Punish the Heavens and Punish the Gods - Chapter 15
Old Master Hu, who had always seemed like an unremarkable old man, turned out to be a high-ranking member of a famous intelligence network — the Wind Media.
That was something Li Wei hadn’t expected at all.
The Wind Media was a secret spy organization that answered directly to the emperor. Its agents were divided into two types — Bee Spies and Butterfly Spies — each identified by a special token made of unique material. Bee tokens bore the mark of a bee, and butterfly tokens a butterfly.
Both ranks had their own hierarchy, signified by the color of the insect’s antennae: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple — with purple being the highest. The higher the color, the greater the status. Old Master Hu’s token showed blue antennae — an elite level.
Normally, spies of that rank didn’t go into the field themselves. Blue-level agents typically stayed behind the scenes, commanding and coordinating others. Only in special cases would they act personally. Purple-level spies rarely ever left the emperor’s side; their duty was to analyze intelligence from all across the land and report directly to the throne, sometimes even helping to make decisions.
Li Wei knew all this thanks to the memories of the body’s original owner. That man had once stumbled upon information about the Wind Media and, driven by curiosity, spent a fortune uncovering what little he could.
Still, even he hadn’t learned much about how they operated — how they passed messages or what covers they used.
So when Li Wei saw Old Master Hu’s Bee Spy token, everything suddenly made sense. The strange behavior of Liu Gongzi, Yu Deshui, and the others — their schemes, their audacity — all became clear.
He had always wondered why they dared to move against him. They had power and influence, yes, but he wasn’t some random nobody. He was part of the Xiaoyao Marquis’ Mansion, and that alone should’ve made anyone think twice. The Marquis himself had helped the current emperor ascend to the throne — hardly a man to cross lightly.
Even if those people had succeeded in framing him, they would still have risked angering the Marquis.
But now Li Wei understood. It wasn’t just their confidence — they had Old Master Hu, a high-level imperial spy, backing them.
Still, a new worry crept into his mind. He had already sent three Eagle Guards to capture Hu. Could they handle him? Bee Spies weren’t known for brute strength, but they were full of tricks — especially when it came to escape.
He kept his composure and motioned for Zuo An to open the package they had brought back. But before Zuo An could begin, an Eagle Guard burst into the room, panting.
“Eagle Three, Eagle Seven, and Eagle Nine have returned,” the guard said. “They say they have something important to report to the young master.”
“Let them in,” Li Wei replied.
Moments later, three burly men entered — all bloodied and battered.
Li Wei’s expression darkened. Did Old Master Hu escape? That would be disastrous — both for him and the Marquis’ Mansion.
“What happened?” he demanded. “How did you all end up like this just chasing one old man?”
The leader knelt. “Reporting to the young master — Old Master Hu wasn’t ordinary. He ambushed us and left us all injured.”
“So he escaped?”
“Yes, but…”
“But what?” Li Wei snapped. “You’re telling me you let him run?”
The man shook his head. “He escaped, but he’s dead.”
Li Wei frowned. “You’d better not be lying to cover your failure.”
“I wouldn’t dare deceive you, young master. He’s truly dead — we brought his head back. If you wish, you can see for yourself.”
“…All right,” Li Wei said after a pause. “Tell me everything.”
The guard continued, “After he fled, we chased him as ordered. But he was too fast, and our injuries slowed us down. Just as we were about to give up, someone suddenly appeared — and killed him.”
“Who?”
“Yellowbeard.”
“Yellowbeard? The leader of the Yellow Wind Bandits?”
“Yes. He came out of nowhere on a Bactrian camel and split Old Master Hu clean in half with one strike. Even the sand dune he stood on was sliced apart.”
All three guards shuddered as they spoke, still haunted by the sight.
“Why would Yellowbeard kill Old Master Hu?” Li Wei asked.
“We don’t know. Afterward, he just rode away — didn’t say a word.”
Li Wei frowned deeply. Yellowbeard and his bandits had always been enemies of the Xiaoyao Mansion, often robbing their supply convoys. The Eagle Guards had killed many of his men. So why didn’t Yellowbeard attack them when he had the chance? It made no sense.
He sighed and waved a hand. “Take me to see the head.”
Soon, they brought out a bl00d-stained bundle. Zuo An unwrapped it — revealing Old Master Hu’s severed head.
Li Wei examined it closely. The features matched perfectly with his memories — it was definitely him.
Even in death, Hu’s eyes still held a trace of disbelief, as if he couldn’t understand how it had come to this.
“Bury him,” Li Wei ordered coldly. “Somewhere far. I don’t want to see that face again. And send all the books from his house to my courtyard — handle them carefully.”
He turned and left.
Later, in his carriage, the three items found in Hu’s room were laid out before him: a silver note, the spy token, and a small album.
Setting aside the first two, Li Wei picked up the album — and froze as he opened it.
His eyes widened slightly. The “pleasure book” Old Master Hu had been so obsessed with wasn’t what he expected — it was a Spring Palace painting album, but drawn with astonishing skill.
Every brushstroke was vivid and lifelike — so detailed it almost felt real. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought they were photographs.
The artist had captured every movement, every expression, every emotion — perfectly.
Li Wei snapped the album shut.
He had seen far more explicit things before his transmigration, yet somehow this small book hit harder. His body grew warm, his pulse quickened. Even with the book closed, the scenes burned in his mind, almost alive — so real he could swear he smelled perfume in the air.
Something was wrong.
He bit his tongue hard, tasting bl00d. A cold rush spread through him, clearing his thoughts instantly.
When he came to, the strange heat faded — but he knew this thing couldn’t stay near him. With the weak will of the body’s original owner, it might spell disaster.
After a moment’s thought, he tucked the album into his robe and stepped out of the carriage.
As he entered the gates of the Marquis’ Mansion, a soft, fragrant scent suddenly hit him — and before he could react, a pair of plump arms wrapped tightly around him, pressing him into a very… turbulent embrace.
Struggling to breathe, Li Wei craned his head up and shouted toward a nearby man, “Li Yi! Your woman’s hugging another man! Aren’t you going to do something, or are you not a man at all?!”