Cloud Sun Manor (Part 2)

Xiao Tao gasped and quickly covered her chest with both hands, but Yan Chihuo's finger struck her right arm. Her arms trembled and dropped. His fingers hooked like claws as he tore again, and it seemed he would rip off her bellyband this time. Xiao Tao twisted her body, her right hand pointing diagonally, and her sash flew apart like falling petals—a truly graceful posture.

Yan Chihuo withdrew his hand and said, "That was Falling Blossoms from the Falling Flower Sword Art. Miss Xiao Tao executed it beautifully; without at least ten years of hard training, one could never reach that level. Steward Tie's thirteen sword wounds were from Heavenly Flowers Scattering in the same art!"

Xiao Tao's face changed dramatically. "Fine, I admit it. I sent people to rob the silver that day. That fool Du Ming was so bewitched by me that he spilled everything, even his ancestors' names." As she spoke, Du Ming's face turned iron-gray, fire seeming to blaze from his eyes, and his fists cracked as he clenched them, but he said nothing.

Yan Chihuo clapped. "Tsk, tsk. What a devoted couple. Miss Xiao Tao is willing to take the blame herself."

Du Ming could no longer hold back. "What do you mean by that?"

Yan Chihuo said, "If I'm not mistaken, the twenty-eight moves of Splashing Wind Axe Technique that Third Manor Lord used were mixed with Falling Flower Sword Art. Yesterday, when he blocked an opponent's strike, he used that same Falling Blossoms move. The move I just used on Miss Xiao Tao was exactly what you used against your opponent yesterday. Falling Flower Sword Art is the Hua family's secret technique. Twenty years ago, after the Hua family was wiped out, only Hua Ling and her husband escaped. I never expected you to have joined Cloud Sun Manor and become Third Manor Lord."

Du Ming's face turned ashen. Yan Chihuo continued, "Although Steward Tie died by the sword, among his thirteen wounds, one was clearly too deep. Now it's obvious—Third Manor Lord has used an axe for so long that when he switched to a sword, his hand came down too heavily, revealing an unnecessary flaw."

Du Ming flew into a rage. "You're slandering me! If this Xiao Tao were Hua Ling, she'd be at least forty. How could she look like this?"

Yan Chihuo raised his hand and tapped seven acupoints on Xiao Tao. Though her martial arts were not weak, she couldn't evade a single strike and collapsed limply.

Yan Chihuo took a small bottle from his bosom and said to a young man whose expression seemed carved from stone, "Qu Wuxing, use this to remove her disguise." Qu Wuxing, about the same age as Zhou Fang but much older than Yan Chihuo, obeyed without the slightest hesitation, just like Zhou Fang, acting as if Yan Chihuo was their leader.

Yan Chihuo turned to Du Ming. "In my ten years in the martial world, I've assassinated sixty-seven great heroes. Disguise techniques have been a great help, so Miss Xiao Tao's disguise can't fool me." In moments, Qu Wuxing used the liquid from the bottle to clean Xiao Tao's face, revealing a stunningly beautiful woman around forty years old.

Yan Chihuo said, "Third Manor Lord, do you have anything else to say? Under my methods, I guarantee Hua Ling will confess everything clearly."

Du Ming roared like a tiger, swung his great axe behind him, and chopped at Yan Chihuo. This strike was his signature move; the axe's wind sealed off all directions around Yan Chihuo. But just as the axe was in midair, a flash of light appeared, and blood sprayed from his throat, falling like rain and dissipating like mist. Then, with a thud, the great axe hit the ground. His body swayed twice and collapsed.

Yun Zaitian sighed deeply. "I've truly grown old and blind, not noticing a thing. But with Du Ming dead, how will we learn the whereabouts of that hundred thousand taels of silver?"

Yan Chihuo said, "No matter. There's still this woman. And though Du Ming was at fault, I shouldn't have killed him myself. But before leaving, Second Master granted me the Black Tiger Order, allowing me to act as I saw fit. Please don't blame me, Manor Lord Yun." He took out a black iron token from his bosom, engraved with a lifelike tiger head.

Yun Zaitian forced a smile. "Du Ming brought this on himself. I can't blame you, Nephew Yan."

Yan Chihuo nodded. "Thank you for your magnanimity, Manor Lord Yun." He then opened the account books and examined them carefully. After more than two hours, he closed them and said to Tong Huaibing, "Second Manor Lord, you were in charge of repairing Cloud Sun Manor's Hundred Flower Garden last year, weren't you?"

Tong Huaibing's heart jumped. "Yes, I applied for two hundred fifty thousand taels, spent two hundred forty-seven thousand six hundred thirty-nine, and turned in the remainder."

Yan Chihuo said, "You were also responsible for renovating the Justice Gathering Hall, right?"

Tong Huaibing said, "Yes. The hall had fallen into disrepair. I applied for fifty thousand taels and spent forty-eight thousand two hundred sixty."

Yan Chihuo said, "Second Manor Lord is different from Du Ming. You're an old hand at Tiger Roar Manor. Twenty-three years ago, you oversaw the renovation of the inner hall, spending over twenty-three thousand taels and saving thirteen thousand, all while improving quality. Am I wrong?"

Tong Huaibing said, "Young Master Yan has an excellent memory. It's not that others were embezzling; the manor's people are martial artists, outsiders to construction. I'm dull-witted but only wanted to do more for the manor lord, so I was thorough."

Yan Chihuo said, "Indeed. From then on, Second Manor Lord caught Second Master Ping's attention. Many business dealings passed through your hands without issue, and at lower cost. So when Cloud Sun Manor was established, Second Master Ping appointed you as Manor Lord Yun's assistant."

Tong Huaibing said, "Mindful of Second Master Ping's favor, I naturally did my utmost."

Yan Chihuo said, "But in the last ten years, your expenses have steadily increased. For example, ten years ago, building Plum Blossom Hall cost over eight hundred ninety thousand taels. Even so, it was still twenty percent less than Shopkeeper Xue's estimate. Seven years ago, Shopkeeper Xue died of illness, and Steward Lin was reassigned. Construction was entirely in your hands, but your expenditures grew even more."

Tong Huaibing forced a smile. "There's no helping it. Material and labor costs have soared. I've done my best."

Yan Chihuo said, "I compared Tiger Roar Manor's account books from the past fifty years. The manor's allocations were always sufficient, with surpluses. But the quality of construction varied. For good work, seventy percent of the recorded cost was enough; for average work, only fifty percent or even less. And Second Manor Lord, over twenty-three years, you discovered this secret long ago and improved your financial control. That's why you saved nearly sixty percent on the inner hall renovation."

Sweat beaded on Tong Huaibing's forehead. "I never noticed. I only strictly controlled expenditures."