Chapter 179
Five years ago, Flower Butterfly was a charming and eloquent middle-aged man who could deceive the discontented women in the inner chambers. He often floated above people’s ceilings, carrying a bunch of flowers, dressed in vibrant clothes, and adorned with makeup. Due to his proficiency in hidden weapons and light skills, he excelled in the art of assassination.
Now, he had transformed into a dirty and smelly monk, appearing as if he hadn’t bathed in over ten days. He emanated the scent of cooking fumes, holding a jug of wine in one hand, and the other hand stained with chicken oil. It was no wonder that he managed to escape the surveillance of Blood Abyss Pavilion in this disguise.
If it weren’t for his uncontrollable mouth that couldn’t keep a secret, probably no one would have known his original identity.
His knee injury dated back to the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, where he was struck by the Ten Shadow Wolves. As a result, his once formidable light skills were no longer as proficient. Only his expertise in hidden weapons remained intact.
However, he had long abandoned the habit of carrying hidden weapons, leaving only a few life-saving ones. Now, with his fate held firmly by the neck, there was truly no possibility of any struggle.
Wu Chang, looking horrified, stared at Chu Lishu, unsure how his special move had been discovered. He hadn’t even demonstrated it in front of Liu Xiaowei.
“Observing your movements when you jumped down, I could tell there was an old knee injury. When you were captured just now, your posture seemed off, leading me to speculate about hidden weapons,” Chu Lishu calmly explained. “Besides, isn’t it normal for someone like Flower Butterfly to carry hidden weapons?”
“Flower Butterfly?” Liu Xiaowei hadn’t introduced him on the way, so now, intrigued by Chu Lishu’s words, Lin Qingyang became interested.
Chu Lishu introduced the monk to Lin Qingyang, whose expression gradually turned peculiar. The scrutinizing gaze Lin Qingyang cast upon him made Wu Chang feel uncomfortable.
Staring at Chu Lishu, Wu Chang didn’t bother about how Chu Lishu knew so much. After all, he had shared many of his past exploits with Liu Xiaowei. Talking too much had now brought him considerable trouble.
“Kid, you don’t look like you know martial arts. Your eyes are too venomous.”
Chu Lishu chuckled but didn’t immediately respond. “Flower Butterfly, you’re a friend of our uncle. We don’t intend to trouble you. Just answer our questions, and we’ll let you go. You can go wherever you want, assume any identity, and no one will bother you again. Moreover, we have a grudge against the Ghost Paper from the Blood Abyss Pavilion, so we won’t betray you.”
“Don’t call me Flower Butterfly. That person is gone. Now, I am Monk Wu Chang!”
“Alright, alright, Master Wu Chang, can you cooperate?” Lin Qingyang intervened, helping to persuade him. “You made my uncle drink, so you should keep your word. Be a person of integrity.”
Wu Chang was holding his breath, watching the two black-clothed individuals on his left and right who were restraining him. Immediately, he put on a forced smile and said, “Don’t you just want to find Ghost Paper? I can directly tell you the answer. Can we… put the blade down first?”
Lin Qingyang was about to refuse, but Chu Lishu said it was okay. Only then did Wu Chang reveal a slight smile. However, when he was about to speak, Chu Lishu seized the opportunity and directly threw something into Wu Chang’s throat.
Wu Chang, caught off guard, swallowed it. He looked at Chu Lishu in astonishment, saying, “You little brat, what are you doing!”
Chu Lishu waved his hand, signaling Lu Yi and Lu Shi to step back.
“Though I’m not involved in the martial world, I understand its dangers. If Master doesn’t want to be held at knifepoint, we can only resort to another method of coercion. Don’t worry, it’s poison, but there’s also an antidote. It’ll be resolved within two hour without causing any harm to your body. Master, don’t waste time. After all, if you don’t answer our questions, you won’t be able to leave.”
Watching Chu Lishu’s smug and complacent smile, Wu Chang’s face turned green. This little devil!
In the end, Wu Chang could only slump to the ground in frustration. “Well, you’ve wasted a trip. I do know someone named Ghost Paper, but he died a long time ago, almost four years ago… right around the time when the emperor was replaced.”
Chu Lishu furrowed his brow slightly, contemplating something.
Lin Qingyang quickly approved with this explanation, as in the original plot, if Ghost Paper hadn’t truly died, why wouldn’t he have been included in the plot? In any case, the male lead would eventually obtain the desired answers from another assassin, and he would use Ghost Paper’s poisoned paper to manipulate the emperor. Therefore, whether Ghost Paper appeared or not had little impact, and having him directly handle these plot points would be even more convenient.
Unless he was truly dead.
Otherwise, it might just be the author’s narrative technique.
Chu Lishu squinted and asked, “You left the Blood Abyss Pavilion five years ago but still know about the members of the Blood Abyss Pavilion afterward?”
Wu Chang snorted, “At that time, I had just faked my death and was afraid of being discovered and brought back to be silenced. So, besides running away, I also kept an eye on the Blood Abyss Pavilion’s movements. After all, I used to be the highest-ranking internal member, so many secret signals and information couldn’t escape my notice. Once I was sure they had completely considered me dead, I stopped paying attention to the affairs of the Blood Abyss Pavilion. It just happened that around that time, I learned about Ghost Paper’s death.”
“Why did he die?” Chu Lishu inquired.
“That’s the most mysterious part. The cause of death is puzzling, he died when he wasn’t on a mission,” Wu Chang said.
Lin Qingyang immediately looked at Chu Lishu and said, “Does the timeline match?”
Chu Lishu nodded, “That should be the last piece of paper he made just before his death.”
“So, his paper caused the death of your loved ones? However, revenge is impossible now. Unlike me, he’s truly dead. In the following years, I occasionally wandered near his hometown and even drank at his grave,” Wu Chang said.
Lin Qingyang was surprised, “So, the members of your Blood Abyss Pavilion are treated so well that they even get tombstones after death? What about you? Do you have one too?”
Wu Chang chuckled at Lin Qingyang’s teasing, “What nonsense are you thinking? Most of us end up as corpses in the wilderness or get dismembered by past enemies. The best outcome is being thrown into a mass grave. The reason why Ghost Paper has a grave is because he had a disciple who took care of his body after his death and showed filial piety.”
“Disciple?” Chu Lishu suddenly inquired, “Is his disciple also a member of the Blood Abyss Pavilion? Would he know how Ghost Paper died? And who received the last poisonous paper?”
Wu Chang hesitated for a moment, then rubbed his bald head, “In general, he shouldn’t know. But if you want to investigate, go look for an assassin named Du Yu. When I left, he hadn’t officially joined the Blood Abyss Pavilion yet. If he’s been lucky these past few years, he might still be alive.”
After Wu Chang finished speaking, he noticed that Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang were both frozen, and Lu Yi and Lu Shi exchanged surprised glances.
“Du Yu… Wasn’t he the one who interfered in their assassination of Chief Steward Wang and was later killed by Chief Steward Wang? That person… I remember he was under Chief Steward Ning, and he was operating openly and legitimately. Both Chief Steward Wang and Chief Steward Hai knew him.”
A Blood Abyss Pavilion’s trainee assassin turned into Chief Steward Ning’s subordinate – it seems the answer is already clear. No one can hire the assassins of the Blood Abyss Pavilion as their guards since they are killers and only responsible for murder. However, Du Yu broke this norm, and the only one who could make the Blood Abyss Pavilion bend the rules is likely the Pavilion Master.
Chu Lishu’s eyes deepened, indicating that his speculation had indeed proved true – the Pavilion Master was Ning Ziheng.
Lin Qingyang hadn’t anticipated that the connection between the Flower Monk, Ghost Paper, and Du Yu would directly expose this piece of information, but it seemed to save Chu Lishu a lot of trouble. Although the revelation didn’t follow the original plot’s sequence, it didn’t appear to have a significant impact.
If only he could comfortably spoil the plot himself, saving himself from the tension.
Just as he was thinking about it, Lin Qingyang noticed a change in Chu Lishu’s expression. The calm demeanor he had adopted after learning the answer was now replaced with a puzzled frown.
Lin Qingyang had a good idea that Chu Lishu had discovered some discrepancies in the revelation about Ning Ziheng being the Pavilion Master. However, this answer would have to be postponed. It seemed that Chu Lishu wanted to confirm his suspicions only after completely defeating Ning Ziheng. Moreover, this revelation might uncover an event from the past.
“What’s with these expressions? Don’t you believe me?” Wu Chang became displeased.
“No, we believe you, but Du Yu is already dead,” Chu Lishu said, his expression becoming more composed.
“Well, that’s not my concern then.” Wu Chang waved his hand. “Can I go now?”
“Don’t be in a hurry.” Chu Lishu’s tone turned cold. “Since you were once the highest-ranked assassin, you should know the identity of the Pavilion Master of Blood Abyss Pavilion. Who is it?”
Lin Qingyang suddenly felt a little stunned, vaguely sensing that something was wrong, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
However, Wu Chang immediately became serious and stated, “Blood Abyss Pavilion has its rules; how could one easily know the identity of the Pavilion Master? I don’t know.”
Chu Lishu didn’t argue either. He just looked at him with a cold smile, his deep eyes exuding a strong sense of intimidation.
Unable to hold on any longer, Wu Chang admitted, “I don’t know if it’s for your own good. Some things can be investigated, while others should never be touched; they can be deadly! Aren’t you seeking revenge for your loved ones? Besides, Ghost Paper is already dead…”
Lin Qingyang sensed Wu Chang’s fear and caution, but he was somewhat puzzled. Could Chief Steward Ning really be that formidable? Was he so terrifying even to skilled individuals in the martial world?
Chu Lishu, however, seemed insistent on obtaining an answer. He directly asked, “Do you want to wait until two hours is over?”
Wu Chang suddenly became somewhat irritated. “You really don’t appreciate good intentions! Fine, if you want to court death, it’s up to you. I’ve said it, don’t be afraid. The Pavilion Master of the Blood Abyss Pavilion is the current emperor!”
Chu Lishu shook all over, while Lu Yi and Lu Shi showed expressions of disbelief.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyang’s eyes widened in shock!
He finally realized what was wrong with the situation. Two high-level assassins from different generations, and their respective Pavilion Masters were not the same person!
In the original story, the Pavilion Master of the assassin captured after the order was placed by the male lead was Ning Ziheng, while the Pavilion Master of Flower Butterfly was the emperor.
Now it’s a mess. He was struggling to keep things under control, but Wu Chang just delivered a complete and thorough spoiler, throwing the plot into chaos. This… this… would the resulting butterfly effect be attributed to him?
In the original plot, the male lead first confirmed that Ning Ziheng is the current Pavilion Master of the Blood Abyss Pavilion, but he didn’t know from where Ning Ziheng inherited this position.
Because the male lead knew that when he was assassinated, Ning Ziheng was definitely not the Pavilion Master, so there must be a former Pavilion Master. The assassin he captured later was a newcomer who had no knowledge of the previous Pavilion Master.
Even though it wasn’t explicitly stated in the original plot, Chu Lishu’s suspicions undoubtedly included the Emperor. Therefore, he decided to deal with Ning Ziheng first. It was only before Ning Ziheng’s death that he revealed the truth to Chu Lishu. Subsequently, Chu Lishu schemed to deceive the influence of the former Blood Abyss Pavilion Pavilion Master to gain control of the Blood Abyss Pavilion.
Now, Chu Lishu harbored similar suspicions because everything seemed too coincidental.
Firstly, although no order was placed, someone obtained poisoned paper. Subsequently, Ghost Paper died. This aligns with the Emperor’s deranged psychology; while he could kill Concubine Liu, the person responsible for creating such a lethal weapon that caused harm to his beloved had to be eliminated.
Secondly, Ning Ziheng used to be associated with the Empress Dowager but now fully belonged to the Emperor. If the Blood Abyss Pavilion was a force under the Emperor’s control and became uncontrollable after ascending the throne, it would naturally be handed over to Ning Ziheng, who was ruthless and didn’t mind using dirty methods.
Considering these two points, along with the likelihood that Flower Butterfly might know who the previous Pavilion Master was, Chu Lishu persisted in his inquiries.
Finally, he clarified all his doubts. So, the Fourth Prince being assassinated by the Blood Abyss Pavilion was hastily resolved by the Emperor because he knew it wasn’t the real Blood Abyss Pavilion’s doing. The Daoist who saved the princes from Wu Xin Mountain was also acting under the Emperor’s orders.
Strictly speaking, the current Blood Abyss Pavilion’s Pavilion Master is indeed Ning Ziheng, but the one truly in control of reclaiming this force is still the Emperor.
For a moment, everyone remained silent, processing the implications of what Wu Chang had revealed.
Wu Chang thought they didn’t believe him, and couldn’t hold back his words, “I’m telling the truth. The Blood Abyss Pavilion was secretly formed when he was still King Ning. I was among the first members. As I excelled in lightness skills, I once became curious about the Pavilion Master’s identity and started to follow him. To my surprise, I discovered he was a noble prince of the current dynasty. I felt like I was selling my life for the court, which disgusted me. Not long after, things went south.”
Unable to restrain the desire to share, Wu Chang continued, “You guys, being locals in the capital, should know about it. Five years ago, the then Crown Prince Yuan Ran encountered the largest-scale assassination attempt by the Blood Abyss Pavilion, creating quite a stir.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingyang’s mouth twitched, giving up any hope of stopping Wu Chang from revealing all the gossip secrets. It seemed that the events of the assassination attempt years ago would also be exposed.
Meanwhile, Chu Lishu had a clear understanding of the situation, his face displaying a melancholy expression. If the Blood Abyss Pavilion was established by King Ning, it meant that his uncle had harbored thoughts of killing him long ago. Back then, their relationship was close, akin to that of father and son. Regardless of Yuan Ran’s unconventional decisions, his father, the Emperor, remained cautious. However, King Ning was always the first to support him, even during the assassination attempt when King Ning had stood before him, taking a blow intended for him.
Chu Lishu always believed that, at least at that time, King Ning harbored genuine familial feelings for him. The subsequent change in people’s hearts, driven by the lure of power, was just a consequence. After all, the Tongjia blood battle was not solely the result of King Ning’s thoughts; there were many hidden perpetrators. King Ning was just one of them. How could an outstanding royal family member with inheritance rights not have a desire to become emperor? At that time, driven by discontent and greed, with assistance, opportunity, and temptations, King Ning naturally had aspirations to overturn the situation.
However, Chu Lishu never imagined that, so early on… so early on… his uncle had wanted to take his life. Even though, at that time, his uncle lacked clear assistance and opportunity, even though the behind-the-scenes culprits plotting his death were not yet in place, his uncle was impatiently eager to kill him. How ridiculous!
Lu Yi and Lu Shi still hadn’t reacted from the abundance of information, so they remained in a daze, becoming faithful listeners to Wu Chang.
“After I discovered the identity of the Pavillion Master back then, I felt a strong aversion. Later, when the pavillion issued such a large contract, it stirred intense reactions among the assassins. Everyone speculated on who wanted to kill His Royal Highness, but hardly anyone would think of the Emperor, who was then King Ning. After all, they were close relatives, and their relationship always seemed very intimate, with no signs of discord. Truly, I was the only one sober among the intoxicated!”
“Then an unprecedented assassination operation began. However, the Crown Prince was truly formidable. Not only was he highly skilled in martial arts, but he also calmly commanded his subordinates in times of crisis. So, we were almost completely wiped out. I didn’t want to participate in the battle in the first place, and since I didn’t want to stay in the Blood Abyss Pavilion either, I took the opportunity to fake my death and escape. Ah… the royal family… is truly terrifying.” After finishing his story, Wu Chang sighed and even took a sip of wine, then suddenly realized, “This poison won’t conflict with alcohol, right?”
Chu Lishu slowly raised his eyes, his gaze cold. “You can leave.”
“What?!” Wuchang was stunned, surprised. “No problem now?”
“No.”
“And the antidote…”
“I threw in chicken bone fragments, not poison. If you don’t believe it, wait for a full two hours and see if the poison takes effect.” After saying this, Chu Lishu seemed unwilling to stay any longer and turned to walk away.
“Sigh, he…” Wu Chang immediately looked at Lin Qingyang as if seeking understanding.
Lin Qingyang looked at him speechlessly. Given the current situation, he could only resign himself. “He’s just messing with you. If you don’t believe it, my uncle and I will stay here and keep you company for two hours.” After saying this, he looked outside the door. Chu Lishu hadn’t actually left; he was just standing in the courtyard, lost in thought.
He needed some time to calm down now because he just realized that the harsh reality was even earlier than he had anticipated.
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