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Kapitel 34

"really?"

"Sure!"

"Hahahaha!" Wang Naigong laughed loudly: "Brother Yang, inform all our friends that I, Wang Naigong of the First Manor, am delighted to have gained a beloved disciple. The First Manor has a worthy successor! Haha, a grand banquet will be held at the manor in three days!"

"Yes, Master!" Although Yang Xiao looked puzzled, he respectfully accepted the message and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute, Uncle Yang!" Li Yuxuan walked out with a grin: "You can make me your target, but first tell me where Brother Zhan is. Otherwise, I swear I will not comply. It will be a lose-lose situation for everyone!"

Where can I find solace in wine?

Of course, you have to negotiate prices when doing business.

The more eager someone is to buy or sell, the easier it is to negotiate the price. Yang Xiao is standing here perfectly fine, while Brother Zhan is probably in grave danger. Taking advantage of Old Man Wang's eagerness to push her out, she must seize the opportunity to negotiate a good price.

"Zhan Zhao?" Yang Xiao stared at her sharply. "Of course, he's in this manor."

"I need to see him!"

"After you become the young master of the manor in three days, you can meet anyone you want."

"I need to see him now, otherwise Li Yuxuan won't be alive in three days. I must confirm he's still alive." It's obvious how many people in this village want to eat Zhan Zhao after the battle of Qinglong Town. If Zhan Zhao falls into their hands, he'll be crippled even if he doesn't die.

Yang Xiao stared at her for a long time, then suddenly said in a hoarse voice, "You are not a substitute, you are the real Li Yuxuan."

"Yes!" Li Yuxuan stared directly into Yang Xiao's eyes. "I am the real Li Yuxuan. The double has already been sent back to Bianliang." To lure the snake out, they had to use themselves as bait. Didn't Wang Naigong know Li De? Didn't Yang Xiao know Madam Xiao? "I am the son of Li De and Madam Xiao!"

The hall fell silent instantly, with only their breathing remaining. Li Yuxuan chuckled again: "Weren't you all looking for Li De's descendants? I am! Release Brother Zhan and Brother Xu, and I'll stay here to be at your mercy."

Yang Xiao's eyes turned icy cold: "Aren't you afraid we'll kill you right now for spouting such nonsense?"

"Why would I talk nonsense? Everything I said is true. Wasn't this the very question your Master Wang asked me the first time he saw me? Didn't you also ask me who my mother was back in the cave?"

Wang Naigong walked up to Yang Xiao: "Brother Yang!"

"Master, are you sure it's her?" Yang Xiao's voice seemed to drift from afar: "Master, are you sure it's her?"

Wang Naigong's gaze shot towards Li Yuxuan like an arrow: "Once she comes, she can't leave. Don't worry. If she isn't, we can let her avenge Rou'er."

Li Yuxuan felt flustered and breathless under his gaze, and leaned against Xu Qingzhi, who was standing to the side. Making grand pronouncements is easy; putting them into practice is quite difficult…

"Third brother!" Xu Qingzhi offered her half a shoulder to lean on: "Don't talk nonsense, I won't leave you."

"Brother, if this can save you, I'll be overjoyed. This is not nonsense. I've never been this serious before. Has Brother Zhan never told you about my background?"

Xu Qingzhi shook his head: "No, but I won't ask you to save me, and I believe Brother Zhan won't either! We are brothers, we will live and die together, it would be my good fortune to die with you."

"Big brother—"

Xu Qingzhi smiled indulgently at her: "Even after being captured by them, I didn't expect to go back alive. I just hoped to divert their attention and give the Prince and Brother Zhan time to escape. Of course, if I can help you find out about the tragedy that happened to your family that day, I would be happy no matter what. Really."

"Big brother—" If she had known he was thinking this way, why didn't she run away last night? No, why did she lose her composure and reveal her true identity so quickly? Couldn't she have waited a couple of days? She's so stupid.

Yang Xiao's gaze returned to Li Yuxuan, no longer so cold, but the desperate aloofness still made her feel like an unforgivable sinner. It also caused a strange, clenching pain in her heart. Was he really her enemy?

She swallowed hard and grabbed Xu Qingzhi's waist with her other hand.

Wang Naigong helped Yang Xiao up: "Brother Yang, let me take you back to rest first. Don't get agitated. I will help you find out the truth."

Li Yuxuan nodded to Yang Xiao, and then Wang Naigong and the two of them left the hall and disappeared from their sight. She sighed weakly and straightened up.

Xu Qingzhi placed his hands on her shoulders: "Third brother, are you really planning to stay and accept Wang Naigong's request?"

"Is there a better way? As you said, stay here and keep them occupied, so we can know their movements and target them accordingly." Li Yuxuan found a chair and sat down, rubbing his sore legs. "Also, I always feel that Yang Xiao is very strange. His reaction is not just like that of an enemy. Maybe I've bet the right person. He is an old friend of my parents. I have a really strange feeling about him, but I can't quite put my finger on it." This feeling has been there ever since the first time he met Yang Xiao in the cave and heard what he said.

The main reason she obediently returned to the First Manor with Wang Naigong was that she wanted to see Yang Xiao again and find out what was wrong with her. Of course, an even bigger reason was that the lives of Prince Xin and Zhan Zhao were at stake there.

A maidservant approached and said, "The master instructed me to take you two to rest. Please follow me!"

Li Yuxuan and Xu Qingzhi exchanged a glance and followed the maid to the back of the hall. The area behind was quite spacious, with all the houses built against the mountainside, individual courtyards stretching from the summit to the mountainside. The maid led them along the main road to a courtyard in the middle of the mountain: "Please stay here for now. The master instructed you not to wander around. This manor is full of traps; if you accidentally take the wrong path and get hurt, don't blame him. Your meals will be brought to you. If you need anything, just ask me; I'll always be there." She led them into the courtyard, which had three rooms in a row. The maid pointed to the first room: "I'll stay here. The other two rooms are fine with you!"

Li Yuxuan looked at the maid's lips, which hadn't stopped moving: "Sister, aren't you tired after talking so much? Come in and have some water and rest!" What kind of maid is she? She's obviously just here to spy on them. "If you think we're good-looking and want to get closer to us, we don't mind."

Ignoring the maid's embarrassment and the murderous glare she gave her, she pulled Xu Qingzhi toward the room: "Also, sister, could you please bring us some food? I'm your master's last disciple. You wouldn't be able to explain yourself if I starved to death, would you?"

...

Entering the innermost room and closing the door, Li Yuxuan finally released Xu Qingzhi's hand and let out a long sigh: "I'm destined not to be a hero. I was so scared on the way here that my calves cramped up and I was trembling as I walked." He climbed onto the chair next to the table and sat down: "Brother, I've at least learned some skills from Xu Zhu and sixty years of internal energy from Old Man Wang. Although I don't have any real combat experience, Xu Zhu's skills are so high, so as his fake disciple, I shouldn't be too bad. Even I can't help but feel a little scared. How come you can be so calm?"

I've wanted to ask him this for a long time.

Xu Qingzhi smiled slightly and sat down opposite her: "Because I'm a man!"

Li Yuxuan almost choked on his own saliva: "Brother, you're clearly trying to hurt me! I'm a man now!"

"No matter how strong a woman is, she is still a woman, and she still needs a man's protection. This is a deeply ingrained idea in people's minds for thousands of years, and you can't change it. I know that I am just a scholar and cannot protect you, but when I am by your side, unless someone steps over my dead body, I will not let anyone hurt you."

…Li Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head. She knew without him saying it. She knew it the day he shielded her from a knife in Xixia.

But her status in this society meant she was destined to betray too many relationships. She dared not gamble with other people's futures and lives. She couldn't afford to gamble, nor did she have the right to. To put it simply, every time she faced Xu Qingzhi, she was terrified of losing the gamble. This feeling was different from when she faced Prince Xin and Zhan Zhao. Those two were so powerful that even if they lost the gamble, they wouldn't lose so completely; they could afford to lose.

Li Yuxuan didn't answer, and Xu Qingzhi remained silent. A familiar sense of bewilderment and regret filled the air. This mutual understanding no longer needed words to express it.

The food was served quickly. Xu Qingzhi watched Li Yuxuan wolf down her food, wondering how she could still be in such a good mood to eat. His food was stuck in his throat, and he felt uncomfortable no matter how hard he tried to swallow.

This love can only be cherished in memory, for at the time, it was all in vain. This sense of loss is heart-wrenching.

His third brother was indeed a woman. His intuition did not deceive her. She easily entered his heart in her own way, and he must have a place in her heart too.

He discovered this fact, but his heart ached even more than before, especially after what she had said to him in her delirium that day. She probably thought she was going to die then, and told him to be happy, to be happy. Xu Qingzhi gave a bitter smile. What is happiness? "My happiness is seeing you happy."

Hearing Xu Qingzhi mutter something, Li Yuxuan looked up and asked, "Big brother, what did you say?"

Xu Qingzhi stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth: "I didn't say anything, it's just eating. By the way, if we manage to get back to Bianliang alive, what are you going to do?"

"Of course, I resigned from my post."

"What if your case isn't solved?"

“That’s just how it is. Now that you know my identity, others will find out sooner or later. Rather than knowingly risking my life, I might as well live a few more years. The dead are gone, and no matter how much I torment them, they won’t come back to life.” Li Yuxuan lowered his head: “Let’s figure out how to get back alive first! Even if we live, if something happens to Prince Xin, we won’t survive even if we go back.”

This is the real problem that's driving me crazy.

Where is Prince Xin now? He's just recovered from his serious injuries; hopefully nothing bad will happen to him. God help him, you must hold on!

After finishing his meal, Li Yuxuan climbed into bed and said, "Big brother, you should go and rest too. Only if we eat and sleep well will we have the energy to do what we want to do."

Xu Qingzhi stood up: "You rest, I'm fine. I'll go for a walk around the manor. I don't know martial arts, so they won't be too wary of me. I'll see if there's any way to spread the news that we're trapped here."

"To whom should it be given?"

"The Beggars' Sect!"

"Brother Xiao is no longer the leader of the Beggars' Sect."

"The Beggars' Sect is large and its members are talkative. The First Manor is a place where the martial arts world is in the eye of the storm. If they have inside information about the First Manor, they will spread it around and the people in the martial arts world will surely know about it. Doesn't Brother Xuzhu's Lingjiu Palace have spies everywhere? As long as this news reaches Lingjiu Palace, I think Brother Xuzhu and Princess Xinyun will definitely come to our rescue."

Li Yuxuan slapped the edge of the bed and sat up: "Yeah, I'm so stupid, how could I not have thought of that? I'll go with you!"

Xu Qingzhi smiled slightly: "If you go with me, this trick won't have a chance to be used."

How could that be?

“They won’t be wary of me because I’m not of much use to them except to threaten you. But what about you? I guarantee that if you say you want to go out, someone will immediately surround this yard.”

That's true, she's their target now. But, but: "I'm worried about you going out alone."

"It's alright, as long as I can get out, they won't do anything to me until you become their young master."

That doesn't seem wrong...

"But do you really think you can go out alone?" How could she feel at ease? "You have absolutely no means of self-defense."

"This is where I am safe!"

Li Yuxuan shrank into the blanket, covered his head with it, and mumbled, "Go ahead."

A gentle breeze and light rain only amplify the loneliness.

Hearing Xu Qingzhi's footsteps leave the courtyard, Li Yuxuan finally poked her head out from under the covers. She had originally planned to rest in the afternoon and then sneak into the First Manor at night. However, after hearing Xu Qingzhi's words, her hopes for sneaking in were now very slim. After all, she had a lot of internal strength, but only knew a few dry moves of the Plum Blossom Hand. She didn't know any lightness skills or anything like that.

Thinking about it this way, she was no longer sleepy. She got out of bed, poured herself a glass of water, opened the door, and called the maid in.

The maid didn't come in; she stood at the door watching her. She probably genuinely treated her like a man, keeping her at a distance.

That's fine too, because she can sacrifice a little bit of her looks when necessary.

He flashed a smile at the maid, revealing only eight teeth, which he believed to be unmatched: "I apologize for my rudeness earlier, beautiful lady."

The maid looked at her with a cold smile: "Speak your mind. I've been in the martial world for many years and have seen plenty of self-righteous people like you. Don't try to act cute in front of me. Besides, I can't accept your young master's gift."

"Hehe." Li Yuxuan continued to laugh dismissively, "Sister, if you want me to be frank, then I will be frank. Is the daughter of Master Wang named Wang Rou?"

"Yes."

"They, I mean Wang Rou and Da Gang, were both murdered? When did this happen?"

“A month ago.” The maid’s gaze shifted from indifference to surprise. She was probably excited that the maid knew Wang Rou and Da Gang’s names.

Oh, she was in Xixia a month ago. The last time she saw Wang Rou was when that corpse child followed them and lunged at them. Could it be...? Li Yuxuan's heart sank. Could they really have been killed by that corpse child?

Although Wang Rou captured her several times, she had no prejudice against Wang Rou. In the martial arts world, everyone serves their own master, so there is no right or wrong. Moreover, Wang Rou was kind and beautiful. As the young master of the First Manor, it was rare for him to be so kind to her at that time.

"Haven't you found the murderer yet?" Asking this question makes little difference whether you ask it or not, right?

The maid shook her head, her eyes slightly moist as she looked at him.

Li Yuxuan waved his hand: "It's nothing, you can go now. Go tell your manor lord that I need to see him!"

Wang Naigong didn't send anyone to call her until dusk. When she arrived, Xu Qingzhi was already sitting there. No one knew what he had done, but when he saw Li Yuxuan come in, he gave her a thumbs up.

This move was copied from Li Yuxuan; it means "get it done."

Sitting next to Wang Naigong was another person, whom Li Yuxuan recognized as Uncle Fang, whom Wang Rou had mentioned that day. He had been staring at her intently ever since she entered, clearly indicating a close personal relationship with Yang Xiao. Was he sent to observe or to investigate the case?

Li Yuxuan pretended not to have seen anything and greeted Wang Naigong, then sat down next to Xu Qingzhi. "Brother, I haven't seen you all day. So you've been chatting with Master Wang."

Xu Qingzhi smiled slightly, "I was just summoned by Master Wang. I was bored this afternoon, so I found a young man to keep me company and help me relax in the manor."

Li Yuxuan stretched, kicked his legs, and yawned: "I just got up. It feels so good to have a good sleep! Brother Xu, you should learn from me: since we're here, let's make the best of it. There's always a way out. If it's good fortune, we'll accept it; if it's bad fortune, we can't avoid it, right? So, what's there to be upset about?"