Chapter 41. Think things through after you act (5)

Clank.

The liquid filling the cup exuded a rich fragrance.

Wei Honglian frowned.

"Why are you pouring and drinking?"

"Take what you're given and drink. Consider it an honor to be served."

"……"

"Pour it."

Wei Honglian, who had been staring at Xuliang, filled his cup to the brim.

Xuliang chuckled.

"You don't play childish games."

"It's a return favor."

"A return favor? What kind of return favor?"

"……"

"Oh, for keeping your neck intact?"

"……"

"Putting on airs, aren't you?"

Xuliang drained his cup, and Wei Honglian followed suit.

A modest drinking table was set between the two. As Xuliang had said, she had indeed brought some snacks.

Xuliang glanced back.

Madongbi stood with his arms crossed, his expression stern, his gaze fixed on Wei Honglian.

"Isn't Dongbi drinking?"

"I'm fine."

"If you're not going to drink, why stand there with your arms crossed? Go inside and rest."

"I can't."

"Huh?"

"What if the Demon Chief of the Light Demon Sect causes trouble? I must stop him today."

Wei Honglian's lips curled into a rather sinister smile.

"Do you really think you can stop me?"

"……"

"What? Why don't you answer?"

Madongbi remained unresponsive, his eyes fixed on her like a rock.

Wei Honglian's expression grew colder.

"You've taken on a subordinate who doesn't know his place, Young Master."

"Why? Do you think that friend is worse than you?"

"He's the Demon Chief of the Light Demon Sect."

"I know, you wench."

"You're not the type to lose to a mere squad leader of the Law Enforcement Hall."

Xuliang chuckled and refilled Wei Honglian's cup.

"He's the third squad leader, and he's growing fast."

"So you're getting cocky. You must have learned some good martial arts recently."

"Are you the one being too cocky? Given your current state, Dongbi has the upper hand."

Wei Honglian, who had been smirking, drained her cup.

Xuliang refilled it again.

"By the way, what's with the snacks?"

"What do you mean?"

"The smell is too strong."

"Once you get used to it, there's nothing better."

"Your social skills are really lacking. If you're here to drink, at least consider your companion, got it?"

Wei Honglian didn't respond.

Xuliang, who had been staring at her, extended his hand.

"I don't have any money."

"Who asked for money? Show me your hand."

"Huh?"

"Show me your hand."

"Why……?"

"Am I going to beat you up now? Or do you think I'm up to something? Just show me your hand, you stubborn thing."

Wei Honglian's lips twitched.

But after a moment, she extended her hand.

"Hmm."

Xuliang, who had taken her pulse, frowned.

"What? It doesn't seem like an internal injury caused by me."

"Is it because of your physical condition?"

"Did you think I was going to put on airs? This is ridiculous."

"……"

"Hmm, it doesn't seem to be an internal injury from a strike. Ah, it must be from the cold air in the solitary confinement cell."

"……"

Rumble.

Wei Honglian's eyes wavered.

The concentration of the dark energy pouring into her pulse was truly intense.

It felt like a blazing flame was rushing in, and for a moment, she thought her arm would be completely burned.

But it was only for a moment.

Swoosh.

The cold air that had penetrated her organs evaporated. The Dark Shadow True Demon Technique, being a heat yang technique, could easily neutralize it.

As Wei Honglian's complexion eased, Xuliang removed his hand from her pulse.

"I don't like drinking with sick people."

"I won't say thank you."

"Who would expect a thank you from a nutcase like you?"

"……"

"Just drink."

Without a word, she kept draining her cup. Xuliang, who had been watching her, finally spoke.

"So, why did you come here without resting after being released?"

"Didn't you invite me for a drink?"

"But why did you come without resting?"

"It's my decision……"

"Hey."

"……"

"Have you done anything besides play word games since you came here?"

"……"

"You've had enough to drink. Stop making pointless remarks and speak your mind."

"I have nothing to say."

"You have nothing to say, yet you brought snacks? At this late hour?"

"As I said, it's my way of showing my sincerity for the trouble I caused."

The word "sincerity" came out of Wei Honglian's mouth.

It was a word that didn't suit her at all. If it weren't for Xuliang being the Third Young Master, she would never have said it.

Xuliang, who had been staring at her, nodded.

"Fine. If that's your intention, let's just drink."

"Really?"

"Sure."

Xuliang grumbled and drained his cup.

Madongbi, who had been watching him without touching the chopsticks, asked.

"Don't you like the snacks?"

"Did you think I'd lie?"

"Should I bring different snacks?"

……What?

Xuliang blinked.

"Why the sudden change?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your words just now were completely out of character. What's going on?"

"……"

Wei Honglian drained her cup again. Despite drinking quickly, she didn't seem drunk.

Xuliang sighed.

"Damn, I thought you were just here to drink. Hey, we've already finished a bottle. Dongbi! Bring a couple more bottles."

Madongbi left, his gaze still fixed on Wei Honglian until he stepped out the door.

Wei Honglian snorted.

"You're as loyal as Guan Yu."

"You should learn from him."

"Isn't it suffocating?"

"Why would it be suffocating? He's dedicating himself to me."

"Isn't that dedication bordering on love?"

"Stop talking nonsense. I'll knock some sense into you."

"He'll be helpful in future battles."

"Damn. Why would I involve Dongbi in battles……"

Xuliang's eyes lit up as he paused.

Wei Honglian shook the empty bottle.

"There's a little left. I'll pour it."

"What do you mean?"

"……"

"Stop beating around the bush. If you have something to say, say it clearly. Don't waste time just drinking."

Wei Honglian's face showed a hint of confusion.

"……I'm honestly conflicted."

"About what?"

"Whether I should tell you this."

"Your mind isn't made up, and you came to drink? Or what do you mean by that?"

Wei Honglian, without answering, stared at her cup.

This time, Xuliang waited for her. He could tell she was genuinely conflicted, not just putting on airs.

A moment later, Madongbi returned with two more bottles.

His expression had also changed, realizing the atmosphere in the room was different.

Xuliang, who had received the bottles from Madongbi, refilled Wei Honglian's cup.

Wei Honglian, as if waiting, drained her cup. Xuliang refilled it again.

After draining her cup three times, Wei Honglian finally spoke.

"How much do you trust him?"

She pointed at Madongbi.

Xuliang answered seriously.

"We've saved each other's lives several times."

It meant absolute trust. Madongbi bowed deeply, looking humbled.

Wei Honglian smiled.

A bitter smile that didn't seem to fit her face.

"That's really admirable."

"So, what do you want to say?"

"True Demon Chief (真魔隊主)."

"……What?"

"The True Demon Chief will move."

True Demon Chief.

One of the inner battle units, on par with the Light Demon Sect. While the Light Demon Sect is more notorious, the True Demon Sect is a more orthodox group.

A historical unit that has existed since the founding of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Naturally, the pride of the demons in this unit was sky-high.

Xuliang's eyes sparkled.

"You mean the True Demon Chief was there too?"

Wei Honglian nodded.

This was not mentioned in the latest relationship chart given by Xiaolianxin. It confirmed that while the document was reliable, it wasn't infallible.

"But why is he moving?"

"The True Demon Chief is a fox. He never does anything that could harm himself."

"Does he always play it safe?"

"Yes."

"Then why is he suddenly moving? Does he want something?"

"It's about me."

"……?"

"A fox like him sometimes moves without thinking. Most of the time, it's because of me."

"Why? Does he like you? What a unique taste."

"He seems to like me enough to want to kill me."

Meaning they had a very bad relationship. Xuliang tilted his head.

"I don't want to know why you have such a bad relationship. What I'm curious about is why he's moving now……"

"……"

"Could it be that he's firmly aligned with the Fourth Young Master?"

"More accurately, it seems he's been caught by the Fourth Young Master."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. It's not certain. But from our frequent clashes, I can tell. The True Demon Chief has definitely been caught by the Fourth Young Master."

"So, you're saying the True Demon Chief is moving, but the Fourth Young Master is pulling the strings."

"Ultimately, it's the Fourth Young Master who's moving."

Xuliang smiled.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"It's a return favor."

"……"

"And I think it's fine to ally with you. After all, you also want to deal with the Fourth Young Master, don't you?"

Madongbi's expression twisted. Despite her blunt tone, daring to consider an alliance with the Young Master was incredibly presumptuous.

But Xuliang's smile remained bright.

He refilled Wei Honglian's cup.

"Are you suggesting a temporary alliance?"

"If you don't like it, you can back out. I've been doing well on my own so far."

"I can't just let a good opportunity pass. Besides, you seem to want to cut the evil cycle, don't you?"

"……Yes."

The two raised their cups.

"Can you definitely take on the True Demon Chief?"

"I'll catch him properly before the Fourth Young Master takes him down. It's been bothering me to leave him alone, so this is perfect."

"I like your determination."

Clank!

The two clinked their cups.

Xuliang, who had drained his cup, smiled at Madongbi.

"Remember when you first saw the Green Bamboo? You thought it was over right in front of you, but the main stage was elsewhere. Do you want to join in?"

"Of course."

Xuliang pointed to the seat next to him.

"Bring another cup."

* * *

"He went to Xuliang's residence?"

"That's right."

Hong Weimen chuckled.

"Truly beyond comprehension. I thought he was turning himself in, but suddenly attempted murder? And he didn't even touch me."

"Perhaps he was upholding his principles."

"Plus, he protected his subordinates. He's quite thorough in that aspect."

Xin Hui said with a stern face.

"But I don't think that's the end of it. Despite his unpredictable nature, the Demon Chief of the Light Demon Sect isn't that reckless."

"You're right."

"But he turned himself in to the Law Enforcement Hall, implicating the Third Young Master…… It seems there was some kind of deal with the Third Young Master."

"Of course. He was acquitted based on Xuliang's testimony. They must have coordinated beforehand."

"But if he was going to be released anyway, why……"

"He also saved his subordinates and implicated Zami Lu. And he couldn't ignore my existence."

"Ah! Then the Law Enforcement Hall must have been the safest place for the Demon Chief of the Light Demon Sect to avoid all threats."

"Exactly. The only problem is we don't know what the deal was."

Hong Weimen, deep in thought, scratched his head.

"Inferring isn't difficult, but the lack of concrete evidence is the issue."

"……"

"In such cases, the best approach is to poke around with a good toy."

Xin Hui asked cautiously.

"Do you plan to use the True Demon Chief?"

"It's clear, isn't it? He's poked the Demon Chief of the Light Demon Sect before."

"That's true, but……"

"Analyzing everything will just waste time. Now is the time to act, not to ponder."

Hong Weimen filled his pipe with tobacco.

The tobacco was a deeper shade of purple than before.

"Contact the True Demon Chief."