Grand Senior Brother did not agree nor disagree. “Oh? Why do you say so?”
Sad-eyes smirked. “We lack thirty thousand silvers, yet he willingly paid us the exact amount. I do not believe in such coincidences!”
Ouyang Nan counted the silver notes, grinning. “I don’t really care, as long as the notes are not fake. So what if he’s a spy?”
Sad-eyes huffed, then whispered, “I suspect that Cangjin Court has already sensed our plan!”
Both of their expressions fell.
Grand Senior Brother paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, slouching a little. “Why do you say so?”
Sad-eyes replied, “This is too much of a coincidence! You’ll see something very unusual about all this if you think about it carefully! Why did a newcomer pop by just as we started our plan? And why the exact thirty thousand?”
Ouyang Nan pursed his lips. “Well, I feel like one coincidence is suspicious but having so many coincidences is actually not as suspicious. Unless the Cangjin Court is filled with idiots.”
Grand Senior Brother nodded slightly, though not apparent who he agreed with.
After a while, he said, “Both of you make sense. We’ll just have to cross this bridge first. Junior Brother Ouyang, please send this payment then. You must personally hand it to the receiver.”
Ouyang Nan nodded. “Leave it to me.”
Sad-eyes looked panicked. “Grand Senior Brother, I just know that this is too suspicious! This plan is too important, it has got to do with the survival of our court! We must remain vigilant!”
GRand Senior Brother sat deep in thought, then heaved a long sigh. He sounded exhausted when he replied, “Cangjin, Cangxiu and Cangqing Courts plan to destroy us, this is already very obvious. Our court master disappeared a hundred years ago and we swallowed that anger for fifty years. But after that, our Chief disappeared too!”
“Thirty years ago, they remained relentless and killed the Heavenly Thirteen Swords! And this year they stopped us from participating in the great ceremony! If this person really is a sky from Cangjin Court, that means that the moment they find out about our trump card, they will strike to kill and completely destroy our court!”
Ouyang Nan clenched his teeth. “I’ll go kill him this instant!”
Grand Senior Brother yelled, “Stop!”
Ouyang Nan stopped and turned. “Grand Senior Brother, letting this mole stay will only bring more problems!”
“Do not act recklessly! This guy figured out our secrets the moment he stepped in, then handed us thirty thousand in cash. If you kill him, aren’t you stepping right into the trap?”
“So we’ll just let them play us like that?”
Grand Senior Brother looked at Sad-eyes. “Junior Brother, you have lots of ideas. Thought of anything yet?”
Ouyang Nan snickered. “The best idea is to kill him and solve the problem! Even if the martial uncles ask us about today, they have no evidence!”
Sad-eyes yelled, “Enough of that nonsense!”
Ouyang Nan raged, “Qin, why do you always have to go against me? Don’t think you can order me around just because you came here a little bit earlier than me.”
Sad-eyes huffed. “Do you have no brain? All you want to do is murder and kill, and your ideas always just cause more trouble!”
Ouyang Nan raged, “Qin, don’t you accuse me of such nonsense when you have no ideas of your own! Tell me then, what should we have done? Where would you get money for the Court?”
Sad-eyes yelled, “But you still cannot target newcomers like that!”
“Why did you not object when I first suggested this then? And how could we have known to meet such a bold newcomer? Can’t believe he had the guts to offend his seniors!”
When he finished, he glared outside. “I will not let this go easily. I must make him pay one day!”
Grand Senior Brother said coldly, “Compared to taking your revenge, we must first be prepared for the three other court’s next move! Do you really think Cangxiu Court’s last-minute change of mind was actually a last-minute decision?”
Sad-eyes asked carefully, “You mean this is part of a… larger scheme?”
Grand Senior Brother looked at the door. “All these people bear ill intentions against us! I wonder if they have really noticed that…”
Sad-eyes cut him off. “Careful with your words, Senior Brother!”
Grand Senior Brother quickly stopped and changed his sentence. “This person… doesn’t matter if he’s a spy or not. He cannot stay.”
Ouyang Nan slashed his hand down. “I’ll go kill him!”
Sad-eyes hurriedly stopped him. “That won’t do, it’ll just alert the enemy!”
Grand Senior Brother thought for a moment. “Think of a way to chase him out. We’ll be fine if he’s willing to go.” There was a pause before he added, “But don’t do anything too obvious, in case they notice.”
Sad-eyes asied, “What if he doesn’t want to leave?”
Grand Senior Brother snickered. “There are five mountains and sixteen peaks within Cangjian Court. Don’t you think it’s easy for one or two people to get lost in such a large place?”
…
The nonchalance on Li Chengfeng’s face disappeared the instant he stepped out of the main hall. Su Yuehan whispered, “Young Master, is there something wrong?”
He smiled bitterly. “There’s something wrong, I think!”
“Are those two really from Cangjian Court?”
“I think so.”
She spat in disgust, “Cangjian Court is filthy indeed! What kind of people are these?!”
“Cultivators that do not act like cultivators.”
“These are cultivators?” Su Yuehan scoffed. “Do you know of any cultivators that rob and steal?”
He sighed. “I used to think cultivators were virtuous and admirable, I did not know Cangjian Court had… fallen into such a state. I’ve suffered huge losses today. Oh, my thirty thousand silvers!”
Only
Su Yuehan sulked. “I haven’t even seen that much money in my life.”
He wailed, “Well me neither! Thirty thousand silvers! Do you know how many people I have to swindle to get that much money?”
“Huh?”
Both of them complained and joked around in soft voices as they walked when a figure appeared suddenly next to them. As if this person had been there all along, he said, “Let’s go, I’ll bring you to your room.”
Chengfeng was startled and turned to see that it was Sad-eyes from before. He quickly bowed. “I didn’t get your name.”
This person said coldly, “I am Qin Mieqin, they call me Sad-eyes. I am in charge of the precept hall and enforcing court rules. We might have fallen to decline but we cannot disregard court rules. I will be explaining our court rules in a moment so please listen carefully. Don’t blame me for showing no mercy if you break any of them.”
Li Chengfeng’s chest tightened. “Alright, carry on, Senior Brother Qin.”
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