Wang Jun didn’t bother pouring tea for the man, and the man didn’t expect any. He simply continued staring out the window.
The Patriarch joined him. “Is it you who’s been doing this?” Patriarch Wuling asked softly. He let the question hang there, without context or setting. Like many things, it was likely a test, or a trap set for Wang Jun to walk into.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Wang Jun said, looking to the side.
The Patriarch, despite being several centuries old, didn’t seem to have aged in the slightest. His blond hair didn’t contain the slightest hint of white, and his face bore no wrinkles.
“The blackmails, the underground dealings,” Patriarch Wuling said. “The murders, the turmoil in the underground. I know you were complicit in the Spirit Temple’s fight with the Red Dust Pavilion, but for what reason, I am uncertain. Perhaps you exchanged favors? I can understand that. We all fight for benefits in this imperfect world.”
“I don’t have anything to do with them,” Wang Jun said. “Not that you’ll believe me. What I do and don’t do doesn’t seem to matter.”
“In this case, it does matter,” Patriarch Wuling said, almost in a growl. Wang Jun gave him a surprised look. The man rarely lost his temper. “The family is losing significant amounts of money, mostly through lost clients.”
“And has it ever occurred to you,” Wang Jun said, “that it could be mismanagement? That the man you thought was perfect for the job is nothing more than an incompetent fool?”
“Perhaps,” Patriarch Wuling said. “But given that you’re a disciple of that man, the alternative seems more plausible.”
“Ah,” Wang Jun said. “Then something else should have occurred to you.”
“And what’s that?” Patriarch Wuling said.
“If I’d wanted to destroy our family or cripple its finances, I could have done so many times,” Wang Jun said. “I could have exposed Wang Ling’s dealings to the Church of Justice. Even now, I still could. Or did you think I gave you the actual recording orb?”
Patriarch Wuling’s eyes narrowed, but Wang Jun continued. “I could have handed damning information from my audits directly to the king’s men. There are many ways I could’ve implicated this family. And if I did, who would blame me? And if they tried to catch me, would they be able to? No, you need to understand that these things aren’t my fault; they are your own fault, and the one you chose. The moment you accept this, everything else will fall into place.”
Patriarch Wuling remained silent for a moment, as though mulling over whether or not to say something. “I see,” he finally said, walking away from the window.
“Is that all?” Wang Jun asked, surprised at how quickly the discussion had gone. He’d expected anger or bickering, or perhaps some level of defensiveness.
“That’s all,” Patriarch Wuling said. “I hardened myself to these things many years ago. Nothing comes as much of a surprise to me anymore. But know this: If you’re guilty of these things, I’ll make sure everyone you hold dear suffers greatly.” The door closed behind him, leaving Wang Jun alone in his dimly lit office.
Something about their exchange, short as it was, had been disappointing. It seemed like the Patriarch was close to breaking. All he’d had to do was blackmail, frame, and murder to get there. The finish line was finally in sprinting distance. Further, he was flush with plundered cash and stolen goods, forming a good underground asset base he could use in a pinch.
Victory was near at hand, but something was gnawing at him. He knew that the end justified the means, but the means couldn’t help but haunt his nightmares and dreams. In the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of shadows.
“Come out,” Wang Jun said. “What did you see?”
The shadow, his own shadow, hopped out into the open room. It landed where his shadow would have been if he had one anymore; shadows didn’t cast one of their own.
Images filled his mind. Observations, of course. Useful information the shadow had spied on from its own world of dark light. Wang Jun sifted through the images, looking for something. There was someone out there, doing much the same thing as he’d been doing. It was stealing like he’d been stealing. Killing like he’d been killing.
The strange killings had him worried. They hadn’t hurt his goals. In fact, most had even benefited him somehow. Further, his own black market had been the one flooded with pilfered merchandise from the copycat’s victims. What bothered him, however, was that these killings were outside of his control. Who knew when the copycat would step out of line, or even commit a crime that implicated him?
“Keep an eye out and let me know if you see anyone else doing the things I’ve been doing,” Wang Jun said after finishing his viewing. “That aside, do as you see fit.” The shadow nodded. It gave a mock salute and jumped back into a dark corner of the room.
“What reliable things, these shadow clones,” Wang Jun mumbled. It was a pity he couldn’t have more than one, for now. It wasn’t smart, but it knew how to get things done. He was now better informed than he’d ever been. “If only everyone else was so reliable.”
Elder Bai and Wang Bing were all right, of course, but cloning oneself had its advantages. For one, it would think in much the same way as him. For another, it would never betray his interests, unlike those poisonous snakes he called family. Those would have killed him long ago if not for his master’s tutelage.
He shook his head. That line of thought was dangerous. As a leader, he had to trust those who reported to him. So he packed his things and made his way toward Elder Bai’s office. Some people might slack off, but the old man never would. His
