Chapter 15 — Sword God Appears

After the night of rescuing Xuan Dao, the group decided not to stay in Ha Chau Town any longer, because they knew for sure that the Ghost Police Department would soon discover that their base had been destroyed, and their next reaction would certainly be much more drastic. Bach Trinh decided to take all three people, Dieu Vy, Xuan Dao and himself, to find temporary refuge at Thanh Van Phai, where Ly Ton Dao once offered to help, both to ensure safety and to have more manpower to support in learning more about the headquarters of the assassin organization.

Ly Ton Dao warmly welcomed the group, arranged thoughtful accommodations within the sect's campus, and appointed a few disciples to carefully guard the surroundings to prevent any unexpected events. After listening to Bach Trinh recount the entire development, from Thanh Phong's notebook, the secret paper about Thien Ba's betrayal plot, to what was extracted from the commander of the base in Tran Ha Chau, Ly Ton Dao pondered for a long time, his face clearly showing a heavy look.

"If Black Eagle is indeed Nguy Thien Ba," he said slowly, "this will be a huge shock to the entire martial arts world, because everyone believes that he died eighteen years ago. The fact that he was able to hide for so long, secretly building such a large-scale assassin organization, proves that he has prepared and calculated extremely carefully, perhaps right from his days at Tang Phong Mon, he had this idea in mind." Bach Trinh nodded, his heart heavy at the thought of someone who was once his brother and sister could hold such a deep hatred for so many years.

Ly Ton Dao proposed sending people to investigate the valley area near Tang Phong Mon that the captured commander had revealed, and also sent a letter informing the living elders of Tang Phong Mon, so that they could make the necessary preparations before the truth was completely revealed. Bach Trinh agreed, but also advised to be very cautious, avoid making an early alarm that would give Thien Ba a chance to escape or increase his defenses.

While waiting for news from the people sent to scout, Bach Trinh spent time staying at the Thanh Van Sect to practice the entire Hidden Wind Sword Technique, reviewing the moves he had not used for a long time to the point of complete mastery, preparing for the decisive battle that he knew would be inevitable. Among them, there was a final move of the sword technique, called Phong An Van, that Doan Moc Thanh himself taught to him in the past, telling him that this was an assassin's move that should only be used when he had accepted to exchange a part of his body in exchange for a decisive sword strike, and must not be used rashly outside of real life and death situations. For eighteen years, he had never once had to use it in real life, only practicing it over and over again in his imagination; Now, every time he swings his sword to that final position in the courtyard of Thanh Van Phai, his hand pauses for a moment, as if his body still hesitates before what his mind had decided. Dieu Vy often sat outside the martial arts training yard, quietly observing him practice, both worried and secretly admiring the steadfast will of the man who had dedicated himself to protecting himself and finding the truth for her father.

Three days later, an unexpected guest came to Thanh Van Phai: To Nhat Hac, the only living elder of Tang Phong Mon who had witnessed the years when Bach Trinh, Thanh Phong and Thien Ba were still disciples under Doan Moc Thanh. He received Ly Ton Dao's letter and immediately set out despite his old age and weak health, because he understood that if the truth about Thien Ba was indeed related to such a dangerous assassin organization, this was an important matter related to the reputation of the entire sect that he could not sit still.

After listening to Bach Trinh recount the details about the commander wearing a bronze mask shaped like an eagle's head, about his cold voice and conceited way of addressing him, To Nhat Hac was silent for a long time, then asked another detail that only those who were close to Thien Ba in the past could know: "Have you noticed his right hand? Is there a long scar from the wrist to the elbow?" Bach Trinh was stunned, remembering the time he fought with the commander in Tran Ha Chau, when his sleeve shifted while swinging the knife. He did indeed catch a glimpse of such a long scar, but at that time he didn't have time to pay attention.

To Nhat Hac sighed, his old face suddenly seemed ten years older: "That scar, Thien Ba got from practicing the wrong sword technique when he was young, the old man himself bandaged him at that time. If the leader of that assassin organization bears this scar, along with the nickname Black Eagle that he once gave himself when colluding with evil cults, then there is no doubt that it is Ngu Thien Ba, no one else." The elder's affirmation was like a thunderbolt in a clear sky. Even though Bach Trinh himself had doubted it for a long time, when he heard the confirmation from the mouth of the person who raised Thien Ba, he still couldn't help but shake his whole body.

Dieu Vy stood next to her, her hands clasped tightly around the hem of her shirt, her face pale when she first heard the real name of the person who killed her father, the person who was pursuing her for many days. She engraved that name deeply into her heart, telling herself that from now on, this was no longer a vague, hidden enemy, but a specific person, with a specific past, and the blood debt he had to pay was equally specific.

Five days later, a disciple of Thanh Van Phai who was sent to scout returned, reporting that he had found traces of a secret valley deep in the mountains bordering the Tang Phong Mon area, carefully guarded by many layers of defense, including cleverly hidden guard posts in the rugged terrain. This disciple also recounted that, while observing from afar with binoculars, he briefly saw a man wearing a bronze mask shaped like a eagle's head appear at the entrance to the valley, giving orders to his subordinates with an appearance of absolute authority.

This is the first direct evidence confirming the true existence of the Black Eagle, no longer just vague rumors. Bach Trinh heard the news, his hands clenched into fists and then slowly let go, a gesture he had repeated since his youth whenever he was forced to suppress his impatience and wait for the right opportunity. He was both impatient to immediately face the enemy who had caused so much suffering, and worried about what would happen when the truth was finally fully revealed.

He decided that, instead of attacking the valley head-on with mass support, which could cause great casualties on both sides, he would seek a solo approach, using his own name to challenge the Black Eagle to a direct confrontation, forcing him to fully reveal himself before he could deny or deny his guilt. Ly Ton Dao initially objected, thinking it was too risky, but after hearing Bach Trinh explain that this was the only way to get the truth in the clearest way, without being contaminated by chaotic fighting that could obscure the truth of the matter, he finally reluctantly agreed, but still determined to send a few of his best disciples to support from afar, in case something happened.

Before leaving, Bach Trinh met Dieu Vy privately on a quiet afternoon at Thanh Van Phai's backyard. He told her, for the first time in the most complete and detailed way, about the entire relationship between himself, Thanh Phong and Thien Ba, about the increasingly certain suspicions that the person behind the Ghost Police Department was the junior brother who had betrayed the sect in the past. Dieu Vy listened in silence, her face gradually became serious, her hands clenched the hem of her shirt when she heard the details of her father's death.

"If that's true," she said, her voice trembling but still surprisingly calm, "this young lady wants to face that person with you. This is not only your hatred, but also this young lady's, this young lady's father's. This young lady has the right to know the truth with her own eyes, and does not want to just sit here waiting for news from others." Bach Trinh looked at her, worried for her safety and understanding that legitimate desire. Finally, he nodded in agreement, on the condition that she absolutely follow his instructions and keep a safe distance throughout the upcoming confrontation.

To Nhat Hac, after confirming Thien Ba's identity, also asked to stay with the group. He said that he was the only person alive who had witnessed the entire growth process of all three past disciples. Perhaps he would be of some help in dialogue, perhaps he could evoke some remaining conscience in the traitor's heart before everything reached the end. Bach Trinh was grateful for the old elder's heart, but in his heart he understood more clearly than anyone else that, with what Thien Ba had caused over the past eighteen years, the ability to communicate with words almost no longer existed.

The night before the departure, Bach Trinh stood alone in Thanh Van Phai's backyard, looking up at the starry sky, thinking about the past eighteen years, about what he had lost and what he was trying to redeem. He pulled the sword out of its sheath, the moonlight reflected on the shiny steel blade, and in that moment, he felt a strange calmness, as if after years of hiding, he was finally ready to face the final chapter of this painful story, no matter what the outcome.