Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 238 The Three Brothers of the Western Regions, the Three Protectors of the Cold Winter

"Yu Tianbao...is he dead?"

"Exactly!"

Bluebeard said, “Think about it carefully, since the news of Jade Rakshasa’s death spread, Jade Tianbao has completely disappeared. There are so many capable people in the world, but no one can find him.”

It would be one thing if Yu Tianbao had a few skilled concealers under his command, but would Yu Tianbao himself be the type to willingly hide for months without showing his face?

The three men, Lan, Hong, and Hei, exchanged glances, none of them believing it.

Yu Tianbao was a notorious playboy in the Western Regions. If he didn't come up with something funny for three days, it was considered that he had great patience.

Moreover, it took several months.

"The only possibility is... he's actually already dead!"

Bluebeard said, "No matter how many capable people there are in the world, can you find a dead person? Heh, if that gambler hadn't even taken the dead man's belongings and dug the body out of the grave, even I probably wouldn't have known that Yu Tianbao had been dead for a long time!"

Bru said, "Since Yu Tianbao is already dead, I'm afraid his Rakshasa Token was taken away long ago."

"Exactly!"

Red slammed his hand on the table: "Then what are you doing here wasting your breath talking to us?"

Bluebeard chuckled, “Don’t be hasty, you three. I have some clues. Based on Yu Tianbao’s body, we can estimate his time of death. Around that time, the news hadn’t yet fully spread throughout the martial arts world.”

However, a group of Rakshasa Cult experts, led by three protectors, arrived at this place. Not long after, they mysteriously departed.

The timeframe in between is exactly what we calculated for the time of Yu Tianbao's death!

Bru frowned deeply: "According to you, could it be that the three protectors of the Rakshasa Sect killed Yu Tianbao?"

"That is indeed my idea."

Bluebeard said, "However, those three protectors did not obtain the Rakshasa Token?"

"Oh? Why?"

"Because I discovered that the three protectors did not leave in the west, but in the north. In addition, during that period, another famous figure also mysteriously disappeared."

"who?"

"Have the three of you ever heard of... the famous detective Lu Xiaofeng?"

"Him? And what is his connection to this matter?"

"You all don't know, but Lu Xiaofeng is a busybody. He came to the Northwest and was bound to have some fun, but he suddenly disappeared mysteriously. This is completely out of character for him. In my opinion, he was probably forcibly taken away, and the direction he was taken away from... was right to the north!"

Reid said impatiently, "What exactly do you mean by rambling on like this?"

Bluebeard said, "What I mean is, although Yu Tianbao is a playboy, he's not stupid. I'm afraid that after learning of his father's death, he had his men take the Rakshasa Token away. And those men took it northward."

Three protectors of the Rakshasa Cult suddenly arrived, killed Yu Tianbao, and wanted to obtain the Rakshasa Token, but they did not expect that the Rakshasa Token was not on Yu Tianbao.

Just then, they discovered Lu Xiaofeng, who had come to the Northwest for a trip. Hearing of his reputation as a famous detective, they forced him to assist in the investigation.

Lu Xiaofeng lived up to his reputation and quickly found a clue. Therefore, the three protectors forcibly dragged Lu Xiaofeng along to the north to search for the Rakshasa Token!

"There were so many twists and turns in this matter?"

Blue nodded.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that... Bluebeard didn't lie!

Blue's eyes narrowed, and he asked, "I want to know... why are you telling us all this, when we're complete strangers and even have a conflict with each other?"

Bluebeard's face fell, and he said, "You three are unaware of what has happened. Ever since the news of the Rakshasa Token spread, bandits have been breaking into my gambling den every few days, demanding information about the Rakshasa Token."

My gambling den is a business, but every day people come to cause trouble, so naturally, the business can't continue. Now I only hope that some hero can truly obtain the Rakshasa Card, attract the world's attention away from my little gambling den, and allow my business to continue.

"The three heroes are highly skilled in martial arts and are truly destined to possess the Rakshasa Token. Becoming the leader of the Rakshasa Cult is their destiny. I sincerely hope that the three of you can obtain the Rakshasa Token and quell the arrogance of my gambling den!"

"Hahahaha... You Bluebeard, you've spoken a few words of truth. The position of leader of the Rakshasa Sect should rightfully belong to my elder brother!"

Red laughed heartily at his compliment.

Bru's expression softened as well: "Don't worry, Master, once we get the Rakshasa Token, we will definitely announce it to the world and help you out of your predicament."

They didn't linger and left together.

After leaving the gambling den, Bru asked, "Second brother, third brother, how credible do you think Bluebeard's words are?"

Reid said, "This man's cowardice may be a lie, but the crisis he mentioned that the gambling den is facing is real. It seems he really wants to end this as soon as possible."

Bru nodded: "So, what he said does have some credibility. In that case, let's try to find that Rakshasa Cult protector first. If this information is true, that would be excellent, but if it's false... hehe, then we'll come back and cause him trouble again!"

Xuanse, who had been silent all along, nodded in agreement: "Brother is absolutely right!"

Inside the gambling den.

Bluebeard's face was grim. He summoned his many henchmen and shouted, "You bunch of trash! It was one thing that you couldn't defeat Grandmaster-level experts when they came before, but now you can't even beat three Innate Realm experts?"

The crowd looked distressed: "Master, it's not that we didn't try our best, it's just that these three are extraordinary!"

"Oh? Extraordinary? Tell me, what's so unusual about it?"

The crowd said, "Master, these three brothers seem to have all practiced the same martial art, possessing incredibly strong and invulnerable bodies. Our swords and blades can't even pierce their clothes, yet their punches and palm strikes break our bones. We are no match for them!"

"Physical training?"

Upon hearing this, a strange look appeared in Bluebeard's eyes.

The most difficult martial arts to master is the one that requires time and hard work.

There are also methods to rapidly increase one's internal energy through elixirs and spiritual medicines.

However, external physical repair requires constant refinement and there are few quick fixes.

Those three looked very young, yet they were already invulnerable to blades and spears... and in the kind of invulnerability that even innate martial artists of the same level couldn't break.

This can almost be described as the culmination of rigorous training.

If it were just one person, the vastness of the world wouldn't be surprising.

However, it's rather strange that three people would appear at once.

"Those who came looking for the Rakshasa Token before were all independent individuals, and even the grandmasters fought alone. But these three brothers, although only at the Innate Realm, have incredibly strong and muscular bodies. Plus, with the three of them working together, it's quite possible that they will be the ones to finally obtain the Rakshasa Token!"
"Heh, but that's fine too. With that Rakshasa talisman in their hands, they can keep countless ambitious people in the world at bay and draw my attention!"

A look of pride and confidence appeared in Fang Yufei's eyes.

Despite the many flaws in the plan, he was prepared for it after all.

Even though his plans had changed significantly, he was confident that he would be the ultimate victor.

"As long as time passes, the Rakshasa Sect will surely be mine!" To the north of the Ming Dynasty lies the Yuan Dynasty.

On the northern border of the Yuan Dynasty, near the far north of the Rakshasa Kingdom, there is a place called 'Lahasu'.

This is an ice town that only exists for seven months each year.

what for?

It turns out that Lahasu stands on a river, but this place is close to the far north, and every year around the Double Ninth Festival, the entire river gradually freezes, and stays frozen until the Qingming Festival of the following year.

The freeze lasted for as long as seven months.

Locals usually build wooden frames before the river freezes, then throw them into the river. As the river freezes, the wooden frames also freeze to death.

People could then lay bricks and tiles on the wooden frame, and freeze the sand and water to form walls, thus creating a sizable town in just a few days.

This is the ice town that only appears for seven months of the year.

Lahassu!
After the town was built, people from both sides of the river would come here to trade.

Even goods from the Rakshasa Kingdom can be found in Lahasasu.

Lu Xiaofeng may have other skills that others can surpass, but his ability to make friends is absolutely unparalleled.

Having only been in Lahasasu for a few days, he not only obtained the Rakshasa brand using his skills, but also acquired a rare and famous wine from the Rakshasa Kingdom through a friend.

"This is... vodka?"

Looking at the clear, water-like liquid in the glass, Lu Xiaofeng was quite surprised.

He had heard the name for a long time, but this was the first time he had ever seen this kind of wine.

He then picked up his glass and drank it down in one gulp.

Suddenly, I felt a line of fire enter my throat and burn directly into my stomach, as if it had exploded. The burning sensation flowed from my stomach throughout my body.

"So spicy! So good wine! So good wine!"

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but stick out his tongue, his face turning slightly red.

Recalling what Zhou Ming said when they first talked about vodka, I suddenly realized how true it was.

In the frigid far north, only this kind of strong liquor can stimulate the body's fire and make people feel a kind of warmth in this extreme cold.

Just as he was drinking alone, three figures burst through the door, shouting angrily, "Lu Xiaofeng, was it you who did this?!"

Lu Xiaofeng was stunned: "What? What do you mean I'm the one who did this? First, you forced me to come to this far north to help you find the Rakshasa Token. Now that you've found it, you should give me my freedom! Even if you are protectors of the Rakshasa Cult, you can't be so untrustworthy, can you?"

These three figures were the three protectors of the Rakshasa Sect, named Guzhu, Hanmei, and Kusong respectively.

Because their names sound like bamboo, plum, and pine, the three are also known as the "Three Friends of Winter".

Upon hearing this, Hanmei angrily retorted, "If it weren't for your meddling, how would these people have noticed this frigid, remote northern land?!"

"Who are they?" Lu Xiaofeng was still puzzled.

"These people!"

Hanmei opened the window and saw a martial artist, whose clothes and appearance clearly did not belong to a local of Lahasu, rushing hurriedly down the street, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if searching for something.

Around him, there were seven or eight other martial artists whose movements were similar to his!
"These are just those who are impatient; as far as I know, there are probably dozens more hiding in the shadows!"

Hanmei was furious: "If you, you cunning little devil, hadn't revealed our whereabouts, how could anyone have tracked us here?"

This makes sense.

Lahasue is a bustling market for locals.

However, it was still too remote for outsiders, even for the Yuan people, let alone the Ming people.

Given the relationship between the Ming and Yuan dynasties, it would be incredibly difficult and dangerous to cross the entire Yuan dynasty and reach Lahasu.

However, dozens of martial artists still came here.

If their goal wasn't the Rakshasa amulet, what else could it be?
One or two, the Three Friends of Winter could be said to be insignificant, but dozens... and all of them are warriors who can cross the entire Yuan Kingdom to come to this Lahasu. They can all be said to be elites, not a single one of them is a good-for-nothing.

If we are surrounded and attacked by them...

Thinking of this, the Three Friends of Winter felt a chill run down their spines.

Lu Xiaofeng hurriedly said, "This has nothing to do with me! All along the way, the three of you have been watching me. Even when I need to use the restroom, you keep a close eye on me. How could I have had time to spread rumors?"
The only freedom I'll gain is in the few days after receiving the Rakshasa Token. How could news possibly travel from Lahasu to the Ming Dynasty in such a short time?

His tone was full of grievance.

Since arriving in the Northwest, he has had a string of bad luck.

He originally planned to have some fun at the Silver Hook Casino, but he met an icy beauty and thought it was a romantic encounter. However, she tricked him into going to a room.

When I opened my eyes again, there were several corpses in front of me.

Before he could even react, the house was surrounded by the Three Friends of Winter and a group of Rakshasa Sect followers.

Then he learned that the corpses inside the house were actually Yu Tianbao, the son of Yu Luosha, the leader of the Rakshasa Sect, and several of his followers.

Lu Xiaofeng, caught red-handed, had no way to express his suffering.

Fortunately, after a thorough examination, the Three Friends of Winter did not find the Rakshasa Token on him or any of the corpses. They also valued his reputation as a famous detective and wanted him to help them find the Rakshasa Token.

This search led them directly to Lahasu in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty.

It was only a couple of days ago that I finally found the Rakshasa tablet in a block of ice beneath Lahasu, and that's when I was finally freed.

But before I could even relax for two days, trouble came knocking again.

He cried out that he was innocent, but Hanmei did not believe him.

"Maybe you leaked the information on the way. Hmph, if it wasn't you, would the three of us have deliberately leaked the information so they would come and kill us?"

"Don't be anxious, gentlemen. I've said it before: I didn't kill Yu Tianbao! I still stand by that claim!"

Lu Xiaofeng gritted his teeth and said, "And what has happened now confirms what I said. This news was not leaked by me, nor by any of the three of you, but by the person who actually killed Yu Tianbao."

Hanmei snorted coldly: "Who knows if you little brat are trying to deceive me again?"

The other two people beside them nodded.

Kuzhu said, "There are indeed many suspicious points about what happened back then."

Gu Song said, "But more importantly, it's not just the three of us who are surrounded right now, there's also Lu Xiaofeng!"
So, regardless of whether you leaked the information or not, you must now fight alongside us to leave Lahasau!

(End of this chapter)