Chapter 180: Chaotic Battle at the Duke's Mansion

As night fell, Dongdu was still bustling.

There are bright lights everywhere along the way. The magnificent lights are reflected in the stream that nourishes the Royal West Garden, reflecting a soft galaxy of the world.

"Is this Master Zhou's first visit to Luoyang?"

"yes."

Lu Chu said, "Ever since the canal opened and the five major water systems were connected, Luoyang has become a central hub for transportation and commerce. There are many Sogdians, Persians, Arabs, and others. It's a pity that visibility is poor at night, otherwise it would be great to take a carriage for a stroll. I can arrange it."

He turned his head to see Zhou Yi's reaction.

"I really need a guide. If I hadn't come with Lu Neishi, I would have been lost when I entered this city and wouldn't have known where to go."

When Lu Chu heard these words, he felt that Zhou Yi was honest and at the same time, he noticed something was wrong.

"Mr. Zhou, doesn't the Dugu clan leader know that you are coming here?"

You are not stupid, Zhou Yi casually replied: "I only said that I would go to Dugu's house, but I didn't agree on a date."

Um?

Lu Chu nodded, feeling even more strange. So you're quite hard to invite, and going to the Dugu family is actually giving Dugu Feng face?

Even though the world is in chaos now, no one still dares to underestimate the Dugu clan.

Not to mention external relations, the Dugu clan controlled the imperial guards in both Dongdu and Jiangdu.

On the Li clan's side in Guanzhong, Dugu Xin's fourth daughter was Li Yuan's biological mother, and was a sister of Yang Guang's mother, Dugu Qieluo.

No matter which side finally stands firm, the Dugu family can rest assured.

Lu Chu thought of this and shook his head slightly. That wasn’t right. It seemed that the Dugu family was not having an easy time now.

The last time I saw Dugu Feng, the old guy also had a sad face.

General Zhou from Jianghuai has taken over Bashu and is now so powerful that even the families in the Eastern Capital feel threatened. If the heroes in the south cannot stop him, it will be the turn of those in the north to worry.

The Dugu family has no connections with Taoism, let alone a relationship with the Heavenly Master.

It's no wonder that old man Dugu Feng mentioned this matter last time and complained that the Bashu forces were useless. He would only be happy if the Li family could defeat Bashu.

Lu Chu sneered inwardly, realizing he had strayed from the right path. He quickly retracted his thoughts and pointed ahead while walking to introduce Zhou Yi:

"It's not difficult to get familiar with this place. First, with the north and south as the central axis, the Luo River runs through the entire city, dividing Luoyang into two areas, north and south."

"Four large bridges connect the city, and the Luo River within the city is connected to the Yi, Chan, and Jian rivers, making the waterways winding through the city, bringing the beauty of the mountains and rivers into the city, giving people a sense of harmony created by nature."

“…”

Zhou Yi listened attentively, and Tuoba Yu and Chunyu Wei also listened attentively.

Lu Chu spoke patiently and meticulously. He had lived in Dongdu for many years and was a good guide himself. Through his words, he left an outline of the city in Zhou Yi's mind.

The new imperial city built in Guangshen is really big, located between the Zhou royal city and the ancient city of Han and Wei.

It crosses the Chan River in the east, the Luo River in the south, the Jian River in the west, and the Mang Mountain in the north. The city is more than 50 miles in circumference and is magnificent.

All the inns in the city were full, and it took us more than half an hour to walk there.

The journey was peaceful and nothing happened.

As they were approaching Lu Chu's residence, more than ten people came running over in panic.

The leader was an old man with a completely white beard, thick calluses on his hands, and heavy breathing. He looked like a master of external training.

Lu Chu looked at the old housekeeper's expression, and his heart sank suddenly:

"What happened?"

He took a look towards his own house, but saw nothing.

"Master, there's a fire in Duke Lu's house!"

Lu Chu didn't ask any more questions. He first asked the ten or so people behind the old butler to go and help, and then asked Zhou Yi and the others for their opinions. The three of them followed Lu Chu and went to the Duke of Lu's house while listening to the old butler's description of the details.

It turned out that they had just received the news not long ago.

The weather was dry, and although the fire was a bad thing, it was not enough to make them panic.

I just heard that the Duke of Lu's house was on fire, but strangely, no one went to put out the fire immediately.

“Dangdangdang~~!”

After crossing several streets, the sound of gongs banging could be heard, and someone shouted at the top of his lungs, "Fire, fire!"

The Duke of Lu's mansion was quite grand, and it was even more spectacular at this moment. The fire lit up half the sky, and the stone lions at the door were coated with a layer of red light.

At this time, the Three Immortals of the South China Sea must be invited.

Their Seven Killings technique can suck away the air. As long as the three immortals work together to form the Seven Killings formation, it will be easy to put out the fire.

"There's a fight going on inside."

Tuoba Yu reminded Lu Chu that he and Chunyu Wei were standing at the door watching. Duke Lu had nothing to do with them, so there was no reason for them to interfere.

But Lu Chu, a "greenhorn" who was not familiar with the rules of the underworld, led his men in without saying a word.

"Mr. Yuan, Mr. Yuan, where are you?!"

Lu Chu shouted anxiously.

He and Yuan Wendu had a close personal relationship and they shared the same hardships in the court. How could he turn a blind eye to his old friend's difficulties?

"Mr. Yuan? Brother Wendu~!"

After the weapons clashed, there was a chaotic sound of ping-pong and screams one after another.

The pungent smell of blood and burning pine wood came with the smoke. There were more and more corpses near the corridor, and screams were heard from inside and outside the room.

The sound of fighting was still going on inside.

Lu Chu found a corpse holding a broadsword at the entrance of January Cave and shouted in surprise, "Brother Feng!"

"He's dead." Zhou Yi pressed on his chest. The man's heart was completely broken.

The corner of Lu Chu's eye twitched: "He is Yuan Wenfeng, the younger brother of Wendu Brothers, and also the elder of the Yihe Sword Sect."

At this moment, a scream of "Ah" from inside interrupted his words.

The voice sounded very familiar. Lu Chu opened his eyes wide and had a bad feeling.

"Quick, kill the assassin!"

A loud sound came from outside, and the sound of "dong dong dong" footsteps approached, and the whole ground seemed to be shaking.

Lu Chu, who knew the way, walked in front, and Zhou Yi lagged behind him by half a body length.

Tuoba Yu, who followed in confusedly, took the lamp that Chunyu Wei picked up from the corridor and shone it on a corpse by the window. The man's neck was drooping and had been twisted off long ago, with a black claw mark on it.

This wound looks familiar.

Chun Yuwei quickly flipped up the dead man's eyelids and found that his eyes were full of black blood and the pupils could not be seen clearly.

"It's the Eighteen Claws of the Returning Soul!"

She recognized the origin of this skill and thought that the Demon Marshal was here.

But they had never heard of the Demon Marshal planning to attack the Seven Nobles of Luoyang, so why would he come to the Duke of Lu's mansion to kill people for no reason? It looked like he was going to exterminate the entire family.

Could it be that the Duke of Lu has offended the Demon Marshal?

When Demon Marshal fought with the master, although he was defeated by Yan Yang's extraordinary achievements, he was still famous throughout the world and was a top master in the martial arts world.

Moreover, he accompanied Jie Li Khan for many years. How was he related to the Seven Nobles of Luoyang?

Chun Yuwei immediately thought of many things and was filled with doubts. Tuoba Yu said hurriedly, "It may not be the Demon Marshal."

"Look at the six marks on his neck. Either he has six fingers, or he made two attacks and the first one was blocked. Either way, he can't be the Demon Marshal."

Chunyu Wei took a closer look and found that it was indeed the case.

Master said that the Eighteen Soul-Returning Claws is a combination of slow and melodious movements with infinite variations, and can break through the opponent's various defenses of fists, palms, swords and guns.

Since the first claw has broken the defense, the opponent is doomed to die and there is no way he can make a second move.

Who could that be?

She was lost in thought when she suddenly felt a strong gust of wind blowing in her face, and the large lanterns in the corridor, each held by one person, were all rattling.

The two of them turned over and jumped onto the tiles and rushed forward.

He looked intently at the spacious courtyard inside.

In the firelight, several figures stood in one place. Lu Chu dragged one person out and shouted "Brother Wendu" with sadness in his voice.

The man kept vomiting blood but did not respond.

At this time, the strong wind hit again~!

A white shadow in the yard joined the battle, also with many claws, killing four people in succession.

Tuoba Yu and Chunyu Wei could see clearly that the method he used was similar to the one he used outside Luoyang City.

At this time, the bystanders can see it clearly.

He felt that this claw technique was even more amazing. Although the four men were good at martial arts, they could not block his move.

If they were not familiar with the Eighteen Soul-Returning Claws, they would have suspected that it was the Demon General himself when they saw this strange method of breaking defense.

Zhou Yi pulled out the top demon and killed four people in a row.

The remaining people in the Duke of Lu's mansion breathed a sigh of relief. A bald monk on the roof of the house killed someone and suddenly turned back. He crossed his hands, looking like Zen but not Zen, and released a strange force.

Lao Mufan, the head of the Yihe Sword Sect, growled and slashed with his sword.

“Shhh!”

When Lao Mufan heard the strange sound, he thought it was not good. Sure enough, as soon as the sword energy touched the strange force, it was swallowed up and a hole was created.

Moreover, a stream of true energy in the body was about to be sucked away along the sword.

He quickly pulled away and jumped back.

But when the flaw was exposed, the monk picked up the Buddhist beads made of black gold skulls in his hand and swept them hard towards the flaw in his chest.

If Lao Mufan doesn't die, he will be seriously injured.

He raised his sword to resist, but in panic he saw the monk retract his attack, and the black gold skull bead that was originally sweeping towards him changed direction and swept towards the strange man in white.

The man in white saw his right hand hanging down with his palm facing outward, and his fingers, which were originally stretched downward, suddenly raised up.

The energy rushed through violently, and the two helpers beside the monk could not resist. With two bangs, they crashed into the half-man-high rockery and fell to the side, unable to get up. A guard from the Duke of Lu's mansion rolled on the ground, and the blade pressed down and killed the two men.

The aftermath was so severe that the monk's Buddhist beads burst in the middle of the strong wind and he was hit on the chest by a black gold skull.

He cried out "Oh" and blood spurted out.

The Buddha's eyes, filled with anger, looked at Zhou Yi, and a look of fear emerged uncontrollably.

"Let's go!"

He shouted and the thieves fled.

The monk was clever and vicious. He moved closer to his three companions. Although he was injured, he was faster than his companions.

Zhou Yi chased after him, and his three companions were frightened and turned back to attack.

His evil plan succeeded.

Who would have thought that in just a blink of an eye, the three people who he thought were quite powerful were killed instantly as if their souls were taken away by the white-clothed man's claw attack.

The sound of breaking wind is getting closer.

The monk was filled with malice and forced all his Buddhist energy into his fingers. He screamed "Ouch" and pretended to be seriously injured while running away. When Zhou Yi approached him, he suddenly turned around and poked Zhou Yi's heart with a vicious look on his face.

“Huh?!”

Zhou Yi only felt that his senses were affected by the strong wind, and his five senses were weakened for a moment when he was caught off guard.

Then he felt a suction force at the other person's fingertips, which not only had the effect of breaking up the qi, but also seemed to be able to move the true essence in the body along with the external true qi.

The monk was shocked.

Why can't I absorb his true essence? !

The monk used up all his strength and saw overlapping hand shadows in front of him. He felt a pain in his wrist as his pulse point was grabbed, and then he shivered with cold.

It was all because a strong cold air swept into his Ren and Du meridians like a whirlwind, making his lips turn white and his upper teeth constantly knocking against his lower teeth.

The Huangting and Jinlu in the Dantian were frozen, let alone raising and circulating the true qi.

At this moment, he was like a frozen salted fish, and it was difficult for him to move his muscles.

"Who are you?"

The monk was shivering with cold and his voice was trembling. He could never have imagined that there was such a helper in the Duke of Lu's mansion.

"Who are you? Which temple are you from?"

The monk said: "Of course it is the Jingnian Zen Temple. Boy, I advise you not to interfere in the affairs of the Yuan Mansion, otherwise..."

Before he could finish his threat, Zhou Yi pressed his palm on his chest, and his true energy shot out, severing all the monk's meridians. He shook violently all over and felt an unbearable pain in an instant.

A low, hoarse scream rolled out of his throat. The monk didn't expect Zhou Yi to act so suddenly.

He kept his words in his heart and died with his eyes open.

What dares to threaten me?

Zhou Yi was originally curious about his martial arts, but his interest was suddenly spoiled, and he was given a painful death.

As if looking for a clue, he touched the monk.

There are no martial arts scriptures at all.

As a large group of support troops arrived, the shouting and fighting in the Duke of Lu's mansion gradually stopped, but the wailing and sounds of firefighting still filled the air.

"Master Zhou is also proficient in Buddhist martial arts?"

Tuoba Yu seemed to see him using the Buddhist hand seal. The hand seal looked simple, but without the knowledge of Buddhist Zen, it had no power at all.

Therefore, the threshold is very high and is exclusive to old monks.

Zhou Yi said perfunctorily: "I happened to read some Buddhist scriptures, but it's not worth mentioning."

"Do you know the origins of this monk?"

Chun Yuwei said indifferently, "Then you've asked the wrong person. We don't pay much attention to the Buddhist sect in the Central Plains."

"How's Luneshi?"

"He was very impulsive, but luckily he wasn't hurt."

Zhou Yi wanted to ask about the "claw injury" again, but suddenly heard Lu Chu's voice and walked back.

Chun Yuwei whispered, "Brother, have you figured out his true identity?"

"No."

Tuoba Yu pinched his chin, looking confused. "As Master said, the deeper one advances in martial arts, the more focused one must be. A multitude of mundane skills are not as good as a single, magical one. But no matter how I look at it, I feel that what he has learned is a multitude of things."

"His claw technique is somewhat similar to the martial arts of the Demonic Sect, his seal technique belongs to Buddhism, and his Qi seems to be the orthodox Xuan Sect."

“Don’t these conflict with each other?”

Chun Yuwei said: "Of course there is a conflict, so he is very strange."

She folded her arms, "If Master saw him, he would probably doubt what he said. I see he's an expert in everything."

Tuoba Yu coughed and said with shame: "Perhaps it's because we are not well-trained and have poor eyesight. What Master sees is different from what we see."

"Master Zhou, is there any hope for Duke Yuan?"

Lu Chu looked at Zhou Yi anxiously, treating him as the last straw. You know, he was able to treat old lady Dugu, so his medical skills must be superb.

Zhou Yi looked at Duke Lu lying on the ground and waved his hand slightly. He thought, "The person is dead, why bother to treat him?"

"Find someone to help Duke Lu."

Lu Chu was stunned and cried out in sorrow:

"Brother Wendu~~!"

"This is in Luoyang City, Brother Wendu, you are still at home. Who is so lawless as to harm you like this?"

The words not only expressed the sorrow of an old friend's misfortune, but also a sense of grief for the loss of a friend.

He wasn't the only one who felt this way.

There were still people around putting out the fire, but four men came out. One of them looked familiar to Zhou Yi, as he was very similar to the young master of the Guo family who was rescued on the Xuanyuanguanshan Road.

Apparently, he is Guo Wenyi.

There was a man of similar age next to Old Guo. Someone just called him Minister Zhao, and he should be the Minister of the Imperial Court Zhao Changwen.

There was also an old man with a serious face who remained silent.

Among the seven nobles, the only one who can match him is Huangfu Wuyi.

He was not only an honest and upright minister, but also the General of the Right Guard who controlled the troops. When Yang Guang went south, he appointed him as the governor of the Eastern Capital, which showed his trust in him.

The last person was stroking his beard while observing the surroundings of Yuan Mansion with a very obscure look.

Someone just called him Duke of Chen. I think it was Duan Da, whose status among the Seven Nobles was second only to Wang Shichong.

Including the deceased Yuan Wendu, six of the Seven Nobles have gathered.

Except for Lu Chu, no one else spoke.

Just then

“Mr. Yuan~~!!”

The voice comes before the person.

After a while, a tall and burly man appeared in the courtyard. He was wearing a dark brocade robe, a gold ribbon around his waist, and his face looked deep and majestic.

He has a high nose bridge and sunken eye sockets. This mixed-race face with sinister eyes gives people the impression of being extremely cunning, but at this moment he has a look of sadness on his face, which doesn't match him in any way.

Zhou Yi looked at the person who came and guessed that he was Wang Shichong.

Should we suddenly attack and kill him?

This is a good opportunity.

"Who is it? Who is so arrogant and vicious? Do they really think there is no one in my Dongdu?"

Wang Shichong cried out in anger and squatted beside Yuan Wendu.

Several people around him looked wary.

At this time, someone brought the monk's body and said, "Duke Zheng, it was this monk who killed Duke Lu."

The person who spoke was Lao Mufan, the head of the Yihe Sword Sect.

None of the seven nobles of Luoyang spoke.

Suddenly, a voice came from outside.

"Which evil monk dares to act so presumptuously in Dongdu?"

Zhou Yi looked over and saw that the man was of medium build, about sixty or seventy years old, with a face somewhat similar to Dugu Ce and Dugu Sheng. The slightly narrowed eyes on his hooked nose were scanning him with a sharp gaze.

No introduction is needed, you know who he is.

"How come the Dugu clan leader came so quickly?"

As soon as Wang Shichong opened his mouth, Lao Mufan stood quietly by and said nothing. He couldn't afford to offend either of them.

"I just happened to be passing by. How could I stand by and watch Duke Lu in trouble?"

Wrinkles bulged on both sides of Dugu Feng's hooked nose, with a hint of anger, which appeared after seeing Yuan Wendu's body.

He glanced at Wang Shichong and said to Lao Mufan, "Master Lao, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Duke Lu possesses formidable martial arts skills. If this monk was able to kill someone under your protection, why couldn't he escape?"

Sect Leader Lao looked at Zhou Yi, drawing everyone's attention.

"I was naturally no match for him. It was this friend brought by Lu Neishi who killed the evil monk and avenged Duke Lu."

After hearing this, Wang Shichong, Dugu Feng, and Duan Da all looked at Zhou Yi.

Huangfu Wuyi also looked at Zhou Yi carefully at this time. A flash of surprise flashed across his turbid old eyes, and then he looked at Lu Chu intently.

Lu Chu felt confused and looked towards Dugu Feng.

What the hell is old man Dugu doing?

Didn’t you call Young Master Zhou to treat your mother? How come you don’t recognize him?

“Good skill.”

Wang Shichong stared at the corpse of the evil monk and praised him with a smile: "I wonder what your relationship is with Brother Lu?"

Lu Chu glanced at Zhou Yi and his heart moved.

He reacted quickly and said before Zhou Yi could speak: "It was me who invited Mr. Zhou to visit my house."

"Why are you so vague? Is there something shameful?"

Dugu Feng frowned when he saw that Lu Chu looked at him with a strange look in his eyes, and suddenly remembered the old grudge.

"So that's how it is. Last time you didn't want to marry your youngest daughter to my son, was it because you were waiting for this son-in-law?"

He was a little unhappy and asked:

"Where did Brother Lu pick out such a good son-in-law? Tell us about it. This time he helped Brother Wendu to get revenge, and we are all indebted to him."

The muscles on Lu Chu's face twitched slightly.

He stared at Dugu Feng and said, "My mother is ill, and this Mr. Zhou is knowledgeable in the art of medicine, so I invited him to my house."

This is both a hint and a temptation.

Just from Dugu Feng's confused look, Lu Chu discovered more previously unknown information.

Duan Da, Guo Wenyi, and Zhao Changwen continued to watch without saying anything.

Huangfu Wuyi suddenly said, "Let's not get carried away. Master, please tell us more about what happened at Lord Yuan's residence. I'm afraid these people alone couldn't have caused such extensive damage."

The Duke of Lu's mansion suffered heavy losses, and most of the guards were killed.

The servants and family members were either killed or injured.

If no one helps, there will be no trace of the Duke of Lu’s mansion left tonight.

Sect Leader Lao took a long breath and told the whole story.

It turned out that there were far more people who took action than just these people. They were just the initial criminals who fled immediately after killing most of the masters in the mansion, and the monk was one of the last ones to leave.

Master Lao's face was filled with horror:

"The one who impressed me the most was a very tall man. Our sect's elder, Yuan Wenfeng, is as powerful as me, but he couldn't survive the second blow from that man. I just checked his wounds and found his heart meridians were completely shattered."

"At that time, I was protecting the Duke's granddaughter on the north side and came out a little later. If I had stepped into this place earlier, I would have been dead by now."

Zhao Changwen, the Imperial Court Minister, said, "There are many experts entrenched in the city. It's really hard to figure out who did it."

"I wonder what this monk's origins are?"

No one answered him.

Dugu Feng looked at Zhou Yi and said, "Since Master Zhou killed him, have you heard what he said?"

"I asked him about his background, and he actually responded."

Wang Shichong asked with a smile, "What did he say?"

Zhou Yi recited four words: "Jingnian Zen Temple."

Everyone was shocked, even Lu Chu thought he was talking nonsense.

Tuoba Yu and Chunyu Wei said, "That's what the monk said."

Wang Shichong was the first to break the silence: "Monks can also tell lies, and their words cannot be taken seriously, but we must not ignore Yuan Gong's death."

"In two days, please come to the Imperial City with me. We need to come up with a foolproof plan. Otherwise, Lord Yuan will serve as a warning to us."

Lu Chu frowned: "Is this the arrangement of Duke Zheng?"

"No, this is an imperial decree from the Emperor."

Dugu Feng said, "How could this old man not know?"

Wang Shichong said, "If General Dugu doesn't believe it, he can go to the palace and ask. Do I dare to misrepresent your majesty's decree?"

After saying this, he stood up from beside the body of Duke Lu, made a gesture to leave, and looked at Zhou Yi again.

At this moment, a very sincere smile appeared on his face:

"Master Zhou, since Nei Shi Lu has asked you to treat me, I believe you must be a skilled doctor. In my early years, I served the late emperor and have developed a stubborn brain disease that often causes dizziness. Could you please use your healing magic? If it works, I will reward you with a generous gift."

How could Zhou Yi trust this fickle villain?

"I'll find time to go to the palace and treat the Duke's brain."

"Okay, very good."

Wang Shichong didn't care about the feelings of Yuan Wendu's relatives at all and went out with a smile on his face.

After Wang Shichong left, Dugu Feng didn't want to bother with the mess here. He informed the remaining people and turned to leave.

He left the yard and returned.

Just as Lu Chu was about to ask, Dugu Feng walked up to Zhou Yi and said, "Wang Shichong lied to you. He's not crazy."

He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Mr. Zhou, if you can cure Brother Lu's mother, please come to my house. My mother also has an old illness. If you can cure her, I will definitely give you a lot of benefits."

Lu Chu on the side was very unhappy with him and said:

"What are the benefits? Why don't you explain it clearly, Master?"

Having just been ridiculed by him, Lu Chu also said with a mocking look:

"Mr. Zhou treated my mother, but I, Lu, sacrificed my youngest daughter. Brother Dugu, I recently heard that you have a precious daughter. Not only is she incredibly gifted in martial arts, but her beauty surpasses the two beauties of Luoyang. Are you willing to give her up like I, Lu, did?"

"you!"

Dugu Feng immediately revealed a hint of the domineering aura that a clan leader should have, and glared at him with his tiger eyes.

He glanced at Zhou Yi again and walked away with a flick of his sleeves.

The Duke of Lu's residence was still in chaos. Huangfu Wuyi said, "I'll take care of this place. Brother Lu has also suffered a hardship today, so go back and rest. We'll discuss the affairs of the Eastern Capital when we get to the Imperial City."

"Trouble you, Brother Huangfu."

Lu Chu left his men behind and said goodbye.

Along the way, he chatted with Guo Wenyi and Zhao Changwen for a few words, and then they parted ways at a fork in the street.

Lu Chu looked back at Yuan Wendu Mansion and sighed.

There was no conversation along the way until Zhou Yi and the other two were brought back home.

Tuoba Yu and Chunyu Wei asked the steward about Ba Fenghan's news, but to no avail, so they went to rest.

The lights in the inner hall are on.

After Lu Chu arranged the guest rooms, he invited Zhou Yi over.

"Mr. Zhou"

Lu Chu hesitated for a moment and continued, "Are you really here to treat Madam Dugu?"

"Don't you think so?" Zhou Yi smiled. "Are you wondering why the Dugu clan leader doesn't recognize me?"

"Yes."

"Because he didn't invite me."

Lu Chu looked at him deeply and said, "Just now, Dugu Feng invited you, but Master Zhou did not respond. It seems that in Master Zhou's mind, even Dugu Feng would not have the chance to invite you to his house."

At this point, he added tea to Zhou Yi's glass and said:

"It seems that Lu has taken advantage of this."

Zhou Yi picked up the cup and said, "You can't say that. Without Lu Nei Shi, I don't know where to stay tonight."

"That's too much."

Lu Chu said politely, but then a wave of worry washed over him. "I thought the city was safe, but I didn't expect Brother Wendu to die at home. After tonight, I'm afraid every family will have to increase their guards tenfold. If this continues, they'll surely be exhausted."

"It seems you also believe that Wang Shichong killed the Duke of Lu. He was the first to suggest leading Li Mi into the city, so Wang Shichong had reason to kill him."

Lu Chu acquiesced, and Zhou Yi asked again: "Do you know who the master who did it is?"

"I don't know."

"Then let me ask you again."

Zhou Yi's voice turned cold: "If I kill Wang Shichong tonight, will Dongdu be in chaos?"

"Won't."

Lu Chu affirmed: "The military strength we control is far less than Wang Shichong's, but in terms of prestige, we are still superior. There are many people who are dissatisfied with Wang Shichong, but..."

"Even if you launch a sneak attack, you can't kill him."

"What do you mean?"

Seeing that he didn't believe it, Lu Chu reminded him in a deep voice: "Young Master's martial arts are better than Wang Shichong. If he launches a surprise attack, the Wang Shichong in the Duke's Mansion tonight will surely die, but that may not be the real Wang Shichong."

"Could it be a substitute?"

Zhou Yi was even more unconvinced. He just thought it was Wang Shichong himself.

"You don't know, if Wang Shichong didn't have his tricks, he would have died four times already."

Lu Chu continued, "Some time ago, a man and woman with extraordinary martial arts skills broke into Wang Shichong's house and killed him three times in a row. But the next day, he appeared again in good health."

"Later, another assassin came to kill him, and Wang Shichong died again."

"In the end, the assassin died, but Wang Shichong is still alive. If you attack him tonight, you will fall into the trap as well."

Why is it different from what I know? Zhou Yi was puzzled.

Schrödinger's Wang Shichong?

He frowned slightly: "Are you sure that after Wang Shichong's death, Dongdu will not be in chaos?"

"I'm sure."

Lu Chu added, "Once Wang Shichong dies, the overall situation will be in the hands of the Dugu clan and the rest of us. Then the court in the Eastern Capital will be stable."

Seeing Zhou Yi thinking, Lu Nei Shi was silent for a while.

Then, when he was refilling Zhou Yi's tea, he suddenly said:

"Emperor Huangtai has a kind nature, which is very rare in troubled times. I remember in the ninth year of Daye, when we put down the Yang Xuangan Rebellion, he personally led the imperial guards and fought alongside Fan Zigai. At such a young age, it was truly rare. Even the late emperor was pleased with this, so he stayed in the Eastern Capital."

"Also, Huangfu Wuyi was left behind."

He continued, "That's the old man who stayed at the Duke of Lu's mansion tonight. He's famously honest. In any position he holds, he never accepts invitations or gifts, and he's extremely cautious in handling government affairs."

"The great thief Wang Shichong pressed the issue step by step, forcing Duke Lu to resort to this desperate measure. Now that he is gone, I wonder if the rest of us can hold on to the last hope of the Great Sui Dynasty."

Zhou Yi smiled and shook his head: “Lu Nei Shi, you are a smart and interesting person.”

Lu Chu smiled bitterly and said, "Mr. Zhou, this tea of ​​mine is quite palatable, isn't it?"

"certainly."

Zhou Yi changed the subject: "By the way, do you have a nightgown at home?"

Lu Chu was slightly startled, and after making eye contact with him, he said, "Yes!"

"Mr. Zhou, what do you want?"

"Oh," Zhou Yi said with a smile, "Duke Zheng has a headache. I'll go and treat him."

Although Lu Chu was not optimistic about his move, he still did as he was told.

…

"What? Tell me again, what does that person look like?!"

At the residence of Minister of Internal Affairs Guo Wenyi, the young master of the Guo family, who was carried back in the middle of the night, was telling about what happened on Xuanyuan Road.

Seeing his father's face change drastically, Guo Xinhan hurriedly described the man's appearance in detail.

Clothing, hairstyle, sword and jade, height, weight, eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth, anything that has some impression is described in detail.

"It's him!"

“It’s actually him!”

Guo Wenyi's butt suddenly left the chair and paced back and forth in the hall.

The legend of the Taoist Heavenly Master is everywhere in the martial arts world, but he has never been to Dongdu. Guo Wenyi has seen portraits, but the portraits circulating in the martial arts world are different, so how can he tell them apart at once?

After hearing what his son said, Minister Guo finally understood.

Although they all have the surname Zhou, there are so many people with the surname Zhou, so how can they be associated together?

What's more, he is with Lu Chu.

"Old Lu, you misled me!"

"Dad, what's going on?"

Guo Wenyi stared at his son, making sure there were no more Six-Eareds around, and said cautiously, "The Heavenly Master is at Lu Chu's residence. I'm afraid my chief officer's heart is already with Jianghuai."

"Xinhan, what do you think?"

Old Guo ranked low among the seven nobles, but he was pleased with his son.

They often discuss matters big and small together.

It was for this reason that the manager of the Guo family risked his own life to save him on the mountain road.

Guo Xinhan said, "The Heavenly Master saved my life, so why would Dad ask me? If I say I support the Heavenly Master, wouldn't that hurt Dad's loyalty to the Emperor?"

"Go on."

"If the world were at peace, with the benevolent Emperor Huangtai inheriting the legacy of the previous emperor, there might be a chance to rest for the people and pacify the nine states. Unfortunately, in these troubled times, the sacred artifacts are in jeopardy. Looking at the situation in the Eastern Capital, surrounded by numerous warlords, how can we hope to unify the world and usher in another era of prosperity?"

Guo Xinhan added, "Looking at the martial arts world of Dongdu again, the emergence of the Heshi Bi has sparked a scramble throughout the world, yet the major sects of the Holy Land all treat the Emperor Huangtai as nothing. This is simply a sign of the desperation of the times."

Old Guo looked at his son and asked, "Why did the Heavenly Master do this?"

"Although the Heavenly Master's martial arts skills are high, it is extremely difficult for him to dominate the Eastern Capital. The Jianghuai army cannot enter the Eastern Capital. Therefore, no matter what the Heavenly Master's goal is, the greatest achievement he can foresee is the Heshi Bi."

Guo Xinhan frowned slightly: "But I think the Heshi Bi is dispensable to him."

"Besides, this favor is not easy to help."

"If we were to intervene in such a dangerous martial arts fight, our lives would be in danger."

Lao Guo nodded: "Lu Chu is not a fool, he will definitely think of this."

"Um."

Guo Xinhan said, "The value of the East Capital is far greater than the Heshi Bi. Dad can ask Lu Neishi privately what his attitude is."

"Then do you think that the Heavenly Master has a chance to conquer the world?"

"Of course there is hope. After all, the Celestial Master has the greatest power. Once the Southern Alliance is defeated, the North will be eaten away piecemeal unless they unite."

Guo Xinhan said solemnly: "Therefore, the location of Dongdu is very important."

"If we take control of the South, Bashu, and then the Eastern Capital, then peace will only be a matter of time."

“…”

That night, after talking with his son, Lao Guo couldn't sleep all night.

On the same day, the eldest brother, Duke Lu, died. The second brother, who was the leader, pledged his loyalty to the Heavenly Master and agreed to assist Emperor Huang Tai together, but they parted ways in the blink of an eye.

Guo Wenyi is very cautious and keeps thinking about how to make the right choice and not fall behind.

While Lao Guo was thinking hard.

Under the moonlight in the Eastern Capital, a dark shadow moved silently on the roof tiles of Duke Zheng's mansion like a ghost in the darkness.

finally

After bypassing numerous guards, Zhou Yi reached the inner courtyard of the mansion.

This capricious old thief not only caused trouble for himself, but he was also the previous generation atom of the Ming Zunjiao. If he killed him, the situation in Dongdu would inevitably tilt in his favor.

Zhou Yi is not a soft-hearted person.

He listened carefully and heard bursts of obscene sounds coming from the inner courtyard.

It was Wang Shichong's voice.

Zhou Yi was not in a hurry. He waited until the sound of obscene music reached its climax, and suddenly lightning flashed down from the roof.

A big hole appeared in the roof in an instant!

The man and woman in front of the shaking dressing mirror were completely unable to react and didn't even have the chance to look up.

“Ah~!!!”

The man's screams and the woman's shrieks interrupted the high-pitched and obscene tune, instantly waking up all the masters in the Duke's Mansion.

Zhou Yi swung his sword and flew up with the head in his hand.

He reached out and touched the terrified face to make sure that there was no human skin mask on his face.

"There's an assassin~!!"

Zhou Yi was not afraid at all when he heard the noise in the mansion. He looked at Wang Shichong's head and said, "You have a brain disease, right? Let me help you cure it."

He casually threw the head into the air and slapped it with his palm.

With a loud bang, the Paiyun Palm's power was like a miracle doctor's, curing any stubborn disease.

…

(End of this chapter)