Chapter 8

The next day.

The blue stone street had just been scorched hot by the sun, and several shops on both sides had not yet opened.

A carriage covered in fresh flowers drove into the city, and Lu Xiaofeng, with his four mustaches, stepped down from the carriage, accompanied by a dashing noble young master. This person had a handsome face, a scholarly demeanor, and a faint smile on the corners of his lips, giving people a smile like a spring breeze. Only a pair of eyes seemed not very flexible, as if they were a pool of stagnant water.

Hua Manlou.

The seventh young master of the Hua family of Jiangnan.

Before inviting Lu Xiaofeng, Shangguan Feiyan had already fooled Hua Manlou into the Jinpeng Dynasty.

A night had passed, and Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou had almost believed the lies carefully woven by Shangguan Feiyan and the others, preparing to seek justice for the King of Jinpeng from Yan Tieshan, Dugu Yihe, and Huo Xiu, and to reclaim the treasure of that year.

But the martial arts of these three were extraordinary, and they had not-so-weak forces by their sides; relying solely on Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou, it was very difficult to accomplish this, so they were going to invite a few helpers, one of whom was Ximen Chuixue.

Hua Manlou said: "Ximen Chuixue doesn't seem to live here?"

Lu Xiaofeng said: "He is not here; the one I am looking for is someone else."

Hua Manlou said: "Who are you looking for?"

Lu Xiaofeng said: "I am looking for two very eccentric old men; one knows astronomy above and geography below, and he knows a little bit about all the strange things throughout history. The other has even greater ability; no matter how strange or difficult a problem you pose, he has a way to solve it for you."

Hua Manlou said: "Are you talking about Dazhi and Datong?"

Lu Xiaofeng said: "I didn't expect you to know them too."

Hua Manlou said indifferently: "Although I am a blind man, I am not at all deaf."

Lu Xiaofeng smiled bitterly: "Sometimes I still wish you were a little deaf."

He simply couldn't think of any way to move Ximen Chuixue to take action, so he could only go find these two old monsters.

Dazhi and Datong had always been erratic, seeing the head but not the tail of the dragon. The only one in the Edo who could find them was Master Sun, full name Guisunzi Daye.

Fortunately, Guisunzi Daye was not hard to find, just a bit expensive, requiring them to fish him out of a brothel.

Under the guidance of Guisunzi Daye, Hua Manlou and Lu Xiaofeng came to the mountain cave where Dazhi and Datong were hiding.

The mountain cave was gloomy and dark, and the entrance was very small, so whoever it was had to crawl in; Master Sun was the one who crawled in.

The two waited for a long time, and a muffled voice came from the mountain cave: "You may begin asking."

A fifty-tael silver ingot was thrown in, and Lu Xiaofeng's first question was: "Fifty years ago, was there a Jinpeng Dynasty in the world?"

One question for fifty taels, it had to be a full-weight ingot, and one had to stand outside to ask; this was the rule of Dazhi and Datong.

A moment later, a low and aged voice came from the mountain cave: "The Jinpeng Dynasty was a very small country in the far south, where people of the same surname married, and those in power were mostly of the compound surname Shangguan; it had already fallen fifty years ago, and it is said that the descendants of the royal family have already fled to the Central Plains."

Lu Xiaofeng exhaled, seeming very satisfied with the answer, so he threw another ingot in and began the second question.

He asked three questions in succession, all about the Jinpeng Dynasty, seeking to verify the authenticity of this matter from the mouths of Dazhi and Datong; after all, not everyone was willing to be used as a gun by others.

Although he still couldn't avoid the fate of being used as a gun by others.

The fourth question was quickly thrown out: "If there is an extremely difficult matter that absolutely requires Ximen Chuixue to take action, what method can be used to move him?"

This time, the mountain cave was silent for a long time before replying with four words: "There is no method."

Although he had expected it, Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth. "There is no method" was considered a method; a table of fine wine and dishes only cost five taels of silver, yet these four words were worth fifty taels of silver, simply faster than robbing money.

He sighed and asked the final question: "What is the background of the 'Jade-Faced Divine Sword' Yu Liancheng, who has recently risen to fame in the Central Plains Edo?"

The mountain cave was silent for a moment again before that low voice sounded: "It is possible that he is the young master of the Western Rakshasa Cult, Yu Tianbao."

Lu Xiaofeng seemed a bit dissatisfied with this vague answer: "Possible?"

"'Jade-Faced Divine Sword' has continuously defeated dozens of famous Edo experts like 'Wind-Chasing Sword' Zhao Rufeng, 'Vertical and Horizontal Mad Blade' Ye Mo, and 'Twelve Linked Docks' Luo Fei since entering the pass over a month ago; his sword technique realm is so high that it directly chases Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng, and he can already be called a top-tier expert."

"And among the martial arts he uses, many originate from the Rakshasa Cult's 'Great Brightness Canon,' such as 'Floating Immortal Steps,' 'Jade Rakshasa Light Smoke Palm,' and so on."

"And over a month ago, the young cult leader of the Rakshasa Cult, Yu Tianbao, disappeared, seemingly having entered the pass."

Lu Xiaofeng raised his eyebrows: "With so much evidence, doesn't it already prove that Yu Tianbao is Yu Liancheng?"

That low voice said: "If a person is born into luxury, wanting whatever they want, surrounded by flatterers, with the only person who can discipline them being away all year round, then will this person become a playboy or a top-tier expert?"

Lu Xiaofeng said: "I'm afraid the possibility of the former is much greater."

That low voice said: "Correct, Yu Tianbao is indeed a playboy, wildly whoring and gambling, staying overnight in brothels; he likes everything that hinders martial arts practice. How could such a person be the 'Jade-Faced Divine Sword' Yu Liancheng, who fought across a thousand miles with a single sword?"

Hua Manlou couldn't help but say: "Could it not be that he is disguised?"

That low voice said: "If a person could disguise themselves from childhood to adulthood, and could also deceive experts like the 'Three Friends of Winter,' the 'Four Shura Devils,' and Yu Luosha, it might not be impossible. It's just, what is his purpose in doing so?"

Indeed, what benefit is there in doing so?

For the Rakshasa Cult, a successor with peerless martial arts would be much more conducive to the stability of their power than a playboy disciple.

I'm afraid they will never imagine that Yu Liancheng was possessed, and that he himself was not Yu Luosha's biological son.

"If he is not Yu Tianbao, then who is he?" Lu Xiaofeng frowned.

Hua Manlou "looked" at Lu Xiaofeng and couldn't help but ask: "Why are you so interested in him? Have you met him?"

Lu Xiaofeng nodded: "I have met him once, and he even gave me a sword strike."

Hua Manlou smiled: "But your two fingers clamped onto it."

Lu Xiaofeng touched his throat, as if he could still feel the cold and chilling sword blade, and said with lingering fear: "I clamped onto it, but I almost died."

Hua Manlou's expression was solemn: "Is his sword technique truly that brilliant?"

Lu Xiaofeng exhaled and said slowly: "I had thought that Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng were already the most terrifying swordsmen in the world; I didn't expect there to be such a person in the world."