Chapter 133

After turning out of the alley, I directly hailed a taxi on the street.

This time, I didn't dare return to the banquet hall's villa; instead I told the driver the place where I first met Chen Zheng—a two-story ordinary small building, Chen Zheng's home.

When I arrived at Chen Zheng's home by taxi, I found the inside and outside surrounded by bodyguards, each solemn and ready.

This situation shows that Chen Zheng and his group safely left that small hill and have also safely returned here.

The bodyguards guarding the door included a few who knew me, so there was hardly any obstruction, and I entered the house smoothly.

At that moment, I noticed a familiar person inside the house!

It was him, Yao Yirong's brother Yao Wenju. Besides him, the house also had several scattered elderly men and some middle-aged men about Chen Zheng's age; one of them had an injured arm, head lowered, standing beside Chen Zheng, afraid to speak.

"You're back—did you find the person who attacked us with a flying sword?" Unlike everyone else's solemnity, Yao Yirong's eyes lit up at seeing me, and she ran over in a quick trot.

"Where's Pangzi?" I didn't answer; at that moment I was even more worried about Pangzi.

"He and Chang are upstairs; the doctor just bandaged them, and they're resting now." Chen Zheng walked over and patted my shoulder: "Go check on them, rest well—I'll handle what comes next."

I grunted, nodded at Yao Yirong's brother Yao Wenju as a greeting, then hurried upstairs.

In a small side room on the second floor, I found Pangzi and Fan Wuchang.

"Pangzi..." As I pushed the door open, my heart was still pounding, worried about Pangzi. But when I saw him munching a big apple while flinging poker cards at Fan Wuchang, laughing triumphantly: "Haha, you lost—including the copper coin sword fee, you owe me forty-five thousand eight hundred eighty-eight total; this time I won't give you a discount."

His money-grubbing look instantly made me change my tone; the concerned words on my lips turned into: "Damn it, why haven't you gone to see Master Huaguang yet."

"Do you greet brothers like that? Uncultured, embarrassing." Pangzi rolled his eyes, gave me a contemptuous look, then turned back to keep playing stud with Fan Wuchang.

"Cut it out, Hai Sheng—did you find the sorcerer who tried to harm us?" Unlike Pangzi's laughter, Fan Wuchang remained more tense about the situation.

I nodded: "We found him, but after our magical duel he died, so we couldn't get any useful info from him—just found these things in his pocket."

While saying that, I pulled out the scripture I had scavenged from that old man.

Pangzi took it, looked, and exclaimed in surprise: "Isn't this the Scarlet Lotus Sect's scripture? Plus some folk sorcery! Hiss… and also sword control technique."

When Pangzi first saw the sword control manuscript, his expression mirrored mine when I first saw it—eyes lit up, he eagerly opened the scripture. Yet half a minute later, he reacted just as I had after reading it, laughing and crying as he tossed it aside.

"This art—can humans cultivate it? One would need incredible luck to refine a flying sword!" Pangzi laughed and cried as he flung the scripture aside.

At that moment, Fan Wuchang pulled a pack of cigarettes from under the pillow, lit one, and as the smoke rose, he said slowly: "Since he's dead, we don't need to worry about him; from now on, Eastern Mausoleum will handle what comes next."

"Mm, I got it." I nodded, then asked them: "By the way, what about Yuan Qiu, Sis Jingjing, and Chen Mo?"

Pangzi stretched and told me: "Silijing and Yuan Qiu have been sent back to the hotel; they're exhausted and need rest. As for Chen Mo, after leaving the hill he went straight back to the police station."

"What's with those people in the hall? And why did Elder Brother Wenju come too?" I asked again, curious.

Fan Wuchang gave me a strange look, then said: "This time we really ought to thank the Yao family properly."

"Oh, thank the Yao family—what does that mean?" I looked at him, baffled.

Fan Wuchang said: "This time Zheng Ge was assassinated, Eastern Mausoleum underwent change, and Wenju immediately led people over. Although his sister's involvement played a part, Zheng Ge could so quickly suppress Eastern Mausoleum's rebellion and stabilize Aomen's situation thanks to great effort from the Yao family."

Through Fan Wuchang's explanation, I realized that in the few short hours I was away, so much had happened.

After Chen Zheng returned, he summoned some people to attend to everyone, then immediately headed for the Heavenly Stem to help them deal with the rebel Earthly Stem hall master. But the Earthly Stem forces were numerous, plus they had support from some uncles and other factions, making it hard to suppress them quickly, so Chen Zheng couldn't think of a useful solution for a while. The Aomen underworld situation even fell into a chaotic stalemate.

At that moment, Yao Wenju led the Yao family forces in timely arrival—though he came because he heard his sister was attacked. When he learned Yao Yirong had nearly fallen to the Fierce Tiger Gang's deadly grasp, he flew into a rage and smashed a table. Then, without hesitation, the furious Yao Wenju mobilized all Yao family resources to help Chen Zheng suppress the Human Stem allied with the Fierce Tiger Gang, then pointed his sword straight at the Fierce Tiger Gang. Within a few hours, Eastern Mausoleum and the Yao family joined forces, encircling and annihilating the remnants of the Fierce Tiger Gang, thus stabilizing the turbulent situation.

After that came the scene I saw upon entering: the Chen Zheng who had quelled the rebellion summoned some Eastern Mausoleum uncles to discuss post-stabilization strategies, and also how to punish the disciples who had defected in this incident. Although the situation had stabilized, they still had much to do.

However, those are their affairs. Pangzi and I aren't part of the underworld, and we don't want to get mixed up in this muddy water. As long as the geomantic array is completed and Chen Zheng's residence has good feng shui, our mission is done.

"Right, Hai Sheng, tell me the truth!" Pangzi suddenly sat up on the bed, stared at me seriously: "Frankly, are you bent?"

"Uh… what does 'bent' mean?" I was a bit confused.

"He means: are you asking if you've switched from liking women to liking men, i. e., commonly called gay sex?" Fan Wuchang said lightly while smoking.

"Damn… you've got a problem! Suddenly asking me such a weird question." I flew into a rage, stepped forward and grabbed Pangzi's collar.

Just after barely surviving a fierce battle, I ended up being saddled with this inhuman hat.

"Let go, let go—I'm saying this with basis!" Pangzi teased mysteriously; when I and Fan Wuchang looked at him puzzled, he coughed twice, then fixed his gaze on me and said: "You don't recall? When that flying sword was about to pierce you, the iron-backed thorn worm suddenly flew in front of you and blocked the sword."

I nodded, but still didn't understand.

At that moment, Pangzi lowered his voice: "You think—could there be someone controlling that iron-backed worm? Otherwise how could it be so spiritual?"

I and Fan Wuchang nodded in unison; that made sense, but… what does that have to do with gay sex?

"That's exactly it!" Pangzi suddenly slapped his thigh and shouted: "Think again—why would someone with no connection to you save you unless you have an affair, which everyone can see."

After saying that, Pangzi put his hand on my shoulder, very solemnly asked: "Hai Sheng, tell me—do you like men now? Do you like a man who fiddles with worms?"

I… damn, I can only say I truly admire his wild imagination. If Pangzi were born in Japan and joined the police academy, that would be great. With his intellect, he'd surely crack cases left and right—while also… screwing over many people.

This is practically a blessing for the nation, a fortune for China.

"Huh… wait, even if the worm-tinkerer and I had an affair, why are you sure it's a man? Why couldn't the worm-controller be a delicate, beautiful woman?"

"Definitely not a woman," Pangzi said firmly, nodding.

"Why?"

"Because the worm that saved you is male." Pangzi looked up at the sky, very pleased.

"You can tell a worm's gender—how the hell did you figure that out?"

I felt a faint curiosity. Then Pangzi suddenly lowered his head and sighed, his tone filled with an indescribable desolation and heartache.

"Hai Sheng, you finally admitted it—you finally admitted you have an affair! So you really are bent." Pangzi clutched his chest, overwhelmed with anguish.

As I was filled with black lines, wanting to kick him, Pangzi furtively wiped a tear, first gave me a look saying "We're brothers—I understand you," then said: "Hai Sheng, relax—I get you; marriage is for continuing the lineage, gay sex is true love; no matter what you do, as brothers we'll silently cheer you on."

I… if you weren't injured, I really want to kick you hard into the Atlantic.