Chapter 94. It wasn't eavesdropping.

Just as the waiter Hong Jie brought the wine and dishes, the conversation naturally came to a halt.

Had the wine gone around once or so?

Bifeng Zhanxueren brought up the matter of Kaifeng again.

"Senior Gao, about those ronin at the pleasure house. Do you know anything about them?"

Gao Zhishi nodded.

"Yeah, according to Xing Hang, they are from the Waryouzhai."

"Really? Could it be the Waryouzhai in Yanshi, the one founded by the Crescent Moon Swordsman?"

"Right, that Waryouzhai."

"Wow! There were other experts besides the Waryou Swordsman? I can't believe it."

Zhanxueren nudged the arm of the seated Juejian Yang Wansheng beside him.

"Junior Brother Yang, did you hear that? Waryouzhai. Does that make sense?"

"Tsk, why wouldn't it? Don't you know the saying, 'The world is vast and there are many strange people'?"

"Senior Brother, about those ronin. They are the Lian family, right? If they are, it seems possible."

"No, they're not."

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

Zhanxueren and Yang Wansheng asked almost simultaneously.

Judging by their surprise, both seemed to think the ronin were from the Lian family.

"They're not the Lian family, but the Feng family, or something like that."

Zhanxueren's eyes widened.

"The Feng family? Then they are indeed the ronin gathered by Waryouzhai!"

"Wow! Sister, I got goosebumps at that moment. A ronin guarding the pleasure house split a person in two..."

As the two made a fuss, Gao Zhishi clicked his tongue.

"Tsk tsk! It won't do any good anyway."

"Why not? Did those ronin already die? Is that true?"

Zhanxueren's voice rose with the anticipation of a twist.

Yan Jieha and Jutiannu, who were sitting nearby, also shook their heads at the commotion.

"Senior Sister, lower your voice. We're not the only ones here, okay?"

Gao Zhishi gently calmed the excited Zhanxueren.

She usually had a keen interest in heroic tales and seemed to have gotten a bit too emotionally involved.

Realizing her mistake, Zhanxueren looked around and whispered.

"Why won't it do any good?"

"The one who was split in half stabbed the guard named Feng with a poisoned needle before dying."

"A poisoned needle?"

Zhanxueren was taken aback.

Poisoned needles in a fight at a pleasure house?

Poisoned needles are difficult to handle and are only used by those who have undergone special training—assassins.

This means the person who fought the guard at the pleasure house was an assassin.

"Then what happened?"

"The poisoned guard is in critical condition."

"Ah! What about the other one? The one who made a hole in the assassin's head?"

"If it weren't for that person, Feng would have died. The dual-dagger assassin tried to kill Feng, but this person stopped him."

Yang Wansheng, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth wide.

"Wait! Two assassins tried to kill the guard named Feng? One used a poisoned needle, and the other used dual daggers. The guard was poisoned and is in critical condition, right?"

"Effectively, that's what happened."

"Wow! As Senior Brother Gao said, it's really exciting. Who sent assassins to the pleasure house's guard? Ronin usually do their own dirty work and don't hire assassins, right? They probably don't have the money either."

"Who knows. Grudges are a tricky thing..."

Just as Gao Zhishi was speaking, someone suddenly interrupted from the side.

It was Yan Jieha.

"Wait a moment. Did you say assassins tried to kill the guard named Feng?"

Gao Zhishi, Zhanxueren, and Yang Wansheng looked at the boy with incredulous eyes.

It's already bad enough to eavesdrop on someone else's conversation, but to interrupt it as well?

Zhanxueren shot back in an annoyed tone.

"What? Were you eavesdropping on our conversation this whole time?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping; I just overheard. Old Sim, you were just sitting there, right? You overheard it too, didn't you?"

Yan Jieha pulled the silent Sim Tong into the conversation.

"Of course. If you talk so loudly next to someone, it's crazy to expect them not to hear."

Sim Tong's aggressive words made Gao Zhishi and his companions jump to their feet.

To dare speak to Yitian Gate disciples like that in Luoyang?

Although they had been somewhat subdued by the recent events with Mingjiao, Yitian Gate was still the absolute power in Luoyang.

As the atmosphere turned tense, the other patrons slowly moved to the back.

They didn't want to get caught in a fight and get hurt.

Sim Tong, who had been watching the two with a cold gaze, said,

"Hmph, to make me stand up. Sit down immediately, or I'll cut off your legs."

To the three, this was a shocking and outrageous statement.

To provoke Yitian Gate disciples right in front of Yitian Gate?

Still, Gao Zhishi, the eldest among them, suppressed his boiling anger and asked,

"We are the second-generation disciples of Yitian Gate. I want to know the name of the senior who threatens to cut off our legs. Let's see if you have the qualifications."

At that moment, a sinister laugh escaped Sim Tong's lips.

"Hehehe. If you were the君子sword, I might not know, but for mere second-generation disciples of Yitian Gate to ask for my name? You must be desperate to die. Ten years ago, I..."

At that moment, Yan Jieha interrupted Sim Tong.

"Old Sim, stop. I was nine years old ten years ago. Why are you talking nonsense? You should just say, 'I heard it because the voice was loud.'"

"Yes, Master. Hmph, hmph, I overheard it because the voice was loud. Got it?"

"..."

Gao Zhishi exchanged quick glances with Zhanxueren and Yang Wansheng.

The low-level behavior of the boy and the old man was beyond tolerable.

Mentioning the gate master, they had to draw their swords to defend the honor of their sect.

Just as Gao Zhishi was about to grab his sword hilt,

With a 'clang,' Zhanxueren's sword lunged at Yan Jieha.

Zhanxueren had never liked this young brat from the start.

Interrupting the conversation and involving the nasty old man were bad enough.

If she took him out first, her senior and junior brothers would surely target the old man.

So without hesitation, she attacked faster than her senior and junior brothers.

They say time slows down in a life-or-death moment.

This must be one of those times.

The speed of her advancing sword was excruciatingly slow.

So slow that she could see the fine hairs on the back of her hand holding the sword.

Good heavens!

She had recited the Five Elements Sword Technique twice, yet the sword hadn't even reached the boy's neck.

Is this even possible?

Just as she felt something was off, the world suddenly sped up.

The boy's fingers caught the slow-moving sword blade, and his body flipped backward.

'What?'

The unfamiliar ceiling of the tavern filled her vision.

And a shock, as if someone had punched her in the back, hit her.

Thud.

Whizz.

Was this what it felt like to be struck by lightning? Sharp ringing filled her head.

'Ah! Senior Brother Gao and Junior Brother Yang mustn't die...'

Strangely, in the midst of the chaos, Zhanxueren wished for her senior and junior brothers' safety.

However, Gao Zhishi and Yang Wansheng were in much worse condition.

Their opponent was Sim Tong, known as the Hidden Blade or the Henan Fiend.

Gao Zhishi had a broken forehead, and Yang Wansheng had a broken arm.

They would never know that it was only due to Sim Tong's satisfaction that it ended there.

After making the two sit down, Yan Jieha said politely,

"Alright, brothers and sisters. Let's calmly continue our conversation. You said the guard named Feng stabbed the assassin with a poisoned needle, right?"

Gao Zhishi, pressing his bleeding forehead, replied,

"No, the opposite. The man who looked like an assassin stabbed the guard with a poisoned needle."

"Oh, so the guard named Feng is in critical condition?"

"Yes."

"Why do you think it was an assassin?"

"Because poisoned needles are difficult to handle and are only used by trained assassins."

"I see! Then, my second question. You said the person with dual daggers was also an assassin. Why?"

A sigh escaped Gao Zhishi's lips.

"Ah! Because he jumped into the room to kill the guard named Feng. No one jumps into a room with a sword when there's a patient inside, right?"

Yan Jieha scratched his head.

That made sense.

He had missed the point about the poisoned needle because he didn't understand the ways of the martial world, but the dual daggers should have been obvious with a bit of thought.

He felt like a fool for relying on Sim Tong for everything.

After scolding himself, Yan Jieha asked again,

"This is my last question, so listen carefully and answer. Which group of assassins do you suspect?"

"..."

Gao Zhishi hesitated to answer.

Pointing out someone as the perpetrator is extremely dangerous, especially when it's a group of assassins. One wrong move could make them enemies.

Yan Jieha stared intently at the two.

His expression clearly said he wouldn't let them go until they answered.

Yang Wansheng glanced at Gao Zhishi.

His broken arm was in excruciating pain, and he wanted to return for treatment.

To do that, he had to end this conversation somehow.

"Those who use poisoned needles are said to be from the Red Blood Tower and the Bamboo Gang. I'm not sure about the dual daggers, though..."

At that moment, the dazed Zhanxueren spoke up.

"...I know. The dual dagger expert is from the Three Dao Hall and the Bamboo Gang."

Yan Jieha confirmed,

"So it's one of the Red Blood Tower, Bamboo Gang, or Three Dao Hall?"

"Most likely."

Sim Tong, who had been listening, interjected,

"Master, I know someone from the Red Blood Tower. He might know about the Bamboo Gang and the Three Dao Hall. I'm not sure if he's still alive, though."

Yan Jieha glanced at Sim Tong.

"Is this person older or younger than you, Old Sim?"

"About the same age."

"Then we can't be sure if he's alive or dead. You're not far from the end yourself, Old Sim."

"Martial artists have long lifespans. I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"Alive? Just hurry up and find the person from the Red Blood Tower. And..."

Yan Jieha turned to Gao Zhishi.

"Do you know where the poisoned guard is? Or at least the name of the pleasure house?"

"I don't know where the guard is, but I know the pleasure house where the fight happened. It's called Longxi Lou, one of the top three in Kaifeng."

Zhanxueren muttered sarcastically,

"...A den of prostitutes."

"I got it. One of the top three in Kaifeng, the den of prostitutes, Longxi Lou. Let's go now."

The three stood up but didn't move immediately.

They looked as if they couldn't believe they were free.

Yan Jieha left first.

On the way back to the inn, Yan Jieha said,

"Old Sim, cancel the Four Directions Gathering. We'll leave at dawn, so prepare everything. From last night's dream, it seems something has happened to my eldest brother."

"Yes, if it's two people, it must be the Feng brothers and the Zhuo brothers."

After the Ten Heroes of Wu Mountain descended, Sim Tong changed how he referred to them. He couldn't call those who had entered the world by names associated with the green forest.

"I think so too."

Mentioning Waryouzhai must be because of the Nine Heavens Formation they practiced. I thought they were living well in Kaifeng, but how did they get involved with assassins?