Chapter 309 A Dialogue with the Pavilion Master from Afar! (Thanks to Alliance Leader Xia Mumu for the donation)

General star?

His appearance was indeed that of a general, but his temperament was completely different from before.

He was dressed in a black brocade robe, wearing black boots with purple carvings, and a long sword hanging at his waist with an elegant hilt and scabbard.

Her hair was neatly combed into a bun, with a hairband on her forehead, her face was clean and tidy, and her eyes held a slightly smiling yet extremely aggressive look.

—The White Tiger Guards and the Golden Banner Officers displayed their imposing presence without a doubt.

Chen Yi calmly looked him up and down, and also heard some sounds.

It sounded like Lou Yuxue was muttering something about how she found out.

Clearly, it was no coincidence that a general was waiting here.

Chen Yi thought for a moment, then pulled down his straw hat, revealing his handsome face. "White Tiger Guard General? His name is legendary."

General Xing chuckled, his face flickering in the light of the lanterns hanging in the corridor ceiling. "'Dragon Tiger' is too kind."

"I am but an unknown person who serves the court, and I am no match for a prodigy like you."

He paused, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and pointed to his right with one hand, "I know you have something to discuss with me. Why don't we meet in the quiet room?"

Chen Yi looked at him with an unchanged expression, nodded slightly and said, "I would be honored to accept your offer."

The quiet room over there is not where Lou Yuxue is.

It seems that General Xing waited for him here on purpose, and indeed had something to say.

Chen Yi knew perfectly well what was going on, but he still followed.

It just so happens that his purpose in seeking out Chunyu Tower was also to recruit the White Tiger Guards. He could tell the difference between the importance of the Gold Flag Officer and the Silver Flag Officer.

The room was quiet, with no windows on any side, and candles were lit.

A black wooden table and two armchairs.

The tea cloth on the table is white, and the two cups of tea are steaming hot with clear liquid.

Chen Yi glanced at it, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

General Xing could only guess that he would come, but he couldn't possibly know when he would arrive.

These two cups of tea, which had been brewed long ago, could only be replaced with fresh tea leaves and hot water every fifteen minutes.

It shows sincerity, or rather, good intentions.

"It is my duty to entertain Your Excellency Longhu."

General Xing sat down in a chair at the back, smiling and waving, "Please sit down."

Chen Yi readily sat down opposite him, placing his hands naturally on the table, calmly watching him and quietly waiting for him to continue.

Such courtesy extended to a general, with his attendants dismissed and his tea refilled, suggests that his request must be substantial.

Chen Yi couldn't help but be curious.

The general's smile faded slightly, he raised his hand to pick up the teacup, and said "please".

Chen Yi took a sip without comment, then put down the teacup, remaining silent.

Seeing this, General Xing smiled and shook his head, saying, "'Dragon Tiger' is not the person who has been stirring up trouble in Shu Prefecture lately."

"This composure alone puts me to shame."

This time, without waiting for Chen Yi to speak, he put down his teacup and continued, "In addition, I should apologize to you first."

"Oh?" Chen Yi was somewhat surprised.

General Xing smiled and said, "When you 'killed' Lü Jiunan in Black Fish Alley earlier, I was outside the West Market. Out of curiosity, I followed you."

Chen Yi said knowingly, "That's only human nature."

General Xing shook his head. "If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have been scolded by the Pavilion Master."

It's not entirely unfair.

He followed "Liu Wu" to Kangning Street that time and happened to meet Liu Zhaoxue, so he assumed that "Liu Wu" was a member of the Liu family.

He even wrote a letter to the White Tiger Guards for this purpose.

He thought the Pavilion Master could give him instructions on how to deal with the Liu family in Jingzhou.

Unexpectedly, the Pavilion Master's recent reply not only offered no instructions, but was also sharp in its wording:

[Fool! "Liu Wu" is a member of the Xiao family!]

There was no shortage of anger at their lack of ambition.

Fortunately, there were a few more words that made the general feel ashamed and apprehensive, but also eased his mind somewhat.

Otherwise, he would probably have been stuck with this position as a Golden Banner official for a long time.

Chen Yi, of course, knew nothing of this and asked, "The White Tiger Guard Master...reprimanded you?"

Asking a question you already know the answer to.

The mysterious Pavilion Master of the White Tiger Guard scolded General Xing only because he misjudged or did something wrong.

Based on what he had said earlier, Chen Yi could easily deduce that Jiang Xing must have thought he was a member of the Liu family and had relayed this information back to the White Tiger Guard.

At the same time, he had a deeper deduction—the leader of the White Tiger Guard was certain that he was not a member of the Liu family.

Or perhaps, the sect leader knew his true identity?

impossible!

Currently, only five people know his identity: Pei Guanli, Xiao Wan'er, Wang Ji, Zhang Dabao, and Yan Hai.

Aside from them, there was only Bai Daxian, the number one martial artist who could see through his martial arts cultivation and true appearance at a glance.

Even Liu Lang, who was close to him, didn't know that he was the son-in-law of the Xiao family.

How could the White Tiger Guard Master know his identity if he wasn't in Shu Prefecture?

Chen Yi recalled several past incidents that might have revealed his identity.

The killing of Liu Jing, the spear-wielding of Yan Fusha, and the previous slaying of Du Cang...

The most likely candidate for revealing one's true face or form on these few occasions is... Yan Fusha...

Who is it?

The general was unaware that his unintentional remark would lead Chen Yi to so many deductions, and said with a smile:

"Yes, the Pavilion Master is incredibly powerful. He can know everything happening in the world without even leaving his house."

Chen Yi suppressed his doubts and asked, "What does this have to do with me?"

"Of course."

"My lord has ordered me to invite you to join the White Tiger Guard."

At this point, General Star shook his head: "However, I guess Lord 'Dragon Tiger' will not agree."

"Just like when you rejected the tigress last time—how could someone of your extraordinary talent condescend to serve someone else?"

Chen Yi looked at him noncommittally: "How will you know if you don't try?"

"try?"

General Xing picked up his teacup, took a sip, looked at him, and said, "You are a wise man, and I would never dare to embarrass myself in front of you."

Regardless of the summer grain issue in the three towns, or everything that has happened in Shuzhou recently, it all shows that "Liu Wu" is almost a monster in terms of intelligence.

To some extent, the general's fear of his schemes far outweighed his martial arts talent and cultivation.

However, the reason why General Star was certain that Chen Yi would not join the White Tiger Guard was because the Pavilion Master's letter contained this sentence:

['Liu Wu' is an unparalleled prodigy; none of your banner officers from Shu Prefecture are worthy of his attention. The invitation to join the White Tiger Guard is temporarily suspended.]

Despite his dissatisfaction, after that probing, he hadn't noticed anything unusual in Chen Yi's expression.

Even if he invokes the title "Lord Pavilion Master," it won't change anything.

Such a monstrous talent is indeed beyond the reach of his tricks.

"I have come here to wait for you, not only to meet you, but also to ask you for a favor."

Seeing that the general was so sensible, Chen Yi naturally wouldn't refuse him outright, "Tell me about it."

"Since you are able to roam freely in Shuzhou and even take action against Liu Wen, Lü Jiunan, and Du Cang, you must be very familiar with the situation here."

I've heard a little about it.

"Then you should also know some of the details of the Jizhou Merchant Guild, their profit-driven nature, and their collusion with Zhu Hao, the Commander-in-Chief."

Zhu Hao?

Chen Yi frowned inwardly when he saw that Chen Yi had circled around the issue and was pointing the finger at Jizhou Merchant Guild and Zhu Hao.

He was the one who passed on the news of Zhu Hao's collusion with the Jizhou Merchant Guild to Lou Yuxue, and he was well aware of the connection.

But what does this have to do with him?

Zhu Hao was far away in Guangyuan, and he couldn't catch up with him in time.

Besides, he has already eliminated the malignant tumor that is the Jizhou Merchant Guild. It is only right that the officials of the court should deal with powerful regional officials like Zhu Hao.

General Xing seemed to sense his confusion, "Don't be anxious, Your Excellency."

"What I seek is related to them, but the target is not them, but someone else."

After a pause, General Xing said solemnly, "This matter is of great importance; it is something that our White Tiger Guard has been planning in Shu Prefecture for many years."

"I hope that after you have listened to this, whether you agree or not, you will not reveal a single word to anyone."

In fact, it was absolutely impossible for him to let an outsider interfere with his mission.

But with the Pavilion Master's order in place, he had no choice but to obey; he dared not disobey.

Seeing how serious he was, Chen Yi picked up his teacup and took a sip.

He pondered for a moment.

Chen Yi put down his teacup, shook his head, and said, "If that's the case, then you need to refrain from speaking."

It's fine if you don't listen.

He had no interest in risking his life for the White Tiger Guard, and even though he was curious about the White Tiger Guard's leader, he didn't want to get involved.

If he really did that, what difference would it make from him joining the White Tiger Guard?

To everyone's surprise, General Xing was not worried but happy after hearing this, and said with a smile: "Lord Pavilion Master is a man of great wisdom, and he guessed that you would refuse."

Chen Yi's expression changed slightly, and he said calmly, "Since your sect leader knew I would refuse, why did he order you to do these things?"

"I do not know."

After a pause, General Xing continued, "I am following orders, and I hope you will forgive me."

"However, the Pavilion Master said that you would be very interested if you knew who the purpose of this trip was."

Chen Yi stared intently at him, and after a moment uttered a single word: "Speak."

"Chen Yunfan!"

"Chen...Yunfan?"

Chen Yi had expected to hear his name from Jiang Xing, but he never expected it to be his elder brother, Chen Yunfan.

This was indeed beyond his expectations.

It did indeed pique his interest.

But it was precisely because of this that he became increasingly wary of the White Tiger Guard's leader.

It was like a dark cloud hanging over his head, seeing through everything about him.

—His identity, talent, cultivation, background, and even his thoughts and ideas.

General Xing's attention was always on him, and he naturally noticed the subtle changes in his expression. His admiration for the Pavilion Master was like a surging river.

No matter how mysterious or exceptionally talented "Liu Wu" is, he still can't escape the master's grasp.

However, Jiang Xing also had a question in his mind—this "Liu Wu" was a member of the Xiao family, so why would he care about Chen Yunfan?

It should be noted that there are not many people in the Xiao family who are related to Chen Yunfan, only one—Chen Yi, the Xiao family's son-in-law and the "rookie" of the White Tiger Guard.

Could "Liu Wu" be related to Chen Yi?

Or they...

General Xing carefully examined "Liu Wu" from head to toe, secretly dismissing his own guess.

These two people have absolutely no resemblance in appearance, aura, cultivation level, or talent.

In addition, one person is skilled in poetry, calligraphy, painting, music, chess, and chess, while the other is a practitioner of martial arts and medicine.

If these two people are the same person, how can the word "monster" possibly describe them?

At the very least, it should be preceded by "peerless", or simply "the most talented person in history".

General Xing clearly didn't believe it, as no such person had appeared in thousands or tens of thousands of years ago.

Therefore, he is more inclined to believe that "Liu Wu" and "chubby bird" are related.

That's why "Liu Wu" and Liu Lang rescued the "baby bird" outside the city on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

He had heard Luanfeng mention this before.

A long silence followed.

Chen Yi tapped the table, a smile appearing on his face for the first time. "General, why don't you tell me what it is that requires my intervention?"

Since Chen Yunfan is involved, no matter how much he fears the White Tiger Guard Master, he will give it a try.

He wanted to see what the White Tiger Guard was up to.

Upon hearing this, General Xing clapped his hands and said, "Your words are succinct and to the point, which I greatly admire."

"Actually, it's very simple..."

After listening, a strange look flashed in Chen Yi's eyes. "That's all?"

General Xing nodded and said with a smile, "It's that simple."

"Your Excellency only needs to make a trip for my White Tiger Guard and hand over the evidence of Zhu Hao's crimes to Councilor Chen."

Why don't you do it yourselves?

"Your Excellency is unaware of the following events, but due to several previous incidents, Councilor Chen has had many misunderstandings about my White Tiger Guard."

"If we were to intervene, it would only displease him."

"Then I can go there?"

“At least Chen, the councilor, has heard about what you have been doing in Shu Prefecture recently. He will only assume that you are here on behalf of the Xiao family.”

As Jiang Xing poured most of the tea into the two teacups, he continued:

"Your Excellency can rest assured."

“Not only is Councilor Chen the eldest son of the Chen family in Jiangnan Prefecture, but he is also the top scholar personally selected by the Emperor. No matter how unscrupulous we are, we would never harm him.”

"It is truly a last resort that I have to ask you to come."

"After all, Councilor Chen... his ambitions lie elsewhere than in the court."

Chen Yi didn't respond to his words, stared at him for a moment, and then slowly nodded, "Okay."

Understood.

The White Tiger Guard Master wanted to use the Xiao family, no, to use the relationship between Chen Yi and Chen Yunfan, so that he, an outsider named "Liu Wu," could give Chen Yunfan a favor.

It seems a bit convoluted.

But Chen Yi was already certain that the White Tiger Guards had some kind of scheme against him and Chen Yunfan.

He's a "fledgling," so what is Chen Yunfan?

Is it the Kunpeng soaring ninety thousand miles into the sky?

However, there was one thing Chen Yi believed—Chen Yunfan's ambitions were indeed not in Shu Prefecture, nor in his official career.

He also believed that Chen Yunfan would not care about the White Tiger Guard.

How could someone who constantly talks about the emperor possibly follow the White Tiger Guard's orders?

Let's chat for a bit.

Before Chen Yi could get up to say goodbye, Jiang Xing took two things out of his pocket and placed them on the table.

"The document on the left is the secret letter that Your Excellency previously gave to the female tiger, as well as the 'evidence' of Zhu Hao's treason that my White Tiger Guard collected in Shu Prefecture."

"The one on the right..."

The general patted the star on the surface and said meaningfully, "This is the share of money that you, sir, are entitled to from the Jizhou Merchant Guild."

Chen Yi glanced at him, then looked at the two things covered with brocade on the table. "Did Lou Yuxue tell you?"

"otherwise."

"The tigress cares a lot about you, so she naturally doesn't want to reveal the details of her cooperation with you."

"Luanfeng?"

General Star shook his head again.

"Neither of them said anything. I only sent people to investigate their recent activities after receiving orders from the Pavilion Master."

"This money was prepared by the tigress beforehand; I'm just using it to offer to her."

As Jiang Xing finished speaking, a knowing smile appeared on his face. He looked at Chen Yi and said:

"Are you aware that the phoenix originally intended to split the silver equally with the tigress?"

"But the tigress couldn't bear it, so she specially set aside a million taels of silver from her share for you."

Chen Yi glanced at him, his fingers resting on the table twitched slightly, and he used his true energy to grasp the two items in his hands.

Then he lifted them one by one and looked at them.

A stack of evidence.

Two million taels of silver?

Before he could speak, General Xing explained with a smile, "The other one million taels is your reward for making this trip for the White Tiger Guard."

Chen Yi hummed in agreement, tucked the items into his sleeve, finished the water in his teacup in one gulp, and stood up, saying:

"Please say 'thank you' to the tigress for me."

Jiang Xing was slightly taken aback. "You...aren't you going to see her?"

Chen Yi turned and walked outside. "The purpose of this trip has been achieved. What difference does it make whether I see them or not?"

He understood what the general meant.

He naturally understood Lou Yuxue's intentions.

But his heart is only so big; it can no longer hold too many people.

Moreover, this is a matter between him and Lou Yuxue, how could he tolerate an outsider pointing fingers?

As for his purpose in coming here today—money and preventing Liu Hong, Zhu Hao, and others from resorting to desperate measures—he has indeed achieved both.

The door to the quiet room clicked open and then clicked shut.

General Xing opened his mouth, then gave a wry smile. "Did I mean well but end up doing something wrong?"

"Alas, the Pavilion Master is truly insightful; I, a mere Golden Banner Officer, am truly not worthy of his attention."

He had some selfish motives for acting that way just now.

After all, Lou Yuxue was a secret agent of the White Tiger Guard and a key figure who was about to be promoted to the Golden Banner Officer.

If she could form a marriage alliance with someone like "Dragon Tiger," it would be entirely beneficial to the White Tiger Guard.

Even if "Dragon Tiger" doesn't join the White Tiger Guard, would he still stand by and watch Lou Yuxue die if she were in danger in the future?

But it seems that "Dragon and Tiger" have seen through this trick.

"I hope the tigress won't blame me for meddling."

"Well, she'd better know nothing... I don't want another Golden Banner officer as an enemy..."

General Xing shook his head with a wry smile. After calming down a bit, he took out a secret letter from his pocket and began to read it.

Several sentences were clearly written on it:

[If he is unwilling, you can lure him with the name "Chen Yunfan".]

[If you still refuse, then this person is no longer usable. I authorize you to use any means necessary to kill him!]

General Star looked at the last two words with a helpless expression.

"Lord Pavilion Master, you make it sound so easy. Do you know that 'Liu Wu' is already capable of fighting against a third-rank official?"

"It's still 'Jackal' Du Cang..."

A person's name is like the shadow of a tree.

Jiang Xing believed he was on par with Du Cang, and in a life-or-death battle, it was hard to say who would win.

In addition, that night, "Liu Wu" not only killed Du Cang, but also brought Xiao Wan'er back to the Xiao family unharmed.

With both factors combined, even a general like him would admit his inferiority.

Even if he uses everything he has to kill "Liu Wu", it will probably be a painful experience.

Fortunately, "Liu Wu" agreed.

Jiang Xing then got up and went to the quiet room where Lou Yuxue was. Looking at Lou Yuxue, who was trying to remain calm, he smiled.

"'Dragon Tiger' was very satisfied and left with the money."

Lou Yuxue felt a sense of relief, but said calmly, "It's entirely up to you, sir..."

...

Kyoto Prefecture.

In mid-October, the northern border was noticeably colder than the southern Shu region.

A light drizzle fell, casting a dark hue over the green-tiled roofs.

Only within the imperial city, with its red roofs, golden pillars, carved beams, and painted rafters, is a magnificent and imposing sight.

Even in this rainy weather, it still appears magnificent and resplendent.

At this moment, in a study deep within the imperial city.

The incense burner was filled with wisps of steam and the aroma of sandalwood.

A charcoal fire burned in a stove against the wall, producing no smoke, only warmth.

Wearing a pale mask, Chen Xuanji sat upright in front of the chessboard, holding a black piece in his hand, hesitating to place it.

Opposite him, a middle-aged man dressed in black brocade robes, wearing a dragon crown, with a fair complexion and piercing eyes, stroked his mustache and said with a half-smile:

"Xuanji, it's time to concede."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuanji paused, then placed the black piece in his hand on the chessboard. "Your Majesty, it's too early to declare victory."

The middle-aged man glanced at the chessboard, his smile fading slightly, and shook his head, saying:

"It's always like this, Xuanji. With your chess skills, you're probably close to breaking through to the Saint Realm, aren't you?"

"It will be a while."

"Hehe, break through as soon as possible. I'm waiting for you to decide for me whether to swing the sword south or cut north."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. Within five years, I will ensure that your blade falls where it is due!"

Chen Xuanji glanced southward, his eyes neither sad nor happy, utterly calm.

Qingzhou, let your father see what you will choose.

(End of this chapter)