Chapter 169: Chapter 127: "Do You Believe Me?
From the very beginning, she knew the Night Lord didn’t trust her. In the dead of night, Feng Bei would always tell herself, ’It’s no matter, for I never gave him my trust either.’
She knew that sooner or later, she would leave Ye Weiyang.
What Feng Bei hadn’t expected was for that day to come so suddenly.
"It’s fine. Stand further back."
Feng Bei smiled, a sense of relief washing over her. Now that it had come to this, talking about "trust" or "distrust" couldn’t change anything.
In fact, she felt as if a great weight had just been lifted from her shoulders.
"First time meeting you. I’m a little bit nervous."
The new Lower Six appeared somewhat stiff before Feng Bei. He straightened his collar with his right hand and adopted a serious expression. "Of Ye Weiyang, Lower Six..."
But his business-like expression lasted only a few seconds. The man, who had short hair and a messy stubble, suddenly scratched his head. Averting his gaze with an embarrassed smile, he said, "I was just promoted to Lower Six from the Night Guard not long ago—a special case. Lord Upper Three might not know me, but that’s okay. When I was with the Night Guard, I heard countless tales of Lord Upper Three’s exploits."
"Some say that Lord Upper Three hides a world-shaking terror in her hands, that once she takes off her gloves, an entire city of one hundred thousand people would be wiped out, with not even a chicken or dog to spare. I’ve also heard that ten years ago, Lord Upper Three single-handedly slaughtered an entire town. Heh, who knows if that’s true or not? And I’ve also heard..."
The man rattled on with great excitement about the "legends of Feng Bei’s massacres." Feng Bei listened patiently through two of them, but as he started on the third, her brow twitched, and she cut him off. "Fake."
"Oh..." The Lower Six’s animated expression instantly drooped, his face full of disappointment. "So they were fake..."
"Lord... Lower Six!" Even though Xu Shu’s own rank was lower, this "newcomer" had only recently been promoted from the Night Guard to the Twelfth Moon through special means. Xu Shu found it impossible to muster any respect. Annoyance surged through him as he ground out the words, giving the Lower Six a grudging bow. "Don’t forget the mission!"
"Look at you, getting so worked up. No wonder you’ll never amount to anything," the man muttered under his breath. But his "mutter" was so loud that even Dou Xie, standing furthest away, heard it perfectly. Xu Shu’s face instantly darkened.
The Lower Six coughed twice and held out his hands, palms facing Feng Bei.
"I am Zhou Bashi. As my name suggests, I am Zhou of the Eight Fingers. A man of little talent, I have never been skilled at fighting, yet I somehow earned the Night Lord’s favor and stumbled my way into the Lower Six position." Zhou Bashi turned his hands over, showing palms and then backs, as if to prove to Feng Bei that he held nothing.
On one of Zhou Bashi’s hands, the thumb was missing; on the other, the index finger. After fully displaying his hands, he chuckled. "You see, I was young and foolish once, and an enemy lopped off two of my fingers. That’s why I have an even greater distaste for all this fighting and killing now. Lord Upper Three, you mustn’t get the wrong idea. I have come to Shuzhou on a mission, simply to relay a few words from the Night Lord to you. I bear no ill will."
Xu Shu clenched his jaw. As had been said not long before, Miracle Masters abide by Restrictions and rules, hiding in plain sight. Xu Shu only knew that the Night Lord had dispatched a newly appointed "Lower Six," and that this person was characterized by his "eight fingers." But as for what Path he walked or what Miracle Technique he commanded, Xu Shu was completely in the dark.
Seeing Zhou Bashi acting so unconventionally, Xu Shu—who had already drawn his weapon, ready to avenge his prior humiliation of being forced to kneel—felt his patience wearing thin. He was on the verge of erupting.
For once, Xu Shu managed to suppress his anger and reminded him again, "Sir! It is time to handle the mission!"
"Nonsense!" Zhou Bashi’s expression changed drastically. He pointed a trembling finger at Xu Shu on the rooftop. "What mission?! I told you I don’t like fighting and killing! Stop spouting nonsense! You’re just a measly Constellation. Believe it or not, I’ll go report you to the Night Lord tomorrow for slander! In broad daylight, under a clear sky, how dare you slander me so brazenly? I told you, I am here under orders to relay a few words, and that is all!"
They were, after all, their own people. Though Xu Shu had drawn his blade, his animosity toward Feng Bei was well-known. Besides, Xu Shu, Zhou Bashi, Feng Bei, and Dou Xie were all Ye Weiyang people. Watching Zhou Bashi and Xu Shu trade insults in the middle of the street, Dou Xie felt his head spin. He had no idea what game the suddenly-appeared Zhou Bashi was playing.
Feng Bei had removed her gloves, but since her opponent hadn’t attacked, she didn’t make a move.
This was not because Feng Bei lacked decisiveness. Rather, it was because she knew all too well that she couldn’t even control her "Omen" herself. It was nearly impossible to leave anyone alive. For this reason, Feng Bei preferred to be reactive. Only when her opponent revealed their intent to kill would she "reluctantly" strike back.
Perhaps to someone like Zheng Xiu, Feng Bei’s style would seem indecisive, but this was a product of her own powerlessness—and the fear she had held for her own hands all these years.
"Alright, down to business."
After shouting a few more curses at Xu Shu, leaving him ashen-faced and speechless, Zhou Bashi suddenly flicked his wrist, and a piece of red silk appeared in his hand.
Dou Xie whipped out a textbook, his expression wary.
Feng Bei took a step forward.
"Wait!"
Zhou Bashi spoke calmly, his gaze falling on the tightly bound scroll behind Feng Bei. "I truly am just here to deliver a message, Lord Upper Three. Please don’t misunderstand. You see? I really don’t know the first thing about fighting." When he saw that Feng Bei made no further move, Zhou Bashi breathed a silent sigh of relief. ’Thank heavens the Night Lord has such a firm grasp on her personality. That’s the only reason I had any confidence I could stand before her without dying.’
Zhou Bashi covered his left hand with the red silk cloth. Then, with a flourish, he whipped it away, revealing a square wooden box resting in his palm.
