Chapter 302: Hero

After brief pleasantries, the five sat beneath a cinnamon tree.

“Care for a glass?” Liu Hongwen pushed a glass toward Ning Zhe, reaching for the champagne on the table.

“Opening champagne before half the venture is done isn’t a good omen,” Ning Zhe waved his fingers, nudging the glass back.

Shen Qing laughed heartily: “Mr. Fan Daike has stayed in Yunzhou so long—he’s picked up quite a few Jiuzhou customs.”

Ning Zhe smiled without speaking: “Let’s get to the matter at hand.”

The unfortunate Fan Daike had been killed by Lan Shiwen the moment he arrived in Yunzhou—he had no chance to learn any Jiuzhou customs; that jest had simply slipped from Ning Zhe’s lips.

Yes, because I am Ning Zhe, and I believe it utterly, without the slightest doubt… The rules of Jue Yuan, like heavy chains caked in blood, tightly bound Tai Yi, helping Ning Zhe preserve his selfhood while stripping away one thing only the original, unbound Tai Yi could do:

After mastering Jue Yuan, Ning Zhe could no longer become another person as he once had—immersing himself fully in their experience.

The highest mastery of acting is fooling oneself, but Ning Zhe could never fool himself—he truly believed he was Ning Zhe, so his performance was always merely “acting,” never “becoming.”

“Fortunately, my knowledge of Fan Daike is sufficient—I won’t be exposed here…” Ning Zhe exhaled softly, his tone turning serious: “Representatives from other families, invited by me, have arrived at Vivian Port. Now is the time for you to show your sincerity.”

Liu Hongwen’s smile faded; he withdrew his hand from the champagne bottle and let it rest lightly on the table.

He glanced at Xia Yubing beside Ning Zhe, then said slowly: “A parent’s murder demands sleeping on straw and holding a spear—you cannot share the same world with the killer. Lan Shiwen slaughtered my entire clan; as long as this vengeance remains unfulfilled, I cannot eat or sleep in peace.”

Shen Qing silently turned his bodhi beads; Ning Zhe nodded, urging him to continue.

“Since leaving Jiuzhou, I have planned his revenge every moment. But Lan Shiwen’s cunning and cruelty are rare in this world—he wields the rule of foresight. To strike him, we must leave no loophole, allow no error, or… we risk unforeseen complications.”

As Liu Hongwen spoke, his gaze flickered subtly toward Xia Yubing, silent beside Ning Zhe—the implication was unmistakable.

Shen Qing gave a slight nod, silently agreeing with Liu Hongwen.

“Ha…” Xia Yubing suppressed her unease and mimicked Ning Zhe’s expression, offering a faint smile.

A green leaf drifted from the canopy and landed on the table; she picked it up, holding it between her fingers, and said slowly: “No need to be so wary, Mr. Liu. We’re here for the same reason, aren’t we?”

Liu Hongwen narrowed his eyes: “Oh?”

Before leaving this morning, Ning Zhe had briefly explained to her the situation they would soon face—“Teach your son before the table, your wife before the bed.”

Xia Yubing reached out, took the glass Ning Zhe had pushed away, poured herself a glass of champagne, and said: “Fan Daike, Freymistret, Milicato… you and I—we’re here today because of the same man. —Lan Shiwen.” She lifted the glass and sipped the golden liquid.

“Heh…” A strained smile appeared on Shen Qing’s sallow face; Liu Hongwen said nothing, but his expression grew heavier.

Xia Yubing set down her glass, a flush rising on her cheeks; she gazed intently at the two across the table and said:

“The Liu family of Yunzhou—three thousand five hundred and twenty-seven souls—three thousand five hundred and twenty-six were slaughtered by Lan Shiwen; only you survived… Liu Hongwen, your entire clan was wiped out by Lan Shiwen. This blood feud is unforgivable—you’d sacrifice everything for revenge.”

“Shen Qing, you suffer from an incurable illness. Long ago, you became a client of the Wealth God ‘Wutong.’ You’ve used his rule to extend your life repeatedly, but because you’ve bought so many extensions, other supernatural methods of prolonging life can no longer affect you.”

After all, “Tai Yi” isn’t something sold on every street corner.

“After the Wealth God died, the disqualified entity known as ‘Wutong’ was likely taken in by Lan Shiwen. Your time is running out—you desperately need the Wealth God to extend your life, and for that, you’re willing to pay any price: fleeing overseas with secrets, betraying Jiuzhou, becoming Fan Daike’s dog.”

The two named stiffened; Shen Qing’s face grew even more awkward—but just as he opened his mouth to speak, Xia Yubing continued:

“The European nobility, represented by Fan Daike and Freymistret, don’t lack legitimate means to extend their lives, nor do they crave the Wealth God Wutong. But they’re deeply interested in Lan Shiwen’s rule of foresight—or rather, anyone in the supernatural circle couldn’t help but be.”

“You, with your differing motives, have gathered here today for one single purpose—to kill Lan Shiwen.”

Xia Yubing picked up her glass and drained the champagne in one gulp, slamming it hard onto the table: “So am I.”

Liu Hongwen and Shen Qing exchanged a glance, then simultaneously turned their eyes toward Fan Daike, who had said nothing.

Not a single word, not a single mistake, not a single detail missed!

Ning Zhe smiled and said: “Though this lady’s family hails from Qinzhou, Lan Shiwen is arrogant and tyrannical. Even if you’re as far as the ends of the earth, if your beliefs clash with his, he strikes with thunderous force.”

Liu Hongwen nodded in deep agreement: “That’s exactly the kind of thing Lan Shiwen would do. That man is a beast in human clothing, utterly erratic.”

“When my grandfather lay dying, my father begged him humbly to let the Plague God linger in the sickroom until the medical team arrived—then he could take it away. Even that humble request was twisted into a false accusation! My Liu family was slaughtered without cause—three thousand five hundred and twenty-seven souls, all dead in a single night! This blood feud is unforgivable!”

Liu Hongwen pounded the table, heartbroken. He looked up and saw Xia Yubing, her eyes slightly red, her expression filled with grief and fury—surely her family had also fallen victim to that beast. Once a noble lady of gold and jade, now she wandered alone overseas—what a pitiful soul.

Thinking this, Liu Hongwen felt a pang of pity for Xia Yubing—but then he remembered her height beside Fan Daike. He reconsidered: better pity himself. Fan Daike, at one meter eighty-five, was already towering—yet Xia Yubing stood nearly a head taller than him.

“Enough with the melancholy. Let’s talk business.”

Shen Qing’s smile vanished. He placed his bodhi bead bracelet on the table and said seriously: “What method shall we use to kill Lan Shiwen?”

(End of Chapter)