Chapter 492 The Feast at Hongmen
"So easy?" Li Rong frowned.
Wei Ke nodded: "I didn't expect it to go so smoothly... Xiao Yuanshan happened to come to Sixi Teahouse today. Qin Lin and I originally wanted to wait for you, General, but we couldn't miss the opportunity, so we just went with the plan. The lady who was helping him relax his muscles is one of our people. We told him about the acupuncture and bloodletting therapy, and he actually agreed. Here, this is his blood."
As she spoke, she turned slightly to the side, allowing everyone to see the woman beside her who had just loosened Xiao Yuanshan's bones.
"So smoothly?" Chi Heng's eyes lit up unconsciously, and she subconsciously reached out to take the porcelain bottle from Wei Ke's hand.
Li Rong sensed something was amiss and his gaze fell on the porcelain bottle. The next second, he saw the cork on the white porcelain bottle wobbling slightly. Li Rong's pupils constricted sharply: "Wei Ke! Throw it away!"
As he spoke, he punched Wei Ke in the wrist.
Wei Ke winced in pain and instinctively loosened his grip. The porcelain bottle fell to the ground and shattered into pieces with a loud crash.
Countless tiny black spiders crawled out of the mouth of the porcelain bottle. They were so densely packed that it sent chills down one's spine.
"Watch out!" Li Rong said, pulling Chi Heng and Wei Ke back a few steps. Then he quickly took out a tinderbox from his pocket, kicked over the strong liquor on the table, and burned the spiders with it.
Wei Ke looked at the shards on the ground with lingering fear, his face as pale as paper: "General, it's my fault, I was reckless..."
Li Rong sighed and patted his shoulder: "Are you alright?"
Wei Ke shook his head.
"Of course it's not your fault! Xiao Yuanshan is too damn ruthless, that was close." Chi Heng shook off his robe with lingering fear.
As the group was talking, the woman who was loosening Xiao Yuanshan's bones suddenly groaned, and the next second, she staggered and collapsed to the ground. She then bled from all seven orifices and died.
The sudden change shocked the people around, but it was too late to rush over and help.
At this moment, Wei Ke rushed over to check on his wife's body, but after taking a few steps, he suddenly staggered, then clutched his chest and knelt down on one knee with a thud.
When Li Rong turned around again, he saw Wei Ke looking up at him with red eyes, his eyes were dark and his lips were purplish-black.
"General..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wei Ke tilted his head back and fainted.
"Wei Ke!"
Li Rong's pupils constricted. He supported the man and sealed all the acupoints on his body. Fortunately, Wei Ke still had a life left; the poisoning seemed to be less severe than that of the woman.
Enraged, Chi Heng kicked the table, shattering it into pieces, and roared as she turned around, "Go and call the doctor!"
Just as the atmosphere was tense, a creak was heard and the door opened.
A short, ugly man dressed in black, with a face covered in horrible scars, appeared at the door.
Li Rong frowned and looked over, his whole body stiffening involuntarily when he saw that face. His pupils contracted, staring intently at the person before him. He opened his mouth several times before finally uttering the two words he had pondered countless times: "...Awang..."
"Awang? Arong, are you confused?" Chi Heng subconsciously frowned as she looked at the ugly man in front of her. When her gaze fell on the light brown crescent-shaped birthmark on his forehead, her pupils suddenly contracted: "You! You really are Awang! My God!"
Why did that handsome, tall boy, who was once eight feet tall, turn into such a grotesque and inhuman creature?
In an instant, the surroundings became so quiet that you could almost hear people breathing.
The newcomer seemed not to have heard them speaking; he simply bowed to Li Rong from afar with a blank expression.
"I have met my maternal uncle. The prince asked me to pass on a message to him. The prince said that since my maternal uncle has finally returned to the capital, he should tell the prince that we are family after all."
"Furthermore, the Prince enjoys lively gatherings. Hearing that his uncle had gotten married in the Great Wilderness, he has specially prepared a banquet to invite his uncle to the Prince's residence for a chat. Uncle, please remember to bring your new bride with you."
As he spoke, his empty eyes flickered, his gaze landing on Wei Ke lying on the ground.
"Furthermore, General Wei's injuries are not serious. In three days, your uncle will bring his new bride to the Prince's residence, and the Prince will present the antidote. Also, General Qin and the Prince hit it off immediately, and the Prince has already invited him to his residence for a chat. The Prince assures your uncle that he will take good care of General Qin before you attend the banquet."
With that, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Rong, stiffened his body, and turned to leave.
Chi Heng watched Awang's retreating figure, her eyes reddening: "Damn it! It's Xiao Yuanshan again! He actually turned Awang into this inhuman, ghostly state!"
Whenever he encountered this person, a sense of frustration would suddenly overwhelm him, making Chi Heng so angry that he slammed his hand on the table, cracking the surface slightly.
However, Li Rong immediately grabbed Awang's wrist in the next second.
Awang suddenly unleashed a fierce palm strike, and the two began to fight.
Li Rong captured Awang without much effort.
However, black blood began to flow from Awang's nose, which he had captured.
Li Rong was slightly taken aback, and then immediately let go of her hand.
Awang's empty eyes remained unchanged throughout; he didn't even wipe away the bloodstains before turning and continuing to walk away.
Chi Heng was furious, his face flushed, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He looked at Li Rong and said hatefully, "Now many of my old subordinates in the capital have come with us. Why don't we just storm the Regent's Palace! I don't believe that so many of us can't kill Xiao Yuanshan."
Seeing Li Rong frowning and staring in the direction Awang left, Chi Heng frowned again and asked, "Arong, why don't you come up with a plan?"
Li Rong pursed his lips: "Aheng, don't be impulsive."
He then looked around and frowned, asking, "Was Qin Lin with Wei Ke the whole time?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Ke's guards were taken aback: "When we went out on a mission with the general, General Qin was in this room, but he disappeared when we returned. General Wei sent men to look for him, but before they could find him, they saw you arrive. We never expected that General Qin would run into the Regent..."
General Wan clicked his tongue in amazement: "General Qin has several guards behind him, yet he was kidnapped right under his nose. This Regent has incredible abilities!"
Chi Heng gritted her teeth and sneered, "He really went to great lengths to lure you and your sister-in-law to this trap."
Li Rong's lips moved slightly. He took one last look at Awang's departing figure, then picked up Wei Ke and stood up: "This trip to the Regent's Palace is unavoidable. However, let's settle things for now first."
As he left, his dark eyes glanced calmly across the street through the window.
The window of the teahouse across the street was open. You could vaguely see steaming tea on the tea table.
From that vantage point, one could see right into the room inside his room.
From the moment he stepped into Kyoto, he was led by the nose by Xiao Yuanshan at every step. Perhaps, without his awareness, it had started much earlier.
Xiao Yuanshan, this time, I am no longer the arrogant and conceited Li Rong I once was. And I no longer trust you.
This time, even if I become a vengeful ghost, I will drag you to the underworld. You should have apologized long ago.
(End of this chapter)
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