Only the moon witnessed the shamelessness of this night.
King Li closed his eyes and sighed softly: "Who am I?"
Fang Shan immediately said, "You are the prince, the high and mighty prince."
Prince Li: "Where is this prince?"
Fang Shan: "A path in the woods."
King Li sighed, "What am I doing?"
Fang Shan: "Your Majesty, you are running for your life."
Prince Li pondered over how it had come to this.
Recalling how Fang Shan persuaded him in the inn—
"Your Highness, it's unfair for you to go to an appointment with a villain with a gentleman's heart. And if he succeeds, wouldn't it prove that Your Highness is inferior in skill and at a disadvantage?"
Then he quoted scriptures and made convincing arguments, portraying them as the righteous side, as if those who left the king to keep the appointment had an IQ problem.
Prince Li shook his head and said, "My lifelong reputation has been destroyed in an instant."
"Your Highness, you are overthinking. When you have mastered your magical powers, we will kill and silence the witnesses."
The guards following in the dark all shuddered... The night is so cold tonight, so cold that it makes people's hands tremble.
Prince Li had a complicated look in his eyes. He had always been known for his cruelty and ruthlessness, but he never thought that one day he would be surpassed by others.
After returning to the palace, Prince Li felt he couldn't swallow this humiliation and was ready to teach Fang Shan a lesson. However, Fang Shan was already prepared: "Time is precious now. Your Highness, please hurry up and practice. Otherwise, if Fang Shan comes to you, the situation will be unfavorable to you."
Prince Li's expression changed again and again, and finally he turned away in anger.
After this incident, someone somehow managed to leak the news, but word of Fang Shan's actions spread throughout the palace overnight, and no one dared to provoke him again. Whether or not he could be defeated was another matter; the key point was that to fight a shameless and scheming person was simply playing with one's own life.
As luck would have it, even the spies in the dark who had been closely watching his movements under the prince's orders were much more relaxed than before.
The next day, at the inn.
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect took a bath and burned incense, and had been wiping his sword over and over again since morning.
Not far away, there were several people standing who were the backbone of the Blood Evil Sect.
"If I lose, the position of the sect leader will be chosen from among you. According to the old rules of the sect, the strong are respected."
"The Sect Master's divine power is unparalleled, and he will definitely win this battle!"
Although the position of Sect Leader is tempting, they do not want the Sect Leader to lose. These people are powerful, but they do not have the ability to command the support of the people. The Blood Demon Sect is plagued by internal strife. If they become the new Sect Leader, they will inevitably face countless brutal assassinations.
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect shook his head: "If Prince Li really chooses to follow the same path as me, the hope of winning this battle will be slim, but..."
He actually smiled happily, as if he wasn't worried about life or death at all: "With this, King Li's martial arts journey has come to an end."
One of them hesitated for a long time, then stepped forward and said, "I don't understand. If the Sect Master had taken action yesterday, he would have won for sure."
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect stood up and suddenly burst into laughter: "Life and death are nothing. When it comes to the level of me and Prince Li, only fighting for our lives is interesting."
The disciples of the Blood Demon Sect all showed puzzled expressions, and the sect leader showed a hint of sneer at the corner of his mouth: "Stupid."
The sun rose in the east and set in the west. The leader of the Blood Demon Sect arranged the so-called "afterlife" that might happen and stood calmly at the door of the inn, waiting for King Li to return.
There was still a little afterglow of the setting sun, shining into his deep pupils, and the fighting spirit inside was boiling.
Time passed minute by minute. The leader of the Blood Demon Sect suddenly looked up at the sky and said self-deprecatingly, "It seems I can't wait any longer. A short while feels like an eternity."
"Master." A faint voice came, "It's not your illusion. It's really late."
Half an incense stick of time had passed, and dusk had already turned into dark night.
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect's expression changed slightly.
"Prince Li wouldn't really flee in fear of the battle?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he was knocked down from the tree. The leader of the Blood Demon Sect sneered: "Are you doubting my judgment?"
The man quickly said, "I dare not."
"If Prince Li is a coward who loves life and fears death, doesn't that mean I've been wrong for over a decade?"
"The master has a keen eye, and it is the disciple who is anxious."
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect said calmly, "I'm afraid something has delayed him. Let's wait a little longer. If he doesn't even have the ability to judge people, then I've been the leader for so many years in vain!"
A quarter of an hour passed, then an hour, and the first light of dawn appeared in the sky, indicating that the night had passed.
"Master," a cautious voice said, "I just found a series of messy horse hoof prints in the woods. I'm afraid King Li has really left."
“……!”
·
Fang Shan, the strategist, was unaware that someone had been guarding him all night. At that moment, he was dining with Wei Sushen, enjoying a bowl of wonton noodles, feeling quite satisfied.
Wei Sushen noticed that the tail behind him was gone and raised his eyebrows.
Fang Shan already had a little desire to show off, so he quickly told him about his masterpiece.
After hearing this, Wei Sushen was silent for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Is Prince Li... okay?"
Fang Shan frowned: "Why does the host care about an outsider?"
Wei Sushen sighed: "It's inevitable that we have some sympathy when we share the same suffering."
Fang Shan coughed lightly. In order not to become the target of anger, Wei Sushen put away his sympathy for King Li.
Fang Shan began to talk business: "The selection of the best talents in various industries in the palace was originally the joint responsibility of the prince and the steward. Since the prince is in seclusion recently, it is now entirely the responsibility of the steward."
Wei Sushen nodded: "I will try it with Bai Yeshang today."
Fang Shan: "Before I left, I ran into a few people who were coming for the selection. I told them to come back this afternoon. It's a good idea for you to come together, so more people won't arouse suspicion."
After the deal was settled, Fang Shan stuffed a few silver notes into his pocket and said, "These are the money I cheated from Prince Li. They are not my own money. Spend them with confidence. If you don't have enough, come to me for more."
Wei Sushen, who received pocket money: ...
Fang Shan walked back slowly with his hands behind his back, thinking in his heart how to let Meng Xunmei meet Li Wang again. The girl's brain was sometimes good and sometimes not, so he had to pay attention to it the whole time.
Considering the system was already acting like a shady company, and adding a fortune teller, he hoped the palace would be in turmoil before the truth was revealed. Wei Sushen chose to compete for his "main job" and applied for the position of physician at the palace. Bai Yeshang, surprisingly honest in some ways, actually took a fancy to the position of porter.
The former had the help of poisonous insects, and the latter had great martial arts skills, so the process was surprisingly smooth.
Although these outstanding people in various industries are outstanding, their treatment in the palace is only slightly better than that of servants. They live in small single rooms and the surroundings are relatively dark.
Fang Shan is different. As a counselor... he is a popular figure in front of the prince, and no one dares to neglect him easily.
When Bai Yeshang had nothing to do, he would mutter to Wei Sushen, "I never thought he would be able to do so well. We were worried for nothing."
Wei Sushen said calmly: "You should worry about the people in the palace, not him."
At that time, Bai Yeshang didn't know Fang Shan very well, so he was confused when he heard it.
The housekeeper sent someone to deliver a thousand taels of silver. Along with Wei Sushen and the others, there was another person selected, a chef. Perhaps because they entered the mansion together, the chef couldn't find anyone else to talk to in the mansion, so he would often come and talk to them.
This person has a gossipy personality and always brings some gossip.
"The palace is truly luxurious. The food the servants eat is something my family can only eat during the New Year." The chef expressed regret, "It's a pity we won't be able to eat it for too long."
Bai Ye Shang: "Why?"
Chef: "I've inquired, and generally they'll be sent somewhere else after less than three months."
Bai Yeshang glanced at Wei Sushen, who seemed to be thinking, "Do you know where we are going?"
The chef shook his head. "I heard the prince has properties elsewhere, so we should all go there." He then laughed foolishly. "Anyway, we can take our families with us, and as long as we can make money, that's all that matters."
After saying this, he was about to pull the two of them together to imagine a bright future, but Wei Sushen's expression was cold, Bai Yeshang was sipping tea with his head down, and the cook stopped thinking and fantasized alone.
Without someone in charge, the palace suddenly became much calmer. Although the steward was strict, he wasn't someone who would easily kill anyone. With the king's retreat just a few days away, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The brief silence was broken in the afternoon.
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect came to the door and stood outside the door like a god of death.
Some curious people wanted to join in the fun, but when they saw these sword-wielding martial artists, they couldn't help but retreat three feet away. There were also many disciples from various sects in the imperial city, standing at a distance and watching.
"Please ask your prince to come out and have a chat."
The housekeeper said: "The prince has caught a cold, and the reception has been handed over to Master Fang."
Fang Shan, who was given the task in a critical moment: ...
The butler's tone contained a hint of gloating, and he whispered: "The prince has instructed that if this matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily, there will be punishment."
After saying that, he turned and left.
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect immediately fixed his eyes on Fang Shan. He remembered this man who had been accompanying King Li that day.
"Was King Li's escape from the battlefield related to you?"
Fang Shan frowned, "Please be careful with your words, Your Excellency. The prince did not avoid the battle, but he had his own reasons at the time."
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect sneered, stood with his arms folded, and the mockery in his eyes could hardly be concealed.
Fang Shan: "The prince encountered some trouble when he rushed back to the inn to keep his appointment."
A hint of murderous intent emanated from the Blood Demon Sect's leader: "What trouble?"
Fang Shan looked calm, but he was actually confused inside. Then his eyes gradually became firm: "Lost."
The gossiping people in the distance all widened their eyes. This lie was too fake!
It is not difficult to guess what happened from the conversation between the two. Li Wang made an appointment to fight with someone, but ran away at the critical moment.
"This matter is strange. Prince Li is proud and conceited. It's not like he would do such a thing." The Taoist priest from Mount Emei analyzed.
"Indeed," several Wudang Mountain disciples beside him nodded. "Prince Li once personally challenged various major sects. He is not one to shy away from battle."
The discussion was still going on when the leader of the Blood Demon Sect suddenly drew his sword and said, "There's only one inn in this desolate mountain area. We can find it by following the signs of people. How could we have gone wrong?"
His question was well-reasoned, and Fang Shan replied sternly, "I didn't get lost on the way back to the inn, but on the way to your heart."
The leader of the Blood Demon Sect: "..."
The people watching the fun: “……!”
The author has something to say: Jianghu people: What a huge amount of information!
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