[Hetu] [Heavenly Demon] [Episode 9, Chapter 4]

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter Four: A Banquet with Hidden Meanings Having

temporarily suppressed the raging flames in his body without any discomfort,

Yang Cun rested for a while in the swaying carriage. He felt even more energetic than after a normal night's sleep. Yang Cun secretly sensed his energy had increased again,

but upon closer inspection, he only saw four inner cores.

There was no reason to be disappointed; haste makes waste. If he improved too quickly, he might suffer from a reverse flow of qi and blood due to the

inability . Considering his current cultivation level, this was still satisfactory.

Four inner cores: one crimson, one golden, one turbid half-yellow-black, and one pure—

each shimmering with iridescent light. Where could one find such vibrant colors? He wondered what unexpected color a fifth core

would . The journey to the Prince Ding's villa was rather long. Bored, Yang Cun decided to indulge

himself in the boredom of the carriage, even making a bet with himself.

When the carriage finally stopped, it was indeed quite late. Yang Cun wasn't in a hurry. As he alighted from the carriage, he asked,

"Tongbao, how late are we?"

He didn't ask "Are we late?" but rather "How late?", which would certainly make people think his lateness was

intentional. Of course, if anyone thought that, Yang Cun wouldn't object.

"Replying to Your Highness, we're half an hour late," Yang Tongbao's voice rang in his ears, deliberately lowered.

Yang Cun looked up in surprise and, sure enough, saw Zhao Qinyun waiting at the door.

The Prince of Ding's heir was hosting a banquet, and those invited were likely mostly officials willing to side with the Prince. Therefore, they

wouldn't be as rude as him, arriving half an hour late. The room should be full of guests by now

, right? Abandoning them to greet him, Zhao Qinyun was certainly giving him face. A fake smile appeared on Yang Cun's face

as he watched Zhao Qinyun approach with excessive enthusiasm after he stood still.

She clasped her hands in a deep bow. In terms of etiquette, Zhao Qinyun had never been ambiguous with Yang Cun.

While bowing, she said, "My lord is unwell, and I apologize for disturbing you. Your presence is already a great honor; being

a little late is to be expected." She didn't rise, remaining half-bowed, seemingly waiting for Yang Cun to help her up.

Well, this child had already prepared a way out for everyone. Although she was a few years older than Yang Cun, her

respectful attitude was like that of a grandson. And with such a handsome face, it was easy to feel

guilty . Playing along with her forced smile, Yang Cun said, "Your Highness is too kind." And as she

wished, he placed his hand under Zhao Qinyun's wrist, helping her to her feet.

Upon closer inspection, he was slightly surprised. It turned out that although Zhao Qinyun's spirit wasn't particularly sharp, she was actually a skilled fighter?

As she stood up, Zhao Qinyun took Yang Cun's arm, saying, "Then this junior has overstepped her bounds, please, Your Excellency."

She then led Yang Cun inside, her hand never leaving his.

Yang Cun felt a wave of nausea wash over him, inwardly screaming, "Damn it, I like

women! If you want to be gay, go find someone else..." He tried to break free, but found she was using force.

Unless he completely broke off relations, he could only remain in this ambiguous state.

Well, perhaps that era was much purer than the one Yang Cun had lived in his previous life, without all that messy

stuff... He couldn't very well really cause trouble at someone's gate, could he? He could only force a stiff smile

and .

Regardless of his outward appearance, Yang Cun sneered inwardly. It seemed that Yue Long wouldn't be able to sleep tonight;

those lurking men in the shadows weren't blind. He only hoped that the news of his overly "intimate" relationship with the Prince of Ding

would keep him in check; otherwise, a single imperial decree would likely bring this trip to Jiangnan to an abrupt end

.

A subtle fragrance filled the air, light gauze fluttered, and dancers in sheer garments twirled in the center of the hall. Their

graceful figures and glimpses of cleavage stirred the masculine hormones of the men present.

Indeed, as Yang Tongbao had said, there were quite a few officials present, but most of them were staring lustfully at the dancers

, wishing they had X-ray vision to see what they wanted.

One official, bearing the title of "Lord," even took advantage of a dancer's twirl to

rip her skirt amidst the clinking of glasses. After a barely perceptible tearing sound amidst the music, the dancer's skirt ripped open

, and another seized the opportunity to pull her into his arms.

A burst of laughter erupted around them; no one thought it was excessive, and even the dancer feigned resistance with a coquettish smile. Yang Cun and Zhao Qinyun had

arrived.

Turning to look at her, Yang Cun didn't see the expected embarrassment on Zhao Qinyun's face, only an emotionless

smile. Seeing Yang Cun looking at her, she gave him a look: "We're all men, we all have those little dirty

thoughts , you know."

At that moment, Yang Cun suddenly felt sympathy for this Prince Ding's heir, and understood why he had been able

to win over . The beauty trap, throughout history, has never failed; if used well, even

the hardest steel will be softened.

Even heroes, damn it, can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman.

But at this moment, Yang Cun felt more sympathy for Zhao Qinyun. Leading this group to rebel? Kid,

you'd better save your breath.

At the same time, everyone noticed their arrival. Aside from the empty sound of musical instruments, all

the noise vanished in an instant. Everyone rose to bow to Yang Cun, shouting, "We, your humble servants, pay our respects to Your Excellency the Duke."

Yang Cun held a hereditary position among the Three Dukes, a rank many times higher than these local officials from Hangzhou, so

everyone present performed the full kneeling ceremony.

Whether Zhao Qinyun had arranged it beforehand or not, for a moment, apart from Zhao Qinyun herself,

no one was standing. Of course, the guards protecting these officials outside the door didn't count.

Staring at those round, upturned buttocks, Yang Cun couldn't help but laugh out loud. Realizing his mistake, he covered

his mouth with his hand and coughed lightly, saying, "Gentlemen, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise."

Another wave of thanks followed.

If the old emperor saw this scene, would he think that he was the one who had raised the army in rebellion? The farcical

performance made Yang Cun unable to suppress his amusement, but he also made a good cover-up, letting Zhao Qinyun, who had been carefully observing his

expression think that he enjoyed being worshipped like this.

"Haha, the young master's influence is truly great! The Duke himself has come to Hangzhou, and none of us officials, high or low, can even get a glimpse of him."

"The moment the young master appeared, the Duke arrived at the banquet. It is truly an honor for us to sit at the same table as the Duke. Haha..."

After a group of officials stood up, the obsequious flattery from Awu made Yang Cun's head ache. People said it was an honor, they said

it was rare , but none of them were as grating as this.

Was this flattery or an insult? Yang Cun glanced sideways and saw a

young man of about twenty-four or twenty-five, whose complexion was not good due to excessive indulgence.

"May I ask who this gentleman is?" He spoke politely, but in his heart he was thinking: You know you won't get to see him without even seeing him?

Aren't they all just waiting to see what happens? Since I arrived, not a single minor official has come

to flatter me. Several banquets were hosted by Zhao Qinyun. If you were the one hosting, I would definitely give you face.

"Uh?" The man was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Yang Cun to single him out from so many people,

but he couldn't not answer, so he cupped his hands and said, "This humble official is Bai Qi, the magistrate of Lin'an County."

A mere magistrate dares to be so arrogant? Yang Cun didn't think Zhao Qinyun's taste was so low as to host a banquet for a mere county magistrate from a

small county under Hangzhou's jurisdiction. Fortunately, he hadn't overlooked the man's surname.

His probing gaze had barely passed when someone automatically explained, "Your Excellency is too kind. Bai Qi is my

nephew. Young people are inexperienced; if he has offended Your Excellency in any way, please forgive him." The man's

face was resolute, exuding authority without anger—who else could it be but Bai Yongwang?

Actually, Bai Yongwang could be considered "upright," but unfortunately, he chose the wrong side .

Tired of his comfortable life, he insisted on becoming a rogue and thief. Truly…

no wonder they're from the same family. Looking at the young man named Bai Qi, Yang Cun smiled broadly and patted his shoulder,

saying, "Good, good…" With Yang Cun's gesture, Bai Qi immediately shrank back.

Everyone waited for a long time, but Yang Cun still hadn't said anything. They assumed this young Duke had unusual

taste . So, amidst the

flattery, they generously included Bai Qi in the praise.

Only Bai Qi knew how much pain he was in. The hand on his shoulder felt like it weighed

a ton , making his legs and stomach tremble, almost causing him to collapse. Most importantly, if he wasn't

mistaken, the glint of murderous intent that flashed in Yang Cun's eyes was palpable.

Panic gripped him, and he appeared extremely flustered, yet powerless against Yang Cun. He didn't even care about the sweat beading on his forehead

, looking rather flattered.

Feeling perfectly justified in making things difficult for Yang Cun in front of everyone, and seeing Bai Qi's obsequious

smile that was more like a grimace, Yang Cun finally took pity on him and let him off the hook, walking towards the main seat with Zhao Qinyun amidst the compliments. As Bai Qi

lowered his guard and wiped the cold sweat from his brow, he suddenly turned around and caught a different gaze.

When masters clash, sometimes a single glance reveals their difference in skill; unseen sparks fly when their eyes meet. Bai Qi

reacted quickly, almost simultaneously sensing Yang Cun's intention and hurriedly lowering his head. The instant his gaze averted,

Yang Cun's lips slowly curled into a smile.

A fourth-level Dan master, huh? He's quite adept at hiding his abilities. The only thing he couldn't understand was why he couldn't detect the existence of

Yang . How did he do it? Sitting down with these questions, Yang Cun, who was drinking with Zhao Qinyun

, kept glancing at Bai Qi throughout the banquet.

Similarly, Bai Qi was also observing Yang Cun, but he didn't dare to

be .

They exchanged toasts and saw each other off. After several rounds of drinks, Yang Cun realized that someone who should have been there was missing from the group

.

"Young Master, where is Lord Lin? Is he perhaps unwell and unable to attend?" It wasn't that Yang Cun was deliberately

cursing someone's illness, but he genuinely couldn't understand why Lin Guoan, who was practically a staff member of Prince Ding, would be

absent from such an occasion.

"Hehe, well… Your Excellency, you may not know, but Lord Lin's appointment has already been granted, and he went to

take up his post . Because Your Excellency was away, he didn't have time to say goodbye. Lord Lin is now the Governor of Zhejiang."

The one who answered was Bai Yongwang, whose attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.

Yang Cun was taken aback, realizing that the other party was still wary of him; otherwise,

how could Yang Tongbao and Wang Dong not know about such a significant matter? Zhejiang? It seems that Prince Ding's influence is not insignificant.

Regardless of what he thought in his heart, his face remained amiable as he said, "Really? In that case,

congratulations, Lord Lin."

His humble tone still conveyed a sense of camaraderie. Several bolder individuals began to discuss topics that skirted the edge of propriety, subtly concealing the matter

of rebellion , speaking evasively while observing Yang Cun's expression through their drinking.

This was a time for feigned ignorance. Yang Cun pretended not to understand, and if anyone tried to test him, he would

deliberately change the subject.

This was supposed to be an internal banquet for Prince Ding's faction, so even saying something outrageous probably wouldn't cause much trouble.

However, with the enigmatic Duke Jing Cun present, no one dared to act

recklessly gentlemanly demeanor, showing no impatience whatsoever. He sipped his wine with an air of nobility,

the smile on his lips unreadable.

If there was anyone in the entire gathering that Yang Cun should be particularly wary of, it was this heir apparent. A man who had fought on the battlefield,

a brave and skilled warrior, must have had blood on his hands. The fact that he could conceal his ruthlessness beneath a gentle and refined exterior revealed

the depth of his cunning. He was currently safe thanks to his experience from two lifetimes, coupled with a touch

of roguishness, but this was something Zhao Qinyun possessed naturally.

Zhao Qinyun, with her eyes half-closed, watching the others revel, suddenly gave Yang Cun

the feeling that "all these guests are merely pawns in her game," perhaps just for his benefit. If he took it seriously, he

would surely die a horrible death.

A strange, uneasy stirring rose in his lower abdomen. Yang Cun was startled and looked into Zhao Qinyun's concerned and

innocent eyes, managing a weak, bitter smile. He had taken every precaution, yet he hadn't been able to prevent it. Using the moment when everyone was distracting him

to poison him? Ruthless.

Actually, it wasn't poison. If he died here now, it wouldn't be good for their rebellion.

Although he wasn't very knowledgeable about pharmacology, he had spent many years on the mountain, watching the old Taoist priest tinker, and had

picked up himself. He knew that what he had been given was just an aphrodisiac, not even a true love potion

. The dosage was small, enough to only give him a reaction; turning him into a wolf was a long way off.

The only problem was that he couldn't activate his Qi, otherwise it would be very dangerous.

Had Zhao Qinyun finally lost his temper and decided to attack him? He wondered what

tricks

Zhao Qinyun was planning. Concealing his murderous intent and feigning drunkenness, Yang Cun remained calm, as if he hadn't noticed anything amiss. Things had developed to a point where his mindset was

completely different from .

Back then, he could still criticize Lin Guoan's flattery, but now he was only thinking about how to save his life and

survive in this seemingly peaceful but actually turbulent era.

"What's wrong, sir? You seem unwell?" Seeing Yang Cun holding his forehead, Zhao Qinyun quickly

asked, diligently fulfilling his duties as master.

"Yes, I'm a little dizzy," Yang Cun mumbled, half-truthfully.

"What should we do? Someone, quickly fetch a doctor!"

Zhao Qinyun's anxious orders to the guards made Yang Cun want to laugh.

"Pretend, pretend my foot! Weren't you supposed to have three thousand guests? Weren't you supposed to be gathering many talented and extraordinary people? Don't

tell there isn't a single doctor among those people you've won over? Do you really need to hire a physician from outside?" Yang Cun calmly

recited the ancestral greetings of the Prince of Ding for eight generations. Only after belatedly realizing that those were also the ancestors of the old emperor did he reluctantly

stop. Yang Cun then feigned drunkenness and declined, saying, "No need for the Prince's trouble. I suppose my alcohol tolerance is still low;

I just drank a few too many cups without realizing it, and I'm simply not in good enough shape. I'll be fine after a short rest."

"Oh, is that so? If Your Excellency doesn't mind, how about resting at my residence for a while?" Zhao

Qinyun stepped forward to help Yang Cun up, speaking sincerely.

Heh, so this is you, huh? Keep me here? You think you can—!" Yang Cun sneered inwardly. "

In that case , I'll trouble you, Your Highness."

"Someone, quickly invite the Duke to the guest room to rest."

As soon as Zhao Qinyun finished speaking, two pretty maids immediately stepped forward to help Yang Cun up. Yang Cun didn't

resist and let them help him away. In his last glance, he saw a fleeting gloom in Zhao Qinyun's eyes.

I won't offend others unless they offend me, but if they do, damn it, only fools would tolerate it. I'll make you

regret trying to scheme against me. If your schemes weren't aimed at me, I'd play dumb and get away with it, but

if you think I, Yang, am a soft persimmon to be squeezed, hmph, then you can try it. After saying goodbye to everyone,

he met Yang Tongbao waiting at the door. He looked at Yang Tongbao meaningfully,

and Yang Tongbao nodded imperceptibly. Half of the people he had brought with him had disappeared.

Leaning his head over, casually taking advantage of the maids beside him, Yang Cun walked into the inner courtyard.

Meanwhile, neither the Yipinlou Restaurant nor Zhao Qinyun's residence, nor even Tianjin, a thousand miles away, were any

longer "peaceful."

A faint smell of blood permeated the darkness as a guard knocked on a door. The knocking

sound deepened the unease of the night. After a long rustling

, someone emerged. "What is it?" Wang Dong, fully dressed, stood at the door,

looking at the intruding guard.

"General, some people are causing trouble," the guard replied, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "

Should we kill them?"

With the Yang family army guarding them, they dared to act recklessly—wasn't that blatant disrespect? Even if they could tolerate it, the Yang family's century-old

reputation as a military family could not.

"Hmm?" Wang Dong's eyes widened, then he slowly smiled and said, "They're not here for our people, are they?"

The guard was slightly taken aback and replied, "No."

"That's good." Wang Dong's smile deepened. He yawned as he entered the room, his voice carrying instructions: "No rush,

let them practice first. Just be careful, don't let even a fly escape."

"Yes." The guard was suspicious, but didn't press further.

Inside the room, Wang Dong was already on the verge of tears. The usually resolute man knelt down in

one , his voice firm: "Old master, the Yang family of Hangzhou, the century-old Yang family, finally has hope..."

Wang Dong was inherently straightforward, but fortunately, influenced by Yang Cun during this period, his mind had become more discerning.

He already knew of Yang Cun's exceptional abilities and had vowed to follow him to the death. What he hadn't expected was that Yang Cun's plans

were so meticulous—that he wouldn't return tonight, that Yipinlou would be ambushed, and even what the Yang family's guards were going

to do , all of which he had meticulously planned and arranged.

To put it bluntly, even if the old Duke of Jingguo were alive, he might not have been so... Alas, although that

boy acted strangely, even somewhat cowardly, and as for being upright and righteous, and

possessing a commanding presence, he was far from it. However, it was undeniable that, amidst this turbulent situation, the Yang family's army, aside from repairing the Duke of Jingguo's mansion,

hadn't suffered any losses.

Well, for a soldier, this was a disgrace. But as a veteran of the Yang family, no one understood better than Wang Dong that

glory was important, but strength was even more important. If the Yang family army is truly gone, the Yang family will soon be finished...

An hour later, assuming the fighting over there was nearly over, Wang Dong shouldered his broadsword and

strode out , ordering the guards outside, "Go, gather the men."

The easternmost part of Yipinlou was farther from West Lake, but closer to the main street; Yue Long lived there. The moon

rose above the willow branches, a rendezvous after dusk. Unfortunately, they came uninvited, and to take lives.

The moon hung high in the sky, its clear light shining brightly. Some glimmers blended into the shade of the trees, becoming specks of light. A dark night for murder;

as if to reflect this scene, a cloud drifted in from nowhere, completely obscuring the moon.

And from within that dappled light, several black figures suddenly approached the main house at incredible speed.

They weren't the only ones capable of guarding this dark night. Soon, someone came to stop them. Neither side bothered to exchange words;

the usual "Who are you?" and "I'll take your life" dialogues were clearly superfluous. Close combat ensued, quickly

escalating into a brutal battle.

The attacks were swift and ruthless, each aimed at killing the other. A single slash sent flesh flying, turning Yue Long's delicate face

deathly .

The two sides were evenly matched, but Yue Long had just sent several men away, and after the initial exchange,

his side was showing signs of defeat. At this point, it was a fight to the death. Suppressing the nauseating smell of blood, Yue Long

bit his lower lip and drew his short sword. Unfortunately, before he could even engage in combat, a round human head flew towards him.

Startled, he even dropped his weapon.

Looking around, he saw the heavy casualties on his side; of the seven who had protected him, only two, badly wounded and battered, remained.

The others were all... Facing the approaching assassins, anger and sorrow welled up within him. He coldly rebuked them, "I don't care

who ordered you here, but you must deliver one message to your master.

'How could His Majesty, with his open ears, not know of your deeds? Traitors and rebels will never have a good end...'" As soon as he finished

speaking , the lead assassin's expression changed slightly. His gaze subtly swept southwards where Yang Cun was staying.

Sensing the unusual shift in the air, he immediately hardened his expression and calmly ordered without any emotion, "Attack."

Four or five assassins then began to approach.

The chilling atmosphere made the two remaining men in black gasp for breath. They stepped in front of Yue Long, saying, "You go first,

I'll hold them off..."

"Do you think I can leave now?" Yue Long gave a bitter smile, staring at the approaching assassins, his eyes filled with despair,

clearly seeing death looming.

"But, sir..." Before the man in black could finish speaking, he was cleaved in two, blood, brains, and

entrails spraying all over Yue Long. Cold sweat poured down Yue Long's back, and filth gushed from his mouth.

"Hmph, knowing he couldn't escape, he thought he was being pragmatic, but he's just a coward." The leader

of the assassins sneered, raising his gleaming blade again. This time, his target was Yue Long, covered in filth, his once beautiful skin

now taut and bluish-gray. Slowly closing his eyes, the desperate smile on Yue Long's lips

was . With a "thud," a sharp weapon pierced flesh, blood splattering onto Yue Long's robes once more, followed by an

incredulous, piercing scream from his throat.

Opening his eyes again, he saw Wang Dong's solemn and dignified old face, while the assassin before him collapsed to the ground. His cheek

twitched strangely; Yue Long had tried to smile, but failed. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Uncle Dong? Is this man really the Emperor's personal guard?" someone asked, leaning close to Wang Dong's ear, their tone

surprised. "How can he be so useless?"

"You're meddling too much," Wang Dong glared, saying, "With that kind of strength, why don't you quickly deal with these

brats who dare to disregard us?"

"Yes."

The sudden appearance of the men threw the remaining assassins into a panic. Their leader was already dead, killed with a single blow right

before their eyes. The remaining assassins exchanged glances and then ran outside without warning.

"Trying to run?" Wang Dong sneered, remaining motionless as he watched the men rush to the wall only to be caught

again by a large net. He then roared, "Kill all these traitors who dared to intercept Lord Yue Long!" After shouting,

he touched his nose. Uh… that fair-skinned guard had already fainted; the young master's instructions

hadn't been very effective this time.

With Yang's father's well-trained veteran general dealing with several wounded assassins, the process was

like , leaving them no trouble. The winner of this battle was the Yang family army;

only one of the black-clad men protecting Yue Long remained, while all the assassins were gone. After quickly arranging the bodies, they realized

the stench still lingered.

"Uncle Dong, should we report this to the authorities?" After all, someone had died; it would

be .

"Yes, let's go tomorrow morning. The officials in charge at the government office are definitely not here tonight." After all, they'd all gone to Zhao Qinyun

's banquet. "By the way, send someone to call An Qiao and ask her to take care of Lord Yue Long." After

saying this, Wang Dong still couldn't understand why the young master wanted An Qiao to take care of another man. But since it was the young master's

special order, he would do it.

At the break of dawn, Yipinlou returned to its quiet state. If it weren't for that strong smell,

the battle would probably have been just a dream. But that dream was too cruel, and it almost became Yue

Long's... no, it should be... a nightmare for life.

At Zhao Qinyun's residence, avoiding the lavish banquet, under the cover of night,

the experts who had followed Yang Tongbao in were moving silently. Apart from the front yard, the back yard was unusually quiet, with only

servants carrying lanterns passing by from time to time.

It is said that Zhao Qinyun, who came from the military, had extremely strong self-control and was a person who was very clean-living. So

there were no women here, but rather a strong masculine smell.

One of the Yang family guards sniffed lightly, noticing a sweaty smell coming from one direction. He gestured, and

the others followed. The smell originated from a small, unremarkable artificial hill. The group

was puzzled, and someone must have accidentally triggered a mechanism; one side of the hill slowly opened.

Bright firelight illuminated the interior, revealing a hidden space. The sudden turn of events startled them.

Within moments, several fine, hair-like darts flew out, striking their vitals.

After they collapsed, the mechanism slowly closed.

A squad of soldiers came, grabbed the Yang family members' bodies, and tossed them into the flowerbed. After they left,

nothing was left behind.

There was no clash of swords, no river of blood. Under the moonlight, the ashen-faced Yang family members

lay , lifeless. In their final moments, they didn't even have time to utter a sound.

The poison was deadly, killing instantly.

A rustling sound followed, and after the soldiers left, a figure emerged from the flowerbed. After

carefully checking their breathing, the figure shook their head and sighed. Seeing that no one was around, the man quickly slipped out of the flower bushes

and resumed his normal gait.

After walking for quite some time, he encountered a patrolling soldier.

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

Facing the soldier's salute, the man, who had witnessed the deaths of members of the Yang family, simply clenched his legs together, looking comical, and

anxiously asked, "Where is the washroom? Where is the washroom in the manor?"

Because the soldiers carried lanterns, his face was only partially visible. He was Bai Qi, the magistrate of Lin'an County, the one who had caught Yang Cun's attention at the banquet

.

URL 1:https://www.sex3p.com/htmlBlog/183359.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=183359&aspx=1

Last access time:

Previous Page : "The Green Headband" - Chapter 66: The Black Photographer's Accidental Entry

Next Page : [Mother-in-law in stockings] [Complete]

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

[Hetu] [Heavenly Demon] [Episode 9, Chapter 4]

comment Open a new window to view comments