Wandering Swordsman |
Chapter 63 Old Tales of Liaocheng
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaofeng slowly stood up, a hint of gratitude barely perceptible on his face. He carefully observed the young man before him, inwardly admiring him. Although Li Fanglin was one of the candidates for the Xuanwu Saint King, his composure and confidence were not to be underestimated.
Then, Ma Xiaofeng's gaze shifted to Situ Meng, who had fainted after being acupunctured. She lay quietly on a wooden chair, her eyes closed, her face as pale as snow. Despite this, her beauty was still breathtaking, like a fairy descended to earth.
"Lord Xuanwu, this beauty must be Situ Meng." Ma Xiaofeng's voice carried a hint of curiosity and admiration. His gaze lingered on Situ Meng's refined and elegant face. Although she was unconscious at the moment, her beauty was still hard to ignore.
Li Fanglin nodded, a hint of smugness in his voice: "That's right, she is Situ Meng. Although this plan failed, capturing Situ Meng is not necessarily a bad thing. In any case, I must bring her to the gang leader as soon as possible as a bargaining chip. I don't believe Situ Dengfeng won't hand over the 'Formless Scripture'."
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaofeng pondered for a moment, then tentatively said, "Lord Xuanwu, since we've just captured her, perhaps we shouldn't rush back to the Black Wind Gang. After all, with our combined strength, Lord Xuanwu and I are probably no match for the Jingtian Pavilion. We can wait until the other three Lord Xuanwu join us before escorting her back to the gang together."
Upon hearing this, Li Fanglin frowned slightly, clearly considering Ma Xiaofeng's suggestion carefully. After a moment, a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes, and he affirmed, "That's good, let's do it your way."
Having gained Li Fanglin's approval, a sly glint flashed in Ma Xiaofeng's eyes. He bowed slightly and respectfully replied, "Your subordinate understands. In that case, while we wait for the other three Holy Lords, your subordinate will keep a close watch on her to ensure she does not escape."
Li Fanglin nodded in satisfaction, his tone full of approval: "Very good, Master Ma is indeed meticulous. During this period, you will be responsible for guarding Situ Meng, and at the same time, you must closely monitor the movements of Jingtian Pavilion. Report to me immediately if there is any disturbance."
Ma Xiaofeng responded, "Yes, sir! I will have someone imprison Situ Meng in the side room immediately."
Then Ma Xiaofeng summoned eight men and ordered them to take Situ Meng to a side room and imprison her.
When Li Fanglin saw the eight men, his heart skipped a beat. They reeked of blood, their eyes were lifeless, their expressions vacant, like soulless puppets. Their movements were mechanical and precise, each step revealing an unsettling coldness.
After the eight men took Situ Meng away, Li Fanglin frowned and asked, "Master Ma, is it really alright to just send those eight men to guard Situ Meng?"
Ma Xiaofeng said with great confidence, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Those eight people are some of the most powerful ones I had specially brought out from my sect yesterday. If those eight people join forces, even if Your Majesty and I work together, we may not have a chance of winning."
Li Fanglin exclaimed in surprise, "Uh, if they're really that powerful, I'll definitely speak to the gang leader when we return to headquarters and ask him to transfer you and those eight people back to headquarters."
Ma Xiaofeng said leisurely, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but a year ago, I and those eight disciples stayed at the main altar as protectors of the Vermilion Bird Saint Lord. Just before you joined the gang, the gang leader ordered us to assist the Azure Dragon Saint Lord in eliminating the rebels in Liaocheng. After the Azure Dragon Saint Lord completed his mission, he ordered me to stay in Liaocheng as the branch leader of the Black Wind Gang in Liaocheng."
Li Fanglin suddenly realized and said, "No wonder I didn't know; there was such a past event."
Li Fanglin then tentatively asked, "Master Ma, could you tell me a little about the defection you mentioned? This would allow me, as a new member, to learn more about the gang's affairs and better assist the gang leader in achieving his goals in the future."
Ma Xiaofeng laughed and said, "You're too kind, Holy Lord. As one of the four Holy Lords of the gang, Xuanwu Holy Lord naturally knows some of the gang's secrets."
Li Fanglin also smiled and said, "Master Ma, please tell me more about the traitor."
After taking a sip of tea, Ma Xiaofeng looked towards the door with a deep and wary gaze, as if checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping. He spoke slowly, his voice low and powerful: "The matter is like this. The former Holy Ruler of the Xuanwu Protector was a man named Zhao Qingyun. He was highly skilled in martial arts, and he also ran a teahouse called 'Yunlai Teahouse' in Liaocheng, making him quite influential in this prime location."
Li Fanglin listened intently, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he were sketching out the image of the former holy ruler in his mind.
"Not long after the Black Wind Gang was founded, the gang leader took Zhao Qingyun under his command and appointed him as the Xuanwu Saint Lord, mainly responsible for developing the Black Wind Gang's influence in the Northeast," Ma Xiaofeng continued, his tone tinged with helplessness. "However, a year ago, when the gang leader launched the 'Martial Arts Plan,' he resolutely opposed it. He even went so far as to lead the Northeast Black Wind Gang branch against the Yunnan Black Wind Gang headquarters."
Upon hearing this, Li Fanglin's heart skipped a beat, realizing this was an internal power struggle. He couldn't help but ask, "And then what happened?"
A cold glint flashed in Ma Xiaofeng's eyes as he said in a low voice, "Fortunately, the Azure Dragon Saint Lord later bribed Zhao Qingyun's most trusted subordinate and finally eliminated Zhao Qingyun with poisoned wine."
Upon hearing this, Li Fanglin was secretly shocked, never expecting that the former Xuanwu Saint Lord had actually been poisoned to death. He then asked, "Since Zhao Qingyun has been gone for over a year, why doesn't Master Ma go to Liaocheng to settle down? Why does he insist on staying in this dilapidated house outside the city?"
Ma Xiaofeng sighed and replied solemnly, "There are two reasons. First, the Beggars' Sect has many spies in the city, and now that we have captured Situ Meng, wouldn't it be more discreet to settle outside the city than inside? Second, to avoid arousing suspicion from any remaining forces regarding Zhao Qingyun's death, it's best if I don't show myself in Liaocheng."
Li Fanglin nodded in understanding. He knew that the internal struggles within the Black Wind Gang were complex and intricate, and the slightest misstep could trigger an even bigger storm. Ma Xiaofeng's caution was also understandable.
Then, a thoughtful glint flashed in Li Fanglin's eyes. He seemed to recall something important and asked, "By the way, in this martial arts competition at Jingtian Pavilion, there was a young man from no sect or school whose swordsmanship was exceptionally powerful. He even far surpassed the young sect leader of the Changhe Sword Sect, who was my age, and his martial arts were no less than mine. On my way to abduct Situ Meng, he was the one who pursued me all the way. To cover my retreat, all the assassins who followed me into Jingtian Pavilion perished at his hands. Could you help me investigate this person's background?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaofeng's expression turned serious, clearly finding it hard to believe that such a powerful figure existed. He asked curiously, "Mysterious Martial Saint Lord, may I ask what this person's name is?"
Without hesitation, Li Fanglin answered, "Jian Yihan!"
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