Chapter 244 Peacock, White Elephant, Golden Lion
Lou Yuxue knew she had no way to deal with "Liu Wu".
Unless she can find out the other person's true identity.
Actually, it's not that she hasn't tried.
In recent days, she has used almost every means to investigate all the major and minor families in Shu Prefecture.
Some were close to the Xiao family, while others were at odds with them.
No matter how hard she investigated, she could not find any trace of "Liu Wu".
It was as if this person had appeared out of thin air in Shu Prefecture.
They come without a trace and go without a trace.
That's fine then.
After all, Lou Yuxue could use some methods to deal with "Liu Wu" slowly and eventually figure out his background.
What she couldn't understand was why "Liu Wu" knew so much about the secrets of the White Tiger Guard.
Not only did they know the identities of several White Tiger Guards—Grey Wolf, Hawk, etc.—they also knew their respective missions.
This was an utter disgrace for her, the Silver Flag Officer of the White Tiger Guard.
Fortunately, Chen Yi was unaware of Lou Yuxue's thoughts; otherwise, he would have laughed three times and said, "It was all your doing."
I'm sure Lou Yuxue's expression at that moment must have been quite something.
A moment of silence.
Chen Yi looked at Lou Yuxue, who was still glaring at him, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, don't worry, I am not an enemy of your White Tiger Guard, and I will not hinder or sabotage your mission."
"On the contrary, I can help you."
Lou Yuxue snorted, "The premise is that I help you first, right?"
Chen Yi nodded and said without blushing, "Fair trade, you help me, I help you, neither of us owes the other anything."
"But you owe me 150,000 taels of silver."
Lou Yuxue clearly no longer believed the words of this bastard in front of her.
She was too careless before, which is why she fell into the trap.
As a result, of the 200,000 taels of silver that the White Tiger Guards were supposed to get, they only ended up with 50,000.
To this day, she still doesn't know how to face the hawk, and can only try to earn as much money as possible to appease him.
Fortunately, Mingyue Tower reopened, and she no longer had to run a wonton shop to earn that hard-earned money.
Chen Yi secretly curled his lip, knowing that if he didn't show some sincerity, it would be difficult to get Lou Yuxue to make a move.
Especially since their opponent was a powerful and unpredictable entity like the Jizhou Merchant Guild.
After thinking for a moment, he suggested, "I can pay for it, right?"
Lou Yuxue was slightly taken aback, then frowned as she looked at him: "You still don't intend to give up?"
Chen Yi spread his hands and said, "The arrow is on the string and must be released."
After much thought...
He decided to start with the Jizhou Trading Company.
To be precise, it refers to the grain stores in the East Market, especially the Lin Family Trading Company where Lin Huai'an works.
Firstly, those people in the grain shops have already started to raise grain prices, affecting hundreds of thousands of people in Shuzhou.
He only needs to add a little more firewood to make the fire burn even more fiercely and vigorously.
Secondly, the Lin family's grain business was backed by the Jizhou trading company, giving it sufficient strength.
If unrest occurs in the grain trade and attracts the attention of merchants from Jizhou, then both Liu Hong and King Landu of Vaishsa might expose their true colors.
In this way, Chen Yicai could take advantage of the chaos.
Lou Yuxue was unaware of his plans, but considering only the scheme against the grain store, she still hesitated.
It's not that she really didn't dare.
However, if she acts in the name of Mingyue Tower, it might affect her upcoming mission.
After thinking for a moment, she made an outrageous demand: "100,000 shi of grain and 300,000 taels of silver."
Chen Yi's smile vanished slightly, and he said in an unhappy tone, "Miss Yuxue, are you trying to trick me like a fool?"
"If it's three taels of silver and a bushel of grain, why would I need to cooperate with you?"
Lou Yuxue didn't expect him to agree; the true intentions were revealed.
Two hundred thousand taels.
"No, no, I can only offer one tael of silver per shi at most, and I need 300,000 shi."
"Three hundred thousand shi? What do you take my White Tiger Guard for? Do you think the Great Wei's grain supply is acceptable?"
Chen Yi feigned surprise as he looked at her: "Isn't that right?"
He didn't believe that the White Tiger Guards, these deeply hidden guys, didn't control some businesses.
Putting aside everything else, the Spring Rain Pavilion alone, owned by the tigress, generates a considerable monthly income.
Besides, there are also phoenixes and dragons around.
It should be noted that Cui Qingwu came from the Cui family of Qinghe—a prominent family in the Great Wei Dynasty, whose wealth was considerable.
Lou Yuxue stared at him for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Tell me honestly, what exactly do you want to do?"
"Is it really to get silver from those grain shops in the East Market?"
"Otherwise what?"
"Hmph, I highly suspect you're using this as an excuse to raise funds for the Xiao family."
Chen Yi chuckled to himself, realizing he had almost forgotten about that.
The Xiao family is in dire need of food, so it's understandable that Lou Yuxue thinks this way.
"You don't need to know my specific reasons for wanting that batch of grain; you just need to consider whether or not to agree to this deal."
Chen Yi then took out ten brand-new gold notes from his pocket, slapped them on the table, and looked at Lou Yuxue with a smile:
"If you agree, I can give you ten thousand taels of gold as a deposit right now."
Lou Yuxue lowered her eyes slightly, glancing at the stack of gold notes with some surprise.
She hadn't expected "Liu Wu" to be so agreeable this time, and she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
She had already explained the situation of the Jizhou Merchant Guild and said that Mingyue Tower was supported by the Jizhou Merchant Guild. Why was this person not afraid?
Although wealth has always been a powerful motivator, it is rare to find someone like "Liu Wu" who values money over life.
Wasn't he afraid of being discovered by the Jizhou Merchant Guild and incurring a swift and severe punishment?
After a moment's thought, Lou Yuxue made a decision—this was a serious matter, and she needed to involve others in it.
"I can't give you an answer right now. We'll meet here tomorrow night at the same time."
"You should have said so earlier."
Chen Yi took the opportunity to put away the gold notes, muttering something about how the Silver Flag Officer of the White Tiger Guard was not very efficient.
Lou Yuxue heard it clearly and was so angry that her eyelids twitched slightly.
Just as I was about to scold him, there were two knocks on the door.
Her expression immediately changed, and she stood up and said seriously, "I have something to do, I'll take my leave first."
Chen Yi calculated the time and knew she was going to meet the visitor from Vaishsa Kingdom, and asked with a smile:
"What's the rush?"
"If it's convenient, would you mind letting me take a look too?"
"roll!"
Seeing Lou Yuxue hurriedly leave the quiet room, Chen Yi chuckled, put on his bamboo hat, and followed her out.
As he walked, he took out another black cloth and covered his face.
Lou Yuxue noticed his movement, stopped and looked at him, her expression already somewhat annoyed.
"This is a matter for my Bright Moon Pavilion. What are you doing here?"
Chen Yi said with a slight smile in his eyes, "I am Liu Lang of Mingyue Tower. Have you forgotten, Miss Yuxue?"
Lou Yuxue was stunned for a moment, then raised her eyebrows and said, "If you dare to follow me again, the deal is off!"
Chen Yi wasn't afraid of her at all, and pointed to the end of the dimly lit corridor: "The person is here."
"Um?"
Lou Yuxue turned around and looked, but did not see anyone appear. Just as she was about to reprimand him again, she heard his voice in her ear.
"three."
"two."
"one."
Before the words were finished, two tall figures shrouded in black robes appeared at the end of the corridor.
Lou Yuxue paused upon seeing this, glared at him fiercely, and knew that now was not the time to drive this bastard away.
She then forced out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Don't speak!"
If she hadn't known that she and the others in Chunyu Tower were no match for "Liu Wu," she would have definitely made that bastard taste the White Tiger Guard's signature skills.
As Lou Yuxue pondered these thoughts, a charming and alluring smile appeared on her face:
"We apologize for not being able to greet our two distinguished guests properly."
As she spoke, she did not forget to sized up the two men in black robes.
With Liu Wu's reminder, she already knew that these two people from Vaishsa Kingdom were no ordinary people.
He's at least better than her.
However, the last time she contacted the other party through the contact person given by Xing, that person's strength was only at the lower third rank.
Therefore, it was not difficult for her to deduce that these two men in black robes were even more powerful than the liaison from Vaishsa Kingdom.
Chen Yi, standing to the side, didn't think much of it. He just glanced at the two of them curiously before quietly standing behind Lou Yuxue.
Using his Qi Observation Technique, he could already discern the martial arts cultivation levels of these two individuals.
Fifth rank, fourth rank.
They are all at the middle third rank of cultivation.
At this moment, the two men in black robes approached. The one in the lead had emerald green eyes that reflected the figures of Lou Yuxue and Chen Yi. He said in a stiff tone:
"Miss Yuxue, please find a quiet place to talk in detail."
The man in black robes beside him kept his head down and remained silent.
Lou Yuxue chuckled, stepped aside and gestured for them to enter the quiet room on the side.
Chen Yi followed closely behind, but sat down first, leaning back as if listening intently.
These two are interesting.
Those who speak have slightly lower cultivation levels, while those who remain silent have higher cultivation levels.
Is this a case of pretending to be weak to take advantage of someone else?
Lou Yuxue didn't bother to scold Chen Yi for not knowing the rules, and raised her hand to invite the man in black robes to sit down together.
But just as she was about to exchange a few pleasantries, she saw the black-robed man who had spoken earlier look at Chen Yi and say:
"Miss Yuxue, could this person be... Elder Black Fang?"
Lou Yuxue shook her head with an unchanged smile, "He is Liu... Liu Lang, a top-tier assassin from my Bright Moon Pavilion."
Chen Yi lifted his straw hat slightly and said with a smile, "I, Liu, greet you two distinguished guests."
The man in black robes' eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "'Knife Maniac'?"
Chen Yi glanced at him with slight surprise and said, "It is indeed me."
He clearly did not believe that the reputation of "Knife Maniac" would reach the Kingdom of Vaishsa.
This person must have stayed in Shu Prefecture for some time before hearing of Liu Lang's name.
The man in black robes nodded slightly and pointed to himself: "Ge Muxiao."
Then he pointed to the man in black robes beside him and said, "Lü Jiunan."
Lou Yuxue smiled and nodded, subtly stepping on Chen Yi's foot to signal him to keep quiet.
"Ge Muxiao, which general under the Peacock Banner do you belong to?"
Peacock Flag?
You must be referring to the bandits led by King Lando, right?
Chen Yi thought to himself, then lowered his head and became a motionless wooden figure.
Then, the black-robed man, Ge Muxiao, spoke in a not-so-fluent Wei Dynasty official language:
“I am merely a Golden Lion Warrior under the King’s command, not a general.”
Lou Yuxue then looked at Lü Jiunan, "And you?"
Just as Ge Muxiao was about to answer, the black-robed man, Lü Jiunan, who had been silent until now, said in a low, hoarse voice, "Peacock Warrior."
Chen Yi's eyes narrowed, and a ripple of emotion stirred within him.
It was him—the sorcerer from Vaishsa who caused his predecessor to elope!
Lü Jiunan...
I never expected that he was one of King Lando's men.
What Chen Yi didn't understand was why King Lando's men would attack him.
Because of the Xiao family?
But that doesn't make sense.
The bandits of Vaishsa Kingdom are not from powerful families in Shu Prefecture, so they shouldn't be afraid of Xiao Jinghong staying in the Xiao family.
Unless he was instructed by someone...
Lou Yuxue, oblivious to his odd behavior, looked surprised and said:
"I have heard that under Lord Lando's Peacock Banner, there are three great warriors: Peacock, Golden Lion, and White Elephant."
"The 'peacock' is especially revered, and I never expected you to be one of them."
Ge Muxiao glanced at Lü Jiunan, seemingly surprised that he would speak.
After a slight hesitation, he nodded slightly: "After Miss Yuxue contacted our people last time, Brother Jiunan took it very seriously and came here today to meet with you."
"grateful."
"So, Miss Yuxue, could you please explain clearly what kind of business you wish to discuss with us?"
Lou Yuxue was about to answer when she glanced at Chen Yi beside her, gritted her teeth inwardly, and then smiled and said:
“A distinguished guest has asked Mingyue Tower to arrange a meeting with your King Lando.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi remained silent, keeping his head down as if he hadn't heard, but a strange feeling welled up inside him.
That distinguished guest must be the Golden Banner Officer General of the White Tiger Guard, right?
strangeness.
What was the purpose of his meeting with King Lando?
"Want to see the king?"
Ge Muxiao subconsciously glanced at Lü Jiunan beside him, and seeing that he was only staring sharply at Lou Yuxue without any intention of speaking, he shook his head and said:
“Miss Yuxue should know that the King is only in the Kingdom of Vaishsa and cannot possibly set foot in the territory of the Great Wei Dynasty.”
Lou Yuxue was prepared and replied with a smile, "That distinguished guest has already made that clear."
"If King Lando is willing, he can personally lead a group to the Tea Horse Road for a visit."
Upon hearing this, before Ge Muxiao could speak, Lü Jiunan asked in his unchanging tone:
"Miss Yuxue, who is that person?"
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but Yu Xue can only reveal his identity to you if your king is willing."
Lu Jiunan stared at her with a gloomy look in his eyes: "I won't talk, and I won't see you."
Lou Yuxue's smile faltered, clearly not expecting him to be so assertive, and she immediately felt some pressure.
"you……"
Just then, Chen Yi slightly raised his head.
This single action drew the attention of Ge Muxiao and Lü Jiunan, and even Lou Yuxue stopped to look at him.
Chen Yi glanced at the expressions of the three men, his gaze settling on Lü Jiunan, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
“I had heard of the name of King Lando when I was in the northern desert.”
"I heard that he was personally taught by the national teacher of the Vajrasattva Kingdom, and is also a Grandmaster-level expert."
He paused, noticing the slight smugness on Ge Muxiao's and Lü Jiunan's faces, and then changed the subject:
"But listening to what I've heard today, it seems that King Lando's courage is no greater than his reputation."
Lou Yuxue was furious upon hearing this. She knew this person couldn't say anything nice, but she never expected him to be so venomous.
Especially at times like this, those two...
Sure enough, before Lou Yuxue could think of a way to remedy the situation, the quiet room was instantly enveloped by two powerful auras.
Like a ghostly apparition whistling past, a chilling aura enveloped her, pressing down on her.
But only for a moment.
Chen Yi then unleashed a sharp and domineering aura, violent as a blade, directly shattering the surrounding cold aura.
He faced two opponents alone, and instead of avoiding their sharp edge, he displayed overwhelming power, like a dragon.
Ge Muxiao flew into a rage, "You, dare?!"
As he spoke, he slammed his hand on the table and stood up, striking out with a powerful palm.
Before he could even extend his arm, Lü Jiunan beside him had already raised his hand to stop him.
Ge Muxiao was taken aback. "Big brother?"
Lu Jiunan patted his hand, gesturing for him to sit down, his gaze fixed on Chen Yi.
"As expected of the 'Sword Maniac,' just looking at the power of this sword intent, you have already grasped thirty percent of the true essence of your master, Senior Sword Demon."
Chen Yi remained seated in his chair, his posture unchanged, and looked at him with a half-smile.
"Brother Lü, are you a sorcerer?"
Lü Jiunan didn't answer, but carefully examined him before turning to Lou Yuxue and asking:
"Does what 'Knife Maniac' said also represent the meaning of Bright Moon Pavilion?"
Lou Yuxue smiled bitterly to herself, feeling that she had no way to express her bitterness.
But now that things have come to this, she could only nod and say, "Please forgive him, he comes from the northern desert and has a bit of a temper."
Before anyone else could speak, she continued, "However, this is the rule of Mingyue Tower. Until I receive a reply from King Lando, I cannot reveal the identity of that noble person."
Lu Jiunan nodded slightly, stood up and said, "We will ask the King later and then get back to you."
As he spoke, he bowed to Chen Yi and said, "Your skill is excellent, 'Knife Madman'. I look forward to seeing you again next time."
Seeing this, Ge Muxiao snorted and walked out of the quiet room first.
Lü Jiunan followed closely behind.
After the two left and their voices were barely audible, Lou Yuxue took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, saying:
Why did you do this? Are you deliberately trying to harm me?
"You clearly knew they were King Lando's men; it was something Lord General had ordered you to do!"
Chen Yi glanced at her and said calmly, "At this time, they cannot possibly convey your request to King Lando."
"You...you tell me! Why wouldn't you?!"
"If I'm not mistaken, Lü Jiunan is the sorcerer who rescued those barbarian slaves from the East Market."
Lou Yuxue was stunned, her angry expression freezing on her face. "He rescued you?"
Chen Yi nodded and said, "Since they are still in Shu Prefecture, those barbarian slaves should be here as well."
"Under these circumstances, do you think they would care about what you ask for?"
"But, but... why are they still looking for me? Wouldn't it be simpler to just refuse them directly?"
"I don't know either. Perhaps... perhaps these bandits from Vaishsa Kingdom have something to ask of Mingyue Tower..."
With that, Chen Yi got up and walked outside.
Lou Yuxue was taken aback. After realizing what he meant, she stepped in front of him and stared at him, asking, "Explain yourself. What are they asking us for?"
"Do you know something else?"
Chen Yi turned his head to look at her, staring directly into her eyes without any hesitation.
Seeing her relentless pursuit of her goal, he thought for a moment, then pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to her.
"You'll understand after reading this."
After saying that, Chen Yi did not hesitate any longer and walked past Lou Yuxue to leave.
As he walked, he listened intently, chasing after Lü Jiunan and Ge Muxiao.
Now that he'd run into them here, he wasn't going to let them get away.
...
On the other side.
After leaving Chunyu Tower, Lü Jiunan headed south with a gloomy expression.
Ge Muxiao followed behind him, his eyes shifting between light and shadow.
After walking several miles, he couldn't help but ask, "Brother, why didn't you let me kill him?"
Lu Jiunan glanced at him sideways and said in a sinister tone, "Neither of us can kill him there."
"You...you mean his knife?"
"Yes, your martial arts skills and techniques are far inferior to his, and I am not good at close combat."
"If we make a move there, and it alerts the others in Shuzhou City, neither of us will be able to escape."
A hint of resentment flashed in Ge Muxiao's eyes, "So we just let him humiliate the king?"
Lu Jiunan paused, then said coldly, "There's a saying in the Wei Dynasty: 'Where there's life, there's hope.' It's not too late to make a move after we send the Left King's son out of Shu Prefecture."
Upon hearing this, Ge Muxiao could only nod. "Then what do we do now?"
"You still intend to use the power of Mingyue Tower to lure away those barbarians?"
No rush.
"Since Lou Yuxue wants to see the King, she will naturally come looking for him again..."
(End of this chapter)
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