Chapter 228: Rashomon

Chapter 228: Rashomon

Vermilion Bird accepted the wager.

It seemed an unequal bet—after all, one only had to call the other "good sister" if they lost, while the other had to reveal their face.

But Vermilion Bird never believed she could lose.

As one of the few top experts under heaven, she had her pride and confidence. The dignified Vermilion Bird Venerable could single-handedly suppress every force in this city. At most, she might need him for minor tasks or gathering intelligence—how could she truly depend on him?

If it meant he would consistently call her "good sister" from now on, that was rather amusing.

They split up to act. Vermilion Bird leisurely made her way to the Lakepeace Society.

Assuming He Lei had once recuperated here, he would have left by now. Secretly interrogating the back courtyard servants yielded no real information. To investigate further, she would need to capture a high-ranking member, but that risked alerting the enemy. Vermilion Bird decided to temporarily pretend this matter didn't exist and focus solely on asking the Lakepeace Society about "unifying Sword Lake City."

This was indeed a task assigned by the Four Symbols Sect to Wei Yue Yan in Sword Lake City, with considerable resources and manpower provided. It was also one example of what Vermilion Bird meant by "the sect's hidden influence is far greater than you imagine."

How exactly to unify was entirely Wei Yue Yan's responsibility, and Vermilion Bird didn't interfere. There might have been progress reports sent to the headquarters, but Vermilion Bird had been away recently and couldn't receive information.

Setting aside the matter of the barbarians, the task of unifying Sword Lake City seemed perfectly executed by Wei Yue Yan. As for using Han Wubing and such, from Vermilion Bird's perspective, it was nothing. If she had handled it herself, Han Wubing might have been crushed to death...

She thought for a moment, then reluctantly took off her piglet mask and switched back to Yi Huo She.

The Lakepeace Society's chairman, Yan Lianping, was in the meeting hall discussing city affairs with his subordinates: "How is the takeover of Xingyi Gang's assets going?"

"Mostly fine, except for the shops on Taiping Street. The Ji family claims those are personal assets to be inherited by their young master, unrelated to the gang."

"Any word from the men sent to kill the Ji family's young master?"

"They've already intercepted and killed him on the road. The Ji family doesn't know yet—probably news will come tomorrow."

"Hmm... The Ji family's young master was a disciple of the Divine Phoenix Sect, even if just an outer disciple. Best not to make a fuss."

"What about the Ji family's old and young..." The subordinate made a cutting gesture.

"No need. Their young master is dead—what can they do? Keeping the old, weak, women, and children alive earns us a good reputation and stabilizes the remnants of Xingyi Gang... Xingyi Gang has some strong fighters, still useful. If we want to unify Sword Lake City, we can't kill everyone. How else would we fight Sha Qi and the others?"

"The chairman is wise."

"Any news on Han Wubing?"

"None... It's as if he vanished completely. The remnants of Xingyi Gang are searching everywhere for him."

"A pity..." He said it with a flat tone, not sounding particularly regretful.

The subordinate added, "Whether he's fled or hiding somewhere in the city, he's only at the seventh level of the Mystic Gate. No matter his potential, that's for later. One man can't change the sky."

"Hmm... Go now. Put more effort into reorganizing Xingyi Gang. I need to rest."

The subordinate withdrew: "The chairman has worked hard lately. Rest well."

Soon the hall was empty. Yan Lianping sat alone in the main seat, quietly thinking, his face flickering in the candlelight.

After a long while, he slowly said, "Which eminent visitor has graced us? Why not show yourself?"

The candle flame flickered, a gust of wind passed, and Vermilion Bird, wearing the Yi Huo She mask, appeared abruptly before him.

"Yi Huo She?" Yan Lianping frowned. "Wasn't that position vacant? A newcomer? Or..."

Mid-sentence, he struck without warning—a flying shuttle silently shot toward Yi Huo She's shoulder.

The shuttle vanished as if it had never existed.

Yan Lianping's pupils contracted: "Excellent 'Serpent Spits Its Tongue'... So you really are Yi Huo She."

Vermilion Bird found it amusing but spoke calmly: "I heard Sword Lake City has changed. The Venerable sent me to inquire about the situation and see if you need help."

Yan Lianping immediately replied, "You've come at the right time. We do need help."

"Oh?"

"First, Han Wubing has escaped, which will surely cause trouble. I'm stationed here and can't move recklessly, and no one else is a match for him. If you could take his life, that would be best."

"Han Wubing has ties with the Saintess—why has it come to this?"

"I don't know either. We originally cooperated with him on that basis, and he did kill Ji Yinan. But for some reason, he suddenly turned hostile. We're baffled too. But whatever the reason, since he's turned against us and wants us dead, we can't just sit and wait."

Vermilion Bird asked, "Just because of the Four Symbols Sect, he was willing to help you kill?"

"It was because he discovered that Ji Yinan was colluding with the barbarians and sheltering the wounded Lion He Lei. Han Wubing originally wanted to kill He Lei, but he was too late—He Lei had already left, so his target became Ji Yinan. It was a smooth cooperation until it inexplicably soured."

Vermilion Bird was stunned.

This was different from what Wei Zicai said... Yan Lianping's candid attitude didn't seem fake, and this matter could easily be exposed—whether He Lei stayed at the Lakepeace Society or Xingyi Gang should be easy to verify. How could the accounts differ so much?

Despite her confusion, her tone remained steady: "Aside from Han Wubing, anything else?"

"Now we've taken over Xingyi Gang by seizing the opportunity. Once we fully digest it, our momentum and strength will be the city's top. The next step should be to talk with Sha Qi of Kangle Gambling House. If he's sensible, fine; if not..." Yan Lianping said, "I sent a letter to headquarters yesterday, asking the Venerable for guidance—will Ying Wu personally intervene in Sword Lake City's gang disputes?"

Vermilion Bird feigned ignorance: "If he does, what then? If not, what then?"

"If Ying Wu personally gets involved, the Venerable must negotiate with him. If not, and it's just handled as a subordinate gang conflict, we can prepare for war with Kangle Gambling House. Mainly, I suspect Sha Qi's name is similar to Ying Wu's, so their relationship might be close..."

Vermilion Bird played the novice: "I see... I'm new and not too clear on the background. I'll also write to the Venerable to ask."

"Hmm." Yan Lianping broke into a smile. "I didn't expect a new sister in the sect. It's late now—rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I'll hold a grand banquet to welcome you."

...

While Vermilion Bird was playing the novice at the Lakepeace Society, Zhao Changhe went to the Ji family.

He took off his piglet mask, applied some disguise ointment to his face, and quickly became a sallow-faced, coarse-looking man—the same appearance he had when he killed Fasheng.

He didn't need to hide the broadsword on his back, as such a look was now common.

The head of the Ji family had just died, with the body still lying in state at home, white funeral banners everywhere. Walking along the road, he overheard people murmuring: "Why hasn't the young master returned yet? It's been days..."

"The Divine Phoenix Sect is quite far—the news probably just reached them now... Alas, even if the young master comes back, what use is it? He's just an outer disciple of the Divine Phoenix Sect. What could he have learned? The sect won't stand up for him."

"Wasn't the master a member of the Divine Phoenix Sect?"

"Just a figurehead for a gang they backed. There are plenty of those in the world."

Zhao Changhe silently listened to the whispers around him as he walked to the Ji family's gate. He was quickly stopped by a guard, who spoke wearily: "Sir, our master has just passed away. If you're here to pay respects, please leave your name."

Zhao Changhe improvised on the spot: "I'm from the Divine Phoenix Sect. Brother Ji couldn't make it back in time, so he asked me to come first to pay respects to his father and see if the family needs any help."

The guard was overjoyed, and someone rushed inside shouting, "Madam! Madam! The young master's senior brother is here!"

Soon a middle-aged woman hurried out, weeping from afar as she approached Zhao Changhe: "Young hero, you must seek justice for our master..."

Zhao Changhe remained composed: "Madam, don't rush. First, take me in to pay my respects. Then you can slowly tell me the details."

He hadn't heard Vermilion Bird's information... But from the start, this matter felt deeply complex, involving too many forces. It might not just be a city gang conflict.

Asking anyone might be useless—perhaps the best answer was to ask the corpse.