Martial King's Retired Life

“You plan on reciting every allegory?”

“Shut up. Speak properly.” Long Zaitian looked over his shoulders, then quietly voiced, “Ming Feizhen, what do you think we’re doing? You think we’re a charity?”

“You have some nerve bringing that up. None of them are being fed.”

“But we’re being fed.”

“Yet you have the shame to mention ‘charity’?”

“That’s exactly my point! This is Yama’s Palace. This is a burbling pan. We eat people whole here. You want to take people from here? In your dreams.”

There was a way to deal with scoundrels. Luckily for me, Long Zaitian was no gentleman.

Lowering my voice, I informed, “I questioned them already. They won’t tell the truth. I don’t believe we’ll get anything out of them here. Let me take them back to Liu Shan Men for questioning.”

“Is it so complicated? Besides, how am I supposed to explain it to my superiors?”

I shook my head. “There’s no way of justifying it, indeed.” With a smile, I suggested, “How about you come over to Liu Shan Men, too?”

“Bugger off. Long Zaitian was born a Qilin Guard and will be a spirit of the Qilin Guards in death.”

“You guys have a shortage of spirits?”

“Watch your mouth! Not even Zhong Kui can take me away.” Long Zaitian took another glance over his shoulders… and then again.

“Nobody is asking for you. Seriously, though, I need them. I need their assistance in resolving a big conspiracy.”

Long Zaitian’s eyes darted around before he asked, “Don’t tell me… someone is after His Majesty’s life.”

No, my life.

“Something like that. Just find an excuse to let them go. I’ll make sure you’re covered once I’m done.”

“Yeah, piss off. You make it sound easy, but what excuse am I supposed to use to justify releasing so many criminals at once?”

“Don’t use your head. Use mine.” Wearing the smile of a tutor, I told him, “Give me the key. Go for a meal. By the time you come back, things will be settled over here.”

***

I twirled the key around in my hand as I boldly walked back to Yuan Kou’s cell. “Yo, Ol’ Yuan, still chilling?”

Yuan Kou beamed as bright as a kid seeing his father and then timely started wailing. “Sir, I have been a blind fool. I am a bum-sniffing dog. From today onwards, you are my new father, my new parents. As long as you set me free, I will accompany you anywhere and through everything. I know it will not be easy, b-”

“Cut the crap. This key is for the outside door. I don’t have the key for your cell.”

“… If you want me to talk, take a look at your reflection in your piss first…”

“But I can pick the lock of the chains on you with an iron string.”

“Sir Ming! I am your filial son!”

“Men, give him some work.”

“No, no, no, please no! I was just joking! Hehe, seriously, though, as long as you free me, I will be at your service. I swear.”

“You’ll be at my service?”

Yuan Kou nodded.

“Even if you have to risk your life?”

Yuan Kou nodded twice.

“You’ll answer any questions I have?”

Yuan Kou gave a b-, half a nod, then shook his head.

I cracked a grin. “I won’t ask about the perverted organisation. You won’t tell me anyway.”

Yuan Kou exhaled. “Aside from that, I will follow all your orders and answer all your queries.”

“What’s Jiang Chen’s goal? How much do you know?”

“He is a certified maniac.” Yuan Kou condescendingly elaborated, “He wants to collapse Li Dynasty.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious. Only you consider that a secret. The kids running around outside already know about it. My question is, what was Gongsun Chu’s original goal?”

“You are putting me on a pedestal too high up. Why would he tell an outsider?”

“Cut the bullcrap. Even if he didn’t mention a word, you think I believe you wouldn’t have noticed anything?”

“Uh…”

“Men, bring out the big toys.”

Yuan Kou jolted so violently that I could hear the chains rattle. “Okay, okay, okay! Calm down!”

“I’m listening. If you lie even once, I’ll boil you alive.”

Yuan Kou hissed prior to answering, “According to his agreement with us, his job was to incite disorder in the capital, but he never stated how he would achieve that. He barely used any of us. I heard only a few retired monsters, which included Mount Wu’s two demons and Goryeo’s shrewd Bai Ju.”

As Yuan Kou was arrested immediately after he exited the underground palace, he was unaware Hong Jiu had already finished Mount Wu’s duo, so I had proof he didn’t lie.

“Go on.”

“Though I do not know how he intends to overthrow Li Dynasty, nor do I have the faintest clue, I have asked members of the organisation. Based on the variety of answers I heard, I have an inkling.”

“Which is?”

“He should be in an alliance with the Seven Champion White Princes.”

I concealed my exasperation under a calm façade. “And?”

“That was what the two demons of Mount Wu claimed. They are both elders. They felt Jiang Chen has his guard up against them and ordering them to attack the Seven Champion White Princes is part of a ploy against them. For that reason, I am guessing that Jiang Chen was only pretending to be an enemy of the seven.”

That was a point I glossed over. Gongsun Chu wouldn’t be able to survive against Lady Bai without suffering anything. Were she not pregnant, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she slaughtered her way through the underground palace. If Patriarch Bai wasn’t compromised, he’d have been dangerous, as well. Without taking any credit away from Mount Wu’s two demons and Vivianite, it’d be hard to say if they could’ve even beat Lady Bai alone. That being the case, would someone as shrewd as Gongsun Chu take such a big risk?

Boss told me Gongsun Chu had a Divine Realm combatant and a member of Six Blades accompanying him. If he truly wanted to conquer Valley of Yearning, then him and his team would’ve been the safest bet.

“I kept pondering what Jiang Chen was up to. Kidnapping those people, yet not killing them, would create a common enemy, which would be him. Considering how conspicuous he was about it, I am guessing he wanted to himself the target to be lynched in order to hide his true direction. If my theory is correct, he has yet to use his trump card.”

“Pass.” I squatted down and took out a maroon pill that resembled viscous liquid. “You could qualify to be a constable.”

“Ah?”

I smiled. “What are you waiting for? Take this and you’re a free man.”

Glossary

Zhong Kui – To remind you, Zhong Kui is considered a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings.

Goryeo – A Korean kingdom founded in 918.