Chapter 286: Prison Battle

Bixiao Pavilion was not the most important place for the Huan Si Lou. "Mr. Zhang" had perhaps only gone there for a trip temporarily. The guards Li Piaoqing easily avoided when entering the backyard last night were not the manpower of the Huan Si Lou.

Seeing Pei Ye thought about this, and he had already arrived outside the Changsun compound again.

Changsun was a person of the Yi family. He had just completed the delivery of the Shuiyang Yuke with Yi Nandai. If Qiyun had contributed anything to the Yi family's schemes in the past few decades, then Changsun must be holding some invisible threads.

For example, the external pawn who hid among the retail traders and went to Bowang.

And at this time when Qiyun was handed over to the Huan Si Lou, Changsun had to leave the position of Great Lingzi Guanshi. The person coming to take over must also be a trusted confidant of the Huan Si Lou.

Then by following Changsun, one could find this new Great Lingzi Guanshi of Qiyun, and by following this Great Lingzi Guanshi, one could find that "Mr. Zhang" and find the secret pavilion of the Huan Si Lou in Xiangzhou City.

Seeing Pei Ye sat down at a stall across the street, placed his sword on the table, and ordered a bowl of hot noodles.

Heat, sweat, noise, white steam rising—Seeing Pei Ye seemed to have returned to the small tavern in Fenghuai.

And unlike Li Piaoqing's fulfilling busyness at the same moment, he sat here for a long time, chatting with the man at the next table from the thickness and elasticity of the noodles to the replacement of the Great Tang Dynasty. The sky had already turned dim yellow, but the tightly closed gate of the residence across the street still didn't see anyone entering or leaving.

The man at the next table had one leg coiled on the stool, and the empty bowl that had long since cooled was placed before him. He had added noodle soup twice, and now both were already in his stomach: "Little brother, you must have walked a lot north and south, but I feel that it's the same principle everywhere—if you have power and influence, then they let them fish for all kinds of money; if you have no money and no power, you work yourself to death to earn ten boards, and you still have to spit out five of them!"

"That's true!"

"Right!" The man glanced at the tightly closed gate across the street and lowered his voice, "Do you know whose courtyard that is?"

"Whose?"

"Qiyun Great Lingzi Guanshi, Changsun Xiao! Everything that enters and leaves Qiyun in Xiangzhou is decided by him!" The man took his chopsticks, only then remembering the bowl was empty, so he lowered his voice even more, "A batch of cargo arrived two days ago, placed in the innermost cabin, and anyone could see it was precious. As a result, with one word from him, it didn't enter the warehouse, was put on a carriage, and driven straight back to his own home—who dares to say anything about the tricks inside?"

Seeing Pei Ye nodded, thinking that this was indeed not him lining his own pockets, but the Shuiyang Yuke the Yi family wanted.

The man twisted his gaze over for a glance, came back, and said again: "You don't know, this is just 'entering,' there is also 'exiting'—the cargo from last month was truly big."

Seeing Pei Ye was stunned for a moment: "Oh? Inform me?"

"We don't know what it was at all." The man looked at him, "Anyway, it was bought with real gold and silver, packed in a large box—I'm not bragging, little brother, that box alone must be worth several dozen taels! People helping on the Dongcheng side passed it on, the merchant alliance sold several Qiyun buildings in the previous months, and the silver obtained was used for this purchase—as a result, guess what?"

"What happened?"

"This matter is really unknown to others. That night in the middle of the night, my brothers happened to stay at the docks to clean up. When the ship arrived, they didn't let us go to move it, nor did they check the accounts—they brought some servants themselves, and moved it away that very night."

". Moved to where?"

"Who knows, they didn't let us ask." The man rolled his eyes, but hesitated for a while, and still said in a low voice, "Later, the gossip spread, saying that a family head died in Yinyang, and this thing was taken to be buried with him."

"."

"Isn't it? If you want to buy funeral goods, you should pay for it yourself. Qiyun at most acts as a coordinator in the middle. Where is the principle of the merchant alliance selling its own industry to send funeral goods for others?" The man twisted his eyebrows, "Who got the money from those buildings, we have no place to guess."

Seeing Pei Ye nodded slowly, but smiled and sighed: "This kind of thing is for the meat-eaters to plan, we don't need to worry too much, just live our own lives."

"These words are really right! But what is 'meat-eaters to plan'?"

"These are the words from 'Zuo Zhuan,' meaning that major national affairs should be managed by those who eat meat."

"Hmm! These words make sense—what is 'Zuo Zhuan'?"

"A book that talks about past events."

"Hmm! You read a lot, you look cultured!" The man gave a thumbs up admiringly.

"Haha."

"Hey, little brother, since there is 'Zuo Zhuan,' is there 'You Zhuan'?"

"."

"Hmm."

"Perhaps... perhaps there is... if there is left, there should be right..."

"Exactly! I think it's the same principle!" The man nodded heavily.

Seeing Pei Ye smiled and cupped his hands, looked left and right: "I see everyone has been resting here for an afternoon. Do you not need to work today?"

"There are few ship cargoes these days." The man said, "This job is to work with the ship, one day tired to death, one day idle to death."

Seeing Pei Ye laughed, picked up his sword, stood up, and put the bamboo hat he had taken from the theater on his head: "Then you brothers continue to rest, I have to go to work."

The man opened his eyes: "Yo! What work is little brother doing?"

"Small work." Seeing Pei Ye took out five boards and handed them to the stall owner, tilted his head and smiled, "Brother, since you've talked so dryly, let me treat you to two more bowls of big noodles."

"Generous!"

Seeing Pei Ye turned his head with a smile, walked out of the stall, and looked forward.

That tightly closed gate finally opened, and a carriage drove out, slowly heading east.

If there is a handover, there must be a meeting and talk.

————

In the dim street, the flow of people gradually became dense. The carriage didn't travel fast. Seeing Pei Ye followed from a distance, all the way to the Dongcheng.

After passing the most crowded section, the people here gradually became sparse, and the houses also became high-gated and eaves-heavy. The carriage turned three alleys, deeper and deeper, and finally stopped at a courtyard at the end.

Seeing Pei Ye stood at the entrance of the alley, looking from afar.

The gate was tightly closed, with small lions in front, more exquisite than atmospheric. The carriage stopped for a while, and a man in silk clothes got off the carriage. He was thin, over forty years old, exactly matching the appearance of Changsun Xiao in Ji Yun's description.

He stepped forward and knocked on the door. The coachman drove the carriage to the side gate, blocking the man's figure. When it was revealed again, the person was gone, leaving only two doors slowly closing.

Seeing Pei Ye watched for a while, but a servant splashing water came out of the courtyard next door, stared at the youth carrying a sword and wearing a bamboo hat twice: "Are you looking for someone?"

Seeing Pei Ye was stunned for a moment, cupped his hands and smiled: "Brother, sorry to bother you, was that courtyard in the alley for sale a few days ago? My master was quite interested, and today I see, is it already owned by a new master?"

The servant looked at him strangely: "The six courtyards in this alley all belong to my master. The one at the end was indeed sold—who is your master, did he talk to our master at the time?"

". Oh, maybe he didn't have time to speak yet—may I ask when it was sold?"

"Just in the last half month. If your master wants it, the second one from the left is also ready to be sold."

"Good, then I'll go back and report—may I ask what kind of person the buyer of this one is?"

"I don't know. It seems to be from out of town. If you want to visit, he is at home now."

". Oh." Out of town is right.

Seeing Pei Ye smiled, said goodbye to this person, turned his head and pressed his hat brim, and strode toward that courtyard.

It's good that he's at home.

————

Seeing Pei Ye pushed the courtyard gate open.

A clean and somewhat empty small courtyard, paved with stone slabs, four or five flower trees planted, and at the end was a two-story small building.

There was no one in the courtyard, a scene of silence, even though he had pushed open the gate without any concealment, no one showed their head to check.

Seeing Pei Ye walked slowly toward the small building.

Arriving before the building, Seeing Pei Ye stood quietly for a while, and it was also silent inside.

No conversation, no clinking of cups, as if it were an empty building, and the people who had just opened the door and entered seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Seeing Pei Ye pushed open this door.

A "creak" sounded in the quiet air, and the slanting sunset shone in from behind.

There was no one in the building either.

The tables and chairs were neat, the ground was clean, not like someone lived there, but like it was still waiting to be sold. There was no separation between the first and second floors, and there was little furniture, so it appeared high and empty. Standing on the first floor, one could see the beams arching at the top of the building at a glance.

Seeing Pei Ye looked around and walked in slowly. The building only had floating dust and echoes brought by footsteps. He had broken in so directly, yet still no one came out to check.

Then he suddenly paused, raised his head, and scanned slowly.

First floor, second floor, fifteen doors and windows, except for the one he entered, everything else was closed tightly, not only bolted but also hung with iron weights—those were... locks.

Seeing Pei Ye stood in the middle of this building, not moving.

In the courtyard, footsteps approached—pat, pat...

Seeing Pei Ye turned around. The servant who had asked questions at the entrance of the alley walked in from the courtyard, looked at him expressionlessly, and gently closed the building door behind him.

Then he turned around, and in Seeing Pei Ye's quiet gaze, pulled out a cold, bright white blade with one hand, and slowly raised his other hand.

Gently placed a theater mask on his face.

At this moment, three such white blades lit up in the building at the same time.

An indifferent voice came down from the second floor: "You are Seeing Pei Ye?"

Seeing Pei Ye looked up. On the second floor, exactly that silk-clad person who had just entered the door was standing, thin and over forty, everything matching the appearance of Changsun Xiao in Ji Yun's description.

Except for that face.

He looked at Seeing Pei Ye and slowly put on a theater mask: "You dare to follow with a bamboo hat, do you think we can't find out who hung Kou Liyue on the flagpole last night?"

Seeing Pei Ye smiled: "It is this place that—"

The sound of the white blade breaking the air behind him suddenly sounded like a flute!

Seeing Pei Ye suddenly twisted his steps and turned around. A strange and indifferent theater mask had already occupied his entire field of vision. The youth withdrew his steps, pulled his sword horizontally, and the powerful knife that brought air currents clashed with his half-drawn sword blade.

A Fifth Life completely different from the likes of Di Fei and Xu Er. At the moment sparks flew, this theater mask suddenly reversed before his eyes. The attacker was upside down in the sky, the long knife drifted and folded, clanging as it grazed Seeing Pei Ye's sword blade and cut straight at his neck.

Seeing Pei Ye's strength was released completely, leaning back like a slanted pole. The next moment, another fast and sharp sword light swept past the position where the youth's upper body had just been.

The third cold blade was only a moment slower, sweeping in silently along the ground, aiming precisely at the youth's posture that was almost exhausted after another dodge.

At this time, Seeing Pei Ye's sword was not drawn, his posture was pressing the ground, and the two white blades above his head were again aiming coldly at him. Even if he tried his best to dodge again, this round of offensive was enough to cut a bright red blood flower on his body.

And on the second floor, in the silk-clad person's hand, a bright long sword had also slowly been drawn. The next moment, it would make up for the fatal sword.

In the blink of an eye, it was already a desperate prison cage that strangled life.

However, Seeing Pei Ye did not dodge again.

He tilted his head and looked straight at the third theater mask that was sweeping in.

Reaching out to support himself on the ground, the true Qi shook away a piece of dust. The youth's body, which had just been dodging lightly, suddenly rushed forward. Like a butterfly turning into an eagle, he didn't look at the two cold blades in the air. His sword was not drawn, but he had already crashed before the third theater mask.

The knife and sword behind him missed and changed moves. Like a poisonous snake, they followed closely. At this moment, the youth only had a gap of one move.

In front, a sharp, silent knife was ghostly and ethereal, containing thirteen completely different knife paths between the knives.

Even an old knife master who founded a sect would find it difficult to distinguish clearly, but at the moment the youth approached, the drifting white blade suddenly stalled. Thirteen paths returned to one, clanging and slashing on the youth's horizontal arm sword sheath.

The attacker was shocked, his wrist twisted, and he was about to change moves, but the youth who had already stuck to his face suddenly revealed a smile with a bit of childishness.

He said softly with a smile: "True Qi Technique · Immortal Fire."

The knife force before the sheath suddenly stiffened.

Even through the theater mask, the shocked emotion seemed to still be revealed. At the same time, three gazes fell on the youth's back at the same time.

But there was no time for them to think about the reason. The hot, violent flames were like evil beasts rushing out from tearing the void. The autumn chill in the whole small building dissipated at once. Under the youth's compression, the fire flow was like pulp, instantly submerging the entire body of the theater guest in front of him.

And the next moment, the knife and sword behind him had already arrived again. Seeing Pei Ye didn't look back, as if he had eyes on his back. Borrowing the knife force of the person in front of him, he stepped on the ground, made a slanted back sweep, and had already avoided the long knife, passing by the long sword theater guest.

The theater guest turned around violently, and the two left in opposite directions. In this short half-breath, they met and crossed. The theater guest changed moves extremely fast and fiercely, and the long sword pulled horizontally like the moon.

Seeing Pei Ye turned his wrist, and the half-blade sword sheath turned like a flower. The theater guest's long sword rubbed against the blade with a clanging sound, and when it settled, it slashed on the Shanyu sword grid with a ding.

Seeing Pei Ye let go freely.

At this moment, the youth was unarmed. The bright, water-like autumn blade flowed out of the sword sheath before him. The theater guest immediately straightened his sword and changed moves, quickly grasping this fatal opportunity.

But when he sent his wrist up, the youth had already grasped the sword handle that had been fully drawn.

The flowing sword force slashed on his wrist, and the long sword that had been fully charged in the theater guest's hand was like a river breaking its banks. The collapsing strength twisted in his arm, and the long sword suddenly flew out of his hand. At this moment, there was an empty door in front of him that was at the mercy of others.

The exchange was only in the moment of passing by. In the blink of an eye, the two had already moved away again. The youth dragged the autumn water long sword borrowed from the sword, raised his hand to pick up the bamboo hat on his head, and swung his arm in the last glance of turning around. The round hat was like a whistling sharp wind, instantly sweeping across the space of half a small building, clanging and cutting into the person's neck.

The theater guest fell stiffly, but Seeing Pei Ye's eyes no longer had this scene.

The youth who turned around carried the long sword, stepped five times on the high pillar that ran through the top of the building, and in the hunting clothes, he had already risen to the second floor, staring coldly at the silk-clad person who was holding his sword.

This was a more complex theater mask, which was now looking up coldly and staring at the youth.

At the moment Seeing Pei Ye was highest in the air, the silk-clad person suddenly moved like a swift falcon, his figure drifting like a ghost, as if coming from all directions at once.

Seeing Pei Ye raised his left arm, and the flame flow sprayed out, submerging the afterimage on the left. The silk-clad person's figure solidified on the right, already forcing himself before the youth.

A sword light was as fast as a startled swan.

Seeing Pei Ye twisted his body with all his might. This sword cut a deep crack in his flank. A wound was exchanged for an advance of two body positions. The long sword in Seeing Pei Ye's hand, which had been fully charged, pulled out a dazzling sword light.

The man in the silk shirt fixed his gaze on this sword. The stunning and swift sword light was still clear enough in his eyes, and the man's figure drifted backward—

Suddenly stiffened.

What was rushing toward him was not a sword light, but a cold bright moon.

Suddenly occupying his entire field of vision, as if a folded world was spread out before him, cold moon and ice feathers, jade night and cold lake, frost and snow covered everything, and in such a world, he was a falling goose in the middle of the lake without feeling or consciousness.

Seeing Pei Ye swept with one sword, and blood flowers of fresh red and warmth burst out from under the sword blade at the throat.

The youth stood firmly behind the slowly falling silk-clad person. Behind him came the sound of the building window being smashed. Looking back, that only remaining first theater mask was fleeing like a startled falcon.

Seeing Pei Ye withdrew his gaze, gently twisted a sword flower to shake off the blood, and Shanyu quietly returned to the sheath.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 287 =====