https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-596-Tian-Gongzi-is-the-Carefree-Marquis/12567822/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-598-The-Seven-Swordsmen-Enter-Qinling-Mountains/12567824/
Chapter 597: The Carefree Marquis Guesses the Truth
Chapter 597: The Carefree Marquis Guesses the Truth
In the Jiangnan region, a rare clear sky emerged, with fluffy white clouds drifting across the blue, heralding a beautiful day.
Lien Cheng-bi and Shen Bi-jun strolled leisurely through the mountain villa.
Although Hua Ruoyu still didn't know where the headquarters of the Heavenly Sect was, she had revealed many of the sect's secrets that were not mentioned in the original story.
Additionally, he finally understood why he hadn't heard from the Young Master.
"I didn't expect my intimidation to be so effective," Lien Cheng-bi said with a laugh.
The reason the Young Master hadn't taken action was that the Carefree Marquis had specifically instructed her not to, fearing that she wouldn't be a match for Lien Cheng-bi and wanting her to stay out of his sight.
The Young Master heeded the Carefree Marquis' words diligently. Even on that fateful night, when success seemed all but assured, the Young Master refrained from taking action personally and instead entrusted the prudent Hua Ruoyu to lead the mission.
Lien Cheng-bi had no suspicions about this, as in the original story, the Young Master had also devised a plan to lure away his original self, only then making a move on Shen Bi-jun.
However, a hint of annoyance still lingered on Shen Bi-jun's face, as she, too, was aware of the Carefree Marquis' designs on her.
Hua Ruoyu's mission, leading a group of Heavenly Sect experts to raid the Pure Villa in the night, had not only aimed to kill Lien Cheng-bi and destroy the villa but also to abduct Shen Bi-jun and deliver her to the Carefree Marquis.
Alas, their calculations fell short...
In their eyes, Lien Cheng-bi, facing the assault of four or five black-clad men, had his attention fixed solely on the front. The ambush by Lei Dian Shuang Shen and Bo Zhong Shuang Xia was a surefire strategy! With Lien Cheng-bi's death, the rest of the Pure Villa's guests and disciples would fall into disarray and be easily eliminated.
Of course, the fact that Lien Cheng-bi survived changed everything.
He killed Lei Dian Shuang Shen and Bo Zhong Shuang Xia, knocked out Hua Ruoyu, and then charged into the battlefield. Alongside the Pure Villa's guests and disciples, he defeated and captured the remaining fourteen black-clad men, also uncovering their identities.
They were all renowned figures in the martial arts world, including righteous cultivators, bandit chiefs, and ambiguous knights, surprisingly all reduced to being the Heavenly Sect's running dogs.
Lien Cheng-bi then took Hua Ruoyu to a woodshed and only emerged the next morning, instructing the servants to bury Hua Ruoyu's body alongside the others.
The revelation that the Heavenly Sect's leader was the Carefree Marquis was also released by Lien Cheng-bi that day.
No one doubted Lien Cheng-bi, as he had no reason to lie, especially since he had no prior grievances or even interactions with the Carefree Marquis.
And so...
The eyes of the entire martial arts world turned towards the Carefree Marquis!
Reasonably, the Carefree Marquis' formidable martial arts, immense wealth, and enigmatic nature should have made him untouchable, despite his ambiguous moral standing.
After all, his wealth was self-made, and the righteous path of the martial arts world wouldn't target him. Lone bandit chiefs were no match for him, and his reputation as the world's number one expert carried weight.
However, the current situation was different.
All members of the martial arts world had their appetites whetted by Ge Shu's treasure, and they unanimously viewed the Heavenly Sect as a mysterious and evil force indirectly responsible for the deaths of many famous knights. They believed the sect was unworthy of possessing Ge Shu's treasure, forming a unified consensus.
At this point, even if it was revealed that Ge Shu's treasure was hidden in the Shaolin Temple, a large group of martial artists would dare to ascend Mount Songshan and demand an explanation from the Shaolin Sect. The Carefree Marquis, with his illustrious reputation but unpredictable movements, stood no chance against such sentiment.
It was said that Ouyang Jiu, the Central Plains Hero, had already issued an ultimatum to the Carefree Marquis, demanding he hand over the treasure and disband the Heavenly Sect.
Even Mu Zun, who had long since retired from the martial arts world, reappeared in Shanxi, as the Carefree Marquis had been spotted in Jinzhong the previous month.
The Dragon King of Bohai and the Sea Shark King had already come ashore, intending to meet the heroes of the land.
...
"Crash!"
A delicate piece of blue and white porcelain was smashed to pieces.
In a mountain villa deep in the forest, Marquis Gu took a deep breath. "How did Hua Ruoyu find out that I am the Heavenly Prince?" he asked, his eyes flashing with uncertainty.
Little Marquis stood before Marquis Gu, his face filled with apprehension. "I... I don't know. I never revealed your identity to anyone."
"I believe you wouldn't dare tell anyone else either!" Marquis Gu's eyes narrowed, his tone sharp.
When Tu Xiaotian had discovered that the Heavenly Sect's foundation was Ge Shu's treasure, he had been deeply perplexed. But he had assumed that Tu Xiaotian was truly skilled and had deduced the truth from a few subtle clues.
However, with Hua Ruoyu, things had taken an unexpected turn, and if he were to consider this a mere coincidence, he would be a fool.
"It was Lian Chengbi who asked about the Heavenly Sect from Peng Pengfei and Liu Yongnan."
"And it was also Lian Chengbi who learned about Ge Shu's treasure from Tu Xiaotian and spread the news throughout the martial arts world."
"It was through Hua Ruoyu that the news of my identity as the Heavenly Prince spread, and it was Lian Chengbi who conveyed that information."
"Indeed!" Little Marquis exclaimed, his eyes widening in realization. "Both pieces of information were disseminated throughout the martial arts world by Lian Chengbi. No one can confirm if Tu Xiaotian and Hua Ruoyu were the original sources!"
"Could Lian Chengbi be the mastermind behind all this?" Little Marquis asked, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"If so, it means he's had his eyes on me for a long time!" Marquis Gu clenched his fists. "With the power of the Pure Villa, if they conducted a secret investigation..."
As the most prominent family in Jiangnan, if the Pure Villa decided to discreetly look into something, even Marquis Gu wasn't confident that he could keep it hidden.
"Perhaps Lian Chengbi started investigating Ge Shu's treasure after Lian Qingyun's death." Little Marquis thought about the connection between Lian Chengbi and their family.
Lian Qingyun had died because of Ge Shu's treasure, and as his son, Lian Chengbi wanted to uncover the truth behind his parents' demise. In his quest, he stumbled upon the Heavenly Sect and, through their actions, deduced that Marquis Gu was their leader.
However, Lian Chengbi might not have had any evidence or a solid grasp on the Heavenly Sect, so he didn't make his findings public immediately. After all, he was up against the strongest warrior in the world, and without concrete proof, others might not have believed him.
But this time, things had fallen into place perfectly. Lian Chengbi had captured Peng Pengfei and Liu Yongnan in Lanzhou, right in front of the Shaolin monks, exposing the Heavenly Sect. Then, he encountered Tu Xiaotian in Suzhou and finally met Hua Ruoyu in Jiangnan.
With these fortuitous encounters, he was able to spread the news about Ge Shu's treasure and Marquis Gu through the words of these individuals.
"Good, good, good! Lian Chengbi, I underestimated you!"
As Marquis Gu connected the dots, his anger surged. "Leading me step by step, carefully plotting each move. Indeed, a clever scheme, diverting the entire martial arts world's attention to me."
"However, this also reveals something." Marquis Gu's eyes narrowed. "He still doesn't dare to face me directly!"
"Master, what should we do now?" Little Marquis asked, his voice quivering.
"Now..."
Marquis Gu furrowed his brows, contemplating whether to confront Lian Chengbi directly or devise a plan to lure him here.
Just then, a maid rushed in from the front hall. Seeing Marquis Gu, she said urgently, "Master, seven swordsmen have arrived at the mountain villa. They've never shown up before!"
(End of Chapter)
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