Chapter 307: Your Boss is Truly Elusive like a Divine Dragon! (

Chapter 307: Your Boss, a Real Dragon in Name Only, But a Fake One in Reality! (Please vote for the monthly ticket)

Run?

Could Liu Rong possibly flee just because Xiao Jinghong was staying in the capital city?

He wouldn't run at all. In fact, he would go there himself and pay a visit.

Not because he was particularly brave, but because the letter he had just received clearly stated a few points:

[ Zhang Da Bao has three yuan in his possession from the Ji Zhou Merchant Bank, and this person is the controller behind several grain suppliers in Shu Zhou. ]

[ You and Da Bao should collaborate to draw out the intentions of Lan Du King, then take Xiao Jinghong to meet him. ]

[ As for Xiao Jinghong, you only need to go to the courtyard outside Liu Hong's residence on Zhen Nan Street, and reveal your true face there. ]

[ Remember, after meeting Xiao Jinghong, answer honestly—she already knows my identity. ]

[ Also inform her that there is another person who may know something—Master Ling Chuan from Gui Yun Academy! ]

After reading the letter, Liu Rong felt a sudden sense of relief.

Since Xiao Jinghong already knew the boss's identity, why was he so nervous?

All the things he and the boss had done previously had never harmed the Xiao family.

Thinking this, Liu Rong walked swiftly around the capital city, heading west toward the Tea and Horse Road.

All he needed to do now was to extract some information from Li San Yuan at the Ji Zhou Merchant Bank, and he could freely pay a visit to General Xiao.

"Fine."

"Last time I spared your life, one Liu Jing was not enough. I'll give you another Li San Yuan."

"If that's still not enough, there will always be opportunities to settle the score in the future."

Liu Rong had mostly forgotten that he had been sent by Chen Yi to deliver someone to Xiao Jinghong, not his own doing.

Even so, he figured the old man would say something like, "The boss's orders are my orders."

Quickly and slowly.

Before dawn broke.

Liu Rong passed a watchtower and, after traveling three hundred miles, arrived where Zhang Da Bao and others were waiting.

The morning light gradually brightened, the eastern sky was white as a fish's belly, and dense forests covered the mountains and fields deep within.

Several figures dressed in coarse, damp garments from the Wusuo Kingdom crouched in the trees, looking quite cautious.

Liu Rong took a look around and then whistled.

The sound of the whistle caused the trees to tremble, and dozens of figures emerged one after another, just like the one who had whistled before—all dressed as Wusuo Kingdom bandits.

Among them was a short, sturdy man with brown hair and brown eyes, who spoke in the Wusuo Kingdom language:

"Who are you?"

"One of our own."

Liu Rong smiled and replied, "Da Bao? The boss sent me."

Upon hearing this, the bandits in the trees all relaxed. "It's Liu's guard, isn't it?"

"It's me. Let's not waste time—lead the way."

Liu Rong said, and followed one of the disguised Wusuo Kingdom bandits, a disciple of Tian Shan, to a hiding place in the depths.

—A hollowed-out ancient tree trunk, wide enough to hold five people, extending deep underground.

"Your people hide in such out-of-the-way places?"

"Well, we're sorry. In times of urgency, we feared being discovered, so we dug out a secret chamber right there."

"Not bad, actually."

"A sparrow may be small, but it has all its vital organs."

After descending about a hundred feet underground, Liu Rong finally saw Zhang Da Bao.

At that moment, Zhang Da Bao was also dressed as a Wusuo Kingdom bandit, his young face deliberately smeared with mud, completely blackened from head to toe, with a fake beard stuck on his upper lip.

"Da Bao?"

"Brother Liu, the boss sent you?"

Liu Rong nodded and asked, "Where is he?"

Zhang Da Bao pointed behind him and whispered, "He just woke up."

"If you don't come soon, I'll be taking him back to the capital first thing tomorrow morning."

Earlier, someone sent by Chen Yi had delivered a letter, instructing him to set out immediately.

If it hadn't been for the coincidence of Li San Yuan arriving just then, he would have already returned to Bai Cai Tang with a group of Tian Shan disciples.

Liu Rong nodded and quietly relayed the boss's instructions: "The boss wants you to help me put on a performance."

After a couple of sentences, Zhang Da Bao nodded and smiled, "That's simple."

"I'll give you a makeover first."

"Alright."

Liu Rong followed him into changing into a bandit's outfit, though slightly different from the others.

In addition to the coarse, short-sleeved inner shirt, he wore a silk-and-cotton robe with iron plates on the shoulders and elbows.

"This is the attire of Kongque King's bandit general."

Upon hearing Zhang Da Bao's words, Liu Rong examined his mustache in the copper mirror, grinned, and said, "Not bad craftsmanship."

After the disguise, not only did his hair and face change, but even the color of his eyes had shifted.

According to Zhang Da Bao, this was achieved through a special potion.

After confirming his appearance was correct, Liu Rong thought of a question: "I don't know the Wusuo Kingdom language. What should I do?"

Zhang Da Bao smiled and said, "That's easy."

"Generals of Kongque King's forces all speak Wei language. Just speak as naturally as possible, with a slight Wusuo Kingdom accent, and the person won't suspect your disguise."

Liu Rong nodded and fastened his long saber, signaling that he would lead the way.

Zhang Da Bao didn't waste time, calling over a man who could speak the Wusuo Kingdom language to follow them.

"Is this person...?"

"Da Mountain, has lived among the people in the eastern market for years, dealing with them regularly."

"Is that so?"

The man called "Da Shan" nodded and bowed with a grin of yellowed teeth, "Sir, please give me your orders."

Liu Rong followed without hesitation, leading the way.

After turning a narrow alley, he stumbled and looked at the scattered people lying inside, questioning, "Who are these?"

Zhang Da Bao chuckled, "The boss told me to block all merchants passing through, but not to kill them. I was worried at the time."

"Later, the boss sent some powdered medicine, which works wonders. Any mid-level martial artist who takes it will fall unconscious within three breaths."

"So I see..."

Liu Rong had heard of "Immortal Wine" before, naturally, from following Master Chen.

"Did he not suspect anything?"

"He came through another alley. I couldn't let him come this way."

Liu Rong hummed in agreement, saying nothing more, and bypassed these people, heading straight for the pit deep within.

When everything was ready, Zhang Da Bao pulled aside the bricks stacked over the earthen wall, revealing a wooden room inside.

A dim oil lamp hung from the beam, illuminating Li San Yuan lying on a wooden plank bed.

Liu Rong took in the scene at a glance, cleared his throat, and forced a grotesque smile onto his face, stepping forward first.

"Li San Yuan..."

About half a breath later,

Liu Rong looked at the yellowed paper in his hand with his signature and seal, twisted his neck, and emerged from the wooden hut, muttering,

"Good words, all said, without forcing me to use harsh measures."

Though he had been careful enough, Li San Yuan still detected a flaw in his plan. Fortunately, before that, he had already discovered Li San Yuan's purpose, or else things would have gone awry.

Zhang Da Bao followed him, glancing back at Li San Yuan, who was bound with five-colored ropes and gagged, and asked,

"Brother Liu, what should we do now?"

"You stay here and keep him under watch. I need to return to the mansion. Before nightfall, I'll bring someone with me."

"Who?"

"General Xiao Jing Hong."

"Ah?"

"Rest assured, the boss has his arrangements."

Zhang Da Bao looked at Liu Rong leaving, trusting him but also considering it, and soon summoned the others to spread the news.

"General Xiao Jing Hong will arrive shortly..."

"Rest assured, he came for Li San Yuan. We'll wait another day or so here."

Zhang Da Bao might not believe Liu Rong, but he trusted Master Chen.

During the time he followed Master Chen, he had long admired this apparent "Light-boat Scholar" deeply.

Even if General Xiao Jing Hong came here, he felt no fear.

After all, the boss and the general were old acquaintances...

Meanwhile,

Liu Rong rode at full speed back to the prefecture in Shu, heading straight for the south gate. When he reached Liu Hong's residence, he looked around, seeing few people moving about, and removed his mask to reveal his true face.

But after waiting a while, he still saw no sign of Xiao Jing Hong, Liu Rong muttered,

"Did the boss send me to the wrong place?"

"General Xiao not here?"

Before he could finish, he heard a voice from behind, "Are you looking for me?"

Liu Rong startled, glanced around, still seeing nothing, and lowered his voice,

"The boss sent me to find you."

"Come on then."

Soon, Liu Rong realized a sharp sword energy had settled in front of him, directing him to look toward the nearby courtyard.

There?

Liu Rong quickly pulled his mask back on and dashed over.

Upon arriving at that courtyard, he saw a figure standing outside the hall, hands clasped behind his back, wearing the silver half-mask on his face.

He smiled and bowed, "We meet again, General."

Xiao Jing Hong looked at him calmly, "How did you know I was here?"

"Ah, the boss wrote a letter telling me."

"The boss? Master Chen?"

"Yes..."

"Where is he? How did he know I was here?"

"I don't know either..."

Not trusting him, Liu Rong shook his head, "The last time I saw him was when he sent me to Lin Zhou a few days ago."

"Lin Zhou?"

Xiao Jing Hong thought, "The grain sold here, you handled it?"

Liu Rong nodded with a smile, "You know, it was the boss's arrangement."

"Though I must say, I truly don't know what he's thinking."

"That batch of grain cost us fifty thousand silver dollars to purchase, yet sold for just one or two shi, making a loss..."

Liu Rong went on at length, complaining about the boss not telling him anything.

Xiao Jing Hong listened patiently, "Your master, truly a dragon seen but not fully known."

Not only that, but what surprised her even more was that this person could deduce she would go there and then return, hiding outside Liu Hong's residence.

How could he do that?

Even a white immortal couldn't match this Xiao Jing Hong's wariness of "Master Chen" at that moment.

Was there truly someone in the world who could predict all of another's actions?

Liu Rong, unaware of what she was thinking, gave a dry laugh, "General, forgive him. That man of his is like that, doing anything with mystery and secrecy."

Xiao Jing Hong stared deeply into his eyes, asking, "Speak, what did the boss want me here for?"

"The boss wants you to meet someone."

"He said that person could help you bring down..."

Liu Rong pointed to the nearby courtyard of the Liu family residence, "It's true, that person knows many things about them."

Xiao Jinghong's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this, though his heart was no longer as surprised as before.

"Since she's here, it's natural that she would know her intentions."

"Where is that person?"

"The Tea Horse Ancient Road…"

"Lead the way!"

Xiao Jinghong waved his sleeve and beckoned from the inner chambers, retrieving a black cloak and draping it over his shoulders.

Liu Liang halted, saying nothing further, and set off ahead of the mansion.

They traversed the western market and the West City Gate, heading straight for the Tea Horse Ancient Road.

"Oh, and the boss also wanted me to tell you—Mr. Ling Chang of Cloud Yun College may have something you need."

"Mr. Ling Chang of Cloud Yun College?"

"Mr. Zhu Ling Chang, perhaps?"

"Seems your master knows more than I thought."

"Generally, heh, generally…"

While guiding the way, Liu Liang wiped the sweat from his brow and internally scolded his master for not being upright.

Even though he was certain Xiao Jinghong wouldn't hold a grudge against him for the past incident, the pressure was still immense.

They rode together, speaking softly as they journeyed westward.

As Xiao Jinghong recounted the identity and deeds of Li Sanyuan, a surge of murderous intent swelled in his heart.

Not only did he despise Li Sanyuan, but also the commander-in-chief of the border, Zhu Hao.

No wonder "Chen Yu" had cautioned her—Mr. Ling Chang might know something.

So it was this way!

…

Inside the Spring Lotus Garden, Chen Yi stirred, sensing a shift. He rose, glancing westward while clutching a scroll, silently musing:

"Calculating the time, Xiao Jinghong should have already been led by Liu Liang to the Tea Horse Ancient Road."

"By the time midnight arrives tonight, she'll return to Fu City with her party."

Chen Yi set down his scroll and summoned Xiao Biao, commanding:

"I'm going to Cloud Yun College. Afternoon, prepare some paper and ink in the study—upon my return, I need to pen several treatises."

"Understood, my lord."

No sooner had Chen Yi departed the Spring Lotus Garden than Xiao Wan'er arrived, accompanied by Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang.

Upon seeing him, Xiao Wan'er's exquisite face bore an expression of uncertainty, her words faltering:

"Brother-in-law, are you leaving?"

Chen Yi understood her meaning and smiled, nodding: "Earlier, I had arranged to meet Yue Ming here today."

"Miss Xiao, you're also venturing out?"

"Indeed, Sister Qingwu invited me to meet at Cloud Qing Lou—to discuss matters concerning the Medical Arts Academy."

"Oh? Indeed?"

Chen Yi furrowed his brow internally. He had intended to go find Cui Qingwu under the alias "Liu Wu."

After all, he'd spent a fortune this time—he needed Cui Qingwu to produce the silver he was owed.

Moreover, the recent events involving the "beastly" Du Cang had roused his caution.

Better safe than sorry.

He needed to leverage the White Tiger Guard's strength to prepare, lest another scuffle erupt.

Deciding thus, Chen Yi spoke:

"Sister Xiao, are you in a hurry? If not, I'll take a carriage."

Xiao Wan'er hesitated briefly, then agreed.

In no time, the four of them boarded a carriage and departed the Hou residence.

Chen Yi and Xiao Wan'er sat side by side within the carriage, an odd tension settling between them.

Xiao Wan'er lowered her head, half her face hidden in her sleeves, her eyes occasionally glancing at Chen Yi.

Meanwhile, Chen Yi remained composed.

Yet his hands were restless, constantly gripping Xiao Wan'er's hand, spreading her palm and tracing patterns across it.

Xiao Wan'er struggled, and when he didn't release her, the tingling sensation on her palm made her cheeks flush: "Brother-in-law…"

Chen Yi sighed, smiling as he said, "Look how lively things are outside," then gestured for her to look at his hand.

Then he wrote a few characters: [Ask if you wish to ask.]

Xiao Wan'er deciphered the invisible script, her face reddening further.

She had thought Chen Yi was slighting her, but now realized she should retreat further into her sleeves.

Seeing this, Chen Yi patted her shoulder, extending his hand and signaling her to write.

Xiao Wan'er understood and forced herself to compose her thoughts, writing on his palm:

[Are you "Chen Yu"?]

[Yes, I am.]

[So you helped Brother Xiao and me establish Bai Caotang to assist her?]

[Something like that.]

Chen Yi wrote a few more lines, his mind conjuring the memory of Xiao Wan'er, who'd gone to each household to collect monthly stipends, daring to discard her jewelry.

[In the end, it's better not to burden my sister alone. Besides, the household sends me some silver monthly, so I thought of a solution.]

[Do you practice medicine?]

[Yes.]

Upon receiving his answer, Xiao Wan'er's blush deepened.

After a long while, she slowly wrote on Chen Yi's palm:

[So when I fell ill before, was it because of you that I was healed?]

(Chapter Complete)