Radiant Blade of the Wilderness

Chapter 219: Aftermath

With Ding Songyan’s permission, Li Baima and Fan Chunlin immediately left the side courtyard to report to a steward.

Ding Songyan sat down and laid Frostshade on the stone table. His thoughts gradually wandered back over every detail of his discussion with Sun Feiyang about the Faith-Slaying Sword, along with the relevant passages in the foremost Malevolent Envoy’s cultivation notes.

As the sun sank toward the west, Wu Mo returned to the courtyard for his daily practice. Li Baima and Fan Chunlin soon hurried back as well.

”Have you heard?” Fan Chunlin asked excitedly.

”Heard what?” Wu Mo relaxed his stance, bewildered.

Seeing Brother Ding look over too, Fan Chunlin spoke as though he had personally witnessed a momentous event in the jianghu.

”Evil Beyond Measure Sun Feiyang has been killed!”

Such a notorious fiend, dead just like that!

”Dead?” Wu Mo clearly remembered Fourth Fan marveling just last night that Sun Feiyang deserved his place as the seventh-ranked heretic on the Malevolent God Prison. He had not only blocked an arrow shot by Deputy Chief Yi from high ground, but used the opportunity to escape through the water.

Less than a day later and Sun Feiyang is dead?

Li Baima was excited too, as though hearing the news on the very day it happened made him part of it.

”He really is dead! Someone decapitated him and tossed his head into the courtyard. A worse end than a stray dog by the road!”

”After all the evil he’s done, isn’t that what he deserved?” Ding Songyan said with a smile.

Li Baima and Fan Chunlin fell silent for a moment, plainly recalling Sun Feiyang’s most infamous atrocities.

”He deserved it!” they said in unison.

Wu Mo asked curiously, ”Who killed him? Was it a Supreme Master?”

”No one knows. They say he wore a Golden Boy mask.” Fan Chunlin sat down at the stone table.

”Killing Sun Feiyang is a great deed. Why hide his identity?” Wu Mo asked in puzzlement.

Li Baima sat down as well.

”Perhaps he fears revenge from the Demon Sovereign or the Accumulated Evil Way’s other Heaven-Men? That would mean he isn’t a Supreme Master...”

”It could also be infighting among the heretical factions. They might not want outsiders knowing the details,” Fan Chunlin suggested.

Ding Songyan smiled.

”I agree with Brother Li.”

”He must have a reason. Who would give up the bounties on Sun Feiyang for nothing? Between the authorities, trading companies, and people with grudges against him, they probably come to nearly a million taels.” Wu Mo looked wistful.

Given Sun Feiyang’s strength, realm, and atrocities, the bounty on his head had always been among the highest.

There were no bounties for killing unorthodox Supreme Masters. Anyone capable of killing a Heaven-Man had little reason to care about a cash reward. In any kingdom, such a person could expect treatment approaching that of a prince granted his own fief.

The court did, however, reward information on the movements of unorthodox Heaven-Men.

”He left the head behind and wore a mask,” Fan Chunlin added. ”When storytellers recount this great event, they won’t even be able to spread his name and tell the world how strong he is. If he wants neither fame nor money, what does he want? Uh, Brother Ding, you look a little pale.”

”Just tired. I stayed up talking by candlelight with a friend last night. We sparred too.” Ding Songyan managed a slight smile. ”Sun Feiyang committed so many atrocities. Perhaps someone wanted revenge.”

They all agreed that it made sense. Suddenly, Li Baima’s face lit up, and he lowered his voice.

”Do you know the Martial Prohibition Bureau’s preliminary conclusion?”

”What is it?” Ding Songyan was curious.

Li Baima glanced at Fan Chunlin and chuckled softly.

”Apparently, none of Sun Feiyang’s valuables were missing. Only his banknotes were gone.

”If it were an ordinary murder, the conclusion in the report would be obvious. So the Martial Prohibition Bureau borrowed the phrase: ”Murder for money!”

Fan Chunlin burst out laughing. ”The foremost Malevolent Envoy himself, murdered for money! People will laugh themselves sick when they hear that!”

Then if a great Supreme Master died in a botched surgery, wouldn’t you roll on the floor laughing? Ding Songyan grumbled inwardly.

On reflection, he suddenly found the idea rather fitting.

Someone as evil as Sun Feiyang deserved an absurd, undignified death, like a clown rather than a villain.

After discussing Sun Feiyang’s death a while longer, they went their separate ways. Ding Songyan returned to his room and first looked warily around.

Demoness Ji had said she would not visit again for a while, but who could take the Sage-Severing Way’s leader at her word?

Once he was sure no one was there, Ding Songyan took the Golden Boy mask from inside his clothes: a white forehead, a golden face, upturned eyes, and straight brows.

After a moment’s thought, he found the Jade Maiden mask with its peach-blossom-red makeup and tucked both masks inside his robe.

He could no longer leave them in this room.

He did not know whether Demoness Ji had found them on her last visit, but if she kept coming, she would discover them sooner or later. Better to move them now and find another hiding place.

Otherwise, if Demoness Ji held up the Jade Maiden mask and asked, ”Second Brother, who is this for?” Ding Songyan feared the only answer that could save him would be, ”For you, Little Sister.”

If he said, ”For myself,” then knowing Demoness Ji, he would certainly be forced to dress as a woman.

Where should I hide them? Ding Songyan considered this serious question.

His first instinct was to throw them away. He could always buy more later. But he had just killed Sun Feiyang wearing a Golden Boy mask. Wherever he discarded these two masks, someone was bound to notice and investigate.

Should I simply dissolve them into unity with Presence-Absence Myriad Forms Qi? Or hide them somewhere the demoness won’t think to look, or can’t reach for now?

It would have to be with someone who already knows I killed Sun Feiyang. Otherwise, I’d practically be confessing...

Twelfth Madam or Master Xiaozhang?

Twelfth Madam is stronger than Master Xiaozhang. Even now, I can’t quite fathom her. She comes from Ditai and knows the Way of name and reality. Perhaps she could keep the demoness at bay...

Here was a chance to trouble Twelfth Madam Luo again. An exchange of favors would deepen their friendship. With that thought, Ding Songyan abandoned the idea of dissolving the masks into unity.

With both masks tucked inside his robe, he left the estate and headed straight for Tiger Tail Alley.

It was not yet dinner hours, so Ding Songyan went around to the rear courtyard’s side door and knocked softly three times.

”I’m not here!” came Twelfth Madam Luo’s exasperated voice.

Ding Songyan cleared his throat.

”I’d like to leave a few things with you, Twelfth Madam.”

The side door creaked open. Twelfth Madam Luo tilted her head and glared at Ding Songyan, so exasperated she could only laugh.

”Aren’t you afraid someone will overhear?”

”With you here, Twelfth Madam, people will hear only what they should.” Ding Songyan offered the flattery with a smile.

”What things?” Twelfth Madam Luo rolled her eyes and sighed.

Ding Songyan drew the Golden Boy and Jade Maiden masks partway out of his robe, giving Luo Mingyin a quick glimpse.

After a moment’s thought, he said, ”If anyone comes to steal these masks, judge for yourself whether to intervene, Twelfth Madam. It could be dangerous.”

”All right. Hide them in the empty chest at the western end of the east wing.” Twelfth Madam Luo softened when she saw that this was a serious matter.

Ding Songyan did as she said, making no attempt to open any of the other chests or wooden boxes.

Coming back outside, he gave Twelfth Madam Luo, now seated on a stone stool, a broad smile.

”Twelfth Madam, I promised that if you altered my name and reality and helped me kill Sun Feiyang, I’d be at your service. Is there anything you’d like me to do?”

”Do I look as though I need anything?” Luo Mingyin gave a short laugh.

She waved a hand as though shooing away mosquitoes.

”I’ll find you when I need something.”

Ding Songyan had meant to take his leave and stop bothering her, but it felt too distant to speak only of favors. So he brazenly pressed on with a smile.

”Twelfth Madam, won’t you say what you think of my killing of Sun Feiyang?”

Twelfth Madam Luo glanced at him.

”Given Sun Feiyang’s predicament and the nature of his martial arts, I’d only have questions if you hadn’t killed him.”

”Thank you for your approval, Twelfth Madam!” Ding Songyan seized the opening and bowed with a smile.

The corner of Twelfth Madam Luo’s mouth twitched.

”I should never have answered you!”

Her words left Ding Songyan briefly lost in thought. He did not continue the banter.

”What’s wrong?” Twelfth Madam Luo asked, puzzled by the change in him.

Ding Songyan let out a breath and smiled.

”That sounded familiar. Someone once said something like that to me.”

”Knowing you, plenty of people must have said that to you.” Twelfth Madam Luo sounded unconvinced.

”You’d think so. But as it happens, only two people have ever said anything like that to me.” Ding Songyan shook his head with a self-mocking smile.

He suddenly had no wish to keep making conversation just to win this mysterious powerhouse’s friendship. Taking his leave, he turned and left the Cheap Wine Shop’s rear courtyard.

Twelfth Madam Luo watched him go with the same expression she wore when listening to jianghu rumors. With a trace of curiosity, she thought, A rare glimpse of genuine feeling from him...

...

Somewhere in the Flame Capital, inside a small building in a rear courtyard.

Evil Spirit Fei Biru saw one of her personal disciples hurry in.

”What’s got you so flustered?” she asked, looking up.

Her disciple answered urgently, ”Master, Evil Beyond Measure is dead!”

Fei Biru stared for a moment, then gave an involuntary laugh.

”He’s dead?”

That old bastard is finally dead?

A pity I wasn’t the one who killed him. That evil deed alone could have brought my Accumulated Evil Divine Art to the perfected Dharma Realm.

”Yes. Someone cut off his head and tossed it into a courtyard,” her disciple answered nervously. ”They say Sun’s ghost is nowhere to be found. It may have been obliterated.”

”His soul was destroyed?” Fei Biru sprang from her chair.

Few below Heaven-Man could do such a thing!

Rather than fear she might share Sun Feiyang’s fate, Fei Biru had reveled in his misfortune. She had even wanted to buy a string of firecrackers to celebrate. But she dared not jeopardize the Demon Sovereign’s plans. At the first hint of something unusual, she took the matter seriously.

Her disciple gave a full account of the news, not daring to withhold anything.

”A Golden Boy mask... Was he hiding his true identity?” Fei Biru’s brow twitched. ”Could it be someone we’re working with? Only a powerful fighter who can ward off evil could kill that wounded old bastard Sun without much commotion. Or...”

Fei Biru suddenly recalled her own ordeal.

In the underworld, a torrent of sword qi dozens of meters or more in length had struck her, nearly leaving her lost there forever. She had barely escaped with her life.

Old Sun’s ghost was destroyed too. That also involves the underworld... Was it... was it the person who wounded me? Fei Biru’s hair stood on end.

A Supreme Master?

And seemingly not one of the Zhao Kingdom’s Supreme Masters...

Who has secretly come to the Flame Capital to make an enemy of our Accumulated Evil Way?