As night deepened, the lights inside the restaurant became dim and yellowish.
"I never imagined that such things existed in the martial arts world. But this is the closest prefecture to the Thirteen States of Customs. How could something like this happen?"
Song Yunyang found it extremely strange. Everyone in the world knew that the Thirteen Prefectures of the Customs were peaceful and prosperous, but it was very abnormal that such shady dealings still existed here.
Chen Zhennan's face darkened as he pondered, "After all, this isn't one of the Thirteen Prefectures. This is the only way to Qingzhou. Although it's inconvenient for us to travel together, there must be quite a few people passing through here. But look, besides the three of us, who else is in this shop? Something's definitely not right."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shiyu slowly gripped the long sword on his back.
"Your Majesty, I'm going to chop them up."
Seeing this, Chen Zhennan quickly reached out to stop Yan Shiyu and whispered, "Shiyu, don't act rashly. We haven't fully figured out the situation yet. Perhaps we're overthinking it."
Song Yunyang frowned, her eyes flashing with worry.
“Brother Nan, if this place really is a rip-off, we might as well just take action now to avoid any unforeseen complications,” Song Yunyang said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, a ruthless glint flashed in Yan Shiyu's eyes. His fingers gently stroked the hilt of his sword, as if searching for an opportunity to fight.
"The Empress is right. I would rather take the initiative than sit and wait to die."
Chen Zhennan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze revealing a hunter's cunning.
"No, I want to see how these shady shops operate. Perhaps we can learn something from them."
After saying that, Chen Zhennan suddenly had an idea and called out towards the counter, "Waiter, take us to our room. It's too empty here, and we're not comfortable eating here. Bring the food and drinks to our room later."
Upon hearing this, the waiter responded loudly, "Yes, sir, I'll be right there." He then hurriedly came out and led Chen Zhennan and the others upstairs.
The three of them sat in Chen Zhennan's room waiting. Song Yunyang was a little worried. She whispered, "If they make the first move, won't we be in an even more passive position?"
Yan Shiyu nodded in agreement, as he shared the same thought, but Chen Zhennan narrowed his eyes slightly with interest.
"Don't worry, what could possibly happen to the three of us? I brought a gun, don't worry."
The three waited quietly in the room, the atmosphere tense and oppressive, as if even time itself had slowed down.
Song Yunyang's fingers kept stroking the sword hilt, while Yan Shiyu was like a cheetah poised to pounce on its prey.
Finally, the waiter slowly brought over the wine and dishes, a humble smile on his face, but a hint of cunning hidden in his eyes.
Chen Zhennan nodded in satisfaction, poured himself a glass of wine, and tilted his head back as if to drink it.
Seeing this, the waiter's smile widened, and he left with a grin, as if he could already foresee his plan succeeding.
After the waiter left, Chen Zhennan spat the wine into a potted plant nearby, then gave Song Yunyang and Yan Shiyu a wink.
People began to pretend to eat and drink, and laughter gradually filled the room.
The waiter outside heard everything clearly and a smug smile appeared on his face. He was already eyeing Chen Zhennan and his group's valuables.
After about ten minutes, the laughter and chatter inside gradually subsided until there was no sound at all.
The waiter waved downstairs, and five people who were already prepared came upstairs, their eyes revealing greed and cruelty.
The waiter quietly opened the door and began to search Chen Zhennan and his companions for their belongings.
The five men who came up had evil smiles on their faces. Two of them drew short knives from their waists, ready to kill Chen Zhennan and the other two.
"Look at this little wench, she's really pretty. Keep her alive, we brothers can have some fun with her tonight."
"Indeed, judging by her appearance, she is a rare beauty. It would be a real shame to kill her."
Upon hearing this, Song Yunyang gritted her teeth. If these beasts dared to touch her, she would skin them alive!
"Make your move, before they realize what's happening," one of them whispered, a short knife in his hand, its blade gleaming coldly in the candlelight, as he slowly approached Chen Zhennan.
Just then, Yan Shiyu suddenly stood up, like a tiger released from its cage.
With a single stroke, he drew his long sword and severed the throats of the two thieves.
His swordsmanship was as fast as lightning and as ruthless as a venomous snake; blood gushed from the throats of the two men instantly.
Not to be outdone, Song Yunyang drew her plain silver sword and stabbed it directly into the waiter's chest.
Chen Zhennan sat up straight, as immovable as a mountain, his gaze sharp as a knife, coldly sweeping over the remaining three people at the door.
The three men were stunned and shocked upon seeing this.
"Are you all alright?"
Chen Zhennan chuckled: "Of course it's okay, how excited are you, my little fan?"
Yan Shiyu was about to rush forward to deal with the remaining three, but his actions were stopped by Chen Zhennan's voice.
"Wait, Shiyu, I have something to ask them."
Chen Zhennan's gaze turned fierce, and he asked in a cold voice, "Do you have government permission behind you?"
Chen Zhennan's question startled Song Yunyang, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He clearly had something in mind when he asked the question, and judging from his expression, he seemed very certain of his judgment.
The three people at the door looked at each other, a hint of panic flashing in their eyes, clearly not intending to tell the truth.
The three men's eyes flickered, as if they were searching for support among themselves.
Finally, they all raised their knives and began to slowly approach Chen Zhennan.
Chen Zhennan clicked his tongue and slowly took out a pistol from his clothes, his movements elegant and composed, as if he were displaying a work of art.
"Don't move. I don't want to take any more lives. Don't be a death wish."
The three people opposite had never seen the weapon in Chen Zhennan's hand before and didn't take it seriously at all.
The three of them took a step forward, but their pace slowed down noticeably, clearly overwhelmed by Chen Zhennan's imposing presence.
Seeing this, Chen Zhennan decisively pulled the trigger, and a gunshot broke the silence in the room, killing the one in front with one shot.
Gunshots echoed in the room, like the call of death. The remaining two men stopped in their tracks, their faces filled with fear, and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.
Chen Zhennan slowly stood up, his figure casting a long shadow under the light, like the Grim Reaper descending.
"I'll ask you one more time, do you have government permission behind you?"
The two dared not lie, and immediately threw down their scimitars and knelt on the ground.
"Hero, spare our lives! We'll talk!"
"Speak up, I'll give you a chance."
The two men exchanged a glance, and the one on the left hurriedly said, "Hero, we don't actually know if we're colluding with the government, but our manager has a good relationship with the county magistrate. He told us to go ahead and do it without worry, and nothing will happen."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhennan suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
"Collusion between officials and bandits, it's a familiar formula."
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