Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain (3)
Si Ming was slightly taken aback. A series of thoughts flashed through his mind, and he immediately realized that he had fallen for a diversionary tactic. The other party's real target was someone else.
"I see."
After his initial exclamation, Si Ming continued his previous offensive, unleashing a barrage of ferocious fist shadows that rained down from all directions.
The assassin was both shocked and furious. "Aren't you going back to save them?"
"Hmph, do you think I'm stupid? Going back now would most likely be too late, and besides, I trust my companions. Wouldn't it be better to take you hostage?"
"The Tiger and Wolf Death School is an organization that buys lives for money; why would they spend money on others? Taking me hostage is completely pointless."
"Then beating you up to vent my anger would be good."
Chapter 270 Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain (Part 3)
The two sides were once again on the verge of conflict, and it seemed that a conflict was about to break out. Suddenly, the pager-like device hanging on Si Ming's waist vibrated. This was a special communication device used by the Mohist Knight Guard. It was a combination of a mobile phone and a walkie-talkie, which could allow different devices to communicate with each other, but the signal channel had to be memorized in advance.
Si Ming glanced at the number and saw it was Murong Qing's. He then said to the two assassins, "Excuse me, I need to make a call first."
The two men looked at each other, their faces full of doubt, but surprisingly, they didn't attack again, nor did they try to escape.
Si Ming pressed the call button and immediately said, "We've fallen for their trap. They have other accomplices left at the scene. Are you all alright?"
However, it wasn't Murong Qing's voice coming from the other end of the communicator, but Yu Shuying's cold voice. "I already noticed this clumsy plan when you were tricked away. Unfortunately, we failed to capture that accomplice, and he escaped. So you need to find a way to keep him alive."
Her speaking style has become much more "reserved" compared to the past. At least when it comes to satire, she no longer uses direct mockery, but rather metaphorical sarcasm.
Si Ming pretended not to understand and asked, "Isn't one survivor enough?"
"That's enough. As long as it's a creature that can speak human language, I can get all the answers I need."
Si Ming hung up the communicator and said to the two men with displeased expressions, "You two heard that too, right? There's only one ticket. The remaining person is destined to drown. Why don't you play rock-paper-scissors? I'll save a ticket for the winner."
He didn't intend to wait for a reply; he was about to make his move after speaking when he heard the original assassin say, "No need. I'll tell you everything. The client wants me to kill the genius Painting School, Hongdou."
Si Ming was stunned. "Uh, is it okay for you to be so frank? Don't you have to consider secrecy when doing missions?"
The other person reached out and grabbed a human skin mask from his face, revealing a middle-aged man with distinct and deep features. He was definitely not a handsome man, nor could he be described as dashing. Instead, he had the look of an old farmer, but with a rugged and wild quality, like a general in a peasant uprising army, with a powerful physique and piercing eyes.
Another sword-wielding assassin removed his mask, revealing a rather young man, around twenty years old. His skin was as white as a scholar's, not at all like a professional mercenary who had been risking his life. He had handsome features, lips as red as if painted with rouge, and eyes that looked both intelligent and proud, his gaze towards Si Ming filled with defiance and challenge.
"The Tiger and Wolf Death School isn't an organization with strict discipline. In dire circumstances, they can only choose to betray the client's identity to protect themselves. Everyone knows this, and those who come to us for missions are also aware of it. If they think our ability to keep secrets is insufficient, they can go to those chivalrous organizations that uphold integrity and would rather die than submit," the middle-aged man said in an almost rogue tone.
"... This is quite unexpected. So what are you trying to tell me? If you're going to be honest about everything, at least tell me who your client is."
Even if Si Ming was slow to realize it, he could sense the strangeness hidden in the other person's attitude. Or rather, the other person didn't try to hide it at all, almost blatantly expressing their unease.
Without hesitation, the middle-aged man replied, "The client is the Crimson Eye Society. Due to the demon tide incident a year ago, the Crimson Eye Society blacklisted by the Mohist Knight Guard and was besieged. As a result, they transferred most of their members out of Su State, leaving them short-handed. They had no choice but to entrust the task to our Tiger and Wolf Death School."
"A subcontracting mission? That means the Crimson Eye Society isn't the actual client."
"Of course, the Crimson Eye Society an assassin organization. They only kill for money; they wouldn't pay for a kill themselves. Only they know the real client. We, the Tiger and Wolf Death School, are unaware of this, but I know the reason why they want to kill the Painting School, Hongdou."
Before Si Ming could ask, the middle-aged man spilled the beans, saying, "Hongdou's parents were a famous adventurer and archaeologist. They disappeared half a year ago. It's speculated that it was murder. Before they disappeared, they entrusted something to the Divine Might Escort Agency for safekeeping. Someone is very interested in this item, believing it might be some kind of rare treasure. However, according to the rules of the martial arts world, a parent's estate should be inherited by their children. Only after the children are gone can it be passed on to other relatives according to the closeness of blood relations. That's why someone has their eye on Hongdou."
"You mean the client is Hongdou's relative?"
"It's highly likely. We also can't rule out the possibility that the Divine Might Escort Agency wants to embezzle the treasure. Although they have a good reputation, they're essentially the same as our Tiger and Wolf Death School. It's just that the price offered in the past wasn't enough for them to sacrifice their reputation. If the escort agency really wants to embezzle it, all they need to do is kill off the trustee's immediate family members. This way, they can continue to possess the treasure without damaging their reputation—a perfect solution."
The middle-aged man's service was incredibly attentive; he not only proactively provided information but also helped deduce the truth.
Si Ming, "Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Crimson Eye Society for doing this?"
The middle-aged man chuckled twice, "It's because we were threatened by the Crimson Eye Society that we, the Tiger Wolf Tiger and Wolf Death School, were forced to take on this low-paying and dangerous mission. We had no choice; after all, they are the top international criminal organization, while the Tiger and Wolf Death School is just a second-rate one. So what I'm doing now is nothing more than a small act of revenge against the Crimson Eye Society, at most a child's prank. I think they'll understand."
Even if they could understand, they probably wouldn't forgive your actions; the antics of unruly children are always particularly irritating.
The middle-aged man sighed and shook his head helplessly, "There's nothing we can do. We can only ensure that the Crimson Eye Society neither the time nor the ability to retaliate. As far as I know, the Crimson Eye Society will be holding a high-level meeting in the Nation of Beauty soon. If we can seize the opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop, wouldn't that be invaluable information for the Mohist Knight Guard, who have been struggling to find their enemy targets?"
"So, you're trying to use someone else to do your dirty work?"
"No, no, no. Compared to the two behemoths, the Mohist Knight Guard and Crimson Eye Society Tiger and Wolf Death School, they are nothing but insignificant ants. How could they be worthy of being chess players? We just want to take this opportunity to curry favor with the Mohist Knight Guard and do them a favor. In the end, even without our news, do you think the Mohist Knight Guard would let the Crimson Eye Society?"
"Aren't the Tiger and Wolf Death School and the Crimson Eye Society allies?"
"So, seeing that this ally is unreliable, we have to hurry up and stab him in the back. Otherwise, once he's completely down, when will we even have a chance to strike?" the middle-aged man said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Aren't allies just something to be sold off?"
Because of his overly confident expression, as if he were doing something perfectly justifiable and not worthy of criticism, Si Ming was speechless for a moment. Compared to the seasoned veteran, he was indeed still too young.
"... Do you know that I once fought against your Tiger and Wolf Death School and thwarted one of your operations?"
Si Ming wanted to test the other party's reaction.
"I know, it was that time related to the Yuezheng Lineage, where our skills were inferior, causing the mission to fail. So what?"
"I've always been puzzled. According to the usual practice, shouldn't the older ones come out after the younger ones are defeated? But after I ruined your mission and even killed your subordinates, there was no reaction at all, making me worry for nothing."
For a period of time at the beginning, he was prepared to be ambushed every night, and it was not until he mastered the Jade-Clad Dharma Body that he could finally relax and feel at ease.
"Are you joking? You are the disciple of Yan Jinghong, the 'Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens'. How could we dare to retaliate against you? What if we anger this Spirit Transformation expert? Even if you killed my own son, let alone just killing a few insignificant subordinates, I would still have to swallow my anger."
The middle-aged man retorted with an expression that seemed to say, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Don't you feel pathetic doing this?
"Either live a pathetic life or die a glorious death. Unless you're blessed by heaven, who can guarantee they won't suffer injustice? Those who can't even tolerate the slightest bit of humiliation are already lying in their coffins, feeding on maggots. Isn't that how those Aristocratic Clan families have passed down their traditions?"
"Impressive, impressive. With such insight, you must hold a high position in the Tiger and Wolf Death School, either a commander or a deputy commander, right?"