Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 225 News of Uncle Wu and the Woman in Mourning Clothes (Two chapters combined)

Zhu Tongzhou hurriedly explained.

"Father, this is not my fault."

Brother Li is busy with official duties, and I wasn't sure if he could get away. I just received news that he had arrived at the dock, so I rushed out to greet him, hoping to give Father a surprise, but who knew that halfway there—"

I'll talk to you about this later!

Zhu Tinggao interrupted his son, then turned to Li Fu with a beaming smile, "Officer Li, please come in quickly!"

The manor has prepared a small feast to welcome Officer Li and help him calm his nerves!

As he was speaking, he suddenly heard a servant behind him exclaim in surprise.

When Zhu Tongzhou and his wounded guards left, they took with them Lei Wanhe's body and the broken pieces of the whip.

"Master of the Fortress, it really is Lei Wanhe!"

He's already dead!

A farmer reported this.

Zhu Tinggao and the servants behind him were all startled and rushed forward to check.

Lei Wanhe had only one wound on his body, which seemed to indicate that he had been killed by a single blow.

Looking at those broken pieces of whip, they should be his famous and unique weapon, the Thousand Gold Thunder Whip. The cuts are as smooth as a mirror, as if they were instantly severed by a divine weapon, something that ordinary swords could not do. However, what is puzzling is that Li Fu does not seem to be carrying any weapons.

Zhu Tinggao, unable to hide his surprise, exclaimed, "Officer Li—this Lei Wanhe, is that you—?"

"This man was stubborn and determined to commit murder, so I had no choice but to kill him," Li Fu said.

Zhu Tinggao was surprised.

Who is Lei Wanhe?

A notorious ruthless figure in the underworld, known for his Thousand Gold Thunder Whip, even I would have to be careful when facing him, and it would take some effort to deal with him.

Before seeing the body, he had assumed that Li Fu had forced Lei Wanhe to leave, since Lei Wanhe was no small figure in the martial arts world.

Judging from the current situation, Li Fu seemed to have killed him effortlessly with a mere flick of his wrist, even destroying his signature weapon.

Zhu Tinggao composed himself and sighed sincerely.

"Officer Li, dealing with Lei Wanhe seems to be effortless."

I had long heard that Constable Li's martial arts were superb, and seeing him today, I know that the rumors in the martial arts world are true, and he is even more famous than I had heard!

I admire you!

Li Fu said, "Master Zhu is too kind. It was just a stroke of luck."

97

Zhu Tinggao extended a warm invitation.

"This is not the place to talk. Officer Li, please come back to the manor with me!"

The manor has prepared a small feast, firstly to welcome Officer Li and wash away the dust of his journey, and secondly to calm his nerves and express our gratitude!

The group escorted Li Fu back to Juyizhuang.

The villagers had already received the news, and they decorated the place with lanterns and colorful streamers, with servants standing at attention, making it a very grand occasion.

Upon entering the spacious and bright hall, guests and hosts took their seats.

A maidservant served fragrant tea.

Zhu Tinggao first inquired about the attack on his son and niece. Zhu Tongzhou briefly recounted the incident, emphasizing how Li Fu had intervened and killed the powerful enemy, saving the two.

After hearing this, Zhu Tinggao once again thanked Li Fu sincerely.

"Officer Li, if you hadn't arrived just in time today, these two children would probably—"

"Why did Lei Wanhe suddenly target the two children? Tongzhou, have you offended him? Have you offended anyone recently?"

Zhu Tongzhou frowned and said, "I have thought about it carefully, but there is no answer."

Lei Wanhe was a loner and had no connection with the Zhu family.

Perhaps—it's because our Seven Star Linked Docks occupy the top position in this waterway that we've offended some people. Someone has paid him to kidnap us to blackmail Father?

Zhu Tingmu stroked his beard and pondered, "It's pretty much what I thought. Someone is offering to pay to kidnap you, perhaps targeting me and our Zhu family."

People in the martial arts world say that I, Zhu Tinggao, have many friends, but I also have quite a few enemies, especially now —”

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he stopped speaking, looking at Li Fu.

"It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark."

Very well, I will send someone to investigate this matter thoroughly.

Officer Li, please excuse my bad luck; I've run into such an unfortunate situation as soon as I arrived.

Li Fudao said: "Turbulence in the martial arts world is inevitable."

"It's only natural that Zhu Wuzhu, who manages such a large enterprise, would attract attention and criticism."

Zhu Tinggao laughed heartily: "Officer Li, come, try this pre-rain Longjing tea from Jiangnan to calm your nerves."

He picked up his teacup and said again.

"Officer Li has come from afar and must be tired from his journey. Please rest well at the manor first."

I have had the best guest room prepared.

Let Tongzhou take you around the area for the next few days and let you appreciate the scenery of Jiangnan.

The day after tomorrow is the five-yearly rotation competition for the chief of the dock. Although it is a competition between brothers behind closed doors, it is still a grand event in the Jiangnan bandit world.

To be able to invite someone like Officer Li to attend the ceremony, haha, I'm afraid the other families will be quite surprised and feel very proud!

However, with our meager martial arts skills, we'd be making a fool of ourselves in front of Officer Li.

Li Fu said, "Master Zhu is too modest."

The Seven Star Linked Fortresses are renowned throughout Jiangnan, and hidden talents reside within. The upcoming competition will surely be a fierce battle between dragons and tigers.

It's fortunate that Li had the opportunity to broaden his horizons.

Afterwards, Li Fu expressed his wishes to Zhu Tinggao for a successful start in the rotation competition of the main dock, and Zhu Tongzhou led him to the guest house that had been arranged in advance to rest.

After passing through several moon gates and around several artificial hills and streams, we arrived at a secluded courtyard within the estate.

The courtyard wall is not high, covered with lush green vines, and a few branches of osmanthus flowers in full bloom peek out from the top of the wall, exuding a delicate fragrance.

The courtyard gate was ajar. Pushing it open, one could see that the small courtyard was exquisitely arranged.

The courtyard is paved with bluestone slabs, and moss grows in the gaps.

In one corner stands a small Taihu stone rockery, with a stream flowing down its base to form a shallow pond where several koi carp leisurely sway their tails.

An old plum tree stands by the pond. Although it is not yet in bloom, its branches are gnarled and its posture is elegant.

Directly opposite the courtyard gate are three elegant rooms with white walls and black tiles, bright windows and clean tables, and two plain gauze lanterns hanging under the eaves.

Zhu Tongzhou pushed open the door to the main room and invited Li Fu inside.

The interior furnishings are simple yet elegant, with each table and chair made of fine rosewood, and a daybed by the window covered with plain brocade.

A traditional Chinese ink painting of a landscape hangs on the wall, its artistic conception profound and far-reaching.

On the table was a set of plain porcelain tea set and an antique bronze incense burner, from which burned a faint sandalwood fragrance, calming the mind and spirit.

Li Fu walked to the table, his fingers lightly tracing the smooth surface, and turned to Zhu Tongzhou, saying, "This courtyard is quiet and elegant; thank you for your trouble."

Zhu Tongzhou smiled and said, "I'm glad Brother Li is comfortable in his accommodations."

"If it weren't for Brother Li, Xiao Chang and I probably wouldn't have been able to get away today. This arrangement is merely a token of hospitality and nothing to boast about."

The two sat down, and a maid served them fragrant tea.

Li Fu took a sip of tea, put down his teacup, and his expression turned serious. He asked, "Brother Zhu, you mentioned in your previous letter the news about my elder, Uncle Wu. There are some things that are inconvenient to say in the letter."

Now that we are face to face, may we discuss this in detail?

When this matter was brought up, Zhu Tongzhou's smile faded, and a hint of apprehension flashed across his face.

He subconsciously looked around, as if even in his own home, in a quiet courtyard, he was afraid that the walls might be listening.

After confirming that no one was around, he lowered his voice and said, "Brother Li is right."

After I returned, I mobilized people as agreed to secretly search for Wu Bo's whereabouts in Jiangnan and the surrounding areas.

For the first few months, we were indeed clueless. Until recently, one of my trusted men accidentally found out in a small town in Jiangbei that another group of people were also secretly searching for someone.

The portrait they held, according to the description, bore a striking resemblance to the appearance of Uncle Wu that Brother Li had initially described to me.

Li Fu's gaze sharpened: "Oh? Do you know who they are?"

Zhu Tongzhou lowered his voice even further: "Those people had disguised themselves, but they still couldn't change their usual style. Even when they were inquiring about or looking for someone, they were arrogant and domineering, which left a deep impression on people."

At the time, someone vaguely recognized one of the men as remarkably similar to—remarkably similar to—a retainer in the Prince of Nankang's residence.

"The Prince of Nankang?"

Li Fu was slightly surprised.

In today's world, officials have many sons, and many of them are granted titles of kings or prefectures, including more than twenty prefecture kings.

Ordinary people, and even those in government, may not be able to remember them all.

However, there are three princes among them who are known throughout the land and hold extremely special positions. In fact, it can be said that they are involved in taboos and cannot be ignored.

Those were the Prince of Leping, the Prince of Anding, and this Prince of Nankang.

This is because these three individuals are not descendants of the current emperor, but rather descendants of Song Yuanlang, the founding emperor of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

Seeing Li Fu's expression, Zhu Tongzhou knew that he understood and said...

"Brother Li, you should now understand why I dared not write more in the letter, right? If this matter truly involves the Prince of Nankang—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

Li Fu already understood his concerns.

As citizens of the Great Zhao, even those not in the court, we have often heard about the taboo story of the succession to the throne many years ago.

When the current emperor succeeded his brother to the throne, one of the two surviving sons of the founding emperor committed suicide out of grief and indignation, while the other mysteriously died of illness in his sleep.

In the following years, one after another, the grandchildren of the founding emperor died of illness or fear, including many who were still young and strong.

There was much private discussion among the people, with many saying that the current emperor was trying to eliminate his brother's lineage in order to secure his throne.

In the end, only three young boys remained of the Taizu's descendants, and they happened to be the least capable of what was considered at the time: either weak-willed, pleasure-seeking and incapable of shouldering great responsibilities, or sickly.

"Perhaps the current emperor, out of consideration for the last bit of blood ties, or perhaps to silence public opinion, has bestowed upon these three surviving grand-nephews the titles of Prince of Leping, Prince of Anding, and Prince of Nankang, respectively."

These three princes received titles, survived, and found themselves in a delicate and special situation.

They are not as free and prominent as parents and children today; they are secretly subject to invisible surveillance and restrictions.

On the other hand, because of his special status as the last bloodline of the founding emperor, he could not be treated harshly, nor could he be allowed to cause any more trouble.

The imperial court had to be extremely cautious in certain aspects, granting preferential treatment and even indulgence, almost as if they naturally possessed an ironclad immunity from death.

Their power, in the space where they act arbitrarily, sometimes surpasses that of other ordinary princes of the same lineage.

For various reasons, people in the government, the common people, and even those in the martial arts world all avoided these three descendants of the founding emperor, fearing that they might get too involved with them and bring about undeserved disaster.

Li Fu understood.

If Wu Bo's disappearance is truly related to the Prince of Nankang's mansion, even with the power of the Seven Star Linked Fortresses in Jiangnan, they would never dare to investigate it thoroughly or even pursue it. Zhu Tongzhou's evasiveness in the letter is perfectly normal.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The power, taboos, and risks associated with the Prince of Nankang due to his special status are something that ordinary martial arts forces would never want to get involved with.

"People from the Prince of Nankang's residence, disguised, seem to be searching for Uncle Wu for some unknown reason?"

Li Fu pondered.

"This is a clue, but whether it's true or false still needs to be verified."

He didn't continue to think about it further.

After all, all that he had provided to Zhu Tongzhou was a verbal description of Wu Bo's appearance.

Uncle Wu was of ordinary appearance, the kind of face that would be lost in a crowd.

It's possible that this was all a misunderstanding, and the person searching for the person had nothing to do with the Prince's Mansion, and someone had mistaken the person for someone else; or perhaps it was true, but the portrait of the person the other party was looking for just happened to resemble their own description.

In any case, the clues are vague and it is difficult to distinguish between true and false, so it is not advisable to draw conclusions too early.

Moreover, Li's primary purpose in traveling south was to attend to the competition at the Seven Star Linked Docks, at Zhu Tongzhou's invitation.

It would be too impolite to rush off as soon as you receive the news.

Finding Uncle Wu, who raised him, is important, but that should be left until after the duel.

Li Fu cupped his hands in greeting to Zhu Tongzhou.

"In any case, thank you for your trouble, Brother Zhu."

I have never given up searching for Uncle Wu for many years, but I have never been able to find him. This time, I have a clue, all thanks to Brother Zhu's great help.

This matter may involve the Prince of Nankang, and the situation is quite complicated. Brother Zhu, you don't need to investigate further to avoid getting yourself into trouble.

This is Li's own matter, and I should handle it myself.

Zhu Tongzhou said solemnly.

"Brother Li, what are you saying?"

The most valuable thing about our friendship is mutual understanding.

Now that I have taken charge of this matter, if there is anything I need, Brother Li, please feel free to ask, and I will do my best to help.

However—the matter of the Prince's residence is no small matter. Brother Li, if you wish to investigate further, you must be extremely careful.

Li Fu nodded: "I know what I'm doing."

After exchanging a few more words, Li Fu's gaze inadvertently drifted to the window, where he caught a glimpse of a woman leaning against a window in a more elegant and refined courtyard across the street.

The woman was about thirty years old, dressed in plain white without any makeup. A small white velvet flower was tucked into her hair, which made her already fair face appear even paler.

She was gazing out the window at the pond in the courtyard, her brows furrowed with unyielding sorrow and longing, her expression poignant and pitiful.

The servants in the courtyard unconsciously slowed their pace as they passed by, afraid of disturbing the lady who was immersed in grief.

As the saying goes, a woman should be beautiful, dressed in mourning clothes, like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any adornment.

This woman in plain white clothes with white flowers truly possessed a poignant and moving charm.

Li Fu was not moved by her beauty, but upon seeing the person in mourning, he couldn't help but glance at her a few more times before turning to ask Zhu Tongzhou.

"Brother Zhu, has there been a funeral at your estate recently?"

Zhu Tongzhou followed his gaze, said "Oh," and explained, "Brother Li has misunderstood."

That was Madam Liu, a close friend of my late mother and Aunt Cuiping.

Her late husband was a senior monk in the Beggars' Sect, and the couple had a very deep affection for each other.

Several months ago, Elder Liu passed away, and Madam Liu was devastated and has been unable to recover from the grief.

My mother and aunt, pitying her loneliness and fearing that her sorrow would harm her health, invited her to the village for this grand gathering, hoping it would ease her grief.