Chapter 334: Pulling the Tiger

Tick-tock—tick-tock—

[1] Drip—drip—

In the utterly silent room, only golden liquor dripped slowly from the edge of the table, tick-tock, tick-tock.

[2] In the silent room, where a pin could be heard falling, only golden wine trickled down the table’s edge, drip-drip.

Marylin poured the gin in her glass—along with the coin—onto the table; the empty glass was immediately refilled to the exact same level by the gambler.

[3] Mei Lin poured the golden wine and the coin inside her cup onto the table; the empty cup was instantly refilled by the Gambler, exactly to the brim.

She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped the water stains off the coin, her gaze casually sweeping across Ning Zhe’s face.

[4] She pulled a handkerchief from her bosom and gently wiped the water from the coin, her gaze sweeping silently across Ning Zhe’s face.

“I heard the sound of the Requiem,” Marylin suddenly said.

[5] “I heard the Requiem,” Mei Lin suddenly said.

“So?” Ning Zhe smiled at her, deliberately feigning confusion.

[6] “So?” Ning Zhe smiled at her, feigning confusion.

“The Requiem… that’s something from Jiuzhou,” Beidang understood immediately and added: “The ghost that plays the Requiem is imprisoned somewhere in Jiuzhou; only a very few people can enter that place periodically to record the music using specialized equipment, crafting it into single-use Grade-Granting items called music boxes.”

[7] “The Requiem… that’s a Jiuzhou thing,” Bei Dang understood at once and added: “The ghost that plays the Requiem is imprisoned somewhere in Jiuzhou. Only a handful of people can enter that place periodically, using specially made recording devices to capture the melodies and turn them into one-time Grade-Granting items called music boxes.”

“The Grade-Up adepts of Jiuzhou are extremely xenophobic. Aside from a handful of persecuted noble descendants who fled to Europe with their last remaining family heirlooms, we have virtually no access to the unique Grade-Granting items possessed by Jiuzhou ghosts, let alone any intelligence about the strange events occurring there.”

[8] “Jiuzhou’s Grade-Up adepts are extremely xenophobic. Aside from a few persecuted aristocratic youths who fled to Europa with what little family heritage they had left, we have virtually no way to obtain Grade-Granting items unique to Jiuzhou’s powerful ghosts, let alone gather intelligence on the strange events occurring there.”

“Yet earlier today, the sound of the Requiem echoed through this opera house.”

[9] “But earlier today, the Requiem sounded in this opera house.”

Marylin picked up a coin, its rusted obverse and reverse each bearing four Chinese characters:

[10] Mei Lin picked up a coin; its rusted obverse and reverse each bore four Chinese characters:

Obverse: May all your wishes come true

[11] Obverse: May All Things Go as You Wish

Reverse: May you be safe, happy, and joyful

[12] Reverse: May You Be Safe, Happy, and Joyful

“I might owe thanks to my friend from China—regardless of her motives, the Requiem she played calmed the wandering ghosts in the opera house for a long time, buying us precious time to uncover its identity. Charging blindly into an unknown area shrouded in supernatural events without information is playing with your life.”

[13] “I might owe thanks to that friend from China—whatever her reason, the Requiem she played kept the wandering ghost in the opera house subdued for a long time, buying us precious time to uncover its identity. Charging into an unknown zone shrouded in strange events without information is playing with your life.”

Marylin spoke, her gaze deliberately fixed on Ning Zhe across the table: “Isn’t it true you people say, ‘A gentleman judges by deeds, not intentions’?”

[14] Mei Lin spoke, her gaze pointedly fixed on Ning Zhe across the table: “You people say a gentleman judges by deeds, not intentions—don’t you?”

Ning Zhe caught her implication—she and Beidang had channels to identify the gambler’s identity and some understanding of its rules. But he didn’t know how deep that understanding went.

[15] Ning Zhe caught her implication—she and Bei Dang had means to uncover the Gambler’s identity and some understanding of its rules. He just didn’t know how deep that understanding went.

Seeing her fall silent, Marylin took it as Ning Zhe’s silent acknowledgment that the Jiuzhou Grade-Up adept who played the Requiem in the opera house was herself.

[16] Seeing he said nothing, Mei Lin took his silence as confirmation that the Jiuzhou Grade-Up adept who played the Requiem in the opera house was herself.

Marylin exhaled slowly; her composure was excellent—she remained calm even under pressure. At that moment, the gambler raised a hand and pointed at the new player who had just joined the game.

[17] Mei Lin exhaled slowly; her composure was excellent, and she remained calm even now. The Gambler had raised a hand, pointing at the new male player who had just joined the game.

“Place a coin into the glass—careful not to spill any wine,” Beidang warned. “Otherwise, you’ll die.”

[18] “Put a coin into the cup. Be careful not to spill the wine,” Bei Dang warned. “Or you’ll die.”

The man’s eyes widened as he opened his mouth to speak, but then he looked up and saw the gambler’s pale, ghastly face—every emotion instantly vanished.

[19] The man opened his mouth to speak, then looked up and saw the Gambler’s pallid face—all emotion instantly died.

Marylin didn’t even glance at the man; her eyes remained locked on Ning Zhe as she continued: “Coincidentally, it wasn’t just at the opera house—I heard the Requiem somewhere else, even earlier.”

[20] Mei Lin didn’t glance at the man once; her eyes locked on Ning Zhe. “Coincidentally, not just in the opera house—earlier, I heard the Requiem in another place.”

Beidang frowned: “You mean…”

[21] Bei Dang frowned: “You mean…”

“The last time the Requiem sounded, it was at Vanessa Castle.”

[22] "The last time the Requiem sounded, it was at Vanessa Fortress."

Marylin’s voice was calm, yet edged with barely perceptible tension. “I was with Miss Mistrat then. We encountered at least one Grade-Granting adept—possibly a Grade-Up adept—who took away the ghost once imprisoned beneath Vanessa Castle. Over ten officers died there.”

[23] Mei Lin’s voice was calm, yet edged with barely perceptible tension. "I was with Miss Mistrat then. We encountered at least one Grade-Granting adept—possibly a Grade-Up adept—who took away the ghost once imprisoned beneath Vanessa Fortress. Over ten officers died there."

Beidang fell silent for a moment, then glanced up at the man across the table, carefully placing a coin into his glass—he was already a dead man.

[24] Bei Dang fell silent a moment, then glanced up at the man across the table, carefully placing the coin into his cup—he was already dead.

“As far as I know, even in Jiuzhou, music boxes containing the Requiem are exceedingly rare. The Requiem exerts a suppressive effect on most supernatural events, making it incredibly valuable—only a handful of Grade-Granting adepts with official backing are permitted to possess it, let alone smuggle it abroad.”

[25] “As far as I know, even in Jiuzhou, music boxes containing the Requiem are exceedingly rare. The Requiem suppresses most strange events to some degree, making it extremely valuable. Only a handful of Grade-Granting adepts with government ties are permitted to possess them, let alone smuggle them abroad.”

Beidang spoke coolly: “Meaning the person who played the Requiem at Vanessa Castle and at Saint Gelia Opera House is almost certainly the same individual—or if not, they likely know each other, or even belong to the same organization.”

[26] Bei Dang spoke coolly: "Meaning the person who played the Requiem at Vanessa Fortress and at Saint Gelia Opera House is almost certainly the same individual—or if not, they likely know each other, or even belong to the same organization."

So what was this person—or this organization—seeking, having traveled all the way from Jiuzhou to Europe?

[27] So why did this person—or this organization—travel far from Jiuzhou to Europa?

“The last time the Requiem sounded, she took the prisoner from Vanessa Castle.”

[28] "The last time the Requiem sounded, she took the prisoner from Vanessa Fortress."

“And this time, when the Requiem sounds again—what is she here to take?”

[29] “This time the Requiem sounds—what is she taking now?”

Marylin’s gaze turned shrewd in that instant, her naked stare making Ning Zhe feel an inexplicable unease. She flipped up her collar, revealing a tiny microphone hidden beneath: “You want to take the gambler?”

[30] Mei Lin’s eyes turned shrewd at once; her unmasked, piercing gaze stirred an inexplicable unease in Ning Zhe. She flipped up her collar, revealing a miniature microphone hidden at the neckline: “You want to take the Gambler?”

So that’s what this is about.

[31] Alright, so that’s what this is about.

Ning Zhe understood her implication.

[32] Ning Zhe understood her implication.

A Chinese man, carrying a uniquely Jiuzhou music box, sneaking into the ancestral graves of Europe’s noble houses with the double-headed eagle banner, digging up their ancestors’ bones along with the ghosts bound to them, then heading to Vivian Port’s opera house to play music—clearly targeting the gambler.

[33] A Chinese man, wielding a Jiuzhou-exclusive music box, digs into the ancestral tombs of Europa’s noble houses under the double-headed eagle flag, unearths their ancestors’ bones along with the ghosts clinging to them, then heads to Vivian Port’s opera house to play music—clearly targeting the Gambler.

One ghost wasn’t enough—now she wants a second. Are Jiuzhou Grade-Up adepts really this ruthless?

[34] One ghost isn’t enough—you want a second? Are Jiuzhou Grade-Up adepts this unprincipled?

Who in their right mind spends their days risking their life trespassing into others’ territory? They’d never believe this was done without powerful backing.

[35] Who in their right mind spends their days risking their life breaking into others’ homes? They’d never believe this happened without powerful backing.

“Can I assume you’ve come to provoke a war?” Marylin said.

[36] “Can I assume you’ve come to provoke war?” Mei Lin said.

“You’re the ones provoking war—we’re merely responding.”

[37] “You’re the ones provoking war—we’re merely retaliating.”

Ning Zhe raised an eyebrow and smoothly draped himself in a veil of deception:

[38] Ning Zhe raised an eyebrow and smoothly pulled the tiger’s hide:

“The Nazis entered the war with a naive fantasy: that only they could bomb others, while others could never bomb them.”

[39] “The Nazis entered the war with a naive fantasy: only they could bomb others, and no one could bomb them.”

“—That’s how the British assessed WWII. Now I give it to you.”

[40] “—That’s how the British assessed WWII. Now I give it to you.”

Beidang’s face darkened; a name instantly surfaced in his mind: “Lan Shiwen…”

[41] Bei Dang’s expression changed; a name flashed in his mind: “Lan Shiwen…”

Had the secret been exposed?

[42] Had the plan been exposed?

He had come to Vivian Port to attend a highly classified “Secret Meeting.”

[43] He had come to Vivian Port to attend a highly classified “secret meeting.”

Someone from the Fureem Mistrat family had received help from a Jiuzhou man named “Ji Boying,” who possessed information highly damaging to Lan Shiwen. If properly used, it might allow them to kill Lan Shiwen of Yunzhou and seize his “foreseeing the future” rule.

[44] The Furlim Mistrat family had received aid from a Jiuzhou man named Ji Boying, who possessed intelligence highly damaging to Lan Shiwen. If properly used, it might allow them to kill Lan Shiwen of Yunzhou and seize his “foreseeing the future” rule.

While the rule of foreseeing the future was tempting, the matter was too grave. Lan Shiwen was deeply entangled with Jiuzhou’s government and his methods were dangerously unpredictable—even the Fureem Mistrat family lacked full confidence in safely eliminating him. Thus, they invited representatives from several families to Vivian Port for a secret meeting: to plan the operation and share the risk.

[45] Though the “foreseeing the future” rule was tempting, the matter was too grave. Lan Shiwen was deeply entangled with Jiuzhou’s government and his methods were unpredictable. Even the Furlim Mistrat family lacked full confidence to safely eliminate him, so they specifically invited representatives from several families to Vivian Port for a secret meeting—to discuss the plan and share the risk.

Beidang’s family was one of those invited.

[46] Bei Dang’s family was one of those invited.

“Did the secret meeting leak?” Marylin’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Is there a traitor—or a mole among us? But… who? Fewer than twenty people knew about this, all holding high positions in their respective families—if one of them truly is a traitor or mole…”

[47] “Has the secret meeting been leaked?” Mei Lin’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Is there a traitor—or a mole among us? But… who? No more than twenty people knew—each held high rank in their own family. If one of them truly was a traitor or mole…”

Seeing Beidang and Marylin’s stunned expressions, Ning Zhe felt he had successfully deceived them.

[48] Seeing Bei Dang and Mei Lin’s stunned expressions, Ning Zhe felt he’d likely fooled them.

Ding—

[49] Ding—

A coin clinked into the glass. The man across the table exhaled deeply, wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve, and looked questioningly at the other three at the table.

[50] A coin dropped into the cup. The man across the table exhaled deeply, wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve, and glanced questioningly at the other three at the table.

It was now his turn to designate the next person to place a coin.

[51] It was his turn to name the next coin-payer.

(End of Chapter)

[52] (End of Chapter)