Minglong

Chapter 400 Knowing There Are Tigers in the Mountains

Inside the magnificent hall, exotic dancers performed on the carpet, while several guests sat on either side.

Xie Jinhuan sat in front of Jiang Xian, and could see that there were still many guests in the hall. They were mostly dressed as wandering knights and sorcerers, with varying levels of skill, but the most powerful of them were only first-rank martial artists.

Relying on this bunch of worthless scoundrels to attempt to assassinate the king in the Northern Kingdom would be tantamount to inviting humiliation. Therefore, Lord Huo Yi placed almost all his hopes on the young but formidable "Number One Baturu of the Long River Tribe".

Although Jiang Xian is too young and doesn't look like a top-tier expert, such a prodigy must have an ancestor backing him up. Winning over a disciple is the same as winning over a master.

After several rounds of drinks, Huo Yi approached the group with a cup in hand, his face filled with sorrow as he began to complain:
“In recent days, Miss Jiang should have visited various places to check on the situation in the Changhe tribe. The herdsmen have clashed with the tax collectors in order to protect their cattle and sheep, resulting in many deaths and injuries. But it is not my Huo Yi who is collecting these cattle and sheep; it is the Chishan tribe that is demanding them.”

"The annual tribute that my grasslands pay to the Great Zhou is far more than this. When we ask them, they say it's been used to bribe various clans in the Great Zhou. They don't dare to produce any accounts of the bribes they've solicited privately, but if we don't pay, the Great Zhou will attack us..."

Shen Cang had witnessed the chaos on the grasslands these past few days and responded:

"There are some corrupt officials in the Great Zhou, but no matter how big their appetite is, they dare not ask for more than the annual tribute from the imperial court, let alone ask for surplus grain from various departments in the spring. I think the problem lies within the royal court."

"That's right. The royal court's behavior is abnormal, and there must be problems internally. However, the Changhe tribe doesn't have many talented people available, making it difficult to purge the treacherous officials from the court. That's why we invited a few people over here, hoping to lend them a helping hand."

Huo Yi had studied in Yanjing and was very shrewd in handling affairs. He had no intention of taking advantage of others. After he finished speaking, he waved his hand and had his attendant bring a box. He opened it while covering his face with his sleeve, and a piece of black iron appeared inside.

The black iron was about the size of a head, very heavy, and its color was like black charcoal. Just by looking at its texture, you could tell it was black black gold, a top-grade material that was on par with white holy gold and purple gold stone. Although this piece was not enough to forge a celestial weapon, it was enough to make Qingmo's little flying sword grow an inch or two larger.

Xie Jinhuan had been listening in the background, and upon seeing this item, his gaze flickered slightly, and he exclaimed in surprise:
"Master Huo Yi possesses such a treasure?"

Huo Yi wanted to get the powerful patriarch behind Jiang Xian to intervene, so he couldn't offer several thousand taels of silver as payment. He closed the box and placed it directly in front of Jiang Xian.
“In the past, herdsmen would pick up these in the vicinity of Lake Beiming while grazing their livestock. This piece is a deposit. As long as you can help purge the treacherous officials in the court and help the various tribes overcome their difficulties, the reward will certainly not disappoint you guests.”

Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly, thinking that this was more like hiring a hitman, and the price was indeed enough for him to pay.

However, now that he's a role model of righteousness, he can't take on just any dirty work. After thinking for a moment, he replied:
“We are all wandering knights. If the royal court is really exploiting the people, we will act on behalf of Heaven without Lord Huo Yi’s permission. However, if the royal court is also in trouble, assassinating the king will surely cause great chaos. This matter still needs to be considered.”

Huo Yi was well aware that the Northern King had problems, but he exploited the various tribes of the grasslands and was extremely obsequious to the Great Zhou. Moreover, the internal strife in the grasslands was beneficial to the Great Zhou. Therefore, the highly skilled cultivators in the south were likely to turn a blind eye to the Northern King's misdeeds.

To tempt the patriarch behind Jiang Xian to act selfishly, Huo Yi had his attendant bring over a box. Inside was a gold plate engraved with tiny characters the size of rice grains, all Buddhist script. The characters were not arranged neatly, but rather formed the shape of a Buddha.

Xie Jinhuan glanced at him briefly, then looked at Huo Yi, the major benefactor:

"Is this the Buddhist scripture 'The Sutra of Reflecting Bodhi'?"

Huo Yi nodded: "There is only one page. My ancestors obtained it from the Living Buddha of the North. It is said that it can be used to cultivate the supernatural power 'Nine Lotus Covering the World'. Before the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Yang Huaxian wreaked havoc in the North. The Living Buddha of the North's master used this technique to protect the Wolf City within a radius of twenty miles, causing Yang Huaxian to sigh in despair and flee. During the chaos of the Witch Cult, it was also the Living Buddha of the North who used this technique to protect the city and stopped the evil cult from massacring it multiple times."

"This technique is a secret, and the ascetic sect rarely teaches it to outsiders. My ancestors were given this item for self-defense because they had helped Buddhist monks when they were young. It's a pity that their descendants lack the Buddhist nature and cannot learn it..."

Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly, thinking that this young king really did have some resources. If that was the case, then even if the Northern King was innocent, something would have to be investigated...

In Jiang Xian's "Xian'er's Diary," it was written that she was sent to deal with the Northern King. At first, she wondered why she had to go with the Changhe Tribe, but now she understood that it was so that she could sacrifice her fellow Daoists while also getting some reward—a win-win situation. Naturally, she couldn't refuse.
"Don't worry, Master Huo Yi. We've seen the situation on the grasslands. As long as we find the culprit, I guarantee he won't see the sun rise the next day."

"Hehe~ Miss Jiang is full of chivalry and has extraordinary skills. I, Huo, would naturally not dare to doubt her. Come, let me first offer you all a drink..."

……

After a few toasts and drinks, the group quickly decided to set off for the Chishan Alliance meeting the next day.

However, while everyone was singing and dancing in the hall, Xie Jinhuan suddenly noticed a black eagle darting in through the door. It ran to his table, took a few big bites of the sliced ​​roasted lamb leg, and then grabbed his sleeve and hurriedly flew out.

?

Upon seeing this scene, Xie Jinhuan knew that something had happened outside, so he immediately took his leave and got up to leave the table.

Jiang Xian had little interest in drinking or watching beautiful women dance; all she craved was a fight. Seeing this, she told Shen Cang to continue entertaining the sugar daddy and got up to follow behind...
-
Not long after, outside the city.

Changhebu is located in the middle of the grassland, with most of the territory being large pastures, but there are also a few mountainous areas. Huoli City is located in the valley of mountains and rivers, surrounded by mountains. In March and April, you can still see the snow-capped peaks, while the foot of the mountains below is covered with green grass, and you can hardly see any trees.

Ye Yunchi quietly left Huoli City, concealing herself in the shadows to observe the cloaked figures heading deeper into the mountains. Being unfamiliar with the area and fearing an ambush, she dared not stray too far from the city. Fortunately, Coal Ball's communication speed was remarkably fast; shortly after she left the city, she heard a commotion behind her, and then two people and a bird quietly crossed the vast meadow and arrived behind her.

Xie Jinhuan landed in front of Senior Sister Naigua, first peeking over the other side of the ridge. He saw a cloaked figure walking in the distance, but it was too far away to see clearly. He asked:

"Who is this?"

Ye Yunchi responded in a low voice:
"He smells of Hundred Flowers Forest, which seems to be Madam Han. However, Madam Han couldn't possibly be here, and I just happened to run into her. I suspect something is amiss."

Jiang Xian peered out from afar, looking around in confusion, and asked:

"Who is Madam Han?"

"I met the Hehuan Sect female cultivator from Dragon Bone Beach before."

After Xie Jinhuan offered an explanation, he secretly asked the ghost spirit for help in vetting the information.

However, given the great distance, Ye Hongshang could only discern the other's undergarments within a hundred feet. Beyond that, she could only judge by observing the surrounding atmosphere. The other party had clearly concealed their aura, and after a brief observation, she simply said:

"I can't be sure. If it really is Madam Han, and it wasn't a chance encounter, then it must have been a setup."

Xie Jinhuan's expression turned serious upon hearing this, since the other party needed to know all sorts of information about him before setting a trap.

He took Shang Laomo's immortal artifact and ran out of the Southern Dynasty's sanctuary. He was on guard against being tricked, so he traveled quickly and without stopping along the way, and hid to avoid revealing his whereabouts. If he could still be locked up by evil people, then either the other party had some great supernatural power, or he had been watched since he left Luoyang.

If they were to attack him in the Changhe region, the Southern Dynasty would be unable to provide any support, and even if Sister Guo arrived, it would be difficult for her. Meanwhile, the heretical sects had a whole host of people who could intervene, including Yang Huaxian, Kongkong Daoren, Shang Mingzhen, and many more...

Thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan felt that the situation was a bit dangerous. He glanced at the ghost out of the corner of his eye and asked if they should escape.

Ye Hongshang, having taken the white-haired fairy out, was certainly not afraid, and replied:
"The other side has gone to great lengths to plan this. If you don't go, nothing will happen. Nobody can figure out who's behind it. Go in first and see what they're up to."

Xie Jinhuan felt that if he encountered Yang Huaxian and the others, he would probably become a cold and aloof Taoist, but he was confident that A Piao's advice would be effective, so he still raised his hand:
"Let's go and take a look."

Seeing this, Ye Yunchi naturally didn't say anything more, and quietly followed along the ridge, heading into the mountains.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, atop a snow-capped mountain.

The sky was cloudless for thousands of miles, and a biting wind swept across the snow-capped mountain peaks.

Dressed in a brocade robe, Shang Mingzhen lay hidden beneath the snow, almost concealing his presence, his gaze fixed on the three figures that appeared among the mountains.

Beside him, Zitong's head was partially visible above the snow, his gaze grave.

"They've arrived. Young Master Shang, are you sure the people you brought won't give you away?"

Shang Mingzhen responded:

"Yanbo City knew before that Ye Yunchi had some grudges with Baihualin, but they hadn't investigated it in detail. Last time at Dragon Bone Beach, they discovered that she was Ye Sheng's daughter, and that's when they understood the whole story. My master couldn't see any flaws in the helpers I brought. As long as they see them, they will definitely chase them into the formation. But if we really scare Ye Sheng out, are you sure Sect Leader Yang can handle it?"

Zitong shook her head:

"How could Master Yang possibly deal with Ye Sheng? Even when he encountered Master Qixia, he had to figure out his strength before he dared to make a move. For people of their level, it's impossible to kill them completely unless it's a two-on-one fight. At most, they'll fight to the death to determine the winner and then leave."

Upon hearing this, Shang Mingzhen frowned.
"Even Master Qixia isn't confident he can kill him, and you want me, the people of Yanbo City, to be used as bait? What will we do if Ye Shengzhen comes?"

Zitong said calmly:
“As long as Master Ye arrives, our master and our sect leader will have backup plans. Master Ye won’t have time to deal with us two juniors. If True Person Qixia steps forward to protect us, we will not dare to advance rashly, even if the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light. The bait will not be a problem, and we will not get involved. Young Master Shang can rest assured.”

Shang Mingzhen felt that the Underworld God Cult was just a bunch of swindlers who spent their days talking nonsense and didn't accomplish anything of substance. How could he trust them?

But the Immortal Ancestor has already set up the formation, and the prey has entered the game; for now, it's best to remain quiet and observe...

(End of this chapter)