As the sky grew darker, a gentle breeze parted the flowing clouds, and a bright moon emerged above the town.
Atop a three-story restaurant outside Xianyue Alley, Pei Xiangjun was dressed in a black night suit and lay prone on the roof ridge, attentively observing the movements among the buildings. Beside her were two long spears wrapped in black cloth.
The fluffy big bird squatted beside her, hopping back and forth on the rooftops, keeping an eye on the situation both inside and outside so that they could come to each other's aid in a timely manner if anything unusual occurred.
Yejingtang had already been inside for about an hour. Judging from the bird's signals, everything was normal. Presumably, he was waiting for someone.
Pei Xiangjun knew they had found the right place. Xianyue Tower was in contact with the hidden Prince of Wu. She was highly concentrated, paying attention to every little movement around.
After watching for a long time, she finally noticed some movement outside the town. By the light of the moon, she could see a fast horse galloping along the official road outside the town.
She took out a telescope and looked outside the town. She could see that a man dressed in a scholarly robe was sitting on the horse. After reaching the outside of the town, he didn't dismount but leaped into the air. His figure was like a soaring eagle, and he crossed the uneven buildings at an astonishing speed, heading straight for Xianyue Alley.
When Pei Xiangjun saw this, she knew that the Prince of Wu had taken the bait and sent someone to negotiate. As long as the confidant of the Prince of Wu showed up, the bird could follow the trail.
Pei Xiangjun shifted her view to the rear, originally wanting to see how many people the Prince of Wu had sent. However, upon this look, she realized something was wrong.
She saw that as soon as the man in the scholarly robe leaped into the town, a black shadow flashed among the mountains outside the town, trailing at a distance of half a li. Judging from the distance and position, it was clearly following and had not been discovered by the man in the scholarly robe.
When Pei Xiangjun saw this, she couldn't help but feel surprised and suspicious. The man in the scholarly robe had galloped here on a horse, while the person following behind was on foot. If the person behind could keep up just by relying on their lightness skills, their lightness skills were probably incredibly high.
Pei Xiangjun secretly observed the movements of the two people in front and behind. Soon, she saw the man in the scholarly robe land near Xianyue Alley, negotiate with the people of Xianyue Tower, and then quickly enter the building complex.
The black shadow following behind landed silently on the rooftops and crept towards the direction of the Huang family's mansion.
However, as soon as the black shadow approached the area of Xianyue Alley, it suddenly paused. Then it actually raised its head, turned its gaze towards her direction, and even took out a long cylindrical object from its waist, opened it, and looked towards her position.
!!
When Pei Xiangjun saw this, she broke out in a cold sweat. Since she was well-hidden in her black night suit, she didn't make any movements, and even her breath had stopped.
However, the black shadow in the distance had clearly discovered that there was someone watching on the roof here. But after just one look, it quickly put away the telescope, turned around, and dashed outside the town at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace.
Pei Xiangjun was both startled and a bit confused. Not daring to be careless, she carefully observed the direction where the black shadow had disappeared.
After waiting for half a quarter of an hour, instead of the black shadow returning, she unexpectedly saw a white specter appear on the path where the black shadow had come from.
The person who came was wearing a snow-white long dress and a veiled hat. Their figure looked ethereal like a fairy. As they strolled leisurely, they seemed to blend with heaven and earth, and even the fluttering of their robe carried a rhythm that blended with the environment.
The way the woman in white moved was very special. She almost stepped exactly on the spots where the black shadow had passed before. After walking a short distance, she would stop and look, presumably checking for footprints. When she reached the spot where the black shadow had just paused, the woman in white also stopped.
Pei Xiangjun thought it was not good and quickly crouched down on the roof ridge to hide, for fear of being discovered again.
But the woman in white was obviously extremely skilled in martial arts. Pei Xiangjun didn't dare to lose sight of her for too long. After a moment, she raised her head to continue observing.
As she expected, the woman in white had already chased in the direction where the black shadow had fled and gradually disappeared from view.
Pei Xiangjun felt puzzled. From these clues, she could roughly deduce the general situation - there was a master with extraordinary lightness skills who, for some reason, was secretly following the people of the Prince of Wu; and the unfathomable woman in white was chasing the master with excellent lightness skills from behind.
Based on this alone, it was obviously impossible to distinguish the affiliations of these two people or determine whether they were enemies or friends.
After thinking for a moment, Pei Xiangjun could only secretly sigh that the situation in Wuzhou was indeed chaotic and continued to observe the surrounding movements...
——
It was pitch dark, and the main hall deep in Xianyue Alley was already lit up.
After the initial negotiation, Huang Yulong didn't say much because the more one talked, the more mistakes one might make. He just sat beside the tea table and waited.
Luo Ning sat on the chair, gently rubbing the teacup in her hand. Since she was wearing a veil, she naturally didn't drink from it.
Yejingtang stood behind her with his hands behind his back, exuding the imposing manner of a skilled bodyguard. From beginning to end, even his bamboo hat didn't sway once.
After waiting for nearly an hour, there was finally some movement outside the hall.
Luo Ning turned to look and saw a middle-aged man dressed in a scholarly robe enter. He was holding a folding fan in his hand and tapping it lightly on his palm. His posture was quite elegant and composed. After entering, he cupped his hands and bowed:
"I am Bai Siming. I have long heard of Madam Xue's great reputation. Seeing you today, I can indeed say that you are extraordinary."
Luo Ning pretended to be the "last hope." Of course, she wouldn't show too much humility. She maintained a lofty posture and didn't stand up. She just raised her hand and said:
"Please take a seat, Lord Bai. How is the Prince of Wu these days?"
Bai Siming sat opposite Huang Yulong. In fact, he still had some doubts in his heart. Huang Yulong, who knew that Bai Siming was worried that the other party might be pretending to be from the Pingtian Sect to extract information, said:
"Don't worry, Lord Bai. I was fortunate enough to meet Madam Xue once in Tiannan two years ago. One can pretend to be someone else, but the demeanor of the 'most beautiful woman in the martial arts world' cannot be faked."
Seeing this, Bai Siming didn't ask any more questions and smiled:
"The Prince of Wu is all right. He is currently negotiating with Yanzhou and will set off in a few days. If Madam Xue had come a little later, you might not have been able to meet me."
Luo Ning understood the meaning of these words - the Prince of Wu doesn't need your help. It's the Pingtian Sect that is inviting the Prince of Wu, not the Prince of Wu seeking help from the Pingtian Sect. She gently rubbed the rim of the cup with the lid of the cup and replied indifferently:
"The Prince of Yan holds the Yanzhou army. He has both money and people. He doesn't need the Prince of Wu's property at all.
"If the Prince of Wu brings the deposed emperor here, the Prince of Yan might consider conspiring to rule the world together. But without the deposed emperor, the Prince of Wu is probably nothing in the eyes of the Prince of Yan.
"At this moment, Lord Bai says that the Prince of Yan is prepared to take the risk of being suspected by the court and take in a traitor. What does the Prince of Yan stand to gain? Is it for the little brotherly affection with the Prince of Wu?"
Bai Siming tapped his palm with the folding fan and smiled:
"Madam Xue underestimates the foundation of the Prince of Wu. In recent years, the Prince of Wu has recruited extraordinary people and is researching a secret medicine that can double the physical abilities of ordinary people. As long as there is enough of it, an elite army that can defeat five with one can be created in a short time. The Prince of Yan is very interested in this thing."
When Yejingtang heard this, his heart stirred, and he interjected:
"If the Prince of Wu has such a medicine, how could he have ended up in this situation today?"
Since he might interact with them in other identities in the future, Yejingtang deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound a bit hoarse.
Bai Siming heard this and looked at Yejingtang, frowning:
"Who is this?"
"He is a protector of our Pingtian Sect."
Luo Ning's eyes were indifferent, and she continued following Yejingtang's words:
"What he said is reasonable. If there is such a medicine, why would the Prince of Wu be in this state?"
Bai Siming let out a soft sigh: "The medicine has just been made and is still being tested for its effectiveness. The matter was exposed prematurely, leading to the current situation. I have no proof to offer, and it's normal for Madam Xue not to believe me. To prove it, I'll show Madam Xue something."
As he spoke, Bai Siming took out a box about the size of a rouge box from his sleeve. When he opened it, there was silver powder inside:
"This is Snow Lake Powder. Its effect is similar to that of the Snow Lake Flower. It has the miraculous effect of nourishing the meridians and protecting the veins. I don't think I need to introduce the value of the Snow Lake Flower. Just this one thing is worth your Pingtian Sect taking a risk. And the Prince's accumulation is far more than this. All of it is what your Pingtian Sect urgently needs for restoring the country..."
When Yejingtang saw that the other party directly took out his main target, he asked calmly:
"Lord Bai, are you sure this thing can compare with the Snow Lake Flower?"
"There is a difference in the potency, but if taken for a long time, its effect is the same as that of the Snow Lake Flower."
As he spoke, Bai Siming looked at Huang Yulong:
"Find a person who has damaged meridians to test the medicine."
Huang Yulong slightly raised his hand, and Xiao Shichen, the second leader, quickly walked out of the main hall.
In a short while, there was movement outside the door.
Hua la hua la——
The sound of chains rubbing.
Yejingtang turned to look and saw Xiao Shichen grabbing the chain with one hand and dragging a man in.
The man was covered in bruises, his hair was in a mess, and he was bound all over with chains. His mouth was also stuffed.
When Yejingtang saw this, he couldn't help but frown secretly.
"Woo woo——"
The man was dragged into the main hall and knelt on the ground. He looked around, his eyes full of fear.
Bai Siming stood up and came forward. He pulled out the piece of cloth stuffing the man's mouth and was about to feed him the medicine.
Yejingtang knew the news that the medicine made by the Prince of Wu had caused deaths. After thinking for a while, he still asked:
"Even without injuries, the Snow Lake Flower can also nourish the meridians and protect the veins. Does this medicine have any hidden dangers that it can only be given to the person testing the medicine?"
Bai Siming was straightforward. He poured out some Snow Lake Powder and directly threw it into his own mouth:
"All medicines have some toxicity. One can't take too much. But taking a small amount is beneficial and harmless."
Yejingtang nodded slightly. After Bai Siming poured the Snow Lake Powder into the man's mouth, he put his hand on the man's shoulder to check his meridian condition. After waiting for only a quarter of an hour, he found that the damaged meridians had become more stable and showed signs of slight improvement.
Bai Siming stood beside him with his hands behind his back, his eyes full of pride:
"This medicine can cure incurable diseases that couldn't be treated in the past. For people in the martial arts world, it is a unique and miraculous medicine for treating injuries. I wonder if Madam Xue and you are interested?"
Yejingtang was relieved to confirm that there was a substitute for the Snow Lake Flower. Since there was one and it was already a finished product, the next step was to get the formula. Once he got the formula, the task assigned by Yuhu could be completed.
However, how to obtain it was a big problem.
Directly asking for the formula was too obvious, and the other party would definitely not give it now. Once the other party detected his motive, everything would be in vain.
Since he had met the confidant beside the Prince of Wu, he could follow the clues to find the hiding place of the Prince of Wu and let the bird secretly follow. The possibility of success was obviously higher.
Yejingtang secretly thought about it, put away his hand, and nodded:
"This medicine is indeed a miraculous thing. On our way here, Madam and I have already arranged the specific means to take the Prince of Wu to Tiannan. Sir Bai, you can go back and report the news first. If the Prince of Wu is willing to work for our Pingtian Sect in the future, we can pick him up at any time.
"However, Sir Bai, it's better to give a reply as soon as possible. A large number of troops from the court are on their way. Today, many arresters who are good at tracking have already shown up. For every hour of delay, the chance of leaving decreases."
Bai Siming naturally knew that the longer they delayed, the faster they would die. Seeing that the Pingtian Sect was so straightforward, he wanted to return immediately to report to the Prince of Wu and discuss the matter of escaping.
But before Bai Siming could raise his hand to see them off, there were noises and the sound of gongs and drums coming from the edge of the distant town:
Dang dang dang——
The cry of the bird also came from the sky:
"Li——Li——"
Yejingtang understood the bird's signal - a large army was approaching!
Bai Siming, Huang Yulong, and the others obviously also understood the signal from the town sentry. Knowing that a large number of troops were coming, their faces all changed suddenly.
Slap——
Huang Yulong suddenly shattered the teacup with his palm and wanted to glare at Yejingtang and Luo Ning.
But unexpectedly, Yejingtang, who was standing in the middle of the main hall, was even more agitated than them. He turned his head first and said angrily:
"How dare you set up our Pingtian Sect?!"
"..."
Huang Yulong opened his mouth but forcefully held back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
After all, he had confirmed that the woman in front of him was the Fairy of the Moon Palace, a genuine remnant of the previous dynasty who had persisted in rebelling for sixty years without changing her original intention. She was much more ruthless than them, these "white gloves."
Saying that the Pingtian Sect had informed the government troops to come and wipe them out all at once was not only harmful to others but also of no benefit to themselves, right?
But they themselves were even less likely to call in the government troops to encircle and suppress them. The two people from the Pingtian Sect had just arrived, and the government troops arrived right after. Even if the Pingtian Sect didn't tip off the troops, it was possible that the Pingtian Sect had attracted them.
The expressions of Bai Siming and the other two kept changing, and there was obvious vigilance and hostility in their eyes.
Yejingtang also didn't understand how the government troops had arrived. In a situation like this when a gang was discussing cooperation, things were most likely going to fail.
Fortunately, he didn't intend to cooperate at all. Now that he had confirmed the existence of a substitute for the Snow Lake Flower, the next step was to firmly deal with these three people in front of him. If he could capture them alive, he could extract a confession by torture. If not, he could try to follow them.
However, fighting now while being surrounded by the entire Xianyue Tower was too risky. He still had to withdraw from Xianyue Alley and meet up with Sanniang.
For now, Yejingtang still pretended to be a rebel from the Pingtian Sect, holding the handle of his saber and saying:
"There's a trap here. Madam, let's go quickly!"
Luo Ning reacted quickly and immediately retreated towards the door. She also angrily said:
"Without our Pingtian Sect, I'd like to see how you can escape!"
The Prince of Wu was already in a desperate situation. When Bai Siming heard this, he became anxious. He didn't really want to give up these two only hopes of salvation in front of him.
But apart from these two people who had come to their door, he couldn't think of anyone else who could have leaked the news and caused the government to raid the lair of Xianyue Tower.
Bai Siming hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said: "There has been a mishap today. Let's discuss this matter another day. Take care, you two. We also need to escape first. I won't see you out."
Yejingtang glared at the three of them, carefully backed out of the main hall, and then leaped onto the rooftops.
The government troops had already reached the outside of the town. Bai Siming and the others didn't dare to delay. They immediately asked Huang Yulong and the others to quickly pack up and prepare to flee.
At the same time, above a mountain outside Baisu Town.
Lu Feng of Jieyun Palace, wearing a bamboo hat, stood on the mountain peak, looking at the light cavalry galloping along the official road. A hint of mockery flashed in his