Chapter 2: The Beheading Trade (Part 2)

  The laughter stopped abruptly, and everyone was stunned, not expecting Duan Zhentian to publicly challenge Xiao Si.

  You should know that this old man is a top-notch figure on the right path of Guanlong, with a cultivation that has reached the realm of Tongyao. He has been running errands for decades and rarely encounters an opponent. Even Yuwen Chengdu, who is known as the number one master in the current court, has studied under him. Although Xiao Si has a sharp tongue and holds the title of General Commander, how can his verbal sparring be compared to real swords and guns? The duel between the two is inevitably biased towards bullying the weak by the strong.

  Chai Shao said in a low voice: "Xiao Si, don't agree!"

  "Don't worry, I don't have time to fool around with him."

  Duan Zhen Tian coldly laughed and said: "Du Yi Biao, are you afraid?"

  "If I lose, I'll lose my head. If I win, you'll just wash your hands and nothing will happen to you. What a thankless job this is; only an idiot would agree to it."

  Duan Zhen Tian nodded and said, "Alright, if you can hold on for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, I will give you all 100,000 taels of silver that I have accumulated over the years!"

  "Really? I'm afraid you'll go back on your word when the time comes!"

  Duan Zhen Tian sneered, "A joke! I, Duan Zhen Tian, am not a petty person who breaks promises! If you dare to accept the challenge, tomorrow I will send 100,000 taels of silver bills to Chunyang Temple as a pledge!"

  Xiao Si glanced at Ye Fashan, shaking his head repeatedly: "It won't work, this old Taoist's appetite is too good, I'm afraid it's a case of throwing a meat bun to catch a dog, with no return."

  Fang Mingzu interrupted and said: "Why don't I open a gambling den at the Jinlou Tower? Anyone who wants to place a bet can come."

  Chai Shao took out a silver note from his sleeve and said: "Thirty thousand taels, bet on Little Fourth Brother to win."

  Hong Bu smiled and said: "I'm a small profit thin can't compare with Cheshire horse, so I'll bet 10,000."

  "Whoosh!" Ye Fashan flung out his hand, and the scabbard and sword slanted into the ground in front of Fang Mingzu. "You are all wealthy masters, while I am penniless and have nothing to offer, so I'll bet this sword."

  Li Jing coldly smiled and said: "You're so naive, be careful when walking at night or you might get knocked out by someone."

  Duan Zhen Tian hummed: "Xiao Zhuangbiao, what do you think?"

  Geng Nan stepped out with a loud voice: "Du Zhong, I'm here to make a bet with you!"

  Duan Zhen Tian snorted disdainfully and hummed a low tune, as if he hadn't heard anything. Xiao Si smiled and pulled Geng Nan Yi back, saying: "It's just one stick of incense, I'll play along with him, let everyone earn some small change for wine too."

  Duan Zhen Tian clasped his hands and said: "In three days, you and I will meet at the Crossroads Slope!" With a flick of his sleeve, he led the group of escorts away.

  Fang Mingzu walked up with a smile and said, "Xiao brother, Old Fang thinks highly of you!" Then he lowered his voice and continued, "Don't blame me for being straightforward, but that Summer Chief Escort of yours isn't quite right."

  Xiao Si smiled silently, he was for Wan'er and the 100,000 taels of silver. Xia Pei Heng? He had no relation to him at all.

  You think you can bully me? Only if your fist is harder than mine; You dare to bully a woman in front of me, I'll cut off your dick!

  At this time, the guests dispersed one after another. Ye Fashan sat on the high eaves of the pavilion, holding a drumstick and gnawing at it with relish.

  Xiao Si glared at him with raised eyelids and said, "Why haven't you left yet?"

  Ye Fashan muttered: "My sword is still in the hands of Fang Mingzu, I won't leave until I see you knock down that guy with the surname Duan!"

  Xiao Si's face turned cold and he said: "In three days, I'll be risking my life, but you're only concerned about that broken sword?"

  "What a broken sword?" Ye Fashan said with a straight face and a strong tone: "That is the treasure of our Pure Yang Hall, passed down for thousands of years. Forget it, even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Your ancestors were still drinking milk in their mother's womb eighteen generations ago. However, that Duan Zhentian, he was the secular big brother disciple of Jin Guang Shangren from Emei Cien Temple, learned a few tricks like 'Pu Zhao Buddha Seal' and 'Golden Summit Nineteen Knives', dealing with someone as unrefined as you is simply child's play."

  Xiao Si said with a bad temper: "You're a hoodlum, you're a rascal."

  Ye Fashan burst out laughing and jumped down from the eaves, lowering his voice to say: "Do you know how my Second Brother broke Golden Light Monk's Golden Summit Nineteenth Knife back then? He only defended without attacking, enduring seventeen knives, and finally scared off the old monk."

  Xiao Si's face turned red with rage: "What a stupid idea! Either you're not allowed to move, or let me hack at you seventeen times first!"

  Ye Fashan smiled and said: "So you want to fight him to the death, who made the monks of Ci'en Temple all like kindness and compassion?"

  Xiao Si asked doubtfully, "Does this really work?"

  "At least you won't die looking too bad. Hmm, I'll go check the kitchen and get some midnight snacks ready." With a swaying motion, he disappeared from view.

  Xiao Si glared at the disappearing figure of the old Daoist and cursed, "You only eat but don't poop, be careful your butt blooms!"

  He turned around and entered the garden to find Bo Suanzi. After some thought, he still felt that Lao Mangzi was more reliable, so he decided to cheat a few more Taoist symbols from him, perhaps there would be a way to win the duel in three days.

  Xiao Si pushed open the door and entered the house, suddenly finding that Zhao Tianjiao and Fang Xuanling were both there, sitting around a table with Old Blind Man discussing something in hushed tones.

  He plopped down with a thud, and Bolan calmly said, "You've arrived just in time, we're discussing something."

  Xiao Si looked up at the sky and saw a pale face with a faint red glow, vaguely guessing that this matter was probably related to her, but still couldn't help asking: "What's going on?"

  "Kill him." Bo Suanzi's tone was calm, as if she were eating or drinking.

  "Kill Ling Ying," Yu Hongjiao gritted her teeth and said: "It was he who sold the whereabouts of the master to Eagle Yang's old demon!"

  Xiao Siyi waved his hand as soon as he heard it: "Don't look for me to kill people, I'm very busy making money."

  Fang Xuanling smiled slightly and said, "In the past two days, I have found out through the Long'an Gang's informants that Ling Yingge is now using the alias Ge Lian. He spent a lot of money to get in touch with the right people and has infiltrated the Imperial Guard Right Wing under Yuwen Chengdu. He knows he has many enemies and usually hides in the military camp, not daring to go out. It's hard to make a move."

  "It's hard to kill!" Yu Hongjiao said with a hateful tone: "At most, one life for another!"

  Xiao Si gazed at the beautiful face of Chao Tian Jiao, her plump and enticing chest, and couldn't help but think that such a fiery and beautiful woman would actually sacrifice her own precious life for an old man's sake, exchanging it for a stinky old hide. What a waste!

  Fang Xuanling said, "A despicable person like Ling Yingge who betrays trust and abandons righteousness for the sake of survival is not worth risking one's life. I heard that Xiaoge will be dueling with Duan Zongbiao at the East City Crossroads in three days' time - this is a great opportunity! I reckon Duan Zhentian will probably invite Yuwen Chengdu to make an appearance and take charge, and as the deputy general of the Dragon Cavalry General's Manor, Ling Yingge will definitely follow him."

  Xiao Si heard this and couldn't help but look at Fang Xuanling with a new gaze, saying: "I originally thought that this guy was just a softie who only knew how to write and paint all day. Who would have known that when it comes to killing people, he wouldn't even bat an eyelid? Indeed, dragons beget dragons and phoenixes beget phoenixes; the son of a bandit will know how to kill."

  Yu Hongjiao frowned and said: "Even so, he is hiding in the Imperial Guard, we can't make a move."

  "Madam, the matter of your stay in Liu Garden is extremely confidential, not even Li Lingyun knows about it. At that time..." He dipped his finger in tea water and drew a rough map of the nearby slope on the table, then whispered a few more sentences.

  Xiao Si's expression suddenly turned solemn and respectful, and he praised: "No wonder the common saying goes that scholars kill people without using knives, Brother Fang is really skilled!"

  Fang Xuanling sighed and said, "Xiao brother is making fun of me. My ambition was to assist a heroic lord in protecting the country and bringing peace to the people, but now I can only design plots to capture and kill one or two treacherous and unrighteous individuals, it's truly shameful."

  After discussing some details with the four of them, Fang Xuanling and Yu Hongjiao bid farewell and left.

  The house fell into silence, Xiao Si stole a glance at the old blind man with a wooden expression, thinking about how to open his mouth to deceive Dao Fu.

  Suddenly, a low hum came from Bo's nose, but he didn't say anything.

  Xiao Si has been getting a sense of Lao Mang's temperament these days, and knowing that things are not going well, he just chuckled twice.

  Divination again is a hum, petty and trivial as before with a dry smile.

  After several rounds of "hmm", "hey", "hmm", "hey", Xiao Si's heart sank and he thought, "Oh no, the old blind man is going to blow his top."

  Guoran Bosuo Sen said: "Xiao Zhangtou, I heard that you want to challenge Duan Zhentian, you have ambition!"

  "Seems like... someone with the surname Duan wants to challenge me. I'd rather avoid it, but can't, so I'll just have to agree."

  His two eyebrows gradually rose and converged into an "eight" shape on his forehead, and he slowly asked: "How much can be earned this time?"

  Xiao Si's heart relaxed upon hearing this and immediately replied: "One million, maybe even more!"

  Think about it, being a master is really tiring, having to be careful and attentive to the apprentice at all times.

  "One hundred thousand!" The two words were almost squeezed out from between the old blind man's teeth, "You dare to say that your life is only worth one hundred thousand, not even as much as a top-grade prostitute in Chang'an City!"

  "Hey, don't be so rude, you - "

  "Bang!" Bo Suanzi slammed the table heavily and coldly shouted: "You want to die, there are many ways - hanging yourself, jumping into a river, cutting your throat. If all else fails, I'll send you a dose of poison, any of which is more pleasant than being beheaded by Duan Zhen Tian. One incense stick? You think that learning some superficial skills in Qimen Dunjia allows you to swagger around Chang'an City?"

  Xiao Si saw Lao Mang's furious face for the first time and felt a sense of fear, not daring to talk back anymore. He muttered: "Laozi... didn't I come looking for you?"

  "It's useless to look for me." Bo Suanzi said coldly, "I can only refine sixth-grade Dao symbols at most. For seventh-grade and above, one must have a top-notch master with a Yuanshen entering the symbol, not just anyone in the Zuo Zhao realm. But even if someone reaches that level, who would be willing to waste their skills on refining symbols? Otherwise, I wouldn't have been controlled by Tang He Shang and Ye Fa Shan back then if I had seventh-grade Dao symbols in hand."

  Xiao Siyi's face fell as she muttered: "Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't, right?"

  Bu Suanzi ignored him and continued, "Don't even think about buying it on the black market. First, you can't afford it; second, this level of Taoist symbol has a price but no market, and it won't be listed for sale."

  He paused, took out a jade tube from his sleeve and said: "This is the 'substitute death token' that old man uses to save his life. At critical moments, use your energy to burst it, and it will create an illusion to dispel the disaster for you. At the same time, your true body will be instantly moved dozens of feet away. Take advantage of Duan Shentian's momentary confusion to admit defeat immediately."

  Xiao Si said discontentedly: "Disciple, can't you have a little faith in your master?" While complaining, he secretly put the substitute symbol into his waistband.

  "Be off with you! Don't bother me for the next two days. I need to focus on perfecting a talismanic array, and whether or not it will be in time to save your life depends on the heavens."

  Xiao Si obediently nodded and stood up, walked to the door, thought for a moment, then turned back and said: "Disciple, don't overexert yourself."

  It's rare to hear Xiao Si speaking so nicely, and his stiff face relaxed a bit. But then he continued, "If you die from exhaustion, who will I find to take care of Bao Xiu in the future?" After finishing speaking, he quickly slipped out of the house and slammed the door shut behind him.

  But a dull thud was heard from inside the house, and it was unclear what had been pulverized into dust under Lao Mang's powerful fist.

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