Chapter 4

In the evening, the autumn rain continued to fall without stopping.

After dealing with the constables from the government office and cleaning up the scene, Wang Ye closed his inn early.

The body had been taken care of, but the matter was far from over.

In the main hall, a table was set with four dishes and a soup, with several snow-white steamed buns in the middle, looking very tempting.

Next to the dishes, there was a piece of green jade token.

The token was entirely green, crystal clear, and inscribed with the words "Jun Tian."

This was the Jun Tian Token!

Wang Ye sat at the table, his arms crossed, staring at the Jun Tian Token in deep thought.

To his left was Ah Ji, who looked helpless, and to his right was a sturdy, muscular man with a scarred face.

This man was named Chen Chong, the chef of Zui Xian Lou, who was skilled in cooking and knife work. He could slice mutton as thin as cicada wings, which Wang Ye greatly appreciated.

"Hey, you guys put all this food on the table but don't let us eat it. What's the meaning of that?"

"All you do is stare at that broken token. Can you eat that token?"

Looking at the four dishes and the soup, Ah Ji swallowed his saliva and said, "Such good food and buns, if we don't eat them, they'll get cold!"

As he spoke, Ah Ji reached out to grab a bun.

"Eat, eat, all you know is to eat!"

Seeing Ah Ji reach for the bun, Wang Ye frowned and slapped his hand away.

Seeing this, Ah Ji instinctively tried to dodge.

But Wang Ye's hand seemed to have a magical power, and there was no way to avoid it. It hit Ah Ji's hand solidly.

Slap!

With a light sound, Ah Ji's hand was slapped away.

"Hey, innkeeper,"

Ah Ji, whose hand was slapped away, said, "If you had practiced martial arts and specialized in palm techniques instead of running an inn, you would have surely made a name for yourself in the江湖!"

"You hit me with a palm, and I couldn't even dodge it!"

Ah Ji's words were full of sarcasm and ridicule, making the atmosphere unpleasant.

"I'll teach you some respect!"

Hearing Ah Ji's words, Wang Ye rolled his eyes and said, "If I had known you were a martial artist, I wouldn't have saved you from the sea. You eat and use my things every day, and when it matters, you cause me trouble!"

Half a year ago, Wang Ye was passing by the port and saw Ah Ji floating in the sea.

At first, Wang Ye thought Ah Ji was just a drowned body and wanted to check if he had any money.

But to his surprise, Ah Ji was still alive, so Wang Ye had no choice but to take him to a clinic to save him.

Since Ah Ji had no money to pay, Wang Ye had to cover the expenses and had no choice but to keep him as a waiter to work off his debt.

"You're just making excuses,"

Hearing Wang Ye's words, Ah Ji said, "I know your character. You probably just wanted to see if you could get some money out of me. I'd rather believe a madam from the brothel would turn good than believe a money-grubber like you would save someone."

"Alas, the world is in decline, and people's hearts are not what they used to be!"

Hearing Ah Ji's words, Wang Ye shook his head and said, "Poor me, Wang Ye, who has always been gentle and generous, saving someone only to be blamed. What a tragedy!"

As he spoke, Wang Ye looked dejected, like a wronged woman.

This demeanor was far from the imposing presence of the notorious figure he once was in the martial world.

"Enough, innkeeper..."

Seeing Wang Ye's pitiful look, Chen Chong frowned and said, "Instead of arguing with Ah Ji, we should discuss what to do next."

At this, the scene fell silent.

Indeed, what should they do next?

The Jun Tian Token, the symbol of the leader of the Tian Xia Hui, was now in Ah Ji's hands. They had also let several members of the Tian Xia Hui escape today. The other side would definitely not let this go.

If they came, how should they deal with them?

"Should we report to the government and ask for more constables to be sent?"

Wang Ye suggested.

"Not a good idea. Do you know what the constables in Jinling are like?"

Chen Chong countered, "They are good at catching bandits and thugs, but this time we are dealing with the Tian Xia Hui!"

"That's the so-called largest martial arts organization in the world, with a hundred thousand members. Not to mention other experts, just the three hall leaders are extremely formidable. Relying on the constables for help is like praying to the gods for protection."

"Why don't we just give this thing to the Tian Xia Hui?"

Chen Chong continued, "If they get what they want, they might leave us alone!"

"That's not an option!"

Ah Ji frowned and said, "I promised Luo Changtian that this token would not fall into the hands of bandits. If I break my word, what kind of man would I be?"

"Even if we give it to them, it won't help."

Wang Ye shook his head and said, "This token is a death warrant. Once you have it, you can't get rid of the trouble. Even if we give it to them, they will still kill you..."

At this, the scene fell into silence.

At this moment, Wang Ye's heart stirred.

Because, apart from the three of them in the hall, he heard a fourth heartbeat.

This heartbeat came from the roof, steady and strong, clearly belonging to a martial artist.

Tonight, it would not be peaceful...

Hearing this heartbeat, Wang Ye thought to himself.

...

Outside Jinling, in an old, dilapidated temple.

"So, Luo Changtian gave the Jun Tian Token to that waiter?"

In the temple, a man with a silver mask looked at the black-clad man in front of him and asked.

This black-clad man was one of the people who had escaped from Zui Xian Lou earlier.

The man in front of him was thin, with a hoarse voice that made people feel uncomfortable.

This man was one of the four fast swordsmen of the Tian Xia Hui, the White Bone Sword, Li Qingzhu.

"Indeed, I overheard from the roof of Zui Xian Lou, it's true!"

The black-clad man confirmed, "Luo Changtian did give the Jun Tian Token to that waiter!"

"According to what you say, that waiter is a formidable martial artist who can fight eight people at once and kill four?"

Li Qingzhu looked at the black-clad man and said calmly.

"Exactly!"

Hearing Li Qingzhu's words, the black-clad man nodded repeatedly, "That kid's martial arts are full of righteous energy, and he uses Buddhist martial techniques. His skills are at least at the level of a first-class martial artist!"

"A first-class martial artist, indeed, that's a bit troublesome..."

Hearing the black-clad man's words, Li Qingzhu pinched his chin, as if deep in thought.

It was not surprising that Li Qingzhu was concerned. Buddhist martial techniques were known for their broad and powerful movements.

Even if they were at the same level, a first-class martial artist who practiced Buddhist martial techniques was a formidable opponent.

"Are there any other experts in that inn?"

While thinking, Li Qingzhu turned his gaze and asked the black-clad man.

"No, only that kid is an expert."

The black-clad man recalled and replied, "Apart from that kid, there was only the innkeeper during the day. Although he is tall, he is a useless person who doesn't know martial arts. If that kid wasn't there, I could have killed him with one sword strike!"

"That makes things easier."

Hearing the black-clad man's words, Li Qingzhu looked at the dark red sky outside the temple, "This rain won't last long. I will write a letter and report this to the leader..."

"Prepare the 'Flower Intoxication' poison smoke. This time, we will use the poison to incapacitate the people in the inn before we act."

"Even if that kid has deep martial arts, he will have to submit under the influence of the poison!"

"As long as he inhales a bit of the poison, even if he resists to the death, I can take his life!"

As he spoke, Li Qingzhu took out a white, bone-like long sword, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light.