The Plough

北斗

the-plough

Chapter 173

"I feel like I've heard this voice somewhere before," murmured Ling Shu.
Seeing him lost in thought, Yue Dingtang reached out and pinched his chin, forcibly bringing him back to reality.
Ling Shu shook himself out of his daze.
When he first woke up, he didn't know how much time had passed, but he was aware of his own consciousness, which meant that his mind hadn't been controlled.
However, just now, when the white-haired man was rubbing his head, he had a strange urge to get up and follow the white-haired person.
This was very unusual.
Ling Shu felt a sense of unease and realized how powerful the white-haired person was.
He didn't dare to think too much and quickly pushed the thought aside.
"Did you see Shen Renjie?" Yue Dingtang asked Ling Shu.
"I saw him during the ghost wedding, sitting across from me. I even saw an eyeball in his bowl, I don't know if he ate it or not. If he did, I wonder what chewing an eyeball would taste like."
"Ew--"
Before he could finish his sentence, Yang Chunhe quickly removed her hood and ran to the corner, bending over and vomiting.
She had been holding back since the appearance of the white-haired man, but Ling Shu's words brought back her bad memories, causing a surge of sourness to rise in her throat that she couldn't control.
In fact, she couldn't spit out anything.
Since she came here, her mind was in a daze and she didn't know what she had eaten.
Day and night were indistinguishable, and everything was a blur.
But there was always a strong will inside her that kept her from collapsing.
At the wedding banquet, she faintly smelled the scent of a corpse, which suddenly woke her up. She couldn't help but reveal her true feelings.
"I'm sorry..." Yang Chunhe felt like she was dragging everyone down and apologized sheepishly. "I haven't seen much of the world, and I made a fool of myself in front of you two."
Ling Shu said, "Actually, I have to thank you. If it weren't for you attracting their attention, I wouldn't have known what to do. When you moved, the whole situation changed, and those who were trying to take advantage of the chaos gave us a lot of opportunities. Otherwise, we would have been caught by now."
This is the truth, Ling Shu simply couldn't imagine himself eating the flesh that was from Miss Feng's corpse.
"The organization structure of the Azure Dragon Society is very strict. Besides the leader, there is also the deputy I just met. Below them, there are those in charge of finances, those responsible for training new members, and those who lead the thugs. The division of labor is clear, like a small government."
Yue Dingtang's words made Ling Shu and Yang Chunhe focus their attention back on him.
Their current situation was not much better than facing immediate execution, at best it had become a delayed execution. They were still going to die, it was just a matter of time.
Once their identities were exposed, or if the Azure Dragon Society discovered that Yue Dingtang was delaying time, the sword hanging over their heads would immediately fall.
"There are two paths before us now," said Ling Shu. "We can either strike quickly and catch them off guard, or we can take our time and wait for the right moment."
"My only concerns are twofold," Ling Shu continued. "Firstly, the safety of Old Shen. He doesn't know if he's alive or dead, and we brought him here. We need to make sure he leaves here safely. Secondly, the leader of the Azure Dragon Society, the so-called 'Divine Envoy,' has yet to reveal himself. If we miss our chance tonight, will we ever be able to find him again? If we can't catch the thief, we can't catch the gang. Even if we destroy this hideout, they will rise again in the future."
Yue Dingtang understood Ling Shu's intentions.
Ling Shu continued, "Why not take advantage of his invitation to you and catch them off guard? If we can capture the leader, we will have control over the entire Azure Dragon Society. Who else would dare to resist?"
Yue Dingtang calmly replied, "If he has a group of bodyguards and you can't get inside, it will be difficult for me to capture him alone."
Ling Shu said, "There are two scenarios. One is that Yang Chunhe and I will guard outside and not let anyone in. You find a way to lure the bodyguards out, and when you take the hostage inside, I will clear the outside and cooperate with you. We will hold the envoy hostage to control the situation and wait for Jiang He to come and take them captive. The other scenario is that we can both go in together, and our chances of success will be even greater."
Yue Dingtang furrowed his brow slightly, "You are unarmed and your gun has been confiscated. How can you ensure your success?"
Ling Shu chuckled and reached into his sleeve, pulling out a thin, flexible iron wire from his arm. "Anything can be a weapon if you want to kill someone. This may look soft, but if you stab it into someone's temple or use it to strangle them, it's not to be underestimated."
Yang Chunhe was curious, "Where did you get it from? Weren't you searched when you came in?"
Ling Shu replied, "During the wedding banquet earlier, I snuck up to Miss Feng's side and found a few of these thin iron wires inserted into her back. I just took them out while I was at it."
Yang Chunhe asked, "Why were there iron wires behind the corpse?" Ling Shu explained, "It's used to secure the body. One end is wrapped around the chair, and the other end is inserted into the body to keep it from falling over, making it easier to operate."
Yang Chunhe wished she could slap herself from three seconds ago for not asking more questions.
As soon as she thought about how she had foolishly touched the iron wire, she not only wanted to slap herself, but also chop off her own hand.
Seeing her expression, Ling Shu reassured her, "Don't worry, I wiped it clean. I wouldn't dare wrap it around my hand if it had touched the corpse."
Yang Chunhe: "...Let's not talk about it anymore. I might actually throw up."
To shift the focus, she quickly brought up the previous topic.
"I can help when the time comes. I've been helping my parents with chores since I was young, and I'm strong enough to help beat people up. This place is like hell, and we can't let it continue to harm people!"
Many people who were at their wit's end grasped onto the hand of the Azure Dragon Society, but from then on, they walked down a path of no return. As long as the Azure Dragon Society did not fall, these people, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, would continue to be accomplices and there would be no end to it.
Whether it was Miss Feng, Yang Chunhe, or many other ordinary people who had nothing, they would continue to be the new victims.
Yue Dingtang asked, "Miss Yang, do you have any ideas?"
He thought Yang Chunhe was quick-witted and brave, and maybe she could come up with some new ideas.
Yang Chunhe really thought seriously for a moment. "If we want to catch him off guard and take him hostage, we have to do it when he is most relaxed. How about using a beauty trap?"
Yue Dingtang was stunned. "Where do we get a beauty?"
Yang Chunhe pointed at Ling Shu.
Yue Dingtang and Ling Shu: ...
"You should rest first, and the two of us will continue &nbsp;to discuss."
Yang Chunhe and hurriedly explained, "I didn't really mean to ask Mr. Ling to seduce the other party! It's just an unexpected way, or maybe Mr. Yue suddenly takes off his clothes to surprise them, even if it's just for a second or two, we'll have a chance to take action."
Ling Shu was more concerned about another issue, "Are you sure Jiang He has been waiting for us all this time? We've been in here for a while now. What if he changes his mind and doesn't want to cooperate with us anymore? Then we'll be stuck in a difficult situation."
Yue Dingtang nodded, "I trust Jiang He, mainly based on two points: Lu Tongcang had cooperated with the Azure Dragon Society before, which not only involves some unclean interests, but also some little-known forces of Lu Tongcang."
Ling Shu understood it all: "The former is about money, the latter is about life. He can earn less money, but life cannot be replaced."
Yue Dingtang agreed: "You're right. If the Azure Dragon Society threatens Jiang He in the future, or if Lu Tongcang left behind any way to deal with Jiang He, he will be restless. So, he will definitely be more active in dealing with the Azure Dragon Society than the foreigners. I believe he will be waiting for our message outside. I have already made a secret agreement with him. Once we go out, he will immediately send a signal and bring people over. Once he arrives, the people in the concession and the city bureau will naturally be alerted. These are things with benefits to be shared, and they won't leave them out."
If Jiang He were to use any sense of loyalty to guarantee that he would not abandon them in their time of need, he probably wouldn't even believe it himself.
But now, everyone is working together based on mutual interests, which makes their alliance even more stable and reliable.
They are currently in a passive position and it's difficult to find other options. They can only prepare themselves mentally and adapt to the situation as it unfolds.
Ling Shu is feeling a bit tired.
Since waking up, he has experienced all sorts of thrilling and dangerous situations. Even now, the scene of the dark and seductive wedding still echoes in his mind, with the eerie mix of red and black and the faint smell of decay lingering in his nostrils.
He even begins to doubt his own sense of smell.
How could a corpse smell like perfume?
Seeing Ling Shu sitting in his chair, Yue Dingtang realizes that he has fallen asleep mid-conversation.
It's clear that he's exhausted.
"Mr. Yue." Yang Chunhe pointed to the small dish on the table, which was the tea snack that the other party had just sent for Yue Dingtang.
He had already drunk half a cup of coffee, but he hadn't touched the pastry.
"Can I have some of the cookies?" Ling Shu was sleepy, but she was also hungry.
She couldn't vomit out anything just now, but it awakened her taste buds.
"Feel free to eat them." Yue Dingtang said to her, reaching out to gently pat Ling Shu's cheek.
"Get up and go to bed to rest."
Suddenly, Ling Shu's body shook, and he almost jumped up, startling even Yue Dingtang.
He was still frightened, squinting at the front, but not focusing on Yue Dingtang.
Yue Dingtang pressed his shoulder and forced him to sit down.
"Calm down!"
It was summer and Yue Dingtang quickly noticed that Ling Shu's neck and back were all wet.
Ling Shu still struggled, and his strength almost made Yue Dingtang unable to hold his down.
"It's me, look at me," Yue Dingtang forced Ling Shu to focus his gaze on him.
Ling Shu looked a bit confused.
After several seconds, his tense body gradually relaxed.
"I just had a bad dream," Ling Shu said.
"What kind of dream?" Yue Dingtang asked.
"Not a good one." Ling Shu reached up to touch his forehead and tried to slick back his hair, but his hand was covered in sweat.
"I dreamt that I had a knife in my hand and was going to kill you. I could never do that in real life, but in the dream, I didn't hesitate to stab you. I even remember the sound of the knife piercing your body..."
"It was just a dream." Yue Dingtang held his head close, ignoring the sound of someone munching on biscuits nearby.
As he listened to the other's heartbeat, Ling Shu gradually calmed down and regained his usual composure.
"It's a bit strange. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I have this feeling. Earlier, when I woke up from being hypnotized, there was a voice telling me to kill you. But here you are, sitting perfectly fine and being praised by them."
Yue Dingtang replied, "It's not that strange. What you heard may not necessarily be what the other side intended to convey. They don't even know our relationship. It's just that when your mind is being controlled, you tend to gravitate towards negativity, and the first target is usually the person closest to you."
Ling Shu still felt that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He shook his head and decided not to delve deeper into the issue for now.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The three of them stopped in unison. It must be someone from the other side coming to inform them to attend the banquet.
With a leap, Ling Shu picked up his hood and put it on.
Yang Chunhe quickly stuffed the remaining biscuits into her mouth and put on his hood before opening the door. But the person who came in was not the one with white hair, but another person dressed just like Ling Shu and his companions.
The newcomer bowed his head and bent his waist.
"Mr. Yue, it's time. The boss sent me to bring you over."
Yue Dingtang straightened his clothes. "I understand. Lead the way."
The destination seemed close yet far away, with numerous twists and turns in the corridors. Yue Dingtang felt like he had lost his sense of time. He now understood how Ling Shu felt earlier - in the absence of light, a person's sense of smell and hearing would be infinitely amplified.
But walking here also created echoes, easily causing people to have illusions and confusion about time and space.
He couldn't believe that there was such a skilled architect in the Azyre Dragon Society who had specially built this Azyre Dragon Villa. Perhaps it was built by an unrelated earlier generation, allowing the Azyre Dragon Society to reap the benefits.
"Mr. Yue, that door ahead is it. I can't get any closer, please go ahead," the other person stopped and whispered.
Yue Dingtang nodded and stepped forward.
Ling Shu and Yang Chunhe followed naturally behind.
There were people guarding the door, but they did not prohibit Ling Shu and Yang Chunhe from entering, so the two of them walked in confidently.
There was a round table, two sets of utensils, and one person sitting behind it.
A man in a black long robe, with short hair in his middle age, who must have been quite handsome when he was young. He looked dignified and one couldn't tell that he was the leader of a cult.
Two people stood behind him, also dressed in black robes and hoods, presumably his personal bodyguards.
The other person stood up and bowed, "You must be Mr. Yue, please have a seat!"
Having encountered many mentally unstable people with gray hair and with the dim environment here, Yue Dingtang almost doubted if he had come to the wrong place and met the wrong person.
"You are the Divine Envoy of the Azure Dragon Society?"
The other person smiled, "Indeed, my surname is Ying. You don't have to call me 'Divine Envoy', Mr. Yue is the type of talent that our society has been seeking. Fortunately, I am a few years older than you, so you can call me Brother Ying."
"I dare not accept the praise. I will respectfully address you as Brother Ying."
Leader Ying raised his glass and said, "You have come from afar, and our methods may not have been the most refined. They were a bit rough with you, so let me apologize on behalf of them. Please don't take offense. The Azure Dragon Society values talent above all else and treats them with great care. From now on, we are all family!"
He took a sip of his drink and personally poured a glass for Yue Dingtang, without any pretense.
Ling Shu and Yang Chunhe stood at the door, not too close nor too far from Leader Ying. The distance was awkward, and it was not enough to suddenly attack and ensure that they could control him.
After all, they were just background characters, not guests. How could they get closer to Leader Ying?
Soon, he had an opportunity, but it came unexpectedly and caught them off guard.

The Plough

The Plough

Chapter 174 - Chapter 173

Ribbit