Afterlife Department

Seeing that Hu Tisong didn't speak, Luo Zhilai frowned. He wanted to snap at him but he remembered Huo Ling's warning. So, he can only take a deep breath and calm himself. "My family's heirloom… surely you already have heard about it. The entire martial alliance must already know it." He looked at Hu Tisong.

Hu Tisong nodded, confirming Luo Zhilai's words.

"Who has it now?" Luo Zhilai asked.

"My master." Hu Tisong answered. He meant, the Clear Lake Sect's sect leader.

Luo Zhilai's heart thumped nervously, but he immediately calmed himself. It still isn't sure if Hu Tisong's master is the culprit. "How did he obtain it?" he coldly asked.

"The Beggar Gang fought with him for vengeance after I intercepted them here before from their thievery. Master found the sword in their lair and he took it." Hu Tisong answered.

Luo Zhilai's brows knitted. "Then, how did the Beggar Gang obtain it?" he asked.

"Master also asked them, clearly know that the Beggar Gang can't afford the sword." Hu Tisong spoke. "The Beggar Gang said that they stole it from a merchant." He told him.

Luo Zhilai's face darkened.

Hu Tisong knows what he wanted to ask. "I tracked down the merchant and the merchant said he bought it from another merchant. This merchant also bought it from another merchant…" he said and heaved a sigh after seeing that Luo Zhilai is about to snap. "The merchant who had the sword and sold it told me that he only found the sword by chance. I asked him where and he said it was in an unnamed pass when he went with a caravan. I went to that pass and didn't find anything unusual." He explained.

Luo Zhilai took a deep breath and finally calmed down. He knows that it is unreasonable to lash out at Hu Tisong, especially that Hu Tisong gone out of his way for his sake. He would be lying if he will say that he wasn't touched. "These past weeks… this is what you did?" he asked. His voice finally softened.

Hu Tisong saw that Luo Zhilai's expression turned better and he smiled. "En." He nodded and blushed. He looked shy.

But, Luo Zhilai still has something to ask. "The one who presented the sword to the martial alliance… it was your master?" he asked.

"Yes." Hu Tisong nodded as the smile on his face disappeared. He knows what Luo Zhilai meant by asking this.

Luo Zhilai's expression also turned serious.

"Zhilai." Hu Tisong called after some silence passed. Then, he pulled something under the couch. It was wrapped in a cloth.

Luo Zhilai's eyes widened and his pupils shrank.

"Zhilai. This is your family's sword." Hu Tisong spoke as he unwrapped the cloth, revealing a very old sword.

Luo Zhilai's breathing quickened. "You… you…!" he looked at Hu Tisong in shock.

Hu Tisong smiled. "I stole it from my master. Zhilai." He called as his face turned serious. "I will give this to you, but on one condition." He said and looked at him in the eyes. "Leave the jianghu and go far away. Leave the clearing of your father's name and your sect's name to me." He told him. "I will be kicked out of the sect by my master after this, worse, he will kill me. So, I won't lose anything else after that." He walked towards Luo Zhilai and held his hand as he hand him the sword. "As long as you leave the jianghu… as long as you are safe… still alive. Nothing else matters to me." He said and lowered his head to bump his forehead against Luo Zhilai's forehead.

Luo Zhilai's heart throbbed as he stared at Hu Tisong's face, only for his eyes to widen when he saw blood trickled out of the corner of Hu Tisong's lips. "Hu Tisong!" he exclaimed in panic and they both fell to the floor when Hu Tisong's body fell towards him. "Hu Tisong"! he called and checked Hu Tisong's pulse.

But, right at this instant, daggers pierced the windows and walls of the Lailai Inn! Luo Zhilai and Hu Tisong fortunately fell, or else they would have been pierced!

"Young master!" Rong Huai, Jiang Ci and Lu Xiu cried as they entered the room together with Huo Ling, Yi Bing, Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai.

"The Lailai Inn is under attacked! The assassins have long since occupied the lower floors! We are surrounded!" Lu Xiu said.

But, Luo Zhilai's attention right now isn't on the sword but on Hu Tisong who is weakly breathing. "Hu Tisong! Hu Tisong!" he called as he tried to wake him.

Hu Tisong weakly opened his eyes. "I have stopped the poison from flowing all over my body earlier… but, later, it will resume… leave now… I will die – " he said and coughed out blood before he fell unconscious.

"Let's go!" Huo Ling decided as he and Yi Bing fend off the flying daggers towards them.

Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai carried the unconscious Hu Tisong and Luo Zhilai ran after them. Lu Xiu, Jiang Ci and Rong Huai opened the path for them while Huo Ling and Yi Bing guarded their backs.

"Young master… that sword!" Lu Xiu exclaimed when they finally saw the sword on Luo Zhilai's hand.

"Leave now and talk later!" Luo Zhilai yelled as he kicked the assassin that lunged towards him before he stabbed another assassin that tried to kill Hu Tisong.

"Yes!" they answered and fought their way out to escape.

But, Yi Bing and Huo Ling looked at each other, then Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai. The entire Lailai Inn is filled with assassins. They have no way to escape. Luo Zhilai, Lu Xiu, Jiang Ci and Rong Huai also know that and despair filled their hearts. When they passed by the window, they also saw that outside, there were also enemies.

Yi Bing grabbed Rong Huai. Huo Ling grabbed Jiang Ci. Qian San grabbed Luo Zhilai. Wu Ling grabbed Lu Xiu with a disgusted expression on his face. Shi Yi held Hu Tisong on his collar while Qi Bai grabbed Lei Wei who is hiding somewhere as he looked around in horror. Obviously, he had secretly followed Hu Tisong.

At this instant, the assassins have cornered them. They leaped mid-air and then, they all threw their daggers to their direction. A rain of daggers fell on the group, and they are definitely going to die! But, in a blink, the group of six people and six grim reapers suddenly disappeared!

"What the…!" the assassins exclaimed in shock and landed on the hallway where the twelve of them were standing just now.

"Where did they go?!" they asked as they all looked around, trying to find a hidden door in the Lailai Inn.

Indeed, there was a hidden door and Luo Zhilai activated the mechanism since earlier. Thus, after all of them were covered by that thousand daggers, he used them as a cover to open the door and everyone slid down inside, before it closed.

Yi Bing, Huo Ling, Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai who were about to teleport at that second. "…" well… it seems like we aren't really needed in this world… they thought and looked at each other speechlessly. Then, they turned to the six people.

"Boss… you really saved us all there!" Lu Xiu panted as they all lie down the ground.

"I already expected this sooner than later." Luo Zhilai indifferently said and turned to look at Hu Tisong.

"Boss, he…" Jiang Ci spoke.

"He stole the sword from his master and must have met the Green River Sect and was poisoned while he is on his way here." Luo Zhilai said.

"The assassins…" Rong Huai frowned.

"His master must have finally decided to kill me after he finally obtained the sword and secured his seat on the martial alliance." Luo Zhilai said.

"His master must be coughing blood now due to anger after Hu Tisong betrayed him." Huo Ling said. "Boss Luo, he stole this sword with his life at stake! If this isn't love, then in don't know what it is!" he told Luo Zhilai and patted the other's shoulder.

Yi Bing. "…" so, that time… they really did fight on… the bed? He thought.

Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai. "…" fck! If Hu Tisong dies for love, then would he also be assigned to us?! We will have an extra soul to ferry?! They thought with their faces darkening.

Luo Zhilai didn't answer and took out all the medicines available in this secret room where they are in right now. Then, he went to treat Hu Tisong while Jiang Ci and Lu Xiu sent their internal energy to Hu Tisong's body to suppress the poison.

"Judging from today's event, it can be said that the Clear Lake Sect master is the culprit." Huo Ling sighed. "And since he finally showed his tail by wanting to kill you and even used the Swallow Tailed Assassins publicly, the martial alliance must already know this by now." He looked at Luo Zhilai. "Jin Chong can be considered dead now, too. As for the rest of the martial alliance… they would probably jump into this person's ship.." He said.