Chapter 58: Chapter 58
Crow asked nothing further, but said:
“Ji Xiangxiang is just a mid-fifth-rank, with a fairly decent Like-Water Saber Art.”
“You can’t kill her on your own, and fifty thousand taels is not negotiable!”
“And that’s the insider’s rate, just for you. Normally, to kill a fifth-rank, no one would lift a finger for less than a hundred thousand taels—and even at a hundred thousand, you might not find anyone to take the contract. After all, a hundred thousand taels certainly isn’t enough to raise a fifth-rank of your own!”
Just as Li Suifeng was about to agree, Crow suddenly looked up at the sky.
Following his gaze, Li Suifeng saw a falcon circling above the city of Nanyang Prefecture.
“Coo, coo!”
Crow gave two soft bird calls from his lips—so soft that even someone just outside the courtyard couldn’t have made them out; only Li Suifeng, standing at his side, heard them.
The falcon plunged down from the sky and alighted on Crow’s arm.
The bird was strikingly magnificent, its gaze keen—clearly the product of careful breeding.
Crow removed a bamboo tube from the falcon’s leg, and the bird took to the air once more.
“These are falcons the Tower breeds with great care. They fly thousands of feet up; while they’re aloft, short of a Grandmaster taking aim, it’s all but impossible to shoot one down,” Crow said, his brows knitting slightly.
“But these falcons are extremely hard to raise—the Tower has no more than a dozen or so, and they’re only dispatched to carry important messages. I never expected one to be sent out today!”
With that, Crow opened the bamboo tube, took out the slip of paper inside, and frowned:
“The Righteous Manor and the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers have moved against the Canal Gang. Across the prefectures of Nanzhou, things have already descended into chaos over control of the canal shipping. The Tower has sent down orders: for the time being, we’re not to take any contracts!”
“I’m afraid this Ji Xiangxiang contract can’t be done!”
Li Suifeng asked, puzzled:
“The Green Robe Tower is in the business of killing, and it works from the shadows. Isn’t a time like this exactly when there’s money to be made?”
“I’m not sure either, but since the Tower has given the order, I’m in no position to defy it.” Crow shook his head. “If I disobey the Tower’s orders, it’ll go badly for me.”
“You have the Shen family’s protection—you should be fine. Look after yourself.”
With that, Crow gave a light leap and landed atop the roof.
A cold light flickered in Li Suifeng’s eyes. Since Crow wouldn’t act, he’d simply have to do it himself!
…
And at that moment, all of Nanyang Prefecture was in an uproar!
Just moments ago, fifth-rank experts had crossed hands outside Nanyang Prefecture.
Nanyang Prefecture had not seen fifth-rank experts clash in decades!
“Who’d have thought the Shen family stood behind Li Suifeng!”
“No wonder he pays Elder Ji no mind—with the Shen family for a backer, why the hell would he fear the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers!”
“Exactly. If I had the Shen family behind me, I’d be even cockier than Lord Feng!”
Word of the clash between fifth-rank experts spread through every street and alley of Nanyang Prefecture.
CRASH!
In the Qi residence.
A teacup was smashed violently to the floor.
Qi Hu’s face was dark and venomous, and the hand braced on the table trembled.
“Li Suifeng… how could the Shen family possibly be behind him?”
“If the Shen family is behind him, then what has he been doing all this time in the Canal Gang?”
He’d thought that once Ye Mingchu arrived, they could give Li Suifeng a thorough thrashing—he’d never imagined Li Suifeng had so mighty a backer behind him.
The Shen family was a power that even the Canal Gang dreaded beyond measure!
Just then, the steward came rushing in from outside, crying:
“Master, terrible news!”
“Word’s come from Sanshui Prefecture—just now, the new Helmsman was killed on the road here by Ji Xiangxiang of the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers!”
What?
PFFT!
Qi Hu spat out a mouthful of blood; his vision went black, and his body toppled toward the floor.
…
“Lord Feng, good news!”
“That new Helmsman got done in by Ji Xiangxiang on the road!”
Wen Bubao came running toward the courtyard where Li Suifeng stayed, his face alight with excitement, shouting at the top of his voice.
All along his way, the Nanyang Branch disciples wore strange expressions. Sure, you might be Lord Feng’s man—but with the new Helmsman dead, you really shouldn’t look quite so pleased about it!
Of course, they would say nothing of it.
In the time Lord Feng had held the Nanyang Branch, their benefits and treatment had improved.
What was more, Lord Feng had set up a contribution system: even an ordinary Canal Gang disciple, so long as he performed well within the branch, had a chance to learn somewhat more advanced martial arts.
Naturally they too hoped Lord Feng would become Helmsman—but none of them dared look as openly delighted as Wen Bubao.
“What’s the situation outside the city now?”
“Who brought this word back?”
Li Suifeng looked at Wen Bubao and asked.
Wen Bubao said hurriedly:
“A short while ago, that Shen family expert traded three blows with Ji Xiangxiang and drove her off.”
“The word came back from Yuan Hai—though he’s wounded, over at the infirmary.”
“Mm.” Li Suifeng nodded and made his way toward the infirmary.
Arriving at the Canal Gang’s internal infirmary, he saw Yuan Hai having his dressings changed. Yuan Hai’s face was pale, and a faint trace of blood could still be seen seeping through the bandages on his left chest.
“Lord Feng!”
At the sight of Li Suifeng, Yuan Hai hurried to rise.
“Sit.”
Li Suifeng motioned for Yuan Hai to stay seated, then sat down beside him and asked:
“What happened over at headquarters?”
“Elder Liu did lend his weight, recommending you for Helmsman, Lord Feng—but the Disciplinary Hall got involved…” Yuan Hai recounted all that had happened at headquarters over this period, as well as Ji Xiangxiang’s ambush on the road.
When he had finished, Li Suifeng rose:
“Rest and recover well.”
With that, he took Wen Bubao outside and said in a low voice:
“Mobilize the whole branch’s strength to find Ji Xiangxiang’s whereabouts. Don’t act rashly—come back and report to me!”
“Yes!” A chill ran through Wen Bubao’s heart.
So Lord Feng meant to make a move against Elder Ji of the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers!
…
Meanwhile.
Within the Three Rivers Fortress.
“Damn it!”
“This ant of a creature, with the Shen family standing behind him!”
“No wonder he dared kill my son!”
CRUNCH!
Ji Xiangxiang and Qian Long sat facing each other, and a cup crumbled to powder in her hand.
Jin Buhuan sat in the lower seat below the two of them, not saying a word.
Inwardly, though, a tidal wave of shock surged through him.
He had never imagined that Ji Xiangxiang would come to his Three Rivers Fortress together with Qian Long. Only a while ago, Qian Long had said the Moon Lake Eighteen Strongholds had not allied with the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers and the rest.
Yet now here Qian Long sat, side by side with Ji Xiangxiang.
He still carried the hidden trap Li Suifeng had planted in him; if Li Suifeng died, there was no telling whether anyone else could undo it.
“Elder Ji, we now share a common enemy!”
“So what if it’s the Shen family?”
Qian Long, too, sneered coldly again and again. His younger brother’s death was tied to the blade at Ye Qingmei’s side, and now an expert from Shen Huchan’s side had come to protect Li Suifeng as well.
Even if Li Suifeng wasn’t that blade, he could not be unconnected to Ye Qingmei.
“The Shen family is a power of Dongzhou. So long as we don’t touch Shen Huchan, who would come after us over a mere Li Suifeng, or a Ye Qingmei?”
“I’ve made certain of it these past days—Shen Huchan has only a single fifth-rank expert guarding him.”
“A fifth-rank may be strong, but in Nanzhou one still can’t simply do as he pleases. When the time comes, I’ll hold off that old man of the Shen family, and you go kill Li Suifeng!”