NOVEL WEB 29: Trust (III)
“Ling Su and Pi Yun put Lao Shu in a pit of poisonous insects.” His command didn’t come as a surprise to anyone but the rat face.
Two of his subordinates jumped into action, and before Lao Shu could even understand what happened he was carried out of the room by the burly Ling Su as his limbs and mouth were tied by the pig-faced Pi Yun.
“I apologize, Brother Fu, to think that a mere handyman like that will insult you not once but twice.” Gu Changge smiled like a Buddha. “But don’t worry, I’ll keep them in line so nothing happens to the Young miss, of course considering you keep up your part of the deal.”
“I have brought something big this time.” Yuzhe said enduring his turning stomach.
“Ho? What is it?” Gu Changge picked the tea cup from the small table to his side, a rich scent of jasmine spread across the room.
Without a word, Fu Yuzhe took out the pouch from his storage ring and presented it to them. There was a brief silence in the room as all eyes gathered on the pouch, Changge tossed his steaming teacup to the side wall and got to his feet.
“Put the entire mansion in a lockdown. If even a flea enters, I will turn you all into the insect's breeding ground.” He stepped on the air, using it as a foothold.
At that order, two subordinates left the room in a hurry as the woman closed the door of the room and the windows in a hurry. Now, the oil lamps were the only source of light as Gu Changge stopped in front of Yuzhe. His face stayed stern as the black eyes scanned every inch of the man in front of him, scanning his body and clothes inside out. When he found the lack of any secret talisman and tracking seals, his lips curled up into a smile.
“You did a wonderful job, Brother Fu!” He hugged Yuzhe with a voice full of joy, it was like he met his long-lost brother.
“I had no other choice.” Yuzhe did not share the hug, nor the enthusiasm.
“Now now Brother Fu, if someone heard you, they’d think I am forcing you to do this.” Changge stepped back with a smile only to face no reaction from Fu Yuzhe as the long arm hung over his shoulder. “I am more curious about how you were able to get your hands on this.”
Although the tone was causal, the thin arm snaked around his neck, one wrong move, and Fu Yuzhe’s neck would get snapped like a chicken’s. However, he wasn’t worried, Li Muchen had already told him the answer to this exact situation.
“I swapped it on the way to the incineration site, since I was told to be on the lookout for this I prepared in advance. Then using the mission as an excuse, I came here.” There wasn’t even a little fluctuation in his voice, aside from the hatred for the person who forced him to do all this.
“Wonderful, looks like you’ve covered your tracks well and are still of use.” Gu Changge saw that intense hatred and smirked, it didn’t matter right now. “Li Ling, bring the disk out, let’s check the spoils.”
In the room aside from Yuzhe and Changge, only one short woman dressed in purple was left standing. Being one of the subordinates under Changge she should’ve done as told, however the current situation wasn’t favorable.
“B-But that…” The black-haired woman stammered as Changge’s empty gaze landed on her. Her body trembled like she had met eyes with a snake that could swallow her whole, yet soon that blank face showed a smile full of glee.
“There is no need to worry, Brother Fu is one of us now.” Gu Changge turned towards Fu Yuzhe, the young man was gritting his teeth, the sight brought him much joy seeing that he couldn’t even refute.
If this news got out, Fu Yuzhe and the Demonic Cultivators were the same in the eyes of the Orthodox Sects, especially the Azure Sky Sect which he belonged to.
“I-I understand…” Li Ling bowed her head and took out a disk from her purple storage ring.
The disk floated in the middle of the three defying gravity, the scent of rotten blood made Yuzhe’s stomach turn as purple Qi spread from the charcoal-colored disk that was as big as a ceramic plate. Gu Changge stood in front of it and clasped his hands together above the plate, his clean but firm palms kept the Three-mouthed centipede in place.
“O’ Lord deep within the Depths of the Yellow Springs… Bless us, your loyal subjects, so we reach you and become the stepping stones of your glorious rise once again…” Twisted words from an unknown language came out of Changge’s mouth, but Yuzhe trembled hearing it.
It was like hundreds of lava ants were crawling underneath his skin as a scorching pain rose from his abdomen, the murky purple Qi spread from Gu Changge as he crushed the insect into a thin paste before landing on the flying disc. However. The remains of the dead insect started to writhe as if dancing to the twisted incantation the gooey mixture of flesh, blood, and pieces of carapace formed a complicated formation on the disk with multiple layers and lines.
A glum purple light shot out of the disc projecting a circle on the ceiling. At first, it was like a curtain of white smoke but soon color bled into it and a picture took form. It started from the face of a tired-looking woman with red eyes and a gentle expression, a blurry image that was soon washed away as Gu Chagge turned the disc with his finger, several images flashed by, fields, mountains, food, houses, blood, it was too quick to see everything before it stopped at the desired point, it was the moment when the attack squad faced their end.
The image of a white-haired man with a strong expression appeared, dressed in red robes his eyes stayed full of disapproval and arrogance, as if he looked down on them like they were some crawling insects yet it commanded awe and respect in the viewer. Almost like the work of a master painter that captured the otherworldly looks and charms of the man in question until it started to move, this was reality, an incident that took place over 10 days ago. One after the other, the heads of the demonic cultivators flew across the cave as the man came closer.
[Who made the antidote for Yin Dandelion Poison?] The low but imposing voice rang out.
[B-Bian Que?] The following voice was akin to an ant’s murmur, they were seeing things through the eyes of another person.
The man named Bian Que smiled and didn’t answer, what followed was a gruesome death for the person who was looking up. The screams faded alongside the distorting vision, but it sent shivers down Yuzhe and Li Ling’s spine, the raw agony alone made their stomachs turn as he simply watched.
“Just as I thought, that bastard Bian Que was using Li Muchen as a cover again.” Gu Changge’s face remained without change, no, a smirk crept up his lips as he saw his guess being correct.
Hearing that Yuzhe came out of his shock, he gulped. Is Bian Que using Li Muchen as a cover? If that was true would the cover set up a trap just to catch and send him here? That didn’t make sense. The Li Muchen he saw that day could never be a cover for someone else.
But why is Immortal Bian’s face showing up on this? Wasn’t it the Second Peak who caught the Demonic Cultivators? What is going on? His shock doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Hmm? It looks like you know something about this, Brother Fu.” Changge steps closer to him, with the same smile. “Come now, there is no need for secrets between us.”
Yuzhe couldn’t say the thoughts on his mind, Li Muchen was up to something. As far as he remembered the news of him stopping the Demonic Sect cultivators spread throughout the sect like wildfire because of his prestige and the eyewitnesses, but now it shows that Bian Que did that. Someone who wasn’t around the sect till much later. Although messy, Yuzhe knew what to do, he had to go with the narrative Li Muchen had created by feeding this information while supplementing facts that he knew. However, he didn’t need to think at all, the words came out of his mouth like a steady stream.
“A few days ago, Immortal Bian visited the sect, he met with a Female Disciple of the outer sect, the same one shown in the memory. The next day onwards that girl, Wu Kexin, moved into exclusive residences in the Outer Sect, the reason wasn’t disclosed even when her talent is average.” Yuzhe said.
“I see that you know quite a bit about this girl.” Changge leaned forward, his eyes flickering in an unknown light.
“It is because I happened to talk with her regarding the abduction case, I was told to keep tabs on her and everyone related to the incident by the Sixth Peak Master…” His words trailed off, but his mind remained a mess.
It was only a short interrogation to collect statements, I didn’t keep tabs on her nor should I know anything more. But… how… why… why can’t I stop speaking? His lips moved like they had a mind of their own.
“That means you are keeping tabs on Li Muchen’s movements too?” Changge’s question was filled with interest.
“…Yes. A few days ago, I heard from a disciple of the Peach Peak that the Second Peak Master issued a mission in secret, he is looking for a helper for a trip… I don’t know anything more.” Once again Yuzhe’s lips betrayed his trust and spat out words he knew nothing about.
“I see… to think it would go like that, Master’s insight is incredible.”
Changge’s solemn response made his pupils dilate. Worry and anxiety brewed in his chest, each second felt like an eternity as he waited for a response. Even if he wanted to say that he didn’t know what he talked about, he was in too deep.
Is it his doing? What happened before he left came to his mind, it was then that a chilling realization passed through his body as a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
“I won’t forget your contribution, Brother Fu. Let’s keep working hard and rise through the ranks together, you understand?” Right now, Gu Changge’s smile looked much kinder than Li Muchen’s.
“…I’ll do what I can. Just please…” As if the words were programmed in him, they came out without a hitch. He wasn’t sure about it before, but now Fu Yuzhe had truly become a pawn on the board, and he wasn’t alone.
Changge walked closer and hugged him, it was a warm hug only shared between close brothers as he whispered in his ears.
“Keep it up Brother Fu, it is all for your beloved sister after all.”
Yuzhe couldn’t see his face, but he could feel the twisted smile of the man who patted his back as if to encourage him. Even his touch felt revolting, but Yuzhe couldn’t move by his own will any longer.