Chapter 1239: Schemes and Transformations in the Forbidden Palace, Women Steadfastly Safeguard Peace (Part 3)

Chapter 1239: Chapter 320: Schemes and Transformations in the Forbidden Palace, Women Steadfastly Safeguard Peace (Part 3)

The early autumn capital is shrouded in a veil-like golden mist, the ginkgo leaves have not yet turned yellow but are already swirling in the morning breeze and drifting down.

On Vermilion Bird Avenue, the carriages of officials and nobles roll over the bluestone slabs, and the incense wafting out from the gaps in the curtains mixes with the sweet scent of roasted chestnuts from the street side, weaving a luxurious net in the air.

When Xiang Yushan’s eight-carriage palanquin passed through Xuanwu Gate, the wind lifted the copper bells at the eaves, causing a clear sound that startled the crows perched on the city tower.

The person inside the palanquin slightly lifted the curtain, revealing a face with sharp and defined features, below sword-like eyebrows were a pair of phoenix eyes flashing with brilliance, and the corners of the mouth drew up in a semblance of a smile, showcasing a sinister and fierce demeanor.

Lu Hongye and Yang Xue’Er, who were strolling with their son, knew that gathering these people together meant trouble, so they quickly carried their son back to the inn they ran, released carrier pigeons to deliver intelligence to “Flying Eagle Detective” Xie Wen.

Under the Nine-Curves Corridor in Xiang Yushan’s mansion, three pairs of eyes were already waiting in the shadows. Kang Fusheng wore an old green robe, and the edges of his garment were stained with half a piece of dead leaf, emphasizing his sallow, sunken cheeks. A sparse, grey-white beard hung loosely from his chin.

Although his face was filled with fine wrinkles, he couldn’t hide the cunning glimmer that occasionally flashed in his clouded eyes.

At this moment, he was using two silver needles to clean the aged blood scabs from his fingernails. His emaciated fingers had protruding joints, and bulging veins like the gnarled branches of a tree that had weathered the ages.

Lv Yuan had a large, athletic build with broad shoulders and a muscular back, and a savage scar stretched from his left eyebrow slanting down to his right cheek, adding a menacing aura to his appearance. He toyed with the soft deer-hide whip at his waist, the barbed tip still congealed with dark red, and his bell-like eyes occasionally flashed with a fierce gleam. His lips curled into a disdainful smile, fully revealing the rampageous nature of a Jianghu bandit.

Cai Kun was stout as an iron tower, his face covered in a bristling beard that stood upright like steel needles, his skin weathered and roughened by time and hardship.

He leaned against a pillar with arms folded, the Iron Finger Tiger glinting with a cold shine in the sunlight, his thick eyebrows tightly furrowed, and his eyes reflecting a sense of steadiness and vigilance like a beast ready to strike at any moment.

“Everyone is here.” Xiang Yushan took off his purple robe and casually tossed it to a servant, revealing a moon-white inner garment embroidered with the mythical beast Xiezhi. He looked around at the gathered individuals with an air of authority, “His Majesty wants us to take care of the Queen of the Naiman, so tell me, where should we strike first?”

Kang Fusheng snickered, his wrinkles bunching up as he slammed the silver needle into the corridor post with a ‘ding’, and grinned, revealing a mouthful of incomplete teeth: “That Shi Feiyang’s Bright Jade Technique is impenetrable, and Yili’s group is guarded by the reckless members of the Heroic Sakura Association. Attacking head-on? It’s no different than smashing eggs on the stone steps of Wudang Mountain.”

He stroked his beard, his cloudy eyes flickering with slyness, and his thin fingers tapped the corridor pillar sporadically as he spoke softly, “We must utilize the power of the pirates, employing a strategy to lure the tiger away from the mountain, drawing Shi Feiyang away from the grasslands to Jiangnan. Thus, assassinating Yili becomes more convenient.”

“Good plan!” Lv Yuan suddenly stood upright, his tiger eyes widened, the scar on his face twisting with his expression, and he swung the deer-hide whip in the air with a crisp sound. He yelled, sending spit flying, “That Shi guy will surely take his Heroic Sakura members to guard the coastline. With these marauders gone, the Corpse Master from the Western Regions, the Ice Soul Fairy of Kunlun, plus the ninja experts from Fusang, wouldn’t they overpower one Yili?”

Cai Kun furrowed his dense brows, his full beard trembling as he spoke in a deep voice: “Do you think pirates will come whenever summoned? Back then, Lord Hu Zongxian exerted considerable efforts to quell the maritime threats…”

His gaze was filled with worry, and the Iron Finger Tiger unconsciously tightened and loosened.

“Brother Cai doesn’t understand.” Xiang Laixiang, the Martial Arts Eunuch, came forward with graceful steps, flickering a fine stream of light from his golden ornaments. With a captivating smile, he seductively lightly swiped a finger over Kang Fusheng’s shoulder, “Which of the Rangers in the East Sea doesn’t have eyes for profit? If we offer them ten thousand taels of gold and lend them a few official ships, would they dare not to stir trouble?” He slightly tilted his head, his eyes full of confidence and contempt, “I heard Fusang has a ‘Hundred-Legged Secret Technique’ that can manipulate living people as puppets. If it’s used against the Grassland Cavalry…”

Xiang Yushan suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, narrowing his eagle-like sharp eyes as he glanced across the group: “Talk is cheap. Kang Fusheng, write to the East Sea immediately. Lv Yuan, make contact with the Western Regions caravans, Cai Kun, get the ships ready, Xiang Laixiang…”

He paused, his gaze lingering momentarily on Xiang Laixiang’s ambiguous face with a hint of barely detectable greed, “You need to make a trip to the palace. Feng Bao, that old dog, is recently fascinated by the tribute spices from Persia. See if you can get some secrets about the palace’s hidden paths from him.”

Kang Fusheng lightly coughed, hunching forward half a step with a sinister smile, “Commander, don’t forget that although Shi Feiyang’s Bright Jade Technique is formidable, it has a vital weak point.”

He bent his finger in the air, his eyes flickering with a touch of viciousness, “Three inches below the Chest Acupoint. When I confronted him atop Huashan in the past, I saw a slight sign of stagnation there. If we can find a master skilled in acupoint targeting…”

“Excellent!” Xiang Yushan clapped and laughed, his face brimming with satisfaction, cold light flashing in his eyes, “Let’s do it! Once Shi Feiyang is lured to the southeast, we’ll lay down a trap. Even if Yili the Demoness has three heads and six arms, she cannot escape the double snare of Jianghu and the establishment!”

As dusk fell, the study in the backyard of Xiang Mansion was lit with candlelight.

Kang Fusheng spread out the xuan paper, his skeletal hand gripping the brush, its tip trembling slightly, suspended above the inkstone without yet lowering.