Chapter 21 - Discussion in the Night
After hearing what Fang Dingwu said, Ye Beizhi understood and nodded in agreement.
Before dinnertime, Steward Song came over to invite him.
"Young Master Ye, Master Wu would like to invite you to dinner," Steward Song said with his usual kind expression. "Young Master Dingwu is already on his way."
"I'll go," Ye Beizhi replied.
When Ye Beizhi entered the courtyard, he saw Master Wu and Fang Dingwu sharing a stone table under a tree. A few dishes were set on the table, and the two leisurely drank wine. The attentive Fang Dingwu noticed Ye Beizhi approaching first and quickly waved him over.
Ye Beizhi walked over and sat down. Master Wu personally poured him a cup of wine and commended, "I heard from Dingwu that you were of great help on this escort mission."
Master Wu raised his cup to toast Ye Beizhi.
"Do you know why I called you two here today?"
Ye Beizhi put down his cup and nodded in assent.
Master Wu refilled his own cup and said, "That bandit camp at Tiger Mouth Mountain, which you had an unfortunate encounter with, seems to have offended someone powerful. That day, not long after you killed Chief Chen and left, the entire camp was wiped out, with the exception of the second-in-command, Yin Wanjie. No one else survived."
Master Wu popped a peanut into his mouth.
"They say the scene was horrific. Severed limbs were everywhere and not a single corpse was left intact. Many of the soldiers who went there vomited at the sight. These officials"—he sighed wearily— "they are getting more and more useless."
Fang Dingwu became intrigued, "Who did it? Could it be that after we killed Old Dog Chen, those wolf pups started infighting?"
Master Wu glared at Fang Dingwu and scolded, "Can't you use your brain? How could their infighting leave no survivors? Do you mean to tell me that Yin Wanjie killed over two hundred people by himself?"
"It was that person," Ye Beizhi said.
"Oh? That person is...?" Master Wu turned his head curiously.
"Forsaken Phoenix, Tang Jinnian," Ye Beizhi said with a shake of his head.
"Him?!" Fang Dingwu exclaimed in surprise. "Indeed… as you said, Brother Ye, that man is ruthless and cruel, with no regard for human life. With his incredible abilities, it makes sense that he was behind this massacre."
"Forsaken Phoenix...?" Master Wu glanced at Ye Beizhi with a puzzled expression and asked, "Is he the same person who Dingwu said later tried to hijack the escort mission?"
"That's him," Fang Dingwu answered on behalf of Ye Beizhi.
"Then... What rank does this person hold?" Master Wu directly asked Ye Beizhi.
Ye Beizhi made eye contact with Master Wu and seriously replied, "Same as me."
"A Heaven-ranker?" Master Wu had always assumed Ye Beizhi was a Heaven-ranker.
Ye Beizhi just shook his head, not answering further.
Seeing that Ye Beizhi did not answer, Master Wu did not press further even though he was still confused.
"Forget it, since the secret item was safely delivered, let's not dwell on it," Master Wu sighed. Noticing Ye Beizhi shaking his head, Master Wu asked, "Does Young Hero Ye find something amiss?"
"That Boss Zhou likely won't be alive for long." Ye Beizhi raised his head squarely at Master Wu. "Tang Jinnian was determined to get the Transcendence Stone."
Master Wu and Fang Dingwu both fell silent, and Ye Beizhi left it at that.
The atmosphere became subdued. In the courtyard, there was only the occasional sound of Old Master Wu's chopsticks clinking against the dish as he picked up peanuts.
In the end, Fang Dingwu couldn't stand the tension and broke the silence first by asking, "Master Wu, about the matter of the traitor… Do you have any leads?"
Master Wu took a deep draft of his wine and said, "I have an idea. Don't spread it around or make wild guesses."
"Of course, do you still doubt my discretion?" Fang Dingwu said while he thumped his chest confidently.
Ye Beizhi raised an eyebrow but did not speak.
"But"—Master Wu suddenly turned his gaze to Ye Beizhi— "there is still one thing that bothers me."
Ye Beizhi nodded, signaling for Master Wu to continue.
"Young Hero Ye, do you think these people are targeting my Changfeng Escort Agency... Or are they coming for you?"
"I don't know... but tonight, they should be here for you, Master Wu."
"We've been discovered, retreat!"
As soon as Ye Beizhi finished speaking, they heard the sound of clothes fluttering in the wind as figures on the roof ran away as fast as they could.
Laughing heartily, Master Wu hurled his iron spear at one of the fleeing figures and shouted, "Since you're here, you might as well stay!"
Ye Beizhi unsheathed his Tang Blade, leaped into the air and easily caught up with the spear, he lightly landed on the spear shaft and kicked off, flying forward like an arrow!
In the blink of an eye, Ye Beizhi caught up to the closest fleeing person. Hearing the sound of wind behind him, the person turned and blindly swung his sword backwards. Ye Beizhi easily parried with his scabbard and knocked out the fleeing observer with the hilt of his blade.
Moments later, Ye Beizhi returned to Master Wu's courtyard with the person in tow. At this time the courtyard was already full of people who had been drawn in by the commotion. They talked to each other excitedly, discussing what may have just happened. When they saw Ye Beizhi return, they hurried to the side to make way for him.
Ye Beizhi walked into the courtyard, tossed the unconscious person at Master Wu's feet, and took out an iron token from the person's clothes.
One side of the token read Mountain Swallow. On the other side was a carving of a ghost head with a character Profound in its open maw.
"A member of the Ghostbane Association."
Ye Beizhi handed the iron token to Master Wu.
Master Wu took the token, his expression becoming more and more serious as he examined it at length. The oppressive atmosphere silenced the courtyard. No one dared to speak.
After a long while, Master Wu finally spoke, "No one is allowed to leak today's events. Once I finish my investigation, I will give you all an explanation."
He looked around at the crowd expectantly and they all nodded in agreement.
Ye Beizhi raised his head to survey the people around him. His eyes locked on Zhao Feihu, who hastily turned his head away.
Ye Beizhi narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
After the crowd dispersed, Ye Beizhi returned to his small courtyard. It was already the second watch, and just as he was going to wash up and go to bed, a maid delivered a note to him.
On the other side of the compound, Master Wu, who was still deep in thought in his courtyard, also received a letter. His letter read:
The cloth merchant Zhou family of Meizhou, has been exterminated. The murderer is still unknown.
After sending the maid away, Ye Beizhi opened the note in the courtyard under the moonlight and read:
Dummy,
Accompany me to watch the shadow puppet show tomorrow.
— Nanwei.
Ye Beizhi smiled slightly and looked up at the overcast sky.
The moon, which had been obscured by clouds, peeked out and cast its first beam of light out, making the night ever so bright.
***
Far to the north, under the same moonlight.
In a small oasis within a desolate desert, a man sat on a giant stone outside a house, playing a tune on his flute toward the moonlight. His silver hair danced in the wind.
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