Chapter 31 031 (Includes 5k nutrient solution and additional updates) [VIP]

By the time Leng Xue reentered the Misty Heaven Alliance, the days of rain had completely passed.

The summer heat had arrived, or perhaps it was the intense training of the newly recruited members of the Misty Heaven Alliance that had given them a sense of the summer's warmth.

Then, a flash of cold light appeared before Leng Xue.

He raised his eyelids and, instead of retreating, advanced. With a flick of his finger, he drew his sword, blocking the blow with his unsheathed longsword. The sword flashed like a meteor, swirling towards him, shimmering with a cold, shimmering light like frost and snow.

The incredibly fast sword move, coordinated with the speed of a soaring cloud, caught Leng Xue's throat before he could even flinch. The sword's

tip did not advance further, because... this wasn't a strike with killing intent.

And behind this frosty blade, a pair of eyes, just like autumn water, appeared.

Shi Qingruo slowly sheathed her sword and tightened the bandage around her wrist. "Is the matter with Wen Xue'an settled?"

Leng Xue hummed.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen Shi Qingruo practice swordsmanship. Sometimes she'd ask him to spar with her, sometimes Wang Xiaoshi, as if it were a natural addition to their payment for viewing the "ruins."

Even he had to admit, Shi Qingruo's swordsmanship progress was truly rapid.

So rapid, so fast that from the time Guan Qi gave her his ten years of internal cultivation as a parting gift to the time she could master the sword technique she called "Wu Gou Shuang Xue Ming," it hadn't even taken more than a month.

Now, only seven days after they'd met, he was already on the verge of dodging this perfectly natural strike.

Shi Qingruo seemed oblivious to Leng Xue's surprise.

She knotted the sweat-soaked bandage on her sword-wielding hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Turning around, she saw Lengxue looking down at the longsword, now in his embrace, like a lone black wolf. She couldn't help but chuckle. "I should thank you for your decisive strike that day; otherwise, it would have been troublesome."

Wen Xue'an was different from Bai Choufei.

Bai Choufei's Shocking Divine Finger was the most direct evidence of his involvement in the Changkong Gang massacre and the theft of the Changkong Divine Finger. Furthermore, he had once been a member of the Changkong Gang. Even if few of the gang members were left alive, those in the Dongting area could attest to his having been highly regarded by Mei Xingfei. Add to that the discovery of his early military service in Fanlongpo, and he was doomed.

Wen Xue'an, however, followed Fu Zongshu's orders and operated in secret, mostly silencing witnesses. Few had actually witnessed him in action. As for his appearance in the attack on the Mitian League's wedding convoy, it could easily be explained as a personal vendetta.

If he were truly imprisoned, Fu Zongshu's abilities might allow him to be rescued.

Add to that the connection with his fellow disciple, and the possibility of a successful operation would be even greater.

Or, as Leng Xue had done that day, he could simply label him an accomplice in the attempted prison break and execute him with a single sword strike.

Leng Xue, however, didn't consider his actions particularly remarkable: "This is what I should have done."

"Aren't you afraid of being accused of collusion between officials and bandits?"

Shi Qingruo tossed aside his practice sword with a clanging sound. Leng

Xue was startled, his gaze averted from the bright eyes before him. "What...what collusion between officials and bandits?"

Shi Qingruo was frank. "I wasn't wrong, was I? Although the imperial court has been relatively lenient with jianghu individuals, especially gangs, in recent years, and even the military has collaborated with various factions, the Misty Heaven Alliance hasn't completely cleared its reputation as a ruthless bandit since my arrival. Captain Leng Xue arrived only after many days, presumably because of Wen Xue'an's incident. He must have run into a lot of trouble."

He was silent for a moment, then replied, "The Divine Marquisate and Fu Zongshu are already enemies. Take me, for example, for example, I've been troubled by them plenty, not least this one."

Shi Qingruo smiled, but Leng Xue could easily see the pure admiration in her eyes.

His face felt hot, as if the frosty, chilling sword light that had shrouded the courtyard since Shi Qingruo withdrew had once again swept through the heat outside.

Leng Xue's expression tightened, and he turned to the purpose of his visit. "My uncle said that Ye Gucheng, Lord of Baiyun City, sent a visiting card to the Mitian Alliance, hoping to visit the ruins. I came to ask your opinion."

"I thought you were asking, but it turns out Zhuge Shenhou is just as curious."

The "uncle" Leng Xue was referring to was none other than Zhuge Shenhou. Although he had raised these disciples, he didn't address them as master or apprentice, but rather as uncle.

Shi Qingruo then asked, "So what's his opinion?"

Leng Xue replied, "He said that the Lord of Baiyun City arrived too quickly."

Indeed, Ye Gucheng had arrived too quickly.

Judging by Su Mengzhen's behavior during their several encounters, even if she had spent time with Ye Gucheng during the second round of the game, her memory wouldn't have been so quickly lost, leading him to travel to Bianjing.

His explanation in that visiting card was quite plausible. He claimed that even after hearing Guan Qi had married and his madness seemed to be improving, he had intended to travel from the South Sea to visit him with the "Heavenly Fairy" sword to learn from Guan Qi's "Innate Body-Breaking Invisible Sword Qi."

However, by the time he arrived in Bianjing, Guan Qi had already mastered the profound martial arts and shattered the void, leaving Ye Gucheng with no choice but to visit the ruins of the sword scar, hoping to gain some insights.

His words were rather modest,

but they were not what Ye Gucheng should have said.

His swordsmanship was solitary and proud, so brilliant and powerful that even if he had truly grasped the highest realm of swordsmanship, he would not have used this visiting card to justify the timing of his arrival.

Therefore, Shi Qingruo knew almost immediately upon seeing the visiting card that it was not Ye Gucheng's work.

If so, Ye Gucheng must have had other motives for his arrival.

However, this analysis was unnecessary in front of Lengxue, as it would be difficult for her to explain her understanding of Ye Gucheng.

"Not only was it incredibly fast, but he also beat all the other renowned swordsmen to the punch." Shi Qingruo raised an eyebrow. "Except you and Wang Xiaoshi, of course."

"What's the explanation?" Leng Xue asked.

"The Lord of Baiyun City has lived in seclusion in the South Sea for many years, and he's even less active in the martial arts world than Ximen Chuxue, who travels four times a year to hunt down villains. At least in the eyes of most people, he has little ties to the various factions. The world is always much more tolerant of those who are devoted to the study of martial arts."

And as Shi Qingruo and Leng Xue had said earlier, regardless of the recent behavior of the Mi Tian Alliance, it is ultimately still a bandit leader, albeit one that adheres to the rules under the emperor's feet.

"Ye Gucheng sincerely requested an audience, but was turned away. If they handle this carelessly, it's hard to guarantee that the Mi Tian Alliance won't be seen as arrogant and lacking in the proper manners of the martial arts world."

"But you don't seem like someone who would care about that," Leng Xue's comment was particularly blunt.

Shi Qingruo glanced at him with a half-smile, wondering if this was his "enlightenment" after being repeatedly tricked into doing things for him. He replied seriously, "But the Misty Heaven Alliance cares."

"I was able to expose the chaos of the Misty Heaven Alliance to the eyes of everyone in Bianjing before my eyes, even to the point where Lei Sun felt compelled to intervene. But now it's different. At least until these newly recruited members grow into pillars of the alliance, the Misty Heaven Alliance must remain in chaos."

She was already the Seventh Saint Master of the Misty Heaven Alliance, and she should consider matters from the perspective of a leader. It was better to be cautious.

Leng Xue pondered for a moment, then asked, "So, what are you going to do?"

Shi Qingruo replied, "I'd like to ask Captain Leng Xue to be my witness. I need to meet Ye Gucheng first."

But how this meeting took place was up to her.

...

"If you ask me, Senior Sister shouldn't give him face. The White Cloud City Lord and the White-Robed Sword Immortal—they're just fringe figures who haven't seen him in action many times, raising his profile. Maybe when he does, he won't be very capable," Wen Rou rambled, following Shi Qingruo out, launching into a full-scale denigration of Ye Gucheng.

"I heard that when he came to Bianjing, he only brought two carriages and a few followers. I'm afraid he didn't bring much baggage or treasure. When he saw that the sign that Senior Sister had put up concealed the price for the top swordsman, he felt he couldn't afford it, so he simply put on a show of paying a visit and asking for an audience."

"He said it was nice, saying that he admired the body-breaking invisible sword energy of the former Saint of the Misty Heaven Alliance, so he came to seek advice. But why didn't he say that? He's thirty years old. If he really admired him, he would have come to Bianjing seventeen or eighteen years ago and seen the non-crazy Guan Qi. Don't think I don't know, this White Cloud City Lord became famous at a young age, and it is said that he showed a high talent for swordsmanship when he was around ten years old... Now he is thirty, what is it for him to bully us juniors?"

"Senior sister, if you are embarrassed to refuse, then let me do it. Although there are not many people from our old Wen family who go out to socialize, we still have some face in the world."

Shi Qingruo complained in her heart. It was hard to say whether it was because those who did not give face had been poisoned to death, so others naturally had to give more face.

However, after hearing Wenrou's series of righteous words, she couldn't help but asked with a smile: "You seemed to be in a bad mood a few days ago, but you have fully recovered today?"

Wenrou choked, as if she realized that she had just used Ye Gucheng as a target for venting her anger, and replied awkwardly: "Just like what you said, senior sister, who hasn't liked the wrong people when they were young... Well, don't talk about me, let's talk about Ye Gucheng."

"What I said before was a bit biased, but not completely wrong. In this Bianjing City, his face is not worth much, and it may not be as the world says..."

"No." Shi Qingruo shook her head and interrupted Wenrou's words, "The first half of your sentence is correct, but the second half is wrong. Lei Sun, Fang Yingkan, Wen Xue'an and others, none of them lost their lives because they looked down on others. Then we must also take this as a warning and never underestimate the Lord of Baiyun City."

Others don't know, would she not know? Ye Gucheng possessed not only an exceptional talent for the sword, but also a formidable perseverance. He honed his sword against the tides outside Baiyun City, until it moved like a soaring immortal, surpassing all other martial arts.

If such a man truly intended to attack, he wouldn't care if Wen Rou was backed by the venerable Wen family.

Wen Rou puffed out her cheeks, "...Okay."

But her words were spoken reluctantly, and Xu Tianyi, following behind, looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Sent by his mother, Zhinu, to the Luoyang Prince to train in martial arts, he had practically watched Wen Rou grow up.

Wen Rou was given that name, but she was anything but gentle. This pampered young lady, when stubborn, could be so stubborn that even her father, Wen Wan, couldn't dissuade her. Now, it was incredible that Shi Qingruo could persuade her to be obedient.

The next moment, he heard Wen Rou yell again, "Ah, little stone!"

Xu Tianyi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a carriage slowly approaching and about to stop in front of the Misty Heaven Alliance's headquarters.

According to the earlier report, that was the carriage Ye Gucheng was riding in.

However, before the carriage stopped, a cold beam of light shot straight towards it.

The attacker was none other than Wang Xiaoshi!

No wonder Wen Rou cried out in surprise.

Wanliu Qijian's unbridled and unrestrained sword strikes, slashing down with the force of youth, were unmistakable to Ye Gucheng, who was inside the carriage. A single strike would have been enough to cleave the carriage and its occupants in two.

A flash of sword light, as sharp as lightning, instantly rose from the carriage, its speed incredible.

With a clang of sword, Wang Xiaoshi's figure had retreated several feet, raising some doubts as to whether the two had even engaged in combat.

But the next moment, the answer was crystal clear.

A crack suddenly appeared on the carriage's body, then rapidly expanded into a cracked pattern.

With a loud boom, the carriage exploded amidst the clash of sword energies, taking the frame beneath with it, crumbling into smithereens.

Only the man in white remained standing, slowly sheathing his sword into its black sheath.

The shattered carriage was shaken apart by the energies radiating from his body, leaving no trace of dust. The still graceful, white-robed swordsman stood amidst the debris.

At most, a fleeting hint of fighting spirit flickered in his gaze toward Wang Xiaoshi, his previously calm demeanor altering.

"Please wait, both of you," Shi Qingruo said gravely, drawing Ye Gucheng's gaze back.

Faced with this sudden sword strike, one that even destroyed his carriage, Ye Gucheng didn't even frown. He simply gazed at the beautiful woman before him and asked, "Is this the Misty Heaven Alliance's way of treating guests?"

His gaze lingered for a brief moment, resting on the longsword carried by Shi Qingruo.

Compared to Wang Xiaoshi's magical sword, which had been used to retain him, and Ye Gucheng's own sword, forged from overseas black iron, Shi Qingruo's was surprisingly simple.

But Ye Gucheng could see that this sword wasn't just a decoration; it was a deadly weapon.

The new Saint Master of the Misty Heaven Alliance wasn't just, as others had suggested, someone who had simply amassed a fortune through Guan Qi's teachings. He was actually a master swordsman.

For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if they had clashed before.

However, this wasn't grounds for her to attack without restraint.

Shi Qingruo remained calm in the face of this question, as if she was not the one who ordered Wang Xiaoshi to attack the visitor. She said calmly, "Please, City Lord Ye, look at your feet."

Ye Gucheng took two steps back and saw in front of him the two marks he had just made with Wang Xiaoshi.

And beneath these marks, there was actually a sword energy that broke the bricks and stones on the ground, leaving a straight mark. There

was only a deep mark, instead of cracks, which was enough to show how decisive the person who drew the sword was, and his control of the energy was extraordinary and experienced, which was incomparable to ordinary swordsmen.

And this sword mark happened to be in front of the Misty Sky Alliance...

"This was left by my late husband." Shi Qingruo's calm and composed voice cleared up Ye Gucheng's confusion.

He raised his eyes, and a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes, which seemed even lighter in the sunlight, "I understand. Madam, please state the conditions."

Wenrou poked Xu Tianyi beside her and whispered, "What does he mean? He changed his tune so quickly."

Xu Tianyi also lowered his voice and explained, "Just now, Wang Xiaoshi and City Lord Ye clashed with swords. Neither side used their full strength. Even so, the traces of the fight still covered up the sword marks left by Guan Shengzhu. So, what about the sword marks left by Guan Shengzhu when he ascended?"

He was afraid the same result would occur.

However, since this was Guan Qi's gift to the Mi Tian Alliance, it shouldn't be so easily destroyed by outsiders.

Ye Gucheng couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't cause such a result, so he could only follow Shi Qingruo's rules. Otherwise, it wouldn't be the Mi Tian Alliance's fault for being inhospitable, but rather that he, Ye Gucheng, had demanded it forcefully.

Shi Qingruo stared into his eyes, not avoiding or giving way to his scrutiny: "I give City Lord Ye two choices. One is to send me enough money according to this receipt, which will be used for the procurement needs of all parties in the Mi Tian Alliance. The martial arts traces left by my late husband will naturally be handed over. The other..."

"That is to wait until Master Ximen of Wanmei Villa arrives in Bian Jing, and then the two of you will have a duel. The winner will have exclusive use of this place for a month to prevent you from drawing swords and fighting during the period of meditation, and destroying this place completely. Of course, you still have to pay, but the price will be much cheaper."

Ye Gucheng was about to speak when Shi Qingruo suddenly raised her hand to signal, interrupting his voice: "City Lord Ye does not have to give me an answer now. You can go back and make a careful decision, and then draft a new visiting card."

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Xiaoshi, who had already put away his sword, walked up to Ye Gucheng with a box.

She said, "This is compensation for damaging City Lord Ye's carriage. The Misty Heaven Alliance has no intention of being inconsiderate. I hope City Lord Baiyun will not take offense."

Ye Gucheng accepted the box, knowing without even opening it that it must contain silver.

Given Shi Qingruo's ability to seamlessly rebuff requests, the silver would surely be worth more than the shattered carriage itself.

He nodded and replied, "Madam, you acted in desperation. I don't blame you."

But even as he spoke, Wen Rou noticed that as he handed the box to the sword boy beside him, the tall, graceful white-clad swordsman's expression, once calm, shifted for a moment. His brow furrowed for a moment, bringing his once-remarkably ethereal face back down to earth.

As he raised his gaze to Shi Qingruo, the fleeting change seemed to vanish, leaving one to think it was merely an illusion.

Even his voice was as pure and steady as his white robe: "I have one more thing I'd like to ask Madam Shi."

Shi Qingruo was a little surprised: "Please tell me, City Lord Ye."

Ye Gucheng asked: "I wonder—would Madam Shi be willing to marry again?"

"..."

Shi Qingruo's expression froze on the spot.

A gentle summer breeze blew across, ruffling the dark hair beneath Ye Gucheng's crown and the loose strands of hair at the temples of the beautiful woman across from him, as if freezing their gaze.

These words, spoken from Ye Gucheng's lips, sounded as simple as eating and drinking.

Even Shi Qingruo, who prided herself on knowing the Lord of Baiyun City, was nearly shocked beyond words.

However, before she could say no, a voice spoke before her, "City Lord Ye... I say, aren't you thinking too much? How dare you say such things?"

Wenrou directly drew the knife from her waist and blocked Shi Qingruo in front of her. She raised her chin and said angrily, "Don't think that just because you had the upper hand in the fight with Xiao Shitou and got compensation from senior sister, you have the qualifications to say such offensive words. Who knows whether you, an old man, are attracted by beauty or want to take advantage of the opportunity to dominate the Mi Tian League and develop a third choice? Even if senior sister chooses my senior brother, I won't..." "

Okay, Wenrou." Shi Qingruo patted her shoulder and motioned her to stand aside. When he turned to Ye Gucheng, his expression suddenly turned cold: "City Lord Ye is obsessed with swordsmanship, and I don't blame you for asking this. But Seventh Brother's shattering of the void was not because of me. It is really presumptuous to ask this."

Ye Gucheng's eyes moved: "I understand. Someone will come to report the previous choice tomorrow."

After he finished speaking, he had no intention of staying here any longer.

Since the carriage had been destroyed by the sword energy, he naturally led the horses over, then, clutching his black-sheathed longsword, mounted his horse and slowly rode off in the direction he had come. He

was soon out of sight.

While he was gone, the shock he left behind clearly lingered.

"...Who is this man?" Wen Rou muttered to herself, finding him unpredictable, even more difficult to understand than Guan Qi.

The interjection of his marriage proposal even gave her an indescribable, strange impression of the martial arts masters.

At most, she could say that he was indeed, as the rumors said, possessing an exceptionally striking face. And with his calm, cold tone, he wasn't exactly annoying.

She turned to look at Shi Qingruo and saw that she didn't seem angry at Ye Gucheng's unconventional approach. Instead, she seemed preoccupied with something important.

Hearing Wenrou's question, Shi Qingruo smiled calmly and replied, "It doesn't really matter what kind of person Ye Gucheng is. What matters is what the person who made him visit the Misty Heaven Alliance wants to do."

Wenrou was startled: "...He didn't come here on his own?"

Shi Qingruo said, "At least it wasn't entirely his own idea. That's why I gave him those two options."

As for why these two options...

"If he chooses to fight Ximen Chuxue, because of Lu Xiaofeng, we can just let Ximen Manor Master arrive later. This delay will give Jinfengxiyu Tower and the Misty Heaven Alliance enough time to investigate. We can also roughly see that the person behind him is not entirely targeting the Misty Heaven Alliance."

All he needed was Ye Gucheng to do something to attract the attention of everyone in Bianjing.

"What if he chooses the first option?" Wenrou asked nervously.

"That's even simpler," Shi Qingruo replied. "Didn't you say earlier? He arrived with only two carriages and a few attendants, not much baggage or treasure. And no bank in the capital with enough money has ventured as far as Baiyun City. If he was moving large sums of money, how could we not have traced his origins?"

Money is the most difficult thing to conceal.

Of course, money is also the most alluring thing...

...

and at this moment, Taihu Lake is in turmoil over money.

While Huang Rong wrote to Bianjing to inform Shi Qingruo of her findings, she, Guo Jing, and Chu Liuxiang continued to monitor Duan Tiande and Wuhua's movements.

To prevent alerting the enemy, it was decided that Chu Liuxiang would investigate Guiyun Manor to see what Wuhua was up to, visiting Duan Tiande before going to the manor's owner.

Huang Rong pondered over it again and again. Since the matter was urgent, she simply mapped the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams of Guiyun Manor into a map for Chu Liuxiang to use when he broke into the manor.

But she didn't know if it was her imagination, but as she picked up the brush to paint, she felt a chill on her back, as if someone was secretly watching her every move.

Seeing nothing unusual, she put this suspicion aside.

Thanks to the Bagua map and Chu Liuxiang's exceptional Qinggong skills, even though Guiyun Manor was heavily guarded and boasted Wuhua, a renowned master, Chu Liuxiang's intrusion went unnoticed. Instead, he heard a lot of news.

Near dusk, he returned. "Come on, follow me."

The three of them, not even bothering to eat, rowed their small boat and, as Chu Liuxiang had instructed, anchored near a wooded area along the shore.

Huang Rong glanced suspiciously at the surrounding waters, sensing nothing unusual.

Then, Chu Liuxiang vanished from their sight. A moment later, he pulled a pheasant from the woods. It had likely been foraging near the lake, where it had fallen into Chu Xiangshuai's clutches.

"Let's eat something first. We have much to see tonight. I came here because I was afraid I'd missed the fleet, so I'm probably a bit early. I'll tell you later while we eat."

As Chu Liuxiang spoke, he pulled a folding knife and a fire starter from his lapel, along with several paper bags, presumably containing cooking ingredients.

With Song Tian'er, a skilled cook, he had learned some cooking skills from her, but seeing that his cut was just an ordinary one, Huang Rong, with her piqued appetite, didn't want to eat this, so she snatched it away, "Let me do it."

She swiftly cleaned the pheasant, found mud and broad leaves from the Taihu Lake, wrapped it, and buried it in the ground, allowing Chu Liuxiang to continue building the fire.

Guo Jing looked puzzled, but before he could ask, Chu Liuxiang had already recounted his previous experiences, and he quickly listened.

"Lu Chengfeng, the owner of Guiyun Manor, had his legs crippled and is unable to walk, but he must have had instruction from a renowned master in his early years, as one can tell from his impressive martial arts skills. Strangely, he didn't seem to pass on this palm technique to his son, Lu Guanying, but instead had the boy learn from a different master."

Of course, this had nothing to do with the important matter he was about to discuss today.

Huang Rong, however, seemed thoughtful after hearing this news, as if it had triggered a connection.

Neither Chu Liuxiang nor Guo Jing asked, and she didn't say anything.

Chu Liuxiang continued, "According to the servants at the manor, Wuhua's visit stems from his previous attempts to persuade Duan Tiande to abandon his evil ways and embrace good, which proved fruitless. He's now requesting that Guiyun Manor secretly intercept this fleet of government ships."

Huang Rong wondered, "Although Guiyun Manor is renowned on Taihu Lake, like Yongcui Mountain Manor, it's primarily a secluded retreat. Why does Wuhua believe it can stop Duan Tiande's fleet?"

Chu Liuxiang replied, "Because Young Master Lu has a hidden identity."

The sound of boats slicing through the water was particularly distinct against the twilight lake.

Chu Liuxiang's expression froze. "Look, they're coming!"

The first sounds they heard were not only the clatter of boats on the lake, but also the wailing of conch shells. At this signal, a large covered boat quickly came into view.

The sun had already set, leaving only a ray of afterglow on the water, casting a dim yellow hue that made the small boats look like splatters of ink against the twilight.

Only when these dots drifted across the lake, gathering around the large sailboat, did the eerie scene at dusk finally come to a halt.

At the bow of the sailboat stood a young man. A sturdy man, each on the prow of a nearby boat, saluted him and then disappeared into the sailboat's cabin.

Huang Rong had never met the Lu Guanying, the young manor Lu, whom Chu Liuxiang had mentioned, but almost immediately upon seeing the scene, she connected Lu Guanying with the young man on the sailboat. "Is he the bandit leader of Taihu Lake?"

"Yes," Chu Liuxiang nodded, stirring the fire before them again to conceal the black smoke from the boats outside.

Or perhaps he didn't need to do this, because the pirates about to rob were already completely focused on the lucrative business, paying no attention to the shore still some distance away.

"If that's the case, then Master Wuhua is a good man," Guo Jing observed as he observed the pirates' gathering.

Since he couldn't persuade Duan Tiande to change his ways, Wuhua, a fellow disciple, could only find another way to resolve the situation: let the pirates rob Duan Tiande. Either the pirates would deal with this evildoer, or he would be punished for the loss.

Guo Jing pondered this, but felt something was amiss. "But aren't these pirates afraid of being rounded up and hunted down for touching imperial property?"

Huang Rong shook her head. "Taihu Lake is a thousand miles wide; they gather quickly and disperse just as quickly. They're not easily apprehended. But I suspect Master Wuhua doesn't have such kind intentions."

If he had truly gone to Guiyun Manor with such unconventional persuasion in mind, Chu Liuxiang's expression would have been more relaxed, not so subtle.

He sighed, "Miss Huang is truly clever. When I arrived at Guiyun Manor, I happened to see him exploring the estate, leading him all the way to Lu Chengfeng's treasure vault. Thanks to the Bagua map Miss Huang provided, I was able to follow him closely without being discovered."

Huang Rong frowned, "But Wuhua..."

Wuhua's behavior was certainly unusual; it couldn't be the behavior of a visitor to Guiyun Manor; it looked more like the work of a thief. But how did he move freely in and out of Guiyun Manor?

Chu Liuxiang replied, "I only just learned today that he possesses Japanese ninjutsu."

A Shaolin monk, using Japanese ninjutsu!

No matter how much Chu Liuxiang hated to doubt his friend, he had to admit that Lu Xiaofeng's speculation that day was quite possible.

Huang Rong, calmer than Chu Liuxiang, pondered the current situation while watching the bandits gather in the slowly falling night.

It was unclear whether a dispute had broken out aboard the large covered boats. There was a momentary turmoil, but the internal strife quickly subsided. Once the boats had gathered, they turned and headed towards Duan Tiande's fleet.

A clash between the two fleets was inevitable, and it was clearly beyond the ability of just three people to prevent it. Huang Rong simply watched the fire and dug out the roasted chicken from beneath it.

Guo Jing, already hungry by this time, waited for Huang Rong to divide the roasted chicken into three portions.

Chu Liuxiang, on the other hand, was still muttering to himself: if Guiyun Manor abducted Duan Tiande and divided the treasure among the bandits, what would be the benefit to Wuhua?

According to the pirates' code of conduct, Duan Tiande and his men would surely be utterly slaughtered by the bandits, leaving only one or two alive to exploit for greater gains. With just these few men, they were not enough to act as an insider, nor were they sufficient to capture Guiyun Manor.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard a voice behind him: "Give me your share, and give me the chicken butt."

Chu Liuxiang was startled by the voice and turned around to see that the person who had appeared out of nowhere was a middle-aged beggar with thick hands and feet, wearing a patched suit and carrying a large vermilion gourd on his back. He was obviously a member of the Beggars' Sect. But this person, who was clearly a top expert, was gazing at the roast chicken in Huang Rong's hand with greed, which immediately weakened the master's aura.

His mind raced, and his keen perception immediately made him notice that this suddenly appeared beggar had only four fingers on one hand, with one index finger missing from the palm.

This quickly reminded Chu Liuxiang of a certain person -

the Beggars' Sect elder, the Nine-Fingered Divine Beggar Hong Qigong!

It's said that in his early years, both he and the previous Beggars' Sect leader, Ren Ci, were candidates for leader. Hong Qigong possessed greater martial arts skills, while Ren Ci possessed more leadership and commanding abilities, ultimately succeeding the latter. Hong Qigong then freely roamed the Jianghu, though the reason for his sudden appearance here remained unknown.

Seeing Huang Rong tactfully hand over the chicken butt and half a leg, the beggar was overjoyed and devoured it in a flash, leaving only a pile of bones.

Only after finally enjoying the delicacy he'd been waiting for did he pat his stomach and reply to Chu Liuxiang, "I can answer your question. If that officer and soldier leader is captured, his men will be useless. But what if another group of officers and soldiers and a group of Beggars' Sect disciples are converging here, preparing to capture someone and seize the loot?"

That would be a different story.

Thinking of the recent situation at the Beggars' Sect, even Hong Qigong couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth, even though the beggar's chicken he was eating was a delicacy he'd never encountered before.

Alas, how could the Beggars' Sect suddenly be in league with these thieves?

Chu Liuxiang's gaze suddenly changed. "Not good! If this is the case, not only will Guiyun Manor be in danger, but once Fu Zongshu's men achieve great success and quell the Taihu Lake bandits, and even join forces with the Beggars' Sect and Wuhua... there will be trouble in Bianjing too!"

...

But what he didn't know was that before the changes here even occurred, another troublesome matter had

already occurred in Bianjing. Shi Qingruo had been waiting for Ye Gucheng's answer, hoping to turn the tide with this unexpected visit and find a direction for her investigation. However, at dawn the next day, she had barely gotten up when she saw Lengxue, a gloomy-faced man, climbing over the wall to visit.

He rarely used the main entrance, and Shi Qingruo knew something serious was afoot.

She inquired while simultaneously dispatching all the key figures from the Misty Heaven Alliance.

"Bring Sikong Zhaixing here as well," Leng Xue added.

Shi Qingruo didn't ask any further questions, simply relaying the message. Soon, Sikong Zhaixing and Lu Xiaofeng arrived.

"Tell me about the situation," Leng Xue

said with a cold expression, concisely: "Fu Zongshu was assassinated last night."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Wen Rou, who had come to join in the fun upon hearing the news, blurted out.

As soon as she had spoken, she suddenly realized that if this was a good thing, Leng Xue's expression wouldn't have been the right one.

Leng Xue then added, "But of course Fu Zongshu isn't dead, or even injured. At most, as he said, he was just a little frightened."

"Is he making a big deal out of nothing?" Shi Qingruo asked, her tone affirmative.

Leng Xue: "Not only that, he also called everyone from the Shen Hou Mansion to investigate the assassin's origins. Finally, it was confirmed that the weapon used by the person who came to assassinate him..."

"What is it?"

Leng Xue paused, and then continued: "It's the Nineteen Divine Needles of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."

Thinking of the situation on the day when Wen Xue'an was executed, everyone's eyes immediately turned to Sikong Zhaixing.

Sikong Zhaixing jumped up in shock: "Unjust! I did steal the tube of Nineteen Divine Needles from Wen Xue'an, but after I got it, I showed it to my master's wife. She asked me to keep it, so I hid it first and didn't use it to kill anyone."

He knew his own strength, so how could he think of using this stolen thing to kill the prime minister of the dynasty?

Lengxue replied tiredly: "Don't be so excited, it's not just you, there is another person who has been included in the list of suspects."

After the nineteen magic needles of the nine heavens and ten earths were forged, one of them disappeared with Liu Suifeng of the power gang at that time. It is very likely that it has been buried in the loess, or simply destroyed. The other two were taken away by the treacherous minister Wen Zhang who was in charge of the investigation with the fall of the power gang.

One was given by him to his son Wen Xue'an, and is now with Sikong Zhaixing.

The other one was used as a weapon for self-defense by Wen Zhang. In the battle of Lianyun Village, with Wen Zhang's death, it fell into

the hands of - Wuqing.

The author has something to say:

More updates are coming, see you tomorrow night at six o'clock. I will continue to update tomorrow.

Hey, I suddenly realized something. I remember that when I was writing a variety show, the name Xu Tianyi could not be typed directly, and now it seems that it will not become Koukou? It seems that the blocked words of Jinjiang have been updated again.