Blood sedge

Chapter 1183 Threading the Needle (Part )

At night, in the study of Luoyang General's Mansion.

The light was as dim as a bean, and the candlelight flickered. Only a circle of muddy yellow light could be seen around the desk, while the rest of the room was in darkness.

Hu Jin, with a solemn expression, stood in the darkness without saying a word, watching Guo Xian, who was writing quickly at his desk, with anxious eyes. His mood went up and down with the "rustling" sound of the brush rubbing against the rice paper, and he was very anxious.

"What time is it?" Guo Xian asked without raising his head.

"My lord, it's two quarters past ten o'clock." Hu Jin answered respectfully.

"Is there any news about Zhang Xiong?"

"No." Hu Jin shook his head slowly. "According to reports, he has not come out since he entered the Donghai Teahouse."

"Where is Liu Xunyi?" Guo Xian paused without looking up.

"Nothing...anything." Hu Jin's voice sounded a little flustered. "I've sent out three groups of people, but none of them could find out where he was."

"What's going on in Danfeng Garden?"

"Just like usual, as if nothing happened." Hu Jin pondered, "Oh, right! Before noon, there were some sneaky people wandering back and forth outside the general's mansion. They should be spies from the Xianwang Mansion. But they withdrew after noon and have not made any moves since then. I guess... it was probably Liu Xunyi's order."

"These so-called Jianghu masters like to play tricks that are deceptive."

After saying this, Guo Xian gently put down the brush, blew on the ink that had not yet dried on the paper, and said nonchalantly: "Although you didn't find Liu Xunyi, I have guessed his general whereabouts."

"Oh?" Hu Jin's eyes lit up. "Where is he?"

"Donghai Teahouse." Guo Xian looked at Hu Jin in the dark, his eyes flickering with cunning in the candlelight. "Although I don't know how he tricked Zhang Xiong into going to Donghai Teahouse, but given Zhang Xiong's temperament, he would never leave his work to waste a whole day in a teahouse unless he had no other choice."

"What you mean is..." Hu Jin vaguely guessed what Guo Xian meant, and his slightly trembling voice could not hide his inner excitement and joy, "Is it possible that Zhang Xiong is already... dead?"

"You won't survive tonight if you don't die. These people in the martial arts world are quick to revenge and will take revenge for any slight. Zhang Xiong provoked them, and there's no telling how much he will suffer. What's more, I can't think of any other reason to stop Zhang Xiong from attacking Danfeng Garden, and I can't think of any excuse to make Xie Xuan turn a blind eye to what happened today." Guo Xian said grimly, "After all, Zhang Xiong today is not only a thorn in our eyes, but also a thorn in their flesh."

"Your Excellency is absolutely right! It is not good for anyone if Zhang Xiong lives."

"Liu Xunyi is very quick, so we can't be slow either. This matter involves a lot of people, and if we lose the initiative, there will be endless troubles."

"My lord, what you mean is..."

Before Hu Jin finished speaking, Guo Xian had already folded the rice paper and stuffed it into an envelope, then stood up and personally handed it to Hu Jin.

"This is a secret letter from me to the young prince. The young prince will know the situation in Luoyang City and my plan at a glance. This matter will affect the whole body, so the young prince must know it in advance so that he can have a clear idea and cooperate with us secretly when necessary. This is a confidential matter, and I cannot trust anyone else. You must go to Helin in person and hand this letter to the young prince in person."

"Don't worry, sir!" Hu Jin's face straightened. He took the letter with both hands and carefully put it in his arms. "I will leave early tomorrow morning..."

"No! You leave immediately!" Guo Xian interrupted with a firm hand. "There are many people in Luoyang City, and the news of Zhang Xiong's death cannot be concealed. As long as he does not show up tomorrow, rumors will spread all over the city, and the news will spread like wildfire. It will not take a few days to alert Prince Hu Lie and General Wang, so you must deliver the letter to the young prince before they take the next step. Only by taking the initiative can you strike first. If General Wang gets there first, the young prince, who is completely unaware of the situation, will inevitably fail to make a thorough decision. By then...you and I may be in danger."

"Hiss!" Hu Jin dared not neglect his life, and while feeling terrified, he still did not forget to flatter Guo Xian, "Your Excellency risked your life to protect Luoyang City for me, I am sure you will be very touched by your loyalty. Your Excellency's bright future is just around the corner."

"If I am promoted, I will not treat you unfairly."

"Without your support, I would not even have a full meal. How could I be where I am today? My life has long been yours. I will sacrifice my life for you, even if it means death!"

"Whether it's promotion or a bright future, it's just a passing fancy. The most urgent task is to get in touch with the young prince as soon as possible and solve the problems of Sui Zuo, Zhang Xiong and Liu Xunyi in one go."

"As ordered!"

"Don't make a big fuss, and be sure to travel light."

"The villain understands!"

After hastily bidding farewell to Guo Xian, Hu Jin, eager to make a contribution, personally selected four guards and left the general's mansion overnight.

……

He rode out of the city under the stars.

A group of five riders galloped along the official road to the northwest, but unexpectedly, they were stopped by a group of uninvited guests only four or five miles out of the city.

"Shut up!"

From afar, they saw a group of people and horses blocking the road ahead, which was not very wide to begin with. Hu Jin and his companions had to hurriedly pull the reins and stop the galloping horses.

"who?"

Hu Jin looked at the group of black-clad men with a cautious look, and his right hand quietly reached for the hilt of his knife. "Are you from the Luoyang General's Mansion?" The leader of the black-clad men was a black-faced man who was as sturdy as an iron tower. He rode a tall horse, tilted his head lazily, and looked at Hu Jin, who was obviously shorter than him, with contempt, "Tell me your name."

"What General's Mansion?" Realizing that the other party was well prepared and had bad intentions, Hu Jin first shook his head slightly at the four guards around him, signaling them not to act rashly. Then he bowed to the black-faced man and laughed dryly, "You misunderstood! We are businessmen, not from the General's Mansion."

"What kind of business is this in the dark? Look at how you're pretending to be. You're obviously government veterans." A man in black sneered, which immediately attracted laughter from the other men in black.

"This……"

"Butler Hu, why are you still awake in the middle of the night? Where are you going?"

Just as Hu Jin was about to deny it, a teasing laugh suddenly sounded in the darkness. Then, a man in white flew over from the direction of Luoyang City, leaving a faint afterimage in the night sky. In the blink of an eye, he landed behind Hu Jin, and the group of men in black formed a pincer attack on Hu Jin and his companions.

The man was dressed in white, as white as snow, and had an elegant demeanor. His handsome face exuded a charm that was both good and evil. Such a flawless appearance that was almost incomparable, not to mention that ordinary men would feel ashamed in front of him, even the eyebrows, eyes and skin of ordinary women would probably not be even a fraction of his.

This person is none other than Wu Shuang, the elusive dragon.

At this time, Wu Shuang held a bulging sack in his right hand. Unfortunately, the moonlight was dim and the stars were dim, so it was hard for others to see what was hidden in Wu Shuang's sack.

"You're late!" The black-faced man complained to Wu Shuang in dissatisfaction, "We almost let this old guy get away with it."

"It's just a small matter. It delayed me for a moment." Wu Shuang smiled indifferently and shook the burlap bag in his hand.

"you……"

"Manager Hu, you are too careless. I followed you all the way from Luoyang General's Mansion to here, and you didn't even notice it?" Wu Shuang pretended to be incredulous and teased, "Is it true that General Luoyang has no one else around him that he had to give you such an important task? You are such a fool, what will you do if something goes wrong?"

"bass!"

"Who are you? Why are you following me?"

Wu Shuang's teasing made Hu Jin feel uneasy. He quickly drew his sword and stared at Wu Shuang as if he was facing a formidable enemy.

Unexpectedly, Wu Shuang ignored Hu Jin's questioning and even stopped looking at him. He shouted to the black-faced man, "He is Guo Xian's confidant. He must have what you want."

"It's just as the master expected!"

The black-faced man was ecstatic, licking his dry lips with his scarlet tongue, and a bloodthirsty grin appeared on the corner of his mouth. At this moment, he looked at Hu Jin as if he was looking at a long-sought prey, full of enthusiasm and desire.

On the other hand, Hu Jin's heart, which had been hanging high, now sank to the bottom of the valley. He looked around in panic, swallowed nervously, and then raised his voice to give himself courage: "Who are you? What is your intention?"

"you guess!"

"From the looks of you... you should be from the underworld. Do you know the Xianwang Mansion? Do you know Liu Xunyi?" The situation was critical, and Hu Jin didn't care about keeping it secret. He talked about his backers like a string of cannonballs, "Liu Xunyi and I are in the same boat. Don't let the flood wash away the Dragon King Temple!"

"What a coincidence! We are on the same boat with Liu Xunyi." The dark-faced man teased Hu Jin like a cat playing with a mouse, "But... I didn't hear that you were on this boat."

"Misunderstanding! It must be a misunderstanding!" Hu Jin thought he had grasped a life-saving straw and hurriedly explained, "Liu Xunyi may not have told you that he and I..."

"No misunderstanding!"

"you……"

"Whoosh!"

"Uh...ah!"

Before Hu Jin could react, a sharp arrow suddenly shot out from the darkness and pierced the eye socket of a guard next to him. Blood gushed out and the guard wailed incessantly.

"You... you..."

"Okay! I have identified the people for you, and the rest is up to you to handle!" Wu Shuang said with a lack of interest, then tapped his feet lightly, took off into the air, and quickly disappeared into the night.

"Where are you going?" The black-faced man shouted towards the night sky, "Don't forget what you promised my master!"

"Eat carrots and worry less."

Hearing the merciless ridicule coming from the darkness, the black-faced man couldn't help but curl his lips, apparently quite indignant at Wu Shuang's frivolity.

"Tie up the one with the surname Hu, and kill the others. Hurry up, you must get back before dawn! If you delay the master's business, you will be in big trouble!"

"As ordered!"

Following the black-faced man's shout, before the panicked Hu Jin and his companions could sort out their thoughts, more than a dozen ferocious-looking men in black rushed up with shining swords in their hands.

……