20demayo Page 9
Page 9
Even the lanterns at the entrance were extinguished, and there was a pool of blood outside the gate.
At first glance, it looks like a crime scene, but upon closer inspection, you can see that there are a few chicken feathers mixed in with the blood, which is obviously chicken blood.
Inside the room, a group of people from Tongfu Inn sat down around a table in the lobby.
Tong Xiangyu said dejectedly, "Tell me, how did these two devils end up in our town?"
Bai Zhantang said in a deep voice, "You mean the Male and Female Duo, right?"
Li Dazui and Lü Xiucai looked at Bai Zhantang questioningly: "What evil spirit?"
Mo Xiaobei, who was always restless, couldn't help but laugh after holding it in for so long, saying, "They're just two idiots, a man and a woman."
Tong Xiangyu was already afraid of trouble, so she quickly said to Mo Xiaobei, "Are you out of your mind? You're talking nonsense again."
Although Bai Zhantang was uneasy, he still said, "It's not that bad, just two petty thieves."
After a cold laugh, Bai Zhantang reminisced about the past, saying, "Back in the day, when I was roaming the martial world..."
Just then, a series of loud clanging and banging noises came from the roof, startling everyone into hiding.
Among everyone, Bai Zhantang was the fastest. He immediately carried Xiao Bei under the table. Tong Xiangyu was either too scared to move or just sitting there. Then, a meow was heard.
Tong Xiangyu clutched her chest, heartbroken. Perhaps because no one was there to protect her, she mocked the crowd, saying, "You're all so scared by just a cat?"
Tong Xiangyu laughed and slapped the table, saying, "Come out, come out, come out! Stop sticking your head out like that."
The others were fine, but Xiao Bei protested when Lao Bai covered her mouth. Bai Zhantang was so scared that he didn't dare to get up. He had no choice but to cover her mouth tightly. Was Xiao Bei so easy to deal with?
Mo Xiaobei struggled, saying, "Let me go, let me go."
Bai Zhantang was still listening to the noise and had no time to pay attention to her, so he just casually said, "Danger, danger."
Beckham didn't care about that and threatened, "If you don't let go, I'll bite you."
Mo Xiaobei, with her small mouth and silver teeth, mistook Bai Zhantang's hand for a meat bun and took a bite without hesitation.
Bai Zhantang then seemed to wake from a dream, exclaiming in pain, "Oh my god, shopkeeper, look at your sister-in-law!"
Mo Xiaobei bit Lao Bai, seemingly still not satisfied. After thinking for a moment, she could only brace herself and say, "If my brother were still alive, he would have already slashed me with his sword."
Mo Xiaobei's older brother, Mo Xiaobao, was a rising star of the Hengshan Sword Sect and the most qualified successor to the sect's leadership. Unfortunately, he died during the internal strife within the Hengshan Sect a few years ago. The current leader of the Hengshan Sect is Mo Xiaobei's uncle, Mr. Mo Da of Xiaoxiang Sword Rain.
Tong Xiangyu, protective of her own, said, "Oh dear, how can you talk like that?"
Tong Xiangyu wasn't protecting Mo Xiaobei, of course. This pretty widow and Bai Zhantang had a very ambiguous relationship; they were just one step away from breaking through the barrier between them.
Mo Xiaobei threw a tantrum, but in the end, she still stubbornly retorted, "Sister-in-law, you only criticize me, but you don't talk about him."
Li Dazui found something to amuse him and quickly teased Bai Zhantang, saying, "Old Bai, a cat scared you like this? How are you going to work as a waiter and keep watch at night?"
Bai Zhantang got impatient, slammed the bowl on the table, and said in a mix of exasperation and guilt, "What business is it of yours if you're cooking? Go cook!"
Lu Xiucai started to speak sourly again: "That is wrong. Confucius once said that."
Lu Xiucai's pedantic pronouncements were not something anyone at Tongfu Inn wanted to hear, and Bai Zhantang was no exception, reflexively replying, "Go, I'll settle your score."
Lu Xiucai immediately gave up.
Startled, Lü Xiucai rushed toward the counter without thinking, but fortunately, Tong Xiangyu saw that things were not going well and pulled him back.
At this moment, Tong Xiangyu told everyone to stop making a fuss and said with a look of horror, "Recently, our town has been in a state of panic and fear because of these two wicked men."
Next comes the exposé: the staff of Tongfu Inn are revealing one by one the series of evil deeds committed by the so-called "Male and Female Duo."
Simply put, it means punishing the good and rewarding the evil, the kind of crimes that are heinous and too numerous to mention.
Just as everyone at the inn was discussing the male and female duo, a carriage stopped in front of the Tongfu Inn.
Zhao Yun reined in his horse, glanced at the pool of blood at the entrance of Tongfu Inn, and frowned slightly.
"Young Master Lu, we've arrived at Tongfu Inn, but something seems off about it. There's blood everywhere at the entrance; it looks like a place of trouble."
It was quite dark, and Tong Xiangyu had turned off the lanterns at the door. Without the light, even with Zhao Yun's sharp eyesight, he couldn't see the chicken feathers in the pool of blood.
Chapter Sixteen: Martial Arts Chronicle: In your line of work, this person is a grandmaster-level figure.
Luke lifted the carriage curtain, glanced at it, and then spoke.
"Ignore it, it's just chicken blood. Come on, go knock on the door first, otherwise you'll be sleeping on the street."
This was certainly not their first night out. They were already well outside the territory of the Imperial Sword Manor. The carriage had been traveling for about seven days and they were now in the Guanzhong region of the Ming Dynasty.
Along the way, they often ate in the wind and slept in the open, but in most cases, Luke monopolized the carriage.
Luke didn't object to Zhao Yun sleeping in the carriage with him, since the carriage Yin Tianxue had prepared for him was spacious enough to be considered an ancient version of a motorhome.
However, Zhao Yun had his own pride and preferred to sleep in a simple tent outside with his bedding rather than do this, perhaps because he was afraid that Luke would look down on him.
Zhao Yun had a natural affinity for strength, and Luke clearly fit her ideal of a strong person. In addition, they were about the same age, and Luke was the young master of the Imperial Sword Manor with a bright future. It was only natural that Zhao Yun would have feelings for him.
"Dong Dong Dong!!!"
The sudden knocking at the door made everyone at Tongfu Inn tremble and huddle together.
It has to be said that most of the people at the inn are second-generation rich kids.
Tong Xiangyu is the eldest daughter of the Longmen Escort Agency, while Mo Xiaobei is the niece of the current head of the Hengshan Sect, a descendant of the sect's founder.
Li Dazui's mother was the legendary gambling god, Duanzhi Xuanyuan. Bai Zhantang was not only a legendary thief who was once as famous as Chu Liuxiang in the martial arts world, but also the son of Bai Sanniang, a veteran martial arts master in the Ming Dynasty, known as the "Deadly Third Sister".
Even Lu Xiucai, who was weak and powerless, had a grandfather who was once a prefect. He himself was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, fluent in multiple languages, and achieved early success. However, his family fell into decline and he had no money to bribe officials, which is why he failed the imperial examinations repeatedly.
But the fact that these people can come together is not just due to fate; they also share a common characteristic: timidity.
"Shopkeeper, someone's knocking on the door. Why don't you go check it out?"
Li Dazui shrank to the side and said in a trembling voice.
Tong Xiangyu shook her head and said, "I'm not going. What if the 'Male and Female Demons' come knocking on our door?"
"Old Bai, are you good at martial arts? Why don't you go open the door?"
Tong Xiangyu looked at Bai Zhantang and urged him on. Among their group, Bai Zhantang was the only one who had truly experienced the martial arts world. Not only was he skilled in lightness skills, but he was also adept at acupressure. Even the legendary thief Ji Wuming was unable to break free when acupressure was applied to him. It was likely that the Twin Fiends would suffer the same fate if they were acupressured.
However, Bai Zhantang was already hiding under the table, trembling as he spoke.
"Don't look for me, I'm not going!"
Bai Zhantang's current state is half feigned and half genuinely frightened.
If it really came down to a fight, Bai Zhantang, a seasoned veteran, didn't think the so-called "Male and Female Duo," who were newcomers, would be his match. But since he had already decided to retire from the martial arts world, he naturally adhered to the principle of "it's better to avoid trouble."
So unless it's absolutely necessary, he'll avoid taking action.
"Dong Dong Dong!!!"
The knocking sounded again, but after arguing for a long time, no one inside was willing to come out and open the door.
Zhao Yun's skill was insufficient, so he naturally couldn't understand the conversation inside, but Luke heard it all clearly and roughly guessed how far the plot had progressed. He smiled slightly, waved his hand to let Zhao Yun get out of the way, and then flicked his sleeve.
With a mere flick of his sleeve, Luke unleashed an invisible force that snapped the bolt on the door of Tongfu Inn, and swaggered into the inn.
Everyone in the inn was startled, their eyes turning to the uninvited guest. Luke smiled, his eyes sharp, and after scanning the room, he slowly said, "Please don't be alarmed, everyone. We are just passing through and have come to stay for the night."
Seeing this, Tong Xiangyu, though still harboring doubts, forced a smile and said, "Oh dear, it's a distinguished guest! Please, have a seat."
Luke nodded slightly and sat down with Zhao Yun at a window seat.
Seeing Luke's extraordinary demeanor and the indescribable majesty he exuded, the people in the inn became even more curious about his identity.
Li Dazui muttered to himself, "This guy doesn't look like someone to mess with. We'd better be careful."
Despite his usual loud and boisterous demeanor, Li Dazui is actually the most timid person when it comes to real trouble, even more so than Lü Xiucai. After all, in the original story, Lü Xiucai still had the courage to use his silver tongue to talk Ji Wuming to death in a life-or-death situation.
It is extremely rare for a scholar to have such courage. In the future, Lü Xiucai will be the one who achieves the most. By the time of the children of Longmen Escort Agency, Lü Xiucai had already become the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. As for Li Dazui, he had not heard any news and did not know if he was still working at Tongfu Inn.
Bai Zhantang crawled out from under the table, dusted himself off, and his eyes revealed a hint of curiosity and awe.
He thought to himself, "This person's martial arts skills are unfathomable. Could he be from the Six Doors?"
Bai Zhantang is timid as a mouse, which is one of the reasons why he has such good lightness skills, because if he can't beat someone, he can always run away.
Bai Zhantang was most afraid of people from the government. In the past, he would run away as soon as he heard the word "constable", especially the Six Doors, since his name, the "Sage of Thieves Bai Yutang", was still on the Six Doors' wanted list.
Then Bai Zhantang looked at Zhao Yun and sensed a familiar feeling.
He was originally a master thief, so he was naturally very sensitive to his fellow thieves. Therefore, when he saw Zhao Yun, he didn't suspect that Luke and his group were from the Six Doors, but rather wondered if these two were the male and female duo who had been causing a stir recently.
After all, the features of this man and woman, one male and one female, are too distinctive.
"Are you two guests here for a meal or to stay the night?"
Bai Zhantang mustered his courage and greeted them.
Luke didn't answer him, but just looked at Zhao Yun and said with a smile.
"See that? His lightness skill is amazing, landing without a sound. You should learn more from him. In your line of work, he's a grandmaster."
After Luke's reminder, Zhao Yun suddenly realized that the waiter in front of him was not simple.
In her line of work, lightness of movement and alertness are the most important qualities, but when the waiter came up to her just now, she didn't hear a sound at all. She only noticed him when he spoke.
That's not the strangest thing. The strangest thing is that I didn't even realize something was wrong. That's the most shocking thing.
Chapter Seventeen: Martial Arts Crossover: Chuunibyou (Middle School Syndrome) – Emphasizing the Number Two
Although Zhao Yun's Flying Immortal Sect was a self-founded sect, it still had a certain reputation in the world of thieves.
However, Bai Zhantang is even more famous, and he has never made a mistake since his debut. Due to various misunderstandings and coincidences, his reputation is extremely high. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a patriarch-level figure in the thief industry.
Bai Zhantang felt a chill in his heart; his first reaction was that something was wrong—he had been exposed.
Then I thought about it again and realized something was wrong. I didn't know either of them.
Back when I was in the underworld, I was always careful. Not many people had seen me before, and that was many years ago. Back then, these two were probably just kids.
Could it really be the Six Doors?
To catch a thief, you need to understand thieves; it's not surprising that your behavior patterns might resemble those of a thief.
"What do you two mean by that? I don't understand."
Bai Zhantang seemed calm as he chuckled, but in reality, his legs were trembling.