Unorthodox Wuxia: While Others Practice Martial Arts, I Cultivate Immortality - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Revenge

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several more days had passed.

That evening, just as Yuan Zhao and Ah Qing wrapped up another day’s work at their noodle stall, Han Rang came out from the courtyard next door, grinning from ear to ear.

“Sister Yuan Zhao, your noodle shop renovations are finally done today. Come take a look—see if you’re satisfied!”

Han Rang had been stationed there because he was overseeing the entire renovation of Yuan Zhao’s noodle shop, a task assigned to him by his father. The intention was simple: to foster a closer relationship with the Yuan sisters.

Yuan Zhao said gratefully,

“Young Master Han, thank you so much for all your hard work these past days. I really appreciate it.”

Han Rang waved it off:

“Sister Yuan Zhao, you’re being too formal! Friends help each other out, don’t they?

And hey—why are you still calling me Young Master Han? Just call me Han Rang, or even Ah Rang is fine.”

She had once called him “Big Brother Han,” but his father had later pulled him aside to remind him that although he was older, Yuan Zhao’s martial prowess far outstripped his. “Big Brother” simply wasn’t appropriate anymore.

Yuan Zhao smiled,

“Alright then, I’ll call you Han Rang from now on.”

She didn’t feel close enough to him yet to use “Ah Rang”—that was still too familiar.

Han Rang beamed: “That’s more like it! Come on, let’s go check out the noodle shop!”

He led the two sisters into the courtyard. It was now much more spacious than before, mostly because all the clutter and junk had been cleared out. The ground had been covered with gravel to reduce dust.

After looking over the courtyard, the three of them went inside the house.

What had once been several small, worn-down rooms of Wu Dazhuang’s home had now been combined, repaired, and reinforced. Though still made of earth, the place looked completely refreshed.

Several more windows had been added, making the space bright and airy. Inside were newly placed tables and stools—gifts from Han Long to celebrate the noodle shop’s grand opening.

“So? Satisfied?” Han Rang asked.

“Very satisfied! More than I ever expected,” Yuan Zhao nodded repeatedly.

Han Rang puffed out his chest proudly: “Well of course! Did you forget who supervised it?”

His smug look made Ah Qing burst into giggles.

After she finished laughing, Ah Qing gazed around the shop in amazement.

“Sister, is this going to be our noodle shop from now on?”

Yuan Zhao stroked her head fondly.

“Yes~ And once it opens, business will only get better. We’ll earn lots and lots of money.”

At first, Ah Qing looked delighted. But then, her face dimmed as if she remembered something.

“If only Grandpa were still here… He would’ve been so happy. With the shop, he wouldn’t have to suffer under the sun and wind anymore.”

Yuan Zhao patted her shoulder gently.

“Tomorrow, let’s visit Grandpa’s grave and tell him the good news, so he can rest easy.”

“Mm!” Ah Qing raised her little face and nodded seriously.

Then the three of them checked out the kitchen.

The new kitchen had been expanded from Wu Dazhuang’s original one. The stove had been rebuilt, and all the cookware replaced with brand new items.

After the tour, Yuan Zhao took out 50 taels of silver and handed it to Han Rang.

“This is payment for the carpenters and masons. Please deliver it for me.”

“Sure, leave it to me,” Han Rang agreed without hesitation.

As it was getting late, Han Rang bid them farewell: “Sister Yuan Zhao, Sister Ah Qing—I’ll come support your opening tomorrow!”

“It’s a promise!”

After he left, the sisters tidied up the noodle shop again, full of anticipation for the next day’s grand opening.

They then had dinner together. Yuan Zhao spent some time teaching Ah Qing how to read, and afterward they both entered cultivation mode.

***

Unknowingly, midnight came.

A dark figure silently crept into their courtyard. But as soon as he arrived, Yuan Zhao sensed his presence.

Just as he was about to sneak into the house, Yuan Zhao’s calm voice suddenly sounded right beside his ear: “To come uninvited in the middle of the night, is this how guests behave?”

Startled, the intruder had no idea when she had approached him.

Without a word, he drew a short dagger. A flash of cold light streaked toward Yuan Zhao.

Yuan Zhao met the strike with a palm. Her Heaven-Sweeping Hand technique was agile and sinuous, her hand and wrist twisted like a serpent, coiling around the intruder’s forearm.

She tapped lightly on a specific spot, and his arm instantly went numb—he almost dropped the dagger.

Realizing she wasn’t someone to mess with, the intruder quickly retreated, putting distance between them. Then with a flick of his wrist, several hidden weapons shot toward her vital points.

Yuan Zhao waved her hand in return, forming a blade of ice from condensed water.

With a shrill clang, the ice blade collided with the hidden weapons, intercepting them all.

Seizing the opportunity, she dashed forward and aimed a palm strike at his chest.

The assassin dodged, but Yuan Zhao’s attacks were relentless.

Bang!

She finally found an opening and struck him square in the chest. With the sound of breaking bones, his chest caved in.

Spurt!

He vomited blood on the spot. Realizing the mission had failed, the assassin leapt onto the courtyard wall, trying to escape.

But how could Yuan Zhao let him go?

She extended her hand, quickly forming a stream of water that turned into a sharp ice blade.

With a flick of her wrist, the ice dart shot forward—thud!—and pierced his thigh.

The man let out a blood-curdling scream and fell from the wall.

Yuan Zhao rushed up, grabbed him by the neck, and demanded: “Who are you? Why did you sneak into my home with murderous intent?”

But just as she finished, the man suddenly twisted his head to the side—and stopped breathing.

Poison? Yuan Zhao frowned.

“Tch. Just my luck.”

She tossed the corpse to the ground.

At that moment, Ah Qing peeked out of the house holding an oil lamp.

“Sister, did you take care of the bad guy?”

Yuan Zhao walked over with a smile.

“All taken care of.”

“Sister, are you hurt?” Ah Qing asked with concern.

“No.” Yuan Zhao shook her head and tapped Ah Qing’s forehead. “Were you scared?”

Ah Qing shook her head. “Nope.”

Yuan Zhao chuckled. “That’s good.”

With a serious face, Ah Qing declared: “Sister, I’ll train hard! One day, anyone who tries to hurt you—I’ll kill them all!”

Yuan Zhao flicked her forehead. “You little rascal, always thinking about fighting and killing.”

Ah Qing rubbed her forehead, grumbling: “Sister, you’re not that much older than me…”

Yuan Zhao laughed as she walked back toward the house: “Sister is much older than you.”

The two sisters returned to their room and resumed cultivating.

***

The next morning, Yuan Zhao invited Han Long to the house.

After inspecting the corpse, he said: “Unless I’m mistaken, this was an assassin from the Dark Night Pavilion. Miss Yuan, do you have any known enemies?”

Hearing that, Yuan Zhao’s heart stirred, she had her suspicions.

“Thank you, Elder Han. I already have a good idea who’s behind it.”

Han Long nodded. “Then that’s good.”

Yuan Zhao turned to Ah Qing: “Our noodle shop’s opening might need to be delayed.”

“Oh…” Ah Qing looked disappointed, but quickly perked up again. “Whatever Sister says, I’ll follow!”

Yuan Zhao looked at Han Long once more: “Elder Han, may I ask a favor?”

“Of course, anything.”

“I’d like to ask Xiaoyue Pavilion to help take care of Ah Qing for a while.”

Hearing that, Ah Qing panicked: “Sister, where are you going? Are you leaving me behind?”

Yuan Zhao smiled and said, “What kind of silly talk is that? I just have some things to take care of. Once I’m done, I’ll be back right away.”

Ah Qing replied dejectedly, “Alright… But Sister, you must come back quickly. Otherwise, I’ll be too worried to sleep at night.”

“I got it!” Yuan Zhao assured her.

Han Long added, “Miss Yuan, rest assured. When you return, I will make sure you receive a safe and sound Miss Ah Qing.”

“Then I leave her in your care, Elder Han.” Yuan Zhao cupped her hands in gratitude.

After handling the assassin’s corpse from the Dark Night Pavilion, Yuan Zhao sent Ah Qing off with Han Long to Xiaoyue Pavilion. Then, after locking up her house, she headed alone to the blacksmith’s forge.

At that time, the old blacksmith and his apprentices were still busy pounding away at their metalwork. Seeing Yuan Zhao arrive, the blacksmith greeted her with a warm smile: “Little miss, it’s you again.”

“Boss, how’s my blade coming along?” Yuan Zhao asked.

Sensing her urgency, the old man thought for a moment and replied: “Tell you what, I’ll push myself a bit. Come back by midnight tonight—it’ll be ready.”

“It’s much appreciated.” Yuan Zhao nodded.

Leaving the forge, Yuan Zhao returned home. After practicing the Heaven-Sweeping Hand and her Hellgate Blade techniques in the courtyard, she went inside to cultivate her internal energy.

The old Wolf remained quietly by her side the whole time. Once Yuan Zhao fully entered her meditative state, the wolf lay silently at her feet.

In recent days, the old Wolf had grown significantly—now as large as a small calf, far larger than a typical desert grey wolf.

***

Midnight arrived swiftly.

In the darkness, Yuan Zhao’s eyes suddenly snapped open. As she stood up, she said to the wolf: “Old Wolf, it’s time to go.”

“Awoo~” the wolf responded and rose to follow her.

After locking the door, Yuan Zhao made her way directly to the forge.

Tianmen Town was utterly silent, except for the faint sound of metal striking metal, the only source of light and noise came from the blacksmith’s shop.

When she arrived, the old blacksmith looked up and gestured toward a long blade leaning against the wall.

“There it is… your saber.”

Yuan Zhao’s eyes were immediately drawn to it. Even under the midnight sky, the blade shimmered coldly.

She walked over, gripped the handle, and gave it a light swing—the blade sliced through the air with a sharp whoosh.

The old blacksmith couldn’t help but praise: “You’ve got some strength in those arms, girl.”

“It’s alright.” Yuan Zhao replied, then sheathed the saber. It was longer than she was tall, and she had to half-drag it behind her.

“Bold little thing, aren’t you.” The blacksmith shook his head. “So? Are you satisfied with the blade? It weighs 180 jin (90kg), and the length, width, and thickness were all made to your specs.”

Yuan Zhao nodded, “Barely enough for me.”

She then handed him the remaining silver.

“We’ll come back another time for my sister’s throwing weapons.”

“Whenever you’re ready,” the old man replied, pocketing the coins.

After bidding him farewell, Yuan Zhao dragged her massive saber out of town and disappeared into the night, Old Wolf close behind.

***

Two days later, the girl and her wolf stood before a towering city wall.

The plaque above the gate read: Baiyu City.

Baiyu City was the closest major city to Tianmen Town within the Great Xiao Empire. It was also a garrison point for its military.

And Yuan Zhao had come here for vengeance.

Her previous words to the young general weren’t empty threats.

She was dead serious.

Yuan Zhao already had strong reason to believe that the attempt on her life by the assassin from the Dark Night Pavilion was orchestrated by that same young general.

But she didn’t enter the city. Instead, she and the old wolf waited quietly outside.

This was his territory. She wasn’t about to walk into a trap.

After about half an hour, a squad of soldiers—about ten men—marched out of the city.

Yuan Zhao silently tailed them.

Once they had left Baiyu City far behind, she suddenly appeared in front of them.

“Who are you?” the squad leader barked, eyeing the girl with the enormous saber and the massive wolf beside her.

The girl replied coldly: “The one who’s going to kill you.”

“Awoo—!” With a howl, the old wolf charged into the group. Soon after, screams erupted.

Yuan Zhao followed, swinging her massive blade.

Within moments, all ten soldiers lay dead in pools of blood.

After stripping them of anything valuable, Yuan Zhao and the old wolf returned to the city’s outskirts, this time to a different gate.

An hour later, another military unit emerged.

This time it was a company of one hundred soldiers, led by a military commander on horseback.

The rest were on foot, heading out on patrol.

Once again, Yuan Zhao and the old wolf followed them silently.

When they reached a stretch of deserted dunes, Yuan Zhao suddenly stepped into their path.

“Who dares block my way? Tired of living?” the commander shouted.

But before he could finish his sentence, a massive blade flew through the air—whoosh—and sliced clean through his neck.

This commander was a trained martial artist, not elite, but still stronger than your average soldier.

His headless body toppled from the horse. The saber embedded itself into the sand, blood seeping down its blade.

Then Yuan Zhao descended from above, landing beside her weapon.

The sight of her sent the soldiers into a panic.

Their leader was dead. The formation collapsed, and they scattered in all directions.

But soon, they realized—their feet were trapped in sand, unable to move.

Yuan Zhao charged. And the old wolf joined the slaughter.

Like chopping vegetables, the two of them made quick work of the entire squad.

Once it was over, Yuan Zhao looted their weapons, armor, and coins.

Then, leading the dead commander’s horse and with the old wolf by her side, she disappeared into the desert night.