https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-386-News-Brought-by-Sikong-Zodiac/12536616/
Chapter 387: The Black Tiger Clan Strikes
Chapter 387: The Black Tiger Clan Strikes
"What a spot-on guess!" Su Shaoying laughed. "But Bluebeard doesn't give a damn about them."
Bluebeard was the owner of Silver Hook Gambling House, and while he feared the Western Demon Cult, he held no fear for these rootless wanderers of the martial world.
Although he was a puppet installed by Fang Yufly, he was not Fang Yufly's subordinate. At best, they had a tenuous cooperative relationship, and that was how this story came to be.
In the original story, Yu Tianbao had pawned the Luocha Plaque Armor to Bluebeard. Bluebeard, harboring ambitions to become the leader of the Western Demon Cult, hid the armor and took out a fake Luocha Plaque B, which he had his first wife, Li Xia, steal.
Even Fang Yufly was led to believe that this fake plaque was genuine, and so they plotted together, luring Lu Xiaofeng and his Three Friends of Winter to search for the plaque on the Songhua River.
Then, Fang Yufly instructed his mistress, Chen Jingjing, who was also Bluebeard's second wife, to swap the fake plaque with yet another copy, Luocha Plaque C, when she buried it in the icy river.
With this, their plan was set: Lu Xiaofeng would retrieve the Luocha Plaque C, believing it to be the real one, and deliver it to the Three Friends of Winter. Meanwhile, they would use the fake Luocha Plaque B to ascend to the position of the Demon Cult leader at Kunlun Mountain.
Bluebeard had even calculated Fang Yufly into his plans, intending to use the genuine Luocha Plaque Armor to become the Cult leader and crush Fang Yufly underfoot, becoming the true overlord. However, his scheme was exposed by Lu Xiaofeng, leading to his demise at the hands of Fang Yuxiang.
As for the Three Friends of Winter, who were unwittingly used in this plot...
Hanmei, one of the trio, was aware of Fang Yufly's identity and colluded with him, intending to rule the inland and the borderlands separately. Meanwhile, Gusong and Kuzhu also sought to use the real Luocha Plaque to become the leaders of the Demon Cult.
Well, it might sound a bit convoluted, but to sum it up: everyone involved was a villain!
"Bluebeard truly doesn't care about them. In just three days, at least ten people have gone missing from this town," Sikong Zodiac said with a smile.
"Bluebeard may not care about these martial artists, but he can't afford to ignore the Black Tiger Clan." Hua Manlou spoke up, "We're already within their sphere of influence, aren't we?"
"With Silver Hook Gambling House operating so openly here, do you think there's no connection between Bluebeard and the Black Tiger Clan?" Sikong Zodiac asked.
"Does Bluebeard know Flying Tiger Jade?" Hua Manlou inquired.
"I've seen members of the Black Tiger Clan in the gambling house before," Sikong Zodiac replied.
"Who was it?" Hua Manlou asked.
"Yin Tongzi."
At the mention of this name, Hua Manlou laughed, "You mean Yin Tongzi, not Yin Yang Tongzi?"
Sikong Zodiac joined in the laughter, "The 'yang' half of his name was removed by me."
In the original story, there was a character named Yin Tongzi who went up against Lu Xiaofeng. Lu Xiaofeng had once recounted how Sikong Zodiac had disabled half of his abilities.
As they were talking, a mounted figure turned onto the road, their gaze sharp and sweeping across the surroundings with an air of arrogance. The oppressive aura they exuded caused the group of martial artists nearby to avert their eyes, unwilling to meet their gaze.
Su Shaoying could clearly see that these individuals had a black belt tied around their waists.
The Black Tiger Clan!
As Su Shaoying laid eyes on them, they also noticed Su Shaoying and Hua Manlou, their expressions changing slightly before they urged their horses forward and quickly disappeared around the street corner.
"They've taken an interest in you two." Sikong Zodiac chuckled and turned to leave.
Neither Su Shaoying nor Hua Manlou tried to stop him, letting him go on his way.
Hua Manlou fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "The Three Friends of Winter have been famous for over forty years. Their swordsmanship is divine, and no one can withstand their combined might. Each of them is a master unmatched by a sect leader. There is no one in the world who can stand against the three of them united."
"Are you worried that the Three Friends of Winter will kill Lu Xiaofeng after he gets his hands on the Luocha Plaque?" Su Shaoying inquired.
Hua Manlou fell silent, as this was indeed one of his concerns.
"Only Lan Huzi and Fang Yufly know where Lu Xiaofeng has gone," Hua Manlou said.
"And they're both at Silver Hook Gambling House right now." Su Shaoying smiled. "Are you thinking of trying your luck?"
Hua Manlou sighed. "I'm not much of a gambler."
The two of them arrived at the entrance of the gambling house, only to find the doors blocked.
"We don't open for business until nightfall!" A burly man stood in their way. "You're early!"
It wasn't even noon yet, so nightfall was still a long way off.
Hua Manlou wasn't one to force his way through, especially since Lu Xiaofeng had already been gone for three days. He wasn't in a rush.
"Then we'll come back later." Hua Manlou said calmly, and he and Su Shaoying left, turning into a small alley next to the gambling house.
As they walked deeper into the alley, three people appeared in front of them, and another three appeared behind, all six with black belts tied around their waists.
Su Shaoying blinked. "I don't recall us offending the Black Tiger Clan?"
"Are you friends of Lu Xiaofeng?" The leader of the group asked.
"No!" Su Shaoying replied.
"Yes," Hua Manlou contradicted.
"Friends of Lu Xiaofeng must die!" The man snarled, waving his hand. The six of them surrounded Su Shaoying and Hua Manlou. "Since Lu Xiaofeng dared to meddle in the Black Tiger Clan's business, his friends must pay the price!"
"How did Lu Xiaofeng meddle in your affairs?" Hua Manlou asked.
But no one answered him. The six were now less than thirty feet away, their weapons drawn—a sword, a knife, a spear, a silver tiger-head hook, a pair of spiked iron rings, and a pair of fists.
The next moment, the long sword pierced towards Su Shaoying's throat, and the knife slashed towards Hua Manlou's chest, aiming to kill.
Not only were they highly skilled, but the trio also worked together seamlessly, blocking the alley and leaving their targets with no escape route. Any ordinary martial artist trapped in such a confined space would have no chance of survival.
"I've heard that the Black Tiger Clan's influence has surpassed that of the Green Robe Tower. Their martial arts are indeed worthy of the top spot in Qingyi," Hua Manlou remarked casually.
Shaking his head, Su Shaoying added, "How do you know they didn't lie low after the disappearance of the Green Robe Tower and only then joined the Black Tiger Clan?"
Hua Manlou and Su Shaoying were far from ordinary martial artists. Even facing the attack of six skilled opponents, they had the leisure to chat.
Hua Manlou's long sleeves billowed as he moved, deflecting the knife and spear with ease without taking a step back. Then, with a smooth motion, he caught the incoming fist, gently redirected it outward, and sent the attacker tumbling to knock over the other two.
On the other side, Su Shaoying drew his long sword, and the ringing sound of the blade resonated for a long time. A silver light, ever-changing and illusory, flashed in the alley, disappearing as quickly as it had come.
Just as the three people knocked down by Hua Manlou were getting back to their feet, they saw that Su Shaoying's sword was still sheathed, but the three opponents facing him were frozen in place, unable to move.
Hua Manlou sighed. "They were no threat. Why kill them?"
Su Shaoying replied calmly, "More people have died at their hands. This is called eliminating evil and accumulating virtue."
(End of Chapter)
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