Chapter 72 Part 2

Contrary to her expectations, hearing this, the notoriously volatile Prince Yan did not get angry. She instead smiled.

“So that’s how it is.”

Seeing the hint of amusement in Xiao Jin’s eyes, the woman in red secretly assumed this was probably a signal that Prince Yan’s household wanted to reconcile with the Blood Rain Pavilion.

It was rare. Prince Yan was a man who understood the bigger picture.

The woman in red was quite satisfied.

Chu Shao, sitting at the table drinking tea, however, thought things weren’t that simple.

And that, indeed, things were just beginning.

Sure enough, the woman in red wasn’t allowed to be happy for long. Xiao Jin retracted the smile at her lips.

Then, shifting her tone, she spoke coldly. “So that’s the attitude of your esteemed organization. It seems I indeed haven’t come here as a guest tonight.”

The woman in red was slightly taken aback.

Xiao Jin stroked the jade thumb ring on her finger. “Deputy Pavilion Master, you have just personally admitted that your people, regardless of the reason, ultimately killed the person I was protecting.”

“The dead cannot return to life. Therefore, there is a grudge between me and the Blood Rain Pavilion. A very deep grudge.”

Silence fell over the table.

A moment later, the man in white robes clapped his fan against his palm, a wide smile on his face, and stood up to address Xiao Jin. “Ah, a very deep grudge indeed!”

Xiao Jin looked at him, frowning.

She didn’t know who this man was or where he had popped up from.

As if sensing Xiao Jin’s thoughts, the man in white introduced himself. “I am a man of little talent. My surname is Shangguan, given name Xun. I am the Master of the Blood Rain Pavilion’s Fourth Yard.”

Shangguan Xun.

Hmm, this name sounds rather antiquated. The person himself is pretty antiquated too. And true to his name, he makes you want to just get out of his way. [T/N: Xun (逊) can mean to yield or step aside.]

Xiao Jin nodded blandly.

Selling his life for the Blood Rain Pavilion yet daring to reveal his true name indicated Shangguan Xun was not a citizen of Qi, nor did he fear being threatened by Xiao Jin.

Matching Xiao Jin’s guess, Shangguan Xun’s words and demeanor were extremely casual, a stark contrast to the rest of the Blood Rain Pavilion.

He even chuckled and, without prompting, brought up an entirely different topic. “I actually very much admire that line of poetry composed by Your Highness, Prince Yan.”

“‘In a thousand doors, ten thousand homes, the bright sun gleams; New peachwood charms are always hung, replacing the old.’ Wonderful, simply wonderful. Such profound artistic conception, such fine phrasing!”

“…”

“I didn’t write that poem.”

Shangguan Xun looked at Xiao Jin meaningfully. “Ah, I know. Your Highness hides your talents well, always keeping a low profile.”

Xiao Jin realized Shangguan Xun seemed incapable of understanding human speech.

Any further words would be a waste.

So she simply gave up explaining and mentally labeled him a fan of Wang Anshi.

Oblivious to Xiao Jin’s speechlessness, Shangguan Xun continued. “I originally thought a person like Prince Yan, who has a universe of talent hidden within his chest and holds all of creation in his belly, must surely harbor some grand, unspoken ambition.”

“It’s just that, now…”

“Now, the Blood Rain Pavilion had a mishap and resolved one little girl. You haven’t lost anything essential, and you still have the other two witnesses to use. Why then do you claim a deep and irreconcilable grudge with the Blood Rain Pavilion?”

The woman in red curved her lips in a smile.

Taking a sip of tea, she leisurely chided Shangguan Xun. “Yard Master Shangguan, you are mistaken. Prince Yan simply wants a resolution. To put it plainly, the death of the Third Yard Master isn’t satisfying enough for him. He requires another Yard Master to pay the price as well.”

Shangguan Xun sighed, a touch melancholy. “Deputy Pavilion Master, I understand these principles.”

“But the Third Yard Master is already dead. The two Shen Yard Masters have also met with great misfortune. One has had much of his power stripped by the Pavilion Master. The other… is currently held in Prince Yan’s grasp.”

The woman in red set down her teacup. “Indeed. Though those two Yard Masters are pitiable, they did indeed err.”

“If Prince Yan wishes to take Yard Master Shen’s life, I can petition the Pavilion Master. However, Yard Master Shen was, after all, used as a tool by others. His fault lies only in foolishness, not cruelty.”

Their duet was perfectly coordinated.

One playing the stern role, the other the lenient one, going back and forth without pause.

Xiao Jin was quite impressed.

They performed so smoothly and naturally. She wondered if they had rehearsed beforehand.

She had to admit, the woman in red and Shangguan Xun had put on a fine act. Unfortunately, Xiao Jin wasn’t in the mood to watch.

“Everything you both say is correct. But you seem to have forgotten something. My surname is Xiao.”

For a moment, the Blood Rain Pavilion members didn’t react.

So what if his surname was Xiao?

Xiao Jin soon provided the answer. “My surname is Xiao. I am the only feudal prince in Great Qi, personally bestowed by His Majesty. I do not need, nor will I bother, to listen to your explanations. Nor do I want those two Shen Yard Masters to pay any price.”

“Because the person I wanted to protect is already dead. Even if Yard Master Shen were to have his hands and feet broken, suffer excruciating torture, and die, Qin Xueyi would not return. Therefore, I don’t need you to give anything.”

The Blood Rain Pavilion members fell silent.

If Xiao Jin didn’t want anything, what was she doing here?

As if reading their minds, Xiao Jin rotated the white jade thumb ring on her finger. “I came here not to trade Qin Xueyi’s death for something. She was just a young girl. Don’t you people impose such filthy dealings on her.”

Shangguan Xun was puzzled. “Prince Yan’s words are rather obscure. I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”

Xiao Jin very kindly explained. “My meaning is simple. It is… I trouble you all to get one thing straight.”

“At this moment, it is I who hold your Yard Master. I intend to use this worthless man to make the one who hired the killers pay an equal price.”

The woman in red frowned lightly. “Price?”

Xiao Jin glanced at her. “In other words, it was the Blood Rain Pavilion that invited me here to negotiate. Because you made a mistake and wanted me to name a condition to make up for your prior error.”

“You can try every means to minimize your losses, but you cannot tell me what to do. Of course, even if you tried to tell me what to do, I wouldn’t listen anyway.”

She seemed to find it somewhat comical.

Xiao Jin laughed appropriately. “It’s laughable, really. I am Prince Yan of Qi. Whose orders do I need to take?”

Silence enveloped the table.

Moments later, a man slammed the table and rose, cursing. “Xiao Jin! Don’t push your luck! Even if you’re a Qi prince, if you anger the Blood Rain Pavilion, we could kill you right here, and no one would ever know!”

Xiao Jin looked at the man brimming with righteous indignation, her mind clear as a spring mirror.

A classic web novel trope: no matter how terrifying or bloodthirsty the organization, there were always one or two… less-than-bright individuals.

Xiao Jin wasn’t angry, but smiled faintly. “Outside this building, the garrison of Prince Yan’s Manor lies in ambush. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to try.”

Hearing this, the expression concealed beneath the woman in red’s mask finally showed a slight change.

She knew of the Prince Yan’s Manor Garrison Army.

Although this force was merely Xiao Jin’s private army and naturally couldn’t compare in numbers to the Divine Machine Camp of Qi…

In the year before the campaign against Yao, the commander under Prince Yan, Ye Juege, had led this very force to assassinate Feng Ziyun, the most famous general of Yao.

In all honesty, she had no desire to clash with this army.

Looking at the man who had slammed the table, his expression was now also rather unsightly.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asserted confidently, “So what! As the saying goes, to catch the bandits, first catch the king. If we capture you, would your guards even dare to act against us?”

Another person at the table seemed to catch on and chimed in agreement. “Right! Don’t be so arrogant here. You’re sitting in a wheelchair, nothing but a cripple. What ability do you have to fight back!”

Xiao Jin looked at him, smiling without a word.

Before the other man could figure out why Xiao Jin was so calm…

The next instant, a chill spread across his neck.

Looking down, he saw a gleaming white blade lightly resting against his throat.

At some unknown point, that graceful white figure from the table had arrived in front of him.

Holding the dagger with a gentle, elegant posture, lips curved in a smile, she encouraged him warmly. “Why don’t you say another word?”

“Go on. Tell us, who’s the cripple?”

The feeling of a blade pressed against one’s throat was not pleasant.

The man’s lips trembled, his face pale with terror.

His earlier bravado had largely dissipated. He shook all over, unable to utter a single word.

With this one action, the Blood Rain Pavilion members shifted their attention to Chu Shao.

Because Xiao Jin’s words and actions had been so conspicuous, they had almost forgotten the Princess Consort of Yan was also sitting there.

But by the time they remembered, it was too late.

They had all made a fatal error.

They had ignored the other piece of intelligence sent by Yard Master Shen: there was an expert hidden within Prince Yan’s Manor.

An expert who, at full strength, could match him blow for blow.

Although for some unknown reason, Yard Master Shen had deliberately concealed that expert’s identity, it was now abundantly clear who she was.

The man realized his mistake, his arrogance deflated, but it was already too late.

Chu Shao looked into his eyes, smiling gently. “What a pity you’re unwilling to say more.”

“After all, that means your last sentence truly was your final one.”

As her words fell, the man didn’t even have time to draw his protective weapon.

Chu Shao flicked her wrist lightly. The dagger in her palm instantly pierced his throat.

She withdrew the blade cleanly. Blood sprayed out, adding a thick, vivid splash of color to this negotiation.

Others might seal a throat with a single sword stroke.

But Chu Shao couldn’t be bothered to draw her sword for such a person. A single dagger thrust sufficed.

The blade rose and fell. Blood gushed unceasingly. A few drops of crimson splattered onto the exquisite dishes placed at the edge of the table.

This was Chu Shao’s greeting gift to the Blood Rain Pavilion.

What it earned her was dead silence.

A long, drawn-out dead silence.

The man who had slammed the table earlier was already retreating in terror.

Panic and fear written on his face, he fled towards the woman in red, his voice trembling. “D-Deputy Pavilion Master… she’s a madwoman! S-Save me…”

However, before he could reach the woman in red.

The next instant, a throwing knife accurately embedded itself in his chest.

The man looked down at the blood-red mark on the knife’s hilt, then looked up in disbelief at the one who had struck from afar.

The woman in red held a throwing knife. The lamplight fell on her mask, and the blood butterfly seemed to come alive, dancing gracefully in the dim yellow glow.

Then she smiled.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent a second throwing knife straight into the man’s throat.

Splat—

Another spray of blood blossomed.

Only this time, it was the Deputy Pavilion Master herself dealing with her own subordinate.

Now, whether they knew the woman in red or not, everyone fell into a uniform silence.

Those who knew her understood very well that after Chu Shao had demonstrated her astonishing strength, those two men were already as good as dead.

Shen Lang, the Master of the Blood Rain Pavilion’s First Yard, was the second-ranked expert in the entire organization.

Yet he had stated that Chu Shao, at full strength, could even fight him to a standstill.

Such strength was terrifying.

Although Shen Lang was also present in the Sunrise Pavilion, he had been injured by an arrow earlier and was silently hiding behind the screen.

And outside Jade Splendor Tower lay the Prince Yan’s Manor Garrison in ambush.

If these two men who had spoken so insolently didn’t die, the rest of the Blood Rain Pavilion would suffer. If they didn’t die, how could Prince Yan and the Princess Consort’s fury be appeased?

Even those who didn’t know the woman in red could now see clearly.

The Pavilion Master and Deputy Pavilion Master had originally planned to lure the enemy into their trap, but after all this maneuvering, it was the Blood Rain Pavilion that had become the threatened party.

Everyone turned to look at Xiao Jin, seated in the wheelchair.

Gazing at that delicate face still tinged with illness… yet now, no one dared to treat her as a terminally ill cripple anymore.

Because this person, who couldn’t even stand, had likely orchestrated everything while anticipating every possible outcome.

Such a person was terrifying.

For she not only hid her true abilities but was a master of deception.