Though he still had doubts in his heart, Xia Fei had chosen to believe Clean Knife’s words for now. The two arrived in a narrow alley and quietly hid.
Clean Knife was still playing with that intricately crafted, throat-slitting small knife of his, leaning against a corner wall with that ever-present smile on his face.
Xia Fei asked, “When did you join the Grandcloud Association?”
Clean Knife sighed. “I felt out of my element staying in my clan and eventually realized that I’m still more suited to be a hitman. I happened to bump into Keenan of the Grandcloud Association, that red-faced stout man I was standing next to earlier, while I was having that internal struggle. He’s the third executive of the Grandcloud Association, and I’m shadowing him to deal with some matters here in Goose Pagoda Constellation. To think we’d bump into you here.
“It’s funny, too. So many years have passed, and after all that has happened, I’m back to being a hitman, while you now belong to the renowned Skywing Clan. Guess this is just how fate works. I personally don’t believe in fate, but I can’t help but admit that fate is sometimes very weird.”
Xia Fei did not have a good impression of the Grandcloud Association, so he merely gave a cold snort.
Clean Knife shrugged helplessly. “You’re most likely still mad over the Grandcloud Association hunting you down. Actually, this has got nothing to do with the Grandcloud Association itself. Someone put a price on your head, so the association of course placed a bounty on you. These are the rules of the underworld, taking someone’s fortune in exchange for eliminating their target. This will never change.”
Xia Fei was not too interested in the underworld, asking as he lit a cigarette, “Tell me about Galerain Society, then.”
Clean Knife nodded. He knew that Xia Fei was someone who did not easily trust another, and the fact that he could stay his hand from killing him was already a very inconceivable matter.
“The Law Realm has an underbelly; that much you should know. Humans have the Grandcloud Association, while Sunnis have the Galerain Society. The Mari has Deepwaters Society, and so on and so forth. Though we are all from various species, these organizations still have connections to one another. Occasionally, they’ll even help one another, for the right price of course.”
Xia Fei asked, “So many warriors refused to act earlier; was that because they’re not from the same organization?”
“Precisely. We’re here in Goose Pagoda Constellation as guests, so there’s no reason for us to help resolve any trouble the Galerain Society got themselves into. That’s a good thing, too, or you’d have an issue with those hundreds of men swarming at you no matter how powerful you may have become now.” Clean Knife chuckled.
Xia Fei remained expressionless.
Clean Knife coughed lightly. The cheap cigarette smoke smell coming off Xia Fei was very pungent, and that made him uncomfortable.
“Every trade fair, not only will the people in the light move, those in the dark will do, too. Today’s Galerain’s turn to host the underworld trade fair, and the various criminal organizations gathered together to engage in dealings. You’re not someone of the underworld, yet you tried to force your way into a criminal den. Of course, you’d end up getting stopped.
“It’s just that most would just turn and walk away after being stopped, yet you, on the other hand, openly challenged the largest organization in Goose Pagoda Constellation.” Clean Knife laughed as he spoke.
The cause and effect of the incident before was made evident. Xia Fei had followed two individuals and stumbled upon a gathering of criminals. He then killed men from this underworld, which ended up in quite a major misunderstanding.
Rolling his eyes, Xia Fei asked, “There should be some good stuff in the underworld trading, right?”
Clean Knife shook his head. “I just joined the Grandcloud Association last month; how would I know these things?”
Xia Fei right now urgently needed to search for both the Solid Gold Flying Cicada Pupae and Miss Ellen Woods. An underworld meet was very tempting to him.
“The third executive is really keen to meet you. He’s waiting by that tavern over there,” Clean Knife queried.
“What does he want with me?” Xia Fei asked, dubious.
“He’s most likely going to apologize and attempt to build a working relationship with you. At the end of the day, the Grandcloud Association operates in White Horse Constellation, and no one there dares to provoke the Skywings.” Clean Knife shrugged. “I’m only a messenger. Whether you wish to meet him or not is entirely up to you.”
……
Xia Fei put on a disguise and followed Clean Knife to the tavern, entering the establishment only after examining the place for several seconds from a good distance.
“You’re still as cautious as ever, insisting on inspecting the place with your own eyes to identify all the possible routes in and out,” Clean Knife said with a smile.
Xia Fei was unfazed. “There’s an old saying in my home planet: ‘Caution keeps a boat sailing for thousands of years.’”
Clean Knife muttered to himself, “You’re a Skywing now. Trust me; even if the third executive’s balls grew a hundred times bigger, he’d still not dare make a move against you.”
Xia Fei ignored him. Caution was a principle he consistently adhered to, and that would not change just because his status had risen. Xia Fei kept to his own principle of life, which had allowed him to live this long.
In a room on the second floor, Xia Fei met face to face Grandcloud Association’s third executive, Keenan. He was a red-faced stout man who spoke in a gruff voice. His eyes shone with a hint of cunning and slyness.
Keenan acted very familiar with Xia Fei, insisting that the latter sit at the head of the table as he personally poured him a cup of tea, looking absolutely respectful. He was very clever, not at all mentioning the matter of the Grandcloud Association once putting a bounty on Xia Fei’s head. All he mentioned was his great admiration for the Skywing Clan and how serious they conducted themselves.
Xia Fei did not plan to delve too deeply into the matter, either. His past experiences had made him understand that an underbelly of dark dealings would always exist in every society, and if it was not the Grandcloud Association in charge, then there would be some other organization in operation. Besides, there were some things just handier for the underworld to deal in, and given how he was about to live in White Horse Constellation from here on out, there was no reason for him to go up against this serpent in the underbrush.
Of course, the Grandcloud Association was no threat to Xia Fei right now. This was the crucial fact that Xia Fei valued most. It was just like Clean Knife, who was also not a threat to him now. Besides, Xia Fei was quite a fan of the cynicism toward life Clean Knife held, so he decided to let him off.
After a few rounds of drinking and feasting, Xia Fei asked bluntly, “Third exec, I heard that Galerain Society is hosting the underworld gathering for the various species in the Law Realm this time and that they’re doing business.”
Keenan nodded his head repeatedly. “That’s precisely the case and also why Little Knife and I are here this time. Still, we in the underworld follow quite different rules, and the dealings will only begin tonight.”
He was calling Clean Knife warmly as Little Knife all for Xia Fei’s sake.
Ever since the Grandcloud Association learned that Xia Fei had Skywing blood running in his veins, they had become anxious over this fact and had been searching for a chance to set the record straight. After all, the tragedy that had befallen the Moonward Clan was there for all to see, so there was no way the Grandcloud Association could just disregard this matter.
Unfortunately, between the Grandcloud Association and Skywing Clan, the former was a criminal organization while the latter was the Demon-sealing Fiendish Blade. Neither crossed paths at all, and there was no way for both to get close to each other, which was why they had given up.
Now that Clean Knife had managed to invite Xia Fei over and seeing that Xia Fei had no intention of pursuing the matter, the third executive, Keenan, was naturally elated. Clean Knife, who had more or less gotten the Grandcloud Association their foot in the door, would surely thrive in the underworld from here onward.
Clean Knife chuckled bitterly at the side. The reason he had gotten to know Xia Fei was he got hired to take the latter’s life. They were originally enemies, yet he would now have to owe Xia Fei a favor. Just what kind of joke was this?
Sometimes, the relationship between people was an interesting thing. Accidental mortal enemies who actually ended up becoming close acquaintances, neither Xia Fei nor Clean Knife could have ever predicted that this was what their future had in store for them.
“I’d like to get in and have a look.” Xia Fei requested very breezily.
Keenan was taken aback as he exclaimed, “Young Master Fei! Don’t scare me like that. An hour ago, you were wrecking the storefront of Galerain Society, and now you want to join in on the trade fair they’re hosting? I’m afraid that that’s quite inappropriate.”
Xia Fei smiled. “If it were anything easy, would I be looking for the third exec’s help?”
Keenan broke into a cold sweat when he heard this line, wiping perspiration off his forehead with a handkerchief.
Xia Fei saw that he was looking troubled, so he made to leave. Getting up, he said, “Since the third exec finds this difficult, let us say our goodbyes right here.”
“Hold it!” Keenan hurriedly got up, grabbing onto Xia Fei to stop him from leaving. “Please remain seated, Young Master Fei. While it’s true that the request you’ve just made is quite complicated, my old self hasn’t rejected it outright, right?”
Seeing an opening, Xia Fei promptly sat down again and lit himself a cigarette.
Through gritted teeth, Keenan grunted, “Since Young Master Fei wishes to watch our underworld’s trade fair, Old Keenan will head out and accompany you on this trip!
“Still, this is the Sunnis’ Goose Pagoda Constellation, not the human territory, so I’d like to ask Young Master Fei to be more tactful. If there’s anything you have your eye on, please tell me first; let Old Keenan help you get hold of it. Take it as a introductory gift from me to you.”
“*Cough*!”
The old demon lord could not hold back his laughter and rolled in his coffin the moment he heard what Keenan had said.
Every item that Xia Fei used was a priceless artifact, and anything he had his eye on was by no means cheap. Just the Solid Gold Flying Cicada Pupa alone, which he had urgently been searching for, could only be bought at an astronomical price! Keenan’s careless claim was too exaggerated this time, and he would most likely end up broke as a result of this.
More importantly was Xia Fei’s personality. Most people would be a little embarrassed to really expect someone to foot the bill after hearing such a line, but Xia Fei was anything but self-conscious. He was a crafty businessman deep down inside, so he was more than willing to rip a good one off anyone no matter how deep of a cut it would be!
…
Xia Fei disguised himself as someone beside Keenan, following him down the streets as they headed to Galerain’s once more.
Once they got near the building, he noticed that Galerain’s had indeed been rebuilt, a new two-story building was erected, and the people flowed as per normal along the street it was on. There was no way to tell that a massacre had happened before, just that the new building was not as exquisite as the one earlier.
Following the destruction Xia Fei had caused, Galerain’s had clearly increased their security in place. Several experts were standing at the entrance and inside the shop, scaring anyone passing by to take a detour and give the place a wide berth.
Keenan was a regular and a representative of mankind’s Grandcloud Association. Everyone parted the curtains respectfully, letting him and his entourage through. Never would any of them have imagined that Xia Fei managed to mix into Keenan’s pack. Logically speaking, no one would be so bold to do so, either.
Passing through Galerain’s found Xia Fei’s group in a narrow corridor next. The deeper they went, the more their surroundings widened. Galerain Society was the largest underworld organization in the Goose Pagoda Constellation. The power it wielded was clearly substantial, seeing as it owned such a large garden in the bustling capital city, where every square foot of land was worth its weight in gold.
Quite a lot of people, almost over a thousand, were also around. Some were seated in rooms drinking tea, while others were standing outside. Keenan nodded to Xia Fei and began greeting the people in the crowd, so Xia Fei and Clean Knife casually explored the garden.
No matter where he went, Clean Knife was right behind him, most likely at Keenan’s behest, to prevent Xia Fei from causing any further trouble. Xia Fei’s habit of getting into trouble wherever he went had already spread far and wide, and the third executive, who was taking a huge risk bringing him into the underworld’s trade fair, was not in the least bit at ease.
After locating a secluded corner, Xia Fei and Clean Knife stood and leaned against the wall. There was still daylight, so the trade meet had yet to begin officially. The only thing happening was the various executives mingling with each other, fostering relationships.
When it was nearly evening, the number of people present went past three thousand, until they were nearly running out of space in the garden for these guests to stand. This was when a group entered from outside. The person taking the lead was a hook-nosed elder; a chubby man with a wide grin on his face was following him. Behind the two were several young people, with a lady among them whom Xia Fei found very familiar.
“Fancy finding someone through sheer luck after searching far and wide,” Xia Fei smiled as he mumbled under his breath.
