Wind und Rauch

Kapitel 46

"Second Young Master, murder is no small matter. How can it be settled privately?" Are you kidding me? Murder! It's not like killing a chicken, where you can just settle it with a few pieces of silver. Really… Leng Yixuan shook his head helplessly. Strange? Even their eldest son seemed indifferent. Why was he, the married second young master, so anxious? "Besides, it's impossible for the 'Six Doors' to not get involved in this matter!"

“Second Brother, Yixuan is right, this matter…” Ouyang Tianyu interjected with a serious expression. He knew that his second brother wanted to resolve this matter privately in order to protect the reputation of the Ouyang family.

"Yixuan?" Ouyang Tianji sensed something amiss in the tone of his voice. His third brother was completely different tonight; his overly serious demeanor made him feel as if his brother was a fake. Judging from his conversation with Leng Yixuan, their relationship didn't seem as hostile as it usually appeared. "What exactly is your relationship?"

What kind of relationship... Ouyang Tianyu knew that his behavior tonight was too serious, which made his elder brothers suspicious of his playboy disguise. He was afraid that after tonight, there would be a few more people in the world who knew his secret identity... "Friends and partners!" Ouyang Tianyu succinctly stated the relationship between him and Leng Yixuan.

Friends? Partners? Was his third brother joking? Even though he had already sensed that their relationship was unusual, he couldn't imagine it being one of those two kinds of relationships. Ouyang Tianji looked incredulous... Wait, what did his third brother just say? Partners? This...

Ouyang Tianyun remained silent, watching everything unfold before him with an expressionless face, a hint of something unfathomable in his deep eyes.

^

Chapter Thirty-Six (Final Chapter)

From the moment he appeared in the study, Ouyang Tianyu knew that his two elder brothers present tonight would be suspicious of his identity. Sure enough, their expressions now confirmed everything. However, it didn't matter. Letting them know wasn't a bad thing. At least he wouldn't have to pretend in front of them anymore. Thinking this, he chuckled: "Actually... I am 'Ghost Face Star,' a secret agent of the 'Six Doors.' I specialize in secretly gathering intelligence and investigating cases for the 'Six Doors.' In order not to arouse suspicion, I deliberately made myself a rogue... I have done all of this. Apart from Jie, no one else can guess my other identity hidden behind the Third Young Master of Green Jade Manor."

But my shameless behavior has caused my family endless worry, especially seeing my father trembling with anger every time I see him. My heart aches, and I desperately want to explain the truth to him so he won't worry about me anymore. And my eldest and second brothers, every time I make a mistake, you always forgive me, plead with my father for me, and clean up the mess I leave behind. Your indulgence makes me feel guilty for constantly deceiving you. Sometimes, I feel like I'm taking advantage of your feelings, but… I have no other choice.” Ouyang Tianyu looked at his two brothers' astonished expressions, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. He owed them so much. All he could do was apologize, “I'm sorry!”

What...what? My third brother is "Ghost-Faced Star"? A spy for the "Six Doors"? How is that possible? Ouyang Tianji simply couldn't believe that his younger brother, who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun every day, could be a spy. He glanced at his eldest brother and found that disbelief was also written on his brother's face!

"Second Young Master, your jaw is about to drop!" Leng Yixuan chuckled, watching Ouyang Tianji's comical expression—wide-eyed and slightly agape—and teased him. His eldest son, on the other hand, was much calmer! However, he saw disbelief in their astonished looks. He wanted to explain for his friend, "What Tianyu said is true. I've worked with him on cases for so many years; I can testify for him. Or my dad could..."

"Yixuan—" Why are they even bringing up the Grand Commander? Ouyang Tianyu wanted to stop his friend from defending him any further. He knew that his two elder brothers were only having trouble accepting it for the time being, and that they would believe it in time.

Leng Yixuan raised his hand, signaling Tian Yu not to interrupt him. "Do you know how difficult it is to turn a well-behaved, upright gentleman into a rogue in everyone's eyes? Alcoholism, causing trouble, gambling, prostitution, harassing respectable women… these are the things he hates most in his life, the things he least wants to do. But for his mission, he frequents gambling dens and brothels every day, engaging in despicable acts. What does he get in return? His father's beatings? Or the world's scorn? He…"

"Stop talking, Yixuan!" Ouyang Tianyu said, his handsome face slightly flushed. He hadn't thought that much about it; he just believed that once you start something, you should do it well, regardless of the cost.

A slender hand slipped into his large palm and gently grasped it. Ouyang Tianyu turned his head and saw Shen Jie smiling at him, her smiling eyes filled with encouragement, support, and unwavering love, which deeply moved him. He clenched her hand tightly, silently conveying his feelings. He secretly vowed in his heart that he would make her the happiest woman in the world.

Witnessing all this, Ouyang Tianyun knew he had lost, utterly lost to his third brother. He had always believed his third brother was unworthy of Shen Jie, but he was wrong. He never imagined his third brother was such a selfless, unsung hero… He had to admit that his third brother and Shen Jie's union would be an enviable match made in heaven. How could he bear to destroy it? He was content just to see the woman he loved happy. From now on, he would bury his love for Shen Jie deep in his heart; wherever he went in the future, it would remain a beautiful yet bittersweet memory…

"Alright, I won't say anymore." Leng Yixuan waved his hand. He had said everything he wanted to say, and now it was time for him to leave. "I'm leaving first!" He walked to the corner, preparing to take Lei Shuangxue back to "Six Doors".

Seeing Leng Yixuan approach, Lei Shuangxue shrank back against the wall in fear, pleading, "I don't want to go... I don't want to go... Please, please let me go! Don't lock me up in jail..."

"That's not up to you!" Leng Yixuan sneered, stepped forward, grabbed Lei Shuangxue's arm, and forcibly pulled her up. As he turned around, he saw a diamond-shaped hidden weapon shooting towards him. He immediately swung his sword to block it, but unexpectedly, Lei Shuangxue had already been kidnapped.

When Lei Shuangxue saw the person who came, it was as if a drowning person had grabbed a piece of driftwood. "Father, you've finally come!" She was so happy that she wanted to cheer. She was saved. She didn't have to go to that damned prison anymore.

Lei Batian burst through the window, snatched Lei Shuangxue from Leng Yixuan's hands with lightning speed, and also took Shen Jie, who had been staying by Ouyang Tianyu's side, hostage. The series of actions were completed in just a few seconds, leaving no time for anyone in the study to react.

“Ouyang Tianyu, hand over the ‘Xulong Sword,’ or else…” Lei Batian grabbed Shen Jie with his left hand and held the knife to her neck with his right, his meaning was very clear—exchange the sword for the person.

"Lei Batian, the 'Virtual Dragon Sword' is the Ouyang family's heirloom for over two hundred years. Do you think we'll give it to you just because of this woman in your hand? You're dreaming!" Ouyang Tianyu spoke ruthlessly, but inwardly he was extremely worried. He couldn't let Lei Batian know about his relationship with Shen Jie, so he could only pretend to be indifferent. Otherwise, it might be detrimental to Shen Jie.

His eyes were fixed on the knife in Lei Batian's hand, terrified that he might accidentally break Shen Jie's alluring neck. It was truly unbelievable; they had sent Yi Xuan to "take over" for Shen Jie precisely because they were afraid Lei Jun would kidnap her, yet she still couldn't escape her fate of being held hostage.

As soon as Ouyang Tianyu finished speaking, Lei Shuangxue immediately interjected, "Father, you've been fooled by him. The woman in your hands is his fiancée." That bitch, she won't let her get away with it, she'll make her taste what it's like to be locked up in a dark prison cell.

"Ouyang Tianyu?" Lei Batian's threatening voice rang out again, and he raised his hand holding the knife higher, looking at Ouyang Tianyu provocatively.

Despite being held hostage, Shen Jie wasn't nervous at all. She'd encountered this kind of thing many times before, except that she was always the one rescuing the kidnappers. Now, she was the one being held hostage. Glancing back, she caught a glimpse of Ouyang Tianyu slowly approaching the fake sword lying on the ground and picking it up. She immediately guessed what he was up to. "Lord Lei, holding me like this isn't a solution. If this continues, you'll get tired, I'll get tired, and the 'show' viewers will get even more tired. How about we make a deal?"

"What do you mean?" Lei Batian asked with interest. He wanted to see what tricks this woman could pull. Anyway, the person was in his hands, so he wasn't afraid they wouldn't hand over the sword!

"Look, the sword in Ouyang Tianyu's hand was stolen from the secret chamber by your adopted son. Isn't that the 'Void Dragon Sword' you've been dreaming of?" Strange, how could this old man be so heartless? His son is dead, his body right in front of him, yet he remains completely unmoved! "If you let me go, I can help you get that sword! What do you say?"

"Let you go? If I let you go, will I still be able to get the sword?" Does he think he's a fool? He's not that easy to fool!

"Lord Lei, my life is in your hands now. Do you think I'd dare lie to you?" If you're not easy to fool, then what's the point of her doing this? Shen Jie thought to herself, "An idiot is an idiot." "I want my life, he wants me as his fiancée, and you want the sword in his hand. Isn't it good that we each get what we want?" She'd solved this love triangle problem since elementary school. "Think about it. If you kill me, not only will you not get the 'Virtual Dragon Sword,' but you won't be able to leave this room either."

Lei Batian admitted that her words weren't without merit. Shuang Xue had sent word that A Jun had already poisoned everyone, and he only needed to come and take over everything the Ouyang family currently possessed. However, they hadn't expected to be so lucky; they hadn't died, but Lei Jun had fallen dead. Now, if the four of them joined forces against him, he probably wouldn't even last thirty moves. It seemed...

"Lei Batian, release her, and this sword is yours." Ouyang Tianyu raised the sword in his hand and said loudly. In fact, he had been paying attention to Lei Batian's expression. He could see that Lei Batian was beginning to waver, so he could not relax. He could make his move when Lei Batian let go of Shen Jie.

"Then throw the sword over first, and I'll release the man!" Lei Batian said tentatively. Although he wasn't as cunning as Lei Jun, he was able to establish himself in the martial arts world and naturally understood its survival rules. He wouldn't easily trust anyone.

"Release the person first, or you won't get this sword." Trying to trick him? Hmph! Does he think he's a three-year-old like Lei Jun? It seems there's a reason why Lei Jun was adopted by Lei Batian; at least they have some similarities—they both like to treat others like fools. Ouyang Tianyu thought sarcastically. He pretended to destroy the sword, but Lei Batian stopped him.

"Wait a minute!" Lei Batian shouted anxiously when he saw Ouyang Tianyu about to destroy this treasure of the martial arts world. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll let her go first and let her take three steps forward. Then you can throw the sword over here, how about that?"

“Okay,” Ouyang Tianyu replied. As long as Shen Jie was freed from his control, he could deal with this hateful old man without any scruples.

"If you dare to play any tricks on me, then your beloved fiancée won't see the sun rise tomorrow." Lei Batian threatened, but he had other plans in mind. Tonight, no one but him would leave this house alive.

"Stop talking nonsense and release her now!" Ouyang Tianyu urged impatiently. The sharp dagger on Shen Jie's neck made him uneasy. He was afraid that if he dragged it out, Lei Batian would lose patience and make fun of Shen Jie's neck.

"Go!" Lei Batian moved his dagger aside and shoved Shen Jie from behind. One step, two steps, three... Just as she was about to take her third step, she heard Ouyang Tianyu shout loudly:

"Jie, come here quickly!"

"Halt!" Seeing that Ouyang Tianyu had no intention of surrendering his sword, Lei Batian immediately shouted, "Ouyang Tianyu, didn't we agree on 'three steps to exchange swords for a man'?"

“Lord Lei, we haven’t even taken three steps yet!” Shen Jie pointed to her right foot, which she had abruptly pulled back because of his shout. What was going on? One minute he was telling her to move, the next he was telling her to stop. Was she some kind of puppet to be manipulated?

"Remember! Don't try anything funny." Ouyang Tianyu seems a bit hard to control. Later, he'll send him to the underworld so the King of Hell can teach him a lesson. Tonight, no one but him will leave this house alive, including his useless daughter. She's long since lost her usefulness; what use is she now? Lei Batian thought this with great joy. Once he got the "Virtual Dragon Sword," the entire martial world would be his! "One more step, hurry!"

Everyone present held their breath, awaiting the most tense moment, because no one knew what would happen next...

As Shen Jie took her third step, Ouyang Tianyu tossed his sword towards Lei Batian and swiftly launched two darts from his sleeve at him. Lei Batian leaped up, catching the sword Ouyang Tianyu had thrown, and simultaneously unleashed about a dozen diamond-shaped hidden weapons from his body. Just as the two darts were about to reach his chest, Lei Batian suddenly took two steps back, instinctively pulling the trembling Lei Shuangxue to his side to shield her, allowing the darts to pierce her chest...

At the same time, Ouyang Tianyu waved his sleeve to block the incoming hidden weapons, but it was too late to take Shen Jie away from this highly dangerous area. His mind went blank, and the only thing he could think of was not letting Shen Jie get hurt. He quickly rushed over, wanting to use his own body to shield her from the hidden weapons, but someone else took the initiative to hug Shen Jie and gently turned her around, causing the hidden weapons that were originally meant for Shen Jie to be firmly embedded in Ouyang Tianyun's back. Black blood flowed from his back, and he slowly fell down.