The two figures—Chi Yun and Gu Xitan—departed together, leaving the room to a sudden, expectant silence, the air around Tang Lici utterly deserted.
"Woo... woo... woo..."
Fengfeng, nestled in the bamboo cradle beside the bed, kicked her frame, her large, dark eyes fixed on Tang Lici with an intense, proprietary glare, as if profoundly displeased by his recent absence.
Tang Lici sat up, regarded the child, and reached out to lift him, gently stroking his head. Fengfeng immediately grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked, his eyes brightening instantly, as if the sole purpose of his small existence was to tug on Tang Lici’s silver strands.
He let out a soft sigh, silent for a moment. "Fengfeng, some people say that I have too strong a control desire and cannot distinguish between friend and foe... They tell me to change, tell me to be a good person... But... But I don't know how to be a good person..." He held Fengfeng tightly and lay back on the bed, murmuring, "As long as you didn't really poison Yu Qifeng and those guests to death, you can be considered a good person..."
With a soft, almost imperceptible "click" sound, something stirred in the grass outside the door. Then, with a sudden "bang," the window burst open, admitting a violent gust of wind.
A sword, borne on the wind’s current, shot through the opening and aimed directly for Tang Lici's chest. Tang Lici, roused by the sound, had just managed to sit up, holding Fengfeng in his arms, facing the incoming steel. The assailant pressed the attack, intent on piercing both of them with a single strike, but was instantly met with a crisp "clang" sound. The hand holding the weapon felt abruptly weightless, and the sword blade snapped. With a "whoosh" it launched skyward, only to land with a dull "thump," pinning itself deep into the ceiling beam, refusing to budge.
The man was startled and quickly prepared to retreat when a vice-like grip tightened around his hand. Tang Lici’s fair, slender hand had seized his wrist and the sword's broken hilt.
"Wait!"
The man was horrified, slashing downward at Tang Lici’s head with his free left hand. Tang Lici raised his own left hand and, with a sharp "snap," the man’s left hand struck precisely at his right hand, the one holding the sword. A burst of agonizing pain shot up the man’s wrist.
He cried out, "Ah!"
"You...you...are you a human or a ghost?"
"It's a man." Tang Lici held the wrist firmly, his lips curved in a faint smile. His face, handsome and dignified, appeared to the man like that of a living demon. He continued, "He's a good man."
The man involuntarily stumbled backward. Tang Lici took a measured step forward.
Fengfeng, cradled in his arms, was completely unfazed by the flashing blades and sudden violence. He simply sucked his fingers, gazing at the newcomer with immense curiosity.
The attacker was a young man with a black scarf covering his face, his hair dark, his figure lean and handsome. Tang Lici suddenly reached out and tore the man’s scarf away. With a gasped "ah!" the fabric fell, revealing his face. Tang Lici allowed Fengfeng to pull the scarf, not stopping him. He glanced at the man. "So it's Brother Li from Senior Park's school. My apologies, my apologies."
The man was indeed Li Yuan, the third disciple of Park Zhongqu. His face, now uncovered, was deathly pale. He tried several times to retrieve the broken sword and commit suicide, but his hands were trembling and weak with fear; he lacked the courage for immediate death.
Tang Lici’s gray hair draped over his shoulders, his face wearing a soft, gentle smile. "I wonder if Brother Li also accepted the ten thousand taels of silver from the masked man, so he came here to kill me?"
He held a baby in his arms, his features exquisite, and he radiated no discernible murderous aura. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, cold sweat continued to pour down Li Yuan's forehead. He wanted desperately to answer yes, but all that came out was, "I... I..."
"So Brother Li didn't accept ten thousand taels of silver from someone else, then it's easy to talk to him." Tang Lici sighed. "Then why did Brother Li want to kill me?"
Li Yuan was speechless, unable to utter a single coherent word.
He only heard Tang Lici continue, "If you say you hate me so much that you want to kill me, I will twist one of your hands; if you say you wanted to kill someone and broke into the wrong room, I will twist your other hand; if you say..."
Before he could finish, Li Yuan, now drenched in sweat, stuttered out, "I... someone asked me to kill you..."
Tang Lici smiled subtly. "If you say you don't know who asked you to kill me, I will twist your neck."
Li Yuan felt the shocking juxtaposition of the softness and delicacy of the hand holding his own, followed instantly by a searing pain. Tang Lici had already wrapped his other arm around the back of Li Yuan's neck, and he and the baby were positioned directly behind him. Li Yuan knew that if he merely said he didn't know, Tang Lici would first break his arm, and then use that arm to strangle him.
Li Yuan blurted out, "Mr. Tang, spare my life! It was Hero Yu who asked me to rush back to kill you because the wine was poisoned and he suspected you were the one who poisoned it..."
Tang Lici smiled slightly. "Oh? Why did you listen to him?"
"Because... because... Senior Brother Gou and I... were tricked by Shi Tinghe and both fell victim to the poison of the Nine Hearts of the Scarlet Ghost Pill." Li Yuan's face was utterly white. "But in the heart of the Central Plains, the only person who can sell this medicine is Yu Qifeng!"
Tang Lici seemed genuinely surprised to hear this. "It's not Shi Tinghe, but Yu Qifeng?"
Li Yuan fell to his knees with a thud. "Mr. Tang, spare us! My brothers and I are good friends with Feng Chuanxiang Jiangcheng. Feng Chuanxiang's wife was killed by the floating ghost. We were all very indignant. Shi Tinghe persuaded Feng Chuanxiang to take the medicine to enhance his power. We were all there. Jiangcheng didn't take the medicine, but we all did... I swear to God... I was originally seeking revenge for my friend... I was originally... a good person..."
Tang Lici said, "Really? Apart from the fact that you bought the medicine from Yu Qifeng and had to obey his orders, what else do you know?"
"There are many people in the martial arts world who are like us. For the sake of the Nine Heart Pills of the Gorilla, they have to listen to the orders of Hero Yu...Yu Qifeng. But I know that there is a master behind Yu Qifeng. The place where the Nine Heart Pills of the Gorilla are made is called 'Fengliudian'. In 'Fengliudian' there are Princesses Dongxi and Dongxi. Princesses Dongxi and Dongxi are extremely beautiful. Even Yu Qifeng has to be respectful to them. There is also someone above Princesses Dongxi and Dongxi... As for who that person is, I really don't know..." Li Yuan said, trembling with fear. He couldn't see Tang Lici's expression. The man behind him was an unpredictable, cruel, and ruthless force.
Suddenly, a finger slid gently to the back of his neck. He briefly thought it was Fengfeng's tiny hand. After a moment, the finger slowly moved in a circle from the back of his neck to the front. Someone leaned close to his neck, the hot breath distinctly audible. Li Yuan became increasingly terrified. He felt the person breathe softly in his ear, and the finger moved to his heart, tapping it lightly, then a soft voice whispered, "Go back and tell your master Yu Jianwang...you can't kill Tang Lici. His martial arts are unfathomable and the best in the world. The gift that Yu Jianwang gave him just now is still on you."
"Please ask him to examine her. If you want to live, ask him to save you... But I'm guessing he probably won't save you, haha."
Li Yuan was so utterly terrified that his entire body went limp. Tang Lici leaned over from behind, his arms still looped around Li Yuan’s neck, and lifted his head until his face was directly in front of Li Yuan's, smiling. His smile remained elegant and gentle, his hands as smooth as jade, but Li Yuan felt as if a venomous serpent was coiling around him. And yet... and yet this venomous serpent even held a hint of irresistible allure... Though completely horrified, the person before him couldn't help but remind him of a terrifying beauty...
"Let's go." Tang Lici flicked his sleeves, and Li Yuan was violently thrown out of the window, dazed and disoriented. He ran desperately toward the Eyebrow Pavilion, still consumed by terror. How could he be such a venomous beauty...? Wasn't Tang Lici supposed to be a gentle, well-educated scholar? He was clearly a gentleman, a good man who walked the righteous path. How... how could he be like this?
In the room, Tang Lici let out a small yawn and placed Fengfeng back on the bed, sighing softly. "Oh..."
"You scared people to death, and you still sigh?" a voice called from a tree not far away. "You're so ungrateful!"
Tang Lici lightly patted his own face. "I asked you to save people, why are you back so soon?"
The person watching the drama unfold from the tree was Chi Yun. Chi Yun jumped down with an upright and handsome flourish. "I'm not a doctor. You put arsenic in people. People will have stomachaches for a few days and lose some hair, and they will get better naturally. How can I save them?"
Tang Lici smiled slightly. "Where is Guxitan?"
Chi Yun, standing tall, said, "He was still rescuing people. 'Did Yu Qifeng just use a hidden power on you?'"
Tang Lici glanced up at the starry sky. "A chilling internal force shook my heart meridians. It wasn't particularly impressive."
Chi Yun also looked at the starry sky. "So, when you left the table, you were already certain that Yu Qifeng was the mastermind behind Gou Jia's murder, and you specifically told her I had suspicions about him. I'm afraid you weren't trying to use me as bait to lure him out, but rather to lure him away from me and attack you directly?"
Tang Lici said, "Well... if that's your perspective, it's not wrong."
"Old man Yu is quite skilled in martial arts and has a great reputation, so how could he be involved with poison that harms people? Could it be that he is a hypocritical knight and feels bored, so he wants to try his hand at being a demon?" Chi Yun asked in genuine surprise. "He and Shi Tinghe took the Nine Hearts of the Gorilla Pill together, but why was he defeated by Shi Tinghe at the Central Plains Sword Conference?"
Tang Lici said, "Perhaps he was indeed innocent at the time of the Central Plains Sword Conference, and the great humiliation of being defeated by Shi Tinghe's sword was the cause of his involvement with the Nine Hearts of the Gorilla Pill."
Chi Yun snorted. "I know Yu Qifeng What else can I do? If you let that kid go, Yu Qifeng will probably kill him to silence him. Without evidence, it's as good as nothing."
Tang Lici said, "Eh?" He smiled. "Evidence? With Chi Yun, has he ever been reasonable in his actions?"
Chi Yun stared at him. After a moment, he burst into a peel of laughter that echoed to the sky. "Haha! I thought you were so used to pretending to be a turtle that you'd almost turned into a living turtle. Turns out a fox is a fox. Even with white fur, it's still a fox!" He said with a mischievous pout. "Still a poisonous fox!"
"I dare not, I dare not." Tang Lici smiled. "Yu Qifeng's martial arts are good. If she takes the Xinggui Jiuxin Pill, she will be even more difficult to deal with. If you and I go directly to her, we may not be able to get the upper hand."
Chi Yun sneered. "So what?"
Tang Lici said, "Then we have to find a helper."
Chi Yun glanced at him. "Didn't you say that you are a martial arts master, the best in the world? Then what help do you need?"
Tang Lici raised his finger and gently tapped Chi Yun's forehead. "It's true that I am a martial arts master, but as for being the best in the world... I have never competed with anyone, how do you know that I am not?"
Chi Yun was furious. "I've never seen anyone as shameless as you!"
Tang Lici said, "The master is shameless, and the servant is arrogant and domineering. They are a perfect match, a perfect match." He paused and said, "Xue Xianzi is a good helper, but unfortunately he is too lazy, and Yu Qifeng is not a peerless beauty... Or we can find a brave and righteous hero with strong martial arts skills. Hmm, how about Gu Xitan?"
Chi Yun said coldly, "Gu Xitan is not bad, but unfortunately there is no evidence. I'm afraid he can't believe your one-sided story and attack Yu Qifeng."
Tang Lici sighed. "Then we have to resort to the worst possible strategy."
"A last resort? What?" Chi Yun's eyes twitched slightly, suddenly remembering this guy's most outrageous habit.
Tang Lici said, "Pay for hire. The Thirteen Assassins' Tower, from top to ninth-rate characters, you get what you pay for."
Chi Yun chuckled. "You want to hire an assistant? Who?"
Tang Lici said, "Fifty thousand taels of gold."
Chi Yun's eyes darkened slightly. "Shen Langhun?"
Within the Jianghu, there are countless assassin gangs, both significant and minor. The most notorious of these was the Zhulu Tower, but it collapsed years ago due to internal strife. The Thirteenth Tower replaced it. The Thirteenth Tower harbors many gifted individuals, but the most infamous among them is undoubtedly "Cold-Faced Snake Whip" Shen Langhun. His martial arts skills rank among the top ten in the entire Jianghu. Three years ago, for reasons unknown, he willingly condescended to become an assassin. He adheres strictly to the rules and has never failed a mission. As long as someone can afford his price, he will kill. When Chi Yun uttered the name "Shen Langhun," even a man as arrogant as he felt a chill of dread.
Tang Lici smiled. "Not bad."
"That sounds good." Chi Yun laughed out loud after hearing Tang Lici's confirmation. "In this case, if I join hands with an evil heretic like Shen Langhun, wouldn't it be extremely shameful if I don't beat down the good hero Old Man Yu?"
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