The Stakes of Victory

Gu Bei’s face was a mask of utter bewilderment at the woman’s question.

To be frank, he simply could not recall who this person was, even after a moment’s thought.

“Don’t you find me familiar?”

“Indeed, you do seem somewhat familiar, yet I confess all beautiful immortals tend to strike me that way. Thus, for the life of me, I cannot discern if this is merely a trick of memory or if our paths have truly crossed before.”

“I had assumed Chief Gu had undergone a profound transformation, but it seems he remains largely unchanged after all,” she mused. “Tell me, Chief Gu, what urgent matter brings you to the Blade-Wielders’ Office?”

“I seek the Blade-Wielders’ escort for a segment of my journey.”

“Where to?”

“Sanchuan.”

The woman gave a slight nod, then, with an air of utter nonchalance, she casually instructed the Silver Blade Commander standing nearby, “Commander, see to the arrangements.”

Without another word, she turned and strode away on her long legs, departing the premises directly.

She left no parting words, her departure swift and unburdened by any apparent lingering sentiment.

Gu Bei remained utterly baffled.

Nevertheless, his objective had been achieved.

****

The journey from Sanchuan Commandery to Sanchuan Commandery was indeed a considerable distance, but only for mortals reliant on carriages or their own two feet; for cultivators, a Dharma boat traversed such a span in short order.

Having delivered Gu Bei to Sanchuan Commandery, the Blade-Wielders’ Dharma boat promptly turned back.

Song Ting had not accompanied him, nor did he wish to, so Gu Bei simply entrusted him with a message: to return to the sect and extend his regards to his junior brothers and sisters and to Yun Qingyi, the esteemed Guest Elder.

****

“Young Master Gu, to see you return so swiftly, it appears a matter of great import has brought you back.”

Ning Wanzhuang’s dwelling offered its customary tranquility.

“Indeed, a crucial matter requires my attention.”

Gu Bei wasted no further words, cutting straight to the chase. “Fairy Ning,” he began, “would you consider exchanging the reward you promised me a few days ago for a single favor?”

“Help Young Master Gu?” Ning Wanzhuang inquired, a hint of surprise in her tone. “Has Young Master Gu run into some trouble?” In her estimation, it was unlikely Gu Bei would encounter any predicament grave enough to necessitate her personal intervention.

Suddenly, her mind flashed back to Yu Qiuqiao’s cryptic and peculiar remarks from days prior.

“I… to be honest, I’m not entirely sure myself, but I believe you are likely the only one who can assist me.”

Ning Wanzhuang’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

His words were utterly incoherent, offering no explanation of the predicament nor specifying the nature of the assistance required.

“Young Master Gu, perhaps you should first partake of some tea.”

Gu Bei himself realized his explanation had become rather rambling and incoherent.

Yet, no sooner had he lifted the teacup and taken a small sip than Ning Wanzhuang spoke again. “Is this perhaps trouble brought about by Yu Zhuoshui?” she probed.

Gu Bei hesitated. “One cannot entirely fault Fairy Yu,” he conceded. “From what she told me, my conduct that day was perhaps a touch too casual…”

“Elaborate.”

****

“As for this favor… Wanzhuang can indeed assist you. However, Wanzhuang has a condition—and naturally, I suspect Fairy Yu’s conditions would be identical.”

“Pray tell, Immortal.”

“Sever your ties with the Minor Sword Sect, and work for me.”

What Yu Qiuqiao was capable of uncovering, Ning Wanzhuang could naturally ascertain as well. While Yu Qiuqiao harbored an interest in Gu Bei himself, Ning Wanzhuang genuinely required a ‘white glove’ (TL Note: A term referring to a person used to handle illicit or unsavory tasks while keeping the primary agent’s hands clean.) to execute unsavory tasks.

This individual not only needed to be capable but also adept at such endeavors.

Noticing the hesitation that flickered across Gu Bei’s face, Ning Wanzhuang quickly added, “I am not asking you to betray your sect, merely to temporarily divest yourself of the Minor Sword Sect’s affairs.”

Gu Bei remained silent, his fingers ceaselessly tracing the rim of the teacup he held.

Ning Wanzhuang, however, showed no urgency. Observing his prolonged indecision, she delicately lifted her teacup with two fingers and took an unhurried sip.

The silence did not persist for long.

“I truly ought not to negotiate terms with Fairy Ning, yet I cannot in good conscience leave my junior brothers and sisters within the sect unprotected…”

Ning Wanzhuang offered a slight nod.

She cared little whether Gu Bei’s concern truly lay with his junior brothers and sisters, or perhaps more specifically, with Mu Qingsi.

“Might we establish a time limit?” Gu Bei asked, raising his gaze to meet Ning Wanzhuang’s.

“Very well then… how about a period of three years?”

‘Three years, then?’

Gu Bei offered a wry smile inwardly.

“Agreed.”

“Very well then,” Ning Wanzhuang declared, rising languidly from her seat. “Let us first address the concerns that trouble Young Master Gu.”

In truth, Gu Bei’s significance to Ning Wanzhuang was not particularly profound; while he was a promising candidate, he hardly warranted her employing such an opportunistic, almost extortionate, method to bring him under her wing.

Had it not been for the wager she had struck with Yu Qiuqiao, she would have simply granted Gu Bei’s request without much thought, and once the matter was resolved, their paths would have diverged permanently.

Yet, ultimately, Ning Wanzhuang had clinched a victory.

With the full scope of events now clear, Ning Wanzhuang finally understood why that ‘demoness’ had been so utterly confident of her triumph.

Had Gu Bei arrived even a day later, events might well have unfolded precisely as Yu Qiuqiao had envisioned. However, he had, quite unexpectedly, come seeking her aid before even the slightest hint of trouble had surfaced.

This keen sensitivity and decisive action had, in fact, earned him a measure of renewed respect from Ning Wanzhuang.

Gu Bei himself remained oblivious to the fact that his actions had granted Ning Wanzhuang a significant win, especially with Yu Qiuqiao’s alluring wager hanging in the balance. Driven by a desire to ensure Yu Qiuqiao honored her promise, Ning Wanzhuang, in a rare display of opportunism, seized the moment, compelling Gu Bei to transition from a mere executive to an outsourced operative.

Ning Wanzhuang eagerly anticipated the expression on Yu Qiuqiao’s face when they next met.

Consequently, her mood remained quite pleasant.

Gu Bei, meanwhile, meticulously prepared tea for Fairy Ning.

He was well-versed in the art of tea preparation, having regularly brewed it for his own sect’s Guest Elder.

While his movements lacked a certain elegance, Ning Wanzhuang, at this particular moment, was entirely unconcerned with such minor details.

“Fairy Ning, your relationship with Fairy Yu appears rather amicable, does it not?” he ventured tentatively.

“If I had my way, Wanzhuang would gladly see her dead,” Ning Wanzhuang replied with a soft chuckle. “If you consider that ‘amicable,’ then yes, our relationship is quite good.”

“And what if I possessed a method to outmaneuver Fairy Yu?”

“Oh?” Ning Wanzhuang’s interest was piqued. “What method might that be?”

“Once this current affair is concluded, I shall merely require the temporary use of Fairy Ning’s esteemed name.”

“Young Master Gu, you are quite the enigma.”

“Should Fairy Yu come seeking an explanation later, can Fairy Ning guarantee my protection?”

“Naturally.”

“What about the Minor Sword Sect?”

“Naturally.”

Ning Wanzhuang harbored no illusions that Gu Bei was capable of orchestrating anything truly grand. Her mood being agreeable, she had simply assented to his requests without much consideration.

In a sense, Gu Bei had already outmaneuvered Yu Qiuqiao.

After all, Ning Wanzhuang hardly expected her rival to genuinely honor the wager. To go back on one’s word and benefit from it (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘shiyan er fei,’ meaning to break one’s promise and benefit from it, often implying a lack of integrity.) was, in essence, to act shamelessly. And if Yu Qiuqiao chose to be shameless, then she could hardly fault Ning Wanzhuang for holding it over her head for the rest of their lives.

Taking a step back, even if the wager were fulfilled, it would still provide immense amusement.

In that scenario, Gu Bei’s safety would become even more paramount.

Success would merely be a common jest, but failure? That would be a lifelong blemish, a source of ridicule that would entertain Young Miss Yu until her dying day.

After all, Yu Qiuqiao and Ning Wanzhuang held vastly different statuses. For Ning Wanzhuang, even a hint of such an affair would tarnish her reputation, but for Yu Qiuqiao… was it not entirely commonplace for a demonic enchantress to attempt to seduce an orthodox cultivator?

Should the seduction prove unsuccessful, it would merely become a jest, one capable of amusing all under heaven.

Yet, jesting in her mind was one thing; the matter at hand still required action.

Ning Wanzhuang’s method for protecting the Minor Sword Sect was remarkably straightforward. Sanchuan Commandery, being under the direct purview of the Immortal Alliance, made it exceedingly simple for her to investigate any individuals harboring ill intent.

Taking Gu Bei with her, she first eliminated a contingent of troublemakers, then formally placed the Minor Sword Sect under the direct jurisdiction of the Immortal Alliance. It was then that Yu Qiuqiao made her appearance.

Young Miss Yu’s mood was exceedingly foul.

“Slay them all,” Young Miss Yu declared, her smile chillingly cold.

Immediately thereafter, slaughter erupted simultaneously across Sanchuan Commandery.

Some met their end as assailants burst through windows in a brutal, ‘Russian counter-terrorism’ style assault; others found themselves betrayed by comrades who suddenly turned against them; while still others simply perished inexplicably from widespread, area-of-effect attacks.

Having delivered her pronouncement, Young Miss Yu casually turned and departed.

To Immortal Ning, however, her departure carried a distinct air of hasty retreat.

“Following this,” Ning Wanzhuang instructed, “Young Master Gu should first proceed to Yu Zhuoshui’s residence. You are free to act as you deem fit there.”