Chapter Ninety-Three: The Decision Is Mine

Red Sister went on, “Your performance at this stone gambling convention has already drawn the attention of the senior elders of the ten great families. They will absolutely never allow an outsider to step into their tangled clan territory and share their profits.”

“Especially not a black fish like you, who would strip an already small pond clean.”

I remained calm. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

I drew a deep breath and nodded. “I understand, Red Sister. Thank you for warning me.”

Red Sister gently patted my shoulder, concern flickering in her voice. “Wu, remember this: only by surviving can you have a chance to change your fate. You are still nowhere near strong enough to face them head-on.”

I looked at Red Sister and said coolly, “You warned me once before, and I did not listen. This time, you warn me again... I will listen. But whether I leave or not is my decision, not yours.”

When Red Sister heard that, a helpless smile appeared on her face.

She knew my temperament. She knew I would not back down easily.

“Wu, have you really decided to walk the road to your death?” Red Sister sighed and went on, “You need to understand that the power of the ten great families far exceeds your imagination. They are not merely symbols of wealth; they are the ones who control power and resources. With your current strength, you are still far from being able to stand against them.”

“Even De can force you to repay your debt within three days, and the ten great families deal in crushing bones and scattering ashes!”

“Red Sister, thank you for the warning. But don’t forget—now I’ve taken the lantern-bearer’s seat in Lu Yi’er’s jade market. I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here, look for opportunities, and build my strength.”

“Besides, though my family has no background to speak of, I am still a native of this place. My own father died on this land. On what grounds do the ten great families get to drive me from it?”

“Are they all people of the same kind—or do they simply think far too highly of themselves?”

Red Sister gave me a long, searching look, as though weighing my resolve.

In the end, she nodded. “Very well. Since you have made up your mind, I won’t say any more. But remember this: from this day on, you and I are no longer on the same path. In the future, even if our interests clash, I will not let sentiment between us restrain me.”

I looked at Red Sister with a cold smile.

“You cooperated with De at the stone gambling convention and still failed to kill me. And now you want to talk about sentiment? Isn’t that a little cheap?”

Red Sister let out a faint sigh, as if regretting my fate.

As for her warning, I paid it no mind. I merely said slowly, “Red Sister, isn’t it time you told me where Little Mi is?”

She fell silent for a moment before finally speaking. “Wu, why do you think I know Little Mi’s whereabouts?”

I looked at Red Sister coldly, already having made my judgment in my heart. “Red Sister, you know far more than you are saying. Little Mi’s disappearance could never have been an accident.”

A flicker of unease passed through Red Sister’s eyes, but she still kept her composure. “Wu, why do you think Little Mi’s disappearance has anything to do with me?”

Her expression shifted slightly, but she quickly regained her calm. Drawing a deep breath, she said evenly, “Wu, you have your pride and your stubbornness, and I have my own position. Since you chose this road, perhaps from now on we really will no longer be walking the same path.”

I nodded, my gaze unwavering. “Red Sister, don’t worry. I will walk my own road, and I won’t regret it.”

Red Sister gave another soft sigh, as if regretting my fate. As for her warning, I remained unconcerned. I only said slowly, “Red Sister, isn’t it time you told me where Little Mi is?”

I fixed her with a cold stare, already certain in my heart. “Red Sister, I know far more than you are admitting. I have turned Little Mi’s disappearance over and over in my mind, and there is no way it was an accident.”

“And when Su Li became your person and vaguely revealed the place where Little Mi had once hidden, I suspected De all along!”

A trace of unease flashed through Red Sister’s eyes, but she kept her composure. “So what if you did? Why couldn’t it have been De?”

“And the fact that you secretly cooperated with De, trying to swallow up Elder Leopard Chen while also completely controlling me, is enough to prove that Little Mi was hidden by you!”

Red Sister’s face changed slightly, but she quickly returned to calm. Drawing a breath, she said coolly, “Wu, believe it or not, all I can tell you is this: I do not know where Little Mi is.”

I stared into Red Sister’s eyes, trying to catch even the slightest flaw in her expression.

Yet there was no ripple of emotion on her face, as though she wore a mask of perfect composure.

I knew she was a seasoned opponent; prying the truth from her would not be easy.

And lying right to my face? For her, that would not be difficult at all.

“Red Sister,” I said, my tone softening a little though my gaze remained sharp, “you know that my relationship with Little Mi is anything but ordinary. Her disappearance is no different from tearing the sinews from my body and ripping the marrow from my bones. If I find out who did it, I will make them pay, no matter what.”