Hearing what was said, as if he was relieved from a burden, Xu Ziling heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. Assuming an embarrassed look, he stammered, “Did Qian Xiaojie go to Ming Tang Wo just now?”
At first, everybody was stunned, and then one after another they realized what happened, the hall exploded in laughter.
Ren Jun said with a laugh, “Why would I mind? No one understands gambling addiction better than I do.”
Greatly astonished, Chi Shengchun said, “Now the answer to this riddle has been announced publicly, turns out on the way just now Kuang Xiongdi went to Da Xian’s treasured business establishment to play a couple of hands, but there are two new puzzles that I’d like to know. The first is that how could Kuang Xiongdi missed seeing our Qian Xiaojie?”
Everybody nodded in agreement, because as long as it was a man, no one would let the opportunity to look at a pretty woman slip by, let alone it was Ji Qian, this kind of absolutely stunning beauty. Moreover, once he saw her, it is guaranteed that he won’t forget.
Xu Ziling was well aware that his mind was entirely focused on Wang Bodang, afraid that in the crowded casino he could not keep an eye on him, but how could he explain it? Without any better option he smiled wryly and said, “I wonder where was Qian Xiaojie at that time? Ay! I am the kind of person who, as soon as I set foot in the casino, even my father and mother are forgotten.”
Hu Fo blurted out laughing and said, “We welcome noble guests like Kuang Xiongdi the most.”
The crowd could not help bursting in laughter again. Xue Wanche’s doubt has been dispelled completely, the banquet returned to its previous harmonious atmosphere. Song Shidao and Lei Jiuzhi exchanged a knowing smile, while inwardly both of them were thinking that whether it was Kou Zhong or Xu Ziling, whether they took the disguise of an attendant or any other role, they always became the focus of attention.
Yin Zuwen laughed and said, “Shengchun, why don’t you tell us the second thing that puzzled you?”
Chi Shengchun cast a glance toward Hu Xiaoxian first before speaking with a smile on his face, “All the men in our Chang’an, no one does not want to leave an impression in Qian Xiaojie’s heart, but it seems like until this moment, no one succeeds. Da Xian’s treasured business establishment is the most crowded place in the city, when Qian Xiaojie’s gambling interest is aroused, she also does not recognize her own family …”
When he spoke to that point, the whole room was roaring with laughter again, interrupting Chi Shengchun’s speech.
Displeased and amused at the same time, Ji Qian cast a sidelong glance to Chi Shengchun, nearly hooking the soul of all the men around the table away.
Chi Shengchun waited until the laughter gradually subsided, and then with elegant demeanor he apologized to Ji Qian, “Kuang Xiongdi and Cai Xiongdi brought their speaking-forthrightly manner into Chang’an, I was just going with the tide. Qian Xiaojie Daren, please be magnanimous, don’t take offense. Gentlemen ought to understand my second puzzle! I am asking for Qian Xiaojie’s guidance, how could Kuang Xiongdi particularly attract your attention? We thought he must be sneaky!”
Xu Ziling was the only person aside from Ji Qian who knew the answer to that question. It was because Ji Qian was paying attention to the people coming in and going out of Ming Tang Wo, her target was ‘Yong Qin’, and his build was the same as Yong Qin’s, hence the reason he attracted her ‘interest’.
Ji Qian spoke in displeasure, “At that time I was in a carriage at Ming Tang Wo’s gate, not inside the casino, and Kuang Xiong was walking more hurriedly than other people, his gambling addiction seems to be heavier than nujia. Hee!”
The crowd roared into laughter again. Ji Qian’s remark simultaneously dispelled Chi Shengchun’s two suspicions.
Yin Zuwen raised his cup and urged everybody to drink. The atmosphere was warm. Those who did not know the inside story, such as Wen Yanbo, Sha Chenggong, have never thought, not even in their dream, that the relationship between the people around the table was so tangled and complicated, a battle of you hoodwink me and I cheat you was in full swing and spread like wildfire.
Turning to Ji Qian, Hu Xiaoxian said, “Xiao Qian, can you help me win a table of food and drink from Wen Daren’s?”
Ji Qian was thinking of asking to be excused, hearing that, her jet-black eyebrows were knitted, her gaze met Chi Shengchun and the others’ expectant gaze; she understood immediately. Laughing sweetly, she said, “I am tired! Is it enough to win Xiaoxian Jie a table of food and drink?”
Everybody was marveled at her nimble intelligence.
Wen Yanbo spoke calmly, “The words that Qian Xiaojie’s golden mouth has spoken, how could it worth only a table of food and drink? Naturally what I said counts.”
Yin Zuwen said, “I have a proposal, why not look for another night, our original cast will move our troops to Da Xian’s Ming Tang Wo, both to drink and make merry, also to have small gambling pleasure. Kuang Xiongdi need not make a small detour in order to satisfy your gambling craving.”
Chi Shengchun looked at Ji Qian, he smiled and said, “I am the first to approve. I wonder which evening Qian Xiaojie will be free?”
Kou Zhong and the others exchanged some glances, knowing that Yin Zuwen and Chi Shengchun were echoing one another, in the end it was to establish a closer relationship with them. The goal was to have Situ Furong’s pawnshop business under their control and to swallow it.
Ji Qian stood up slowly; non-committal, she said, “Yin Guo Yue set the date and then let me know.” Finished speaking, she asked to be excused and left.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, wearing nightwalker attire, borrowing the dark of the night as cover, leaped up and hid in the dense branch and leaves of an old tree on the street outside the Yin Mansion’s rear court wall. Hou Xibai was already waiting for them for a long time.
Hou Xibai spoke in low voice, “Yin Zuwen has just come back.”
Astonished, Kou Zhong asked, “You are here, how did you see him coming back from the front door?”
Hou Xibai sighed and said, “He just entered the small [two-story] building. Ay! It looks like the grand plan to explore the palace tonight is dead on arrival [orig. fetus dies in the belly].”
Both Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were stunned at the same time. The former said with a frown, “Isn’t he going to wait for his old intimate friend to come here for a tryst?”
Hou Xibai shook his head to indicate he did not know. Obviously his mood was downcast. When he was about to report to Xu Ziling about Li Mi asking Li Yuan’s permission to get out of the Pass, Xu Ziling said, “I know!” And then he briefly narrated what he overheard from Yang WenGan as he was speaking with Wang Bodang and later on with Yang Xuyan.
During the drive back from Shang Lin Yuan to Situ Mansion, Kou Zhong already heard the details. He swept his gaze around, trying to see from which direction the enemy, Wen Caiting, for example, would come to rendezvous with Yin Zuwen. He mused that this small building has – in a ‘where the water flows, a canal is formed’ way – become the secret meeting place between Yin Zuwen and the demonic school party, because this small building was classified as a restricted area, plus it was located in a corner, quite convenient to come and go, without any worry that the maids or servants of the mansion would find out.
Suddenly his tiger-body shook, his left and right hands separately grabbed Xu Ziling and Hou Xibai’s shoulders, and he hissed, “Watch out!”
The two followed his gaze, none did not draw out a mouthful of cold air, because they saw from a distance a shadow was soaring over houses and buildings, rushing toward this direction. There was some kind of ghostly, hard-to-fathom feeling of his speed, giving up the illusion of between fantasy and reality. Unexpectedly it was the ‘Demonic King’ Shi Zhixuan rather than Wen Caiting.
The three involuntarily crouched lower and shrank inside the densest part of the old tree, not daring to breathe half a breath, while restraining everything that could alert this number one martial art master of the demonic school.
This moment Shi Zhixuan soared into the air, traversing more than ten zhang of empty space and landed on the roof of the small building, using a lord-overlooking-the-world attitude he looked disdainfully out of the corner of his eyes around, searching far and near.
The three were so scared that they did not dare to take a peek through the branch and leaf in his direction, for fear that if their gaze came into contact with the other’s or even their formless attention might induce his reaction, and then it would be really bad for them. Presently they were glad instead, that Yin Zuwen had entered the building one step earlier. If Yin Zuwen came later than Shi Zhixuan, then while they were trying to open the secret tunnel, Shi Zhixuan might bump into them and thus destroy their good deeds. They did not even dare to imagine the terrifying consequences if that happened.
Shi Zhixuan flashed to the ground level and entered the building through the door.
Kou Zhong pressed his palm on Xu Ziling’s back and poured his true qi in. Xu Ziling did not dare to speak, borrowing Kou Zhong’s power, he combined it with his own and used it to eavesdrop over the distance.
He could barely hear Yin Zuwen’s voice on the upper level speaking, “Shi Dage!”
And then Shi Zhixuan’s heavy voice responded, “How’s the situation?”
“Everything is going well,” Yin Zuwen replied, “The Yin Gui Pai’s elder assembly and Zhao Deyan, respectively, proposed the conditions, as long as Dage can accomplish them, they will only obey Dage’s orders in the future.”
Shi Zhixuan sighed and said, “I wonder what is their head made of? By this time we are all on the same side, yet they are still talking about conditions. Speak up, let me hear it.”
Yin Zuwen respectfully said, “The Yin Gui Pai’s elder assembly’s condition is that Dage must eliminate the bane of their existence, in order to show your determination.”
Shi Zhixuan was silent for a moment. It was quite a while later that he said, “What did Zhao Deyan say?”
Yin Zuwen replied, “Zhao Deyan said Dage must kill Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.”
Shi Zhixuan was silent again.
Yin Zuwen said, “Dealing with these two kids is absolutely necessary [orig. circumstances require action], otherwise, if we let them join with Song Que, that old stubborn man, there will be a very high possibility that our grand plan will be ruined for the sake of one basketful. As for Yin Gui Pai’s condition, Zuwen does not dare to make decision on Dage’s behalf.”
Shi Zhixuan spoke heavily, “I have my own viewpoint. Is there any information on Wanwan?”
“It is like she disappeared all of a sudden,” Yin Zuwen replied, “Yin Gui Pai people cannot find her.”
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Laughing coldly, Shi Zhixuan said, “Even if she grew two wings on her flanks, it will still be difficult for her to fly out the crack between my fingers. Is there any movement on Li Yuan’s side?”
Yin Zuwen laughed and said, “Dage made your move in executing Sha Fang, you caused Li Yuan not to be able to lie down peacefully. He already set up what is called ‘Zhu Xie Dui’ [punishing-demonic squadron], composing of the martial art masters under his command with highest and strongest martial art skill, including You Chuhong and Yuwen Shang, their number is close to five hundred people, who are undergoing constant training in besieging tactics. Really ridiculous, how could we be willing to give up killing him now? If we really want to kill him, even if he has one thousand times, ten thousand times more martial art masters protecting him, it will be useless.”
Listening to this point, Xu Ziling’s heart was moved. Last time he heard Yin Zuwen and Wen Caiting’s conversation, he already had faint idea in his heart, but he was unable to grasp it. This moment it suddenly became clear to him. The scene of Bai Qing’er with silver needles stuck on her head in training martial art inside Chi Shengchun’s bedroom emerged in his mind.
Bai Qing’er must be going to use Chanu Da Fa to deal with Li Yuan. When the opportunity came, Li Yuan would no longer have any value to them, Yin Zuwen could rely on his special relationship with Li Yuan to arrange Bai Qing’er to meet with Li Yuan. And then when Li Yuan was having a good time, she would use the Chanu Da Fa to kill Li Yuan by sweeping his soul in ecstasy. This plan was very sinister, practically Li Yuan would throw himself in, no need to worry he would not fall into the trap.
Shi Zhixuan said, “Well done. In the future, after our holy school obtains the world, you, Zuwen, are going to render the first merit. Zuwen, find out for me what is the last decision that Pi Chen and Zuo Youxian, those two kids are going to make. If they are still unwilling to acknowledge allegiance to me, Shi Zhixuan, I will clear the house. Besides, they do not have any qualifications to put forward any conditions to me. Do you understand?”
“Understand!” Yin Zuwen replied, “About Xuyan, how is Shi Dage going to handle him?”
Shi Zhixuan spoke indifferently, “If he obediently hands over the ‘Yu Jin Wan Fa Xin Yuan Zhi Jing’, everything will be good. Otherwise, obeying me you flourish, opposing me you perish. Is there anything else?”
Yin Zuwen sighed and said, “I never thought that Shengchun’s affair may complicate the issue, it has caused one ‘Duan Ming’ Cao San to appear.”
Shi Zhixuan laughed and said, “What Cao San appearing? What kind of a ‘thing’ he is? Someone must have borrowed his name to snatch the painting. In terms of intelligence and martial art skill, this elegant thief was a first-class figure; could it be Xibai?”
Yin Zuwen said, “At that time Xibai was at Shang Lin Yuan, as if drunk or entranced [idiom: in a drunken stupor], indulging in pleasure and forgetting home and duty [idiom]. Ay! Who did it?”
Shi Zhixuan did not answer him.
Xu Ziling, who was concentrating his attention to eavesdrop, was greatly astounded inwardly. Since Shi Zhixuan could think that it might be Hou Xibai, naturally he could also think that it might be him, Xu Ziling, who acted on Hou Xibai’s behalf. Plus Hou Xibai deliberately created an alibi that he was not present at the time of the theft. But why didn’t he raise this issue to Yin Zuwen? He could not help but having a hard-to-describe feeling welling up in his heart.
Yin Zuwen spoke again, “Situ Furong, this man is really not simple, the few men working under him are all top-quality figures. Even less expected is that Situ Furong seems to be very interested in Hu Xiaoxian; we thought he has a homosexual [orig. Longyang, the same Longyang as in Huang Yi’s other work: Searching For Qin/A Step Into The Past] tendency.”
Shi Zhixuan said, “Do you see any problem with Situ Furong?”
Yin Zuwen replied, “We have been very careful in this regard; we have conducted thorough, no-holes-left-unentered investigation into this entire matter, without missing anything that could raise any doubt. So far we haven’t found any problem. Shengchun and I are planning to establish business partnership with him first, and then after figuring out his foundation, we will progressively nibble away at his business step-by-step until it’s gone.”
Shi Zhixuan laughed and said, “He voluntarily dropped by our door, that is enough misfortune already. I am leaving! You must be a bit more careful in everything!”
One after another Shi Zhixuan and Yin Zuwen left, only then did the three start to relax.
“What secret did you hear?” Kou Zhong asked.
Xu Ziling quickly repeated the conversation between the two men.
Drawing out a mouthful of cold air, Hou Xibai said, “What do we do now? Shi Shi must have thought that the person who stole the painting must be Ziling; must we become the black pot on Li Yuan’s behalf?”
“Counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir [idiom],” Kou Zhong said, “We’ll worry about that later, but now we must decide whether Shi Zhixuan actually sensed us, only he pretended not to know.”
Both Xu Ziling and Hou Xibai were dumbstruck and unable to reply. Their hiding place on the old tree was extremely good, plus in the dark of the night, and it was nearly twenty zhang away from the small building, even a brilliant master like Shi Zhixuan should find it difficult to see them. A good example would be last night, even martial art masters of Li Yuan, Yuwen Shang’s caliber did not sense their presence. However, Shi Zhixuan was not like ordinary person at all; whether he was able to generate reaction of the three men’s presence, it was difficult to tell.
Kou Zhong said to Xu Ziling, “Listening to the tone of his voice, do you think he knew our presence but pretended not to know?”
Xu Ziling replied with a bitter smile, “Very difficult to say. Since he recovered, I feel that it is very difficult to see through what’s in his heart.”
Kou Zhong spoke seriously, “This is a decision concerning our life and death, you can’t just leave it to me to make decision. Two Dage, what do you say?”
Shi Zhixuan must have known that the floor level of the small building had a secret tunnel; if he knew that the three were hiding on the old tree, naturally he could guess that the three men wanted to sneak into the Tang palace via the secret tunnel. At that time, he only needed to alarm the guards inside the palace, then he would be able to kill people with borrowed knife. One move to resolve the three troubles that were weighing his heart. With Shi Zhixuan’s intelligence and martial art skill, it should be an easy matter.
Currently, the Tang palace was like a dragon pool and tiger cave, with the ‘Zhu Xie Dui’ waiting in tight formation, not only they could guard against Shi Zhixuan, they could also rapidly mobilize their troops to deal with any intruder.
Hou Xibai looked left and right first, and then he lowered his voice to ask Xu Ziling, “Does Ziling have any reaction?”
This question was very appropriate, if Shi Zhixuan knew that they were hiding in here, he might pretend to leave first, and then turned back to monitor their movement from a hidden place somewhere.
Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling replied, “I cannot sense it, but against your Shi Shi, my senses might not be of any use. Don’t forget that when I was in your Douqing Wo [Passionate Nest], I could not sense that he was spying on me in the dark.”
“How can it be the same?” Kou Zhong analyzed, “That time he was plotting against you while you did not have any intention against him. You were not paying attention for a moment, and that was pardonable. But now you are paying attention with all your mind. Hey! I have confidence in you!”
Xu Ziling said, “In that case, are you going to proceed according to plan?”
Kou Zhong spoke resolutely, “Upon entering the underground tunnel, we will immediately lock the entrance. Merely relying on Shi Zhixuan’s power, he shouldn’t be able to open the tunnel’s cover. This time we are only going to get out on the other end to take a look at the situation, to figure out the position of the exit, and then we’ll leave immediately. While Shi Zhixuan still does not know where the exit is, we cut down the time we are going to stay, even if Shi Zhixuan is playing ghost, I don’t think he’ll succeed. This moment the Tang palace is heavily-guarded, it shouldn’t be that easy for him, the Senior to leap over the wall to enter the palace, should it?”
Hearing that, Hou Xibai’s spirit was greatly aroused. Shaking his head and swaying his noggin, he said, “It makes sense! It makes sense!”
Kou Zhong spoke cheerfully, “So it’s two to one. Ling Shao, what do you say?”
Xu Ziling laughed and said, “I can never out-speak you, let’s just see whether we can buy big and open big. Come on!”
Under the illumination of fire stick, they began to explore along the south wall of the underground tunnel, starting with the ‘fake exit’, exploring back cun by cun.
Turning to Xu Ziling, who was standing close by his side, Hou Xibai said, “I wonder if Shi Shi, because of his desire to unify the holy school, would harden his heart and make his move against Qingxuan?”
Xu Ziling sighed and said, “I don’t know! I really don’t know! I’m afraid your Shi Shi still has not decided on the answer.”
Hearing that, Kou Zhong, who was using his magic weapon to the utmost to grope and tap on the opposite wall of the tunnel, said, “My greatest worry right now is that your Shi Shi will get rid of Ling Shao first. Therefore, starting tonight, Ling Shao must not come to your Duoqing Wo alone.”
And then he added, “Xiao Hou, you will be a lot safer instead, because before putting us in order, your Shi Shi definitely won’t put you in order, to avoid beating the grass to scare the snake. (Cough!) Found it! This is a living wall. His Niang’s! This design really tests our will!”
The other two moved closed to the wall where Kou Zhong’s hands were pressing. Xu Ziling said, “Is there any wall lock?”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, “Do you think Lu Dashi designed this? Watch me!”
Applying his power to both hands, he pushed. One side of the six-chi square wall leaned inside, the other side turned in the opposite direction, becoming a revolving door, exposing another tunnel parallel to the tunnel where they were.
The three looked at each other in delight, all of them were happy with this hard-won joy.
Kou Zhong took the lead to enter the tunnel first; the tunnel extended to the east. Crossing the position of the fake exit, they continued for about a thousand paces, which, by their estimate, must be located at the heart of the imperial city, and then the tunnel turned to the north.
The three continued several thousand paces, finally the exit appeared before their eyes. The design of the exit was identical to the entrance door.
Cautiously and solemnly Kou Zhong opened the exit, he laughed and said, “I dare say that the exit is inside the Taiji Palace, most likely in the vicinity of Li Yuan’s bedroom.”
Delighted, Hou Xibai said, “Why bother thinking about it? Stick your head out and see.”
Kou Zhong raised his thumb in praise and said, “Good idea.”