Blood sedge

Chapter 1195 Taking a Different Approach (Part Two)

“This…of course I know.” Wu Shuang interrupted Xun Zhen’s probing absentmindedly, hesitatingly saying, “But Master has long since withdrawn from the world, with no intention of having any further involvement with his past. Back then, I took it upon myself to bring Master’s old friend Xu Qingnian to see him, thinking that seeing an old friend would bring him some comfort. But to my surprise, Xu Qingnian wept uncontrollably, while Master remained unmoved, only offering him a cup of tea before instructing me to see him out. The two met for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, exchanging only a few words. Although Master never mentioned it again afterward, I could sense that he was quite displeased.”

“At Master Kongsheng’s age, there are not many old friends left in the world. Seeing them again now may not be the joy of reuniting with old friends, but the sorrow of time passing and youth gone forever.”

“Yes!” Wu Shuang sighed, “That’s why the senior monks of the Xuan generation at Shaolin repeatedly questioned me about my master’s whereabouts, but I kept silent. I really dared not make decisions on my own again…”

“But times have changed. The only way I can think of to get Liu Xunyi to accept Shen Dongshan is to get Tang Afu to give up his revenge against Shen Dongshan.” Xunzhen understood Wu Shuang’s difficulties, but she was even more aware of the real predicament. So she hardened her heart and spoke frankly, “As I just said, Tang Afu cares about two things the most in his life. If you want him to give up hunting down Shen Dongshan, you need both of these things. Neither can be missing.”

"Indispensable?" Wu Shuang was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What do you mean? Does it mean that I risked being expelled from the sect to help Xiao Zhirou fulfill Granny Peach Blossom's wish, but that wasn't enough to change Tang Afu's mind?"

"This is icing on the cake, and it may indeed shake Tang Afu's resolve, but... it is not enough to make him give up his revenge."

"You just said that besides Xiao Zhirou, another thing Tang Afu cares about is the revenge for the massacre of the Tang family." Wu Shuang became more and more confused. "Could it be... that he killed Shen Dongshan?"

“Of course not.” Xunzhen calmly filled Wu Shuang’s teacup and said methodically, “It’s not about making him kill Shen Dongshan, but about making him transfer his hatred to someone else.”

"This……"

“If we can reduce the ‘hatred of wiping out the whole family’ to ‘hatred of deception’, then the death penalty for murder and arson will be reduced to a living crime of fraud,” Xunzhen continued. “In this way, Tang Afu’s hatred for Shen Dongshan will be lessened, and with your willingness to help Xiao Zhirou fulfill Granny Peach Blossom’s wish, this two-pronged approach will give us hope of turning this dead end into a winning one.”

"Transfer to someone else?" Wu Shuang pondered for a long time, but not only did she not understand, her doubts only deepened. "Transfer to whom?"

"I don't know." Xunzhen shrugged sincerely, and before the bewildered Wu Shuang could ask, she quickly added, "But there is one person who definitely knows."

"Who?"

"Shen Dongshan."

"This... how is this possible?" Xun Zhen's unexpected answer almost made Wu Shuang spit out the tea she had just put in her mouth. "If Shen Dongshan had such ability, he would have said so long ago. Why would he have to be on guard against Tang Afu all day long?"

“He has his reasons for not telling. Shen Dongshan is arguably the most shrewd businessman in the world. He understands the principle of choosing the greater of two evils and the lesser of two evils more than he does.” Xun Zhen seemed to have anticipated Wu Shuang’s reaction, so he explained calmly, “In the past, he was willing to risk being assassinated by Tang Afu rather than reveal the truth about the Tang family’s massacre. This was simply the result of weighing the pros and cons.”

"Weighing the pros and cons?" Wu Shuang pondered Xun Zhen's words carefully and said, "You mean... if Shen Dongshan confesses to the real culprit, he will face even greater trouble than Tang Afu?"

"Exactly."

"No! No!" Wu Shuang waved his hands repeatedly, "Perhaps Shen Dongshan is the one who started this whole thing, and there's no one else to blame..."

“If Shen Dongshan were the mastermind behind the massacre of the Tang family, with his shrewdness and methods, he would surely have spread rumors everywhere to confuse the public and lessen his own guilt,” Xunzhen said. “But in all these years, he has chosen to bear the infamy of harming the Tang family alone, willingly risking being hunted down by the ruthless swordsman, and has remained silent, saying nothing and doing nothing. He has even rarely mentioned the twenty-five thieves who massacred the Tang family back then. Doesn’t my brother find this strange?”

What you said... isn't entirely unreasonable.

"Just now in the council hall, Shen Dongshan was provoked by Tang Afu and blurted out the truth about the Tang family's massacre. Afterwards, he became evasive and avoided the topic, which was very strange," Xun Zhen recalled. "In the past, Jin Fuyu also used the truth about the Tang family's massacre to lure Tang Afu into assassinating Liu Xunyi, which shows that there are other hidden stories behind this matter, and it cannot be simply covered up with a 'murder for money' statement. Moreover, back then, Shen Dongshan's power and prestige were far inferior to the Tang family. His status and connections in both the underworld and the legitimate world were not enough for him to be able to cover up the massacre of the Tang family and remain uninvolved. Even if he joined forces with others, why would he willingly bear Tang Afu's wrath alone? Was it because he was loyal?"

"To say that Shen Dongshan is loyal is more like saying that there are ghosts in the world." Wu Shuang finally understood Xun Zhen's implied meaning and said thoughtfully, "In that case, there is only one reason why Shen Dongshan keeps silent, and that is that he is the real culprit behind the massacre of the Tang family... He simply does not dare to offend him."

"Not bad!"

“A person whom even Shen Dongshan dares not offend must be an extremely powerful figure. If such a person truly exists, and he has concealed it for over twenty years, how could he possibly reveal it so easily now? What if he denies it to the death…”

“Then we’ll force him to admit it! The current situation is crystal clear. If he speaks up, everyone will be happy; if he doesn’t, it’ll be a fight to the death.” Xunzhen’s eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his tone became gloomy and cold. “As the saying goes, ‘A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.’ Shen Dongshan is a smart man. He would never entrust his life entirely to an outsider. Since he dared to step into Danfeng Garden, he must have left himself a backup plan. He just won’t use it unless absolutely necessary.”

"You mean... the truth behind the Tang family's massacre was a contingency plan he left for himself?" Xunzhen didn't answer but instead asked, "Brother, you've spent many days with Shen Dongshan, what do you think?"

"This……"

“Just like whether my brother is willing to reveal Master Kongsheng’s whereabouts, forcing someone to reveal their last trump card is by no means an easy task.” Xunzhen took a deep breath, then straightened his eyes and said, word by word, “But a dead chessboard coming to life is going against the will of Heaven. To succeed, one must pay an extraordinary price. This applies to everyone, and both are indispensable.”

"Great!" After listening to Xunzhen's plan, Wu Shuang couldn't help but clap his hands in praise. "I knew I hadn't chosen the wrong person. My sister broke this predicament with ease. She is truly a resourceful female strategist."

"The most urgent thing is for you to reach an agreement with Shen Dongshan first. Once Shen Dongshan agrees to reveal the truth about the massacre of the Tang family, then use the pretext of helping Xiao Zhirou to lure Tang Afu into a confrontation with Shen Dongshan."

"Should we have Liu Xunyi and Xiao Zhirou show up and act as guarantors?"

"Absolutely not!" Xunzhen hurriedly dissuaded him. "Tang Afu is a man of deep affection and loyalty. When we put the two things he cares about most in front of him, even if he is unwilling, he will make concessions for Xiao Zhirou and Liu Xunyi. But if you let Liu Xunyi and Xiao Zhirou get involved, they will never be willing to let Tang Afu suffer, and then a stalemate will inevitably occur. We, who were originally uninvolved, will immediately become the target of everyone's criticism, and we will not be able to gain any advantage in front of Liu Xunyi, Tang Afu, and Shen Dongshan's families."

"Understood! Understood!" Wu Shuang smiled and looked at Xun Zhen, who spoke with certainty, and said slowly, "I'll do whatever you say, little sister."

Seeing Wu Shuang's wicked grin, Xun Zhen immediately realized that he was deliberately teasing her, so she glared at him fiercely.

"Loyalty, what a touching word, but in the end it's still just a scheme." Wu Shuang laughed dismissively. "Especially when it comes to 'killing oneself,' it's sharper than swords."

"It kills both myself and everyone who uses it. It's a double-edged sword, and one wrong move and it will hurt you." Xunzhen said bitterly, "If it weren't for an emergency, I would never have resorted to such a desperate measure."

"You didn't need to show yourself from beginning to end, nor did you need to make things difficult for Liu Xunyi. You perfectly avoided the 'trap' that the young Prince Qin set for you. Isn't that the best strategy?"

“I can see through Liu Xunyi, so how could he not see through me? He must be able to guess that I was the one who orchestrated this. What’s coming… will come sooner or later.”

Looking at Xunzhen, whose expression was somber and whose heart was filled with worry, Wu Shuang gradually withdrew the playful tone from his face, and a look of tenderness appeared in his eyes. He said softly, "I have long known that the situation in the Central Plains is complicated. I have only occasionally intervened and I already feel overwhelmed and exhausted. My sister, you are just a weak woman, yet you have been operating in this place surrounded by tigers and wolves for many years, dealing with these greedy, treacherous, and cunning Han people every day. The hardships and difficulties you have endured are unimaginable to your brother. It is not that I am slandering the Prince of Qin. He is good in every way, but he should not have placed such a heavy burden on your shoulders."

“Brother…” As if Wu Shuang had touched a raw nerve, Xunzhen’s eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion. After calming her turmoil, she forced a smile, feigning nonchalance. “Who would dare disobey the orders of the Young Prince of Qin? Brother is naturally carefree and has always lived a carefree life, never stooping to petty scheming or open and covert struggles. But when the Young Prince of Qin issues an order to you, doesn’t brother still obediently comply?”

“Yes! I can disobey even my own father, but I dare not disobey the orders of the Young King of Qin.” Wu Shuang said with a sneer, “In this vast world, there are only two people who can tell me what to do: my master and the Young King of Qin.”

"This is our fate, and we have no choice but to accept it."

“If this matter is dropped, I can continue my carefree life, but you, sister… sigh!” Knowing that further words would be futile, Wu Shuang sighed, then slowly stood up, lazily yawning and stretching her limbs. “There’s no time to lose. I’ll go find Shen Dongshan immediately and force him to tell the truth. As for helping Granny Peach Blossom… well! I’ll risk everything to live up to the orders of the Young Prince of Qin. I hope my master will spare me this time out of our master-disciple relationship.”

As they spoke, Wu Shuang had already reached the door. However, just as he reached out to open it, he paused, then said without turning his head, "Sister, everyone must know how to make choices in the face of circumstances. Though unwilling, there is no other way. Even the most cherished things... must be given up when the time comes. We are all the same. To borrow your own words, this is fate, and we have no choice but to accept it. Tang Afu is like this, Shen Dongshan is like this, I am like this, and you... are also like this."

"I will remember your teachings, elder brother." Wu Shuang's words were like needles, piercing deeply into Xunzhen's heart.

"And one more thing! I spoke a few words in a moment of passion just now, and I hope you won't misunderstand. The young Prince of Qin loves and protects you. Whether he suspects you or tests you, it's ultimately not his goal..."

"Brother, there's no need for you to say more. I understand."

"That's right! My sister is so clever, why do I need to explain these simple truths to her?"

Having said all he needed to say, Wu Shuang didn't hesitate any longer. He quickly opened the door, laughed loudly at the astonished gaze of Abaolu kneeling at the foot of the steps, and strode away.

……