12dz Chapter 10 Infernal Affairs
Chapter 10 Infernal Affairs
Shen An finished eating the wontons one bite at a time, then calmly got up and paid the rice noodle stall owner. Only then did he turn to Qu Yang, who had been quietly watching him, and nod.
Qu Yang nodded slightly, got up and left first without looking back, while Shen An silently followed. The two walked one after the other through several streets and alleys, heading towards a secluded and narrow alley.
After walking for a while, Qu Yang turned sideways and entered a narrow alley. On the left, a small red lantern hung above the door. Qu Yang walked over and knocked three times. The servant who opened the door, seeing him, respectfully welcomed the two of them inside.
Shen An followed him into the courtyard, where a scent of perfume mixed with the smell of alcohol wafted towards him, causing him to frown involuntarily.
Fortunately, after walking about ten steps past the courtyard with the servant, a small patch of lush green bamboo suddenly appeared before us, and the annoying smells disappeared after passing through the bamboo forest.
Behind the bamboo grove, a delicate two-story bamboo house came into view. The servant led them to a private room on the second floor, quickly poured two cups of tea, and then quietly left, closing the door behind him.
"Where is this?" Shen An had some guesses in his mind.
"Qunyu Courtyard," Qu Yang said after sitting down in front of him and taking a sip of tea.
Shen An understood. It turned out that the biggest den of iniquity in Hengyang City was actually owned by the Sun Moon Cult. No wonder Qu Feiyan brought the seriously injured Linghu Chong here in the original novel.
Having satisfied his curiosity, Shen An carefully chose his words and asked directly:
"If I'm not mistaken, the person Uncle Liu met in private must be the old man."
"Oh? So you admit to secretly tracking and investigating Liu Zhengfeng?" Qu Yang narrowed his eyes, his tone turning slightly cold.
Shen An met his gaze, then suddenly chuckled softly and shook his head: "This is something that can be guessed without investigation."
After saying that, he took a sip of tea and continued under Qu Yang's murderous glare, "Actually, I didn't know it was you before. I only guessed it was you based on your reaction after my junior brother said those words."
"Why would an old man I just met try to kill me after hearing those words that didn't specify who he was talking to? If this matter wasn't directly related to you, why would he do this? Considering the mission I have, the answer is self-evident."
"It must be that before or after your meeting with Uncle Liu, you noticed my whereabouts nearby and became suspicious. That's why you followed me and took the opportunity to talk to me in the market and probe me in various ways."
Qu Yang remained silent for a long time after listening to Shen An's meticulous deduction.
Oh, is that so?
He had to admit that, apart from the incorrect judgment that he "directly killed Shen An," the entire analysis was completely reasonable.
The flying needles were not poisoned, and they were not aimed at vital points but at acupoints for channeling energy. He intended to capture him alive and take him back so that his granddaughter could see the true face of this so-called "righteous young hero."
However, discussing this now would be too beneath us.
Qu Yang simply continued drinking his tea, remaining noncommittal.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Shen An had no choice but to ask a new question:
"This junior dares to guess that you must be a member of the Sun Moon Sect. Otherwise, you and Uncle Liu wouldn't be so cautious."
Qu Yang's fingers gently traced the rim of his teacup, his eyes, weathered by countless storms of the martial world, now filled with scrutiny and chilling killing intent. He didn't deny Shen An's speculation, but simply asked, "Since you've already guessed, why didn't you escape?"
Shen An put down his teacup, his smile somewhat bitter, yet fearless: "Instead of being on guard day and night, it's better to speak frankly. I understand Uncle Liu's character, and I've also had a conversation with you, senior. I believe you are not a man who kills indiscriminately, and I believe that after hearing my explanation, you won't kill me."
"First of all," Shen An met Qu Yang's gaze, his tone almost frank, "this junior admits that it is true that I was ordered by my sect to investigate Uncle Liu. The Songshan Sect wants to know who he meets in private, and when and where. This was personally instructed by Uncle Lu Bai, and I could not refuse."
"The junior brother I saw today is one of the 'supervisors' sent by Uncle Lu. This morning, my informant reported that Uncle Liu had left the city, and I had no choice but to follow him."
"However, although my martial arts skills are meager, I am unwilling to engage in such underhanded and treacherous acts. Moreover, this matter is likely to have far-reaching implications, and a single misstep could lead to catastrophic consequences. If you have indeed followed me, you should know that I have not conducted any investigations; I was merely practicing my sword nearby."
Qu Yang's expression softened slightly, and his killing intent subsided somewhat, but he still couldn't stand Shen An's confident look that he wouldn't kill him. He deliberately threatened, "Even so, you are still a disciple of Songshan, and Zuo Lengchan's apprentice. The fact that you know this secret is a huge threat in itself. Killing you will solve everything."
"No, no." Shen An shook his head, his expression turning serious. "Killing me will not only fail to resolve the issue, but will also put Uncle Liu in an even more dangerous situation."
"First of all, I am not carrying out this mission alone, and I am not even a key candidate. It is just that the matter was sudden and we could not get any good people to help us. So I was asked to go ahead and prepare."
This is what Shen An just guessed.
"Secondly, if I were to die suddenly, especially if the cause of death were unknown, Songshan would be alert immediately, and everyone would know that there was something wrong with Uncle Liu."
Qu Yang stopped stroking his fingers. He wasn't afraid to kill Shen An, but he was afraid that it would plunge Liu Zhengfeng into eternal damnation, and that it would destroy the hard-won friendship between kindred spirits.
"Then what do you intend to do?" Qu Yang's voice softened slightly, his killing intent almost subsiding, but his vigilance remained. "You can't expect me to believe you'll keep our secret just because of a few words from you, can you? You might do it today, but what will you do tomorrow when the sect issues strict orders?"
Shen An raised his eyes, his clear yet firm gaze meeting Qu Yang's sharp, hawk-like eyes.
"Then this junior would like to ask, senior, what exactly are you plotting in your secret meeting with Uncle Liu? If it is something perverse and will incur the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, then please behead me first."
Upon hearing this, Qu Yang's eyes narrowed instantly, a surge of anger rising within him. Having held a high position as an elder of the Demonic Sect for many years, it had been a long time since a junior had dared to speak to him in such an almost accusatory tone.
But his anger faltered slightly when he met Shen An's clear, unpretentious gaze.
Qu Yang recalled his feelings when he played music with Liu Zhengfeng in the bamboo forest, the rare gleam in Fei Yan's eyes when she reiterated the "Hoe Theory", and the young man's sentiment in front of the rice noodle stall, "The martial world shouldn't be like this".
After a moment of silence, the chilling killing intent and anger finally transformed into a complex sigh, mingling with the steam in the teacup. Qu Yang's voice lowered, losing some of its sharp, confrontational edge, and gaining a hint of inexplicable desolation and earnestness:
"He and I... became friends through music. Believe it or not, that's all."
"I believe you," Shen An said firmly.
Qu Yang looked up at him, seemingly surprised.
"To be honest, when I was practicing my sword by the stream today, I happened to meet a young girl. She asked me... if there were any good people in the Demonic Sect." Shen An paused slightly, his eyes filled with nostalgia, "Although I said there were, I never imagined that any of them were truly good people."
"But just now, if my junior brother hadn't been so reckless and exposed my purpose for coming here... Senior, weren't you already planning to stop and let me leave?"
"Now, I can say frankly to that young girl that there are indeed people in the Demonic Sect who are unwilling to kill indiscriminately and who still have a sense of right and wrong and compassion in their hearts. This person is sitting right in front of me at this moment."
"Whether it was the senior's approval of my presumptuous words or that moment of kindness, it is worth the junior's trust in the senior."
Qu Yang remained silent for an even longer time than before.
Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice lower and hoarser than before, but with less of the menacing killing intent and more of an indescribable heaviness and an almost self-mocking indifference:
"Quick-witted and quick-thinking," he said, using a slightly derogatory comment to stabilize the situation and maintain his seniority.
"However," he paused slightly, his gaze sharp as lightning, piercing Shen An, "since you mentioned that little girl... you should know even more that knowing too much about many things in this world, or being too deeply involved, is not necessarily a blessing. Especially when you yourself are barely able to protect yourself."
Sigh, this is just a father-in-law's usual way of finding fault with his son-in-law.
"Alright, let's not talk about that." Qu Yang knew his words were rather unreasonable, so he steered the conversation back to the main topic, "Now that you believe me, what are your plans regarding the investigation of Liu Zhengfeng at Mount Song?"
"Just play it by ear and go with the flow."
"What does that mean?"
"I'll just have to take it one step at a time. Back at Mount Song, I need to put on a show of investigating, but I can decide how fast and how deep I investigate. Uncle Lu won't give me too tight a deadline—this matter is hard to prove anyway, and he probably isn't putting all his hopes on me alone."
Shen An paused, took a sip of tea, and then continued:
"Before our sect sends out a truly capable person to handle this matter, I can work with you to deal with it and buy some time for Uncle Liu to find a solution. The two of us are not the key; the crux of the matter lies with Uncle Liu. Whether he quietly retires, flees to avoid trouble, or seeks another plan... it all depends on his choice."
Qu Yang nodded slowly: "You're so young, yet you're so thoughtful. However—" he changed the subject, "how can I trust you won't betray us?"
"Senior, just say whether you believe it or not, and that's it." Shen An just smiled; he didn't believe that the flattery he had given Qu Yang earlier had no effect.
"I believe you. Since you believe me, why can't I believe you?" Qu Yang couldn't help but laugh.
Sigh, so proud and arrogant.