Chapter 285: New Year's Day

Chapter 285: New Dawn

"A blade over the character for 'endure,' the humiliation of retreat rivals the agony of flesh being gouged. What's more, those Imperial Guards excel at extracting marrow and draining essence. You may ask yourself—when that Embroidered Spring Blade is pressed to your own throat, could you truly endure?"

Autumn Crane of the Withered World paid no heed to Gong Qinghong's impassioned words, seizing his collar with a grip.

"Those you've 'interrogated'—are they the heads of the Ten Cities branches, or kin within your own household?! Speak, or I'll kill you now!"

Before Autumn Crane, a warrior at the pinnacle of the martial hierarchy, Gong Qinghong appeared as frail as a reed, his body trembling uncontrollably, transmitting a primal warning from deep within his genes.

"You may kill me, but I merely take the first step—you'll soon follow."

Though his body quivered, Gong Qinghong's eyes remained eerily calm.

"To preserve the stability of the greater scheme, individual sacrifice is inevitable. And you, waiting passively for death, are undoubtedly the one destined for the altar!"

"You dare steal the contents of the New Year Assembly? This is a provocation against the Four Great Companies!"

"The position of head of the Ten Cities branch is a coveted prize. Those eyeing you include not only the Imperial Guards but also your own Withered World kin! Internal strife and external threats now plague you, yet you remain indecisive. Since you're willing to wait for death and let others take your place, why not surrender yourself to the Eastern Suburb Office?"

"Speak the names of those puppet conspirators!"

"Autumn Crane, when did you become so cowardly? Has the hot spring of Hound Mountain softened your resolve? Or have you and your imperial sect descendants grown timid from the martial arts themselves?!"

Their verbal sparring was as sharp as real blades and swords.

The two clashed— one demanding to know the mole within, the other stirring the other's murderous intent. One for justice, the other for personal gain.

Whoever gambled everything, whoever wavered, needed no further words.

Their contrasting expressions alone revealed the verdict—clear and decisive!

Autumn Crane glared with red-rimmed eyes, slowly releasing Gong Qinghong's collar, his voice grim: "Even if your words hold truth, I cannot betray my family to join you. I, Autumn Crane, would rather die for the greater good of my clan than live as a ghost in the shadows."

When a person begins speaking grandiose platitudes, shadows already stir within their heart.

This crane had fallen into the net.

Gong Qinghong's face, blue from oxygen deprivation, began to pale. He inhaled deeply, steadying his trembling palm to straighten his disheveled tie.

"I never intended to 'interrogate' you, nor to challenge your loyalty to your kin. I merely wished to vent this venom as you do."

Autumn Crane paused, then seemed to recall something: "You seek to confront Li Jun?"

"If not for him, I wouldn't have nearly died in Chongqing Prefecture. Nor would I have changed my path, venturing from Annan to the Wokou region!"

Gong Qinghong pointed to his grotesquely twisted face, his eyes wild, enunciating each word: "I bear these scars to remind myself—I must avenge myself. And swiftly, ruthlessly, with a single blow, a killing strike, leaving no chance!"

"Li Jun is now a Six-Rank martial artist, backed by the entire Hound Mountain Imperial Guards. How do you intend to kill him?"

Before Autumn Crane's words faded, a sharp, furious voice rang out.

"A patron is not always a strength—it can be a weakness! If he were still a lone wanderer, I'd endure. But now that he has ties, his vulnerabilities are laid bare!"

"Above the Hound Mountain Hundred Households Office are the Edo Castle Thousand Households Office, the Northern Camp, the Military Secretariat, the Court's Military Ministry, and the New Donglin Party! All it takes is a catalyst, and these high-ranking officials will personally help us destroy him!"

Gong Qinghong's face shifted from pallor to crimson, his eyes reflecting a manic frenzy that chilled even Autumn Crane.

"With the Western Suburb Office's destruction, your position is secure, your reputation untarnished during the clan's darkest hour. Li Jun dies without burial, my inner demons purged, and my advancement will face no further obstacles!"

"You already have a plan?" Autumn Crane was now fully swayed.

"Of course. I'll ensure they die in disgrace, slain by their own."

Gong Qinghong's lips curved into a mad smile as he gently stroked his right arm, its touch cold and rigid.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At that moment, explosions erupted outside the window.

Sparks trailing flames soared from the dazzling neon lights, blooming into brilliant fireworks against the dark sky.

The brief, radiant glow illuminated the street, casting joy in the eyes of onlookers.

The New Dawn had arrived.

"From today, monitor Autumn Crane closely. After the surprise raid on Mujiang Chuan Dock, investigate all personnel entering or leaving the Hound Mountain branch within twenty-four hours."

Xie Bi'an's tone was cold as he relayed orders via transmission to the two members.

"With these Wokou dogs, after suffering such a loss, they've remained silent? When something's amiss, there's always a demon at work—the malevolent spirits of Honghu won't let this chance slip!"

"One last thing."

Xie Bi'an's tone softened gradually, "Brothers, may your New Dawn be safe—we've lived another year."

"Have you finished your business?"

A gentle voice called out. The izakaya owner emerged from a partition, her face half-visible, radiant.

"I don't wish to disturb you; men always have endless affairs. But... the New Dawn has come—shouldn't we drink?"

The woman shook the sake bottle in her hand, her cheeks flushed as if already intoxicated.

Xie Bi'an's thin lips curved into a sharp arc, like a blade slicing into a restless heart.

He downed the cup in one gulp, two fingers fiddling with the sake cup: "The wine is excellent."

"Then drink more—if you're drunk, stay."

Before the seductive words could finish, the owner's pale forehead was marked by a touch of cold softness.

In an instant, a blush spread across her cheeks, and the ripe peach was ready for picking.

"The wine is good, and so are you. But I cannot stay."

Xie Bi'an smiled faintly, approaching the izakaya door, withdrawing a pair of peach talismans from his sleeve and hanging them on the doorframe.

"These are Shen Tu and Yu Lei. Though fearsome in appearance, they are guardian deities on imperial soil. With them, your business will prosper until the next New Dawn."

"I don't want prosperity—I just want..."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The words of retention were drowned out by the fireworks' explosions.

The brilliant, grand spectacle, along with the retreating figure, was deeply etched into the owner's heart.

Xie Bi'an walked through the bustling crowd, and after rounding a corner, his pace quickened.

His fingers wriggled beneath his sleeves, muttering to himself: "Seven more peach talismans—considering this busy night ahead... Ah, this intoxicating yet exhausting ambiguity."