Diding Alliance (2)

Where there is a labyrinth, there are countless secret chambers.

This is one of the many secret chambers in the underground world. It seems unremarkable, except for a deep well in the center of the room. Over the years, who knows how many corpses have been thrown into it, never to be filled.

There are many such wells, almost one every ten secret rooms. They existed long before the outlaws discovered the underground palace beneath Changxiang City. No one has ever figured out their original purpose after all these years.

But now, the purpose of these wells is clear: they are used to dispose of corpses and garbage, primarily corpses. After all these years of adaptation, there are various ways to deal with garbage, but corpses are always problematic.

For convenience, interrogations usually take place here.

Two men stood by the iron pillar at the well's edge, forcefully restraining another man's body. They spread his arms out and tightened the chains, locking them in place. They nodded at Shao Yishi, who was standing in the corner, and then left.

The captured man appeared to be in his forties at first glance, but on closer inspection, he was younger. A scraggly beard and a weathered face made him look much older. Despite the rough treatment, he hadn't woken up yet, sleeping soundly with deep breaths and a smile on his lips.

Shao Yishi sighed and took out a small bottle, holding it under the man's nose. After a moment, the man opened his eyes, showing a brief apologetic expression before quickly turning to shock. He struggled briefly, and a flash of anger appeared in his eyes before he gradually calmed down. Shao Yishi watched these changes with interest and then said, "Li Meng, give me the list and the map, and I'll make it quick for you."

Li Meng laughed heartily, "Do you think I'd make such a lousy deal? The Half-Sleeve Alliance is not like your Rat Society; we don't betray our brothers. Shao Yishi, go ahead and try."

Li Meng's loud laughter had a hint of fear. Shao Yishi's torture methods were precise and cruel. He wasn't one to enjoy torture; he aimed to extract confessions as quickly as possible. There were no shortcuts in this process, only the need to break the person's will through pain.

Shao Yishi opened a hidden compartment on the wall, revealing small, delicate instruments. He didn't like large, cumbersome tools. For someone as tough as Li Meng, he needed to use more refined methods. He carefully selected his tools, combining pain, shame, fear, and despair. He thought Li Meng was foolish. If it were him, he'd assess the situation immediately. If he couldn't hold out, he'd confess everything to seek a quick death.

Based on this, he deduced that abandoning the Half-Sleeve Alliance was a smart decision for the Diding Society.

At that moment, the door was kicked open.

Madam Shao demanded, "You instigated us to fight Qi Jiafu, and what are you doing here!"

Shao Yishi, having chosen his tools, slowly closed the compartment and didn't turn around. "Greetings, Madam Shao. Haven't you seen it all?"

He seemed to have anticipated Madam Shao's arrival. Among the Eight Streams of Strange Swords, all the trouble was always stirred up by Madam Shao, and it was no exception when turning against her.

Madam Shao already looked bad, and after the fight, she looked even worse. "Boss, you can't kill Li Meng. I guaranteed his safety before bringing him in. We, the Eight Streams of Strange Swords, can't stoop to the level of those nobles."

Shao Yishi wiped the hooks with a cloth and tested the edge of the blade. His hands didn't stop, but his tone was like a servant speaking to a real lady. "Madam, there's no need for this. I'm the one without a face, not you."

Madam Shao raised her knife, "Fine, then I'll do it myself."

Shao Yishi's chubby cheeks quivered with a hint of reluctance. "Madam, why bother? If you die by my hand, it'll take me half a month to find someone to replace you. If I die by your hand, you'll be unhappy with the Diding Society being leaderless, right?"

Madam Shao nodded, "Yes."

Shao Yishi wrapped the hook in a handkerchief and pulled out an oddly shaped iron rod, weighing it in his hand. "Then that's settled. Less trouble is better. A harmonious family prospers."

Madam Shao glared at Li Meng, "Remember, even when you're about to die, the Diding Society has people with dignity."

Then her face twisted into a fierce expression.

She wasn't there to kill; she was there to die.

Shao Yishi had calculated accurately. The Eight Streams of Strange Swords were named for their unorthodox techniques, each of which consumed immense energy. After a battle like the last one, it would take at least half a month to recover. Therefore, even at the peak of the Strange Blades, disciples were never forbidden to seek other masters, hoping that orthodox and unorthodox techniques could complement each other for greater achievements. Madam Shao, who specialized in the Wooden Face style, was at a disadvantage.

As Madam Shao launched her first strike, a bronze mirror fell from the air. Her blade hesitated in mid-air as she realized Shao Yishi's intention. Without a second thought, she split the mirror in half. Behind the mirror was another mirror, and in Shao Yishi's left hand, a three-foot-long iron rod appeared, striking east but aiming west. One mirror after another crashed down, filling the small room with twisted reflections, bizarre faces, eerie eyes, gaping mouths, and writhing muscles everywhere.

Li Meng, bound to the iron pillar, shouted, "Watch your feet...!" before being cut off.

Madam Shao flipped in mid-air, the iron rod flew out, striking the mirrors with a "clang," and then landed heavily on Li Meng's chest. Shao Yishi caught the rod, standing behind a mirror with a smile, "I know the Wooden Face style relies on mirrors, so I brought a few more to add to the effect."

All the mirrors swung. Although fragile, the fine chains were sturdy, causing countless reflections to spin around. Madam Shao's expression froze; she couldn't focus while facing so many of her own reflections. But Shao Yishi didn't attack; the mirror's influence affected him too. He aimed to minimize the Wooden Face style's impact and then deliver a fatal blow.

He tapped the rod again, and a large bronze mirror slid from one side of the room to the other with a sharp edge like a blade.

As Madam Shao jumped, Shao Yishi's left hand flung the rod horizontally, and his right hand drew a short dagger, pulling the chain of the bronze mirror to attack her mid-air. Madam Shao, unable to parry, grabbed the blunt end of the rod, feeling its smoothness from countless touches.

Both exerted force, pulling each other back. Shao Yishi raised his hand, and a silver light shot into the chain, releasing the lock. Madam Shao fell straight down, into the pitch-black well below.

The moment Madam Shao's figure was swallowed by the darkness, the large bronze mirror moved over the well's opening.

"What a pity..." Shao Yishi gently touched the rod's pommel, which bore an inscription worn smooth over the centuries: "Honest and firm, better to break than bend."

"Nice move." Li Meng sighed, "I didn't expect the Ning family's Unyielding Halberd to end up in your hands."

Shao Yishi's sausage-like lips quivered, "What's so strange about that? It was mine to begin with."

"Yours?" Li Meng laughed, "The Unyielding Halberd of the Ning family of the Vast Sea is yours?"

Shao Yishi walked over and jabbed his chubby finger into Li Meng's rib, enunciating, "No one is born as Shao Yishi."

He was watching the door, waiting for a second person.

The door opened a second time, and Ling Zichong entered with a smile.

Shao Yishi was visibly surprised, "A'Chong?"

Ling Zichong closed the door behind him, "Strange that Shao Genjin isn't here yet."

Shao Yishi gripped the halberd, "What do you mean?"

Ling Zichong untied a long rope, "A battle between the Ning family's Unyielding Halberd and the Ling family's Unfalling Rope should be interesting, right?"

Shao Yishi's expression turned peculiar, "I never expected you to get involved in this mess."

"Less trouble is better. I don't want to, but it's unavoidable when it involves me." Ling Zichong shook the rope.

Shao Yishi sneered, "It's none of your business."

Ling Zichong feigned surprise, "How could it not be? You've tarnished the Diding Society's reputation. We can't even show our faces."

Shao Yishi looked at the rope in his hand and shook his head, "Ling Zichong, the Unyielding Halberd and the Unfalling Rope have never clashed."

Ling Zichong nodded, "Exactly, it's more interesting because it's never happened. Fighting all the time would be boring. Ning Hutian, let's keep it simple. Blade to blade."

Shao Yishi stepped back, "What did you say?"

"I said, blade to blade. Talking to you is getting harder and harder." Ling Zichong dropped the rope and clasped his hands together, "Boss, you were right. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

 If I really don't want to do something, I might as well die for it. Bring it on. I agree with Madam Shao; we can't be as shameless as those nobles."

His palms turned blood-red, the color spreading rapidly across his body.

Shao Yishi's face changed, "A'Chong! Stop, let's talk."

Ling Zichong glared at him coldly, "Since when do you discuss anything with anyone? Didn't you always want to see all Eight Streams of Strange Swords? I'll show you the Blood Blade style."

Shao Yishi waved his hands repeatedly, "Nonsense! When did I say that? A'Chong, are you crazy? If we both die here, do you think Shao Genjin can hold things together alone?"

A raspy voice came from somewhere, "If he can't, then he can't. Why does the Diding Society have to survive?"

Shao Yishi noticed that the bronze mirrors on one side of the room were half a foot higher than the other side. His hands trembled as he activated the mechanism. The mirrors slowly retreated, revealing a floor covered with rats, some as large as a foot, others as small as a fist. Shao Yishi laughed coldly, "Alright, come out. You're ruthless, bringing your rat grandchildren with you."

A hand emerged from the well, gripping the edge, followed by a figure. Medium build, with features resembling a rat: small, beady eyes, a thin face, and sallow skin with white patches. He pulled up Madam Shao.

Ling Zichong cursed, "When did you dig the tunnel? Why didn't you tell me?"

Shao Genjin replied slowly, "Why should I report to you? You've been hiding your Blood Blade style all these years without informing us, right? But Madam Shao... You rush in like an egg hitting a rock without even informing me?"

Madam Shao still had a zombie-like expression, "I heard Li Meng was in trouble as soon as I returned. Didn't even have time to piss, let alone inform you."

Ling Zichong turned to Shao Yishi, "Then it's decided. Whoever leaves alive will be the leader. If you call for help, we'll call for help too. But after the infighting, who knows how many will be left?"

This wasn't the first internal conflict in the Diting Society, but it was the most troublesome one.

Shao Yishi exhaled, "I yield. Ling Zichong, stop... let's talk."

Ling Zichong firmly said, "Fine, but I'm waiting for someone."

"Who?"

"He's here."

Ling Zichong looked at the golden bell in the corner, slowly packed a cigarette, and pulled a few levers. All the doors opened simultaneously, revealing a straight path, at the end of which stood Qi Jiafu.