The Grand Scheme

"Right now, we actually have quite a few clues in hand," Fang Shuwen said, counting on his fingers. "Number one: the Black Fiend Cult has a major undertaking planned. "Number two: the Young Cult Master of the Black Fiend Cult is named Li Nanchen, and he is the personal eldest disciple of the master of Zhujige Pavilion. "Number three: the Black Fiend Cult has hidden in Guangning City all these years, but now their manpower only amounted to those beneath Qingyang Manor. "Those are the three most important pieces of information. Beyond that, there are plenty of scattered fragments. "For example, if you didn't kill Eldest Young Miss Zhou quickly, an unexpected turn would arise in your so-called grand scheme. "No need to deny this either—the letter found on Black Granny spelled it out in plain black and white." Listening to this, Zhou Qingmei felt a slight stir in her heart. Then Fang Shuwen continued: "I've been thinking—that both Li Nanchen and you became disciples of Zhujige Pavilion was certainly no coincidence. "You wanted to use that identity to accomplish something. "And that something is very likely related to Zhujige Pavilion itself. "Aside from the fact that your public identities are disciples of Zhujige Pavilion... more importantly, there's your reason for wanting to kill Eldest Young Miss Zhou, and how leaving her alive could disrupt this grand scheme. "A simple deduction suggests that Eldest Young Miss Zhou is also deeply entwined with this undertaking of yours. "Yet Eldest Young Miss Zhou cannot be called widely connected. Aside from the Zhou estate in Julu City, her most important tie is Zhujige Pavilion. "In that case, this so-called grand scheme is almost certainly aimed at Zhujige Pavilion! "Furthermore, from how desperately you wanted to kill Eldest Young Miss Zhou, one can also infer that your timing to strike must be very soon." Having said this much, he paused slightly and looked toward Zhang Fang. Zhang Fang remained expressionless. Fang Shuwen paid it no mind. After a brief thought, he said, "Then the outcome can only be one of two things: annihilating Zhujige Pavilion, or... changing its leadership. "Yet the latter is far too difficult—practically impossible, in fact. "So the former is far more likely. "In that case, all the manpower the Black Fiend Cult amassed in Guangning City over the years has probably already arrived at Zhujige Pavilion, hasn't it? "After all, with the personal eldest disciple of the pavilion master acting as an inside man, pulling a few strings to coordinate an attack from inside and outside would make success quite easy. "The only thing worth worrying about was that Zhou Qingmei might recognize his identity and report everything to Zhujige Pavilion. "And that's the primary reason things might go awry with the grand scheme, isn't it?" Throughout Fang Shuwen's discourse, Zhang Fang did not utter a single word. An anxious look had already appeared on Zhou Qingmei's face. When all these pieces were put together, the outline was extraordinarily clear. Li Nanchen's reason for wanting to kill her, the grand scheme the Black Fiend Cult was pursuing, and the danger Zhujige Pavilion likely faced. With everything tying together like this, there was no longer any need for Zhang Fang to say another word. Fang Shuwen's deductions were spot on! "There's just one thing I'm rather curious about, though," Fang Shuwen added. "If everything truly is as I've guessed, what are your plans after destroying Zhujige Pavilion? "Thirty years ago, Zhujige Pavilion could join forces with the other sects to wipe out your Black Fiend Cult once. "Thirty years later, even if you manage to destroy Zhujige Pavilion through such underhanded schemes... how will you deal with everyone else? "Paper cannot wrap fire—especially when it comes to a colossus like Zhujige Pavilion. "Once something goes wrong, it will be hard to conceal what happened from the outside world. "When that time comes and you draw the besieged wrath of every sect in the jianghu, what other trump card could you possibly have?" Zhang Fang let out a sigh. "Where on earth did you crawl out from? "The jianghu has never heard of someone like you... "A pity, though. Even if everything you said is correct, it changes nothing. "From here to Jiuning Mountain takes at least eight days. But in five days, Zhujige Pavilion will be no more. It's already too late for everything. "Come on! Kill me! Give me a quick death!!" "Five days..." Fang Shuwen pondered for a moment, then pressed his index and middle fingers together. The thread was immediately drawn forth by his internal force. Zhang Fang was baffled, only to see Fang Shuwen raise a hand and tap him. A faint prick of pain immediately shot through his chest. He froze in surprise. "What are you..." Before he could finish, dense agony suddenly washed over his entire body. At first, the pain seemed inconsequential, but in the blink of an eye, it turned excruciating! A shrill scream tore from Zhang Fang's mouth. Amidst his howling, blood began surging madly from his seven orifices, and his entire countenance twisted into something grotesque. "Huh?" Fang Shuwen started and hastily withdrew his hand. Zhang Fang was not dead, but like a drowning man suddenly gasping for air, he heaved violently for breath. Then he looked at Fang Shuwen with eyes full of terror. "Y-you... you..." Fang Shuwen looked somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry, sorry. This technique is just something I cobbled together on my own. "Today was the first time I've ever tested it on a living person. "So a few unexpected side effects are only normal. "How about this—don't panic... I'll try again. It might not look so frightening in a bit once I find the right trick to it." Hearing this, Zhang Fang grew even more horrified. "Don't—don't!! "After all... after all, we've killed people side by side; we have some camaraderie, don't we?! "Can't you just give me a quick death?!" "No. I'm curious." Fang Shuwen's reply was plain and simple. Zhang Fang gnashed his teeth and stared at him for a long time before saying helplessly, "I don't know who they really are either... All I know is that our Black Fiend Cult managed to survive back then because of them. "And the scheme against Zhujige Pavilion came from them as well. "Beyond that, I know nothing..." Fang Shuwen looked back at Zhou Qingmei. "I don't think he's telling the truth." Zhou Qingmei, for her part, felt that Fang Shuwen was the one not telling the truth. Zhang Fang ground his teeth. "Every word I said is true! You just want to use me for your experiments again!" Zhou Qingmei nodded secretly to herself; that was what she thought as well. "Was it really that obvious?" Fang Shuwen sighed with a trace of regret. Zhou Qingmei said helplessly, "Stop wasting time on him..." "He belongs to your Zhujige Pavilion. According to your sect rules, how should he be dealt with?" Fang Shuwen asked. Zhou Qingmei cast a glance at Zhang Fang, and the broken sword in her hand struck out abruptly. The snapped blade pierced straight through Zhang Fang's throat. Zhang Fang's face flushed crimson in an instant as blood streamed down from his mouth. Zhou Qingmei's eyes reddened slightly, yet her expression remained fierce. "Rules of Zhujige Pavilion... "Those who slaughter fellow disciples... die! "Those who betray the righteous path... die! "Senior Brother Zhang, have a safe journey to the beyond!" With those words, she withdrew the blade. Watching Zhang Fang's corpse collapse to the ground, she could hardly describe what she felt inside. Yet she saw Fang Shuwen had already retrieved Zhang Fang's longsword, which had been knocked flying earlier. "That broken sword of yours has looked awkward to me for quite a while. Use this one for now." "Zhang Fang's Still Water Sword..." Zhou Qingmei nodded, sheathed her broken sword across her back, took up Zhang Fang's sword, and looked at Fang Shuwen. Fang Shuwen rolled his eyes at her, then offered a hand. "All right, let's go. Since I've helped this far, I might as well see it through to the end. Let's see if we can reach Jiuning Mountain in five days!"