Liver penetrates martial arts, instantly becoming a saint.

Chapter 324 Is Li Xian in Danger? A Counterattack! Investigating the Worry-Relieving Pavilion, How Could It Be Her?

The situation in Flying Dragon City was unpredictable. Yang Xinqiang, clad in white armor and wielding a silver spear, possessed striking features and extraordinary handsomeness. He was a highly renowned young hero in Flying Dragon City, and his participation in the search of the Flower Cage Gate had quickly yielded remarkable results.

He was indeed skilled at tracking down thieves and catching criminals. On the first day, he narrowed down the search area and rigorously investigated merchants who had entered the city in the past two months. At the same time, he sent people to visit and check the guests of major inns.

This plan immediately proved remarkably effective. The elders of the Flower Cage Sect were thrown into a panic, never expecting such a dangerous man to be so ruthless; they had him by the throat. They cursed the boy in secret, wishing they could skin him alive.

Flying Dragon City is vast and bustling with people, so it might be difficult to find Flower Cage Sect members in a short time. However, they would inevitably find it hard to escape. Yang Xinqiang then issued another order, saying that Flower Cage Sect members could also repent and reform. If they exposed each other, their crimes could be lessened and their lives could be spared.

Their merits and demerits could even offset each other, leading to their innocence.

This plan was remarkably effective; in an instant, everyone in the Flower Cage Sect felt insecure and rifts began to form among them. Even the elders were secretly on guard, fearing exposure. Within a single day, more than a dozen disciples had surrendered. Yang Xinqiang, in charge of the overall situation, selected a few with less serious charges, dragged them to the market, gave them fifty strokes of the cane, and then declared them innocent.

This scheme directly attacked their minds. The remaining flower thieves all thought, "Only fifty strokes of the cane to save our lives, it's an extremely worthwhile deal! We are lowly and insignificant, why should we risk our lives?" Their inclination to surrender became even more pronounced. The Flower Cage Sect suddenly showed signs of collapse, teetering on the brink of ruin. Better than laborious interrogation, better than a wanted manhunt, for a time, the flower thieves were restless, all wanting to repent and voluntarily surrender.

Although the elders of the various sword sects were skilled in martial arts, they were no match for Yang Xinqiang in catching thieves and criminals. They all praised him highly, repeatedly exclaiming how brilliant he was, and followed his arrangements. Yang Xinqiang was very familiar with Flying Dragon City and knew the main routes, so he assigned the five sects to guard them, making the city impregnable.

Proceed step by step, compressing space.

As another day passed, with more disciples turning themselves in and providing numerous clues, the portraits of the elders and disciples became increasingly clear. Nearly half of the merchants had been investigated in the past two months; at this rate, it's not an exaggeration to say that Li Xian will be apprehended within three days.

Late that night.

Liuhua Street, Biechun Garden. The elders, all fearful of danger, had no choice but to gather again in the hall to discuss their escape. Each was on guard, their former composure gone.

Tang Wenshu cursed, "That brat surnamed Yang, what cunning he is! In just one day, he has left us with nowhere to hide! If we delay any longer, we will surely be surrounded and annihilated by a large army."

Ye Cheng said in a deep voice, "Today's crisis is far greater than in the past. In the past, when we Flower Bandits were surrounded, we always had loopholes and many opportunities to turn the tide. If it were just the defenses of Flying Dragon City, we would still have a chance to escape. At worst, we could command the bandits to form a battle formation and charge. But we also have the full support of the five major sword sects. A head-on confrontation is definitely not a good strategy, and hiding and dodging is tantamount to waiting for death. That Yang Xinqiang is truly not to be underestimated. A few of his schemes have left us at a loss."

Tang Wenshu said, "It's always been my Flower Cage Sect that causes trouble. This time, before we've even taken any action, we've been unfairly accused and wronged. Now we're being pushed closer and closer, it's extremely troublesome, extremely troublesome!"

An Weicheng asked, "Brother Li Xian, what's your opinion on this matter?" The crowd looked at him strangely, all knowing Li Xian's real name. Rumors circulated, his reputation was difficult to shake, and he was scorned. Li Xian remained calm and composed, saying, "From what I've observed recently, Flying Dragon City is putting increasing pressure on us, determined to kill us. But… there might still be a chance."

Everyone looked over.

Li Xian had distributed strands of his hair to the elders, instructing them to immediately replant the hair and transmit their messages if they found any clues. He had gathered information from various sources and was most familiar with the situation in the city. His calm and composed demeanor already resembled that of a leader of the Flower Thieves.

Li Xian pondered, "Logically speaking, since this was not our doing, the real culprit must have prepared a way out for us. If we are captured, his deeds will be exposed."

"However, this time the situation is different. Our enemies are quite ruthless and are trying to kill us at every turn. Flying Dragon City is under heavy siege. Entrusting ourselves to them is tantamount to handing our lives over to others and being at their mercy. We must still try to find our own way to survive."

The elders nodded in agreement. Ye Cheng said, "I had planned to lie low and observe the situation. If I found an opportunity, I could simply take the blame and flee. It would only mean a few more insults. But the city's defenses are getting tighter every day, and the various sword sects are searching everywhere. All the main roads are blocked."

"The 'Flying Feather Riders' of Flying Dragon City have already set out to patrol the streets. I have long heard of those Flying Feather Riders; they are all rare talents with considerable abilities. Moreover, Flying Dragon City has trained 'Hunting Dogs,' which have red noses and are exceptionally sharp-eyed. They search every house and every door. If we do not escape now, we will have no other chance."

Li Xian's situation was even more precarious than the others. He said, "I understand that there is a river called Yunnan River in Feilong City, and merchant ships are piled up on the river. Both sides of the river are densely packed with cargo ships. In the past few days, there have been complaints everywhere, and everyone wants to leave the city as soon as possible."

Ye Cheng's eyes lit up, and he said, "We might be able to hide among them and wait for the resentment to accumulate. Then Flying Dragon City will surely open a passage to allow merchant ships to pass through."

Li Xian nodded and said, "I know that the Duan family, a powerful clan in Flying Dragon City, is involved in the timber business. Their merchant ships have stockpiled 'Golden Thread Wood,' which is very thick. If we can find out the location, secretly empty the Golden Thread Wood, and hide it inside, we might be able to sneak out of the city."

Li Xian bowed to the crowd and said, "If you all heed my suggestion, how about this: we'll eat our fill tonight, prepare plenty of food and water, and then hide ourselves among the timber. We'll then remain silent about everything else. Whether it's two days, three days, or five days... I reckon that in this way, shipping will resume in seven days at the latest. By then, who could have predicted that we'd already hidden among the timber? Even if they conduct a thorough search, what can they do?"

Upon hearing this, all the elders clapped their hands in praise: "What a brilliant plan! What a brilliant plan! We hid among them long ago, so they will find it extremely difficult to anticipate our move."

Ye Cheng laughed and said, "If we're lucky, things will go smoothly tomorrow, and perhaps we can escape."

Li Jiu asked, "What if our hiding place is discovered?" Li Xian replied, "I have already investigated. The shipping area is a complex place, with people coming from all over the country. We can hide inside the timber, fill the hollow inside the trees with cotton, and when we beat them, they will look just like solid wood. That might be a way to avoid being searched."

"Since there's no news of shipping resuming yet, they certainly won't guess that we've already hidden ourselves inside the ships. Once news of the resumption of shipping is released, they will surely conduct thorough inspections of the ships and guard every corner. But by then, we'll already be hidden among the timber, having lived there for some time. No matter how vigilant they are, they'll never expect that we've already infiltrated. They'll inevitably be careless."

An Weicheng asked, "What if the boats never get through?"

Li Xian said, "Shipping is the lifeblood of a city; how can it be blocked for long? Flying Dragon City is determined to capture us, but they dare not act recklessly. If shipping is blocked for too long, it will affect the city's fortunes, and families and people will surely harbor resentment. Therefore, shipping must be restored soon."

The elders carefully considered the matter and praised it repeatedly.

An Weicheng's eyes flickered as he said, "I can help with this plan. The Duan family's golden thread wood is on a merchant ship in the river. Tonight, we can secretly hollow it out and hide inside! When we see the light of day again, we will be free!" The elders' eyes flashed slightly. After discussing for half the night, they all felt it was worth the risk and decided to take action that very night.

The following morning, the city was bustling with activity. The plan to escape through the Flower Cage Gate had already been secretly devised, perfectly concealed within the timber of the Duan family's merchant ship.

At noon that day.

At the entrance to Yunhe Lane, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out. Yang Xinqiang, clad in white armor, stood proudly with his spear in hand and addressed the crowd: "The capture of the flower thief has been successful. From this moment forward, shipping will resume in Feilong City. All boats on the river, after being inspected and found to be in order, may enter and leave Feilong City."

Nearly a thousand merchant ships were piled up on the Yunhe River, causing congestion in the wide waterway. Complaints were rampant along the river, with people saying that blocking transportation and hindering their livelihoods was no different from killing their parents. After some silent pressure, transportation was indeed restored, allowing ships to come and go.

Yang Xinqiang was both young and of high rank. After the message was sent out, he surveyed the scene with an arrogant gaze, confident and composed.

There is a gorge on the Yunhe River. Boats must pass through this gorge to enter or exit the river. The gorge is very narrow, allowing only one boat to pass at a time.

He stationed himself at the river gorge, stopping boats leaving the city and sending men to search them thoroughly. Everywhere, from cabins and living quarters to decks and storerooms, where people could hide, was meticulously searched, leaving no stone unturned. Furthermore, "fluffy nets" were spread along the riverbanks. These nets did not obstruct the water flow or affect shipping. However, if any thieves attempted to dive underwater, they would be entangled in the nets and unable to escape.

Yang Xinqiang thought to himself, "Those flower thieves are already hiding on the boat. Do they think I don't know? There is indeed a clever one among them, but unfortunately, he's just a mere flower thief with petty tricks. In the end, he'll only make us a laughingstock. Once their whereabouts are discovered, they'll be desperate and jump into the river to escape. At that time, they'll be entangled in the net, and we can capture them all without lifting a finger."

He was assisted by Zhou Shijie, Wang Dezhong, and others in the investigation. Several ships passed the inspection and were confirmed to be without fault before departing Feilong City.

Wang Dezhong said, "Brother Yang, according to you, are there really flower thieves on these ships? How can you be sure? If we let them pass so hastily, wouldn't it be bad if something goes wrong?" The area was heavily fortified with troops gathered here. Disciples from the five major sword sects and some elders were all keeping a close watch, dressed in plain clothes and hiding in the surroundings.

Yang Xinqiang, twenty-seven years old, was a bit older than others, and recently his abilities had become increasingly apparent, with ingenious plans emerging one after another, earning him high praise from the elders of the sword sect. Wang Dezhong, Zhou Shijie, and others followed him to learn. Zhou Shijie said, "If I'm not mistaken, Brother Yang is confident. His thorough investigation of the Flower Cage Gate has yielded remarkable results. That Flower Thief must be under pressure, and now that he's spotted an opportunity to escape, he's only trying it by chance. Little does he know that this is exactly what he's doing; this is where the real killing intent lies."

"There are many merchant ships here, and it will likely take five or six days for them all to pass through. During this time, they will surely try to sneak onto the merchant ships and escape from here. Once they arrive, there will naturally be an opening. This is a plan to lure the enemy in."

Yang Xinqiang smiled confidently, "Brother Zhou's words do have some merit, but they are also not entirely true. I once said that I would capture that thief Li Xianhua within three days, which was not just empty boasting. Today is the third day. If we follow Brother Zhou's advice, I'm afraid we might not be able to capture that thief today or tomorrow. Wouldn't that be breaking my promise?"

Yang Wentian said, "Oh? Does Brother Yang have a way to expose the Flower Cage Sect thieves today?"

Yang Xinqiang smiled without saying a word and nodded slightly.

Zhou Shijie, eager to try, said, "That Li Xianru refuses to confess, so I must take action and capture him. I have a long-standing relationship with this guy, so it would be best to settle things here." Yang Xinqiang laughed and said, "That's fine, he won't be able to escape anyway. If Brother Zhou wants to show off his skills, then please do so."

Zhou Shijie was overjoyed. As evening approached, they located the Duan family's large timber transport ship. The ship had sailed to the gorge entrance and was loaded with massive timbers, perfect for hiding people. Yang Xinqiang smiled slightly and said, "Brother Zhou, the opportunity is right before you. Be prepared."

Everyone was astonished. Hua Wu of the Lishan Sword Sect asked, "Brother Yang, how did you so confidently predict that the villain would be on this ship?" Yang Xinqiang laughed, "You asked me before why I was so confident; now I'll answer that. Come out!"

Suddenly, a man emerged from the ranks of the soldiers behind them. He was middle-aged, dressed in armor, and his appearance was similar to that of an ordinary soldier. It was none other than An Weicheng of the Flower Cage Sect. It turned out that he had long harbored the intention to rebel, but as an elder, his voluntary surrender would not atone for his sins, and he would certainly face death. Therefore, he lay low in secret, hoping to make amends by performing a great service at a crucial moment and thus save his own life.

Last night, he followed Li Xian's brilliant plan, which he felt was indeed feasible, but secretly betraying him would ensure his survival. He knew this was a rare opportunity, so he secretly informed Li Xian that night, coordinating with him from within.

The shipment would still take several days to complete, but he sold it out. Yang Xinqiang was confident, and considering that the long-standing blockage in Feilong City was indeed a major problem, he allowed the ship to resume transport.

Wang Dezhong drew his sword and roared, "Is that Elder An Weicheng of the Flower Cage Sect? You scoundrel, daring to hide and lie in ambush!" He then slashed with his sword.

Yang Xin swept his spear to block the sword, and laughed, "Brother Wang, you misunderstand. This man has already reformed. I ordered him to disguise himself and follow along to see what would happen to his companions." An Weicheng said, "Yes, yes, I have abandoned darkness and embraced the light. I am grateful that Brother Yang has not abandoned me and has allowed me to reform. I will definitely do good deeds and accumulate merit in the future to make up for my mistakes."

Wang Dezhong, still furious, said, "This man has harmed countless women. Can he really get away with just a casual remark about repenting?"

Yang Xinqiang said, "That's true, but without this person's help, these flower thieves are well hidden, and some are bound to escape. These escaped flower thieves will harm women in the future, which is also a crime. This brother An Weicheng is very good in having such determination. Without his help, it would be difficult to succeed."

Yang Xinqiang laughed and said, "Brother An, you have reformed, please lead the way." The Duan family's large ship was specially made, with a longer and wider hull, carrying thousands of golden silk woods, some over ten zhang long and some five or six zhang short, all of which were beams and pillars. Even if they intended to inspect it, there would probably be some oversights.

An Weicheng cupped his hands and said, "Of course." He walked towards the place where the timber was stored, and among the many pieces of wood, he accurately found a few, revealing the hidden timbers, all of which were very well concealed.

Wang Dezhong asked, "Is there really someone hiding in this wood?" He slapped it with his palm, producing a deep, resonant sound. The interior didn't seem hollow. An Weicheng replied, "Absolutely. Those flower thieves were forced into a corner by Yang Yingxiong, so they acted last night, hollowing out the wood and hiding inside. That Li Xian is as cunning as a fox; he even knew to stuff it with cotton wool, so slapping it from the outside doesn't produce a hollow sound."

Yang Xinqiang thought to himself, "That thief is quite cunning, but he's ultimately at his wit's end. Hiding in the wood and sealing it with cotton might prevent the wood from making a hollow sound when struck, but I'm proficient in palm techniques. If I strike it with my palm, I'll immediately detect the anomaly. Even without An Weicheng's betrayal, they wouldn't have escaped."

"But it's always a good thing to catch them as soon as possible."

Wang Dezhong, Zhou Shijie, Yang Wentian, and others all secretly felt that the Jianghu thieves were extremely cunning and used all sorts of ingenious tricks, which greatly broadened their horizons.

Yang Xinqiang said, "Split these timbers!" Turning to his soldiers, he said, "Pass down the order to prepare for battle. Although the Flower Cage Sect elder has some cultivation, he is not weak. Archers in the distance, get ready."

"Brother Wang, Brother Hua... Have you made proper arrangements within your sword sect? When the traitors show themselves, they will surely launch a desperate counterattack. I hope you, the elders and disciples of the sword sect, will assist me. I intend to capture them all alive and interrogate them thoroughly."

Wang Dezhong said, "The Jiushan Sword Sect has hidden themselves in the shadows and blocked Fuyun Street, Changshou Street, and other places." Hua Wu informed them of the layout, and all locations were confirmed to be correct.

Yang Xinqiang's personal guards then cleaved the wood. The golden thread wood was extremely tough; a single slash left only a scratch. Zhou Shijie said, "I'll do it." He drew his sword and walked to a piece of wood. He channeled his inner energy and thrust his sword down.

The wood snapped in two with a crack. It was indeed hollow inside, and a wad of cotton wadding gushed out. Everyone was overjoyed and about to examine it more closely when they smelled a strange odor.

Yang Xinqiang's expression changed, and he shouted, "Jump into the river!" He jumped into the river first. Wang Dezhong, Zhou Shijie, Yang Wentian, and others were all skilled in light-footed martial arts. Although they did not know the situation, seeing Yang Xinqiang's fear and panic, they immediately followed. The strange smell spread, and white smoke gradually rose.

The laborers on the ship jumped into the river one after another. After a good seven or eight breaths, a loud "boom" was heard as the Duan family's merchant ship exploded. Nearly a thousand logs tumbled into the river.

Zhou Shijie, Wang Dezhong, Yang Xinqiang, and others jumped into the river, but sank immediately upon touching the water, without even knowing what had happened. They immediately tried to get out of the water. Wang Dezhong took out a dart, wrapped a silk thread around the end, and was about to throw it, hoping it would hit the bottom of the boat and then use the pull to float to the surface.

But as he moved, he suddenly saw countless fine threads floating in the water, as thin as a hair, yet stretching extremely long. Every time he moved, these threads would become entangled in his body. The more they entangled him, the more difficult it became, making even moving extremely difficult.

He was terrified, and his movements became increasingly violent. The fine threads entangled him more and more tightly, wrapping him up like a cocoon. Zhou Shijie, Wang Dezhong, Yang Xinqiang, and others were all treated the same way.

This substance is called "Fluff," a setup by Yang Xinqiang. In water, it disperses and transforms into countless loose threads. Once touched, it becomes sticky and impossible to untangle; the more you touch it, the more tangled it becomes.

This was the perfect tool for capturing the diving thief. But all their hard work would ultimately backfire on them. The group exclaimed, "We're doomed! We failed to capture the thief and now we're drowning!" and sank straight to the bottom of the water.

After a moment, they felt their bodies rise slightly. A few moments later, they were all pulled out of the water and brought ashore. They had been "netted" and pulled ashore. Their bodies were like white cocoons, tightly bound, and although they were out of the water, they could not break free of the net. Their struggles were futile, leaving them only with frustration.

People on the shore cheered and shouted, "Although we don't know what caused the tremor just now, Brother Yang Xinqiang said that most people entangled in cotton nets are flower thieves."

"Brother Yang's predictions were spot on; they really came true. There are quite a few people here, one, two, three... a total of seventeen or eighteen."

"This trip has been extremely fruitful. Brother Yang told me that although the Flower Cage Sect are crude flower thieves, several of their elders have already reached the third realm of cultivation. We must not approach them recklessly. We will surround this place, and you all should go and summon the elders quickly."

Several people, their faces flushed red, tried to shout. But the threads were tightly entangled, and their tongues and teeth were inevitably caught. Unable to open their mouths, they naturally couldn't speak. Seeing more and more people gathering around them, they were all filled with despair, their utter loss of face inevitable.

Yang Xinqiang gritted his teeth, filled with rage, and was on the verge of going crazy.

……

……

Meanwhile, on the other side, Li Xian, Tang Wenshu, and Ye Cheng, disguised as merchants and accompanied by several trustworthy disciples, arrived at the entrance of Jieyou Tower.

It turns out that last night's conversation was all an act. Hiding among the timber seemed feasible at first glance, but in reality, it was full of loopholes, neither safe nor clever, and not a good plan he wanted.

Li Xian foresaw the impending crisis and knew that people's hearts would be revealed. He deliberately revealed this last night, knowing someone would betray him. So he decided to play along, stuffing cotton wool and a special "flower oil" into the wood. This flower oil had a peculiar smell and was extremely flammable when slashed with swords or knives, yet it was said to heal the liver and spleen. It was made by boiling in a water jar, and Tang Wenshu and Ye Cheng transported it to Flying Dragon City to sell.

In this way, they could attract attention. They could then use this opportunity to investigate the "Relief Pavilion." Li Xian pondered, "If we flee outwards, we will face the siege and pursuit of Flying Dragon City and the five major sword sects. Even if we escape through the city gates, we will still be hunted down. I will be the first to bear the brunt and will not escape unscathed. On the contrary... if I investigate inwards, I only need to face the real culprit behind the scenes, who is most likely He Wentian. The resistance will be much less."

Li Xian cupped his hands and said, "I am truly grateful to the two elders for their willingness to risk their lives with me!"

Ye Cheng and Tang Wenshu were both members of the Candle Sect, so their story is relatively credible. Tang Wenshu said, "Not at all, it's all about survival." Ye Cheng said, "As the saying goes, outwardly strong but inwardly weak. If you keep trying to escape, you'll only run into a brick wall. Sometimes, going against the grain offers more hope. I agree with Brother Li's plan."

Li Xian said, "The disappearance of those women here must be suspicious. It's laughable that the elders and disciples of the five major sword sects are so brain-dead that not a single one of them suspects anything."

Ye Cheng said, "You can't say that. First, our Flower Cage Sect is indeed infamous. Second, that City Lord He has such a good reputation. Whoever comes here will inevitably blame it on us."

Li Xian murmured, "Now they've convinced me it was me. I'm truly innocent. What merit do I have to capture all these heroines?"

The three men, disguised as ordinary merchants, entered the Jieyou Tower with an air of nonchalance. The Jieyou Tower was a place for pleasure-seeking, offering fine wine and delicacies. Ye Cheng and Tang Wenshu contributed both money and effort, booking a private room and ordering over ten dishes.

Li Xian observed along the way and discovered that the Jieyou Tower was full of secrets and its mechanisms and hidden schemes were extremely complex. After taking his seat in the private room, Li Xian said in a deep voice, "Elders, there are many eyes and ears here, so it is not convenient to act together. It would be better to split up. I will go ahead first. If you find any clues, please let me know with these hairs." He plucked six strands of hair and handed them to the two elders respectively.

Ye Cheng sighed, "Brother Li's skill is truly invaluable. But with this kind of exploitation, won't your full head of black hair be insufficient?"

Li Xian laughed and said, "That's no trouble at all, my hair is extremely thick." He moved the filth, tempered his five internal organs, nourished his blood and promoted hair growth with ease.

Li Xian quietly slipped away, heading towards the pavilion where the "Phoenix Banquet" was being held. The interior of the Jieyou Tower was far away, entirely blood red, painted with "Zhensha Lacquer," a type of lacquer commonly used on coffins.

The venue for the Phoenix Banquet was quite spacious, with a large round platform in the center, surrounded by a circle of white jade tables. In the center of the platform was a wooden building with a very strange design, constructed entirely of miscellaneous items such as "wooden chairs" and "wooden sticks". The wooden building was not fixed with mortise and tenon joints, and its structure was extremely loose, so it could be kicked down with a single kick.

And it's quite crooked. Looking up from below, it sometimes twists to the east, sometimes leans to the west, sometimes tilts to the north, and sometimes turns to the south. It's extremely peculiar, yet it has never collapsed.

Presumably, during the preparations for the Phoenix Banquet, the women were playing a game of "building a tower." They would throw whatever was around them into the center of the tower, piling up the wood to form a tower, and then gradually adding more wood to build up the "wooden tower." In the end, the person with the weakest martial arts skills would cause the tower to collapse.

Every single piece of wood in this wooden building imbued with martial arts essence, enduring through time. This explains its peculiar and illogical appearance, yet it has never collapsed. Li Xian observed for a long time, thinking to himself, "Martial arts reflect one's character and temperament. These women, whether reserved, passionate, or otherwise, seem to be having a great time. And their martial arts skills are all quite formidable; some of them are even exceptionally skilled. Why have they disappeared without a trace?"

As he pondered, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching. A pair of gilded silver tiger boots stepped in. Li Xian concealed himself and looked over, exclaiming in surprise, "How is it her?" A woman he knew very well had arrived!

(End of this chapter)