Chapter 72: The First Signs Emerge

Shen Mingyue urgently briefed everyone in North Pavilion on the situation, and their expressions grew somber. The case over there was still deadlocked, and now this sudden complication had emerged here.

In Liu Zichen’s view, they were already committed, and after paying such a heavy price, it would be a pity not to pursue this lead. Besides, the other party had merely requested a meeting. They could assess the situation when the time came.

Chen Tianyu remained silent, apparently deep in thought.

Wan Yongkun was the first to voice his agreement. “What’s there to be afraid of? Are the two heroines of North Pavilion really so easy to deceive? At worst, Jiudao and I can protect you from the shadows. I refuse to believe anyone could harm you.”

Unexpectedly, Kuang Suo was the first to object. “Yongkun, I’m afraid the opponent we’re facing this time may be terrifying—or perhaps an organization hidden extremely deep. Two people have already died, yet we still haven’t the slightest clue. Do you really think it’s appropriate to send Zichen and Mingyue into danger now?”

“The other side may well be a bloodthirsty killer. The two of us can’t stay at your side every moment, and if something happens without warning, even the best of martial skills won’t help us in time.” Kuang Suo was older, after all, and he tended to consider matters more cautiously.

Wan Yongkun scratched his head. “No, wait. Why am I suddenly so confused? Is this really the way North Pavilion operates? You’ve already decided that this Big King is the culprit? That he wants to harm Sister Zichen and Mingyue for no reason? That merely meeting him could put their lives in danger? I feel like I’ve been getting stupider lately…”

Shen Mingyue was the first to burst out laughing. Gloating, she said, “Haven’t you always been stupid?”

Wan Yongkun glared at her. “Even at my stupidest, I’m still smarter than you.”

Chen Tianyu knew perfectly well that Wan Yongkun was both intelligent and extraordinarily skilled. If he were tasked with protecting the two women, he could certainly keep them safe. Yet the current situation appeared utterly ordinary. Even the two deaths did not seem especially complicated. It was precisely that calm, commonplace quality that made Chen Tianyu uneasy.

There was a kind of wind in this world called a sinister wind; a kind of mist called a fog; and a kind of helplessness in which needles lay hidden in cotton, while strength dispersed into empty air.

These impressions were, in essence, his intuition: the enemy was exceptionally capable, not only skilled in execution but also long prepared. He had even included Yun Ji in his suspicions. Every incident seemed to bear that man’s shadow, and Chen Tianyu could not help but remain wary. Until friend and foe were confirmed, it was best to regard him as an enemy.

Among the people of North Pavilion, Shen Mingyue was the weakest, with Liu Zichen next. Yet the two weakest women were precisely the ones being sent to the front line. How could Chen Tianyu not hesitate? And this city could almost be called a graveyard for girls.

A graveyard?

He suddenly shuddered, and cold sweat broke out across his back.

“Let’s go meet these people,” Chen Tianyu said, astonishing everyone. His tone was decisive, not consultative.

“However—” He changed tack. “We must make the most thorough preparations possible and bring every resource North Pavilion possesses to bear on this matter. If necessary, we must uncover the truth about this Big King at any cost.”

Liu Zichen, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke. “Tianyu, think carefully. We only stumbled onto the Big King lead through sheer luck. The real mastermind may not have shown himself at all. If our investigation has gone in the wrong direction, then…”

Chen Tianyu replied calmly, “The one who catches a dead rat isn’t necessarily a blind cat. More importantly, there is an invisible surveillance network here. It isn’t monitoring North Pavilion; it is monitoring every woman who can be exploited for enormous profit. If I’m not mistaken, these rats are not only still alive—their eyes are especially sharp and crafty, and their noses exceptionally keen.”

“You may have struck the right target by accident, but it may also be that what seems accidental was inevitable.”

Liu Zichen immediately understood. She said nothing more.

Shen Mingyue spoke indignantly. “Fourth Brother is right. Forget everything else—just think about Xiaoxue, Guna, Xiaoli, and even Yiruo. Aren’t they all victims? Yet their behavior is baffling. On the one hand, they were tortured half to death; on the other, they helped the evildoers or stubbornly refused to see the truth, sliding step by step into the abyss of sin. In the end, none of us could entirely sympathize with them… It’s terrifying.”

Chen Tianyu nodded in agreement, but then raised another question. “Have you ever considered who is providing these rats with protection, allowing them to act so recklessly?”

Liu Zichen’s eyes lit up. She speculated, “If Director Guan Shaoxing were not stationed here, I might suspect that there was a mole in the police force. But now I’m more suspicious of the Divine Eagle Detective Agency. It seems to be an extremely mysterious organization, far more secretive than we realize, and it appears to have dealings with the police as well.”

Chen Tianyu let out a long sigh. “Not long ago, I even gave Yun Ji the information Xiao Su had provided us.”

Liu Zichen was indeed taken aback. She glanced at Chen Tianyu in surprise, but soon found herself able to accept it.

“You were trying to test him?”

“No.” Chen Tianyu shook his head frankly. “Or rather, not entirely. At the time, I was indeed too quick to trust him. My first impression was that he was merely an excessively rigid man who still possessed a sense of justice. He might not benefit us, but at least he did not seem dangerous. I gave him the information mainly to exchange for intelligence. Without sufficient bargaining chips, I feared we would never reach a deal.”

He added, “I was taking a chance, gambling on whether he could unravel the mystery of the video. But now it seems to have had precisely the opposite effect. The people behind the scenes acted ahead of schedule. Hu Wenyi’s death was an obvious counterattack, intended simply to sever the final clue.”

Wan Yongkun asked in confusion, “Then doesn’t that mean Yun Ji has exposed himself?”

“That is precisely the key point!” Chen Tianyu said approvingly. “Zichen, what kind of person is Yun Ji in your eyes?”

Liu Zichen thought for a moment. “Much as you described him: rigid, affected, arrogant, and utterly heedless of other people’s feelings. At the same time, he is extraordinarily calm, shrewd, and intelligent. His cold eyes seem capable of seeing through to the essence of any matter…” She summed him up. “He’s like a great detective from a novel.”

“Exactly!” Chen Tianyu suddenly clapped his hands. “That is why the flaw we see cannot be a genuine flaw. It is a flaw he deliberately offered us.”

He spoke slowly, emphasizing every word. “With Yun Ji’s meticulousness, he could never miscalculate so easily. That proves one thing: he is trying to lure us in the wrong direction so that he can conceal what he is truly doing.”

Chen Tianyu turned to Liu Zichen. “Your unexpected strike is the flaw he never anticipated. In other words, your discovery, together with Mingyue’s, is the only weapon we currently possess that can win us this battle.”

Liu Zichen covered her mouth and smiled. “You’re mistaken. We have a third unexpected force as well: Yiting and Qianya, who have infiltrated the enemy’s ranks.”