Quick Wear Dream Qiqi

Chapter 429: The Heroic Knight 10

The late spring sunshine slanted across the bluestone road. After Meng Qiqi and Qinglan settled the last medicine man in a small village at the foot of the mountain, they rode their horses straight to Wuyin Town, where the Tang Sect was located.

From afar, the flying eaves and pointed corners of the Tang Clan's residence were hidden among the misty green hills, while the wine flags of the teahouse at the entrance of the town were fluttering in the mountain breeze.

"Two guests, please come in!" The waiter greeted the guests as he saw them coming, rubbing the rag back and forth on the greasy table. "Would you like a big bowl of tea or Bamboo Leaf Green Tea?"

Qinglan looked around vigilantly. The bamboo tables and chairs were covered with knife marks. In the corner, several men were sitting together, with bulges on their waists, obviously hiding weapons.

She lowered her voice and said to Meng Qiqi: "This teahouse is full of good and bad people, I'm afraid..."

"Waiter, two bowls of Bamboo Leaf Green Tea and a plate of melon seeds." Meng Qiqi interrupted with a smile, and took out a piece of silver and slapped it on the table.

The sound of silver dropping to the ground drew the attention of several people in the corner, but she seemed oblivious. She picked up the coarse earthenware tea bowl and sniffed the tea. "They say the tea from Wuyin Town has the most authentic Jianghu flavor. I must try it today."

After three rounds of tea, the discussions at the neighboring table gradually became clearer.

"Have you heard? The Tang family is doing some big business recently. They even sent out assassins from the Dark Hall."

"What kind of business could it be? They're probably dealing in those shady poisons again!"

Qinglan's hand unconsciously pressed on the hilt of the sword, but Meng Qiqi shook her head slightly.

She caught a glimpse of the shopkeeper who was counting the money behind the counter. He suddenly stopped fiddling with the abacus, and the silver ring on his earlobe swayed slightly - that was a common gesture for conveying secret signals in the underworld.

"Sir, your tea..." The waiter came over with the teapot to refill the water, and his eyes inadvertently swept across the sachet on Meng Qiqi's waist.

The Yihua Palace pattern embroidered on the sachet was faintly visible under the sunlight.

Meng Qiqi suddenly chuckled: "Brother, can I ask you something? I heard a few days ago that a Lingxi grass appeared nearby. Do you know anything about it?"

Before he finished speaking, the teahouse fell silent in an instant, with only the harsh sound of the wood crackling in the fire.

The man in the corner suddenly stood up, dragging his stool across the ground with a harsh sound: "Lingxi grass? Are you talking in your sleep, young lady? Such a rare thing must be from the Tang Sect..."

"Wang San!" The shopkeeper suddenly slammed his abacus, "Why don't you go to the backyard to add more firewood?"

The man sat down angrily, mumbling as he stuffed a peanut into his mouth.

Meng Qiqi noticed the half scar exposed under his sleeve - it was curved in shape, clearly caused by some hidden weapon with barbs, exactly the same as the poisoned scimitar used by the man in black last night.

Qinglan leaned close to Meng Qiqi's ear and whispered in a low voice, "It's not advisable to stay here for long."

"No rush." ​​Meng Qiqi took out a copper coin from her sleeve and rolled it lightly on the table.

The copper coin spun around and finally stopped in front of an old man at the next table.

The old man was wearing a coarse linen shirt, but he was wearing a finely carved jade ring. "Old man, look at this Lingxi grass..."

A gleam of light suddenly flashed in the old man's cloudy eyes. He stretched out his hand to press the copper coin. Under the calluses on his palm, there were light blue lines - those were the marks left by long-term exposure to poison.

"Lingxi grass..." he said slowly, "I heard that this thing can cure all kinds of poisons. Some time ago, someone offered a high price to buy it..."

"Bang!" The door of the teahouse was suddenly kicked open, and several people dressed in Tang Sect costumes rushed in.

The leading man's gaze swept over the crowd like a hawk, finally landing on Meng Qiqi and Qing Lan: "People from Yihua Palace, what are you doing in our Tang Sect territory?"

Meng Qiqi stood up calmly, her skirt sweeping across the table, gently brushing off a few melon seed shells. "I've heard for a long time that the Tang Sect's hidden weapons are unparalleled in the world, so I came here to see them for myself."

She moved her fingertips slightly, and the thunder bomb hidden in her sleeve was already in her palm. "Why, the Tang Sect has lost the hospitality of even offering a cup of tea?"

The air was filled with a growing smell of gunpowder, but the shopkeeper suddenly smiled and approached them: "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding! These two girls are here to buy hidden weapons..."

"Shut up!" The leading man glared at the shopkeeper, but was wary of the power of Yihua Palace. He snorted coldly, "Yihua Palace never interferes with business. Don't think you can find out the secrets of the Tang Clan under the guise of drinking tea!"

Qinglan was about to retort, but Meng Qiqi held her arm and bowed with a smile: "In that case, I'm sorry to bother you."

When she turned around, she unnoticeably inserted a silver needle engraved with the Yihua Palace logo into the crack of the table where she had just talked with the old man - the tip of the silver needle was still stained with a trace of blue-gray from the old man's jade ring.

After leaving the teahouse, Qinglan was still frightened: "Qiqi, that was too risky!"

"Without taking risks, how can there be gains?" Meng Qiqi looked at the swirling clouds in the direction of the Tang Sect and spread out her palm. The blue-gray color on her palm shone with an eerie glow in the sunlight. "This poison is exactly the same as the traces on the medicine man. It seems that we are not far from the truth..."

…………

The dusk was as dark as ink, and the glazed tiles of Yihua Palace glowed coldly in the night.

When Meng Qiqi and Qinglan hurried back, the palace lanterns had already been lit up one after another, illuminating the corridors with dim shadows.

The two of them hurried through the Nine-Curve Flower Path, the worldly scent of Wuyin Town still lingering on their clothes.

"Grand Palace Master, Second Palace Master, we are back." Qinglan reported loudly outside the main hall.

From within the hall came the sound of gilded armor tapping against a teacup. Yao Yue reclined on the jade couch, her eyes and eyebrows accentuated by her crimson palace dress. "What did you find out?"

Meng Qiqi stepped forward, took out a piece of silk cloth stained with blue-gray from her sleeve, and gently placed the silver needle on the table. "In a teahouse under the Tang Clan's control, we found the same poison that the medicine man was poisoned with."

She paused, her eyes sweeping over Yao Yue's slightly furrowed brows. "Furthermore, I've heard that the Tang Sect seems to be involved in a secret transaction recently, and the item being traded... is very likely related to Lingxi Grass."

Lian Xin walked to the window, his fingertips tracing the exquisite carvings on the window frame. "How can we conclude that it was the Tang Clan's doing based on just these traces? The Tang Clan is a powerful and well-established clan in the martial arts world. Without solid evidence..."

"Second Palace Master, please take a look." Meng Qiqi unfolded another piece of silk cloth, on which she had copied the Thousand Changes Steps. "Last night, when I fought the man in black, he used the Tang Sect's unique skills. Add to that the jade pendant with the word 'Tang' mentioned by the medicine man before he passed out, and the unusual reaction in the teahouse that was deliberately concealed..."

Before she could finish her words, Yao Yue suddenly put the teacup down heavily, and the tea in the cup splashed out.

"How dare you, Tang Clan!" Yao Yue's eyes flashed with a cold light. "How dare you mess with my Yihua Palace!" She stood up, her red skirt sweeping across the ground, her gilded armor gleaming coldly in the candlelight. "Tang Wuying's farce at Shenshui Palace hasn't even ended yet, and now he's trying to provoke my Yihua Palace again. Do you really think I dare not set foot in Shu?"

Lian Xin raised his hand to stop his sister: "We can't be reckless about this. The Tang Clan is full of traps. If we act rashly, we might be ambushed."

She turned to Meng Qiqi, her eyes piercing, "Did you reveal your identity in the teahouse?"

Meng Qiqi lowered her eyes and saluted: "I didn't reveal the matter of tracking down the Lingxi grass, I just used the excuse of drinking tea to get around. But..."

She recalled the shopkeeper's gleaming eyes and the Tang Clan guards' vigilance. "They seem to have sensed our ill intentions."

The hall fell into silence, with only the sound of candle wicks popping being clearly audible.

After a long moment, Yao Yue raised her hand and rubbed her brow. "Shui Bingxin will come to Yihua Palace next month to discuss an alliance between the two palaces..." She sneered, "Since the Tang Sect wants to hide, then we can't let them hide."

Lian Xin understood: "Sister, are you trying to use the Water Palace Master's hand? The Divine Water Palace and the Tang Clan have an old grudge. If they find out that the Tang Clan is involved in the theft of the Lingxi Grass..."

"That's right." Yao Yue's fingertips gently stroked the silver needle on the table. "Meng Qiqi, Qinglan, you two must set off immediately and explore Wuyin Town again. Be sure to find out the specific location and time of the Tang Sect's transaction."

She suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze like a knife. "If necessary..." The gilded armor cut through the air, making a subtle sharp sound. "You can do it at your own convenience."

Meng Qiqi and Qing Lan exchanged a glance and knelt on one knee at the same time: "I will obey the Palace Master's order!"

After the two left, Lian Xin looked at the swaying palace lanterns outside the hall and whispered, "Sister, aren't you afraid that the Shenshui Palace will notice our intentions by using a knife to kill someone like this?"

Yao Yue turned and looked at the longsword hanging on the wall. The blade reflected her beautiful yet cold face. "Shui Bingxin hates the Tang Clan with all her heart. As long as there is a chance to bring down the Tang Clan, she won't care who is behind it."

She reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword. The gemstone on the scabbard glowed as red as blood in the candlelight. "Besides..." Her tone suddenly turned cold. "If we can use this opportunity to strengthen the alliance between the two palaces, what does a few tricks mean?"

----

half a month later.

The drizzle was as fine as silk, casting a cold glow on the white marble steps of Yihua Palace.

When Meng Qiqi and Qinglan returned from the rain, there were still tiny water droplets hanging on the ends of their hair, but they didn't bother to wipe them off and went straight to the main hall.

Inside the hall, Yao Yue was playing chess with Lian Xin. The crisp sound of chess pieces falling on the board intertwined with the sound of rain, adding a bit of solemnity.

"Palace Master, we've found out!" Qing Lan opened the palace door, and rain poured down the ribs of the umbrella. "Three days from now at midnight, the Tang Sect will trade Lingxi Grass in an abandoned mine in the western suburbs of Wuyin Town. The buyer..."

She paused, her eyes scanning Yao Yue's suddenly cold expression, "It's most likely the Blood Blade Sect."

Meng Qiqi unfolded a yellowed map and pressed her fingertips firmly on the mine markings. "The mine is complex and full of traps. But we found a secret path that allows us to bypass the guards at the main gate."

She pulled out half a copper coin covered in mineral sand from her sleeve. "I found this outside the mine. It has the Blood Blade Sect's hidden pattern engraved on it."

Yao Yue's grip on the chess piece suddenly tightened, and the piece slammed onto the board, shaking half the chess game. "The Blood Blade Sect and the Tang Sect are colluding... Sure enough, that's what they're planning!"

As she stood up, her red skirt swept across the chessboard, sending black and white pieces tumbling to the ground. "Send a message to Shui Bingxin immediately, saying that Yihua Palace has important matters to discuss."

A few hours later, Shui Bingxin arrived as promised.

She was dressed in white clothes as white as snow, with a jade flute slung across her waist. When she stepped into the main hall, her eyes lingered on Meng Qiqi and Qinglan for a moment - the fleeting glimpse of them at the wedding half a month ago had made her remember these two disciples of Yihua Palace.

"Sister Shui, how are you?" Yao Yue raised her hand to signal the maid to serve tea. The gilded armor scraped across the edge of the teacup, making a subtle sound. "I invited you here today because I wanted to talk about the Tang Sect..."

She tapped the map on the table with her fingertips, and the mark of the mine was circled in scarlet cinnabar.

Shui Bingxin paused slightly as she held the teacup, the ripples in the teacup reflecting her suddenly cold expression. "Sister Yaoyue is quite well-informed."

She put down the teacup and spun the jade flute in her palm. "I heard that the Tang family recently got a treasure. Coincidentally, my Shenshui Palace also lost some things."

Lian Xin spoke at the right time, his tone filled with just the right amount of regret: "If I remember correctly, Sister Shui's palace treasure, the 'Shui Ling Xin Jing', was stolen by a discarded disciple of the Tang Sect."

She looked at Shui Bingxin's tense jawline, "And the Lingxi grass in Yihua Palace..."

The air solidified instantly.

Shui Bingxin suddenly chuckled, but her laughter was as sharp as ice: "It seems that our enemies are actually of the same blood."

She stood up and walked to the window, looking at the palace lanterns swaying in the rain. "What do you want to do, sister?"

Yao Yue walked to her side, their reflections overlapping on the window paper. "Three days from now, at midnight, in the mines in the western suburbs of Wuyin Town."

She lowered her voice and said, "I have sent people to find out the layout of the mechanism. As long as our two palaces work together..."

"Alright!" Shui Bingxin turned abruptly, her jade flute brushing past Yao Yue's ear before piercing the pillar behind her. "Let's take this opportunity to settle all our old and new grudges!"

The flames of revenge ignited in her eyes. "Tang Wuying made my daughter's life worse than death, and the Tang Clan made Shenshui Palace lose face. This account must be settled!"

That night, Yihua Palace was brightly lit.

After receiving the order, Meng Qiqi and Qinglan began to prepare. They put the "Soul-Bewitching Incense" specially made by Yihua Palace into a bamboo tube, and tempered the soft sword with the "Bone-Corroding Poison" of Shenshui Palace.

Qing Lan looked at the disciples busy in the night and whispered, "This operation involves two major sects. If we fail..."

"So we have to be absolutely sure." Meng Qiqi clenched the Thunder Bomb at her waist, thinking of the medicine men in the teahouse who were tortured by poison. "The Tang Clan's evil deeds go far beyond stealing herbs. Those innocent people who were made into medicine men deserve justice."