novelraw Chapter 149 - 107: Iron Blood Hall (Part 2)
Chapter 149 - 107: Iron Blood Hall (Part 2)
"A plan?"
Hua Jinnian shook his head:
"There’s no plan... First of all, whether the Celestial Secret Order exists is still uncertain.
"Even if it does exist, it belongs to Manor Master Wen.
"No matter what method I use, it would be a case of clever retribution... And in the face of pointing at the stars, I don’t even dare to entertain delusions, let alone assurances.
"So, I’d probably just go directly to him and ask for it.
"If he refuses, I’ll leave."
"That’s it?"
Bian City was taken aback.
Hua Jinnian scratched his head:
"What else? However, with this matter causing such a stir, it’s hard for Manor Master Wen to stay uninvolved; there must be an explanation for this incident.
"It’s just unclear how he plans to handle it."
This was indeed a problem.
Imagining himself in Wen Fusheng’s place, Bian City wondered how he would handle the hot potato that was the Celestial Secret Order.
The best way would be to hand it over and distance himself from the source of disaster.
But the issue is, he’s the manor master of the 128-li Luochun Manor.
Handing it over like that would give others the impression of weakness and vulnerability.
Afterwards, maintaining peace over the 128-li area might be difficult.
Yet, if he doesn’t hand it over and the situation spirals out of control, even if the manor isn’t destroyed, it would still be seriously weakened.
He glanced at Chu Qing:
"What do you think, Third Young Master?"
Chu Qing shook his head:
"I’m simple-minded and can’t think through such complex issues."
Bian City smirked, not believing it for a second.
Meanwhile, Hua Jinnian said:
"Additionally, I heard a story about the young lady of Luochun Manor, Manor Master Wen’s cherished pearl, who is now lost in the world.
"Some people have already tracked her whereabouts with plans to capture her and exchange her for the Celestial Secret Order.
"Unfortunately, there isn’t much information about this matter circulating in the inns... There’s no telling where the young lady is now."
"If you knew where she was, would you try to capture her too?"
Bian City asked.
"Not at all."
Hua Jinnian shook his head again:
"Capturing her is truly not a good idea, but... one can repay kindness with gratitude.
"If I knew where she was, I would appear just in time when others try to harm her, help her resist, and save her from danger.
"After breaking through the siege and sending her back to Luochun Manor, perhaps Manor Master Wen will be so impressed with my youthful talent that he’ll give me the Celestial Secret Order as a reward for saving his life."
"... Are you thinking that if Manor Master Wen truly sees you as a talented young man, he might even marry his daughter to you?"
Bian City sneered.
"Ahem ahem ahem..."
Hua Jinnian was drinking porridge. Hearing this, he seemed startled and choked, coughing repeatedly and hurriedly waving his hand:
"He wouldn’t dare entertain such delusions; my heart belongs to the Martial World... I cannot settle down."
Bian City didn’t know if this was true or false. However, Hua Jinnian’s words opened up a lot of avenues.
Some already knew of Gentle’s whereabouts. If Manor Master Wen truly wants to get rid of this hot potato.
He could have someone disguise as Gentle, then pretend to be captured, and let Manor Master Wen exchange the Celestial Secret Order. If the situation is big enough, it might be an excellent trick to escape.
As long as this hot potato falls into someone else’s hands, no matter what happens, it won’t affect Luochun Manor or Gentle anymore.
As he was pondering this, footsteps echoed down the street.
Hua Jinnian, holding a bowl, peeked out eagerly, curious to see who had arrived on the street causing such a commotion.
Then, a group of people came directly to the inn.
The crowd dispersed, occupying the entire first floor of the inn in an instant.
Chu Qing and the others stopped eating and drinking, glanced around, realizing someone had come to stir trouble.
Hua Jinnian, clueless:
"Are they here for you?"
"Why not for you?"
Bian City countered.
"I’ve only offended one old Jade Dragon immortal on this journey, and these people clearly aren’t them."
Hua Jinnian coughed once and asked:
"What should we do later? Fight or push through?"
Bian City glanced at Chu Qing, who picked up some food with chopsticks:
"Since they didn’t start a fight immediately, there seems to be room for negotiation. Let’s see where they’re from."
Just as he finished speaking, there was a whoosh, and something flew in from outside the door, bringing a gust of wind, and in a blink, it was right before them.
Chu Qing’s brows furrowed. With a raise of his hand, the Inner Breath from the Mingyu Scripture surged out, catching the flying object which spun several times in the air before dropping with a thud.
Chu Qing caught it in one hand.
It was a Banner Spear.
At this moment, the banner spread out, revealing three large characters in bold strokes: Iron Blood Hall!
Seeing these three words, the expressions of those present changed.
In South Ridge, there’s a saying of ’Two Gangs, Three Halls, Five Gates, One Manor,’ describing the peak of the major powers.
This saying, though not universally recognized, is widely circulated.
One manor refers to Luochun Manor; Iron Blood Hall is one of the Three Halls.
The Grand Hall Master of Iron Blood Hall, Tie Lingyun, may not be the strongest in martial arts, but his influence is the largest of the Three Halls.
Iron Blood Hall neighbors Luochun Manor; it not only borders it but completely surrounds it, covering a vast area.
If it weren’t for Luochun Manor’s ’128-li’ restriction, Iron Blood Hall would have likely long since pointed its sword at Divine Blade Hall and conquered Celestial Dance City among other forces.
But it’s unexpected to see Iron Blood Hall’s people within Luochun Manor’s territory now.
Without a doubt, the trouble was caused by the Celestial Secret Order.
Thinking of this, a voice came:
"Niece, where’s my niece?
"Your Uncle Cheng is here to take you!!"
The voice was rough, and turning around, they saw a man in Profound Robe striding forward.
He was tall, with eyebrows like brooms, below which were eyes like copper bells, a lion’s nose, and a wide mouth, his voice resonating like a bell.
His movements were like a dragon and strides like a tiger; the momentum reached them before he did.
The surrounding crowd turned to look.
Behind him followed two individuals, one a swordsman, the other a swordsman.
The swordsman was calm, not showing any edge, like a treasure saber sheathed.
The swordsman was flamboyant; every step was like drawing a sword, his stride carrying a sharp Sword Intent, like an unsheathed sword pointing in all directions.
Whatever the lead man’s intentions were, the sword and saber duo were no ordinary characters.
Speaking, the three entered the inn, and the leading man saw Gentle instantly and laughed heartily:
"Niece, Uncle Cheng heard you were here and rushed over as fast as he could, and indeed, here you are.
"You wouldn’t believe, now within your father’s territory, there are all kinds of riffraff, all with ill intentions toward you.
"Your silly father is overwhelmed. As soon as Uncle Cheng heard you were in danger, he brought people immediately.
"Come, come, come, Uncle Cheng will take you home, ensuring safety along the way."
As he spoke, regardless of Gentle’s reaction, he reached out to grab her wrist.
Bian City, sitting beside Gentle, rose with a smile:
"Senior Cheng, thank you. As her junior brother, I have the duty to protect her, no need to trouble Senior Cheng."
As he spoke, he reached out to block the man’s hand.
The man’s expression remained unchanged, as he reversed his grip to seize Bian City’s wrist; Bian City’s momentum shifted, switching from blocking to cutting.
"Hmm?"
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, throwing a punch.
Bian City followed with a palm strike.
With a muffled thud, the man stood firm, while Bian City fell back onto his seat.
"Taiyi Divine Fist, not bad. It’s rare to reach this level at your age."
The man chuckled:
"Chui Firecracker is fortunate to have such a disciple, not worried about his legacy.
"Alright, with so many ruffians now, you can protect yourself, but thinking you can protect my niece is too ambitious."
Hua Jinnian, from the first ’niece,’ had been taken aback.
Hearing this, he was almost in shock.
He looked at Gentle, then at Chu Qing and the others, finally realizing.
All this time, the young lady of Luochun Manor he’d been discussing at length was right in front of him?
Wouldn’t she know all about his plans?