Chapter 270

"Little brother, we admit defeat this time. Spare me, and I can give you compensation."

"I am a Zhuang family member. If you kill me, the Zhuang family will definitely investigate. As long as you are willing to spare me, I can swear that I won't let the clan hunt you down."

Zhuang Xin looked at Lin Chen. He knew that he and his companion's attempt to kill and seize treasures couldn't be hidden; otherwise, the other party wouldn't have ambushed them here.

"Who gave you the courage to kill and seize treasures?"

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes. A Ranked martial practitioner as young as him, not to mention his own future being limitless, just entering the Ranked level at this age meant having a big background in the eyes of others.

As long as they weren't fools, they would know that a martial practitioner like him must not be easily offended.

These two people in front of him, at such an old age, and still able to enter the Ranked level, couldn't possibly be fools.

"It... it was the shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion who secretly notified the two of us..."

Zhuang Xin didn't hide it. Since the other party had already perceived it, it was useless for him not to admit it.

Lin Chen suddenly realized. He originally thought it was Dan Muqing who was angry that he didn't agree to her request, so she thought about killing and seizing treasures, suspecting that he had more than one Canglan Bead on him.

He didn't expect that there was a traitor in the Dan family, and the shopkeeper of this Treasure Pavilion actually colluded with the Zhuang family members in secret, informing these two people about him selling the Canglan Bead.

"The two of us guessed that you could be Ranked at this age, so your family background must be extraordinary. But there is no Gu-surname big family that meets the conditions in the surrounding several prefectures, which shows that you came from thousands of miles away."

"You ran so far away to sell the Canglan Bead, it is highly likely that your family has encountered an accident, and you had no choice but to stay away from where your family is located."

Listening to Zhuang Xin's analysis, Lin Chen had to admit that as long as they are Ranked martial practitioners, there is no one with a simple mind.

This analysis logic is very correct. I think that Dan Muqing also thought of him this way.

A descendant of a declining family, running thousands of miles away to sell a Canglan Bead, it is highly likely that the family has been destroyed, and there are experts hunting him down, so he had to run away.

A very reasonable analysis.

If it were him, he might also have drawn such a conclusion.

"You have such strength at a young age, you and I can turn hostility into friendship. I am willing to recommend you to the clan. With your strength, you can represent my Zhuang family to participate in the four major family competitions, and then the clan will definitely..."

Whoosh!

Before Zhuang Xin finished speaking, the arrow in Lin Chen's hand shot out again, directly ending Zhuang Xin's life.

Looking at Zhuang Xin's eyes that died with regret, Lin Chen bent down and searched the two of them for a while, but only found a few silver notes with a denomination of twenty taels, and not even a bottle of pills.

"No wonder they had to come out to rob. I think they belong to the side branch of the Zhuang family."

Ranked martial practitioners who are poor to this extent are extremely rare. At the very least, the Ranked martial practitioners of the Daliang wouldn't be this poor.

However, it is also possible that these two people didn't put their family assets on their bodies, but put them in the mansion.

Lin Chen picked up the corpses of the two and quickly headed toward the depths of the woods...

A quarter of an hour later, Lin Chen walked out of the woods after patting the dust on his hands. Even though these two people wanted to kill him, he was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the corpses exposed in the wilderness, so he dug a pit and buried them.

A mansion in Lin Hai City.

"Young lady, it's not good. Shopkeeper Chen was captured by the Zhuang family."

A maid ran into the backyard in a hurry. Dan Muqing's face became serious: "The Zhuang family captured my Dan family's shopkeeper. What does the Zhuang family want to do?"

"Young lady, the shop waiter said it was the Zhuang family's second young master who came to capture the person himself."

"Follow me to take a look."

Treasure Pavilion.

Dan Muqing hadn't arrived at the Treasure Pavilion yet, but her face had become cold.

In front of the Treasure Pavilion, Shopkeeper Chen's corpse was lying on the ground, his eyes wide open, half of his skull trampled to pieces, and two waiters were sitting on the ground trembling all over.

"You Zhuang family are really presumptuous. Do you really think my Dan family has no one!"

Dan Muqing walked quickly to the shop door. At this moment, a middle-aged man walked out from the door. Facing Dan Muqing's frosty expression, he just smiled and cupped his hands: "Miss Dan, don't be angry. Our second young master's move today is to eliminate harm for the Dan family."

"Eliminate harm?"

"This person colluded with my Zhuang family member and ate inside and out. My second young master found out, and in order to avoid this person destroying the relationship between the Zhuang family and the Dan family, he personally took action to kill this guy who ate inside and out. This is also to show the Dan family that this is definitely not the move of my Zhuang family's main family."

The middle-aged man's words suppressed Dan Muqing's anger, but she still said coldly: "Is there evidence?"

"Evidence is naturally there. Today, this person went to Zhuang Xin's mansion. If Miss Dan doesn't believe it, why not ask these two waiters."

Dan Muqing looked at the two trembling waiters and said in a deep voice: "Did Shopkeeper Chen go to Zhuang Xin's mansion?"

"Yo... young lady, I... I don't know. Today, after the young lady left the shop, Shopkeeper Chen said he had something to leave the shop for a while, but I don't know where he went."

"The shopkeeper went to Zhuang adult's mansion. I have seen Shopkeeper Chen come out of Zhuang adult's mansion several times."

The two waiters spoke, and the middle-aged man's mouth raised a smile: "Miss Dan, our second young master said, without the consent of the Dan family, he disposed of the thing that ate inside and out. If Miss Dan is dissatisfied, our second young master will come to apologize to Miss Dan in person."

"No need!"

Dan Muqing's expression was cold.

"In that case, I will take my leave."

The middle-aged man walked away, and Dan Muqing said to the person behind her: "Uncle Six, investigate why the Zhuang family wants to take action against Chen Yan."

In the depths of the alley behind, a figure disappeared like a ghost upon hearing the words.

"Take away Chen Yan's corpse and send it back to his home."

Looking at Chen Yan's corpse, Dan Muqing finally decided to let Chen Yan's family go.

Betraying the main family, according to the law, the whole family should be executed.

But Chen Yan had worked in the Dan family for most of his life, from a shop waiter all the way to shopkeeper. Even if there was no merit, there was hard work.

A quarter of an hour later.

A gray-haired figure walked into the shop.

"Young lady, it has been investigated clearly. Today, after you left the shop, Chen Yan went to Zhuang Xin's mansion, and not long after, Zhuang Xin and Zhuang Zhi, the two brothers, went out of the city from the north gate, and there has been no trace since. The Zhuang family discovered that Zhuang Xin and Zhuang Zhi were missing, so they sent Zhuang Lihui to investigate."

Listening to the old man's report, Dan Muqing blurted out: "Gu Fei!"

"Young lady guessed right. Although Chen Yan didn't know about the Canglan Bead, he inferred from the young lady's actions that it must be a treasure. And Chen Yan had long been colluding with the Zhuang Xin brothers in secret. After the young lady left, he informed the Zhuang Xin brothers of the news at the first opportunity, and the Zhuang Xin brothers probably had the intention of killing and seizing treasures."

The old man had a mocking expression on the corner of his mouth: "Now it seems that this is a case of failing to kill and seize treasures, but being killed by the other party instead."

Two Ninth-Rank martial practitioners missing for more than three hours, there is only one explanation, which is that they were killed by that Gu Fei.

"Zhuang Xin and Zhuang Zhi, the two brothers, although they are only Ninth Rank, they have been in the Ninth Rank for several years. Both brothers were killed by that Gu Fei, Uncle Six... do you think this possibility is high?"

Dan Muqing couldn't believe it. Zhuang Xin and the two brothers colluded with Chen Yan, it must not be the first time they have done the act of killing and seizing treasures. Could that Gu Fei see through it? Even if he saw through it, could he kill Zhuang Xin and the two brothers?

Unless, this Gu Fei is Eighth Rank.

But this is impossible. If he were an Eighth-Rank martial practitioner not yet twenty years old, he would definitely be a genius famous throughout the Zhao Guo. She couldn't possibly have never heard of him.

"Perhaps this Gu Fei has some life-saving means. The young lady didn't infer that Gu Fei was also born in a big family, but the family encountered an accident. For a descendant of a big family, it is not strange to have life-saving means."

The old man spoke slowly, and Dan Muqing nodded: "Uncle Six is right. It is not strange for a descendant of a big family to have life-saving means."

As the eldest young lady of the Dan family's main family, she also has life-saving means.

"There is one more thing. When I was just inquiring about the news, I found that a Zhuang family member went to the medical clinic and captured a fisherman."

"Captured a fisherman?"

Dan Muqing was a bit surprised. With the status of the Zhuang family, it is impossible for any fisherman to dare to offend the Zhuang family.

However, she was also puzzled why Uncle Six would care about this matter and mention it to her.

"Uncle Six, does this fisherman have any background?"

"I investigated it. The captured fisherman is named Yu Shan, who has been a fisherman for generations. His parents died three years ago. There is still a little sister and a little brother left at home. The reason why Yu Shan was in the medical clinic was because he encountered a sea demon while out fishing, but he was lucky enough to pick up his life."

The old man raised his head: "The Zhuang family captured Yu Shan because the doctor in the medical clinic went to the money shop to exchange a gold note of ten gold. The Zhuang family went to the medical clinic, and the doctor in the medical clinic confessed that this gold note was given to Yu Shan by a young martial practitioner for medical treatment."

Dan Muqing's beautiful eyes condensed. She understood what Uncle Six meant.

The Zhuang family capturing Yu Shan is also related to that Gu Fei. It must be that Chen Yan revealed to the Zhuang family that she gave Gu Fei one hundred and ten gold, and the money shop in Lin Hai City just happened to be operated by the Zhuang family.

"Uncle Six, protect Yu Shan's little sister and little brother."

Dan Muqing made a decision, and the old man nodded: "Good."

The old man turned and walked out of the shop, his figure quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Lin Hai Prefecture.

Lin Chen looked at the outline of the city in front, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Since killing those two Ninth-Rank men, he chose to go in the opposite direction, changing from the original northward to southward.

The reason is very simple. If the Zhuang family discovered the corpses of those two men, they would only go north to pursue, and would not think that he would run south.

Lin Chen had seen the map of the Nine Nations. The territory of the Zhao Guo is only one-fifth of the Daliang. Besides the capital, it governs fifteen prefectures.

If compared by area, one prefecture of the Zhao Guo is equivalent to two prefectures of the Daliang.

Just when Lin Chen was about to enter the city, a voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Little friend, you can't enter the city like this."

The moment the voice came, all the hair on Lin Chen's body stood up, and he wanted to run at the first opportunity, but he forcibly stopped his figure and slowly turned his head to look behind him.

Less than a zhang away behind him, an old man was standing there smiling.

With my current perception, being able to approach within a zhang of me without a sound, this person is at least a Seventh-Rank martial practitioner.

"Junior has seen Senior. What does Senior mean by this?"

"Young Master Gu, the old man is ordered by the young lady to wait for Young Master Gu outside Lin Hai Prefecture, just to tell Young Master Gu one thing. At this moment, the Zhuang family has left people to guard the Lin Hai Prefecture city gate. Once Young Master Gu enters the city, the Zhuang family members will immediately discover it."

"Zhuang family members discover?"

Lin Chen had a look of doubt: "Senior, I didn't understand this. I have no grudges with the Zhuang family, so it has nothing to do with me that the Zhuang family is guarding the gate."

The old man heard this, and seeing Lin Chen's confused expression, he also praised him in his heart: he is indeed calm in the face of danger.

If he hadn't already known the cause and effect, and was certain that the Zhuang Xin brothers died at the hands of Gu Fei, he would have really been deceived.

"Since Young Master Gu feels it has nothing to do with him, then the old man will say no more. Young Master Gu can just enter the city."

The old man looked at Lin Chen smilingly. The confused look on Lin Chen's face disappeared. He naturally wouldn't enter the city again.

Regardless of whether this person is using words to trick him, it at least shows one point: the matter of him killing the Zhuang family members has already been exposed.

"So it turns out this is Lin Hai Prefecture. Then it seems I took the wrong road. Thank you, Senior, for telling me."

Lin Chen cupped his hands, turned around, and was about to walk in another direction.

"The Zhuang family has mobilized the whole clan, not only guarding the Lin Hai Prefecture city gate, but also other cities, and there are Seventh-Rank martial practitioners patrolling everywhere."

The old man didn't stop Lin Chen from leaving and continued to tell the situation.

"Although the Zhuang Xin brothers' martial arts potential has been exhausted and they only had the Ninth-Rank realm for their whole lives, Ninth-Rank martial practitioners also belong to the middle level in the Zhuang family. Two Ninth-Rank martial practitioners died, so the Zhuang family cannot be indifferent."

Lin Chen stopped his steps, his pupils staring at the old man: "Senior, if you have anything to say, you might as well say it directly."

"This matter is ultimately because my Dan family had a traitor who leaked Young Master Gu's whereabouts, which made the situation become like this. My young lady said that if Young Master Gu has any needs, the Dan family can send Young Master Gu out of Lin Hai Prefecture."

"No conditions?"

Thinking of the competition Dan Muqing mentioned to him, Lin Chen asked again.

"No conditions at all. This is my young lady's apology to Young Master Gu."

Hearing the old man's words, Lin Chen pondered for a long time and said: "Good, then I will trouble Senior."

"Young Master Gu, please follow me."

The old man took Lin Chen and walked toward the side of the bamboo forest on the official road. In that bamboo forest, a carriage was parked.

"My Dan family's carriage, no one in Lin Hai Prefecture dares to check. Young Master Gu, please get on the carriage."

Lin Chen nodded. Since the Dan family is one of the four major families in Lin Hai Prefecture, these privileges must exist.

He can sit in the carriage and avoid the Zhuang family's eyes and ears at the city gate to enter the city.

"Thank you, Senior."

Lin Chen cupped his hands to express his gratitude, and didn't dawdle, directly getting into the carriage.

The old man sat in front of the carriage himself, driving the carriage toward the city gate.

After a cup of tea time, the carriage drove to the city gate. The guards at the city gate saw the logo on the carriage, lowered their heads, their expressions extremely respectful, and only raised their heads after the carriage left.

"Boss, the Zhuang family ordered us to check every carriage entering and leaving. This..."

"If you want to die, don't drag me with you. Didn't you see the logo on the carriage? This is a carriage that only the main family of the Dan family is qualified to ride. You have the guts to check it now?"

The guard leader had a look of contempt, and the guard who asked the question had a look of chagrin.

The main family's carriage of the Dan family, if he dared to check it, it would really be no different from sending himself to death.

(End of chapter)