Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 201: 38: Forty Years Unspeakable

Chapter 201: Chapter 38: Forty Years Unspeakable

Madam Shi tilted her face to examine Li Yan, “The ocean’s depths contain three thousand endless mysteries for you to benefit from your whole life. The Red Flag Gang is now constantly plagued by troubles; this remarkable encounter is truly a blessing from the heavens for you,”

Li Yan smiled, bowed his head, and took “Travels of the Bearded Guest” from Madam Shi’s hand, his pupils suddenly quivering.

Madam Shi’s right hand, which held the book, was already rotten and blackened, with purple veins clinging to the bones, a shocking sight.

But in just a fleeting glimpse, Madam Shi had already withdrawn her hand into her sleeve.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

Madam Shi’s other palm remained snow-white and delicate. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, inadvertently avoiding Li Yan’s gaze.

Li Yan smiled again, pretending not to have seen, “Go ahead.”

“I don’t know when you’ll be able to return, so… I entrusted a letter to Chaoyi. I told him that it contained the Red Flag Gang’s secret passed down verbally, but there’s no such thing. I had a message I wanted to entrust to you.”

…

“All right.”

In the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Bai Zhantang had successfully broken the seal on the envelope and cleverly extracted the letter inside.

Chaoyi came over; the envelope he felt was very thin, but the piece of paper Bai Zhantang pinched out was palm-sized, with only two lines and a total of six words.

“Detain Madam Guo, kill Chaoyi”

…

“I don’t think you need to go to this extent.”

Li Yan frowned and drained the wine cup on the table in one gulp.

“Xu Chaoyi has been loyal to you.”

Madam Shi propped her head up, exuding an air of languor for no apparent reason, her tone unfluctuating.

“Yes, he’s been loyal to me. I understand his respect and obedience to me. But I understand even better that he neither obeys nor respects you. The Gaoli ghost is the foundation that the Five Flags Alliance relies on to suppress Zhang He’s demon soldiers and Cai Qian’s Golden Man. I can’t take that risk.”

Li Yan shook his head, “That’s not a reason for you to kill him.”

Madam Shi’s eyes flickered, “You’re not happy about it? I remember you and he didn’t get along well.”

Li Yan filled his wine cup again, looking straight into Madam Shi’s eyes.

“I’m not happy because what you’re really saying is that you think I can’t control Chaoyi.”

Madam Shi chuckled, leaning her shoulder against Li Yan. Li Yan blinked but didn’t move.

“Sometimes I really feel like you’ve become a different person. Just like an unsheathed sword, unavoidably so.”

Li Yan’s heartbeat remained steady, he deliberately changed the subject, “But when you gave him the letter, I was afraid he would read it himself, and then, once the facade was broken, I wouldn’t be able to not kill him.”

Madam Shi’s smile remained, but the meaning in her eyes was complex, “My letter was meant for you to see, and for him to see as well.”

…

“This…”

Bai Zhantang pulled out the paper and placed it on the table, then consciously stepped back a few paces.

Chaoyi picked up the thin sheet, holding it up to the oil lamp to examine it closely.

After a long while, his body thudded weakly into the chair.

Facing the ravages of the sea all year round, Chaoyi’s face was full of deep cracks and wrinkles. Although he was over forty, his temples had already turned white, giving him the appearance of someone in their fifties or sixties. He was usually reserved, with both honey and knives hidden in his heart. He had recently had a daughter, and Madam Shi had even come to ask about naming her Yuanyuan. In Chaoyi’s memory, he smiled once then—genuinely. Beyond that, there was nothing.

Bai Zhantang didn’t know where this letter had come from, but the words “kill Chaoyi” were clear enough to see. Among the entire Red Flag Gang, there were not many who had the rank to speak so candidly.

Knowing that Chaoyi was in a bad mood, he retired to the corner and didn’t disturb him. Unexpectedly, Chaoyi got up after a short while.

“I’ve troubled you with this matter. Please repair the seal on this letter. One Hundred Strings of Coins—I will send them to your residence later,”

“No trouble at all.”

Mr. Bai picked up the piece of paper, slid it into the envelope through the crack, and then picked up his tools and materials and started to work.

All the while, Chaoyi sat silently to the side, lighting a water pipe and puffing clouds of smoke.

After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the envelope was restored to its original condition.

“Chaoyi, now that the job is done, I won’t impose any longer,”

Bai Zhantang said.

Unexpectedly, Chaoyi immediately refused, “Mr. Bai cannot leave.”

Bai Zhantang looked up, swallowed a mouthful of saliva before he asked in a forceful tone, “What do you mean by this, Chaoyi? Are you planning to cross the river and demolish the bridge?”

Chaoyi stood up exuding murderous aura, unabashedly nodding, “I’ve made myself clear, the money, I will deliver to your residence to the last penny, but I can’t let you leave here alive.”

“You!” Bai Zhantang angrily pointed at Chaoyi, “You should know, the news of my coming here is known to my wife and children. If I return home safely, I will keep my mouth shut. But if I die here, the matter of breaking the seal on the letter will be known to all within days.”

His back was drenched with cold sweat, his words clear and logical, “I imagine you’ll be quite busy in the coming days, Chaoyi, and wouldn’t want to startle the snakes, would you?”

Chaoyi was taken aback, thought for a long while, then hung his head.

Just as Bai Zhantang breathed a sigh of relief, Chaoyi suddenly looked up, drew his gun, and pulled the trigger. The dark bullet, carrying the pervasive sea stench of the study, pierced through Bai Zhantang’s chest.

“Bang~”

Pushing his chair aside, Chaoyi walked over to Bai Zhantang, who had collapsed into a pool of blood.

“Mr. Bai, I’m sorry.”

Blood bubbles kept spitting out of Bai Zhantang’s mouth, and it took a while before he managed to speak feebly:

“I, I really don’t understand~ I’ve forged account books for the Thirteen Brokerages, and helped the magistrate expose illicit letters from his mistresses. These people had reason to silence me, yet none laid a hand on me. I helped you reveal the letter about someone wanting to kill you, and yet you’re the one killing me. What is the rationale behind this?”

Chaoyi, with an impassive face, “The letter from the Madam about wanting me dead would damage her reputation if it spread to the ears of my men.”

“You, have you lost your mind? She wants to kill you!”

“Indeed, it is the Madam who wants to kill me. If it were Tianbao who wanted my life, I wouldn’t accept it,” Chaoyi said.

Bai Zhantang’s face showed utter disbelief, a look that eventually froze amidst the ceaseless flow of black blood.

Chaoyi checked Bai Zhantang’s breath then turned to pick up the letter from the table, waved away the smell of ink, his eyes reflecting the flicker of candlelight.

“The Madam indeed cares,” he said.

…

In the bedroom, Chaoyi’s wife, Madam Yang, held her sleeping daughter in her arms. A gunshot from outside made her body twitch, clutching her daughter tighter.

After a while, there was a commotion outside along with sounds of scraping the floor and dragging heavy objects. Soon after, Chaoyi entered the room. He sat on the edge of the bed in silence.

After some time, Chaoyi touched his wife’s hand.

Madam Yang opened her eyes and said softly, “What is it, head of the household?”

“Did I wake you?”

Chaoyi’s voice was much lower than usual.

“No,” she pushed herself up to sit, “I’ll go and get you some water to wash your feet.”

Chaoyi held her down, “No need, just lie down, let’s have a talk.”

Chaoyi gripped Madam Yang’s hand, “You’ve been with me since you were sixteen. I’ve never even put you in a satin dress. I’ve wronged you over the years.”

“Head of the household, what’s wrong? What are you saying?”

“…”

Chaoyi grunted, “It’s nothing. Go to sleep.”

He took his shoes off, gently slid under the quilt, wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, slowly closed his eyes, and soon after, the sound of his light snoring filled the room.