protect her.
Soon, a plump man dressed in a bright golden robe hurried out.
The moment he saw Teng Qingshan, the man's eyes lit up, and he immediately bowed deeply, "Commander!"
"Commander?" Li Jun was secretly shocked, sneaking a glance at Teng Qingshan.
"Little Jun, come in with me," Teng Qingshan said.
...
On the second floor of a pavilion within the mansion, Teng Qingshan sat by a round table. The plump man stood respectfully to the side, while Li Jun remained behind Teng Qingshan.
"If I had known Commander was passing through, I would have eagerly heard more about your affairs, but I never had the chance to meet you. I only saw your portrait. I never imagined today I would meet the Commander in person!" The plump man's face broke into a wide grin.
"Old Wang, I have a favor to ask of you," Teng Qingshan said with a faint smile.
The plump man immediately replied, "Commander, please command as you wish."
"This young lady is Li Jun. Her father is Li Yuan, residing in the nearby Wan City. Li Yuan is a merchant, and his family is quite affluent. However, just last night, her entire family was murdered. I need you to investigate thoroughly and find out exactly who killed her family," Teng Qingshan instructed.
The plump man looked at Li Jun with some surprise.
Li Jun watched the plump man nervously.
"Commander, please rest assured. Wan City is a small place. There are only so many wealthy figures. Their connections... investigating them will be simple. Moreover, murder within the city is a major incident. It will be even easier to trace. We also have personnel from our Guiyuan Sect in Wan City. In a few days, we can certainly investigate the entire sequence of events clearly," the plump man declared, thumping his chest.
The Guiyuan Sect maintained strongholds in every city throughout Yang Province.
Of course, in the chaotic commanderies of Xuyang and Tiannan, their bases had many people. But within the sphere of influence of Azure Lake Island, each stronghold had very few members—a concession made to Azure Lake Island.
"Very good," Teng Qingshan nodded.
Joy appeared on Li Jun’s face.
"Old Wang, you may retire for now, and arrange for food to be brought up," Teng Qingshan ordered.
"Yes, Commander," the plump man immediately withdrew.
Li Jun looked at Teng Qingshan with gratitude. "Brother Teng, thank you! I... I am just a young girl; I can never repay such a great debt."
"That's enough," Teng Qingshan said, shaking his head with a smile. "Don't keep mentioning repayment. Perhaps this matter is huge for you, but for me, it was merely giving an instruction. It means nothing. Therefore, you shouldn't place too much importance on this. I believe your parents would also wish for you to live a good life, rather than become a slave."
Li Jun was momentarily stunned.
Her mother truly wished for her to live a stable life, not seek revenge.
"So, you must live well according to your parents' wishes. Later on, marry a good man and live your life peacefully," Teng Qingshan said with a light smile.
"Teng..." Li Jun was somewhat dazed.
She had already decided to serve Teng Qingshan for life, willing to do whatever he asked. But she never expected... Teng Qingshan would save her and help her seek revenge without demanding any reward. Having lost her parents and feeling utterly alone, Li Jun felt a sudden warmth in her heart. Her eyes misted over, and she whispered, "Brother Teng, thank you."
"Eat well and rest tonight. You can stay here for the time being, as long as you wish," Teng Qingshan said.
"En," Li Jun nodded. "What about you, Brother Teng?"
"I will rest in Wu'an Commandery City today; I must continue my journey tomorrow."
"Brother Teng, if you are leaving, I must go with you..." Li Jun grew anxious.
Teng Qingshan comforted her. "Little Jun, I am going to the Savage Wilderness! The wilderness is extremely dangerous. I cannot possibly look after you! Besides, you need to have your own life."