Originally a Pair, Merged into One

Thinking of Purple Clad, I couldn't help frowning. She had promised to help me find Abe Ichinan, but was this Black-Robed Man really Abe Ichinan?

It was hard for me to connect him with the woman I had seen in the apartment earlier.

But when he had asked whether I was afraid he would kill me, I had indeed sensed the murderous intent emanating from him—an intense, overwhelming killing intent.

Still, I wasn't worried. When I got out of the car, Fatty had said that if I was in danger, he would be there immediately. He had already placed a tracker on me.

That thing had to have come from Unit Nine too.

But Fatty had said he wasn't a member of Unit Nine. He merely did odd jobs for them sometimes, taking on paid work.

I was a little curious. How much had Unit Nine paid him this time to seal the companions on Xu Qiuyan and me and keep us safe? One hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand? Or even more? I figured Unit Nine wasn't short on money.

The Black-Robed Man seemed somewhat surprised when he saw Fatty. Though I couldn't see his features, I was certain he was carefully watching Fatty.

"Dead Fatty, it's you?"

I froze. They actually knew each other.

Fatty puffed out his chest, showing off his round belly. One hand gently rubbed the top of his nearly bald head, and he wore a smile that made him look exactly like a Buddha statue worshipped in a temple.

"Meeting again, huh? Come on, let me see if you've improved!"

Fatty and the Black-Robed Man had definitely fought before. From their exchange, Fatty seemed to have had the upper hand.

I asked Fatty, "Is he Abe Ichinan?"

But Fatty said he didn't know any Abe Ichinan. Still, if Abe Ichinan was a woman, then this Black-Robed Man really was one.

Fatty didn't even know Abe Ichinan, and neither did I. Even if the Black-Robed Man really was a woman, that wasn't enough to prove she was Abe Ichinan, was it?

"Dead Fatty, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business." The Black-Robed Man was getting angry.

Fatty didn't care. "When you take someone's money, you solve their troubles. Can't be helped. Buddha Lord here has taken their cash, so naturally I have to do the job."

"Hmph, then let's see whether you have what it takes!" The Black-Robed Man snorted and waved a hand. Four figures suddenly appeared in the clearing. Though it was my first time seeing ninjas in person, I had seen plenty of them in movies and television.

The four ninjas charged at Fatty with gleaming katana in hand. My heart leaped into my throat, yet the blood in my veins faintly began to boil. While worrying about Fatty, I clenched my fists, wanting to go help him.

"Stay there. Just watch. Buddha Lord can handle it." Fatty looked completely confident. His movements suddenly became swift and nimble, and a folding fan appeared in his hand. Then I heard the clash of metal.

The fan actually had an iron frame.

But the fan was only his defensive weapon. His true offensive weapon was himself.

He was unbelievably fast, like a massive ball smashing straight into the four ninjas and sending them flying.

As they were hurled away, each ninja was heavily struck by the folding fan. The four of them fell to the ground and never got back up.

"That's it?" Fatty cast a disdainful glance over the four fallen ninjas before turning his gaze back to the Black-Robed Man.

The Black-Robed Man fell silent for a few seconds, then said, "Didn't you want to speak with me alone?"

She was obviously speaking to me.

I glanced at Fatty. He shrugged, looking as though it made no difference to him.

I said to the Black-Robed Man, "We can talk, but first you have to prove that you're Abe Ichinan."

The Black-Robed Man answered with one word. "Fine."

With that, she reached up and lightly wiped her face. The mist that had concealed her features completely dispersed, revealing the delicate face of a woman. Yet that breathtakingly beautiful face was exceptionally cold.

It was the woman I had seen in the apartment.

"You really are Abe Ichinan?"

"That's right. She's Abe Ichinan, one of the most outstanding members of the younger generation of the Abe Family."

Purple Clad had appeared beside me at some point. Fatty's gaze toward her was somewhat complicated. Purple Clad made a face at Fatty, and he rubbed his nose. "Strange. There's no malevolent aura on you at all!"

I didn't quite understand. "What do you mean?"

"She was born from a nightmare. Most nightmares carry an intense malevolent aura, but she has none whatsoever. In fact, the aura around her is completely different from that of a nightmare."

Abe Ichinan had also been looking at Purple Clad strangely. After hearing Fatty's words, she seemed to realize something. "She's a nightmare? A nightmare created through the Twin Fish Jade Pendant?"

I nodded. "That's right."

"Why? Why is it like this?" she muttered. I couldn't really understand what she meant.

I said to her, "Since you really are Abe Ichinan, then let's talk."

"I'll only talk to you alone," she said.

I pressed my lips together and looked at Fatty. Fatty said, "Whether you agree or not is up to you. It has nothing to do with me."

Purple Clad stood there calmly, wearing an equally indifferent expression.

"Fine!" I nodded at Abe Ichinan. It was just a private conversation. I didn't believe she would dare do anything to me. Besides, I didn't think I was so powerless before her that I couldn't even resist.

"Come with me!" She beckoned, and I walked over to her.

She grabbed me and began leading me step by step into the river.

I was a little dumbfounded. What kind of game was this? Drowning ourselves for love? There was definitely no love between her and me.

But just as I was about to stop walking, I realized that the two of us were no longer in the place we had been moments ago.

This was a secret chamber, dimly lit. Its only source of light was an oil lamp burning on the stone table in the center.

Abe Ichinan and I sat facing each other. Her eyes were fixed tightly on me, her gaze sharp.

"Where is this?" I asked instinctively.

"An alternate dimension."

She spoke coldly, but reached into her clothes, took something out, and gently placed it on the table.

An alternate dimension? The name sounded so familiar. I suddenly thought of a certain movie.

"This space is completely sealed. We can't get out, and no one else can get in. There are only the two of us here. No one can hear what we say—not even that Dead Fatty."

I smiled. "You seem quite wary of Fatty."

"He's not a good person, so you'd better be careful around him. Don't let someone sell you off while you're still helping them count the money," Abe Ichinan said.

She was clearly trying to drive a wedge between Fatty and me.

Fatty had been sent by Old Shu to protect Xu Qiuyan and me. How could he sell me out?

But when I clearly saw the thing she had placed on the table, I went completely still.

I hurriedly took out the jade pendant I carried and carefully compared it with the one Abe Ichinan had put on the table. They were exactly identical!

How could this be? If hers was also a Twin Fish Jade Pendant, then it explained how she had used it to duplicate Zhuanghe and the others.

But how could there be two Twin Fish Jade Pendants?

"Did no one ever tell you that the Twin Fish Jade Pendant was originally a pair?"

When I heard that, my eyes widened. The Twin Fish Jade Pendant had originally been a pair? It really did seem plausible.

I reached out and picked up hers, placing the two pendants together and examining them over and over. I couldn't tell any difference between them.

"So you were the one who created copies of Zhuanghe and the others, then had the originals killed?"

I stared at her and demanded harshly.

But she calmly shook her head. "No. Their originals were already dead before I got it."

I didn't quite believe her. She rolled her eyes. "I have no reason to lie to you. Their copies were the ones who killed the originals. I took this jade pendant from Zhuanghe's copy. Compared with the originals, their copies were far more violent and ruthless. That was why the originals died at the hands of their own copies."

"Why would that happen?"

Abe Ichinan gave a bitter smile. "Before I saw that nightmare's copy, I couldn't figure it out either. But after seeing her, I understood. The Twin Fish Jade Pendant is a pair, so there must be yin and yang. Perhaps the one I possess creates copies with violent, ruthless personalities, while yours creates copies with comparatively gentler personalities."

I didn't say anything, but I did feel that what she said made some sense.

She continued, "Perhaps only when the two jade pendants merge into one can they create two people exactly like the originals, with identical temperaments and thoughts!" She offered a bold hypothesis. I actually felt an urge to test it. Could it really be as she thought?

As I pondered it, I slowly overlapped the two jade pendants.