Start with a red name

Chapter 162: In the Wuyou Palace, the Chain of Fate

In the central area of the Acropolis, there is a magnificent, luxurious and grand architectural complex.

In a large hall in the center of this building complex, dozens of figures gathered there, seemingly discussing something.

A man dressed in a plain white robe, with a handsome face that seemed enchanting, sat casually on a cushion on a high platform made of white jade in the center, facing south and facing everyone in the hall.

But his attention was obviously not on anyone in the hall.

His right elbow rested on his right knee, and his white and slender right hand supported a delicate and charming face that would fascinate men and make women crazy.

He tilted his head and looked outside the hall, his eyes were blurred and his mind was distracted. No one knew what he was looking at or what he was thinking.

From his position, he could see everyone in the hall at a glance.

But his eyes did not fall on anyone.

It can be seen that the dozens of people gathered in the hall are divided into several clearly defined groups.

The Left Envoy Xi Hanyue, the Left Deputy Envoy Lin Feiyu, the Right Envoy Xiang Ling, and several people behind them, who once appeared together in Anle Ji, formed a small circle of their own.

And next to them, there are many such small circles.

Sifang Hall and Dingxing Hall each form a small circle, but are also relatively close to each other.

the other side.

The battle hall is mainly responsible for external affairs and has been relatively idle in recent years.

And the Punishment Hall, which is mainly responsible for internal affairs and makes everyone in Wuyou Palace shudder with fear.

Each of them forms a small group.

In addition, there is the Acropolis system, which is directly under the control of the Palace Master and outsiders are not allowed to interfere with it.

They also form small groups of their own.

There is also a group that is responsible for a specific area, has little involvement in general affairs and lacks enthusiasm, but also plays an important role in Wuyou Palace.

Although not many people were arranged to come, there were one or two symbolic representatives gathered in this hall.

For example, the Chuan Gong Hall, the Pigeon Training Courtyard, the Cai Zhe Courtyard, the Nei Wei Courtyard and so on.

Unless one sees it with one's own eyes, it would be difficult for outsiders to imagine that the Worry-Free Palace is a den of filth, darkness, filth and sin.

Its core top floor is so magnificent and grand.

There is no sense of darkness, vulgarity, or sewer rat-like stench at all.

The men and women gathered in this hall, in terms of appearance, were far beyond the average.

Even elderly people have the unique charm and elegance that comes with the passage of time.

The specially designed hall can both shelter from wind and rain and not block any light from outside.

The sunlight reflected by the smooth walls of the temple makes the entire space look magnificent and solemn.

Bathed in such light, one can't help but feel a sense of sacredness from the bottom of their hearts.

If Geng Xuan had seen such a scene without any explanation, he would have thought that he was in the court with a wise monarch and virtuous ministers in power.

What they are discussing here must be matters concerning the welfare of the people and the rise and fall of the country.

However, there seems to be nothing wrong in treating this place as a small court.

There is no such thing as exceeding the rules or going beyond etiquette.

There is no bigger sky above the Wuyou Palace.

Possessing the power and authority to decide the life and death of countless people in Yuanzhou, Wuyou Palace has been glorious for over a hundred years since the destruction of the Chixin Gang.

Not to mention just doing what is currently happening, even if he really established a government in the Acropolis and even claimed to be the only one in power, no one would come out to interfere.

The other eight states have never been wary of anything of this kind.

……

Everyone in the hall had a different expression.

For example, the left envoy Xi Hanyue, the right envoy Xiang Ling, and the several deputy envoys behind them all looked very serious, and the atmosphere was very solemn.

The Dingxingtang department next to it is in a similar situation.

The people from the adjacent Sifangtang also showed serious concern in their expressions.

Judging from his posture, he is obviously much more relaxed than Dingxingtang.

As for the Acropolis system, the palace guard system directly under the Palace Master, judging from their expressions, they are obviously a bit sloppy and careless.

Those department representatives who only arranged a representative symbolically, not to mention the top leader, even the second-in-command had never shown up in person, all had an attitude of completely indifferent and non-concerned.

At this moment, a clear and pleasant sound of jade chimes came from outside the hall.

The eyes of the strange man who was originally sitting on the high cushion, supporting his chin with his hands, as if he was wandering in the sky, suddenly became clear and bright.

His charming and misty eyes swept over everyone in the hall and said, "Are you all right? If you are, I will go back."

As he said this, he was about to get up and leave.

His voice was powerful and majestic, with a faint sound of metal.

If you imagine it just from the voice, you would think that the speaker is a tall, strong and heroic man.

This was in striking contrast to his appearance.

At this moment, Xi Hanyue, who had been standing there with a gloomy face and said nothing, suddenly spoke:

"Palace Master, the matter has not been discussed yet!"

The strange man called "Palace Master" said in surprise:
"We have all been gathered here for quite some time, right?

If you have something to say, just say it. If you don't, just go away. Why are you dawdling?"

Xi Hanyue pursed her lips, as if trying to suppress the anger that was about to rise to her throat, and said calmly:

“We have already shared the situation of Yueluyuan and Chiwu Mountain with the palace envoy.

It was also emphasized many times that this matter must be taken seriously in the palace, but the palace envoy has not responded yet.

This time, I, Right Envoy Xiang, Hall Master Luo, and Hall Master Li jointly initiated this meeting. The reason has been made very clear. Didn't the Palace Master take even a glance before coming here?"

Hearing this, the strange man turned his misty eyes and looked at a man in the hall and asked:
"Palace Envoy Xiao, you have been in charge of palace affairs, and Han Yue has now brought a complaint to me... What do you have to say about this matter?"

The man he called Xiao Gongshi looked to be in his early thirties.

At first glance, she was no more dazzling than the other men and women in the hall.

But if you look at him carefully, you will find that the more you look at him, the more he seems to have a reserved elegance and hidden beauty.

After hearing the strange man's question, the "Xiao Palace Envoy" said calmly:
"Palace Master, similar things have happened many times.

Every time they made mistakes, they couldn't cover it up, and the whole palace had to clean up their mess together.

When I first took office as the palace envoy, I had a clear requirement: whoever poops should wipe his butt.

If the situation cannot be resolved cleanly, the entire Wuyou Palace can be asked to step in, but the previous responsibilities must be settled first before anything else.

Otherwise, after we wipe his butt clean, he will pat his butt and act like nothing happened.

If I continue to pursue it relentlessly, everyone will blame me for being too aggressive!"

"The mistakes made in Chiwu Mountain and Yueluyuan were primarily caused by the improper handling of the matter of collecting medicine and grain by Xiang Youshi and Xi Zuoshi.

There is a lack of correct skills and methods, and no adequate anticipation and preparation for possible resistance.

Now, the problem has really broken out.

They said lightly that this matter was beyond their ability to handle independently, and wanted me, you, and the entire Wuyou Palace to take over.

I would like to ask, why do they have such big faces?
Why haven't I responded yet?
I'm waiting for them to clearly admit their mistakes.

But what am I waiting for?
They joined forces with Hall Master Luo and Hall Master Li to put pressure on me. What does this mean?
If you, Palace Master, also feel that I handled this matter inappropriately, I will not refute it.

You can remove me now, and then you can decide their request yourself!"

After hearing this, the strange man quickly waved his hand and said:

"No, no, no, Jingwen, don't say that.

Don't say such angry words all the time. Check your conscience. Since you became the palace envoy, have I ever not supported you?!"

The powerful and majestic voice, speaking such soft and pleading words, made people feel particularly uncomfortable.

However, everyone in the hall was accustomed to this and turned a blind eye to it.

"Palace Envoy Xiao" bowed respectfully to the strange man and said, "Jingwen thanks the Palace Master for his trust!"

As he spoke, he stood up and continued:

"Since the Palace Master has no intention of removing me, my attitude remains unchanged."

As he spoke, he had already turned from facing the platform to facing the direction where Xi Hanyue and the others were, and said:
"Left Envoy Xi, Right Envoy Xiang, everyone is here now, and I still hold the same attitude.

I just need you to admit in front of everyone that you handled the situation in Chiwu Mountain and Yuelu improperly, and I will do as you wish and grant your request.

Since I don't leave you any written records, I have no right to remove you from your positions.

I think my request is not too much, right?"

Xi Hanyue stared at "Palace Envoy Xiao" with a cold gleam in his eyes.

If looks could kill, she would have already used her eyes to poke holes into the "Xiao Palace Envoy" in front of her!

Because he was too angry, even the words he spoke became sharp and piercing.

"Xiao Jingwen, you despicable villain!

The Palace Master trusts you and has handed over all palace affairs to you. Is this how you repay him?
You don't make decisions based on the interests of my Wuyou Palace.

Instead, they are fussy and entangled in some personal grudges!
Are you taking revenge on me?
You are making the entire Wuyou Palace pay for your personal feelings.

If Wuyou Palace is in trouble someday, you will be the culprit!"

Xi Hanyue didn't notice at all that "Palace Envoy Xiao" remained calm and oblivious to her accusations.

On the contrary, the strange man on the cushion on the high platform had a face that gradually became ugly.

Looking at the calm demeanor of "Palace Envoy Xiao", Xi Hanyue's anger not only did not subside, but instead surged upwards.

She stretched out her finger like a sword, pointed at "Palace Envoy Xiao" and shouted:
"Xiao Jingwen, are you worthy of the old palace master's kindness to you?
The ancestors of my Wuyou Palace were blind to have allowed you to become a Palace Emissary!"

"Okay!" A dull voice suddenly sounded in the hall.

The sound was obviously not loud, but it was like a drumstick hitting everyone's eardrums, making everyone feel their eardrums vibrate and their scalp tingling.

The strange man on the cushion on the high platform looked a little ugly for the first time.

He looked at Xi Hanyue, who had already shut up and had a tense face, and said:

"Hanyue, let's get to the point.

If you have any opinions about Jingwen, you can communicate with him privately or tell me."

Xi Hanyue's chest heaved violently. It was obvious that her emotions were not relieved at all by being physically silenced.

At this time, the Right Envoy Xiang Ling, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. He bowed solemnly to everyone and said:

"Palace Master, Palace Envoy, and everyone else, I have always firmly supported the decisions made within the palace.

I also firmly support the order issued by the palace envoy in order to prevent the subordinates from causing trouble under the banner of Wuyou Palace.

However, the situation this time is indeed a bit special.

It may also be that we did not explain it clearly before.

...The events that occurred in Chiwu Mountain and Yueluyuan during this period seemed to be directly caused by our excessive collection of medicine and grain.

And this is the most cunning thing about this enemy!
He deliberately took advantage of this.

When you saw the information we provided, your first thought was that this matter should be resolved by Xi Zuoshi and me.

Little did they know that this was exactly what this deliberate enemy wanted to achieve!"

The Xiao Palace Envoy shifted his gaze to Xiang Ling and asked:

"Right Envoy Xiang said this, do you have any concrete evidence?"

Xiang Ling said: "There is no definite evidence, but there are many signs that fully illustrate this point!"

"Just a sign?"

The expression of "Xiao Palace Envoy" was somewhat noncommittal.

From his perspective, he didn't think there was anything wrong with his attitude.

Not only him, but also the strange man on the cushion on the high platform and other high-ranking officials of Wuyou Palace who stayed in the vicinity of Yuanjing all year round, did not think there was anything wrong with this.

From their perspective, they have to face astronomical amounts of information coming in from all over Yuanzhou every day.

This also makes them far more aware than others of the "volatility" and "absurdity" of information.

They are instinctively skeptical of anything without solid evidence.

In particular, the trick of arranging and combining different information to obtain various "signs".

With enough "whipping", they can derive the "signs" they expect from a series of seemingly unrelated pieces of information.

Someone will take over Yuanjing tomorrow, and the nine provinces of the world are expected to be unified by the end of this year...

No matter how absurd a conclusion may seem, as long as you are good at "summarizing and refining", you can always analyze the desired conclusion from a large amount of information.

Now, in the ears of "Xiao Palace Envoy" and many others, Xiang Ling's statement was nothing more than a poor excuse they found for themselves in order to avoid taking responsibility.

Seeing this, Xiang Ling opened his mouth, but was a little unsure how to continue.

He suddenly understood Xi Hanyue a little.

The status of the left and right envoys seems to be the same as that of other hall masters and this "Xiao Palace Envoy". They are only below the Palace Master, but they are in charge of different areas.

But in fact, the left and right envoys who have no specific areas of responsibility and seem to be able to intervene in everything are more like a super firefighter.

Whenever there is an emergency or any temporary urgent task in the palace, the left and right envoys will be sent out, and at most the nearby Sifang Hall and Dingxing Hall strongholds will be asked to coordinate and cooperate.

Therefore, compared with other high-ranking officials in the palace, they often leave Yuanjing and rush to various front-line locations to handle and make decisions.

Have more practical experience from the front line.

And, a special sense of smell for danger.

He really wanted to tell the others in the hall about what had happened in Chiwu Mountain and Yueluyuan in recent days.

They were suddenly uprooted from their stronghold at Kangleji;

The medicinal herbs purchased from Kangleji suddenly disappeared on the way back to Anleji;

Then, in Anleji, the Wu family "accidentally learned" the whereabouts of the medicinal herbs and tracked them down. Wu Youxin led the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry to hunt down the criminals, but they were killed in Yixian Gorge and their entire army was wiped out.
Then a group of Xuanyou Iron Cavalry ravaged Yueluyuan. In one night, Wuyou Palace lost more than a dozen marrow-refining masters and hundreds of backbone members in Yueluyuan.
Now, the food from the entire Yuelu Plain has begun to gather towards Liuyunfang...

In Xiang Ling's eyes, it was like seeing a new "pocket" brewing.

Just like the "unexpected clue" that completely buried the Wu family's future.

When these pieces of information were laid out in front of him one by one, Xiang Ling felt his hair stand on end!
He felt like he was seeing someone who harbored ill will towards Wuyou Palace, whose true strength was unfathomable, yet whose actions were so deliberate.

One step at a time, each step was neither too much nor too little, and just stepped on the weak point of Wuyou Palace.

By now, the other party has been "taking advantage of the situation" and extending their hand from Chiwu Mountain to Yueluyuan.

The damage caused to Wuyou Palace was even greater and more excessive, but it still failed to alert the "termites" in the palace.

Xiang Ling couldn't help but think angrily, "When this man's scheme reaches us one day, I'll see what kind of faces you will show!"

Just as the atmosphere in the hall fell into silence again, a series of footsteps sounded from outside the hall and quickly approached the hall.

Everyone present has a very high level of cultivation.

Just from the sound of the running footsteps, a lot of information could be basically determined.

His strength is scattered and weak, his cultivation level is only between refining blood and refining bones, and he is over sixty years old.

In addition, the visitor was extremely flustered and obviously distracted.

Before seeing the person, everyone had already formed a basic "portrait" of the visitor in their minds based on the voice.

When this person appeared at the entrance of the hall, everyone, with their own thoughts, turned their heads to look.

However, when everyone saw who the old man was who appeared at the door, they were all shocked.

Even the strange man on the high platform asked in surprise: "Mr. Qu, why are you here?"

The old man strode into the hall and stood near "Xiao Palace Envoy".

He didn't even look at other people, his eyes fixed on the strange man, and said solemnly:

"I want to bring back all the pigeons that were sent out!"

Before the strange man could speak, the "Xiao Palace Envoy" next to him was the first to jump up and down, asking hurriedly, "Why?"

The "sharp ears and sharp eyes" of Wuyou Palace.

It not only depends on the widely distributed strongholds, whether overt or covert, within Yuanzhou.

It also depends on a large number of carrier pigeons flying back and forth in the sky, connecting the isolated strongholds into a whole, and finally converging to Yuanjing.

Without these carrier pigeons, the senior officials of Wuyou Palace, who have long been accustomed to this situation, would immediately become "blind".

For those who have experienced what it feels like to have "sharp ears and clear eyes", this kind of situation is a good thing.

It will be more unbearable than other forces and will feel more passive.

But "Xiao Gongshi" also knew very well that the old man in front of him was the real authority in the field of carrier pigeons.

The other party raised this matter so seriously at this moment, it couldn't be a joke.

Therefore, even though he was anxious, "Palace Envoy Xiao" still suppressed his opposition and asked the reason.

The old man said in a deep voice, "Not long ago, twenty-six carrier pigeons lost contact with me!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Gongshi's expression softened considerably and he said:

"The death of homing pigeons is a common occurrence, isn't it? Why make such a fuss?"

Once the carrier pigeon dies, no matter what the cause of death is, the connection between it and the old man will naturally disappear.

The old man shook his head and said:
"The disappearance of the connection between these twenty-six carrier pigeons was not due to death, but was untied by someone!"

As he spoke, he looked at the "Xiao Palace Envoy" who hadn't reacted, and asked:
"Do you understand what this means?" "What does it mean?"

"Palace Envoy Xiao" felt that his thoughts were still lagging behind at this time, so he echoed the question.

“Since the other party can untie the connection between me and these pigeons, they can naturally establish new connections with them.

Now, the connections of twenty-six carrier pigeons have been untied by the other party. Who knows how many more have not been untied?
Even if it doesn't exist now, can you guarantee that it won't exist tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or in the future?"

“Once that happens, you know what it means?

The other party can intercept the carrier pigeon at any time without alerting us and read the information in it at will.

The other party can also change the information at will according to their needs, which can not only be adulterated, but also poisoned!

You all have enough knowledge about intelligence, so I don't need to emphasize that if a message carefully disguised by the enemy and carrying a poison is brought back by a carrier pigeon, it may bring about fatal consequences!"

This could cause Wuyou Palace to make wrong decisions based on this wrong information.

Given the size of Wuyou Palace, it might not be killed by a "wrong decision".

However, it will sow the seeds of distrust in the minds of the top leaders of Wuyou Palace, believing that "intelligence information can also be wrong."

As long as this seed is planted, even if the possibility that the information in hand is "poisonous" is only one percent, or even lower, it will greatly interfere with the top management of Wuyou Palace from making the right decision based on it.

Instead of doing this, it would be better to temporarily abolish this method of sending messages by carrier pigeons from now on.

After the problem is solved, we can consider restarting the pigeon.

After figuring it out, "Xiao Gong Envoy" had a glimmer of reluctance in his eyes, and said:
"Can't you take precautions against those problematic pigeons?"

The old man shook his head and said:

“It’s impossible to prevent it unless I can keep all these pigeons within my sight.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be able to find the problem.

Since I can't do it, it's even more impossible for anyone in our palace to do it.

You can't tell whether there is anything wrong with the pigeons.

...Don't expect me to do nothing every day and just focus on this shit.

What's more, even if I were to guard it myself, the effect wouldn't be very good.

Because in addition to the nearby carrier pigeons that directly deliver information here, more information is relayed by one carrier pigeon after another.

In other words, more than 90% of the carrier pigeons will never appear near Yuanjing again in their lifetime since they were taken away, let alone appear in front of me.

There are so many homing pigeons, and I don’t have the energy to sort out which ones have problems and which ones don’t.

The best way is to recall them all together.”

"Don't look so worried. The problem is not difficult to solve. Someone suggested that we stop using plain text when transmitting information and use a special secret code book instead.

This will certainly increase the difficulty of sending and receiving information between different places, but it is also an effective method.

When you have trained enough people who are proficient in using the secret code, we will resume the pigeon delivery."

When they heard that the method of carrier pigeons for sending messages did not need to be completely abolished and that there was a way to remedy the situation, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Palace Envoy Xiao" still had an unwilling look on his face and asked:

"Can you confirm where the first batch of problematic pigeons are now?"

"Can we just call back the pigeons in and around this area, and keep everything else the same?"

The old man looked at him with a puzzled look and said:
"Doesn't the other party have legs? Are they really just going to stubbornly defend one place without moving?
...How can you be sure that this is the other party's first move?
Have you ever thought that this time he might have deliberately disconnected these pigeons from me?

How can you be sure that there are no problems with homing pigeons in other places?"

"..."

"Palace Envoy Xiao", who had made the two envoys on his left and right feel so frustrated that they were about to explode just a moment ago, was also speechless after being asked a series of questions by the old man.

He also did not directly answer the question of "which area did the problematic pigeons come from".

Is it that he doesn't want to answer?
No.

He couldn't answer.

Over the years, the number of homing pigeons sent out and scattered throughout Yuanzhou is at least several thousand, if not tens of thousands.

They also often die from various reasons, supplement.

The fact that he was able to detect that there was something seriously wrong with these twenty-six pigeons proved that he had considerable abilities.

But asking him to make a more precise lock is really asking too much.

At this moment, Master Luo of Sifang Hall suddenly turned his head and looked at Right Envoy Xiang and Left Envoy Xi.

The three people's gazes met and then separated in the void.

Obviously, the three of them remembered that one thing was mentioned in the message sent from Yue Luyuan.

That is, the carrier pigeons that received Xu Hao's transfer order and set out with the reinforcements to Wanpingji did not return.

In addition, there are also some carrier pigeons in the Wanpingji stronghold.

The total number of these carrier pigeons is about twenty or thirty. Doesn't that exactly match the twenty-six carrier pigeons that the old man mentioned as "lost contact"?
——It’s no wonder that they were unclear about the exact number of these carrier pigeons. Not only them, but also all the people below who passed the information up step by step, did not focus on the disappearance of the twenty or so carrier pigeons.

Compared with the fall of more than a dozen marrow refining masters and the death of hundreds of backbone members, Yueluyuan's "network" was almost completely destroyed.

The disappearance of more than two dozen homing pigeons is of no consequence at all.

Even if this happened inside Wuyou Palace, it would not be a big deal.

Because every year, a large number of homing pigeons die.

It is possible that they were intercepted by others, but more often they died at the claws of natural enemies such as eagles and vultures, or due to diseases, acclimatization, and other reasons that are simply hard to explain.

Therefore, as long as they don't bring it up, no one will connect the 26 "lost" carrier pigeons with the Yueluyuan incident.

Even if someone forced a connection, no substantial evidence could be found.

Therefore, after the three of them looked at each other and then separated, they all tacitly agreed not to "make trouble" about this matter.

Now, that "Xiao Palace Envoy" has made it clear that he wants to make things difficult for them.

If you still take the initiative to say "Report, this problem may be caused by us", wouldn't that be shameless!

In the end, this "grand hall discussion" initiated by the four big guys, the left and right envoys of Wuyou Palace, the master of Dingxing Hall, and the master of Sifang Hall, in which even the palace master was invited, did not achieve the result that the four wanted.

The only result was that Dean Qu Qingfeng, the absolute authority of the Pigeon Training Institute, took the opportunity to inform the top management of Wuyou Palace of the bad news.

Before leaving, seeing that Xi Hanyue, Xiang Ling and the others looked very unhappy, the strange man comforted them:

"Hanyue, Xiang Ling, don't blame Jingwen for being harsh and unsympathetic.

I hope you can put yourself in his shoes and think about it. In his position, being easily influenced would be a real taboo.

Of course, I also believe in your judgment. You should take more time to see if there is more direct evidence.

They don't need to be powerful, just one or two that make sense will do.

If Jingwen still insists, I will go and persuade him myself."

After hearing the strange man's words, Xiang Ling nodded seriously.

Xi Hanyue had no expression on his face and just walked out of the hall.

Seeing this, the strange man was not annoyed. He just sighed and shook his head, turned around and walked down the platform, then disappeared into the hall from another direction.

The hall, which was originally crowded with dozens of people, suddenly became deserted and cold.

After leaving the hall and walking a distance, there was no one else around except Xiang Ling and the two deputy envoys under their command.

Xi Hanyue finally spoke:

"I don't even know what I'm so angry about. Is this Wuyou Palace mine? I'm just asking for trouble!"

No one else said anything.

Soon, the group of people separated.

Just after these people separated, two deputy envoys turned around and headed towards the residence of "Xiao Gongshi".

One entered the residence of "Xiao Gongshi" from the side door and the other from the back door.

But the guide was a man without good eyesight. When he arranged them to wait for the audience, he actually arranged them together.

Just after separation, we meet again.

There was no embarrassment on either of their faces; they just lowered their heads and sipped their tea expressionlessly.

……

However, after Geng Xuan handed the three carrier pigeons to Hu Wen'an, he thought about it and found that there was nothing else he needed to deal with.

Then he immersed his mind in personal cultivation.

time flies.

If something happens, it will be long; if nothing happens, it will be short.

The next day, November 24th, in the afternoon.

After Hong Quan sent away another group of market representatives, he came to report to Geng Xuan:

"Boss, all seventy-two markets in Yueluyuan have sent envoys to express their stance.

The representatives from the seven markets I just met were the last batch.

They also knew that they were slower than others, so at the same time they sent the envoys, the grain transport convoy had already set off.

The first batch of grain transport convoys will arrive at Liuyunfang tonight at the earliest and tomorrow morning at the latest."

Geng Xuan nodded and asked again:
"Have the messages from the carrier pigeons that Cheng Hui, Xie Hang and the others took away yesterday arrived?"

Hong Quan nodded and said:
“It’s all been passed on.

Last night, messages arrived from Liuyunfang and the Nomadic Settlement, briefly introducing the current situation there."

"At 7:00 this morning, a pigeon message from Santongji arrived."

Geng Xuan nodded and asked, "How's the situation at Santongji?"

“Before Fang Jintang, Qi Mingcheng and the others returned, the situation at Santongji and Qingyuanji was not very good.

The main news was that Wu Youxin and his Xuanyou Iron Cavalry were completely wiped out and killed in Yixianxia by Fang Jintang and Qi Mingcheng. This news had been circulating widely in the markets around Chiwu Mountain in the past two days.

Santong and Qingyuan groups were the first to be affected. Fang Jintang, Qi Mingcheng and four other leaders who were closest to them had all disappeared for several days. People's hearts gradually became confused and all kinds of rumors spread.

However, with their reappearance, the chaotic mood in Santongji and Qingyuanji quickly calmed down."

At this point, Hong Quan smiled and said, "Come to think of it, Cheng Hui, Xie Hang and others also contributed to this."

"And their contribution? What's going on?" Geng Xuan asked curiously.

"Because they were riding Xuanyou horses, they didn't do much to conceal their tracks when they entered Santongji.

Moreover, they were worried about the situation in Santongji, so they made preparations for action before entering, and both men and horses were covered in heavy armor.

They entered Santongji in such a dignified manner, which was like pouring a basin of ice water on the Santongji that was about to boil. Wherever the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry passed, all the discussions and suspicions disappeared.

When Fang Jintang, Qi Mingcheng and the others unveiled their masks in public, they were greeted with nothing but flattery."

Listening to Hong Quan's story, Geng Xuan couldn't help laughing.

He could fully imagine the scene at that time.

He also thought that Fang Jintang and Qi Mingcheng did this to express their sincerity to him, and to take the initiative to cut off their own retreat and vow to fight the Wu family of Anleji to the end.

Geng Xuan thought for a moment and then said, "So, Cheng Hui, Xie Hang, and the others should have returned to Kangle Village and reunited with Luo Qing and the others by now, right?"

Hong Quan nodded, "If everything goes well, it should be..."

Just then, two "coo" sounds were heard from the roof.

Hong Quan immediately showed his delight, and while blowing the pigeon whistle, he said, "This should have come from Kangleji."

As they were talking, a gray and white pigeon appeared in their sight and finally landed on Hong Quan's outstretched arm.

Hong Quan took the paper roll tied between the pigeon's legs, quickly glanced at the contents, and said:

"This is from Kangleji. Because the distance is too far, we had to stop at the homeless settlement.

This letter was written by Luo Qing himself.

It is said that not long after Cheng Hui, Xie Hang and others arrived in Santongji, Qi Mingcheng and others stayed in Santongji.

Fang Jintang personally escorted Cheng Hui, Xie Hang and others back west. Almost shortly after we received the carrier pigeon message from Santongji, they successfully returned to Wanfufang and successfully reunited with Luo Qing and others.

...Oh, before they entered Wanfufang, another incident occurred."

Finally, Hong Quan showed a slightly strange look on his face.

"What?" Geng Xuan asked curiously.

"They met the Grand Master Fan Qi and the Master Zhu Yi. After confirming their identities, Grand Master Fan didn't say much.

However, Zhu Yi said sarcastically that the master of Santongji had fallen to the point of being someone else's bodyguard.

Fang Jintang immediately retorted, "Aren't you standing guard for others?"

Zhu Yi was so angry that he immediately started a fight with Fang Jintang... Zhu Yi's actual combat ability was surprisingly not inferior to Fang Jintang's."

"Well...but the two of them didn't fight for more than a few rounds before they were stopped by Fan Qi.

Before leaving, he said one more thing.

Late at night on the day we left, Wu Yi sneaked into Kangleji alone, wanting to go deep into the neighborhood to look for more clues.

Fortunately, he was eventually stopped by Master Fan and Zhu Yi, and he didn't succeed."

Geng Xuan looked thoughtful when he heard this.

It was late at night when these people left.

Wasn’t it the night when he led the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry to leave Fengzefang and start the “clean-up” of Wanpingji?

Everyone else's attention was focused on the bloody massacre he and his men carried out against Wanpingji.

However, Geng Xuan's focus was on the various decisions made by Liang Mingrui's mother, Liu Xiaocui, Du Mingjie, Fan Hao, Liang Mingrui, Dielan, Wuyou Palace Right Deputy Envoy Xu Hao, Qin Hexuan and others, as well as the series of wonderful linkages that resulted.

The ultimate result was to gather as many "hostile targets" as possible within and around Wanpingji.

For the enemy, this is the correct response to enhance one's own strength and pose a greater threat to him.

And for Geng Xuan, this also made it convenient for him to catch them all in one fell swoop.

With so many coincidences, others might think that this is God's will.

But only Geng Xuan himself knew that this was the result of him recruiting new gang members before the battle, adding nine points of white luck, and releasing corresponding black luck.

On the same night, Wu Yi also broke into Kangle Village, thousands of miles away.

Of course Geng Xuan wouldn't think that this was just a coincidence.

"There must be a hidden factor of 'calamity' spilling over."

“After Wu Yi got the news, would he cross Chiwu Mountain and go to Yixian Gorge for an on-site investigation as soon as possible?

After the investigation, whether he would risk going to Kangle Market alone to conduct a more in-depth investigation was a matter of debate.

Might happen, might not happen.

The spillover of misfortune might cause Wu Yi to make choices that are worse for me every time he makes a decision."

As for why the disaster overflowed, Geng Xuan guessed that it was because of the series of "chain reactions" that happened to Du Mingjie, Fan Hao, Qin Hexuan, Xu Hao and others, which made the situation even more dangerous for themselves, and they did not completely absorb the nine points of scattered black luck.

Because as far as the actual situation at that time was concerned, there was no "Nine Points of Bad Luck" that could target him around Wanpingji.

In this way, the extra, remaining "dark luck" can only "settle for the second best" and erupt thousands of miles away in a place with more flaws and loopholes.

After Geng Xuan reviewed the entire "reaction chain" in his mind, he paused, looked at Hong Quan, and asked:

"When you led people to Qin Hexuan's residence, did you find a woman named Dielan?"

Hong Quan was also stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect that the gang leader would remember such a small thing.

He thought about it and shook his head: "No."

Geng Xuan narrowed his eyes and said, "But according to what Liang Mingrui said before he died, Die Lan should be in the Qin Mansion."

Hong Quan speculates:

"That kid had been fooled by Die Lan in the first place, and he thought that was just his imagination.

Maybe, after selling him out, Die Lan turned around and left the Qin Mansion."

Geng Xuan nodded, but couldn't help thinking in his heart, if Dielan was just a weak woman, could she really come and go as she pleased in the Qin Mansion?
However, Geng Xuan could only keep this doubt in his heart.

It was impossible for him to spend extra energy on this Phalaenopsis.

I can only sigh in my heart that no one should be underestimated.

As long as one is within this web of humanity, according to the nature of the outbreak of "black luck", any insignificant little person may become a key link in igniting a certain "chain".

Feeling this way, Geng Xuan stood up and asked, "Have you packed everything?"

Hong Quan nodded and said, "Everything is packed."

Geng Xuan nodded: "Then let's go."

Soon, Geng Xuan left the Wuyou Palace Dingxing Hall's stronghold in Wanpingji and got on the back of the Xuanyou horse in front.

Dahuang and Baxiao skillfully jumped onto the back of an empty horse nearby.

Hong Quan and the rest of the group followed closely behind the two Xuanyou horses, which had already started to trot.

When the group arrived at the gate of Wanpingji, they saw Sheng Xiang, Gu Yuqun and a group of Wanpingji practitioners already waiting there.

"This is what you are doing?"

Sheng Xiang smiled bitterly and said, "Boss, we have no place to stay in Yueluyuan now. We have nowhere to go. We want to follow you."

"...Follow if you want."

Geng Xuan did not refuse. He responded casually and rode out of Wanpingji on his horse.

Seeing this, Sheng Xiang and others were delighted and urged their horses to catch up.

(End of this chapter)