Chapter 55: Chapter 55

At that same moment—

In Mingzhou, Ye Qingmei too had seen the updated information on the Human Rankings, and her brows knit slightly.

Shen Huchan, standing beside her, said with a smile:

“This Li Suifeng is rather interesting. Sixth on the Human Rankings is still too low—he could place at least in the top three, perhaps even above you. According to my Shen family’s intelligence, the man has no backing whatsoever; for the past ten years he was an utter nobody within the Canal Gang, yet this past year he’s stirred up quite a commotion.”

“There must be some other master behind him!”

“But now that he’s killed Chen Dao, the only son of the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers’ Elder Ji—given Ji Xiangxiang’s temperament, she’s likely already on the road to Nanyang Prefecture to kill him.”

Shen Huchan did not know that the interesting person Ye Qingmei had spoken of before was Li Suifeng himself; he still thought it some other master of the saber. But based on the news that had come today, he still felt Li Suifeng’s placement on the Human Rankings was too low.

“There’s a favor I’d like to ask of you.” Ye Qingmei turned to look at Shen Huchan.

A flicker of puzzlement crossed Shen Huchan’s eyes, but he said: “You saved my life. As long as it’s something I can do, there’s no problem.”

Ye Qingmei said:

“I want you to shield Li Suifeng from Ji Xiangxiang.”

She knew much about Li Suifeng—that single stroke of his was enough to slay a sixth-rank expert in an instant.

But Ji Xiangxiang was another matter. She was a fifth-rank expert: her true qi transmuted into gang qi, her five apertures opened. She was by no means someone a peak-seventh-rank could handle—even if Li Suifeng stepped into the sixth-rank realm this month, it still would not be enough!

“Very well.” Shen Huchan turned at once to the old man standing behind him: “Seventh Uncle, I must trouble you to make a trip to Nanyang Prefecture. If Ji Xiangxiang has gone there, see that she leaves!”

Shen Huchan glanced at Ye Qingmei, and a thought took root in his mind: this Li Suifeng, sixth on the Human Rankings, was the very blade that had joined Ye Qingmei in slaying a Red Lotus Sect branch master!

But he asked no further. It was only the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers, after all—his Shen family did not care.

…

Li Suifeng first took up Hu Ming’s weapon, then used it to rummage through Hu Ming’s robes—and found not even any silver, let alone any martial arts manuals.

He tossed the corpse into a deep ravine in the hills, cleaned up the bloodstains, and then, carrying Hu Ming’s weapon, returned to Nanyang Prefecture.

The weapon was of fine material; he could find someone to reforge it.

The budget version of A Night of Spring Rain in the Small Tower he’d had made before was forged only from common iron, and it still fell a little short.

“It’s Lord Feng!”

“Is that Hu Ming’s saber in Lord Feng’s hand?”

“Lord Feng is invincible!”

“I knew that scum Hu Ming was no match for Lord Feng—just now he wanted to drench our Nanyang Branch in blood. Truly courting death!”

The Canal Gang disciples still guarding the long street broke into cheers at the sight of Li Suifeng’s return.

“Lord Feng, is that dog Hu Ming dead?”

Seeing Li Suifeng approach, Wen Bubao trotted up to meet him, his face wreathed in a fawning smile.

“Mm.”

Li Suifeng nodded, tossed the saber in his hand to Wen Bubao, and said evenly:

“Take it back to the branch for me.”

Hearing this, the other jianghu folk wore looks of astonishment. This newly ranked Canal Gang branch Elder was fearsomely strong—almost outrageously so.

Five years ago, making the Human Rankings had already proven Hu Ming’s strength; five years later he was stronger still—and yet now he had died at the hands of the even younger Li Suifeng.

“Lord Feng, how should we deal with these two from the Xu family?” Wen Bubao glanced at the Xu siblings three zhang away and said with a sinister edge:

“They’re our prisoners now, so naturally all the silver on them is yours, Lord Feng. They even tried to bribe me with your silver—wouldn’t you say they’re courting death?”

Both Xu Tianyi and Xu Yiyi were trembling.

The Xu family was on good terms with the Righteous Manor, and this time they had come along with Hu Ming of their own accord—never expecting to end up like this!

“Lord Feng, spare us!”

“We only came along with Hu Ming—we’re not even close with him!” Xu Tianyi blurted out, shooting a meaningful glance at Xu Yiyi as he did.

His sister was a fine-looking woman, and Li Suifeng was a hot-blooded young man; now, to survive, he had no choice but to let his sister make a sacrifice.

Xu Yiyi looked at Li Suifeng’s handsome face and put on a coquettish smile:

“Lord Feng, I’ve admired a Human Rankings prodigy like you for the longest time, you know.”

“I came along with Hu Ming this time only to meet you—I never dreamed he’d come to challenge you. By the time I learned of it at the tavern, it was already too late to warn you!”

As she spoke, she even winked at Li Suifeng, gliding closer with dainty steps, her hips swaying this way and that, until a slender, jade-white hand wrapped around his arm and the two none-too-generous mounds on her chest brushed across it.

‘Goddamn, what a slut!’

Wen Bubao took a single glance, then turned his head away.

Back in Mingzhou he had heard of Lady Xu’s seductive reputation, but given Xu Yiyi’s status he had naturally never had the chance to witness it. He never imagined that now, to save her own life, Xu Yiyi would go this far in the middle of a public street.

Had it been him, he’d have been standing at attention long ago!

Still, he didn’t dare keep looking.

If Lord Feng couldn’t resist the temptation, this woman’s standing might one day end up above his own.

SLAP!

Li Suifeng raised his hand and struck Xu Yiyi across the face.

“Ah!”

Xu Yiyi staggered from the blow, her left cheek swelling at a visible rate. Her face filled with disbelief—a jianghu man in the very prime of his blood and vigor, and yet he could be so utterly without tenderness for a delicate beauty?

Xu Tianyi hastily said:

“Lord Feng, my sister doesn’t know any better!”

The Canal Gang disciples present all looked at Li Suifeng with reverence. Truly, this was Lord Feng—he could even bring himself to strike a woman lovelier than the top girl of Cuihong Pavilion.

Had it been any of them, they’d have fallen long ago!

“Take them back!” With a light flick of his sleeve, Li Suifeng strode off toward the branch.

This woman truly didn’t know better—provoking him in front of so many people. Was he supposed to take her right there on the spot?

Even if he wanted to explore a few techniques with her, that sort of thing had to be done in private!

But now Xu Yiyi’s face was swollen up like a pig’s, and he’d lost all interest.

…

Back at the branch, Li Suifeng made his way toward the courtyard where Lin Zhixu stayed.

The Xu siblings were imprisoned in the branch for the time being; he hadn’t yet decided what to do with the pair. They posed no threat to him, but they could be traded back to the Xu family for some silver.

Call it putting trash to good use!

“Lord Feng?”

Seeing Li Suifeng arrive in broad daylight, Willow was a little surprised.

Usually Lord Feng came only at night—the young miss had even called him heartless. She hadn’t expected him to come at this hour today.

“Go take a walk outside.”

Li Suifeng cast a glance at Willow’s chest.

Heh. Little bosom buddy—no interest at all!

Willow’s face flushed; she lowered her head and stepped out of the courtyard, even thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

Stepping into the room, Lin Zhixu too looked a little surprised to see Li Suifeng, and said softly:

“What brings Lord Feng here at this hour?”

“You!” Li Suifeng’s reply was brief and to the point.