Chapter 252: The Chess Player? Just a Chess Piece! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 252: Who’s Playing the Game? Just a Pawn! (Please Vote for the Monthly Ticket)

Chen Yì, while pinching Luo Nánr’s acupoints, continued speaking:

“Rescue him, so that he might play along in a scheme of my design.”

When he offered a vague reply, Liu Hua was clearly displeased.

He leaned against the wooden door, staring at the gasping Luo Nánr, and sneered slightly:

“Boss, are you scheming over another person again?”

“Liu Hong?”

“Absolutely him.”

“You saved Luo Nánr’s life, so you must be after the evidence linking Liu Hong and those corrupt officials in the palace, right?”

But seeing Chen Yì’s silence, Liu Hua hesitated, no longer certain of his own conjecture.

“Isn’t that so? That’s right.”

“Luo Nánr was ‘killed’ before all these witnesses.”

“If he were to reappear and accuse Liu Hong, that old man could easily deny it.”

Chen Yì didn’t lift his head, saying flatly:

“Stop guessing. Even if you guessed till next year, you’d never figure it out.”

“…”

Liu Hua wanted to retort, but recalling recent events, he couldn’t help but admit—brains, like martial cultivation, depend on innate talent, not education or experience.

After a long pause, he persisted, his voice low:

“Then you can tell me, what happened last night at Chun Rǔ Lou?”

“Just now… that person claimed someone used my name to visit Chun Rǔ Lou last night. I guessed it was you.”

“If it hadn’t been for my quick reaction, I might’ve been exposed.”

Chen Yì glanced up at him briefly, then lowered his head again to tend to Luo Nánr, speaking carelessly:

“You’ve already been exposed, haven’t you?”

Liu Hua immediately blushed and chuckled awkwardly:

“You already know?”

“It’s not my fault. Before I learned it from his own lips that you’d been to Chun Rǔ Lou, I’d already revealed the name. By the time I wanted to cover it up, it was too late.”

“This—this shouldn’t affect your plans, right?”

Chen Yì gave a slight shake of his head:

“No impact.”

Now that Ge Mu Xi was dead and Luo Nánr lay half-dead, only one person remained who’d been at Chun Rǔ Lou that night—Liu Yu Xue.

Even the two others—Liu Tao Yuan and Zhao Shi Chang—were unaware of the incident.

Speaking more broadly, even if Liu Yu Xue had informed the White Tiger Guard, or if Liu Tao Yuan had heard Liu Hua’s words, it wouldn’t affect Chen Yì’s schemes.

At most, he’d simply reduce his meetings with Liu Hua, and ensure the latter didn’t learn too much.

Lest this rascal let his mouth run loose and spill the beans.

Thinking this through, Chen Yì ordered:

“From now on, you need not return to Liu’s mansion. Report to Bai Cai Tang and wait there quietly.”

“If I have any need, Zhang Da Bao and Wang Ji will notify you.”

Liu Hua paused, then hesitated, suspicion in his voice:

“That old fox must be making many moves lately. Without keeping tabs on him, it might not be proper, right?”

Chen Yì replied coolly:

“Nothing improper.”

“I already know that old fox’s intentions. Whether he follows me or not won’t change the outcome.”

“Besides, his reactions and what he’ll do next are predictable enough.”

More crucially, Chen Yì now held the means to end Liu Hong’s life—both Ashu Tuo and Luo Nánr.

So he had no urgency at all.

The one who should be panicking was Liu Hong.

Of course, Liu Hua didn’t grasp these things. He scratched his head, then turned his gaze toward the window, muttering to himself:

“Hard to guess? I can’t even guess?”

Chen Yì paid him no mind. His hands moved slowly, inserting twelve silver needles into Luo Nánr’s body in quick succession.

Then he activated his internal energy, using the needles to mend Luo Nánr’s heart meridian, throat, and dantian points.

Even the shattered organs and internal organs were stitched back together.

After half a liang of time, he finally pulled Luo Nánr back from the gates of the underworld.

Chen Yì exhaled a slight breath, then withdrew the silver needles.

Liu Hua looked up:

“Boss, are you done?”

“Not yet.”

Under Liu Hua’s curious gaze, Chen Yì inserted three more silver needles into Luo Nánr’s forehead, chest, and dantian—the three major energy sea points.

He activated his internal energy, twisted slightly, and—

Luo Nánr’s eyes snapped open, a scream of agony tearing from his throat:

“Ugh—ah—ah—!”

Chen Yì’s expression remained calm as he drove the fourth silver needle into Luo Nánr’s throat point, forcing the scream to subside.

Luo Nánr’s mouth hung open, but no sound escaped.

The searing pain twisted his features, his body jerking as he struggled to break free.

After about a minute, Chen Yì used the method of sensing qi to confirm Luo Nánr’s internal energy was completely depleted, then withdrew the needles from his energy sea.

“Alright.”

Yet Luo Nánr clearly wasn’t better. He continued thrashing silently, his breaths ragged.

Only when the pain subsided gradually did he finally calm down.

Liu Hua gaped:

“This man’s done for.”

With his three energy seas destroyed, unless a legendary physician intervened, he’d never wield martial arts again.

Chen Yì understood this fully. He casually set aside the last silver needle, sat on the chair, and slowly replenished his own depleted internal energy.

Luo Nánr lay weak on the Eight Immortals Table, turning his head to look at him, his voice hoarse:

“Why… why didn’t you kill me?”

He already knew he was ruined.

His energy seas were shattered, his cultivation destroyed, his meridians and points severely damaged.

In such a state, any person would break. What about someone as cruel and ruthless as him?

“You go ahead and speak!”

Chen Yi glanced at him, lifted his finger: “Shh.”

“Speak softer, don’t draw attention to ourselves.”

Lü Jiunan couldn’t care less about such matters, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes, teeth clenched, his voice sharp and deliberate:

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

Chen Yi let out a soft laugh: “What’s the point of killing you?”

“You’re Prince Lan’s younger brother. If that great master of yours knew I killed you, wouldn’t it bring me endless trouble?”

He paused, then continued: “Besides, your life isn’t over yet. It’d be a shame to waste it.”

Upon hearing this, Lü Jiunan glowered at him with bitter resentment: “What do you want to do?”

Chen Yi shook his head: “Forgive me. What I’m going to do, I can’t tell you yet.”

“You won’t get away with it!”

“Liu Wu, listen. No matter what you want to do, you’ll never succeed!”

Lü Jiunan struggled to rise, only to find his lower body unresponsive.

He had to prop his head forward and growled gruffly: “The elder brother knows I’m here—he knows what you’ve done!”

“If the elder brother learns I’m here, if he finds out what you’ve done, he’ll lead the Quarantine Flag into Sichuan!”

Chen Yi smiled nonchalantly: “That’s exactly right. I’ve always had a certain respect for Prince Lan.”

“A meddlesome bandit leader from those barbarian lands, capable of taking such steps for a brother—now that’s loyalty and brotherhood.”

As he spoke, he turned his head toward Lü Jiunan, his smile tinged with something unspoken: “But even if he comes to Sichuan, you’ll never see him.”

“You—?”

“I’m going to kill you!”

“Kill me, huh?”

Lü Jiunan let out a frantic roar, his voice growing fainter and fainter.

For some reason, he felt a deep terror welling up in his heart—deeper than when he’d been shot through the body earlier.

He couldn’t guess what this man was planning, but he knew for certain the man was calculating their Quarantine Flag.

Even his elder brother, Prince Lan, might get dragged into this.

Yet now he could do nothing—only watch helplessly as the man schemed everything.

He couldn’t stand it!

Thinking this, Lü Jiunan fell silent, his wild expression gradually subsiding.

His face ashen, he stared at Chen Yi: “Tell me—tell me, what do you actually want to do?”

“I don’t want to die a meaningless death,” Chen Yi said flatly, then let out a hollow laugh. “The same question I’ve already answered once.”

“But I can tell you this—one thing is certain: your life matters. It matters enough to change the course of Sichuan.”

“You…you…”

Before Lü Jiunan could speak further, Chen Yi raised a finger and touched his neck.

“Forget it. Rest easy, save your strength.”

“I’ve gone to the trouble of rescuing you—don’t let you die.”

Lü Jiunan wasn’t ready to give up, trying to press for more answers, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Soon, he slipped into unconsciousness again.

When he fell silent, Liu Wu couldn’t help but ask: “Boss, are you sure you didn’t just torture him on purpose?”

Chen Yi glanced at him, surprised: “Why do you think that?”

Liu Wu sighed helplessly: “Your medical skills are so advanced—you could’ve just knocked him out completely.”

He wasn’t the sharpest, but he wasn’t stupid either.

Chen Yi smiled: “Consider it settling an old grudge.”

Had it not been for Lü Jiunan’s act of killing him and fleeing, none of this would’ve happened.

In both heart and reason, he owed this man a debt of vengeance.

Upon hearing this, Liu Wu relaxed: “Ah, it’s a grudge then—good, good…”

In recent days, he’d admired Chen Yi’s actions all the more.

He hoped Chen Yi wasn’t some cruel sorcerer who delighted in tormenting people.

Chen Yi must’ve guessed his thoughts, but said nothing more.

Too often, too many things changed too fast for anyone’s will to sway them.

Even he couldn’t escape it.

That’s why he’d taken action to help the Xiao family—to finally rid himself of such or those troubles once and for all.

As Chen Yi thought these thoughts, his gaze drifted to the window.

At that moment, the rain had eased slightly.

In the courtyard where Liu Zhaoxue stood, silence reigned, save for the occasional drip of rain.

And farther away, on Kangning Street, murmurs floated through the din of the bustling crowd:

“Did you hear? A murder just happened in the west market.”

“A powerful martial artist killed two barbarians from the south.”

“Barbarians from the south? Good riddance!”

“Those savage lands—leaving them around is a curse.”

“They’ve been harassing merchants along the Tea and Horse Road for years, all thanks to those bandits from the south.”

“Old Master Xiao should’ve exterminated them long ago…”

These scholars clearly cared more about state affairs, hardly noticing the deaths of a few southern barbarians.

But the martial artists were only interested in Chen Yi’s identity:

“…When did a marksman like this appear in Sichuan?”

“The gun techniques of the Perfect Realm—truly enviable.”

“Why have I never heard of such a person? Must be from elsewhere, not a local Sichuan martial artist.”

“It could be.”

“Wait and see.”

“Regardless of whether he killed southern barbarians, he acted within Sichuan’s borders.”

The magistrate's office and the judicial department will surely think of every possible way to uncover his identity. When that happens, we'll know the truth.

That's very true...

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi was about to rise and bid Liu Lang to take his leave when his ears suddenly pricked up, turning his head toward the northeast.

This aura... it feels somewhat familiar...

Huh?

Is that Wei Xing, the Golden Flag Officer of the White Tiger Guard?

Chen Yi slightly furrowed his brows and quickly invoked the Xuanwu Suppression Technique, subduing his aura.

Liu Lang noticed his expression and asked, "Someone's here?"

Chen Yi raised a hand, signaling him to keep quiet, and whispered, "A powerful cultivator of the third tier or higher."

Liu Lang slammed his mouth shut, and indeed, he said nothing more.

However...

In his heart, nothing from the third tier to the middle tier had ever given him such a shock as Chen Yi.

He had always thought he fully understood Chen Yi's strength.

Today, seeing him in person, what he had previously seen was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Thinking about their upcoming duel in a few days, Liu Lang couldn't help but feel a bit restless.

"At that time, I must make sure the boss only uses his sword techniques."

His gun techniques are too advanced, and his moves pack a tremendous punch. Fighting him with a gun... I'd rather face Xiao Jinghong than have a quick battle...

Unaware of his thoughts, Chen Yi finished suppressing his aura and silently kept watch on the outside world.

He knew that Jiang Xing would have rushed to the Black Carp Alley first, then followed their trail.

Fortunately, he had been cautious earlier, not returning directly to the mansion on Xiwu Street, but instead choosing to stay at Liu Zhao Sleeve's place, or else Jiang Xing might have found his identity.

However, despite guessing all this, he hadn't come up with a way to escape.

He could only hope that Jiang Xing wouldn't find this place.

Otherwise...

"I'll have to fight again here."

...

Three miles away from Chen Yi's mansion.

Jiang Xing lowered his hat, seemingly examining the passersby on Kangning Street, but in reality, searching for a faint disturbance in the flow of the land.

This was also a method unique to the White Tiger Guard, used specifically for tracking down criminals.

Everything had gone smoothly until now.

But when he arrived at Kangning Street, the mixed crowd and the martial arts aura fluctuations from certain martial artists completely disrupted the land's flow.

Adding to that, it had been nearly an hour, making his search quite difficult.

About a minute later.

Jiang Xing looked toward the southwest, where a faint aura was visible, sighed in relief, and slowly walked towards it.

After a while.

He reached the area just outside Chen Yi's mansion, stopping a short distance away.

"Disappeared?"

Jiang Xing examined the not particularly luxurious mansion, "Are they here?"

After some thought.

He approached the main gate and looked at the plaque on the door—Liu Family.

"Liu?"

"Is this Liu Hong's place?"

Just as Jiang Xing was puzzled, the sound of rumbling wheels reached his ears. He furrowed his brows and quickly hid.

Soon, a magnificent carriage with a huagai slowly entered Kangning Street.

Jiang Xing stared intently and saw that the carriage bore the character "Liu" as well.

Beside it, a small flag was planted, with a red background and white clouds, and a wolf's head.

"The Liu family of Jingzhou... then it's not Liu Hong."

Thinking this, Jiang Xing saw the carriage stop at the mansion's entrance.

Two elegant figures descended from it.

One was dressed as a maid, the other in a pure white long dress, with the maid holding an umbrella as she dismounted.

After a brief look.

Jiang Xing suddenly realized, "Liu Zhao Sleeve?"

Suddenly, he was startled—could Liu Wu be her person?!

(End of chapter)