Chapter 64: The Trap
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Gu Shenwei was disappointed because the secret on the handle was not worth the risk.
There were only a few inconspicuous dents below the thread on the handle. There were seven dents on one side, and three dents on the other side. Even if they signified something, Gu Shenwei could not understand at all.
He carefully re-tied the silk thread and quietly waited for the gong sound that indicated the second watch. Elder Zhang seemed to be avoiding him as he never returned even after dark.
Matron Xue probably would not survive tonight. Gu Shenwei was completely reliant on Shangguan Nu's next actions. He even thought of turning to Shangguan Ru for help because she was about to become the 10th master and would have a justification to protect other people. But he quickly gave up on the idea, because he knew Shangguan Ru would think that he was taking advantage of and would betray her. With Shangguan Yushi fanning the flames, she might personally kill him in an instant.
Gu Shenwei went out of the stone house on the second watch.
From the moment when his entire family was killed, he took a narrow path that was full of traps. It was a miracle for him to have survived each day. Today was no exception.
For a long time, he had not remembered the Will of the Divine that helped him live through the first few days. Now he refreshed his memory.
The mansion gatekeeper was surprised to see Slave Huan because few people walked around Stone Castle this late at night. Gu Shenwei had to claim to be called by Matron Xue. The keeper reluctantly let him in.
Matron Xue seemed to have expected it as the room was lit. Before he could speak, Matron Xue ordered him to come in.
Gu Shenwei presented the wooden saber to Matron Xue. "How lucky! Just when I returned to Inner Residence, the 10th master went to Six Kills Temple. Indeed, there was another saber on the other wall of the temple. I've searched the interior of the temple and this was the right one. I thought Matron Xue might worry, so I am offering it right away."
Matron Xue merely nodded as she looked at the saber in her hand. After a while, she said, "Turn around."
Gu Shenwei did so. He knew that Matron Xue would strip down the thread to check. Since she had never seen a Six Kills Temple saber before, she would not notice the difference of the thread.
Bang, and another bang.
Gu Shenwei's heart began to beat rapidly. "Why did she break the saber again? Isn't this the right saber? Did Shangguan Nu trick me?" As numerous doubts crossed his mind, Matron Xue said, "Follow me, I'll take you to a place."
Gu Shenwei turned around and saw the broken saber. Obviously, Matron Xue did not want anyone else to know the secret.
"But why won't Shangguan Nu or the watchdog he sent stop her? Her scheme has been confirmed. What are they waiting for? Is the secret of no value to Golden Roc Fort at all?"
"Where are we going?" Gu Shenwei's voice cracked despite his attempts to stay calm.
"I've promised to teach you the masterpiece kung fu, but it's not suitable here."
"Yes, Matron Xue. Thank you, Matron Xue."
Normally Slave Huan should say a few more words of gratitude, but now he could not bring himself to do so. Matron Xue promised him not only the masterpiece kung fu, but also the timely return of the saber. Despite her promise, she broke it into pieces. This did not bode well.
Matron Xue left the room and Gu Shenwei had to follow her. Shangguan Nu did not reveal his plan to him. Both the servant and the saber were probably used as baits.
Gu Shenwei had never before felt so worried and hesitant. Following Matron Xue, he resolutely made up his mind. "If I can survive to continue my revenge, I'll never ever be a pawn anymore. I must be the manipulator."
The gatekeeper looked reluctant. "I'm sending him back," Matron Xue said lightly as she walked out of the mansion. The keeper did not dare to stop her.
It was late at night and there was not a soul in sight. As soon as she crossed the alley, she leaned onto the wall to listen. She was knowledgeable about the security arrangements of Golden Roc Fort's guards.
She took Slave Huan farther and farther, but not to the Inner Residence in the north. They were heading all the way to the southeast. The walls surrounding them gradually became deserted. Although it also belonged to East Castle, it was uninhabited and was not used so therefore it was abandoned.
Gu Shenwei remembered that he and Shangguan Ru had been here playing the assassination game. He even wandered the ruins.
"It's haunted." Shangguan Yushi simply explained. However, Shangguan Ru was so scared that she never came afterwards.
There were several occasions where he wanted to shout for help to attract the night watchmen's attention so that they would arrest Matron Xue. But he resisted this urge because he knew it would be futile when they went deep into the ruins.
They walked into a weed-lined alley where its walls on both sides had fallen down and its slates had been scattered. The wind sounded like ghosts in the pale moonlight.
Matron Xue can hear a lot by ear. Her hearing was much more capable than Shangguan Ru. If she did not hear something suspicious, she really was not followed. Gu Shenwei became increasingly restless, for he could not expect Shangguan Nu to care about a servant.
Matron Xue suddenly stopped. Gu Shenwei almost bumped into her.
She pointed at his ribs and said, "Wait here."
Gu Shenwei felt weakened. He slowly sat on the ground as he lost all his strength. He knew that he had been attacked on the acupoint.
As Matron Xue went deeper into the alley, Gu Shenwei observed the dilapidated surroundings.
The alley was long and narrow. Yet it shrank to about one meter wide where Gu Shenwei sat, allowing only two people to walk through side by side. Starting from here, the stone walls on both sides were replaced by stone men, which looked similar to the stone sculptures that were placed at the entrance of tombs.
Gu Shenwei could not ascertain more things in the deep night, but he suddenly understood the secret.
The alley was like the saber, and the narrow way lined with stone men was the handle.
Looking back, he remembered the dents were all on the back of the blade, which meant south in the alley. Since Matron Xue went far, he guessed she had been looking for the seventh stone man in the south. As for the three dents on the other side, there must have been corresponding markings.
Now that Gu Shenwei knew about the secret, he became more confused. " Why doesn't Shangguan Nu take any action? Doesn't he care about this at all?"
Matron Xue silently emerged from the dark, emotionless and empty-handed.
Gu Shenwei was trying to stand up. But Matron Xue picked him up by the throat and lifted him up easily. This gaunt woman possessed strength that did not match her thin shape at all.
"In another life, I'll teach the masterpiece kung fu to you."
She got what she wanted. There was no reason to leave him alive for any longer.
Gu Shenwei desperately struggled, trying to pull Matron Xue's arm by using both hands. Her arm was as hard as dead trees, unlike a human arm at all.
"I... have something..."
He spat three words. Matron Xue hesitated and loosened her grip a little, letting a breath of life-saving air into his chest.
"The saber is fake," Gu Shenwei said.
Matron Xue smiled ironically, like a ghost in the moonlight. "I always said that you're smart, but sometimes you're too smart. I know you've checked my saber, but the stone men are geared up. I wouldn't have been here if I were wrong."
Matron Xue pointed at Slave Huan's Xuanji acupoint, putting into an unprecedentedly strong burst of energy. She taught the youngster most of his kung fu, however, now she would destroy it.
His Dantian seemed to have exploded, tearing his body into a million pieces. Gu Shenwei wondered why he could still think, feel, and can even utter a full sentence. "It's a trap."
Matron Xue's lips moved with a hint of a smile. But then her countenance changed dramatically. At the same time, she tossed away Slave Huan and turned around.
"Who is it?"
Gu Shenwei could not hear anything. Matron Xue did not need to do anything as the hot burning energy alone could kill him. He used to unintentionally memorize Nameless Swordbook to turn the power into his own. But he could not do the same due to the exceptionally strong power. The more he recalled the obscure words, the more his thoughts became muddled. Now he could not even tell if he was alive or dead.
He thought he had gone through countless reincarnations. Actually, it was just after a short time when he regained consciousness, despite the burning pain inside him. He saw Shangguan Nu holding a dagger, standing 10 steps away from Matron Xue.
"How amazing! 'Bone-piercing Ace' Kang Wenmei of the Barren Sect should become a servant in our family. I'm really impressed by your brilliant skill."
Gu Shenwei was surprised that Shangguan Nu knew about Matron Xue's secrets. He never knew who she was. Those sects from the Western Region were foreign to him, let alone the Barren Sect.
"Oh, you're not a family man. You know too little about your family's affairs."
Shangguan Nu remained calm. He slowly stepped forward. "Too little, but I'm not too late."
Matron Xue took out a scroll and sighed. "It took a lot of effort to acquire, but it's a fake."
In the next moment, she threw the scroll to Shangguan Nu and leaped forward with a kick. She was not heading for the Eighth Young Master, but Slave Huan, who was paralyzed on the ground. She knew she had been betrayed. She needed to exact retribution on him.
Gu Shenwei did not expect that. He could not dodge it even if he was alert. Therefore, he could only exert a Yin and Yang Strength on his chest to prepare for the kick.
With a bang, Matron Xue kicked him on his chest. Then, due to the resisting force, she bounced over a broken wall to escape.
The scroll unfolded in the air, falling onto Shangguan Nu. He drew his dagger with his left hand and used it to slice apart the scroll. He looked up at the flying woman in the moonlight but he did not pursue her.
The kick seemed to break Gu Shenwei's bones. He spat out a mouthful of sweet blood, but he survived. He could not understand why, but the hot burning pain inside had greatly subsided. He also looked up at the bird-like Matron Xue.
Suddenly, the two dead giant rocs crossed his mind. Matron Xue looked so similar to the soaring female roc.
Then a more similar scene appeared. A ghost-like head emerged behind Matron Xue's shoulder, and she was not aware of it.
It was not a ghost, it was a masked face instead. Like the men-in-black that killed the female bird, he also emerged straight from the void and made a fatal blow from behind the target.
It was like a nightmare coming back to him, but the protagonist was a woman rather than a bird. Since then, Gu Shenwei had always been dreaming about the scene. He could not tell it was a woman or a bird. Every time he woke from the dream, he was soaked in sweat.
Matron Xue's head left her body like a fallen fruit. The blood seemed to drain in one moment, the body frozen in the air. Yet, from his point of view, the masked head was positioned at where Matron Xue's head was a moment ago.
Gu Shenwei looked at the strange scene. He could no longer tolerate the fear and cramps, and he vomited.
It was the first time he had seen a Black-masked Assassin, who was no longer just a tale to him.
