There was no need for Gu Shenwei to ask Maid Lotus what had happened that night. It had been a long time since he was that ignorant youngster. He had also heard about the misery that good-looking young apprentices suffered at the hands of training tutors and killing mentors. In comparison, Tie Hanfeng, who merely swore and hit apprentices, was as kind as a saint.
How could Maid Lotus, in possession of such beauty, possibly survive? In the beginning, when her kung fu was rather weak, it was not just luck that saved her; Liu Xuan had just been one of coveters who laid hands on her.
Gu Shenwei said nothing, but deep down, his emotions were roiling. He could not tell whether he was indignant at Liu Xuan or jealous of him. All he knew was that he had to kill Liu Xuan and all insiders. This was not only to wipe them out but also as an obligation to Maid Lotus.
When the giant red-crowned rocs messed around, people could blame their killing on it. When apprentices slaughtered, they could kill at will within designated boundaries. But now, the rocs were gone, and Liu Xuan was so cautious that he would not cross north of Woodensaber Alley, which meant that Liu Xuan had to be killed by some other way.
Gu Shenwei conducted a follow-up solo investigation, and discovered that Slave Zi also had several good friends who were potential insiders.
He had gathered that Liu Xuan was an ordinary killer and not particularly favored by Eighth Young Master. He was rarely taken out of the fort for missions and had later become purely a guardian of the yard.
Liu Xuan had once claimed that his direct protector was a blademaster, but the credibility of his words was suspect.
Maid Lotus was again summoned by Liu Xuan. Afterward, Gu Shenwei went to find her to discuss the "solution".
Her calmness impressed and also shamed Gu Shenwei, because he could not serve justice immediately when she, as his assistant, counselor, and friend, was bullied by another man.
Maid Lotus agreed to assassinate Liu Xuan because he was indeed a scourge. He did not know what the clues meant yet, but he would understand when the two apprentices' machete skills caught the attention of the Golden Roc Fort.
They figured out several plans, such as using Slave Zi to seduce Liu Xuan out of Woodensaber Alley and then killing them both, setting up the murder scene as a surreptitious meeting between a killer and a male apprentice. Or, simply slaying Liu Xuan and dumping his corpse into the killing zone, and so forth. All their plans had one thing in common, Maid Lotus would be exposed no matter what.
It was not uncommon for killers to flirt with female apprentices and it was not Liu Xuan's wont to keep secrets -- more likely that he would be extremely public about the details. Therefore, if he died suspiciously in East Castle, Maid Lotus, and even Slave Huan, would be major suspects. Also, even if Heart Cleansing Yard would not investigate, Shangguan Nu would be incensed.
As for the secrets of grinding weapons, Maid Lotus had ascertained that Liu Xuan would not disclose the secret of how he had been controlling her until he got sick of her. Even Slave Zi did not realize how important the message he had inadvertently said was.
Up till now, every man Gu Shenwei assassinated had been a scapegoat, or Gu had recieved additional support. He was opportunistic in some ways. In this case, there was none, and he had to kill Liu Xuan the old-fashioned way.
As Master Shifu, Tie Hanfeng, said, "A saber kills, so does a mouth." Sometimes, it was safer to cut off those "relationships" of Liu Xuan.
Gu Shenwei came up with a bold plan, which Maid Lotus disagreed with at first. After listening to his detailed explanation, she thought it excellent, and helped him perfect the plan, correcting many potential loopholes.
The key figure in this plan was Miss Luo Ningcha.
Just as Maid Lotus was leaving after paying respects to her master again, Slave Huan was summoned by Miss.
It went as Maid Lotus planned. She was close to many of the maids, and they were willing to help deliver messages to the Miss.
The four maids named "Chen Xin Sui Yi" stood at both sides of the screen, while the blind and tongueless Maid Cui stood beside Miss Luo Ningcha, who was waiting for another slave to pledge loyalty. This was Gu Shenwei's explicit reason for seeing her. The Miss had not done this for a long time, and was thus curious about it.
What Tie Hanfeng termed "relationships" were preferably called "backers" in the fort. Since it was a general rule that the more "backers" the better, Slave Huan's actions were to be expected, especially considering that he was one of the Miss's slave dowries.
The pledging process was based on the blood oath, except that the Miss did not puncture her finger. She would also not share the bowl of blood with a slave. Gu Shenwei played his part faithfully, stressing in his oath that he was first a killer for Eighth Young Master before a faithful servant of the Miss whereas Maid Cui acted on behalf of the Miss.
The Miss was not as arrogant as before, or at least so it seemed. She spoke languidly, like a resigned woman who had already grudgingly given in, yet her words sounded uninterested and bitterly sarcastic, barely containing the anger and pride deep inside her.
After the pledging, Gu Shenwei, still kneeling on the ground, asked for a few words in private with his new master. He imagined that the Miss would agree.
In this peculiar relationship, both the master and servant held secrets that the other could use. Gu Shenwei claimed himself to be Yang Huan, the son of the servant Yang Lan from the Gu family, and had maneuvered himself into Golden Roc Fort to seek vengeance for his father. Despite not knowing the details of her past murders, he fooled her into thinking he did.
This balance was delicate and fragile. Even a small tug on either side might spell disaster. Nevertheless, Gu Shenwei decided not only to tug the string, but to tie them together into a "league", implicating her in the collaborative crime.
Miss, who was behind the screen, chuckled with sarcasm and sourness. "Look, even a slave comes to discuss 'business' with me, as if I still have a say in this family. He who calls himself a 'faithful servant' will soon become a killer. At that time, I'm afraid I'll have to talk to him about 'business' by myself."
"Dead or alive, Slave Huan is and will be the slave Miss brought into Golden Roc Fort. As I've vowed, I shall live with my new surname Luo for the rest of my life." Gu Shenwei still remembered the sayings that would please a master.
"Mama Xue gave her oath as well, yet she betrayed me and kept me in the dark. I was resented by my husband and scorned by the crowd." The tone of the Miss suddenly became cold, before she gave a small sigh. "Off you go. I want to plot a few 'schemes' with this slave. Who knows if I can regain the status of master back in this castle."
Unlike Mama Xue, none of these maids dared to advise Miss, and they departed obediently without a single word.
"You've grown up. If we were at Iron Mountain camp, my father would have castrated you. Still, you have no right to be alone with me in a room," said Miss, filled with memory and longing.
This was one of which Gu Shen had always wanted to figure out. Vulgar and ill-mannered, Bighead Kingpin was the bandit chieftain. Despite being in the Western Region with loose customs, he had raised his daughter under the strictest etiquette standards. Even the real princess and queen did not make as much fuss as the Miss did.
"It's because Miss trust Slave Huan. You know that Slave Huan meant every word in his oath."
"Meant every word? If I were to send you to recruit all the insiders, then kill you all to bury that secret, would you still follow my order?"
"I would, as long as Miss says the word. Moreover, it would only be between us. Slave Huan had lied before. I'm the only one who knows your secret."
"I knew it, but it doesn't matter now. Now, even if I want to kill a fly, I have to consult your true master. He's more of my jailer than my husband. Go rat out your newly sworn master to him. Tell him everything. I don't care. One who has already hit rock bottom doesn't care about any other trap you dig beneath him."
In that instant, Gu Shenwei suddenly realized that he could understand the Miss's thoughts. And it was in this moment that Luo Ningcha lost the power she had never had, while he had lost his loved ones and the whole world.
"Miss, please trust my oath. I pledged loyalty to you, neither for your status in Golden Roc Fort, which you have virtually none to speak of, nor for your identity. Bighead Kingpin means nothing to me."
"Ha, are you finally beginning to tell me the truth? This topic has long been stamped out in Stone Castle as it's hard to hear. But, I'd still like to know your true purpose here."
"Slave Huan pleads Miss to avenge me. For vengeance, Slave Huan degraded himself to a slave willingly. For vengeance, Slave Huan is willing to do anything. Eighth Young Master may be the owner of Slave Huan indeed, but Miss is the life savior."
There was a moment of silence behind the screen. Miss still remembered what Slave Huan had confessed. "You've found the one who killed your father?" She asked finally. It sounded like she had lost interest.
"Miss is cleverer than before." Gu Shenwei thought. "Yes, it is the Liu Xuan from Hu Yard."
Gu Shenwei did not know whether Liu Xuan had participated in the assassination of the Gu family but he figured that Miss did not either, because she would not have cared about an insignificant murder.
"Liu Xuan? I know him. Do you want me to kill him for you?"
"Yes."
"I can't even kill a slave like you, let alone a killer? You should entreat my husband, the Eighth Young Master, lick his toes, and repeat those vows. Maybe then he'll avenge you with a flick of his hand."
"Eighth Young Master would want something in return, which I cannot provide. But I can provide Miss with the assistance you desperately require."
"Alas, though I'm trivial in Golden Roc Fort, I considered myself at least a master. It turns out that I debased myself by asking for help from a slave. I'm not even a master now."
"It is the water that carries boats, and it is the wind that flies the birds. It'll be the lowborn to help accomplish the greatest course of Miss."
There was another silence behind the screen. "I've heard a lot of sweet-talk, any of those maids are better than you. Let's not talk about the revenge first. Tell me what you got, and how you can 'help' me."
"I'll help Miss destroy Lady Meng's prestige, and avenge all the humiliations Miss had suffered. Let those who laughed at you beg, and let those who despised you kneel."
There was no biting sarcasm or even any answer at all. But Gu Shenwei could hear the clothes rustling behind the screen, and felt her restlessness. Thus, he began the speech he had thoughtfully prepared. If he could just persuade Miss, not only could he get Liu Xuan killed, but also create a massive crack in Stone Castle.
"Miss, please think about it carefully. In this castle, the status of a man depends on his bloodline and machete skills, while a woman her husband and her house. Why did he marry you? Because you're Bighead Kingpin's daughter. Why is Madam Meng dominating the Inner Residence? Because she is the daughter of the Meng family in North City. Why does Madam Meng look down on you? It's not that the Meng family is more powerful than Bighead Kingpin, it's because of distance. Your father's mighty name is too far to be heard here. To change your circumstances, all attempts made here would be in vain. So, in my opinion, Miss should start with Bighead Kingpin."
Gu Shenwei waited for her reply. Although Luo Ningcha was not that wise, he did not wish for her to miss out on fully comprehending his speech.
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