Chapter 228

Everyone felt Liu Xiaolou's idea was good, but it was indeed as the leader of Guzhang Mountain said: no one wanted to deal with the Ba-Dong thieves.

But more importantly, they didn't dare to go. One after another, they had expelled or killed the people sent by Gengsang Cave to the mountain. Who dared to go and report to them? If it went wrong, they would be sending their heads!

Under normal circumstances, when everyone is unwilling to do something, it usually evolves into a result of "whoever proposes it, implements it." So, the final implementer became Liu Xiaolou, who came up with the idea.

The Long Mountain Hermit said with concern: "Xiaolou, there is no need to enter the lair of the Ba-Dong thieves. Just intercept them after seeing the Ba-Dong thieves and inform them of this matter. This matter is of great importance. I don't believe the Ba-Dong thieves dare to hide it from above. Like this, I will accompany you, and I will meet you not far away."

Dai Sanren said: "No need for that. Go to Qingjiangkou, twenty miles north of the mountain. There is a manor there called Long Family Fort. Do you know it, Xiaolou?"

Liu Xiaolou nodded: "I know."

Dai Sanren: "It was long ago requisitioned by Gengsang Cave and is a stronghold of Gengsang Cave. Xiaolou, shoot an arrow in from afar, attach a note with two simple sentences, and Gengsang Cave will investigate it themselves. Mount Tianmu's movement is not small; they will know once they send someone to investigate."

Liu Xiaolou laughed: "The two seniors don't need to worry about me. It's just passing a message out. Junior has a sense of proportion."

Dai Sanren was well-informed. Since he knew that place was a stronghold set up by Gengsang Cave, things were easy to handle. Liu Xiaolou's original plan was the same as the Long Mountain Hermit's proposal, so he immediately decided to change to Dai Sanren's method: just shoot an arrow over.

That night, Liu Xiaolou took advantage of the moonlight to go down the mountain and rushed to Qingjiangkou in the north. After arriving at the destination, he turned west and saw the brightly lit Long Family Fort from afar.

After circling the manor, he decided to shoot the arrow at the main gate. He found a tree branch, roughly whittled it into the shape of a short arrow, tied the note he had written in advance to the arrow, and prepared to hit the plaque above the lintel that read "Long Family Fort."

When the time came, a short arrow would be nailed to the plaque. How conspicuous, how exciting! Thinking of the surprise of the Gengsang Cave people when they opened the door tomorrow morning, Liu Xiaolou couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly!

Thirty zhang away, feeling the position was appropriate, he infused true qi into the tree branch and used a flicking technique. The short arrow went straight for the plaque!

"Whoosh—"

When the short arrow flew halfway, it dropped slightly. It looked like it wouldn't be nailed to the plaque; it should be nailed to the gate. Liu Xiaolou had never practiced flicking arrows, so there was a small deviation. It wasn't perfect, and he felt a bit regretful.

In the blink of an eye, the short arrow flew to the front of the gate, but the gate suddenly opened. A person walked out from inside, and the arrow hit the hair bun squarely!

Liu Xiaolou never expected such a result, and his heart suddenly jumped. If he had shot the person to death, was he here to report news or to make an enemy?

After looking a few times in a hurry, he discovered that the person's hair bun had been shot loose, and the short arrow was still stuck in the hair bun. It looked dangerous, but in fact, it hadn't hurt anyone.

Fortunately, fortunately, Liu Xiaolou breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to run—although he hadn't hurt anyone, this arrow was clearly very impolite.

The other party reacted extremely quickly, chasing directly in the direction the short arrow was shot from. After Liu Xiaolou escaped three or four miles, he discovered that the other party had caught up quite a distance, indicating that the Ba-Dong thief who was chasing was of higher cultivation than himself.

After running another two miles, seeing that he couldn't escape, Liu Xiaolou calmed his mind and simply turned around to stand still, facing the chasing Ba-Dong thief—he felt that even if the pursuer's cultivation was higher than his, it wouldn't be much higher, at most around the eighth level of Qi Refinement. If it didn't work, he would just fight. After so many life-and-death battles, he had no fear of an enemy only one level higher than himself.

The Ba-Dong thief caught up. Seeing Liu Xiaolou ready for battle, he also hurriedly stopped his footsteps, shook the messy hair bun that was blocking his eyes, and shouted at Liu Xiaolou: "Where did you come from... eh?"

Liu Xiaolou also saw the Ba-Dong thief's appearance clearly and let out an "eh."

Eyes meeting, they blinked at each other. Liu Xiaolou was stunned: "Why is it fellow Daoist Da Ming?"

The person in front of him was Zhang Da Ming, a cultivator on the Ba-Dong side when they rescued Su Shisanlang. Liu Xiaolou had heard Liu Daoran specifically explain that this gentleman was not a Gengsang Cave cultivator, but a Mount Nangu cultivator who had been forcibly conscripted by Gengsang Cave. He didn't expect to meet him today.

Zhang Da Ming was also stunned: "You shot me?"

Liu Xiaolou hurriedly cupped his hands to apologize: "A misunderstanding, fellow Daoist Da Ming. I was originally here to deliver an arrow letter, preparing to shoot it at the gate. Who knew it would be such a coincidence? Just as I shot it, fellow Daoist Da Ming opened the door. It was truly dangerous! If you don't believe me, fellow Daoist Da Ming, take the arrow down; the letter is still tied to it."

Zhang Da Ming asked: "What take it down?"

Liu Xiaolou pointed: "It's stuck in your hair bun..."

Zhang Da Ming hurriedly reached out, and sure enough, he felt the arrow shaft, took it down, and saw that there was indeed a note tied to it.

After reading the note, Zhang Da Ming understood and couldn't help but laugh and cry: "It really is..."

Liu Xiaolou also laughed: "It's truly a coincidence that couldn't be more coincidental. But precisely because of this, it shows that I have a connection with Brother Da Ming. It really is a connection that brings people together from a thousand miles away! Haven't seen Brother Daoran for a long time, I wonder how he is recently?"

Zhang Da Ming looked around and beckoned: "This place is not convenient. Let's talk over there."

The two came to a mountain hollow. Zhang Da Ming said: "I haven't seen Daoran for a long time either, and I don't know how he is doing recently... Truly didn't expect it, brother, you are actually from Wulong Mountain."

Liu Xiaolou laughed: "Ashamed."

Zhang Da Ming said: "In the battle last year, Gengsang Cave won and pushed the front line to your Wulong Mountain. The territory is larger, and Gengsang Cave's manpower is very tight. It can't compare to the Zhanglong Sect, which is closer. It's inevitable that they have to take care of both ends, so they continued to conscript a group of us old brothers. I saw that the remuneration was quite generous, so I accepted it. Anyway, the war has stopped, and it's not as dangerous as before. I'll earn spirit stones for two years and then talk about it, haha. Isn't this why I was sent to Long Family Fort?"

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he asked: "Brother Liu, is the news you reported certain?"

Liu Xiaolou sighed: "We fellow Daoists on Wulong Mountain are caught in the middle, it's truly difficult. A while ago, you sent people up the mountain, and the Zhanglong Sect also sent people up the mountain. Sending back and forth, it made the mountain a mess. I don't know how they discussed it, but I heard they don't let people up the mountain anymore. We thought we could breathe a sigh of relief, but who knew Mount Tianmu would pop up again, using the excuse of catching a criminal to come up the mountain to search. Brother Da Ming might not know, but we fellow Daoists on Wulong Mountain, more or less, don't have very clean hands. Once this precedent is set, they can come up the mountain anytime, anywhere in the future. Just point to anyone and say they committed a crime, right? By then, there will be no peace on the mountain."

Zhang Da Ming laughed and asked: "So you thought of telling us? Let us take the lead?"

Liu Xiaolou sighed: "To tell the truth, we fellow Daoists on Wulong Mountain have a grudge against Gengsang Cave, and the grudge is not small. This idea was also out of helplessness. The brothers have all thought it through: if Gengsang Cave cannot stop the people of Mount Tianmu from coming up the mountain, then in the future, everyone will follow Mount Tianmu. So, this is our last path."

Zhang Da Ming said: "I am not a person from Gengsang Cave. I'm just helping them do things to earn some spirit stones. You..."

Liu Xiaolou waited for his follow-up, but waited for a moment and didn't get it. Seeing the smile on his face, he said with a bitter face: "Brother Da Ming, caught in the middle of both sides, how bitter is our life? It's truly..."

Zhang Da Ming didn't force it: "Then how about this: your Wulong Mountain owes me the hard work fee first, and pay it when you have it?"

Liu Xiaolou nodded and said: "As long as the matter is handled properly, I will keep the matter of spirit stones in mind for you."

The two agreed to meet again at this place the next afternoon, at which time they would give Liu Xiaolou a definite answer. So Liu Xiaolou arrived as promised the next day, but this time there was another person beside Zhang Da Ming.

Liu Xiaolou was very vigilant and didn't dare to go over easily, asking from afar: "Fellow Daoist Da Ming, who is that beside you?"

Zhang Da Ming said: "Come over, it's fine. It's Steward Xin from Gengsang Cave who specifically came to see you."