Chapter 45: Truth and Lies
In the blink of an eye, the once composed and calculating Ge Jingchun now lay sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, his face ashen and lifeless.
There was nothing left for him to do—no escape, no hope. All that remained was to close his eyes and wait for death.
He turned his gaze toward the direction of the voice but could not see the man's face. Chu Qing wore a mask.
"Who… who are you?" Ge Jingchun's voice trembled uncontrollably.
His agony far surpassed Mei Qianluo's.
His arm had been torn clean off at the shoulder, both feet severed neatly at the ankles.
The stranger's blade was swift, venomous, and merciless—each stroke distinct in its precision.
But even after combing through every renowned blade master he knew, Ge Jingchun could not think of a single person who matched this man's terrifying skill.
"A kind passerby," Chu Qing said lightly.
"Seeing the likes of you—chasing an innocent girl, killing to silence witnesses—well, I couldn't stand by and watch. Thought I'd step in and do what's right."
"…"
Ge Jingchun almost laughed. Nonsense. Not a single word rang true.
He managed a bitter smile. "Forget it… give me a clean death."
There was no point clinging to life now. Even if this man spared him, his injuries were fatal.
Better to die quickly by the blade than suffer a slow, helpless end.
But Chu Qing shook his head. "Not yet. I have a few questions."
His tone turned faintly curious. "Has the Divine Sand Gang already submitted to Ten Thousand Nights Valley?"
A cold gleam flashed in Ge Jingchun's eyes. "Them? Not worthy."
"So, it's cooperation, then?"
Chu Qing seemed to think aloud. "Tell me—what's your purpose here in Tianwu City? How did you get in?
"Even with lax city defenses, it's not so simple for figures of your level to slip in unnoticed.
"Is your gang leader, Cheng Sihai, in Tianwu City right now?"
Ge Jingchun stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly spoke.
"We entered Tianwu City with help from the Luoyu Hall.
"Used their secret tunnels to sneak in."
His tone grew sharp. "You guessed right—we are in alliance.
"Our plan is simple: an assault from within and without. Once Tianwu City falls, its power will be split in half—half to the Divine Sand Gang, half to Ten Thousand Nights Valley!"
He paused, then sneered faintly.
"But if the Gang Leader were truly in Tianwu City, do you think he'd let you run wild here?
"Tonight—you will die without question!"
Just as his words fell, a weak voice came from the corner.
"He's lying… Cheng Sihai is in Tianwu City!"
Ge Jingchun's face darkened instantly.
Lies often needed a thread of truth—seven parts real, three parts false.
By mentioning Luoyu Hall and the secret tunnels, he'd already revealed enough to sound convincing. His true intent was only to conceal the Gang Leader's whereabouts.
But before Chu Qing could even respond, Xia Wanshuang had shattered the deception completely.
At that moment, of all his regrets tonight, Ge Jingchun's greatest was that he hadn't crushed her throat the instant Mei Qianluo brought her in.
He had believed that her life and death were already within his grasp.
He had even thought to use her as bait to draw Chu Qing out—yet to his shock, Chu Qing's strength was far beyond what he had imagined.
He succeeded, and he failed.
He succeeded in luring Chu Qing into the open, but that success led directly to Mei Qianluo's head being severed by Chu Qing's blade.
Later, when he faced Chu Qing himself, he was ambushed by Xia Wanshuang, ending in utter defeat.
If Xia Wanshuang had died earlier, would his fate have been any different?
He had no answer to that question.
He had never seen through Chu Qing's martial arts at all.
That man walked out of the mist, and his abilities remained shrouded within it—immensely powerful, yet never confronting his enemies head-on.
Instead, he relied on traps, ambushes, and deception.
But judging by his blade alone, this man was no ordinary fighter. In a true life-and-death battle, it was impossible to say who would emerge alive.
This was not surprising, for as a killer, Chu Qing followed a path unlike those self-righteous heroes of the martial world.
They disdained ambushes and prized open combat.
But what assassin cared for honor?
Unless one's martial skill could one day crush the world, one must always strike first, seizing every advantage possible.
And even if no advantage existed, one must create it.
That was the fundamental creed of a killer.
Chu Qing silently glanced at Ge Jingchun, then shifted his gaze toward Xia Wanshuang.
"How did you know that Cheng Sihai was in Tianwu City?"
"The Divine Sand Gang wiped out my entire family," Xia Wanshuang said quietly. "Since mastering my arts, I have lived for nothing else but to see Cheng Sihai and his traitorous men slain."
"I have long hidden in the shadows beyond the gang's territory, watching their every move.
"That's how I knew—Cheng Sihai, Ge Jingchun, Mei Qianluo, and the Four Protectors of the Divine Sand Gang all left together for Tianwu City."
Her breathing grew shallow; she paused for a moment, then continued, "He spoke truth about entering the city through a secret passage—I saw it with my own eyes.
"They arrived at a forest where someone awaited them and led them into the tunnel. I dared not follow, but I recognized the man who received them—it was Tang Xi, the young master of the Falling Rain Hall.
"I waited outside for days and never saw them return, so I entered the city myself.
"After some searching, I discovered the residences of Ge Jingchun and Mei Qianluo.
"Unfortunately, Cheng Sihai concealed himself too deeply—I could not find him."
Chu Qing nodded slightly, then turned toward Ge Jingchun.
"You see? Her story sounds far more convincing than yours.
"So why don't you tell me again—where exactly is Cheng Sihai now?"
Ge Jingchun looked utterly drained, staring at Chu Qing with lifeless eyes.
"I truly do not know where the gang leader is," he said weakly.
"So, you refuse to cooperate."
Chu Qing sighed softly and tapped several of his acupoints to slow the bleeding.
Then he turned toward Mei Qianluo's corpse and began searching through it.
As the Third Master of the Divine Sand Gang, he carried far greater wealth than most—silver notes exceeding a hundred taels, a pouch filled with gold and silver, heavy and full.
In addition, there were three small porcelain bottles.
What lay inside was uncertain.
This man was skilled with hidden weapons and clearly had knowledge of poisons, but which of these bottles could cure Wen Rou's toxin was impossible to tell.
While Chu Qing worked, he noticed Xia Wanshuang's steady gaze fixed on him.
After some thought, he took a small piece of gold from Mei Qianluo's pouch and tossed it to her.
"A share for the witness."
"…"
Her expression shifted slightly, but after a pause she asked instead,
"What do you want with Cheng Sihai?"
(End of Chapter)
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