Sword from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 156 The Mistake in Painting, The Flute Melody, and the True Qi of the Blazing Sun
Zhou Yi realized he hadn't misheard and couldn't help but glance at her again.

"Doesn't your family own a shop or run a business?"

"of course."

The girl continued pouring wine, raising the curved bamboo ladle higher, lengthening the wine stream, and the sound of the wine in the gourd gradually becoming muffled, indicating that it was about to fill up.

Her actions made the smell of alcohol in Zhou Yi even stronger.

The fragrance is delightful and lingers for a long time.

He was about to turn and leave, but then he couldn't help but ask, "Then why won't you sell this wine to me?"

“This item already belongs to someone else. Miss Fan from the Sichuan Gang paid for it beforehand. Besides, this tavern is a business under the Sichuan Gang, so we can’t break our promise to Miss Fan.”

"This Pitong wine is delicious, but the quantity is limited. Long Hexing, the head of An Dahui, always prioritizes his own business, and other shops only get a limited amount of good wine from him."

After she finished speaking, she put the cork back in, sealing off the taste of the wine.

Looking up, he saw the white-robed young man staring at the wine gourd, deep in thought. He assumed the young man was a wine addict who couldn't resist taking a sip.

So he asked out of curiosity, "How long have you been in Chengdu, young master?"

When she asked the question, she noticed that the other person seemed to be smiling.

This Miss Fan from the Sichuan gang is most likely Fan Caiqi, and perhaps this wine is for wealthy young men.

Brother Hou is truly capable.

Hearing her question, he politely replied, "Not even an hour."

The girl meant well and casually offered some pointers:
"If you love wine, go upstream along the inland river for a while. There are many taverns on both sides, such as the barley wine of the Qiang and Yi people, the famous Baxiang Qing wine that was already well-known during the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, the lychee green wine of Rongzhou, and the Jiannan Shaochun wine of Jiannan Road. There is bound to be one that suits your taste."

Zhou Yi retrieved the fragments of the golden shield. He was in high spirits and joked:
"You really know how to do business, driving customers away."

The girl looked away with her dark, bright eyes, ignoring him and not answering.

He seemed eager to get rid of the person quickly.

Just as he was about to walk out the door, a flurry of footsteps rushed up. At first, there were many footsteps, but when they stopped outside the bamboo house on the second floor, only one person lifted the curtain and rushed in.

The newcomer was quite beautiful. She was dressed in a colorful and stylish outfit, as flamboyant as a peacock spreading its tail feathers. She wore small boots and carried a jeweled saber at her waist.

She saw Zhou Yi as soon as she entered the tavern.

He glanced at him again, but ignored him, and looked at the girl who had poured the wine with a sullen expression.

As soon as the girl saw her, she handed over the gourd of wine.

Zhou Yi stopped in his tracks. So this was the beautiful daughter of the Sichuan gang leader.

He has the aura of the Shu Road Mountains. Brother Hou is truly blessed; he is the envy of all.

Fan Caiqi took the wine and asked, "Qingmei, did that man surnamed Hou come here today?"

The girl shook her head and smiled, "No."

“You were traveling together just a few days ago, why are you asking me, an outsider, about it?”

Fan Caiqi put the wine gourd aside, her face full of frustration: "I haven't heard from him since the day before yesterday, and I haven't seen him today either. I thought he was out gallivanting at Sanhua Tower again, but when I took some men there, we couldn't find him. Do you think this guy surnamed Hou is deliberately playing a trick on me?"

The girl calmly said, "The rumors about the amorous young master are widespread throughout the martial arts world. Doesn't Caiqi know them very well?"

Fan Caiqi snorted: "He dared to break his promise and use sweet words to deceive me, so I'll cut out his tongue and use it to make wine."

She was angry when she turned her head and saw Zhou Yi.

"Is this your friend?"

"No, he's a customer who buys alcohol."

Fan Caiqi frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Seeing his extraordinary demeanor, why was he eavesdropping on a young woman's conversation?

Seeing that she was about to vent her anger at the rich young master on him, Zhou Yi immediately said, "Miss Fan, perhaps I can find Young Master Hou."

"you?"

She asked, half-believing, half-doubting, "Who are you?"

"Brother Hou and I are old friends."

"Oh?"

Fan Caiqi looked him up and down again, her eyes lit up, and she recognized someone in her mind. She suddenly realized, "Your surname is Zhou."

"It seems Brother Hou has already introduced it, so I won't go into details."

"His surname is Zhou? Who is he?"

The girl asked out of curiosity, and to her surprise, the customer who came to buy wine was Hou Xibai's friend.

Fan Caiqi glanced sideways and said in a strange tone, "The man surnamed Hou said he has a close friend named Zhou Yi, who is a refined and elegant man. He is willing to give his reputation as a romantic gentleman to this Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Yi chuckled twice: "Brother Hou has ruined my reputation; he can't give away this title."

Zhou Yi?

Beside Fan Caiqi, the girl muttered the name to herself, glancing sideways at the wine gourd without making a sound.

"According to what Mr. Hou said, Young Master Zhou should have just arrived in Chengdu. Even I can't find him, so how could you find him? Does he have some secret hiding place that he's keeping from me?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Caiqi became even more unhappy.

Zhou Yi waved his hand: "That's not the case."

“Brother Hou is not the kind of person who leaves without saying goodbye. Miss Fan must have found something out of the way. Tell me where Brother Hou is staying, and I will find out immediately.”

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke with even greater seriousness:

"Since I entered Sichuan, I have heard many evil stories about the martial arts world. Perhaps Brother Hou has encountered great trouble and is afraid of implicating you, which is why he is avoiding you."

Fan Caiqi's eyes immediately showed a hint of worry.

"Okay, I'll take you there."

Seeing her acting so impulsively, Zhou Yi quickly stopped her.

"I have just arrived in Chengdu and have not yet eaten. Please wait here for a while, and I will come to find you later."

Fan Caiqi didn't want to rush him, so she pointed out the location of the food stall next door. Seeing him looking at the wine gourd, she handed him the gourd containing Pitong wine.

Zhou Yi smiled and took the wine, glancing at the girl who was pouring it.

It's as if it's saying, "I've finally gotten to drink this wine."

I ordered taro chicken from a nearby food stall. Although it's a common dish, it tasted delicious.

After a hearty meal, I took the opportunity to ponder the matter of the Sichuanese gang and Hou Xibai.

When she returned to Qingzhu Xiaozhu, besides Fan Caiqi, the girl who poured wine, whom she called "Qingmei," was also standing with her, as if Fan Caiqi had pulled her down.

Their relationship was somewhat strange; they seemed close, yet it was as if they had only known each other for a short time.

When Zhou Yi went to Hou Xibai's residence, he asked him about it.

Only then did I realize that "Qingzhu Xiaozhu" was a business owned by the Sichuanese, and it wasn't originally called that.

Anlong is the largest wine merchant in Southwest China, and some of the Sichuan gang's wine business also relies on him. Outsiders all know that he is not good at martial arts, but he is the sworn brother of the Martial Arts Judge. Duzun Fort is the number one power in Sichuan and Chongqing, so naturally no one dares to provoke the sworn brother of the Martial Arts Judge.

The liquor business of Sichuanese restaurants is quite sluggish, and there are many similar quiet little shops in Chengdu, Brazil, and Meishan.

There is no war in Sichuan and Chongqing, but recently there has been no end to the conflicts in the martial arts world, and all three major forces have been affected.

Fan Caiqi was often out and about and was assassinated.

A girl named Qingzhu lent a hand, and that's how they became friends.

Afterwards, Fan Caiqi offered her the tavern, but the girl refused and went to this nice place.

Since most of the businesses are on the first floor, she doesn't need to look after them.

The second floor was filled with expensive wines and spirits related to Anlong, and the leisurely and comfortable atmosphere suited the temperament of the people of Sichuan very well, so she stayed there.

After hearing Fan Caiqi's account, Zhou Yi understood the whole story and was no longer surprised.

Do you know who killed you?

"I know. They are a gang of thieves who roam around Meishan. They originally operated in Hanzhong, but later offended the Li clan and the Hegemon of Western Qin, so they fled to Sichuan."

Fan Caiqi said, "My father has already led men and wiped out these thieves."

She glanced behind her; openly, there were a dozen or so people following her, but secretly, there were more than ten experts accompanying her.

“I didn’t offend anyone in Bashu. That time was just an accident. But the elder of the gang told me to go out less, so my father sent a group of people to protect me. It’s inconvenient to go anywhere.”

What is your opinion, Brother Hou?

"Of course he agreed with what my father said."

Fan Caiqi pretended to be indignant and said, "This guy just wants to get rid of me so he can go have fun."

As Zhou Yi walked and listened, he noticed the key point: "Brother Hou, have you met your father?"

"I've seen you before. Hmm? What's wrong with your eyes?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm just curious how you two met."

Miss Fan acted as if she were seeing him for the first time, and said irritably, "Hey, why are you, a person of such great renown, interested in these private matters?"

Zhou Yi was slightly surprised: "Brother Hou told you everything?"

"It's easy to guess. The only people in the world with the surname Zhou whom he admires are Grand Commander Zhou of Jianghuai and the owner of the coffin palace in Nanyang. You can tell you're from Jianghuai, otherwise, why would I take you to his residence?"

Fan Caiqi said, "I've searched several times but haven't found anyone. It's a waste of time for ordinary people to go."

Miss Fan is quite clever.

Zhou Yi then asked, "Does Chief Fan know that I am coming here?"

"know."

Fan Caiqi stared intently at him: "When Hou Xibai met my father, he mentioned you. Of course, my father knew you were coming. I even suspect that this Hou fellow was sent by you to deliberately get close to me, just to talk to my father."

"Oh? This is a huge misunderstanding."

Zhou Yi said with a touch of reminiscence: "The day before the New Year, the snow was falling like goose feathers. At that time, Brother Hou and I were crossing the river on a large boat when we saw him carrying a bag and looking hurried. We asked him where he was wandering. He said he wanted to go to Sichuan to see Chief Fan's beautiful daughter, and that if he could see her, he would have no regrets in this life."

Outsiders all say that Brother Hou is a romantic young man, but in reality, he is a virtuous and devoted lover. Whenever Miss Fan is mentioned, he says to me, "Brother Zhou, my heart is in Sichuan; this boat is too slow."

"Then?"

"After that, Brother Hou jumped into the icy river and headed straight for the Shu Road. Therefore, he arrived several months earlier than me."

A smile appeared on Fan Caiqi's face, but the girl in blue beside her patted her on the shoulder with a laugh:
“Caiqi, don’t believe him. He’s just trying to fool you.”

Fan Caiqi nodded and said, "I won't fall for it."

Zhou Yi smiled at the elegant young woman: "How do you know I'm lying?"

"By feeling."

"Alright, once we find Hou Xibai, we can ask him if he jumped into the river in the dead of winter, and whether he came to Sichuan because of me or because of a girl."

Fan Caiqi nodded: "I'll ask."

The girl beside her chuckled lightly: "Caiqi, his words are full of traps. If you ask him the same questions, you'll fall for it again."

Fan Caiqi couldn't help but look at Zhou Yi. Before Zhou Yi could speak, she heard the girl say softly:
"It's really too much of a bully that a heroic figure like Grand Commander Zhou would have to joke around with a little woman with complicated love affairs."

She covered her mouth and smiled, her lively and charming manner making it impossible for anyone to be angry.

Zhou Yi stopped talking, took down the wine gourd as he walked, and went to drink the Pi Tong wine.

"As expected of the fine wine from Sichuan, Miss Qing, will there be any more wine tomorrow?"

That's all.

The group walked through the city's main market, where towering buildings stood and shops lined up one after another, with wine flags, tea banners, and cloth signs fluttering in the wind.

After crossing another street, Zhou Yi listened to the sounds of the marketplace and looked towards the street, where he was immediately struck by the dazzling array of colorful lights.

Shu brocade is a national treasure. In front of the brocade shops, colorful samples are displayed, with patterns of paired beasts and linked birds shining brightly in the sunlight.

The faint sound of looms could be heard coming from the workshop in the backyard.

Such a lively and bustling scene is rare, proving that the reputation of "City of Brocade" is well-deserved.

The group of Sichuanese walked through the city without attracting any attention.

A large number of merchants from the Western Regions and Persia, who came via the Tuyuhun Road or the Southern Silk Road, lingered here, haggling over prices. The air seemed to be filled with the scent of silk.

"You'll arrive once you cross this street."

Fan Caiqi led the way, and before long, Zhou Yi saw a grand mansion with green tiles and red pillars, its colors elegant.

The gate of the house was located on a high rammed earth platform. It had three bays and adopted the style of a black-headed gate. The gate was inlaid with gilded copper nails the size of bowls, arranged neatly.

Above the lintel hangs a plaque with gold lettering on a black background, which reads "Fan Residence of Shu County".

Zhou Yi followed Fan Caiqi, passed through the stone lions at the entrance, and entered the house, leaving the Vermilion Bird and Auspicious Clouds painting on the wide wall behind.

It's not surprising that the Sichuan Gang, one of the three major powers in Sichuan and Chongqing, had such a residence.

However, compared to the Nan Chaohu Manor that Xiuxun settled by Chaohu Lake, this mansion is still much inferior.

There is no other Lu Miaozi in Sichuan and Chongqing.

Many of the Sichuan gang members were stationed outside, and Fan Caiqi pointed out the places where Hou Xibai usually operated.

Zhou Yi saw a lot of paintbrushes and paints, as well as some paintings.

The people in the painting are all Miss Fan.

For someone who understands art, they can often read a person's emotions from a painting.

Upon seeing these stunning paintings, Zhou Yi knew that Hou Xibai had also poured his heart into his art.

It is clear that he greatly admired Miss Fan.

After passing through a courtyard with a central skylight, Zhou Yi couldn't help but glance at the sky.

After touring the entire mansion, Fan Caiqi asked, "Did Young Master Zhou find anything?"

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, he suddenly said:

"We'll stay here today. Have someone prepare dinner and bring back some pigeons. Also, don't reveal my whereabouts for now."

"Why?"

"Do as I say."

Fan Caiqi hesitated for a moment, but considering his reputation, she decided to proceed with the arrangement.

From noon to early afternoon, the mansion was very quiet.

After Fan Caiqi brought the pigeons over, they heard a series of cooing sounds.

Before long, all the pigeons were pecking at rice on the roof tiles, flapping their wings and flying around.

Miss Fan didn't understand what he was doing either.

Zhou Yi remained calm and composed, picking up the paintbrush left behind by Hou Xibai and casually drawing a large eagle on the paper.

"The Grand Commander also understands painting?"

"Understood."

The girl in the blue shirt looked at the drawing of Fan Caiqi by Hou Xibai and asked curiously, "Can you draw this kind of thing?"

"I can."

Zhou Yichun was just teasing her out of boredom: "But my paintings always cost five hundred gold coins each. If Miss Qing gives me the money, I can paint one for you."

"How can you be so greedy? I don't have that much gold for you to swindle."

The girl complained, then suggested, "Paintings are elegant things, and so are musical arts. You paint a picture, and I'll play a flute piece for you."

"You can?"

She took out a bamboo flute with a red knot tied to it: "I know a little about it too."

Zhou Yi thought to himself, "Jiangdu Palace Moon, you can play it?"

She replied confidently, "Of course."

Zhou Yi glanced at her delicate face, making an impression on her, and then picked up his brush to paint.

Fan Caiqi originally wanted to ask Zhou Yi about his future plans, but seeing him painting, she couldn't help but stand over and take a look.

In her opinion, Zhou Yi's paintings were just ordinary.

It can't compare to the paintings that Young Master Hou painted of himself.

And
Fan Caiqi looked at the painting, then at the young girl beside her, and kept shaking her head.

Although the painting depicts a person, the person is much younger.

The girl in the painting, who looks about thirteen or fourteen years old, is holding a gourd of wine. She appears lively and mischievous.

Zhou Yi's work was just a casual sketch, and he painted it very quickly.

Fan Caiqi spoke frankly: "Young Master Zhou, your painting is not as good as Young Master Hou's."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi became alert. If Brother Hou were to suggest painting Miss Fan, he would definitely refuse.

What does Miss Qing think?

The young woman held up the silk and commented earnestly, "Although it's not worth five hundred gold coins, I'm already satisfied."

Without Zhou Yi needing to remind her, she took out her bamboo flute and played "Jiangdu Palace Moon".

A melody from a flute slowly echoed through the air.

A moment later, Zhou Yi interrupted, "Miss Qing, the tune is wrong."

Fan Caiqi wasn't so particular: "Isn't this fine?"

"No, it's a bit green, even inexperienced."

Fan Caiqi spoke up in defense: "I've heard others play this piece at the Chengdu Opera House, but they're nowhere near as good as Qingmei. Young Master Zhou's standards are too high."

Zhou Yi then said, "I heard it in Linjiang Palace. The melody was melodious and had a lingering charm, which perfectly captured the essence of Jiangdu Palace Moon. Otherwise, Old Yang wouldn't have liked it so much."

"Which Old Yang?"

"It's Yang Guang."

Fan Caiqi's eyes widened in disbelief: "You listened to music with Yang Guang? That's a fantasy!"

"This kind of thing is nothing unusual, why would I lie to you? That day, Yang Guang even invited me to drink."

Zhou Yi smiled confidently.

Turning to the girl in blue, he asked, "If the music is wrong, have I said anything wrong?"

The Moon over Jiangdu Palace was created by Yang Guang, so Zhou Yi has a lot to say about it now.

The girl smiled calmly and pointed to Zhou Yi's painting: "I play the tune in the style of the Grand Commander's painting, so it is only natural."

Ok?
Zhou Yi was slightly taken aback, realizing that his attempt at joking had backfired and he had become the one being amused instead.

He couldn't help but scrutinize her for a few moments, and a guess formed in his mind: "May I ask your name, Miss Qing?"

The girl said, word by word, "The green is green, the bamboo is bamboo, so my name is Qingzhu (Green Bamboo)."

Just as Fan Caiqi was about to interject, she suddenly heard a series of "coo coo coo" sounds from pigeons.

With a "whoosh," a white shadow flashed past.

She had been learning martial arts from her father since she was a child, and her skills were not bad, but the figure flashed by and she couldn't see it clearly.

"Coo coo coo~~!"

The pigeons on the roof tiles became even noisier, their flapping wings growing more intense.

A faint "screech" could be heard.

For some unknown reason, the white figure flashed back.

At the same time, Zhou Yi was also holding a strange bird in his hand, which resembled a hawk, with a sharp beak and claws, and a grayish body.

"what is this?"

Fan Caiqi and Qingzhu both looked at the bird of prey.

“If I’m not mistaken, this should be a spirit-infused, hairy beast bred by the people of the northern desert. When we entered this house, this creature was already circling in the air. It arrived even before us, so it must have been sent to keep an eye on Brother Hou. Of course, it could also be keeping an eye on you.”

"I?"

Fan Caiqi remembered the instructions from her elders and immediately realized: "You mean someone wants to kill me?"

"Have any unfamiliar warriors from the northern deserts recently entered the city?"

"It's hard to tell, because there are usually many Turks, Tuyuhuns, and people from the Western Regions."

Thinking of Hou Xibai, she quickly asked, "What do we do now?"

"Now."

Zhou Yi looked at the sky: "It's time to eat now."

He then handed her the dead, hairy animal: "Have someone stew this thing, stew it until it's very tender."

Qing said to the stunned Miss Fan, "Young Master Zhou is here. This place is just as safe as the Sichuan Gang's."

Fan Caiqi thought it made sense, so she ordered someone to bring the food and stew the eagle.

The girl in blue looked at the pigeons on the roof and realized that they were bait.

She glanced sideways at the departing figure in white.

Rumors in the martial arts world are not all rumors.
Zhou Yi's killing of the spirit bird went unnoticed, and since Miss Fan didn't tell anyone, the Sichuan gang members were naturally unaware of it.

After dinner, it was completely dark not long afterward.

That night, the Fan family mansion was lit up.

The lights in the corridor shone all the way into the depths of the mansion, making it clear that the owners had returned.

Zhou Yi is a very light sleeper.

Tonight is the best opportunity for those with ill intentions, especially since the spirit birds have been killed, they should also take a look.

If this doesn't happen, Zhou Yi will only stay for a few days at most before going to find the leader of the Sichuan Gang.

The night was quiet, and there were two side rooms behind the main hall.

In the middle is a winding pond, planted with lotus flowers and water lilies, and koi carp.

Occasionally, one can hear the sounds of carp leaping in the water and birds perching on the artificial hill, but there are no other noises.

It wasn't until the latter half of the night, when people were most tired and sleeping the most soundly, that they fell asleep.

Zhou Yi woke up from a light sleep. He listened quietly for a moment, then leaped over the half-open window and climbed onto the roof.

"Dong dong dong~!"

More than a dozen footsteps leaped from the Buddhist shrine behind the back garden into the inner courtyard.

"Bang~!"

With a loud crash, three men smashed through the window and four men broke through the roof, wielding weapons as they stormed into Fan Caiqi's room.

The bedding on the bed was shredded into pieces by the true energy, and a broad axe cleaved it in two!
Nobody's there; they've been tricked.

"Let's go~!"

Just as a man in black leaped out of the window, a sword flashed towards him. Before he could even raise his broadsword, it was pierced through by the sword!
A second enemy came to their aid from the window, sword in hand.

Zhou Yi slammed his left hand on the window lattice, and the half-person-high tortoise-shell lattice window shattered with a crash, breaking free of the frame and hitting the person.

While the window sash was still flying in the air, he stepped towards the doorway.

He kicked out through the door, sending the opponent flying out of the door and hitting the person who had been hit by the window. The person screamed and collapsed limply.

The next moment, Zhou Yi rushed onto the roof and blocked the others' escape route.

The men in black who had been loitering on the perimeter rushed to provide support, joining forces with several people who rushed out of the house, making a total of twelve people attacking together.

Zhou Yi had expected a fierce battle.

So he went all out, but little did he expect that these people were not as strong as he had imagined.

The twelve attackers dwindled in number as the fight progressed, and in less than twenty moves, only three remained.

The last three had long since lost their will to fight.

I really can't understand how the Sichuan Gang could have such a master.

At this point, there's no way to leave; the fewer people there are, the faster they'll die.

Zhou Yi killed the last three people with a simple, swift sword strike while executing his techniques.

The fighting had just stopped, but he didn't sheathe his sword.

A fight broke out in the courtyard, which was separated by two corridors.

Fan Caiqi, Qingzhu, and the members of the Sichuan Gang were all here. Not far from Fan Caiqi, there was also a man waving a folding fan and moving with graceful movements.

It was Hou Xibai.

There were originally dozens of men in black here.

Just as Zhou Yi stepped down and killed several people, someone from the group of black-clad men who had a numerical advantage suddenly shouted, "Go!"

These people were well-trained. After a fierce fight, they realized something was wrong and immediately scattered, fleeing in all directions.

No matter how good your agility is, you can't catch up with them.

Zhou Yi leaped up and spotted one of them.

The man who had just shouted felt a murderous intent locking onto him, and his hair stood on end, but no one came to his aid.

"Watch out for the gun!"

He yelled and assumed a fighting stance, but it was just a feint; he continued to flee for his life.

Zhou Yi wasn't having any of it and didn't slow down at all.

The leader had pushed his lightness skill to its limit, but he was quickly pulled closer. Knowing he couldn't escape, he steeled himself and gripped the iron spear with both hands.

He channeled his inner energy, pouring his surging, scorching power into the spear shaft and all the way to the tip.

Then he turned to face Zhou Yi, his arms moving rapidly with the spear, thrusting and sweeping at the fastest speed he could muster.

Each thrust of the spear tip left a brief, intensely hot, crimson trail of energy in the air.

Each sweep sends out large plumes of fan-shaped energy that fly like sparks and have a scorching, penetrating force!
In an instant, he seemed to be enveloped by a "firestorm" composed of countless scorching gun shadows.

Zhou Yi uses strength to overcome strength, and doesn't play tricks on him.

True energy surged, and the fiery sword energy slashed directly at the scorching spear light. Both sides used extremely fast techniques, and the sword energy and spear light collided instantly.

"Ah~~~!!"

The burly man felt immense pressure, brandishing his spear and roaring.

He continuously poured the true essence within his body into the iron spear to maintain its fiery spear light.

But'

No matter how skillful the marksmanship, it's difficult to overcome the gap in skill between them.

"Stab" sound.

The spear's edge dissipated, and the burly man was cleaved into a cloud of blood mist. The tiles behind him split open like a broken river, forming a deep ravine in which his corpse lay perfectly.

Looking in the direction the other men in black had fled, Zhou Yi did not give chase.

He jumped down, and Fan Caiqi sheathed his curved sword, clasped his hands and said, "Young Master Zhou, thank you for saving me."

"You flatter me. It was I who told you to stay here. If you had returned to the Sichuan gang, you wouldn't have had to take such a risk."

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he walked towards Hou Xibai.

Hou Xibai spoke first: "Brother Zhou, you came out too early and scared everyone away. Otherwise, we would have had a chance to kill an important person tonight."

"It's alright, whether or not we kill important figures doesn't matter, I'm just worried you won't be able to hold on."

"He's injured?" Fan Caiqi looked at Hou Xibai.

"Yes, he's quite badly injured."

Zhou Yi responded, "Who injured Brother Hou?"

Hou Xibai looked around, and Fan Caiqi then told the Sichuan gang members to collect the bodies, and then led them into a secluded courtyard.

Hou Xibai let out a long sigh of relief:

"I thought I would never see Brother Zhou again. I was ambushed and injured by the men of Jieli Khan, and this man must be related to the Martial Venerable of the Northern Desert."

Zhou Yi frowned slightly: "Explain it more clearly."

"If I am not mistaken, the expert with the gun you just fought should be a Golden Wolf Guard. The Golden Wolf Army in the Northern Desert has more than 100,000 men and is the key to Jieli's dominance over the grasslands. There is a large guard battalion in the Golden Wolf Army, all of whom have been trained by Martial Venerables."

The Martial Lord possessed a long spear named Agushhuaya, which he hadn't used in a long time and which was guarded by his personal guard. Agushhuaya was also known as the Moon Wolf Spear, hence the name "Golden Wolf Howling at the Moon," representing the faith and pride of the steppe people.

"Wait, even if they are Martial Venerable's people, why would they go to such lengths to kill you?"

"They don't want to kill me."

Hou Xibai looked at Fan Caiqi: "The Turks are stirring up trouble; they want to throw Sichuan into chaos."

Miss Fan then realized that Hou Xibai had not only been affected by her, but had also wronged her: "Where have you been these past two days, Young Master Hou?"

"I stayed at my neighbor's house to recover from my injuries."

"Why don't you go to my house? Wouldn't it be safer with my dad?"

"Chief Fan's attitude towards me is not good."

Where is it?

Fan Caiqi thought about it and then didn't refute it. The reputation of the amorous young master was well-known, and her father had indeed reminded her to have less contact with Hou Xibai.

It's understandable that he has this concern.

Seeing the change in Hou Xibai's expression, Zhou Yi couldn't help but ask, "What's the situation with your injury?"

"This is a technique related to the Blazing Sun Technique, which once made me suspect that it was the Martial Venerable's technique. However, none of the Martial Venerable's disciples possess this skill."

"Shall I heal your wounds?"

Hou Xibai glanced at Zhou Yi, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Zhou."

Zhou Yi couldn't help but laugh.

To dare to entrust one's back to someone is a rare form of trust.

Hou Xibai sat down cross-legged, and Zhou Yi pressed his palms against him.

He possesses the Heavenly Frost Condensing Cold Technique, which perfectly counters the Blazing Sun Technique. Furthermore, his true qi is pure, making him exceptionally efficient at neutralizing the scorching heat of the Blazing Sun.

Fan Caiqi and Qing Guniang stood to the side. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Hou Xibai's lips turned white from the cold, but his spirits lifted.

"Brother Zhou's extraordinary skill is beyond comprehension. If I were to resolve it myself, it would take at least five or six days."

"I'm curious who attacked you."

"This person must still be in Chengdu."

Hou Xibai circulated his qi through a cycle and then said, "The situation in Bashu is extremely complicated. Even Brother Zhou, you must proceed with caution this time."

"Okay, you should regulate your breathing first, and then we'll talk later."

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, his gaze flew towards the girl in blue.

"Miss Qing, are you also very familiar with Brother Hou?"

"Not familiar, we've only met a few times."

"That must be because Miss Fan often mentions you to Brother Hou."

Fan Caiqi said, "No."

"I see."

Zhou Yi's words left Fan Caiqi completely bewildered, while Hou Xibai sat cross-legged, pretending not to hear.

The girl in blue looked at Zhou Yi, her dark, bright eyes showing no sign of anything unusual.

Miss Fan was about to ask what the riddle was.

did not expect.
Several Sichuan gang members rushed over as if they had seen a ghost, their teeth chattering as they cried out, "Young Miss!"

"what happened?"

“Miss,” the group member quickly straightened his tongue, “you should see for yourself, perhaps we’ve mistaken you for someone else.”

Apart from Hou Xibai meditating there, everyone else went to the place where Zhou Yi had killed the enemy.

The masks of these men in black were removed.

Fan Caiqi glanced at it and her face turned pale. She picked up a lantern and shone it repeatedly on the face of the burly corpse.

"He is!"

Fan Caiqi looked at the Sichuan gang members and asked them for confirmation.

"Who is he?"

Fan Caiqi got the answer from the looks in the eyes of her followers; it was impossible that everyone was wrong.

"They are from Duzunbao."

Duzunbao?
How can this be.

Zhou Yi couldn't help but probe the three major acupoints on the corpse: Zhiyang, Tianding, and Tanzhong, but found no demonic aura.

"Do you think the people from Duzun Fortress would lay a hand on Miss Fan, Miss Shi?"

"Probably not."

She suddenly realized something halfway through her sentence.
……

(End of this chapter)