Snow in the Spring Courtyard - Chapter 5 - Destroying the Escort Sect

Chapter 5 – Destroying the Escort Sect

       Three years ago, Yangwei Escort Sect was the best escort sect in Cangzhou. It had been in the world for many years and had never made a mistake. Because the head of the escort sect, Shen Buping, was eager to help others and had a good reputation, people in the underworld rarely made things difficult for Yangwei Escort Sect.

       That day happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Shen Buping chose to postpone the escort mission until the next day. This year, he just wanted to spend a good Mid-Autumn Festival with his family.

        Shen Buping has two sworn brothers, the second one is called Chen Meng and the third one is called Nie Kai. The three of them had been wandering around the world for half their lives, and they’ve finally gained the reputation of being the best escort sect in Cangzhou.

　　The three of them had a close relationship, so even after they got married, they still lived in the large courtyard behind the escort sect, as close as a family.

　　During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the wives of brothers started working early in the morning and prepared seven tables of delicious food. In the evening, they called the brothers from the escort sect to come over to have dinner and celebrate the festival together.

　　They all sat at the same table with their wives and children, chatting about family matters and having a great time.

　　Nie Kai smiled proudly and said, “After this trip, the three of us brothers can stay at home and peacefully accompany our wives and teach our children, we don’t have to go out and risk our lives anymore.”

Chen Meng took a sip of wine and agreed, “That’s right! I’ve been waiting for this day for many years!” Then he hooked his arm around Shen Buping’s shoulder and said, “Brother, don’t you think so?”

Shen Buping smiled gently and poured a glass of wine for Chen Meng. “After this trip, the three of us brothers will retire from society.”

　　When the wives nearby heard these words, they finally felt relieved after years of worrying.

　　Every time their husbands went on a journey with the escort, the three of them were always uneasy. They could only breathe a sigh of relief when they saw them return safely.

　　Nie Kai squeezed in and sat next to Shen Buping, holding his wine glass, and asked in a low voice: “Brother, I’ve been curious about the current mission, and why the pay is rather high.”

　　Among the brothers, Shen Buping was the only one who went to inspect the escort items at Yangwei Escort Sect, therefore, Shen Buping was the only one who had seen the items being escorted this time.

　　Shen Buping narrowed his eyes and recalled the events leading up to the mission——

　　Yesterday, a man wearing a silver mask put down a palm-sized black box and took out a stack of silver bills before saying solemnly: “Send this box to Mingyue Mountain. As long as you reach the foot of the mountain, someone will give you the remaining escort silver.”

　　Shen Buping wanted to open the black box to see what was being transported, but the masked man grabbed his hand.

　　“One thousand taels of silver in exchange for Chief Shen’s agreement without inspection of the goods.” The man put down five more silver notes, and placed them on the back of Shen Buping’s hand. “If Chief Shen is unwilling to do this deal, I can find a differnt escort sect.” After saying that, the man let go of his wrist.

Shen Buping counted the amount of the banknotes. He could not earn this much money even if he worked as a bodyguard for three lifetimes. If he missed this opportunity to make money, his wish to retire would be delayed for another 10 to 20 years. However, since this box was worth so much money, it must be a hot order.

He quickly assessed the danger of this order, and hesitated for half an hour over whether or not to accept it.

　　Eventually, the masked man was unwilling to wait any longer, so he took the banknotes on the table and was about to take the black box away, but Shen Buping blocked his way with his arm, “I’ll take this order! But…” He stared at the cold eyes under the mask of the man, “When to send out the escort is up to me.”

　　If we go with a secret escort, the risk of this trip should be much lower.

　　“Deal!” The man readily pressed the stack of banknotes in his hand against Shen Buping’s chest, sneered, and left the escort sect.

　　After Shen Buping watched the man walk away, he turned back to look at the black box on the table in the main hall. For some reason, a wave of palpitations suddenly came over him, and he couldn’t calm down for a long time.

　　He walked back to the table, picked up the black box solemnly, and looked at it carefully. The box was completely black, without any holes or locks. It must have been designed by some expert in the art of mechanics.

　　As he thought about it carefully, he didn’t know where he touched, but the box actually bounced open.

　　Shen Buping closed the box in a panic, but in his haste, he still managed to see clearly what was inside – a neatly folded red silk handkerchief with the word “Eclipse” embroidered on the top.

　　He was the first to break the contract, and he felt ashamed, but he didn’t do it on purpose. He thought that as long as he could deliver the box to Mingyue Mountain, he would not need the remaining silver, and it would be an apology.

　　He has adhered to the principles of the Yangwei Escort Sect for decades, and for this last order, he must stick to the rules to the end.

　　“Dad!”

　　Suddenly, a girl’s voice was heard outside the room calling out. Shen Buping relaxed his brows and looked towards the door with a smile.

　　Shen Buping has two daughters. The eldest is a sixteen year old named Shen Lian. The second is fourteen years old and is named Shen Yi. The one who is calling him now is his youngest daughter, Shen Yi.

　　She poked her head in with a smile, “What are you hiding?”

　　Shen Buping hid the black box behind his back and pretended to be serious. “It’s a gift for your mother. Don’t ask so many questions, go play with your sister.”

　　Shen Yi knew that her father would blush whenever he lied. At this moment, his face was as red as a monkey’s buttocks. She didn’t believe a word he said, “Dad’s lying.”

　　“What?” Shen Buping glared at Shen Yi fiercely.

　　Shen Yi threw a stone at Shen Buping and said, “You are lying!” After saying that, she turned around and ran away. As long as she ran to her mother, her father would not dare to be mean to her.

　　The person Shen Buping fears the most in his life is his wife. Rather than fear, it is better to say that he respects her. The two met in the underworld [T/N underworld as in like shady stuff, not actual afterlife] and experienced life and death together. When his wife gave birth to their little daughter, she almost lost her life. Therefore, Shen Buping vowed to respect and love his wife for the rest of his life and never let his wife suffer any grievances.

　　Watching his little daughter run away, Shen Buping breathed a sigh of relief and walked straight to the room where the escort items were stored. He opened the secret compartment inside, put the black box in it, and then closed the secret compartment.

　　He stayed in the room for a long time, and only left after confirming that the black box was indeed safe.

　　Tonight, his third brother Nie Kai had suddenly asked that question, and Shen Buping thought about it again and again, before he answered truthfully: “It’s not a rare thing, maybe it’s very important to the escort master, so he spent a lot of gold and silver to let us deliver it to Mingyue Mountain.” After a slight pause, Shen Buping reminded, “Wuliang City is full of desperate criminals, we’ll leave right after delivering the things, we you don’t need the remaining escort money, just consider it as buying peace.”

　　Chen Meng nodded, “Mhm, I’ll listen to you, big brother!”

　　“Come on! Let’s stop talking about this and drink!” Shen Buping changed the subject so that the wives wouldn’t be scared. He glanced at his wife’s face and saw that she looked serious. She must be worried. When he glanced at the two girls, he found that they had gone somewhere.

　　“Where did Ah-Lian and Ah-Yi? go?” Shen Buping asked seriously.

　　His wife simply just smiled and said, “Ah-Yi said her stomach was uncomfortable and she pulled Ah-Lian…” She was halfway through her words when everyone at the table suddenly understood.

　　Shen Buping smiled and stroked his beard, “It seems our Ah-Yi has grown up too.”

　　Chen Meng volunteered, “Brother, take a look at our San Meng! Last time I proposed a marriage to you, you said our San Meng was too young. This time he’ll be paired with your second daughter, the age is just right.”

　　Nie Kai laughed and said, “Second brother, you still won’t give up!”

　　Chen Meng patted his chest, “My San Meng is a gentleman! He’ll never treat your second daughter badly in the future!”

　　Shen Buping tried to hold back his laughter. He looked at San Meng who was standing there in a daze. He was indeed a man, but only fifteen years old. He was just like his father, with slightly curly sideburns and a bronze complexion. However, he was still a little upolished.

　　Chen Meng winked at his son, who stood up smartly and bowed respectfully to Shen Buping, “Uncle Shen, San Meng likes Ah-Yi a lot.”

　　Shen Buping did not refute him. After all, a hero should not be judged by his origin. Although he was born crude, as long as he was careful, he could be considered a good husband. However, there was a rule that needed to be made clear first. “You can like my Ah-Yi, but if you want to marry her, my Ah-Yi must also like you. Although parents’ orders are an ancient custom, love can only last long if both parties are happy with each other.”

　　San Meng scratched the back of his head, “What does it mean to be in love with each other?”

　　Chen Meng suddenly became so anxious that he stood up and gave his son a big melon seed, “It means that when you two are together, you’ll want to have a little baby!” As soon as he said this, everyone laughed.

　　Shen Buping and his wife smiled reluctantly, they knew their daughter definitely wouldn’t like such a harsh man.

　　“The children are still young. Ah-Lian and Ah-Yi are my treasures. I’ll never find a husband for them before they are eighteen.” His wife said, “Come on, second brother, try the fish I cooked today.” She picked up a piece of fish and gave it to Chen Meng. “Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. He’ll eventually discover his own.”

　　Chen Meng was a little unhappy at first, but after hearing what his sister-in-law said, he immediately became happy, “That’s right! I’ll teach my three children to become talented first, just in case they can pass the exam and become the top martial arts student!”

　　Shen Buping smiled and said, “I think San Meng is such a talent. Second brother must teach him well.”

　　“Yeah!” Chen Meng patted San Meng’s shoulder and put a chicken leg into San Meng’s bowl. “Boy, eat more for me and grow more meat! You should be as strong as me!”

　　San Meng was overjoyed, “Okay!”

　　The child lowered his head and took a big bite of the chicken leg. Shen Buping and his wife smiled knowingly before they toasted each other.

　　“Watch Out!”

　　At this moment, the sound of an arrow breaking through the air was suddenly heard in the wind.

　　Shen Buping threw the cup towards the cold arrow.

　　The cup and the arrow collided in the air, causing the cup to crack and the arrow to break. A good Mid-Autumn family dinner was ruined by the thirteen black shadows squatting on the eaves.

　　The three brothers and Shen Buping picked up their weapons before calling out to the rest of the escort sect, telling them to protect their wives and children behind them.

　　“May I ask…”

　　Before Shen Buping could finish his question, a frightening sneer came from the other side, interrupting him.

　　The leading man in black stretched out his hand to Shen Buping against the moonlight and said, “Hand over the Yin Eclipse Technique, and I will let you live tonight.” The evening breeze blew up his cloak, and Shen Buping clearly saw the emblem of the Nether Prison on the corner of his clothes – three clusters of green ghost fire overlapping each other, glowing with a dark halo under the moon.

　　“Cangming Sect!” Shen Buping said, sharply inhaling as he slowly realized that tonight was destined to be a dangerous night.

　　Chen Meng and Nie Kai felt a chill creep across their backs when they heard those words. If the Cangming Sect really came, they truly would not be able to escape tonight.

　　His wife was standing behind Shen Buping. Her breathing gradually getting louder as she whispered, “The secret passageway…”

　　There’s a secret passage under the Yangwei Escort Sect. This was the escape route left by the ancestors of the Yangwei Escort Sect to protect the safety of their descendants. After all, the escort sect constantly received some priceless things. If one really encountered criminals, the passageway ensured their safety.

　　Shen Buping looked around at his brothers and said, “Let the women go first, we’ll follow after them.”

　　Chen Meng and Nie Kai nodded, and Nie Kai quickly said: “Let’s go!”

　　The women and children quickly hid in the side hall, leaving only fifty-four men from the escort sect in the backyard.

　　Shen Buping said sternly: “There is no “Yin Eclipse Technique” in my escort agency. Did you make a mistake?”

　　“The Lord of Wuliang City handed it to you personally, how could you not have it?” The black-clothed leader didn’t believe him. “If you have forgotten, I can remind you that there is a black box as big as this, and inside is the “Yin Eclipse Technique.” He gestured the size in his hand, and Shen Buping suddenly realized that this was the meaning of the word “Eclipse” on the bright red handkerchief.

　　No wonder a mere silk handkerchief would be worth so much money.

　　However, if the masked man that day really was Ying Guan, the lord of Wuliang City, then his killing ability would be the best in the world, so why would he give the “Yin Eclipse Technique” to the Yangwei Escort Agency for safeguarding?

　　“Haven’t you remembered yet?” The black-clad leader asked, clearly impatient. “Shen Buping…”

　　Shen Buping looked at his brothers around him. The people of Cangming Sect were notorious for killing people without so much as batting an eye. Even if he handed over the “Yin Eclipse Technique”, he and his brothers would probably still be in great danger.

　　“Let me get it myself.” After Shen Buping said this, he glanced at his brothers and said, “You all step back. I’ll hand the things over to them.”

　　Chen Meng wanted to say something but was ultimately held down by Nie Kai. The less people who went with him, the greater the chances of the Sect being able to escape with their lives. Chen Meng didn’t know what to say, so he followed his third brother and the rest of the brothers to retreat to the side hall.

　　Just as Chen Meng opened the stone door of the secret passage, a strong smell of blood wafted into his nose. A bloody child rushed out in front of him. He caught the child in his arms. After seeing the child’s face clearly, Chen Meng suddenly let out a guttural wail, “San Meng——!”

　　Shen Buping heard the voice coming from the side hall and hurriedly stopped to look back. The leader of the men in black who had been following him squatted on the eaves and said with a grim smile, “The secret passage has been sealed, no one can escape. If you can hand over the Yin Eclipse Technique quickly, you can still save your own life.”

　　“I’ll kill you!” Shen Buping’s eyes were red and he gritted his teeth and shouted angrily. At this moment, he no longer had the thought of living, he just wanted to kill all these monsters from the Cangming Sect!

　　The leader of the men in black casually deflected the sword Shen Buping thrust at him, sighed, and said, “You really don’t want to drink my toast, but drink my punishment. Since you are all rushing to die, then go to see the King of Hell sooner.”

　　On that day, the Yangwei Escort Agency became a sea of blood and corpses, and the smell of blood alone grew so strong, that it made people feel nauseous.

　　But even then, the Cangming Sect continued killing people, even the local government didn’t dare to intervene. The surrounding villagers trembled and closed their doors and windows, hoping that those evil demons would leave soon and not turn their weapons towards the rest of the town.

　　In reality… No one came to help.

　　Ever since that night, each time Shen Yi woke up in the middle of the night, all that lingered in her mind was blood and hatred.

　　Everything returned to the present day, and Shen Yi looked back at the coffin on the ox cart. Lying in the coffin was her junior brother, another close person who died at the hands of the demons from the Cangming Sect.

　　She silently swore again in her heart. Once she’s mastered her martial arts, she will definitely join her master in wiping out the remnants of the Cangming Sect hiding in the Nether Prison, and make those people pay for their blood debt with blood!