Chapter 38 Drafts
It was late at night.
As the last plume of smoke slowly dissipated, the bustling crowds of the Lower Yuan Festival began to leave in twos and threes, still reluctant to leave.
With his hands tucked into his sleeves and a bamboo medicine basket slung over his shoulder, You Mingjiang walked along the road at a leisurely pace.
As I was walking, a person wearing a black cloak came towards me, the shadow blocking the moonlight.
"Elder You." The newcomer's voice was hoarse.
You Mingjiang paused, and the hidden pocket in his sleeve had already slipped open half an inch.
The person in front of her exuded an aura of unfamiliarity. In this unfamiliar place, it was rare to find a visitor who could immediately recognize her.
"My name is Yun Conglong." The man, who smelled of rust, lifted his hood, and his hoarse voice startled a flock of crows into flight.
You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself: Isn't this the leader of the Divine Dragon Gang whom Blackwood Cliff has been trying to win over but has been unable to?
"I apologize for disturbing you, but I have no choice but to come here. This matter concerns the Yangtze River shipping, and I hope we can speak privately."
Upon hearing this, You Mingjiang's expression changed instantly.
Yangtze River shipping...
After a moment of silence, she replied, "Then I shall respectfully comply."
...
The next day.
This is a quiet teahouse.
It is also an extremely secretive stronghold of the Azure Dragon Society, hidden in the city and not easily noticed by people.
"The sky is as blue as water?"
"The flying dragon soars in the sky."
The door hinges creaked softly, and the person entering cast a long, thin shadow against the dim light outside.
The newcomer wore a black robe, with bright pheasant feathers trembling slightly in the cold wind, and a red-faced mask emblazoned with the image of Guan Yu.
Ximen Yu paused slightly, his fingers twirling the jade pipe, and said with a beaming smile, "Honored guest, please come in—"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the man suddenly flicked his robe and quickly wiped his face, instantly transforming the red-faced Guan Gong into the golden-lacquered Monkey King.
This sudden change didn't even cause Ximen Yu to furrow his brow in the slightest. He remained all smiles, his eyelids not even twitching, as he casually gestured with his jade pipe towards the curtain.
He was already used to these strange people who had close ties with the Azure Dragon Society.
I'm not afraid of strange or unusual people coming; I'm afraid of useless people coming. Of course, the more eccentric people with talent, the better.
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A dozen or so wooden chairs were arranged in a staggered pattern. The room was filled with ox-headed and horse-faced demons, who were actually assassins who had lived on the edge of a knife.
These people are wearing all sorts of masks.
Yu Mingjiang dressed up as a Sichuan opera face-changing performer, and blended in seamlessly without appearing out of place.
The missions of the Azure Dragon Society can be roughly divided into two categories.
One type is directly assigned by superiors, which often doesn't offer much reward and is very likely to be a thankless and arduous task.
Another type involves those who rely on their skills to steal, and are considered "hot commodities" by the assassins.
The term "red goods" originally refers to valuable items such as gold, silver and jewelry. However, the Green Dragon Society is not a security escort agency. In their operational terminology, "red goods" specifically refers to key assassination targets.
As for how much profit one can make from these side jobs...
Naturally, it all depended on the individual skills of each assassin.
In this chaotic world, strength is the only passport for assassins.
The strong enjoy wealth and glory, while the weak are left only to die on the spot.
The cruelty of the underworld is fully revealed in this unspoken rule.
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Today's deal is just a side job.
The reward for this mission is far beyond anything ordinary; it's enough to make any hero green with envy, and anyone who hears about it will gasp in horror.
This is because the target's status in the martial arts world is not to be underestimated.
To this end, the Azure Dragon Society even used the pretext of "preventing Baili Changqing from cooperating with Fuwei Escort Agency" to the forefront, so as to secretly advance their real plans.
The saying goes, "Those who are willing will take the bait."
The Azure Serpent God, one of the twelve constellations, was a bait planted by the Azure Dragon Society.
However, the bait was accidentally thrown into the wrong fishpond, right next to the crocodile's mouth. Instead of catching fish, the crocodile gave it a fatal roll.
The Azure Dragon Society did not feel sorry about this.
The twelve constellations? Bah, they're nothing but insignificant ants.
They are only fit to become victims in the power struggle between the Azure Dragon Society and various other parties.
You Mingjiang could guess the Azure Dragon Society's attitude with his toes.
The Azure Dragon Society is an organization that is a reincarnation of the Taotie.
It's no longer just about sucking the marrow from the bones; it's about rendering a living person into clear lard, and even the leftover cracklings are eaten clean.
In the eyes of the Azure Dragon Society, everyone is just walking firewood. Before the last spark is burned away, even the ashes will be blown three feet away by the wind.
Unfortunately, You Mingjiang is rebellious by nature and will not obediently submit.
She never regretted her defection.
Even if she hadn't defected then, there would have been a day when she couldn't tolerate it anymore and they would have fought each other to the death.
This time, she'll show the Green Dragon Society what it means to end up with nothing.
.
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Let's get back to the main topic.
This time, the Azure Dragon Society is plotting to deal with the leader of the Phoenix Tail Gang—Wu, Wei, Yang!
The Yangtze River has been a natural strategic stronghold since ancient times.
Looking out into the distance, the prosperity of the south spurred a continuous demand for transportation. The combined transport of the Yangtze River and the ocean together formed this golden waterway, becoming an economic lifeline connecting the north and south, and linking the interior and exterior. The rise and fall of the canal transport depended entirely on this great waterway of the Yangtze River. Its smooth operation was not only related to the prosperity of commerce, but also a key channel for military supplies. All forces coveted it, wanting to control it as a magic weapon for victory.
Between these magnificent rivers and skies, the Phoenix Tail Gang and the Divine Dragon Gang have been vying for power for over two decades.
Their fleet was so large that it blotted out the sun, stirring up countless waves on the Yangtze River. They controlled the discourse of Yangtze River shipping and enjoyed the rich profits. How could such wealth and power not make people in the martial arts world envious and tempted?
Naturally, they became a thorn in the side of the Azure Dragon Society.
Although the Divine Dragon Gang also holds a certain advantage, Yun Conglong alone cannot cause any major trouble.
For the Green Dragon Society, eliminating such a person would be an easy task.
Yun Conglong, who was destined to amount to nothing, was far less fearsome than Wu Weiyang, who was renowned for his "divine arrow that shot down the sun."
Therefore, Wu Weiyang was the first to be targeted.
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"Boss Ximen, what's the prize for this deal..." The one-eyed bodyguard tapped the tea table with his iron hook, his voice slightly slurred.
Ximen Yu, the leader of the Qinglong Society's July 15th branch, was known as "Boss Ximen" by the martial arts world because he often distributed salaries on behalf of his boss. His rise to power was legendary. According to seniority, he shouldn't have been in charge of the branch, but a bloody purge by the previous core members wiped out the July 15th branch, leaving only a few old members.
Thus, relying on this stroke of luck, Ximen Yu stood out from the remnants and secured his position as the branch leader.
Who says luck isn't a form of ability?
Ximen Yu picked up the teacup and slowly blew away the tea foam: "Ten thousand taels of gold, ingots are acceptable, or real gold is acceptable."
Amidst the gasps in the room, a clear, cool voice rang out from beneath the golden-painted Monkey King face: "I want this hot commodity."
The one-eyed bodyguard's iron hook flashed out with a "whoosh":
"Where did this little monkey come from? You're still wet behind the ears, yet you dare to bark and howl in front of me..."
A cold glint suddenly appeared!
The one-eyed bodyguard's iron hook was already caught between someone's fingers.
"...Barking wildly?" The Golden-lacquered Monkey King leaned close to the one-eyed man's deathly pale face. "It's barking at you, you piece of trash."
After saying that, he slashed his neck with his backhand, and blood spurted down his neck.
Ximen Yu stroked the jade pipe, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. If he wasn't mistaken, this man had turned the tables on his opponent, snatched the iron hook, and then cut the carotid artery!
Absolutely perfect, and very efficient.
Before anyone could react, the lean assassin, wielding twin hooks, charged forward with a strange cry. His hooks gleamed coldly, aiming straight for You Mingjiang's throat and lower abdomen, intending to kill him with a single blow.
You Mingjiang kicked his wrist, and the double hooks fell to the ground!
Immediately afterwards, his knee slammed into his chest, and the lean assassin coughed up blood and flew backward.
"Hmph, you think you can steal the mission?" You Mingjiang glanced at his opponent who was lying on the ground, his tone contemptuous.
At this moment, a black-robed assassin stepped out from the crowd, carrying a soft sword in his hand. The sword trembled slightly and made a buzzing sound.
"Little girl, you've got some skills, but this 100,000 taels of gold isn't something you can take!"
After saying that, he flicked his soft sword and lunged at You Mingjiang.
You Mingjiang narrowed his eyes and instantly lunged forward, slashing the iron hook he had snatched from below, splattering blood everywhere!
A long gash was slashed open in his abdomen, and the black-robed assassin's intestines spilled out. His eyes widened in disbelief as he slowly collapsed.
The other assassins gritted their teeth and tried to sneak away.
Catching a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye, You Mingjiang kicked up his soft sword, and with a "whoosh," the soft sword pierced straight into the back of an assassin.
The assassin groaned and collapsed forward, blood spreading beneath him.
Suddenly, a cold light flashed!
Before the assassins could even see her movements, they felt a gust of wind rush towards them, followed by screams of agony.
The teahouse was in complete disarray, with tables and chairs scattered about.
Ximen Yu sat to the side, watching the battle calmly, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Until the candlelight flickered suddenly.
The handkerchief that You Mingjiang used to wipe her hands drifted down and covered the unseeing eyes of a scarred assassin.
"Excellent, as expected of the talent the Azure Dragon Society has its eye on!"
Ximen Yu clapped slowly, and two copper coins slid out of his sleeve. He tossed one to the handsome young man, saying, "This is Xiao Wu."
He tossed another one to the young man in the Taoist robe, saying, "This is Gao Li."
Gao Li and Xiao Wu are both rising stars of the Azure Dragon Society. With the addition of a ruthless assassin, the success rate of this assassination operation is already 70-80%.
"You three are tasked with killing Wu Weiyang. If he doesn't die, the three of you will." Ximen Yu's hand, holding the jade pipe, was steady. "The Azure Dragon Society keeps its word."
"Yes," Gao Li and Xiao Wu replied in unison.
"...Thank you for your patronage. It's been a pleasure doing business with you." You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow slightly, a sly glint in his eyes.
Just take the bait.
Once the fish takes the bait, you don't have to worry about getting it dazed while playing it.
.
On the other side.
Chu Liuxiang and Hu Tiehua exchanged a glance and then entered Hai Kuotian's cabin together.
A foul, fishy smell wafted straight into my nostrils.
Chu Liuxiang's nose has always been quite strange, sometimes sensitive and sometimes not. When he encountered this foul smell, he had a strong reaction.
The cabin door and portholes were tightly closed, the altar was overturned on the ground, and the cabin was in a mess.
There were obvious signs of a struggle throughout the room, indicating it wasn't a one-sided massacre but rather a closely fought battle. Strangely, the statues and incense sticks were scattered on the floor, while the candlesticks and incense burner were nowhere to be found.
He frowned, took out a white cloth from his pocket, gently wiped the edge of the altar, then picked up a fragment of the idol and wiped it again. The white cloth was soon stained with dark red blood.
There were dark red bloodstains on a corner of the altar and on the fragments of the statue, indicating that someone may have rolled down there.
Chu Liuxiang took two steps forward and came to a pool of blood. The blood splattered over a wide area, in a spray pattern, and was purplish-black in color, with some small blood clots mixed in.
Judging from the bloodstains left on the ground, the overall shape is quite similar to a funnel, and there are several blurry bloody handprints next to it.
Clearly, after being injured, Hai Kuotian attempted to crawl towards the hatch, but seemed to stop upon reaching it...
The bloodstains were two completely different colors: one was bright red, and the other was a purplish-black color, a result of poisoning.
Poisoning?
Chu Liuxiang straightened up and paced back and forth in the cabin, quickly sorting through the clues in his mind.
The killer was meticulous; after committing the crime, they left no crucial evidence and showed no greed, fleeing immediately after the crime. The fact that they didn't inquire about the risk of exposure suggests that the killer was calm and controlled their curiosity. Of course, there's also another possibility…
The perpetrator was injured, and seriously so. The immediate priority should be to treat his wounds. The fact that he was able to hide so quickly suggests that he had accomplices.
Therefore, this was definitely not a lone act.
Hai Kuotian must have been seriously injured first, and then finished off by someone else.
The bloodstain on the ground was dragged from the splattered pool of blood.
.
Hu Tiehua scanned the cabin and suddenly caught a faint smell of alcohol.
Although the murderer had cleared away all the wine jars, the pungent smell of alcohol still lingered.
Hu Tiehua discovered that the gaps in the doors and windows were filled with fish glue. This glue is common on ships; it is extremely sticky and is usually kept in the hold to help sailors repair the hull or fill gaps.
The vast sea and sky have vanished without a trace, and the nautical charts that recorded important shipping routes have also disappeared.
He sniffed hard as he leaned back, nearly bumping into Chu Liuxiang.
Chu Liuxiang stood by the porthole, staring at the shards of glass in the pool of blood, recalling the pirates' words, "The seagulls ate people..."
"Old bug, what are you thinking about?" Hu Tiehua asked.
Chu Liuxiang, who had spent many years navigating the seas, knew the habits of seagulls intimately. He said softly, "Little Hu, do you remember how seagulls eat fish?"
Hu Tiehua pondered for a moment, then said uncertainly, "Seagulls have very sharp beaks, so they usually swallow whole fish?"
“That’s right, we’ll eat the fish, bones and all.” Chu Liuxiang nodded.
Hu Tiehua then realized: "You mean, these seagulls were attracted by the smell of fish? But this cabin is sealed tightly with fish glue, how could they fly in without alerting anyone?"
"Of course it flew in through the porthole." Chu Liuxiang grabbed the wooden frame and gently pulled, and with a "snap," the entire porthole was removed. Fish glue was applied to the gaps in the porthole, but irregular small glue marks and fresh white scratches were left on the holes. "The fishhook is snagging the line. As long as you pull the fishhook and line away, the porthole will close. It's just an illusion."
He gazed at the churning waves outside the window and said in a deep voice, "Hai Kuotian has probably been murdered and his body dumped at sea."
Hu Tiehua frowned: "Why would the murderer go to so much trouble to create a locked room?"
Chu Liuxiang sighed softly: "It depends on whose perspective you're looking at it from. What if it's a member of the Purple Whale Gang?"
Most of the Purple Whale Gang members came from poor fishermen backgrounds and had little education. They had only learned some navigation skills from their masters and were used to living a life of danger. They had no idea about these intricacies.
In their eyes, a flock of seagulls suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the sealed cabin where the gang leader was drinking. After the seagulls flew away, only a pool of blood remained on the ground, and not a single skeleton could be found.
Chu Liuxiang continued, "Seagulls circling on the sea can't find food, and they are easily attracted by the glittering mirror-like light and the strong fishy smell, so they fly in through the open porthole."
This skillful modus operandi is exactly the same as the rumored "bee killing case" in Kaifeng.
Hu Tiehua said, "I thought the fishy smell was just used to mask the smell of blood."
Chu Liuxiang shook his head: "Not entirely, this is only one of the effects the murderer wanted to achieve."
Hu Tiehua frowned and asked, "What effect?"
Chu Liuxiang said, enunciating each word clearly: "Strange, powerful, chaotic, and divine!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than thunder rumbled and a bolt of lightning struck down with a crack, causing Hu Tiehua to shiver involuntarily.
.
Before he could react, Chu Liuxiang had already walked out of the cabin, found several pirates who were still in shock, and asked, "Why didn't the Sea Chief have any personal guards with him when the incident happened?"
"The pirate leader won't let us stay here; he wants us all to go and furl the sails," one of the pirates replied.
"Lower the sails?" Chu Liuxiang pressed.
"At that time, dark clouds had already appeared in the sky, indicating that a thunderstorm was imminent, so the pirate leader told us to hurry up and furl the sails," the pirate explained.
"What was Chief Hai doing at that time?" Chu Liuxiang continued to ask.
"We're drinking," the pirate replied.
"Who are you drinking with?"
"The pirate leader drank it himself. He had made an appointment with Young Master Ding Feng, but Young Master Ding Feng didn't come; he only sent over a few jars of fine wine," another pirate added.
Where is the wine jar?
"It's gone."
Is anyone else here?
One of the pirates said tremblingly, "The wind and rain were too strong at the time, and we were all busy furling our sails. We don't know exactly what happened."
"It was raining so hard that we didn't pay much attention," another pirate said, sounding embarrassed.
Chu Liuxiang was silent for a while, then sighed: "Killing Hai Kuotian was premeditated by the murderer."
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Hu Tiehua couldn't stand this kind of beating around the bush, and said irritably, "How long will it take you to guess? Just ask directly!"
"Hey, who exactly has your gang leader made an enemy of?"
The pirates were taken aback, looked at each other, and showed a troubled expression.
"What's wrong?" Hu Tiehua pressed on, "Who have you had a conflict with recently?"
The pirates hesitated before naming one person: "Elder You."
Chu Liuxiang paused for a moment, then asked curiously, "Elder You? Is he an elder of your Sea Whale Gang, or someone else?"
The pirates replied, "She's not a member of the Purple Whale Gang; she's an outsider with excellent archery skills."
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The pirates had witnessed You Mingjiang's archery skills firsthand.
She gave the pirates a taste of their own medicine as soon as she boarded the ship.
Leaning against the mast, You Mingjiang drew a three-pound bow on the swaying deck, raised his arm, and pointed to a sturgeon in the waves.
The sturgeon was about four feet eight inches long, and it just leaped out of the water.
She drew her bow to its fullest extent and shouted, "Watch me shoot its dorsal fin with one arrow!"
Before the sound of the bowstring had faded, the sturgeon's dorsal fin was already studded with arrows, leaving a trail of blood on the sea surface.
Drawing a three-pound bow is not unusual; most strong martial artists can do it. Shooting down seabirds that hover low in the sky and have a good chance of getting a kill is also not difficult.
However, to shoot an arrow into the dorsal fin of a sturgeon the moment it leaps out of the water, while precisely controlling the force to wound it without killing it, is extremely difficult. Only someone with superb skills and great strength can be confident of doing it.
No one on the entire ship was unafraid of her.
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Hearing the pirates' description, Chu Liuxiang frowned and continued to ask, "Then where is Elder You now?"
The pirates said, "She's not on the ship; she won't be back until we set sail."
Hu Tiehua, speaking his mind, asked bluntly, "Then why did you allow her to disembark?"
The pirates sighed and whispered, "Because we dared not stop her. She was a distinguished guest invited by Young Master Ding Feng. When Second Master Xiang tried to stop her, he even lost an eye."
Both Chu Liuxiang and Hu Tiehua were stunned when they heard these words.
They boarded the ship to investigate the case after hearing about the "seagull eating people" incident, at Ding Feng's invitation.
Since Ding Feng knows Elder You, why go through all this trouble?
Furthermore, Hai Kuotian showed signs of poisoning, and it's strange that those wine jars just happened to be missing.
This is really strange.
Chu Liuxiang touched his nose, gave a wry smile, and murmured softly, "Chu Liuxiang, it seems that this time, there is another troublesome matter that I have to deal with."
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Author's Note: [Good Luck Lotus] Xiao Wu: The male protagonist of "I Became the Ultimate BOSS by Relying on the Peacock Feather".
[Good Luck Lotus] Gao Li: "I Became the Ultimate BOSS by Relying on the Peacock Feather" - The unlucky male supporting character, whose savior is Baili Changqing.
[Let me see] Thank you for the nutrient solution, little angel:
[Heart] "Camilla" irrigation nutrient solution +10, "Perfect Match" irrigation nutrient solution +1; "Thousand Pounds" irrigation nutrient solution +1 [Heart]
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