PEONY FINALE TODAY!
Due to word limit, I am breaking this last chapter into two parts.

The Chieftess of the Silver Clan has gone missing.

The moment her handmaiden found her room empty, bed torn apart and some stains of blood on the floor, she alerted the entire household. In no time at all, an estate wide search was put out. Every soldier were forced to rise out of their beds and shove on their helmets and armour before the rooster could properly wake them.

When they failed to find the Chieftess in the estate, they spread out across the entire town to look for their leader.

Among them was the Deputy. He quickly ran over to one particular place in town, to try his luck. It was a teahouse – the same one where Martial Blue Sister had woken up a day or two ago. Not bothering to call for someone, he kicked the doors open and charged in. He was about to run up the flight of steps...

...When he noticed a trunk sitting in the middle of the teahouse. In fact, it was in this moment he realized the entire teahouse was empty. Void of all life. Not a single waiter, not even the teahouse boss could be seen.

The trunk was large. In fact, it was large enough to remind him of the cargo chests North Cloud Shipping Company used to...wait no...it can’t be.

Curiosity, and dread, filled his heart. He walked over to the stage in the middle of the teahouse. A part of him didn’t want to touch the trunk, but the other half forced him to lay his fingers on it.

However, he was suddenly intercepted by a small pale hand.

“Chi-Chieftess!?” The Deputy gasped. He realized the one grabbing him was his wife, and leader of the Silver Clan. “What on earth are you doing out here...dressed like...uh.”

The Chieftess wasn’t looking indecent. She had a casual robe covering her body. Unlike her regal uniform, it showed her frail curves and slender hands. In fact, the clothing she wore right now gave her a soft genteel look, like a blooming lotus in a pond.

Actually now that he looked closer, the Chieftess was not wearing any make up. Without the expensive cosmetic, the Deputy realized how much of a natural beauty the Chieftess was. Soft and delicate. She may not have been the greatest flower in the garden, she had more than enough allurement to draw the attention of an admirer. Even coax them to reach out and touch her cheek.

The Deputy, on the other hand, was more startled by her overall appearance than her beauty. This was, perhaps, the first time he’s ever seen her in such a...vulnerable state.

“Peony and I used to visit here.” The Chieftess spoke up, not at all caring hundreds of people are looking for her. “Rather, we loved to sneak in and eat all the food – then try to run away without paying the bill. Hilarious, don’t you think? Two offspring of the almighty Silver Clan, dining and dashing. Hahaha.”

She had a nostalgic look on her face as she continued. “I was never a good runner, I always got caught. Peony, that silly girl, she would always turn around to rescue me – like a wandering hero on a white horse... Of course, father wasn’t stupid. Whenever he found out about our shenanigans, he would always punish us with a good caning. The lessons hurt so much, we had to sleep on our stomachs for a good period of time.”

The Chieftess let out a sigh. “Peony always told me, how loyal you have been to the clan. To me. Even if you are my husband, I have been nothing but a terrible person to you.” She would reach out to touch her husband’s cheek. “Every time I break your jaw, you never once complained. She told me, I should appreciate you more.”

The Deputy shied away from her touch. He tried to go down on one knee like a true servant, only for the Chieftess to gesture him to remain standing. He cleared his throat to say, “It is my sworn duty to safeguard you and the clan’s honour... Lady Peony’s death, has been my failure.”

Every now and then, the Deputy would glance around himself to find something to pay attention to. Something about Chieftess looking at him...like a soft woman made his stomach flip.

“I am sorry,” the Chieftess cooed. “I know that’s what Peony would want me to say to you. After all, you are all I have left as family.”

“...Chieftess?” The Deputy raised an eyebrow when his wife suddenly held onto his one hand with both of hers.

“Darling. I love you.”

“Who the hell are you!?”

The Deputy flung the Chieftess off him. He whipped out his saber and tapped it against the woman’s neck. “Answer me!? Who are you!?”

The ‘Chieftess’ smirked. She suddenly melted, like an ice statue under a beaming sun. Only to instantly reshape itself into the living corpse of Lady Peony. Rocks and salt spilling off her robes, her head slanted in a sickening angle, and swinging the one stump arm about.

The sight shocked the Deputy, making him leap back at this turn of events!

“Oh come on, brother-in-law,” said the Entity with a perfect replica of Lady Peony’s voice. “After I was murdered, you cut my hand off to hide the evidence, remember? Then you stuffed me into a cargo box, buried me with salt and strangers you bought from an undertaker, before having North Cloud Shipping Company deliver me like some kind of long-distance product order! What did you label me as? A back scratcher? A spit jar! I am DYING to know!”

“ENOUGH!” The Deputy fired up his [Thunder Leopard Saber Art] powers and slashed his saber. A wave of electricity ripped through the teahouse, hacking up furniture in its flight. The Entity dodged, springing like a body of flesh like liquid, to duck under a table. The Deputy chased after it, kicking aside the table to deliver an executing blow on himself....

...Wait? On HIMSELF!?”

The Entity revealed itself adopting the Deputy’s form. His height, his weight, his clothing, even the cocky grin he revealed some time ago – a perfect copy. So much so, the real Deputy staggered back from this jumpscare!

“Hmmm.” The Entity used the Deputy’s voice to laugh. “I directed the whole show. I hired a stand-in to play the part of Lady Peony, to throw off the timing of her real death. Had someone set up the stage with Redpulp Syrup and re-use the trap in the bathtub that everyone forgot existed. Which, by the way was a wasted opportunity turned useful for my case..."

The Entity wagged a finger, “All I had to do was spread the word, how Lady Peony was a victim of a haunted urban legend, remove all the witnesses, and everything would be swept clean under the rug. As if the Chieftess could bare to have a coroner examine the body. And I can easily pay a mortician to clean up the body without asking questions. A win-win.”

“...Pfff...Pffffhahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” The Deputy broke out laughing, so hard he had to clutch onto his side. He shook his head, unable to believe this stupid joke of his ‘living reflection’. “Moon Tavern. Is this all you can do? This is what you’ve been doing for the last three days?”

The Entity copied the Deputy’s laugh, to mock him. It was effective as the real gripped his saber white knuckled. The Entity then snapped his fingers.

In a flash, a hard rainstorm shook the teahouse. It blew through the open balconies and the exposed windows and walls. Rain billowed in like a horde of ghosts. In a flash, the entire floor, light up bright red. Hundreds of bloody footsteps appears, surrounding everyone.

The Entity melted and shapeshifted into Martial Red Sister! She was using <<1000 Face Skill>>, one of the many tricks in the arsenal of her [32 Morphing Skills]. The ability to transform and replicate her looks after anyone she has seen! Hair, face, clothing, size, build, even their natural scent she can replicate it perfectly! As it was child’s play to her, she had devoted her cultivation training to master <<Divine Beast Body>> as a challenge.

The Deputy looked at the rain, the water seeping through the cracks. “Ah. I see now. I already predicted the weather would be clear this morning. So no doubt this is the doing of your pipsqueak friend, that troublesome blueberry.”

“Only I get to bully her, no one else. She is my junior after all.” Martial Red Sister growled, flexing her hair about as if she came out of a shower. “I confess, we don’t have anything concrete to pin everything on you. I mean, you pretty much removed the evidence. Even sliced off Lady Peony’s right hand.”

“Now why would I do such a thing? The Chieftess would’ve hung me by my entrails if I so much as raised my voice at her dear little sister.”

“Hmm.” Martial Red Sister nodded, then she pat her hand on the trunk on the stage. “Why don’t you ask your Producer.”

Horror struck the Deputy. So, that was why he felt uneasy the moment he entered! He slashed his [Thunder Leopard Saber Art] in the air, to shoot a wave of arcing lightning to force Martial Red Sister away from the trunk. He bounded over and flipped it open.

“Y—HUH!?”

Curled inside the trunk was Lady Peony...rather, the corpse of the double who played the part of Lady Peony. The same girl Moon Tavern had ran into at Mutiny Hill a few days ago. Her body was well bloated, as if she fell asleep in a tub for days. Covered head to toe in black mud and lake scum. Tiny fresh water crabs and snails poked their heads in and out of her ear and hair, taking comfort with the many finger bones that were tangled in them.

There was this clean slice across the double’s throat, foggy eyes left wide open.

“Expecting someone else? Say, the Young Master of the Amber family” Martial Red Sister spoke with a hum. “He was visiting the Silver Clan manor the day Lady Peony went missing, no? How odd for him to just ‘disappear’ shortly after hearing of his bride to be just murdered. When all this time he had been hiding in this very teahouse. That’s why you rushed over here first the moment you heard the Chieftess went missing. It was your chance to help him escape when everyone was looking elsewhere!”

Martial Red Sister fanned herself with her sleeve, hiding a coy grin. “Have no fear, my humble employer, Martial Kim, is taking good care of Young Master Amber. They’re resting at Judge Dao’s court, sharing a lovely story together in his private jail cell.”

“H...how did you know?” The Deputy kicked over the trunk, spilling the fake Lady Peony he had hired across the ground like a useless puppet. “HOW IN THE HELLS DID YOU KNOW!?”

“Oh please,” Martial Red Sister scoffed. “The moment you sliced off Lady Peony’s hand, it triggered your death flag. Why go out of the way to cut the hand off a corpse? Because you had to hide the mess Young Master Amber left behind.”

She then pulled out several pieces of paper from her sleeve and slapped it onto the table. They were revealed to be torn pages of a sort of book. Among the text and calligraphy, there were various images all depicting this vibrant and swirling in the shape of a butterfly made of living amber colours.

“The Amber Family started their humble origins as one of the most feared Assassin Guilds in the history of the Jade Empire. Their signature needle shooting technique, [The Kiss of the Amber Butterfly], are made with specially designed amber shards combined with strong mana capable of piercing through steel and killing their targets with slow mana burns.”

Martial Red Sister snorted, “They always left a bit of a calling card in the form of an orange butterfly on their victims, striking fear in everyone. Even when they turned to all business, they often resort to using this signature move as a last result – which involves a lot of clean up work... That’s why you had to cut off Lady Peony’s hand...right Mr. Spy?”

The Deputy flinched, the revelation hitting him harder than a hammer!

“Admit it!” Martial Red Sister smirked with a checkmate “The only reason why you never once opened your trap every time the Chieftess dislocates it, is all in service of your true masters: The Amber Family. That’s how they play their games right? Send in spy after spy into their rival’s ranks and gather as much flaws, weakness, and secrets as possible. How else do you explain the Amber Family making gold and silver dance at a whim!”

The Deputy lunged! He couldn’t stand this farce any longer! He charged through the teahouse to try and hack up the woman in the kimono. “RETURN THE YOUNG MASTER RIGHT NOW! I WILL NOT GIVE YOU A SWIFT DEATH IF YOU REFUSE!”

“Oh-ho-ho! You’re true colours are showing~~~” Martial Red Sister was enjoying herself as she transformed into a nimble red monkey, dodging and flipping over every swipe. “What’s the matter, want to kill me and stuff me in a box full of salt too! Probably blame it on a damn jumping vampire!”

Martial Red Sister lured the Deputy through the teahouse. She would sweep up the stairs, swinging from the ceiling, all the while cackling in how much the Deputy chased after her with rage in his eyes. They reached the second floor. There wasn’t too many open spaces, not even for a small red leaping lemur to escape to. Just when the Deputy was about to land the killing blow.

=== TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2!