HomeTales of Dark RiverAn He Zhuan: Act Five - Chapter 10

An He Zhuan: Act Five – Chapter 10

“In this world, there are two most fearsome people who wear demon masks. One is me, your master.” A white-haired man wearing a demon mask reclined on a long chair, a staff covered in talismans leaning beside him.

“And the other?” asked a young man with noble features, sitting nearby playing chess against himself.

“The other is the Puppet of Dark River. The word ‘puppet’ means a ghost among humans. He too has such a mask, though mine carries a hint of charm beneath its eeriness, unlike his, which radiates pure killing intent,” the white-haired man said with a laugh.

“A demon mask is a demon mask. One that appears charming is even more terrifying,” the young man smiled, placing down a piece. “Victory! By three points!”

“Getting so excited over playing against yourself?” the white-haired man asked lazily.

The young man nodded. “There are countless people in the world—how could one defeat them all? But by defeating oneself each day, doesn’t one grow stronger day by day?”

“There’s some truth in that, but one person’s world is always limited. Otherwise, that legendary chess player in history wouldn’t have searched the world for worthy opponents, all to find the divine move,” the white-haired man replied.

“The divine move? What’s that?” the young man asked.

“It’s the move made in a desperate situation that completely reverses the game. After that single move, life, and death switch places!” The white-haired man stood up. “It’s like two armies in battle—your side is steadily losing ground when suddenly, a general appears like a descending deity, charging through the enemy lines and completely turning the tide. Just as I thought that organization would vanish from history’s stage in this chaos, yet it survived, in the hands of that man who wears the same demon mask as I do.”

“You mean this masked man was the divine move in this organization’s battle?” the young man asked.

“To be precise, he and another person accomplished it together.” The white-haired man took out a piece of paper from his robe and carefully examined its contents again. “It’s truly astounding. These two young people, working together, managed to transform this centuries-old Dark River organization.”

“Dark River… Master rarely mentions it,” the young man said, collecting his chess pieces.

“They say there’s a river in this world that ordinary people can’t see. Only in the deepest night, following the moonlight, can you catch a glimpse of it. Follow that river upstream, and you’ll find them—they are the blades in the darkness, the most ruthless assassins.” The white-haired man sneered. “Chu He, if you ever encounter them, show no mercy. If they want to kill you, kill them first.”

“Would Dark River dare to kill even the imperial family?” The young man frowned.

“Dark River would dare to kill anyone, though historically, no member of the imperial family has ever been killed by them. Dark River members rarely even enter Tianqi City,” the white-haired man replied.

“Then what’s Dark River’s origin? How could an ordinary assassin organization exist for so long?” the young man asked.

“More than an assassin organization, they’re more like a clan. As for their origins, the Hundred Knowledge Hall once had records, but by the time I took charge, all the secrets about Dark River had been destroyed. What we know now was pieced together later.” The white-haired man sighed softly. “But I have a feeling there’s another hand behind Dark River, and that hand is right here in Tianqi City!”

The young man raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Hall Master.” A blind youth suddenly appeared at the doorway.

“Zhu!” the young man said happily. “What brings you here today? I just put away the chess board—come, let’s play a game.”

“No time today. I’m here with news.” Zhu flicked his wrist, tossing a bamboo tube toward the white-haired man. The white-haired man caught it, removed the paper inside, and after reading it, remained silent for a long while.

“Master, what are you thinking about?” the young man asked curiously.

“I’m thinking that the answer about Dark River might be revealed soon,” the white-haired man said gravely.

“Given Dark River’s usual methods, for our Hundred Knowledge Hall to receive news before they even enter Tianqi City…” Zhu’s voice carried a maturity beyond his years. “Something seems amiss.”

“Indeed something’s wrong. Dark River deliberately let our Hundred Knowledge Hall know that some of their members are heading to Tianqi City,” the white-haired man sneered. “I certainly won’t believe our information network has become strong enough to track Dark River’s movements this early.”

“Dark River’s actions have always been solely for killing. Why would they deliberately leak their movements?” The young man frowned in thought. “Could it be they’re not coming to kill? Entering Tianqi without intent to kill… surely they’re not coming for a family visit.”

“That fellow who wears a demon mask like mine is no ordinary person. He wants me to know, and once I know, many things will change. He appears to be a good person, but he’s quite cunning.” The white-haired man shook his head slightly.

The young man smiled. “The Hundred Knowledge Hall, knowing all under heaven—it’s both Master’s pride and troubles. Master calls others cunning, but isn’t Master also an old fox? However, this disciple has a plan to turn Master’s troubles back into pleasure.”

“What pleasure? Let’s hear it,” the white-haired man asked, puzzled.

“Hang this news high—one hundred gold taels per viewing.” The young man held up one finger. “Anyone can buy it, as long as they have money. And we can sell it to more than one person!”

The white-haired man was stunned for a moment, then picked up his wooden staff and lightly tapped the young man’s head. “That’s your pleasure, isn’t it, you little money-grubber! Little fox!”

Meanwhile, in another secret residence in Tianqi City…

An elderly man with white hair held a similar paper note. He burned it in candlelight and said gravely, “Only one person came?”

“One person with one sword, already en route,” replied a black-clad man kneeling on one knee.

“Umbrella Ghost Su Muyu—I’ve heard this name more than once,” the elderly man said slowly.

“He was one of the seven who surrounded and killed Ye Dingzhi. According to others who participated in that killing formation, without Su Muyu’s crucial sword strike, they would have had no chance against Ye Dingzhi. In terms of pure killing ability, Su Muyu surpassed even the Snow Moon Sword Immortal Li Hanyi among those seven,” the black-clad man said.

“No matter how strong one person is, they’re still just one person. What I want is the entire Dark River to enter Tianqi,” the elderly man barked.

“The message has been passed to the Three Officials. For the rest, this servant will send more people to inquire,” the black-clad man said, head bowed.

“Good. These young people have given me quite a surprise, but no matter how great the surprise, they must serve my purposes!” the elderly man said fiercely.

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