Chapter Ninety: Sweet Words, Hidden Blades

“What's wrong? Have you been dazzled by my woman's charm?” Seeing Guangqi stare a little blankly after noticing Huiyan, Yedong laughed aloud and held her even tighter in his arms.

“You really do have excellent taste, Brother Tian!” Guangqi suppressed the restless surge within him, smiling faintly. “I must admit, I was indeed struck by her beauty.”

“My name is Yanhui.” Huiyan gently pushed Yedong away. “Brother Tian is always like this, never serious. Please don’t take offense.”

“Not at all, not at all,” Guangqi said, unconsciously shifting his gaze away from Huiyan’s eyes. “Brother Tian speaks plainly and frankly. That is true character, true character.”

“Have you changed your name too? Huiyan directly became Yanhui. But your beauty is so uniquely striking that I recognized you at a glance.” Guangqi muttered inwardly, “How did she end up with someone like He Wentian? Could it be that she has changed?”

Huiyan took Yedong’s wine glass and brought it lightly to her lips. Her red mouth brushed the wine, leaving a faint trace of fragrance, and she asked softly, “Guangqi, why didn’t you come that day to the tomb-robbing trip?”

“Ah...” Guangqi did not look up at her, but lowered his eyes to the glass in his hand. “That day, Master sent me off to handle something else, so I missed it.”

Yedong and Huiyan exchanged a smile. “That day was thrilling indeed. Will your mentor go into the ancient tomb with your master?”

“About that...” Guangqi hesitated. “That will depend on Master’s arrangements.”

Huiyan seemed very interested in the topic. “By the way, Brother Tian, where did you go today?”

“I had quite the thrill today!” Yedong was brimming with excitement. “Today I met—”

“Cough, cough.” Guangqi’s cough cut him off. He shot Yedong a glance out of the corner of his eye, then coughed twice more. “Brother Tian, this wine is excellent. I’m used to tea, so I’m not quite accustomed to it.”

Yedong was sharp-eyed and immediately understood what he meant. Changing the subject, he said, “Tea, is it? No problem. I have the finest Longjing here. Will that do?”

“Longjing is good,” Guangqi nodded.

He snapped his fingers twice, and a butler immediately came forward. “Young Master?”

“Brew Guangqi a pot of fine Longjing.”

Then he turned to explain to Huiyan, “I only went out today to meet a friend.”

“Oh, so that’s it.” Huiyan pouted adorably. “Next time you go to meet a friend, take me with you too, okay?”

“Could she be trying to get information out of He Wentian?” Guangqi weighed inwardly. “But from the look of her, she doesn’t seem to be acting.”

“Then are you going as my bodyguard, or as my girlfriend?” Yedong suddenly drew Huiyan into his arms and kissed her cheek.

“You’re awful!”

For the couple’s playful flirting, Guangqi could only pretend not to see it and quietly sip his tea.

Ding-ling. Guangqi’s phone rang. “Are you safe?”

Seeing that it was a message from Master Wei, Guangqi let out a breath of relief. “Good thing those three weren’t captured, or Master’s plan would have been exposed, and my whole board would have been thrown into chaos.”

“Safe. He Wentian is here too.”

“Bring him along.”

“Understood.”

Seeing Guangqi’s pleased expression, Yedong guessed a thing or two. “It should be a message from Master Wei or that Daoist demon, right?”

“Brother Tian, would it be convenient for you to come with me for a while?” Guangqi asked in a low voice after glancing at the phone.

Yedong understood at once and naturally knew this was Master Wei’s meaning, after all, his wager with Huang Wuchang had not yet been settled.

“Can I go too?” Huiyan asked with shining expectation.

Yedong looked at Guangqi, then gently took Huiyan’s delicate hand to soothe her. “Not yet. But you needn’t worry. On the day we go into the ancient tomb, you’ll be able to come with me.”

Huiyan looked a little disappointed, and Guangqi caught every last detail.

Yedong and Guangqi soon arrived at the place Master Wei had designated. There they saw Huang Wuchang sitting with eyes closed, resting his mind, while Wei, Lixing, and Lecheng stood beside him, all bearing injuries on their faces. The atmosphere in the room was heavy and stifling.

“Master, Guangqi has brought He Wentian here,” Master Wei said quietly beside Huang Wuchang.

Huang Wuchang slowly opened his eyes. Seeing that Yedong and Guangqi were not only unscathed but had also bathed and changed into fresh clothes, he looked surprised and asked, “How did the two of you escape pursuit by that iron rod and his men?”

Yedong and Guangqi exchanged a smile and replied, “It was all thanks to Brother Guangqi’s quick wit, luring that bald monk named Yuanpeng into the dense woods and buying us precious time to escape.”

Hearing Yedong’s account, Huang Wuchang felt rather pleased with himself. “This little Guangqi is indeed clever, sharp-minded. Takes after me.”

Seeing Yedong speak up on his behalf, Guangqi shook his head with a smile. “Although I led Brother Tian out of the forest, in the end it was still thanks to his helicopter. Otherwise, we really would have been seized by that bald monk.”

“A helicopter?” Lecheng frowned. “You said you didn’t drive here because you came by plane?”

Yedong spread his hands. “I’m so wealthy. What’s wrong with taking a helicopter to save time? Good thing I came by helicopter. Otherwise, with that bald monk’s spell so powerful, how could I possibly have escaped?”

Guangqi also nodded repeatedly. “Exactly. That iron rod and his followers were truly formidable. He used the Diamond Spell with such skill that we were terribly unlucky.”

Master Wei nodded in agreement. “Who would have thought those two disciples of the monk Jingxin would be so fierce? Our fellow brothers nearly fell into their hands.”

“Hmph. If you three practiced diligently as you should, how would you have suffered so many losses today?” Huang Wuchang said coldly. “If He Wentian hadn’t had that helicopter, your junior brother Guangqi would likely have been captured alive by now!”

Seeing Huang Wuchang angry, the three of them exchanged looks and dared not respond.

Seeing him berating the three, Guangqi hastily waved his hand. “The situation was critical. The three senior brothers fought the strong enemy with all they had. If our opponents had been switched, I’m afraid Brother Tian and I would already have been captured.”

Huang Wuchang saw that Guangqi was speaking up for the three and merely snorted in irritation, drinking his tea alone.

As the atmosphere gradually grew oppressive again, Yedong took three dice from his pocket and gently placed them before Huang Wuchang. He clasped his hands and said, “These three dice were taken during our escape just now. I’m returning them to their rightful owner.”

“Oh?” Seeing the black dice Yedong produced, Huang Wuchang seemed delighted. “Not bad, you little rascal. You even brought back my dice.”

Yedong smiled. “I know people who love gambling have special feelings for their personal dice.”

“Hahaha.” Huang Wuchang curved his mouth and laughed. “In today’s wager, I won the first round. You remember that, don’t you?”

“I remember, of course I remember.” Yedong chuckled ingratiatingly. “A wager is a wager; one must accept the result.”

“Then let us continue with the second round?” Huang Wuchang tossed the dice in his hand, smiling at Yedong.

Master Wei and the others looked at one another, not expecting He Wentian to have such a move. As the saying goes, to strike at a person’s liking makes things go smoothly wherever one goes, and that very strength of He Wentian’s was also quietly recorded in Guangqi’s heart.

“It is rare for Master to be in such good spirits. This junior will gladly accompany you,” Yedong said with a loud laugh. “Please, Master!”

Huang Wuchang narrowed his eyes, smiling slyly. “Big or small?”

Yedong did not hesitate in the slightest and chose “Big.”

Huang Wuchang loosened his grip, and the three dice spun across the tea table with a clicking sound. When they stopped, the faces upward showed four, five, and five. Big.

“Interesting!” Huang Wuchang picked up the dice and tossed them to Yedong. “We each have one win now. It’s your turn to shake. I choose small!”

“I yield, Master!” Yedong caught the dice, shaking them near his ear, and smiled. “Third round!”

Seeing each man with one victory and one defeat, Master Wei and the others could not help but grow tense. If Huang Wuchang truly won the third round, that would be fine, but if he lost, he would have nowhere to put his face.

Crash. Yedong scattered the dice onto the tea table, and after a brief rattling they stopped: one, two, two. Small.

Seeing Huang Wuchang win, the tense expressions on the three finally eased as they let out soft breaths of relief.

“I have lost,” Yedong said with a faint shake of his head and a smile. “I accept my loss. May I ask what the Master would have me do?”

Huang Wuchang nodded with satisfaction, thinking inwardly, “He’s not afraid of losing? This boy has some courage. Later, I’ll play him in a bigger round and see whether he can remain so calm. Heh heh.”

“A true gambler honors his losses,” Huang Wuchang said, gathering the dice into his hand. “Listen carefully. What I want you to do is to ensure, by whatever means necessary, that the monk Jingxin cannot leave the monastery for an entire week.”

Yedong calculated silently. “In three more days, it will be time to enter the Tomb of Eternal Life. So he doesn’t want Jingxin, that peerless expert, to stir up trouble?”

“Hahaha!” Yedong burst into laughter. “To tell the truth, Master, I already told Brother Guangqi on the helicopter that I intended to retaliate against those monks. Never expected my thoughts to align so perfectly with yours. What a fate!”

“Oh?” Huang Wuchang frowned slightly, then sneered. “I don’t mean to look down on you, but what can a mortal like you possibly do to retaliate against him? Don’t end up shaved and taking vows instead!”

“Not at all, not at all!” Yedong shook his head and smiled. “Master, in spells and gambling, you may surpass me by leagues and leagues. But when it comes to ruthless revenge, I, He Wentian, have never feared anyone!”

As he spoke, arrogance rose again across his face. “Master, just wait for my good news. They chased me for so long today; if this grudge is not repaid, then I am no gentleman!”

“What a line—if this grudge is not repaid, then I am no gentleman!” Huang Wuchang stared straight ahead, and in his heart he cursed fiercely. “That monk Jingxin pushes me at every turn. Once I reach the Tomb of Eternal Life and obtain that thing, I’ll turn the whole of Spirit Platform Temple upside down!”

The four of them exchanged looks, none of them knowing just what schemes He Wentian intended to use in order to retaliate against the monks. Yet seeing how much he pleased Huang Wuchang, they all felt sour in their hearts. Only Guangqi wore a faint smile; the way he watched suggested he was anticipating a good show, as though he had great confidence in He Wentian—and admiration as well.

The next evening, the news broadcast a breaking report: a century-old Spirit Platform Temple had suffered an arson attack. During the police investigation, a deeper scandal was uncovered. Abbot Jingxin and several administrators were suspected of corruption and abuse of power, and were temporarily removed from office pending an organizational inquiry.

Huang Wuchang hugged the handheld screen in his arms, laughing so hard he could hardly close his mouth, because he had seen the all-too-familiar back of the man with a hood over his head climbing into a police car.

“This He Wentian has truly gone too far—he actually ran to Spirit Platform Temple and set it on fire. Does he really not fear being struck down by heaven’s thunder?” Huang Wuchang laughed more and more as he watched. “But this move truly makes me see him in a new light! He set that fire well, very well! Hahaha, hahahaha!”

He turned to Guangqi beside him and instructed, “Guangqi, go and explain to He Wentian the details of entering the ancient tomb two days from now. Tell him he has done very well, and that I am pleased with him.”

Guangqi smiled faintly and tucked the ancient book in his hands away. “Yes. Guangqi will put the book away properly, then go at once.”

After returning to his room, Guangqi’s mind quickly ran through his plan. With a cold smile, he dialed He Wentian’s number. “Brother Tian, would it be convenient for me to come by your place? Master has some information he wants me to pass on to you.”

“Fine!” Yedong agreed at once, while a plan also began turning swiftly in his own mind.

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