Chapter 45

"Nothing to worry about, everyone, no need to be nervous." Xiao Sheng took two steps forward, standing between the Twin Dragons and the Yin Empress and her disciple, smiling, "The Yin Empress and Lady Fan, I invited them here. Ah, Ziling, I'm sorry, I originally wanted to invite Miss Shi as well, but unfortunately, she refused no matter what, and eventually ran away. But you can rest assured. From now on, she and the Pure Zen Hall will no longer cause you any trouble."

"Miss Shi?" Xu Ziling was also taken aback, then asked with a hint of tension, "Senior Xiao, what exactly happened?"

"Xu Ziling, you heartless person!" Fan Fan, hearing this, was furious and shouted loudly, "Do you like that nun Shi so much that you don't care about anyone else? She's right here, and you didn't even see her? I'm so angry, I'm so angry!"

Xu Ziling suddenly realized his mistake and felt that favoring one over the other was indeed inappropriate. He was momentarily embarrassed, his face turning red, and he didn't know what to say.

Kou Zhong, seeing the situation was not good, quickly tried to smooth things over for his good friend. He laughed and said, "Sister Fan, don't be angry, don't be angry. Ziling is usually not clumsy with words, you know. He didn't mean to upset you. Come, come, come inside and have some tea. We can talk about everything after we sit down."

They all said they would go inside to have tea. In reality, the Twin Dragons had many secrets to discuss and did not want the Yin Empress and her disciple to know. So Kou Zhong walked over with a smile, secretly tugging on Hou Xibai's sleeve.

Hou Xibai suddenly woke up from his dazed state. He was puzzled for a moment, then immediately understood the situation. He smiled warmly and said, "Lord Zhu, Lady Fan, this way, this way," leading them to a small hall on the east side of the courtyard, where he served them tea and treated them with courtesy.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling led Xiao Sheng to a small hall on the west side of the courtyard and sat down.

As soon as they were seated, Kou Zhong couldn't wait to ask, "Senior Xiao, I heard you know the location of the Yang Gong Treasure House?" Xu Ziling also asked, "Senior Xiao, what happened to Miss Shi? And what's going on with the Yin Empress and Fan Fan?"

Xiao Sheng laughed and said, "Take it easy, take it easy, I only have one mouth. Both of you are asking questions at the same time, who should I answer first?"

The Twin Dragons looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. Then they said in unison, "You go first."

"Ha ha, no need to rush. Let's talk about Miss Shi and Lady Fan first. As I heard...," Xiao Sheng slowly recounted the events of the day.

Of course, Xiao Sheng was not one to boast. He simply described how he persuaded Shi Fexuan to marry Xu Ziling, but she refused and chose to become a nun, returning to the Pure Zen Hall to cultivate, never to step into the world again. He then met Fan Fan and asked her to help him find the members of the Evil Sect, convincing them to stop their evil deeds with love and reason...

This story was truly bizarre and beyond comprehension. For a moment, the Twin Dragons looked at each other, their expressions strange, not knowing what to say.

After a while, Kou Zhong finally couldn't hold back. He scratched his head and asked, somewhat helplessly, "Senior Xiao, what do you hope to gain by doing this? It seems... Ziling doesn't need your help to choose a wife, does he?"

"Ha ha, of course, it's for my own happiness. As the saying goes, a thousand gold pieces can't buy my happiness." Xiao Sheng smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a few sips. He continued, "When I'm happy, my thoughts are clear. When my thoughts are clear, my cultivation progresses faster. Got it?"

"… Alright, that reason is barely acceptable." Kou Zhong smiled and glanced at his good friend, feeling a bit mischievous, accepting Xiao Sheng's explanation. He then sobered up and asked, "Senior Xiao, the Yang Gong Treasure House… do you really know where it is?"

"Yes, I know. The entrance to the Yang Gong Treasure House is under a well in the West Annex of the Zhenwu Marquis's residence. However, to prevent the secret from being discovered, the entrance is usually closed. To open it, you must go to the Leaping Horse Bridge and turn the mechanisms inside the six dragon-headed pillars at the bridgehead. Then you can enter the treasure house."

"Dragon-headed pillars! Heaven, why didn't we think of that! No wonder Mother mentioned the Leaping Horse Bridge before she passed away!" Kou Zhong was shocked and exclaimed.

Xu Ziling, with a look of disbelief, said, "The West Annex? Isn't that the residence granted to the Dugu family after they allied with Li Yuan? Young Master Zhong, this is your big break. You can use the identity of the divine doctor Mo Yixin to enter the West Annex and investigate."

During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, there were four major families in the world: the Li family, the Yuwen family, the Dugu family, and the Song family. Times have changed, and the Song family now controls Lingnan and is the biggest supporter of Kou Zhong. The Yuwen family has been destroyed. The Dugu family, after losing power, allied with the Li family, who established the Tang Dynasty. Li Yuan then granted the Dugu family the title of Zhenwu Marquis.

Kou Zhong, to find the Yang Gong Treasure House, disguised himself as the divine doctor Mo Yixin and entered Chang'an. He was invited by the Dugu family to treat their illnesses, allowing him to freely enter and exit the Zhenwu Marquis's residence. The entrance to the Yang Gong Treasure House was actually inside the Zhenwu Marquis's residence. This could only be considered the will of heaven.

Kou Zhong also thought of this. He was overjoyed and said, "Heaven has helped Little Li so many times, it wouldn't be fair if it didn't help me, Kou Zhong, once. Ha ha. The Yang Gong Treasure and the He氏 Jade Wall, either one can secure the world. Now that I have both, isn't the world mine?" As he spoke, he couldn't help but dance and wave his arms.

Xu Ziling, being relatively detached from the situation, did not act as wildly as Kou Zhong. He respectfully bowed to Xiao Sheng and said, "Senior Xiao, thank you for telling us this news. Your great kindness is beyond repayment. We two brothers can only remember it in our hearts. Please accept my bow." He stood up, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply.

Xiao Sheng waved his hands and smiled, "No need to thank me, no need to thank me. Actually, I also want something from the treasure house, the Evil Emperor's relic. But it's difficult for me to do it alone. Since you two seem quite likable, I'll help you. After opening the treasure house, I get the relic, and you get the treasure. Fair, right?"

"Fair, of course it's fair." Kou Zhong, slightly calmer, said with joy, "So, Senior Xiao also wants the Evil Emperor's relic? Fine, you can take it. We don't need it anyway."

"Uh… actually, you could have used it. But… never mind. Since you're going to be an emperor, high martial arts won't help much in ruling the world. So I'm not taking advantage of you."

Xiao Sheng smiled and extended his right palm, "Then it's a deal."

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling understood and simultaneously struck palms with Xiao Sheng, saying in unison, "It's a deal."

The Twin Dragons, coming from humble backgrounds and having suffered many setbacks in the world, were not easily trusting. However, Xiao Sheng had killed four major Evil Sect experts and severely injured Fan Fan and the Yin Empress. Even if his actions seemed somewhat inexplicable to the Twin Dragons, they were certain he would not betray them to the Evil Sect.

Furthermore, Xiao Sheng's cultivation was unparalleled, something the Twin Dragons had never seen before. If they hadn't witnessed it themselves, they might have doubted it. But last night on the Leaping Horse Bridge, Xiao Sheng effortlessly defeated the combined forces of the Evil King and the Yin Empress. Xu Ziling had seen it with his own eyes, and it was absolutely true.

Therefore, the Twin Dragons firmly believed that if Xiao Sheng truly wanted to harm them, he wouldn't need any tricks. A single blow would be enough. When one has absolute power, who would waste time plotting?

With the major matters settled, to prevent any unforeseen events, everyone decided to set out that night to excavate the treasure. They would first go to the Leaping Horse Bridge to activate the mechanism, then enter the treasure house through the well in the West Annex.

Thinking about how they could use the treasure to recruit soldiers and expand their influence, Kou Zhong was so excited that he couldn't sit still.

Suddenly, he stood up with enthusiasm and said, "How can we do great things on an empty stomach? Senior Xiao, please wait. I'll go to the kitchen and prepare some dishes. Let's all have a good meal, rest up, and then go to excavate the treasure."

As he spoke, footsteps sounded outside the door. Then, Hou Xibai, drenched in sweat, rushed in, his face full of urgency. He exclaimed, "It's not good, it's not good. Lord Zhu and Lady Fan, they… they…" He was so flustered that he couldn't even explain what had happened to the Yin Empress and Fan Fan.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were both taken aback, exchanged glances, and then hurriedly went out to the east side of the courtyard.

However, Xiao Sheng had already seen through everything. He smiled, stood up slowly, and followed the Twin Dragons into the east hall. There, he saw the Yin Empress and Fan Fan, both with their eyes closed, lying on the grass mats on the ground, motionless, their breathing barely perceptible. At first glance, they looked almost dead.

Xu Ziling frowned and asked Hou Xibai, "Brother Hou, what happened?"

Hou Xibai sighed, "I don't know. We were having tea, and suddenly they became like this, with no warning. I'm just as confused."

Kou Zhong knelt beside the Yin Empress and her disciple, feeling their pulses. After a while, he shook his head and said, "There is indeed something wrong with their meridians, probably due to the backlash of their evil arts. But their true qi is flowing normally, so it doesn't seem like they're playing tricks."

Xu Ziling said solemnly, "Do you remember our first encounter with Fan Fan? They might be using the same trick again, trying to play some scheme."

"Since they are plotting evil, I will cut them down!" With a laugh, Xiao Sheng suddenly struck out, using his palm as a blade, aiming for Fan Fan's head.

Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong, seeing him strike without hesitation, were both shocked. They shouted in unison, "Senior Xiao, show mercy!" and immediately tried to block the fatal blow.

Xiao Sheng's strike was just for show. Seeing the Twin Dragons react, he withdrew his hand and smiled, "The Evil Sect has harmed you so many times. They are clearly your enemies. Now it's obvious they are just playing tricks to escape. Why are you still protecting them?

Ziling, I understand, but Zhong, you are the one who wants to rule the world. Being so soft-hearted, how can you compete with Li Shimin?" Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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