A Hero’s Final Farewell
South’s Six Greats were not clan members or a certain sect’s members; they were warriors hailed as heroes who were comparable to Wudang and Shaolin’s leaders in the southwest. As a matter of fact, there was even a case to be made that they had surpassed the two.
Their leader was Tang Clan’s patriarch – Tang Suchen. Due to his status as one of the Supreme Ten Saints and the size of his forces, Tang Clan had been a force to be reckoned with despite their mysteriousness and the surprises they dished out. Their clan followed their own rules that differed to the majority of groups, which led to people viewing them as a mystery among mysteries. If it were not for them behaving as anti-heroes, following their own compass and committing as many heinous deeds as they were praised, they would have been another one of the top unorthodox sects.
“Backwater” Wang Sanping was the most unique one among the South’s Six Greats. He indulged in drinking, loved the company of women, and he walked a thin line between righteous and sinful. Despite having slaughtered innumerable criminals, he did not have an army at his beck and call or a sect of his own. He did not rely on hand-me-downs or alliances; he relied on guts and his remarkable palm skills to leave his own mark. Had he not met Tang Suchen, he might have been the leader of the six. Though he was a lone wolf, he was not hubristic. In contrast, being an alcoholic and approachable individual, he had befriended even Hong Jiu. Most considered it their honour to befriend him.
No matter if it was attributed to his status or martial prowess, his demise on his way to Hangzhou was the most unnerving news after Fiends’ Genesis’ rampage and Cold Mountain Temple’s surrender, yet there was not as much as a ripple. Hangzhou was still immersed in a celebratory atmosphere as they anticipated the joyous occasion. Therefore, it was certain that the wedding invitations eclipsed the significance of the incident. That, or there was nobody daring to mention it.
Not even the Shadow Guards knew about the incident. Ming Feizhen was not the type to demand them to know everything. He set up the rules and system he did in order for them to have a systematic work approach without needing his involvement. The only way to significantly transform an intelligence unit within half a year was to Ximen Chuideng it. After all, he was the one who raised an intelligence team that rivalled Emperor’s Entourage, which had existed for around twenty years, within that short time frame. Unless one was willing to throw their subordinates into hell, it was impossible form a squad on par with Dark Wind Hall in terms of competence and loyalty. Since Shadow Guards inherited the training syllabus of Dark Wind Hall, were trained in Jiangnan and had Luo Siming’s support, they were actually well-versed in navigating Jiangnan. Hence, if even they were not privy to the incident, then… Even Ming Feizhen only found out about it from eavesdropping on Song Yanluo’s conversations.
Considering Hong Jiu’s friendship with Wang Sanping, Hong Jiu suddenly vanishing off the radar was likely related. That was the reason Ming Feizhen kept tabs on Song Yanluo and company. However, he was unaware that she was not interested in Wang Sanping himself.
Song Yanluo did not come to know of the incident because she had some sort of ridiculous news network but because her clan was involved, which forced her into investigating the case.
“Some time ago, Song Clan’s third young master accompanied Wang Sanping to Hangzhou, but there was a mishap on the way.” Ming Feizhen, ignoring the piercing gaze on him, leisurely continued, “Wang Sanping perished at the scene, with his head separated from his shoulders. There were quite a number of people present, but only Song Clan’s third master escaped. While the whereabouts of the others remains a mystery, they likely have met tragic ends, too. This is what you are interested in, correct?”
Song Yanluo was Patriarch Song’s prized daughter, but she was not the patriarch, so she did not have the authority to know of the martial world’s secret news. The only way to explain how she knew about it, therefore, was that her third brother, Song Kun, survived the attack. From what Ming Feizhen heard, Song Kun somehow made it back to Yangzhou, and then Patriarch Song ordered him to keep a lid on it. Patriarch Song then ordered Song Yanluo and him to go to Hangzhou to look into the case. If the culprit did not intend to keep their deeds a secret, then there was only one simple explanation.
If Wu Sanping was beheaded, how did Song Kun survive? If Song Kun was told to hold off the culprit, then he was literally being sent to the guillotine. Thus, the only way to explain how Song Kun escaped was because the culprit allowed him to, although the motivation for that was a mystery.
Knowing that Song Kun was most likely to be the first suspect if it was publicised that he was the lone survivor, Patriarch Song decided to cover up the incident. If all of Wu Sanping’s friends were to come around and question Song Clan, Song Clan would have turned into a testing ground for martial artists.
Song Yanluo did not approach Tang Ye to harm him but to check how much the imperial court and Liu Shan Men knew about the case. Regrettably, she had yet to acquire a concrete answer from him, so she turned her attention to Ming Feizhen, never expecting him to be the one to mention it.
Tone cold, Song Yanluo questioned, “How do you know about this?”
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