"Do you like the room I have assigned?" a voice spoke even before the doors were open.
Wan Qiang closed them back gently, "I was overjoyed. I thought Young master would assign me your room."
Yin Fan smirked into his book. His exquisite ropes glistened under the candlelight They both gave off the impression of a newlywed from the red color they both wore. "I did it out of your consideration. Surely, Qiang Qiang doesn't prefer her two junior brothers to get the wrong idea." He still hadn't sat up from his bed because he was waiting for her to come to him.
She sat down on one of the chairs instead and poured herself tea. "I see that young master is carefree enough to worry about me. Have you caught the culprit yet?"
"Marry me. Then you will be the Yin Dragon's young mistress. Then it will be your business."
Wan Qiang said nothing.
He continued almost seeming nonchalant, "How about us exchanging information? Tell me where Shi Lihua is."
"I don't know."
Yin Fan sighed, "I figure. Should I kill him first or his little search party?"
Wan Qiang stood up immediately, "Young master must be tired. I'll leave you to cool your head. After all, this must have shocked you tremendously."
-
Wu Huan met Yin Fan at the training ground. He wandered there out of curiosity. He had hoped to watch the disciples trained. It was normal to consider himself a turtle under his shell. He stood under the shade of a tree, he could see a dozen of them cutting up dummies shouting loudly in rhythm.
He hadn't meant to look so surprised when Yin Fan found him. "The Dragon's Whisk technique. Flexible, agile but a thousand times sharper. One sheer cut to the neck. If the practitioner fails to land at least one within two intakes of breath, he will die from being undefensive."
"I see."
"Great for assassinating..and slaughtering." He was intentionally throwing it out.
"I see."
"I believe you're Wu Huan, the previous disciple of Lan Yan Sect?"
"Yes. Apology for my rudeness."
Yin Fan chuckled, throwing his hands behind his back. "You do not need to apologize. Taohua disciples are all bastards in my eyes."
"No offense to young master but the feelings are mutual."
"I can't wait to see your faces when I catch that bastard Shi Lihua. However, go on..." Yin Fan waved a hand," Go look for him. I'll be grateful for your help." He left with an apparent scoff on his face.
Wu Huan decided to visit Luo Yang. He wasn't going to stay here. No matter what Wan Qiang would say. "Please stay with her here. I will let you guys ruin the bastard for me while I'll go looking for my shixiong." He had not felt so certain in his life. For Yin Fan to be so convinced that the culprit was Shi Lihua, Wu Huan needed to find him first.
Luo Yang stood at the door watching the white figure disappearing from their courtyard. If he didn't have to worry about Wan Qiang, he would have packed long ago. Yin Fan was nothing but danger. They wouldn't be able to ruin him but Wu Huan would be able to protect Shi Lihua before that guy ruined him instead.
That night, Wan Qiang gave him an exasperated face. She couldn't stop sheathing and unsheathing her swords. "Master gave permission this afternoon. Took me a long time to get the message past those watchful eyes."
"Where do we start?"
"Let me tell you about what I have gathered over the year. I'm sure he works for the demon king. But, not the king himself. He works under another guy. The second boss."
"The bastard at the temple? No big news."
She raised her dark eyes to him, "Not him. His boss."
"..."
"I eavesdropped on Yin Fan's personal servant last night on my way to the young master's room. Although I'm sure Yin Fan would have revealed it anyway if I had asked. They use the west gate to smuggle people for sacrifices. I assume the Mo city is still used as the delivering route to the Tian Jiao."
"They can't be doing this in broad daylight or even at night. That bastard is trickier than I've expected."
She fisted her hands, "He has the whole sect to himself and is even backed by a powerful foe. Master has underestimated him. We've been putting ourselves in grave danger than we have expected. Whether Yin Fan has seen through my facade from the start or not, I must have been looking pitiful enough to not be killed."
Having Wan Qiang as a spy blown Luo Yang's mind. He thought Elder Zhao wouldn't dare to risk his treasured disciple to the dragon's den. The old man must have thought Sect leader Yin was still in charge of his own people. "What got Elder Zhao to be interested in the Yin Dragon Sect anyway? Does sect leader Shi know?"
"Of course. Everyone keeps eyes on everyone. Or else there would be no such thing as peace. I do not doubt that our sect is housing a few of those spies either."
"So the pregnant women missing are managed by this scumbag? Hua'er has been looking at the wrong places all along. We barely scratched the matter finding out about the temple and the masked bastard. The Qi family stepped on the wrong foot and got themselves assassinated. Moreover, we have no information on how they got themselves involved behind the sect's back. Now, it turned out to be this bloody sect as well."
"You forgot another."
Luo Yang stared at his white boots. This deeply messed up feeling."What do you mean?"
"Gao Li. And maybe even, the northern sect."