How much is conscience worth?
"Oh?" Wen Liang put down his chopsticks. He had never heard such rumors in the palace.
Yang Ye turned around and Wen Liang disappeared. Seeing that this person who could speak with him was gone, the old man was very anxious, but he still went ahead.
The three of them brought a team of people to guard and surround the Taoist temple, and Yang Ye also ordered all the servants to come out to defend it.
Both sides were armed and evenly matched.
Wen Liang stood on the rooftop, hands behind his back, observing the situation within the courtyard. Yuwen Xin was dressed simply, accompanied only by a personal guard. Even though he was not a prominent figure in the palace, perhaps even so low-key that he was almost forgotten, Wen Liang still recognized him.
In the cool night breeze, the man remained calm and composed, rubbing his index finger and thumb repeatedly as if he were watching a play. Wen Liang smiled faintly and said, "Interesting. It seems that our Majesty has a new candidate in the battle for the throne." Wen Liang has never been afraid of trouble, and with his confidant next to him, he naturally spoke without reservation.
The subordinate just lowered his head and dared not speak.
Tang Xixu glanced at everyone but didn't see the person he thought should be there.
Tang Xixu scanned the rooftops, finally spotting two men on the southeast rooftop. One wore a violet-colored robe, a white jade hairpin in his dark hair, the other wore a dark military uniform and carried a palace guard's sword. It was him, no doubt about it.
Wen Liang also noticed him. The night was a little dark, but fortunately there was a faint moonlight. The two of them looked at each other across the space.
Wen Liang stood in the moonlight, but with his back to the sun, a shadow so dark that his face couldn't be seen. The moonlight splashed across the cobblestones in the center of the courtyard, illuminating everyone but Tang Xixu, who was hiding behind the pillars.
Wen Liang curled his upper lip in a gentle smile, almost as soft as jade. Tang Xixu only raised one corner of his lip, his eyes filled with contempt and a hint of disdain. Although Wen Liang was in a high position, he didn't have the slightest advantage. Instead, he felt a little scared.
The only person in the world who can scare him is that person.
You have been hiding from the world for so long, I didn't expect you to come out again.
Wen Zhao, Wen Zhao, is that you?
"Yang Ye, you killed the people and allowed others to destroy their bodies to make huge profits. There are witnesses and evidence, do you know your crime?" Xu Ning looked serious and spoke in a cold tone. He took out the account book and at the same time grabbed the rope tied around Yan Dong's wrist.
Yang Ye walked over slowly, took the account book, flipped through a few pages, and smacked his lips. "Just a few pages of torn paper, and you want to convict me? Where did this kid come from?" The old man pinched Yan Dong's chin and looked at him for a moment. "Oh, I remember now. You look a bit like that guy named Yan Sheng."
Yan Dong shook his head vigorously, shook off Yang Ye's hand, and spat at him: "You old thief, you killed my brother and skinned him alive, and for money, you even dared to steal the body from the morgue. You said you have done so many immoral things, aren't you afraid of ghosts knocking on your door in the middle of the night?"
"Any transaction that makes a profit three times more than the principal is unethical. What's more, your transaction doesn't even require any principal. Are you still a human being? You are not worthy of being a human being." Xu Ning pointed at Yang Ye's nose and cursed.
"Hmph, little girl, if I just serve as an official honestly in this world, I, Yang Ye, will never be able to live in such a big house in my lifetime, let alone wear the clothes of the Jinyi Pavilion in Huajing City.
I originally thought I had to climb the social ladder, becoming a higher official, to earn more money. But I was wrong. Without connections and money, there was no way to get ahead. So I started making money. I tried many ways, but the profits were always too slim. I gradually realized that only by abandoning conscience can one make more money. "Yang Ye's face gradually revealed greed."
Yuwen Xin frowned: "It seems that Yang Shoudao has indeed made a lot of money in recent years." He was a little angry. A local governor has many small officials under him. If the leader wants to get this big job done, he must have the support of many "little soldiers".
Moreover, judging from Yang Ye's family business, he must have been doing this kind of highly profitable business for a long time.
"That's right. In this kind of business, money is exchanged for goods. Do you know how much ten thousand taels of silver is? Hahahaha, I once opened a casino and made my first fortune, and that's when I realized how much money could be."
"You have earned so much money, why have you been living in Linyao for so many years?" Xu Ning was puzzled. According to the inside story of the imperial examination in the Xin Dynasty, one could rely on family background or even join a faction to seek a high official position.
After Yang Ye made some money, he came to his senses: "I've made so much money, and I've become a local tycoon. Instead of groveling and currying favor with powerful officials, I'd rather be a local landlord and be free."
Yuwen Xin gradually realized that this man was probably stalling for time with them, so it was better to cut the Gordian knot: "Stop talking nonsense and capture him." Yuwen Xin waved his hand to signal the yamen behind him.
The bailiff had just started and had not yet reached Yang Ye.
"Wait, let's see who dares to make a move." Lu Shiren came over with some people. "You are not a governor at all. I just received a secret letter. Kyoto did not send any governor to inspect. We have all been deceived by him."
"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and put away your weapons." The yamen officials who came from the prefectural government looked at each other and put away their swords one by one.
Yuwen Xin had just arrived, so naturally he did not have as much prestige as the prefect in the eyes of the people.
"So you were deliberately delaying time just now. You were waiting for Lu Shiren to come." Xu Ning suddenly realized.
"Not bad. You are not stupid." Yang Ye breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Lu Shiren coming.
The situation reversed and everyone surrounded Yuwen Xin and his group.
"These little thieves are talking nonsense and framing the court officials. Why don't you catch them?" Yang Ye ordered everyone and shouted loudly.
The scene was in chaos and all three of them fought hard.
The huge courtyard was filled with the sound of weapons clashing, figures were in chaos, and the rockery was split in half. Yang Ye looked at the valuable objects in the courtyard and felt very distressed: "Oh, my pillars."
"I'm afraid this old thief has dug a trap long ago, waiting for us to jump into it." As Xu Ning spoke, she dodged the sword that was about to stab her.
Tang Xixu did not participate in the fight between the two people. When he saw the people on the roof leaving, he followed them.
Wen Liang realized that someone was following him, so he found a dense forest and stopped.
Tang Xixu followed until he lost sight of the person and chuckled. He walked slowly on the flat ground, his steps light and somewhat lazy. Today, Tang Xixu was wearing a navy blue flowing suit, his black hair loose, and the corners of his eyes dark red.
Tonight is the sixteenth. On this day of every month, the poison in Xixu's body will spread wantonly, and one or two of the poisonous insects will die suddenly. Even with his powerful internal strength, he can hardly suppress the toxicity.
"City Lord Wen, long time no see." Wen Liang slowly descended from the tree. After one foot touched the ground, he looked at his "old friend" with some joy.
Tang Xixu narrowed his eyes slightly to verify his guess. He was too lazy to hide it: "Eunuch Wenliang, long time no see." The young man looked at him mockingly.
Wen Liang's smile disappeared. He hated being called "father-in-law" the most. It was a shame, a constant reminder that he was not a man, an inhuman, androgynous person.
Tang Xixu naturally knew this, but he just liked to poke at people's sore spots, as if seeing others angry and sad would make him feel better.
"I wonder how the father-in-law recognized me?" Tang Xixu had been wearing a human skin mask to cover his original appearance.
Wen Liang curled his lips and smiled lightly: "People in the martial arts world may only know that the third city lord of Buhuo City, Qingyi Wuyou, has a good voice and can sing a good opera, but few people know that he also has a pair of skillful hands that can beautify his face and paint his skin."
Tang Xixu smiled without saying anything, agreeing to everything.
In the martial arts world, there's no true friendship between sects, only undying interests. Buhuo City has established a strong reputation in recent years, and its lord, Wen Zhao, is known as the "Rain of Guns" that terrifies many martial artists.
Recalling that year, amidst a torrential downpour, someone challenged Buhuo City. The city's lord, Wen Zhao, seemed to hold every lifeline in his grasp. He stabbed ten men in the throat with a silver spear, and the rain turned to blood on the ground. Those hiding behind a brick wall only saw Wen Zhao tear the corpse into pieces and throw them into a beast's den, where the tigers devoured the "delicacy" with relish.
There were two people who luckily survived that night. Seeing this scene, they fled in panic. One went crazy and the other committed suicide the next day.
No one knew whether the two men were lucky enough to survive or Wen Zhao let them go on purpose.
Wen Zhao became famous in this battle, earning him the nickname "Rain of Guns and Deadly Stabs" in the martial arts world. Wen Liang wasn't one to shy away from danger, but his heart still trembled at the sight of this young man. Tang Xixu seemed to possess an innate, frightening, soul-shaking fear.
"I didn't expect that City Lord Wen would come out of seclusion. I thought you would stay out of the affairs of the martial arts world and just be a good city lord of your area." Although Wen Liang was unhappy, he still smiled. After all, he didn't know how strong he was now. He couldn't beat him in the early years. It would be best not to mess with this crazy guy.
The poison had taken effect tonight, and Tang Xixu was trying hard to control it, his internal strength weakened. Seeing that this person came with bad intentions, he said: "Eunuch, you have come out to do dirty business, and you are even plotting against my territory. I don't care what you want to do, but if your people cause trouble and run wild on my territory, I have to intervene."
Wen Liang was a little confused. He had just instructed his subordinates to do these things and hadn't conducted a thorough investigation. "Oh? I wonder which one disturbed the city lord's peace?"
"You should ask your subordinate Yang Shoudao."
Wen Liang instantly understood that Ruyanlou belonged to Buhuocheng. After all, it didn't really matter to Wen Liang. Merchants were using Ruyanlou's venue for auctions, and Ruyanlou had invited a troupe to perform without even realizing the puppets were made of human skin.
Tang Xixu was unwilling to settle the account with just a small follower. No matter how much he tried to persuade Wen Liang, he still could not get rid of the responsibility.
Tang Xixu flew to a tall tree and broke off a long branch. "Wow--" a gust of wind blew towards him. This was the strong wind generated when Tang Xixu swung out the long branch.
Wen Liang didn't want to fight him, so he kept defending and ran forward. He retreated again and again, but there was no way to retreat.
Finally, Wen Liang landed on a small boat. The boat was made of about ten dark green bamboo poles, about five feet long, and floated thinly on the quiet lake.
The long boots landed lightly on the bamboo raft, which swayed and created ripples. The night was a little cold, and the surroundings were deserted, with only the lonely moon casting a silvery glow on the dark lake.
Tang Xixu chased after him, but there was no sign of Wen Liang.
“Huh—Huh”
"Hua, hua, hua" something was gently stepping on the surface of the lake. Wen Liang strode across the water. Tang Xixu turned around when he heard the sound, and then stepped into the water and stepped onto the bamboo raft.
One heavy, one light, the previously balanced bamboo raft was thrown off balance. The raft tilted upward, forcing Wen Liang to tuck in his legs and jump. One high, one low, Tang Xixu swung his long branches, wrapping them around Wen Liang's waist.
Wen Liang fell down and the bamboo raft regained balance. Tang Xixu pulled Wen Liang's wrist, and Wen Liang's free hand immediately hit Tang Xixu's chest.
The noise startled the lake, and the ripples on the lake surface never subsided, layer upon layer, and the waves rolled up and down.
After a few moves, the two were evenly matched. Wen Liangsong let go, "City Lord Wen, your skills aren't what they used to be." Tang Xixu's poison attack today had certainly benefited him, but few people knew he was poisoned.
Tang Xixu was gathering strength to strike fiercely, but the young man spun his right palm and smiled maliciously at Wen Liang.
Wen Liang saw the momentum of this move and immediately became alert: Oh no! This is a fatal move!
Many heroes in the martial arts world died from this move in those days.
Wen Liang also raised his palm to resist this move. The night was as dark as ink. He vaguely saw something flash in Tang Xixu's eyes. Then the young man sideways his hand, and Wen Liang hit him without dodging, which scared Wen Liang.
"puff"
Wen Liang hit Tang Xixu hard on the chest, and the young man fell into the lake with a sinister smile, splashing high water.
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