Chapter 41 The Shadow Organization

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Although all four demons wore identical five-star masks, their differing heights and builds gave them away. Demons had names too, though they were invariably simple ones—based on their birth dates, their birth order in the family, or some notable feature of their appearance or temperament.

The tall demon introduced himself. “I am Liu Shiyi.”

The short demon said, “I am Xue San.”

The fat one said, “I am Hua Datou.”

The thin one remained silent.

The instruments carried by the four demons were different as well. Liu Shiyi had a drum hanging from his neck, Xue San cradled a pipa, Hua Datou carried a suona, and the thin one held a pair of bronze cymbals. Naturally, they had not come to put on a performance.

Lin Fengmian ignored the enemies before him and first turned to his two granddaughters. “My precious girls, you’ve finally come back.”

Lin Zi said, “Grandfather, we have Xiao Bugui to thank for his intelligence and quick thinking.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Lin Fengmian. “Now that you sisters are out, we’ll have reinforcements if a fight breaks out.”

Lin Yuer could do little to help. She leaned close to her grandfather’s ear and whispered, “Grandfather, my sister and I are still suffering from internal injuries.”

“Don’t be afraid,” Lin Fengmian said. “With this old man here, if you can’t win, run into the pagoda.”

Liu Shiyi said, “Senior Lin, I’m afraid there has been a misunderstanding. We came to invite you to a banquet at the finest restaurant in town.”

“Do you take me for a child?” Lin Fengmian scoffed. “If you wished to invite us to dinner, why did you injure my disciples, nearly killing them by severing their hands and feet, and then try to kill the friend I invited?”

“We originally intended to invite you respectfully to a meal, and merely exchange pointers before the feast,” Liu Shiyi explained. “But you assumed we were villains and used vicious, deadly techniques against us. We were left with no choice and, quite by accident, injured you.”

“Stop lying!” Lin Zi cried. “One of those men in three-star masks even tried to assault my sister and me!”

To clear up the misunderstanding, Liu Shiyi replied solemnly, “That bastard dared to offend the two young ladies. I have already killed him.”

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Naturally, Lin Fengmian did not believe him. He sneered, “I never imagined that demons could speak such devilish nonsense.”

“I’m telling you the truth,” Liu Shiyi said. “I was afraid the old man might not be able to bear it.”

Lin Fengmian threw back his head and laughed. “Do you really think I’ve grown senile?”

“Then you had better be careful,” said Liu Shiyi. “Your disciple is about to kill you!”

Yang Wanli obediently followed orders. A dagger was concealed inside his cane, and he thrust it toward Lin Fengmian’s waist. Lin Fengmian seemed to have anticipated the attack. Moving with astonishing speed, he took a step forward and avoided the danger.

Li Jie had no fists left, but a hidden weapon had been strapped to his severed arm—a box capable of firing a hundred poisoned needles. Its range encompassed nearly everyone present.

Lin Fengmian had to protect his two granddaughters, so he did not dodge. With a sweep of his sleeve, he summoned a fierce gust of wind that deflected the needles and saved himself and the two girls.

A green lion emerged at Xiao Bugui’s chest. It swallowed some of the poisoned needles and saved him.

“Master, I’m here to protect you!”

With both senior disciples having betrayed him, Chu Hongchen shouted his declaration of loyalty. After several quick strides, he came before Lin Fengmian, pretending to shield him while actually making an attacking move.

Anticipating that Chu Hongchen would launch a surprise attack, Lin Fengmian simply struck him with one palm and sent him flying.

Chu Hongchen crashed into a stone wall and died. Lin Fengmian’s palm was also pierced and began to bleed. Only then did he realize that Chu Hongchen had been wearing clothes concealing poisoned needles.

“Master has been poisoned. We have fulfilled our mission,” Yang Wanli told Li Jie. He then reversed the cane in his right hand, drove the dagger into his own throat, and died.

“Master, we shall meet again beneath the Nine Springs. I’ll go ahead first.”

Li Jie seemed to have taken poison long before. Now he could endure no longer. Foam spilled from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back.

Lin Fengmian had never imagined that he would suffer betrayal. Facing his three disciples, all of whom were already on the brink of death, he merely demanded in a loud voice, “Whose orders are you acting on?”

There was no answer. Lin Fengmian turned on Liu Shiyi. “Were my disciples forced into this by you? What sect or organization do you belong to?”

Liu Shiyi pointed toward the pagoda. “Our organization is called the Shadow, and its master is your son. We are all your son’s subordinates. How could a son possibly betray his own father?”

His words left Lin Fengmian staring at the pagoda in disbelief. His son, who had supposedly been confined within the tower for more than twenty years, had actually founded the Shadow, an organization that gathered countless experts.

He simply could not believe it. Lin Zi and Lin Yuer were even more incredulous. These strange masked men were actually their uncle’s subordinates. It was a secret known only to the Lin family.

Lin Fengmian’s son, Lin Xiao, was the father of Lin Zi and Yuer. Years ago, rumors had spread that he had been confined in the pagoda to practice martial arts. That was merely a lie. Lin Xiao had died of illness many years earlier, when his two daughters were still young. Unwilling to let the hostile forces of the martial world believe that the Lin family had been weakened, Lin Fengmian had falsely claimed that his son had entered the pagoda to cultivate.

Yet someone truly was confined within the tower: his other son, Liu Taiji, the half-demon, half-human child born of his love for a serpent demon. Lin Fengmian had named him Lin Mang.

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Lin Fengmian gazed at the ancient pagoda and sank into memories. His unfamiliar son, Liu Taiji, had been only a seventeen-year-old freak when he first entered the tower. His body had been covered in green scales, his face resembled a serpent’s, and every time he spoke, a forked tongue flickered from his mouth.

The pagoda doors opened. A man dressed in black and white, his face hidden behind a mask bearing the symbol of the supreme polarity, slowly emerged from within. He came before Lin Fengmian. His towering figure radiated an oppressive force, and his sharp gaze looked down upon his guilt-ridden father.

In the stern tone of a father reproaching his son, Lin Fengmian said, “Lin Mang, what are you planning to do?”

“Wang Laohu of the Martial World Alliance has turned your disciples against you and ordered them to kill you,” Liu Taiji replied. “If I had not intervened, Falling Leaves Manor would probably be nothing but ruins by now.”

“I have long since withdrawn from the affairs of the martial world,” Lin Fengmian said. “He is already the leader of the Martial World Alliance. Why would he need to kill me?”

“Wang Laohu has been practicing a sinister art known as the Corpse-Release Immortal Method,” said Liu Taiji. “He does not merely want to harm you. He intends to capture all those old monsters of the martial world, drain away their internal power, and use it to cultivate his unorthodox arts. Over the years, I secretly sent men to watch Wang Laohu, and only then learned that he is a deeply hidden criminal of the worst kind. His ambitions are enormous. He wants to become the greatest martial artist beneath Heaven and remain leader of the Martial World Alliance forever. Father, you are old. You have forgotten how treacherous the human heart can be.”

Lin Fengmian mocked himself. “I truly am old. Never could I have imagined that a demon son who had not left the tower in twenty years would possess such skill and cunning. Your subordinate said that you wished to invite me to the finest restaurant for a drink. Was that true?”

“My mother says that although my appearance is somewhat strange, my temperament and understanding resemble yours,” Liu Taiji said. “My father is an unparalleled master, so naturally I could not be inferior. Father, please come with me.”

Now that the danger had passed, they were going to enjoy a feast at the finest restaurant. Xiao Bugui could not abandon a good friend, so he walked up to Liu Taiji, clasped his hands, and bowed.

“Senior Liu, my companion Yin Wuxiang is still imprisoned in the tower. Could you help me rescue him?”

“Yin Wuxiang is right in front of you,” Liu Taiji informed him, then added approvingly, “You have some loyalty in you after all.”

The thin one among the five-star-masked men rubbed and kneaded his face, restoring it to Yin Wuxiang’s original features and coloring. Yin Wuxiang draped an arm over Xiao Bugui’s shoulder and warned him, “Do not tell the other demons of the Demon Sect that I have joined the Shadow.”

Xiao Bugui asked, “Then did you find the demon box?”

“The demon box has already fallen into Wang Laohu’s hands,” Yin Wuxiang replied.

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