Infinite Mask Game.

Chapter 353 The Three Xie Brothers

The skills learned from Futang can only be used as a reference. They guard their methods closely, fearing that outsiders will learn them.

Each deity statue possesses its own unique method, tailored to the characteristics of inner demons. The abridged versions of Futang's techniques are extremely difficult to master, causing outsiders to encounter obstacles at every turn.

Even Wei Miao was tempted by the promise of increased lifespan and wealth.

In reality, this is just a gimmick to lure people into joining the sect; the actual techniques are far less powerful than described.

So-called longevity enhancement simply means increasing one's own vitality. Fortune is unpredictable for ordinary people, and even they themselves cannot confirm whether their efforts will be effective.

The number of rat-shaped jade pendants symbolizes the rank of the person holding the Futang position.

There are five colors: white, red, blue, black, and yellow, corresponding to the five blessings. The specific color worn is related to the Dharma practice of the wearer.

The jade pendant itself does not possess any supernatural properties.

When Wei Miao fought against the Five Lucky Rats, he used the jade pendant as a medium to unleash his supernatural powers, which must have been a unique method of his own.

However, the Five Lucky Rats' emotions were too varied, making it difficult for Wei Miao, who was used to all kinds of great beings, to understand them.

The group of four only arrived in Beijing today.

Xie Jingming comes from a prominent family, so he naturally attracts more attention and his whereabouts are traceable.

The woman's name was Lu Sha. She was a self-taught mechanic and had some connection with Gu Fuhui.

Gu Fuhui was her father's killer.

The prefect of Xunjing was assassinated; the murderer was her adoptive father. Gu Fuhui showed mercy and spared her life.

Now, to find himself standing beside the Xie family's three sons in the capital is truly a twist of fate.

Zhou Fan and Cao Hai were master and servant; the former was the son of a wealthy local merchant, and the latter was his page.

The origins of their martial arts skills could not be found. The two had left home five years ago to travel around and had not yet learned martial arts.

Until she was noticed by Wei Miao in the capital.

The five years in between are a blank to the outside world.

Xie Yinyao came to deliver this intelligence to her, and at the same time knew that he was about to get into trouble.

The next morning, at the inn.

Xie Jingming, still half asleep, heard someone knocking on the door: "Young Master, two guests are looking for you."

"Two people?" He thought for a moment in a daze, then suddenly woke up with a start. "Could it be my eldest brother and second brother?"

He quickly got up to wash up, and when he went downstairs, he saw two men with different temperaments sitting at a square table by the window in the lobby.

It was barely dawn outside, and the other three people traveling with them were still asleep in their room. The inn was dimly lit, making it impossible to make out their faces.

But Xie Jingming had a strange intuition, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Big brother, second brother!"

The two turned to look at him upon hearing the sound.

In fact, with their cultivation level, they could have easily detected his arrival.

But they were waiting for this kid to call for help first.

Xie Zhaohui wore his unchanging bamboo hat, the upper half of his face was hidden in shadow, a knife was hanging at his waist, and he was dressed in dark blue tight-fitting clothes, exuding the coldness of life and death in the martial arts world.

He showed no expression and replied indifferently, "Third brother."

Xie Yinyao, dressed in white casual clothes, had an elegant demeanor and a gentle smile: "I heard you came to the capital to see us?" Xie Jingming stubbornly replied: "No, I came to help those in distress after hearing about the great plague in the capital. It just so happens that you are here as well."

He sat down in the empty seat, next to Xie Yinyao and opposite Xie Zhaohui.

In his mind, his eldest brother had been arrogant like a chivalrous knight since childhood. Although he later earned that title, his elder brother's aloofness made him prefer to sit next to his second brother.

At least his second brother wouldn't use his aura to intimidate him.

He said to Xie Zhaohui with a sour tone, "Dingwu Zhenjun, what a prestigious title. It is said that ten nights ago, you emerged from the shadows like a raging snowstorm, shielding the Chief of the Secret Ritual from a fatal blow. Afterwards, you overpowered the demonic Ji Ming, killed many villains, and saved the divine physician from dire straits. After achieving your goal, you gracefully withdrew and left."

Dingwu Zhenjun is the deity that Xie Zhaohui worships, and it is also his well-known name in the martial arts world.

He asked helplessly, "Who told you that?"

Xie Jingming: "Of course he's your admirer in the martial arts world. But he's definitely exaggerating, right?"

Xie Zhaohui remained calm and composed: "It's pretty much in line with the facts."

"You've become his straight man," Xie Yinyao mocked the naive newcomer to the martial arts world. "Learn from him, shamelessness is the true mark of invincibility."

Xie Jingming was speechless. Xie Zhaohui had left home when he was just over ten years old, and they rarely saw each other. Every time they met, he was left feeling awkward.

The three of them gathering at this critical juncture couldn't possibly be just to reminisce and reconnect with their brothers.

The unassuming waiter served some wine and snacks. After Xie Jingming tasted a peanut, he got down to business.

"Second brother, what exactly is going on with this plague in the capital? Is it really related to that prophetic poem? Is someone trying to harm that being in heaven?"

These questions are rather superficial. What he really wants to know is who did this and how things will develop in the future.

But he wanted to ask questions gradually to see where the boundaries Xie Yinyao could reveal were.

Xie Zhaohui also looked up slightly at Xie Yinyao.

This morning, Xie Yinyao found him and asked him to come and meet his third brother.

He was not surprised. He knew all too well how powerful and all-pervasive the Imperial Observatory and the Astronomical Bureau were, not to mention the fact that the two had now joined forces.

When he is not deliberately hiding, it is of course easy to find him.

The third brother couldn't be kept in the dark either.

Xie Yinyao felt conflicted. He had followed the orders of the Grand Eunuch and successfully arranged for the other two to meet, but he knew that all three had their own agendas.

Despite the fact that the three hadn't seen each other for a long time and seemed to be getting along well, he was the one who was most ostracized among them.

Because his stance was aligned with the imperial court, for the Xie family, this was a betrayal of their family.

In the past, their meetings often ended in heated arguments and unpleasantness. At most, they could share a meal at the same table during the New Year, but the barrage of questions left him exhausted.

Ultimately, they have different ideologies.

The reason they were able to get along so well this time is because both of them had their own goals.

Xie Yinyao's mind raced, and he sighed, "The situation in the capital is currently very complicated, and I dare not say too much, lest I mislead you. As for the plague, you should investigate it yourselves. If you can dispel the fog of uncertainty and save the people, I believe the court will be pleased to see it succeed."

He wasn't lying. As a Grand Secretary of the Flying Bird Pavilion, he had the right to review intelligence on highly confidential matters personally overseen by the Chief Supervisor, but he had no right to reveal it to people in the martial arts world.

Moreover, the other party's actions are currently unpredictable, and it is unknown how they will draw upon the plague to gain the power to overthrow that person.

The other two exchanged glances, and Xie Zhaohui said in a deep voice, "I don't understand, there's no way to save them."

“I don’t understand either. I thought you would understand, Second Brother. You have the most information among us,” Xie Jingming said. “Second Brother, why don’t you give us some guidance for the sake of the people? We have martial arts skills, but we don’t know who the enemy is, so we can’t use them.”