Chapter 2: Sudden Rise of the Monkey King

  An Tun Inn, also with bright lights everywhere.

  Although it was an official post station, it was also open to non-official personnel. However, Wang Guanlan felt something was off on the way, as there were very few traveling merchants. It wasn't until they entered the Antun Post Station that they discovered several merchant groups had already settled in, and it seemed like a rather significant operation.

  However, once they figured out Wang Guanlan's identity, without saying another word, they vacated the best courtyard in the station. They were all merchants who came to Yicheng to do business and had also heard about the recent change of ownership in Yicheng. Regardless of whether this Fourteenth Young Master of Ningwang Fu could stand firm in Yicheng, it was always good to get along with him. Otherwise, offending this Fourteenth Young Master who had just gained power in Ningwang Fu would make it easy for him to retaliate in the future.

  With a wave of his hand, he dismissed several merchant team leaders who had come to fawn on him. Wang Guanlan leaned back in his chair, looking at the four Hu Li guards standing before him.

  "Tiān Bǎo, you are the leader of this escort mission. You've worked hard on this journey!" Wang Guanlan's gaze finally fell on Huā Lí Wèi, who was at the forefront, and said calmly.

  "I dare not, protecting the young master is our duty as flower guards!" Tianbao looked up and replied politely. Towards Wang Guanlan, this newly risen young master in the mansion, although he couldn't say he had any bad feelings, but somehow felt that this young master was ruthless and cunning at a young age, leaving no room for retreat, making it difficult for people to have too much good impression of him. Moreover, he and those two punished flower guards were different, they didn't need to be controlled by Wang Guanlan at all, only needed to safely send the person to Yicheng and then they could return to report their duty done. Therefore, there was no need to be overly enthusiastic towards Wang Guanlan either.

  "There's still a day left before we arrive at Yicheng, but for some reason, I've been feeling uneasy and restless all the time, as if something is going to happen!"

  "Don't worry, young master!" Tianbao's eyes flashed with a confident smile. "As long as we're here, you'll absolutely be safe!"

  Wang Guanlan nodded, "Then it's hard for you, okay, Tian Cheng and Tian Ning stay, everyone else go down!"

  Tian Cheng and Tian Ning were supposed to follow Wang Guanlan into the Wuyin Gorge to secretly protect her, but they were withdrawn by Madame Hou on a pretext. Originally, their dereliction of duty was punishable by immediate execution, but after Wang Guanlan returned, she directly interceded with Wang Bizheng and brought the two men to her side, allowing them to redeem themselves through meritorious service.

  Everyone with eyes can see that he is buying people's hearts, but his methods have not given anyone a chance to criticize him. The two Huā Lí (flower foxes) he brought back are also infinitely grateful. Whether it's buying people's hearts or just putting on a show in front of others, Wáng Guānlán has saved their lives after all. From now on, the fate of these two will be tied to Wáng Guānlán's, sharing both losses and honors together.

  As a result, they became the two most trusted by Wang Guanlan among the four Hu Li Wei, and as for the leader of this escort, Tian Bao, and another person, Wang Guanlan didn't need to buy people's hearts, because these two were mid-stage cultivators of Qi Condensation, and were elites among the Hu Li Wei, not someone that a young master like him could recruit.

  "You two come with me!" Seeing that the others had retreated, Wang Guanlan also stood up and led the two Hu Li guards to the courtyard of the post station.

  An Tun Inn, being the largest and only inn near Yicheng, has undergone several expansions as Yicheng prospered. At the foot of the Duan Yun mountain range, a fairly large village was formed. Wang Guanlan's residence is the most superior courtyard in the village, quiet and elegant, built according to the standard courtyard pattern. There is a small pond with artificial hills and rocks, pavilions, towers, and rare flowers and grasses. In the center of the courtyard stands a giant Osmanthus tree, its branches and leaves lush, looking exceptionally clear and beautiful under the moonlight.

  Tian Cheng and Tian Ning followed behind Wang Guanlan, both with a bewildered expression. Wang Guanlan didn't explain anything, but instead strolled leisurely in the courtyard, her eyes wandering as if appreciating the scenery.

  "This place is great! When I'm free in the future, I'll also build a villa at the foot of Duan Yun Mountain and live a leisurely life like an immortal!"

  "Young master, you don't need to go through so much trouble. Yicheng is closer to Duan Yun Mountain than this place, and the Wang Manor has several estates near Duan Yun Mountain that are much larger than this small post station!" Tian Cheng said.

  "Oh? Is that so? What a pleasant surprise!" Wang Guanlan seemed to have gained interest, stopped in her tracks and stared at Tian Cheng, "I've never been to Yicheng, I've only heard of it, what's the environment like there?"

  "Except for the places near the plantation being a bit noisy, everything else is fine!" Tian Cheng thought for a moment and said honestly, "I've been there several times, it's close to the Nu River, it's a great place!"

  "Is the place next to the Nu River a good one?!" Wang Guanlan burst out laughing, and suddenly his body sprang up like a lynx, his left hand swung out, a cold knife light flashed out, and fiercely chopped towards the osmanthus tree in the center of the courtyard.

  At that moment! A flash of sword light burst out from the Osmanthus tree, intersecting with Wang Guanlan's knife at the same spot.

  "Not good, there's an assassin!"

  "Assassins!"

  Tian Cheng and Tian Ning were both Flower Fox Guards. Although they didn't discover the hidden assassin in time, at the moment when Wang Guanlan's sword clashed with the opponent's, they immediately understood what had happened. So, while shouting a warning, they simultaneously rushed towards the Osmanthus tree.

  Tian Cheng and Tian Ning both had a fire in their bellies, Wang Guanlan's mysterious trip to the Misty Gorge suddenly turned into an adventure, but they were severely punished for dereliction of duty, which was a complete disaster for them.

  Everyone knows that the section of Wuyin Gorge by Baisha Lake is the safest, even if there were no two people, Wang Guanlan would not have gotten into trouble. Who knows what madness the Bai Du Men has unleashed, suddenly attacking Wuyin Gorge and putting Wang Guanlan in danger? At the same time, it also made the two of them bear the crime of dereliction of duty. But is this really true? Did they really want to abandon their posts? In the Wang Mansion, could they not listen to the orders of Madame Hou? Can they disobey? Of course not!

  Everyone knew in their hearts, but no one was willing to, or rather had the guts to expose it, so the blame naturally fell on them. However, this could also be considered a blessing in disguise. King Ning Wang Bi Cheng punished them, but did not directly put them to death. When Wang Guanlan returned from Wuyin Gorge, he seemed to not mind their dereliction of duty either. This gave them the opportunity to redeem themselves. In their hearts, they knew that only by proving themselves in front of Wang Guanlan could they regain what they had lost, and even more. Therefore, on this journey, they were extremely diligent, but along the way, there was no surprise or danger. Moreover, they did not think that anyone would dare to cause trouble on the territory of Ning Wang Fu in the three southwestern states. However, unexpectedly, an assassin really appeared! What made them feel most ashamed was that this assassin was not discovered by them, but rather by the person they were supposed to protect, who took action first!

  This is the reason why the two felt embarrassed, Wang Guanlan's position was much higher than theirs, but the strength was there, only refining the second layer of air, while the two were in the initial stage of condensing gas, and they didn't detect the danger beforehand, apparently, this was their dereliction of duty!

  These two people are depressed, but there are others who are even more depressed!

  The monkey hiding in the station never thought that it would be discovered, and it was discovered by a little boy who was still in his gaseous period, and he was extremely regretful.

  Originally, according to the command of Qing Xiao Lao Da, after confirming Wang Guanlan's residence, he could send a signal and collaborate with the black-clothed men hiding outside the station to take down Wang Guanlan. However, when he entered the station for the second time, he unexpectedly discovered that the security measures inside were surprisingly lax. Judging from this situation, it seemed that Wang Guanlan and his group had not considered the possibility of being attacked here. This ignited a spark of greed in his heart. Relying on his ability to hide and sneak, as long as he acted properly, he would have the opportunity to take down Wang Guanlan by himself and gain the greatest merit. As for Qing Xiao Lao Da, even if he really did kill Wang Guanlan, he wouldn't have anything to say about it.

  It was precisely because of the spark of greed that had ignited in his heart that he did not send out the signal at the first opportunity, and it also sealed his tragic fate, but now, he still doesn't know.

  As a stealthy assassin-type warrior, the monkey's vigilance was also extremely high. In the instant when the knife light flashed, he knew he had been exposed. Without thinking, the slender sword hidden in his sleeve stabbed out at an angle.

  The sword was a slender one, and in the face of the knife's glare, it had dulled not just a little. The sword's light and the knife's light clashed, and the monkey felt a surge of immense power coming from the sword, his tiger's mouth numbed, and the slender sword almost slipped out of his hand.

  "This is impossible!" The monkey exclaimed, he was a martial artist in the initial stage of Qi Condensation, while Wang Guanlan was only at the second layer of Qi Refining. The two were separated by a small boundary, and even if his own weapon was at a disadvantage, the gap in their cultivation shouldn't have been enough to make him fall behind as soon as they made contact. But the fact was right in front of him, forcing him to believe it.

  He was forced to retreat with one blow, and the initiative was lost. It's hard to get it back, let alone two other cultivators, Hua Lianwei, who were not inferior to him, also took action at the same time, one on the left and one on the right, attacking him. The monkey did not dare to fight, his body suddenly shrunk and stretched, his body seemed like a spiritual ape, narrowly avoiding Tian Cheng's and Tian Ning's attacks. He even used Tian Cheng's incoming force to send his body ten feet away, while stretching out his hand into his lap, as if rummaging for something.

  Wang Guanlan had been paying attention to his movements, and as soon as he dodged the attack, without thinking, he pounced forward, with a flash of knife light like a whip, slashing towards the monkey.

  The sword flashed like a sharp blade, and in an instant, it cut the monkey into two pieces!