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Chapter 600: Turning the Tables
Chapter 600: Turning the Tables
Early the next morning, Shen Bijun dressed in a vigorous green outfit and wore a black veil and hat. She led a lively green horse by its reins and was accompanied only by Shen Tianzhu and Shen Tianju; they had not brought any other servants from the manor. Instead of taking the main gate, they headed towards the back door.
"Husband..." Shen Bijun said coquettishly, casting a faux-resentful glance at Lian Chengbi.
Lian Chengbi smiled and held her hand, reassuring her, "Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you at the Wu'ku Manor."
The corners of Shen Bijun's mouth curved into a smile, but she said, "I'll be careful, and I believe Grandmother will be fine."
Shen Tianzhu stepped forward and bowed to Lian Chengbi, "Son-in-law, rest assured. My fourth brother and I will protect Bijun well and ensure she returns safely."
Shen Tianju also spoke seriously, "Anyone who dares to lay a finger on Bijun will have to go through us first!"
Lian Chengbi smiled and returned the bow. He helped Shen Bijun onto the horse and then said to the two, "In that case, I'll leave it to you two."
Shen Tianzhu and Shen Tianju leaped onto their horses and replied, "Son-in-law, rest assured. We'll take care of it!"
Lian Chengbi gave Shen Bijun a subtle signal to be careful, to which she nodded solemnly. Then, she pulled on the horse's reins, turned its head, and rode off down the small path leading from the back door.
Shen Tianzhu and Shen Tianju immediately followed, flanking Shen Bijun on either side.
Lian Chengbi watched them depart before turning back towards the manor.
...
After lunch, Lian Chengbi, clad in white, strolled out of the Wu'ku Manor, surrounded by a group of guests and disciples. He took a turn outside the manor's main gate before returning inside.
At the same time, four figures were weaving their way through the dense forest, following the path that Shen Bijun had taken.
"I never expected that you would find the Recluse's manor!"
Lian Chengbi was still astonished. He had asked Xiao Eleven and Feng Siniang Yang Kaitai to follow She Tianshi, thinking it was a mere diversion. He had even considered that they might follow She Tianshi back to the south at some point.
In the original story, She Tianshi had already lost his sight and didn't play a significant role.
However, Lian Chengbi hadn't anticipated the chain reaction that would be set off by revealing the two pieces of information—the location of Ge Shu's treasure and the Recluse's true identity. It had apparently freed She Tianshi from the confines of the original plot, sparking his own ambitions, and now he had contacted six others to kill the Recluse!
Were these seven swordsmen the same ones who had been blinded by Xiao Eleven in the original story?
Well, that wasn't important. What mattered was that they actually knew where the Recluse's lair was!
"We have Brother Lian to thank for this. If he hadn't revealed the location of Ge Shu's treasure and the fact that Young Master Tian is the Recluse, they wouldn't have been motivated to come together to kill the Recluse," said Yang Kaitai.
Xiao Eleven conceded, "Brother Lian won the bet. What do you want to ask us?"
"There's no hurry, no hurry," Lian Chengbi smiled. "We can settle this wager after we defeat the Recluse."
Feng Siniang teased, "Right now, that young man's mind is occupied by his wife. He doesn't have the mood to settle wagers."
Yang Kaitai asked, "Since Brother Lian knew that Shen Tianzhu and Shen Tianju were from the Sky Sect, why did you still let your sister-in-law leave, knowing that they were taking her away to control and blackmail you?"
"Because if I expose them, I fear that they will resort to desperate measures and truly harm the Shen family." Lian Chengbi recalled the original story.
"How dare they?!" Yang Kaitai exclaimed in disbelief, "The Jinzhen Shen family is renowned in the Qi and Lu regions, and Madam Shen is a titan in the martial arts world..."
"But we're talking about the Tianzong and the Xiaoyao Marquis," Lian Chengbi countered.
He shook his head, "The Xiaoyao Marquis usually keeps a low profile, leaving his affairs in the hands of the Young Master, who acts as his representative in the martial arts world. However, due to the Marquis' instructions, the Young Master has never shown himself to me directly."
"Aside from worrying about the Shen family's safety, I also want to use Bijun to lure out the Young Master. If we can capture him, we'll find out the whereabouts of the Xiaoyao Marquis, and then we can capture the thief by capturing the king first," Lian Chengbi explained.
Feng Siniang, brimming with confidence, laughed, "But now we know the lair of the Xiaoyao Marquis!"
"Indeed," Lian Chengbi agreed, "So now, we simply give them a glimmer of hope to prevent them from acting recklessly out of desperation. Once we capture the Young Master, they won't be able to cause any significant trouble in the martial arts world."
A determined look flashed in Xiao Eleven's eyes as he said, "Then we can go after the Xiaoyao Marquis?"
"Or we could directly reveal the location of the Xiaoyao Marquis' lair in the martial arts world?" Feng Siniang suggested with a playful smile as she turned to Lian Chengbi, "With just two pieces of information, you've turned the Xiaoyao Marquis into a wanted man in the martial arts world. Won't this last piece of information be enough to seal his fate?"
Lian Chengbi shook his head, "Do you really think that the Xiaoyao Marquis will be besieged and killed by those in the martial arts world just because his hideout is exposed?"
"No!" Xiao Eleven replied without hesitation.
"I've witnessed the Xiaoyao Marquis' martial arts skills. Whether it's his light work or palm strikes, he's a top-notch expert. Moreover, he has a few incredibly bizarre moves that I couldn't even see clearly," Lian Chengbi admitted.
Xiao Eleven added, "She Tianshi's swordplay is not weak. With seven people forming a sword formation, their sword net is impenetrable. Yet, even so, they still couldn't touch the hem of the Xiaoyao Marquis' garment."
"Although Ouyang Jiu and Muzunzi are highly skilled, they still couldn't capture the Xiaoyao Marquis," Xiao Eleven affirmed.
"That's because he might also be well-versed in ancient Indian yoga and Persian martial arts," Lian Chengbi said calmly, and then asked, "If the Xiaoyao Marquis escapes and loses everything, who do you think he'll want to take revenge on first?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Feng Siniang pointed at Lian Chengbi and said with a mischievous smile, "You!"
Lian Chengbi spread his hands helplessly, "Since I'll have to face him sooner or later, why wait for him to come to me?"
"Exactly!" Yang Kaitai exclaimed, slapping his palm, "It's better to be a thief for a thousand days than to guard against a thief for a thousand days."
"Since that's the case, let's use Shen Bijun to lure out the Young Master first and put an end to any potential troubles. Then, we'll go to the Qinling Mountains to find the Xiaoyao Marquis," Feng Siniang proposed.
Xiao Eleven furrowed his brows, concerned, "Then let's hurry. Lian's wife and the others are riding fast horses. We don't want to miss them."
"I've arranged for someone disguised as my guest to make an appearance outside the manor at noon and in the afternoon. They probably won't be able to hold out for long because the closer they get to Shandong, the easier it will be to expose their lies," Lian Chengbi explained.
"So, they'll make their move today?" Yang Kaitai asked.
"Of course, the sooner the better! We don't want any unnecessary complications," Feng Siniang agreed.
Lian Chengbi's eyes glinted, "The upcoming stretch of the road is the most remote and least traveled in the area. If they're going to make a move, that's the perfect spot. I'll go ahead first."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lian Chengbi vanished like a wisp of smoke, moving with lightning speed and without a trace of fanfare.
(End of Chapter)
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