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Глава 107

"Since you're here, why don't you chat with me?" Li Si said, then leaped forward. Yin Xiao didn't hesitate and joined the attack.

Upon seeing this, Lian Zhao drew his sword from his waist and rose to meet the attack.

Xiao Xiao stood up, extremely nervous. Their whereabouts couldn't be exposed, and now that Lian Zhao had seen her, things were definitely in serious trouble. Were Li Si and Yin Xiao planning to kill her to silence her?! But hadn't Lian Zhao just been about to leave? Didn't he say he hadn't intended to arrest them?!

Just as she was about to step forward to do something, a gust of wind swept past her.

Xiao Xiao saw Jiang Cheng's figure disappear into the rain like lightning, and the next moment, he stood among the three fighting.

His right hand held the wine flag pole at the entrance of the restaurant, separating Yin Xiao and Li Si. He had his back to Lian Zhao, as if he knew Lian Zhao wouldn't attack from behind.

Jiang Cheng sighed, looked up, and smiled gently.

"Gentlemen, what is it that warrants such a shouting match?" He flicked his wrist, lowered the wine flag, and said, "There are no grudges in this world that cannot be resolved. Why don't we come into my shop, have a drink, and talk things over?"

Yin Xiao and Li Si looked around at the situation. This fight attracted the attention of those who were taking shelter from the rain under the eaves, who watched the excitement with great interest. The residents along the street also opened their windows and doors, peeking in with smiles.

It was a very eerie atmosphere. The onlookers seemed relaxed, but upon closer inspection, their positions were all optimal for an attack.

Yin Xiao and Li Si exchanged a glance, and smiles immediately appeared on their faces.

“Oh dear, Young Master Jiang is right.” Li Si sheathed her weapon and said, “Fighting and killing are indeed not good…”

Yin Xiao nodded in agreement, "Yes, matchmaker, let's go in and have a drink."

Xiao Xiao was stunned.

Jiang Cheng nodded and said, "That's good." He turned to Lian Zhao and asked, "Young master, could you perhaps be from the Lian family, the Divine Arrow Clan?"

Lian Zhao assessed the situation and had no choice but to sheathe his weapon as well, saying, "I am Lian Zhao."

"So it's Young Master Lian," Jiang Cheng said with a smile. "The Lian family has defended the country and made numerous meritorious contributions. They are outstanding generals of our time and pillars of the nation. I have long admired them. If Young Master Lian doesn't mind, please stay at my humble shop so that I can show you some hospitality." After he finished speaking, he stretched out his hand and said, "Please."

Lian Zhao glanced at Yin Xiao and Li Si, then at Jiang Cheng, sensing something amiss, but couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. However, the situation left him no room to refuse. He could only nod and re-enter the restaurant.

At that moment, the onlookers in the town relaxed and went back to doing their own things.

Xiao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief; this place was indeed extraordinary!

Xiao Xiao calmed herself down and stood by the table, watching Lian Zhao approach step by step. His eyelashes were lowered, deliberately avoiding her gaze. It was as if he didn't recognize her. This indifference made her feel somewhat disappointed. For some reason, she would rather he grab her than have him treat her like a stranger…

But at this moment, she had no right to ask for anything. She could do nothing but watch from afar.

Jiang Cheng walked into the lobby, patted the rain off his clothes, and said with a smile, "Please change your clothes first, everyone. It would be our fault if you caught a cold. I'll warm up some wine for you. We can talk about it later."

As soon as Jiang Cheng finished speaking, the waiter, who had been resting, came upstairs with renewed energy and led everyone upstairs.

After a brief moment's thought, he immediately caught up with Li Si and Yin Xiao.

After the two of them changed their clothes and rested for a while, Xiao Xiao immediately got straight to the point: "Can you please stop causing trouble for Lian Zhao?"

Yin Xiao straightened his clothes and said, "Girl, are you stupid? I could spare him back then because of you. But it's different now. He's a lackey of the imperial court and allied with the Shenxiao Sect. Do you think he'll let us go?"

Xiao Xiao frowned.

“Miss Zuo, although Ye Li’s words last time were pleasing to the ear, they were still just speculation. Lian Zhao is here now, clearly having come to track us down. I know you have feelings for him, but unfortunately, a soldier is a soldier, and a thief is a thief. It’s best to draw a clear line between them…” Li Si continued.

Xiao Xiao lowered her head, frowning. Yes, Lian Zhao's presence here clearly meant he had tracked her down. That meant he recognized her. But if he recognized her, why would he have let her go at the city gate? If he let her go, why bother chasing after her… Thinking about it this way, it was clear that Lian Zhao wasn't looking for her. But what was there in this place that made him chase after her…?

At that moment, all the clues in Xiaoxiao's mind connected.

"The carriage!" Xiao Xiao shouted.

Yin Xiao and Li Si were startled and puzzled.

"carriage?"

Xiao Xiao laughed, "It's a carriage! The 'Li Quan Divine Spear' is hidden in the carriage!"

After a moment's thought, Yin Xiao and Li Si understood.

"No wonder Ye Zhang went to such lengths, arranging such a luxurious carriage. So that's how it is!" Yin Xiao stood up. "...However, this is really not the place to make a move..."

Li Si also stood up. "In any case, the 'Liquan Divine Spear' is one of the Nine Emperors' Divine Weapons. We should go and see for ourselves!"

With this consensus reached, the three of them went downstairs to the backyard without saying another word.

The rain had stopped, but the sky was still dark and damp, making it unpleasant.

Yin Xiao walked to the carriage, examined it carefully, pondered for a moment, gathered his strength in his palm, and struck the carriage body directly.

However, before his palm strike could land, he was subdued.

"Brother Qi, isn't it a bit inappropriate to touch someone else's things?" Jiang Cheng said, holding Yin Xiao's wrist.

"Young Master Jiang, there's no need to be impatient. I'm just testing my palm strength. If it's damaged, I'll compensate you for the price!" As Yin Xiao spoke, he flipped his wrist and grabbed Jiang Cheng's wrist.

The two immediately became entangled.

Seeing this, Li Si leaped to the side of the carriage and attacked it with her own palm strike.

Although the carriage was made of fine wood, it could not withstand the concentrated force and shattered with a "boom," scattering planks all over the ground.

Seeing that nothing was amiss, Li Si immediately struck again, this time at the other vehicle.

At that moment, an arrow shot out, forcing her attack back.

Li Si turned her head and saw Lian Zhao holding a bow beside her, clearly exuding murderous intent. She smiled faintly, and with a flick of her red thread, she attacked Lian Zhao. Without a word, the two clashed again.

Xiao Xiao stood to the side, speechless. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of several shop assistants standing leisurely to the side, seemingly observing. A chill ran through her; this town was definitely not a good place to make a move. She immediately and tactfully shrank to the side to feign innocence.

Xiao Xiao was somewhat relieved to see that the four people fighting in front of her had all turned their attention to the carriage and had no intention of harming their opponents.

"Oh, what's this game again? I want to join too!" Suddenly, a clear female voice rang out.

Xiao Xiao turned her head and saw Luo Yuanqing with a smile on his face, rushing into the battle without knowing what was going on. Xiao Xiao looked speechlessly at the shop assistants, whose expressions were all mocking, not taking what was happening in front of them seriously at all.

The five men were fighting in a chaotic and disorderly manner, with no one able to touch the carriage or subdue anyone else. Before they knew it, a quarter of an hour had passed.

Xiao Xiao simply sat down on the ground, hugged her knees, and continued watching helplessly.

Suddenly, a flash of cold light pierced through the air, and a blade flew in, stabbing directly into the carriage. The carriage couldn't withstand the force of the blade; the wood beneath it cracked open, revealing a gleam of silver. It turned out that the wood beneath the carriage was hollow, and a spear was hidden within it.

Before Xiaoxiao could even be surprised by this change, she saw the person who had thrown the knife. He was still dressed in that spotless moon-white robe, and in the dim light, the hazy mist made his figure appear ethereal and unreal. His expression remained indifferent throughout, but that indifference was not the detachment of someone who had seen through the world; rather, it was a deep-seated repression.

"Wen Su!" As soon as Li Si saw him, she withdrew from the battle and attacked directly.

Seeing this, Luo Yuanqing said lightly, "You are not allowed to touch him!"

Wen Su, however, paid no attention to this and directly took the spear from the carriage.

Jiang Cheng leaped onto the carriage and firmly planted the spear under his foot.

Lian Zhao and Yin Xiao also made their move at the same time, blocking Wen Su.

Thus, what was originally a five-person melee turned into a six-person melee.

Xiao Xiao could no longer remain calm. She stood up, but didn't know what she could do.

At this moment, Jiang Cheng kicked the spear out of the carriage and it spun in the air.

At this provocation, the five men below simultaneously leaped up and reached out to seize the gun.

Amidst the scramble and struggle, the spear was repeatedly snatched away and slipped from everyone's grasp. By a twist of fate, the spear flipped a few times and landed squarely on Xiao Xiao.

As the spear flew towards her, Xiao Xiao instinctively tried to dodge it, but in the ensuing fluster, she caught it in her arms.

In an instant, the battle abruptly stopped. Everyone watched her silently, and not a single person stepped forward to grab it.

Xiao Xiao held the spear, unsure of what to do.

"Ha, it really is a divine weapon with supernatural powers," Li Si laughed.

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiao laughed, "Alright, there's no need to argue now."

Lian Zhao looked at Xiao Xiao, but unconsciously avoided her gaze, lowering his eyelashes as if deep in thought.

Wen Su's expression remained indifferent; his gaze merely swept over Xiao Xiao before settling on the knife in his hand.

Luo Yuanqing looked at everyone's attitudes, somewhat puzzled.

Jiang Cheng laughed, jumped down from the carriage, and walked up to Xiao Xiao. "Miss Zuo, could you give me this gun?"

Without hesitation, Xiao Xiao immediately handed over the spear.

Upon seeing this, Wen Su's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he mercilessly swung his knife at Jiang Cheng's back.

Seeing this, the henchmen on either side leaped forward. In a flash, a figure suddenly appeared. It burst between Jiang Cheng and Wen Su, parrying Wen Su's leg with one hand, and then struck out with its palm.

Wen Su immediately withdrew his strength and retreated hastily to avoid the attack.

The man changed his palm into a claw, and his figure suddenly flashed. Wen Su did not expect him to be so fast. In his slight surprise, he was caught off guard and had his throat locked.

Upon closer inspection, Xiao Xiao realized that this person was none other than the owner of the restaurant, the fearsome leader of the "Broken Wind" sect.

The man's eyes were initially filled with a chilling murderous intent, which made people's hearts tremble. But when he saw Wen Su, his murderous intent weakened, and the strength between his fingers loosened.

"Brother Han, it's been so many years. How come you've also started doing these backstabbing attacks?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuanqing laughed. "You old fool, what nonsense are you spouting? What Brother Han? He's the chief disciple of the East Sea, Wen Su, the Double Yin Blade Master. He's the person I'm looking for. I advise you to be careful what you do."

Upon hearing this, the man frowned, scrutinized Wen Su carefully, and said, "I'm really getting old, my eyesight isn't what it used to be..." He looked at Wen Su and said leisurely, "Boy, if you didn't resemble an old friend of mine, I would have snapped your neck and sent you back to your mother's womb to learn some manners."

After the man finished speaking, he loosened his grip and pushed Wen Su away with one palm.

Wen Su staggered a few steps and began to cough violently.

The man ignored Wen Su and looked directly at Jiang Cheng. "I told you long ago, the kung fu you've learned is utterly shoddy. If it weren't for my intervention, you would have been dead on the spot!"

Jiang Cheng was disdainful, but couldn't find the words to refute him, so he could only remain silent.

The man turned to look at the crowd before him, sighed, and said, "Young people these days are getting more and more audacious. Daring to make such a blatant attack in someone's backyard?" He continued leisurely, "Back in my day, when I was a peerless martial artist, I would present a gilded invitation card before challenging any senior, patiently waiting for their guidance. Tsk, truly, each generation is worse than the last..."

As he spoke, an eerie silence fell over the surroundings; everyone was speechless. Xiao Xiao felt an invisible pressure spreading outwards, making her afraid to resist. Just now, the man's moves were unpredictable. And seeing him subdue Wen Su in one move, his martial arts must be unfathomable. Could there really be such a master in this world…?

The man glanced at Luo Yuanqing, then at Li Si, and said, "Alas, in today's martial world, it's one thing for women to outnumber men, but their actions lack even the slightest chivalry. I just can't stand it!" He looked dejected. "Back in the day," he continued, "when it came to swordsmanship, there were the Yin Feng and Yin He brothers of the Yue Lan Sword Sect; when it came to sabers, there was Shi Xi, the Lord of Taiping City; and then there was Wang Tianshi of the Shenxiao Sect, who wielded excellent palm techniques. In those days, Hero's Fortress was a place of chivalry, and the Shennong family was known for their compassion. Countless talents emerged, and martial arts flourished. But in just over a decade? I can't even find a single person to play chess with..."

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Cheng's expression instantly turned helpless. "...Are you done talking?"

"I haven't finished yet!" the man continued, displeased. "Look at you bunch of juniors! It's one thing to be poorly trained, but you're all masters of underhanded tactics! It infuriates me! Where are all the young heroes these days?! Huh?!" He grew more and more agitated, pointing at Wen Su, "Your martial arts are not bad, but what kind of act is this backstab? With such a murderous intent, even the best skills will only lead you down the path of evil!"

As the man continued his rambling, a profound silence fell over the surroundings. Everyone stood there, dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.

Just then, the rain, which had stopped, started to fall again.

"Grandpa..." Li Si said cautiously, her voice trembling with fear, "It's raining again. Let's go inside and talk."

The man was in the middle of his enthusiastic speech when he frowned, preparing to reprimand him.