Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 181 Chaos in Shouying, Encounter with Yan Lingji Again
"Sir, we are here."

The State of Chu, the city of Shouying.

Looking at the majestic city standing far ahead, Xiang Quan and the others were filled with emotion. They had traveled the road home countless times, but this was the first time they had encountered such danger.

Time flies, and three sunrises and sunsets have passed in the blink of an eye.

As Xiu Yuan had predicted, the rest of the journey proceeded smoothly without any major casualties. It seemed that the assassins lying in ambush deliberately avoided vital points. After realizing this, Xiang Quan and the others looked at the young man beside them with a newfound sense of awe.

On the battlefield, the most terrifying are often not the fierce generals, but the brilliant strategists who have a keen eye for detail. Such people can remotely control the entire battlefield from their tents. Military strategists have another name for such people: those who can defeat ten thousand men.

"After entering the city, I would like to trouble you and this young lady to stay at an inn first. The situation in Shouying is currently unclear. Judging from the journey back, my Xiang clan is probably also facing great trouble. Just in case, I will first report to the General and find out the situation in the city before meeting with you."

"If you sense that something is amiss in the city, you may leave on your own, and I will have absolutely no objection."

After experiencing a series of events on the road, Xiang Quan no longer dared to have that idea of ​​taking advantage of the situation.

Although the Xiang clan wielded considerable power in the state of Chu, this did not mean they could provoke just anyone. Xiang Quan was well aware of this.

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan nodded. He could tell that the other person didn't mean anything by it; they were simply worried that he would be implicated.

Watching the other person's departing figure, Xiaomeng said softly, "He seems to have been frightened by his senior brother."

Xiu Yuan shook his head. He had only made a handful of moves along the way, but in the end, this man from the Xiang clan became more and more reserved.

Dealing with a smart person, especially a strong one, is far more prudent than trying to be clever.

Xiang Quan recognized this, which is why he resorted to this desperate measure and chose to separate before entering the city.

In other words, did this man really not want to enter the city with them?

The answer is probably no, but he didn't think he could hide such a scheme from himself, which is why he came up with this explanation.

On the other side, Xiang Qian, who had already arrived at the foot of Shouying City, looked at his silent uncle and could no longer help but ask a question.

"Uncle, it seems something has really happened to the Xiang family. That gentleman would be an excellent help to us. Why?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Quan shook his head.

He could easily guess what was going on inside the city, but the boy was putting too much pressure on him. He wanted to gain the boy's friendship, but he didn't want to end up losing more than he gained.

Furthermore, there was one more thing he hadn't said: before the situation became clear, the fewer people who knew about the other party's relationship with the Xiang family, the better, so that it could be used as a backup plan.

As for how to make good use of this relationship, in his view, asking for help after explaining the pros and cons is far better than directly coercing them; at least they won't have another cunning and treacherous adversary.

“Qian’er, when dealing with a smart person, especially one whose vision and perspective are superior to yours, what we need to do is let them make their own choices, not make those choices for them.”

"The final decision on this matter rests with the General."

After a while, Xiu Yuan and Xiao Meng slowly appeared in front of the gate of Shouying City. Looking at the pedestrians coming and going in the city, there was a strange look in their eyes.

They had previously heard Xiang Quan mention that a large number of troops were stationed near Shouying City, and they assumed that the city must be overcrowded. However, it seems that this is not the case now.

The number of people coming and going at the gate was about the same as that of Daliang City in Wei. After a brief questioning, the guards let them in.

After arriving in the city, the two found an inn to settle down temporarily. By the time they had finished their business, it was already evening.

Pushing open the window, Xiu Yuan looked out at the main street. Although Shouying City was the capital of the Chu Kingdom after several relocations, its prosperity was no less than that of the capitals of other countries he had visited.

"Senior brother, what do we need to do next?"

Having arrived in Shouying, they had their own plans. Xiaomeng took a quick breath and looked at the boy standing by the window. She asked softly.

Xiu Yuan's eyes flashed as he looked southeast. He had learned the location of the palace from passersby on the way.

Regarding the purpose of this trip, some of the people involved were in the royal palace, as well as several others, including Prime Minister Li Yuan, Empress Dowager Li Huan, the current King of Chu Mi Han, two members of the royal family, Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu, and finally the Xiang clan.

Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong came here to rescue Empress Dowager Li Huan.

The person sent to invite the man was from the magistrate Li Yuan, while the person sent to intercept and kill him was arranged by Mi Hao. The Luo Wang Xin Yan Ri, whom Mi Hao had subdued, was a collaborator with this member of the royal family.

Based on the intelligence we have so far, regarding the matter of Empress Dowager Li Huan, some people hope that she can recover, while others do not. There are two naturally opposing sides here, and they should be in a hostile relationship.

As for which faction the assassins who intercepted Xiang Quan and his group came from, it is currently impossible to determine.

He still couldn't determine the exact situation of the various legions stationed in Shouying.

As his thoughts raced through his mind, Xiu Yuan shook his head inwardly.

For him, the most important thing now is to figure out the current relationships in the Chu court, so as to avoid becoming someone else's tool in the events to come.

Of course, the person who uses another's help will eventually pay the price, but sometimes, this feeling is unpleasant.

As for the power struggles within the court, he didn't think much about them. In the end, there were no winners in the power struggles within the Chu court, because the Qin state had already begun to take action.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in his field of vision, causing him to frown.

"Why is she here?"

In the distance, a girl in a fiery red dress was causing chaos on the street, with three men in black chasing after her.

Before anyone knew it, Xiaomeng also came to the window. Following Xiuyuan's gaze, she also spotted the two groups of people on the street.

"Does Senior Brother know that girl?"

After a moment of silence, Xiaomeng suddenly spoke up and asked.

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan turned his head to look over.

"Oh, why would you ask that?"

Xiaomeng looked straight ahead and chuckled.

"Guess."

Of course, that's what she thought, but that's not what she was thinking. After spending a lot of time with Xiu Yuan, she noticed that he had a habit of making small gestures when he was thinking, such as touching his chin.

The two groups of people outside were only at the Innate Realm. She really couldn't think of anything else besides knowing them that could attract Xiu Yuan's attention.

Similarly, the three men in black behind them were dressed identically, which meant they must have come from the same faction. According to her estimation, they were likely henchmen of some important figure in Shouying City of Chu.

Now that she knows for certain that her senior brother has never been to Shouying, there's only one answer left.

"I do know her. She's a girl I met in Korea. She's from Baiyue. She's the one who helped me send Nongyu back to Tianzong."

Upon hearing this, Xiaomeng looked up.

She had naturally met Nongyu before, but what surprised her was that the person who brought Nongyu to the Heavenly Sect was a young woman. "Baiyue?"

The little girl muttered something to herself, as if she had heard of this place somewhere before.

"Peach Blossom."

Suddenly a sound reached Xiaomeng's ears, followed by a whooshing sound, and then a dark figure disappeared into the darkness.

Xiaomeng's eyes flickered slightly; with just the words "peach blossom," she guessed what had just flown out.

"Senior brother, you want to save her?"

"Perhaps she could be a good breakthrough point. The situation in Shouying is too chaotic. I need to know the relationships between the various factions in the court. Otherwise, I could easily become a tool in someone else's hands in the events to come."

This was Xiu Yuan's explanation. Upon hearing this, Xiao Meng nodded thoughtfully, and then she asked another question.

"How can you be sure this girl will tell us the truth?"

Xiu Yuan narrowed his eyes. He had to admit that Xiao Meng's reminder was right. He had been separated from that girl for a long time, and he didn't know her current situation. If she was intentionally deceiving him, he probably wouldn't be able to tell.

"Let's talk about it when she gets here!"

Xiu Yuan shook his head. There's always a way to solve things, especially since he's someone he's dealt with before. At worst, he can just go back to his old ways.

He remembered that the last time he dealt with this girl, the relationship wasn't very friendly.

In the dark alley, the girl in the fiery red dress looked at the three people in front of her and chuckled.

"Gentlemen, why are you chasing after me in such a hurry? Could it be that you've taken a fancy to me?"

Upon hearing the other party's words, the leader of the men in black tightened his grip on his long sword, his eyes extremely cautious. They had already fought with this girl elsewhere. Although she was also at the Innate Realm, she had many tricks up her sleeve, and one could easily fall into her trap if she wasn't careful. Therefore, he had to be careful.

"Coming to the Li residence in the dead of night, doesn't the young lady have anything to say?"

The girl smiled and spoke softly.

"What should I say? Didn't I already say that I got lost by accident and ended up there? Besides, I was discovered as soon as I got there. I haven't done anything wrong. What should this humble woman say, sir?"

A strange wave emanated from the girl, and the three men in black suddenly became somewhat dazed. In that instant, the girl was about to break free of the encirclement when several whooshing sounds came from behind her, intercepting her once again.

Immediately afterwards, a deep voice echoed through the alley.

"Fire Charm Technique?"

"It seems the intelligence was correct; you are a remnant of the Baiyue, Yan Lingji."

The voice, imbued with internal energy, roared like a lion, instantly waking the two men in black who were trapped in the illusion.

"A half-step Grandmaster?"

Yan Lingji's expression darkened. According to the strength of internal energy, the martial arts world is divided into several realms, and the combat power of each realm is also different.

A half-step grandmaster refers to someone who has almost reached the limit of the Innate Realm.

"Surrender and come back with us, or don't blame us for being impolite!!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingji gave a cold laugh.

Go back with them? She's not stupid. She might still have a chance to escape here, but if she goes back with them, she'll never be able to leave again.

Then, as if remembering something, the girl suddenly smiled knowingly.

"I don't know if you've ever heard of a phrase, I think it's called 'luring the tiger away from the mountain.' My friend, are you so sure that I'm the only one who came this time?"

Upon hearing this, the man who had spoken earlier changed his expression, as did the other two.

"Let's attack together and finish this quickly!!"

The three exchanged a glance, unleashing their full power as they surrounded Yan Lingji. Upon seeing this, Yan Lingji's lips twitched.

This is not what she expected! Normally, shouldn't these people turn around and go back home immediately? Why are they attacking her like mad dogs?
"Bang!!"

A violent explosion rang out, and Yan Lingji was thrown into the air. Facing three opponents, including a half-step Grandmaster, she was finding it very difficult to cope.

"Cough cough!!"

Amidst the smoke and dust, a coughing sound came from within. Yan Lingji's lips curled into a cold smile. Her ultimate move was no mere decoration; even Xueyi Hou Bai Yifei had to be cautious about it back then.

She quickly caught her breath and was about to leave when a voice came from behind her.

"where do you want to go?"

Yan Lingji's pupils contracted, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Then, an extremely terrifying aura emanated from the smoke and dust, as if a ferocious beast had awakened at that moment.

"Grandmaster!"

Two words suddenly flashed into her mind. Realizing something was wrong, the girl didn't hesitate at all. She took off like the wind.

"Where to go!!"

Just then, a dark figure broke through the dust and rushed towards her, even faster than her. Its large, fan-like hand exuded a chilling aura.

"Oops!!"

Feeling the approaching presence behind her head, Yan Lingji couldn't help but smile bitterly. She hadn't even met the main character yet, and she was already doomed.

Just then, Yan Lingji suddenly saw a red light appear in her field of vision, moving at an extremely fast speed, like lightning.

Just as she was wondering if she had seen something similar somewhere before, the aura behind her paused and came to an abrupt end.

Sensing the change, Yan Lingji subconsciously turned around and saw that the person who had been chasing her had a large hole in his chest, his eyes were unfocused, and he had died inexplicably.

Then came two more muffled thuds as the girl fell to the ground, causing her expression to change. She glanced around again; the night was quiet and still.

After standing there for a while, Yan Lingji shook her head.

Although she didn't know who had attacked her, she was now safe and sound. As she turned to leave, her pupils contracted again.

A peach-shaped sword stopped in front of her.

"It's him?"

(End of this chapter)