Chapter 121: The Traitor Revealed (Part I)

After speaking his final words, Yang Feng closed his eyes as if he had fulfilled his ultimate mission, his expression a mixture of lingering resentment and a trace of solace.

Wang Xing, Liu Huagang, Huang Mao, and the others were all involuntarily consumed by profound grief. The memories of past laughter and joy, the times they had laughed and cried together, and the days they had fought side by side seemed to flash before their eyes. Alas, though the person was gone, the bond remained.

Chen Erpao felt an immense sorrow. Yang Feng’s passing marked the first time a high-ranking member had been lost since the founding of the Yi Sect, representing a major setback. However, with the sect currently besieged by internal strife and external threats, he knew that having chosen this path, they should have long anticipated that such a day would come and such pain would be endured.

"Tell me, what exactly happened between you and Ah Feng?" Once Chen Erpao had composed himself, he immediately shifted his gaze to Adi.

At this moment, it finally dawned on Adi that the man he had held in his own arms not long ago—the man he had even looked down upon—was actually the esteemed First Deputy Hall Master of the Yi Sect's Blood Hall. And the group of people before him were none other than the titans of the Tuen Mun underworld, figures he had once looked up to—men whose mere footfalls could shake the very foundations of Tuen Mun.

It all felt like a fleeting, illusory dream. Fearing that he might wake up to find it all gone, Adi pinched his thigh hard after a brief moment of daze. A sharp jolt of pain rushed through him, confirming that this was no dream.

Facing the gathering of underworld titans staring intently at him, Adi felt for the first time what it was like to be the center of such attention. Although his heart hammered in his chest and his legs trembled slightly against his will, he took a deep breath, gradually calmed down, and began his story from the moment he first met Yang Feng, right up to their entry into the Yi Sect headquarters.

Everyone listened with unusual stillness. Only Wan Hong, whose forehead was intermittently beaded with sweat, felt his nerves fray. He did not know if Yang Feng had mentioned him during his final whispers to Chen Erpao. Plagued by a guilty conscience, he felt extremely tense, unsure whether to stay or leave.

"Good, you did very well," Chen Erpao nodded. "You have done our Yi Sect a great favor. We will certainly not treat you poorly. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Adi was overcome with excitement. He never imagined that the moment he had fantasized about countless times would finally come to pass. He was both thrilled and anxious; for a low-level hoodlum like him, this was akin to a pauper suddenly discovering a vein of gold.

"I only want to join the Yi Sect, follow you, make something of myself, and earn a reputation."

Adi spoke with great determination. He did not regret his choice for a second. While he craved money and women, he was even more willing to seize this opportunity to forge his own future.

Chen Erpao reached out a large hand and patted his shoulder. "Good, you have ambition. I promise you. Go on out for now; I will make arrangements for you later."

Subsequently, Yang Feng’s body was taken away to be properly laid to rest. The mood of the group was heavy. Chen Erpao dismissed the meeting, telling everyone to go home and get some sleep after a sleepless night.

Once everyone had left, Chen Erpao immediately summoned Huang Mao back.

"Brother Pao, you called me back—did Ah Feng reveal any clues before he passed?"

Chen Erpao nodded. Huang Mao was indeed worthy of being the head of the Intelligence Hall; though impulsive at times, he was certainly not lacking in intellect.

"That’s right. He told me the traitor is Wan Hong. He revealed it unintentionally when he thought he was dying, believing the Heng Sect members thought he was already dead. I believe him."

Huang Mao was clearly stunned and remained silent for a long moment. Wan Hong had been right there just moments ago, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them, sorrowfully witnessing Yang Feng’s departure. To learn now that he was the traitor who had sold out his brothers caused a tempest of emotions to churn within him.

"I will investigate immediately. I won't let our brothers die in vain, but I won't wrong any loyal brother either." With a grave expression, Huang Mao turned and left.

Chen Erpao sat in his office chair, his spirits dampened. Memories of Wan Hong’s time in the Yi Sect flooded his mind. Wan Hong was a highly capable man—talented and sharp. When the Yi Sect was first established and began recruiting, he was merely one of many who joined the ranks. Yet, he rose quickly, relying on his genuine ability to climb the ladder until he reached the high-ranking position of Deputy Hall Master of the Blood Hall.

At the time, no one suspected him; everyone believed they had recruited a true talent. He had indeed earned the respect and trust of his brothers through his competence. It was hard to believe that all of this was a facade.

However, as a Deputy Hall Master and a high-ranking member of the Yi Sect, his guilt could not be proven by the words of the deceased Yang Feng alone. As Huang Mao had said, they would not let the traitor go, but they would not wrong an innocent man.

Chen Erpao fell into deep thought. He needed to devise a plan—one that would avoid framing anyone while forcing the traitor to expose himself so that all the brothers could see the truth clearly.

The day of mourning seemed to crawl by with agonizing slowness. When the new day arrived, the morning sun rose, casting a brilliant golden glow. Every member of the Yi Sect, from the highest-ranking officers to the lowliest foot soldiers, wore white cloth bands on their arms. The funeral of Yang Feng and the ten fallen Blood Hall members became the most significant event in recent times.

Chen Erpao, Wang Xing, Liu Huagang, and others personally carried Yang Feng’s coffin to his final resting place. Today was not only a day to lay their brother to rest but also the day the truth would come to light.

That very day, Huang Mao brought back the majority of Wan Hong’s background information. Indeed, as he had claimed upon joining the Yi Sect, everything appeared to be in order. However, Chen Erpao was not satisfied. He ordered Huang Mao to review the profiles of every leader in the Heng Sect above the rank of accountant to see if anyone had ties to Wan Hong.

To his surprise, the investigation yielded results. A Deputy Hall Master of the Heng Sect’s Blade Hall shared the same surname as Wan Hong and was roughly the same age. The two were, in fact, biological brothers. Because Wan Hong had never joined the Heng Sect, most people had not linked the two.

Although this was evidence, it still did not prove his guilt, as he was not a member of the Heng Sect. Thus, Chen Erpao conceived a different strategy. After Yang Feng’s burial, he immediately called for another emergency meeting.

All personnel above the rank of Deputy Hall Master—over a dozen in total—were present.

Chen Erpao spoke calmly: "The sacrifice of Deputy Hall Master Yang and the ten Blood Hall members a few days ago is the greatest loss the Yi Sect has suffered since its founding. Whether for the sake of the sect or our brothers, we must seek revenge. Since the Yi Sect and the Heng Sect cannot coexist, we will play a high-stakes game with them. I have decided to dispatch the Black and White Duo, Liu Huagang, and Wang Xing, along with five top elites selected from the Blood Hall and the Guard Hall, to assassinate Heng Sect leader Tian Yi. With such a powerful force combined with the element of surprise, Tian Yi is surely destined to meet the King of Hell."

One might wonder what scheme Chen Erpao is using to force the traitor to reveal himself. This chapter is not as simple as it seems.