167 Sword Injuries (1/2)
Slave Jing had died due to a flurry of blows. There were wounds all over his body, but his head was left intact miraculously.
He should have stayed with Slave Huan. It was unknown to him where they lost contact with each other. There was murder everywhere, be it the roof or the ground. Enemies kept popping up out of nowhere. When Gu Shenwei noticed that Slave Jing was missing, it was already dark and there was no way to look for him again.
Slave Jing became the second killer to die while under the Tenth Young Master's command.
On the surface, it seemed like the Horned Dragon Society had suffered greater losses, as they had over a hundred casualties. However, that was only a quarter of their total strength. Even though the Kun Society had only 50 or so dead, it was about half of all their machetemen.
After this cruel battle, both parties found it difficult to hire any more machetemen. There were even some that left without a word, even though they had been hired. Some of them didn't even want to receive their salary for that month before they left.
Their lives were more important than money.
This time, everyone could predict the final winner. Even though it was difficult to hire new machetemen, the Horned Dragon Society could still make up for their shortfall with the riches of the Meng family. The Kun Society, however, was running out of silver. Even if Tie Hanfeng's entire inheritance was used, there was no way to compete with the enemy.
This was the first time Gu Shenwei felt truly alienated.
Although the outcome of this huge battle was not something that Slave Huan could change, he, as the leader of the society, went missing and was nowhere to be seen at such a crucial time. He joined the battle halfway through and the killer he led into battle was also killed, all of which would become imperfections in his record that he could not hide.
The killers maintained their distance from him. The machetemen no longer trusted him. Even the Xu siblings panicked when they heard the news. They remained respectful on the surface but had started to secretly accumulate their silver. If the Kun Society suffered a crushing defeat in the end, they had to spend money to look for new backing.
Maid Lotus was the only who remained unaffected by outside forces. She even expressed her concern that there might be a plot leading to Slave Jing's death, even before Slave Huan could say anything, saying, ”Slave Jing wasn't known to be rash, how could he have jumped into the fray just to be cut down by so many blows?”
Gu Shenwei knew more than anyone else that the circumstances leading to Slave Jing's death were unclear, but he still held himself accountable. He had known that Slave Jing's life was hanging by a thread. Slave Jing was a key figure in uncovering the truth, yet he had not stuck around closely to guard Slave Jing.
The most difficult hurdle to overcome was to visit the North City and meet Shangguan Ru.
Shangguan Yushi stood beside the Tenth Young Master. She took part in the battle and knew what went down. However, she did not criticise Slave Huan's performance, which was a very rare occurence. She was smart. She knew what to say and what not to say.
”Why was there not a hint of information before? We were caught completely unaware.”
Gu Shenwei had no explanation to Shangguan Ru's query. Even though there was no clear segregation of duties, intelligence had always been his responsibility. By being unaware of such a large scale attack by the Horned Dragon Society, he had failed to carry out his duty.
”It's my fault. Your subject knows that he is guilty. Please punish me as you see fit, Tenth Young Master.”
Gu Shenwei could only admit to his mistake. This made him extremely frustrated, as he knew that there was a conspiracy behind all these incidents. However, he could not produce any evidence nor bring the matter up, as Shangguan Ru would have felt that he was trying to frame Master Yu.
This situation brought back memories of the Giant Rock Cliff from a few years back, when Shangguan Yushi tried to assassinate Slave Huan. Her methods had become more matured and thoughtful as time passed. She was now more careful of leaving behind any evidence that would indict her for the crime. Slave Huan's opportunities to counter-attack were reducing.
”It's not your fault. I was too simple-minded. How could I have thought of everything while being in the North City, separated from the situation by a wall and a river?”
Shangguan Ru treated this statement as something a master with a responsible attitude would say, but it felt like utter humiliation to Gu Shenwei.
Gu Shenwei stayed behind in the North City. He claimed that he wanted to meditate on his wrongdoings behind closed doors, but he sneaked out secretly that evening. He went to pay Ye Silang a visit. He had nowhere else to go, and could only try looking for answers from every outlet that he knows of.
Ye Silang's residence was situated at a small alley in the North City. Compared to his neighbours, it looked a little shabby. He was a swordsman with no other means of living. He depended entirely upon the financial assistance of his admirers. Therefore, his income fluctuates with their moods. Luckily, he did not have any special demands nor did he have any peculiar tastes, therefore he managed to stay in the North City for this long.
Ye Silang sat on a soft couch and the front of his chest was still covered in bandages. His upper body was naked and he placed his long sword beside him. He was one of the few people in the North CIty with the permission to carry a sword.
Perhaps it was due to the influence of Hope Alley, Gu Shenwei started thinking about Ye Silang's perfect physique unconsciously. Even someone with no interest in men had to be in awe as well. Even though he was still recovering from his injuries, he looked like he is full of energy. The layers of bandages seemed like it was only an accessory.
The only old slave of the Ye Family served tea and left in a hurry. It was only then that Ye Silang spoke, ”You saved me.” There was not a hint of gratitude in his voice. It felt more like sarcasm and indignation.
”You don't have to repay me. I have my own motives, and I wish to know who it was that tried to kill you.”
It was as though Ye Silang had not heard what the killer said. Ye Silang stared at him without moving, and said, ”I'm a swordsman, not a killer. No matter what you think, I have to pay you back with a life.”
Gu Shenwei had lived in the Stone Castle for far too long. He had nearly forgotten that there were another set of rules which were different from that of killers'. ”There's no need to pay me back with a life. I have no use for that. Tell me who wished to kill you, and we'll be even.”
”That's my business. What does it have to do with you?”
”Whether or not it has anything to do with me, say it and we'll know.”
”Hey, I've heard much about you. You like to stick your nose up the affairs of others, and this isn't what a Golden Roc killer should be like. I'll repay the favor of you saving my life, but how I repay it is up to me.”
As the master had made an order to chase away the visitor, Gu Shenwei took his leave. He circled around the outside, and returned to the entrance of the alley. After waiting for a while, he saw the old servant of the Ye Residence walking out, carrying a lantern and limping into a grand mansion through the side gate.