Stranger Danger

Chapter 107: Another Conspiracy

“Now this, is what I call a mighty coincidence.”

Ling Jianqiu had taken Ye Qing to the secret archive and left him to his own devices after wrangling a promise out of him. A bit of searching later, he actually found a file that spoke of a location that seemed to contain the Burning Wind. It was said that there was a valley to the south of a mountain called Seenorth Mountain in Anyang. Beset by a deadly wind all year long, the valley was like a red hot furnace where no life could possibly survive. It was practically a land of extinction by all accounts. It was because the wind was so hot it felt like fire. It was also why the wind was called the Fire Wind, and the valley was named the Firewind Valley.

From what he could tell, the Fire Wind shared many characteristics with the Burning Wind. The only thing that was truly different ws the name. Therefore, he had good reason to believe that it was the astral qi he was looking for.

The real coincidence, however, was the fact that Jade Spring Village was also located in Seenorth Mountain. In fact, it was just a few kilometers away from Firewind Valley. This meant that the investigation and his objective were actually not in conflict with each other. In fact, he most likely could achieve both at the same time.

Sometimes, you could have the best of both worlds.

Ye Qing did not dilly-dally after obtaining the information he needed. He left after speaking with Ling Jianqiu and bidding him goodbye.

……

It was a calm, peaceful night until a gust of wind broke the silence.

“Who goes there?”

In his bedroom, Xiao Yang suddenly opened his eyes and raised a finger. Lightning crackled inside the room as a beam of deadly heat and power shot toward the exit.

The beam looked small and unassuming, but the bedroom suddenly heated up like someone had ignited the air. Vapor filled the whole room in just the blink of an eye, but none of the fragile items such as the curtains, the furniture and more were affected in the slightest. It was clear that he possessed as much finesse as he had power.

The powerful attack did not cause even a ripple after it flew outside, however. It was almost as if it had disappeared into a sea of darkness.

“Please restrain yourself. I come in peace.”

A voice blew in with the wind. It was androgynous, so Xiao Yang could not tell if the uninvited stranger was male or female.

“Heh. Says the thief who tried to sneak into my house at midnight!” Xiao Yang sneered, but he did not follow up on his attack after sensing no retaliation from the unknown stranger.

“I came at midnight because it’s the best time to talk business,” The mysterious person outside his room replied, “and I haven’t come tonight to steal from you. I’ve come to help you.”

“Help me?” Xiao Yang smirked as if he had heard a joke. “And why would I need your help?”

The mysterious person didn’t take offense at Xiao Yang’s taunt. They replied, “I can help you kill Ye Qing!”

“How did you know that!?”

If Xiao Yang was wary but perfectly calm before, now he was like a man whose deepest secrets had been exposed under the sun. He abruptly sat up and emitted a golden light that illuminated the entire house [1] like the sun. However, the space just outside his bedroom remained shrouded in a fog of impenetrable darkness.

“Does it matter who I am? What matters is that we share the same goal. Just like you, I would love to see Ye Qing dead!” The mysterious voice declared.

Xiao Yang didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and continuously increased his power. His eyes burned like a pair of golden suns as a terrifying pressure enveloped the entire house.

A long time later, when his light still couldn’t dispel the darkness outside, Xiao Yang abruptly smiled and withdrew his aura. “You’re right. The enemy of my enemy is my friend! So tell me, how are you planning to kill Ye Qing? And before you say anything, I won’t help you unless your plan is foolproof!”

“But of course!” The mysterious person replied as if they knew Xiao Yang would agree. “Ye Qing’s background is unknown, but he is an exceptionally powerful warrior as unpredictable as he is alert. The only way to deal with him is to kill him in one strike, or he’ll bring fire and brimstone upon all of his enemies.”

“This might sound offensive, but not even an Astral Refiner like you has a one hundred percent chance to kill him!”

You don’t say! Xiao Yang scoffed mentally. Ye Qing would be long dead if I was sure I could kill him!

“That said, even an elephant may fall to a horde of ants. If one man isn’t enough, what about several others!” The mysterious person continued.

“Is this what you meant when you offered to help me?” Xiao Yang raised an eyebrow. He could tell from his earlier test that the mysterious person was quite powerful. If they joined hands, there was definitely a high chance they would be able to kill Ye Qing.

But to his surprise, the mysterious person said, “I will be joining you, but just the two of us are not enough to guarantee success! We need more people to ensure that there is no chance Ye Qing could turn the tables on us!”

“Who else do you intend to recruit?” Xiao Yang asked curiously.

.

The mysterious person answered right away, “The Li Clan and the Shen Clan!”

“And why would they agree to help us?”

“Because they’re not helping us. They’re just helping themselves!”

“If the Li Clan and the Shen Clan are the local snakes, then Ye Qing is the outsider dragon no one asked for. Not only did he kill Yan Tieyi and take over the Iron Shirt Gang, he also killed Zheng Feng and devoured the Zheng Clan as well. The teeth feel cold without the lips, and Li Yuankang and Shen Xian have been wary of him for a while now.”

“On top of that, the Iron Shirt Gang managed to earn the government’s favor and became far more powerful than they used to be, which only served to deepen their suspicions even more. They’re both afraid that Ye Qing would abuse the connection to devour both the Shen Clan and the Li Clan and become the top dog in Anyang.”

“To say that they want Ye Qing dead would be an understatement. They’re a pile of dry wood just waiting to be set on fire!”

The mysterious person paused for a second before continuing, “You would be the spark in my plan. All you need to do is to treat them to the carrot and the stick, and they should cooperate with us!”

“Heh. Why me and not you?” Xiao Yang knew the carrot and the stick entailed, of course. The carrot was the chance to take out their greatest rival and take over the Iron Shirt Gang. They didn’t need to worry about the repercussions either since he, a Patrolman of Luo Shui, would take care of that.

The stick was what would happen to them if they refused. He was a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau, a powerful Vessel Augmentor and a disciple of Sunset Hill. Anyone of these identities was enough to make them regret ever crossing him, much less all three of them together. To put it simply, their fates were sealed from the moment the mysterious person had? mentioned their names.

The mysterious person answered matter-of-factly, “You’re a Patrolman and a disciple of Sunset Hill. You are easily the best person for this role!”

Xiao Yang shrugged. That was one point he couldn’t refute. He asked, “By the way, you wanted to invite the Shen Clan and the Li Clan not just because they’re useful and motivated, am I right?”

“Yes. Ye Qing is very close with the magistrate of Anyang, Yan Yufei and the Chief of Bureau, Ling Jianqiu. His background is unknown, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he hails from a powerful clan or something. Someone has to carry the blame, and there is no one better than Li Yuankang and Shen Xian!”

The mysterious person’s voice was gentle and kind, but Xiao Yang felt a chill when he heard this.

“Hahaha… that’s a great plan!” He let out a dry laugh. It wasn’t that he pitied the two patriarchs—he would’ve killed them himself because dead people were the only people that could keep a secret—but the way the mysterious person put it made him feel like they were like donkeys. The moment they were done pulling the mill, they would be slaughtered and cooked for dinner.

“I admit that your plan is viable, but even with the Li Clan and the Shen Clan’s help, it’s still going to be difficult to take out Ye Qing in Anyang!” Xiao Yang voiced another concern. Anyang was guarded by powerful warriors like Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei, and Ye Qing was good friends with them. If they made a mistake, the two men might be alerted to the assassination attempt and come to Ye Qing’s rescue. It would be all for naught then.

“It won’t be possible to assassinate Ye Qing in Anyang, and I wasn’t planning to. We’ll do it when he’s outside the county!” The mysterious person answered.

“Outside? But why would he go outside?” Xiao Yang looked confused.

The mysterious person chuckled. “Ye Qing will be heading to Jade Spring Village to carry out a mass disappearance investigation tomorrow. That will be our best opportunity to kill him!”

“What? I’m a Patrolman of Luo Shui, and even I wasn’t told about this incident. How on earth did you know that?” Xiao Yang’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Are you a member of the Pacification Bureau as well, or do you have a plant in the Anyang headquarters?”

The voice turned cold and dangerous. “You do not need to know my identity, and you definitely shouldn’t try to puzzle it out. I know about you far more than you know about me. If you work with me, then all is well. If not, then I promise you that you won’t like the outcome!”

“Hahaha. Don’t be mad, brother. I’m just speculating is all! I won’t bring it up again, so relax, will you!” Xiao Yang laughed. “You have a deal. I hope for a good cooperation between us.”

“Me too!”

The mysterious person had just finished speaking when Xiao Yang suddenly disappeared from his bed. He appeared outside his room in the blink of an eye, but he couldn’t see anyone or anything. All there was left in the room was the echoes of the mysterious voice.

“Not bad…” The corners of Xiao Yang’s lips curled into an sinister, ruthless smile.

“Ye Qing will die. Li Yuankang and Shen Xian will die. You will die by my hands as well…”

“Hehehe…”

……

“What are you doing here, Brother Xiao Yang?”

The next morning, Ye Qing left the county as soon as the morning gongs rang. However, he ran into Xiao Yang as soon as he left the gates.

“I was waiting for you, duh!” Xiao Yang replied matter-of-factly.

“Okay. For what?”

“To help you with your investigation, of course!”

“What?” Ye Qing exclaimed in surprise, “Are you accompanying me on my investigation of Jade Spring Village?”

“Got it in one!” Xiao Yang nodded with a wide grin on his face.

Ye Qing asked suspiciously, “But how did you know about this?”

Xiao Yang smiled. “Don’t look down on me! I’m a Patrolman of Luo Shui, you know? As the overseer of all big or small matters happening in the nine counties under Luo Shui, of course I would know about such things.”

“I was curious about the incident to begin with, and when I heard that Chief Ling had sent you to investigate this incident, I thought that I might as well come with you! Two heads are better than one, am I right?”

Ye Qing was suspicious of Xiao Yang’s intentions at first, but his reply was so forthright that he couldn’t help but wonder if he was just being paranoid. So, he replied, “You’re right. I’ll be counting on you then, Brother Xiao Yang!”

“You’re welcome! Let’s go!” Xiao Yang gave him a sunny smile and a pat on the shoulder. The duo then left Anyang together toward the east.

Jade Spring Village was about two days away from Anyang. Even with Xiao Yang and Ye Qing’s speed, it would take them a day and a night to arrive at their destination. At least the Strangers near Anyang were almost extinct. The duo had not encountered any danger until they left the borders.

“We’re at Coiled Snake Ridge now. Once we’re through, we should arrive at Jade Spring Village in a couple of hours at most!” Ye Qing explained after taking a look at his map and the winding mountain ridge before them.

Xiao Yang stared at the uneven mountain roads and sighed. “Come on. Let’s see if we can get through Coiled Snake Ridge and find a place to stay before it’s dark.”

“Yeah.” Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

Unfortunately, their plan would be interrupted by a cry for help right before they were about to scale the mountains.

1. some houses do not have ceilings 👈

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