Blood sedge

Chapter 1188 The Good Merchant Hides His True Colors (Part Two)

"It's like finding a needle in a haystack, only to have it fall right into your lap." With Su He backing him up, Tang Afu had nothing more to worry about. His narrow eyes were fixed on the composed Shen Dongshan, and he said through gritted teeth, "Heaven's justice is clear, and retribution is swift! If the Tang family has spirits in heaven, today you've walked right into our trap. Shen, it's time to settle our old and new scores!"

"For so many years, you've been unable to escape your own predicament." Shen Dongshan calmly gazed at the murderous Tang Afu, seemingly unable to comprehend his stubbornness. "How can a person live for revenge alone? Your youth shouldn't be so dark. As the saying goes, 'the dead cannot be brought back to life.' Since the past is a fact, why can't you let go of yourself? Immersing yourself in the shadows of sorrow and hatred will only make you sink deeper into the mire and waste your precious youth."

"Hmph! My so-called prime of life was ruined the moment you deceived me. I won't be able to quell my hatred until I kill you!"

"Foolish! You are no longer the naive child you once were. You should understand that the law of survival in this world has always been that the victor takes all, and the strong prey on the weak. This was true for the Tang family back then, and it is true for those who died by your merciless sword now." Shen Dongshan lectured slowly and deliberately. "Tell me, everyone here, who hasn't been schemed against? And who hasn't schemed against others? Whether in the imperial court or in the martial world, everywhere is full of deceit and treacherous struggles, a life-or-death battle. As long as you are unwilling to be mediocre, as long as you yearn to stand out, you will inevitably have to step on others to climb up. At the same time, you may make a wrong move and become someone else's stepping stone. At best, you will be reduced to your original state; at worst, your family will be destroyed. This kind of danger is the same for everyone. It is neither worth writing about in detail nor worth remembering."

"You're not the one whose family suffered, so of course you can make sarcastic remarks..."

"Sarcastic remarks?" Shen Dongshan sneered, ruthlessly interrupting Tang Afu's rebuttal. "Do you really think doing business is just as simple as buying and selling? Do you know what I've been through all these years? To this day, the number of people in both the legitimate and criminal worlds who want me dead could stretch from Luoyang to Lin'an, and those who constantly covet my wealth and dream of taking my place are countless. You keep saying your family was massacred, but do you know I've been orphaned since childhood? My so-called parents and family have never existed. To put it bluntly, in terms of the number of enemies, I, Shen, probably have more than all of you combined. In terms of misfortune, Dongshan Trading Company receives all sorts of bad news every day. Even so..." I don't spout nonsense about deep-seated hatred like you do, constantly lamenting facts that can't be changed. Because I know this is the cruel reality. To survive in this chaotic world, I have to pay the price; there's nothing to complain about. You're the same. You hate me for swindling the Tang family's fortune, but do you even know where it came from? Let me tell you, your Tang family's vast wealth, accumulated over three generations, was also taken from others! Three generations of ups and downs in the business world—how many lives and fortunes have been lost? How many families have been torn apart, how many homes destroyed? If those who suffered at the hands of the Tang family also seek revenge, shouldn't their descendants hunt you down day and night, just like you hunt me down?

"You..." Tang Afu had never heard of Shen Dongshan's argument before, and had never even thought of it. For a moment, he found it difficult to refute it. However, unwilling to be at a disadvantage, he stubbornly retorted, "A life for a life, a debt for a debt, is a matter of course! If my Tang family has ever wronged anyone, it is only right for their descendants to seek revenge on me."

"What life to pay? What grudge to seek? Do you think everyone in the world is a chivalrous swordsman like you, Tang Afu, who lives on the edge of a knife?" Shen Dongshan mocked. "Who can live in this world alone? And who can live without getting involved in any grudges? If everyone were a ruthless swordsman who would seek revenge at the slightest provocation, drawing their swords at the drop of a hat, shouting for bloodshed, wouldn't the world be in chaos? Wouldn't this prosperous world become a living hell? In fact, the general public doesn't understand the concept of revenge, nor do they know any profound martial arts. All they want is peace in their homes and enough food and clothing."

Looking at Shen Dongshan, who spoke with such certainty, Tang Afu's eyelids twitched slightly, then he sneered and mocked, "You're clearly afraid of death. Trying to cover it up with rambling nonsense will only make you a laughingstock."

"What? Do you not believe my assessment of the general public, or do you not believe that your Tang family has also committed perverse acts?"

"you……"

"Your father, Tang Jin, and I were once close partners, even like-minded confidants, so I know him very well. Like me, he was ambitious... or rather, ruthless, and like me, he often resorted to any means to achieve his goals." Mentioning Tang Jin, Shen Dongshan couldn't help but reminisce. "The difference is, I was a poor boy who started from scratch, while your father was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so our styles of dealing with people were completely different. I always kept a low profile and was cautious in everything I did, because back then I dared not offend anyone, and couldn't afford to offend anyone. But your father was different. Relying on the Tang family's wealth and power, he always acted willfully, high-profile, even... arrogant. Because of this, he offended many people, indirectly sowing the seeds of the Tang family's misfortune..."

"Shut up!" Hearing Shen Dongshan slander his father, Tang Afu's eyes blazed with anger again. He gritted his teeth and said, "Although my father is no longer here, you have no right to make up stories about him!"

“Although your father is gone, most of the people he interacted with are still alive. Why don’t you go and ask them yourself?” Shen Dongshan ignored the furious Tang Afu and continued, “Perhaps one day I will die a violent death like your father, but I will never allow my descendants to seek revenge at any cost. I hope they can face reality sooner and plan to make a comeback, instead of wallowing in the illusions of the past and losing sight of their true selves and values.”

"You're all smooth talk and full of lies! All you're saying is that you hope I'll let you off the hook."

“As I just said, I have countless enemies. One more or one less makes no difference to me.” Shen Dongshan shook his head dismissively. “You’re not letting me go, you’re letting yourself go.”

"You didn't think this way when you wanted to kill me to silence me."

“That’s right! I did have murderous intent towards you, and more than once.” Shen Dongshan made no attempt to hide his despicable and vicious nature, and openly admitted, “To eliminate the root of the problem and prevent future troubles, you should understand the principle better than I do now, otherwise you wouldn’t have the nickname ‘Ruthless Swordsman’. I’m sure you’ve done similar things quite a few times over the years.”

"you……"

"It's true that I want to get rid of you, but it's also true that I want to give you a chance," Shen Dongshan said slowly. "I have to admit that your current martial arts skills and status in the martial arts world far exceed my expectations. Since you joined the Valley of Heartbreak and received the protection of Valley Master Xiao, it has become increasingly difficult to kill you. Now that you have made so many powerful and influential friends, dealing with you is even more difficult than climbing to heaven. This deal... is becoming less and less worthwhile."

As he spoke, Shen Dongshan glanced at Liu Xunyi, who seemed lost in thought, as if he were hinting at something.

"A deal?" Tang Afu said disdainfully. "So, the blood debts of my Tang family of sixty-three are just a deal to you?" "Truly stubborn and utterly foolish." Shen Dongshan never expected that his earnest lecture would be like casting pearls before swine. Instead of prompting Tang Afu to reflect, it only deepened his prejudice against him.

With this in mind, Shen Dongshan stopped being amiable and began to mock Tang Afu bluntly: "After all these years, you still can't find out the truth about the Tang family's massacre. How dare you talk about 'a mountain of blood debts'? What about 'spirits in heaven'? If your parents really are watching from heaven, they will only mourn your misfortune and hate you for not fighting back."

"What did you say? The truth? What truth? Weren't the twenty-five thieves who slaughtered the Tang family driven by greed?" Tang Afu was deeply stung by Shen Dongshan's harsh words, and at the same time, he was astonished by the "truth" he spoke of. His hand, gripping the sword hilt so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly white, veins bulged on his forehead, and his trembling eyes seemed to bulge blood. "What do you know? Do you know the whereabouts of those twenty-five thieves? And! What happened back then... is it related to you?"

“You’re exactly the same as when you were a child, still so impatient.” Shen Dongshan spoke with an air of superiority, as if he were an elder instructing a junior. “Don’t say that you were young and ignorant back then. Even now, you still can’t control the Tang family’s vast and complex business. So you should be grateful to me. If I hadn’t taken over, the empire that your ancestors worked so hard to build over three generations would probably have vanished long ago.”

"Ha! You're clearly a robber taking advantage of someone's misfortune, yet you insist on putting on a hypocritical act of saving them from suffering. Shen Dongshan, you are truly the most shameless person in the world!" Tang Afu laughed in extreme anger, his laughter a mixture of seven parts grief and three parts madness. "You bullied me because I was young, seized my ancestral property, and repeatedly tried to take my life, yet you dare to expect me to have any gratitude towards you? Bah!"

“I’ve said it before, as long as you’re willing to return to Uncle Shen’s side, you can enjoy endless wealth and luxury.” Shen Dongshan changed his strategy, no longer appealing to emotions and reason, but directly offering Tang Afu a deal: “If you want to learn how to do business, I can hand over all the shops that originally belonged to the Tang family to you to manage, and I can even give you double the amount. Any profits are yours, and if you lose money, Uncle Shen will cover it for you. How about it?”

Shen Dongshan's serious demeanor made him seem quite sincere, but unfortunately, Tang Afu was never one to be greedy for money.

His generosity, though insufficient to sway Tang Afu, stirred considerable emotion among the others. After all, the title of the richest merchant in the Song Dynasty was well-deserved; the conditions he casually promised represented wealth that most people could only dream of achieving in a lifetime.

"Hey Shen, don't put on this act. Even if you do have a change of heart, it'll only be out of self-preservation," Tang Afu said viciously. "I don't want your filthy money, I just want your dog's life!"

"you……"

"Enough with the nonsense! Prepare to die!" Tang Afu gave Shen Dongshan no more chances for sweet talk, and with a fierce shout, he drew his sword.

"Protect the master..."

"Wait a minute!"

Before the menacing Kui Qi could step forward to meet the attack, Wu Shuang unexpectedly blocked Tang Afu's path.

Faced with the relentless, unstoppable sword piercing towards him like a whirlwind, Wu Shuang remained calm and composed, neither drawing his sword to parry nor dodging.

Finally, when the sword tip was less than three inches away from Wu Shuang, Tang Afu, who had no intention of hurting him, couldn't help but snort angrily. He suddenly changed his move, flicking his wrist to deflect the sword by three points. The sharp blade almost grazed Wu Shuang's ear and temple.

"hiss!"

The unexpected turn of events immediately drew gasps of surprise from the crowd.

Just as Tang Afu and Wu Shuang passed each other, Wu Shuang suddenly reached out and grabbed Tang Afu's arm tightly. Tang Afu, who was focused on killing Shen Dongshan and had not paid attention to the situation, lost his balance and his body swayed. He had to temporarily abandon his attack and turned around angrily, glaring at the seemingly harmless Wu Shuang.

"Brother Tang, give me some face!"

……