Chapter 185 The villains gather! So many bad guys!
The Mansion of Duke Tang.
Li Xiuning sat on the main seat in the main hall with red eyes, while Chen Xuanfeng, Mei Chaofeng, Dongfang Bai and Shi Wanbao stood on both sides of her.
Ni Kun sat at the chief seat on her left, with Tsunade, Xiaoqing, Zhu Yuyan and others standing behind him.
Sitting opposite them was an investigation team composed of experts selected by Emperor Qin.
The leader was none other than the "Lord of Heaven" Xi Ying, who served as the adjutant of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
This handsome man with evil eyes, with an evil purple glow in his pupils when his eyelids opened and closed, seemed to be quite restless at this moment.
The reason was very simple. The Demon Sect's big sister Zhu Yuyan was standing opposite him, but he was sitting in the chief seat on the right, competing with Master Ni Kun, who was served by Zhu Yuyan...
Even though Xi Ying was carrying the Qin Emperor's order at this time and could be said to be an imperial envoy sent by the Qin Emperor to represent His Majesty the First Emperor, Xi Ying was still a little uneasy.
Sitting at the head of the table was a tall, handsome, well-built, and even somewhat immortal-like middle-aged man.
Ni Kun didn't know this handsome middle-aged man, but Dongfang Bai was very familiar with him.
Because this handsome middle-aged man is none other than Ding Chunqiu, the old monster from the starry sky who knows the "Northern Ocean Rebirth Method" and can use it to regain his youth.
Xiaoyao Sect is a beauty-conscious sect. When choosing disciples, appearance is the most important factor.
If you are not good-looking enough, no matter how good your talent and qualifications are, you will be vetoed.
So, except for Xu Zhu who really had no choice, the rest of the Xiaoyao Sect's direct disciples were all handsome men and beautiful women.
Although Ding Chunqiu has a bad reputation, he is a very good seller, and his appearance and demeanor are not inferior to Xu Fu.
As a subordinate of the Evil King, he worked in the Great Qin Demon Suppression Division. Ni Kun was not surprised by this - wasn't Dongfang Bai following Li Xiuning?
Below Ding Chunqiu sat a middle-aged man who was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with every detail of his accessories being extremely exquisite.
Although he ranks below Xi Ying and Ding Chunqiu, this middle-aged man is the one in charge of investigating the case of the Daqin Investigation Team.
Everyone else is just a force of arms.
Of course, this middle-aged man himself is also very capable in fighting.
His martial arts skills may not even be inferior to those of Tianjun Xi Ying, who was able to serve as the leader of the investigation team simply because of his seniority.
But the main reason why the First Emperor transferred this person to join the investigation team was purely because he was impressed by his strong criminal investigation ability.
This man's surname is Jin and his name is Jiuling.
Most people may not know who he is, but Ni Kun knows very well that he is the big boss of the first series of stories in "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng", "The Embroidery Thief". He is the number one detective in Lu Xiaofeng's world and the best master of the Six Gates in the past three hundred years.
Because he despised the poor criminal abilities of other criminals with many flaws, Jin Jiuling wanted to plan a perfect crime that was flawless, and he almost succeeded.
Unfortunately, he finally fell into the hands of the world's number one detective, Lu Xiaofeng.
However, now that he has appeared in this world, it is unknown whether he has ever competed with Lu Xiaofeng in wits and courage.
Ni Kun was very familiar with the fourth member of the investigation team under Jin Jiuling. To some extent, he was even Ni Kun's "teacher" - whether it was pretending to be cool or martial arts, Ni Kun had learned real skills from him.
Well, that person was none other than Senior Brother Duan Shuiliu, whom I had met and fought with in Xingyang more than half a year ago.
When they first met the eldest brother, they were both a little surprised.
Ni Kun never thought that his senior brother would run to Chang'an and serve the Qin Emperor.
Are you planning to open a martial arts school in Chang'an, the most famous city in the world, to promote Shan Guiliu martial arts?
Of course, the eldest senior brother had reason to be surprised when he saw Ni Kun.
Back in Xingyang, Ni Kun ran to challenge him in the middle of the night. The speed of his improvement in actual combat showed made the eldest senior brother begin to doubt his talent again, and the blow he suffered was not light.
Quality is more important than quantity.
With Li Xiuning's group of experts and Ni Kun joining, there is no need to transfer too many members of the Daqin Investigation Team, so there are only four people: Xi Ying, Ding Chunqiu, Jin Jiuling, and Senior Brother Duan Shuiliu.
However, looking at this room full of masters, Ni Kun felt like laughing.
There are too many bad guys.
Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng, the famous Black Wind Twins, are well-known villains who appear very frequently and are certainly not good people.
Dongfang Bai, the leader of the Sun Moon Sect, Dongfang Bubai, is a famous love-brained villain.
Zhu Yuyan, Kankan, Wen Caiting, and Bai Qing'er are evil witches who are afraid of chaos in the world and are the villains that everyone in the martial arts world is afraid of.
Tianjun Xiying is a bad guy.
Ding Chunqiu, a villain who betrayed his teacher and ancestors.
Jin Jiuling, the Embroidered Thief, a black constable who breaks the law while enforcing it, a bad guy.
Big Brother Duan Shuiliu is a man of great martial arts skills and high class. He is a funny villain boss who is regarded as a mentor by many pretentious people.
Xiaoqing, although she cannot be said to be particularly bad, she is definitely not a good person.
Tsunade, as a mercenary who does things for money, can she be considered a purely good person?
As for Li Xiuning and Shi Wanbao...
I can only say that it’s neither good nor bad.
Looking around the lobby, Ni Kun suddenly realized that he was perhaps the only one who could be considered a purely good person in this lobby.
"Alas, I was originally a young boy with a pure and kind nature, but I never expected that I would always be dealing with bad people... It's the time, it's the fate!"
Ni Kun sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of moral responsibility.
Since I am the only good guy, I have to take responsibility and keep an eye on this team. I can't let some bad guys become violent and do evil things.
But then again, Ni Kun also felt that it was understandable that there were so many bad guys - traditional knights either played around with the world or retired to the mountains at a young age, and no one wanted to be a "court lackey". Then, those who were greedy for fame and fortune and hung out in the court were mostly bad guys, weren't they?
"Madam San, Master Ni, we are going to Taiyuan to investigate the assassination of Duke Tang. Do you have any rules?"
When Tianjun Xi Ying spoke, his tone and attitude towards Ni Kun were obviously more respectful than those towards Li Xiuning.
It wasn't purely because Zhu Yuyan was standing behind Ni Kun, looking like a well-behaved and docile concubine and maid.
As the deputy of Zhao Min, the chief of the Demon Suppression Division, Xi Ying certainly knew what great things Ni Kun had done.
Although I have not witnessed it with my own eyes, just by listening to Zhao Min and her family's description of Ni Kun's expressiveness and looking at the Qin Emperor's attitude towards Ni Kun, I know that Ni Kun is definitely as powerful as the Qin Emperor.
No wonder Sister Zhu is so proud and arrogant, and wants to be the first wherever she goes. As a person who is the center of attention, she would be willing to restrain her own brilliance and stand so obediently behind Mr. Ni.
When hearing Xi Ying's question, Li Xiuning said calmly:
"First of all, I believe that my father's assassination was definitely not done by His Majesty the First Emperor."
Naturally, she was extremely sad when her father was assassinated.
But given her personality, no matter how sad she was, she would not show it to outsiders.
Therefore, except for her slightly red eyes, she looked calm and composed, and her tone was calm, yet firm:
"The Li clan is returning to Qin. This is a done deal that cannot be changed.
"I stayed in Chang'an for more than half a year. Brother Chen, Sister Mei, Shi Daxia, and General Ni also traveled back and forth between Taiyuan and Chang'an many times to pass on information and communicate opinions. I don't know how many pairs of shoes were worn out.
“The hard work that I and everyone else have put in over the past six months will never be destroyed by anyone, even if that person is my eldest brother.
“As for my father’s assassination, I firmly believe that there must be something fishy going on, and my eldest brother’s reaction is also questionable.
"Therefore, I think that when we go to Taiyuan, we should focus on my eldest brother, and maybe we can find some clues about the truth of my father's murder from him."
Jin Jiuling raised his eyebrows slightly:
"So what Third Lady meant was... that she suspected Li Jiancheng was the murderer behind your father's murder?"
Li Xiuning shook her head:
"My eldest brother is a smart man, and he doesn't have such a resolute and cruel character. He is the prince, and he doesn't have to do anything. He will naturally inherit my father's title in the future. Why bother with this?
“Even if he is unwilling to be the crown prince and only wants to be the crown prince, to ascend the throne and rule the world in the future, with his intelligence, can’t he see the predicament that the Li family is facing now, and the huge gap in strength between them and the Qin Dynasty?
"My eldest brother must be aware that with the Li Clan now trapped on all sides and the invincible military power of the powerful Qin, it is impossible for the Li Clan to dominate the world. Being able to rule a region for generations and become a county king is already the best future.
"So I thought that my father's murder was not caused by my eldest brother. But he definitely knew the truth about my father's murder, but for some reason, he chose to conceal the truth and even went against the trend and broke with Daqin...
"With his mind and character, he shouldn't have acted like this.
"So I have reason to suspect that he may have been coerced and acted in this way against his will."
Jin Jiuling nodded slowly, then looked at Ni Kun, bowed his hands in greeting, and asked:
"I wonder what Mr. Ni thinks about this matter?"
Ni Kun said calmly:
"The Third Lady is the legitimate daughter of the Li family, so she naturally knows her father and brother best. When judging the people of the Li family, we should follow her."
Jin Jiuling nodded slightly and asked again:
"Then, Mr. Ni, what is your opinion on how to conduct the investigation ?"
Ni Kun said:
"Just as Miss San said, we should find a way to open a gap in Li Jiancheng and look for clues."
Jin Jiuling said:
"According to the intelligence we have obtained, after Li Jiancheng decided to break with the Qin Dynasty and forced Li Shimin to leave, some mysterious masters of unknown origin and name appeared around him one after another.
“Nowadays, wherever Li Jiancheng goes, he is surrounded by strict guards, and it is extremely difficult for outsiders to approach him.
"It may not be easy to find clues from him."
Xi Ying reminded: "Miss San must not rashly go to see Li Jiancheng, otherwise she may be detained by him."
Ni Kun smiled and said:
"No need to go to so much trouble. Once we get to Taiyuan and find out where Li Jiancheng is, I will take action and capture him."
Xi Ying was overjoyed and bowed with a smile:
"With Master Ni's help, this matter will be foolproof."
Jin Jiuling felt a little regretful: he hated this kind of guy who had the ability to break through without thinking the most.
Working with such a guy, you can't enjoy the fun of searching for useful clues among a myriad of things, unraveling the mystery, repeatedly checking and verifying, getting closer to the truth step by step, and competing with others in wits and courage.
For a moment, Jin Jiuling even wanted to quit the group - although I am good at martial arts, I don’t like fighting and killing!
I want to investigate a case!
Unfortunately, most of the bad guys present were mindless fighters. Few of them cared about his ideas. They were all delighted that Ni Kun agreed to take action personally.
Xi Ying and Ding Chunqiu need not say anything. Chang'an is so prosperous and gathers the best from all over the world. They don't want to leave Chang'an for a long time and stay in a "remote place" like Taiyuan. It would be best if they can finish the work quickly and come back early.
Senior Brother Duan Shuiliu's martial arts school has just recently opened. He has taken a fancy to several talented young people and is planning to cultivate them himself. Of course, he doesn't want to be away from home for too long.
As for Li Xiuning, she hoped more than anyone else to quickly find out the truth about Li Yuan's murder and prevent the situation from becoming irreversible.
Once Li Jiancheng's anti-Qin alliance was reached and the Qin Emperor officially sent troops, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji who supported Li Jiancheng would be doomed.
The Li clan is quite powerful. If they unite with the remnants of the Turkic people, Luo Yi's clan, Dou Jiande's clan, and even the Wagang Army, they will indeed be a tough nut to crack.
But the prerequisite is that these forces can join forces.
However, given the current situation, even if an anti-Qin alliance was reached, Li Jiancheng could only get support from the nearest Turkic remnants.
It is simply impossible for the other forces to send troops to travel long distances, cross the mountains and pass, and go to support Taiyuan.
The best we can do is wave the flag and shout some support from afar.
But what's the use of this?
There were many famous generals under the command of the Qin Emperor, such as Qu Tutong and other famous generals of the Sui court, who had all joined the Qin.
Li Jing, who has recently become famous for defeating a larger force with a smaller one and completely annihilating the Turkic Western Army, is no less capable of commanding troops than her second brother Li Shimin. In terms of commanding troops and fighting, she is even better.
Once the Qin army was dispatched, the second brother Li Shimin would have to do his best to conquer Li Jiancheng in order to preserve a descendant of the Li family.
Li Shimin and the Qin Dynasty joined forces, who could resist Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji?
Even if the remaining Turkic forces mobilized their full strength to support Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, they would definitely be defeated.
No matter how magnanimous his Majesty was to his own people, he was not so merciful to his enemies who disobeyed him.
In a rage, it is possible that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji's entire family would be wiped out.
Li Xiuning did not like the cruel Li Yuanji, but he had a good relationship with Li Jiancheng and did not want to see Li Jiancheng and his entire family being executed.
"That's settled."
Li Xiuning made a decision and said in a deep voice:
"Early tomorrow morning, we will set out for Jin and sneak into Taiyuan first. After finding out my eldest brother's whereabouts, Master Ni will launch a surprise attack, capture my eldest brother, and interrogate him about the truth behind my father's assassination."
The resolution was reached, and the discussion in the hall ended.
Xi Ying and the other four members of the investigation team did not leave tonight and stayed in Duke Tang's Mansion to recuperate and prepare for departure.
Ni Kun and others don't have to leave. There is plenty of room to stay in such a big Duke's Mansion.
What's more, Ni Kun can live directly in Li Xiuning's boudoir...
night.
In front of outsiders, Li Xiuning did not show the slightest sadness. As if she wanted to vent all the sadness that had accumulated throughout the day, she kept shouting for the storm to come even harder.
Ni Kun felt sorry for her situation, and at her request, he showed Li Xiuning all he had learned, except for keeping some magical skills that were only applicable to Super Girl, Tsunade, and Zhu Yuyan who had cultivated the body of a martial saint.
Later, he even granted her request and allowed her to take the position, allowing her to ride like a wild knight, using her still clumsy riding skills.
After a lot of trouble, Li Xiuning finally vented all her pent-up emotions, leaned on Ni Kun, and cried heartily.
But she was a strong-willed woman after all, not the kind of weak-willed lady who could not withstand the ravages of wind and rain. After venting her anger, she quickly calmed down, leaned on Ni Kun's broad chest, and murmured in a slightly hoarse voice:
"Thank you. Without you, I really don't know how I would have survived this incident..."
Ni Kun gently stroked her trembling silky back and said with a smile:
"Believe me, you are stronger than you think.
"Even without me, you will definitely be able to get through it and make the most correct judgment."
Li Xiuning said softly:
"You have great confidence in me."
That's because I know what contributions you have made in history.
It’s just that you haven’t had this experience, so you don’t know how much energy you can unleash when necessary.
"Sir... when you capture my elder brother, please be merciful and do not hurt him."
"Don't worry. With my skills, even if Li Jiancheng has thousands of soldiers around him, I can still capture him unscathed."
"Alas, big brother, even if you were really coerced and had no choice, why didn't you secretly inform big brother and me?"
"If he was really coerced, I'm afraid he might not have the chance to inform you. Didn't Jin Jiuling just say that there are many mysterious masters around Li Jiancheng whose origins and names are unknown."
"Sir, do you think those mysterious masters have the same origins as other mysterious masters?"
"Not necessarily. If there are only a few mysterious masters, it is possible. But if there are many, it is impossible - even if multiple mysterious masters with unknown origins want to join a force and seek to establish merit, they will definitely only join the Qin Dynasty."
If the time traveler who suddenly breaks in wants to establish himself as a successful person and gain power and wealth, some of those who are not smart enough may still cling to the old ways and join the Li family.
But if one really wants to curry favor with someone, he should curry favor with Li Shimin. Why would he surrender to Li Jiancheng?
It is impossible that all of the multiple time travelers who suddenly appeared were stupid and would join Li Jiancheng, who had no bright future.
Even Li Shimin would not surrender.
For the sake of future, he would definitely join the Qin Dynasty, which is currently the most powerful and influential country with a large army of terracotta warriors.
Therefore, Ni Kun can be sure that those "mysterious masters" who appear around Li Jiancheng are by no means ordinary time travelers who have intruded into the world. They must be people with ulterior motives and suspicious origins.
The death of Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng's tearing up of the agreement, forcing Li Shimin away, and attempting to form an anti-Qin alliance may also be related to those "mysterious masters".
"This kind of behavior of fearing that the world will not be in chaos and that there will be war on earth... is very similar to the covetous 'Devil' from the outer world!"
Ni Kun felt a little solemn, but he was not overly worried.
His five elements bloodline has been formed, and his strength has nearly doubled compared to before he went into seclusion to forge the five elements bloodline.
When fighting the Black Mountain Demon again, you don’t have to regenerate several times. You can kill it in one go.
With his current strength, lifespan, and skills, even if the "Demon" from outside the domain sends another strong man like the Moon Worshiper or the Homelander, he can still fight against him.
However, Ni Kun believes that the "mysterious masters" who appeared around Li Jiancheng are not that powerful.
Otherwise, even if he was afraid of the power of the Qin Emperor and "hidden masters" like him, Ni Kun, he could manipulate Li Jiancheng to break the agreement and start a war. There would be no need to form alliances or anti-Qin alliances.
After chatting with Li Xiuning for a while, Ni Kun activated the "Heavenly Palace Phantom", making her fall into a deep sleep, and soothing her wounded heart with beautiful dreams.
When Li Xiuning fell asleep.
A small green snake swam in quietly, climbed onto the couch, burrowed into the quilt without any hesitation, and wrapped itself around Ni Kun's thighs.
"Master, you promised to give me warmth tonight..."
As she spoke, the little green snake turned into a beautiful woman. She hugged Ni Kun's thighs tightly, rested her face on his abdomen, and fell asleep soundly.
