The Chieftess of the Silver Clan has gone missing.
The moment her handmaiden found her room empty, bed torn apart and some stains of blood on the floor, she alerted the entire household. In no time at all, an estate wide search was put out. Every soldier were forced to rise out of their beds and shove on their helmets and armour before the rooster could properly wake them.
When they failed to find the Chieftess in the estate, they spread out across the entire town to look for their leader.
Among them was the Deputy. He quickly ran over to one particular place in town, to try his luck. It was a teahouse – the same one where Martial Blue Sister had woken up a day or two ago. Not bothering to call for someone, he kicked the doors open and charged in. He was about to run up the flight of steps...
...When he noticed a trunk sitting in the middle of the teahouse. In fact, it was in this moment he realized the entire teahouse was empty. Void of all life. Not a single waiter, not even the teahouse boss could be seen.
The trunk was large. In fact, it was large enough to remind him of the cargo chests North Cloud Shipping Company used to...wait no...it can’t be.
Curiosity, and dread, filled his heart. He walked over to the stage in the middle of the teahouse. A part of him didn’t want to touch the trunk, but the other half forced him to lay his fingers on it.
However, he was suddenly intercepted by a small pale hand.
“Chi-Chieftess!?” The Deputy gasped. He realized the one grabbing him was his wife, and leader of the Silver Clan. “What on earth are you doing out here...dressed like...uh.”
The Chieftess wasn’t looking indecent. She had a casual robe covering her body. Unlike her regal uniform, it showed her frail curves and slender hands. In fact, the clothing she wore right now gave her a soft genteel look, like a blooming lotus in a pond.
Actually now that he looked closer, the Chieftess was not wearing any make up. Without the expensive cosmetic, the Deputy realized how much of a natural beauty the Chieftess was. Soft and delicate. She may not have been the greatest flower in the garden, she had more than enough allurement to draw the attention of an admirer. Even coax them to reach out and touch her cheek.
The Deputy, on the other hand, was more startled by her overall appearance than her beauty. This was, perhaps, the first time he’s ever seen her in such a...vulnerable state.
“Peony and I used to visit here.” The Chieftess spoke up, not at all caring hundreds of people are looking for her. “Rather, we loved to sneak in and eat all the food – then try to run away without paying the bill. Hilarious, don’t you think? Two offspring of the almighty Silver Clan, dining and dashing. Hahaha.”
She had a nostalgic look on her face as she continued. “I was never a good runner, I always got caught. Peony, that silly girl, she would always turn around to rescue me – like a wandering hero on a white horse... Of course, father wasn’t stupid. Whenever he found out about our shenanigans, he would always punish us with a good caning. The lessons hurt so much, we had to sleep on our stomachs for a good period of time.”
The Chieftess let out a sigh. “Peony always told me, how loyal you have been to the clan. To me. Even if you are my husband, I have been nothing but a terrible person to you.” She would reach out to touch her husband’s cheek. “Every time I break your jaw, you never once complained. She told me, I should appreciate you more.”
The Deputy shied away from her touch. He tried to go down on one knee like a true servant, only for the Chieftess to gesture him to remain standing. He cleared his throat to say, “It is my sworn duty to safeguard you and the clan’s honour... Lady Peony’s death, has been my failure.”
Every now and then, the Deputy would glance around himself to find something to pay attention to. Something about Chieftess looking at him...like a soft woman made his stomach flip.
“I am sorry,” the Chieftess cooed. “I know that’s what Peony would want me to say to you. After all, you are all I have left as family.”
“...Chieftess?” The Deputy raised an eyebrow when his wife suddenly held onto his one hand with both of hers.
“Darling. I love you.”
“Who the hell are you!?”
The Deputy flung the Chieftess off him. He whipped out his saber and tapped it against the woman’s neck. “Answer me!? Who are you!?”
The ‘Chieftess’ smirked. She suddenly melted, like an ice statue under a beaming sun. Only to instantly reshape itself into the living corpse of Lady Peony. Rocks and salt spilling off her robes, her head slanted in a sickening angle, and swinging the one stump arm about.
The sight shocked the Deputy, making him leap back at this turn of events!
“Oh come on, brother-in-law,” said the Entity with a perfect replica of Lady Peony’s voice. “After I was murdered, you cut my hand off to hide the evidence, remember? Then you stuffed me into a cargo box, buried me with salt and strangers you bought from an undertaker, before having North Cloud Shipping Company deliver me like some kind of long-distance product order! What did you label me as? A back scratcher? A spit jar! I am DYING to know!”
“ENOUGH!” The Deputy fired up his [Thunder Leopard Saber Art] powers and slashed his saber. A wave of electricity ripped through the teahouse, hacking up furniture in its flight. The Entity dodged, springing like a body of flesh like liquid, to duck under a table. The Deputy chased after it, kicking aside the table to deliver an executing blow on himself....
...Wait? On HIMSELF!?”
The Entity revealed itself adopting the Deputy’s form. His height, his weight, his clothing, even the cocky grin he revealed some time ago – a perfect copy. So much so, the real Deputy staggered back from this jumpscare!
“Hmmm.” The Entity used the Deputy’s voice to laugh. “I directed the whole show. I hired a stand-in to play the part of Lady Peony, to throw off the timing of her real death. Had someone set up the stage with Redpulp Syrup and re-use the trap in the bathtub that everyone forgot existed. Which, by the way was a wasted opportunity turned useful for my case..."
The Entity wagged a finger, “All I had to do was spread the word, how Lady Peony was a victim of a haunted urban legend, remove all the witnesses, and everything would be swept clean under the rug. As if the Chieftess could bare to have a coroner examine the body. And I can easily pay a mortician to clean up the body without asking questions. A win-win.”
“...Pfff...Pffffhahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” The Deputy broke out laughing, so hard he had to clutch onto his side. He shook his head, unable to believe this stupid joke of his ‘living reflection’. “Moon Tavern. Is this all you can do? This is what you’ve been doing for the last three days?”
The Entity copied the Deputy’s laugh, to mock him. It was effective as the real gripped his saber white knuckled. The Entity then snapped his fingers.
In a flash, a hard rainstorm shook the teahouse. It blew through the open balconies and the exposed windows and walls. Rain billowed in like a horde of ghosts. In a flash, the entire floor, light up bright red. Hundreds of bloody footsteps appears, surrounding everyone.
The Entity melted and shapeshifted into Martial Red Sister! She was using <<1000 Face Skill>>, one of the many tricks in the arsenal of her [32 Morphing Skills]. The ability to transform and replicate her looks after anyone she has seen! Hair, face, clothing, size, build, even their natural scent she can replicate it perfectly! As it was child’s play to her, she had devoted her cultivation training to master <
The Deputy looked at the rain, the water seeping through the cracks. “Ah. I see now. I already predicted the weather would be clear this morning. So no doubt this is the doing of your pipsqueak friend, that troublesome blueberry.”
“Only I get to bully her, no one else. She is my junior after all.” Martial Red Sister growled, flexing her hair about as if she came out of a shower. “I confess, we don’t have anything concrete to pin everything on you. I mean, you pretty much removed the evidence. Even sliced off Lady Peony’s right hand.”
“Now why would I do such a thing? The Chieftess would’ve hung me by my entrails if I so much as raised my voice at her dear little sister.”
“Hmm.” Martial Red Sister nodded, then she pat her hand on the trunk on the stage. “Why don’t you ask your Producer.”
Horror struck the Deputy. So, that was why he felt uneasy the moment he entered! He slashed his [Thunder Leopard Saber Art] in the air, to shoot a wave of arcing lightning to force Martial Red Sister away from the trunk. He bounded over and flipped it open.
“Y—HUH!?”
Curled inside the trunk was Lady Peony...rather, the corpse of the double who played the part of Lady Peony. The same girl Moon Tavern had ran into at Mutiny Hill a few days ago. Her body was well bloated, as if she fell asleep in a tub for days. Covered head to toe in black mud and lake scum. Tiny fresh water crabs and snails poked their heads in and out of her ear and hair, taking comfort with the many finger bones that were tangled in them.
There was this clean slice across the double’s throat, foggy eyes left wide open.
“Expecting someone else? Say, the Young Master of the Amber family” Martial Red Sister spoke with a hum. “He was visiting the Silver Clan manor the day Lady Peony went missing, no? How odd for him to just ‘disappear’ shortly after hearing of his bride to be just murdered. When all this time he had been hiding in this very teahouse. That’s why you rushed over here first the moment you heard the Chieftess went missing. It was your chance to help him escape when everyone was looking elsewhere!”
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Martial Red Sister fanned herself with her sleeve, hiding a coy grin. “Have no fear, my humble employer, Martial Kim, is taking good care of Young Master Amber. They’re resting at Judge Dao’s court, sharing a lovely story together in his private jail cell.”
“H...how did you know?” The Deputy kicked over the trunk, spilling the fake Lady Peony he had hired across the ground like a useless puppet. “HOW IN THE HELLS DID YOU KNOW!?”
“Oh please,” Martial Red Sister scoffed. “The moment you sliced off Lady Peony’s hand, it triggered your death flag. Why go out of the way to cut the hand off a corpse? Because you had to hide the mess Young Master Amber left behind.”
She then pulled out several pieces of paper from her sleeve and slapped it onto the table. They were revealed to be torn pages of a sort of book. Among the text and calligraphy, there were various images all depicting this vibrant and swirling in the shape of a butterfly made of living amber colours.
“The Amber Family started their humble origins as one of the most feared Assassin Guilds in the history of the Jade Empire. Their signature needle shooting technique, [The Kiss of the Amber Butterfly], are made with specially designed amber shards combined with strong mana capable of piercing through steel and killing their targets with slow mana burns.”
Martial Red Sister snorted, “They always left a bit of a calling card in the form of an orange butterfly on their victims, striking fear in everyone. Even when they turned to all business, they often resort to using this signature move as a last result – which involves a lot of clean up work... That’s why you had to cut off Lady Peony’s hand...right Mr. Spy?”
The Deputy flinched, the revelation hitting him harder than a hammer!
“Admit it!” Martial Red Sister smirked with a checkmate “The only reason why you never once opened your trap every time the Chieftess dislocates it, is all in service of your true masters: The Amber Family. That’s how they play their games right? Send in spy after spy into their rival’s ranks and gather as much flaws, weakness, and secrets as possible. How else do you explain the Amber Family making gold and silver dance at a whim!”
The Deputy lunged! He couldn’t stand this farce any longer! He charged through the teahouse to try and hack up the woman in the kimono. “RETURN THE YOUNG MASTER RIGHT NOW! I WILL NOT GIVE YOU A SWIFT DEATH IF YOU REFUSE!”
“Oh-ho-ho! You’re true colours are showing~~~” Martial Red Sister was enjoying herself as she transformed into a nimble red monkey, dodging and flipping over every swipe. “What’s the matter, want to kill me and stuff me in a box full of salt too! Probably blame it on a damn jumping vampire!”
Martial Red Sister lured the Deputy through the teahouse. She would sweep up the stairs, swinging from the ceiling, all the while cackling in how much the Deputy chased after her with rage in his eyes. They reached the second floor. There wasn’t too many open spaces, not even for a small red leaping lemur to escape to. Just when the Deputy was about to land the killing blow.
“Enough.”
The real Chieftess opened one the doors of the private dining room she had been sitting in...the entire time. The sight of her real person, in full regalia and expensive make up, made the Deputy choke on the air. So hard, he dropped his sword.
The Chieftess stared at her husband, “All these years, everything has been a lie?” She genuinely wanted to give the Deputy a chance to speak, but the turn of events stunned him too hard. That, or honest guilt was showing. “Our marriage...was an objective? Peony’s marriage, was a means to an end...For what?...Please...tell me the reason for all of this.”
The Deputy was...truly speechless. All he could do was back away. He thought about picking up his sword, but he was already at the open jaws of the lion. He feared leaning forward, he would lose his hand entirely.
The red leaping lemur transformed back to the human that was Martial Red Sister. She stood behind the Chieftess to whisper into her ear. “[God Phantom Eyes]. The Silver Clan’s own signature defense that has been protecting your generations. Ambitious people like the Amber Family want to find the weakness to your power in order to usurp the entire Silver Clan’s authority. Unfortunately their original plan took 10 years too long, so they were forced to send in their trump card, the clever Young Master to try and figure everything out.”
Martial Red Sister’s voice changed tone, quieter, “Lady Peony somehow found out about their connection, their true objective. How? Only they would know. Of course, she would try to warn you...thus, Young Master Amber – her suitor – killed her using the [Kiss of the Amber Butterfly]...” She finished her report by patting the other woman on the back. Now to watch the fireworks fly.
The Chieftess marched over from the private room. Her eyes started to light up, activating the [God Phantom Eyes]. An ability that could control one’s action with their emotions, manipulating euphoria, hopelessness, excitement, even fear in others with a glance of her stare. She tried it before, to force Martial Blue Sister to scamper away. This time, she directed it on her husband.
“Deputy...Pick up the sword...Kill yourself.”
The Deputy groaned in pain from the influence invading his mind. His body twitched and flinched as it was forced to reach out and pick up his saber. He fought back with his willpower, but the anger in the Chieftess control was too great. He felt the cold steel of the sword on his neck and--
“....Hahahahahahaha.” The Deputy relaxed, waving around his saber like a musician’s baton. “Finally. I can file for divorce. Keep the house.”
Martial Red Sister gagged. She saw the incredibly faint screen of energy over his eyes. Could it be, he had a higher level of [Psychic Warding] that was hard to detect. Damn, she didn’t calculate this turn of events!
The Deputy used his [Thunder Leopard Saber Art] to blow up the teahouse. He split the building int two to make his half tip over and fall to the lower levels of the town. He used it to escape, flying through the debris to land in the streets below.
Just as he tried to ran away, his escape was blocked off!
The prisoners of Mutiny Inn appeared, racing around the corners of the streets to block him off. They split up into two groups, to cut off the front and back of the Deputy’s escape. It seems Martial Red Sister paid them a visit, to free them from the manor cells as potential back up. Glad that investment paid off!
“You swine!” North Cloud Shipping Company drew their scimitar and morningstar maces. “We’ll hang your head in the company trophy room for the dishonour you forced upon us!”
“We’ll avenge the boss you so happily killed!” The staff of Mutiny Inn wielded improvised weapons of sticks, shovels, rakes, and pitchforks. “Get him!”
The Prisoners of Mutiny Inn attacked! They surrounded the Deputy and attacked from all angles. Clearly their level was not up to par, not against a martial arts expert like the Deputy. He only need to dodge and give them kicks to the face to clear his way.
In fact, he can easily kill them with a swing of his electric-charged blade!
PEW PEW PEW!
A flurry of water shot out, from alleys, store windows, and around the corner of various buildings. They would deflect and cancel out the Deputy’s lightning attacks from harming the Mutiny Inn prisoners. He even saw shields of liquid and bursts of mop water get in his way, throwing off his balance.
“Damn water bender!” The Deputy shouted in the chaos. “Show yourself you coward!”
Nah, she’d win by doing what introverts does best – hiding!
Martial Blue Sister, covered in black mud and lake scum, rode on a board of magical waves and darted through the narrow paths in the back alley. Every now and then she would use her [Azure Dragon’s Flowing Water] to launch flying swords and curtains of water to cancel out the Deputy’s attack, protecting the prisoners from this high level martial artist. If she fought the man one on one, she would surely lose so this was a better approach! Hit and run, hit and run!
The Deputy cursed his luck as he was starting to get worn out. The ‘weak prisoners’ started to land hits on him, a pitch fork stab to the thigh and a morningstar smash to his forearm.
In this pivotal moment, Martial Blue Sister saw a chance to end this fight once and for all! But!
“Chieftess watch out!” she cried.
The Chieftess could be seen from the remaining half of the teahouse, the whole structure barely standing. Even in a dangerous spot, she fired blasts of force energy at the Deputy with her [God Phantom Eyes] in blind rage, exploding the ground everywhere. The recoil from the blasts crushed the half broken stairs she was balanced on. It forced her to fall, a straight drop to death.
Martial Blue Sister had a choice. End the fight, or save the Chieftess. Memories flashed in her mind, of how the Chieftess made her suffer with her powers back in the Memorial Hall. There was a period of time, she was terrified of this woman...
A choice was made and she threw every water she had under her control to summon a dragon made of thriving water. It flew over to catch the Chieftess, softening her landing.
The Deputy took this chance to end it his way now. He fired a bolt of lightning, making it charge like a killer leopard, and it sliced through Martial Blue Sister’s side. She coughed with blood as her wound smoked with fire and sparks before collapsing in a violent tumble.
Before he could finish her off complete, Martial Red Sister crashed down onto him in the form of a giant red crab! She pinned him down with a large crab vice, allowing North Cloud Shipping Company to impale the Deputy in the back to disable him.
“I told you!” Martial Red Sister barked as she returned to her human form. “Only I can bully little blue! Now stay down!” She then ran over to slap a healing spell onto her companion. It was very basic, enough power to heal a light scratch. But it should stabilize Martial Blue Sister long enough to find Martial Kim to help her make a full recovery.
The Chieftess came over. Fuelled with rage, she ignored what happened to her rescue and picked up a pitchfork that fell in the chaos. Gripping it with both hands, she drove it towards the man that was the cause of her suffering.
Martial Red Sister called out, “If you truly want to get back at your true enemy, the Amber Family, you may want to keep your husband alive. Long enough for him to tell Judge Dao their secrets.”
“........AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” A conflicted scream, and the Chieftess impaled the empty floor. Hiding tears of blood dropping from her eyes, she growled. “...Just...leave....”
“You’re welcome.” Martial Red Sister snorted.
After giving a short nod to North Cloud Shipping Company and Mutiny Inn group, she transformed into a horse to carry the wounded Martial Blue Sister onto her back to gallop off. There was nothing more that needed to be done. Whatever happened after, was none of her business.
“Did...did you tell her?” Martial Blue Sister gasped with pain.
“That Chieftess was the one who killed Lady Peony?” The red horse responded with a curt bleat. “If she heard it straight from the horses mouth, she’ll hang herself. I don’t want to add her life on my conscious. Besides, a power vacuum in the Silver Clan would be more troublesome. Best to let her live, blame it all on the Amber Family, wage a war against them if she wants and keep Lady Peony’s memory alive.”
She then sighed as she galloped faster. “No one would have expected Lady Peony running up the mountains to where the Chieftess has been struggling to master the [God Phantom Eyes]. Neither did anyone predict, another daily rage quit would accidentally knock her own sister down the stone stairs. It’s really no different than a child throwing a blind temper tantrum and destroying whatever was in reach.”
Martial Blue Sister bite her lip. It was the only strength she had right now. “Who was the girl? The one posing as Lady Peony...she never gave us her real name.”
“I guess we’ll never know.” Martial Red Sister sighed. “She played the part well, a ditzy airhead with a sense of adventure... Makes me wonder, what the real Lady Peony was like in person.”
“...It’s not fair.” Martial Blue Sister whimpered, gripping onto the horses mane. “It’s just not fair.”
“Nothing is fair, little blue. That’s why Moon Tavern has to right the wrongs of the world...but even then we’re not gods. Can’t always be a perfect solution.”
Martial Blue Sister didn’t know what to say. Perhaps, it was best she didn’t touch upon it any further. Pain and exhaustion gripped at her shoulders and she felt heavy. So she had no touch but to close her eyes and submit to her weakness...a small tear running down her eye.
> === PEONY CASE – END ===