Chapter 229 Li Xian Makes His Move, Reversing the Heavenly Gang

Li Xian and his group entered the city smoothly. They found the streets brightly lit, as if it were daytime, illuminated by candlelight.

His face was smeared with mud and ash to conceal his features. However, the outline of his face was difficult to change. It also gave the impression of "protesting too much." If they made eye contact, he would inevitably be exposed.

Li Xian was thoughtful and secretly worried.

He quickly took a few steps, keeping a distance from the tiger and the dog, avoiding eye contact. He was broad-minded, while Wen Caishang was forced to lean against him, her body tense. Whether she was in danger or safe depended entirely on Li Xian's response.

In front of the inn.

Li Xian pushed open the door and shouted, "Shopkeeper, quickly bring some wine to toast these two gentlemen!"

The waiter rushed to serve him and saw that Li Xian was tall and imposing, yet he was carrying a beautiful woman who was bound like a dumpling. Surprised, he wondered if he was a womanizer. Then he saw the two men, Quan and Hu, who were ugly, covered in blood and gore, and their injuries were horrifying. He was so frightened that his legs went weak.

Li Xian shouted, "Hurry up and go!" The waiter hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, I'll go right away!"

Serve the wine immediately.

Li Xian looked around, pondering a way to escape. His keen senses caught sounds coming from the kitchen, as if someone was moving things back and forth.

The meaning was clear: the inns in the city served both as places to eat and stay, and the ingredients for the food they sold each day had to be prepared the day before. Therefore, every night, a "vegetable vendor" would arrive by horse-drawn carriage to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables.

Li Xian had a sudden inspiration and thought, "If I try to escape with Wen Caishang in my arms, it will definitely provoke the two of them. They are already seriously injured, but their strength is still considerable. I can avoid them for as long as I can. If I take Cai Gong's carriage and leave silently, it will be safer and more secure."

Having already made up his mind, he said, "Seniors, I know these unruly people love to shortchange you. I'll go to the kitchen and keep an eye on them, and have them cook a couple of side dishes."

The tiger and the dog clinked their glasses, drank, waved their hands, and laughed, "Go on."

Li Xian headed towards the kitchen. After walking a few steps, the tiger suddenly said, "Wait!"

Li Xian was secretly on guard, his whole body tense. Wen Caishang was also extremely anxious. Li Xian turned around, his face slightly turned to the side, backlit, half of his face hidden in shadow, and calmly said, "Seniors, is there any dish you particularly want to eat? If not, I also have some cooking skills and can cook it myself."

"You little rascal, once you've got your hands on that beauty, you don't want to let go?" Tiger said unhappily.

Li Xian said, "Haha, so it turns out that the two seniors are eager to get close to her. It was indeed my oversight. I will now place this wicked woman beside the two seniors."

Wen Caishang frowned, her fingernails digging into Li Xian's lower abdomen, and she shook her head slightly.

The tiger said, "Don't rush. I didn't say anything, just hold it for now." He then waved his hand.

He was both eager for Wen Caishang's beauty and fearful of her methods, his mind a jumble of conflicting emotions. On the way into the city, he had been restless and impatient, eager to toy with and manipulate Wen Caishang. After entering the inn, his mind calmed down, and this desire intensified. But the moment he saw Wen Caishang's white dress, the memory of his two brothers' tragic deaths deepened, and he abandoned the idea.

He was in high spirits, picked up his wine bowl, and said, "Brother, come, let's drink and pay tribute to our fallen brothers!"

The tiger was named "Zhang Hu," and the dog was named "Li Quan." They were sworn brothers with the deceased deer and python. Years ago, they entered the "Ruins" and were captivated by Wen Caishang's beauty, neglecting their martial arts to win her heart. They were teased and ridiculed by Wen Caishang, but later, upon learning the truth, they confronted her. Wen Caishang, displeased, beat all four of them, leaving them crippled.

Li Quan said, "Brothers, don't worry! We captured that thieving woman alive! I will avenge the humiliation you suffered."

Zhang Hu said, "If it weren't for Brother Lu and Brother Mang's divine protection, how could we have captured that thieving woman so inexplicably? It's truly a triumphant moment! I've never seen that thieving woman so distraught. Thinking back to those days, how arrogant she was, practically a goddess from heaven, unattainable. One glance from her and I'd be willing to live or die for her. Now... hahaha, soon I'll make her wish she were dead..."

"Hahaha," Li Quan said, "I'll let her try Tiger Brother's skills another day, and she'll probably be even more out of control."

Zhang Hu said, "More than that, I need to make her sink into the mud and suffer all kinds of humiliation."

The two clinked glasses and drank heartily.

Inside the kitchen.

The cook heated the wok until it was scalding hot, poured in lard, and then added vegetables and meat, creating a sizzling sound. A fragrant aroma wafted out. A back door to the kitchen was now open, and several waiters were carrying ingredients back and forth. A carriage was parked outside, and the head cook sat on the edge, urging them on. He seemed to catch a glimpse of Wen Caishang, craning his neck to get a better look.

Wen Caishang was covered in blood, but her clothes were relatively clean. Destitute and helpless, bound in shackles, she possessed a captivating charm, further enhanced by her exceptional beauty. She instantly mesmerized Cai Gong. Wen Caishang's cold gaze swept over him, but Cai Gong remained unfazed. Li Xian glared at him, and only then did Cai Gong avert his gaze, daring not to look again.

Li Xian deliberately made noise and loudly urged the cook to stir-fry the dishes.

After all the vegetables and meat had been unloaded from the carriage, Li Xian seized the opportunity and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, quietly hid inside. He used many martial arts techniques, such as the "Lightness Technique" and the "Vast Leg," making his body as light and agile as a falling leaf, and he disappeared into the carriage without any disturbance.

The vegetable vendor, a common street hawker, knew no martial arts and remained oblivious. After receiving his payment, he sped off with a "Giddyup!"

Dishes began to arrive from the kitchen, and Zhang Hu and Li Quan drank the wine and devoured the food with relish, their delight unspeakable. Having resolved a knot in their hearts, they felt happy and content, and only by drinking and eating, and pouring out their heroic words, could they unwind a little. As they drank and ate, their conversation was filled with stories of how they would punish Wen Caishang, how they would humiliate her, how they would tease her. The words were so venomous and obscene that it was unbearable to listen to.

After a long while, Zhang Hu said, "That's right, that kid from Sword Rain Pavilion, should we really let him have some fun too?"

Li Quan sneered, "That kid's unlucky. He'll either die at Wen Caishang's hands or at ours. We pursued her so desperately back then, and it was difficult to even get a second glance from her. If this kid can taste her so easily, wouldn't we have been too pathetic back then?"

Zhang Hu said, "That's right. Wen Caishang has fallen into our hands. How we humiliate her is our own business. That kid is very unlucky. He walked right into this mess. Hehe, it's hard to say whether his luck with women is good or bad, but his life is in danger."

Li Quan said, "If it weren't for the fear that Wen Caishang might still have a trick up her sleeve, humph, how could he possibly get such a cushy job?" The 'cushy job' he was referring to was the time when Li Xian groped Wen Caishang while she was being bound and captured. Li Quan was extremely envious at the time.

Zhang Hu said, "In my opinion, Wen Caishang is indeed out of options. Let's have that kid come over later, have some drinks and food, and then just take care of her."

Li Quan said, "No, just to be on the safe side, let's keep him here for another day and observe him. We can even pretend to let that kid go first. By then, I don't believe Wen Caishang will still have any tricks up her sleeve. Once we're sure she's out of options, we can have some fun."

Li Quan said, "Call that kid over; we might need him." He shouted "Lin Li" several times towards the kitchen, but received no response. Li Quan and Zhang Hu exchanged a glance, realizing something was wrong. Looking back now, their plan was riddled with flaws:

"It was already night. The disciples of Jianyu Tower, Taixin Sect, and Huangsha Sect always traveled in groups and had to form a large formation. They rarely went out alone."

"That kid showed up right after the battle ended, as if he had been waiting for his chance all along."

Many details came to mind.

Li Quan and Zhang Hu slammed their fists on the table and stood up, finally remembering that there was a pale-faced young man next to Wen Caishang. They shouted, "It's him!"

Driven by a desire for fame, the two fought Wen Caishang. This clearly demonstrates their lack of strategic acumen and their extreme concern for saving face. Upon Li Xian's arrival, he showered them with flattery, greatly pleasing them. Furthermore, having captured Wen Caishang alive, they were utterly arrogant and overconfident, showing no regard for anyone else.

They looked down on Li Xian even more.

Thus, Li Xian's flawed plan had a surprisingly effective result. While he was extremely lucky, it was actually quite feasible to begin with.

"You scoundrel! How dare you trick us!" Li Quan roared in fury. The shout shook the inn, shattering all the wine jars, porcelain, tables, and chairs.

The shopkeeper, who had been snoring, hurriedly put on his shoes to check on him. Before he could speak, Li Quan struck him with a palm, killing him with a "bang."

Zhang Hu walked upside down and rushed into the kitchen, but there was no one there. Zhang Hu and Li Quan shouted angrily, "Chase him!"

He ran wildly through the surrounding streets, but there was no trace of him. He was at a loss. All that remained was a heart full of frustration and resentment, and he hated himself for being so stupid and careless.

The sky gradually brightened.

Zhang Hu and Li Quan knew that Li Xian had escaped and would be difficult to catch in a short time. Enraged, they smashed the surrounding shops. With a single blow, rows of windows shattered, and vegetable stalls on the ground were reduced to pieces.

The two men vented their anger to their hearts' content. Suddenly, a loud shout rang out: "Assistants! Have you all gone mad?!"

Su Qiuwu leaped forward and grabbed the two men by the shoulders. Zhang Hu and Li Quan, enraged, attacked together. Su Qiuwu snorted coldly and deflected their attack.

Zhang Hu and Li Quan were already severely injured. After exchanging three blows, their Qi was exhausted and their blood was depleted. They had no choice but to temporarily quell their anger and stop fighting.

Su Qiuwu said, "It seems that the four of you not only failed to harm Lady Zhejian, but were also driven mad by her."

"Bah!" Zhang Hu shouted angrily, "Su Qiuwu, where are your reinforcements! Why are they only arriving now!"

Su Qiuwu said calmly, "I encountered another formidable opponent last night, which is why I arrived a little late."

"Are you a little late? You weren't here at all!" Li Quan trembled all over.

Su Qiuwu said, "The matter is over. We still need to work together. Why dwell on those things?"

He said calmly, "It seems that the Four Heroes of Taixin failed to keep Lady Zhejian. Oh well, oh well, I expected it."

"Bullshit!" Zhang Hu said, "My four brothers fought to the death, with two dead and two wounded, and last night we captured Wen Caishang alive. But she was rescued by her servant. And she even used your Sword Rain Pavilion's name to pull the strings! If you had come to help yesterday, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Huh?" Su Qiuwu was taken aback: "Really?"

“Of course it’s true!” Zhang Hu said.

Su Qiuwu asked suspiciously, "With just the four of you, you could barely even injure Lady Broken Sword, how could you possibly capture her alive?"

"Fine!" Li Quan was furious. "So you've always looked down on the two of us!"

"Hmph! You're right, Wen Caishang is indeed formidable. With a single thrust of her sword, my four brothers and I could only flee in panic. But fate had other plans to take her away, causing her to lose all her inner energy."

"This..." Su Qiuwu's cleverness backfired. Half-believing and half-doubting, he guessed that he had missed a great opportunity and couldn't help but regret it inwardly, but he never showed it on his face. He said, "You said that Wen Caishang was rescued? The male concubine next to her is young and has limited martial arts skills. How could he have rescued Wen Caishang from the hands of the two of you?"

Li Quan and Zhang Hu suppressed their anger and recounted the events of the previous day in detail: how they captured Wen Caishang, how they drank at the inn, and how Li Xian vanished into thin air...

Su Qiuwu pondered, "In that case, I really missed a great opportunity yesterday! Alas, regret is useless. If Wen Caishang really has no internal energy left, now is the best time to capture her."

He said coldly, "Let's go! Take me to that inn!"

...

...

On the other side.

The carriage sped through the streets, with Li Xian holding his helpless wife inside.

(End of this chapter)