Chapter 199: Please Go Meet Your Deaths, Everyone! (6k Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 199: Please All Follow Me to Death! (6k Seeking Monthly Ticket)

The man before them was indeed Chen Yi.

Yet in Liu Lang’s eyes, he was the enigmatic proprietor of the Bai Caotang, Chen Yu.

And in Lou Yu Xue’s gaze, he was the mysterious master of medical arts from Liu’s family in Jingzhou, Liu Wu.

But at this moment, as Lou Yu Xue laid eyes on the figure cloaked in black, masked with black iron, the “Liu Wu” before her, a strange sense of familiarity stirred within her heart.

Especially when she caught sight of Liu Wu’s indifferent eyes, that familiar feeling grew all the more intense.

At that instant, several of the evil cultivators and dark adepts who had also beheld Liu Wu’s form broke into astonished murmurs:

“Black Tooth?!”

“Black Tooth’s elder?!”

“Black Tooth…”

When Lou Yu Xue overheard their exclamations, she cast another wary glance, and suddenly her expression shifted. In her heart, she realized that the appearance of Liu Wu at this moment was precisely in the style of Black Tooth.

No, not merely in attire.

His faint, icy aura, his emotionless eyes—everything about him was identical to Black Tooth.

Why was he dressed like this?

Lou Yu Xue’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, her mind drifting through thoughts, vaguely piecing together the deeds of Liu Wu over the past few days.

Within the courtyard of Chun Shu, Liu Wu and Liu Lang had approached her doorstep, proposing to join the scheme of burning the three cities’ summer supplies.

She had sent agents to Jingzhou twice to confirm, receiving replies that Liu Wen was indeed accompanied by Liu Wu, and that he was, in fact, a master of medical arts.

Then came last night, when Liu Wu confronted her, his identity was clearly shrouded in doubt.

Until tonight, when Liu Wu appeared in person, dressed as Black Tooth…

As Lou Yu Xue pondered these things, she felt something on the verge of being grasped, yet she still lacked a central thread to tie all these events together.

—What was Liu Wu’s purpose in doing all this?

Meanwhile, Chen Yi paid no heed to the others’ startled exclamations.

Or rather, he had anticipated such a reaction.

But upon noticing that Lou Yu Xue seemed to be catching on, Chen Yi edged closer, his voice dropping to an almost inaudible whisper:

“Thirty thousand taels of silver, you give me six, I give you four. Otherwise… we’ll just give it to the Xiao family for free, and after tonight, they can use that money to compensate for their losses.”

Lou Yu Xue fixed her gaze on him, her teeth gritted as she demanded, “What do you truly want to do?”

Chen Yi smiled lightly, replying, “Like you, I too wish to see the fireworks tonight.”

When he finished speaking, he called out to the carriage beside the official road: “Is that correct, Lord Liu?”

Then a venomous voice emanated from the carriage: “Don’t dawdle, let’s set off.”

Upon hearing this, Lou Yu Xue’s eyes widened slightly.

It was indeed Liu Wen himself, arriving in person?

But why… Liu Wu?

No, this person before her was not from the Liu family at all!

Otherwise, he would not dare impersonate Black Tooth to summon Liu Wen here!

Could it be…

Is his target the Liu family in Jingzhou?!

Yet before Lou Yu Xue could dwell further on her thoughts, Chen Yi erupted with a cultivation realm of great perfection in his fist and martial arts, his power pressing down upon her.

In an instant, Lou Yu Xue felt as though a mountain had been placed upon her, her face flushing crimson, only able to struggle against it.

“You…”

To her surprise, the force of Chen Yi’s presence surged even further, and her next words were choked back.

Seeing this, Chen Yi merely waved his hand, signaling Liu Lang to lead the other evil cultivators onward, stating, “Yu Xue, follow me to the rear palace.”

“Very well.”

Liu Lang nodded with a smile, yet in his heart, he felt a pang of sorrow for Liu Wen, and admiration for Chen’s deep schemes.

After all, he knew that the journey to the three cities that night would not be in vain, thanks to his master’s plans.

Subsequently, he called forth the other evil cultivators to mount their horses and depart.

Even the carriage driver serving Liu Wen, he did not forget to remind, “When passing through Tie Bi Town, remember—no weapons, stay behind and be cautious.”

Inside the carriage, Liu Wen sneered, “No need for your reminder. Let’s begin.”

It wasn’t until Liu Lang and the others had ridden out for several miles that Chen Yi’s great perfection martial arts aura finally subsided, and he smiled, saying, “Let’s go, we should be heading out soon.”

Lou Yu Xue felt the pressure lift, and instinctively pressed a hand to her chest, taking a deep breath to steady her trembling heart.

She stared intently at the person before her, and spoke with a firm voice: “You… you’ve all been deceived by me!”

“Not even your martial arts is as fearsome as your medical arts!”

Though martial arts cultivation is divided into entry, small perfection, and great perfection realms, this does not mean there is no disparity among those of the same realm.

Like the fist technique before her, it was unquestionably among the pinnacle of the great perfection realm.

—He could display such power in front of several mid-third rank martial adepts, yet control it within just two people’s vicinity, without alerting the others.

Such power, not only was the cultivation level profound and intricate, but also demonstrated absolute mastery over the very fabric of heaven and earth.

Any slightest fluctuation, any hint of leakage, would inevitably draw the attention of the surrounding evil cultivators and Liu Wen.

Chen Yi smiled, bowed his hand in a gesture of invitation, and motioned for them to follow Liu Lang and the others.

“I understand Miss Yu Xue has many questions, but time is pressing. Let’s discuss as we walk.”

Lou Yu Xue bit her lip, refusing, “Impossible!”

Though she was the proud guardian of the Silver Flag Officer, she could not help but be played like a puppet from start to finish. How could she not be angry? How could she simply accept what she saw before her?

Chen Yi smiled, asking, “Do you truly refuse to cooperate?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Then you don’t wish to know my true purpose, do you? And you’re prepared to forgo those thirty thousand taels of silver?”

“Hmph!”

Lou Yu Xue turned her head away, having made up her mind not to compromise.

Yet she was well aware that the martial arts prowess before her was beyond her own reach.

Even so, she had already prepared herself for the possibility of death.

Chen Yi let out a soft, involuntary laugh and said, "I never expected you to choose 'rather be shattered jade than intact clay.' It certainly caught me a bit off guard."

A moment of silence followed.

Seeing she still had no intention of cooperating, Chen Yi thought for a moment and asked, "Harrier Eagle, he should already be planning to withdraw from Shuzhou, right?"

Lou Yuxue's eyes suddenly widened, staring at him in sheer disbelief, "You, how could you know about Harrier Eagle... was it, was it that night?!"

The only thing she could think of was their encounter outside the West Market that evening.

So her suspicion had been correct—this man had been right outside the tailor shop in the West Market that night!

Chen Yi gave a noncommittal nod and said, "In fact, I know far more than you imagine."

"What else do you know? My identity?"

"More than just that..."

"Forget it, if you want to know, follow me. If not, you are completely free to return straight to the Spring Rain Pavilion."

Feeling somewhat devoid of interest, Chen Yi glanced at her, turned, and mounted his horse.

"But as long as you remain in Shuzhou, I will always find you."

With that, he didn't wait for Lou Yuxue to speak again, cracking his whip against the horse's flank and galloping down the official road to catch up with Liu Lang and the others.

Seeing him depart so decisively, Lou Yuxue's expression shifted rapidly, and she suddenly called out, "Wait a moment!"

Yet Chen Yi didn't pause for a second, his scolding voice drifting back, "Wait for what? If you're coming, come."

"You..."

"What about me?"

"Dilly-dallying like this, and you call yourself a Silver Banner Officer of the Hidden Guard?"

"If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn't have lived to see tonight!"

Hearing this, Lou Yuxue felt a surge of secret resentment. She bit her lip, leapt onto her horse, and rode straight after him.

However, once she spurred her horse to catch up with Chen Yi and asked several questions in a row, the response she received every time was just two words: "Take a guess."

No matter how poised Lou Yuxue usually was, she was still driven to absolute fury by him.

"You said earlier that you would tell me these things!"

Chen Yi gave a light chuckle, "Earlier was earlier, now is now. Didn't you refuse back then?"

"You..."

"One question for ten percent of the banknotes. Think carefully before you ask."

Beneath her mask, Lou Yuxue's red lips parted slightly as she stared at him in astonishment.

What kind of question could possibly be worth thirty thousand taels of silver?

But seeing they were drawing closer and closer to Liu Lang and the others, Lou Yuxue took a deep breath and asked the question she wanted to know the most:

"Who on earth are you?"

Chen Yi had anticipated this, curling his lip as he said, "Pick another one, I don't feel like answering this question."

Lou Yuxue instantly grew furious, "Are you playing with me?"

If she hadn't retained a shred of sanity at this moment, and if she didn't know she was no match for the man before her, she truly would have punched him square in the face.

To see if his skin really was that thick.

Seeing her persistence, Chen Yi said, "Then listen closely, I am a member of the Xiao family."

Lou Yuxue naturally didn't believe it, scoffing, "If you were from the Xiao family, how would you dare not report this matter to the Old Marquis?"

"And how do you know the Old Marquis doesn't already know about this?"

"Harrier Eagle... are you baiting my words?"

Seeing her disbelief, Chen Yi shook his head and said, "Fine, actually I am from the Liu family of Jingzhou."

"Impossible!"

Lou Yuxue still didn't buy it, pointing at the carriage ahead in exasperated anger, "If you were Liu Wen's man, why would he have followed along?"

"Don't tell me you still plan to let him return alive."

Chen Yi glanced at her, a half-smile playing on his lips, "The main branch of the Liu family has many legitimate descendants."

"Is it possible that I belong to Liu Zhaoxue?"

"Liu..."

Lou Yuxue froze for a moment, turning her head to measure him up, mulling over the possibility.

Clearly, the answer was plausible.

It was just...

"Liu Zhaoxue dares to kill Liu Wen?"

"Why wouldn't she dare? There is only one position for the head of the Liu family, why couldn't it be Zhaoxue?"

"But..."

Before Lou Yuxue could press any further, Chen Yi raised a hand to interrupt her, "I've told you the identity, I don't care to dwell on the reasons."

"Whether you believe it or not, judge for yourself."

Lou Yuxue gave him a deep, long look, then moved on to her second question: "What exactly do you intend to do?"

Chen Yi looked at her in surprise, "You even have to ask that? Are you intentionally gifting me silver? I'm beginning to doubt your intellect."

"Speak!"

"To slaughter the Second Young Master Liu, of course."

"..."

Lou Yuxue stared at him blankly for a moment, then smacked her forehead in utter vexation.

Even if this man's identity was fake, his desire to see Liu Wen dead was absolutely genuine.

She had indeed asked a stupid question.

Chen Yi paid her no mind. Seeing they were about to catch up with Liu Wen and the others, he lowered his voice:

"Question time is over. Remember what you promised me, that sum of silver, sixty percent for me and forty for you."

With that, he spurred his horse to accelerate, riding right up to Liu Wen's carriage to strike up a conversation with him.

Looking at his retreating back, Lou Yuxue gnashed her silver teeth in secret.

Up to this very moment, in her clash of wits with the man before her, she remained entirely at a disadvantage.

She was like a mere child, trifled with in the palm of his hand, unable to resist.

Now, she only hoped that nothing would go wrong with the plan to "burn the summer grain of the three towns."

After all, that was the outcome the Pavilion Master had personally nodded to approve.

If it failed, no matter where she and Harrier Eagle hid, punishment would be absolutely inevitable.

The hawk...

Thinking of the hawk forced to flee from Shu Zhou, Lou Yuxue could not help but feel a chill in his heart. This time, their covert operation, it seemed, would be difficult to achieve a complete success.

At least that sum of silver could not be fully obtained...

Lou Yuxue mused on these matters, his gaze shifting to the eyes of the men ahead, which flickered with uncertainty.

After a moment, she suddenly yanked the reins and turned the horse around, heading back.

Liu Wu, no matter how many schemes you devise, that silver still cannot be yours!

Chen Yi immediately noticed her movement and, smiling, said, "Lord Liu, please go ahead first. I have some matters to attend to."

Liu Wen lifted the curtain and glanced back, asking, "Has she run off?"

Chen Yi nodded, "After all, there are those who cling to life and fear death—it's not surprising."

Speaking of which, he calmly turned around and rode toward Lou Yuxue, pursuing her.

One chased, one fled.

Lou Yuxue sensed his pursuit and coldly called out, "Silver and Lord Liu's son—you can only choose one!"

Chen Yi pursued her at a leisurely pace, smiling as he said, "I want both."

"Then you'd better try... huh?"

Just as Lou Yuxue was about to threaten him with harsh words, she suddenly felt her entire body collapse.

Not only was her inner energy powerless, but her physical strength was also utterly drained.

"Why... what is this?"

Lou Yuxue managed to hold herself up for a moment, her face blank with confusion as she slumped to one side, her mind gradually realizing it was that damned man behind her.

He... he had even accounted for that?

At that moment, Chen Yi rode up and, with a swift motion, pulled her into his arms. Without a pause, he grasped the reins once more and turned the horse around, heading toward Liu Wen and the others.

Lou Yuxue leaned weakly against him, her voice a mere whisper, "You... you bastard... when did you poison me?"

Chen Yi smiled, replying, "Before I caught up with Lord Liu, you yourself were not innocent."

"If you hadn't run, you wouldn't have been struck."

"Hmph..."

Lou Yuxue let out a weak sneer, turned her head away, refusing to acknowledge him.

This time, she had indeed suffered a crushing defeat, but she would not let it stand.

As long as she remained alive, she would make that bastard pay the price!

Chen Yi could guess what she was thinking, yet he didn't mind adding a few more words.

"Could you tell me, what is this 'hidden operation'?"

"A question, a single piece... a single silver token."

"Alright."

"..."

Lou Yuxue rolled her eyes in a mocking manner, clearly not believing he would actually give it to her.

"As a member of the Liu family, you must have heard of the hidden operation?"

Chen Yi spoke the truth, "Indeed, I haven't."

"Has the White Tiger Guard not heard of it?"

White Tiger Guard?

Chen Yi paused for a moment, coming up with nothing.

"Should... I suppose they have."

Lou Yuxue shot him a weak glare, her voice tinged with despair, "The White Tiger Guard is one of the four departments under the Imperial Secretariat of the Great Wei, responsible for infiltrating enemy states and neighboring kingdoms, tasked with sowing discord and stirring up conflicts between other nations."

Chen Yi's heart suddenly understood—this was a covert intelligence operative, wasn't it?

Though it differed slightly from his earlier assumption about the Silk Guard's duties.

"What were they doing in Shu Zhou?"

Lou Yuxue leaned limply against him, "That is not a question you should ask, nor is it something I can answer."

Chen Yi let out an internal sigh, realizing these silver-flag officials only concerned themselves with their own affairs. Even if they guessed that their actions differed from the White Tiger Guard's responsibilities, they wouldn't dwell on it.

He really shouldn't press further.

After all, he had kept the lives of Liu Si Er, Ge Lao San, and Lou Yuxue alive specifically to extract more secrets from them.

If he revealed too much, it might arouse the higher-ups of the hidden operation.

Once he had given these people another chance, it would be a loss he couldn't afford.

Just as Chen Yi was thinking this, a voice from the front reached his ears:

"Black Needle, the time has come. Hurry up, speed up!"

Chen Yi was about to respond when several golden characters suddenly appeared before him:

[Daily Intelligence: Tier 1 Quality—At the hour of shame, Black Needle and his group of evil cultivators and demons join forces with the Great Wei's White Tiger Guard to burn down three border towns in Shu Zhou: Summer Harvest. Abundant opportunities await.]

Tier 1!

Chen Yi's eyes were fixed on those two characters.

Even though tonight lacked such a rare "Tier 1 opportunity," he still intended to visit the three towns to assess the situation. But with such an opportunity presenting itself, he couldn't help but feel pleased.

After scanning the details thoroughly to ensure there were no other significant matters, he rode over to Liu Wen's carriage and spoke coldly, "Lord Liu, remain calm. Once we arrive at Iron Wall Town, you will naturally get your wish."

Liu Wen sneered, "Hope so."

"I've spent so much silver and came here personally. If the Moon Palace cannot succeed, don't blame me for being heartless."

Chen Yi smiled, "In an hour's time, you'll know when you arrive there."

After saying this, he paid no further heed to Liu Wen, rode forward, and called to Liu Rong and the others, "The master has issued an order—hurry, increase your pace! Reach Iron Wall Town within half an hour!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Rong was the first to agree, "Black Needle elder brother, did you hear that? Let's hurry and ride!"

"I've been itching to get started. Quick, quick, quick—I want to open fire!"

"Lin Laogu, don't lose your temper. There are nearly eighty thousand soldiers there. If we get surrounded, we're doomed."

"Yeah, we can't go deep into the border town. We'll wait outside for the inside informant to extract ourselves."

"What's the worry? Black Needle elder brother is here—we can't escape?"

"Doesn't Black Needle mentioned going to Cang Wolf Town earlier? How did he come back?"

Liu Lang laughed heartily. "He's afraid to die in the Wolf Ghost Town, what else could it be?"

"Hahaha, even Elder Hei Ya has his moments of fear."

……

As the distant cultists chattered on, Chen Yit’s lips curved into a faint smile. Then he unleashed a sensing technique, scrutinizing their spiritual pulses.

Middle Third Grade, Middle Third Grade, still Middle Third Grade… Even one of them had just ascended to Sixth Grade.

After a full circle, the highest cultivation belonged to none other than Liu Lang.

Chen Yit understood this instantly. He turned his head and asked, "Did Hei Ya go to the Wolf Ghost Town?"

To his surprise, Lou Yu Xue not only failed to answer but instead inquired, "How much silver did you get from Liu Wen?"

"……You guess."

"I want forty percent."

"Heh, Yu Xhe, have you never heard the saying, 'A heart that is not full will swallow an elephant whole'?"

Lou Yu Xue leaned against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder, her breath as delicate as orchid fragrance. "One level, otherwise we’ll be evenly matched."

Chen Yit cupped her neck with one hand, lifting her up. After locking eyes with her for a moment—seeing no fear, as if resolved to threaten—he chuckled and nodded.

"One level it is. I’ll deduct it from your share. After all, we’re still splitting it evenly."

Lou Yu Xue’s eyes widened to saucers, her mouth opening in shock. "Also, thirty thousand taels?!"

Chen Yit raised an eyebrow, pressing her back down. "Should’ve said less."

"Liu Wu, you—how could you take so much silver and still rob us?!"

"It’s obvious—faster to grab."

"You—*you bastard*, I’ll fight you to the death!"

Lou Yu Xue’s patience snapped.

She and the Eagle had labored for years, sacrificing military ranks, risking detection by Hei Ya’s faction, all for just fifteen thousand taels. Yet Liu Wu, alone, had seized the same amount in ten days—and swindled another thirty thousand from Liu Wen.

How did he manage it?

Chen Yit’s thoughts drifted inward. Should he leave some silver for the Black Wolf Clan?

After weighing it, he decided.

"We must leave some, or they’ll get furious."

As he pondered, ahead on the road, a distant glow flickered—firelight, tiny as fireflies, scattered like stars.

Chen Yit paused. "This… must be the Black Wolf Clan’s doing."

"Xiao Honghong, what are you doing?!"

……

Wolf Ghost Town.

Just past midnight, Xiao Honghong noticed strange movements near the summer grain storehouse.

Indeed, someone was burning the military supplies.

Confirming Liu Lang’s report, her heart twisted with conflicting emotions. Should she rejoice? Should she rage?

She couldn’t fathom who would resort to such ruthlessness, dragging the Xiao family into this maelstrom.

Was it the court? A powerful clan in Shu Zhou? Or an enemy force?

Xiao Honghong secretly hoped for the latter. Whether it was corrupt officials, foreign invaders, or barbarian hordes, any of them would ease her burden.

Yet, as fate would have it, such things rarely aligned with desire.

She sighed softly, then rose from her cabin.

Leaping onto the rooftop, she watched the distant storehouse.

Over a dozen soldiers in varied armor were dousing the area with oil.

Farther off, General Pang Xuan led a hundred heavily armored troops toward the storehouse.

A minute passed. The soldiers finished pouring the oil.

One drew a bamboo tube from his sleeve, igniting it with a twist. A pillar of flame erupted, mirrored by a distant explosion in Wolf Ghost Town.

Xiao Honghong’s gaze hardened. Without hesitation, her martial aura surged, rippling through the air like a blade cleaving the earth.

In the blink of an eye, she crushed those soldiers on the spot.

"This—this is…"

"An upper-third-grade martial arts master here?!"

"They’re doomed…"

The soldiers, paralyzed with terror, scattered as Xiao Honghong soared skyward, heading into the forest.

Pang Xuan didn’t linger. He rushed to the storehouse, eyeing the oil with grim realization. "Take them! Be thorough—don’t let them die!"

"Let me see who dares pull this!" he snarled.

The aftermath passed in silence.

Xiao Honghong’s thoughts weren’t on the storehouse. Her eyes fixed on the dense forest beyond town.

Spiritual energy lingered within a hundred li.

Then, from the forest’s depths, another aura erupted—equally commanding, yet laced with malice.

A voice slithered through the air: "Xiao Honghong?"

“How did you come here?”

Xiao Jinghong stood mid-air, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, spoke in a cold voice:

“I have been waiting for you all for quite some time—just to invite you to meet your end!”

(End of chapter)