Chapter 86: Betrayal

Seeing the confidence on Xu Shaobai’s face, a faint unease rose in Song Ziyue’s heart. Could something have gone wrong? Even so, she kept her composure.

“Tiger, call Eagle in here,” Song Ziyue ordered Tiger. Eagle was the man in charge outside, one of her most capable subordinates, and an important figure in the Violet Moon Gang.

Xu Shaobai wore a smile at the corners of his mouth. Long Seven and Zhang Shuai were also watching as if they were enjoying a joke. Song Ziyue remained indifferent, while Ling Tian, standing in the corner, observed everything with calm eyes. He believed that so long as he was here, no matter what tricks these people played, they would never be able to harm Song Ziyue.

Before long, Eagle came in and approached Song Ziyue. He was a man in his mid-twenties, with short, slightly curled hair, an aquiline nose, and small eyes. He looked vicious and certainly not easy to deal with. Of course, few people in the underworld were easy to deal with, but Eagle truly had the look of a bird of prey. Once his gaze fixed on something, it was hard for that prey to escape. That was precisely why he had become one of Song Ziyue’s trusted men.

“Eagle, how is the situation outside?” Song Ziyue asked.

“It’s all arranged. Our people have already left,” Eagle replied. His voice was somewhat soft and insinuating, matching his appearance.

“What? They all left? Why? Didn’t I tell you to deal with everyone from the Golden Ridge Gang? Why is it our people who left?” Song Ziyue could no longer stay calm. Her brows shot up as she sharply questioned Eagle.

“Eagle, what the hell are you doing?” Tiger also flared up. At this point, they were all in danger.

“Hahaha, so that’s what you mean by everything’s arranged,” Xu Shaobai said triumphantly. “Song Ziyue, let me tell you the answer. Because Eagle is my sworn brother. Hahaha, you never saw that coming, did you?”

Only then did Song Ziyue understand everything. So her own subordinate had betrayed her.

She said nothing, but Tiger could not restrain himself. He swung a fist into Eagle’s face and cursed, “Eagle, are you even human? I treated you like a brother all this time, you ingrate! If Sister Yue hadn’t saved you back then, you’d have been dead long ago!”

He raised his hand to strike again, but Eagle dodged and hurried over to Xu Shaobai’s side without a word. Xu Shaobai was still grinning smugly. Making Song Ziyue suffer had filled him with an almost intoxicating sense of achievement.

“Tiger, stop,” Song Ziyue said, halting him. She did not want him to lose his composure. On the road, when you fall, you admit it, get up, and keep walking. There was no need to let others keep watching the joke. But the person who caused her fall had to be eliminated.

“Sister Yue!” Tiger wanted to say more, but Song Ziyue silenced him with a look. He could only turn his face away in frustration, only to catch sight of Ling Tian by accident. He was suddenly startled. Why did this waiter look so much like Ling Tian? An illusion, surely—just someone who resembled him.

At that moment, he truly hoped Ling Tian would arrive soon, or Sister Yue might be in danger. It was all his fault for being busy in the afternoon rolling around in bed with a girl and not saying a few more words to Ling Tian. By now, he had no idea whether Ling Tian would even come, and calling him now seemed too late. Tiger felt a surge of regret.

After stopping Tiger, Song Ziyue held her Violet Moon Tang Blade and asked Eagle in a cold voice, “Give me an answer. Why did you betray me? When did you and Xu Shaobai become sworn brothers? Before I saved you?”

Faintly, she felt as though she had walked into someone else’s trap. Had a moment of compassion back then planted a hidden danger for today?

“Sister Yue, I’m sorry. During the time I was in the Violet Moon Gang, you were always very good to me. But I’m sorry—I’m a member of the Golden Ridge Gang.” After saying this, Eagle lowered his head and did not dare meet Song Ziyue’s icy eyes. The lenses of Song Ziyue’s glasses seemed to glint with cold light, and the Violet Moon Tang Blade in her hand gave off a chilling aura.

Unable to bear Eagle’s subservient posture before Song Ziyue, Xu Shaobai spoke up. “Song Ziyue, why are you still pretending not to understand? When Eagle was injured back then, it was all a trap we set for you. We didn’t expect you to be so softhearted that you would save him—and even promote my brother. Let me thank you for that first, hahaha!” Xu Shaobai burst into laughter again.

“So that’s how it is. The underworld is no place for a woman to survive. Women are for men to ride,” Long Seven said with a swaggering laugh. “Song Ziyue, today our brothers are going to properly taste you.”

“If you won’t agree to marry me, then I have no choice but to share your body with my brothers. You’re not exactly busty or curvy, but your skin looks pretty good,” Zhang Shuai, the pretty-faced one, finally revealed his true nature. He was nothing but a lecher.

“Song Ziyue, my people are already outside. There may not be many of them, but the dozen or so people beside you really aren’t enough to look at. I’ll give you a chance: take off your clothes and serve the few of us yourself, and I’ll let your men go. How about that? Hahaha! Don’t you have a kind heart? You even save strangers, so you won’t stand by and watch your own men die, will you?” Xu Shaobai further provoked Song Ziyue. At this point, Song Ziyue was already their meat on the chopping block.

“Sister Yue, your skills are enough to protect yourself. We’ll hold these people off while you find a chance to get out,” Tiger said loyally as he stepped forward to shield her.

“Tiger, step back. Today, I want my Violet Moon Tang Blade to taste blood again. Don’t let me injure my own brothers. Take them and hide farther away,” Song Ziyue said, pulling Tiger behind her. Then she looked at Xu Shaobai and the others as though looking at corpses.

At first, when Xu Shaobai had insulted Song Ziyue, Ling Tian had intended to act. But seeing that Song Ziyue was about to draw her blade, he held back for the moment. He also wanted to see the famed Violet Moon Tang Blade for himself. Legend said Song Ziyue had founded the Violet Moon Gang with that blade and stood firm in H Province ever since.

It was said that the Violet Moon Tang Blade was a family heirloom of the Song family, and Song Ziyue’s name itself came from that blade. Her swordsmanship, too, was inherited from her family.

“Song Ziyue, since we dared to call you here today, we naturally made full preparations. Not only will your people stay behind, but we are also very interested in that blade of yours,” Xu Shaobai said. Seeing her draw her sword, he showed no fear at all. No one knew what trump card he still had.

Faced with Xu Shaobai’s verbal provocation, Song Ziyue did not bother replying. She merely drew her blade slowly.

With a sharp ring, the Violet Moon Tang Blade left its scabbard. Instantly, its light shimmered; strands of violet radiance flowed around the blade. The slender steel drew everyone’s gaze.

This was not the world of fantasy tales, yet everyone felt as though they had crossed into another realm. How could a blade like this exist in the world? It truly flowed with violet light. The glow was not blinding; rather, it was gentle, yet the aura it carried was so cold, like the chill of moonlight.

Perhaps this was the origin of the name Violet Moon. Such thoughts flickered through everyone’s minds.

Ling Tian was also secretly startled. He had only heard that within some ancient traditions there existed magical implements from the world of cultivation, relics passed down from antiquity. The Violet Moon Tang Blade before him reminded him of such an artifact. That radiance was absolutely not the sheen of ordinary metal. This blade was surely imbued with spirit.

“Swish!”

Just as everyone was still dazed, Song Ziyue darted in front of Eagle and swung the Violet Moon Tang Blade down at his arm.

“Aaagh!” Eagle screamed. He watched helplessly as his arm fell to the ground, blood gushing out and spraying onto Xu Shaobai.

No one had expected Song Ziyue to be so ruthless—to strike the moment she moved and sever Eagle’s arm at once.

What was even stranger was that the instant the Violet Moon Tang Blade touched the blood, its radiance surged. Violet light flashed so brightly it dazzled many eyes, and not a single drop of blood ran down the blade; it was all absorbed by the blade itself.

“Now I’ll give you one chance. You can still leave. I don’t want to make enemies of the major gangs, but if you persist in your foolishness, then don’t blame me for starting a slaughter,” Song Ziyue said. This was a warning strike meant to kill the chicken and terrify the monkeys, hoping to make Xu Shaobai and the others retreat.

She was not afraid of trouble, but she did not want to form a blood feud with the major gangs or bring endless trouble to her brothers below. So she had used a ruthless method and severed Eagle’s arm. If these people still could not read the room, then she would not be polite.

“Song Ziyue, do you think you’re the only powerful one in this world? I’ll open your eyes and show you what this is,” Xu Shaobai said, extending a hand. One of his men nearby handed him a rectangular wooden case.

He opened the case and took out a saber. This was a traditional broad-bladed saber, completely different from Song Ziyue’s slender Tang blade.

With a swish, the broad saber came free, and golden light instantly flashed. Several metal rings hung from the back of the blade. It was clearly a fine saber, but in Ling Tian’s eyes it still fell short of the Violet Moon Tang Blade by a grade. It was merely a good weapon, not a magical implement.

Song Ziyue was also startled. Could the other side possess a family heirloom as well? Judging by the blade’s appearance, it was certainly no ordinary object. But she, Song Ziyue, was not afraid.

“What a fine blade! Could yours also be a family heirloom, Shaobai?” Long Seven asked repeatedly, nodding as he looked at it.

“It’s not a family heirloom. My master gave it to me. Its name is the Golden Sun Precious Saber, meaning a golden sun. It’s much heavier than ordinary blades. Now let me use the Golden Sun Precious Saber to test this Violet Moon Tang Blade,” Xu Shaobai said, excitement shining in his eyes. He felt that the Golden Sun Precious Saber was overwhelmingly masculine and would surely suppress that feminine Violet Moon Tang Blade.

“Haha, good. First use the Golden Sun Precious Saber to take down the Violet Moon Tang Blade, and then we brothers can personally have our way with this little beauty, Song Ziyue,” Zhang Shuai said with a lecherous grin.

“Since you want to die, I’ll grant your wish!” Song Ziyue said, lifting her hand and striking first. The Violet Moon Tang Blade arced upward from below and slashed toward Xu Shaobai. Xu Shaobai met it directly with his Golden Sun Precious Saber in a head-on clash.