431: 420 431: 420 Li Shishi must have said something to the girl, because somehow this matter was limited to being known by just three people: Song Yun, the girl, and herself.
But since they sat down to eat breakfast, the girl’s gaze toward Song Yun was off.
Her eyes held gloating and understanding, and damn it, he was truly wronged.
Song Yun shook his head helplessly, then saw his plate containing several burnt pieces of toast.
Clearly, Li Shishi had done this on purpose.
But since he couldn’t afford to offend her, he let it be, reasoning that as long as the food didn’t kill him, it was okay.
Song Yun gnawed on the hard toast while thinking about his plans for the day.
After finishing breakfast, Song Yun planned to have Song Yuxue go with Qingluan and the others, as there were still so many domestic animals at the headquarters that they needed to be guarded against.
After driving them to the office, Song Yun arrived at headquarters.
As soon as he entered, he saw Zhao Yan and the others stretching their necks to look behind him.
Seeing this, Song Yun said annoyed, “What are you looking at?
My sister didn’t come with me today.”
“Tsk.” The crowd scattered, and Zhao Yan approached, somewhat embarrassed, saying, “Boss, Gong Xizi and Yushu Taoist came early in the morning, saying they had something they wanted to discuss with you.”
“Oh?
Well, that’s rare,” Song Yun smiled and replied, “This probably has to do with the Heaven Sect matter.
Now that Heaven Sect has been caught in one fell swoop, those three must be a little worried.”
“Hmph, it’s their own fault for being arrogant and overbearing.
Even if they hadn’t been caught by us, they would have ended up as pawns for others,” Zhao Yan said, snorting coldly.
“I’ve had those three wait in the conference room.
Do you want to go now or make them wait a bit longer?”
“Let’s go now.
After all, they’ve come to us,” Song Yun said.
After Song Yun took Zhao Yan to the conference room and barely opened the door, he smelled tobacco.
He knew these three must have been anxious and used smoking to ease their frustration.
“What an honor to have the three of you visit.
I wonder what brings you here today,” Song Yun said with a smile, taking his seat at the head of the table.
“Mr.
Song, considering we’re practically family now, there’s no need for secrets between us.
We’ve come here to inquire about the intentions from above,” Yun Gu said cautiously.
“Intentions from above?” Song Yun lit a cigarette and said, “There are no intentions from above.
You’re here because you’re afraid they’ll come after you, right?
Rest assured, the matter with Heaven Sect was handled by my people.
I’ve said before, either submit or die.
Xie Laogou didn’t listen and deserved his fate.”
“Oh, I see.
We thought the higher-ups were starting another purge,” Gong Xizi said with sudden realization.
“Mr.
Song, since there’s no big issue, I’ll take my leave first, not to disturb your work.”
Song Yun nodded with a smile, and then Yun Gu found an excuse to leave as well.
Yushu Taoist, however, found an excuse to stay, and Song Yun, curious about what Yushu Taoist wanted to discuss, led him to his own office.
“May I ask what brings Yushu Taoist here?” Song Yun asked while preparing tea.
“My lord, if we judge by our relationship, I suppose my Taoist Sect is quite close to you,” said Yushu Taoist.
“But there is something I’m unsure whether to mention.”
“Just speak your mind.
Taoist Sect, at any rate, is a branch of our larger community, and my brother Li Tang is a true heir of Taoism, so our relationship is of one heart and one body,” Song Yun offered him a cup of tea and said, “Dragon Well tea before the rain; it’s not very prestigious, but it’s decent enough to drink.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Yushu Taoist said, cradling the teacup, first smelling the aroma, then sipping it in three carefully measured draughts, savoring the aftertaste before saying, “The tea is clear and the fragrance lingers, excellent tea.”
“Heh, if you like it, take some with you when you leave,” Song Yun said with a smile.
“Thank you very much, my lord,” he said, then after a moment of contemplation, he added, “Have you ever considered that people from Old Nine Gates might betray you?”
This caught Song Yun off guard, causing him to narrow his eyes and say coldly, “What’s going on with Old Nine Gates?”
“One of my disciples reported that he accidentally saw Gong Xizi meeting with Lei Long from Fierce Tiger a week ago.
Since he wasn’t sure, he reported it to me, and I was afraid of a mistake, so I didn’t dare tell you until now,” Yushu Taoist said seriously.
“I also have my own doubts; if it’s true, that’s one thing, but if it’s false, I can’t imagine what Gong Xizi might say about me behind my back.”
“Old Nine Gates and Lei Long,” Song Yun murmured, sipping his tea.
“What’s Old Nine Gates’ main source of income?”
“I’m not too familiar with that, but I do know they have a skill that is quite remarkable—making Human Skin Masks.
In our heyday, whenever we went on a mission, we would always have them prepare the masks for us,” said Yushu Taoist.
“Human Skin Mask, Human Skin Mask,” Song Yun suddenly inhaled sharply with surprise.
“Damn, I knew there was a problem.
So it’s here, Lei Long, if I hadn’t learned today that you’ve met with Old Nine Gates, I might still be in the dark.”
When he learned about Lei Long’s death, Song Yun smelled a conspiracy, but now he finally understood the whole story.
Lei Long hadn’t truly died—in a sense, he had faked his death.
First, he would find a corpse with a similar build to his own, then purchase a Human Skin Mask from Old Nine Gates.
If Lei Long’s body wasn’t examined closely, the ruse would go undetected.
But if Lei Long was still alive, where was he now?
Was he like a poisonous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting to deliver a fatal strike?
Recognizing Song Yun was deep in thought, Yushu Taoist did not dare interrupt and sat upright on the sofa.
After a while, Song Yun sorted out his thoughts.
Lei Long’s cunning was more severe than he had imagined.
No wonder none of the women around him stayed after his “death”—he must have taken that woman and gone into hiding.
“This matter is very important to me.
If Old Nine Gates wants to play with fire, let them.
They’re the ones who will burn,” said Song Yun with a cold laugh.
Gong Xizi’s schemes ran deep; he played both sides, betting with him while sweet-talking Lei Long, without offending either.
Song Yun wondered if he had contacted Gulang as well.
“My lord, within Old Nine Gates, Old Nine Gates is regarded as the lowest precisely because they possess no honorable crafts.
They’re in this position not because they lack skill, but because, as the saying goes, a courtesan is heartless, and an actor is untrustworthy.
No one dares to get too involved with them, and Old Nine Gates’ principle has always been profit first.
They would lay down their lives for whoever pays them,” he said.
“Hmph, Old Nine Gates, indeed you are formidable,” Song Yun said dismissively.
“Thank you for today’s information.
I’ll have someone keep an eye on Old Nine Gates.”
“Well then, with this, I will take my leave,” Yushu Taoist said, rising and bowing.
“Take care,” Song Yun bid goodbye to Yushu Taoist, then called in Zhao Yan and said, “Lei Long is not dead, and his whereabouts are unknown.
Have someone monitor every move made by Old Nine Gates, and report to me immediately with any developments.”