A green light seeped in from the east of the sky, and the rain that had persisted for an entire night gradually became gentler.
In the Five Lakes Inn, there were subtle and cautious footsteps. Then, there was a knock on the door.
"Sir … Sir … I'm really sorry for knocking at this hour … We have a waiter in the inn, I wonder if you remember him …"
"…"
"Sorry, sorry … I suddenly couldn't find him, so I came to ask if you've seen him …"
"…"
"Well, sir, you also know that the city is not peaceful … In this chaotic time of war, we are also afraid …"
"…"
"Sorry to disturb … your rest …"
The knocking sounds and the conversation gradually continued until they reached the end of the passage on the second floor. They were a little hesitant.
"It's the two kids over here … Is it …"
"… Let me ask."
A man in a green robe and a hat knocked on the door, and the middle-aged man dressed as the innkeeper retreated to the side. After a while, a little bald man rubbed his eyes and opened the door.
"Ah … Ah … Amitabha … What's the matter?"
"I'm really sorry for knocking at this hour … We have a waiter in the inn, the one who is slightly shorter, I wonder if you remember him …"
"Ah …" The little monk opened his mouth and was dazed for a while. Then, he nodded and said, "Ah … Ah Qing … It's the waiter called Ah Qing …"
"Yes, yes, it's him. The city is in chaos, and we suddenly couldn't find him since last night. We were a little worried, so we wanted to ask if you have seen him … "
"Last night … he went out last night, I don't know …" The little monk rubbed his eyes and the bruises on his body, making him grimace in pain.
The green-robed man sniffed the air and looked into the room a few more times. After some simple questions, they apologized and left.
The innkeeper and the green-robed man met up.
"That's weird …"
"What's wrong?"
"Those two kids. Think of it as if they fought with someone last night. Look at that young monk. His face is swollen, and the room is filled with the smell of medicinal wine … Could it be that Ah Qing was …" The green-clothed young man frowned.
The innkeeper thought for a while and then shook his head, "… I don't think so. If he was really bruised, it would have caused a big commotion. If these two kids had really killed Ah Qing, it would have been a sneak attack, not a fight between the three of them. And think about it, if they really did it, why would they open the door with the smell of medicinal wine? "
"These two kids aren't simple either."
"How many people are there in the city at this time? More or less, they have some background, and they sneak out at night. It's troublesome … "The innkeeper thought for a while." It's unlikely that Ah Qing died in their hands. What I'm worried about now is that he fell into the hands of our own people … "
"The things he brought back yesterday … sigh …"
The two figures whispering to each other gradually left. The young monk returned to his bed and continued to sleep. On the other bed, the slightly taller figure suddenly sat up. His consciousness was also a little hazy. "Strange, he disappeared last night. Why is he in such a hurry to knock on the door this morning?"
"Oh?" The little monk tilted his head.
"There's something fishy going on," the Five-Foot Y Demon muttered. After a while, he lay back down.
At this moment, the city of Jiangning was a mix of good and bad people. Many people had their own little secrets. However, what did the matters of the Five Lakes Inn have to do with him and the little baldy? With this thought in mind, he went back to sleep.
Outside, a cold drizzle continued to fall. The situation in certain areas of the city was changing bit by bit.
At the eastern end of the city, in Zhongan Square, a fleet of carriages arrived in the early morning rain, entering the most central courtyard of the "Juxian Restaurant". The one who got off the carriage and entered the main hall of the main courtyard was the current "King of Equality", Shi Baofeng. This person who controlled the majority of the trade affairs of the Party of Equality had a tall figure. His appearance was gentle and dignified. From afar, he looked more like a Confucian scholar than a merchant. Many people said that his style was somewhat similar to that Mister Ning of the southwest. Many of the actions of the Party of Equality, including the construction of the "Juxian Restaurant" in Zhongan Square and the "Welcome Road" in the southwest, more or less revealed similar traces.
It had been several days since Shi Baofeng entered the city. As the leader of the King of Equality's faction, Shi Baofeng had been patrolling the surrounding territory and secretly meeting with some people. He was the first to hear about the incident at the Golden Tower last night. He only came to Zhongan Square early in the morning to meet with Jin Yongsheng, who had personally experienced the incident last night.
In the time it took to summon Jin Yongsheng, Shi Baofeng inquired about the whereabouts of his second son. One of the stewards of Zhongan Square came forward to report that the second young master had gathered his men and left an hour ago. He had also brought along a few of the guests who could fight in the square.
Shi Baofeng frowned. "What trouble is this unfilial son stirring up now?"
"According to the report, it seems that someone has found the whereabouts of the two Y-Demons."
"... What Y-Demon?" Shi Baofeng was stunned.
"It's … the two related to Miss Yan …"
"... Hmph."
In the few days after entering the city, Shi Baofeng was rather dissatisfied with this "unfilial son" of Shi Weiyang. He privately gave the child a slap. The specific reason was that Shi Weiyang's recklessness had driven Yan Yunzhi away and disrupted the marriage alliance with the Yan Fortress.
Shi Baofeng and Yan Taiwei of the Yan Fortress were insignificant acquaintances. Although Shi Baofeng had suddenly become one of the most powerful people in the world with the help of the Fairness Party in the past two years, and the support of the Yan Fortress was negligible in the eyes of outsiders, as a businessman, he deeply understood the principle that no matter how small a mosquito was, it was still meat.
From his point of view, even a pig that stood on the wind could fly to the sky. However, if it flew to the sky, it would lose its caution and no longer have a stable foundation. That was a sign that the pig was not far from death — this was a principle that people who suddenly struck it rich had to keep in mind.
On the second level, he believed that he had something in common with Ning Yi of the Southwest. What was the most important thing for a businessman? The Southwest had long since made it clear.
— — A contract.
If a businessman broke a contract in public, even if the other party looked weak and easy to bully, in reality, it would still damage his most important foundation. Who would dare to do business with such a businessman in the future?
This principle had always been upheld in the Southwest, and he was not vague about it. This kind of coincidence was also something that he and the hero of the Southwest shared.
Based on this principle, although that girl from the Yan Clan had encountered some trouble at Mount Tongshan and there were some bad rumors about her, how could this be considered a bad thing? This was especially so when the other party had made a mistake. Instead, he could openly clarify for the other party and accept it. He could truly display the magnanimity and magnanimity of the 'King of Equality' in this environment where all parties were gathered. What an ideal opportunity it was to sell one's bones!
Putting aside the fact that the matter at Mount Tongshan was nonsense, even if that Miss Yan had really encountered trouble at Mount Tongshan, shouldn't he express tolerance and goodwill when she had come all the way here? An event like the Heroes' Assembly was a time to display one's image in front of everyone. What could other trifles be important? If he was unhappy after marrying her, he could just go out and play.
Before arriving in Jiangning, he had already made all the necessary preparations — to express sympathy and condolences to the Yan Clan, to spread the news of this marriage as much as possible, and at the same time, to send people to publicize in private — although the Yan Clan's daughter had some flaws, and although the Yan Clan Fortress itself was not considered strong against the Party of Justice, Shi Baofeng would never go back on his word. No matter who came all the way here, the Shi Clan would treat them with the best.
In the end, the first thing he did after arriving in Jiangning was to discover that his son had scared the other party away because of his lust.
All of his preparations were for naught. The second son of the Yan clan, Yan Tiehe, even ran in front of him and scolded him severely. Shi Baofeng was so angry that he choked on his anger and finally managed to pacify Yan Tiehe. That very day, he gave Shi Weiyang a slap and addressed him as an "unfilial son".
Early in the morning, the unfilial son called his friends and ran out again. Originally, he was already preparing to punch and kick the child, but when he heard that it was related to the two Y-demons, he snorted coldly and calmed down a little.
To properly resolve the Yan Clan's matter, there were two directions. The main focus was naturally to find Miss Yan, complete the marriage, and repair the overall situation of the cooperation with the Yan Clan Fortress. On the other hand, the other party came here and was tarnished. Of course, Shi Baofeng had the responsibility to wash away the shame for the other party. Only then would he be able to properly resolve the matter. If he could capture those two random Y-demons, they would still be of some use.
"Hmph … this unfilial son, don't cause any more trouble!"
His anger subsided, but he still had to scold him. After he finished scolding, Jin Yongsheng came from outside the hall. Shi Baofeng's expression was gentle as he greeted him, "Elder Jin."
Jin Yongsheng didn't look too good. His martial arts, Mount Tai Martial Arts, was big and wide, and had always used strength to suppress others. His fighting style was firm and fierce, but it also consumed a lot of energy. Who knew that he would meet a bouncing little kid last night, who attacked viciously and was quick to escape. He used heavy techniques to suppress the other party for a few streets. There were a few times when he was about to kill the other party, but the little monk dodged his attacks in a fluster. The fight was tiring, and for someone of his age, it was considered an extremely strenuous exercise.
Of the two enemies, the scariest one was not the little monk, but the young man who fought against Li Yanfeng. It was only during the few moments when he snatched a long saber from Jin Yongsheng that Jin Yongsheng truly felt the murderous intent that was almost tangible.
That was the most ruthless fighting style on the battlefield. When the saber was unleashed, it was as if he wanted to exchange one for one with Li Yanfeng, causing Li Yanfeng to instinctively retreat. Jin Yongsheng also suffered two such attacks during the chase. Their martial arts were naturally higher than the other party's, but in the face of those instantaneous attacks, they subconsciously chose to save their lives — they naturally didn't want to perish together with a child. Later on, in such a crazy fight, the other party finally found an opportunity to escape, causing Li Yanfeng and him to be somewhat dispirited.
Li Yanfeng was a sinister person and wasn't a good person. From beginning to end, he didn't clearly say who the two people were, but after gathering some recent news, Jin Yongsheng had some guesses about this matter.
He came back last night with a sore back. Now that he had rested, he cheered up and met with Shi Baofeng. Then he said, "This old man is ashamed. Last night near the Golden Tower, I saw traces of Miss Yan. Unfortunately, Li Yanfeng and a few others interfered, and in the end, I couldn't find Miss Yan. I hope the owner can forgive me."
"Oh? You found Miss Yan? " Shi Baofeng dragged Jin Yongsheng to a seat. "Elder Jin, please tell me in detail what happened."
Jin Yongsheng recounted the second half of what happened in the Golden Tower last night. "I don't know why, but after Miss Yan left for a few days, she formed a strange connection with a few young experts. On the long street, the first person to cover for her escape was a person with extraordinary strength, using the Flipping Fist. Another person used the Five Steps Thirteen Spear, obviously inheriting Grandmaster Zhou's legacy … As for the last two people, one was a small monk, and the other was a young man whose saber technique faintly had the power of a domineering saber. I can only guess their identities …"
"… In the Martial Arts World, many young heroes come from families. These four young people, no matter where they are, have the skills of a first-class expert … This old man can't imagine how Miss Yan was able to befriend each and every one of them …"
At this point, Jin Yongsheng's words were actually a little complicated. After the Yan Clan came to Jiangning, due to the rumors circulating in the market, he naturally investigated Yan Yunzhi's case. At that time, he already knew that the girl had a clean background and was framed by a freak combination of factors. Who knew that after escaping for a few days, she would suddenly form a connection with the four young heroes, allowing the four of them to fight to the death for her in that kind of situation.
This didn't make sense. She turned hostile after being molested, then immediately turned bad after escaping? Was this considered a great awakening or self-abandonment?
Hearing the hidden meaning in Jin Yongsheng's words, Shi Baofeng momentarily frowned and said, "The Yan Clan is actually quite famous in the Martial Arts World. Perhaps other friends took them in this time …" After a pause, he continued, "Oh right, Elder Jin, do you think that the two young men behind them could be the four-foot and five-foot … Y-Demon?"
"This old man just thinks that it's possible …"
Shi Baofeng said, "After Elder Jin returned last night, did you talk to that unfilial son about this?"
Jin Yongsheng hesitated slightly, "Actually … when this old man fell asleep, Second Young Master was still outside …"
"…" Shi Baofeng pursed his lips. After a while, he said, "Elder Jin, perhaps you don't know, but this morning, someone came to report that they found the whereabouts of the two Y-Demons. That unfilial son gathered his men and went out … It seems like it's a coincidence.
Jin Yongsheng nodded, "Although the two of them escaped, they were injured quite a bit. Perhaps that's why their tracks were exposed. If Second Young Master can capture them, things will naturally become clear … Hmm, perhaps Miss Yan's whereabouts can also be found and brought back. "
"That's for the best."
Shi Baofeng waved his hand, "This matter will be handled by that unfilial son. Let's not talk about it anymore. Elder Jin, what do you think about the impact of this incident in Jinlou? "
"This old man was about to talk about this." Jin Yongsheng's expression turned serious, "Boss, Xu Zhaonan has a domineering temperament. He's not someone who will suffer losses in silence. It seems that only the envoy sent by Liu Guangshi died in this incident in Jinlou, but if Xu Zhaonan uses this as a pretext, we have to be on guard. I didn't explain the information that was first sent last night clearly. Now that I think about it, we have to make preparations early … "
"Haha, Elder Jin, don't be impatient. You're thinking the same thing as me." Shi Baofeng laughed, "I know Old Xu's character the best. That group of swindlers will usually make a big scene when they have nothing to do. This time, they'll definitely take advantage of the situation to force people to take sides and reap some benefits. Fortunately, if he can force people, we can show our goodwill. If he wants to scare people, we can protect them. Therefore, when you sent someone to send the information last night, I've already made arrangements here. I've sent someone to inform the various envoys in the city that Xu Zhaonan is going to make a move on them. As long as Xu Zhaonan makes a move today, there will definitely be people asking for help from us … "
Jin Yongsheng's back was sore from the beating last night. After returning, he only sent someone to send the basic information about the incident in Jinlou to Shi Baofeng and did not give any more warnings. Now that he heard that Shi Baofeng had already made arrangements, he was surprised but also relieved. At once, he expressed his admiration for the owner and Shi Baofeng was also modest. The two of them then discussed some of the following arrangements.
In reality, the situation in Jiangning City would become more and more intense. At this stage, everyone was also consciously adding fuel to the fire and making their own appearances. These matters had only been discussed for a moment when a soldier suddenly rushed in from the rain outside, reporting to them that some unforeseen event had occurred, and on the street outside the courtyard, there seemed to be some indistinctly, some commotion.
Shi Baofeng and Jin Yongsheng stood up, frowning as they went to the attic near the street. In the misty autumn rain, a large number of people were moving on the street in the distance. Some flags were being unfurled.
"Fu Pingbo, that rotten snake, what is he up to now?"
The people moving on the street were faintly the men of "Virtuous Dragon" Fu Pingbo, who was under "King of Justice" He Wen.
The five Great Kings of the Party of Justice were now on equal footing, but on the surface, as the leader, He Wen, was still the most special and transcendent existence among them. And "Virtuous Dragon" Fu Pingbo, who was now in the city, also had the highest authority to manage public security. The other four Great Kings in the city fought without restraint, using all kinds of methods in an ordinary manner. However, only He Wen's power seemed to be able to make the final decision when he moved.
At the moment when something happened to the Golden Tower, Virtuous Dragon's men suddenly moved on a large scale. No one could ignore the possibility behind this movement.
Shi Baofeng and Jin Yongsheng watched for a while in the attic. Suddenly, a horn sounded from the southern end of the city. During this time, there were people who had gone out to scout for information.
"'Virtuous Army' Lin Jiaojiu has led light cavalry into the city from the south. He is only five miles away from the city gate —"
Shi Baofeng frowned, then waved his hand. "Screw him. Lin Jiaojiu, if he didn't say it clearly, I would have thought that He Wen had arrived!"
Jin Yongsheng thought for a while. "Lin Jiaojiu suddenly entered the city. He might want to suppress the chaos caused by the Golden Tower incident."
"Of course I know." Shi Baofeng replied calmly. "Yesterday, he was still thirty miles away from the city, not moving at all. This sudden arrival of light cavalry early in the morning, of course, is to help Fu Pingbo."
Gu Anhe of the Golden Tower was killed, and the next wave of chaos in the city was about to begin. Fu Pingbo would most likely not be able to control the situation, so He Wen sent people urgently … These things were not strange. After Shi Baofeng finished speaking, he turned around and was about to leave. After taking a step, he seemed to suddenly think of something and turned back. Through the curtain of rain, he looked thoughtfully at the north side of the drizzle.
In the city, groups of people were secretly moving. When Fu Pingbo's team began to clear the streets, Xu Zhaonan's side had already arranged the order of threatening the various diplomatic missions. In the north of the city, Zuo Xiuquan had received a warning from Shi Baofeng and was calling for a meeting with Yin Ping, Yue Yun and the others who had caused trouble last night. The envoys sent by Wu Qimei and Tie Yan, who were the weakest in the city, had fled the inn overnight and moved to another place … Some people were watching the changes on the streets and discussing the changes that might be caused by the arrival of the 'Virtuous Army'.
In the north of Jiangning City, on the pier outside the city, there were already many workers working in the cold autumn rain. Groups of troops were coming this way. Then, someone raised his head from the wooden frame of the pier in the drizzle and looked at the misty Yangtze River.
A fleet with a huge flag had already crossed the river, and the huge ship was slowly moving towards this side.
Some people recognized the flag and knelt on the ground.
"… Save the people …" Some people began to kowtow.
"… Prince of Justice, save the people …"
A piece of news was like a stone knocking on the riverbank. The ripples of the news began to spread throughout the entire Jiangning City. Not long after, some people carried the news and flew in the city.
The Prince of Justice, He Wen, had arrived.
…
Shi Baofeng stood in the attic and looked in the direction of the northern riverbank for a while. On the street in the distance, someone was riding a horse in the rain.
He rubbed his fingers.
"It's just a small matter, don't worry about it."
He said.
"Let's get ready to negotiate."
*****
Half an hour later, in a room on the second floor of the Five Lakes Inn, the Five Feet Y Demon, whose name had already spread far and wide, suddenly sat up on the bed.
"Something's not right …"
His eyes were still closed, but his ears moved, listening to the movements around him.
It was raining outside the room.
In the inn, the innkeeper and a few companions were looking for the waiter named Ah Qing, and a companion ran in from outside.
"Something, something happened …"
"What happened?"
"There's a large group of people coming this way. On the way, they asked about our location …"
"Who are they?"
"No, no, I don't know … Looks like the flag belongs to the Prince of Equality."
"F * ck, call the surrounding people and come here. Ah Qing just disappeared last night, and now people are coming. Things are going to be bad … Bring all the things in your hands over, I'll burn them first!"
It was drizzling outside. Xue Jin, who had been on tenterhooks for the whole night, came out from under the bridge wearing a tattered raincoat. Then, he stood by the side of the road and saw a large group of people leisurely coming over. The leader was a young playboy. They crossed the bridge and were about to form a team in front of the Five Lakes Inn.
"Chase away the surrounding people and surround this place."
The playboy gave the order.
The minions spread out in all directions. Someone came towards Xue Jin and shouted, "Get out of my way!" Xue Jin shrunk back to the edge of the riverbank. He stammered and wanted to speak, but the other party was already close. "Go."
Xue Jin wanted to return to the bridge below. He took two steps forward, but the other party kicked him. "I'm telling you to go. Don't you understand?"
"I … go …"
Xue Jin knelt on the ground and began to kowtow. The other party kicked him into the muddy water.
At the inn and from some of the surrounding buildings, many people began to rush out and welcome Shi Baofeng's team. They began to confront each other on the street.
"What are you doing?"
"The Prince of Equality's people are here to cause trouble?"
"… Is there still any law?"
At the front of the team, Shi Weiyang frowned. The encirclement was blocked. He called over the people beside him and went over to negotiate — according to his temper in the past, he would have asked his subordinates to beat them up. But now that he had grown up and matured, and his father was here, he had to consider the big picture. There was no need to make a big deal out of this. After all, they were just searching for two outsiders who had nothing to do with the Fairness Party.
After the initial negotiation, the messenger rushed into the inn and reported to the innkeeper. The other party only wanted to capture two outsiders who had offended them. One was a Five-Foot Y-Demon, and the other was a Four-Foot Y-Demon. As long as they let them search them, the other party would leave after capturing them.
"… The other party seems to be Shi Baofeng's son, Shi Weiyang. We can't afford to offend him. If it's true, shouldn't it be enough to just give them their people?"
The innkeeper's expression was uncertain. "Ah Qing just went missing, and now they're here. They say they want to capture us, and you just let them search us? Can we afford to be searched? Next time someone says they lost their chicken, are you going to search them too? F * ck, even if we can't afford to offend them, we have to. We're carrying Nong Xian's flag, not Prince of Equality's! If they want to come in, tell them there's no way. "
The two Y-Demon brothers, who were badly battered, quietly ran out of the inn's main building. They observed from the side for a while, then quietly climbed up to the wooden building next to it.
"Who are these people? What happened? "the little monk asked curiously in a small voice.
"They look like sh * t babies …"
"Are they here to capture us?"
"It can't be." Long Aotian counted on his fingers and thought for a while. "Recently, we've mainly offended Wei Yiwen and Zhou Shang. We've also fought with Monkey. As for the sh * t babies, we haven't started to offend them yet."
He felt that he was innocent. "But … no matter what, they're all bad guys. As the saying goes, a gentleman doesn't stand under a collapsing wall. Let's go out from the back first to avoid getting involved."
"What's a gentleman doesn't stand under a collapsing wall?"
"That's an idiom."
Taking advantage of the confrontation in front, the two of them quietly climbed out from the back. Of course, out of the mentality of watching a show, they also stayed on the roof for a while.
On the road in front of the Five Lakes Inn, the quarrel was getting more and more intense. Shi Weiyang's expression had already turned extremely ugly. He had brought many strong people with him. Out of goodwill, he gave the other party some courtesy. Who knew that this bunch of people carrying Nong Xian's flag would not budge an inch. What kind of lunatic was this?
Just as he was about to flip out and start a fight, on the main road not far from the city, some movements began to become obvious. A large number of people and flags were being mobilized in the surroundings.
Not long after, the news that Virtuous Jun Lin Jiaojiu had entered the city spread.
The waiters in the inn and the people who were helping nearby immediately became excited. Some of them even ran to the other side of the main street and began to complain to the people of Virtuous Long and Virtuous Jun, asking for help. For a moment, the situation in front of the Five Lakes Inn, where a bloody massacre was about to take place, returned to a situation of confrontation. Shi Weiyang maintained his rationality.
In the curtain of rain, there was a lot of noise.
The little monk and the young man who jumped out from the back of the side watched the excitement for a while on the roof. Then, they went down the back alley, ready to leave this troublesome place. The situation was too chaotic, too exciting. If it wasn't for the fight last night, Little Aotian, who was eager to see the world in chaos, would have gone over and shouted, "Listen to my advice … Let's fight."
"Let me tell you, secretly watching them fight is the most interesting thing."
He was imparting life experience to his little brother.
In the long and messy back alley, there were some sundries. Their feet were muddy from the rain. Suddenly, the two of them saw a figure in front of them. They dodged to the side at the same time. The little monk who was walking at the back hid behind a pile of rubbish. Long Aotian, who was in front, was slightly stunned.
He heard a voice.
"Oh, what a coincidence."
This voice was somewhat familiar. It came from a dark-skinned, plump girl under the straw cape.
Her next words were, "… Isn't this our world-famous Five-Foot Y Demon, Long Aotian?"
The young man's face was originally a little panicked and frightened. At this moment, all the expressions on his face froze.
He knew, he was already dead.
…
"… That! Is! Him! Her! Dirty! Her! Me! Her — "
In the chaotic morning of the city, someone shouted in grief and indignation in the rain. At this time, the Prince of Justice was entering the city. Countless people were kowtowing in the rain. There was a confrontation on the street. Xue Jin crawled back under the bridge, trembling and crying. Countless schemes were intertwined. Ning Ji saw the dark-skinned girl who should not exist here.
He was dead.
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