Chapter 266: That Is the Dragon Spear, After All (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 266: That Was a Dragon Spear (Please Vote for Monthly Ticket)

Liu Rong gazed at the two slips of paper in his hands, hesitated for only two breaths, and then opened them in turn.

The two notes read respectively:

[Whoever kills whom, switch positions and store grain quickly, absolutely do not let it be known!]

[Investigate the locations of the warehouses in the grain trade, especially the Lin family's! Burn them all!]

Liu Rong glanced left and right, then his face lit up with sudden understanding: "I see now."

"If the granary doesn't sell, we'll burn it ourselves."

"If someone comes to investigate, we'll kill them all."

"So simple, just say it like that, boss... he even guessed someone would follow us?"

After all, these past few days, Liu Rong had bought grain separately from Xiao Dunyuan and others, all disguised, even using different names.

And to ensure they weren't discovered, they had deliberately stored the grain elsewhere first.

Finally, they transferred all the grain to this mansion.

"Who would have thought that such careful planning would still be detected here."

"Fortunately, the boss thought of everything—let's give them full rein and see what happens."

As Liu Rong muttered to himself, he patted the sheath at his waist, then smiled gently:

"Last time, I failed to let him drink blood—that was my mistake."

"This time... Dunyuan, Third Tiger, Fourth Tiger, the boss said, they're all enemies—kill them!"

"Remember, keep it quiet, lest we disturb the neighbors."

On the other side, Xiao Dunyuan heard this and blinked in surprise: "Kill people?"

As a guard of the Bai Caotang, he was duty-bound to protect this place.

But now, he couldn't tell friend from foe outside, so acting rashly might be unwise.

Zhang Sanhu and Zhang Shihu, however, showed no hesitation. Each selected a person and quietly slipped out of the mansion.

Seeing this, Liu Rong glanced at Xiao Dunyuan, smiled warmly: "It's no surprise that those from noble families go round and round like that."

"But I can assure you, boss, if he wants to kill someone, absolutely none of them are good people."

Before anyone could respond, he and Zhang Sanhu disappeared into the courtyard.

Xiao Dunyuan hesitated for a moment, then recalled that Master Sister Xue Tuo had brought them down the mountain and arranged for them to stay at Bai Caotang, so he didn't delay further.

By the time he reached Zhang Sihu, he found him already engaged in combat with a man dressed in black, wearing a cloak.

Taking a quick look, Xiao Dunyuan discerned the man's cultivation level was only sixth rank. Though his blade movements were fierce, they were merely basic.

Without any spiritual energy infusion, he posed little threat to Zhang Sihu.

Zhang Sihu sensed someone following him and didn't hold back: "What a scum!"

He was about to finish him off when he suddenly remembered Liu Rong's instruction to keep it quiet, so he swung his heavy sword in a wide arc.

The black-clad swordsman's face darkened at the sight.

"Do you know who I am?!"

"A dead man!"

Zhang Sihu's sword was unsheathed, blocking and parrying with vigor.

Though the black-clad swordsman's skills were inferior, he was more agile in footwork.

Thus, the two fought evenly for the time being.

Xiao Dunyuan intended to charge in and intervene, but he heard no more movement from the other sides, realizing Liu Rong and Zhang Sanhu had already subdued their opponent, so he moved forward.

"Step aside, Fourth Tiger."

Speaking of which, Xiao Dunyuan's sword steps advanced, directly blocking the black-clad swordsman's path.

*Clang!*

The moment the long sword was drawn, a faint blade of light sliced through the air.

The black-clad swordsman's eyes showed a hint of surprise, and before he could react, he was powerless to resist.

Before the swordsman could turn and draw his blade, Xiao Dunyuan's sword had already pierced his chest.

The swordsman's body froze, looked down at the sword tip in his chest, and blood trickled from his mouth: "Y-You... ambushing... me..."

Xiao Dunyuan slowly drew out his long sword: "For taking someone's money and causing disasters, forgive me."

"Though I have my limits, this sword has only slit your artery."

"If you don't want to die, don't move."

To his surprise, the young man's face revealed a sorrowful smile as he nodded once.

"Heh heh heh... what does it matter... what significance is there to living... for someone like me..."

Xiao Dunyuan blinked, and saw the man had already collapsed to the ground. His body began emitting a green smoke.

The stench of blood and rot spread rapidly.

Soon, only a black cloak and a cloak remained.

Zhang Sihu looked at the pool of blood gradually washed away by raindrops and swallowed hard: "Bone Marrow Dissipation... Master, what's his background? How did he hide such a deadly poison in his teeth?"

Xiao Dunyuan shook his head gently: "Regardless of his identity, we just fear getting dragged into a big mess."

Though he didn't know why Bai Caotang wanted to kill these people, he could infer that something secret must be hidden.

Whether it was Bai Caotang or the person behind the black-clad swordsman, their willingness to harm others' lives showed the perilous conflict between them.

Zhang Sihu asked: "Then... should we tell Master Sister about this?"

Xiao Dunyuan hesitated slightly: "Not for now."

After a pause, he explained: "Before arriving, Master Sister had already instructed us to obey Bai Caotang entirely."

"Moreover, she clarified the relationship between Bai Caotang and the Xiao family, so I think Master Sister must have known some things in advance, which is why she sent us here."

Zhang Sihu nodded, then agreed: "Master Rong is right."

"On the mountain, everyone knows Master Sister's righteous spirit, wherever she supports must be without fault."

They then cleaned up all traces around, returned to the granary mansion.

But Liu Rong and Zhang Sanhu had already returned ahead of them.

The four of them reunited, glanced at each other's clothes, and understood without words.

Liu Lang casually tossed the bloodstained black hood onto the ground, sighing softly:

"These people would rather dissolve their bones into powder than live in disgrace. Their origins must be far from ordinary."

"Still, the boss surely knew their identities; otherwise, he wouldn’t have prepared countermeasures in advance."

Xue Dunyun’s heart stirred slightly. "I wonder if Brother Liu might lend me that note for a time?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shu-hou and Zhang Si-hou likewise turned their gaze toward Liu Lang, curiosity flickering in their eyes.

After all, they had personally received the command alongside Liu Lang, and had witnessed firsthand the two slips of paper penned by the young, handsome Chen Yu boss.

Thus, they were genuinely intrigued by what secrets those notes might conceal.

Seeing their expressions, Liu Lang paused, then reached for the two slips and handed them over. At the same time, he smiled warmly: "The boss has always been cunning in his schemes; whatever he plans, he never falters."

Xue Dunyun listened to Liu Lang’s praise of Chen Yu boss while studying the notes in his hands.

The content was brief and simple, yet every stroke radiated the unwavering certainty of the writer.

After reading them, he passed the notes to his two younger brothers, his voice tinged with contemplation:

"Brother Liu speaks truly. We believe him—only..."

"Only, how did the boss discern all this in advance?"

Though he professed belief in Liu Lang, doubt lingered beneath his words. After all, the notes’ content reeked of such certainty, just as Chen Yu boss’s schemes themselves did.

Liu Lang paused, then pointed at himself. "You trust me too highly, Younger Xue."

"If I could foresee such things, I’d never have come to Shuzhou."

Had he known he’d encounter so many gifted talents here, he wouldn’t have arrived at this moment. At the very least, he should have waited until his blade reached the pinnacle of mastery.

"Your stay at Bai Caogu Ting is still but a short time."

"Wait here long enough, and you’ll come to understand his strength."

When he spoke these words, Liu Lang turned to the three of them, lowering his voice conspiratorially:

"Have you heard of the recent murder case?"

Xue Dunyun’s heart quickened. "You mean the one in Xishi—those scum bandits from Guo Ma?"

"Exactly."

"I have no fear of telling you, our boss is none other than—'Dragon Spear' Liu Wu!"

"Is that so?!"

Xue Dunyun, along with Zhang Shu-hou and Zhang Si-hou, were equally stunned.

They turned to Liu Lang in unison: "Then—then you... are the 'Blade Maniac' of the Northern Desert?"

Liu Lang glanced at their expressions, nodding with quiet satisfaction.

"The mere presence of this 'Northern Blade Maniac' Liu Bang should be enough to awe you. And that too is 'Dragon Spear' Liu Wu!"

—A name whispered in thejianghu, one who has reached the complete realm in spear techniques.

They had no choice but to be amazed.

After a long pause, Xue Dunyun regained his composure, shaking his head with a bitter smile: "So the boss is indeed 'Dragon Spear' Liu Wu. We’ve been blind to the might of the mountains."

Zhang Shu-hou nodded in agreement: "I never anticipated it."

"I always thought that 'Liu Wu' possessed fearsome spear skills, surely a veteran of thejianghu. Never did I imagine him so young."

Zhang Si-hou scratched his head. "He’s younger than me by several years?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Dunyun felt a surge of admiration. Though he hailed from Tian Shan Sect, outside a few elder masters, none matched Zhang Shu-tian in talent or cultivation.

Yet Zhang Shu-tian, too, paled before "Liu Wu."

And what of himself, a mere second-rate martial artist wielding a sword?

"Two younger brothers, show some respect."

"Even if Chen Yu boss is young, his skills are no less than ours—he is our elder."

"Yes, elder brother."

"I see... then..."

Seeing their expressions, Liu Bang hesitated, then reminded gently:

"I’ve revealed these matters without the boss’s permission."

"Please keep this secret for now, until I’ve consulted him."

Xue Dunyun nodded. "'Blade Maniac' elder brother, there’s no need to caution me. We’ll safeguard this secret, as if our lives depended on it."

Zhang Shu-hou and Zhang Si-hou echoed the promise.

Just as Liu Bang smiled again, Xue Dunyun inquired:

"Brother Liu, are our elder sisters aware of the boss’s identity?"

"Your elder sisters—Zhang Shu-tian and Shen Hua-tong?"

Liu Bang shook his head. "They likely still don’t know."

Xue Dunyun paused, then said slowly: "Our eldest sister once told us, the boss had merely nodded in agreement, allowing us to remain at Bai Caogu Ting."

"She... how could she not know the boss’s identity?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bang grimaced, his teeth chattering. This time, he truly regretted his haste.

Yet if he failed to explain, those fools might run off and inform Zhang Shu-tian and Shen Hua-tong, making things far worse.

——He was probably going to be pierced through by a bullet from Boss Chen.

After a moment's thought, Liu Lang could only say, "Boss did this for the sake of the Xiao family."

"The Xiao family?"

"To put it briefly, the Xiao family's current situation isn't good. Boss doesn't want to become too entangled in it."

"So he concealed his identity, secretly aiding the Xiao family."

Upon hearing this, Xue Duanyun, Zhang Sanhu, and Zhang Sihu exchanged glances, as if all of them had reached some realization.

"Brother Xue, don't you remember what our eldest master once told us?"

"She said that Master Shen had sent a letter requesting aid, and she rushed to Shuzhou to come to his aid."

Xue Duanyun nodded. "Our eldest master and the others also came to help the Xiao family."

Zhang Sihu scratched his head and smiled. "In that case, Boss is truly a good person. I was just about to say—"

Before he could finish, Zhang Sanhu slapped his hand.

"What are you babbling about? If Boss has the courage to slay those filthy bandits from the enemy's ranks, he couldn't possibly be one of those evil forces."

"Oh... right."

Seeing their doubts dispelled, Liu Lang finally relaxed his tension.

"The words aren't worth much. It's already unsafe here. As per Boss's orders, we must quickly move the grain to another courtyard."

"Understood..."

...

The Xiao Family, Spring Lotus Garden.

Chen Yi was still unaware that his cover had been sold out by Liu Lang.

Though even if he knew, he probably wouldn't say anything.

As Liu Lang thought—since he had involved the disciples of Mount Tian to this matter, he had no intention of concealing the identity of "Liu Wu."

At this moment, Chen Yi had completed two hours of continuous cultivation.

He looked outside the window.

Sometime ago, the clouds in the sky had already dispersed.

Scattered stars hung in the night, a waxing moon resting in the sky, its silver light casting a gentle glow.

In the courtyard, fallen leaves scattered about, occasionally struck by droplets of water, making soft *pats* that echoed far into the silence.

"Time to calculate, the grain Liu Yuxue had promised should have arrived by now."

Chen Yi muttered to himself, and without further hesitation, he rose and donned a black robe.

Then he withdrew from the bedding, taking out the rattan box, beginning to disguise and alter his appearance.

To be honest, the box Zhang Dabao had packed contained many treasures.

Besides items for disguise and alteration, there were also various tools for practicing lock-picking and pickpocketing.

All sorts of things, every kind imaginable.

Chen Yi had handled it before, and his assessment was simple—specialized skills have their own expertise.

Zhang Dabao's master, "Yi Zhi," indeed had two sets of tools.

Not long after.

Chen Yi affixed two masks to his face, one inside belonging to "Chen Yu," the outer one being "Liu Wu."

After carefully wiping away any minor flaws on his face, he finally gathered the rattan box, and quietly departed from the Spring Lotus Garden.

He walked south along the southern street of the town, all the way to the depths of the southern district's Flower Viewing Alley—Spring Rain Tower.

At this time, it was nearly the hour of Shen.

Except for places like the Flower Viewing Alley, where people came to admire flowers and inquire about affairs, the surrounding areas were mostly quiet and had long since retired.

Occasionally, the sound of cats meowing could be heard.

Chen Yi hadn't given much thought to those noises. However, as his cultivation and techniques had improved, his five senses had grown far sharper than before.

Even without interfering with the spirits and energies of the world, he could discern every sound and movement within a three-mile radius.

No way around it.

He waited in silence for a moment.

After confirming there were no movements around, he swiftly entered the rooftop of Spring Rain Tower, quietly slipping into a quiet chamber.

He took a look around, then leaned in to listen for where Liu Yuxue was.

Just as he was about to find her, the side door was pushed open.

Not Liu Yuxue?

Both of them glanced at each other, somewhat surprised.

As Chen Yi was about to greet her, Liu Yuxue gave him a look, making him feel a bit strange.

Leaning in to listen.

He suddenly sensed a faint presence outside the quiet chamber.

Indeed, the next moment, the side door opened again.

A woman in a pure white chiffon dress stood outside, her face calm and composed.

Chen Yi recognized her appearance, and thus understood why Liu Yuxue had given him that look.

His thoughts raced, and he smiled warmly. "Miss Liu, Miss Cui, you both are unharmed!"

Cui Qingwu blinked. "It's you!"

(End of chapter)