Chapter 123 Suppression and Killing!
As the two men greeted each other with the courtesy due to scholars, a slight breeze inexplicably swept through the closed main room.
Inside the lamp shrouded in a light gauze by the wall, the candlelight flickered gently.
The dim candlelight cast long shadows on everyone as it flickered.
Chen Yi looked at the still-laughing Liu family sixth young master, his expression slowly returning to calm, and asked:
"Brother Liu, could you tell me why you sought me out tonight?"
Although he could make a rough deduction, he still hoped that Liu Jing would share his thoughts.
Clearly, the Liu family of Jingzhou's plan to set up Linglan Pavilion had failed, and several managers, including Qian Kuan, had already lost their heads.
Even Liu Hong, the Left Envoy of the Shu Prefecture Administration Commission, had no intention of standing up for the Liu family and quickly gave the Xiao family an explanation.
Why would Liu Jing go to all this trouble to come to him instead of wanting to return to Jingzhou?
Was it just to kill him to vent your anger?
If that's the case, it makes the sixth young master of the Liu family in Jingzhou seem rather dim-witted.
Liu Jing stopped laughing, looked Chen Yi up and down, and his eyes gradually revealed a hint of ruthlessness.
Just at this moment.
He still had a smile on his face, "Of course, I invite Brother Chen to come with me to climb to a high place and enjoy the view!"
Chen Yi paused, looked up, and then glanced in the direction of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence.
I understand now.
"登" means to climb to the top of this wooden building.
Looking into the distance doesn't just mean looking into the distance; it also means looking at the location of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence.
This kind of malicious revenge is something that ordinary people could not come up with.
"Brother Liu's thoughtfulness truly earns my... respect."
Liu Jing said with a forced smile, "Brother Chen is also quite admirable, possessing the integrity of a scholar."
"But what Liu despises most in his life is scholars. They think that just because they have some talent, they can look down on others. That's just unreasonable."
"Liu has a good family background, wealth, and subordinates. Why should he compare his talents with those scholars who are oblivious to the world around them?"
"Brother Chen, don't you agree?"
Chen Yi looked at him, thought about it seriously, nodded and then shook his head.
"What Brother Liu said is both right and wrong."
Liu Jing gave an "oh," but the smile on his face vanished completely.
"Tell me, what's wrong with it?"
"The integrity of scholars may seem worthless, simply because there is no scale to weigh them."
"If they could be weighed, what Brother Liu just mentioned would be as light as a hair compared to them."
After hearing Chen Yi's words, Liu Jing remained silent for a long time before gesturing for people to go upstairs.
"Brother Chen, why don't we go to the rooftop for a chat? The view from there is much better than from here."
Chen Yi gave him a deep look, then readily followed him upstairs.
The other four people in the hall also came along.
The rooftop is a study, tastefully furnished.
It was far more luxurious than Chen Yi's study, with thoughtful details visible everywhere.
The desk, made of sandalwood, is wide and flat-topped, and the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are all rare and exquisite products from renowned manufacturers.
On the other two walls, a zither and a sword are hung, symbolizing the cultivation of both literary and martial arts.
Inside the hall is a landscape painting by a famous artist, depicting the Wumeng Mountains and the Chishui River, with a profound artistic conception.
There is also a green gauze screen in the middle, which separates a tea room, next to which is an octagonal porch leading outside the building.
Chen Yi glanced around and praised, "The layout here is truly ingenious."
"Could it be from Brother Liu's hand?"
Liu Jing shook his head repeatedly, "Brother Chen, you flatter me. This is just a temporary place for me to stay. I don't have the time to make any arrangements."
"That's a pity."
Chen Yi walked through the porch, stood on the inside of the railing, and looked at the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion, which was somewhat lit in the distance.
At this moment, darkness enveloped everything.
He could only vaguely make out the wooden buildings where Chunhe Garden and Jiaxing Garden were located.
It certainly lives up to the phrase "climbing high and looking far".
Liu Jing came to his side, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence with a smile, asking, "Brother Chen, what do you think of the scenery?"
Chen Yi nodded and said in a calm tone, "Not bad, Brother Liu, thank you for your trouble."
He paused slightly and asked, "It seems a bit wasteful to just ask me to come here to enjoy the view from a high vantage point."
"Brother Liu should know that I am merely a son-in-law of the Xiao family. Whether I live or die will not affect the Xiao family."
Upon hearing this, Liu Jing laughed again.
“Brother Chen is right. You are just a minor figure in the Xiao family. Killing you is not enough to shake the foundation of the Xiao family.”
"But precisely because of this, Liu resorted to such a desperate measure, targeting you."
Liu Jing paused, then asked with a smile, "Brother Chen, do you know why I've come here this time, and how much effort I've put into it?"
Chen Yi turned his head to look at him, "I'd like to hear the details."
"This time I volunteered to come to Shuzhou to set up Linglan Pavilion. Although it was indeed to crush the Xiao family's medicine hall, this was just a side effect."
"The root cause is for my own sake."
"If everything goes smoothly, I will have the opportunity to change all the plaques of Linglanxuan to 'Xinglinzhai'."
A hint of resentment flashed across Liu Jing's face. "Do you know what that means to me?"
After a moment's thought, Chen Yi understood, "That way you can gain a foothold in the Liu family of Jingzhou and obtain certain inheritance rights."
"That's right!"
"There are already six children from the eldest son's family who have come to my side."
"If I don't fight for it, I'll never get ahead in this life."
"For this opportunity, I not only made a solemn pledge to my father, but also risked everything."
At this point, Liu Jing almost gritted his teeth, "But now everything is ruined!"
"The Xiao family could have simply closed the pharmacy, and they wouldn't have needed to resist anymore, so why are they choosing to oppose me?"
"And then there's Baicaotang, that bastard, lowly scum. If it weren't for their help, the Xiao family's pharmacy would have gone bankrupt long ago!"
"Brother Chen, tell me, should I feel hatred in this situation?!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi simply looked at him quietly.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke: "Indeed, we should hate him."
The ferocity on Liu Jing's face lessened slightly, and his expression softened. "You think so too, right?"
Chen Yi nodded, his gaze fixed on the night outside the building, and said calmly:
"I hate you as much as I hate you, but it's a bit foolish of you to come to me."
"stupid?"
Liu Jing was taken aback, his face immediately darkening. "Brother Chen, I'm only saying a few more words because you're sensible, so you can live a little longer."
“But your words make me feel disheartened, as if my sincere heart has been wasted.”
Chen Yi chuckled, "It's truly laughable that you're using your sincerity on Brother Liu."
"you?!"
Just then, an old man behind him spoke up, advising, "Young master, there is no need to get angry with a dying man."
"To avoid any unforeseen complications, let's deal with him quickly so we can go to Youzhou to take refuge."
Liu Jing paused, then withdrew his glare at Chen Yi slightly. "Indeed, I shouldn't have wasted my time talking to him."
"Brother Chen, it's getting late. We'll send you off to the afterlife now."
"When I return from Youzhou, I will make the Xiao family pay the price for this grudge!"
As he spoke, he leaned slightly closer, lowered his voice, and chuckled:
"I've heard that Xiao Wan'er and Xiao Jinghong are a perfect couple, both exceptionally beautiful. I, Liu, am very much looking forward to having them..."
Heh!
Before Liu Jing could continue speaking, Chen Yi's hands, which were behind his back, were already around his neck.
With a slight exertion of his fingers, he crushed his throat bones.
Chen Yi immediately withdrew his hand and looked at him coldly.
"Brother Liu, it would be impolite to continue."
Everything happened in an instant.
Chen Yi acted so quickly that even the two old men standing nearby didn't notice.
The two guards who were standing with their backs to them on the porch also did not see it.
Liu Jing was startled, only then realizing a sharp pain in his throat.
He covered his neck, trying to shout, but couldn't utter a word.
In a whimper that sounded like air leaking out.
He anxiously pointed to his throat and pleaded for help from the old man beside him: "Ooh ho ho..."
Only then did the two realize that something was wrong.
"Young Master?"
Hearing something amiss, the two guards turned around, about to check the situation at the outer border, when suddenly their vision blurred.
Chen Yi had already arrived beside them, his true essence erupting from his body.
He lowered his body slightly, pulled his arms inward, and channeled the power of the collapsing mountain, gathering his true essence in his hands.
Without giving the two martial artists a chance to make a move, Chen Yi pushed out two palms diagonally upwards, one to the left and one to the right.
—Collapse Mountain, Supporting the Sky Style!
In an instant, two slightly blurred layers of true essence appeared in the shape of palms on his hands.
"you!?"
"How dare you!"
The two guards were not weak, both being at the seventh rank.
Although they were caught off guard, their reactions were quick, and they all raised their hands to protect themselves.
But as soon as they raised their hands, they found that an immense force was pressing down on them.
This left them with no choice but to watch helplessly as the palm strike landed squarely on their necks.
Click! Click!
A crisp and melodious sound.
Then you can see that the necks of the two seventh-grade martial artists are bent backward, with the backs of their heads pressed against their backs.
"Ha, ha... fist... fist..."
"Fist... intent..."
Before they could finish speaking, they remained standing, completely still.
But Chen Yi didn't stop after he finished doing all that.
He unleashed the Meteor Butterfly Step, turned around, and slapped the two elderly men who were trying to call for help to death with both palms.
Then, under Liu Jing's astonished and terrified gaze, he flipped down the wooden building and landed directly behind the five middle-aged men and others who had heard the commotion and wanted to climb upstairs.
The five people who heard the sound stopped in their tracks, turned around and saw Chen Yi, and immediately shouted angrily:
"What did you do?!"
Chen Yi looked at the five people in the hall, ignored their questions, calmly walked into the room, and casually closed the door.
He looked at the leader, then glanced at the others.
"You said something incorrectly just now."
"Whether I live or die is not up to your young master to decide."
Before he finished speaking, Chen Yi rushed straight over.
His body blurred into a line like a shooting star, with a series of afterimages behind him.
The burly middle-aged man at the head of the group drew his long sword: "You're asking for death!"
"Kill him!"
The five men surrounded each other, and their long swords slashed down simultaneously.
Chen Yi paused slightly, but merely stepped aside, his eyes fixed on the middle-aged man.
In a flash, his hands formed palms, piercing through the long sword at a tricky angle and landing in front of his chest.
Then they saw the burly man's chest cave in, his eyes bloodshot, and he looked down in astonishment.
Chen Yi showed no mercy, continuing to use the Hundred Flowers Palm Step to circle around to the side of another eighth-grade martial artist.
He raised his hand into a knife shape and stabbed the back of his head with his fingertips.
In an instant, the martial artist lost consciousness; his brain had clearly turned to mush.
"Boss?!"
"two……"
Before the remaining three could speak in fear, Chen Yi's figure, like a blooming flower, brushed past them.
Bang, bang, bang.
Three muffled thuds rang out in succession, and then it was seen that apart from Chen Yi, no one else was standing in the main room.
Chen Yi glanced at them and used his Qi Observation Technique to confirm that they were all silent before strolling upstairs.
At this moment, Liu Jing was terrified.
He wanted to jump down, but feared dying because he had no martial arts skills.
He rushed back into the house in a panic, trying to hide under the desk or behind the screen.
But aside from making this neat and clean study messy, he couldn't find any place where he felt safe.
"Ugh, uh..."
As the footsteps grew clearer, Liu Jing's fear and anxiety reached their peak.
He actually knelt down at the top of the stairs and banged his head on the ground.
Bang, bang, bang...
Amidst a series of kowtows, Chen Yi's figure appeared at the corner of the stairs.
He looked up at Liu Jing, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"What are you doing, Brother Liu?"
"Such an attitude diminishes the reputation of the Liu family of Jingzhou."
As he spoke, Chen Yi came to his side and helped him up.
"Actually, I quite liked your unruly attitude before."
"He does look like a young master from a prestigious family."
"It shouldn't make me feel like my first murder was against a complete idiot, and that I just got my hands dirty for nothing."
Chen Yi patted him on the shoulder, "Come on, take a break."
Liu Jing stared at him in horror, stunned for a moment, before finally managing to force out an ugly, sinister smile, "Heh heh..."
"Not really, but... never mind."
Looking at that smile that was more like a grimace, Chen Yi felt utterly bored and reached out to crush his neck.
Liu Jing's eyes widened instantly, and he looked at him with his head drooping, still wearing that ugly smile on his face.
Fear, astonishment, laughter.
Chen Yi looked at him, reached out and brushed his eyes to make him look more peaceful before throwing him to the ground.
After scanning the area, there was no further movement inside the wooden building.
Chen Yi then began to clean up his traces.
It mainly consists of the imprints left by his fist techniques, palm techniques, and footwork.
After hearing about the investigation process of the Provincial Judicial Commissioner from Wang Ji at noon, he became somewhat wary.
It took about fifteen minutes.
After confirming that nothing had been missed, Chen Yi left the residence and headed towards the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion in the distance.
Just like when he came, he moved so lightly that he left no footprints.
Only when he reached the gates of the Marquis's residence did he use the Xuanwu Concealing Breath Technique to conceal the true essence within his body.
Instantly, his scholarly air was fully revealed.
Chen Yi looked at the lantern with the character "Xiao" hanging in the distance, let out a soft breath, and walked over at a leisurely pace.
Old Li is right.
He can kill one person in ten steps and leave no trace for a thousand miles.
The character “行” is the same as “形”, so it should leave no trace.
As Chen Yi got closer, he finally saw several figures guarding the door.
Xiao Die, looking anxious, Pei Guanli, who was bored, and even Xiao Wan'er, who rarely left Jiaxing Garden, stood outside the door, looking towards the street corner.
Wang Lixing and Ge Laosan were also by their side.
It seemed as if I heard a sound.
Pei Guanli immediately waved to Chen Yi as soon as she spotted him, saying, "Brother-in-law, you're finally back!"
The others who heard the voice quickly looked over, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming it was Chen Yi.
Xiao Wan'er glanced in the direction he had returned from, her face smiling, but her tone held a hint of reproach:
"Brother-in-law, why are you back like this? Why aren't you taking the main road?"
Chen Yi chuckled and scratched his head, "I stayed at Baicaotang for too long and thought I'd take a shortcut back, but I ended up getting a little lost..."
Xiao Die came running over, tears welling up in her eyes. "Young Master, next time you go out, you must take someone with you. It makes people...makes people anxious."
Chen Yi comforted her with a word, then led her inside and apologized to Xiao Wan'er:
"Please forgive me, elder sister, for making you worry."
Xiao Wan'er paused, then turned her head and walked into the mansion.
"Who, who's worried about you?"
"Come in quickly, the food is getting cold while we're waiting for you."
Chen Yi smiled and replied, "Coming right away..."
After everyone had left...
Old Ge San at the door looked at his back with suspicion.
The baby bird seems to have a strange smell...
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
