Chapter 234: Two hundred and forty-two, The Sword in the Underground Palace?

Two hundred and forty-two, The Sword in the Underground Palace?

Halfway up the mountain, in front of the ruins of the Jia-grade sword furnace room.

Liu Zilin and a dozen or so green-clad servants surrounded A-Qing, interrogating her with fierce faces. A-Qing kept her mouth shut, speechless.

"Playing dumb?" Liu Zilin sneered.

A sharp blade was pressed against the young girl's slender, delicate neck.

"Give it to him." Ouyang Rong, standing in the distance, suddenly said: "A-Qing, if you brought it, then give it to him."

"But Master, the old gentleman told us to keep it safe..." A-Qing said weakly. "Idiot, this is a source of disaster."

Ouyang Rong closed his eyes and murmured, then opened them again to look at the messy ruins nearby, and looked at the fighting and killing on the mountaintop and at the foot of the mountain in the distance.

The scene below fell into sudden silence.

Liu Zilin curled his lip, lowered his eyes, and did not move for the moment.

"Decide slowly, Liu Zi'an, don't be so wishy-washy. If he thinks he can't break your mental defenses through torture, he can try something else. How about I perform a skinning for you in public? Remember to start from the top of your head."

Ouyang Rong smiled and said:

"If I'm not mistaken, you came back carrying this Young Master Wei, right? Carrying me to find the True Xin Dingjian left behind by the old gentleman?"

"Prefect!"

Of course, there might be another explanation—the Xin Dingjian can turn invisible, and only those with wisdom can see it.

"Where is the other one?" Liu Zi'an was ecstatic.

"Silly girl, there's nothing to hide. Didn't you let me pick last time? I thought this paper flower was too cheap, so I didn't want it, and took the other thing that looked valuable instead."

Liu Zi'an turned his head and ordered his subordinates to draw their swords and stand guard. He was surrounded by the crowd, concentrating on opening the blood-stained Buddhist scripture in his arms.

"Thank you for the compliment."

"No, no, no, you've got it wrong, Liu Zi'an. That's not a condition; that's a favor I'm granting you, a mercy to give you a chance to leave in one piece."

Before he had taken a few steps, a slightly urgent voice came from behind him immediately:

"Idiots, all idiots. The fortune Ouyang Rong asked for that day was also really interesting. It harms the girl who does the needlework, and just makes wedding clothes for others... Hehe."

"Is my, Ouyang Lianghan's, credit not better than your Liu family's credit?"

"Liu Zi'an, Grade 9, sword technique, true name—unconsciously, you're just one step away. You've planned this really hard."

"The truth? What truth!" The red-eyed, panting Liu Zi'an couldn't help but frown, pausing for a moment.

Liu Zilin didn't look back and waved his hand casually:

"You wouldn't have realized only in hindsight that there was no sword in the sword box the old gentleman gave to Shen Weiqing, and then scurried back to retrieve the real 'vessel of emptiness' to offer to him, would you?"

Liu Zi'an tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth.

Liu Zi'an muttered to himself, reaching into his bosom to take out the Buddhist scripture while making a hoarse, "Heh-heh" laughing sound with his head lowered:

"There's one more thing: it's a path of survival I'm granting you. You get the item, let A-Qing go, and get lost yourself. You are never allowed to return to Longcheng. I can still be merciful and not tell the Wei clan that you intercepted the Xin Dingjian."

"Don't step on Brother's pancake, woo woo woo..." "It's in... an underground palace."

The blue butterfly paper flower fell hard into the mud. Liu Zi'an rushed forward like a madman, grabbed A-Qing by the collar, and roared at her:

Liu Zilin said earnestly: "A-Qing, have you forgotten? The old gentleman gave you two gifts last time. You gave me one during dinner."

"Ouyang Lianghan, you are actually this greedy too!" Liu Zi'an laughed in anger. Shen Weiqing was speechless.

He turned his head back quickly, and sure enough, Liu Zi'an's eyes were full of anger, almost spraying out: "You even secretly called for reinforcements!?"

"The hostage is in my hands, why should I choose? Ouyang Lianghan, have you lost your mind?"

Liu Zi'an suddenly grabbed A-Qing's hair. The skin on her neck was faintly cut open by the sword edge, leaving a line of blood. He looked vicious:

Liu Zilin's cold voice came: "Have you forgotten something, Liu Zi'an?"

The moonlight longsword in Liu Zi'an's hand was still pressed tightly against A-Qing's neck. However, the expression on his face was uncertain, and he suddenly said:

In the forest behind them, the shouts of Yan Balang and the others could be heard from afar. The figures of a group of constables appeared, rushing to support.

Liu Zi'an no longer looked at Ouyang Lianghan. With one hand, he carefully held the blue butterfly paper flower, and with the other, he opened the Buddhist scripture, whispering the incantation earnestly.

"Go wait in the middle. Once I've verified the goods and nodded, then I'll release the person."

Liu Zi'an glanced at Liu Zilin, then looked in the direction of the sword shop at the foot of the mountain. He raised his eyebrows and nodded slightly to his subordinates.

When Liu Ziwen was assassinated on the street, Liu Zi'an's first reaction was also to suspect the Second Brother and the others, subconsciously excluding Ouyang Lianghan.

The young girl lowered her head, her small hands rummaging in her sleeves. Finally, under Liu Zi'an's scorching gaze, she silently took out a blue butterfly flower folded from paper.

"Old gentleman, you hid your intentions really deep. Shen Weiqing and Ouyang Rong were both deceived by you. You picked the first master of this Xin Dingjian long ago..."

"Whether you can escape the encirclement of a Grade 1 Qi refiner and thousands of pursuers, plus the anger of the Wei clan who might discover they've been played at any time... that depends on your own life."

"Yes." A-Qing said in a low voice: "The old gentleman also entrusted someone to say that this object is called 'Craftsman'." Liu Zilin's heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.

Just as everyone saw in front of them...

Sometimes, even if they are irreconcilable enemies, one has to admit one thing: the other party is indeed quite fair according to worldly standards.

"It's just a pity that your reputation, Third Young Master Liu, is too foul. Crying at your funeral won't improve it. Wait, whipping the corpse in public is not a bad idea. Hmm, good idea."

A-Qing glanced at her master, whose face was calm. She didn't know that beneath Liu Zilin's calm demeanor, his palms were full of sweat, and his peripheral vision was constantly observing Shen Weiqing's subtle expressions.

"There's nothing I, your father, wouldn't dare to do! You despicable, cunning person! I'll fight you all to the death, no one gets to live!"

He actually had one more thing he hadn't reminded Ouyang Lianghan of.

For a moment, he wasn't sure if these two, one big and one small, were acting, or rather, how much of their acting was true and how much was fake.

Liu Zilin's tone was firm, interrupting directly:

The sword-wielder and the Xin Dingjian are connected in heart, just like the immortal flying swords in myths and stories, capable of easily taking an enemy's head within a certain range.

Everything was as usual.

Shen Weiqing chanted the sword incantation while laughing in a low, deep voice. "I know about this!"

Shen Weiqing frowned: "Are you crazy?"

"A-Qing, don't hide it, tell the truth." A-Qing's small face was also stunned.

"That thing, I really didn't think it would be the 'vessel of emptiness' for the Xin Dingjian before. Sorry for disturbing your plan, Your Excellency."

"You motherf***er, you lied to me!"

"Heh, then why didn't you remind Ouyang Rong earlier? Why come back secretly alone now?"

The scene of the Xin Dingjian appearing as expected did not happen.

Liu Zi'an's old face was stunned. He called out several times, but it remained cold. The next moment, his entire face turned the color of a pig's liver, visible to the naked eye.

"Besides, I was wondering just now why you were so hesitant when Ouyang Rong asked you to execute the killing, dragging your feet openly and secretly. Now it seems you were afraid that if Shen Weiqing died, you'd never find the clue to the real Xin Dingjian again."

"Later, you even kindly gave Shen Weiqing the 'Cold Scholar' sword technique. It seems you wanted him to give you face after getting the benefits and honestly send that girl down the mountain, but you didn't expect him to be an ungrateful person... Tsk tsk tsk."

"Now that I think about it, I don't have the sword technique, so why hide it?" Liu Zilin was speechless and was about to speak.

"The second path is not impossible, but why should I believe you?" Liu Zi'an suddenly stared into Liu Zilin's eyes, asking suspiciously.

The whole scene was quiet.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"How about choosing the first path? After you go down, ask your eldest and second brothers how my, Ouyang Lianghan's, credit is. Which time have I not dealt with you two openly and honestly? Then ask who is the one playing tricks and underhanded schemes?"

"To this day, I only know that most of the disasters in Longcheng were caused by this Xin Dingjian. Since the sword is already made, let's... forget it. If they want to fight, let them fight. Let them fight until their heads are broken and bleeding, and take it far away from Longcheng. Let's go home, A-Qing."

Liu Zilin nodded firmly:

But he didn't expect that the sentence Shen Weiqing blurted out immediately would choke him and his subordinates on the spot.

Liu Zilin laughed softly.

"A-Shan made his own choice. Please leave his body intact. I'll piece it together for burial and bury him thickly with his brother. I'll squeeze out a few more tears at the funeral; I'll still be a good official who is affectionate and righteous in everyone's eyes."

"Old gentleman, is this the thing you gave her? The real 'vessel of emptiness'?" Ouyang Rong immediately turned his head and said to Liu Zilin:

Shen Weiqing's face flushed with a wave of heat, and he tried hard to suppress his tone, as if talking to himself:

Shen Weiqing lowered his head and said to the haggard-faced A-Qing: "You heard everything he said, right? Do you have anything you want to say?"

"Do you really care about this girl? I don't believe it." "You... you stop right there!"

"One is a dead end. You turn around and run down the mountain immediately to call for reinforcements from the Xiao Shimei and Balang. It will take about two quarters of an hour to go back and forth. During that time, do whatever you want. Run as far as you can."

It's a pity that a certain Third Young Master Liu had never heard the story of the Emperor's New Clothes, nor would he be stupid enough to believe it.

"Ouyang Lianghan, my brother didn't die for you! Are you not going to save me?"

The two reached a consensus for the time being and swore to heaven together. Although it had no binding force, going through the motions was indispensable.

"You! Shen Weiqing, how dare you!" Liu Zilin was suddenly furious. Liu Zilin said, looking sideways:

The next moment, everything was ready, the incantation was finished, and the Third Young Master Liu calmly closed the Buddhist scripture, staring scorchingly at the blue butterfly paper flower, and gently spat out its two-character true name:

The Third Young Master Liu, once known as the "Mad Tiger," was furious. He roared madly and rummaged roughly through A-Qing's sleeves, only to find a bundle of oil paper that was in the way. He opened it hurriedly, only to find two cold, hard sesame pancakes, and nothing else.

A long sword pierced straight through the young girl's slender palm and the wet white mud beneath her palm.

Liu Zilin's eyes were strange. He looked Liu Zi'an up and down, as if amused, and suggested directly:

"You hypocrite! You despicable villain!"

"Making conditions with me? Ouyang Lianghan, have you got it wrong? The person is in my hands now. If she doesn't give it, I have ways to take it."

"It is precisely because this gift is exactly the same as the true name of the Xin Dingjian that I suddenly remembered the 'small matter' reported by my subordinates when I was supervising the Plum Mei Mei Lu Yuan! I didn't suspect it much at the time, but now it seems..."

"Craftsman."

After the oath, Liu Zilin and Liu Zi'an looked at A-Qing together. "I'll believe you for now." Liu Zi'an lowered his eyes and snorted coldly.

However, he still had a way, so there was no need to gamble for the time being.

A-Qing knelt on the ground, her hands full of blood, but she struggled to pull her hands away, crawling with her mouth open, trembling to pick up the sesame pancake crumbs, and hammering his feet:

"Give it to me."

Liu Zilin turned his head and said to Liu Zi'an with some embarrassment: This is the sword-wielder of the mythical absolute pulse!

Shen Weiqing secretly thought it was bad: "Stop! Don't come!" Shen Wei had always kept it on his person.

"Bastard! Liar!"

Liu Zilin's expression was calm, and he held up two fingers:

Liu Zi'an was directly blood-angry. He threw the two sesame pancakes on the ground and stomped on them several times: "Dare to play me!"

Liu Zilin didn't even look and turned to leave.

"Hahaha, but what's the use of that? In the end, isn't it all for nothing? It actually did me, Liu Zi'an, a big favor..."

"Old gentleman, oh old gentleman, who could have thought that the Xin Dingjian wasn't cast today at all? You hid the Xin Dingjian long ago and secretly sent it out!"

"Old gentleman, the only thing you did wrong was to reveal the true name of the Xin Dingjian to this girl too early. There are no walls in the world that don't leak."

Liu Zilin glanced at Wei Shaoxuan's corpse in the distance, raised his chin, and signaled: "Master, what are you saying? This servant doesn't understand. Isn't the old gentleman..."

"No, I..." Liu Zilin didn't have time to defend himself.

"But then again, you probably didn't expect that this little girl would actually follow Ouyang Lianghan here to die today. Look at how angry you were inside at the time. You pretended not to care on the surface, but you probably wanted to kill Ouyang Lianghan on the spot."

One can mock the other party as a hypocrite, but... one cannot deny the other party's actions all along.

"You gave the Xin Dingjian to this little girl, besides her being a hot-blooded person, you also wanted to repay the favor of the Cloud Dream Sword Marsh, right? Not only did you return a Xin Dingjian, but you also sent a Yue girl with unlimited potential. It really is killing two birds with one stone."

Shen Weiqing stared straight at him without answering, and said coldly: "What exactly do you want to say?"

"Ah--!"

Ouyang Lianghan and this girl named Shen Wei—their heads falling to the ground was only a matter of his thought.

He took a deep breath:

"Yes." Two green-clad servants escorted A-Qing, slowly moving forward, arriving at the position between Shen Weiqing and Liu Zi'an, waiting for the latter's next signal.

But the more it was at this chaotic and impulsive moment, the more his shoulders suddenly relaxed, and he returned to a calm expression, nodding to A-Qing:

Shen Weiqing sighed.

"Care or not, but it's best if I can save her. If I can't, and I have to lose my life too, it's not worth it."

A-Qing looked blankly at her master, whose face seemed tired, and nodded gently, "Okay, Master."

"Liu Zilin, the item can be given to you, but you must release the person. Anyway, to you, she has no use value anymore."

Liu Zi'an snatched it over, his eyes burning as he stared at the blue butterfly paper flower.

Shen Weiqing's expression changed, then quickly returned to normal. "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't understand."

Still far from the direction of the Di Gong Zha, among the mountains, were trails of tragic wolf smoke. "I'll take you there."

"You dare to lie to me!" Liu Zi'an drew his sword. "Ouyang Lianghan, you were the ones who broke your promise and lied to me! This is not a Xin Dingjian at all, it's just a broken flower!"

"Then that means you've chosen the dead end? Fine."

It was exactly the one the old sword caster entrusted someone to send to the Plum Mei Mei Lu Yuan.

Shen Weiqing's eye corners twitched, his eyeballs rolled, and his expression was half-believing and half-doubting.

"Besides, calm down and don't be suspicious and look around. My Xiao Shimei is not here. Also, don't waste time. Release A-Qing immediately, and I'll take you there. I'll be your hostage. You should believe me this time, right?"

"Now I'll give you two paths."

"I heard you." A-Qing lowered her head and said: "My life is cheap, of course it's not worth exchanging."

It was just that the Buddhist scripture was full of translation notes, which Shen Weiqing had translated in advance after receiving it a few days ago. It was another "harms the girl who does the needlework."

"Has the Third Young Master Liu thought it through?"

Shen Weiqing looked at the forest behind Liu Zilin frequently. At this moment, he withdrew his gaze, narrowed his eyes, and quickly calmed down.

Liu Zilin stopped reluctantly. With the initiative in hand, he didn't laugh, but asked earnestly: ===== CHAPTER 235 =====