Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 242 Driving a tiger to devour a wolf, too lazy to speak or listen

"Sure enough, I was fooled!"

Fang Yeyu felt smug.

In that case, all my scheming wasn't in vain.

After obtaining the Rakshasa Token, Fang Yeyu no longer needed to pursue the Three Friends of Winter.

In his view, the Three Friends of Winter had not noticed his encirclement at all, and judging from the location where the Rakshasa appeared, it must have been someone's clever trick, but unfortunately it was thwarted by Kunsa.

Thus, he never actually showed himself, yet he had already taken the Rakshasa Token without anyone noticing.

In other words, his goal has been completely achieved... if it weren't for Kunsa!
Kunsa became the only loophole in the whole affair.

Everything will be perfect once he is eliminated.

But the frustrating thing is, Fang Yeyu can't get rid of this person!
The three Blue brothers, possessing formidable strength, killed over three hundred demon riders and rode away unscathed.

This Kunsha came from the Western Regions, and it is said that he and the other three were from the same sect. He came to hunt them down.

Since the intention is to hunt them down, their strength must be greater than that of the three.

Even if he doesn't reach the level of a grandmaster, he should at least be at the level of perfect innate attainment.

However, external martial arts are a type of martial art, and one cannot judge a person's strength by their actions, unlike internal martial arts.

This made it impossible for Fang Yeyu to accurately assess Kunsha's strength.

Given the advantage that the Horizontal Strike has over the Demon Knight, if the two sides were to turn against each other and start fighting, the outcome would likely not be good.

The Demon Riders are the Demon Master Palace's weapon for suppressing the martial world. Although they are miserable in front of those who practice external martial arts, they are invincible against other internal martial arts practitioners.

His formidable reputation was entirely built upon his battle achievements.

The loss of more than 300 people is already a huge loss.

Any more... he probably couldn't handle it.

So, in the past few days, Fang Yeyu devised a clever plan.

This is a strategy of using one tiger to devour another, a battle of beasts.

Specifically, it means getting Kunsa, the three Blue brothers, the Three Friends of Winter, and others to fight each other.

As martial artists who had undergone external training, Kunsha, the three brothers, and Bru were naturally invincible against the demon riders who were mostly martial artists at the acquired realm.

However, they are probably no match for the Three Friends of Winter, who are at the Second Flower Grandmaster level.

However, the Demon Knights, who were unable to exert their advantages against the Martial Artists of the Horizontal Training, were able to surround and kill the Three Friends of Winter.

The three can be said to have a mutually restraining relationship.

Therefore, as long as the Three Friends of Winter kill Kunsa and the three Blue brothers, he will be the ultimate victor.

To eliminate the only flaw and prevent anyone from finding out about it.

In addition, he sought revenge for the more than three hundred demon riders who had died.

So, Fang Yeyu secretly sent a message to the three Blue brothers, causing them to arrive nearby at that very moment.

What followed was the chaotic battle that Fang Yeyu had envisioned.

As for the reason for this chaotic battle, it was naturally that Rakshasa talisman.

“Brother, if you want to deal with the traitors, we can go and kill them right away. However, those three are cunning and I'm afraid they won't put up a fight and will leave in a hurry. As for my demon cavalry, firstly, it will take time to form an encirclement, and secondly, they are no match for those three brothers who are skilled in martial arts. I'm afraid they won't be able to help Brother Kunsha at the beginning.”

Fang Yeyu said.

Kunsha said, “I know all this, little mage, you don’t need to worry about it. Besides, based on my understanding of those three, they will definitely fight me and only run away after realizing the gap in strength. In that case, there should be enough time for the magic cavalry to set out.”

Fang Yeyu said, "This is just your estimate, and it cannot guarantee that it will be foolproof. However, I have a solution."

"Please speak, little demon master."

Fang Yeyu took out a dark purple-black jade tablet and said, "As long as you have this jade tablet, I think those three will definitely not escape."

“This…” Kunsha exclaimed in surprise: “I have no intention of coveting this item, please do not doubt me, little demon master!”

Fang Yeyu laughed and said, "Brother, you've misunderstood. This piece is fake!"

"Oh?"

Kunsha took a closer look and, sure enough, although the color of the jade pendant looked almost the same as the Rakshasa pendant, the carving was actually far less refined than the previous one.

It's obviously fake at a glance.

Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the color of the jade pendant is obviously a forgery.

However, this is because he was close enough to see clearly; others who were further away probably wouldn't be able to distinguish between the real and the fake.

After all, it was already evening, and the sky was dark.

By the time they finally encounter the Three Friends of Winter, it will probably be dark.

By then, it will be even more difficult to distinguish the real from the fake jade pendant.

There's no need to worry about them not being fooled, because the Rakshasa amulet was indeed lost from the Three Friends of Winter. When they realize this, they'll probably just assume that the one in Kunsha's hand is the real one.

"In that case... thank you, little demon master."

"No need to thank me. Those three brothers are both your target and my enemy. Eliminating them today is the best news for me!"

"Don't worry, little magician, they can't escape!"

The demon rider then galloped toward its target.

In another direction, the three Blue brothers also got closer thanks to the information provided by Fang Yeyu.

Only the Three Friends of Winter and Lu Xiaofeng, unaware of what would happen next, chewed their dry rations listlessly.

"Pah!" Hanmei spat out a pebble and said, "Where did you buy this ration? It's so dirty!"

Kusong laughed and said, "In such a hurry, it's good enough that we can buy dry food."

Hanmei said, "If you ask me, even the worst luck can't stay with us forever. Because of this, we'd rather camp out in the wild than rest in the city. Aren't we afraid of losing face if word gets out?"
"Guzhu, what do you say?"

Gu Zhu poked at the campfire and said, "I'm wondering, have we really just had bad luck on this journey?"

Hanmei said, "What else could it be? It's over a thousand miles from Lahasu to here, could there really be someone... um?"

Even the withered pine tree couldn't help but sit up straight.

It's over a thousand miles from Lahasu to here, so logically, it's impossible for anyone to follow them around and constantly cause them trouble.

However, some people want to do things in ways that defy common sense.

"Could it be that some high-ranking officials in the Yuan Dynasty have their eyes on the Rakshasa? That's impossible. Aren't they afraid that the Ming Dynasty will start a war with them?"

Lu Xiaofeng listened from the side and couldn't help but shake his head.

Is it only after so much time that we realize something is wrong?

These three friends of winter are said to have a great reputation in the Western Regions. They must have been heroes in their youth. How come they are so slow to react now?

Could it be that I'm just getting old and my mind is becoming rigid?

Fortunately, I was already prepared.

The Three Friends of Winter were horrified by this discovery and discussed it among themselves, but their discussion was not as effective as Lu Xiaofeng's two minutes of solitary thought.

This dampened Lu Xiaofeng's enthusiasm.

Suddenly, clear footsteps came from afar.

"Stop talking, someone's coming!"

"Ok?"

The Three Friends of Winter instantly fell silent, their true energy surging into the acupoints in their ears. Upon listening, they indeed heard three footsteps, making no attempt to conceal them, slowly approaching.

In a short while, three figures appeared in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Blue's gaze swept across Lu Xiaofeng's face and back, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes: "It seems our intelligence was correct, Lu Xiaofeng is indeed here!"

Reid said, "Four eyebrows, and that Thunderclap Sword... it really is Lu Xiaofeng. So, these three old fogies next to him are the Three Friends of Winter?" "Old fogies?"

The Three Friends of Winter stood up.

Hanmei said coldly, "Young people these days really have no manners. When they see an elder, they should at least call him 'elder' or 'father'!"

Bru said, “Under normal circumstances, my two brothers and I would naturally be polite, but since we’re about to start fighting, politeness is no longer necessary.”

"Let's be frank, the three of us are here for the Rakshasa talisman. You three friends of winter, seeing your old age and frailty, now obediently hand over the Rakshasa talisman, and we three brothers might spare your lives and let you retire!"

Lu Xiaofeng's eyes flickered, and he instantly thought of the mastermind behind the constant actions during this period.

But after scanning the three of them, he dismissed the idea.

No other reason than that he was dressed terribly.

Those who possess such power must be high-ranking officials or dignitaries.

Although not every nobleman necessarily wore clothes made of the finest silks such as Shu brocade and Yun brocade.

But at the very least, one should wear clothes made of fine silk and satin.

In fact, all three of them were wearing low-grade silk, the kind of clothes that ordinary people would wear.

As the saying goes, respect the clothes first, then respect the person.

The clothes a person wears also reflect their status.

Nobles and royalty wearing inferior silk or even cotton clothing were not only uncomfortable but also a disgrace.

"Are they just ordinary martial artists? But these three are so young, their strength and cultivation are probably inferior to the Three Friends of Winter. How can they be so bold? Are they really just fearless young calves?"

Lu Xiaofeng was puzzled.

The Three Friends of Winter laughed heartily upon hearing this.

They thought the same thing.

Being young and having less time to train means having lower strength; this is practically a rule of the martial arts world.

Of course, there are people who break the rules, but such people are usually one in a thousand or even one in a thousand martial artists.

"You think you can steal the Rakshasa Token? You're asking for death!"

Hanmei immediately took action.

He was already seething with anger when he was scared away by those dozens of people in Lahasasu, and he had encountered all sorts of troubles along the way, but had nowhere to vent his anger.

Just now, he suddenly realized that all the troubles along the way seemed to be man-made, and his anger surged to his head.

Suddenly, three young men appeared and demanded the Rakshasa Token.

His reluctance to act immediately was already a testament to his years of caution in the martial world.

At this moment, however, he could no longer bear it.

His first move was aimed directly at the leader of the three.

This grandmaster's attack, fueled by anger, was truly extraordinary. The wind from his palm was chilling, with frost and snow rushing towards him.

Blue felt a chill in front of him, and Hanmei's ferocious face was already close at hand, causing him to be greatly alarmed.

Along the way, most of the martial artists I encountered were at the Innate level, and none of them possessed Hanmei's speed and martial prowess.

The warehouse is tucked away at the waist.

The moment Hanmei's palm strike arrived, a strange radiance appeared before him.

A fleeting moment.

Bru was still sent flying by the palm strike, landing more than ten meters away.

"Big brother!"

"Big brother!"

The remaining two brothers were also shocked and quickly stepped aside, keeping their distance from Hanmei.

Red was wary of him, while Blackie went to help Blue up.

Bru had already stood up, his back to Xuanse, and reached out to stop him. He straightened his clothes before turning around and laughing, "Is this the strength of the Rakshasa Sect's protector? Heh, not very impressive!"

"You actually..."

Hanmei glanced at him and saw that although Bru's clothes were a little disheveled and his face was a little rosy, he did not seem to be injured.

This made his expression serious, and he slowly stepped back to stand with the withered pine and the lone bamboo.

Lu Xiaofeng was also shocked, thinking to himself: This person was able to withstand Hanmei's palm without being injured. Could it be that he is already a Second Flower Grandmaster at such a young age? No, even if they are at the same level, it is impossible to withstand a move without getting hurt.

The essence of internal strength lies in the profound mystery of true qi, not in physical strength.

If it had been just now, when Bru had used his true qi to create a protective barrier around his body and blocked that palm strike, Lu Xiaofeng wouldn't have been surprised.

But the other party didn't have that.

Either Bru, despite his youth, possesses unfathomable strength, at least one realm higher than Hanmei, who is at the Second Flower Grandmaster level.

Either become a Grandmaster of Body Tempering!
However, the way of external martial arts training is more difficult than internal martial arts training, and it requires the most time to figure out; it is almost impossible to master it quickly.

How could someone so young possibly become a master of external martial arts?
The withered pine and the solitary bamboo were also shocked, but the opponent's strength was right before their eyes, leaving them no choice but to believe it.

Gu Zhu stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Who are you three? Would you dare to state your names?"

"Why don't you dare?"

Red shouted and was about to give his name when a voice interrupted from the side.

"What kind of saints are they? They're just three nobodies!"

The sarcasm in his tone was undisguised.

"Someone is here again!"

Lu Xiaofeng took a look.

In the last rays of the setting sun, a figure in white slowly walked towards them.

After all its light had faded, the sun sank completely, and night fell.

But the mocking smile on the other person's face was still incredibly clear, even in the glow of the campfire.

“Bru, Red, Xuanse… you three, even if you’re going to use fake names, at least come up with some good ones. Aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed if these names get back to the Western Regions?”

The three men looked grim.

"Kunsha, what are you doing here?" Bru said in a deep voice.

"How did I get here? What do you think?"

"Did Master Yoda send you?"

"of course."

Upon hearing this, Red roared, "Our deal with Master Yoda was a transaction from the very beginning, and now we're even. What is he sending you for?!"

"Even if neither owes the other anything?"

Kunsha sneered: "The three of you have come all this way, killing bandits, defeating heroes, storming the Silver Hook Gambling House, and now you want to steal the Rakshasa Token here. What a great reputation you have!"
"You three, with your innate abilities, could have accomplished all this? Wasn't it all thanks to the Celestial Crystal Energy Box you obtained from Master Yoda?"

Bru said, "This is something Master Yoda discarded!"

"What a convenient way to discard it! Never mind..."

Kunsha's mockery deepened, and for a moment he seemed to have lost interest in the theory, saying, "...I'm too lazy to talk to you, and you're not worthy to listen."

In short, your days of running rampant are over! Give me the energy box!

P.S.: Now that everything is settled, regular updates will resume today.

(End of this chapter)