Chapter 19 Qiu Gu Returns the Child
Seeing him leave, I secretly let out a breath of relief.
But I kept the barrier running at a basic level.
I looked toward Qiu Gu and Hua Pi Gui. "You two, the night's excitement should end here, right?"
Qiu Gu pursed her lips and tossed the unconscious child to me.
I caught him in a hurry.
She conjured a cane and headed for the door.
"No fun. Didn't even get a proper cup of coffee."
I examined the child.
There were no wounds on his body.
Strange. Where had all that blood in the room come from?
Hua Pi Gui blew me a wink.
"You can't even tell wild boar blood from human blood. You're really not up to your Master's level. Keep practicing.
"But next time we play mahjong, remember to invite me. I don't owe you any silver anymore~"
With that, she turned into a black shadow and vanished.
Only then did I fully withdraw the barrier.
My body swayed. I grabbed the bridge rope to steady myself.
Driving the demon-slaying barrier had taken a heavy toll on me.
The two girls across the bridge were already scared out of their wits, trembling.
I waved to them. "It's safe now. Head down the mountain path."
They looked as if pardoned, thanked me profusely, and scrambled down the mountain.
I went back to the inn and checked on the girl named Qingqing in her room.
She was shaken and a bit out of it, but not in mortal danger.
Finally, I knocked on Monk's door.
The wooden fish sounds stopped, and Monk opened up.
He saw the wrecked inn and my tired form.
Monk clasped his hands. "Amitabha. Benefactor, you've worked hard. The demons have retreated?"
Monk gazed at the bodies with compassion. "Greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, doubt—all are roots of suffering. Benefactor did all you could."