Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 122 The mysterious senior
The night is deep.

A Luo lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Tonight was the closest she ever came to death.

If it weren't for that senior's intervention, she would have already fallen into the hands of the Yang family.

But who exactly is that senior?

The Secret Service did not have any fourth-rank sorcerers.

Even Sister Black Lotus is only a fifth-rank cultivator.

There are very few fourth-rank sorcerers in the entire Nanzhao Kingdom, and none of them could possibly appear in Bozhou.

And that healing pill...

He was quite certain that no alchemist in Nanzhao could refine elixirs of this grade.

Could it be a powerful figure from the Yong Kingdom's court?
The Yong Kingdom court also wanted to wipe out the Yang family. He happened to witness her assassination attempt tonight, so he saved her in the process...

But those pills didn't seem like something that could be easily obtained.

Her mind was a jumble of emotions, a mixture of joy at surviving a disaster and suspicion about the identity of the mysterious person...

After experiencing a life-or-death situation, she realized how incompetent she was as a secret agent.

Although she didn't know his identity, she was still grateful to that senior, and she vowed never to act impulsively based on emotions again...

Lying in bed, she couldn't fall asleep for a long time, thinking about the danger she had just experienced.

Outside Bozhou City.

Longya Fort.

In the dead of night, Yang Yingtian stared at the contents of the telescope, his face grim.

Tu Qiancheng is dead. He is the first fifth-rank martial artist to die at the hands of that woman.

It seems they underestimated her abilities.

Although it wasn't a member of the Yang family who died, it meant that even a fifth-rank martial artist from the Yang family was no longer safe.

He never imagined that his Yang family would be thrown into such turmoil by an assassin.

He clenched his fists and ordered in a deep voice, "Tell Third Master to come down the mountain. No matter the cost, he must capture that assassin, dead or alive!"

……

Day two.

early morning.

At breakfast, Tian Qingluan looked at A Luo and asked with concern, "You don't look well. Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Aro nodded slightly.

She spent the entire night trying to figure out who that senior was and couldn't sleep.

Tian Qingluan said, "Then you should go back to your room and rest later. I'll go discuss business by myself."

A Luo shook her head and said, "I'll go with you. I can't sleep anyway."

Tian Qingluan did not try to persuade her further.

After the meal, the two said goodbye to Wenren Yue and went out together.

These days, they don't wear veils when they go out.

The story of the female assassin caused quite a stir. When women covered their faces and went out on the street, they would be questioned a lot.

Just as the two were about to leave the alley, a young man walked out of the courtyard at the alley entrance.

Tian Qingluan didn't look at him and left directly.

Aro's gaze lingered on him for a moment, but she didn't pay it any mind.

However, as the two walked down the street, they noticed that the man was following them at a leisurely pace.

A Luo glanced back and said to Tian Qingluan, "That person seems to have been following us."

Tian Qingluan said calmly, "Let's see where he follows us first."

After walking for a while, the two stopped in front of a mansion.

The people behind them also arrived in front of the mansion.

Xu Gong, holding two steamed buns, was about to enter when he turned around and saw Lin Xuan. He smiled and said, "Brother Chen, have you eaten yet? Would you like some steamed buns?"

Lin Xuan walked past the two women and entered the Yang residence, saying, "I've already eaten. You can save some for Wei Lang."

A Luo and Tian Qingluan exchanged a glance and realized they had misunderstood.

That man wasn't following them; he was originally going to be here.

The two men went to the gatehouse and explained their purpose.

The doorman glanced at a small booklet on the table, confirmed they had an appointment, and nodded, saying, "Please wait a moment while I inform the young master."

After a while.

Inside the Yang residence.

Yang Xiao clasped his hands in a fist salute to Tian Qingluan and said with a smile, "I have long admired Miss Tian's name..."

Tian Qingluan politely returned the greeting: "Young Master Yang Xiao's name is widely known."

A Luo's gaze swept over a figure behind Yang Xiao.

It turns out he was a guard for the Yang family.

"Please take a seat, both of you."

Yang Xiao gestured, then added, "We should thank the Tian family for the new salt law; otherwise, the salt industry in the southwest would have long been dominated by the Song family."

Then he asked again, "Miss Tian just said that she wanted to discuss business with the Yang family?"

Tian Qingluan nodded slightly and said, "The Tian family has two more business deals that we would like to pursue in cooperation with the Yang family."

Yang Xiao said, "Miss Tian, ​​please speak freely."

Although the Tian family lived far away in Sizhou, he had long heard of this Miss Qingluan.

Even more famous than her beauty was her business acumen. She played an indispensable role in the Tian family's rapid rise from a small, remote chieftain to its current status.

After listening to Tian Qingluan's story for a moment, Yang Xiao did not answer immediately.

He stared at the tuft of snow-white icing sugar and a fresh, green vegetable on the table, lost in thought.

He had already heard about the Tian family's refined sugar.

This item is far more expensive than refined salt and is extremely popular among the Tusi (local chieftains).

This winter, the fresh vegetables sold by the Tian family caused a sensation in Southwest China.

He had long coveted these two deals and intended to cooperate with the Tian family, but the Yang family had been in turmoil lately and couldn't afford to deal with them. Unexpectedly, the Tian family took the initiative to come to him.

Yang Xiao took a sip of tea and asked, "What are the Tian family's requirements?"

Tian Qingluan said, "Without the Yang family's help, these two businesses wouldn't be able to leave Sizhou. The Tian family is willing to offer the formula free of charge and hire someone to run the shops. The Tian family will only take 50% of the profits, as long as the Yang family allows us to operate near Bozhou and provides the Tian family with certain assistance when necessary..."

Yang Xiao put down his teacup, his gaze shifting slightly.

He donated the formula free of charge, ran the shop himself, and gave 50% of the profits to the Yang family.

For the Yang family, this was practically a free lunch.

However, the Tian family didn't exactly suffer a loss.

Without the Yang family's approval, none of their shops could be opened in Bozhou and the surrounding states.

They call it profit sharing, but it's actually their way of showing respect.

The Yang family needed the money at the time, so there was no reason for them to refuse.

Although the Yang family could earn more by doing it themselves, the family was going through a turbulent period and simply couldn't spare that many people. The Tian family managed all the shops themselves, while the Yang family only took the profits, which suited the Yang family perfectly.

However, he did not agree immediately. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Please allow me two days to consider, Miss Tian."

Tian Qingluan nodded slightly, and after chatting for a few more minutes, she and A Luo got up to say goodbye.

Xu Gong walked into the courtyard and whispered to Lin Xuan, "They don't have to do anything and they get half the profits for free. Is there really such a good thing in the world? The Yang family makes money way too easily..."

Wei Lang said, "Things aren't as simple as you think. Without the Yang family's approval, it's not easy for anyone to do business near Bozhou. Even if the Yang family doesn't cause them trouble, there are still the various local chieftains. The Yang family needs the Tian family's profits, and the Tian family needs the Yang family's influence. It's just a mutually beneficial arrangement..."

on the way home.

A'Luo, holding Tian Qingluan's hand, asked in confusion, "Sister Qingluan, are you crazy? What's the difference between this and giving them money for free?"

Tian Qingluan smiled slightly but did not explain.

If the Yang family hadn't fallen, this would indeed have been a free gift of money to them.

Even so, the Tian family still managed to make a profit.

After all, both refined sugar and fresh winter vegetables have extremely high profit margins.

If the Yang family were to collapse one day, all these businesses would belong entirely to the Tian family.

By then, it will be too late for others to get involved.

What the Tian family needs to do now is to make concessions to the Yang family to the greatest extent possible in exchange for their help, so as to gain a foothold in the Yang family's sphere of influence as soon as possible.

Perhaps the Yang family will cease to exist before they even get a share of the money.

Although he has passed away, the Tian family continues to move forward with his help.

This gave her the feeling that he had always been by her side, never leaving...

As the two passed by a restaurant, A Luo glanced at it as was her habit.

On the signboard outside the restaurant, the character "女" (woman) in "女儿红" (daughter's red wine) had an extra faint ink mark in the middle.

Her gaze flickered slightly, but she didn't reveal anything.

night.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed and meditated.

Last night was the first time he had truly used the 'Shock Technique'.

Compared to martial artists, sorcerers are rare, not only because of the high threshold for cultivation, but also because of their own inherent flaws.

For warlocks, the closer the distance, the stronger the power of their mental energy.

As the distance increases, mental strength will weaken to varying degrees.

However, sorcerers are most afraid of getting close to martial artists of the same level.

Lin Xuan's spiritual power was a whole realm higher than that of a fifth-grade martial artist, and much more refined, but it was difficult for him to directly kill a fifth-grade martial artist. At the distance last night, he could only make the martial artist momentarily dazed. At this moment, a martial artist was needed to finish him off at close range.

Only a combination of sorcerer and warrior can unleash their full potential.

Of course, it would be best to cultivate both martial arts and martial arts.

It can attack from afar and defend up close; among those of the same level, it is nearly invincible.

His martial arts skills still need to be improved gradually.

At one point, Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes.

What is she going to do now?

Inside Bozhou City.

Zuiyun Tower.

The situation in Bozhou is complex, with various forces vying for power. Very few people know that Zuiyunlou is a secret stronghold of the Nanzhao Secret Service in Bozhou.

Late at night, the restaurant was empty of customers, except for one room upstairs where the light was still on.

A figure quietly appeared in the backyard of the restaurant.

With a light leap, she reached the second floor.

Pushing open the door with the light on, a figure dressed in black sat quietly at the table.

She had a cascade of black hair, a nearly perfect oval face, and skin that was a cool white as if it had never seen the sun. Her nose was high and straight, and her eyebrows were elegant, long, and slightly dark, which made her skin look even whiter.

The woman's eyes were the most striking feature; their light blue color resembled a deep pool, profound and mysterious.

"Sister Black Lotus!"

As soon as A Luo entered the room, she couldn't wait to throw herself into the woman's arms.

Hei Lian gently stroked her hair, a rare gentle warmth appearing on her lips. After a long while, she asked, "You said the Yong Kingdom court wants to wipe out the Yang family. How credible is that news?"

Aro looked up at her and said seriously, "It's absolutely true, I have an extremely reliable source of information."

She looked at Hei Lian and asked, "Sister Hei Lian, did you come alone?"

Hei Lian said, "They're still on their way. The imperial court is taking your intelligence very seriously. The Secret Service has mobilized almost its entire force this time. If the Yang family is truly wiped out, your contribution will be significant..."

For Nanzhao, the Western Barbarians were their mortal enemies.

In this matter, their goals are aligned with those of the Yong Kingdom's court.

Remembering something, A'Luo suddenly asked, "Sister Black Lotus, has the imperial court sent a fourth-rank sorcerer to Bozhou?"

Black Lotus shook her head: "No, why are you suddenly asking this?"

Arlo told her what had happened last night.

After hearing this, Hei Lian did not press the fourth-rank sorcerer for details. Instead, she suddenly stood up, frowned, and said, "You killed so many people from the Yang family. Knowing that they would lay a trap to capture you, you still dared to act alone. Did I teach you all this before?"

Her words carried a stern rebuke.

A'Luo lowered her head, not daring to speak.

After letting out a soft sigh, Black Lotus finally made a decision, saying resolutely, "From now on, you are only responsible for gathering intelligence. Without my permission, you cannot take any action on your own. Do you understand?"

A Luo's voice was faint and weak: "I heard you clearly..."

Hei Lian is not only her older sister, but also her mentor and her boss.

She felt a mixture of love, fear, and respect for her.

After a moment of silence in the room, Hei Lian slowly said, "None of the fourth-rank alchemists in the court have come to Bozhou. The pills you mentioned that can heal injuries of that severity so quickly are beyond the capabilities of our alchemists. Only the alchemists of the Yong Kingdom court and the Jiuli Kingdom have this ability..."

A'Luo was stunned, and said in disbelief, "Could it really be someone from the Yong Kingdom's court who saved me?"

Black Lotus said in a deep voice, "You should be grateful that you met a kind-hearted Yong Kingdom sorcerer, otherwise you wouldn't be seeing me today."

Aro lowered her head again.

Hei Lian stopped scolding her and softened her tone slightly, asking, "How is Jun Zizhu? You said you wanted to train him to be a top-notch spy. As his teacher, you're still far from being a top-notch spy. I want to see what kind of person you've taught..."

Aro lowered her head even further.

She hasn't reported this matter to higher authorities yet.

To this day, she still cannot accept this fact.

Just as Hei Lian was about to ask another question, she noticed that her tears were falling like pearls from a broken string.

Her voice lowered: "What's wrong?"

Aro suddenly threw herself into her arms.

In front of her closest and most trusted person, the sorrow she had been suppressing for so long could no longer be contained and was released in its entirety.

She buried her head in Hei Lian's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I want to train him to be the most capable spy. I want him to fall in love with me first, and then lose me, so that he won't be burdened by emotions in the future..."

"But—I really like him. He knew my enemy was the Prince of Zhennan, yet he was still willing to avenge me. No one has ever been so kind to me except you. I don't want him to become a heartless spy..."

"I want to wait for him to come back so I can remove the Gu worms from his body..."

"But he didn't come back..."

"The Yang family killed him."

"Sister Black Lotus, I think about him every day, my heart aches so much, what should I do..."

……

Hei Lian looked at her tear-streaked face, sighed softly, said nothing, and simply hugged her tighter.

She never listened to the advice I gave her.

After wearing the mask for a long time, Aro was no longer a mandala.

The method she used to help others succeed ultimately backfired on her.

Perhaps this was God's punishment for her.

Inside the room, there was no sound of speaking for a long time, only A-Luo's incessant sobbing.

Outside Zuiyun Tower.

In a dark alley at a street corner, a figure leaned against the wall, remaining silent for a long time...

-

early morning.

After Tian Qingluan got up, she saw A Luo's swollen eyes, paused for a moment, and asked, "What happened to your eyes?"

A Luo rubbed her eyes and shook her head, saying, "It's nothing, I probably just haven't been sleeping well these past two days."

Upon hearing this, Tian Qingluan did not ask any further questions.

She was still thinking about cooperating with the Yang family.

The Tian family's power in Bozhou was far inferior to that of other chieftains, and even less so to that of the Song and An families.

If you want to get a share of the profits after the Yang family falls, you have to get involved early.

We hope the Yang family will allow it.

At this moment, in Yang Xiao's residence.

He looked at the messages compiled on the table and let out a long sigh.

The Yang family's businesses spanned the southwest. When the family was at its peak, no one dared to provoke them. Even in the Song family's territory in Anjia, they had to give the Yang family some face.

However, in recent days, many of their shops within the territory of these two companies have been vandalized or even directly occupied by them.

In the near future, the Yang family's businesses will have to shift from expansion to contraction.

This will inevitably affect the family's profits.

These days, the family is struggling to make ends meet in order to recruit more people.

By leveraging the Yang family's influence in the vicinity of Bozhou, they could help the Tian family expand their business, with the Yang family simply reaping the profits—something he could never refuse.

He stepped out of the room, beckoned a servant, and said, "Go to Tian's Salt Shop and invite Miss Tian here. Tell her I've thought about what she mentioned last time..."

At that moment, a figure stepped forward.

Lin Xuan said, "Young Master, that Miss Tian lives in the same alley as me. Why don't I go and invite her?"

Yang Xiao didn't think much of it, nodded, and said, "Alright, then I'll trouble Guard Chen."

Lin Xuan clasped his hands slightly, turned around and walked out of the mansion.

……

Within the small courtyard.

Tian Qingluan, Wenren Yue, and A Luo were having dinner when there was a knock on the door.

A Luo walked to the door, opened the courtyard gate, and saw the Yang family's guard standing outside.

She spoke softly, "May I ask what's the matter?"

Lin Xuan said, "Young Master Yang Xiao has invited Miss Tian over. He said he has thought about what Miss Tian mentioned last time..."

Tian Qingluan had almost finished eating. She put down her chopsticks, walked to the door, and said, "Let's go."

Aro took her hand: "I'll go with you."

Lin Xuan extended his hand and said, "Please, both of you."

Two familiar, delicate fragrances drifted past him.

Two months later, Lin Xuan reappeared by their side.

Unfortunately, even though they were once the closest of friends, they could not recognize each other, even when they were face to face.

He walked ahead to lead the way, keeping about five steps between himself and the two.

Tian Qingluan didn't pay much attention to the guard from the Yang family who was delivering the message, but when she glanced up unintentionally, she saw a back that was both unfamiliar and vaguely familiar, and she was momentarily lost in thought.

But she quickly composed herself.

It was just a similar silhouette; the person in her heart would never come back.

Aro's gaze also shifted away from that figure.

The guard from the Yang family didn't even glance at the two of them once.

Although she had only met him a few times, she could deduce that he must be a man of few words, and that his presence there was merely a coincidence, not a deliberate attempt to get close to them.

(End of this chapter)