Zongwu: Eavesdropping on the inner voices, the female warriors have become strange

One night before sending Huang Rong, Mu Wanqing, Mu Nianci and other girls on board, Chen Liu finally had the chance to enjoy the feeling of being embraced by women on both sides.

After Lin Shiyin, the next night was Yue Lingshan, who also wanted to learn the "Small Wuxiang Gong"! Then Chen Liu and his group arrived in Tianjin.

Chen Liu chartered a ship to take Huang Rong, Mu Wanqing, and the other girls back to the Song Dynasty. He wasn't short of money, after all. Not to mention the over a million taels of silver notes Li Xunhuan had given to Lin Shiyin, he'd also found over 200,000 taels of silver notes in Hong Feng's bag. He also had silver notes that Mantuo Villa had exchanged for a small portion of Tianning Temple's treasure.

The ship was to sail the next day. After all, a sea voyage required a lot of preparation, and Chen Liu also took a dozen fine horses, a gift from Li Xunhuan, aboard to take back to the Song Dynasty. Due to time constraints, Mu Wanqing and Mu Nianci had to share the same husband that night, giving Chen Liu a good deal. This made him somewhat proud.

In the past, whether it was Wang Yuyan, Mu Nianci, or Mu Wanqing, they were unwilling to share him with others at night, so Chen Liu had never had the chance to try to have two dragons and two phoenixes.

At the Tianjin Wharf, Chen Liu felt a little strange when he saw the tallest Mu Wanqing standing on a high branch and being disguised by Ah Zhu as Chen Liu, while Yue Lingshan, who had a similar figure to Wang Yuyan, was also disguised as Wang Yuyan.

"Let's go too." After seeing off Huang Rong, Mu Wanqing, Mu Nianci and other girls, Chen Liu, who had changed his image, turned around and said to Wang Yuyan and Shui Sheng.

Shui Sheng naturally would not follow Huang Rong, Mu Nianci and the others. After all, she had only known Chen Liu for three days. Although Chen Liu was very magical, it was impossible for someone whose cousin had just died to immediately fall in love with someone else.

Tianjin was only two hundred miles away from the capital of the Ming Dynasty. Without Lin Shiyin to slow them down, Chen Liu, Wang Yuyan, and Shui Sheng rode at full speed. They set out from Tianjin in the morning and entered the capital in the afternoon.

Although the duel between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuxue was still a month or two away, many jianghu people had already arrived in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, and public security there had become somewhat chaotic. However, the capital was the capital of the Ming Dynasty after all, with a garrison of hundreds of thousands of troops, a city guard dedicated to maintaining public order, and the Six Gates of the Jianghu, a group of experts who specialized in managing the jianghu community and apprehending troublemakers, so there wouldn't be any major chaos.

The capital of the Ming Dynasty was much larger than the capital of the Song Dynasty. The city wall had a circumference of hundreds of miles and a height of more than 20 meters, with a total of 18 city gates.

The capital of the Ming Dynasty was divided into the Inner City and the Outer City. The Inner City was home to the imperial palace, government offices, and the residences of high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants. The Outer City was where ordinary civilians lived, a mixed crowd, including many underworld gangs, creating a chaotic scene.

After entering the capital of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Liu went directly to the inner city and found a broker to rent a small courtyard.

If nothing unexpected happened, Chen Liu would stay in the capital of Daming for a month or two, until the duel between Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng was over. During this time, Chen Liu wanted to practice hard and improve his strength. His cultivation was still too weak. It was not convenient to practice in the inn.

A courtyard doesn't need to be large; two entrances are sufficient. However, Chenliu's requirements were high. A courtyard needed to be not only exquisite and quiet, but also have a garden. It didn't need to be large, but it had to be there. Yahang (a private broker) had the resources, and all house sales and rentals in the Ming capital required going through a Yahang.

The pawnshop happened to have a courtyard that met Chen Liu's requirements, and there were more than one. One courtyard belonged to a Beijing official who had been transferred to another place and had entrusted the pawnshop with the task of renting or selling it. This courtyard, not only had a garden and was exquisite and quiet, but was also close to the inner city's East Market. Chen Liu was very satisfied after viewing the courtyard, and so was Wang Yuyan. However, the minimum lease for this courtyard was one year. Chen Liu had no shortage of money and just needed a comfortable place to live. Although he would only stay for a month or two, he readily paid a year's rent.

After renting the courtyard, Chen Liu asked the pawnbroker to help him buy four maids to take care of him and Wang Yuyan's daily life and to be responsible for cleaning. Chen Liudao's requirement was that the maids must be clean, and money was not an issue.

Chen Liu asked the people from the pawnshop where he needed to go if he wanted to send a letter. The people from the pawnshop told him to go to the carriage and horse trading company, but each carriage and horse trading company had different focuses, some took the southern route, some took the northern route, and some took the western route.

After Chen Liu found out which carriage and horse company was traveling on the Jingxiang route, he took Shui Sheng to the Jingxiang carriage and horse company.

With money paving the way, the pawnbrokers were very efficient. When Chen Liu accompanied Shui Sheng to the Jingxiang Coach and Horse Trading Company and asked them to deliver a letter to her father, when they returned to the courtyard, the maids he had asked the pawnbrokers to help buy had already been delivered. Just looking at the four maids sent by the pawnbrokers, Chen Liu was a little confused.

Chapter 201 Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao (Part )

"Yuyan, is there something wrong with these maids?" The person who received the maids was Wang Yuyan, so Chen Liu could only ask Wang Yuyan.

"What's wrong?" Wang Yuyan asked.

"Haven't you seen that maid?" Chen Liu pointed at one of the maids.

"Yue'er? There's nothing wrong with her."

"Isn't there anything wrong? Don't you think she's too beautiful?" Chen Liu complained, "A maid like this would definitely be the top prostitute in a brothel. Even if she didn't work there, there would be plenty of people willing to buy her back as a concubine or even a wife. How could she possibly be willing to be a maid in our house?"

The other maids looked fine, with decent looks, but not stunning, probably only around 70 points. But there was definitely something wrong with one of them. Her looks were as good as Wang Yuyan's. Would a girl like that be willing to be a maid in his house?

"Oh! Her name is Zhang Yiyue." Wang Yuyan explained, "She's the daughter of a convicted official. Not only was he thrown into prison, but his house was also ransacked. Yue'er was also driven out of the house. With nowhere to go, she wanted to find a place to stay and a livelihood. It just so happened that her father had once done a favor for the pawnbroker. The pawnbroker knew that our family was wealthy, so he asked her what she thought. She didn't want to sell herself, but she was willing to work as a maid in our house for free, with only food and shelter provided. The condition was that after we left, she would live in the house until the end of the lease."

"Really?"

"Indeed it is."

"Okay." Since Wang Yuyan had already confirmed it, Chen Liu didn't say much. Wang Yuyan was a master, and if she said it was okay, then it should be okay, right?

"Husband, although Yue'er is our maid now, you can't touch her."

"Am I that lustful?" Chen Liu was a little dissatisfied.

[I've never heard of Zhang Yiyue's name. Although she's very beautiful, I won't marry just anyone.]

Chen Liu settled in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, diligently cultivating morning, noon, and night with Wang Yuyan's help. While opening the twelve main meridians was easy, opening the eight extraordinary meridians was more challenging. Grandmaster Wuyazi's power wasted a significant amount of Qi while helping Wang Yuyan open both the twelve main meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians. Ultimately, after Wang Yuyan inherited all of his remaining Qi, she could only reach the late Grandmaster stage.

When he wasn't practicing, Chen Liu would go out shopping, eating, and gathering information. Sometimes he would go alone, sometimes with Wang Yuyan and Shui Sheng. Sometimes Chen Liu would go to brothels, but he never stayed overnight, which Wang Yuyan was very satisfied with.

Wang Yuyan and Zhang Yiyue seemed to get along quite well, and she even took her in as her personal maid, specifically to manage the maids in the house. Sometimes Wang Yuyan would even take her with her when she and Chen Liu went out to eat.

The places with the most information were restaurants and brothels. The news in restaurants was all sorts of mixed and confusing, mostly useless and unverified. Meanwhile, the news in brothels was mostly about officials.

The most talked about news in the capital of the Ming Dynasty recently was about Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng. However, not everyone was qualified to watch Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng duel. After all, their duel took place atop the Forbidden City, the imperial palace, where the emperor lived. How could he allow wuxia (martial arts) people in?

This is the world of martial arts, not "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng." Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng are renowned for their swordsmanship, renowned swordsmen in the Ming Dynasty. But if they dared to run wild in the Ming Imperial Palace, Xu Ruowu would have them dead in a split second. I suspect the Ming Emperor was willing to allow them to duel atop the Forbidden City because he was bored and wanted to watch the fun.

Listening to the heated discussions among the people in the restaurant about how they must go to the Forbidden City to watch the winner of the sword fight between Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng, Chen Liu couldn't help but curl his lips slightly.

In a private room upstairs in Chenliu Tower, two women dressed as men who were drinking tea and chatting were stunned and looked at each other.

"Junior Sister Mengyao, can you hear me?"

"Senior Sister Feixuan also heard it?"

These two people are none other than the two successors of Cihang Jingzhai of the Ming Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty, Qin Mengyao and Shi Feixuan.

Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng are both very famous swordsmen in the Ming Dynasty. The news that they will compete on the top of the Forbidden City has also spread to the Sui Dynasty, thus attracting many people from the Sui Dynasty to come to the Ming Dynasty.

Shi Feixuan also used a sword, and she also wanted to see the swords of Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng, so she set off to Daming.

When she arrived in Daming, Shi Feixuan naturally went to the gate of Cihang Jingzhai in Daming. Coincidentally, Qin Mengyao had just returned from practicing in Jingnian Zen Temple, and the head of Cihang Jingzhai in Daming, Yan Jing'an, asked Qin Mengyao to come down from the mountain and enter the secular world. Qin Mengyao and Shi Feixuan then came to the capital of Daming together.

The Forbidden City will definitely be under martial law on the day of the competition. I suspect only a few people will be able to watch the competition. They may need a royal pass. Unless they have a pass, everyone else will be barred from entering the Forbidden City. I need to find a way to get one. But where can I get one?

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao were just pondering the meaning of the Zongwu World and "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" when another voice entered their minds—yes, their minds, not their ears. This made Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao look at each other in bewilderment.

Where does this sound come from?

[Huh? Princess Izumo Rihide is coming to Ming to marry the Ming Emperor? Oh wow! That's great news. I was just wondering how I was going to get a pass to the Imperial Palace to watch the sword fight. In the original novel, this guy was a Japanese ninja disguised as an assassin secretly sent by Zhu Wusi, planning to get close to the Emperor through marriage, kidnap the Empress Dowager, and assassinate the Emperor. I wonder if that's the case this time?]

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao exchanged another glance, then immediately stood up and separated, searching for the source of the sound. What kind of martial arts was this?

If Princess Lixiu is an assassin this time, then it's almost certain that Zhu Wusi is planning a rebellion, just like in the original novel.

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao first checked the other three private rooms upstairs. Only one was occupied, and it was a few Jianghu people drinking. It seemed that it was not them. The two of them quickly went downstairs.

[However, since Princess Lixiu has even appeared, I guess it should be not much different from the original novel. When did Princess Lixiu kidnap the Queen Mother after arriving in Ming Dynasty?]

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao arrived at the second-floor hall, which was nearly full of people, mostly Jianghu travelers. Some sat at tables with multiple guests, others at single tables. The two glanced at the guests at each table.

"Never mind. I'll just stay at the post station until that fake envoy kidnaps the Queen Mother, and then I'll rescue her. For saving my life, I should be able to get a few passes, right?"

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao's eyes gradually locked on Chen Liu, who was sitting by the window with a glass of wine in his hand, lost in thought.

Chapter 202: Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao (Part )

Although they were not sure, Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao felt that it might be the man sitting by the window in deep thought. The man was not handsome, but he had a lot of charm.

[However, that Japanese assassin is quite skilled in martial arts and also possesses the Bone Softening Technique. When he fought against the three spies from the Hulong Villa, Duan Tianya was unable to defeat him, and Gui Hai Yidao retreated after being injured. I may not be able to defeat him, and I will need to call on Yuyan.]

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao exchanged a glance, both eyes filled with surprise. Neither Shi Feixuan nor Qin Mengyao understood why they could hear that voice. They seemed to be the only ones at the scene who could hear it, as if it were being transmitted to them intentionally. But judging by the content of the voice, it didn't seem like that; it seemed more like someone talking to themselves. Crucially, the content was all about events happening in the future, meaning the voice's owner could see into the future.

See through the future!

If it's fake, it doesn't matter. But if it's real...

"Brother, can we share a table with you?" Chen Liu was still thinking about how to rescue the empress dowager from the Japanese assassins and get some passes to enter and exit the Forbidden City when a voice came into his ears and interrupted his thoughts.

Chen Liu looked up and saw two handsome young men standing before him. Turning his head, he saw that the tables on the second floor were already full. He nodded slightly to the two young men and said, "Please."

"It seems they weren't looking for me, but rather a coincidence. And I can tell at a glance that these two are women disguised as men. They look quite pretty, but they probably wouldn't be attracted to my appearance. I deliberately disguised myself to avoid attracting attention. If someone still likes me in this state, then that woman must be blind."

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao's eyes flickered slightly, and they both smiled. They found the right one.

"My name is Qin Chuan, and this is my junior brother Qin Yao. What's your name, brother?" Shi Feixuan bowed to Chen Liu.

"Wang Buqi." Chen Liu also bowed in return.

[Qin Chuan and Qin Yao? It's obvious they're pseudonyms.]

Shi Feixuan: ...

Qin Mengyao: ...

[But I seem to have heard the name Qin Chuan somewhere before? Never mind, it's a pretty common name. There should be a lot of people with it. Besides, it's a pseudonym, not his real name. Why bother with so much?]

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao pursed their lips.

You speak as if yours is not a fake name, and even your appearance is fake.

"Brother Wang, are you also here in the capital to watch the sword fight between Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng?" Qin Mengyao asked.

"No."

Is there something wrong with these two? Is there something wrong with their eyes? Or do they just like ugly guys?

Shi Feixuan: ...

Qin Mengyao: ...

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao both felt angry. What this person said... well, his thoughts were too irritating.

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao both wanted to find out more about this man, but it seemed he was unwilling to pay any attention to them. When they spoke to him, he ignored them and even slandered them in his heart.

In order not to arouse Chen Liu's suspicion, Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao had to call the hotel waiter over to order wine and food again, pretending to chat in a low voice, but in fact their minds were on Chen Liu.

Chen Liu listened to the conversation between Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao and found that it was all irrelevant family matters, so he shifted his attention to the conversations of the guests at other tables to see if there was any other news worth noting.

[Hmm? Ye Gucheng is still injured?]

The Jianghailou restaurant Chen Liu had chosen was one of the finest in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, and a favorite gathering place for jianghu (martial arts) patrons. Those who could afford to dine there were generally well-off. Wealthy jianghu patrons were often either powerful figures with important identities, or powerful themselves, or lone thieves. Such individuals were often better informed and more accurate than the lesser jianghu minions.

During this period, as long as he was not practicing, Chen Liu would usually go to Jianghai Tower during the day to eat, drink, and inquire about news.

Chen Liu heard another piece of useful news. A table of guests happened to say that Ye Gucheng was injured in the final battle with Tang Tianyi, the eldest son of the Tang Clan, so his sword fight with Ximen Chuxue had to be postponed for a month, from August 15 to September 15.

In the original novel, Ye Gucheng was bored and lonely as a master, so he joined the rebellion of the Southern Prince, intending to assassinate the emperor and help the Southern Prince ascend the throne to pass his time.

The original novel? Is that what I thought it meant? And Ye Gucheng was involved in a rebellion? Planning to assassinate the emperor? Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao's minds fluttered, and they began to ponder.

[But this is the world of Zongwu. I don't know what Ye Gucheng's current strength is, but it shouldn't be higher than the Grandmaster, right? Above the Grandmaster are the Celestial Beings, and above the Celestial Beings are the Earthly Immortals.]

Another comprehensive martial arts world? What exactly does that mean? Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao's eyes flickered slightly.

Ye Gucheng shouldn't have given up on his pursuit. I originally thought Ye Gucheng wouldn't participate in the rebellion this time. His duel with Ximen Chuxue was likely intended to help him reach a higher level through comparison. However, he was injured in the duel with Tang Tianyi, the son of the Tang Clan. This is a bit intriguing.

The corners of Chen Liu's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a smile.