Chapter 279

"Pei, Little Brother Pei..." Sun Qingyi looked at the youth in front of him blankly. The sword light and fire just now seemed to be still in front of his eyes. This face was really a bit strange.

"It's me." Seeing Pei Ye stretched out his arm to support him. "I just went back to the theater and heard about this, so I came over—are you okay?"

Sun Qingyi looked at him, as if he wanted to show a smile, but also as if he wanted to shed tears, as if choked and dumb: "I'm okay..."

"If you're okay, then—Sun Qingyi!"

The old man's body swayed and suddenly fell sideways.

The sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter, the heavy pressure was removed, and his whole person seemed to lose his strength at once. The old man closed his eyes and fainted.

Seeing Pei Ye tensed his arm to support him, poured True Qi in to probe, and then breathed a sigh of relief. After nourishing him for a while, he slowly put him on the chair. The old man was indeed too old, and today his spirit and body were exhausted repeatedly. At this time, even with his eyes closed, the fatigue on his face was obviously unbearable.

After settling the old man, Seeing Pei Ye turned around, lowered his head and picked up the golden Bronze Sparrow Token, which was still warm.

"The release of Chi Fire is based on Xuan Qi." At dusk, on the way back to the theater, the black cat said, "Not the Xuan Qi of heaven and earth, but the Xuan Qi that you can control now, born from the 'Chi Fire Source'—if you want to burn fire somewhere, the Xuan Qi must go there first."

But Seeing Pei Ye could not arrange Xuan Qi freely. They could only exist in the perception around him. Once they were far away, they would melt into the Xuan Qi of heaven and earth and get out of Seeing Pei Ye's control.

"Because you are not a sorcerer and have not recognized the spirit." The black cat continued, "Your control over Xuan Qi is still too weak, and it is even difficult to perceive. If you want to burn fire far away from your body, there is a clever way—inject Chi Fire Xuan Qi into an object you are familiar with, and it can exist in your control for a longer time."

Seeing Pei Ye tried it, and it was indeed easy to use.

After wiping the bronze token and hanging it back to his waist, Seeing Pei Ye walked to Kou Liyue's side, first cut off his right arm with one sword. Amidst the man's sudden tensed pain and roar, Seeing Pei Ye lifted him up and threw him into the large chair in the hall.

The suffocating burning pain and wounded muscles had already made it difficult for this Dragon Pillar to gather strength.

"The extreme of ordinary fire is 'One Li'." The black cat finally recited the "Fire Classic" for him. It called this temperature "below melting gold"—if a piece of gold was thrown into it, it would just happen not to be able to turn into gold liquid.

For a martial artist without True Qi protection, it was already a temperature enough to cause serious injury.

Especially since "Chi Fire" does not need to chant spells like a sorcerer. Under its sudden rise, the enemy is often unprepared.

"Kou Liyue, I ask, you say." Seeing Pei Ye stood in front of the human shape curled up with his arms in the chair, lowered his head and picked up the man's long sword, "One question, in exchange for one sword."

Kou Liyue tried hard to raise his head, his lips trembling.

Seeing Pei Ye didn't wait for him to nod: "How much do you know about the cause of death of the Yinyang painter Xi Xi Fang Tian thirty years ago?"

"... No, never heard of it."

"Who is the proprietor of Qiyun?"

"... I, I don't know."

Seeing Pei Ye looked at him quietly.

"Re, really don't know..." Kou Liyue said hoarsely and hurriedly, "Seven-Meng Jiucheng was gathered by Qiyun's business, but Qiyun only does its own business and doesn't care about Seven-Meng Jiucheng or gang matters... We don't dare to provoke their business either."

"Have you never dealt with them?" Seeing Pei Ye looked at him, "Then how do you know you don't dare to provoke them?"

With his greed of wanting to hold even a theater in his hands, Seeing Pei Ye didn't need to think to know that it was impossible for him to have no ideas about Qiyun's wharf.

"... When I first came up... I tried once." Kou Liyue's voice was trembling and hoarse, as if he didn't want to recall it.

Five years ago, Kou Liyue, who had just entered the Longmen Tower, was fierce and majestic.

Standing at the top of the Longmen Tower and scanning the surroundings, the biggest fat sheep was the Qiyun wharf close at hand.

But Kou Liyue was not stupid after all. He knew what such a large commercial firm that spanned the entire prefecture represented. The Longmen Tower just drank a mouthful of the soup they threw out. But he also believed that the Longmen Tower, which grew up drinking soup, now had some strong muscles and might be able to share another bun.

Because this was not a matter of how much money. For Kou Liyue, who had little ambition, if he wanted to truly enter those well-dressed people from the dirty, bloody bottom, relying on swords alone was not enough. What he needed was a truly solid ladder.

He went to find Qiyun's manager, expressing his willingness to be under Qiyun and do things for Qiyun, in order to climb this big tree.

But unexpectedly, Qiyun refused him.

Kou Liyue didn't expect that such a large commercial firm, and someone like himself who grew up in their back garden, would not care at all.

Seven-Meng Jiucheng started because of Qiyun, and everyone outside also thought that Seven-Meng Jiucheng was under Qiyun's control, so the Longmen Tower, which dominated Seven-Meng Jiucheng, should have been under Qiyun's command long ago.

But only Kou Liyue knew that the Longmen Tower had nothing to do with the Qiyun Commercial Firm.

The manager's tone was very peaceful and polite, but Kou Liyue still clearly perceived it—they looked down on him.

He was familiar with this attitude. When he was still the best fighter in the alley and gathered five idle brothers to visit the Longmen Tower, he faced the same look.

—You are not qualified.

It was a closed, undisturbed posture.

After being rejected repeatedly, Kou Liyue was not only frustrated but also developed a hidden anger of being humiliated. He finally couldn't help but put some nails in this defenseless wharf, wanting to vent his anger and earn some status for himself. Of course, he was still not stupid. Those nails were very soft and hidden, and when he put them down, he had already prepared gifts for apology.

"... Then, the one who came that night..."

Kou Liyue's body trembled, not just because of the current pain: "... was Yi Nandai."

The human shape gasped a few times: "I... never used force against Qiyun again."

"So, Yi Nandai has a relationship with Qiyun... Do you think he could be Qiyun's proprietor?"

"I... I don't know."

Seeing Pei Ye thought for a while and lowered his head: "I want to know the news about this proprietor. I only give you one chance for a question."

"..."

Seeing Pei Ye picked up the sword.

"He will go to Lingzi Guanshi Zhangsun's side tonight!" Kou Liyue said hurriedly.

Seeing Pei Ye raised an eyebrow.

"Zhangsun is Qiyun's big manager. A batch of secret goods arrived at the wharf yesterday. Other goods were unloaded in the wharf warehouse, but only this batch entered Zhangsun's own courtyard. From the time the goods entered yesterday until now, he hasn't left for a step." Kou Liyue said hard, "The coachman said Zhangsun asked him to prepare the carriage, but he doesn't need him to go tomorrow. I think it will be transported away tomorrow morning. And after dark today, a person entered the courtyard, and Zhangsun was very respectful to him."

Seeing Pei Ye thought for a while: "I heard people say that Di, Xu, and Zhangsun are all your subordinates."

If his skin was intact, Kou Liyue should be sweating profusely at this time: "Zhangsun is low-key, so the streets and alleys spread rumors. Qiyun didn't clarify, and I didn't dare to talk nonsense—but those who do things know it's not, I'm definitely not lying."

Seeing Pei Ye nodded: "How do you know that person is their proprietor?"

Kou Liyue gasped: "Xiangzhou Warehouse is the hub of Qiyun's cargo flow, and Zhangsun manages this place... It's the same position as the big manager of the Bixiao Pavilion."

Seeing Pei Ye then understood. Even if this proprietor acts as a hands-off manager and doesn't have to meet others, he must explain to these two; and the only one who can make these two respectful is that proprietor.

"However... some news came out from the wharf side, Zhangsun seems to be resigning," the youth's raised sword blade still hadn't lowered, Kou Liyue's mouth didn't dare to stop, "many things are being handed over..."

Seeing Pei Ye still looked at him.

"Mo, more... I really don't know..."

Seeing Pei Ye nodded, inserted the heavy long sword in his hand into his abdomen, Kou Liyue tensed and curled up abruptly, opening his mouth wide without a sound.

Seeing Pei Ye turned him over, tore the flag ribbon in the hall to tie his hands and feet, carried him to the top of the building, and jumped to the flagpole on the street.

"It seems that Yi Nandai's three-day order to hang you back then left you with a deep memory," Seeing Pei Ye tied him to it and said in a flat voice, "Then let's hang for another three days. If I find out you came down early..."

He leaned toward Kou Liyue lightly and whispered: "... I'll take your life."

Seeing Pei Ye returned to the building, carried the old man who was still in a coma on his back, and jumped away from here.

For a long time, the awakened people around poked their heads out from the cracks of doors and windows in panic.

In the theater, the atmosphere was still oppressive, and worry and gloom condensed on everyone's faces.

The youth walked too fast, so fast that they didn't have time to tell him how many people were in the Longmen Tower, nor did they have time to tell him how terrifying Kou Liyue was.

Those rumors had long been rooted in everyone's hearts in Seven-Meng Jiucheng—punching a thousand-jin stone to pieces, slashing a house down with one sword... These were all things the people of Seven-Meng Jiucheng had seen with their own eyes.

And how the nicknames "Silent Tiger" and "Blood Plum Blossom" of those two Dragon Heads were obtained was also a story that made people hold their breath and worry.

Therefore, at this time, people were not only worried about Sun Qingyi but also worried about the enthusiastic and upright youth. Finally, someone broke this silence of waiting for death. After discussing hurriedly for a quarter of an hour, Ji Yun finally made up his mind—everyone pooled money to invite experts from big gangs in Xiangzhou City to help the youth. If they could really be invited, if Kou Liyue was not in the Longmen Tower today, or if the old man could really be rescued.

Seeing Pei Ye was horrified.

So everyone pooled money in a hurry, wrapped it tightly in cloth and handed it to the two junior brothers with the lightest injuries, and gave them daggers for self-defense. The two nodded with red eyes amidst the worried instructions, turned around and pushed the door out.

But the door was pushed open from the outside first.

Everyone was stunned looking at the youth who revealed his face.

The youth's face was clear and healthy, his clothes were clean and tidy, and except for his hair being slightly messy, there was almost no trace of action.

The next moment everyone reacted—he saw the Longmen Tower and retreated in the face of difficulties.

They breathed a sigh of relief and were just about to open their mouths to comfort him, but saw the youth walk in completely, carrying a quiet old man in a coma on his back.

Amidst the astonishment, he gently unloaded the old man on his back onto the long table.

"Sun Qingyi fainted. I checked and he didn't suffer much injury. He'll be fine after a night's rest." Seeing Pei Ye smoothed his hands, "I dismantled Kou Liyue's arm and hung him on the central flagpole—everyone can go throw stones tomorrow."

——

Bixiao Pavilion.

"Late tonight, Qiyun's proprietor will go to Seven-Meng Jiucheng." Li Piaoqing murmured, her bright eyes looking toward the southeast through the hazy orange window.

"Seeing Pei Ye said it's best to wait for him to confirm first."

"But by the time he confirms, maybe they are already planning to come back." The young girl thought, "We might have to search for a long time and check for a long time. I think... even if we take some risks, we should go over earlier."

She tilted her head to look at the black cat.

The black cat nodded at her: "I think so too."

Li Piaoqing smiled, looked at the deep and quiet night, scooped out most of the lamp oil in the lamp, and let it go out naturally in half an hour.

Then she put on a green coat to cover the short sword at her waist, the black cat jumped onto her shoulder, and the young girl pushed the door out.

Candlelight stars were in the courtyard, and the places not illuminated were also covered with a layer of moonlight. Unlike dusk, in such a quiet night, every tiny sound would be amplified. Li Piaoqing first looked at the small courtyard in the southeast, and sure enough, it was dark and quiet, and the candlelight had gone out.

There were still no candles in the courtyards behind. This time the night was deep, but she didn't jump over the wall abruptly again, but let the little cat go up to the courtyard wall first and asked it to point out the position of the guards.

Sure enough, it was a different set of looks from the daytime.

According to the black cat's guidance, Li Piaoqing avoided the guards, passed through two courtyards silently, and stood quietly in front of this small courtyard in the southeast.

The black cat was already standing on the eaves, beckoning to her with its claws.

The man encountered when it was just getting dark was indeed gone.

Li Piaoqing jumped in.

It was a really small courtyard. There was only a stone path, two plum trees, a pair of stone tables and stools, and then a two-story small building. At this time, the candles were all out.

Li Piaoqing came to the door and pushed it lightly—it wasn't locked.

The young girl was stunned for a moment, walked in slowly, and the black cat had already lit the ghostly fire for illumination first.

The previous worries were not in vain. Looking at the dazzling array of bookshelves and cabinets, the young girl took a deep breath. This was really a more massive project—at least in that public account room, the books were classified and could be retrieved.

There was not much time to fear difficulty. Worried that the other party would suddenly return, Li Piaoqing searched one by one from the beginning. Cabinets, drawers, bottles, under the table... all books that looked suspicious were taken out and flipped through by her. The black cat also kept jumping up and down, searching every possible crack. However, after working nervously for nearly a quarter of an hour, she didn't find the so-called "private account book" that Zhang Dingyun said was properly hidden.

Until the black cat suddenly stood quietly on the table, a pair of green eyes looking down.

Li Piaoqing raised her head with a tense face, her lips slightly: "What's wrong?"

The black cat didn't look up: "You say... could it be this one?"

Li Piaoqing looked blankly. The black cat's small claws pressed on a spread-out large register. The register was placed upright on the table, and there were pen and ink beside it.

"..."

"..."

Li Piaoqing walked over. Under the reflection of the Chi Fire, the newly recorded line grabbed the young girl's eyes first:

【Water Central Jade Ke】 eighty jin, entered on the 18th of the ninth month of Xinsi. Hired by Miss Yi Chengxin. Stopped at Seven-Meng Jiucheng Wharf for two days, heading to Yinyang.

"Yinyang..."

The young girl frowned, and looking up, there were eighteen consecutive "Hired by Miss Yi Chengxin", all entered the warehouse on the same day.

"The 18th of the ninth month... it was just yesterday." Li Piaoqing pondered, "Stopped for two days, that is, sent to Yinyang tomorrow morning."

She turned her head to look at the black cat, and the black cat's clear green eyes looked over at the same time.

Both sides remembered Seeing Pei Ye's retelling just now. Li Piaoqing was stunned for a while: "Yi family's betrothal gift, why stop at Qiyun for two days, is it just a detour—Little Cat, what is 【Water Central Jade Ke】?"

"Don't know, sounds like a material for containing spirit."

"..."

Li Piaoqing searched further up, and they were all jewelry she knew. Although they were extremely expensive, if it was said to be "heavy betrothal gift to sell daughter," it seemed not enough.

So this last 【Water Central Jade Ke】 became more and more eye-catching.

(End of chapter)