Chapter 193: Stealing the treasure
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Nobody would have expected the consequences of Immortal Peng's death. Perhaps no one wanted to avenge him but everyone wanted to know about the truth behind his death. Everyone did not believe that this was a spontaneous decision of the killers, and they suspected that his death had something to do with the treasure of the Xian family.
Words spread from mouth to mouth like wildfire. Like wildfire, it's path was unpredictable and in this process, speculations turned into gossip, and gossip became rumors. In the end, everyone believed what was said.
"Immortal's treasure?" Eyes of the Hsu siblings brightened.
"Yes, I grabbed the immortal's treasure. Killing people is now easier than before."
Gu Shenwei did not speak in a kind tone. The siblings became silent immediately and dared not speak a word.
Gu Shenwei did not like this situation. Because of some absurd reason danger seemed to be lurking everywhere. Gu Shenwei didn't even know who the enemy was. He thought again of Master Shifu Tie Hanfeng's teachings. Because he knew little about Immortal Peng's relations, killing him would be a grave mistake.
"The Tenth Young Master would be going to Stone Castle to explain things. She said this was her own idea." Maid Lotus felt that her news was received too favorably. "Only fools would believe in such a rumor though. We have to kill more people."
Maid Lotus' words came true. That night, there were 11 people who died in the brothel. Only the first was killed by Gu Shenwei.
At the time when several people spoke, a dull thump rang from upstairs. It sounded as if something had fallen.
Xu Yanwei clutched her chest and looked up at her bedroom in terror. She was relieved that she was not upstairs.
Gu Shenwei nodded to Maid Lotus. She pulled out her saber and guarded the floor downstairs. Gu Shenwei crept upstairs stealthily.
Just halfway through, a dead body was thrown out from the bedroom. It leant weakly on the railing. Xu Yanwei fainted in shock. She turned and held her brother's shoulders tightly. Xu Xiaoyi was afraid but he also wanted to know who the dead person was. The dead body was curled up but its eyes were wide open.
Gu Shenwei returned from the path that he traveled just now. "Someone is standing on guard upstairs."
"Did the Tenth Young Master send someone?" Xu Yanwei asked expectantly but did not get a reply.
The two killers were each assigned different tasks. Gu Shenwei sat on a chair, his saber balanced across his knees. A sharp sword leant against his leg. He could use his swordcraft openly now. He only had to explain that it was imparted to him by Immortal Peng. But he was still used to bringing two types of weapons with him.
Maid Lotus hid in the shadows. The Hsu siblings turned their eyes. When they looked again, they did not see the female killer anymore.
The person upstairs was a master. He willingly worked for killers and was a man of few words. Before dawn came, he flung out ten corpses from inside, and the pile of corpses became higher than the railings.
Most of the dead did not utter a word. One called out before he died: "Ah, it's you!"
Xu Yanwei was reaching her limits. She was used to seeing happy men walking out of her bedroom. This time, seeing them come out inert was a total humiliation to her. "Come out. You people upstairs!"
No one came out and no one answered.
Knock, knock. The door rang again. Xu Yanwei was deeply moved by the fact that there was someone who still remembered to come in by the main door. Immediately however, the attitude of the person outside the brothel dampened her spirits.
"Open the door. Damn, I saw that wild man upstairs. Want to lie to me? I'll crush you with my silver, you bitch."
"Why did he come back?" Xu Yanwei had really hoped that this was a nightmare and that all her problems would vanish when she opened her eyes.
The two siblings did not dare to open the door. Gu Shenwei rose and walked to the door. He held a sword in his hands and after listening for a moment, pulled the door open.
The door was immediately knocked open and a group of people swarmed in. All of them stumbled as they came in; obviously they had drunk too much.
"Not receiving a customer? But isn't that a customer? Why is it you?" Guan Houlin wanted to straighten his body but he ended up bending backwards. He cocked his head like a stone figure that was about to collapse.
"I'm the master of this place."
"Oh, yes, I've heard. This... your prostitute is atrocious. She didn't want to accept this grand master's money. And those wild men keep coming up one by one. You- do you look down on me or the Ninth Young Master?"
"There's no wild man here."
"Stop fooling me."
"I saw it with my own eyes. It can't be fake." The machetemen swarming the entrance of the door joined in.
Guan Houlin pushed Gu Shenwei away. He did not see Xu Yanwei who was standing at a corner of the wall. He wanted to run up the steps to catch the adulterers. His massive body shook the entire building slightly.
"Come out, you stinking prostitute. I'll show you who is master today. Today..." Upstairs, Guan Houlin had only finished half of his sentence before he froze. It was as if master Shangguan Fei had suddenly appeared before him.
"Big Brother Huan, what's wrong?" Machetemen swarmed into the building. They looked up, trying to see what that black lump on the railing was.
Guan Houlin only went up a step. He stretched his neck to make sure that he hadn't seen wrongly. He was immediately shaken from his stupor. This was a brothel run by a killer. He immediately composed himself as he just realized that the teen downstairs was a cold-blooded killer.
Guan Houlin turned around and walked slowly down the stairs. His steps were heavy and his body did not shake. He walked in front of the killer and cleared his throat. "I've drunk a little too much. Please forgive me and send my respects to the Tenth Young Master."
Guan Houlin opened his arms and pushed the machetemen out of the brothel like they were a bunch of chicks. He closed the door himself and even bowed slightly to the teen who was standing inside.
The twins of the Shangguan family had always maintained a calm facade. However, in these few months, Guan Houlin felt afraid of the killers of Kun Society.
It was almost daybreak. Gu Shenwei shouted upstairs. "Come out, let's get things done."
The man who was upstairs hesitated for a while before walking out of the bedroom. He stood beside the pile of corpses, holding a sword in his hand.
"Little Chu, it's you!" Xu Xiaoyi jumped up excitedly. "You're not here to kill me but to protect me right?"
This was all nothing more than Xu Xiaoyi's imagination. If it were true, he would have burst into tears of joy.
"No, I'm here to kill you. I'm protecting him. I can't let anyone kill him."
Xu Xiaoyi was greatly disappointed and felt extremely confused. Pointing to Gu Shenwei, he said: "He's a killer and he wants to kill you."
"That would be the best. Swordcraft is practised this way. But it's a bit too early now."
Xu Xiaoyi was confused. He did not understand a single word of what Chu Nanping said. He only wanted to make friends with him. Why had things turned out this way? He couldn't help but be overcome with sorrow. He sat on the ground and cried loudly.
"This can't be true. Why would you want to kill me? I was so good to you. I've never offended you. Aren't we good friends?"
Chu Nanping creased his eyebrows slightly and explained patiently. "We're friends. That's why I have to kill you to destroy all ties of friendship. This would allow me to enter the fifth realm. That's how the Heartless Swords technique is trained."
Xu Xiaoyi cried even louder.
Among the disciples of Immortal Peng, Chu Nanping was the youngest and the most innocent. Thus, the effects of training in the ways of the Death Scriptures were greatest on him.
Gu Shenwei had no experience in persuading others. However, he was more skilled at scheming and murder. He felt the latter would be most effective in dealing with Chu Nanping.
"I can't let you kill him. So I have to kill you now."
Chu Nanping shook his head just like before. He tried to be patient and explained to his practice partner. "There's no use in killing me. To reach the seventh realm, we only have one battle of life and death."
"I'm backing out. Like Ye Silang, I don't want to practice the Heartless Sword technique anymore."
Chu Nanping pursed his lips like an unloved child. This was his real identity. "You'ill change your mind."
Gu Shenwei held onto the shaft of his sword. He did not want to kill this child. There was no feud between them even though Chu Nanping had killed Chu Yangjun and Immortal Peng. However, Chu Nanping was a ruthless person without feelings - there was not even hatred in him.
But Chu Nanping was perhaps not as ruthless as Gu Shenwei had thought. He thought for a while and smiled, as if he had cast off all his burdens. "Fine. Then I won't have to kill Xu Xiaoyi for now. Xiaoyi, I'll come to find you tonight."
Chu Nanping returned to his bedroom and left quietly.
Xu Xiaoyi stopped crying. There was even more confusion in his heart. "What does he want to do?"
Gu Shenwei wondered if he was doing the right thing by letting Chu Nanping go. "He wants to be friends with you again."
"Damn, if I were to be friends with him again, I'd be the biggest fool in the world."
"You're a fool in the first place." Xu Yanwei said. The night was finally coming to an end and her brother was not in any danger for the time being. She had to think of a way to send those two killers away as soon as possible. "Mr. Huan, you're tired already. You should go home for some rest. I'll look after Xiaoyi and not let him see that child again."
Gu Shenwei draped a cloak over his shoulders and looked upstairs. Maid Lotus walked out from behind the pile of corpses. She was guarding Chu Nanping closely and could have killed him with only a single strike of her sword. That ruthless child did not know how closely he had stood from the edge of death.
The corpses were left in the care of the Hsu family. There were plenty of corpse bearers in the Jade City. As long as they were paid, they would take care of matters with no questions asked. Such matters would never affect the business of the brothel. Gu Shenwei was not worried about it.
"What do we do now?" Maid Lotus asked while walking on the cold streets.
"I have to take a trip to Hope Alley." That was the place that Gu Shenwei hated to return to. "Only Joy Pavilion can prove that I did not steal any treasure. That place will let me know who the Ninth Young Master's new lover is."
Hope Alley was not the only place in South City where there were male prostitutes. However, it was the most crowded. Gu Shenwei decided to start from here. This was the best way to fool Shangguan Fei into moving out of the North City.
Maid Lotus went with him. The two went around the peach trees and jumped onto the high wall behind Joy Pavilion. They guarded each other on both the left and right sides.
Joy Pavilion did not change much. Through the window, Gu Shenwei could even see some unsightly people drinking tea. It was business as usual.
The person who came to steal the treasure was not a disciple from Joy Pavilion. Gu Shenwei thought that they had probably come to their senses.
A window on the third floor opened, revealing a savage face. "You're here."
Gu Shenwei had a feeling of amorousness. Immortal Peng was already dead. However, these weird creatures were speaking in gibberish, as if they, like Chu Nanping, were still immersed in the 64 practices of the Secrets of Love .
"I'm here."
"Immortal Peng invites you to go upstairs." The ferocious face said in a calm tone. After saying so, he disappeared and withdrew from the window.