https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-401-A-Confident-Lu-Xiaofeng-and-the-Fake-Rakshasa-Token/12536631/
Chapter 400: Three Friends of Winter
Chapter 400: Three Friends of Winter
The carriage belonging to the Western Demon Teachings, ever since it entered the small inn at the edge of town, had never left.
Neither had Gong Jiu and Niurou Tang left the inn they were staying at.
Su Shaoying and Hua Manlou also rarely left their own accommodations.
"Fang Yfei is back!"
"Someone spotted him outside town," said Xue Bing. "He was wearing a bright red cloak and silver clothing, dressed extravagantly, and displayed his unrivaled lightness skill of walking on snow without leaving a trace."
"Now that Fang Yfei is back, Lu Xiaofeng shouldn't be far behind," Su Shaoying said.
In the original story, Lu Xiaofeng returned to the Silver Hook Gambling House, not far from the small town, and witnessed Fang Yfei killing Ding Xiang'ai. Since then, the distance between Fang Yfei and Lu Xiaofeng's journeys would not have exceeded half a day.
Hua Manlou sighed, "The matter will soon come to a conclusion."
Ouyang Qing looked towards the door of the inn, "Fang Yfei is here."
The group turned to see Fang Yfei approaching with a smile on his face. Beside him was a woman, the same woman who had accompanied Blue Beard when Su Shaoying and Hua Manlou visited the Silver Hook Gambling House.
"Master Hua, Su the Second, Ouyang girl, and Xue girl."
Xue Bing coldly asked, "You know us?"
"Of course!" Fang Yfei laughed, "Famous courtesans renowned in the capital, the young miss of the Southern Xue family, your little brother has heard of you all for a long time. Moreover, Miss Xue is a friend of Lu Xiaofeng, so how could I not know of you?"
"Is this how you treat your friends?" Xue Bing questioned.
"I had no choice, Blue Beard is, after all, my brother-in-law," Fang Yfei sighed theatrically, "Luckily, Lu Xiaofeng is a true friend. When he returns, I will definitely host a banquet to apologize. At that time, Miss Xue can punish me as she sees fit, and I will have no complaints."
Xue Bing gave a cold smile but remained silent. Seeing Fang Yfei at this moment, she felt as if she were looking at Jin Jiuling, and she feared that if she spoke, she would not be able to hold back her anger.
"This is my sister, Fang Yxiang," Fang Yfei introduced.
Fang Yxiang bowed gracefully and smiled gently, like frost melting in spring, a blossoming flower. In the bone-chilling winter, a smile from such a strikingly beautiful woman, like an ice mountain, could almost warm one's heart.
"You've been gone for over a month. Have you been traveling with Lu Xiaofeng this whole time?" Su Shaoying asked.
Fang Yfei's eyes flickered, "Of course not. I only sent Lu Xiaofeng off on his journey and then went to handle some matters in Shanxi. If Su the Second doesn't believe me, you can go and ask around in Jinzhong."
"I figured Lu Xiaoge would be returning soon, so I came back to welcome him," Fang Yfei explained.
"So why have you come to find us?" Su Shaoying asked.
"I apologize for making you wait so long. Please come to the gambling house to rest and wait for Lu Xiaofeng's return. After we send off the Three Elders of the Western Demon Teachings, we can drink and be merry together," Fang Yfei said with a smile.
"Is Lu Xiaofeng really coming back soon?" Xue Bing asked.
Fang Yfei looked at Su Shaoying and Hua Manlou but didn't answer Xue Bing. Instead, he said, "My martial arts skills are lacking, but with the two of you here, Lu Xiaofeng will be safe."
"Since that's the case, what are we waiting for?" Su Shaoying stood up.
...
It was Fang Yxiang who led Su Shaoying and the other three into the Silver Hook Gambling House.
"Fang Yfei has gone to greet Lu Xiaofeng. We've received news that the carriage he's traveling in has already reached the outskirts of the town," Fang Yxiang explained.
Inside the Silver Hook Gambling House, it was still as lively and bustling as ever, with the sound of people filling the air. Charcoal burners were lit, and one would never guess that it was the coldest time of the year.
"Sir Su is too funny," replied Blue Beard, sitting in the quiet room. Over a month had passed, yet he remained as graceful and elegant as ever, sipping from a glass of wine and directing a gentle, indulgent gaze at Fang Yxiang. "We're just a humble gambling house; we wouldn't dare disrespect any martial arts masters."
"Is that so?" Ouyang Qing asked with a smile. "But I've heard that in the past two months, at least several dozen martial arts experts have disappeared in the backyard of the Silver Hook Gambling House."
Blue Beard chuckled. "Red Shoes is well-informed, but those people can hardly be considered martial arts masters."
Ever since Jin Jiuling's case, where he disguised himself as the Embroidered Bandit, the existence of the Red Shoes organization was no longer a secret, and Gong Sun's reputation had spread far and wide in the martial arts world.
And after Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue's battle atop the Imperial Palace, Ouyang Qing's identity had also been exposed, which was why Blue Beard could address her so familiarly.
Ouyang Qing narrowed her eyes. "What are they, then?"
"They are dead," Blue Beard replied calmly.
The dead were just that—dead. They didn't even have names, so how could they be considered martial arts masters?
Fang Yxiang poured tea for Ouyang Qing and said indifferently, "Those who end up dying in the backyard of a gambling house are certainly not martial arts masters."
Ouyang Qing nodded. "Indeed."
Su Shaoying picked up his tea, blew gently, and took a sip. "Good tea."
"Sir Su is a man of great courage," Blue Beard remarked with a smile.
"If you wanted to poison us, you wouldn't do it now, but after Lu Xiaofeng brings back the Three Friends of Winter," Su Shaoying countered with a smile.
Blue Beard forced a bitter laugh. "I wouldn't dare do that then either. All I want is for them to leave. The Silver Hook Gambling House is just a small business, and we can't withstand the methods of the Western Demon Teachings."
Hua Manlou suddenly asked, "What about No-Name Island?"
Blue Beard blinked. "No-Name Island? What about it?"
"Are you aware that a 'Noble Gentleman in a Turbulent World' has also arrived in this small town?" Hua Manlou inquired.
"Yes, they came to our humble establishment for a little gamble," Blue Beard acknowledged.
Blue Beard wasn't concerned about Gong Jiu because, as far as he knew, Gong Jiu and Fang Yfei were friends. Thus, they weren't his enemies.
And since Lu Xiaofeng was also a friend of Fang Yfei, Su Shaoying and his group weren't his enemies either.
As long as he could send the Three Friends of Winter away, he could peacefully wait until the seventh day of the new year and then head to the Great Brightness Realm in Kunlun Mountain to succeed the position of the Demon Sect Leader.
Just then, Fang Yfei returned.
Accompanying him were three elderly men.
The three elders, clad in dark green embroidered robes and white jade and gold crowns, looked frail and thin, as if a gust of wind could blow them away. Yet, their eyes held a sharp and vicious glint, as sharp as swords.
They were none other than the Three Friends of Winter from the Small Heavenly Dragon Cave in Kunlun Mountain, also known as the Protectors of the Western Demon Teachings.
"Who are these people?" Han Mei asked.
"They are friends of Lu Xiaofeng," Fang Yfei smiled. "Lu Xiaofeng has already entered the gambling house, and I'm going to greet him now."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report