Minglong

Chapter 131 Iron Lady Inn (Seeking monthly votes)
Ironthorn Ridge.

As darkness fell, the rain intensified. Travelers from all directions stopped at the Iron Lady Inn outside the hill, where the muddy road outside was deserted.

The inn was old and yellowed, and the upper room on the second floor was drafty. There were even some traces of swords and knives on the tables, chairs and walls.

Dressed as a wandering swordsman, He Can held a few bird feathers in his hand, circling the table while chanting incantations used by witchcraft to deliver the souls of the dead, occasionally adding:
"That damned Zhang Chu isn't dead yet, but you've gone first, what a pity..."

"But don't worry, Zhang Chu and I might come to keep you company in a few days..."

……

On the table stood a copy of "The Amorous History of the Old Master Sikong," a book that Ye Shirong had treasured. He used it to help the wounded pass the time. Last night, the two of them fled in such a hurry that they didn't have a chance to take any other items with them. Now that the house had been sealed off by the government, this was the only thing left to commemorate them.

Beside the tea table in the room, Zhang Chu held a teacup, his face sullen. He ignored He Can, who had been frightened into a madman, and focused his gaze on the old man beside him.

The old man was wearing a black cloak, with black smoke swirling beneath the hood, making it impossible to see his face even up close. The only way to identify him was by a black banner leaning against the wall, five feet long, with the eight characters "Xuanming Yulang, Hanyuan Yinhun" written on it.

As the leader of the incense, Zhang Chu knew that this person was a ghost messenger of the Underworld God Cult named "Kui Yunya". He usually acted in secret, responsible for recruiting new people and enforcing the cult's laws. He usually addressed him as Third Master, but he had never met the Second Master above him.

Kui Yunya was originally Ye Shirong's superior, but Ye Shirong unexpectedly died yesterday, so the leadership naturally fell to him. Looking at He Can, who was performing a ritual, he calmly recounted:

"Xie Jinhuan beat the war drum in the Linde Hall, which aroused the killing instincts of the body cultivators. Elder Ye was probably exposed because of this. Second Master personally went to silence him. Although he was injured, fortunately Elder Ye kept his mouth shut and did not betray the sect or reveal the details before he died..."

Zhang Chu had followed Ye Shirong for over a decade, and now he was suddenly gone. Even a sorcerer like him couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

"There are countless experts in the Linde Hall. Even Cao Fo'er, who was right next to the emperor, did not notice anything unusual. How did Xie Jinhuan see through it?"

After He Can finished the ritual, he put the book into his robes and interjected:
"I told you long ago that Xie Jinhuan was strange, but you wouldn't believe me. Now you know how capable my master is, able to hide for six or seven days?"

Zhang Chu indeed had no way to refute it.

Kui Yunya raised his hand to gesture for He Can to sit down, and continued:
"According to rumors circulating in the capital today, Xie Jinhuan was Empress Dowager Guo of Northern Zhou's lover before she entered the palace, and he had studied the divination and astrological observation techniques of the Divination School..."

He Can was stunned: "There's such a thing?! I was wondering why we couldn't find anything about this guy, and he was so fierce... Wait, has Xie Jinhuan's background been exposed? Has the court arrested him?"

Kui Yunya shook his head: "If the Great Qian Dynasty could kill good officials because of rumors, it would not have accumulated the national strength it has today. I don't care yet."

He Can pondered for a moment, then clapped his hands:
"That's it. Xie Jinhuan will definitely pin this mess on you. He just killed Elder Ye yesterday, and today he's being framed. Who else could it be but your Underworld God Sect?"

?

Zhang Chu frowned and turned his head as well:

"That's right, if we didn't frame them, who else could it be? Li Gongpu?"

"possible."

Kui Yunya couldn't figure out who had nothing better to do than create such a gossip and scandal to trap Xie Jinhuan.

However, since Xie Jinhuan was in trouble, they were fine, which was good news.

Kui Yunya didn't dwell on this trivial matter and continued:
"In Ye Shirong's room were several official documents, normal documents from the Yiluan Division, without any flaws, but the content was related to the current matter."

"Xie Jinhuan should have been in Ye Shirong's study. Although it's unlikely he could have guessed our plan from the official files, just in case, things still need to be brought forward..."

He Can frowned: "The Blood Demon Pill will lose its medicinal properties and cannot be stored for a long time, but medicine can't travel far, while people can. Can't you have someone personally go out to Weizhou and Jingzhou to handle some business? Once it's done, they can leave, and we can even save ourselves the trouble of dealing with those monstrous things like the Mad Corpse Flower..."

Kui Yunya shook his head: "If we could leave, why would we need you to remind us? You are not a member of the demonic path. If you are afraid, you can simply disband and leave."

He Can glanced at the doorway and pondered for a moment:

"You can even torture your own people like this, are you sure you won't silence me after I walk out of this door?"

"will not."

"I'm not stupid. You bunch of evil Taoists are much easier to predict than my master. If I dare to go out, I'll become part of Third Master's body. I'm young and vigorous, and I might be used to strengthen my second son, and then I'll be draining his energy with Third Master. Then Third Master's black smoke will turn green and full of the breath of spring..."

Kui Yunya did not respond to this probing question.

He Can hesitated for a moment, then sat down beside him, picked up his teacup, and said:

"Third Master, rest assured, although I am a disciple of Taishu Dan, I am different from my master. I am absolutely loyal. Even if Zhang Chu betrays the Underworld God Sect, I will not betray it."

Zhang Chu responded, "Taishu Dan is disloyal to everyone, while you are loyal to whomever you are loyal to. You are an ingrate and a fence-sitter."

He Can wanted to say a few more words in his defense, but Kui Yunya, who was sitting down, suddenly raised his hand, and the room immediately fell silent.

Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...

A series of hoofbeats followed from a distance, about a mile away.

Zhang Chu glanced at the sky and felt that no one should come over at this time, so he got up and went to the window, peering out through the crack in the wall.

As darkness fell and rain began to fall, the open field below the hill was shrouded in darkness. Seven small black dots could be seen speeding along the muddy road.

The seven men on horseback were all draped in black cloaks, with two horses behind them carrying what appeared to be shields and crossbows—standard equipment for the yamen (government office). The leader's cloak fluttered, vaguely revealing a white robe...

? !
Zhang Chu's expression suddenly changed as if he had seen a ghost or god; he turned around and grabbed his sword.

"run!"

Without asking any questions, He Can got up, grabbed his clothes, and rushed out the door.

woohoo...

?

Kui Yunya sat down in a chair with a teacup in his hand, and found that the room had disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving him somewhat bewildered.

However, after taking a sip of tea, black mist emanated from his body, and he silently drifted out of the room...
-
Hoof clatter—

Seven winged horses galloped swiftly and arrived at Ironthorn Ridge at dusk.

Tiejigang is a mountain range. Crossing it leads to Hongzhang County, which is a shortcut. However, because there are no signs of human activity for seven or eight miles before and after it, and bandits often rob people along the way, the locals rarely travel through this area, and even martial arts practitioners rarely cross the ridge at night.

Xie Jinhuan, in order to save time, naturally chose the Jianghu route. Wearing a rain cloak, he led the way, and seeing a solitary inn outside the hill, he inquired:
"Brother Yang, haven't we been here before? What was it about?"

"Guji?"

Coal Ball peeked out from under his cloak, saw it was raining heavily, and retreated back inside. Yang Dabiao, walking to the side with his official knife in hand, scanned the surroundings and responded upon hearing the call:

“The monk Jibei’s nephew was having a wedding and came to eat. I ate with him. You also came along and stayed at the Iron Lady Inn for one night. You went to the post the next day.”

Looking at the desolate terrain, far from any village or shop, Linghu Qingmo knew it was an accident-prone area and frowned, saying:
Why not take the main road?

Liu Qingzhi, as Linghu Qingmo's henchman, had come along with his partner. Upon hearing this, he pointed to the constable's robe:
"Those who can wear this green uniform are usually skilled in martial arts, have the backing of the imperial court, and are penniless. Any bandit with a sound mind would not think of taking a bite and causing trouble."

"Oh."

Linghu Qingmo thought about it and agreed, then asked:

"Xie Jinhuan was only a little over ten years old at the time, right? He was so handsome, wasn't he afraid of being kidnapped?"

Yang Dabiao quickly waved his hand: "Lord Linghu, you underestimate Jin Huan. Brother Jin Huan's martial arts skills were average back then, but his oral skills were not much worse than they are now. He called her 'sister' as soon as he walked in, which made the proprietress give him a 50% discount on the spot and even give him two extra dishes, just in case she was worried he wouldn't have enough to eat..."

?

Linghu Qingmo blinked, glancing at the aloof and extraordinary Xie Jinhuan with a strange look in his eyes.

The ghost wife, always by his side, also whispered in his ear:

"Oh my~ So you've always been good at winning over older women? No wonder you're so popular with girls..."

Xie Jinhuan wasn't embarrassed at all when Da Biaozi brought up his past, and laughed:

"Back then, I was young and knew proper etiquette. I remember when we arrived in Hongzhang County, in the middle of the night, Brother Yang secretly got up, went to knock on Uncle Fei's door, and asked, 'Do you have... here?'"

"Eh?!"

Yang Dabiao's body trembled, and he quickly raised his hand:

"Jin Huan, don't make false accusations! When I'm out and about, why would I ask about such nonsense..."

Xie Jinhuan was somewhat bewildered: "Is there a latrine here? Brother Yang didn't ask about that?"

"?"

Yang Dabiao was stunned for a moment, then began to recall carefully.

"Pfft~..."

"Ha ha……"

The men accompanying him burst into laughter!
Linghu Qingmo couldn't hold back either, but knowing that Xie Jinhuan was making lewd remarks, he quickly composed himself to avoid being disrespectful in front of his subordinates.

Yang Dabiao felt that his good brother had been a bit dishonest, having been tricked into revealing his true feelings. Now, he could only bite the bullet and say:
"Uh... I did ask that back then. Jin Huan, you have such a good memory, I'd completely forgotten..."

"Ha ha……"

The group joked around like this and soon arrived outside the Iron Lady Inn.

The guests in the inn's lobby were all wanderers from all walks of life. At a glance, there were martial artists in straw hats, monks, fortune tellers, and opera troupes. Next to the stairs sat an old man slurping noodles, wearing a cloak and with a row of medicine jars hanging from his waist. There was no one else around him, so he was obviously a bunch of scavengers from the Gu poison sect.

The guests in the hall were eating and chatting about martial arts when they noticed the seven people outside reining in their horses. They all turned their eyes and glanced at the group—green-clad officials from the Three Offices, two in black armor, and two in white casual clothes with an extraordinary air. Judging from their swordsmanship, they seemed to be Taoist priests and martial artists…

It's a celestial official leading an inspection team!

The inn fell into a deathly silence. The poison master, with noodles still hanging from his mouth, stood there dumbfounded, clearly wondering why the authorities would be inspecting inns in such a remote and impoverished place. Wasn't this forcing people to live in rat holes? Was it so easy for me to eat a bowl of hot noodles...?

Xie Jinhuan, mounted on his horse, glanced around a few times and felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward. It wasn't easy for anyone traveling the martial world, and he couldn't just start taking things from everyone he met. Thinking it over, he gently spurred his horse's belly.

"Let's go, let's find a place to stay in town."

"drive……"

Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...

Linghu Qingmo was still a disciple and had never seriously ventured into the martial world. Before leaving, he bent down and glanced at the inn's counter, wanting to see what the landlady looked like. The result—her fists were big enough to support a person, and her arms were big enough to run a horse…

She truly is an Iron Lady!

No wonder he gave Brother Jinhuan a 50% discount; his words were way too sweet...

……

The group rode away on horseback, disappearing into the black hills.

About fifteen minutes later, another fast horse galloped up and stopped outside the inn:
"Xu~"

Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...

The inn fell silent again, turning to examine their attire—wearing black cloaks, their faces hidden, and instead of weapons, leather bags hanging from their sides…

The poisonous rat of the Gu Poison Sect!

Everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued eating.

The old drug master, who was usually kept at a distance, saw this attire and felt as if he had seen family, and quickly greeted them:

"Fellow Daoist, there is a seat here."

The cloaked figure dismounted, and seeing that this group of martial arts scoundrels avoided him like the plague, he didn't bother to approach or scare them. Instead, he went to the old poison master and, gesturing with a 'dragon seal,' asked in a hoarse voice:

"Did you see a group of people pass by here just now, fellow Daoist?"

Upon seeing the code for the Chilong Cave, the old poison master quickly cupped his hands and gestured with the 'Crescent Moon Seal' of the Crescent Moon Manor, then whispered:
"They just left a quarter of an hour ago, seven ruthless thugs in dog skins. Are you planning to pull off something big, fellow Daoist?"

"Go and turn yourself in."

"Oh... I see. After the Taishu Dan incident, it's not an easy business for us..."

……

The cloaked figure said nothing, quickly left the inn, mounted his horse, and galloped away...
-
Asking for a monthly ticket~
(End of this chapter)