Chapter 11 — Sword God Appears

After Bach Trinh confessed his true identity, the relationship between him and Dieu Vy entered a new phase, more open but also more complicated. Dieu Vy did not ask repeatedly about his past as he had feared, but just quietly observed and waited for him to voluntarily share when he was ready. That delicacy made Bach Trinh even more grateful, and also made him realize more clearly that she inherited from her father not only her face, but also her subtle understanding of how to treat people.

One evening, after closing the pharmacy, Dieu Vy brought out her father's notebook, placed it in front of Bach Trinh, and said that she wanted to review each page more closely with him, maybe she could find more clues that both had missed before. Bach Trinh agreed, the two of them sat next to each other by the oil lamp, carefully turning over each page that had become yellow over the years.

Near the end of the notebook, Dieu Vy discovered something she had never noticed before: the notebook's spine had an unusually thick layer of paper, as if glued on top of each other. She tried to gently peel off that layer of paper, and both were surprised to discover that inside there was a thin sheet of paper that had been neatly folded and hidden for many years without anyone knowing. That piece of paper recorded much more detailed text than the fragmentary notes on the other pages. It was clear that Thanh Phong had deliberately hidden the most important part of everything he had investigated.

Dieu Vy trembled as she held the piece of paper in her hand, her eyes slowly scanning each line, as if afraid that if she read it just a little quickly, she might miss an important detail. Bach Trinh sat next to him, not urging him, just waiting quietly, equally nervous, because this could be the final key to help him answer the question that has haunted him for the past eighteen years.

The content of the paper recounts, in short but complete terms, how Thien Ba secretly contacted a group of people claiming to be descendants of an evil sect that was defeated and expelled from the land of Lang Uyen many generations ago by Tang Phong Mon. This group of people held a long-standing feud with Tang Phong Sect, always sought revenge but never had enough strength to confront directly, so they chose to secretly bribe and take advantage of Thien Ba's jealousy to sabotage the sect from within.

Their plan is to help Thien Ba gain the secret to controlling the gate and power in the Tang Phong Mon, in return Thien Ba must hand over to them a part of the superior martial arts secret and secret information about the righteous sects in the region, serving their long-term revenge plot.

The paper also recorded a detail that made Bach Trinh read it over and over again: Thanh Phong had secretly met with one of the leaders of that evil group, pretending to want to negotiate to find out more information, and during that meeting, he heard a name that the other group still used to secretly call Thien Ba: "Young Master Ung", implying that from the first days of collusion, Thien Ba had given himself a nickname related to the ferocious bird of prey. That fierceness was a symbol of his ambition. Reading up to this point, all the doubts in Bach Trinh's heart were almost confirmed: the nickname Black Eagle that the Ghost Police Department still uses to call the leader, is not a coincidence, but originates from the name Thien Ba gave himself eighteen years ago. Thanh Phong found this clue after many months of silent investigation, and this paper is the most complete summary he recorded before being murdered, perhaps with the intention of presenting it to sect master Doan Moc Thanh when he had the most accurate evidence.

"So", Bach Trinh said, his voice trembling with both emotion and anger, "Thien Ba did not simply betray out of personal jealousy, but also colluded with the ancient enemy of the entire sect. If his plan succeeds, not only will the Tang Phong Mon collapse from within, but it could also cause the entire land of Lang Uyen to fall into the hands of an evil force that has held a grudge for many generations." Hearing that, Dieu Vy's face turned pale. She never thought that the story behind her father's death would be on such a large scale, far beyond what she initially imagined.

"So why now does Thien Ba turn to the Ghost Shadow Police Department to hunt down this young lady?" Dieu Vy asked, her voice somewhat confused. Bach Trinh pondered for a moment, then replied: "Perhaps, after killing Thanh Phong, Thien Ba no longer maintained a relationship with that evil group, but built his own force based on what he learned from them. The Ghost Shadow Police Department could be the reincarnation of that alliance, or a completely new organization built by him alone, using the relationships and assassination techniques learned from the sect's old enemies."

"If this paper falls into the hands of the Tang Phong Mon or any other righteous sect, it will expose all of Thien Ba's old plots, and at the same time expose the existence of the Ghost Shadow Police Department," Bach Trinh continued, his voice becoming serious. "This is why he must at all costs find and destroy this notebook, as well as erase anyone who may be related to it, including an innocent girl who simply inherited it from her parents without knowing the true value inside."

Dieu Vy was silent, her trembling hand touched the fragile piece of paper she had just found, a feeling of both fear and sadness rose in her heart. She never thought that her father, of whom she could only remember a few vague memories, was such a brave person, daring to face such a great conspiracy alone to protect his sect and the land he lived in, even at the cost of his own life.

"This young lady's father... is truly a hero," she whispered, her voice choking. Bach Trinh nodded, gently placed his hand on her shoulder, comforting her: "Yes, Thanh Phong was one of the bravest and noblest people I have ever known. His death was not meaningless, even though for the past eighteen years the truth has been buried. Now, you, his daughter, will be the one to help expose that truth to light, completing what he has yet to do."

That night, the two discussed carefully about the next step. Bach Trinh believes that it was necessary to go to Tran Ha Chau, where Ky Van Son used to live, to see if he left any other clues before being harmed. At the same time, he also wanted to learn more about the old relationships that Ky Van Son had with the martial world, maybe it will help find more traces of the Ghost Police Department. Dieu Vy, although afraid of the dangerous journey ahead, still firmly wanted to go with her, because she felt this was her responsibility, the only way for her to fully understand the father she had never had the opportunity to know well.

Bach Trinh was hesitant at first, wanting to let her stay in Thanh Lang Uyen under the protection of a few acquaintances he trusted, but after consideration, he realized that leaving her alone, even with a guard, still had as many risks as taking her with him, especially when the Ghost Police Department had proven its ability to track down targets anywhere. Finally, he agreed to let Dieu Vy go with him, on the condition that she must absolutely follow all his instructions throughout the journey.

Before going to bed, Bach Trinh also instructed Dieu Vy to keep that important piece of paper in a separate place, separate from the notebook, in case one of the two things was unfortunately lost on the upcoming journey, the other would still be there as evidence. Dieu Vy obeyed, sewed a small fabric bag hidden in the inner layer of her shirt, carefully sewing the thread to ensure it would not fall along the way.

The next morning, when she heard that Dieu Vy was about to leave for a strange place with many dangers lurking, Xuan Dao insisted on following, ignoring all advice from Aunt Ngoc Hien. "Wherever you go, I will follow, ever since I was little," she said, her voice rare and strong, her hands quickly packing clothes and some dry food for both of them. Dieu Vy wanted to refuse for fear of implicating her younger sister, but looking at Xuan Dao's unshakable and determined eyes, she had no choice but to nod softly, thinking that having another relative by her side on the long journey would be a great comfort. Bach Trinh pondered for a while and finally agreed, only instructing Xuan Dao to always stay close to Dieu Vy and absolutely follow his instructions if something happened. Aunt Ngoc Hien, after being convinced that staying alone was actually more dangerous, agreed to close the pharmacy and temporarily go to an acquaintance's house for a few days to ensure her own safety. All three, Bach Trinh, Dieu Vy and Xuan Dao, prepared to leave for Tran Ha Chau. Before leaving, Dieu Vy carefully put the notebook and the secret paper inside her body, holding it tightly like the most precious treasure in her life. In her heart, she carried a vague fear about what she was about to face, while also raising an unprecedented and fierce determination to get to the bottom of the truth about her father's death that she had never really known.

Bach Trinh stood by the citadel gate, watching Dieu Vy put on a simple outfit convenient for traveling. Her resolute appearance at this time made him briefly recall the image of Thanh Phong in the past every time he prepared to go on a journey, with a determined look in his eyes, unwavering in the face of danger. He sighed softly, telling himself that he had to do everything he could to protect her on the road ahead, even if it cost him his own life again.