Translator: Larbre Studio
Editor: Larbre Studio
Li Yan hadn’t thought this would go so well before he arrived, even though he thought he was pretty good at lying and going with the flow.
Chang Kaile had believed him because he was able to obtain what He Lian Sheng requested at a much lower cost than Judy, or even the Grand Duke herself.
There was no reason for him to do so unless what he said was indeed the truth.
“So that was what he said.”
Chang Shen sat on a couch with his cane looking confused.
Sitting opposite of him, Huashan Jiu nodded quietly.
Chang Shen laughed, “This is more dramatic than a soap opera.” He thought about it and said, “Le wasn’t planning on telling me.”
Huashan Jiu didn’t respond. He seemed different now that he was in charge of Yau Ma Tei.
“How much did you trust what that guy said?”
Huashan Jiu took a while to respond. “He wouldn’t have the guts to cheat He Lian Sheng out of his money. Unless he’s out of his mind.”
“Actually, it’s not important whether or not what he said is actually true…”
The old man looked down.
“It’s good for Le to have his own plans at this age. But now is definitely not a good time to fight with the Grand Duke. If someone at my age can afford to wait, why can’t he?”
“Should… should I talk to him then?”
Chang Shen shook his head. “He’s angry about this whole thing. Don’t suppress his anger.”
The old man closed his lips and made a decision.
“Kill that guy. And do it clean.”
Chang Shen squinted, “Five million? I’m afraid that he doesn’t have that kind of luck, not enough to earn that from us.”
…
Huashan Jiu walked out of Chang Shen’s room coldly.
“Dachun!”
A guy with bleached hair in a red tank top ran to him.
“Yes, Mr Jiu.”
“Do you remember that guy’s room number when you went to stalk him?”
Dachun recalled that he saw Li Yan come out of Room 411.
“Number 411.”
“Are you sure you remember correctly?”
“Yes, Mr Jiu. I’m very sure.”
…
“You have obtained a transcript fragment of ‘The Probe into Ancient Novels’ 1!”
“You have obtained the piece that mentions the Bird of Ubume!”
The Bird of Ubume was a ghost bird only visible during the day. It disguised itself with a bird’s feather, but if the feather was removed, a girl was revealed. The girl had four replications: the Emperor of the Heaven, the Night Walker, the Star Attractor, and the Hidden Flyer. The Bird had no offspring, which was why it loved to acquire other people’s children as its own. It used their blood to feed its other children.
Transcript fragment: The Bird of Ubume
Type: Yanfu object
Quality: Special
The soul of a woman unwilling to leave this world because of her love towards her child is what the Bird of Ubume uses to complete itself.
Remarks: Not every single encounter is a coincidence. You should know what to do.
Li Yan looked at the Chinese parchment paper which still felt warm. The Bird of Ubume with eighteen wings appeared more vividly than any of the other pieces.
He took the remaining three pieces from his inner pocket.
A series of information popped up.
“The Probe into Ancient Novels” transcript fragment: The One-Legged Cow
Type: Yanfu object
Quality: Special
If combined with the Bird of Ubume, more energy can be obtained or more prizes acquired in the final round.
The other two pieces showed the same remarks.
“Do you want to combine them all?”
“Yes.”
“The Bird of Ubume has already consumed the remaining spirit of the One-Legged Cow, the Old Lady, and the Evil. You will acquire more energy and prizes when you close your account.”
The golden Chinese paper was lit with golden fire, but it didn’t burn Li Yan’s hand. The drawings kept curling as the fire burnt, and Li Yan heard a continuous roaring.
Li Yan seemed a little distressed.
Were there really ghosts in this world? Li Yan wasn’t sure. Even if there were, he would’ve stayed away from them.
Li Yan had lived for twenty-five years, which wasn’t that long, but it was long enough for him to distinguish a fishy smell from the smell of putrefaction.
And what he had smelled at Xiu’s house earlier that day, was putrefaction.
The smell had come from the woman with the hoarse voice and a withered face. But he could tell that she loved her daughter immensely.
His curiosity was piqued, but he decided not to dig further when he left their room, Room 411.
It was clear that Xiu’s mother’s remaining spirit was consumed by the Bird of Ubume, which was trying to complete itself!
…
Li Yan squatted at a corner in the dim light. He was surrounded by cigarette butts.
He kept thinking of how pure and innocent Xiu and the suppers she offered were.
It was the first time that Li Yan had pitied her since he came to Kowloon.
He didn’t want to break her bubble.
A middle-aged drug addict with a pale face and heavy bags beneath his eyes stared at him. He began to walk towards him, his hands and legs trembling.
“Get lost.”
Li Yan’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was full of anger.
The man stared at Li Yan but he decided not to bother him after weighing the risks and benefits.
Li Yan took a deep breath, stood, and felt a bit dizzy.
“I’m sorry. She is already dead, but I need to survive.”
…
Li Yan walked into the room where all of the weapons were stored.
There was a line of words marked on one sword, “All of the world’s essence made this dragon sword.”
It was an Eight-sided Han Sword.
He took the sword and was about to walk out when he heard a female’s voice.
“It’s late. What are you going to do with that sword?”
“Grand Duke?”
Li Yan raised his eyebrows but didn’t panic.
“I have some private things to deal with. It has nothing to do with the rings.”
“Let’s speak in Mandarin. It’s more familiar to both of us. If you are not rushing, can we chat?”
Li Yan closed his lips tightly and nodded. “Sure.”
Yu Shu came in and sat down. She asked directly, “What’s wrong with you and Judy?”
“Umm…”
Yu Shu continued, “You have to have tact when you deal with women. Things get more complicated after you have sex. You should… wait, are you okay?”
Li Yan blinked and replied, “Huh? Yes, I’m fine.”
Yu Shu didn’t pay much attention to his reaction. She continued, “It’s hard for me to run this whole thing, and I hope that you can be considerate. I mean you’re not losing anything from the relationship, right?”
Li Yan looked at Yu Shu with a weird facial expression.
“Don’t just stare at me like that. You should talk, too. We should talk it out.”
“Grand Duke,” Li Yan was a bit angry, not only about Xiu’s mother.
“They all said that you were the top fighter in Kowloon, not Red Ghost. How about we all put on protective clothing and you let me learn something from you?”
Yu Shu heard his suggestion and tilted her head. Her long hair followed and fell on her shoulder.
“Wow, someone is angry today.”
“I just encountered something unpleasant.”
“Don’t worry. I’m good at calming anger.”
The two of them stood opposite each other. Li Yan was holding onto the Sword looking serious.
Yu Shu picked an old thick, black axe about five fingers wide and let down her long ponytail.
That axe was part of Eight Trigram Lineage’s weapon.
“I am Yu Shu from Eight Trigram Lineage.”
“I am Li Yan from Hejian.”