Jinbao Marries a Wife

When Yu Mingjing and his group tried to secretly sneak down the mountain, they were discovered by people from the Medicine Valley.

By the time Master Que arrived with his men, they had already surrounded them. Both sides had suffered significant casualties, and there were barely any people left at Yu Mingjing’s side. If they hadn’t arrived in time, he would have escaped once again.

General Yue still had his face covered, looking like a blood-soaked demon, with blood all over his body and sword. He stood firmly protecting Yu Mingjing behind him. However, the moment he saw Que Siming, his gaze showed a mix of anxiety and inner conflict.

Que Linpei looked at Yue Yinggui with deep sadness. Thirteen years had passed in the blink of an eye. The friend he thought had died long ago was not only alive but had become a puppet of the enemy. When Master Que faced him, his heart broke, and he couldn’t help but cry out, “Yinggui…”

Yue Yinggui’s expression froze, and the hand holding his sword trembled slightly.

Que Siming called out in a hoarse voice, “Father, is that you?” It had been so long, and he was so young at the time that most of his memories of his father had faded.

He only remembered his father as a towering, majestic figure, someone who could effortlessly lift him high above his head.

But now, seeing that he had grown even taller than his father, Que Siming felt a deep, painful ache in his heart.

Yu Mingjing looked at Yue Yinggui’s expression, his gaze filled with three parts sorrow and seven parts venom. He gave a desolate smile.

Manager Xiao shouted, “Yu Mingjing, you’ve reached the end of the road! The entire mountain is surrounded by our people. Stop your wicked deeds and surrender!”

Yu Mingjing’s face remained pale, sickly white, almost as if it would blend into his clothes. His red lips were like a smear of vermillion on white silk, and his dark hair resembled enchanting plum blossoms against snow. His entire being was like a beautiful ink painting, merging with the scene around him.

He glanced at the crowd indifferently, but his gaze finally settled on Yue Yinggui. Grasping Yue Yinggui’s sleeve, he spoke in a voice loud enough for all to hear, but his expression was as intimate as if whispering a secret between lovers: “If this is where my life ends, I will make sure you die with me.”

The faces of the crowd darkened immediately. Que Siming roared in fury, “Yu Mingjing, I will tear you apart limb by limb!”

Yu Mingjing’s unusual expression seemed to reveal a hidden thought, one that made it hard for anyone not to misunderstand.

Que Linpei’s face turned ashen. With a wave of his hand, he stopped Que Siming from charging forward. Coldly, he said, “Yu Mingjing, today even with wings you won’t escape. But with Yue Yinggui under your control, we can’t act recklessly for now. How about we make a deal?”

Yu Mingjing glanced at him indifferently. “Speak.”

Master Que reached into his robes and pulled out an ordinary-looking stone.

Yu Mingjing’s eyes lit up, but he quickly shifted to a more guarded expression as he watched Que Linpei.

“Yu Mingjing, I brought the Stone of Longevity. Since you are so obsessed with it, it’s right here, within your reach. I’m willing to give it to you.”

Yu Mingjing squinted his eyes. “And in return?”

“Release General Yue to us. And give me your blood.”

Yu Mingjing let out a smile, as if he had expected this. Shaking his head lightly, he said with conviction, “The latter, maybe. But the former? Never.”

Que Linpei frowned. “Why must you keep Yue Yinggui by your side? What exactly are you scheming?”

Yu Mingjing gave a haughty smile, with a hint of provocation. “Yinggui and I, we are like husband and wife, Master Que. Would you hand over your own wife to someone else?”

“Bastard!” Que Linpei bellowed, his face turning red with rage. “How dare you insult General Yue like that? You… you…” He was so furious that he could barely speak, his hand shaking as he pointed at Yu Mingjing.

Manager Xiao’s face turned grim. “Yu Mingjing, you’ve controlled General Yue with a blood curse, subjecting him to endless… endless humiliation, and now you dare to speak such vile words. No matter how deep the grudge, killing a person should be the end of it. How can you be so despicable? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”

Just as Yu Mingjing was about to retort, Que Siming, filled with murderous intent, suddenly lunged towards them.

The battle erupted instantly. Que Siming struck first, throwing the entire scene into chaos.

Que Linpei, burning with anger, leaped from his horse and charged directly at Yu Mingjing.

Both sides engaged in a fierce and deadly struggle, with no one holding back.

Jinbao was sweating profusely, but with his internal strength now useless, he was essentially a cripple. He could only stand behind them, watching Que Siming with worry.

Yu Mingjing’s side already had fewer people, and now they were being pushed back even further.

Yu Mingjing, who had been standing in the rear, finally joined the fight.

Jinbao knew how powerful he was—he’d been sent flying by a single palm strike from him before, unable to even see the path of the strike. He was far from the “average fighter” that Que Siming had described.

As expected, the moment Yu Mingjing entered the fray, he fought on equal terms with Que Linpei, which greatly surprised the people on Que’s side.

However, despite Yu Mingjing’s skill, even Jinbao could tell that his steps were unsteady, his face pale as paper, clearly in a critical state of illness. It seemed like he could collapse at any moment.

Meanwhile, Yue Yinggui was being attacked from both the front and back by Que Siming and Manager Xiao.

At first, Que Siming called out to him a few times, but although Yue Yinggui’s eyes flickered with inner struggle, his attacks didn’t stop.

Que Siming knew that without subduing him, no amount of calling would bring him back to his senses. But this was still his father, so he hesitated, afraid of hurting him. Manager Xiao had the same concerns, which left the two of them in a difficult and clumsy situation.

Yu Mingjing, who was battling Que Linpei, showed his initial ferocity, but after just a few dozen moves, it was clear he was losing strength. Controlling Yue Yinggui while also facing his enemy was taking a heavy toll on his body. It didn’t take long before blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Que Linpei was a formidable opponent, and with a move called “Ghostly Hand,” he struck Yu Mingjing’s shoulder, tearing away a large chunk of flesh. Yu Mingjing cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

Yue Yinggui suddenly forced Que Siming and Manager Xiao back, then leapt to Yu Mingjing’s side, helping him up.

Blood gushed from Yu Mingjing’s mouth, and his shoulder was a horrifying mess of red and white. He clutched Yue Yinggui’s clothes tightly, leaning weakly against him.

The Que family stood in a semicircle, their eyes fixed on the two.

The Wu clan had been entirely wiped out. Now, only these two remained standing.

The battle was over. Killing Yu Mingjing at this point would be an easy task.

Que Siming called out, “Father, wake up! I know you’re still in there. Please, snap out of it!”

Que Linpei joined in, “Yinggui, you know Siming. You should recognize me too. Wake up!”

Yue Yinggui, holding Yu Mingjing, raised his blood-soaked sword defensively across his chest, taking slow steps backward, dragging Yu Mingjing with him.

Everyone followed, step by step.

Suddenly, Yue Yinggui spoke, his voice hoarse and low, “Go.”

“What? Father, what did you say?” Que Siming’s eyes lit up, joyfully calling out, “Father, you spoke! What did you say?”

“Go. Don’t follow us.”

Everyone was stunned. Que Linpei hesitated, “Yingui, what do you mean?”

Yue Yingui raised his voice, “You all, leave.”

Que Siming stared at him and Yu Mingjing in shock, his voice trembling, “Father, what are you… saying?”

Suddenly, Yue Yingui tightened his grip around Yu Mingjing and turned to flee.

Que Linpei was taken aback, then angrily waved his hand and shouted, “Chase them!”

A group of people pursued them relentlessly, hearts filled with conflicting emotions as they watched their retreating figures.

Yue Yingui was carrying an injured man, and no matter how skilled he was in martial arts, he couldn’t move quickly. In the end, they were cornered at a cliff, with no way forward.

Yu Mingjing, weak and barely holding on to Yue Yingui, glanced at the cliff behind them and let out a bitter smile.

Que Linpei’s voice rang out harshly, “Yu Mingjing, I’ll give you the Stone of Eternal Life, but return Yue Yingui to us. I promise on my word as Que Linpei, you can safely leave the mountain. I will not go back on my word.”

Yu Mingjing shook his head, “Impossible… impossible…”

“You’ve fought us for this stone for so many years, and now you’re just going to give up?”

“I wanted the stone before because it was a family heirloom. Later, I needed it to get Huang Xiang to help me. Now, I want the stone… as you might have guessed, to extend my life. The two blood parasites inside me are incompatible, and I’m running out of time. Only the Stone of Eternal Life can save me. But if… if I don’t have him, what’s the point of living…”

Que Linpei could no longer bear to hear such defiance of fate, and roared in anger, “You’re truly asking for death!”

Yu Mingjing’s voice turned cold, “Que Linpei, don’t push me.” Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his expression became increasingly fierce.

Yue Yingui was also drenched in sweat, retreating step by step while holding him. Behind them was the bottomless cliff, and the crowd watching was filled with dread.

Que Linpei shouted, “No! Yingui!”

Yu Mingjing gazed at Yue Yingui with mad love in his eyes, softly calling out as well, “Yingui.” That single call seemed to drain him of all strength, as he went limp in Yue Yingui’s arms, like a dying man.

Yue Yingui’s body trembled uncontrollably. Suddenly, the sword in his hand clanged as it dropped to the ground, and with the sound of the sword hitting the earth, everyone’s hearts trembled.

His hand slowly moved to his face, and he tore off the cloth covering it.

The face revealed was handsome and resolute, yet filled with exhaustion and sorrow. The way he looked at everyone carried guilt, struggle, and endless helplessness.

Que Siming dropped to his knees with a thud, choking as he called out, “Father!”

Yue Yingui’s eyes reddened. He tried several times to speak but couldn’t find the words. Finally, he managed to choke out two words, “Siming…”

Que Siming’s nose stung, and tears streamed down his face, “Father…”

Yue Yinggui’s face twisted in agony, “Siming, Father… I’m sorry. Take care of yourself.”

Que Siming, in horror, watched as Yue Yinggui retreated step by step toward the edge of the cliff, screaming in terror, “Dad! What are you doing?!”

Yue Yinggui turned his head, his drooping hair concealing his expression. His voice, barely audible, whispered something into Yu Mingjing’s ear.

Yu Mingjing’s exhausted eyes opened, glistening with tears. Upon hearing the words, he gave a tender smile and softly replied, “That’s fine.”

Before the words could fully settle, Yue Yinggui leaped into the abyss with him.

Que Linpei closed his eyes tightly, tears streaming down his aged face.

Que Siming’s anguished screams echoed through the mountains.

He leapt up, rushing toward the place where they had vanished.

Jinbao, who had been watching him with concern, was the closest. The moment he saw Que Siming jump, he pounced with lightning speed, tackling him hard to the ground.

Jinbao held him down, rolling several times on the ground, using all his limbs to press against him.

Que Siming’s strength was terrifying. With a single shove, he threw Jinbao off and got up to dash toward the cliff.

In desperation, Jinbao’s eyes widened, and he clung to Que Siming’s waist from behind with all his might.

Que Siming kicked him in the waist, the pain curling Jinbao’s entire body into a ball, but he still refused to let go.

Suddenly, Que Linpei appeared in front of them, bending down and swiftly pressing a few acupoints on Que Siming’s body.

Finally, Que Siming passed out.

Sweating profusely and clutching his side, Jinbao struggled to climb off him.

Que Linpei’s eyes were red and swollen, but his expression remained calm. He pointed at Manager Xiao and said, “You stay. Everyone else, retreat to the foot of the mountain and wait for us.” After everyone had retreated, he turned to Jinbao and ordered, “Qingyuan cannot climb the mountain, and I do not want outsiders to see Siming in such a miserable state. You are the only one who can help me now. Strip his clothes.”

Jinbao hesitated briefly before quickly getting up to undress Que Siming.

As he looked at Que Siming’s tear-streaked face, that eerily beautiful face somehow overlapped with the image of the small, weeping child curled up in the prison cart from his memories, causing him unbearable pain.

Que Linpei pulled out silver needles from his sleeve, dipping them in the blood that had dripped from Yu Mingjing, and inserted them into Que Siming’s body.

His movements were incredibly fast, and Jinbao could barely keep up. In no time, Que Siming was covered in at least dozens of shining silver needles, standing up like a porcupine.

With Jinbao’s help, Manager Xiao propped Que Siming up into a seated position. Then, Manager Xiao sat cross-legged behind him, moving his hands up and down Que Siming’s spine in an unusual technique, injecting internal energy into him. As Jinbao touched Que Siming’s arm, he soon felt his skin grow alarmingly hot, as if his entire body were engulfed in flames.

 

Que Siming was drenched in sweat, as if he had been caught in the rain. It flowed down his body in streams, and dark, thick blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Jinbao wanted desperately to ask how Que Siming was doing, but seeing how focused Que Linpei and Manager Xiao were, he didn’t dare disturb them. He could only keep his eyes glued to Que Siming, terrified that any small change might indicate something was wrong.

Though the process took less than an hour, Jinbao felt utterly drained, as if he had been through an exhausting ordeal.

Both Que Linpei and Manager Xiao were equally worn out, but their faces showed clear relief.

Seeing this, Jinbao quickly asked, “Is… is he okay now? Is he better?”

Que Linpei glanced over at Que Siming, then closed his eyes without speaking, seemingly adjusting his breath. Manager Xiao, noticing Jinbao’s anxious expression, spoke with a hint of compassion, “It’s over. We first used blood from the Yuming Mirror to lure the blood gu out, then blocked its nourishment with silver needles. Now it’s dissolved into blood water. Look at his face.”

Jinbao hurriedly looked at Que Siming’s eyes. Sure enough, the tangled blood-colored veins on his eyelids had vanished at some point. Overjoyed, Jinbao could only repeatedly say, “That’s great, that’s great!”

Carefully, he cradled Que Siming, letting him rest against his chest as he dressed him.

Que Linpei opened his eyes, stood up from the ground, watched their actions, and gave a heavy snort before storming off, his sleeves sweeping the air.

Manager Xiao, sensing the awkwardness, hesitated for a moment and said, “Young hero Jinbao, Second Master still needs rest. Let’s head down the mountain first.”

They walked for half a day before finally reaching the foot of the mountain and settling Que Siming in an inn.

Que Linpei, Manager Xiao, and their group were planning to find a way around the cliff. They had to find out—alive or dead.

That day, the area they were in had been shrouded in mist, and looking down into the gorge, they couldn’t see anything clearly. So, Que Linpei still held onto a sliver of hope that the cliff might not be as deep as it seemed.

Que Siming slept for four full days before finally waking up.

The first person he saw upon waking was Que Qingyuan.

Due to his weak legs, Que Qingyuan couldn’t accompany them up the mountain and had to stay at the inn, but he already knew what had happened there. He was now looking at him with pity.

Que Siming woke up, startled at first, and suddenly tried to prop himself up. But having just regained consciousness, his body was weak, and as soon as his back left the bed, he fell back down.

Que Qingyuan was shocked and quickly pressed him back down. “Siming, you can’t get up yet.”

Que Siming’s face was pale, and he stared blankly at the canopy above his head. Finally, his eyes reddened, and he closed them in silence.

Que Qingyuan placed his hand over Siming’s clenched fist, his heart aching as he looked at him.

After a while, Que Siming suddenly opened his eyes and rasped, “Where’s Xiaohu?”

Que Qingyuan froze, his face turning a bit gloomy.

Siming grabbed his wrist anxiously, “Where is Xiaohu?”

Que Qingyuan winced from the tight grip but calmly replied, “Don’t worry, he’s sleeping next door.”

Only then did Siming breathe a sigh of relief, but he immediately tried to get up again. “I need to see him.”

Que Qingyuan hurriedly pushed him back. “Don’t get up. I’ll ask senior brother to bring him over.”

Siming finally lay back down, his eyes fixed eagerly on the door.

Que Qingyuan, feeling pained, turned his head and left the room.

Before long, a loud clatter came from the next room.

Jinbao burst into Siming’s room like a whirlwind, rushing to his bedside. “You’re… you’re awake!”

Siming reached out a hand toward him. Jinbao was momentarily stunned but quickly grasped it.

Siming whispered, “Come closer.”

Confused, Jinbao knelt beside the bed, leaning toward him.

Siming rested his head on Jinbao’s chest, closed his eyes, and called out weakly, “Xiaohu…”

Jinbao’s nose tingled with emotion, and he embraced Siming in return.

Siming buried his face in Jinbao’s chest, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Jinbao felt the wetness spreading across his chest, his heart aching unbearably. All he could do was hold Siming tightly, not knowing how else to comfort him. He gently stroked Siming’s back, like soothing a child, over and over again.

Siming cried until he fell asleep again in Jinbao’s arms. But he held onto Jinbao so tightly that Jinbao couldn’t move, and kneeling in the same position for so long made his legs numb and sore.

With no other choice, Jinbao slowly shifted himself onto the bed. As soon as he moved, Siming abruptly opened his eyes, his red-rimmed gaze locked on Jinbao. “Where are you going?”

Jinbao couldn’t help but chuckle. “Nowhere.”

Only then did Siming close his eyes again, pulling Jinbao even closer as if afraid that if he let go, Jinbao would disappear.

Jinbao had no choice but to lie down with him, gently patting his back while whispering, “Sleep, just sleep.”

For the past few days, Jinbao had been worried about Siming and hadn’t slept well. Now exhausted, his eyelids grew heavy, and soon, as his head hit the pillow, he too drifted off to sleep.

The two of them lay entwined, necks pressed close, breathing peacefully as a quiet calm settled in the room.