บท 21: The Sharp Knife
บรรณาธิการ: Transn
Here was Slave Qi's plan:
"That man", or Han Shiqi, knew Kung Fu well. When he first "patronized" the brothers, they had learned through their resistance that Han Shiqi could not be defeated even by the combined effort of eight slave boys. Therefore, they had resolved to kill him by assassination.
The thought of assassinating Han Shiqi came naturally to Slave Qi, given that they were in Golden Roc Fort. The key was the method. After all, the one they were going to assassinate was an experienced killer.
As it was impossible to kill him bare-handed, they had to equip themselves with a sharp weapon. Slave Xie solved this problem by stealing a rarely used knife meant for meat cutting while he was fetching food from the kitchen. It was about four inches long, rather small but razor-sharp.
Next, they needed someone to divert Han Shiqi's attention. Since the brothers were chosen again, they had to make yet another sacrifice.
"I want to see him die with my own eyes," Slave Xie cursed. He seldom spoke, but now he was acting like an angry lion, grinding his teeth.
The last and most critical thing was that someone had to deliver the final stab. That was the most important reason why the brothers sought Slave Huan's help.
"You're the best in Kung Fu. You can kill him silently."
Gu Shenwei blushed after hearing this praise from Slave Qi.
When he was the young Master of the Gu family, though he did not project a semblance of superiority, he secretly believed that he could defeat most people in martial arts circles. His recent experiences these days had been ruthless in revealing the truth—even the manor servants who had failed to beat him were actually just pretending. He could not even take down a common bandit.
But Gu Shenwei was still willing to take on this task, for Han Shiqi was not only the villain whom he coveted but also the hidden traitor who had caused the extermination of his entire family. It had been a month since that incident, and as a mean slave, he was eager to put a sharp knife into his enemy's body and comfort the restless and vengeful beast inside his mind.
"What would they do after the killing?"
They did not mention that. When Gu Shenwei thought about it afterward, he found the whole matter inconceivable. They were so anxious to kill Han Shiqi that they had no time to think about the result.
Gu Shenwei had just seen a man die in front of him the previous day, and he felt that his heart was still hardened. He immediately agreed and took possession of the sharp knife, which was smaller than a dagger, from Slave Xie.
The last time Han Shiqi had "patronized" the brothers, it was in Slave Ji's room, where he might do the same thing this time. Since this room was the most comfortable one in Firewood Yard, Slave Ji would be judicious to sleep in another room.
Gu Shenwei needed to sneak into the room in advance, which could be easy or difficult, depending on when Slave Ji would call roll and when he left the room. If Gu Shenwei could not find an opportunity, he would have to give up, leaving the brothers to suffer the humiliation.
Gu Shenwei used to clean Slave Ji's room, so he knew its layout well. It was a raised bed instead of a brick bed there, which was good, for he could hide under the bed and wait for the moment that Han Shiqi reposed himself, and then he would stab him from beneath the bed.
The sharp knife was so short that they decided to wear down the wooden handle down to reveal the three-inch-long tongue of the knife. Then they bounded two slats to the tip of the tongue, which made the whole knife about six inches long, sufficient to strike clean through the plank of the bed before stabbing into the body lying on it.
The timing was significant. They made an arrangement in which Slave Qi and Slave Xie would lead their target to an appropriate position and voice the secret signal, which was "brother". Upon hearing that, Slave Huan lying under the bed would immediately stab upward.
There was another problem: the assassin lying under the bed could not be discovered in advance, so he had to be very, very quiet. Han Shiqi might sense his presence even by the slightest gasp. After all, he himself was a killer with sharp ears and keen senses.
If Gu Shenwei had not entered into the First Level of Yin Strength, he would not be capable of lying soundless and still. Now that he could control his Internal Breath, he could also control his breathing.
They had a rehearsal. Gu Shenwei lay down on the brick bed, trying hard to breathe silently and continuously. The brothers came close from the doorway while listening attentively, and then gave their judgment.
In the beginning, Gu Shenwei could not control his timing very well, but after a bit of practice, he could control his breathing for a longer time, and at last, he managed to keep it steady for a quarter of an hour.
A boy happened to come in during the rehearsal. He glanced at Slave Huan lying on the bed, and his face suddenly changed. He turned around to run out at once, almost falling down.
Though it made for a hilarious scene, it also reminded them of the importance of avoiding the eyes and ears of the five other boys.
Slave San, Slave Xin, Slave Lei, Slave Qian, and Slave Zhao were all of a timid temperament, as they had been influenced so deeply by Slave Yao that they had accepted their fate as slaves quickly after they entered the fort, which meant they would be happy to betray their companions in exchange for a fortune.
Taking some time to discuss this problem, Slave Xie thought for a while. Finally, he said nothing about it except, "I'll handle it." He left alone, and returned with their lunch, saying, "It's over."
Slave Xie wandered around the yard and secretly talked with every boy inside. Finally, these five boys went to Slave Ji and claimed that they would even rather live in the shabbiest house than share a room with Slave Huan.
Since no one lay dying in Firewood Yard recently, there were sufficient empty rooms. Not to mention that Slave Ji was glad to do them a special favor for their brown-nosing. Therefore, he gave his order—Slave Huan was not allowed to take a single step out of the room.
"I told them that you were bewitched and my brother and I are trying to drive the evil spirit out of you." Slave Xie grinned and explained to Slave Huan. He was more talkative and intimate with Slave Huan than before.
"Haha. Well, I've got many evil spirits to drive out of my body."
"Did you really kill Slave Yao using sorcery?" Slave Xie asked curiously, who had obviously been holding onto this question for a long time.
"Don't be rude, it's none of your business." Slave Qi pulled his younger brother behind to stop him from snooping on privacy.
"I'm less skillful in sorcery than you." Gu Shenwei smiled and said that he would rather not mention Slave Yao.
Slave Xie failed to notice that Slave Huan was prevaricating and thought Slave Huan was denying it. He gave a confused look, a bit disappointed.
Yet, Slave Qi felt it was worth exploring, though he would not question it because he knew that everyone had their own secrets.
In the afternoon, the brothers went to learn the "techniques" taught by Slave Ji, while Gu Shenwei practiced holding his breath alone and pressing the transformed knife against the bottom of the bed before jabbing upward quickly and forcefully.
In his imagination, blood would pump out en masse, and he would have to roll aside quickly to avoid it.
"He is the enemy," Gu Shenwei told himself. Han Shiqi was the key target in his path of vengeance. Killing him would be revenge completed, and any other enemies who died by his hand in the future would be a bonus.
"When will the vengeance end?" Gu Shenwei asked himself again in silence.
"Pay them back by killing their entire families."
He did not feel it strange to even think about this. Though he was just a slave and the only thing he could do was practice his skills on the brick bed, he remained ambitious.
However, the most difficult task was not killing, but waiting.
Sometimes he could hear the other boys' conversations from outside, which represented another world—reality, simplicity, and oblivion.
Gu Shenwei even envied them for a while, but he quickly reminded himself that even if without the burden of revenge, he should not act like those slaves. What he had lost was far greater than what the other slaves in Golden Roc Fort had lost put together.
He did not know how many times he had practiced the simple action of jabbing. As the sun went westward, he felt it was all in his mind. He stopped and hopped off of the bed to exercise a little.
That stab had to end a life, otherwise, three lives would be ended. Yet, he had no fear or doubt, as if he was an experienced killer doing something normal.
He thought of his father, Gu Lun, who would shake his head while talking about his son. He had been worried that Gu Shenwei would not achieve anything, be it in civilization, military, agriculture, or commerce. Gu Shenwei was good for almost nothing.
"Maybe I am a born killer," Gu Shenwei thought. He grinned without noticing.
When calling roll, Slave Ji neither mentioned Slave Huan nor went to his room, which was a good sign.
Slave Xie brought the dinner, with the news that everything was good and that nobody had predicted that a plot was being brewed. He and his brother would think of an idea to attract Slave Ji and the others, while Slave Huan would take the opportunity to sneak into Slave Ji's room.
Slave Ji always ate with the boys in the same room, though of course, not at the same table. He enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by people, as their flattery was the real feast.
Gu Shenwei was not hungry at all, but he still tried to swallow some of his meal because he did not want his stomach growling when he was under the bed.
After dinner, he listened behind the door. There came cheers and laughter from the east side. Waiting for the noisiest moment, he arched his back and trotted through the yard and entered into Slave Ji's bedroom. He knew it very well, so without even checking, he crawled beneath the bed.
The headboard was about three feet above his head. Gu Shenwei lay down on the cold ground, stretching his arms and holding the knife, and then aimed at the point that was three feet down from the headboard and 17 inches in from the side of the bed. Luckily, there was a gap between those two planks, which saved him a lot of trouble.
He and the brothers had chosen the position in advance. If all went as planned, the middle of Han Shiqi's back should be exactly there.
There would be only one stab and no more. That was all the chance he would get.
They knew how ferocious this killer of Golden Roc Fort could be. It would not take much time for Han Shiqi to kill these three boys, even if he was hurt badly, let alone Slave Ji and the night watchmen resting outside. Any abnormal sound could get all three of them killed.
The sky was getting darker, and it was even darker beneath the bed. Gu Shenwei kept the knife aimed at the same point the entire time to make sure he would not miss.
Finally, he heard footsteps from outside. Someone coughed, walked inside, lit the candle, dumped his shoes, and jumped onto the bed heavily, shaking a layer of dust off. Gu Shenwei was completely unprepared for this and released a hearty sneeze.
บท 22: Under the Bed
บรรณาธิการ: Transn
Gu Shenwei tried to suppress his sneeze. The sound had been relatively quiet, but all the same, it almost destroyed their plan. Fortunately, someone outside shouted just as he was sneezing.
"Boss, will Third Brother come tonight?"
It was Slave Ji who was lying on the bed. Gu Shenwei suddenly felt fortunate it was not his target, the killer, who had arrived. If it had been Han Shiqi who had lain on the bed, he undoubtedly would have perceived that someone was hiding under the bed, even with someone speaking outside.
Slave Ji sat up and said impatiently, "I told you, I don't know. If he comes, I'll tell you. Go back to your room!"
It was Slave Qi who spoke outside. He had spoken loud on purpose to let Slave Huan know that the target would probably not come after all.
Slave Qi followed the order and left. Slave Ji lay down again and muttered to himself. "Ambitious little bastard, you were still crying two days ago, but now you're so eager for it. I have to be careful. You're still too tender to compete with me."
Slave Ji talked to himself for a while and hummed a tuneless melody. After tossing and turning for an hour, he went to blow out the light and got ready to sleep.
Gu Shenwei remained motionless and did not dare to deepen his breathing. He put his hands over his nose to prevent himself from inhaling more dust and waited for almost an hour. After Slave Ji snored louder and louder, Gu Shenwei quietly crawled out and gingerly escaped from the room. Then he ran back to his bedroom.
The pair of brothers were waiting for him inside. It was safe for them to stay here, as the other five teenagers were sleeping in the other room.
The man did not arrive. Slave Qi heard a rumor that the Eighth Young Master, Shangguan Nu, had not adequately finished his task. Though they had succeeded in killing the target, they had lost a killer.
According to Golden Roc Fort's standards, a killer should strike the moment his target was unable to resist. If the target were to manage resistance, it would then be proven that the killer has made a mistake in taking the action.
Shangguan Nu was having a rough year. There were two tasks that he had failed to complete with perfection, which had lowered his position in his father's mind. As a result, he gradually became angrier and vented his anger on his subordinate killers and macheteman. It was said that someone had been hurt yet again under the blade of the Eighth Young Master.
In this case, Han Shiqi would not dare to fool around as soon as he came back, lest he aggravate the Young Master and suffer his blade for no reason.
However, it was a sort of torture for the three teenagers, who were eager for vengeance.
That night, Gu Shenwei hid under Slave Ji's bed for the third time. The previous two times, he had achieved nothing more than sweeping the dust from under the bed to prepare a relatively comfortable position for himself.
Han Shiqi arrived a bit late, but Slave Ji did not fall asleep. With only one knock at the door, Slave Ji, like a dog smelling out bones, jumped out of the bed suddenly, picked up the key behind the door, and opened the yard door with delight.
Han Shiqi either did not care about the curfew order or had managed to avoid the night watchmen so that he could come to Firewood Yard late at night.
"Third Brother, I missed you so much. Look, I've gotten thinner."
Slave Ji's feminine voice made Gu Shenwei's scalp tingle, causing goosebumps. Then Slave Ji laughed and acted coy, completely different from the overseer with the rosewood stick in his hands.
Gu Shenwei felt sick.
He had deep compassion for Slave Qi and Slave Xie, and understood why they persisted in assassinating this killer of Golden Roc Fort.
After the two guys outside lit a candle and sat together on the bed, Gu Shenwei held his breath and hoped that they would not stay long. If he had known Han Shiqi's exact position on the bed, he would have killed him immediately.
Han Shiqi spoke few words, for his purpose was to enjoy himself, not to cultivate emotion. After a while, he said, "Where's the scrappy kid? Call him in."
Gu Shenwei was startled. "Does 'the scrappy kid' refer to me?"
"Slave Huan? He's got an evil spirit. Don't call him tonight. The pair of brothers..."
"What evil spirit?"
"Well! There was a kid in the yard who went mad in front of the Eighth Young Mistress. Ah! The servant brought back by the bandit's daughter was no good. Slave Huan saw him off, so he got an evil spirit from him. I asked him to stay in the room and not come out."
"Don't talk about the business of the eighth yard. How unlucky the Eighth Young Master is! He's had so many problems from inside and out. It's got me on edge all the time. I'm afraid that he'll stab me someday just because he's in a bad mood."
"Yes, that's right. The Eighth Young Mistress's business is her own problem. I feel pity for the Eighth Young Master with that striking appearance and excellent skill at Kung Fu..."
"Hey, let's not talk about evil spirits. I heard what happened to the kid. He practiced Kung Fu and suffered from Qigong Deviation. It has nothing to do with any evil spirit. The woman called Mama Xue has already admitted that she was anxious to teach him Internal Strength. As a result, it killed him."
"Right, right." Slave Ji's mouth agreed with him, but his heart was not convinced. He himself was still inclined to believe that an evil spirit was responsible.
Hearing all this from under the bed, Gu Shenwei was startled. "Undoubtedly, Slave Yao learned Internal Strength by himself, and I intentionally made him suffer Qigong Deviation. Why did Mama Xue confess that it was her fault? Did she want to protect the Miss from the event of an evil spirit?"
Gu Shenwei could not figure out the reason.
"Go call the kid in. I'll drive the evil spirit out of him."
As he spoke, Han Shiqi's voice was somewhat indecent. Slave Ji smiled knowingly. Meanwhile, Gu Shenwei under the bed was terribly frightened. Their assassination plan had appeared to be flawless, but they neglected that the killer would not believe in the evil spirit.
Once they found that Slave Huan was not in the room, all of their planning would be in vain.
Slave Ji grinned as he rose from the bed. Gu Shenwei moved the little sharp knife slightly and intended to take immediate action as soon as Slave Ji was far enough away. However, the problem was that he did not know Han Shiqi's exact position, therefore, he could only rely on his best guess.
This tactic had the lowest probability of hitting Han Shiqi in any vital area of his body, but it seemed that he had no choice left.
On the bed, Han Shiqi spoke suddenly. "Who is that? Who's sneaking around?"
Gu Shenwei was startled again. As he was about to make his move, a voice came from outside.
"Is Third Brother here?"
"I said I would call both of you. Piss off," Slave Ji angrily shouted.
The person outside was Slave Xie. Slave Ji had already been vigilant and impatient toward the liveliness of the brothers.
"Yes, boss. Eh, isn't Third Brother in the room? I'll go ask my elder brother to come together."
"Who says you guys are going to serve tonight? Go to sleep!"
"But boss, you taught us that we should..."
"Little bastard, you've really got some nerve to talk back."
Slave Ji patted his rosewood stick in his palm, intending to teach the naughty Slave Xie a lesson.
But it seemed that Han Shiqi's interest was piqued by Slave Xie. "Wait a second. Just let the pair of brothers come in. I want to know what you've taught them."
"Hehe! Third Brother, you've seen what tricks I have up my sleeve."
Once Slave Ji went to call Slave Qi, Gu Shenwei felt relieved and quietly move the sharp knife back to its previous position. He could find the position in the darkness, as he was so familiar with it.
But now there was another problem. Han Shiqi and Slave Ji had wasted too much time chatting on the bed. Almost 15 minutes had passed. Gu Shenwei slowed down his breath for a long time and was already feeling suffocated. He desperately needed a breath of fresh air.
Slave Qi came in and closed the door. Slave Ji did not follow him, which seemed to be the only part of the plan so far that had gone without a hitch.
Han Shiqi jumped out of bed. As his feet landed on the ground, Gu Shenwei took a deep breath.
"So, you've improved since last time, hmm? Come here, I feel tired today. Let me see your tricks. Don't disappoint me, or you'll learn the way of my fist yet again."
"I assure you, you will be satisfied." It was Slave Qi's voice. Slave Qi still could not call him Third Brother. Gu Shenwei could sense that he was a little nervous.
"Satisfied..." Han Shiqi repeated in an ambiguous way.
"Third Brother, let's sit on the bed." Slave Xie was not normally talkative, and he appeared to be calmer than his brother.
"Take it easy."
What happened next, Gu Shenwei could not understand. The voices and groans that he heard sounded quite strange and ugly as if something filthy was invading his ears. Initially, he blushed and nearly could not control his breath. But soon, the power of vengeance and anger allowed him to recover and focus on the point just above his head.
The brothers employed all their skills. However, this time Han Shiqi preferred to stand up rather than to get on the bed, no matter how hard they tried.
Another 15 minutes passed. It was the longest 15 minutes in the three teenagers' lifetimes. Suddenly, Han Shiqi gently let out a cry, followed by the sound of someone being hit.
"Little bastard, I knew that you had evil desires. You want to plot against my penis. How dare you!"
"You killed me. I want to kill you in revenge," Slave Qi said.
Gu Shenwei was surprised and did not know if Slave Qi could not bear such humiliation and had taken action in advance. He wondered whether he should get up help them or stay under the bed.
"Thwack, thwack!" It was the sound of someone being beaten, followed by a cry from Han Shiqi that grew more and more excited.
"Hah! My methods are more fun. I'll give you a taste of something new."
"Let my brother go!" Slave Xie shouted.
The pair of brothers in Han Shiqi's hands looked like weak lambs, whose screams and struggles only stimulated the former's evil desires.
Then someone jumped onto the bed. "Come and get me, bastard."
It was Slave Xie, who had held mastery of Central Plains Chinese for less than a month, but could shout abuse as well as Slave Ji.
With a bang, another person landed on the bed. Judging from the landing sound, Gu Shenwei guessed that it had to be Slave Qi being thrown on the bed by Han Shiqi.
"Haha, a couple of fledglings. Let me join your little game. Now that you can understand my words, it'll be more fun."
Gu Shenwei understood the brothers' intention. They were using Han Shiqi's enjoyment of a challenge to entice him onto the bed.
Gu Shenwei cleared all the thoughts in his mind and quietly waited for the signal to make his move.
The bed was almost turned upside down as continuous cries filled the room, but Gu Shenwei blocked all the commotion from his mind.
"Brother!"
Finally, the signal had come. Gu Shenwei even could not recognize who said it. Blood was flowing to his head. He wanted to exert all his strength, but had no strength at all. He wanted to move swiftly, but acted slowly as if he was frozen.
The sharp knife passed smoothly through the seam of the bed, as if moving through the air.
Then it encountered a hard obstacle and could not be pushed any further.
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