Chapter 43: In the Qi Camp, Heart in the Southern Barbarians

The interior of the fortress was spacious; after the young man freed the Southern Barbarian woman of her shackles, he led her to the soldiers’ quarters—directly opposite the place where Li Lin and the others had hidden.

After the figures vanished into the small building, Li Lin gathered behind the obstacle.

They crouched low, whispering in hushed tones.

“Did I see that right? That’s An Zhijian,” Zhao Hao said, stunned.

Bai Liwei nodded: “It does look like him.”

Su Huafang hissed: “Aren’t you aware he’s dead? We found his clothes and bones back then…”

Then all three turned to Li Lin.

Li Lin was still wearing his mask; he removed it, for he’d worn it too long—his face felt icy and numb.

“Besides these people, I saw nothing else strange. The man is human, not a wraith.”

Bai Liwei snorted: “Looks like he faked his death to escape. Over a hundred soldiers died before we arrived, and now he’s deeply entangled with Southern Barbarian women. Clearly, An Zhijian is a traitor. He may have killed even the border troops inside the fortress.”

Su Huafang shook his head: “We shouldn’t get involved. Border troops will arrive soon enough. Let them handle An Zhijian.”

The suggestion made sense—they were here for the money. There was still a fortune here; drawing attention was unwise.

Zhao Hao said: “All three of our escape routes lie behind the soldiers’ quarters. Avoiding An Zhijian’s notice will be difficult.”

“The shackles on those Southern Barbarian women are clearly standard border army issue. So An Zhijian is freeing these Southern Barbarian bandits—but why?” Bai Liwei asked, baffled.

Zhao Hao sneered: “Not surprising. An Zhijian’s mother… was a Southern Barbarian slave, killed years ago by his drunken father. We thought he saw himself as a Qi person. Now it’s clear—he sees himself as a Southern Barbarian.”

Su Huafang was a kind man, but upon hearing this, he said: “If An Zhijian no longer considers himself Qi, and aids Southern Barbarians, he’s wrong. Let’s surround him and kill him. We eliminate a traitor and bury our presence here—two birds with one stone.”

Bai Liwei and Zhao Hao both nodded slightly.

Then all looked to Li Lin.

Li Lin smiled: “Do as you wish.”

The three across from him laughed.

The four slipped silently to a blind spot visible from neither the doors nor windows of the soldiers’ quarters.

As they neared the building, they heard voices inside.

The man’s voice: “Tang Qibian’s border troops patrol the frontier on schedule. If you want to return home, you must begin by crossing the mountains and valleys—take the steepest, most densely wooded, thickest grass-covered trails.”

“What’s the point of going back? We’ll just be sacrificed to the Sky God again.”

“At least with your Qi people, we suffer but still live.”

The man seemed angry: “You don’t understand… The Qi have never treated us as human beings. Never. Inside this fortress is a secret cellar—there are several women of your Yue tribe locked inside, forced daily to satisfy their masters, never allowed to leave.”

“So what? I know many Hu Ji live well enough in Qi territory. These women are just unlucky.” A woman retorted: “If I were sold to a Qi village or county, I wouldn’t suffer so. I could disguise myself—I’d be nearly indistinguishable from Qi women. I’d even be willing to marry a poor Qi peasant.”

“You have no household registration,” the man’s voice rose. “You can’t survive in Qi territory. Who gives you registration? Without it, to the Qi, you’re no better than chickens or ducks—not even dogs. Dogs guard homes. You’re fit only to be eaten.”

“Help us get registration!”

“I can’t!” the man roared. “I’m just a Spirit Hunter, not an official. Besides, you’ve already shed border army blood—they’ll eventually trace you. Tang Qibian is far too clever.”

Silence fell inside the soldiers’ quarters.

At that moment, the four had crept close to the building.

Bai Liwei made a few simple hand signals—clear and immediate. The other three understood at once.

Then Zhao Hao leapt up and burst through the door, roaring: “An Zhijian! Your crimes are exposed! The County Magistrate has sent us to arrest you!”

Immediately after, Bai Liwei and Su Huafang stormed in behind him.

“How are you here?!” An Zhijian’s voice trembled with terror.

Then came a flurry of thudding combat sounds from within.

Li Lin moved to the window and kept watch.

Moments later, a woman leapt onto the windowsill, preparing to jump down.

A red tasselled spear stabbed toward her throat.

The woman had martial skill—she flipped midair and drew a short knife from her robe, deflecting the spear tip.

As she landed, the spear stabbed again—faster than before.

She parried several blows with her short blade, retreating at full speed, but short weapons had no advantage in open ground against a long spear.

After barely blocking six strikes, the seventh pierced her chest.

“Don’t kill me…” She looked at Li Lin, eyes pleading: “I’ll serve you as a slave…”

Li Lin’s face showed no expression; he tightened his grip and drove the spear into her heart.

Her eyes lost all luster; her body collapsed backward.

Li Lin stepped forward, raised the spear high, and spun sharply backward.

Reverse Spear!

He hadn’t even turned—yet the spear was already there!

The crimson-tipped spearhead pierced a Southern Barbarian woman mid-leap, driving her from the air to the ground.

She had leapt from the window to ambush—unfortunately… Li Lin’s peripheral vision had already caught her jumping out.

He swung the woman down, stepped forward two paces, and speared another Southern Barbarian woman just as she climbed onto the windowsill, forcing her back inside.

The screams faded from shrill to faint within mere breaths.

Then a thunderous crash—the mud wall of the soldiers’ quarters was shattered by brute force.

A dusty young man sprinted out first, chased by Su Huafang and the other two.

Dust swirled; Li Lin covered his nose and mouth, peering inside. Two Southern Barbarian women still remained, gripping short barbarian blades, gasping for breath.

Seeing Li Lin, their eyes blazed with malice—they charged at once.

They say Southern Barbarians are fierce, every man and woman a warrior. Now it seemed true.

Li Lin smiled faintly, raised his spear, and met them head-on.

Less than ten exchanges later, both Southern Barbarian women lay dead, pierced by the spear.

One had her throat speared; the other, her heart.

He shook the spear—blood dripped from the crimson tassel in scattered drops.

Then Li Lin turned—and saw An Zhijian “flying” out of a secret passage, wielding a long whip that cracked loudly, forcing Bai Liwei and the others to hold back.

An Zhijian shrieked wildly: “Where is my Soul Refining Altar? Did you steal it?!”

Li Lin rushed forward to assist, but at those words, he glanced toward the burned-out cart nearby.

He remembered—the Demon Extermination Office had carried out a red jar from the secret passage and placed it on that cart.

Could it have been that thing?

At that moment, An Zhijian’s eyes darted around, finally landing on the burned cart.

He seemed to have a special connection to it—he instantly knew the artifact was inside. He hurled a paper packet, releasing green powder into the air.

“Poison!” Zhao Hao shouted.

Bai Liwei and the others, surrounding him, immediately covered their noses and retreated. Li Lin also halted, not advancing.

Within two breaths, An Zhijian reached the cart, tore at it frantically, and uncovered a half-burnt blackened jar.

“Hahahaha! So it was here!”

He flung open the jar’s lid and pulled out a purple mass—resembling plant roots or soft, fleshy tissue.

He swallowed it in a few bites. Within two breaths, his eyes rolled back.

(End of Chapter)