Wang Chong raised a hand to cover his face, whisked out the mask Li Qingge had given him, and put it on. Then he grabbed Sun Mingke, who had been about to charge ahead, and said, "Listen to your big brother—mask up. Don't give away who we are when things start. I'll explain later."
Bewilderment was written all over Sun Mingke's face, but there was real fun in this, so he obediently fetched a face-cloth and covered his face.
Wang Chong had brought no long sword this time, but he had brought that long saber. He drew it and handed it to Sun Mingke, flourishing the empty scabbard himself, and said, "Let's not use the martial arts our masters taught us either."
By then Sun Mingke had no leisure left for puzzlement: the man had already vaulted the city wall of Pengshan County. Hastily he gave himself to his lightness skill, hurtled over the wall in pursuit, and shouted, "Lecher! How dare you commit such a depraved act right before us brothers!"
The man froze, an expression of disbelief on his face, and dropped his voice. "Which brother of the Alliance is that? It's me! Don't set upon one of your own!"
Wang Chong gave a light cough. "Our apologies. We are the brothers Pink Chrysanthemum and Black Chrysanthemum, who have spent our lives championing justice and righting wrongs, leaving no good deed undone. Today, misfortune has found you."
The man was badly startled; a chill ran down his back, and he did indeed feel that misfortune had found him.
Wang Chong had recognized him at a glance: this was decidedly not White Chrysanthemum, but a young master of the Chrysanthemum-Killing Alliance, one Zhou Shaliang!
Back in his days with the Alliance, Wang Chong had heard that several brothers were incorrigible lechers, forever huddling together to chat about courtesans and pleasure quarters, even about how beautiful the women White Chrysanthemum had "plucked" were and what they tasted like—a good deal of unwholesome talk. Yet never had he imagined that Zhou Shaliang, of all people, would take a turn playing the lecher.
They knew each other all too well, and he naturally did not want to be seen by this man. Otherwise, what would he do—let him go, or silence him? Either was an impossible choice.
Sun Mingke nearly blurted out their names, but once Wang Chong announced the names Pink Chrysanthemum and Black Chrysanthemum, he blinked, caught on, and asked in a low voice, "The Chrysanthemum-Killing Alliance?"
Wang Chong nodded. Sun Mingke flew into a rage and roared, "Lecher! You are a disgrace to humankind!"
"Keep it down," Wang Chong reminded him.
Just as Sun Mingke was about to ask why, Zhou Shaliang was already bellowing wildly: "Brothers, come swiftly to my aid! White Chrysanthemum is here!"
Wang Chong pressed a hand to his forehead. "Guess: when the Alliance's men arrive, will they believe him, or believe you and me?"
Sun Mingke truly had no jianghu experience, and neither did Wang Chong—but he did have a rich store of experience in being human. Mm, and in not being human, for that matter; though all of that side of it was just armchair strategizing done online, at least it was the genuine article.
Wang Chong pulled at Sun Mingke. "We finish this fast, then take the person and pull out first." Not daring to use Wudang arts either, he roused the Nine-Headed Dragon King Aspect, swept a good several zhang in one bound, and brought his palm slapping down.
Caught unprepared, Zhou Shaliang hastily flung the person in his arms at him. Wang Chong turned a somersault over the top of the sack and kicked back with a foot—only to find what lay underfoot remarkably springy, firm and perky besides. But there was no time for reverie; channeling force through his foot, he kicked the sack toward Sun Mingke and shouted, "Take the person and go!"
Sun Mingke was quick-witted enough to know he had blundered. Clutching the person, he threw himself into a headlong run on his lightness skill. Then came the whoosh of fierce wind at his back: the two traded a dozen or more moves, and then all fell silent. Curiosity got the better of him; he whipped his head around—and there was Wang Chong with the man over his shoulder, chasing after him on his lightness skill.
From within Pengshan County there rose a sudden long whistle, the whistler's internal force deep and mighty, ferociously powerful. Sun Mingke was still straining to look when Wang Chong caught up, shoved him along, and said, "Move! That's Qin Han."
A moment later a second long whistle soared into the air, clear and ringing. Wang Chong chuckled. "That's Fang Jingru, of the Way of the Celestial Masters—a master of the Wind-Thunder Dharma Fan divine art."
Only then did Sun Mingke remember that Wang Chong too was a man of the Chrysanthemum-Killing Alliance. He meant to ask, but knew this was no time. The two sprinted dozens of li; though a dozen-odd people behind them sent whistle after whistle into the air, no one ever caught up. Only then did Sun Mingke venture, "Wang—" Before he could finish, Wang Chong chopped a palm at him, crying, "Call me Pink Chrysanthemum."
Sun Mingke steeled himself and met the palm, felt how deep Wang Chong's palm force was, took a small step back, and answered, "Big Brother Pink Chrysanthemum—what do we do now?"
Wang Chong thought to himself, "And how would I know what to do?"
Seeing a fairly secluded cave not far off, he sped inside with the others.
Sun Mingke came in carrying his burden too. At a glance from Wang Chong he hurriedly undid the sack, revealing a delicate, pretty young girl, her face streaked all over with tears—and, remarkably, an acquaintance: Nan Xinlan.
With matters at this pass, Wang Chong could guess the gist without asking. Zhou Shaliang must have reckoned that since Nan Xinlan had been ruined by White Chrysanthemum anyway, her reputation was damaged already; he could have his fun, get his jollies, and afterward a few threats would suffice—the girl would never dare breathe a word. If she proved meek and stayed silent, he might even dare push her out to share among his brothers, claiming the girl was lewd and loose of her own accord. And if she would not submit, he would not shrink from violating her first and killing her after; whatever happened, he need only shove it onto White Chrysanthemum, and who would dare suspect young master Zhou? The brothers of the Chrysanthemum-Killing Alliance were hardly ones to stand idly by.
Wang Chong released the acupoint that sealed Zhou Shaliang's voice and laid the steel saber across his throat. "How much will you pay to make this go away?"
Zhou Shaliang had been sick with dread, fully expecting to die; at these words he brightened at once and said, "I'll put up two thousand guan!"
Wang Chong sighed. "And you—why stoop to such a thing?"
At that tone, Zhou Shaliang thought, A brother of the Alliance, sure enough. His panic left him on the spot, and he said with a smile, "The concubines at home, the women of the pleasure quarters—what thrill do they hold beside a jianghu woman like this? Besides, her name is ruined already; sooner or later she'll take holy orders or end her own life. Far better to hand her over for us brothers to enjoy."
Wang Chong asked a few more questions, then asked no more. But Sun Mingke's mind was crystal clear: Wang Chong had not killed the man at the start, had taken him alive, and had deliberately baited Zhou Shaliang into confessing with his own mouth his lecherous designs on Nan Xinlan—all of it said for Sun Mingke's ears. He drew the long sword at his waist and ran Zhou Shaliang through with a single thrust. "Big Brother Pink Chrysanthemum, you and I are in the same boat now."
Wang Chong laughed. "We'll make one more trip back to Pengshan County, set her free, and the whole affair will be smoothed over."
He pointed with his hand. "It isn't proper for a man and a woman to touch—Black Chrysanthemum, little brother, you carry her."
Sun Mingke said tartly, "So this is how you shaft your little brother?" But he hoisted Nan Xinlan onto his shoulder and bore her without real complaint. He knew that had Wang Chong not made his preparations in advance—covering their faces, swapping their martial arts, inventing names—the two of them might well have been exposed, and who knew what a snarl of entanglements this affair would have dragged up. The girl, after all, could not be killed. In his heart he was deeply grateful; he grumbled with his mouth only, and in what he actually did there was no complaint at all.
Nan Xinlan never made a sound from start to finish; only her tears fell and fell, until Sun Mingke's shoulder was soaked through.
…Zhou Shaliang: The one who killed me was…
…Qin Han, Fang Jingru: The lecher runs rampant—he dares kill one of our brothers…
…White Chrysanthemum: For no reason at all, another life charged to my name…
…Wang Chong: This time it's the "genuine White Chrysanthemum"…
…Nan Xinlan: Change production crews—this lady wants a change of production crews!…
Chapter 39