The Mirror Master

It was time. Lu Bai was about to head to the Underground Bazaar to check in with the Old Gambling Ghost and, while he was at it, collect his winnings.

He had killed Mo Shaohan, which meant the Old Gambling Ghost had won his bet. The old man had also promised to give him a treasure as a reward.

’An Exotic Treasure, or Technique Ultimate Skills?’

’I’ll have to think hard about what kind of treasure to ask for.’

The Luo Family arrived outside the Drunken Flower Tower and bid farewell to Li Tianxing and Feng Yang.

As soon as they entered the Drunken Flower Tower, countless gazes fell upon them.

Most of them were fixed on Lu Bai.

While Lu Bai’s bout with Sun Bohan had earned him some renown, slaying Mo Shaohan on the Martial Arts Discussion Platform was what truly made him famous.

The courtesans upstairs were even more excited, frequently casting flirtatious glances in Lu Bai’s direction.

Some were bolder, calling out to him directly.

Lu Bai’s expression remained calm. He merely swept his gaze over them before looking away.

"Hm?"

Lu Bai’s expression shifted, and he turned back, his gaze landing on one of the women in the crowd.

She too was dressed in the sheer silks of the brothel, her graceful figure faintly visible. She wore heavy, garish makeup, but the smile on her face was strained, tinged with a hint of bitterness.

’Chen Qianqian?’

Lu Bai frowned to himself.

’How did she end up in a brothel?’

’With the Chen Family’s resources, she shouldn’t have fallen this far.’

Lu Bai looked away and shook his head.

There was nothing between them anymore. He had no reason to interfere; everyone has their own fate.

They entered the Underground Bazaar.

The streets were already lined with stalls and bustling with people.

"Greetings, Elder Luo."

"Young Hero Lu!"

Many people greeted Lu Bai and his group as they passed.

Everyone could foresee that after today’s battle, the Luo Family would become the number one family in Bluestone City!

Lu Bai made his way to the Old Gambling Ghost’s stall as usual.

"Old Gambling Ghost, looks like I’m hard to kill after all."

Lu Bai crouched down and began casually sorting through the items, making idle chat.

"Heh heh."

The Old Gambling Ghost gave a strange laugh. "You certainly helped me win a hand, but as for whether you’re hard to kill... that remains to be seen."

"What do you mean?" Lu Bai asked.

People were coming and going at the entrance of a nearby gambling den, and the Luo Family members were preparing to go inside.

"What’s with the shoving!"

"Are you in a hurry to get reincarnated?!"

Just then, a burly, middle-aged man pushed his way out from the crowd inside, causing everyone to frown and mutter in complaint.

The man charged straight for Lu Bai.

Lu Bai sensed something and instantly rose to his feet, his focus sharpening in vigilance.

When he saw the approaching man, he was stunned, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

’Chen Tieshan?’

At this moment, Chen Tieshan was wearing the uniform of a gambling den Guard. His face was sallow, and his expression was haggard.

"Be careful... of me..."

Chen Tieshan had just rushed up to him and gasped out the words when he suddenly convulsed. His expression twisted, and his eyes instantly filled with blood.

PTHU!

The next moment, Chen Tieshan spat a mouthful of fresh blood and fell backward.

This sudden turn of events was completely beyond Lu Bai’s expectations.

The crowd gasped, their faces paling at the sight!

Lu Bai reached out, catching Chen Tieshan’s body as he fell.

"Hall Master Chen?"

Lu Bai looked at the man in his arms and demanded, "What were you trying to say?"

GURGLE...

Chen Tieshan’s large hand gripped Lu Bai’s arm tightly. His mouth opened slightly, but only blood gurgled out. His expression was one of agony, yet he couldn’t speak another word.

A moment later, Chen Tieshan’s pupils dilated, and all the life drained from him.

"What happened?"

Luo Tianxiong hurried forward and placed two fingers on Chen Tieshan’s wrist to check his pulse. He shook his head and said, "He’s dead."

Lu Bai gently laid Chen Tieshan’s body on the ground. His expression was grim, and he was suddenly struck by an inexplicable chill!

’Why was Chen Tieshan here? What was he trying to tell me? ’Be careful of me?’ What did that mean?’

The surroundings descended into noisy chaos.

Lu Bai’s Heart and Spirit were in turmoil. In his peripheral vision, he thought he saw a glint of golden light from beneath Chen Tieshan’s head.

That golden light seemed familiar.

A sudden thought struck Lu Bai, and he whipped his head down to look.

But the glint of gold was gone.

"Make way, everyone scatter!"

A sharp command came from behind them.

Li Tianxing hadn’t gotten far before someone reported a death in the Underground Bazaar, so he had rushed back with his men.

Li Tianxing strode over, surveyed the scene, and asked with a frown, "What’s going on here?"

"No idea. He’s one of the gambling den guards, right? He just rushed out and dropped dead."

"It looked like Young Hero Lu killed him, didn’t it?"

"Nonsense! Young Hero Lu didn’t even touch him."

The crowd was abuzz with chatter, all sorts of theories flying about.

Even Lu Bai hadn’t yet figured out what had just happened to Chen Tieshan.

"Lu Bai, what happened?"

Li Tianxing crouched down and began to examine Chen Tieshan’s body as he asked.

He didn’t believe the theory that Lu Bai had killed Chen Tieshan.

’There’s absolutely no motive. It makes no sense for Lu Bai to kill someone in front of so many witnesses. What’s more, they both came from the same place.’

"I don’t know."

Lu Bai shook his head. "I was over at the Old Gambling Ghost’s stall picking through old coins when Hall Master Chen suddenly rushed toward me. He only managed to say, ’Be careful of me,’ and then he died."

Li Tianxing’s brows knitted together as he continued his careful examination.

"What’s the cause of death?" Lu Bai asked.

"My initial assessment is a ruptured blood vessel in his brain, causing a massive hemorrhage. Instant death. It’s just..."

Li Tianxing trailed off.

There were no external injuries on Chen Tieshan’s body. It looked like an accident.

But Chen Tieshan was an Inner Martial Artist, after all. His body was far more robust than an ordinary person’s. For him to die so suddenly was bizarre.

"Crooked dealers, loading the dice with lead."

The Old Gambling Ghost’s voice suddenly drifted over from his corner by the wall. He seemed unaffected by the incident, still grumbling about the gambling den.

"Gamble again and your own heart’s the price, / Watch drunken flowers on the water pass. / In fading sunlight, with silken threads your coffin’s bound at last..."

The Old Gambling Ghost spoke slowly, his tone turning wistful, tinged with regret.

Lu Bai’s mind was a tangled mess, and he couldn’t spare a thought to decipher the Old Gambling Ghost’s words.

Chen Tieshan’s death was so sudden, the method so bizarre—it reminded him of Madam Zhou!

Lu Bai suddenly asked, "Lord Li, are you aware of the haunting case at the Zhou Family’s estate in Liuxi Town?"

"I am. Why do you ask?"

Li Tianxing didn’t understand why Lu Bai was suddenly bringing this up.

Lu Bai pressed, "What was Madam Zhou’s background? Did the investigation yield any results?"

At the mention of this, Li Tianxing glanced around nervously. He gestured for Lu Bai to rise and led him to a secluded corner.

Li Tianxing lowered his voice. "That Madam Zhou was of the Witch Race. This is a confidential matter, not known to the common folk."

"The Witch Race?"

Lu Bai frowned.

"Yes."

Li Tianxing said, "When the Evil Extermination Bureau was first established, its most important task was actually to deal with the Witch Race within the borders of the Wu Dynasty."

"Why is the existence of the Witch Race such a taboo subject?"

Lu Bai was puzzled.

He had never heard anyone mention them before. It was obvious that the common person was completely in the dark.

"The Witch Race look exactly like us. There is no outward difference. The only way to tell is when they channel their bloodline to use Witchcraft and Gu Techniques; their eyes glow with a green light, revealing their true nature."

Li Tianxing explained, "The Wu Dynasty has already nearly wiped out the Witch Race within its borders, and we have the Evil Extermination Bureau to deal with them specifically. To speak openly of the Witch Race now would only cause widespread paranoia and terror.

"Common people can’t distinguish them, so they would grow suspicious of one another. Trust would erode completely. From the highest officials to the lowest commoners, witch hunts would become the norm. People would turn on each other, and false accusations would run rampant. That would cause far more harm to the Wu Dynasty."

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