Black Silkworm Treasure Robe

On the first day of the ninth month, fine rain fell like silk, pattering down from the sky and scattering over the mountains, bringing with it a cool breeze.

In the study behind the main hall of the Golden Cauldron Hall, Qu Dong Liu stood with his back to Zhao Yu, who was respectfully standing, and opened the window to watch the drizzling rain in the mountains, veiled in mist and clouds. He felt a sense of exhilaration, the past pent-up frustrations and blockages diminishing significantly. He asked smoothly, "Duan Yi went down the mountain two days ago to Daming County. Has he returned to the mountain yet?"

As the master of the Golden Cauldron Sect, Qu Dong Liu held great power, and nothing on the mountain escaped his notice. The disciples guarding the mountain had reported Duan Yi's departure to him the day he left.

Having learned from Liu Zhiwei that Duan Yi had agreed to a duel with a master sent by the Ruan family and intended to go down the mountain, Qu Dong Liu naturally could not ignore it. He had already sent people to follow Duan Yi, ensuring he did not lose track of him.

Firstly, he did not want to break his promise to the Ruan family and tarnish the prestige of the Golden Cauldron Sect.

Secondly, he did not want to lose this useful pawn, who might be used in the future to restrain Bai Xi Wen.

"Reporting to Master, he just returned this morning. You definitely don't know what Duan Yi has been doing in Daming County these past two days."

Zhao Yu rarely showed a smile in front of Qu Dong Liu, clearly in a good mood. Seeing that Qu Dong Liu had not turned around, he did not reply. A jolt went through him, and he suppressed his smile, saying seriously, "The day Duan Yi went down the mountain, he went directly to the county yamen in Daming County. I don't know what method he used, but he managed to get the county magistrate to temporarily appoint him as the executioner, beheading a death row inmate in the vegetable market for public display. He..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qu Dong Liu coughed and interrupted him. His right hand, which had been behind his back, was placed on the windowsill in front of him, his knuckles tapping as he slowly said, "Killing?

It must be that Bai Xi Wen told him a way to increase his swordplay's power in the shortest possible time. It is indeed effective.

Unfortunately, it's just a last-minute effort. At best, it will prevent him from being intimidated by the opponent's killing intent during the battle. It's impossible to win against Lin Bo Hui just like this.

What else did he do?"

A swordsman who has killed is completely different from one who hasn't. The former's attacks are fiercer and more decisive, while the latter appears much more naive. Although Qu Dong Liu was not skilled in swordsmanship, he understood this principle.

In fact, it wasn't just swordsmen; for any martial artist, the difference between having killed someone and not having killed someone is quite significant.

"After killing, Duan Yi did not linger at the yamen but went directly to the largest and most bustling brothel in the county town, the Fragrant Courtyard, and stayed there for a whole night before leaving the next day."

Brothels and pleasure houses, also known as places of indulgence, are money pits for men and paradises for men. Zhao Yu had also yearned for such places of pleasure, but due to his ambitions, he had never set foot in them.

The masters of the Golden Cauldron Sect had all been virgins throughout history, as only virgins could cultivate the Pure Yang Divine Skill and bring it to its full power and mastery. Zhao Yu aspired to the position of sect master, so he possessed this self-control.

"The Fragrant Courtyard? Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. I suppose he learned about some of Lin Bo Hui's scandalous behavior and wanted to gather some information from there. He is indeed a meticulous person.

But this is also a futile effort. Lin Bo Hui's Seventy-Two Forms of Bixie Swordplay is a top-tier sword technique from Lingnan, possessing immense power. No matter how much he learns, he won't be able to break it. Anything else?"

Duan Yi was definitely not the first person with such an intention. The seven swordsmen who had been defeated by Lin Bo Hui, except for the first one, the Willow-Whip Swordsman, had all done similar things before their battles, but they were still defeated. The outcome was predetermined.

Qu Dong Liu did not believe that Duan Yi could find a way to defeat Lin Bo Hui. If that were the case, the Bixie Swordplay would be too cheap.

The Lin family of Fuzhou in Lingnan, five generations ago, produced a Bixie Swordsman who was exceptionally skilled in martial arts, acted with impunity, dominated the region, and led the underworld of seven prefectures, commanding great prestige, far surpassing that of the Golden Cauldron Sect.

In the subsequent generations, the Lin family produced first-class swordsmen generation after generation, and they were already recognized as a family of swordsmanship with considerable influence. This Lin Bo Hui should be from the Lin family of Fuzhou in Lingnan, but for some unknown reason, he came to Wei Prefecture in Hebei.

If Qu Dong Liu claimed to have no ulterior motives regarding the Bixie Swordplay, it would be impossible. However, the Lin family behind Lin Bo Hui was by no means ordinary. If he were to seize the Bixie Swordplay or be discovered practicing it in the future, it would inevitably lead to retaliation from the Lin family, making the gain not worth the loss.

"After that, Duan Yi went to the county's pharmacies and bought a lot of medicinal ingredients, seemingly to perform a medicinal bath.

Then this morning, he returned from Daming County. As soon as he got on the mountain, Yue'er saw him and slapped him."

As he spoke the last sentence, Zhao Yu couldn't help but laugh again, revealing a smug expression.

The thought of Yue'er's disappointed and disgusted look upon learning that Duan Yi had stayed at the Fragrant Courtyard for a night, followed by her slapping him, made him beam with joy.

Although the pretty boy's actions were not for lust, how could Yue'er know that? Therefore, she had likely completely given up on Duan Yi, with no lingering thoughts.

"Alright, let's put Duan Yi's matters aside. Let me ask you, how is the investigation into Sun Zhi's matter progressing? Who exactly helped him get into the sect back then?"

Sun Zhi was the real murderer of Ruan Dong and the person who watched Duan Yi and Ruan Dong's sword fight that day. Unfortunately, after being captured, he immediately bit into a poison capsule and committed suicide, yielding no results, forcing them to seek other clues.

"It was Uncle-Master Wu who recommended him to join the sect back then. I heard he took Sun Zhi's money. Could Master suspect Uncle-Master Wu? That's impossible, right? There's no reason for Uncle-Master Wu to do that?"

Qu Dong Liu snorted coldly, "You can know a person's face, but not their heart. My master originally intended for Bai Xi Wen to succeed him as sect master, but something happened in the end. Everyone thought Bai Xi Wen was too young and not steady enough, so they recommended me to be the sect master.

This matter has always been a thorn in the side of my junior disciples. Since I wasn't the master's most preferred choice but could still become sect master, why couldn't they?

Alright, this matter ends here. You may withdraw."

Realizing he might have said too much, Qu Dong Liu's expression finally turned serious. He dismissed Zhao Yu and then frowned, pondering who the person behind the scenes could be.

At the same time, in a lavish and grand mansion built on the mountain, Helan Yue'er was lying on the velvet bedding, covering her face and sobbing, coughing intermittently, almost unable to breathe.

Her originally milky-white skin had turned red due to excessive emotional agitation, especially her face. Tears streamed down like broken strings, evoking pity.

Granny An, who was beside her, felt immense heartache and grew to hate Duan Yi, the culprit behind all this, even more. She could only continuously pat Helan Yue'er's soft back, offering words of comfort while simultaneously denouncing Duan Yi's improper behavior.

For more than two days, Yue'er had been confined and rarely went out. This morning, just as she was about to go find Duan Yi, she received this news. The person she had been longing for had acted this way. If it were Granny An, she would probably have wanted to kill the person.

"Yue'er, you might have misunderstood Duan Yi. I just returned from Bai Xi Wen's place and learned that Duan Yi is going to duel Lin Bo Hui, invited by the Ruan family tomorrow. His visit to the Fragrant Courtyard was to gather information about this person, not to seek pleasure."

Just then, Eunuch Qiu strode in through the doorway. His square face was extremely serious, and when he mentioned Lin Bo Hui, there was a hint of apprehension.

"What? Eunuch Qiu, what do you mean? I don't understand?"

Hearing that she might have misunderstood Duan Yi, Helan Yue'er's heart skipped a beat. She quickly stopped crying, sat up from the bed, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and looked at Eunuch Qiu with her still red and swollen eyes, asking.

Eunuch Qiu then recounted the entire story in detail, finally saying with concern, "I have experienced the Bixie Swordplay of the Lin family from the previous generation's Lin family head, Lin Wangchun. The swordplay was incredibly fast and bizarre, and his martial prowess was extremely deep. If I hadn't fought him with a life-risking method to repel him, I would have certainly died by his sword."

"This Lin Bohui is likely the heir of the Lin family. Although Duan Yi has extraordinary talent, he has been practicing martial arts for too short a time and won't be Lin Bohui's opponent."

Upon hearing Lin Wangchun's name, Granny An's expression also changed.

Helan Yue'er was even more devastated, as if struck by a heavy blow. She froze, filled with anxiety, regret, and unsure of what to do.

When she heard Zhao Yu say that Duan Yi had spent a night in a brothel in Daming County, she became anxious and angry. Without considering the reasons, she slapped Duan Yi upon seeing him. Now, she regretted it immensely.

More than regret, Helan Yue'er was filled with worry. She feared Duan Yi would be injured by Lin Bohui, and even more, she feared he would have a hand cut off if he lost. Picturing herself without a hand, Helan Yue'er anxiously shed tears.

Seeing Helan Yue'er cry again, Granny An couldn't bear it. Her wrinkled face showed deep concern, and she quickly comforted her, "Little Yue'er, don't cry. This matter can be easily resolved.

On the day of Duan Yi's match, we can go to the venue to watch. If Lin Bohui intends to deliberately harm someone after winning, we will definitely not let him have his way.

And if Duan Yi truly loses, we can simply abduct him. It doesn't matter whether it's the Ruan family or the Golden Cauldron Sect; we won't let him lose a hand, you can rest assured."

After hearing these words, Helan Yue'er's urgent anxiety subsided considerably. After a moment's thought, she walked to the bedside table in the room, took out a piece of gray square cloth, bit her lip, and pleaded, "Granny An. This Black Silkworm Treasure Robe can resist blades and swords and absorb impact. Please give it to Duan Yi. Consider it my apology for hitting him without understanding the situation clearly."

The Black Silkworm Treasure Robe was woven from the silk of black silkworms from the Great Snow Mountain. Although not unique, it was extremely precious. It was a gift from the Helan family head to Helan Yue'er on her tenth birthday.

Granny An initially wanted to refuse, but after a moment's thought, she realized Helan Yue'er didn't usually like wearing the robe. Moreover, with the protection of the two of them, it was far safer than any Black Silkworm Treasure Robe.

Since Duan Yi had won Yue'er's affection, giving it to him was no big deal. It was better than him dying in future Jianghu conflicts and causing Yue'er heartache.

"Alright, Little Yue'er, be good and listen. Don't cry anymore. Granny An will definitely not let anything happen to Duan Yi, you can rest assured."