The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 273 Interception
Huguang, Changde Prefecture.

Huanhua Sword School.

A young man stood outside the mountain gate, kneeling on the ground until the sound of horse hooves faded away and completely disappeared from his ears. Then he slowly stood up, looked towards the end of the mountain road, and let out a long sigh.

He turned around and walked back into the mountain gate, where the disciples surrounded him and asked him questions.

The young man who was gentle and peaceful in the past no longer had the mood to explain to his fellow junior brothers and sisters. He waved his hand hastily and walked quickly back to the main hall.

"Ugh……"

As soon as he sat down, he let out another long sigh.

"How did this happen suddenly... What should I do, Master..."

He looked up at the empty main seat.

The young man's name was Liu Chengxuan, he was the eldest disciple of Huanhua Sword Sect and the pillar of the sect at that time. On the day when Li Miao went to Shaolin, he met the Huanhua Sword Sect group outside the gate, and he was the leader.

At this time, the Huanhua Sword Sect was already in a precarious situation.

Because the leader of the Huanhua Sword Sect encountered one of the "Seven Killers" several months ago and was kidnapped, and his life or death is unknown.

Over the past few months, the affairs of Huanhua Sword Sect have all fallen on the shoulders of Liu Chengxuan, the eldest senior brother. And he still holds on to the last glimmer of hope, and has not announced the news of the leader of Huanhua Sword Sect, nor has he taken over the position of leader.

But today, the Jinyiwei came to the door and brought the news that they would gather in Songshan on August 15th.

After a few probing words, Liu Chengxuan understood what the Jinyiwei meant.

"Eldest disciple? Are you worthy enough to attend the banquet hosted by my pacification envoy?"

"No leader? Choose one yourself!"

"Coming to inform you is giving you face. Not going is shameless. Since you don't want face anymore, forget about keeping your head!"

The Jinyiwei was covered in dust and had chapped lips, as if he had been on the road for several days without a rest. He spoke in an angry tone and turned and left after he finished speaking, without giving Liu Chengxuan a chance to explain.

And then, it’s the present moment.

Liu Chengxuan sat in his seat and sighed. A woman came out from the back hall, walked up to him, and put her hand on his.

"Senior brother."

The woman's name is Wen Lianrong. She is Liu Chengxuan's junior sister and the daughter of the leader of the Huanhua Sword Sect.

Liu Chengxuan slowly lowered his head and placed his forehead on her hand.

"Junior sister...what should I do?"

"Don't wait, we have no choice."

Wen Lianrong said softly.

"I am here to announce the news of my father's death. From today on, you will be the head of the sect. You and I will go to Songshan together for the banquet. No matter what happens, you and I will shoulder the responsibility together."

"Junior sister!"

Liu Chengxuan looked up suddenly.

"Master, he may not——"

"Senior brother."

Wen Lianrong interrupted him.

"Once you enter the martial arts world, life and death are your boundaries."

"Although people in the martial arts world say that our Huanhua Sword Sect is a bookworm, but don't forget that we are a sword sect!"

"If your father saw you being so indecisive, would he be able to rest in peace? Would he still be able to lead the Huanhua Sword Sect forward?"

Wen Lianrong took a deep breath, turned around and walked to the main hall door, looked at the disciples outside the door, and was about to speak when she was suddenly choked.

Although she made her point clearly, she couldn't open her mouth to announce her father's death in person, fearing that she would burst into tears as soon as she opened her mouth.

A hand was placed on her shoulder.

Liu Chengxuan walked to her side, squeezed her shoulders, then put her behind him, took a deep breath, and spoke loudly.

"Disciples, listen to your orders."

"I have something to announce..."

--------

The next day.

The gate of the Huanhua Sword Sect slowly closed.

Liu Chengxuan took a deep look at the mountain gate, jumped on his horse, but turned his head to look at the mountain gate again, without moving for a long time.

Wen Lianrong's voice came from behind.

"Brother, don't look at it."

"Things have been explained clearly. Junior Brother Wei will guard the mountain gate. If we die outside, Junior Brother Wei will pass on the sect on our behalf."

"Let's go, don't waste time."

Liu Chengxuan closed his eyes, forced himself to look away from the mountain gate, turned around, kicked the horse's belly, and rode on.

Wen Lianrong also rode his horse to catch up.

The two walked on the mountain road for a while and then reached the official road, but they were speechless for a moment.

"Brother... so many people from the martial arts world..."

Liu Chengxuan also swallowed his saliva secretly.

It was because at that moment on the official road, there were more than a dozen groups of martial artists armed with swords and knives, rushing in the same direction as them.

The two looked at each other.

"Didn't the Jinyiwei only invite the leaders of the major sects to this meeting? Why are there so many people from the martial arts world heading there on the official road hundreds of miles away from Songshan?"

The two men walked forward for a while and saw the head of a familiar escort agency nearby, so they rode over and bowed.

"Wang Biaotou."

The old escort leader also returned the greeting.

After the three of them exchanged pleasantries for a while, Liu Chengxuan took the opportunity to ask the questions in his mind.

The old escort leader smiled.

"You two are taking it for granted. The martial arts world has been turbulent in the past six months, and everyone in the martial arts world has seen it. Now that the Jinyiwei has suddenly held such a grand event, those of us who have not received an invitation will naturally want to go and see the excitement."

"Of course, at the beginning, everyone was a little concerned about the Jinyiwei's reputation."

"But it is said that the Shaolin abbot and the Wudang leader have already set off for Mount Song."

The two of them suddenly understood.

“So these two companies acted as guarantors.”

The old escort leader laughed.

"Yes, not only that. The Bashu Sword King Pavilion, which first spread the concept of 'Heavenly Man' in the martial arts world, also set out directly, and is now estimated to be almost at Songshan."

"'Heavenly Man'! Who among you in the martial arts world doesn't want to see with your own eyes the magnificence of this so-called Heavenly Man?"

"and--"

At this point, the old escort leader lowered his voice and spoke quietly.

"You two both know about the Ming Cult's assassination of the emperor last year."

"Now, I guess many people don't want to watch the fun, but want to see if this person can overturn the Jinyiwei's stall."

"In the past six months, the Jinyiwei have killed many people in the martial arts world, and their methods are far more brutal than in previous years. But whether this is to scare the monkeys or just bluffing, no one can tell."

"At least up to now, the Jinyiwei has not been able to find a celestial being, and there is even one less person at the top."

"I heard some gossip. This time, the Jinyiwei invited not only the righteous sects, but also the evil sects. Many relatives and friends, as well as many evil leaders in the martial arts world, are heading to Songshan together."

"Maybe they just want to destroy the prestige of the Jinyiwei!"

The two looked at each other and clasped their fists together.

"So, we two know it."

Just prepare to turn around and leave.

The old escort leader behind him looked around and shouted again in a low voice.

"Please wait a moment."

The two men looked back and saw the old escort leader approaching them mysteriously, waving his hand to signal them to dismount.

After the two men got off their horses, they followed the old escort leader and walked into the crowd of people in the escort agency.

Taking advantage of the crowd's cover, the old escort leader spoke in a low voice.

"There is one more thing I didn't tell you."

"But, your sect leader helped me a lot in the past. Now we don't know whether he is alive or dead. Your sect depends on you two, so I have to remind you."

Liu Chengxuan frowned and said in a low voice.

"Teacher, please speak."

The old escort leader said in a low voice.

"Actually, it's a follow-up to what I just said."

"Just now I mentioned that many evil masters who were not invited wanted to sneak into this feast. Among them, those who have connections with the invited evil sects can naturally go in together."

"But what about those demons that no one wants to approach even among the evil ones?"

Liu Chengxuan and Wen Lianrong's expressions changed.

"Has the escort leader received any news?"

The old escort leader nodded.

"I've traveled a lot in this business. Although my martial arts skills are not good enough to be considered a top-notch martial artist, I still have more information than the average sect."

"Some time ago, I ran into an eight-bag elder from the Beggars' Sect, and he told me something."

The old escort leader lowered his voice.

"He also has a wide range of friends. He has connections with most of the sects in Huguang. A few days ago, he stopped by the Iron Palm Gang in Linjiang Prefecture and wanted to go to Songshan with them for a banquet."

"Guess what?"

The two looked at each other and shook their heads.

The old escort leader lowered his voice.

"The Iron Palm Gang is wiped out!"

"What!?"

The two were shocked.

"The Iron Palm Gang also has top-notch experts in charge. Did they get wiped out? Linjiang Prefecture is not far from our Huguang, so how come there is no news at all?"

The old escort leader whispered.

"Who wouldn't say it? But before that Eight Bags Elder came to our house, not only our Huguang people, but even the Jianghu people in Linjiang Prefecture didn't notice it at all!"

"He knocked on the door for a long time that day, but there was no response. He immediately became suspicious and climbed over the wall into the courtyard, but he didn't see anyone."

"He felt something was wrong, so he searched the courtyard carefully and finally found a dark room. He pushed the door open and went in. He was immediately so frightened that he dared not move."

The old escort leader said sinisterly.

"The entire Iron Palm Gang, more than a hundred people, are all neatly stacked in this dark room like firewood. It's packed to the brim!"

As he spoke excitedly, the old escort leader made a circle with his left thumb and index finger, and then squeezed the five fingers of his right hand into it, imitating the pattern of stacked corpses.

"That's it. There's no space at all."

"All dead!"

Both of them felt cold all over.

The old escort leader sighed.

"From this point on, it's all speculation between me and the Beggars' Sect elder."

"To be able to do this, he must be at least a top expert in poisons. You two should have guessed who this person is."

Liu Chengxuan took a deep breath.

"The abandoned disciple of the Tang Sect, 'Erosion Heart Green Bag', Tang He."

"Yes."

The old escort leader nodded.

"This person has been famous in the martial arts world for a long time as a top evil person, but I have never heard of her having any grudges with the Iron Palm Gang. However, she has been hunted down by the Jinyiwei several times before and was seriously injured."

"Moreover, this person is proficient in the art of disguise. The Iron Palm Gang is also on the list of people invited by the Jinyiwei." "Do you understand, both of you?"

"For us, the most dangerous thing is August 15th, on Mount Song. We might get dragged into the fight."

"For a sect like yours that has been invited by the Royal Guards, the most dangerous part is the journey to Songshan. Especially since your sect only has two second-rate masters attending the banquet."

"I don't know how many lone evil masters would like to borrow your faces and heads."

Liu Chengxuan's face had completely darkened.

"But, the disguise technique shouldn't be that common, right?"

He said slowly.

The old escort leader waved his hand.

"The art of disguise and the technique of disguise are not the same thing. The art is hard to come by, but the technique is everywhere. They don't need to be extremely lifelike, as long as they look similar enough to sneak in and attend the banquet."

"Besides, dealing with the Jinyiwei is no small matter. It is possible that these people have secretly colluded with each other, and it is possible that some of them have the skills to disguise themselves."

"You two, please be careful on this journey."

Liu Chengxuan's heart had sunk to the bottom, but he still bowed deeply to the old escort leader.

"Thank you!"

The old escort leader was taking a big risk by saying this.

First, by saying this to the two of them, he had already offended "Heart-Eroding Green Bag" Tang He;
Secondly, he couldn't actually be sure that the two people standing in front of him were him.

After all, the matter of the Iron Palm Gang had been leaked, and Tang He would definitely look for the next target. The Huanhua Sword Sect, which was not far away and had weak strength, was actually very suitable.

Because of this, the old escort leader hesitated for a long time before calling out to the two men, and only then, with the cover of his own team, did he dare to speak to them.

The old escort leader waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to say more.

The two then turned around, mounted their horses, and continued on their journey.

After hearing what the old escort leader said, both of them became nervous. They hung the long sword that was originally hanging on the saddle on their waists again, held the reins in their left hands, and did not dare to let go of the hilt with their right hand. They also did not dare to get too close to other people on the road.

We traveled like this for about fifty or sixty miles, but nothing happened.

The sky gradually darkened.

The two men looked around and found that no gangsters were following them, and there were no villages or towns around.

Liu Chengxuan got off the horse and led the horse into the forest. After walking about a hundred feet, he saw a dilapidated house.

Judging from the shape, it seems to be a temporary resting place built by nearby hunters and woodcutters. It is not very neat, tattered, and has no windows.

There was a faint flickering light of fire inside.

The two looked at each other.

"Walk?"

"go!"

The two turned around without hesitation and were about to leave.

But unexpectedly, as soon as I moved my feet, I heard a chuckle behind me.

"You two little brats are quite alert."

"But, isn't it a bit late to leave now?"

In an instant, Liu Chengxuan and Wen Lianrong's hair stood on end.

They both turned around and looked towards the dilapidated house.

A man walked out from inside. He was thin and ugly, with a broken knife hanging from his waist, which was shaking with his steps.

A pair of triangular eyes with drooping eyebrows and tiny pupils embedded in the huge whites of the eyes were staring at the two of them.

Liu Chengxuan gritted his teeth and drew his sword.

"Broken Knife, Xu Bing."

The ugly man reached out and took off the broken knife, turned it around in his hand, held it in his hand backwards, and sneered.

"know me?"

Liu Chengxuan said through gritted teeth.

"I know your weapon. Are you waiting for us?"

"of course."

"why?"

"Of course, it's to go to Songshan."

Liu Chengxuan's face darkened.

"You are just a first-rate person, and you want to try the methods of the Jinyiwei?"

Xu Bing just smiled.

"You don't have to worry about this."

Liu Chengxuan gripped the hilt of the sword tightly.

This person is a famous master of evil ways, a top-notch figure among the best.

What the old escort leader said to them in the morning came true in the evening.

With the martial arts of the two people from the Huanhua Sword Sect, they were no match for him even if it was two against one.

He made his final struggle.

"Many people saw us on the road today. Even if you have the ability to disguise yourself, you are only one person and cannot pretend to be us and attend the banquet."

"Besides, you are first-rate, and the two of us are second-rate. If we really fight, even though we can't defeat you, we can still inflict a few wounds on you, and you might be seriously injured."

"Is it really appropriate to choose us as the target?"

When Xu Bing heard what he said, he burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha--"

"You are still a rookie! I'm already in front of you, and you still think you can persuade me to leave? Since I'm waiting for you here in advance, how can I not find out your situation!"

Xu Bingsen smiled coldly and spoke slowly.

"Who told you that I was the only one waiting for you here?"

The words have not yet fallen.

Zheng! ——

Behind Liu Chengxuan, there was a sound of sword.

He was very familiar with this voice.

Wen Lianrong drew her sword and then pressed closely behind him.

This means that there are enemies behind him.

"who is it?"

Liu Chengxuan did not look back, but stared at Xu Bing without moving his eyes away.

"Yizhanghong, Luyu."

Wen Lianrong's answer came from behind.

Liu Chengxuan let out a long sigh, and then actually laughed.

"Junior sister, it seems that you and I will have to explain ourselves here today."

"Yes."

"I've only been the head for one day."

Wen Lianrong also chuckled.

"You have been the head for one day, but I have never been the head's wife for even one day. Isn't that more of a loss?"

Liu Chengxuan smiled.

"I'll try harder in my next life."

"it is good."

Wen Lianrong replied.

The two of them already knew that there was no way they could survive.

On the opposite side are two top-notch masters.

Xu Bing, a master of swordsmanship, had a broken sword that was broken by a top master. But he did not change the sword, but continued to use the broken sword to travel the world, and finally created a brilliant broken sword technique, which shows his attainments in swordsmanship.

Lu Yu, a master of grappling, likes to tear open his opponent's neck. The blood spurts out along the artery, several feet high, hence the name "Yi Zhang Hong".

These two people are evil.

Liu Chengxuan gripped the sword tightly.

Before they even left Changde Prefecture, he and his junior sister were about to die.

Just yesterday I made up my mind to look after the Huanhua Sword Sect for my master, but today I am going to break my promise.

But - even if I die, I will leave a few sword wounds on you two!

Liu Chengxuan slowly raised the sword to his chest.

Even if I am the Sect Leader for only one day, even if no one sees me, I will not bring disgrace to the reputation of the Huanhua Sword Sect!
In an instant——

"Look at the sword!"

Liu Chengxuan shouted loudly and was about to draw his sword to kill Xu Bing.

"Fuck."

Suddenly, a cry came from the side, which directly interrupted Liu Chengxuan's heroic spirit of dying.

He turned to look.

A young man emerged from the dense forest. He looked to be in his twenties, with a handsome face and elegant clothes. He must be a rich man. However, his face was slightly pale, as if he had some kidney deficiency.

He was staring at them blankly, as if he was frightened to death.

Liu Chengxuan thought to himself that something was wrong and quickly spoke.

"Sir, these two are notorious thieves who have killed countless people. Leave immediately. We will protect you from them!"

After saying that, he was about to step forward and fight with Xu Bing.

But then he heard Xu Bing sneer.

"Anyone who sees this will die! You're nothing but a piece of shit!"

Before he finished his words, he had already bypassed Liu Chengxuan and rushed straight towards the noble young man.

But the nobleman seemed to be frightened silly. He stood there motionless, watching Xu Bing's broken knife getting closer and closer to his neck.

"It's over."

Liu Chengxuan hurriedly chased after him, but it was too late.

He couldn't bear to see the young man die innocently, so he closed his eyes.

Suddenly, Xu Bing's angry curses came from the front!

"Your mother! Close-fitting soft armor!"

"You beast! Use lime powder!"

"Fuck! Tang Sect Poison Pill!?"

puff-

When Liu Chengxuan opened his eyes again, Xu Bing had already fallen to the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices and convulsing all over.

The noble young man put his hands in his sleeves and looked at Lu Yu with a smile.

"Hey, Miss Lu."

He slowly walked around Xu Bing's body and walked towards Lu Yu.

"Aren't you coming to silence me?"

"Oh, by the way, there's one more thing I forgot to ask before I killed someone. Luckily you didn't come with me, otherwise I really wouldn't have the antidote."

He smiled good-naturedly.

"Who ordered you to kill the people who came to the banquet?"

(End of this chapter)