98 Alley Fighting (1/2)

They separated at the southern border of South City. Tie Hanfeng took two horses to Southwall Tavern, while Gu Shenwei took the carriage to the apprentices' hideout.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Yushi was waiting for him angrily.

According to the plan, the assassination team should have returned to Golden Roc Fort by now. However, they were delayed by a servant for half a day.

”I thought that you had run away. If so, it would save a lot of trouble,” Shangguan Yushi coldly said sarcastically. She pointed to the body in the middle of the hall. ”Nobody will testify for you. Elderly Dragon is dead. How timely!”

The fatal blow to the body was on its chest and head, which was obviously not the style of a Golden Roc Fort killer.

”That's alright, I found another insider.” Gu Shenwei turned toward the carriage in the yard. ”He was trying to escape, but I got him.”

”Did he confess?”

”No, he was trying to resist. So I knocked him out.”

Someone went behind Shangguan Yushi, whose eyes flashed a more furious light than the killer leader. It was Liuhua, holding his shortbow in his left hand. He had already put his right hand on the quiver on his waist because he was so sensitive to the phrase ”knock out”.

”Bring him out and wake him up. I'll interrogate him myself.” Shangguan Yushi ordered because she wanted to know who the hidden traitor was. ”He should dare to plot against me. How bold!”

”I thought it best to take him to Heart Cleansing Yard on the mountain, in case a long night invites bad dreams.” Gu Shenwei suggested, and stared at Liuhua, who survived last night purely out of East Castle's ”no-kill order”.

Shangguan Yushi was reluctant to take even one piece of the servant's advice. But not this time because she knew clearly that the hidden traitor being important in the castle meant that an interrogation by herself would not be safe, even she would get herself burned. It seemed to be best to let Heart Cleansing Yard handle it.

”Let's go now. Wait... wait till it's dark.” Shangguan Yushi changed her mind as she shot a glance outside. Two dozen killer apprentices walking in the street in broad daylight would hurt their image. Moreover, it soon would be getting dark.

This fit in with Gu Shenwei's plan. ”We need to protect the passenger. Elderly Dragon was killed, so our exposed hidden traitor obviously is also on the hit list.”

Shangguan Yushi arranged apprentices to guard both sides of the carriage. She lifted up the curtain and swiftly turned back toward him.

Gu Shenwei, who was shadowing behind, whispered, ”Someone must be coming, we'd better capture him alive.”

Shangguan Yushi tilted away a little in disgust to keep her distance from him. She saw through his plan. ”Has word gotten out?”

”Already to the entire South City.”

Because Gu Shenwei had firmly believed in his Master Shifu's ”spreading” capability, he now had to be in the tavern, ”accidentally” leaking the news with his drunken talk.

”I hope you wouldn't be too smart this time again.”

”My killer leader, I'm not the only one that he wanted to get rid of.”

Shangguan Yushi snorted, but he said what was on her mind. In her increasingly close friendship with Shangguan Ru, she saw cruel fights in the castle, with both open and secret methods. Compared to that, this servant's threat was next to nothing.

Shangguan Yushi adjusted her orders. Five apprentices guarded the carriage, while the others hid in respective places in the yard. Besides, some traps were set up to attract the hunters.

A group of killer apprentices set up nets and snares to capture another killer alive.

The night had completely fallen on them. Still, with no attacker, the carriage would look suspicious if they continued to wait. Thus, Shangguan Yushi had to head back uphill to Stone Castle and carefully rearrange the details. She and four apprentices guarded the carriage and the other 16 hid in ambush. Slave Huan still filled in as the coachman.

It was cold. The rugged South City streets saw snowy water freeze at dusk and coaches move slowly. Apprentices held their sabers tightly and walked cautiously.

In the evening, it was rush hour in South City. Even severe weather could not stop visitors from emerging in all directions. Nevertheless, this gang of teenagers appeared out of the ordinary. Some avoided them, while some feared nothing and scrutinized them closely instead.

A drunk man appeared out of the blue from a lightless house and seized the shaft, vomiting on the ground. The carriage apprentices were caught off guard and had failed to stop him.

Shangguan Yushi did not hesitate to hack at him. Master Yu was fluent in Kung Fu, while the drunkard practiced Kung Fu as well. He was dexterous and crouched under the coach while cursing.

The nearby apprentices all scrambled and slashed under the carriage. The man hid from place to place safely. Moreover, he found the chance to jumped onto the carriage. Then he lifted up the curtain, and yelled ”good dexterity”. In the end, he jumped onto the nearby rooftops.

Gu Shenwei bore the saber under his thighs. He prepared himself as the drunkard showed up. As the man rolled over, he almost simultaneously struck with his saber.

The man was indeed dexterous, but he underestimated the coachman's skill. When he glanced into the carriage, he was hit on the left arm.

The ambushing apprentices reacted. Once the man had lost his chance, he was besieged from then on. Before he could say another ”good dexterity”, two more ”good dexterities” headed toward him.

The drunkard could not make a sound but fell back. He was stretching his arms as if he was on ice. Then, he fell hard. One of the apprentices went to check it out and nodded at Shangguan Yushi. The troublemaker was dead.