Chapter 279: Fifth Rank Upper Stage (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 279: The Upper Section of the Fifth Rank (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Chen Yi’s purpose was not some other matter, but rather that general of the Pearl Flag Army, Du Cang, whom he had encountered with Liu Hong before.

In recent days,

He had not abandoned his attempts to find that person.

For this reason, he had deliberately infiltrated Liu Hong’s mansion.

Yet the man known as Du Cang seemed to have vanished from the world entirely.

He did not appear within the prefecture of Shuozhou, nor did he meet with any emissaries from Pòshì Shuòguó.

Chen Yi was, to some extent, concerned.

“Your White Tiger Guard here in the prefecture of Shuozhou, help me find him.”

Lu Yuxue and Cui Qingwu exchanged glances, their browss slightly furrowed.

“The General of the Pearl Flag Army, Du Cang… he has actually come to Shuozhou?”

“Liu Wu, is the information reliable?”

Chen Yi hummed in acknowledgment, seeing their expressions, and asked, “Do you know him?”

Lu Yuxue nodded, her expression growing more serious.

“Du Cang is a very low-profile individual, rarely seen along the Tea and Horse Roads.”

“But within the Pearl Flag Army, he serves as the left and right hand of the Lord of Lan Di.”

“His rank surpasses that of Lü Junnan by several levels.”

Chen Yi arched an eyebrow. “So you mean he is powerful?”

Lu Yuxue shook her head. “It is not merely about power.”

“He is known for his ruthlessness within the Pearl Flag Army. To achieve his aims, he employs any means necessary.”

“It is said that when the Pearl Flag Army was first rising, Du Cang led his men to slaughter the small states of Pòshì Shuòguó to expand his influence.”

“All adults, regardless of gender, were killed. Only children under ten were spared.”

Lu Yuxue paused briefly, and Cui Qingwu interjected, “Moreover, he erased the minds of those children using the secret arts of spirit-tying sorcery.”

“Now, those children have grown into the core of the Pearl Flag Army, bearing the banner of the ‘Jackal Army.’”

“Though Du Cang does not personally lead this ‘Jackal Army,’ it is said that those under its command obey him without question.”

“This is the reason he rose to become the left and right hand of the Lord of Lan Di.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi furrowed his brow. “Du Cang…”

No wonder he could pressure Liu Hong into submission.

It was not just because the Lord of Lan Di held Liu Hong’s fate in his hands after all.

“This name does not seem to belong to someone from Pòshì Shuòguó?”

Lu Yuxue nodded. “You are correct. Du Cang is a man of Dà Wèi.”

“Oh? Then why does he follow the Lord of Lan Di?”

“His background is shrouded in mystery.”

“The White Tiger Guard’s hidden agents have only reported fragmented information.”

“It is said that Du Cang once served as a horse handler for a merchant family’s caravan, but was gravely wounded in a bandit attack and rescued by the Lord of Lan Di.”

“After that, he became a disciple of a spirit-tying master, and unbeknownst to him, he possessed extraordinary talent in this art. Within fifteen years, he rose to the third tier of spirit-tying practitioners.”

Third tier…

Chen Yi nodded thoughtfully. “It seems he will not be easy to deal with.”

Of course, it was merely that he was difficult to deal with.

The arts of spirit-tying indeed have their merits, but they also have obvious flaws.

At least, this was from Chen Yi’s perspective.

If Du Cang harbored other intentions, then it might be another matter entirely.

“Then I entrust both of you with finding his whereabouts.”

“If you uncover any traces of him, please inform me at once. I intend to pay him a visit.”

Lu Yuxue, upon hearing this, hesitated before speaking, “I am aware that your cultivation and techniques are formidable.”

“But Du Cang has been famous for many years, aided by the ‘Jackal Army.’ Facing him alone, you might not win him over easily.”

Chen Yi smiled. “Lady Lu, rest assured. I do not act without certainty.”

“You…”

Before Lu Yuxue could finish, Cui Qingwu raised her hand to interrupt, “Rather than worrying about him, you should worry about yourself.”

“Do not forget, the deeds we have committed in recent days have not yet been reported to the Star General.”

She glanced sideways at Lu Yuxue, then at Chen Yi with a pointed expression.

“Perhaps you have taken a liking to this fellow, intending to share your fate with him?”

Lu Yuxue blinked in surprise, then erupted in anger, her eyes flashing. “Bird of Paradise, do not go spouting nonsense!”

“If I am wrong, why are you so agitated?”

“I was not angry, you—you… impossible to reason with!”

“There is no more to say, is there? Hah…”

“Whether to speak or not, your insight is not lacking. ‘Dragon Spear’ Liu Wu is a gunman worth noting in Shuozhou in recent years.”

“You—”

“Liu Wu…”

Chen Yi watched their quarrel, and with a resigned shake of his head, rose and left the room.

“These two matters, I entrust to both of you.”

“If you discover any information about Du Cang, please send someone to the magistrate’s office and post a notice—leave a line saying, ‘Wherever on this earth may I find a kindred spirit?’”

“The moment I see him, I shall come find you.”

Upon finishing his words, Chen Yi vanished into the quiet chamber.

Left behind, Cui Qingwu and Lu Yuxue glared at each other in silence.

After a moment, Cui Qingwu turned her head first, and said to the direction where Chen Yi had disappeared, “The man has left. Let’s sit and talk.”

Lu Yuxue glared at her, then took a deep breath and sat across from her.

“Say what you must, quickly.”

“Do you not think Liu Wu’s schemes this time are overly bold?”

"Before, Lü Jiunnan and the son of Zuo Wangmoha were still manageable, after all, those two people did not come because of him."

"But the later incidents—designing the Jizhou Trading House, impersonating the bandits of Boluo and Suo, as well as the barbarian tribes—any one of them is a capital crime of beheading."

Cui Qingwu paused slightly, gazing at Lou Yuxue: "Why do you value him so highly?"

"Or do you truly intend to go 'to bed together' with him?"

Lou Yuxue sneered: "For him to be chosen by the Patriarch, that alone is enough reason for me to take some risks."

"Not enough."

"The Patriarch is far away in Kyoto Prefecture, and the information he obtained is three or four days behind yours and mine."

"He once valued 'Liu Five,' but that does not mean he values him today."

Cui Qingwu spoke with earnest seriousness: "How can you be so certain his actions will not bring trouble to Shu Province?"

"To think that the bandits of Boluo and Suo, and the barbarian soldiers are present in Shu Province, the entire Wei Dynasty would be shaken by them."

"You and I know it is false, but others may not." Even...

She looked toward the northern direction of Chunyu Lou, indicating something. "Even that one might use this opportunity to completely seize control of the Dunyuan Army!"

Lou Yuxue's expression wavered: "I... I trust him!"

Seeing she would not speak further, Cui Qingwu fixed her with a deep gaze, and did not press the matter any longer.

She rose to leave: "That is all. You must consider it yourself."

At the door, she hesitated in her steps, turned back, and smiled.

"Of course, I do hope his deeds are merely to test the sharpness of the Jizhou Trading House."

"That would be a great benefit to you, to me, and to our White Tiger Guard."

After saying this, Cui Qingwu glanced at Lou Yuxue, nodded, and left, disappearing outside the door.

Lou Yuxue watched her go, and spoke in a silent voice.

"Phoenix and crane..."

"Damn it!"

Amidst the curse, a flush of shame and irritation crept onto Lou Yuxue's face.

She did not know whether she was embarrassed for having been bested in her argument with Cui Qingwu, or for something else.

In any case, her mood at that moment was far from satisfactory.

She sat quietly for a long time.

At last, she exhaled a deep breath.

She still firmly believed in her judgment—that man "Liu Five" was trustworthy!

Even without the Patriarch's invitation for "Liu Five" to join the White Tiger Guard, she still deemed him trustworthy.

The reason was simple.

A person who slays Lü Jiunnan and opposes the Jizhou Trading House could not possibly be someone standing against the White Tiger Guard.

Judging others by one's own standards.

If it were her, had there been an opportunity, she would have slain Lü Jiunnan as well, for the Wei Dynasty and the Boluo Kingdom had always been enemies.

Similarly, she despised the Jizhou Trading House and wished to see it destroyed.

Therefore, merely these two incidents, she trusted "Liu Five."

Even his identity was secondary.

Lou Yuxue thought of these things, and summoned her subordinates to command: "Send word to check up on the suspicious people entering and leaving Shu Province."

"Description: short in stature, sinister face, and fierce eyes."

The messenger received the order and left.

Lou Yuxue was about to relax slightly when another voice came from outside the door.

"Lord Jiangxing requests your audience."

"Oh?."

"Wait a moment." Lou Yuxue's expression slightly changed, and she rose, putting on her cloak and overcoat, and left the study.

After a moment's thought, she let the person wait, returning to the chamber to fetch a letter.

Soon, the two left Chunyu Lou, one after the other, heading to the tailor shop in the western market.

Lord Jiangxing waited at the door in a long robe.

Lou Yuxue was about to bow, when Jiangxing waved his hand: "Come in."

Lou Yuxue nodded, and followed him into the inner room.

Others stayed outside.

When the door closed, Lou Yuxue bowed and saluted: "Lord, has the journey been smooth?"

Jiangxing sat at the table, smiling, nodding and shaking his head: "Not exactly smooth, but some clues have emerged."

"This time, I came to ask for your advice."

"Lord, please speak."

"I went to the Tea and Horse Ancient Road, though I did not meet the Prince of Lanbo, I still received his instructions."

"If I wanted to trade with him for those 'evidence items,' he required me to do a task."

Lou Yuxue hesitated slightly: "The matter of Lü Jiunnan?"

By now, from various sources, she had learned the purpose of Lanbo Prince's actions on the Tea and Horse Ancient Road.

—Seeking revenge for his brother Lü Jiunnan!

Jiangxing sighed: "His reaction was unexpected."

"I arrived there to find out that Lü Jiunnan was not merely his brother, but had already formed another alliance with a band of horse bandits."

"With Lü Jiunnan's death, the flag of the King of Kongzhuang lost a helper, no wonder Lanbo Prince was resentful."

Lou Yuxue's face slightly cleared: "In that case, he must be determined to eliminate 'Liu Five'?"

Jiangxing nodded, looking at her: "I also do not hide it from you."

"The condition proposed by Lanbo Prince was to reveal the whereabouts of 'Liu Five' to his people."

"His people?"

Lou Yuxue's heart slightly stirred: "Lord, you mean... Du Cang?"

Jiangxing exclaimed: "How did you know about this?"

"Has Du Cang already appeared in Shu Province?"

Yù Xuě mumbled to himself under his breath, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "There are things even a nobleman doesn't know."

"Before half a li there, I only saw 'Liu Five' for the first time. He... he already knew Du Cāng had arrived in Shu Zhou, and he even sent me to find his traces."

"Well, that's... convenient."

Strange.

Ān Xīng felt a flicker of unease. He knew Du Cāng had come alone, and even the inner circle of the Kongque King's forces barely knew of his presence. How could Liu Five have discovered this?

Thinking of this, Ān Xīng mused, "Then tell me, if we were to reveal his whereabouts to the King of Lán Dù, would that be feasible?"

Yù Xuě instinctively shook his head, but after a moment, she restrained herself and said calmly, "I believe... it would be improper."

"Oh? Explain."

"Your servant insists... just look."

Yù Xuě withdrew a letter from her sleeve and handed it to him. "This is a letter from Liu Five to me. The contents were written by Lín Huá'ān of the Ji Zhou trading house, to the King of Lán Dù, regarding the exchange of iron."

"Iron?"

Ān Xīng opened it. One scroll was in the damp, sweaty language of the Fan people; the other in the common tongue of the Central Plains. But he spent more time studying the Fan script.

After a moment, his face brightened with a smile. "Well, well. It seems I need not consider trading with the King of Lán Dù anymore."

"With this, there's no need to worry..."

Ān Xīng paused, gazing at Yù Xuě. "This was from Liu Five? Where did he obtain it?"

"He said that when Lín Huá'ān died that night, he was beside him, and this letter was taken from Lín Huá'ān."

"Did he kill Lín Huá'ān?"

"My lord, I asked him the same, but he never confessed, claiming someone else was responsible."

When Yù Xuě finished speaking, she saw that Ān Xīng had abandoned his plan to reveal Liu Five's location to the King of Lán Dù. She carefully chose her words: "Your servant actually has another scheme."

Ān Xīng, still examining the letter's origin of iron, nodded. "Say, then."

"Since Liu Five is also searching for Du Cāng, why not reveal his whereabouts to Liu Five himself?"

"Oh? You mean... feigning to reveal Liu Five's location, but actually luring Du Cāng into a trap?"

"That is precisely my thought."

"In that case, Your Majesty could also obtain more 'evidence' from the King of Lán Dù, could he not?"

Ān Xīng laughed heartily. "Well, you must be a soon-to-be Golden Flag Officer. Your mind is indeed quite sharp."

Yù Xuě smiled. "Your Majesty is too kind."

Ān Xīng gave a half-amused, half-serious glance and asked, "Do you not fear Liu Five might end up dead in Du Cāng's hands?"

Yù Xuě straightened, bowed, and said, "Either way, it's in my favor. Better yet, let that scoundrel suffer a great defeat."

Hmph.

Well, perhaps.

He was thinking so, but Yù Xuě knew from Liu Five's reaction when he learned of Du Cāng's cultivation level—a calm, indifferent response. It was as if he didn't care about a high-ranking cultivator like Du Cāng. She didn't believe that scoundrel would dare make such a request.

"Then we'll proceed as you say. I'll send a message shortly. But Liu Five... "

"I'll explain things to him."

"Good..."

......

The Xiao Family Estate, the Spring Lotus Garden.

Chén Yì had no idea he'd narrowly escaped a deadly trap. He sat cross-legged on his bed, practicing the Four Symbols Technique.

After these few days of cultivation, he had absorbed part of the arcane secrets of the martial path—body refinement—allowing him to transcend the Four Symbols Technique, the Xuanwu Stillness Method, and the Four Symbols Technique itself to the perfect level.

Though time was still short, there was room for growth in the three foundational arts. Still, his progress was significant.

For a long time, his qi had stagnated, but the breakthrough in the Big Spear Pillar Technique allowed his power to grow to the Five Symbols level. A single punch carried the force of ten thousand jin, comparable to a sixth-tier martialist.

The Xuanwu Stillness Method also saw substantial improvement. Beyond its refining effect, the Four Symbols Technique now granted even greater vitality and essence-enhancing benefits.

Even without deliberate cultivation, he could refine his spiritual essence and enhance his techniques' power when employing the Xuanwu Stillness Method.

As for the Four Symbols Technique itself, it too had advanced.

He could shorten the time to break through to the fifth-tier minor realm from ten days to eight. And as he gradually absorbed the arcane secrets of the martial path—body refinement—and elevated his Four Symbols Technique, his cultivation speed would accelerate further.

Beyond these three foundational arts, the greatest improvement came from the White Immortal's technique ascending to the Celestial Tier—the Crushing Mountain Fist.

Unlike the Fallen Dragon Spear, which reached the Celestial Tier through mere enhancement of its forms, the Celestial Tier Crushing Mountain Fist added a new force—"Crushing Mountain Energy"—with the might of splitting the earth and mountains.

If perfected, he could layer this energy onto any technique he employed.

That is, when casting the Fallen Dragon Spear technique, he could enhance its power with Crushing Mountain Energy.

Though limited to the moment the spear contacted his enemy—unlike the deliberate, unrestrained fusion of spiritual energy and natural forces—it still greatly strengthened his close-combat killing power.

Near midnight.

Chén Yì slowly concluded his practice, rising from the bed and clenching his fists.

"Fourth-tier upper stage, hmm. The speed of cultivation improvement is indeed impressive."

"If I'd chosen to refine the martial path—body—to perfection, it was the right decision."

If it were the steps of martial way or blades, his current cultivation would never have such a vast leap forward.

Even in refining his fist techniques, it would only heighten his close-quarters strife, not the comprehensive mastery he now possesses.

Chen Yi drew near the window, gazing upon the courtyard's nocturnal scene, lost in contemplation.

"Jizhou's merchants are but a mere rabble; what truly matters... is Liu Hong..."

The autumn wind swept cold, leaves drifting slowly to the ground.

His hair and forehead rippled in the breeze, a serene smile ghosting across his calm visage.

"I suppose I ought to take myself out for a stroll."

"To think, Liu Hong's younger son has been absent for quite some time now."

Just then, a flash of golden light erupted—

[Daily Intel: Secret Grade B. At the stroke of three, in the sixth hour, Lord Xiao Yuan requested a meeting with Chen Yi, proprietor of the Hundred Grass Hall. A sliver of fortune was bestowed.]

Chen Yi read the message, speechless with a hollow laugh.

"The proprietor of the Hundred Grass Hall, Chen Yi?"

"Such fortune... how remarkably steady."

(Chapter Concluded)