Sword Among Us c1-1268

by Black Swordsman Online

  [I'm currently not paying much attention to the Prophet. My attention is only on myself, Blood Alliance, and Class One Hall.]

  Happy was worried that Wandering Know-it-all would discuss this with him, and at that time, he would be making mistakes left, right, and center. It would be bad if they ended up souring their relationship.

  Wandering Know-it-all replied, [Alright, we won't talk about the Prophet. I've long since known that you aren't on good terms with Blood Alliance, and Class One Hall. This time, you helped my disciple, Wind Chimes. I originally wanted to have you just send her to Suzhou and hand her to my people, but now, I suddenly want to make a deal with you.]

  [That depends on what sort of deal we're talking about.]

  [You know as well as I do that once a person dies, the Killer Star effect on him will also disappear naturally. Just now, I've already found out where the three Wild Wolves reside in the Chinese server. They're in Gusu City.

  [I know that this is very rude of me, but while I am familiar with the sects in Suzhou, I also know that Wild Wolves have a lot of Illusion Life and Death Pills with them. If we force those Wild Wolves to a corner, even if those sects lose thousands of people, they might not be able to kill those people. That's why I'm thinking of having you help me kill them.]

  When he saw the words on the letter, Happy could not help but laugh while he sat at the front of the bamboo raft. [No matter what, I am Wind Chimes' savior, and now, you're hiring me to kill someone? It's not very appropriate to ask someone who saved someone else to kill, is it? Just now, I can be considered to have helped her because I saw injustice on the road while I traveled, but now, I'll be taking the initiative to go find them. I'm worried that I'll be ambushed by Wild Wolves while traveling about in the future.]

  [You have me, Wind Assault Tower, and One Emperor in the Chinese server. As long as we're here, Wild Wolves won't dare to expand their forces in our land brazenly and fearlessly. They also won't dare to readily step foot into the Chinese server.]

  [But your disciple just told me that Wild Wolves might be working with Blood Alliance and Class One Hall.]

  [That's why I sought for your cooperation.]

  After exchanging a whole load of nonsense, Wandering Know-it-all finally revealed his intentions.

  [It's not impossible for me to work with you, but what benefits do I get? As an ally, I should get some benefits, right?]

  [What benefits do you want to get? As long as I can help you with it, you can ask it of me.] Wandering Know-it-all's blank check caused Happy to be speechless.

  Then, he came to a swift realization.

  Wandering Know-it-all might be completely enraged by Wild Wolves now, and both were like oil and water, to the point that their hostility had already reached a very dangerous degree. Right now, Wandering Know-it-all was in a hurry to find a capable ally, which was why he could be so bold and uncaring about his offer.

  After thinking about it for a moment, Happy replied in his letter, [I was waiting for those words. You can ask me to fight against Wild Wolves, but now, my main targets are still Blood Alliance and Class One Hall. I need to know some of the major events and operations Blood Alliance and Class One Hall host, along with the places Dream Clouds, Blood Robes, as well as their higher ups frequent.]

  Wind Chimes watched the messenger pigeons fly back and forth while she sat at the back of the raft, and she felt she was almost dazzled. She had never noticed that her master was such a chatterbox.

  After resting for more than an hour at the bamboo raft, her body had already recovered. Her Sky Demon Zither was placed horizontally on her knees. While the raft sailed over the sparkling lake that was filled with a poetic scenery, she wanted to play her zither, but she was worried that would interrupt Happy. Yet when she wanted to talk to someone, no one talked to her.

  When she finally found someone to talk to her, that person ended being the ferryman who was over fifty.

  "Young master, the port is ahead of us. If you take the government-made road from the port, you'll be able to reach Gusu City soon."

  *****

  They traveled by water for one hour, then another hour by road before they finally reached Gusu City.

  When he reached Gusu City once more, he walked into the city through the old city gate, and he saw the familiar streets displayed within his field of vision, and Happy felt a somber feeling settle in him, which was something rarely seen of him. A sting burned his eyes, and he sighed in melancholy.

  Happy then stopped in front of a grand manor subconsciously.

  As he stared at the familiar steps, plate, and the people at the door, Happy heaved a long sigh.

  "Hey, are you alright?" Wind Chimes' voice rose from his side and broke the sentimental feelings in Happy.

  He shook his head slightly but said nothing.

  This was the Murong Clan, Gusu City's aristocratic clan, and a clan that no one in the game did not know about.

  Even though he was a Shaolin Temple disciple in this world, he was a Murong Clan disciple in the other world for one and a half years, and he already had deep feelings for the Murong Clan.

  Right now, the Murong Clan still occupied a prominent position in Gusu City, but while the building was the same, the people inside were different. When he stood outside the gate, he felt old, like an old man who had youth right in front of him, but could not get it no matter what.

  "Let's go."

  Happy had just come here because of a sentimental wave had randomly settled in him, which led to his heart pounding for some weird reason. He did not think about going inside to look. He cast a glance at Wind Chimes and walked forward.

  But at that moment, steady footsteps rose from within the Murong Mansion.

  "Madam Wang, please come often in the future. Our lady has not returned from her trip just yet, and we truly apologize. Once she comes back, she will surely personally go to Mantuo Villa to visit you."

  "Elder Huang, you speak too seriously. I will see myself out now."

  By pure coincidence, Happy stopped and turned around.

  Then, he saw a group of people walk just in time out of the Murong Clan's gates, and he was also just in time to see a petite figure sit on the sedan chair outside the mansion.

  Chapter 969 - Madam Wang

  Madam Wang!

  Even though he had only seen her briefly, Happy's ability in remembering things after seeing it only once was very strong. Besides, it was precisely because he was fortunate enough to have seen Madam Wang's portrait before that he was able to recognize that the person sat on the sedan chair was the mistress of Mantuo Villa, Wang Yuyan's mother—Madam Wang.

  He actually managed to see Mantuo Villa's Madam Wang at the Murong Mansion!

  Even though Mantuo Villa was at Lake Tai, it had relations with the Murong Clan. However, this was the first time Happy saw Madam Wang visiting the Murong Clan, and he could not help but be shocked. He stood where he was and saw the maidservant attending to Madam Wang ordering the sedan bearers to start moving.

  Even though Mantuo Villa was just a small place Madam Wang set up out of boredom and could not be considered a force of power in the world of martial arts, it had quite the impressive framework. When she moved around, she was always surrounded by escorts. No one knew whether this was a habit caused by Duan Zhengguo spoiling her.

  Happy stood by the side. He watched with a smile on his face for only a moment before he lost his interest in the matter, but he did observe Uncle Rong, who came out to send her off. There was great sentimentality and a lot of other emotions in his eyes.

  "Stop!" When Madam Wang's honor guards passed by Happy, a clear, charming, but still imposing voice suddenly rose from the sedan. The maidservant serving her by the side quickly went close to her, and her voice was clear when she spoke.

  "Madam."

  "Go and ask that young man by the side. Does he have something that belongs to Mantuo Villa?" A small gap was opened through the window of the sedan, and Madam Wang ordered
from inside.

  There were not a lot of people by the side of the road. The sedan stopped coincidentally right beside Happy and Wind Chimes. When the maidservant heard this, she turned around, and her beautiful eyes landed on Happy. "Young sir, my lady asked you whether you have anything from Mantuo Villa. We have always placed orange jessamine on the important items of Mantuo Villa, and the scent will not disappear even after a long time has passed. If you have it, please return it to us."

  "Oh?"

  Happy was stunned, but Wind Chimes put on a dumbfounded expression before she blurted out. "Mantuo Villa's item? Could it be Langhuan Blessed Ground…"

  Madam Wang's maidservant sounded as if she did not hear Wind Chimes. She just stared at Happy without blinking and said once more, "Please return the item to us, young sir."

  "Return?" Happy finally reacted to it.

  'She should be talking about the picture.' With that thought in mind, he immediately brought out the portrait from his Universe Bag.

  At that moment, Happy keenly noticed that the heartbeat of the person in the sedan increased by a large degree. She drew the curtains open a lot more, and Madam Wang could not help but reveal her face. She took the initiative to speak, "Young sir, that portrait is a work of art from a friend of mine when I was young, and the person drawn on it is indeed me. If you are willing to return it to me, I will be eternally grateful."

  But unfortunately, since she ran into Happy, who was someone who loved thinking and delving deep into things, he naturally found quite a lot of flaws to her words.

  'If it's really just a portrait drawn when she's young, did her friend really just draw one portrait?

  'Also… Before I even opened it, she already knew what was inside the portrait!

  'The maidservant also mentioned that all valuable items from Mantuo Villa will be covered in orange jessamine so that it will be easy for them to locate it if it's lost.

  'Based on this, I can say that Madam Wang regards this portrait with great importance, but how did she know that such a normal portrait will be coveted and lost?

  'That doesn't make sense.

  'The only explanation about it is that there is a secret in it!'

  Besides, right from the beginning, Happy never thought that a portrait hanging in the treasure house of Mountain Villa of Ten Thousand Beasts could be just a normal portrait. In fact, he went south this time because he wanted to search for Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan, and his goal for it was to discover the secret behind it.

  But now, since Madam Wang stopped him, by the looks of it, the secret within this portrait was not as simple as he thought it to be.

  And there were also some who would not be willing to hand over the quest item so frankly, just like Happy right now.

  If he truly acted like what Madam Wang said and handed over the portrait, perhaps Madam Wang will casually give him a few ten thousand taels of silver, treating it as his service fee for going to Mountain Villa of Ten Thousand Beasts. Naturally, Happy will not easily hand over the item in his hands.

  Happy said, "Madam Wang, there is something off about your words. This portrait is a spoil of war I obtained after risking my life at Mountain Villa of Ten Thousand Beasts. It is a valuable item belonging to that legendary barbaric merchant. Don't you think you're speaking a little too heedlessly by requesting to take it from me with just one sentence?"

  "Mountain Villa of Ten Thousand Beasts?" Madam Wang's face turned a little paler, and she seemed to be a little unnerved. "Why would it be connected to Mountain Villa of Ten Thousand Beasts? They actually hung this portrait over there?"

  When she said this, she seemed to have suddenly thought of something and quickly recovered. "Young sir, this is but a portrait you hang on a wall. The barbaric portrait must have hung it in his villa because he found it pleasing to the eyes. Even if it's a valuable item, there must be a price to it. I will buy the portrait for two hundred thousand taels of silver. Would you accept this deal?'

  "I will naturally not bother if it is a portrait placed in a normal room. I will not even mind gifting it to you. But aside from this portrait, that room contains many of the ultimate techniques in the current world of martial arts. I am also a martial artist, and this portrait is very lively as well as charming. It seems to contain a hidden secret. No matter how I look at it, it isn't an ordinary item. Madam Wang, please do not bully me just because I am young and imm.a.t.u.r.e."

  Wind Chimes found herself too embarrassed to even look at Madam Wang and her maidservant as she listened to Happy's words by his side. She just thought about how much Happy was acting like a real scoundrel right now.

  'You sure know how to weave your tales, huh?'

  But Madam Wang's reaction was a little against her expectations.

  Her expression changed a few times. "What do I have to do to make you willing to return the portrait to me."

  "Naturally, I would like it if you are willing to help me uncover the secret behind the portrait, or else, if you humor me with just normal excuses, you might not be able to get this portrait."

  When he noticed the change of emotion in Madam Wang, Happy was already certain at that moment that Madam Wang was in a hurry to get the portrait, and the secret within it was definitely not simple.

  Also, Wind Chimes' act of mentioning Langhuan Blessed Ground also reminded him that perhaps this portrait was related to that place.

  "This isn't a place to speak. Young sir, I wonder if you're willing to come with me to Mantuo Villa. At that time, I will tell you everything in detail," Madam Wang said with a complicated expression.

  "I'm not free today." Happy refused straightaway.

  "You…" Madam Wang did not say anything, but the maidservant beside her became angry. She glared at Happy.

  Happy just smiled. "I'm indeed not free today. Madam Wang, if you're not in a hurry today, I will definitely come and visit you at Mantuo Villa."

  "Alright!" Madam Wang agreed to it. "I will give you three days' time. Once that time passes, I will pretend as if I never saw you today and never saw the portrait in your hands. After all, all this no longer belongs to me since many years ago."

  She smiled in anguish and with a dejected look on her face before she let the curtains fall.

  "Did you receive any notification about a quest?" Wind Chimes cast the man beside her a glance. When she saw him grinning happily, she could not help but roll her eyes at him. "I didn't expect that you managed to get a plot-related quest just like this… This quest should be a time-limited hidden quest. It won't be a low-level quest, and you might even get a martial art manual."

  "Heheh." Happy giggled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing to Wind Chimes' words. The person who gave him the quest was Mantuo Villa's Madam Wang. When he connected this to Wang Yuyan's abilities, it was not difficult for him to guess that the reward Madam Wang will give him for the completion of the quest was definitely a martial art manual, and there was a high chance that it was an ultimate technique!

  "Let's not talk about that. I haven't completed the task your master asked of me. We can't let those Wild Wolves escape. Do you want to search for a place to hide, or…?" Happy changed the topic.

  When she heard this, Wind Chimes finally looked serious. Her gaze darkened. "No can do. I'll go with you.

  "Those three Wild Wolves will attack together, and you can't underestimate them. You'll find it a struggle to fight against them alone. I've already recovered right now, anyway, so I can lend you a hand."

  Once she said this, Wind Chimes' tone gradually turned cold, and the killing intent in her eyes was very clear.

  Happy said nothing, but he sighed in his heart.

  The Wind Chimes in this world only had a godly diviner who would not fight against anyone as her master. She did not have anyone else she can trust or rely on. Her fight against Wild Wolves was already unusual in and of itself. By the looks of it, her personality had already been toughened up to the point that it was completely different from the other Wind Chimes. In fa
ct, she had even wanted to use words to instigate Happy so that he would fight against Wild Wolves because of their relationship with Blood Alliance and Class One Hall.

  This Wind Chimes was a person with her own opinions.

  Happy said, "No. Your master has already said that they don't have a lack of Illusion Life and Death Pills. Their goal of coming to the Chinese server is to kill you. Even though they failed because of me, they might not have given up. What if they have a backup plan? If anything happens to you, Wild Wolves will still be considered to have completed their mission. At that time, what am I supposed to tell your master?"

  Once he finished speaking, he said with a tone that allowed no questioning, "Later, you're not allowed to go anywhere. Just stay in the restaurant in the city and wait for me."

  "Of course I know that their target is me, but you're fighting alone. Can you do it?" Wind Chimes stared at him dubiously and asked.

  After all, his opponents were Wild Wolves, and they were currently the greatest and most mysterious underground force of power in the world. They were the kings of the underground.

  Even she had used a forbidden technique before she could kill two of Wild Wolves' elites, and the price she paid was that Wild Wolves had nearly achieved their goal!

  "Don't worry." When he heard this, Happy smiled in an unconcerned manner. "If I have fought against all three of them head on, I will indeed not be confident in winning. Each of their strength is stronger than the three Blood Alliance elders I killed, but with your master helping me, they won't know that I've appeared in Gusu City, and things are much simpler now. Hah!"

  Indeed. Ten True Dragon Styles was in itself an ultimate technique that allowed him to seize the initiative, control the enemy, and create a fatal threat to the enemy. In the past, when Happy was in a very passive and defensive position, he would use this ultimate technique, and he could turn the tables around.

  Right now, he would appear beside his enemy like an invisible man, and while the enemy was completely defenseless, he would suddenly attack.