Chapter Eighty Return to Double Peace

  Xiao Ziyang continued downward for several zhang, and many side caves appeared in the cave. He chose one of the side caves to drill down.

  When he had been walking in this winding cave for nearly an incense stick of time, he finally arrived at the end of the pit. Under the illumination of the torches, the half-exposed round stones on the wall of the cave shone with a faint yellowish light, and he suddenly understood everything.

  This is actually a spirit stone mine!

  Xiao Ziyang suddenly became excited, he drew out his thick-backed knife and dug down the Ling Stone from the cave, then turned around and walked away.

  He carefully searched every demon he met on the road. But what disappointed him was that after walking through most of the mines, he only found three pieces of spiritual stone.

  It seems that this is a spiritual stone mine, but it's very barren. Xiao Ziyang was somewhat disappointed and gave up the search.

  When he crawled out of the mine, a faint light had already appeared on the eastern horizon. He had actually searched for more than half the night in the mountain cave. His thirst and greed for the spiritual stone made him forget the danger, and he couldn't help but feel some fear afterwards. If those cultivators from Qingyang Gate still had companions, wouldn't he have become a fish in a barrel if they were also rampaging through the mountain cave?!

  Xiao Ziyang turned his head and took a glance at this precarious and unusual mountain stronghold, then he walked down the mountain without looking back.

  Qingquan Town and Hefeng Town are both the last stops before entering the Shangling Mountains, with one in the south and one in the north, located at the mountain pass that merchants from all directions must pass through.

  Xiao Ziyang arrived at Qingquan Town, already noon of the second day. He found Wen Jin and others who had been waiting anxiously in the largest inn in the town.

  "Wu Daxia, you've finally arrived! We were worried to death." The people sitting in the inn's main hall, staring at a table full of food they couldn't eat, all cheered and rushed towards Xiao Ziyang. Wen Jin almost knocked over a table as he pounced on Xiao Ziyang.

  "Wu Da Xia, how did you escape? Those black-faced men are really terrifying!" Wen Jin asked, grabbing Xiao Ziyang's sleeve.

  Xiao Ziyang smiled and said, "Those black-faced mountain bandits were incredibly strong, but not very agile. After you left, I took advantage of their carelessness, broke through the encirclement, and escaped into the mountains to hide for a night."

  "Good, good, I knew Wu Da Xia wouldn't be in trouble," Wen Jin Lian said. He pulled Xiao Zi Yang towards the hall and walked inside, saying: "Wu Da Xia, you haven't eaten for a whole day, have you? The wine and dishes are still warm, we haven't even touched them yet. You go ahead and fill up first, I'll order some more good food and wine."

  At this time, the Wen family's merchant group saw that Xiao Ziyang's attitude was completely different, and they all came to welcome him, letting him take the upper seat.

  Xiao Ziyang was indeed hungry, he casually answered the crowd's questions while devouring his food. Wen Jin called over a waiter and ordered him to quickly prepare a table of fine dishes and good wine.

  After eating and drinking enough, everyone moved to Xiao Ziyang's place, as he was tired, and rested for another night in the town.

  Because of losing goods, everyone traveled lightly and had horses to replace them. The journey that was supposed to take more than 20 days was completed by the crowd in half a month.

  Xiao Ziyang returned to Shuangping Town with a sigh.

  When he saw Xiao Ziyang, the clerk's appearance seemed very enthusiastic, but Xiao Ziyang could see that his eyes were slightly evasive. Seeing this, Xiao Ziyang's heart sank slightly.

  Xiao Ziyang tactfully didn't mention the 100,000 taels of silver, but he wouldn't let it go; not to mention that Xiao Ziyang's cultivation of "Zi Yu Sheng Yan" was like burning money, even if he didn't need the silver urgently now, he wouldn't easily give up such a large sum of money. 100,000 taels of silver, that's enough wealth for one person to live a rich life.

  From a rational point of view, Xiao Ziyang shouldn't have come to Wenjia again and should have just secretly taken the silver away. However, Xiao Ziyang still came with a lucky mindset.

  The official met with Xiao Ziyang outside and did not mention the reward, seemingly relieved. That night, he prepared a rich banquet and entertained him extremely warmly.

  After the wine party, Xiao Ziyang was already staggering and his face was flushed. Wen Yuanwai personally arranged for Xiao Ziyang to rest in the quiet Cuimeng Residence on the east side of the Wen Mansion.

  The servant had settled everything outside and returned to the study, where he found his master pacing back and forth with a gloomy face.

  The clerk stopped in his tracks, stroking the desk with his hand, muttering to himself "Half? That's over a hundred thousand taels of silver! Hmph! A Jianghu vagabond, how much is your life worth?" After finishing speaking, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he shouted out: "Someone come!" A servant hastily walked into the study, bowing and waiting for his orders.

  "Go and bring Wu Doutou, Su Guanshi and Wen Guanjia here."

  "Yes", the servant bowed and replied.

  After the servant went out, Wen Yuan sat down at his desk and began writing a letter.

  The clerk had not finished writing the letter, Wu Doutou, Su Guanshi and Wen Guanjia arrived at the study one after another. The three saw that the clerk was still writing hastily on the desk, so they stood aside to wait respectfully.

  The clerk finished writing the letters, put them in envelopes and sealed them with wax. He looked up and handed the letters to the two men: "Wu Doutou, you will deliver these two letters to Tang Pei's mansion in Shangyuan City and Jin Shengjie's mansion; Su Guan Shi, you will deliver this letter to County Magistrate Liu. Don't delay, you two set off tonight." After finishing speaking, he took out another piece of paper and handed it to the clerk: "You will send this letter to Li Zhanggui at the Shangyuan Wenhua business house via carrier pigeon, and have him follow the instructions in the letter."

  "Yes, sir." The three men took over the letter and didn't say much, turned around and left the study.

  On the east side of the Wenfu government office, Xiao Ziyang, who seemed to be sleeping very soundly, suddenly sat up. He quickly got dressed and then turned around to make his bed look like someone was still asleep with their head covered, before opening the window and floating up onto the roof like a wisp of green smoke.

  Xiao Ziyang's cat was on the rooftop, discovering that the courtyard he was in was quite secluded, with the nearest yard being thirty or forty feet away. Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh and unfolded his body technique to disappear into the night sky.

  Xiao Ziyang's lightness skill at this time was several times more brilliant than that of the Red Silk Guest in his heyday, and coupled with the fact that the martial arts of the Wenfu guards were low-level, even a third-rate expert would not be able to detect him.

  Xiao Ziyang passed through the Wen Mansion and arrived at the rooftop of a shop opposite the west side ear door, where he lay down.

  This west side ear door is a special passage for people entering and leaving the Wenfu downstairs.

  About half a time later, the gate suddenly opened, and a black-clad knight and a horse-drawn carriage rushed out of the gate.

  With Xiao Ziyang's eyesight, he naturally saw that the black-clothed knight was Wu Du's head. Xiao Ziyang hesitated for a moment and turned into a wisp of green smoke, following far behind the horse carriage.

  As the carriage left the town, Xiao Ziyang slid over the night sky like a bat, silently landing on top of the carriage. He leaned down and poked his head through the gap in the window curtains, letting out a burst of energy, and the middle-aged man dressed as a Wenfu steward inside the carriage fell to the ground with a thud. Xiao Ziyang opened the curtain and flipped into the carriage.