Chapter 309: Not taking sides means fence-sitting!

Chen Yan picked up the tea cup, the steam misting the deep concentration in his eyes.

Just as Lu Cangfeng was still asking, his fingertips subconsciously rested on the long saber at his waist. At this moment, he blocked in front of Yuwen Ze like an arrow released from a bow, his gaze shooting toward the window like a hawk: "Who is hiding there peeking!"

He was extremely sensitive to murderous intent.

Just now, an extremely faint yet highly oppressive aura was quietly rising from the shadows of the alley behind the teahouse, like a poisonous snake eyeing its prey.

"Old Lu, don't be excited..."

Zhu Yi also sensed the approaching aura, but remained unmoved, a smile even appearing on his face, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes rippling in the charcoal firelight, "This person is the answer to your question just now!"

His words were full of profound meaning.

"Old Zhu, what does this mean?" Lu Cangfeng turned his head suspiciously to look at Zhu Yi.

Lu Cangfeng's peripheral vision remained fixed outside the window, but his hand gripping the saber loosened slightly.

He trusted Zhu Yi's words, but wanted even more to know what kind of "answer to the question" would approach in such a stealthy way.

Chen Yan suddenly picked up the tea cup, his fingertips carelessly brushing the warm rim, his gaze falling on the swaying lights outside the window. His voice was neither high nor low, yet it clearly pierced through the night wind: "Since you're here, it's cold outside, come in and warm up!"

As soon as the words fell, a black shadow moved like a ghost in the thick, impenetrable shadow at the alley entrance.

In an instant, a black shadow flashed into the private room...

It was a person wrapped tightly from head to toe in a black cloak, the hood pulled extremely low, revealing only a clean-lined chin.

"This servant greets the Chief!"

"Greets the Prince Heir!"

The woman's voice came from under the hood, clear as an ice spring, carrying a hoarseness that was deliberately suppressed.

She nodded slightly, first bowing to Chen Yan, then turning to Yuwen Ze, her movements concise yet respectful.

Lu Cangfeng's gaze was nailed to her like a nail, his Adam's apple moved, but he didn't speak again.

The oppressive murderous intent from just now had now vanished without a trace, leaving only the lean silhouette of a top-tier expert faintly visible under the cloak.

The woman seemed to sense his vigilance. When she turned, her gaze from under the hood swept over him lightly, and she actually took the initiative to tease charmingly: "This big brother doesn't need to be so nervous, we are all on the same side!"

"You've worked hard!"

Chen Yan raised his hand and pointed to the empty seat opposite, his tone flat and waveless: "Sit down and drink a bowl of tea..."

As he spoke, he picked up the teapot, the celadon spout tilted, and the amber tea soup was steadily poured into the empty cup in front of her, steam rising in curls.

"To be poured tea by the Chief himself is a blessing this servant has cultivated for ten lifetimes!" The woman sat down as instructed and laughed softly. Her clear voice added a bit of softness, like a stream flowing through stone crevices when winter snow first melts.

"Who is this...?" Lu Cangfeng finally couldn't hold back and asked tentatively.

"One of the top ten experts in the world, the Thousand-Faced Enchantress, Qin Ci!" Zhu Yi pointed to the woman with the tea cup in his hand and introduced.

"Those are all empty names from the past..." Hearing this, the corner of the mouth under Qin Ci's hood seemed to curve, her voice carrying a bit of a smile, "Now this servant is just a pawn under the Chief's seat!"

Between the lines, it was all humility and respect.

"Stop with the glib talk..."

Chen Yan put down the tea cup, his fingertips tapping lightly on the desk: "Go, finish the remaining matters!"

His tone was flat, yet carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

"Understood."

"This servant will take her leave..."

Qin Ci nodded slightly. When she stood up, the hem of her cloak brushed lightly against the floor, bringing up a faint, cold fragrance.

She responded crisply, but paused deliberately when turning, her gaze passing over Zhu Yi and landing on Lu Cangfeng.

Suddenly, she curled the corners of her lips. Although the full face under the hood couldn't be seen, those eyes curved into crescent moons, and as her eyes swirled, a bit of indescribable charm rippled out.

Qin Ci threw a wink at Lu Cangfeng, extremely light and fast, like a thorny rose suddenly revealing its soft stamen.

Immediately, her figure swept past the window like light smoke.

Lu Cangfeng was stunned. Discarding those distracting thoughts, he looked at Chen Yan and asked: "Chief Chen, how did you manage to bring a person like the Thousand-Faced Enchantress under your command?!"

In the Jianghu, there are many experts who are little known, such as him and Zhu Yi...

But to be ranked among the top ten experts, it is absolutely impossible for her to be an ordinary person!

Lu Cangfeng didn't understand how such a person had fallen into the trap of this Mingjing Si Chief. How on earth did he do it?

"It's not hard to say, and it's not simple to say..."

Chen Yan smiled indifferently, his hand pouring tea didn't stop, the tea soup poured into the cup, rippling with fine ripples: "As the saying goes, money can make ghosts push millstones!"

"One of the things this Chief lacks the least happens to be silver!"

To put it simply and thoroughly, it's throwing silver, throwing treatment, throwing it to death!

Everything in the world has a price tag.

Those experts who claim to be noble and can't be taken down only show that the amount of silver thrown is not enough...

Moreover, these famous experts who lick blood on the edge of a knife think about making a name for themselves before they become famous, and after that, they want to land safely and enjoy wealth and honor.

It just so happens that Chen can provide these.

"Wealth can communicate with gods, the ancients did not deceive me!"

Yuwen Ze exhaled a turbid breath, only feeling amazed, and sighed.

He paused and continued: "Since brother can take down the Thousand-Faced Enchantress, I suppose many other famous experts have also been taken down, right?"

Yuwen Ze still understood his own brother extremely well...

Either don't do it, but since you've done it, do it thoroughly!

It is absolutely impossible that he only threw silver at one Thousand-Faced Enchantress...

It is highly likely that eight or nine out of ten have already been taken down!

"Hahahaha!"

Chen Yan laughed heartily and said meaningfully: "A matter of convenience!"

Chen knows better than anyone that to climb up, there can be no shortcomings in any aspect...

Especially the expert combat power that can be mobilized, it cannot be lacking!

You can choose not to use it, but you cannot not have it!

Lu Cangfeng's brows furrowed even tighter, and he couldn't help but speak again, his voice still carrying a bit of confusion: "But even if the Thousand-Faced Enchantress can change into a thousand forms, she can't make You Cheng Huai take the initiative to kill his good friend Chen Yan!"

The more he said, the more suspicious he felt.

Those two had always been on good terms, how could they lose their minds because of a woman, develop murderous intent, fight, and end up with one dead and one fleeing?

Lu Cangfeng couldn't figure it out.

The legendary evil arts of the Southern Border have the effect of taking souls and seizing spirits, but legends are legends after all, it's impossible to be so miraculous, right?

What's more, he had never heard that the Thousand-Faced Enchantress knew any evil arts...

Chen Yan's fingertips drew circles lightly on the desk, the warm light of the charcoal brazier reflecting in his eyes, but it had no temperature: "Therefore, this Chief passed her a technique that can bewitch people's hearts..."

"Supplemented by drugs added to the wine, it can seize people's souls!"

That so-called technique is actually hypnosis...

But simple hypnosis cannot achieve that effect at all.

Therefore, Chen Yan also asked Yun Xi to prepare drugs that could assist.

And added the effect of strengthening power and blood, making it convenient for the weak You Cheng Huai to kill successfully...

As for whether Qin Ci could be chosen when the two were picking girls, it didn't matter, anyway, she could disguise herself to replace them halfway.

Lu Cangfeng stood there, his brain suddenly cleared like a ball of tangled hemp, and he slapped his thigh: "So that's how it is!"

He paused, as if thinking of something else, and asked: "The Dingxiang Marquis is an old subordinate of Dugu Zhao, it is natural for him to take action against him..."

"But that Junior Marshal, doesn't he not take sides?"

If Lu Cangfeng remembered correctly, Junior Marshal You Wangzhi didn't help either side.

He belonged to the typical self-preservation.

Hearing this, Chen Yan suddenly laughed lowly, the laughter carrying a bit of coldness, like ice patterns cracking on a winter lake.

He looked up at Lu Cangfeng, his gaze as sharp as a knife: "Neutrality is the original sin!"

"Not taking sides means fence-sitting!"

Neutrality looks like not helping either side, sitting and watching the wind and clouds rise, the clouds roll and the clouds relax...

But there is always the possibility of defecting at any time!

This is something that any superior cannot tolerate...

"Brother's consideration is absolutely right!"

Yuwen Ze nodded in deep agreement and said in a deep voice: "This is a life-and-death struggle, and no mistakes are allowed!"

Who would bet on the character and credit of a neutral person?

It must be secure to eliminate such hidden dangers.

After all, the last gambler, surnamed Cao named Shuang, had his three clans exterminated and lost the Great Wei empire...

Being in the struggle means it's either this or that.

Neutrality is to be killed by both sides.

Night.

Dingxiang Marquis Mansion.

Steward Old Zhao almost crawled into the hanging flower gate, his cotton robe hem covered in snow mud, shouting hoarsely: "Marquis, people from the Jingzhao Prefecture have arrived!"

"Something big has happened!"

Chen De was looking at the outside scenery by the window, playing with a jade thumb ring in his hand. Hearing this, he didn't even turn his head and said indifferently: "People from the Jingzhao Prefecture have come, what big thing can happen?"

"Greetings, Marquis!"

The yamen runner followed Steward Old Zhao and bowed.

"No need for formalities!"

Chen De was unconcerned and asked: "Your Governor Liu sent you to my mansion, what is the business?"

"This subordinate is here to report a death..." The yamen runner said cautiously and truthfully.

"Report a death?"

Chen De's heart jumped, an ominous premonition climbing up his spine: "Who had an accident?"

"It is your noble son..." the yamen runner said.

"You mean A-Wei?!"

The four words struck Chen De's head like a thunderbolt. Combined with Steward Old Zhao's expression, he guessed who it was immediately and asked sternly: "What happened to him!"

"Young Master Chen Yan died in the Hongxiao Workshop!"

"What did you say?!" Chen De roared, "What on earth is going on?"

The yamen runner was startled, and tremblingly detailed the whole process.

Chen De clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth: "Let's go!"

"Go to the Jingzhao Prefecture office!" ===== CHAPTER 310 =====