Chapter 66: The Treasure of Grease

  Tai Shi Lan raised her head, unaware of when Rong Chu had lifted the curtain and come out, leaning against the door frame, smiling at her.

  "Can you move?"

  Rong Chu slowly shifted her waist, "I can walk a few steps, but I need to rely on external force." Smiling, she reached out and leaned against the cabinet beside her. The gesture immediately reminded Tai Shi Lan of the empress dowagers in Qing dynasty dramas, stretching out their long claws to lean on the shoulders of the eunuchs who were bowing and bending.

  Yes, there are many eunuchs outside who are willing to offer their shoulders for Empress Dowager Cixi.

  She didn't ask Rong Chu and Sun Shaoxue what they said, this guy's schemes were too much for her to keep up with.

  "Let's set off!" A respectful greeting came from outside, and with Wang Meng's death, he had unexpectedly become the new big brother of this group.

  Those young heroes who wanted to sneak a peek last night were now cautiously scanning the surroundings, they also sensed that something was off. Wang Meng's death had already been reported to the authorities, and according to protocol, local officials should have arrived today to investigate and question the crowd, but not a single official showed up. Wen Jing still shouted for everyone to depart early in the morning as planned. At this point, anyone who said that Wen Jing didn't have any special status would be unbelievable.

  Sun Shaoxia called Sun Yu, his family in the north was considered to have some influence, and he was implicitly the leader of a group of young people. Early in the morning when they set off, he gathered everyone together, gave each person a few words of advice, and then carefully helped Rong Chu, who was wrapped from head to toe in a cloak, into the carriage before climbing aboard himself.

  Tai Shi Lan was about to get on the bus with his Jing Tai blue shirt when a foot stretched out horizontally, "This bus is full, Brother Shi, change buses."

  "The son wants milk." Tai Shi calmly raised the doll in his hand, and the doll cooperated by making a drooling expression, stretching out its two hands to Rong Chu.

  "Over two years old and still drinking what milk? This child is too spoiled, besides, you didn't even hire a wet nurse?"

  "Our family is poor and has no money." Rong Chuchu lifted her sleeves with a blush, too ashamed to look up.

  "Here, take it." A heavy pouch of money was proudly stuffed into Shizi's hands by Sun Shaoye.

  "Shi Niangzi" immediately smiled and accepted it, at least this little money was enough for him to eat a meal and give a small tip.

  "Give me the child, you go down." Sun Shaoxue took over the blue scenery. Thinking that a beauty feeding milk is also a good thing that cannot be missed.

  Tai Shi Lan glanced at him and got off the carriage without saying a word.

  Walked so far still heard Sun Yu's sarcastic laughter, "Coward!"

  Tai Shi Lan wanted to get on another cart, but no one would let her sit down. She then sat in the back of an ox cart, leaning against the side of the cart with a relaxed air.

  From a distance, Jing watched as Sun Yu got into Rong Chu's carriage, her brow furrowed.

  There were not many carts, most people rode horses. After a while, they came to a forest and the driver said he wanted to rest for a bit, so he drove the horse cart into a shaded area.

  Three carriages, two outside and one inside. The one inside happened to be Rong Chu's carriage. Everyone gathered by the water's edge to let their horses rest and drink, unable to see any movement from the carriage inside.

  Tai Shi got off the car and stood behind a tree, while Rong Chu and Sun Yu did not get off.

  After a while.

  Suddenly a loud explosion sounded, and Rong Chu's carriage tilted to one side. The horse pulling the carriage was startled and was about to rear up on its hind legs.

  A figure swiftly emerged from the vehicle, sat in the driver's position, grasped the reins and pulled them tight. The fine horse let out a long whinny, its muscles bulging as it tried to move forward but was unable to advance any further after several empty kicks with its front hooves.

  The crowd was stirred up and rushed over, Sun Yu threw away the reins, sat paralyzed in his seat, the previous pull had exhausted his strength, now his arms were sore and he couldn't even lift them.

  Sun Yu immediately turned his head and looked around, distinguishing which people were running from the water's edge and which were nearby.

  His gloomy eyes swept across the crowd, then he jumped off the carriage. The crowd asked him in a flurry of questions, and he casually waved his hand, "Nothing, nothing, that horse just stepped on some thorns and got startled."

  Tai Shi Lan and others all walked away, lowered their heads and went around to the back of the car, found a loose wheel hub, she used a wooden stick to tighten the wedge, then looked up at the treetops, the golden sunlight spilled down, the light green leaves swayed unceasingly.

  Sun Yu was startled and felt that being with Shi Niangzi was dangerous, so he immediately walked away. Tai Shi Lan climbed onto the carriage, moved back to his original position, and Rong Chu smiled and leaned against the soft cushion, eating green plums.

  "What's wrong with you?" Ta Shi Lan looked at him.

  Rong Chu smiled but did not answer.

  Tai Shi thought that now was not the time for Huan Jing to make a move, as there were many people around and the forest was obstructing their view. Even if they startled the horse, it wouldn't cause too much harm. Moreover, Sun Yu was still on the carriage. Given Xi Ju's style of doing things, he would observe before making a move, and once he made a move, he would not leave any traces behind. If he didn't make a move, then so be it. But if he did make a move, it would definitely be fierce. How could he possibly act impulsively when the situation was still uncertain?

  "Rats are full of doubts." Rong Chu said, "I heard that Jing and others were hesitant to take action because they were uncertain about our identities and whether we were really injured. Now that I've made this move, they will surely be suspicious and shocked, unsure if there are any other enemies in the team or what their purpose is. This team has a mixed personnel with unclear backgrounds, making it easy for them to suspect each other. It's perfect to use as our shield. After these few days pass, I'll barely be able to take action myself, so we don't need to worry about them."

  Tai Shi Lan is a master of manipulation - not only does he spread false rumors, but also uses his power to attack others, and not only does he pretend to be mysterious, but also creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. The people in the Western Bureau are unlucky to have encountered him.

  At noon, they stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. At this time, the effect of the interval division was obvious. A group of young heroes led by Sun Yu sat far away, their eyes filled with suspicion. Wen Jing sat alone at a table, his expression somewhat unnatural.

  Rong Chu wore a cloak and covered her face with a kerchief, walking over with Tai Shi Lan.

  Everyone turned their heads to look, and saw that the young man had a straight waist and back, with a handsome and elegant appearance. His skin was a light honey color, and his thin lips were pressed together. The woman was slender and delicate, with her long hair hanging down her back, tied up in a knot at the waist. This hairstyle was originally for men, but in recent years it had also become popular among women in the southern regions of Southern Qi. They looked especially elegant and refined, weak and delicate. The two of them were holding hands with a lovely little child, walking slowly towards them under the sunlight, and everyone felt that their eyes had brightened, thinking of phrases like "divine beauty" and other old but wonderful expressions.

  It's just that Shi Nu is really too high, well, I suppose she's so beautiful and intelligent, but married to the poor and useless Shi Tai, it must be because of this.

  That pair of "immortals", walked slowly and harmoniously.

  "Let go, take your hands off!"

  "I need someone to rely on."

  "There is a cane."

  "Not used to it."

  "Get out of my way!"

  "Oh no, stop messing around, everyone is watching... your waist is really slim."

  "Get out."

  ……

  "It's truly a perfect match, wonderful couple." An old man nodded and shook his head in praise.

  Rong Chu raised his head and gave everyone a smile that turned everything upside down.

  "Shi Niangzi, sit here." Sun Yu hurriedly greeted, handed over the chopsticks and yielded his seat, inviting Rong Chu to sit down with great courtesy. Rong Chu lazily sat down, smiling sweetly as she invited Tai Shi Lan, "Husband, come sit." She naturally leaned softly against Tai Shi Lan's shoulder, letting out a satisfied sigh, whispering: "Your shoulder is the most comfortable to lean on, my waist doesn't hurt so much now."

  A group of young people were so jealous that their eyes blazed with anger.

  Tai Shi Lan's face was expressionless, but her eyes were blazing with a fierce and icy fire.

  The cheap wife's cloak is indeed a must-have magic weapon for sneaking and taking advantage of the situation.

  Tai Shi Lan regretted it a bit, if he had known that this person was shameless to the extreme, he shouldn't have let Rong Chu become his wife in the first place.

  She should be his concubine.

  She eats and he has to stand by, she sleeps and he has to sleep on the footboard, when they go out he has to walk three steps behind her, and when there's nothing else to do he kneels down to massage his master's legs.

  Next time, remember, concubine.

  A young man in the room asked, "My family runs a pharmacy. What is Shi's daughter suffering from? Maybe I can help a bit."

  "Postpartum psychosis." Taishi Lan replied.

  ……

  "I think those few, which one, that one......" Sun Yu now didn't have any thoughts of appreciating beauty, tensely hinting to Rong Chu about the people around them, whispering "Very suspicious."

  "I'd love to hear more about it." Rong Chuyao said, gently stroking the celadon in her arms. The celadon looked like a hamster being petted by a cat, pitifully shrinking away, hugging its arms and resisting the goosebumps all over its body.

  "Just now when the horse carriage was startled, it's said that people nearby are suspicious. Those who stayed by the creek to rest and water their horses didn't have time to come back and forth to do anything." Sun Yu said, "I took advantage of the opportunity to take a look just now, and at that time, there were only them around the horse carriage, presumably they are He Jing's accomplices."

  "Master, you are truly wise and all-knowing!" Rong Chu immediately began to flatter him, "I'm sure that under your ingenious arrangements, the Hearsay Party will have nowhere to hide, and in the end, they will all be revealed before your wise eyes!"

  "Hehe." Sun Yu's face was flushed with excitement, "As long as I have the heart, no one can escape my eyes!"

  "Sha Xiao, you can pay attention to this as well." Rong Chuman said casually, "As long as they are of the same party, even if they hide their tracks, they must have a way to contact each other. I wonder what method Wen Jing and others use to contact each other?"

  Sun Yu was reminded, stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized: "What you said is absolutely right." While looking around, trying to figure out the way "Wen Jing and others" were in contact.

  Tai Shi Lan faintly sipped tea.

  Damn it, I've been cheated again.

  Wen Jing and others were originally together, knowing each other, what private contact method is needed? Thinking it's an underground party liaison?

  Sun Yu and others were just being manipulated by Rong Chu, playing a psychological tactic.

  The horse carriage accident in the woods has already caused suspicion among the Western Bureau mice, and Sun Yu's suspicious behavior will make Wen Jing even more uneasy and vigilant. At this time, Sun Yu is "looking for a private contact method". His eyes can't help but scan around Wen Jing, his eyes are sinister, what kind of spy is this, how can he sit still?

  Rather than being suspected and threatened by others, it's better to take the initiative to threaten them first. There will always be someone who can't hold their temper and explode, then the situation of "the enemy is in the dark while I am in the light" won't exist anymore.

  The young heroes were discussing "the enemy's private contact method."

  "Wen Jing just coughed, what's wrong?"

  "That white-faced man just now, with his hands on his hips, I think he's sending a secret signal!"

  "Is that a clear signal? Ah, that person is picking their nose, and they're doing it too forcefully! There must be something wrong!"

  "Huh, those two people bumped into each other."

  "Take a look back and see if there's a fallen note."

  "Xiao Jing's eyes are so sneaky... He has looked at me more than ten times already!"

  Nonsense, you've already looked at her over a hundred times, and your gaze is even more suspicious.

  Rong Chu smiled and drank tea, while Tai Shi Lan had no expression and also drank tea.

  Calm and composed, with eyes slightly narrowed, like two fierce beasts, looking at a pile of little white rabbits under their paws holding grass playing "you can't see me".

  A meal was eaten with cups and bows, snakes and shadows, wind and crane cries. In the end, except for Rong Chutai, Shi Lianjing, and Tai Lan, no one was full - they were all busy investigating and counter-investigating.

  In the afternoon, they continued on their journey. The sun was still shining brightly, and nothing would happen in broad daylight. As they walked, each side's vigilance became more apparent, and the mutual warning between the two groups affected everyone else. Almost every face showed an uneasy expression, and people tried to avoid getting too close to others as they walked.

  They had dinner at a small town inn, which also booked a whole yard. Sun Yu and his group refused to eat with everyone else, asking the waiter to send food to their room, and also sent a portion to "Shi Niangzi".

  "Shi Niangzi" lay on the bed, upper body exposed, with a long hot towel draped over her waist, slowly and leisurely peeling off the crispy skin of the roasted duck while enjoying the massage service from "Fu Jun".

  Tai Shi Lan gave him a massage every night. Each time, she thought Rong Chu would take the opportunity to tease her, but each time Rong Chu remained silent, even more so than her.

  Rong Chucui is no fool, and joking around has to be done at the right time. Such a good thing, carelessly joked away, and now she's gone, don't even think about her serving you again, not even in the next life.

  A hot towel was placed on his waist, Tai Shi Lan's strength was just right, the heat penetrated to the bone and into the skin, layer by layer, spreading to the bottom of his heart, half painful and half comfortable, he sweated and let out a sigh of relief.

  With a flick of his wrist and a stomp of his foot, the blue porcelain jumped up, and with a loud clang.

  Supporting his cheek with his hand, he thought that the emperor of his country was indeed very fortunate to have such treatment, which even the previous emperor had not experienced. The waist pain was still recovering a bit too quickly, this was one of Tai Shi Lan's shortcomings - being overly diligent and unwilling to be lazy.

  The door creaked and a figure hastily flashed in, surprisingly it was Sun Yu, who burst in without knocking.

  At this time, Rong Chuyi's clothes were disheveled and he was sleeping on the short bed, his windbreaker hanging on the coat rack by the bed, too late to grab it. His upper body was shirtless, revealing smooth skin and beautiful lines that showed a man's well-trained physique. Sun Yu entered without permission and turned around to see the truth.

  In an instant, Tai Shi Lan reached out to grab the cloak, but Rong Chu pulled it down.

  Bang! Tai Shi Lan slammed into his back, her face tightly pressed against his skin.

  The fragrance of Chinese angelica, patchouli and osmanthus rushes into the nose, the facial skin feels delicate, smooth and soft, like silk, warmer than silk, like jade, more tender than jade. The moment the skin touches it, it's as if from face to heart, it's been ironed out, like falling into a gentle cloud.

  Sun Yu raised his head and saw that "Shi Niangzi" was disheveled, her expression soft and welcoming. Shi Tai's face was stiff as he leaned over her, the warm yellow light of the lamp casting a gentle glow on the exposed skin of her waist, which shone like pearls. She slightly turned her head, with a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead, and her slender fingers hung limply down by the bed, unpainted.

  Extremely fragrant... Extremely extremely fragrant...

  Sun nearly forgot his purpose, staring blankly ahead and swallowing a mouthful of saliva with a loud gulp.

  Are these two... playing Hou Tuan Hua?

  Can't see Shiniangzi's slender and weak quality, on the bed so... bold and daring...

  "Brother Sun, do not look if it's not proper!" It wasn't until Tai Shi Lan's low and angry voice came that he realized his own impropriety and hastily retreated. After waiting for him to leave, Tai Shi Lan suddenly got up and casually flung the cloak onto Rong Chu's body.

  Rong Chu smiled and dressed herself, feeling quite pleased with herself.

  Sun Yu waited a bit longer before coming in, this time sitting upright and properly, but his eyes kept sneaking glances at Rong Chu's butt. Rong Chu remained expressionless, but the look in his eyes was smiling and amused, while Jing Tai Lan on the side suddenly felt a chill and shivered.

  "On a dark and windy night, when people are most likely to commit murder or robbery," said Rong Chu with a worried expression, "I think that Wen Jing's patience may not last long, tonight there must be some movement."

  Sun Yu was shocked and hastily stood up, "Then I'll invite some friends to come and protect my wife."

  Rong Chula grasped his collar, smiled and said "Don't worry." She whispered a few words in his ear, her voice so low that only Sun Yu could hear.

  Sun Yu's whole body trembled with happiness. With a flying eyebrow and a dancing expression, he said: "Good plan, wife! Wait for my good news."

  He walked out in big strides, Tai Shi sat silently on one side and asked: "Make a move tonight?"

  "Don't be impatient." Rong Chu smiled lazily and elegantly, raising one finger, "It's no fun to fight them all at once, let's take them down one by one."

  Wen Jing walks in darkness.

  Although he was alone, he didn't feel lonely because he knew that just by his side, in every corner, as long as he called out, there would be at least ten helpers appearing.

  He hasn't summoned yet because he's uncertain whether or not to take action and who to take it against.

  He was a small head of the Western Bureau's branch in Nan Province, responsible for collecting information and investigating officials in places like Nanyao. Five days ago, he received an ultra-secret directive from the Western Bureau's branch in Xiling Province, which originated from the capital city. This external dispatch was something he had never seen before. The content of the directive was simple: to find three people in the lower reaches of the Yi River, a young man and woman who were good-looking, possibly with a child by their side. These three people might be together or scattered apart. Their task was to find these people and kill them on the spot. As for the murderer, it would be perfect to shift the blame onto the martial arts world, taking advantage of the fact that many northern Jianghu men were gathering in the area. This would also provide an opportunity to crack down on the northern Jianghu forces, which the Western Bureau had long coveted, especially the legendary Martial Alliance that was said to dominate the north and even the entire country.

  Although it was unclear why the task assigned by Xi Ling would be carried out by people from Nan Yao, top-secret instructions were not to be taken lightly. Almost all of the undercover agents from the Southern Department of the Western Bureau had been deployed, and Wen Jing's group was just one of them.

  Wen Jing didn't know the identities of Rong Chu and Tai Shi Lan, to him they were just names on the Western Bureau's blacklist that had to be eliminated. The orders from above required him to be careful, to strike once and for all, without leaving any clues or handles behind. That was why he was still being cautious even though he knew his opponents didn't have enough strength, trying to lure Wang Meng in before killing them off.

  But deep down, he didn't take this "couple" seriously. At the moment, he was thinking about the strange behavior of Sun Yu and his group of young martial artists. No matter what, he was unwilling to get entangled with these frivolous youngsters. The Western Bureau wanted secret action, not to be startled by a flock of quacking ducks.

  In a secluded corner of the backyard, several figures quietly approached him and asked, "Sir, are we making our move tonight?"

  Wen Jing thought for a moment, still feeling uneasy in his heart. After a long pause, he said, "Don't rush into it just yet. I think we should let those young ones calm down first before taking action. Fourth brother, go to Sun Yu's place and give him a warning."

  That man called Lao Si sneered: "That little brat is so infatuated that he dares to interfere with the affairs of the Western Bureau!"

  "Shut up!" Wen Jing glared at him and said, "Get out!"

  "Yes."

  Everyone dispersed in all directions. The man named Lao Si headed towards Sun Yu's room, knowing that at this hour, the young heroes would all be out looking for fun and wouldn't be in their rooms.

  Lao Si slipped into the house, and indeed there was no one. The window was half open, and under it a rose bloomed radiantly. Lao Si smiled coldly, looked at the wind direction, took out a paper package, sprinkled some medicinal powder on the rose, and also sprinkled some medicinal powder along the wooden window frame.

  The assassination methods of the Western Bureau are varied and bizarre, "Flower Seduction" is one of them. It is said to be invented by the new commander-in-chief, who puts poison on beautiful flower leaves. People who love flowers can't help but smell them, and she also puts it on the window sill, people usually close their windows when they sleep, with a slight force, the powder pops out, who can predict who can dodge?

  Lao Si was secretly poisoning while thinking that the elegant and sinister way of killing was just like a rose. The rose had been sprinkled with a colorless, transparent powder, but there was nothing unusual about it, and under the moonlight, it looked even more delicate and radiant as if it had been powdered. Lao Si also smiled wickedly - wasn't that young Sun fellow pursuing Miss Shi right now? Seeing the flowers on the windowsill, he couldn't help but think of picking one to present to her.

  This poison won't kill you, but it will make your mind fuzzy and disoriented, causing your martial arts skills to gradually decline. With Sun Yu as the leader of that group of young people, once he has a problem, the small group naturally disperses like birds and beasts.

  Lao Si finished his task, humming a tune as he walked out the door. In the middle of this courtyard was a small bamboo grove, and in the center of the grove was a well. Directly across from the well, on the other side of the bamboo grove, was his house.

  Lao Si walked into the bamboo forest, where the dense foliage cast dappled shadows on his face.

  The rustling sound of bamboo leaves, two people brushed aside the bamboo leaves and walked over from the opposite side. Before they approached, a strong smell of alcohol wafted over.

  The fourth elder scrunched up his face in distaste - probably that group of "young heroes" had come back drunk and looking for fun again.

  An unhealthy person always has an extraordinary aversion to others' wholeness, subconsciously avoiding physical contact, wanting to change direction, but the two of them stumbled over and came, raised their heads, and a ghostly face flashed.

  Lao Si was shocked and only then did he see that the other person was wearing a mask. This shock caused him to freeze, and before he could react, the other person rushed over and heavily bumped into him.

  A gush of blood splattered onto the emerald green bamboo pole, dispersing the angry curses he was about to unleash.

  Lao Si clutched at the deep and narrow wound on his waist, fell backwards, and knocked over several old bamboo shoots. With a soft rustling sound, a paper package popped out of his sleeve, releasing a faint wisp of smoke.

  Sun Yu stood up straight, covering his nose and glaring at the paper package. "This old scoundrel really did it!" He waved to his companions, who dragged Old Fourth to the well and threw him in.

  "What if we're discovered?" his companion asked a bit nervously.

  "There's no one to testify." Sun Yu sneered, "He and this old fourth haven't even spoken, what right does he have to come out and avenge him?"

  "Are you taking this poisonous package away?"

  "Taking it away wouldn't that mean he knew someone had poisoned him, isn't that equivalent to saying I was the one who did it?"

  "Brother Sun is truly a wise man!" His companions praised him highly.

  Sun Yuhe smiled complacently, but before his eyes appeared the half-concealed charming face of "Shi Niangzi". "Don't worry, Young Master Sun. If the other party is doing something shady and suspicious, they will never dare to confront you directly. Even if some poison is found on him, don't pick it up, just pretend you don't understand. This way, Wen Jing will definitely be unclear about the situation and won't know whether it was your doing or someone else's."

  What a clever and resourceful woman! Every move she makes is as if it's right before his eyes... He must marry her!

  Sun Yu walked away with a gloomy expression, thinking about how to make "Shi Niangzi" fall into his arms, and how to keep her in the golden house. Shi Niangzi was indeed a wonderful person, beautiful, intelligent, and skilled at playing the flute on the balcony overlooking the river...

  If that Shi Tai dares to block me, I'll kill him too. As for the child, he's just a burden... I'll decide based on my mood!

  Half an hour later, by the well, Wen Jing saw Lao Si's corpse.

  His expression was even more gloomy than Sun Yu's - Old Fourth had been killed cleanly, the wound from the murder weapon was a very ordinary knife wound, eight out of ten Jianghu guests used this kind, there were no clues to be found. Originally, one would suspect Sun Yu, after all, Old Fourth had gone to poison him, perhaps he was discovered by Sun Yu while poisoning and was killed. However, the scattered poisonous medicine paper packets on the ground were not picked up by anyone, as if the other party did not understand that this was a rare poison. According to normal psychology, if it was Sun Yu who took action because of being poisoned, he would necessarily take this poison to vent his anger or take it away to find an antidote formula. In fact, now it seems that the murderer seemed to be completely unaware that this was poison.

  The expression on Lao Si's face was one of shock and surprise, which didn't seem like the right reaction when facing Sun Yu.

  "Sir..." Several subordinates whispered softly in the shadows.

  Wen Jing turned around, his face as stern as iron. After a moment, he waved his hand and several subordinates pulled out medicinal powder from their pockets, sprinkled it on the corpse, dug a shallow pit in silence, and buried the clothes of the deceased.

  "In my opinion, it doesn't matter who made the move. The three of them, husband, wife and child, should be the ones we're looking for. It's better to kill the wrong person than to let them go. Since they are weak and have no martial arts skills, just kill them directly!"

  "Nonsense! Their house is right next to Sun Yu's, with people coming and going constantly. Now that they've stirred up trouble, how can they cover it up?"

  Wen Jing coldly rejected his subordinate's suggestion and gazed deeply in the direction of Tai Shi's residence.

  "Don't worry, there will always be opportunities."

  Opportunities don't always come as expected, they just come suddenly.

  The next day, another missing person case occurred.

  There was a middle-aged man who made an appointment with several friends to go downtown to buy swords, including Sun Yu and others. As a result, the sword was not brought back, but the head of that middle-aged man was brought back.

  According to Sun Yu and others, the man had his eye on a good sword, but someone else also had his eye on it, which led to a dispute. The other party, without saying a word, drew his sword and chopped off his head before fleeing. They were unable to catch up with him, so they could only bring back the sword and the corpse.

  The truth is not like that, it's said that the middle-aged man was sent as a scout to lure Sun Yu and others into a trap. To avoid startling them, only he was sent out on the surface, while the others followed secretly. Who knew that halfway through, Sun Yu and others suddenly let out a cry of surprise, as if they had met an acquaintance, and pushed the middle-aged man into a courtyard by the side of the road. The door closed immediately after. The courtyard wall was low and the house small, and the scouts were hesitating about how to follow them in without making any noise. The door opened again, and out came Sun Yu and others with a look of horror on their faces, along with the corpse and head of their companion.

  What happened inside, no one knew, but it could be guessed that behind the simple door panel, several people took advantage of the unpreparedness of the Western Bureau's scout and launched a surprise attack, with swords and knives drawn, instantly ending a life.

  The people of Xī Jú have never suffered such a great loss before. Everyone was furious and secretly discussed, determined to teach those ignorant young people a lesson.

  When he heard this, he thought even more, and wondered how Sun Yu and others could have guessed the tactics of the Western Bureau. It was as if they had foreknowledge, and he couldn't help but wonder if there was a hidden mastermind in their team.

  Everyone was making a racket analyzing and discussing ways to deal with Sun Yu and others, but they forgot about the main targets Rong Chu and Tai Shi Lan.

  The guest house has a separate room, where Chu slowly sips tea, the clear green tea water reflects his smiling face, and his eyes are deep.

  Just after they had finished discussing the matter, something even more ridiculous happened. A group of Western-style bats scattered from Wen Jing's place, preparing to return to their own homes. As a result, one of them was unable to push open his door, and when he was found again, he was head down, fallen into the toilet pit.

  This inglorious death thoroughly enraged the Western Bureau detectives, and what was even more unacceptable to them was that the other party had chosen to strike at the moment when they were most relaxed and least expecting it, right after their meeting ended. The Western Bureau had its own communication system, with timely notifications for all comings and goings, but the short period of time after the meeting ended, when everyone dispersed, was an unforeseen window of opportunity that no one had ever thought of. Now, this brief moment of emptiness had been pierced by the assassin's sword, leaving only a faint breeze.

  Wen Jing was shocked and increasingly tense, at this point he no longer knew who to suspect. The other party's performance had exceeded his understanding. The way the Western Bureau handled things and its methods were only known by a few people in the Western Bureau and some nobles from other countries. It was impossible for anyone in this Jianghu gang to grasp it. But at this moment, the other party's familiarity with the Western Bureau's handling of affairs made him feel a deep chill from the inside out, like walking in the dark night, thinking that no one had discovered him, but suddenly turning his head and seeing a pair of eyes with a cold smile.

  The partition's partition, tea fragrance wafts, Rong Chu's eyes, bright and smiling with a hint of mischief.

  Things have come to this point, and Wen Jing is also cautious. He can't help but take action. One way or another, he prepares to capture Sun Yu and others in one fell swoop.

  On the second day, in a large town near Tong City, Sun Yu and others were on their way when they suddenly encountered a case of robbery of silver ingots.

  In the hot-blooded rivers and lakes, they drew their swords to help each other. It was a rare opportunity for Sun Yu and others to charge forward and attack in groups, chasing away those robbers who were dressed more tattered than beggars, like fallen flowers flowing down the river.

  It's delightful to see justice being upheld, and it's fulfilling to help others, especially when the grateful owner of a pawnshop and his charming daughter are involved. Sun Yu and the others were in high spirits, feeling that everything had been going smoothly for them lately, with good fortune following them everywhere.

  The escort agency is just ahead in the town, called Huwei Escort Agency. The master of the agency, Yin Qin, kindly invited the young heroes to have tea, repeatedly calling out for people to cut meat and drink wine, wanting to treat their lifesavers well. However, he also expressed his difficulty - this batch of good men was too numerous, with over a hundred people, and it would be really hard to invite them all.

  Wen Jing immediately expressed that he was not going to exert himself and would not attend the banquet. Sun Yu and others exchanged mocking glances - when the robbers came, these people were hesitating in the back, blocking those who wanted to take action, how could they still have the face to eat at someone else's house?

  "Shi Niangzi, let's go eat together." Sun Yu hadn't forgotten his future concubine.

  Tai Shi Lan glanced at Rong Chu with a look of admiration, and when it came to judgment, he was afraid that there was no one in the world who could be Rong Chu's opponent.

  "Shi Niangzi" lifted her head and gently pulled on Lord Husband's sleeve, "Sitting in the carriage all day is so suffocating, I've been feeling a bit better lately..."

  Well, it seems like there's a show now. Taishi Lan Duan raised his head and nodded solemnly.

  This escort agency doesn't look very large in scale, but the house is quite luxurious, with three courtyards inside and out, a spacious main hall and connected corridors. The banquet was set up in the courtyard, and it was prepared quickly.

  The heroes and heroines of the rivers and lakes are not particular about trifles, the beautiful daughter of the master of the house is also present, personally pouring wine for the elegant young masters, to the point where many people's tongues have become big before they even finish drinking.

  But just as the wine's aroma had barely wafted out, Rong Chu covered her forehead with her hand and pretended to be weak.

  Tai Shi Lan immediately supported him, Rong Chu winked at her - hurry up and get up, knock over the wine cup, exclaim, care about it, support me, ask loudly...

  Tai Shi Lan pushed him towards Jing Tai Lan with a glance - the plot was too disgusting, no way.

  Jingtai blue continued to call out to his "mother", the young man did not disappoint everyone's expectations, loudly and tearfully shouting "Mother, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell? Mother, don't die..."

  "I feel sick, I can't stand this..." Rong Chu covered her face with her sleeve, panting heavily.

  Sun Yu was taken aback - hadn't seen Shi Niangzi smell wine before, maybe this wine is a bit strong?

  He took a reluctant glance at the wine cup - with wine there is drunkenness, with drunkenness there is sleep, without wine, even wanting to take advantage of the host's daughter would be unreasonable...

  After a moment of mental struggle, his love for his future concubine finally prevailed. He stood up with a smile and pushed back the wine offered by the beauty, "Our family has rules, we are not allowed to drink and have fun outside, thank you for your kindness, let's just have tea instead."

  Her fierce gaze swept around in a circle, and the crowd had no choice but to put down their wine cups, all casting a disgusted glance at the sickly beautiful Shi Niangzi.

  Shi Niangzi innocently leaned against "Husband", blinking her eyes.

  Because Sun Yu Jian declined, the host tried to persuade him in vain, so he had to withdraw the wine and order the dishes. Rong Chu suddenly spoke in a soft voice: "I heard that this place is close to the You River, where the You River white fish are abundant. The fish has a fresh and tender flesh, especially when it's cut into thin slices as sashimi, it's the best. Many years ago, I had a whole table of white fish dishes at my house, and the host was skilled with his knife, cutting the fish like snowflakes in front of the guests. The green porcelain plate was filled with delicate slices, and the peach blossoms were scattered all over the floor. It was really beautiful, delicious, and fun. I think, Host, as a master of the rivers and lakes, you must also be skilled at cutting fish slices."

  As he spoke, the crowd thought of the peach blossom tree, the knife shining like snow, the fish slices falling into the green porcelain plate like snow, thin as paper, soft as cotton, indeed with a sense of atmosphere, flavor and taste. They couldn't help but yearn for it, laughing and saying: "Shi's words have made us drool all over, I don't know if we have the good fortune to taste the Su River fish sauce."

  The host's expression stiffened for a moment, then he smiled and said: "Since our distinguished guest has shown interest, we naturally have to serve it." Before long, someone was ordered to bring in a basin of lively fresh fish. Indeed, they cut the fish into thin slices right before everyone's eyes, and everyone felt it was quite novel, eating and laughing together. Rong Chu casually picked up a piece and tasted it, her eyes gleaming with amusement, as if smiling yet not quite smiling.

  Suddenly, the host's daughter came over with a smile, squeezed in between Tai Shi Lan and Rong Chu, put her arm around Rong Chu's shoulder, and said in a low voice: "Nice to meet you, madam. I don't know where you are from?"

  Her voice was soft, but the knife was hard and pressed against Rong Chu's neck. The woman used her sleeve to block it, smiling and saying: "The young lady's voice is too low, perhaps she's shy and doesn't dare speak, why don't we go into the room and talk slowly?"

  Several big men walked over quietly and surrounded Taishi Lan and Jing Tai Blue's retreat, their hands on their waists, with something hard under their robes.

  All around were joyful voices and laughter, while the young heroes were still in a daze admiring the chef's exquisite knife skills.

  Rong Chu covered her face with her sleeve and said in a delicate voice: "I don't understand what you mean, sister."

  That seventeen or eighteen year old girl looked at her "sister" who was obviously over twenty and twitched the corner of her mouth.

  "In that case, sister please." She forced a fake smile and half-supported, half-dragged Rong Chu up. Tai Shi Lan stood up accordingly. The woman turned her head to Sun Yu: "The young lady of the Shi family seems to be unwell, I'll invite her into the room to rest for a while."

  Sun Yu and others nodded casually, busy eating fish and peeling shrimp. The woman smiled hypocritically, supporting Rong Chu to quickly enter, several big men slowly blocked the back, blocking the door.

  The door closed and the curtain came down. The woman immediately changed her face and pushed Rong Chu heavily back inside.

  "Ah yo!" Chu exclaimed, and before her hand even reached his waist, he had already pounced onto the bed, rubbing his face comfortably on the bedding.

  That posture looks like a wolf's eight sprawls to others, but in Tai Shi Lan's eyes - huh? He won't think of sleeping anymore, will he?

  "With your kind of people, is it worth the adults' careful observation until now?" The woman pushed down Rong Chu and found that he was indeed not very agile. Her guard dropped, she stood at the door and sneered coldly.

  "Why don't we just send a signal to Lord Wen and let them come over directly to settle this?" A man standing behind the woman asked in a low voice, "Inside and outside, they are all fish and shrimp in the same pond, can't stir up any waves. I really don't know why Lord Wen and his people want to make such a big fuss."

  "There's no need to inform them." The woman narrowed her eyes, "I've seen the orders from above, the people they're looking for are indeed like these two. Since Wen Jing asked us for help, we'll see it through to the end. Why bother troubling them again?"

  The man's eyes flashed, and both of them smiled with a tacit understanding.

  The various branches of the Western Bureau also have competition, and everyone wants to complete the ultra-secret mission with a generous reward, so Wen Jing only asks his colleagues for help in dealing with Sun Yu and others, while these colleagues are actually aiming at Rong Chu and Tai Shi Lan.

  Tai Shi Lan rushed to the window and raised his hand to open it, but with a slap of his palm, the window didn't budge.

  The two men at the door burst out laughing. "Don't waste your energy, this house is specially made, all the windows and doors have been locked."

  "Less nonsense, let's get started." The woman's eyes turned cold, she pulled out a short knife from her boot tube and took a step forward. She seemed to particularly despise Rong Chu being such a "weak and delicate young lady". She rushed in front of Rong Chu, grabbed his collar with one hand and stabbed him with the other.

  With a "ripping" sound, the collar tore apart and two round things popped out.

  The woman was startled and took a step back, then looked clearly at what it was, and suddenly froze, even forgetting to continue chopping.

  "You're not..."

  "Bang." A dull thud, an elbow strike landed on her back, the sound was extremely solid, and the woman stumbled forward, falling to the ground with a thud.

  The pain on her back quickly turned into numbness, and her consciousness was a bit blurry. She raised her head to see the cold and stern young man, who had just put down his sleeve, with a three-edged awl tied around his arm, emitting a faint glow.

  The young man said, "He is not a woman, I am."

  ……

  Digression

  Monthly ticket was chased by over a hundred votes in one day, anxious and worried——update reduced by a thousand words.

  This weekend is not a rest day, last weekend was also not a rest day, and it's said that next weekend may still not be a rest day, so depressing - minus 1,000 words.

  New Year's Eve tickets are powerful, happiness - add one thousand words.

  Hot days, little food, lost a pound, happiness - add one thousand words.

  Average number of words - still ten thousand.

  Just kidding.

  But life is all about addition and subtraction, there are gains and losses, maintaining a balance that you can be proud of is good enough.

  Wishing you a life of unchanging happiness and no added worries, with a clear conscience and a peaceful state of mind.