The Cold Yet Pure-hearted Killer: She Brought the Truth Before Me
Xue Ningshuo released his grip, leaning back slightly as he smiled and asked Zhan Kong:
“Child, what brings you to see me today? For the girl beside you? Rest assured, I won’t threaten your safety.”
Facing Zhan Kong’s still wary gaze, Xue Ningshuo sighed and chuckled:
“From beginning to end, only You Huo saw that girl. He wasn’t specifically sent by me—it was all just incidental. You Huo saw the girl handling You Ye’s corpse and incidentally planned to use her to threaten me. I incidentally discovered You Huo’s intentions, made him forever docile from then on, and incidentally dug out You Ye’s nameplate.”
Killing three birds with one stone.
Zhan Kong didn’t know what kind of dealings Xue Ningshuo and You Huo once had, but now it seemed the two had fallen into conflict.
You Huo wanted to use Yuyi Yue to threaten Xue Ningshuo, so Xue Ningshuo simply used Yuyi Yue’s hand to eliminate You Huo.
Figuring out the relationship between Yuyi Yue and Zhan Kong, eliminating You Huo, and reigniting the conflict between Zhan Kong and the Netherworld Hall.
Xue Ningshuo accomplished all these things without lifting a finger.
From beginning to end, how he orchestrated it all remained unknown to anyone.
A chill ran through Zhan Kong’s entire body.
He asked Xue Ningshuo:
“You want me dead?”
Xue Ningshuo neither confirmed nor denied:
“Child, from beginning to end, it’s been you who wants me dead. What have I ever done to you? Didn’t you complete the mission to eliminate the Netherworld Hall branch perfectly? Zhan Kong, you’re the child Severing Cloud personally taught. I believe in you more than anyone.”
Xue Ningshuo’s smile was inscrutable.
Zhan Kong’s nails dug into his palms as he rapidly pieced together all the clues in his mind.
Yuyi Yue’s safety, Zhan Yan’s situation within the pavilion, and Fang Yunmo’s mission from years ago.
In the end, these were the only three things he needed to care about.
Zhan Kong could only leave with one final sentence:
“I’ll keep searching.”
Xue Ningshuo nodded with a smile.
Once again, only Xue Ningshuo remained on the eighteenth floor.
…Or so it seemed on the surface.
Xue Ningshuo turned and knocked on the sandalwood bookshelf behind him.
A hidden door opened, and out stepped a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious purple robes.
Even if Fang Xun’gui hadn’t left, he probably wouldn’t have recognized the identity of this purple-robed man.
Fang Xun’gui wouldn’t recognize any of the purple-robed man’s identities.
Xue Ningshuo chuckled softly and asked the purple-robed man:
“Didn’t I tell you? Zhan Kong is truly an interesting child.”
The purple-robed man’s expression was stern, his brow carrying a contemptuous consideration:
“I thought he’d be more capable, stubbornly clinging to what happened nine years ago. Now I see he’s just a greenhorn, nothing to fear.”
“Ah, don’t speak too soon. Zhan Kong is the sharpest blade in my hand. Underestimating him isn’t wise.”
“I don’t care about that. If he insists on digging to the root, then he cannot be left alive.”
“What a pity… Severing Cloud was such a clever child, never curious about the beginning or end of a story. How did he end up with such a stubborn younger brother?”
Hearing this, the purple-robed man nodded faintly.
“Severing Cloud truly was a pity.”
Xue Ningshuo scoffed:
“You’re not qualified to say that, are you? Severing Cloud died for you.”
The purple-robed man’s expression remained unchanged:
“And you’re not qualified to judge me. Back then, I asked you to choose the most suitable pawn from your hand—it was you who personally chose Severing Cloud.”
Xue Ningshuo shook his head with a smile.”This is not a judgment. I simply haven’t been this curious in a long time. How do you plan to deal with Zhan Kong?”
The man in purple robes said coldly:
“Kill him.”
“He hasn’t found out anything yet. Just kill him like that?”
“Hah, find out? Find out what? My identity or the background of the Netherworld Hall? Xue Ningshuo, you really think highly of him.”
“Don’t forget, that girl by his side—there has never been such a person in the jianghu. She managed to pry open You Huo’s mouth. Didn’t expect that, did you?”
“You Huo was always a useless pawn anyway, it doesn’t matter. As for that girl, just eliminate her along with him.”
Xue Ningshuo deliberately put on an expression of mock discomfort:
“Truly worthy of being the Netherworld Hall Master. When it comes to ruthlessness, I can’t compare to you.”
The man in purple robes wore a disdainful, contemptuous smile:
“Too modest, Xue Ningshuo. You had Zhan Kong slaughter my branch hall. I haven’t settled that account with you yet.”
Xue Ningshuo’s smile remained unchanged:
“Hall Master, after those three hundred people in the branch hall died, your Netherworld Hall has become much cleaner, hasn’t it?”
The two tacitly ended the topic.
The man in purple robes furrowed his brow and started a new subject:
“That girl by Zhan Kong’s side is a hidden danger. Regarding her identity, you can’t find out either?”
“Do you remember the Gu Master who suddenly died six years ago? It’s said that Gu Master had two disciples. One died along with the Gu Master, and the other disappeared without a trace.”
“You’re saying that girl is the Gu Master’s disciple?”
“Hall Master, that’s the interesting part. The Gu Master’s other disciple has long been dead.”
“There is no art in this world that can bring the dead back to life.”
“Exactly. So who this girl is, I don’t know either.”
“Hah, it makes no difference. Just kill her along with him.”
“Don’t be in such a hurry. Wait a little longer. Zhan Kong is still a member of my Blood-Severing Pavilion, after all.”
“I have nothing to be anxious about. Just two ants.”
…
The projection ended.
Stellar Eye’s electronic voice was trembling:
[Master, I completely don’t understand. The Master of the Blood Severing Pavilion and the Netherworld Hall Master? Shouldn’t they be sworn enemies?]
[They can’t be considered enemies. They are cooperating parties with conflicting interests. Xue Ningshuo wants the Blood-Severing Pavilion’s position to be stable; the Netherworld Hall Master needs Xue Ningshuo to do things the Netherworld Hall cannot.]
[So complicated… Master, what are the things the Netherworld Hall cannot do?]
[I finally understand why Xue Ningshuo said the truth is right in front of Fang Xun’gui. Because there is nothing that can be called a “secret” or “truth”—only a perfectly reasonable fact.]
[I understand even less now. Ah, Master, what are you going to do now?]
[Place the simple truth, obscured by Fang Xun’gui himself, right in front of him. Wait a little longer. He’ll be back soon.]
…
Fang Xun’gui sat before Yuyi Yue, his face ashen.
“I’m sorry…”
“Why are you apologizing again?”
Yuyi Yue interrupted Fang Xun’gui’s apology with a mix of amusement and exasperation, saying:
“After hearing everything you said, I might have some guesses.”
Fang Xun’gui looked up, the anxiety and regret in his eyes not yet faded.
Yuyi Yue asked:
“Nine years ago, during the royal turmoil, the Blood-Severing Pavilion didn’t participate, but your brother was sent to the imperial city. The entire Blood-Severing Pavilion sent only him, right? At the same time, the Netherworld Hall made a major move, almost mobilizing their entire force to the imperial city.”
Fang Xun’gui added in a low voice:”The movements of the Netherworld Hall have been extremely covert, as if deliberately concealing their arrival in the imperial capital.”
Yuyi Yue nodded:
“After the turmoil ended and the new emperor ascended the throne, the martial world was in upheaval. The Blood-Severing Pavilion received a large number of missions, but the Netherworld Hall remained inactive for a short period. It wasn’t until today that the Netherworld Hall and the Blood-Severing Pavilion became evenly matched… Moreover, nine years ago, Xue Ningshuo reached some kind of agreement with the Netherworld Hall.”
“Exactly, but I don’t know what agreement they reached.”
“Then let’s consider the purpose of this agreement. What is something the Netherworld Hall cannot accomplish, but the Blood-Severing Pavilion can? Or, what is something the Netherworld Hall does not want its own people to do?”
“I can’t figure it out. Over the years, I’ve investigated many Netherworld Hall assassins, and their identities are all blank, no different from those in the Blood-Severing Pavilion.”
“Then the focus isn’t on the Netherworld Hall assassins themselves. Have you ever met the Netherworld Hall Master?”
Fang Xun’gui shook his head helplessly:
“This person is far too mysterious and cautious, with unpredictable whereabouts. I know nothing about him.”
Yuyi Yue lowered her gaze and thought for a moment before speaking slowly:
“To maintain such a high position as the Netherworld Hall Master without revealing his true face, this person must have a status even more secure than that of the Netherworld Hall Master.
“If he is revered in the martial world without showing his true face, then his other, more stable status exists on another level.
“For example, within the imperial court.
“The Netherworld Hall Master’s other identity is most likely that of a member of the royal family.”
As Yuyi Yue spoke, Fang Xun’gui’s eyes gradually widened.
Could it be…?
Yuyi Yue nodded, confirming the suspicion in Fang Xun’gui’s heart, and continued:
“It’s highly likely that the Netherworld Hall is backed by the current imperial family.
“But nine years ago, before the old emperor abdicated and the new emperor ascended the throne, there were certain things that could not be done by the Netherworld Hall, or at least, the instigators could not be anyone from the Netherworld Hall.
“Therefore, the Netherworld Hall Master entrusted this mission to the most outstanding assassin of the Blood-Severing Pavilion—Severing Cloud, Fang Yunmo. In return, the Blood-Severing Pavilion gained a stable position after the imperial turmoil. For Xue Ningshuo, this was definitely not a losing deal.
“Fang Yunmo was Xue Ningshuo’s offering to the Netherworld Hall, the spark that ignited the turmoil. This spark had to meet several conditions: powerful enough, willing to sacrifice his life, and with a background completely unrelated to the imperial capital.
“This way, everything makes sense.”
Countless tangled thoughts gradually formed a coherent line along Yuyi Yue’s words.
Until the most terrifying truth surfaced before Fang Xun’gui.
Good heavens.
His voice was hoarse as he struggled to speak:
“If that’s the case, then the mission the Netherworld Hall entrusted to the Blood-Severing Pavilion nine years ago, which Xue Ningshuo chose my brother to carry out, would be…”
Yuyi Yue nodded and softly uttered the heavy answer:
“Regicide.”