Xiao Bing did not expect Ye Xiaoxi and Liu Kexin to get along so well. He had told Yezi that he and Liu Kexin were just normal friends. But Xiao Bing knew that girls get jealous easily. Xiao Bing was deeply touched when he saw the two talking so amiably.
Liu Kexin was on duty at the hospital so she soon had to leave to begin work. Xiao Bing suggested that Su Xiaoxiao go home too. Then only Xiao Bing and Ye Xiaoxi were left in the ward.
Ye Xiaoxi sat beside Xiao Bing’s bed, pouting. “Alright, your two little lovers are gone. You should have some sleep now.”
Xiao Bing smiled wryly, “What are you talking about little lovers… They are just my friends. You know that.”
“Well. What did Gao Fei tell you in private just now?”
Xiao Bing’s voice became grave. “He wanted to take Maggie away with him. It’s much more serious than I imagined. He and Maggie were certainly not ordinary people.”
At this moment Zhuge Jiangnan was playing chess with the Poisonous Fox. The old man scarcely left home now. Besides playing chess or practicing calligraphy, he was mostly talking to his servants or pupils. Though the Poisonous Fox now sought advice from Xiao Bing, he had not left Shangyang city yet, which was very smart of him. He knew that Lord Long would not make it difficult for Zhuge Jiangnan, so he decided that remaining in the most dangerous place would be the safest place for him. He could also obtain information for Xiao Bing from where he was.
Poisonous Fox had always been with Zhuge Jiangnan, learning the wisdom of schemes from his master, and did nothing else. However, a few days after he had sworn his fealty to Xiao Bing, he made friends with many men who worked for Lord Long. Some of Lord Long’s men were bribed and some became friends with him. He believed that it won’t take long before he could acquire considerable information about Lord Long.
Zhuge Jiangnan was an exceptional chess player who always outwitted his two pupils. After he placed a piece, he raised his head and looked at the Poisonous Fox. “Are you sure that Xiao Bing has a chance of defeating the Long family? You should know that this campaign started by the government will be over soon. By that time Jiang Zihou and Xiao Bing won’t even stand a chance.”
The Poisonous Fox answered placidly, “One cannot decide who the winner is before the last piece is placed. The Black Province is different from the other provinces that have been conquered by Lord Long before. It’s more united with an influential man called Jiang Zihou leading it, and a mysterious man called Xiao Bing defending it. It’s not easy to defeat them. Now given the present situation, Lord Long’s chance of winning is at 60 percent.”
Zhuge Jiangnan asked, “If you were to advise Lord Long, what would you suggest?”
“It’s simple. Send an assassin to kill Xiao Bing.”
“Kill Xiao Bing?” Zhuge Jiangnan shook his head, “Xiao Bing could kill Zhang Yu and the Femme Fatale single-handedly. Other than Lord Long, I’m afraid no one has the confidence to kill him.”
“Of course, the assassin will die for sure, because Xiao Bing cannot be killed.”
There was a glint in Zhuge Jiangnan’s eyes. “You mean sowing dissension?”
“We should put some clues on the assassin. When he dies, they will try to find out who sent him. Clues pointing to Jiang Zihou will be found. Xiao Bing has too many powerful masters at his service, so he would presume that it was Jiang Zihou who sent assassins to kill him. Whether Xiao Bing believes it or not, it will hard for Master Hou to explain himself. Xiao Bing will be suspicious and there will be discord between them. Gradually they will lose their mutual trust. That’s the perfect time for us to defeat them one by one.” Though the Poisonous Fox spoke placidly, his voice sounded like arrows intended to pierce his foe’s heart.
Zhuge Jiangnan nodded and sighed, “Dealing with Jiang Zihou and Xiao Bing is different from dealing with the Long family. In the Long family, almost everyone listens to Lord Long. But Jiang Zihou and Xiao Bing are like two beasts who will snap at each other for a piece of meat. It’s indeed a feasible plan. If it succeeds, we can defeat them one by one without much effort.”
The Poisonous Fox sighed, “This is just a simple scheme which can easily occur to you. However, Lord Long is an arbitrary man who doubts your fealty. Otherwise, the underground world in Hei Province would have been conquered with ease now. Lord Long is digging his own grave.”
In Jiang City, Jiang Zihou got out of his car with Miyamoto Shinji following close behind. He found a girl squatting at the corner of a wall of his mansion, shivering. Her white dress stained, her tousled hair was all over her face.
Seeing the girl’s delicate body, compassion rose from within Jiang Zihou. He strode towards her, squatted on his heels and asked, “Why are you here, crouching in a corner?”
Miyamoto Shinji’s eyes never left the girl from the time she came into his line of view. His habit of suspecting every person around Master Hou was to secure his safety. That was why Jiang Zihou had never been in danger all these years. Miyamoto Shinji was like an archer who would immediately and mercilessly kill any beast that might endanger Master Hou.
The girl looked up. Her face was stained, which made it hard for them to see her features. Yet the panic in her eyes was quite conspicuous, especially after she sensed the intensity of Miyamoto Shinji’s gaze. She instantly held her legs to her chest like a frightened animal. And the shivering became more severe.
“Don’t be scared. He’s not a bad guy. Where’s your home? Why are you here all alone? Let me send someone to take you home.”
Jiang Zihou’s voice was gentle. He felt a certain tenderness for this girl, who was old enough to be his daughter. It was something he’d never felt before.
The girl shook her head. Curious, Jiang Zihou asked, “You don’t know where your home is? What’s your name? I have friends at the police station. They might help you find out.”
“I… I don’t know. I don’t want to go home. I don’t remember who I am. My head aches badly…”
Jiang Zihou was shocked, “So how did you end up crouching here?”
“I don’t know… I don’t know…” Those seemed to be the only words she could come up with.
Jiang Zihou nodded and sighed. Then he stood up and waved his hand in the direction of his mansion. Soon two servants rushed out.
“Take her in and go buy some clothes for her. Arrange proper chamber for her. If she wishes to leave, just let her go.”
The girl stood up and looked at Jiang Zihou with wary eyes.
“I’m not a good person. But don’t worry. I mean you no ill.”
Master Hou seemed to be a very amiable old man. However, his hands were stained with the blood of countless men and women. He had committed thousands of crimes and he made his way up by threading upon the skeletons of the men he killed.
Yet it was inappropriate to describe him as an evil man. He was just a man who would go to any means to achieve his goal. Men like him could not simply be defined as evil. He was just ambitious.
Any person has a good side. And whether he was a villain or a hero, he was still a human being.
The girl stared at Jiang Zihou with her big and fearful eyes, and she nodded. She followed the two servants to the Zhuge Mansion. She had nowhere else to go and Master Hou seemed really kind to her.
The moment the girl stepped into the mansion, Master Hou, who was old enough to be her father, asked, “What is your name?”
“Xue Yan. My name is Tang Xueyan.”
Tang Xueyan… Master Hou gave a start. Then he nodded, but the girl could not see him nodding as her back was towards him. “All right. Just have a bath and change your clothes. Then the servants will bring you to see me.”
Tang Xueyan walked in. Jiang Zihou stood there, rooted to the spot as if he was trapped in memories. Miyamoto Shinji, who was standing behind him, suddenly asked out of curiosity, “Master Hou, you seem to treat this girl very differently.”
“It’s nothing.” Obviously Master Hou did not want to tell the truth. “Come, let’s go back. You should have a good rest as well.”
“I will.”
Miyamoto Shinji didn’t pursue the matter when he noticed that Master Hou did not want to talk about it. But he had this feeling that this girl would bring a storm into the mansion. He did not know if it heralded fortune or misfortune. The uneasiness caused a certain urge in him to put a sword into Tang Xueyan’s heart, even though she was just a little girl.
Miyamoto Shinji followed Master Hou into the mansion. Master Hou suddenly said, “Miyamoto.”
“Master Hou.”
“I get the feeling you don’t like this Tang Xueyan.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” answered Miyamoto Shinji. “I feel uneasy about this girl.”
“I see. Remember, don’t hurt her… But you can try her out and see if she knows martial arts.”
“I understand.” Miyamoto Shinji nodded and suddenly asked, “What if she is?”
“Then let her go!”
Miyamoto Shinji’s mind went blank for a moment when he heard Master Hou say these words with iron certainty.
There was recollection in Master Hou’s eyes. He sighed deeply, “Men always do things that don’t seem wise to others, just like men can never deny their true feelings. Alright, go and have your rest.”
There was bewilderment in Miyamoto Shinji’s eyes. But he did not think much of it because he believed this mansion was absolutely safe. He turned away and left after escorting Master Hou into the hall.
