Scheming (1)

Midnight.

Ning Ye arrived at the agreed meeting place and saw Wang Sen already waiting there.

Wang Sen looked somewhat impatient. "What do you want?"

Ning Ye said, "I still owe you a life. I wanted to ask if you have anyone you need killed lately."

Hearing this, Wang Sen laughed. "I've seen plenty of people come to collect debts, but you're the first one I've seen hurry to pay one back."

Ning Ye got straight to the point. "Just tell me if you have a target."

Wang Sen thought for a moment before answering. "There is one, though I'm not in much of a hurry right now."

"Who?"

"My senior brother, Li Baidao."

"How strong is he?"

"He's my master's first disciple. He just reached the middle stage of the Hualun Realm and has mastered my master's Soul-Severing Demon Blade. He's also the disciple my master values most. As long as he's alive, it'll be hard for me to rise."

"But your master has other disciples."

"That doesn't matter. He's my only opponent right now."

Ning Ye shook his head. "That doesn't match our agreement."

Their original agreement was for him to eliminate Wang Sen's opponents within the Cang Xiang Realm. It hadn't included the Hualun Realm, especially not the middle stage.

There was no qualitative difference between the middle and early stages of the Hualun Realm, but there was a quantitative one. Even someone who had only just reached the middle stage wasn't an opponent Ning Ye could hope to take on. With his current strength and Tianji, he could handle one early-stage Hualun cultivator at most.

"You were the one who offered to repay your debt." Wang Sen sneered.

Looking at Wang Sen's expression, Ning Ye suddenly realized that this was probably deliberate.

Wang Sen was testing his strength.

Realizing this, Ning Ye said, "Wait a moment."

As he spoke, Ning Ye vanished.

A moment later, he reappeared and said, "I can help you eliminate him, but you'll have to meet some additional conditions."

As he spoke, he tossed over a sheet of paper. It listed several special resources, some to aid cultivation and others deadly poisons.

These resources were valuable to Cang Xiang disciples, but to the Wood Puppet Sect, they were nothing at all. Wang Sen could even pay for them himself, which showed that Ning Ye's demands weren't unreasonable.

What truly surprised him was that Ning Ye had agreed.

Did that mean someone really was backing him? Perhaps they weren't at the peak of the Wanfa Realm, but they were at least capable of dealing with someone in the Hualun Realm?

The Immortal Sect had always upheld the idea that the strong were kings. Even in the world of espionage, they believed that the stronger someone was, the more valuable information they could obtain.

Ning Ye's performance finally earned Wang Sen's attention.

The resources were a trivial matter. He agreed at once. "Fine."

"Give me his details."

Li Baidao was Chang Duanhun's chief disciple.

He was called "Baidao" because he liked to torture his victims. If an opponent died before he'd struck them a hundred times, he considered it a failure.

When he wasn't cultivating, Li Baidao liked to visit Qianxiu Pavilion in Chess Player City and indulge in pleasure.

Qianxiu Pavilion was one of the largest brothels in Chess Player City. As its name suggested, it had a thousand beautiful women, each with her own charms, like warblers flitting among the flowers, plump or slender, for the pleasure of its guests.

Naturally, every brothel had its star courtesans.

Each year, Qianxiu Pavilion selected three to five Flower Queens. The number varied because Flower Queens were often bought by emperors. Immortals were emperors among mortals, and those with a taste for beauty would often redeem a Flower Queen and take her away.

Li Baidao was smart. He knew he couldn't compete with those powerful experts and high-ranking Immortal Masters, so he didn't go after the Flower Queens. Instead, he pursued the runner-up candidates.

Now and then, emboldened by drink, he would boast that some Flower Queen had once slept with him, and that he and some Immortal, some mountain hermit, some High Person, some lord, some peerless expert, some king, or some demon were all brothers-in-law.

But once he sobered up, he would kill everyone who had heard him say such things.

In time, no one dared go near Li Baidao when he was drinking.

The runner-up Flower Queen Li Baidao had set his sights on lately was Ding Xiaoxiang, a sweet, demure young woman whose very sight inspired tenderness.

Li Baidao liked demure young women because they brought out his protective instincts and made him feel strong and powerful. He enjoyed the admiring look in their eyes when he bragged about his exploits, even though he knew that look was probably fake.

But what did it matter? As long as he was happy.

So when Ning Ye entered Qianxiu Pavilion and asked for Ding Xiaoxiang by name, the madam was in a bit of a bind. By Li Baidao's habit, he would arrive in about half an hour.

Ning Ye reassured her. "Don't worry. Half an hour is plenty. I won't need that long."

There were plenty of men who bragged about how impressive they were. It was rare to meet someone so modest.

For the sake of the money, the madam agreed. "Just don't keep her too long! That important gentleman has a bad temper."

Ning Ye smiled. "But I have an excellent temper."

Ding Xiaoxiang studied Ning Ye with interest.

After spending so long in a brothel, she had seen all kinds of men.

Some were lechers who came in and immediately... Others put on airs of refinement and sat chatting quietly. Some showed off their charms by composing poems and matching verses. Others came in drunk and fell asleep without doing anything at all.

But someone like Ning Ye, who wasn't interested in beautiful women, conversation, or songs and dances, and simply drank in silence while staring into space, was a rare sight.

Ding Xiaoxiang couldn't help covering her mouth with a smile. "Could it be that your home is too noisy, so you came here for some peace and quiet?"

Ning Ye smiled. "That's right. When I saw you, the worries in my heart melted away. I felt clear-minded, at ease, and far removed from the world. I could only wish to take you home, so I could look at you all day and all night."

Ding Xiaoxiang gave an adorable little pout. "You don't sound sincere at all, sir."

Ning Ye sat down. "Oh? Why do you say that?"

Ding Xiaoxiang pointed at his face. "You won't even show me your real face, so how can you talk about sincerity?"

Ning Ye wore a very ordinary mask. It had fooled the madam, whose eyes were fixed on money, but not this young woman, who had seen all kinds of people.

Ning Ye touched the mask on his face and smiled. "I'm too ugly. I was afraid I'd frighten you."

Ding Xiaoxiang replied, "How could someone in my line of work turn away a customer for being ugly? Besides, you're so elegant and refined, sir. You don't look like an ugly man."

Ning Ye gave a soft laugh and shook his head. Raising his cup, he said, "Allow me to offer you a drink."

Seeing that he absolutely refused to remove his mask, Ding Xiaoxiang knew better than to insist. She could only drink with him.

They took turns pouring one another drinks and clinked cups until the madam knocked on the door. Only then did Ning Ye rise. "Thank you for your company. I have something here to give you."

As he spoke, he picked up a packet of powder and handed it to her.

"What is this...?" Ding Xiaoxiang asked, a little surprised.

Ning Ye only smiled without answering, then left.

A moment later, Li Baidao came in.

By then, Ding Xiaoxiang had tidied everything up and was waiting for him.

Li Baidao glanced around and frowned. "Someone was in your room not long ago. Didn't I tell you to avoid taking other customers on the day I came?"

Ding Xiaoxiang's pretty face fell. "The customer was generous, and Mother couldn't bear to turn away the money. What could I do? But don't worry, Master Li. He only sat and talked with me. He didn't touch me."

Hearing this, Li Baidao searched the room.

He was a cautious man. He knew he had killed many people and made plenty of enemies, so he had to be especially careful and alert in places he visited often.

After checking the room and finding no hidden traps or mechanisms, he finally relaxed.

Ding Xiaoxiang looked aggrieved. "Are you satisfied now, sir?"

Li Baidao smiled. "It's lonely at the top, so you have to be careful."

Ding Xiaoxiang cursed him inwardly. Lonely at the top? Who did he think he was? But outwardly, she played along, flattering him.

Just then, Li Baidao noticed something and picked it up. "What's this?"

"It was left by the customer before you. He said it was a gift for me. Is something wrong with it?" Ding Xiaoxiang asked, looking nervous.

Li Baidao carefully opened it and took a look. His tension eased. "Heh, it's Bliss Powder. This is good stuff. That man was surprisingly generous to give you such a large packet."

"Bliss Powder?" Ding Xiaoxiang had heard of its great renown. They said anyone who used it entered a world of bliss and boundless pleasure. Used during sex, it made everything twice as effective.

After testing the Bliss Powder and confirming it was not poisonous, Li Baidao said delightedly, "Since we have this, there's no need for us to hold back."

As he spoke, he poured the Bliss Powder into their wine cups, and he and Ding Xiaoxiang shared it.

Everything before his eyes grew hazy. In Li Baidao's eyes, Ding Xiaoxiang seemed to transform into a celestial maiden from the Heavenly Palace, peerlessly beautiful. With a tigerish roar, he pounced on her...