Chapter 97

Chapter 96. Planning (1)

As darkness fell and the rain drizzled, a middle-aged man wearing a bamboo hat walked down the street of the red-light district, which was bathed in a rosy glow.

The rain intensified, and the number of people on the street gradually decreased.

He walked silently and soon stopped in front of a shop.

All the windows were shattered, and people were controlling the area around it.

After briefly raising his head to confirm the shop's sign, he stepped into the broken building.

"You can't go in. Go somewhere else."

A thug with a menacing look on his face warned him sternly.

At this, the middle-aged man in the bamboo hat stopped and looked up at him quietly.

"Do you want to die?"

An even stronger warning came from him.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, a man who seemed to be the thug's companion suddenly interjected.

"Oh? Aren't you one of the bodyguards of the merchant lord?"

The man bowed his head hurriedly upon seeing the middle-aged man and showed proper respect.

"Ah, I didn't recognize you."

The thug, who had been standing in front, also bowed his head with a troubled expression.

The middle-aged man glanced at him for a moment before speaking.

"Where is Huang Ye?"

"He's on the second floor. I'll bring him down quickly."

The man rushed upstairs as soon as he finished speaking.

Soon, a short old man hurried down and bowed his head.

"You have arrived!"

His name was Huang Ye.

He was an intelligence officer at Jinhuang Merchant House, owned by Jin Manzhong.

All important news in the area usually passed through him.

Thus, even in the darkness, he recognized the Bamboo Hat Warden at first glance.

"Can I take a look inside?"

"Of course."

The old man bowed his head again and shouted to the surrounding warriors.

"Everyone, step back. Six of you, light up this area!"

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

At his command, the thugs standing at the entrance began to move outside.

Some of them appeared with oil lamps and lanterns.

As the inside of the shop became brightly lit, the Bamboo Hat Warden slowly looked around the room.

The floor was littered with corpses and blood.

There were people with severed limbs, heads only, eyes open in death, and those who had died instantly in their fallen positions.

It was a scene that showed over ten warriors had been defeated helplessly.

'Who could have... .'

The Bamboo Hat Warden's steps slowed even more.

As he surveyed his subordinates and reached the center, he saw a subordinate who had died on his knees.

'Chelsahou?'

He doubted his eyes.

The man had died kneeling, which meant he had lost his fighting spirit.

What kind of expert could have overwhelmed them so overwhelmingly?

'Hmm?'

The Bamboo Hat Warden examined Chelsahou's body.

Specifically, he looked at his chest and hands, especially the severed wrists, and his expression hardened.

'Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Blade [二十四手每花瞼]!'

He couldn't have missed it.

High-level experts in the martial world could easily recognize the direction and movement of this lethal technique.

Especially the curved lines that formed the sword petals (劍花) were clearly visible.

It wasn't just Chelsahou; most of the fallen had similar wounds.

"What happened here?"

The Bamboo Hat Warden asked the old man.

The old man, with deep wrinkles, bent his waist and replied.

"I heard there was a man and a woman inside. They killed all of our warriors."

"A man and a woman?"

The Bamboo Hat Warden narrowed his eyes.

Based on the evidence, it seemed the culprits were the ones who had caused trouble in the red-light district.

He turned his head and observed each of the dead bodies for quite some time.

After a while, the old man asked him.

"Is there anything else you can find from the bodies?"

"There is."

He pointed to the shoulder of the kneeling Chelsahou.

"Examining the wounds of a deceased person is called an autopsy. The cut on this man's shoulder to his elbow is called Yanghebo (兩哈膊). The direction of the opponent's sword technique can be easily inferred from the cut surface. As long as the body isn't burned, that is."

Huang Ye, impressed by his insightful remarks, paused before speaking.

"Then, do you know what martial technique was used?"

"Plum Blossom Sword Technique."

"......What?!"

The old man quickly covered his mouth.

A representative martial technique of the Huashan Sect.

Could the troublemakers be from one of the famous Nine Great Sects?

"However, I don't know which side they're from."

Unlike the shocked Huang Ye, the Bamboo Hat Warden calmly stood up.

He turned his gaze to the broken window frame, visualizing the battle scene in his mind.

When he turned back to the old man, a very strong killing intent was visible in his eyes.

"Where is I Guming now?"

And his first words were about finding I Guming, a disciple of Gou Zhongming, his business partner.

* * *

The next day.

Xue Hui was sitting opposite a young man, the branch leader of the Haomen faction.

They were in one of the closed shops in the market.

This place had become a resting spot for children to play and roll around.

Xue Hui, sitting on the broken floor, asked him.

"Is this place not dangerous?"

"Have you never heard the saying that the darkest place is under the lamp? From my experience, places crowded with people are less likely to attract attention."

Among the 12 branch leaders distributed in the Sichuan region, You Yuxia, who was in charge of the Chengdu area, smiled and answered.

A moment ago, when one of the children playing around asked who he was, he calmly replied that he was a passing traveler.

"What do you think Shang Tianzhang will do next?"

"He will soon meet I Guming. Since all his subordinates were killed and the Plum Blossom Sword Technique was found on the bodies, he has no choice but to find him."

"I Guming could be suspected."

"He will consider all possibilities, but he won't easily suspect someone he has worked with for a long time. Most likely, his suspicion will fall on Bai Yangtian, the leader of Changlong Sect."

Xue Hui felt relieved.

He could set up this situation because he had killed I Guming in his previous life and obtained the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

Thus, he could direct Shang Tianzhang's anger towards Bai Yangtian, the leader of Changlong Sect.

"Then, without lifting a finger, we can eliminate the leader of Changlong Sect."

"He won't move that easily."

"......Will Shang Tianzhang provoke him?"

"Bai Yangtian won't fall for it. We need a more certain method."

"A more certain method. Well, this time it's Bai Yangtian's turn to be deceived."

"Hmm......"

Xue Hui pondered for a moment before raising his gaze and asking You Yuxia, who was smiling at the playing children.

"By the way, I don't understand why."

"What don't you understand?"

"You should have figured out who I am by now."

"Isn't it the Yin Ying Pill?"

"Exactly. You should know what it means to cooperate with someone like me."

"Well, you're getting involved in the politics of the demon sects, right?"

"......?!"

Xue Hui looked at him with a surprised expression, and the young man smiled.

Perhaps because he was a man of extraordinary beauty, his smile was charming even to other men.

"I have that level of perception. The fight with the demons, the hostility towards them, and matters related to politics."

"But why? If you don't know the internal affairs of the sect, there's no need for you to get involved."

"You tried to kill me, so naturally, I need to cooperate to stay alive. It's a bit disgusting for you to worry about me now."

"......"

Xue Hui couldn't respond.

It was a valid point.

He realized he had asked a truly disgusting question from the young man's perspective.

So, as he fell silent and stared at the children playing for a moment, You Yuxia asked.

"Don't take my earlier words too seriously. I will also be killed soon. Whether I die on the street or from poisoned wine, it will happen somehow."

You Yuxia turned his gaze to Xue Hui.

"So, when a branch leader reaches my level, they usually decide when and where they will die. I've chosen you as my opponent."

"......?"

"If I must give a reason, I find you interesting."

At this, Xue Hui also looked at him.

The young man had a serious expression, which was unusual since he had never stopped smiling.

"You are a demon who has learned Huashan's martial techniques. You have learned demon techniques but haven't been overwhelmed by their influence. You came from the demon sect but didn't invest in saving Haomen members during your first foray into the martial world."

"......"

Xue Hui felt that he wasn't joking.

This was the first time the young man had shown a serious expression.

"Then, let me ask you a question."

Xue Hui nodded at the young man's first question.

"How long do you think I can live?"

"......"

"Just out of curiosity."

Perhaps sensing that his future would not be smooth, the young man smiled again despite asking about his death.

"Let's see......"

"As long as I'm alive, you won't die because of my mistakes. I'll prevent them in advance."

"......How can you be sure of that?"

"It's not a matter of being sure; I'm stating a fact."

"......?"

"I have more lives than others."

"......"

A moment of silence.

And the silence felt longer than expected.

Whether You Yuxia took it seriously or not, he said:

"Oh, then that's fortunate."

He accepted it quite positively.

At least, on the surface.

"Shall we start now?"

You Yuxia stood up, and Xue Hui's gaze followed him.

You Yuxia pointed and said:

"Do you see them?"

Just then, about six men were walking by, swords at their waists and wearing gray robes.

Xue Hui recognized their attire immediately.

In fact, even without the attire, their status windows had already appeared before his eyes.

"Yes. They are members of Changlong Sect. They all guard the leader of Changlong Sect."

Xue Hui looked at him, and the young man opened a drawer and took out an item, surprisingly, a human skin mask of Shang Tianzhang.

"You said it's Bai Yangtian's turn to be deceived, right?"

At this, Xue Hui didn't ask any more questions.

"It's not necessary."

He answered briefly and rushed out, his face already changing into Shang Tianzhang's due to the transformation technique he had already activated.