Chapter 195: Truly Sisters!

A five-story building of golden splendor towers over the center of Jiangan County; at its very peak hangs a brass plaque reading 'Fengbo Tower,' its material aged to a black-green hue and severely weathered, clashing with the exquisite architecture, yet this sign is the soul of the entire structure—it was personally inscribed by Wu Zu.

Just as the soul of Tengwang Pavilion is the Preface to Tengwang Pavilion, without this plaque, no faction would spontaneously open their pockets to constantly renovate and rebuild this tower, extending its existence for a thousand years.

Fengbo Tower is a landmark of Jiangan County; normally it is open only for viewing, not to the public, and lights are lit only during major grand assemblies.

Those who can enter are none other than famous veterans of the Jianghu; the host is always a generation's prodigy. After the Wu Sect rebellion ended and the North-South Cultivation Dao war concluded, the talks to divide territories were held here; the Two Saints Ye Ci, True Person Qixia, Bodhisattva Yu Nian, the Northern Zhou Valkyrie, True Person Huang Lin, Shang Lianbi, and other immortals were all present.

Because the threshold is extremely high, ordinary Jianghu people simply cannot get in; the Jianghu underlings coming to make a scene merely gather around Fengbo Tower, waiting to see the big shots they have only heard of from the storytellers.

Xie Jinhuan came here originally to watch the fun, but at this very moment, his mind is filled with the matter of his sister-in-law.

This sister-in-law, Hua Ruyue, does not look like a sword specialist to him, but Seeing Bing Tuozi also knows Thunder Arts; the Qingming Sword Manor sees too little movement, and few people inside clearly know what they actually teach.

Moreover, the other party confirmed Seeing Bing Tuozi's identity and could know her height and appearance by name; clearly, the two know each other.

To confirm whether the female knight Hua is real, one only needs to ask Seeing Bing Tuozi if she has such a senior sister, but the sister-in-law warned not to reveal their whereabouts...

Xie Jinhuan felt a bit of a headache; just as he was pondering how to handle it, the little ghost wife sitting on his shoulder suddenly said:

"Oh my~ No wonder they were taught by the same master; the female knight Hua is tailing you from behind."

"?"

Xie Jinhuan continued forward without showing any emotion:

"Why is she tailing me? I didn't trick her out of the Sixty-Year Lotus."

Ye Hongshang paid attention to the crowd behind, shrugged slightly, and said:

"Perhaps she is interested in you; Seeing Bing Tuozi was like that back then too."

"..."

Xie Jinhuan remembered how Seeing Bing Tuozi relentlessly tailed him back then, then pinned him down for both electric shocks and sucking; their marriage also began from that time.

But the sister-in-law tailing him obviously won't be thinking about handing out benefits later!

This woman and Seeing Bing Tuozi have a 'female rivalry'; following him is very likely to find Seeing Bing Tuozi!

She is hidden while I am open; only the ghost can sense the other party's presence. If he recklessly turns back, the other party will naturally wonder why his perception ability is as strong as a god's.

For this reason, he can only shake her off; otherwise, he dares not return to see Seeing Bing Tuozi...

Thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan changed direction and walked into a small street in the county town, unexpectedly discovering that there were even brothels and pleasure quarters here; some women in revealing clothing were soliciting customers, and the interior was packed.

Going to a brothel to hold a Miss and enter a room might shake off the sister-in-law, but later when proposing marriage, all three legs would be broken...

Xie Jinhuan hesitated slightly, abandoned the idea of tarnishing his image, and began to exert his Jianghu skills, using buildings and crowds for cover, employing fancy footwork in an attempt to break the pursuit.

Meanwhile, on a street far away.

Bu Yuehua hid within the bustling crowd, watching the young swordsman with the conical hat in the distance, and walked forward slowly.

As for her purpose in tailing Xie Jinhuan, it was very simple:

She is fighting in the arena tomorrow; Nangong Ye and she are 'blood-sworn' sisters, so as long as she is present, Nangong Ye will surely recognize her.

She is a cultivator of the Gu Du Pai of the Southern Border and has no qualification to participate in the Great Qian Martial Arts Tournament to seize opportunities; if discovered, she will be asked to leave.

And given their competitive relationship, if Nangong Ye discovers she wants to use Hu Gu Teng to break through realm, she will surely betray her and remove her participation slot.

That is why she told Xie Jinhuan not to reveal her news, so that Nangong Ye would not be alerted in advance.

And she would try to tail him, find Nangong Ye, and give her a preemptive warning first.

As for making Xie Jinhuan pretend not to know her when they meet in public later, it was to avoid attracting the attention of Jianghu people.

After all, Xie Jinhuan's name has been quite big recently, and he is surrounded by scandals; if Jianghu people knew they knew each other, all sorts of scandals about 'Hua Ruyue and Xie Jinhuan' would immediately spread in Sanjiangkou; she came to compete under a pseudonym, and making it common knowledge would easily expose her identity.

While thinking thus in secret, Bu Yuehua suddenly discovered that the man Wan Yi found lived up to his reputation—his Jianghu experience was extremely seasoned; he seemed to be strolling casually, but was constantly dodging possible pursuit, winding left and right, almost shaking her off too.

But the Gu Du Pai is best at secret concealment and tracking; even without glasses, it is not difficult for Bu Yuehua to latch onto Xie Jinhuan.

The two went one after the other, touring the county town together; after finishing the small county town, Xie Jinhuan wandered among the tents extending to the river outside the city, like a child who had never seen the world.

Seeing this, Bu Yuehua's peach-blossom eyes held a third of confusion, and she thought secretly:

What is this kid doing?

You are not a girl; isn't it tiring to stroll like this...

However, the most important thing for a poison master is the patience to lie in ambush; Bu Yuehua still followed behind, unhurried.

And Xie Jinhuan, wandering everywhere and finding he couldn't shake her off, couldn't help but frown secretly, feeling that these were definitely sisters; the relentless tailing was exactly like a mold cast from the same one...

With such back-and-forth pulling, before finding a place to break away, Xie Jinhuan's gaze suddenly moved, and he turned his head to look at a small street among the tents.

Tents outside the city were clustered together; among them gathered no fewer than tens of thousands of Jianghu guests, and small vendors had set up stalls selling grilled fish, grilled meat, and other alcohol and food.

Outside a stall selling grilled fish, a makeshift troupe was performing opera; two figures sat around a small table, drinking from large bowls. The leader was an elderly martial artist, with a sword and shield placed beside him, possessing an impressive aura.

Opposite him was a middle-aged man with a Jiangzhou Gang badge hanging at his waist; he looked like a manager, and they were talking about something.

Xie Jinhuan was unfamiliar with the elderly martial artist's face, but the aura and weapon were familiar; it seemed to be the former Imperial Guard Instructor, Gongsun Duan.

Gongsun Duan taught the Imperial Guard of the Imperial City; his ability and rank were not low. In previous years, he was very good at currying favor with the powerful, often helping Li Gongpu with affairs, such as setting up an ambush to kill him at Songhe Bay, and he was also quite close to the He family.

For these two reasons, Gongsun Duan's fate was predictable; when Li Gongpu and the He family were executed by the sword along with their entire households, this person simply ran away and is still on the wanted list to this day.

Gongsun Duan ran to Sanjiangkou, presumably to become a bandit in the Jianghu, relying on his martial arts to secure a position within a gang.

Xie Jinhuan was ambushed back then and did not want the news to leak, so he did not deal with the five small fry outside; now that he met them by chance and was being tailed by his sister-in-law, it would be unreasonable not to clean them up conveniently; after a brief thought, he walked directly toward the grilled fish stall.

The sprawling tents were like a sea of lights; two martial actors in general robes held spears with flowers and sparred on the grass, while gongs and drums roared around them:

"Wa-ya-ya-ya—~~"

Dong-dong-qiang, dong-dong-qiang—

At the grilled fish stall, Gongsun Duan supported his knee with one hand, drained the wine in his bowl in one gulp, and his brow was full of the sorrow of a tiger fallen to the plains:

"Hall Master Liu, rest assured; this old man's skills will surely be useful to the gang. I do not ask for a high monthly salary; just a place to stay would be enough..."

Opposite, Liu Wen, the Hall Master of the External Affairs Hall of the Jiangzhou Gang, wore a slight flush on his face, but his mood was actually quite good.

After all, experts of Rank 3 and above are the main force of a gang; the more there are, the stronger the dominance, but such personnel take a long time to cultivate and cost a lot; personnel recruited from outside are not cheap either.

And Gongsun Duan was a martial artist nurtured by the imperial court; from laying his foundation to ascending the martial path, he ate the imperial grain. Now, carrying a wanted warrant and turning to banditry, the Jiangzhou Gang need not pay a single coin for his indenture. They only need to provide a passable identity and slight protection to acquire a high-grade martial artist for free. Even if his age makes him unsuitable for public appearances, dragging him back to his old trade to train gang members would still significantly boost the gang's strength.

Although he had found a bargain, Liu Wen could not show it. He merely held his wine bowl and sighed lightly:

"Mr. Gongsun, your skills are evident here; your worth is far more than this. But precisely because Mr. Gongsun's skills are great, the imperial court investigates strictly. We Jiangzhou Gang count as a major sect. If the Sect Leader offers protection, consider how much risk he must bear. Mr. Gongsun should understand..."

If Gongsun Duan had no backing, he could be seized and handed over to the government office at any moment. At this time, he had no qualification to propose any conditions. He had just intended to raise his wine bowl for a toast, but footsteps sounded from not far away. Tap, tap, tap...

Looking up, he saw a young martial artist dressed in Jianghu attire, wearing a bamboo hat, walk to the table and sit down directly.

?

Gongsun Duan had been frowning, but upon seeing that rather handsome face, the whole person froze, spilling some wine from his bowl.

Liu Wen sensed this young man came with ill intent; his hand moved imperceptibly toward the sword at his waist:

"Young hero, this is Sanjiangkou. Regardless of your intent, observe propriety in your actions."

Xie Jinhuan said nothing, merely taking out a plaque and placing it on the small table.

Pat~

Liu Wen examined the plaque. It was black, surrounded by a qilin pattern, with the characters 'Demon-Suppressing' carved upon it.

This object is the 'Demon-Suppressing Warrant' issued by the imperial court, granted only to virtuous and respected celestial officials or public servants. If encountering evil spirits causing chaos, one may execute first and report later, acting with discretion.

Liu Wen is the Head of the External Affairs Hall of the Jiangzhou Gang. The Sect Leader, Xu Guanfu, ranks seventh in the Great Qian martial arts world. The entire southeast coast is within his sphere of influence; on the Jianghu, he basically walks horizontally.

But regarding the imperial court, one may disregard it in private, yet must still show respect in public.

Liu Wen looked at the plaque, slightly stunned, then clasped his hands in a bow:

"Commoner Liu Wen, greets my lord. May I ask who my lord is..."

"Xie Jinhuan."

"?"

Liu Wen was stunned, perhaps feeling the person before him was too young and his appearance did not resemble a marquis, half-believing and half-doubting.

Xie Jinhuan did not explain further, merely pointing at Gongsun Duan:

"This person is wanted by the imperial court and may be a remnant of the He family's demonic Daoist..."

"You!"

Gongsun Duan, originally tense all over, changed color upon hearing this, pressing his sword with a furious glare:

"Xie Jinhuan, do not slander with blood in your mouth! How could this old man possibly be of the demonic Daoists? This place is Sanjiangkou..."

Xie Jinhuan paid no heed to Gongsun Duan, merely turning his gaze to look at Liu Wen:

"I am commissioned by the imperial court to monitor evil spirits among the people. I must take him back to the government office for a celestial official to verify. Does Hall Master Liu have any objections?"

Liu Wen certainly had objections.

After all, such a large high-grade enforcer was already within reach; if the imperial court took him away, wouldn't the Jiangzhou Gang lose a piece of flesh for nothing?

But Gongsun Duan was indeed in a wanted state. Xie Jinhuan's arrest was justified, and he held the Demon-Suppressing Warrant.

The function of the Demon-Suppressing Warrant is that if one deems anyone an evil spirit, they may search; if resisting arrest, they may be executed on the spot. It carries the imperial court's endorsement and the emperor's special permission.

Wei Wu Yi's purpose in holding the grand meeting was to seek the qualification of 'Deputy Supervisor', to control the major sects under the guise of monitoring evil spirits causing chaos.

If Xie Jinhuan claims Gongsun Duan is a remnant of a demonic Daoist, and Wei Wu Yi forbids the investigation, then wouldn't this meeting have been held in vain?

Therefore, asking Wei Wu Yi for intercession in this matter would be useless; even his Sect Leader could not do anything to Wei Wu Yi.

Liu Wen fell silent for a moment, then responded politely:

"My lord Xie's fame is widespread; Liu has also heard of it. However, now that Wei Lao is holding the Hero's Meeting at Sanjiangkou, heroes from all regions are not on guard and are supporting the event because of Wei Lao's prestige. If the government office arrests someone here, causing a huge commotion, leading to the heroes from all regions scattering in a panic..."

Boom~

Before the words finished, Xie Jinhuan suddenly raised the Tiansha Mace; its round tail, like a cannonball, smashed into Gongsun Duan's solar plexus.

Gongsun Duan, pressing his sword, had been looking for an opportunity to strike first and escape. Seeing this, he felt a chill run down his spine, but the sword had only emerged half an inch when the round tail of the Tiansha Mace had already smashed into his heart gate.

Under the heavy blow, a hole burst in the robe on Gongsun Duan's back. His entire qi flow was instantly severed. The whole person suffocated on the spot, his face turning blue-purple. Only after a long while did he emit a sound:

"Hah~..."

Then his hands dropped limply, his back hunched as he sat on the stool, teetering and about to fall.

Liu Wen's words stopped abruptly, his eyes full of shock.

The diners at the two tables nearby heard the dull thud, turned their heads to look, but no one dared to say anything; they merely stood up and left quickly.

And the crowd watching the show from afar did not notice anything unusual at all.

Xie Jinhuan supported Gongsun Duan to prevent him from falling, his gaze fixed on Liu Wen from start to finish:

"If Hall Master Liu did not stir up trouble, it would not cause such panic. I am taking this person back for review to prevent evil bandits from causing chaos. I hope Hall Master Liu can understand."

"Uh..."

What could Liu Wen do if he didn't understand? To obstruct further would make him an accomplice. Arresting him would take only a wave of the hand. After a moment of silence, he could only clasp his hands and praise:

"My lord Xie possesses fine martial arts. Liu just met this person. I was thinking that after the Hero's Meeting ended, I would hand him over to the government office. My lord Xie acting early to subdue him also counts as eliminating a hidden danger."

Xie Jinhuan did not pay attention to a mere Jianghu underling. He took back the plaque from the table, placed a silver ingot as compensation to the grilled fish stall owner, and stood up, grabbing Gongsun Duan by the back of his collar with one hand.

"Hah~..."

Gongsun Duan, whose heart meridian was severely injured by the Thunder-Running Mace, had a blue-purple face and could not stand steadily. Stumbling, he was dragged towards the county town.

Liu Wen sat in place watching him off. His humble smile gradually faded, and hidden anger surged in his eyes.

But an official arresting a thief is natural justice. This matter was neither reasonable nor was he a match. Anger was useless. Only after Xie Jinhuan left did he stand up and disappear into the crowd.

Bu Yuehua, hidden in the shadows, saw this scene and understood. Xie Jinhuan wandering around was patrolling the streets to catch bandits.

Truly a righteous hero of the orthodox path...

Bu Yuehua continued to follow, arriving at the Jiangan County government office.

Xie Jinhuan, carrying the wanted criminal, entered to hand him over to the Constables. Afterwards, the Magistrate personally came out to greet him and accompanied him to the rear government office.

Seeing this, Bu Yuehua knew it was not good to follow inside, so she waited outside the government office for Xie Jinhuan to come out.

As a result, after waiting this long, there was no further news...

?

(End of this chapter)