In the Tian room of the Tongxin Inn in Shantong City, Lu Ying tidied up her face, opened the window, and let half of her face bask in the sunlight.

"Aren't you afraid it's a Hongmen Banquet?"

Seeing Chen Yi return, she asked.

Not long ago, Chen Yi had gone downstairs to meet with Qin Tu, who informed him of a meeting at Qingfeng Pavilion, the largest and final base of Lifeng Pavilion in the city.

"The County Magistrate said to first take me to scout the layout of Qingfeng Pavilion—only regular customers can enter," Chen Yi retorted. "And if it's a Hongmen Banquet, so what?"

"Dangerous." Lu Ying paused for a moment and said, "The Overlord of Chu was never one to be trifled with."

"Yet I have the spirit of the Emperor Gaozu."

Lu Ying shot him a sideways glance.

Unperturbed, Chen Yi pulled out a sign tube from his chest pocket and said, "How about drawing a stick?"

Lu Ying blinked, shook the tube, and drew out a stick.

It was the "Supreme Fortune" stick.

"The ancient Liu Ruan encountered an Immortal…"

Lu Ying's eyes widened in surprise. Legends spoke of Liu Ruan, who saw past worldly affairs, pursued the Dao, and eventually met Immortals at Mount Tiantai, achieving his destiny. If this omen were interpreted for marriage, it would signify meeting an Immortal—and meeting two, at that.

"What are you still waiting for?" Chen Yi retrieved the stick and smiled, saying, "Let's set off."

............…

Inside Qingfeng Pavilion, the sound of opera echoed incessantly. It was both a restaurant and a theater—a place to entertain guests, drink, and revel. The pavilion boasted beauties of unparalleled allure, more stunning than the oirans of ordinary brothels, but their prices were higher. The harder they were to attain, the more desirable they seemed.

Zhao Yan, the fragmented dragon, stood inside, leaning against the railing and methodically issuing detailed instructions:

"With the assistance of Jiangxin Zhenren, we hosted a banquet for a number of Taoists who were hoping to attend the ceremony at Chongyang Sword Pond, including some from Taihua Mountain. So tonight, operate with silence—assassinate Min Qianhu discreetly, so as not to disturb these honored guests."

Enchanted Butterfly responded:

"This daughter will certainly relay the orders to all the brothers and sisters, but since the target is to be assassinated in secret, why not make full use of the situation and let this daughter drain him dry?"

Her voice drifted languidly through the air, sending shivers down the spines of the Lifeng Pavilion assassins standing motionless behind her.

Enchanted Butterfly was bewitching, but also self-intoxicating. There was no shortage of killers who had been intimate with her in the past, only to die within thirty days as if drained of essence. And that was already her restraint—the result of her fondness for them.

Zhao Yan's face remained calm, his gaze unwavering as he said, "Unless absolutely necessary, do not complicate matters, especially since your Charming Technique is better reserved for someone more important."

"Who?"

Zhao Yan tapped the Xique Pavilion token nestled against her chest.

Waves subtly rippled.

Enchanted Butterfly chuckled lightly and retrieved the token from the crevice, still bearing traces of sweat. She asked, "Is Daddy asking this daughter to seduce the new seat master?"

"Exactly. I've heard that he was recently promoted to fill the seat master's position. Such a man, young and ambitious, brimming with pride, is the easiest to manipulate. Leaving the token to you is precisely for the moment when Xique Pavilion arrives, so that you can enchant him and establish our link to Xique Pavilion, paving the way for planting hidden schemes in the Capital City in the future."

"This daughter obeys."

Zhao Yan had more to say but fell silent when he noticed a figure carrying a sword and knife slowly approaching from the upper level. His voice dropped.

He raised his hand deftly and said, "The prey has arrived."

............

Amid the flickering palace lanterns illuminating the corridors, Chen Yi and Lu Ying entered Qingfeng Pavilion and were greeted personally by Jiang Shangli.

"Young Master Long, Miss Lu, please step into this room."

As Jiang Shangli spoke, he cast a deep glance at the Taoist robe Lu Ying was wearing.

Just as Chen Yi was about to step inside, Jiang Shangli suddenly reached out to block him.

"What's the matter?"

"Will Young Master Long not set down his weapon?" Jiang Shangli asked.

Chen Yi lightly touched the jade pendant hanging from his waist and replied with a smile, "An open blade for self-defense is better than a hidden arrow. Keeping the sword and knife in plain sight shows my uprightness and integrity."

"Well said!"

The speaker was not Jiang Shangli but another person.

Following the direction of the voice, Chen Yi saw the speaker's thin face, tied-up hair, loose robes, and kind brows. Yet the corners of his eyes bore many wrinkles.

"I am Zhao Yan, merely the humble shopkeeper of Qingfeng Pavilion. I've heard that Young Master Long is a martial arts expert and plans to converse with the County Magistrate about state affairs. Is that so?" Zhao Yan rose, cupped his hands, and smiled.

The shopkeeper of Qingfeng Pavilion had made his appearance openly before him.

Chen Yi glanced at Jiang Shangli.

Not according to the plan…

Jiang Shangli is signaling me? Chen Yi pondered briefly.

"Precisely."

Zhao Yan laughed heartily. "Then it's fortunate indeed. Zhao has always loved befriending heroes and noble figures. Tonight, the County Magistrate is hosting and has specially invited you for a meeting."

As he spoke, Zhao Yan pushed a chair toward Chen Yi, exhibiting the full hospitality of a merchant. "Come, have a seat."

Chen Yi placed his hand on the chair's backrest. "You're too kind."

Zhao Yan applied slight force but found it immovable, stalled in place.

"What line of business is Mr. Zhao in?"

"I wouldn't call it any formal business—up until now, I've accomplished nothing, and my family doesn't hold much wealth either."

"Moon Viewing Tower, Qingfeng Pavilion—both are worth a fortune."

Zhao Yan's eyes narrowed subtly. His palm pressed harder and then loosened as he burst out laughing, "Overpraised, overpraised—they're simply insignificant enterprises."

After speaking, he cast a barely perceptible glance toward Jiang Shangli and gestured, though Jiang Shangli remained motionless.

Not according to the plan again…

Jiang Shangli is signaling me? Zhao Yan found this odd, echoing Chen Yi's own thoughts earlier.

Jiang Shangli acted as if nothing was amiss, turned around, and directed the servants to serve dishes, breaking off their line of sight.

Zhao Yan turned back, his gaze sweeping over Chen Yi repeatedly, while Lu Ying uneasily moved closer to Chen Yi.

Chen Yi curved his lips into a faint smile—Zhao Yan was assessing his martial arts, but wasn't he doing the same?

With his hair tied up, every strand gathered within his hairpiece, a precaution to avoid any interference during combat. His loose robes, layered and overlapping, likely concealed countless hidden weapons. The wrinkles around his eyes revealed that he often squinted to observe distant prey closely.

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