North City.
Yiyun Ward.
The back hall of Zhang's Tavern.
Night rain beat against the eaves as a wind lantern swayed.
A young man in a white robe sat casually in the seat of honor. His black hair fell over his shoulders, and his features were handsome. A wine gourd hung at his waist, and his entire body exuded a faint scent of alcohol.
Down below,
Hua Ying's pretty face was as pale as paper, with a trace of blood she had not yet wiped away clinging to the corner of her lips.
Her left arm hung unnaturally at her side, the clothing over her shoulder blade torn open to reveal a purplish-black bruise beneath. Her full chest heaved violently. It took her quite a while to stabilize her breathing before she spoke hoarsely.
“This humble one... thanks the Young Master for his rescue.”
Having said only this single sentence, the chilling sensation of having just hovered between life and death rushed back into her heart.
Just moments ago, Gongsun Bei had suddenly descended from the sky!
Without a word, he had unleashed three consecutive palm strikes from a distance!
The fierce palm forces had crashed down like meteors, severely wounding her, Zhongli Mo, and Liu Sanxian all at once.
Wounded severely, Hua Ying had fled in panic.
Meanwhile, Lai Zong, a First-Tier Sea Patrol Guard of the Zhenhai Marquis Mansion, and Huo Yinglong, one of the Seven Elegances and a genius of the Nanxiang Huo family, had joined forces to hunt her down.
Both of them only possessed early-stage Huajin Rank cultivation.
On any ordinary day, with her mid-stage Huajin Rank cultivation, she would not have feared fighting them two-on-one.
But at that moment, Hua Ying was suffering from internal injuries and running low on strength. Moreover, she was terrified that Gongsun Bei might return at any moment. She could only grit her teeth and retreat while fighting!
To make matters worse, before the commotion here could die down, a mid-stage Huajin Rank expert from the prefectural capital's Zeng clan arrived upon hearing the news.
Forming a pincer movement with Lai Zong and Huo Yinglong, they completely sealed off all her paths of retreat.
At that moment, Hua Ying had almost resigned herself to her fate.
At the critical juncture, the young man before her had appeared with his face masked.
With a flick of his sleeve, he deflected Lai Zong's saber strike slightly!
With a backhanded palm strike, he shattered Huo Yinglong's sword-light!
In the next instant, Hua Ying felt her waist tighten as she was swept into his arms.
The scenery beneath her feet flew backward like flowing water.
She could not even clearly discern the movement technique of the white-robed young man.
With a few leaps and bounds, they traversed alleys and wards.
By the time they turned past the third street, the three presences behind them had already vanished.
At the head of the room,
the handsome young man untied the wine gourd from his waist, tilted his head back, and took several large gulps. The alcohol trickled down his chin, which he wiped away with a casual swipe of his hand.
“No matter...”
“I am to blame for this. There was an error in our intelligence.”
He shook the gourd, listening to the sloshing of the wine inside, his tone gradually turning solemn.
“Gongsun Bei definitely went to the imperial capital; there is no doubt about that. With his Outer Gang Rank cultivation, even if he traveled day and night, it should have taken him a month to make the round trip back to Nanxiang.”
Speaking to this point, he paused, his knuckles tightening slightly as he said,
“Some unexpected event must have occurred... but it no longer matters!”
Linghu Su set down his wine gourd, stood up, and slowly walked down from the dais, speaking as he paced.
“After today, the Nanxiang Prefecture branch that I worked so hard to build is compromised. Once you return, pass a message to Yingying on my behalf.”
Hearing this, Hua Ying quickly sat up straight, assuming an attentive posture.
Linghu Su walked over to the window, staring at the rain that was growing heavier outside, and said,
“For the next few years, do not send any more people to the prefectural capital.”
“Gongsun Bei is not someone who lets things slide. After this battle, he will certainly guard the Prefectural Governor's Mansion with the utmost security while doing everything in his power to retaliate against the Yinsha Sect.”
“Tell her... to make preparations early.”
Hua Ying hurriedly lowered her head, folding her hands in front of her as she curtsied deeply.
“This humble one has noted it down. I will definitely pass the message to the Holy Aunt.”
Linghu Su nodded slightly and lightly clapped his hands.
Swoosh!
A dark figure silently dropped from the beams, landing steadily beside Hua Ying.
Hua Ying's pupils instantly contracted!
She had not noticed at all when this person had positioned themselves above her head.
Linghu Su said, “Take her to rest. Once the heat dies down, escort her out of the city.”
The black-robed person remained silent, making a welcoming gesture toward Hua Ying.
Hua Ying stood up and took a few steps before suddenly pausing, her tone hesitant.
“Young Master... what about my eldest brother and the other brothers...?”
“Do not think about them anymore.”
Linghu Su did not turn around, his voice as cold as the rain dripping from the eaves.
“They are all finished.”
Hearing his definitive words, Hua Ying's delicate body trembled slightly, and two streams of tears instantly flowed from her beautiful eyes.
She sobbed silently a couple of times, asking no further questions, and quietly followed the black-robed person toward the wine cellar.
“By the way.”
Suddenly, the young man by the window spoke again, his voice neither loud nor soft.
“Pass another message to Chou Ji on my behalf.”
Hua Ying's steps faltered. She hurriedly raised her sleeve to wipe away her tears and bowed slightly, not daring to be negligent.
“Tell him to stay tucked away in the Southern Sea from now on and stop causing trouble for Yingying. Otherwise...”
Linghu Su slowly turned his head. His usually gentle eyes suddenly erupted with a chilling killing intent, pressing down overwhelmingly like a freezing northern wind carrying icy blades in the depth of winter!
“Even if his surname is Chou, he must die!!”
Hua Ying did not even dare to raise her head. Her entire body trembled, and her voice wavered.
“Th-this humble one has noted it down...”
Once Hua Ying followed the black-robed person into the wine cellar, no one else remained in the back hall.
Linghu Su stood alone by the window, quietly gazing at the curtain of rain outside.
The rain poured down along the tiles, splashing into fine droplets on the bluestone pavement.
Silence filled the hall, save for the sound of the rain and the faint creak of the swaying wind lantern.
About an hour later, the sound of footsteps treading through the puddles approached from outside the courtyard, the soles of the boots tapping against the bluestone slabs with a steady rhythm.
“Young Master, I have investigated the matter.”
The newcomer stood below the hall, cupping his hands and lowering his head.
Without turning back, Linghu Su asked flatly,
“And?”
“Hou Yulin is dead.”
The man reported respectfully,
“Your subordinate has examined the corpse. The person who did it possesses a profound sword cultivation, killing him with a single blow using nothing but a willow branch. I have basically determined that the killer is indeed Shen Xiuhan.”
Linghu Su paused, seemingly recalling something.
“Shen Xiuhan...”
“I heard that this person once wished to join our Bixia Qi Lineage, but was rejected after offending Junior Sister Luo. Later, someone sent his records to the Sword Lineage, but that was also turned down... Is this true?”
“Uh, cough cough...”
The man coughed twice, looking slightly embarrassed.
“Yes, that is indeed the case.”
Upon hearing this, Linghu Su chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in his tone.
“The Feng Clan is still the same as ever, always preferring to place their hopes on their own kin. I also heard that Elder Feng Buting spat blood in anger because of this?”
“Supposedly, yes.”
“Tsk, how interesting.”
Linghu Su shook his head with a smile, withdrew his gaze, and walked back to the table, lifting his robes to sit down.
“Forget it!”
“Though that Shen Xiuhan's sword talent is decent, he is ultimately nothing more than an Anjin Rank martial artist. There is no need to pay him much mind. If he knows what is good for him, this matter will end here.”
He poured himself a cup of wine, took a shallow sip, and added calmly,
“Hou Yulin was at the bottom tier and knew very little. He could not have caused any significant waves.”
“Without Hou Yulin, there will still be Wang Yulin and Zhang Yulin. Our connection with the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion will not be severed. Go and look for suitable candidates, and compile a list to present to me.”
“Understood!”
The man cupped his hands in response, took two steps back, and turned to vanish into the curtain of rain outside the hall.
Silence returned to the back hall, with only the slight swaying of the wind lantern and the rain beating against the window panes.
Linghu Su sat alone by the table, pouring and drinking by himself. The leftover wine in his cup reflected the dim, flickering light of the lantern.
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