198 Interlocking (1/2)
Gu Shenwei returned to the backyard of the Southwall Tavern at midnight. There was already an anxious guest waiting inside the room.
He had covered himself in a cape in the same way as those who wanted to hide their identity. But he was too big for this cape. He said, ”You have to rescue me.”
The decoration in Gu Shenwei's room was simple. Only a bed, a desk, and two chairs. He sat down and wearily sighed. ”Well, what happened?”
Guan Houlin glimpsed at the child who was sitting at the corner. He looked handsome and held a sword in his hands, but, his tilted head made him look listless, cold and uninterested in anything. He was more like a ghost, and this disturbed Guan Houlin. ”I want to talk in private.”
”That's not necessary. He doesn't have a big mouth.”
With some hesitation, Guan Houlin said, ”The Ninth Young Master wants me dead.” He was cornered and had nowhere else to go.
”You escaped. That's incredible.”
”No, the Ninth Young Master hasn't decided to kill me. But I know him better than anyone. He'll first kill me, and then you. We share the same fate.”
”I can't save myself, nor can I save you.”
”You can, you're the only one who can do that. I saw your bravery. Those killers in the fort, including the subordinates of the Ninth Young Master, they're weak. But you, you have the killing desire, you'll fight against them instead of waiting for death. Is that right? You'll fight.”
Gu Houlin's words sounded chaotic and full of expectation. If Yang Huan was not the guy he expected, then he would be greatly disappointed.
”How should I save you? Should I help you hide or escape?”
These two beat around the bush for a while. Finally, Guan Houlin spoke out, ”Those will not work. This will only end in either his death or my death.” But his words did not surprise Yang Huan, so he had to make it clearer. ”We'll never be safe unless we kill the Ninth Young Master.”
”First of all, it's impossible to kill him; secondly, killing him will put us in even more danger. He is the son of the Supreme King!”
Guan Houlin anxiously pushed forward. ”Yes! So we have to borrow the power of the Tenth Young Master. She wants to take revenge, doesn't she? This will be an internal strife, and we won't be involved.”
Gu Shenwei grasped his sword and remained silent and cold. Guan Houlin stopped as he felt that he might have said something wrong. ”Go on, what do you think?”
His words relieved Gu Houlin. ”Well, the Ninth Young Master feared Tuo Nengya the most. He had failed to murder him several times. If he can find Tuo Nengya's trail, he'll personally lead his team to kill him. We can seize the opportunity and...”
”Okay, then where should I find Tuo Nengya? You had wasted several months trying to track him down.”
”We know he hides in Hope Alley. When Immortal Peng was still alive, those machetemen did not dare to enter inside. We have to work quickly. This time, we can't let the Ninth Young Master take the lead.”
Gu Shenwei considered his sincerity for a moment, then he said, ”Tuo Nengya is no longer in Hope Alley.”
”Have you already found him?” Gu Houlin was surprised.
”Yep.”
”Then how about my plan?”
”Wait for my instruction, I have to discuss it with the Tenth Young Master.”
”Alright, but please tell me soon. I don't even know if I can survive today.”
”It's time for you to take the risk. Go back to your master and meet me at nine o'clock tonight. Then send the message to him afterwards.”
Gu Houlin was not so confident about his future. Even so, he stopped trying to persuade further. He cloaked himself and bid farewell to the killer. ”Be vigilant, you're the Ninth Young Master's most hated person.”
Gu Shenwei nodded and watched him leave.
”He is frightened,” said Chu Nanping, who had been standing in the corner. This child could also see the complicated emotions of other people.
”He is frightened indeed because if he can't fool me, he will surely die.”
Gu Shenwei stood up, and paced to and fro. Now he had to take Gu Houlin into his consideration. He then called out to Maid Lotus and they went to see the Tenth Young Master together.
Shangguan Ru also thought that Guan Houlin was using the ruse of self-injury. ”He wants to use us to find Tuo Nengya and then humiliate me afterwards.” She could clearly see her brother's plots when she calmly pondered over the problem.
”We can make use of his ruse.”
After their meeting, Gu Shenwei left the Kun Society to go to the Southwall Tavern. Since Immortal Peng came back again, Shopkeeper Lyu would not be troubled by Gu Shenwei's appearance anymore. In order to make up for his previous attitude, he personally held a glass of wine and chatted with him.
Gu Shenwei did not drink. He accepted the wine only because he could calm his mind by staring at the blood-like liquid.
Shopkeeper Lyu introduced some customers to the killer. Gu Shenwei bought them several cups of wine and tried to collect some information from them.
The macheteman of the Horned Dragon Society went to mop up the Rouge Forest, had a few quarrels with the people out there, and eventually made those people leave. Meanwhile, the Horned Dragon Society expanded the enrolment of the machetemen. This time they were generous, and they seemed to be trying to attract all the machetemen with the high salary.
But strangely, those machetemen who had always sought money were now holding themselves aloof. Many of them refused the invitation of the Ninth Young Master. As for those who were lured, they were continuously threatened. After some fights among them, though blood had not been shed for now, the atmosphere in the South City became tense.
Xu Xiaoyi also came after the brothel was harassed. A bunch of the machetemen had broken into the house and they searched everywhere. They had just left.
Xu Xiaoyi took Chu Nanping with him and left. Of course, it was under the permission of Brother Huan. He wanted this little swordman to see his intelligence gathering abilities.