Chapter 70: The Cunning Often Fall Victim

After leaving the government office, everyone wiped sweat from their foreheads.

Especially Su Huafang—he could clearly sense the strength of the warriors beside Prince Lu, at least third-rank.

Just one of them stepping forward could easily wipe out all of them.

“Li Xunshou, you’ve got real guts,” Su Huafang exclaimed. “Even in that situation, you dared to interrupt Prince Lu and the Prefect’s conversation.”

Li Lin shook his head. “If we hadn’t stepped forward then, we’d have been trapped in a far worse situation. We just had to take the risk.”

Bai Liwei sucked in a breath. “What do we do now?”

“Of course, we head back to Yulin County,” Li Lin said, glancing at the sky. “The sooner we leave, the better.”

Su Huafang nodded. “I agree. White Xunshou, both of you, and Young Master Zhao—what do you think?”

Bai Liwei: “Let’s return together. It’s safer with company.”

Bai BuFan, however, felt a pang of regret—he still hadn’t visited his two brothels.

He didn’t know when he’d get another chance to come back.

Zhao Hao hesitated. “I think…”

Li Lin looked at him. “Young Master Zhao, if I were you, I wouldn’t stay here any longer. Your uncle-in-law is the Registrar—he’s tied to Prefect Fang in some way. If Prince Lu truly investigates, your uncle-in-law will inevitably be implicated. Staying in Jincheng means you’ll likely suffer the same fate. Better to return with us to Yulin County—you’ll be outside the storm, able to watch how things unfold. Then, whether you want to save someone or stay out of it, you’ll have room to choose.”

Zhao Hao thought for a moment. “I’ll follow your advice.”

Su Huafang said, “Then let’s all pack our things. Handle any urgent business quickly—we’ll meet at the North City Gate in one hour.”

Good!

Everyone immediately dispersed.

Li Lin returned to the inn, grabbed his satchel, checked its contents, confirmed nothing was missing, then shoved the alchemy furnace inside.

He settled his room bill, then picked up the satchel and headed for the marketplace.

He remembered—he needed to buy lip rouge for the Tree Immortal Lady.

Lipstick shops were easy to find, and there were many.

But Xue Sui Zhu was sold at only one shop—and it was government-run.

“Forty taels of silver?” Li Lin hissed.

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged woman, still elegant. She waved a silk handkerchief. “Oh, sir, that’s the price. Xue Sui Zhu was once used only by imperial consorts and noblewomen of Jingcheng. Now it’s available in the prefecture—it’s already cheap.”

“Can you lower the price?”

“No. The price is set by the imperial court. We can’t change it. Lower it by one tael, and I’d have to cover the loss myself at month-end audit.”

Li Lin saw the woman wasn’t lying. He gritted his teeth and paid forty taels.

This trip didn’t earn him a single tael—he’d actually lost ten.

Holding a round wooden box painted white with faint gold patterns, he opened it: inside, the white interior held a circular depression filled with a semi-translucent, red “jade.”

It emitted a faint fragrance.

No wonder it was called Xue Sui Zhu.

No wonder it cost so much—even Li Lin thought it was stunningly beautiful.

He tucked the box into his satchel and left the lipstick shop.

After walking a while, his expression turned grim.

Because he sensed someone was following him.

Spirit Hunters, who cultivated “yin energy” within their bodies—this energy being the very source of spirits—had relatively heightened senses.

He didn’t turn around. Instead, he pretended to stroll aimlessly, then casually entered a relatively secluded area.

The alley here was narrow, surrounded by low, tiled houses.

Li Lin slipped behind a mud-brick house, blocking all sightlines, then entered stealth mode.

He then hid behind an old tree nearby.

Soon, footsteps approached.

Three men reached the corner where he’d vanished, glanced left and right, then one muttered: “Damn it, where’d that brat go?”

Li Lin’s eyes narrowed. He saw the faces of his pursuers.

It was Lin Qiyu—the man who’d tried to swindle him and failed.

The middle-aged man looked furious. “If he’d just helped us, we could’ve held off Tianyi Men until the Boss returned. We wouldn’t have lost so much—and I wouldn’t have been stripped of my chief escort position. Hmph. He hasn’t gone far. Split up and search. If you see him, shout. When we catch him, make him pay for my losses—and peel his skin off.”

Li Lin heard this. He gently set his red-tassled spear aside, then pulled out the short sword hidden in his robe.

The other two escort masters had moved away. Lin Qiyu searched nearby.

Li Lin crept closer.

Soon, he was behind Lin Qiyu.

Soon, he arrived behind Lin Qiyu.

The short sword pierced Lin Qiyu’s lower back.

Lin Qiyu’s body stiffened in pain—but somehow, using a technique, he lunged forward several steps, instantly escaping Li Lin’s reach.

Lin Qiyu’s body stiffened from pain, but somehow he activated a technique and suddenly lunged forward several steps, breaking out of Li Lin’s attack range in an instant.

Li Lin now knew the Light Body Technique. He blinked forward and drove the short sword into another kidney.

This time, Lin Qiyu couldn’t speak. His face turned deathly blue. He knelt, trembled briefly, then collapsed face-down.

His eyes bulged, bloodshot—dead from sheer agony.

But his cry had reached the others. The two escort masters hadn’t gone far. Hearing it, they rushed over together.

But as soon as they arrived near Li Lin, their heads flew into the air.

Blood spurted from their severed necks like a fountain, spraying in droplets.

Only when their bodies and heads hit the ground did a masked figure appear behind them.

Li Lin stepped back warily.

He could tell this masked man was powerful.

“Friend, don’t be alarmed—it’s me!”

The voice sounded familiar.

The man pulled down his mask, revealing a young man’s face.

Li Lin recognized him—the young leader of Tianyi Men.

“Senior Brother An Xin of Tianyi Men,” the youth smiled, his eyes crinkling warmly. “Friend, we meet again.”

Li Lin bowed. “Spirit Hunter, Li Lin. Thank you for your help… how are you here?”

“These two escort masters were no match for you. I overdid it,” An Xin smiled. “Tianyi Men has already let Shunfu Escort Agency go. But when I saw Lin Qiyu tailing you, I followed to see if I could resolve your misunderstanding.”

“These two junior escorts are no match for you at all—I was unnecessary,” An Xin smiled. “Our Tianyi Sect has already spared Shunfu Escort Agency. But while strolling through the streets, I saw Lin Qiyu daring to tail Li Xunshou, so I followed to see if I could resolve the misunderstanding between you two.”

If it were about resolving a misunderstanding, why wear a mask?

Why strike with lethal force?

An Xin came here to kill.

“Thank you, Young Master An. I have urgent business—I must meet my companions. Until we meet again.” Li Lin didn’t want to talk further.

He sensed this man had deep cunning.

Of course… he himself was much the same.

Similar types usually repelled each other.

“Then I won’t keep you,” An Xin bowed. “Until we meet again.”

Li Lin turned and walked away.

An Xin stood motionless, staring at the spot where Li Lin had vanished.

After a long while, over a dozen masked black-clad figures approached from nearby.

An Xin spoke coldly. “Sink these three bodies into the river to feed the spirits. Don’t let anyone find them. Clean up every trace of blood.”

The black-clad figures moved swiftly. One stepped forward to ask: “Senior Brother, we’ve learned the head of Shunfu Escort Agency plans to move his wife and children to Yulin County.”

The black-clad men quickly moved in, and one approached to ask, “Senior Brother, we’ve learned that the chief escort of Shunfu Escort Agency plans to relocate his wife and children to Yulin County.”

“Unclear.”

“Then keep investigating.”

(End of Chapter)

(End of Chapter)