TWWDS - Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Tian Changtian was trembling all over.
A buzzing rang through his ears in waves, as though someone were hammering his head with a mallet.
Ever since Chao Qingxiu had begun laying out her deductions, he had been frightened out of his wits. He kept telling himself that many people in the gang could not account for what they had done that morning and that he was not the only one under suspicion. He had never expected Chao Qingxiu to identify him as the culprit without the slightest hesitation, much less repeat that day's conversation with Boss Cai word for word.
Tian Changtian stared at Chao Qingxiu without blinking. Even now, she stood at ease, composed and quietly graceful, yet the smile on her face seemed more terrifying to him than an evil ghost.
To him, she did not look human at all, but like a specter. Again and again, one thought ran through his mind: had she overheard him plotting with someone that day?
But she had been no more than a child. How could she possibly have seen it?
Noticing Tian Changtian's condition, Ruan Shifeng immediately realized that Chao Qingxiu had been right.
At that very moment, her own thoughts were churning too.
That Tian Changtian was the culprit was certainly shocking, but the incident had happened many years ago. Moreover, after joining the Six Doors, Ruan Shifeng had turned over nearly every possible suspect in her mind. Though it was agonizing that a former colleague had struck at the late Gang Leader, that possibility could not be wholly dismissed.
Yet as she faced Chao Qingxiu, her sense of wonder grew sharper with every passing moment.
From first learning the old story of Gang Leader Shangguan's death to identifying the true culprit, the entire process had taken her less than two days, a speed that was nothing short of astonishing. Ruan Shifeng even suspected that Chao Qingxiu had needed the full two days only because they were all still unfamiliar when they first met, so she had not yet inquired deeply into the events of the past.
By comparison, Ruan Shifeng felt that her own title of Chief Constable had been a sham. She ought to step down in favor of a more worthy successor and hand the Six Doors' work over to Chao Qingxiu.
At the other side of the hall.
Yan Kaixian restrained Tian Changtian and gathered force in her palm, shouting sternly, "If you still refuse to tell the truth, I will take your life this instant!"
Tian had known Yan Kaixian for years, and he had no doubt that this former Guardian of the Zizhuo Gang did not make idle threats when she spoke of taking everyone into the grave with her. That was all the more convincing because the girl surnamed Chao was standing nearby, her hands folded behind her back and a faint smile on her face. Her tone was so earnest that it chilled the blood:
"Brother Tian, there is no need to conceal it. You did not kill Boss Cai because he had leverage over you. You may rest assured that, now that I know this, even if you keep your mouth shut, do you really think I will fail to find the evidence?"
Had anyone else said that, Tian would probably have dismissed it as empty boasting. But with only a few simple sentences, Chao Qingxiu had clearly reconstructed the late Gang Leader's death, and her account was as accurate as if she had witnessed it herself. Without realizing it, Tian had come to place a trust steeped in fear in Chao Qingxiu's words.
He no longer doubted that Chao Qingxiu could uncover the leverage Boss Cai had concealed and use it to bring about his death. She had merely overheard a few words of their conversation about old events, and already had divined the truth exactly. She was truly fearsome.
Shock, fear, and despair... Layered one upon another, and with the poison or drug continuing to work on him, Tian's resolve began to falter unnoticed. He held on for a moment longer before finally speaking in a trembling voice: "How... how do you know?"
His words and expression left not one person in the hall with any doubt. The person who had struck at Gang Leader Shangguan that day was unquestionably Tian Changtian.
Chao Qingxiu stood at ease, as though she were discussing nothing more than a trivial matter. "I was not certain at first, but once I heard how much Gang Leader Shangguan enjoyed the food at Cai's, I was seventy or eighty percent sure." She continued, "Earlier, I passed a stone bridge over the Lianhe River and heard about an incident. Twelve years ago, Sister Cai, the proprietor of Cai's, slipped by chance and fell from the bridge."
"This happened one month before Gang Leader Shangguan's death. Vendors by the roadside told me that sand and gravel had been mixed into the surface of the bridge, so it should not have been easy to lose one's footing. Yet Sister Cai fell all the same. Taken by itself, the incident might have been a coincidence. Set beside the other facts, however, it was bound to arouse suspicion."
Chao Qingxiu's lips curved in a smile, and her eyes shone with a clear, piercing light, like a blade newly drawn from its sheath. A single glance from her seemed enough to cut through a man's chest and lay bare his innards.
Their eyes met, and Tian felt himself encased in ice. He could scarcely keep from trembling.
Though he had spent many years in the martial world, had seen a great deal, and had weathered countless storms, he had never known such terror.
"Brother Tian, to be certain that someone who appeared wholly unconnected to him would do his bidding, he had only coercion or inducement at hand. Once Sister Cai died, the family restaurant fell to her younger brother. A conflict of interests was surely at the root of it."
"To become an important figure in the gang, Brother Tian's martial arts must be sound. All he had to do was wait for Sister Cai to cross the stone bridge, then secretly launch a hidden weapon at an acupoint in her leg. By making her death look like an accident, he could help the present Boss Cai secure the family property. In return, Boss Cai repaid the favor, served Brother Tian, and secretly murdered Gang Leader Shangguan. With such mutual trust, each of them naturally held crucial leverage over the other."
After explaining each of her deductions, Chao Qingxiu smiled and said, "I began to suspect you, Brother Tian, because, among everyone present, only you had the opportunity to attack Sister Cai. Among the rest, Brother Yue, who returned earliest, reached headquarters only half a month before the late Gang Leader died. Sister Cai had already been dead for several days by then. From your expression, I suppose I have not been wrong about anything." She clasped her hands in salute. "Now that the truth has come to light, Guardian Yan need no longer worry that someone might leave to report to the authorities. I shall take my leave."
Once she had finished, the people in the hall gave slight nods. She opened the door and left, leaving only the Zizhuo Gang's people behind to handle the gang's internal affairs.
That evening, when Li Yao and Li Yi returned, they found the guests much quieter than the day before. They paid them little attention and went straight to find Chao Qingxiu, with whom they ate dinner.
Li Yi asked, "Miss, was everything all right at home today?"
"Fine," Chao Qingxiu replied.
Li Yao followed up, "The guests did not trouble you, did they?"
Chao Qingxiu considered for a moment, then answered honestly, "They only said a couple of sentences. I would not call that trouble."
Reassured, Li Yao decided that the people of the martial world were friendly after all, and not much like the figures described in old stories.
The next morning.
Ever since she began cultivating inner strength, Chao Qingxiu had slept well. The moment she woke, she noticed the faint sound of breathing outside. Assuming it was Li Yao, she called, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Yan Kaixian came in alone. Yue Zhiwen and the others still stood beneath the eaves. All of them had cultivated inner strength, and their long, steady breaths made the group outside sound like only one person.
Li Yao and Li Yi had come as well, but perhaps because they had heard what Yan Kaixian and the others had said, they stayed far away and did not approach.
Chao Qingxiu hurriedly wrapped herself in her outer robe and rose. "Guardian Yan, forgive me for the discourtesy."
Yan Kaixian's manner was even more deferential than the day before. "We came too early and disturbed Miss Chao's rest."
Chao Qingxiu asked casually, "What brings you all here today? Is there something else you wish to ask?"
A faint smile touched Yan Kaixian's face. Her presence was somber by nature, but as she smiled, she looked like ice and snow beginning to thaw.
The Zizhuo Gang's former Guardian stepped back slightly, lifted the hem of her robe, and went down on one knee. Behind her, Yue Zhiwen, Xiao Xiangyu, Ruan Shifeng, and the others bowed themselves at the same time.
Yan Kaixian clasped her hands in salute. "I am incompetent. I have squandered twelve years and allowed the true culprit to remain beyond the reach of justice. Had it not been for you yesterday, even in death I doubt I would have uncovered the truth. I, Yan Kaixian, can never repay your great kindness. Please accept my bow."
Chao Qingxiu reached out to help her up. "It was only a matter of raising a hand. All of you were caught up in it, so one leaf blocked your view. I had no connection to the matter and could therefore see it clearly."
Standing far away at the courtyard gate, Li Yi had caught a few scattered words. Though she did not know the details, the bearing of the people before her told her that their own Miss Chao had probably caught a criminal with a special talent for choosing crime scenes.
Li Yi could only regret that the culprit could not hear Chao Qingxiu's modest refusal now. Otherwise, the culprit would surely have been left with an impression so profound that even reincarnation could not erase it.
Yan Kaixian rose, but immediately bowed once more. "Besides thanking you, we have come today with one more request, though we know it is a presumptuous one."
Chao Qingxiu's gaze shifted slightly, but she immediately smiled. "Guardian Yan, please speak."
"We agreed before that whoever avenged the late Gang Leader Shangguan could take over the gang. Now the true culprit has been captured. If Miss Chao does not consider us too foolish and incompetent, we would be honored to have you serve as our Gang Leader."
She bowed to the ground for a second time. Xiao Xiangyu, Yue Zhiwen, and the subordinates who had accompanied Yan Kaixian all bowed with her, but Ruan Shifeng alone stepped aside.
Chao Qingxiu considered in silence.
She wanted to make a home for herself in this world, and she wanted to cultivate advanced martial arts. Sooner or later, she would have to involve herself with the martial world. She had not trained for long, however. If she suddenly became the leader of a gang, she might not be able to win their allegiance.
Chao Qingxiu kept her thoughts to herself, so of course no one else could join in her musings. Indeed, her ability to sort out the truth so quickly after hearing others describe the past rested on her usual habit of overthinking.
Seeing that Chao Qingxiu seemed reluctant to take on the role of their future superior, Yue Zhiwen spoke up in persuasion. "Miss Chao's mind is meticulous, making her a talent seldom seen in this world. In time, she will surely become a ruler in her own right. We are incapable, but we are willing to follow her from her humble beginnings. We only hope she will not reject us."
Chao Qingxiu smiled without answering. The people before her suffered mainly because information did not travel easily in the ancient world. If they had been steeped in the information age, they might have been even better than she was at uncovering culprits. Even if she had failed to find the culprit herself, she would only have had to put the case online. Enthusiastic netizens would have helped her sort out the entire course of events from every angle and make it all perfectly clear.
Xiao Xiangyu also prepared to urge her, but unlike her former colleague, she meant to play the card of metaphysics. With great assurance, she declared, "Miss Chao has taken a lease on Mingsi Hall and uncovered the traitor who murdered the late Gang Leader. Could such a fateful coincidence be anything but a sign from Heaven, telling us that Miss Chao is the Zizhuo Gang's next Gang Leader?"
There was little logic in her words, but people in that era were generally inclined to believe in ghosts and divine signs. At least, the subordinates who had accompanied Yan Kaixian could hardly help wondering whether Heaven had truly opened its eyes and, only in the twelfth year after Shangguan Hui's death, sent the Zizhuo Gang a leader appointed by Heaven.
Chao Qingxiu finally said, "Allow me one or two days to consider."
She did not deliberately delay. Alone in her room, she carefully weighed every advantage and disadvantage before finally deciding to accept. The Zizhuo Gang had long since emptied out, and even if they rebuilt it now, it would not be large. There would be few affairs to manage, making it a good way to gain a foothold. With Yan Kaixian and the others helping beside her, Chao Qingxiu would also be able to integrate herself into Great Xia's martial world more smoothly.
There was one more important consideration, as Chao Qingxiu thought to herself. Once she became Gang Leader, even if she went on living in Mingsi Hall, she probably would not have to keep paying rent...
That afternoon.
Chao Qingxiu gave Yan Kaixian and the others her answer.
"I am young and lacking in strength, hardly fit to bear such a heavy responsibility. But since you have graciously not rejected me today, I am willing to take charge of the gang for the time being..."
Before she could finish, joy brightened the faces of Yan Kaixian and the others. Afraid she might suddenly change her mind, they all bowed to the ground together and cried, "We, your subordinates, salute the Gang Leader!"
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