Chapter 381: A Pleasant Meeting of Earthly Beauties (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 381: A Woman of Absolute Beauty Meets Him in a Romantic Encounter (Please Vote for the Monthly Ticket)

Splash!

A bowl of cold water splashed onto his face, and Zhang Daobao jolted awake.

"Who—"

The word barely escaped his lips when he saw the surrounding Liu Zhaoxue and her guards, and suddenly remembered what had happened moments before.

—His master, "Yizhi," had knocked him unconscious and brought him here.

So it seemed his master was connected to the people behind Li Sanyuan.

Zhang Daobao thought this over, and his heart suddenly grew uneasy.

He brushed the water from his face, scanned the leading Liu Zhaoxue, and asked, "Who are you?"

He glanced again at the ropes binding him, and scoffed, "Do you know who I am?"

The voice was Li Sanyuan's, calm and steady.

Liu Zhaoxue had already put on a veil, her eyes calmly watching him through the thin veil, though she harbored some doubt.

The voice of "who" moments ago had been slightly higher, sharper, more delicate than this deep timbre.

But after thinking it over carefully, she simply took it for Li Sanyuan's fear upon being brought here suddenly.

"Li Sanyuan, the patrol officer of Jizhou Commercial Office in Shuzhou."

Zhang Daobao's expression remained unchanged, lifting his head to say, "Since you know me, won't you quickly untie me?"

Liu Zhaoxue said calmly, "We're not in a hurry. Once we leave the manor, we'll have plenty of time to chat."

Hearing this, Zhang Daobao realized he was now inside a boat cabin, his body swaying with the waves, and faint laughter could still be heard.

He wasn't worried about his safety.

Last night, Chen Yi had already explained that no matter what happened, he shouldn't panic, and that Shu and Tonghui would protect him.

So at present, he only wanted to clarify the identities of these people.

"Are you enemies of the Commercial Office?"

"No, no. If you were enemies, you could just let me die at Duke Yuan's manor. Why go to such trouble to intercept me?"

"So you must be after something from me."

"You—"

"Be silent!"

Liu Zhaoxue raised her hand to cut him off, turning her head toward the outside.

A black-clad guard quickly entered and bowed, "To inform the lord, the boat has passed the city gate inspection."

Liu Zhaoxue slightly nodded, "Then let's set sail, and get away as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

After that person left, Zhang Daobao felt a slight anxiety.

He didn't know where Shu and Tonghui were now, nor whether Liu Rong had properly arranged things for Li Sanyuan.

After a short while, he couldn't help but speak again, "I advise you to change your minds. I will never tell you anything!"

Liu Zhaoxue, while paying attention to the outside movements, glanced at him and said lightly, "Is that so?"

She then took a ring from her chest, the size of a palm—circular with a square inside.

On the golden ring were intricate carvings of a dragon and a phoenix, and in the center were the characters "Pingzheng."

"Patrol officer Li Sanyuan of the Jizhou Commercial Office's Pingzheng Hall."

Zhang Daobao's face remained calm, raising his head to say, "Since you know me, won't you quickly untie me?"

Liu Zhaoxue said calmly, "We're not in a hurry. Once we leave the manor, we'll have plenty of time to chat."

Zhang Daobao realized he was now inside a boat cabin, his body swaying with the waves, and faint laughter could still be heard.

He wasn't worried about his safety.

Last night, Chen Yi had already explained that no matter what happened, he shouldn't panic, and that Shu and Tonghui would protect him.

So at present, he only wanted to clarify the identities of these people.

"Are you enemies of the Commercial Office?"

"No, no. If you were enemies, you could just let me die at Duke Yuan's manor. Why go to such trouble to intercept me?"

"So you must be after something from me."

"You—"

"Be silent!"

Liu Zhaoxue raised her hand to cut him off, turning her head toward the outside.

A black-clad guard quickly entered and bowed, "To inform the lord, the boat has passed the city gate inspection."

Liu Zhaoxue slightly nodded, "Then let's set sail, and get away as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

After that person left, Zhang Daobao felt a slight anxiety.

He didn't know where Shu and Tonghui were now, nor whether Liu Rong had properly arranged things for Li Sanyuan.

After a short while, he couldn't help but speak again, "I advise you to change your minds. I will never tell you anything!"

Liu Zhaoxue, while paying attention to the outside movements, glanced at him and said lightly, "Is that so?"

She then took a ring from her chest, the size of a palm—circular with a square inside.

On the golden ring were intricate carvings of a dragon and a phoenix, and in the center were the characters "Pingzheng."

"Patrol officer Li Sanyuan of the Jizhou Commercial Office's Pingzheng Hall."

Zhang Daobao's heart suddenly surged. He only knew Li Sanyuan was a patrol officer of the Jizhou Commercial Office, never having heard of Pingzheng Hall or the Clear Breeze Envoy.

But seeing that golden token, he could at least guess that this woman held a different position within the Jizhou Commercial Office.

His thoughts rapidly shifted, and Zhang Daobao's face turned serious, "Patrol officer Li Sanyuan has met the lord."

Liu Zhaoxue remained unmoved, repeating the same question, "Tell me, where is the envoy from the Brothel and Vixen Countries now?"

Zhang Daobao truly didn't know.

When he first captured Li Sanyuan, he had only inquired about basic circumstances, just to deceive those several grain merchants.

He hadn't known Li Sanyuan was hiding such a trick.

Zhang Daobao muttered something to himself, then decided not to say anything.

"The Clear Breeze Envoy, my lord, understands. I—out of concern for that envoy's safety, I have placed him in a location no one would discover."

"Where?"

"Where in the manor?"

"In... in..."

Liu Zhaoxue saw him stammering, slightly frowning, her voice turning cold, "Li Sanyuan, I think you've forgotten the Commercial Office's rules."

She then waved toward her guards behind her, "Let him speak."

Two thin, malicious-looking black-clad men quickly stepped forward to attack Zhang Daobao.

Zhang Daobao quickly thought of something, urgently saying, "I tell you, I tell you, Clear Breeze Envoy, don't be busy with fists, I tell you."

"The person has been placed inside the city, in the Fireworks Alley, near the southern city gate!"

Liu Zhaoxue called out to the two black-clad men, "If he's lying, you know the consequences."

"Understood, understood..."

Zhang Daobao smiled sheepishly, then said to the two black-clad men, "Now can you untie me?"

They ignored him.

Liu Zhaoxue stared at him for a moment, then silently entered the inner chamber.

Zhang Daobao called out softly, following her silhouette, and from under the overturned curtain, he could faintly see a familiar figure.

It was none other than his master, "Yizhi."

But because it was "Yizhi,"

Zhang Daobao's heart didn't quite like the reaction.

Though he didn't understand why his master had done this, he did know that Chen Yi's arrangement for him to pretend to be Li Sanyuan must have been suspected.

Especially last night, Chen Yi had specifically asked him about "Yizhi."

Clearly, Chen Yi knew that the person coming to the Xiao family today was his master.

In light of his understanding of Chen Yi, those who had set their sights on him were unlikely to meet with a favorable outcome.

Even though that person was his master…

It concerned the affairs of the Xiao family, and Chen Yi could never possibly uncover this matter so easily.

Zhang Daobao thought of this, his heart racing with urgency, yearning only for his master to quickly leave this place of strife and contention.

Yet he was still bound and powerless to move, with someone keeping watch, and he dared not speak freely for fear of being discovered.

He could only pray that Shu He and Kuai would arrive soon, so that he might find an opportunity to warn "Yī Zhǐ" to depart.

While Zhang Daobao fretted anxiously on his side, the several people in the room were considerably more at ease.

"Yī Zhǐ" had already shed his disguise, sitting cross-legged on the mat, drinking wine and eating peanuts with an effortless rhythm.

As he ate, he kept glancing at Liu Zhaoqing and Pei Yonglin.

Liu Zhaoqing spoke: "Li Sanyuan said, the envoy from Mònǐnǚguó is now staying outside the smoking and flower lane to the south of the city."

Pei Yonglin nodded with a smile: "Thanks for the information."

"A bit later, I'll go investigate myself. Once I find that person, we won't need to delay Song Broder's important matter."

Liu Zhaoqing hummed in agreement, glanced at "Yī Zhǐ," and then turned to leave the room.

"Yī Zhǐ" watched her disappear beyond the door, his tone casual: "That girl of yours has a bit of a cold demeanor."

"Are all the merchants from Jizhou Business Office like that?"

Pei Yonglin shook his head with a smile: "Not necessarily."

"You know, merchants, after all, are only in it for profit. Business is about making money, so as for getting along with people, they're generally quite amiable."

"Amiable?"

Yī Zhǐ scoffed: "I don't believe it. You, as a mountain person, spending time with a bunch of merchants—how could you possibly be amiable?"

Pei Yonglin replied without committing: "The people in the business office come from all over the nine provinces and three prefectures. When the forest is vast, naturally all kinds of birds exist."

Yī Zhǐ stared deeply into his eyes: "Family name Pei, these days you've changed quite a bit."

"Time moves on, some changes are bound to happen."

"Not to mention whether your old lady at home would be pleased about your changes now."

Pei Yonglin's smile faded, turning his head toward him: "My return to Shuzhou, I cannot let other mountain people know about."

Yī Zhǐ dropped the peanuts, scattering them everywhere: "If that's your plan, then why still use a smile at all?"

"'Little Dao Jun' Hú Huīyáng was killed by you and the surname Song together."

"The dozens of members from the Shuzhou Academic Affairs family, all killed by your hands."

"The affair has blown up so big, the officials have already started suspecting the mountain people. You've managed to escape so far?"

Pei Yonglin tugged at the brocade he wore, his face turning completely cold.

A moment of silence passed.

It seemed he had made up his mind: "The mountain people didn't act, so the officials would never find anything on them."

"Then what about you?" "The officials can't find anything, but that doesn't mean your mother can't do something."

Yī Zhǐ scoffed: "Family name Pei, these years have passed—haven't you forgotten your mother's temper?"

"If she were to become angry, the entire Shuzhou underworld would suffer along with her. Do you fear bringing disaster upon the mountain clan?"

"Besides, haven't you killed 'Little Dao Jun'?"

"Even if that person noticed something amiss and found you, before you struck, did you ever consider the old monk from Wudang Mountain?"

"With Zhōng Wú the old monk's abilities, could you possibly escape?"

Yī Zhǐ said this, looking at him with unyielding disdain: "Setting aside a thousand miles, if Zhōng Wú the old monk couldn't find you, he could still track down the mountain people."

"Could the mountain matron and your clan of people possibly block that old monk?"

"I don't think so!"

Pei Yonglin sighed: "It comes to this... In the end, I'll repay the favor with my life."

"You will?"

"What can you repay me with?"

Yī Zhǐ suddenly stood up, pointing at his nose: "What perverse thing have you gotten yourself into?"

"The time you left, you clearly told me, you all went north to help the court investigate the northern barbarians' movements."

"How come, while investigating, you became a person from Jizhou Business Office?"

"Or perhaps, from the beginning, you and Mòu Lán and that woman were those ruffians from the business office all along?"

Pei Yonglin's face darkened, looking up at him: "Yī Zhǐ, you're saying too much."

"What? You still plan to attack me, aren't you?"

"Family name Pei, I used to think you had some leverage placed in those people's hands, but now it seems you've simply fallen into depravity yourself!"

Yī Zhǐ was about to continue his scolding when his expression suddenly changed, his body already appearing in the corner of the cabin, looking bewildered.

"Are you attacking me?"

"Are you attacking me?!"

"You..."

Before the words had fully formed, Yī Zhǐ clutched his abdomen and sat down on the side of the wooden cabin, his face visibly paling.

"Family name Pei, you... you're doomed!"

Pei Yonglin stared at him with cold, murderous eyes, slowly standing up, approaching him, his voice cold:

"Yī Zhǐ, considering we've known each other for a while, I'll spare you this time."

"If there's a next time, don't blame me for holding a grudge."

After a pause, he continued: "You guessed right."

"Long ago, I was already a person from Jizhou Business Office, back then..."

Pei Yonglin had not directly entered Jizhou Business Office at first, but had gone to the Bright Moon Tower.

At that time, the mountain clan had just driven the Five Poison Sect out of Shuzhou. The clan members—those wounded and those who died—were mostly families left with only women, children, and infants.

Even the living old and strong men who hunted in the mountains every day still had little food to sustain them.

So Pei Yonglin went down the mountain seeking solutions.

By chance, he encountered the Bright Moon Tower, and through a skill in sorcery and curses, he made a few deals.

The silver money he earned, he converted into grain and transported back to the mountain clan.

Though Pei Yonglin knew this was wrong, the Bright Moon Tower was a gathering place of evil forces and demons.

If people discovered his identity, it would inevitably involve the mountain clan.

But for survival, for his clan, he had no choice but to do it, and he had to fight for it.

Thus, after consulting with his wife, they departed Shuzhou together for more distant horizons.

In the ensuing years, as his cultivation grew profound, his business ventures expanded accordingly.

Consequently, the couple caught the eye of the Jizhou Trading Firm, becoming the Breeze Emissaries of the firm's Pingzheng Hall.

Only upon joining did Pei Yonglin realize that the Bright Moon Tower was merely a martial sect controlled from the shadows by the firm.

Moreover, most members of the Pingzheng Hall were villainous outcasts who had fought their way out of that very tower.

This was precisely one of the reasons why the inner echelons of the Jizhou Trading Firm feared Pingzheng Hall.

Imagine a cohort of cold-blooded, murderous zealots tasked with oversight; who would dare engage in underhanded dealings?

Yet, it was what it was.

Pei Yonglin knew all too well that this was no sustainable long-term plan.

That was why he had recently written to Granny Shan, stating his intent to seek another path and promising to return once the clan's livelihood improved.

Little did he know that human calculations are naught before Heaven's decree.

The Shan clan had actually collaborated with the Xiao family to establish the so-called Wushan Mutual Market.

This was something Pei Yonglin could never have foreseen.

"...Things having come to this, Lingyin and I can no longer turn back."

With a flick of his finger, Pei Yonglin sent a grain-sized Gu insect landing squarely upon Yizhi.

"I hope you can keep this secret for me."

Watching the insect crawl along his collar toward his heart and rustle its way into his flesh, Yizhi could only laugh from sheer fury.

"You bastard Pei, is this how you ask a man to keep your secrets?"

"A matter of expediency, my good brother, I crave your indulgence."

"Indulgence my ass... May you die a wretched death!"

Pei Yonglin shook his head, "I have said my piece. You may leave."

Once Yizhi felt the potent venom within him dissipate, he rose, glared at the man, and turned to stride outside.

Seeing him emerge, Liu Zhaoxue, who was guarding the entrance, gave a slight nod and gestured for him to be escorted off the pleasure boat.

Beside them, Zhang Dabao witnessed this, his heart growing increasingly anxious.

Seeing Yizhi on the verge of departure, he gritted his teeth and suddenly blurted out, "The river is bright, the moon shines clear!"

Liu Zhaoxue knitted her brows, turning her head to pierce him with a look. "What did you say?"

Everyone around them turned their gaze upon him as well.

Even Yizhi, who had already stepped out of the boat, looked back at him, the rage in his eyes fading slightly into an understated astonishment.

Zhang Dabao was acutely aware of his current predicament, "...Like a dreamless sleep, a joyous encounter with a worldly beauty."

"Lord Breeze Emissary, this humble one has encountered this senior before."

Liu Zhaoxue looked at him, then at Yizhi, pondering, "Where did you see him?"

"At the Liu residence."

"Liu? Which Liu?"

"In the manor of Liu Hong. On that day, he was peeping at the Eldest Master's concubine as she was... was bathing..."

Zhang Dabao forced the words out, his eyes darting anxiously toward Yizhi, praying that the man would understand.

In contrast, upon hearing his words, Yizhi's expression turned frigid once more.

"I have peeked at countless young wives; how should I remember if she belonged to the Liu family or the Li family?"

With that, he turned to walk away.

Yet, just as he was about to cross the threshold of the cabin, he spun around abruptly, and a cloud of white powder erupted from his palm.

"I'll be the death of me sooner or later because of you little bastard!"

"Run!"

As the scolding echoed, the heavy constraint on Zhang Dabao vanished, and he scrambled to his feet to rush outside.

As he fled, he shouted, "Master, you must leave quickly too! The Excellency has discovered this place and will soon arrive!"

"If the Excellency finds out you came to the Xiao family to kidnap Li Sanyuan, he will surely kill you!"

"The Excellency?"

"You..."

While master and disciple spoke, Liu Zhaoxue recovered her wits and gave a cold command:

"Kill them!"

Pei Yonglin, inside the partitioned room, naturally heard the commotion outside and stepped out to gaze at the figure enveloped in smoke.

"You make things very difficult for me by acting like this."

Hearing his voice, Yizhi disregarded all else and shoved Zhang Dabao hard, cursing:

"Get the hell out of here already!"

Aware of his dire situation, Zhang Dabao stumbled out of the cabin, still shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Senior Shui, Senior, help! He..."

Before his words could finish, he slammed into someone. Looking up closely—who else could it be but Shui Hetong, disguised as Chen Yu?

Before the boy could speak, Shui Hetong caught him, his gaze sweeping into the cabin with a faint smile.

"People from the Jizhou Trading Firm?"

"Old friends indeed."

(End of Chapter)