Raising Orphans, Not Assassins
Vol. 2 - Ch. 32 - Good News and Bad News!

As Qiong Longshan yanked down the black-clad woman’s veil, even the air seemed to fall silent.

Xiao Lian stood atop the carriage, her eyes icy cold, filled with seething hatred and killing intent.

Standing before her, Qiong Longshan held the veil in his hand, his expression complex—eyes flickering with surprise, grief, sorrow, and regret... a whirlwind of emotion.

But Xiao Lian’s gaze remained utterly frigid.

The next instant—

With a flick of her slender wrist, several streaks of black light flew forth.

Qiong Longshan’s brow furrowed slightly, his right palm sweeping sideways.

The roaring sound of crashing waves echoed around them.

His palm wind struck out, scattering every single hidden weapon Xiao Lian had thrown.

Startled, Xiao Lian’s heart skipped—her feet tapped lightly on the carriage roof, launching her into the air.

She soared toward the rooftop of a nearby shop.

Qiong Longshan's brows knitted tightly.

Without bending his knees, his massive figure shot forward by a full zhang, cutting off her path. He slashed his palm down.

“Whoooshhh…”

That palm strike carried the force of a tidal surge, echoing with the sound of ocean waves.

Xiao Lian twisted mid-air, lightly stepping on the store’s hanging sign to redirect herself.

Her movement was graceful and nimble, slicing away diagonally into the air.

Qiong Longshan’s strike had been meant only to halt her—not to harm. He had held back.

At the street corner, Hua Xiyue had just handed over five copper coins for her candied hawthorn when she caught sight of the scene, surprise flickering in her beautiful eyes.

“Eh?”

“What’s going on?”

“They know each other?”

Hurriedly, she handed the old hawthorn vendor his coins and dashed toward Qiong Longshan and Xiao Lian.

She loved drama more than anything.

“Xiao Lian!” Qiong Longshan stood atop the shop roof, his voice deep as he called after her.

Xiao Lian gave no response—only a cold glance back, eyes filled with frost.

Her movements light and effortless, she leapt across the rooftops, preparing to flee.

Qiong Longshan frowned.

Just as he was about to pursue, Xiao Lian, from a distance, flung both hands forward, releasing a storm of hidden weapons.

It was Tang Sect’s supreme technique—“Rain of Blossoms Across the Sky.”

“Whooosh…”

“Swish swish…”

Sixty-four hidden weapons sliced through the air with the shrieking sound of arrows.

Qiong Longshan didn’t dodge. His internal energy surged, and his protective qi shield deflected all incoming attacks.

He watched her retreating figure with a deep gaze, his expression turning slightly stiff.

On the street below, Hua Xiyue had just arrived to enjoy the spectacle. Seeing Qiong Longshan stand unmoving, she couldn’t help but mutter:

“That’s it? You’re not going after her?”

At her words, Qiong Longshan’s mouth twitched. He looked down at the source of the voice.

Hua Xiyue looked up to meet his gaze.

“Hmm?”

She seemed to realize something. With wide-eyed wonder, she exclaimed, “She kind of looks like you around the eyes. Don’t tell me—you two are father and daughter?”

She hadn’t gotten a good look earlier, but now that she thought about it, the black-clad woman and this burly man shared a few facial features.

Qiong Longshan’s gaze turned heavy as he stared at her.

He took a deep breath, saying nothing.

His robes billowed as he descended from the rooftop.

Hua Xiyue stepped closer eagerly, curiosity alight in her eyes.

“Why didn’t you chase after her?”

“Is she your daughter? Did she run away from home?”

“The way she looked at you—it was like she wanted you dead!”

Qiong Longshan’s face twitched again, his gaze turning steely as he glared at her.

Hua Xiyue blinked her big eyes, meeting his stare without flinching.

“Miss Hua, this is our leader! Please show some respect!” cried Zhou Yunzhou from nearby, clutching his wounded chest.

Realization dawned on Hua Xiyue.

She clapped her hands, delighted. “Oh, perfect!”

“You’re the Haijing Gang’s leader, then?”

“Great timing. Your son, Qiong Aohai, asked me to deliver a message.”

She pulled a silk envelope from her robe.

At her words, Qiong Longshan’s eyes lit up. He looked toward the letter.

---

Lake Tai.

Baitiao Wu.

In the center of an open clearing on a small island stood two young men.

One wore white robes and carried a violet-sheathed dagger at his waist. He was tall, fair-skinned, and strikingly handsome—his face solemn.

Five steps away stood a man in sea-blue robes. Slightly taller and broader, his features were strong and unwavering.

The two stood five paces apart, locked in a tense stare.

Around them stood over a dozen men, silently watching with excitement in their eyes.

These two, surrounded in the center, were none other than Sun Sheng and Qiong Aohai.

“Whoosh whoosh…”

A faint sound of ocean tides stirred from deep within Sun Sheng’s body.

Qiong Ao Hai shifted, shoulders loosening.

His powerful palms opened into stance—the starting move of the Raging Tides Palm.

“Second brother, be ready!” Sun Sheng warned in a low voice.

With a stomp, he sent waves of internal energy surging through his body.

A rising sound like crashing tides emanated from his dantian.

The momentum swelled—unnerving to those who listened closely.

Qiong Aohai’s gaze firmed. He moved both palms in an arc, unleashing the first form of the Raging Tides Palm.

Sun Sheng met him head-on, his own internal energy vibrating, executing the same move.

“Bang!”

Their palms collided—an eruption of force between them.

Their robes fluttered under the shockwave of their clash.

Neither took even half a step back.

Qiong Aohai’s eyes flickered with surprise.

Sun Sheng’s gaze mirrored his.

Both shifted stances, chaining the second, third, and fourth forms of the Raging Tides Palm in rapid succession.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Fists and palms collided again and again on the island’s open ground.

The onlooking water bandits roared in excitement.

As Sun Sheng and Qiong Aohai fought with fierce intensity, a small boat drifted near the lakeshore.

Onboard was Sun Sheng’s confidant, Xiao Liu, along with a scholarly-looking man.

As the boat neared, the scholar’s eyes lit up at the sight of the duel.

He couldn’t resist.

With a sudden spring of his feet—

The boat tilted, nearly tossing poor Xiao Liu into the lake.

But the scholar’s movements were swift and graceful. In a blink, he appeared at the dueling grounds.

Drawing an iron fan from his waist, he grinned, “Count me in!”

With that, he flicked the fan, aiming to strike key acupuncture points on both fighters.

Sun Sheng and Qiong Ao Hai shared a quick glance—then turned in unison.

Each struck with a palm—one to the left, the other to the right.

Together, they attacked the scholar.

The scholar’s eyes went wide. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

“You two—really now!”

The scholar moved with graceful agility, his iron fan deflecting left and right, just barely blocking the two attacks.

After exchanging one move each, Sun Sheng and Qiong Aohai immediately turned their focus back on each other.

The scholar now sided with Qiong Aohai, his iron fan silently striking toward the pressure point on Sun Sheng’s shoulder.

Unfazed, Sun Sheng met Qiong Aohai’s palm head-on, then angled his left hand upward, countering the scholar’s attacking wrist.

With their strategies constantly shifting, the fight soon turned again—this time to Sun Sheng and the scholar teaming up against Qiong Aohai.

Allegiances kept shifting. The three exchanged blows, sometimes cooperating, sometimes clashing. The intensity only grew.

After exchanging over a hundred moves, the scholar finally gave a wry smile and cried, “No more, no more!”

“You two are both first-grade palm masters. My second-grade pinpoint skills are just not on the same level.”

Sun Sheng and Qiong Aohai exchanged amused looks and stopped fighting as well.

Sun Sheng clasped his fists respectfully toward the scholar. “Uncle Zhou Ba!”

The scholar quickly waved his hands, half-joking and half-serious. “Oh, no, no, no, I’m not worthy of that! You're his adopted son!”

“Calling me ‘uncle’—I really can’t accept that!”

Qiong Aohai glanced curiously at Sun Sheng.

His adopted son?

Who’s he?

Zhou Ba pulled a thin booklet from his robes and said, “I came here today on serious business.”

“I’ve got one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

He looked at both Sun Sheng and Qiong Aohai.

“Good news!”

“Bad news!”

The two spoke at the same time—but gave different answers.

Zhou Ba chuckled, shaking his head. “I only have one mouth, you know. I can’t say both at once.”

Qiong Aohai thought for a moment. “Then let’s hear the good news first.”

Sun Sheng nodded in agreement.

Zhou Ba said, “The person you’ve been looking for has been found.”

“Well, one of them, anyway.”

“As for the one-eyed dragon—not from the Qilin Pavilion. We couldn’t trace him.”

He handed over the thin booklet. “These are the leads we uncovered. We also confirmed them through Tianji Pavilion.”

“Well, as long as we found someone, it’s still good news.” Qiong Aohai smiled.

All he needed was a lead.

He’d spent more than twenty days here waiting for information. The matter was too deeply hidden, difficult to investigate.

Zhou Ba tilted his head and looked at Qiong Aohai. “I’m not finished yet. That was just the good news.”

“The bad news is: that expert you mentioned—the one with hands like white jade and flawless skin—does exist.”

“Who is it?” Qiong Aohai’s brow furrowed. A sense of unease rose in his chest.

Zhou Ba nodded toward the thin booklet. “It’s all in there.”

Sun Sheng and Qiong Aohai flipped open the booklet.

The first line caught their eyes, and both their expressions darkened.

“Name: Wan Qing”

“Status: Hereditary First-Rank Marquis.”