Chapter Fifteen: Black Stone

The next day, at the headquarters of the Six Doors.

Zhuge Zhengwo, Coldblood, Emotionless, and the others once again gathered together.

“Let’s hear it—what have you all found?” Zhuge Zhengwo was the first to speak.

“I didn’t find anything,” Chasing Life answered first.

Coldblood spoke next. “Emotionless and I found Li Ghosthand. But it seems Delicate Rain hasn’t gone to see Li Ghosthand yet. If the information we have is reliable and she really intends to, then we’re certain to catch her.”

Seeing Coldblood pause, Emotionless added, “We didn’t find Delicate Rain, but we did find Zhang Hairui’s second son, Zhang Renfeng. On the night his family was slaughtered, he was gravely wounded and fell into the river, only to be rescued by Li Ghosthand. Now, Li Ghosthand has changed his appearance, and he’s settled in the capital. If we want to find him, it’s just a matter of time.”

This was an unexpected bit of good news, which brought Zhuge Zhengwo some comfort. He then turned his gaze to Iron Hand, for what Iron Hand was investigating was of the greatest importance.

Not disappointing Zhuge Zhengwo’s expectations, Iron Hand nodded to the group and said, “I found something. The news came from the black market. Three nights from now, at midnight, Blackstone will issue a bounty for Delicate Rain at the River Source Inn. On that very night, Blackstone’s leader, the Wheel King, will be present as well. Unfortunately, I found no trace of what the Wheel King looks like.”

“Good!” Zhuge Zhengwo could not conceal his delight, and spoke again.

“There’s nothing more for you to do in this matter. Iron Hand, you and Chasing Life will assist Coldblood and Emotionless in capturing Delicate Rain. If our information is correct and there’s no Rama’s corpse in the temples of the capital, then Delicate Rain must still have it in her possession!”

Barely had he finished speaking when, before any of the others could respond, Emotionless frowned and asked, “You’re not sure the information is genuine?”

Zhuge Zhengwo nodded. “The reason I’m not certain is because this information didn’t come directly from me. But rest assured, I’m eighty percent confident it’s true.”

Emotionless pressed on, “Why are you investigating the Wheel King? You’re sending us all away—do you want to face him alone?”

Zhuge Zhengwo had intended to offer some kind lie, but confronted with four pairs of concerned eyes, he opened his mouth and could not utter it. Instead, he answered, “Yes.”

“No! The stories on the martial circuit say the Wheel King’s martial arts are unfathomable. How can you go alone? I know you might think the four of us couldn’t help much, but even the least of us is a top-tier fighter—we can still contribute. Besides, Blackstone killed Grand Secretary Zhang Hairui’s family. This is official business now. Inside the palace, Cao Zhengchun, Rainmaker Tian, and Liu Xi—all three Grandmasters—are idle at the moment. Why not ask them for help?” Iron Hand objected to Zhuge Zhengwo’s plan and offered his own suggestion.

“No.” Zhuge Zhengwo shot the word back with equal resolve.

Seeing this, Coldblood frowned as well and suggested, “If not, why not try Iron Gallant Marquis? He’s loyal to the nation—surely he’d help.”

Zhuge Zhengwo thought for a moment, then replied firmly, “I said no. The matter is settled. You all do what you’re supposed to. Don’t worry—I’ll come back safely.”

The four could see they would not change his mind, and left one by one.

Once they had all gone, Zhuge Zhengwo took out a map of the River Source Inn’s area and studied it in deep thought.

...

Three days later, midnight. The capital, inside the River Source Inn.

The River Source Inn had already been rented out in full five days earlier by unknown parties. There was not a single ordinary guest; everyone present was from the martial world.

It was midnight, the hour when ordinary inns would long since have closed their doors. Yet the River Source Inn was ablaze with light, and the place was packed with people, the air thick with noise and conversation.

A man cloaked in black with his face covered, sword in hand, had at some point ascended to the second floor. He walked slowly toward the center, carrying the signature weapon of Blackstone’s leader, the Wheel King—the Wheel Sword.

The raucous crowd on the first floor gradually quieted as they noticed the man, until not a sound remained.

In a corner on the first floor, Zhuge Zhengwo fixed his eyes on the man above. He was seventy percent sure this was the Wheel King.

By now, the Wheel King had reached the exact center of the second floor. As all eyes turned toward him, a fat man appeared at the inn’s main entrance and began to speak in a loud voice.

“First, I thank all my friends from the martial world for giving Blackstone this honor of gathering together. I’ll be brief. Blackstone now formally issues a bounty on Delicate Rain! Any assassin from the martial world may claim it! Bring Delicate Rain’s head to the Tonghe Bank in Luoyang, and Blackstone will pay fifty thousand taels of gold! In addition, the eighty thousand taels of silver and ten thousand taels of gold she carries are all yours to keep!”

Before the fat man could finish, someone in the inn interrupted, “Hold on—who gets Rama’s corpse? By the rules of our world, whoever gets the corpse owns it! No matter how powerful Blackstone is, we’re not afraid. If the body falls into our hands, it’s ours!”

The fat man sneered, “My friend jests. Even if I said nothing, you all know why Blackstone is issuing this bounty. I have no objection to your words, but Rama’s corpse is something Blackstone must have! Anyone who obtains the corpse and refuses to hand it over will be Blackstone’s enemy. If you can withstand our pursuit, then keep it—Blackstone won’t object!”

At the same time, the fat man sneered inwardly. Dream on—think you’ll get Rama’s corpse? Take a look in the mirror. All you’ll manage is to wear Delicate Rain out for us, and you think you’re someone important? If Delicate Rain hadn’t caused such an uproar by defecting, and if not for the sake of saving face and reducing casualties, you wouldn’t even get a sniff.

He wasted no more words, and continued loudly, “Delicate Rain has traveled south from Shaanxi and is now at Hoof Mouth. She’s expected to reach Huizhou soon. There’s no time to lose, my friends—act quickly.”

With that, he signaled his men to stack portraits of Delicate Rain on the table, then quietly withdrew.

A few moments later, the crowd surged toward the table for the portraits. The Wheel King remained on the second floor, watching the frenzy below, and Zhuge Zhengwo, eyes never leaving him, stayed seated in his corner.