Chapter 258: Man 9

Seeing the charcoal stick figures on his jacket, Ge Heng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, as though he had never woken from the nightmare, and yet a cold sweat broke out all over him.

When was this drawn?

How?

By whom?

And I noticed nothing...

Nothing...

That’s many times harder than killing me!

He had never heard or seen anything like it. Shock overwhelmed him, his state of mind wavered, and it was as if a seed of dread had been planted deep in his sea of consciousness.

Whether the three Heaven-class assassins of the Ghost Yu Way could pull off something similar, he had no way of knowing, but none of the Earth-class assassins or other Grandmasters he had met could do anything so outlandish!

Ge Heng swallowed with difficulty, flung away the jacket, and meant to seize the moment to change hideouts, even flee the Flame Capital.

He had never been one to quit until he hit a dead end, or to believe it was over until he saw the proof with his own eyes. He had met a master unlike any he had known, but since the man hadn’t shown himself yet, he would roll the dice one more time!

He wiped off his disguise, turned around, and was about to dash for the dim shadows by the door when he saw a figure in a scholar’s cyan robe standing at the window with its back to him.

The figure wore a wanderer’s headband, hands clasped behind his back, intently gazing at the great sun high in the sky. Though barely 1.8 meters tall, in Ge Heng’s eyes he loomed so tall that he seemed to hold up the patch of sky by the window.

A storm raged in Ge Heng’s heart. It was as if he had split in two, half wanting to give up and half eager to keep up the struggle. The two sides clashed so fiercely that he froze in place.

Then he heard a low voice with a faintly metallic ring,

"I have an old grudge with the Ghost Yu Way. I heard they were hunting a renegade, so how could I not join the fun?"

Hearing this, Ge Heng suddenly grew calm.

An old grudge with the Ghost Yu Way?

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend...

Besides, I can’t get away anyway...

After a hundred thoughts, Ge Heng cupped his hands and bowed.

"Greetings Senior, I’m Ge Heng."

"Ge Heng? A real name or a fake?" With that low, metallic voice, the figure turned around, revealing a sharply defined face with graying temples.

The face was not handsome, yet it left a deep impression on Ge Heng. He answered hoarsely, "The real name from before I became a Ghost Yu Way assassin."

The middle-aged scholar with gray temples nodded lightly.

"I’m Ling Donglai. What was your codename in the Ghost Yu Way?"

"Before I defected, I was Man 9," Ge Heng said truthfully.

Ghost Yu Way assassins had no names, only codenames and aliases.

Heaven-class were all Supreme Masters, Earth-class were Dharma Realm Grandmasters, and Man-class were Great Proliferation Realm martial artists. Man 9 meant the ninth strongest assassin of the Man class.

"Why did you join the Ghost Yu Way?" Ding Songyan, playing the role of "Ling Donglai," spoke in a low, unhurried voice, the hidden metallic ring lending a touch of mystery.

Ge Heng answered without expression, "My parents died when I was young. A kidnapper took me onto a large ship and delivered me to Ghost Island."

Ghost Island was the headquarters of the Ghost Yu Way, somewhere in the East Sea. Its exact location and how to reach it were unknown to all.

As if knowing what Senior Ling would ask, Ge Heng volunteered, "After I became a Man-class assassin, I was sent off the island and assigned under Black Third Master. I don’t know where Ghost Island is and have never been back.

"All I vaguely remember is that a large sea vessel comes and goes through the mist, docking at some harbor in New Yu."

Mist? Something to do with the Mirage Dragon? Ding Songyan nodded.

"Why did you defect from the Ghost Yu Way?"

The indifference and calm on Ge Heng’s face wavered slightly.

"Five years ago, I made a mistake on a mission. The assassination succeeded, but I fell into danger and was badly hurt, failed to meet up with the one meant to retrieve me, and was rescued by a girl.

"I developed feelings for her and was influenced by her nature, and no longer wanted to keep killing. Besides, the Ghost Yu Way strictly forbids assassins from forming such attachments while on a mission. Violators are severely punished and must sever the tie with their own hands.

"I hid the matter and returned to Xinfu City. I waited until I perfected the Great Proliferation Realm, then took the chance on a mission to find the ’field watcher’ and kill him, escaping the Ghost Yu Way’s sight."

Consistent style, bold yet careful... Even with the intent to defect, he patiently waited until aperture forging and viscera installation were complete... Ding Songyan was disguised as "Ling Donglai," but that did not stop him from manifesting Mirror Lake Divine Reflection. The disguise was for now more a special kind of face-changing, and Ge Heng had no idea what "Ling Donglai" should look like or what realm he should have, so he could not see through the name-and-reality shift.

Thinking that Twelfth Madam, hidden in the dark, might be curious about Ge Heng’s love life, Ding Songyan asked in a low, unhurried voice, "You didn’t go find that girl?"

A warm, gentle expression crossed Ge Heng’s face, but it was quickly taken over by pained distortion.

"I did. We were together for two full years. Later I found that people from the Ghost Yu Way had somehow located the small city where we lived. They hadn’t yet confirmed the details, but if it continued, the discovery of what I’d done was only a matter of time.

"I-I didn’t want to implicate her. I left a letter and went away, leading the Ghost Yu Way’s people off, and fled all the way to the Flame Capital, where I used my disguise skills to find a job at a nearby workshop.

"After a year or so of that, the Ghost Yu Way’s people found me again..."

Ding Songyan glanced at Ge Heng.

"You haven’t entered the Dharma Realm yet?"

Seeing that Senior Ling mentioned the Dharma Realm without the slightest ripple, as if it were a trivial matter beneath notice, Ge Heng grew even more certain of his realm and strength.

The former Man 9 assassin answered indifferently, "I have not.

"I came to the Flame Capital for two reasons: to save some silver to secretly send to that girl later, and to look for a chance to reach the Dharma Realm. If I could become a Grandmaster, I could take her farther away, perhaps free myself from the Ghost Yu Way for good and never be separated again..."

As he spoke of his hopes for the future, his expressionless face softened again.

Pain followed.

"Is that girl weak in martial arts?" Ding Songyan paced two steps, hands clasped behind him.

Ge Heng shook his head.

"She was born with abnormal apertures and can’t enter the Human Realm."

You two have each been through your share of heartache... Ding Songyan trailed off, then shifted gears and asked in a low voice, "How many have you killed?"

"I don’t remember. When I was an assassin, sometimes one a month, sometimes four or five," Ge Heng said, recalling. "After defecting, I’ve only killed Ghost Yu Way people and those investigating me."

He paused and spoke flatly, "If you wish to kill me for the evil I’ve done, Senior, I’ll accept it. I ask only that you deliver the silver I’ve saved to that girl."

You’re quite the lovesick fool... Ding Songyan chuckled.

"I won’t kill you for now. I still need you to deal with the Ghost Yu Way.

"From now on, if the Ghost Yu Way comes for you, I can hold them off for a while. But if the authorities want to arrest you, or someone seeks revenge, I won’t interfere."

"Thank you, Senior." Even someone as cold-faced and cold-hearted as Ge Heng couldn’t help breathing out in relief.

He thought and picked a topic Senior Ling might find interesting.

"No one will come for revenge. The relatives of those assassinated don’t even know an assassin’s codename, unless they catch Black Third Master and get the ’ledger’ he holds."

So I do have to find Black Third Master... Ding Songyan nodded.

"How strong is Black Third Master?"

"He is an Earth 3 assassin," Ge Heng knew Black Third Master fairly well.

The Ghost Yu Way mostly did assassinations, and killers had no names, and their codenames weren’t revealed to outsiders, so they could not be listed on the Orchid Rankings, the Orchid Fresh List, or the Nine Hells Ranking.

Earth 3... I wonder how he compares to Evil Beyond Measure Sun Feiyang... Ding Songyan changed the subject thoughtfully.

"Which Chapter of the Progenitor Yu Scripture do you cultivate?"

The Progenitor Yu Scripture was divided into three Chapters: Spitting Sand to Strike Shadows, Human Hearts and Ghostly Schemes, and Dimmed Heaven and Earth.

Ge Heng dared not hide it.

"The Dimmed Heaven and Earth Chapter, and I also cultivate the Seven Methods of Spitting Sand as a secondary.

"If I’d stayed in the Ghost Yu Way, after entering the Dharma Realm I could have picked another from Spitting Sand to Strike Shadows and Human Hearts and Ghostly Schemes to cultivate alongside."

"Which two does Black Third Master cultivate?" Ding Songyan pressed in an unhurried manner.

"Since becoming a ’shopkeeper,’ he cultivates all three at once." A trace of fear showed in Ge Heng’s indifferent expression.

Ding Songyan nodded almost imperceptibly.

"When you have time, write out the Dimmed Heaven and Earth Chapter and the Seven Methods of Spitting Sand from memory and hand them to me."

He did not explain why he wanted to see someone else’s martial arts. A mysterious senior master who explained himself would lose ground.

Does Senior Ling want to find weaknesses in the Ghost Yu Way’s martial arts from the detailed texts? Ge Heng agreed first, then asked, "How should I hand them over to you at that time?"

Ding Songyan glanced toward the door.

"Stop hiding in these few streets and alleys. Hiding in plain sight trick won’t work as well if you keep using it.

"Move to the vicinity of Treasure Market. It’s a melting pot with many different races, perfect for hiding.

"Once you’re settled, take the texts to the Cheap Wine Shop on Tiger Tail Alley, find the shopkeeper Twelfth Madam Luo, and say they’re to be handed to Senior Ling Donglai."

Ge Heng memorized the contact method and waited for further instructions from Senior Ling.

Hands clasped behind him, Ding Songyan took a step toward the window and asked as if casually, "Doesn’t the Ghost Yu Way have poisons for controlling people?"

The kind you must take an antidote for on schedule or the poison acts...

"They do, but taking it affects the body and lowers strength, so assassins normally aren’t given it," Ge Heng recalled. "The ’shopkeepers’ and ’bookkeepers’ watch each other, and certain key people are controlled by gu."

"It seems I needn’t worry about it. From now on, find your own work to save silver. I will occasionally have you handle small chores and won’t let you work for nothing," Ding Songyan said with a trace of a smile. "When I’m ready, I’ll go after the Ghost Yu Way."

"Yes, Senior." Ge Heng bowed his head.

Suddenly he felt the space before him empty, and when he looked up again, Senior Ling Donglai was gone.

Senior Ling didn’t even do anything to me... Does he trust me just like that? Or does he trust his own strength more? Ge Heng was taken aback.

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