The deepest affection in Gu Long's world

Chapter 169 A Plot Against Li Xunhuan (33 Monthly Tickets)

It is obvious that Long Xiaoyun cannot appreciate Long Xiaoyun's good intentions.

Hearing the other person call him "godfather" again and again, he felt as if he were wearing one hat after another on his head, which made his expression somewhat distorted. However, when Li Xunhuan looked over, he immediately smiled like a green chrysanthemum.

"Brothers!"

He patted the other man's shoulder forcefully. In this situation, he should say something, but even with Master Long's acting skills, it was already the limit for him to prevent Li Xunhuan from noticing the flaw in his expression.

Now no one talks about why Grandpa Zhao hasn't come yet.

The scene had gradually transformed into a banquet to pay homage to the adoptive father, so they naturally had to politely drink a couple of cups of wine. Once the wine was drunk, it was like a floodgate opening. Influenced by the joyful atmosphere, Li Xunhuan, who had been getting more and more sober as he drank, was now quite drunk.

Realizing that things were getting out of control, Long Xiaoyun quickly chased away his "dog son" who was still calling Li Xun "godfather" over and over again, citing the reason that children shouldn't stay up late.

Seeing that his plan had succeeded, Long Xiaoyun did not insist on staying any longer. After all, he could sense that his father was on the verge of beating him up, but he still had to force a smile.

Tsk, even his scheming against others is so frustrating. It seems this family still depends on him!
After Young Master Long's departure, it finally became a one-man show for Fourth Master Long.

"Xunhuan, the reason I mentioned that old man Zhao earlier is because this matter is related to the recent capture of the Plum Blossom Bandit."

Li Xunhuan, who was originally grinning foolishly at suddenly having a godson, finally toned down his smile, which had even made Long Xiaoyun want to punch him.

"The Plum Blossom Thieves? Haven't we heard that this organization has already arrested quite a few people recently?"

"But their leader is still alive. A few days ago, there was news that the other side may have their eyes on this place."

"They've got their eyes on this place?" Li Xunhuan, whose eyes had been somewhat dazed, seemed to be instantly awakened. He looked at Long Xiaoyun in confusion, "Brother, do you have some private grudge against this Plum Blossom Bandit organization?"

"That's not true. Have you ever heard of the legend of the most beautiful woman in the world?"

"It seems...it seems they also have the surname Lin."

That's all he remembers.

"Her name is Lin Xian'er. She is also your sister-in-law's sworn sister, and she has been staying at my Xingyun Manor recently!"

Li Xunhuan was also somewhat drunk at the moment. He didn't know if there was something wrong with his hearing, but the other person seemed to have deliberately mentioned the words "elder sister-in-law" just now, and there was a hint of gritted teeth in his words when he mentioned Lin Xian'er.

With Long Xiaoyun's observation skills, he could naturally discover the reason behind Lin Shiyin's changes.

First, she inexplicably became a fan of the Lin Xian'er and Fang Yunhua couple. The fanaticism of the fans brought out her hidden side. Then, her hateful adopted sister whispered something in her ear, causing her to change every single day.

The influence of a best friend cannot be ignored, not to mention Lin Shiyin's personality, which is inherently submissive and accustomed to listening to others' advice.

Centuries later, many self-proclaimed free-thinking and strong-willed women will also be fooled by their best friends as if they've lost their minds.

As for Long Xiaoyun, he needed to rely on Lin Xian'er's name, which meant he had no choice but to endure it for the time being.

After all, none of the current troubles can compare to the weight of the name Li Xunhuan!

As long as Li Xunhuan is in front of him, he can tolerate anyone else jumping out and running around!
Because we absolutely must deal with Li Xunhuan first!
This is Long Xiaoyun's obsession!
"In short, the leader of the Plum Blossom Bandits has probably gone completely crazy. Everyone says he is extremely lecherous, and now that he has eliminated most of his men, he has been driven to madness."

Li Xunhuan nodded in deep agreement. He understood why so many martial artists stayed at Xingyun Manor temporarily; they were probably all there to stake out the leader of the Plum Blossom Bandits.

After all, it is rumored that the leader possesses a powerful secret technique, an ultimate inheritance that no man in the world can refuse!
He originally intended to tell Long Xiaoyun about some rumors he had heard about labeling him the Plum Blossom Thief, but now he felt it was unnecessary to bring up this matter and add to the trouble.

Once the real Plum Blossom Thief is caught, the rumors that were gradually fading away will become a joke.

"Big brother, I'll help you!"

Given Li Xunhuan's personality, he would naturally not allow the mere leader of the Plum Blossom Bandits to defile his Li Garden, which held countless beautiful memories.

Not to mention that Long Xiaoyun is his adopted son, so he is even more concerned about the safety of this place.

Long Xiaoyun smiled and nodded, raising his wine glass to lightly clink against it, displaying a heroic air of "With my sworn brother by my side, who in the world can defeat me!"
The two then talked about Lin Xian'er and Lin Shiyin's sworn brotherhood, and also about the old man Zhao they had just mentioned, as well as some of the rumored ways of doing things of the leader of the Plum Blossom Bandits.

For example, he only makes his move after midnight, and he has a strange rule that he will leave after killing only one person.

This also made Li Xunhuan understand why everyone subconsciously became more nervous when they heard the sound of the second watch. Now, if they calculated the time, wouldn't it be very close to the third watch?

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the drum rang out again.

Zhao Zhengyi still did not appear, and the once lively atmosphere at the scene cooled down.

After frowning, Li Xunhuan decided to get up and go to the backyard to check. He was a little worried about Lin Shiyin. He had never seen the so-called most beautiful woman in the world, but in his eyes, Lin Shiyin, who now had the added charm of a wife, was the most beautiful.

What if the leader of the Plum Blossom Bandits misread it? What if...?

The thought of this outcome made his heart ache.

He suddenly stood up, looked at Long Xiaoyun, and said.

"Uncle Zhao hasn't returned yet, and everyone has almost finished drinking. Since that's the case, I'd like to take this opportunity to go for a stroll around and visit my old friend Meihua."

Long Xiaoyun frowned and said, "Brother, I'm afraid you don't want to visit Plum Blossom, but rather the Plum Blossom Thief!"

Li Xunhuan smiled but did not answer.

Long Xiaoyun frowned even more: "Are you determined to go and risk your life alone?"

Li Xunhuan remained silent with a smile.

Long Xiaoyun stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed loudly: "Good, good, good! I know that once you decide to do something, no one can stop you. Besides, if that Plum Blossom Bandit knew that Li Tanhua was here, he probably wouldn't dare to come!"

Before leaving, Li Xunhuan glanced at Tie Chuanjia, who was clearly drunk, and gave him a few words of advice. After receiving a mumbled response, he sighed with a hint of relief.

Because he knew that the other party always hoped that he could move on from this relationship and do his part to ensure the continuation of the Li family.

Now that he has adopted Long Xiaoyun as his godson, he has finally put his mind at ease.

He then patted Tie Chuanjia on the shoulder and walked alone into the back garden.

The plum blossoms in the back garden are still unharmed, seemingly blooming even more profusely than they did ten years ago. But what about the people in the garden? Even if people possess the proud spirit of plum blossoms, how can they withstand the ravages of time? Flowers will bloom again after they wither, but what about people? Once a person's youth has passed, who can bring it back?
Li Xunhuan stood there quietly, gazing at a single light on a distant building. Ten years ago, this building belonged to him, and the people inside also belonged to him.

But now, all of that has gone with his youth and can never be retrieved. All that remains for him now is longing and loneliness.

Although longing is painful, he fears he could not live without it.

After crossing the snow-covered bridge, you'll find yourself in a plum grove.

A corner of a small building was also visible in the plum grove. This was the place where Li Xunhuan used to study and learn swordsmanship. This small building faced another small building in the distance. When the snow cleared, he only needed to open the window to see the affectionate eyes of the woman in the opposite building gazing at him.

but now.
Thinking of Lin Shiyin's indifferent response, the image of her angrily berating Long Xiaoyun, and then of Long Xiaoyun, whose cries of "godfather" still echoed clearly in his ears, he felt an even more complicated emotion towards this place.

Li Xunhuan sighed deeply, shook off the snow from his body, and walked sadly across the small bridge.

For a moment, Li Xunhuan was at a loss as to where to go.

During his previous conversation with Long Xiaoyun, he learned where Lin Xian'er was staying. However, visiting her so late at night, even with the excuse of being the Plum Blossom Thief, was still somewhat impolite.

Ahead lay the Cold Fragrance Abode, where he had originally lived.

Having come here, he couldn't help but want to visit his former residence. When people are lonely, they feel that everything from the past is worth cherishing.

Before that, you have to pass through that plum grove.

Just then, the sound of crunching branches suddenly came from the silent plum grove.

Li Xunhuan instantly changed. In that instant, his lazy body was filled with power, and he pounced like a cunning rabbit towards the direction from which the sound came.

He wondered who the person hiding in the shadows might be.

Was it the Plum Blossom Thief? Was it that old man Zhao? Or was it some other chivalrous knight-errant also preparing to ambush here?
His furtive behavior, however, suggested he might not be a good person.

After all, he hadn't concealed his whereabouts along the way, and had been walking straight while constantly sighing and lamenting. If the other party was planning to ambush the Plum Blossom Bandits, they should have shown themselves long ago.

Immediately afterwards, he saw a black figure rushing towards him!

This person was exceptionally tall and approached with astonishing speed. Even when he was still two or three zhang away, a sharp, cold wind was already approaching Li Xunhuan's eyebrows.

Li Xunhuan immediately realized that this person practiced an extremely strange and sinister external palm technique, and the strength of this palm technique undoubtedly made him a first-rate figure in the martial arts world.

Plum Blossom Thief!?

Is this person really the Plum Blossom Thief?
Li Xunhuan did not take the blow head-on. He never wasted his strength in a direct confrontation with others unless absolutely necessary.

He believed that martial arts was also an art form. Even if one could not reach the pinnacle of skill, it should at least be simple and natural. To fight with brute force would be as foolish as an ox.

But now this person seemed intent on killing him instantly with a single palm strike, the fierce palm force having sealed off all his escape routes.

Moreover, both of them were lunging forward. If either of them tried to dodge in that split second, even if they succeeded, they would inevitably lose the initiative to the other. Once the other struck out with their second palm, it would be extremely difficult for them to dodge.

Upon seeing this, Li Xunhuan suddenly stepped back.

His movements were even more agile than a fish in water.

The man in black shouted and his palm strike came crashing down on him again.

Li Xunhuan retreated like an arrow, his body almost parallel to the ground. He was still thinking about how he had faced such pure killing intent, such sinister martial arts, and such a reckless and suicidal attack.

If he continues to hold back his moves, it would be irresponsible to himself, Lin Shiyin, and Long Xiaoyun regarding their safety.

His hand seemed to make no movement, but the throwing knife had already been launched.

A flash of light, like a shooting star in the night!
The man in black suddenly roared, soared into the sky, turned in mid-air, and fled like a bird flying into the plum grove.

Li Xunhuan touched the ground with his heels and stood up. He stood there leisurely, showing no intention of chasing after him.

But the man in black hadn't even rushed out of the plum grove before he fell down!

Li Xunhuan shook his head, sighed, and slowly walked over. There was a trail of blood on the ground, and the man in black lay at the end of the bloodstain.

The man clutched his throat with both hands, blood still seeping from between his fingers. The gleaming knife had been pulled out and tossed aside beside him.

Li Xunhuan bent down to pick up his knife and saw the black-clad man's face convulsing in pain. He sighed in disappointment and murmured.

"Since you are not the Plum Blossom Thief, why are you forcing me to take action?"

The man gritted his teeth, his throat making a rattling sound, but he couldn't utter a word.

Li Xunhuan shook his head slightly and sighed.

"Although you don't recognize me, I recognize you. You are Yi Ku's eldest disciple. I met you ten years ago. I will never forget anyone I have met even once."

Qiu Du struggled, his eyes filled with murderous resentment, and he shouted hoarsely, "I—I recognize you too! You are the Plum Blossom Bandit!"

He was panting, his eyes filled with resentment and malice, his eyeballs almost bulging out. He seemed to want to speak, but with the slightest effort, blood splattered out again.

Li Xunhuan frowned. The killing intent and malice displayed by the other party were too strong. Even now, he still harbored a murderous intent towards him that the other party could not understand.

"Why? I'm not the Plum Blossom Thief, but you are."

Before he could finish speaking, Qiu Du roared and suddenly lunged at Li Xunhuan again.

But Li Xunhuan just stared at him silently, without moving. Just as his palm was about to touch Li Xunhuan's chest, he fell down with a thud and never moved again.

Li Xunhuan glanced at the corpse for a long time, then continued walking towards Lengxiang Xiaozhu, his melancholy mood overshadowed by a series of doubts.

"The Plum Blossom Thief! It's the Plum Blossom Thief! The Plum Blossom Thief has killed someone!"

At this moment, the surrounding darkness was gradually illuminated by the torches that gathered around. Qiu Du's scream before his death was so sharp and piercing that it immediately alerted some of the other martial arts heroes who had followed him.

Li Xunhuan stopped in front of Lengxiang Xiaozhu. He had a clear conscience, and running away now would only confirm his identity as a suspect, the leader of the Plum Blossom Bandits.

However, nowadays some people have launched sneak attacks against it without any sense of martial ethics.

It was an iron flute, and the sharp aura it exuded was like a sword that had been forged a thousand times, aimed straight at his back!
At this moment, on the rooftop of a pavilion some distance from the Cold Fragrance Pavilion, three figures were watching from afar as Li Xunhuan and the Iron Flute Master fought.

A look of surprise was clearly visible in Afei's eyes.

"This person is Master Iron Flute? A wild master who is neither included in the original weapon ranking nor in the current weapon ranking?"

Fang Yunhua watched quietly as Mr. Iron Flute, after his surprise attack failed, unleashed his inner strength to launch a sonic attack, which then enveloped Li Xunhuan completely with hundreds of plum blossoms resembling a cold, torrential rain.

The opponent's internal strength was not weak, almost at the level of a senior elder of a major sect. After all, in the original storyline, although he deliberately let A Fei have three moves because he pretended to be a master, he ended up getting beaten up instead of showing off.

But this doesn't mean the other party is incompetent.

Because when facing Afei, who uses an attack speed-focused build, unless you're a top-tier expert, it's impossible for anyone to block his first three sword strikes without taking any damage.

Some say that this Mr. Iron Flute is the sixth master who has always been missing from the original weapon ranking, while others say that his strength is at least at the level of the top ten on the original weapon ranking. But whether he is sixth or top ten, he is no longer facing A Fei.

It was Li Xunhuan.

Enveloped in a chilling rain of plum blossoms, Li Xunhuan seemed to dance with the wind, deftly avoiding each blossom, his leisurely steps exuding elegance.

In fact, people have always overlooked one thing: Li Xunhuan was able to rank third on the weapon ranking list because his throwing knife skills were unparalleled, but we should not assume that he relied solely on throwing knives.

His internal strength, agility, martial arts mindset, and even his understanding of the eighteen weapons all deserve the title of grandmaster.

"Long Xiaoyun must have put in a lot of effort to get this old-fashioned iron flute to launch a sneak attack," Fang Yunhua said, his gaze fixed on Lin Xian'er.

Lin Xian'er nodded.

"One of Mr. Iron Flute's concubines was insulted by a member of the Plum Blossom Bandit organization. This matter was widely publicized, which gave our Lord Long another opportunity to add fuel to the fire, spreading rumors that the concubine was actually having an affair with the other party."

And secretly he was still muttering that the old iron flute was just a pretty face.

Fang Yunhua understood at this point.

This kind of old-fashioned man is completely overwhelmed by such rumors, especially since he only took this concubine less than a year ago. If he were still healthy, people might praise him for being strong despite his age. But the term "showpiece" completely paints him as a useless piece of trash who is willing but unable to do anything but put on a brave face.

Most men couldn't stand this kind of humiliation.

So where can he vent his anger?

"Did Long Xiaoyun confront him directly?"

"No, Qiu Du did indeed say that Long Xiaoyun explicitly stated that Li Xunhuan was the leader of the Plum Blossom Bandits and that he had already set his sights on me, which is why he went crazy and fought to the death as soon as he saw him."

But Tie Di at least had some sense, so he deliberately created some suspicions for the other party to discover on their own, while giving them an opportunity to make their appearance at this moment.

"This is so tiring!"

Fang Yunhua shook his head. He could see that, compared to the original storyline, Long Xiaoyun was racking his brains to completely destroy Li Xunhuan.

His lack of strength also led him to use his wicked schemes against his own people.

"Didn't he discuss it with you?"

"No, he has a strange sense of apprehension and hostility towards me. It's probably because of Sister Shiyin. All he dares to do is secretly use my reputation, and he can't go too far." Lin Xian'er smiled.

Fang Yunhua rolled her eyes at the other person; this was no joke. If a husband discovered the source of a friend who was a toxic confidante who constantly encouraged his wife to pursue freedom and a better life, he'd be in for a miracle.

Currently, in Long Xiaoyun's ranking of threats, Li Xunhuan has surpassed everything, which is why he has temporarily suppressed some of his thoughts.

Ah Fei, who had been completely confused throughout, had roughly grasped some of the situation.

In short, this is a setup to frame Li Xunhuan. He remained expressionless, simply watching the fight between the two. After all, to him, Long Xiaoyun's side was a bunch of bad apples, while Li Xunhuan was just an ordinary passerby who initially left a rather mediocre impression on him.

The reason his initial impression was so-so was because he had heard Lin Xian'er and Fang Yunhua talk about some of the things the other party had done in the past.

The way a story is told from different perspectives will have completely different effects on the listener's perception.

If Old Sun were to recount this past event, he would praise Li Xunhuan for his gratitude, loyalty to his brothers, and for being a true gentleman who understands great love.

But in Lin Xian'er's words, the other party became a big fool who disrespects women, is pretentious and stubborn, arrogant and thinks he has arranged everything.

This led Ah Fei to simply watch the chaotic situation unfold as entertainment, learning from it as experience for his future adventures in the martial world.

Compared to all these convoluted schemes and tricks, what he was actually more concerned about was the flying knife that Li Xunhuan had used to kill Qiu Du earlier.

How was that knife sent out?

"That's what makes Little Li's Flying Dagger so powerful."

Fang Yunhua did see something just now, but he was also certain that it was definitely not Li Xunhuan's peak strike.

Because killing Qiu Du didn't require him to gather all his energy and spirit, but even so, the subtlety of this strike was hard to express in words.

Most importantly, Li Xunhuan's mental will is terrifyingly strong. In terms of mental strength alone, he completely surpasses himself and even surpasses Shangguan Jin Hong, whom he saw in the battle at the top of Mount Lu, who was not yet fully developed.

This also meant that when he threw the flying knife, the power attached to it possessed a profound and unfathomable meaning that even Fang Yunhua could not fathom.

"Skill and speed alone are not enough to become a top expert. Only by combining essence, energy, and spirit can one achieve unparalleled mastery."

Upon hearing Fang Yunhua's conclusion, Afei nodded in agreement.

His fast swordsmanship has reached a bottleneck in pure skill; what he needs next is the impetus of true intent to reach the level that his opponent described as extraordinary.

He then stared intently at the open space in front of Lengxiang Xiaozhu, because Li Xunhuan, who had been dodging, was about to make another move.

He didn't reach for the throwing knife in his pocket very quickly, but just before the knife was about to be thrown, it seemed to make one's eyes blur, and when one looked again, a throwing knife was firmly stuck in the other person's throat.

Ah Fei, who previously thought he had exceptional eyesight, failed to see it clearly.

He must see this clearly this time!

however--

Just then, someone shouted, "Brother! Stop!"

That's Long Xiaoyun's voice.

Li Xunhuan was stunned. Long Xiaoyun had already rushed out of the plum grove, and that person had also floated down lightly from the white snow and red plum blossoms. He was wearing a very tattered cotton robe, his face was very thin and yellow, and his beard was very sparse. He looked like a malnourished old scholar.

Tie Di's eyes were fixed on the throwing knife in Li Xunhuan's hand.

His strength was not bad, so he could sense that if Long Xiaoyun hadn't suddenly interrupted him, he would probably be dead.

Only those who have truly faced this throwing knife can understand why such a small knife possesses such a powerful deterrent force.

This caused Tie Di, who considered himself quite capable, to feel a sense of dejection. Even the anger he had felt from the various rumors circulating about him being just a pretty face was somewhat extinguished.

"It's all a misunderstanding!"

Long Xiaoyun seemed to be explaining anxiously.

In reality, all they said was meaningless nonsense. After Zhao Zhengyi and his group of martial arts practitioners carried out Qiu Du's body, the narrative of events focused even more heavily on the idea that Li Xunhuan was highly suspicious.

Unlike the original storyline, Qiu Du is now an accomplice invited by Long Xiaoyun to help capture the Plum Blossom Bandit, a fact known to everyone.

Now that his accomplice has been killed, even though Li Xunhuan recounts that the other party attacked him without warning and that if he didn't retaliate, he would have died.

However, it still aroused a sense of suspicion and vigilance among the people present.

Throughout the entire process, Mr. Iron Flute remained silent.

Of course, it would be far-fetched to condemn Li Xunhuan based on this alone. Long Xiaoyun's attempt to defend him made Li Xunhuan, who had some doubts about Qiu Du, temporarily put aside these doubts and felt a warm feeling in his heart.

The events of today have had a series of impacts on Li Xunhuan.

His previous heavy drinking had left him somewhat intoxicated, preventing him from being fully sober and leaving him somewhat passively led by the nose.

In the end, the doubts surrounding Li Xunhuan were not completely cleared, and the farce ended with Zhao Zhengyi's angry departure.

"Long Xiaoyun has achieved his goal."

"Yes, we tested Li Xunhuan's strength, then used Qiu Du's death to create some unclear doubts about him, while also attracting Yi Ku as an accomplice. This is also a prelude to the next big show."

"That's what happens when you're not strong enough. You have to proceed cautiously and slowly when you're plotting against someone. But he also has an innate advantage. His status as the sworn brother makes it difficult for Li Xunhuan to make a move even if he realizes that this is a trap."

"And then there's Long Xiaoyun. The fact that he's taken him as his godfather will make Li Xunhuan even more hesitant. Even though he's the victim, once he understands the truth, he'll have to keep thinking from the perspective of the perpetrator."

"We can't forget Sister Shiyin either. He also needs to consider how Xingyun Manor will continue to exist once the truth is revealed, and whether Sister Shiyin's peaceful life will be destroyed as a result."

"I just don't know when he'll discover the truth."

While talking with Lin Xian'er, Fang Yunhua fell into deep thought and discovered a very interesting experimental hypothesis.

That means Li Xunhuan's mental strength is at the ceiling level in the world today. Is it because of his sticky and indecisive personality that he has been torturing himself, which has made his mental strength so powerful that it is now unbelievable?

After all, there are precedents for this matter, such as the infamous Shattered Dream Blade, also known as the Green Hat Blade.

Anyone who practices this sword will inevitably suffer marital infidelity, forcing them to achieve a breakthrough in martial arts by defeating the Minotaur.

After experiencing seven similar incidents, the swordsman finally transformed his anger into sword intent, creating a complete system containing twelve killing moves.

This setting emphasizes that the advancement of swordsmanship is positively correlated with emotional impact, and the highest level requires experiencing a mental state of "severing all emotions and thoughts".

In reality, this is also a concrete manifestation of self-torture to become stronger.

This is actually similar to constantly exercising to make the body stronger, but mental strength is something that cannot be seen or touched. It seems that the only way to improve this aspect is to use this kind of stimulation to make it more resilient.

Although this claim sounds like a heretical practice, it's not impossible.

After all, the way Old Li wore that mask of pain showed that he had been living a very difficult life and was constantly tormenting himself mentally.

"The show's over for today, let's go."

As Fang Yunhua spoke, the three figures disappeared into the night. Li Xunhuan, who was talking with Long Xiaoyun, seemed to sense something and looked towards the top of the pavilion, but all he saw was darkness. He frowned and then looked away.

He could still hear Long Xiaoyun's concerned voice in his ears.

"Brother, why are you doing this? Even if you look down on them and don't want to be friends with them, you don't have to offend them!"

Li Xunhuan didn't take it seriously.

"They already think I'm hopeless anyway, so it doesn't matter whether I offend them or not. I might as well just drive him away and I'll be all set."

"It's always better to have one more friend than one less."

"But how many people in this world can live up to the word 'friend'? Anyone who has a friend like you, brother, would be grateful for just one."

Long Xiaoyun laughed loudly, patted Li Xunhuan's shoulder hard, and said, "Good, brother, as long as I can hear these words, it's worth it even if I offend all my other friends."

Li Xunhuan felt a surge of excitement, and then he started coughing incessantly.

Before the two could put on another display of brotherly affection, a servant rushed in to report.

"Master, a fight has broken out in the front hall!"

Long Xiaoyun frowned. This scene should have ended, so why is someone adding more scenes again?

The servant then spoke.

"It's Grandpa Zhao and this person."

He couldn't quite describe Tie Chuanjia's identity. Calling him a servant would be inappropriate, as the other party's strength was on par with Zhao Zhengyi, who was renowned throughout Baoding Prefecture. Calling him "Master" would also feel a bit inappropriate.

Soon he won't have to worry about it anymore.

Because Li Xunhuan and Long Xiaoyun had already passed by him and were heading quickly to the front hall.

Upon arriving at the front hall, the two discovered that some tables had already been overturned, and the sounds of fists whistling through the air were incessant!
Tie Chuanjia and Zhao Zhengyi were indeed engrossed in their fight, both throwing powerful punches. The visual impact of their clashing fists was quite entertaining.

The unfinished food in the hall was the one who suffered the consequences. With just one punch, the table shattered, and the food and drinks on it were spilled all over the floor. But no one cared about the two pieces of food now.

They could still hear Tie Chuanjia's angry curses.

"You surnamed Zhao, don't think that just because you have a reputation for being incorruptible, you can frame my young master at will! You say he's the Plum Blossom Thief, but I think you're more like it, and your age matches up!"

Zhao Zhengyi also got angry.

"Bah! Nonsense! What right do you, a mere servant, have to speak so loudly here! I'll show you what it means to be respectful to your superiors!"

The current situation is not difficult to guess.

Zhao Zhengyi, who had just returned from the back garden, was still muttering that Li Xunhuan was likely the leader of the Plum Blossom Bandits when Tie Chuanjia, who was drunk, heard him and punched him twice.

While the two appeared to be evenly matched, Tie Chuanjia was actually at the peak of his youth, and every punch he threw was a desperate move. Although his moves might not have been particularly refined, his killing intent was terrifying.

They quickly and completely subdued the elderly Zhao Zhengyi.

Long Xiaoyun remained faithful to his role as mediator, constantly nagging and chattering around the two of them.

When the others saw Zhao Zhengyi gradually losing ground, they were willing to step forward to help him. After all, they were closer to Zhao Zhengyi in terms of their inherent position, while they still harbored some doubts about Li Xunhuan, who had not yet explained the situation clearly.

However, whenever someone tries to take a step forward, he feels a murderous aura enveloping his entire body, which forces him to stop temporarily.

And they could hear Li Xunhuan's clear voice.

"If anyone tries to gang up on us, I'll have no choice but to use my throwing knives!"

No one could remain calm under the threat of Li Xunhuan's flying knives.

Zhao Zhengyi, who noticed all of this from the side, was even more furious.

"The lackey you brought has rebelled against his superiors. Not only do you not discipline him, but you also encourage his arrogance. Do you think there is no justice left in the martial world?"

This distraction resulted in him receiving a heavy punch to the face from Tie Chuanjia, which even twisted his nose. Seeing this, he could only quickly calm himself down and focus on dealing with Tie Chuanjia's increasingly frenzied attacks.

But the words he heard made it impossible for him to calm down.

"What is justice in the martial arts world? Does it mean that a group of people beating up one person is the only way to be fair?"

No one dared to respond to Li Xunhuan's words, but among the onlookers who witnessed everything from the back garden, a few noticed that Li Xunhuan and this Old Man Zhao seemed to have been acquaintances for ten years, and their relationship had always been very strained.

This resulted in a tense atmosphere during their conversation, with an undercurrent of tension that seemed ready to erupt.

Just then, Qin Xiaoyi led a group of people into the front hall. When he saw Zhao Zhengyi, whose face was covered in purple and red welts from being punched, he was stunned for a long time.

However, he remained composed and did not step forward to help his sworn brother. Instead, he pulled one of them aside to learn the whole story, and then, like Long Xiaoyun, stood on the edge of the fight, spouting nonsense about trying to break it up.

The main point is that I came and did something, even if I didn't play a significant role, but I still achieved a high level of engagement.

"Alright, third and fourth brothers, I'll give you face!"

Unexpectedly, Zhao Zhengyi, who is usually stubborn and impartial, actually went down this unconvincing path this time.

He just needs to give it his all one last time!
Zhao Zhengyi put all his strength into his right fist, wanting to salvage some dignity by ending this inexplicable fight. But with a loud bang, the two fists collided, and Zhao Zhengyi was almost sent flying, staggering and falling to the ground.

This is truly even more embarrassing.

But Zhao Zhengyi revealed a cold smile.

He casually slapped away Qin Xiaoyi and Long Xiaoyun, who were trying to help him up, and pointed two fingers of his right hand at Tie Chuanjia, whose expression was cold and stern.

"You, surnamed Tie, your external martial arts skills are indeed impressive. I underestimated you, but don't think this matter will end here!"

He then turned and left, while Tie Chuanjia, the winner, had a drastic change in expression. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he only let out a heavy snort.

The onlookers noticed something amiss, as Tie Chuanjia had been presenting himself as Li Xunhuan's servant and had not revealed his real name. However, Zhao Zhengyi seemed to have discovered the other party's hidden identity through their fight.

The man surnamed Tie was again emphasizing the opponent's external martial arts skills.
The other party's hasty departure was probably also in an attempt to quickly regain the face they had lost here.

Therefore, there will definitely be more excitement to come.

Li Xunhuan belatedly realized that the conflict had really made his elder brother look rather disheveled. He was about to walk over to the other party to apologize, but as soon as he took a step, he was stopped by someone.

It was Mr. Iron Flute who remained silent throughout the entire battle after it ended in the back garden.

"Li Tanhua, please be extra careful from now on."

Li Xunhuan frowned. He didn't have a good impression of Mr. Tiedi, who had suddenly ambushed him in the back garden and used a deadly move right away. If Long Xiaoyun hadn't stopped him, his throwing knife would probably have already been stuck in the other man's throat.

But at this moment, he could feel the goodwill that the other party had taken the initiative to express.

“I believe that Li Tanhua is definitely not the Plum Blossom Thief, because the Plum Blossom Thief cannot throw such a flying knife.”

Although he only experienced the feeling of being enveloped by the sword intent, Mr. Tiedi seemed to have thoroughly understood the true nature of Li Xunhuan, and his eyes were filled with sincere emotions.

"Let's leave Xingyun Manor as soon as possible."

This was the last thing he said to Li Xunhuan, because before he could finish speaking, Long Xiaoyun and Qin Xiaoyi had already walked up to him.

"I will no longer interfere in the pursuit of the Plum Blossom Thief."

Tie Di gave Long Xiaoyun a deep look, then nodded to Qin Xiaoyi before leaving Xingyun Manor.

Throughout the entire process, neither Long Xiaoyun nor Qin Xiaoyi interfered. The former frowned slightly before quickly engaging in conversation with Li Xunhuan, while the latter gazed thoughtfully at Li Xunhuan's retreating figure.

He wondered if it was because of Li Xunhuan's unfinished strike that he had deeply experienced the intense thrill of life and death.

This caused his anger to subside, as the various rumors and slander that had previously humiliated him had also affected him.

And he made his own choice.

I won't voice any of the possibilities I've guessed, but I also won't continue to participate in this matter.

That's all.

(End of this chapter)