Jiangnan Is Beautiful

At noon, the blazing sun scorched all of Suzhou City until it seemed aflame, without the slightest trace of the elegant, refreshing air of a Jiangnan water town. Cicadas shrieked loudly from the willow branches, their piercing cries making people either drowsy or unbearably irritable. All they could do was curse the heavens: "Damn it, are you going to let anyone live?"

On the street outside the gates of the Suzhou Prefecture yamen, only three or five shifty-looking men sat sparsely beneath a roadside tea stall. Holding bowls of murky yellow tea, their eyes darted constantly over their surroundings, tense and watchful. At the innermost seat, a burly man with a thick mat of black hair covering his bare chest put on the airs of a gang leader. He arrogantly lifted the bowl before him and took delicate sips from time to time, as though he were a mighty overlord savoring fine Persian grape wine.

It was then that Gu Cangyue emerged from the Suzhou Prefecture yamen. Dressed in close-fitting silver-gray clothes, he cut a tall and graceful figure, handsome as polished jade. The thumb-sized pearl in his topknot and the emerald-green jade belt at his waist were particularly eye-catching. His hands were impeccably groomed, spotless and smooth as mutton-fat jade, while a light thumb ring of fiery-red gold-threaded agate rested on his left thumb. The instant he appeared, he brought a flash of brightness to the dull, lifeless street.

The men beneath the roadside tea stall loudly cheered. The burly man seated furthest inside hurried out from beneath the awning and came forward fawningly. With a low chuckle, he asked, "Old Tou'er, where are you heading this time? Whenever you make an appearance, life gets hard for us brothers."

Gu Cangyue looked down at him loftily and nodded. He lightly stroked the two narrow mustaches above his lip with his ringed thumb, then sneered. "Tiger Boss, you can rest easy. I, Gu, have no intention of making things difficult for you brothers. But I can tell you this: Suzhou City has been a gathering place of winds and clouds lately, and plenty of mighty dragons have crossed the river. Keep your eyes open. Do not offend someone, or when the time comes, even if I take pity on our fellow townsmen, I will not be able to save you."

Tiger Boss's eyes rolled around as he tried to think of something else to ask. Yet when he saw the thirty-six Iron Constables emerging behind Gu Cangyue, all clad in black official uniforms, sabers at their waists and silver badges fastened to their belts, he wisely backed away several paces and said nothing more.

Gu Cangyue glanced at Tiger Boss and nodded. After pondering briefly, he said in a low voice, "I know that in this little patch of Suzhou City, Tiger Boss's words still carry some weight. So tell the others to do less business for the time being. As the Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture, I can turn a blind eye, but I hope you will not cause trouble or stir up a mess for me. Hmm?" His final word carried a thread of inner force, leaving Tiger Boss dizzy and disoriented. He hastily staggered back several steps and nodded again and again.

Gu Cangyue smiled faintly and rubbed his palms together. He looked at the constables behind him, gave a small wave, and led them swiftly down the street toward the city gates. Like a black whirlwind sweeping across the little street, they frightened two yellow dogs resting in the shade at the roadside into leaping up and fleeing in panic.

Tiger Boss spat softly. "Damn it, what's so great about him? Acting all mysterious. Hmph, one of these days, I'll..." But Tiger Boss knew perfectly well that Gu Cangyue truly was someone remarkable. As one of the thirty-six Heavenly Dipper Stars under the Number One Fortress Under Heaven, personally bestowed by Emperor Taizu, the Cloud Mover Gu Cangyue, known throughout the martial world as the Heavenly Secrets Star, was not someone a mere Suzhou Prefecture street thug leader like him could afford to underestimate.

Rapid footsteps approached. Two middle-aged men in purple robes, swords at their waists and faces like crowned jade, strode past with more than a dozen men of varying heights. They cast Tiger Boss and the others a cold glance, swept down the long street like the wind, and vanished at the far end.

Tiger Boss and his men froze. One hoodlum sidled over and asked in a low voice, "Boss, should we send brothers to find out what is happening? Old Tou'er is the Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture, so it makes sense for him to come out if something is going on. But all three Baleful Stars stationed in Suzhou by Number One Fortress Under Heaven's Cangfeng Fortress have moved out. This is no small matter... Should we see whether there is some profit to be had? The brothers have all been short on cash lately."

Tiger Boss shot him a glare and was about to speak when footsteps sounded again. A noble young master, daring enough to wear a bright yellow scholar's robe, passed by slowly with two maidservants, smiling as he waved a folding fan adorned with a gold-threaded painting of a beauty. As he passed Tiger Boss and the others, a cold gleam flashed in his eyes. Tiger Boss and his men retreated another step in fright, nearly pressing themselves flat against the wall.

Cold sweat instantly covered Tiger Boss's forehead. He ordered in a low voice, "Shut up. Shut your mouths. We cannot wade through these muddy waters. Go tell Old Yang and the others, so they do not get killed without even knowing why. Damn it, why has this little tyrant from Brocade Manor come out too? Usually, he loves soaking among women while practicing his skills. Strange, strange. Looks like something huge is about to happen. What a pity, what a pity. The people moving this time are too terrifying. We do not have the strength to snatch any benefits."

After whispering tensely for a while, the gang of hoodlums scattered in all directions and swiftly vanished into the streets and alleys of Suzhou City.

Gu Cangyue met up with the two purple-robed men behind him. They left through Suzhou City's southern gate and circled along the city wall, making sure every street rat and city fox of every size saw their movements. Only then did they leisurely arrive outside the northern gate and settle down in a tea pavilion amid a small grove. The young man known as the little tyrant followed Gu Cangyue and his party into the woods with his two maidservants. Smiling broadly, he entered the tea pavilion without ceremony and sat opposite Gu Cangyue.

Gu Cangyue snorted coldly, shot the young man a sideways glance, and lifted his chin toward the sky. The middle-aged man to Gu Cangyue's left had already placed a hand on his sword hilt, but Gu Cangyue pressed down on his hand, preventing him from flying into a rage on the spot.

The young man laughed. "Exactly, exactly. With the Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture here, who would dare commit murder?"

Gu Cangyue sneered. "I am ashamed, ashamed. With Brocade Manor's Flower Protector Young Master before us, who would dare commit murder?"

All four men wore expressions as cold as ice. They simply closed their eyes and refused to look at one another again.

The sun gradually moved westward. The thirty-six constables stood steadily outside the pavilion, not a bead of sweat visible upon their brows. The eighteen subordinates brought by the two purple-robed men wandered through the woods with carefree ease, showing not the slightest impatience or irritation. As for Flower Protector Young Master's two maidservants, they sat on the pavilion steps, smiling sweetly and whispering softly. Their picturesque eyes repeatedly darted lightly toward the constables, yet every constable possessed a heart of iron and stone, and none so much as glanced back.

After a long while, Gu Cangyue finally could not hold himself back any longer. He opened his eyes and asked the purple-robed man on his left, whose brow bore a dark-red mark, "Brother Lang, what do you think? The person the Fortress Lord mentioned..."

Brother Lang opened his eyes, shot a cold glance at Flower Protector Young Master, who was smiling faintly, and said, "Brother Gu, be patient. Within Suzhou Prefecture's jurisdiction, surely no one would dare touch anyone from Cangfeng Fortress? Hmph. The treasure may be good, but we must see whether they have the stomach to swallow it."

Flower Protector Young Master flicked his folding fan and smiled. "Indeed, indeed. The Sword Pellet of Mister Jiu, a Sword Immortal from seven hundred years ago, is a treasure everyone covets. But that depends on whether one's appetite is good enough. Cangfeng Fortress, the Number One Fortress Under Heaven—we would not dare pull hairs from a tiger's mouth. Still, you must give Brocade Manor a little benefit, must you not?"

Gu Cangyue said coldly, "Your Brocade Manor claims that throughout eight thousand li of rivers and mountains, all are Brocade beauties. Hmph, the whole realm belongs to Brocade Manor. What could you possibly fail to swallow?"

Flower Protector Young Master hurriedly folded his fan and said solemnly, "Absolutely not. Who would dare utter such treasonous words? Brocade Manor's slogan these days is, 'Behold all the beauties under heaven, all belong to my brocade flower cluster.' Those old words about eight thousand li of rivers and mountains absolutely cannot be spoken again. Nowadays... heh heh, no matter how powerful your backers may be, you still cannot... haha. Our appetite is not great. We only want the three Azure Spirit Pills beside that Sword Pellet. What do you three say?"

Gu Cangyue and the other two exchanged glances. Brother Lang nodded. "Very well. Our Fortress Lord wants only the Sword Pellet. What are three pills? We can give them to your Brocade Manor. Relying on the power of plants and trees may increase one's cultivation quickly, but I fear it will harm one's foundations."

Flower Protector Young Master snapped open his fan with a flourish and said with a grin, "They are things our Young Manor Lord wants. It is nothing serious. Our Young Manor Lord has recently been pursuing the granddaughter of the current Chancellor, and these three Azure Spirit Pills are a birthday gift for Miss Liu's sixteenth birthday. Since you have no interest in them, let us settle it thus: you take the Sword Pellet, we take the pills. Each takes what he needs, and afterward neither side troubles the other. How about it?"

Gu Cangyue and the other three calculated briefly, then nodded gravely in agreement. Flower Protector Young Master gave a long laugh and flicked a copper coin into the sky. It let out a string of shrill whistling cries, and more than fifty handsome young men of nimble bearing swooped in from near and far like hawks in flight and falcons striking prey. They lined up neatly before the tea pavilion. Gu Cangyue and the other two men's expressions shifted slightly as they gave Flower Protector Young Master fierce looks.

Brother Lang cursed in a low voice, "So what if he is the current Chancellor Liu? Hmph!"

As the sun slanted westward, several furtive shadows appeared in a long-abandoned courtyard outside Suzhou City. A young man whose sturdy build rivaled that of a grown man, though he looked only seventeen or eighteen and had a face full of brutish flesh, strode toward a secluded rear building. He kicked open the door and shouted, "Li Feng, get up! Get up already! What are you still sleeping for? Hurry and find some work while the weather is cool. We still have to give Tiger Boss twenty taels of silver this month. Without money, we will all be beaten to death."

Li Feng was a boy with a large head and small body, a mess of unruly hair, and features that were clean and handsome despite his extreme shabbiness. He was no more than twelve or thirteen. He lay calmly on the broken bed, yawned, and said, "Niu Boss, you know A Zhu just had his arm broken by Tiger Boss. Without a partner, how am I supposed to find work? Besides, I already finished the job quota you assigned me this month. There are so many people in our Golden Dragon Gang. Why do A Zhu and I have to do every job?"

Niu Boss swallowed, looking helpless but also a little ingratiating as he came closer. Gently patting Li Feng's shoulder, he said, "A Feng, I know A Zhu is injured and cannot work for at least three months. But you know that if we do not pay our monthly dues in full, Tiger Boss and his men will not spare us. Work hard this month. A Sheng and the others are training a few apprentices. Once they are ready, life will become easier. You know our goal is to become Suzhou's greatest gang, right? That takes money."

Li Feng lazily climbed out of bed, carefully straightened the quilt riddled with holes, and glanced sideways at the young men behind Niu Boss. Suddenly, he shouted in exaggerated alarm, "Niu Boss, you cannot be serious, can you? You want me to partner with A Long? It is not like you do not know..."

A Long, a skinny youth of fifteen or sixteen, abruptly stepped forward and shouted, "Damn it, A Feng, make yourself clear! What is wrong with me? You are the best in our Golden Dragon Gang, but where am I inferior to you? When it comes to using knives, where am I inferior to you?" As he spoke, A Long pulled a black blade from his pocket, no longer than a little finger, barely a hair's breadth wide, and thin as paper. He twirled it lightly around his fingers in several patterns, producing sharp swishing sounds.

Li Feng looked at the knife flourishes in A Long's hand and said disdainfully, "A Long, do not forget that in all these years, only A Zhu and I have never been caught by Old Gu's men in Suzhou Prefecture. If you want to say things that hurt brotherhood, I will not argue. Anyway, I have paid this month's dues in full. I will be your assistant today. How about that?"

Before Niu Boss could agree, A Long was already clapping loudly. "Good, A Feng. You have guts. Then I will trouble you to carry the bags for me today. Let us see whether I, A Long, am really not fit to be seen in public."

Niu Boss hurried to smooth things over. With a dry laugh, he brought the two together and pretended to scold them. "All right, A Feng. We are brothers, so why say such things? It hurts feelings too much... And A Long, A Feng is younger than you, so why quibble like this? You two will partner up today. After we eat, everyone can stroll through the streets and see whether any fat sheep from out of town have arrived. Suzhou Prefecture is the best place around to beg for a living—it depends only on whether the brothers are diligent."

Deliberately frowning as if in deep thought for a while, Niu Boss said generously, "But A Feng has a point too. A Zhu is recuperating in the countryside, so A Feng must be feeling bad. Therefore, you only need to bring in this month's quota. Remember, twenty taels of silver. I will not take my usual cut. Gather twenty taels, give them to Tiger Boss, and this month will be over. Same old rule: destroy any banknotes as soon as possible. Do not bring trouble upon our Golden Dragon Gang, understood?"

The young men answered in unison and followed Niu Boss out. Li Feng remained behind, muttering complaints. "Damn it, just the day before yesterday he told me I could rest for a few days until A Zhu recovered. Now he goes back on his word? Is there really no one in the entire Golden Dragon Gang besides A Zhu and me who can work?"

Everyone heard Li Feng's complaint, but no one said anything. Whenever he and A Zhu went out, they could bring back five or six purses, and they had never failed even once. Compared to the other members of the Golden Dragon Gang, that record was simply astonishing. Niu Boss would not blame Li Feng, the youngest among them but the most skilled with a blade, either. After all, they needed him to make money. Their Golden Dragon Gang aimed to become Suzhou City's greatest gang. A great gang needed many people, recruiting men required money, and money depended on capable hands like Li Feng. Who would be willing to scold him?

In the grove outside Suzhou City's northern gate.

Gu Cangyue's hands, as though carved from jade, rested properly upon the stone table in the pavilion, utterly motionless. The other three seemed to be staring blankly at Gu Cangyue's hands as well. No one would have imagined that these slender, fair, delicate palms, known throughout the martial world as the Cloud Mover, had once smashed a ten-thousand-jin boulder hurtling toward Emperor Taizu into powder during the battle at Poyang Lake.

Gu Cangyue admired his own hands with satisfaction. That was right. Twenty years of bitter training had given him this earth-shaking skill. The direct result of saving Emperor Taizu's life was that the Emperor had personally promised him the freedom to choose any post he wished. The farsighted Fortress Lord had ordered him to choose Suzhou Prefecture, this place flowing with wealth, as his posting as chief constable. Sure enough, his fortune had now surpassed a million. That desperate strike back then had truly been a wise move.

Were not even these three men before him staring in dazed fascination? Heh heh. Whether it was envy or jealousy, that was hard to say.

Gu Cangyue's eyes flicked lightly toward the northern path. Then his gaze abruptly changed, and the fingers that had been steady as stone carvings suddenly trembled before drawing in slightly.

Flower Protector Young Master and the two purple-robed men were all old hands in the martial world. They immediately looked northward.

Beneath the setting sun, a deeply black figure walked over in solitude. A beard of bristles an inch long, a withered dark face, ragged black close-fitting clothes, and a four-foot sword no wider than a finger formed an image that chilled people to the bone. Strangely, the man in black was softly chanting, "Jiangnan is beautiful; its scenes I once knew well..."

Gu Cangyue said nothing. Brother Lang and the other purple-robed man led their eighteen subordinates out of the woods and formed a line blocking the road. Brother Lang chuckled. "King of Hell's Sword Yan Tao, Brother Yan. I am Lang Tian, the Heavenly Intelligence Star and Wave Breaker Fist of Cangfeng Fortress. Greetings."

The other purple-robed man said stiffly, "Zhao Lingtian, Earthly Sorrow Star and God Slayer Saber of Cangfeng Fortress."

King of Hell's Sword slowly lifted his head. He looked coldly and almost rigidly at Lang Tian and Zhao Lingtian, then said dryly, "Leave. I will not kill you. Cangfeng Fortress cannot frighten a lone wandering demon like me... If you want the Sword Pellet, there is no chance."

Lang Tian choked on his words and could say no more. Cangfeng Fortress's men were not pitiful creatures who endured humiliation in silence. Since they had come intending to rob him, why waste so many polite words? His hand lightly brushed his sword hilt. With a clang, a streak of violet lightning leaped from its sheath, and the sword light slashed toward Yan Tao's neck with a piercing howl.

Yan Tao laughed angrily. "What kind of joke is this? Where are your Wave Breaker Fist fists? Using a sword against me? You are courting death." With his shout, a ring of misty white light suddenly burst from the sword sheath at his side. Like a halo, it casually knocked aside Lang Tian's sword, a weapon he had spent over ten thousand taels of silver to obtain. Amid sharp hissing sounds, Lang Tian's sword turned to powder and scattered across the ground.

Lang Tian cried out in distress. His body soared into the air and hovered three zhang above the ground like a monstrous hawk. He shook his right fist, and crackling thunder immediately erupted through the air. Wave after wave of white fist force, like surging ocean tides, swept forward and converged three feet from Yan Tao before crashing down.

Yan Tao's expression changed slightly as well. He had long known the fearsome reputation of Cangfeng Fortress's thirty-six Heavenly Dipper Stars, but he had never expected this Sword Pellet to draw out Cangfeng Fortress's people. With a flash of sword light, Yan Tao's whole body was enveloped by a three-zhang-long, foot-thick sheath of light. With a tearing shriek, he sliced through Lang Tian's fist force and shot diagonally toward Suzhou Prefecture's city gates like a rainbow.

Zhao Lingtian burst into laughter. "Brother Yan, Brother Yan, you great swordsman who makes even the King of Hell fret, stay behind for me. If we let you enter Suzhou City and find your old partner, where will we look for the Sword Pellet and spirit pills on you?" With a roar like a tiger's bellow, Zhao Lingtian's sword thundered from its sheath. Though clearly a sword, it gave the howling cry of a saber blade as it hacked downward.

A pale cyan crescent-shaped sword qi swept toward Yan Tao's sword rainbow with a popping roar, nearly cleaving it in two. Yet the sword rainbow spun sharply in the air, nimbly evaded the sword qi, drew a great arc, forced back the eighteen subordinates Lang Tian and Zhao Lingtian had brought, and then, amid the sharp sound of a sudden breath being drawn, continued forward. Within the span of a few breaths, it had already flown more than thirty zhang away.

Flower Protector Young Master flashed sideways before Yan Tao with a laugh. Smiling, he said, "What fine Sword Aura Transforming into Rainbow. Brother Yan's cultivation truly rivals the legendary Sword Immortals. What a pity, what a pity. Brother Yan is still human in the end. I fear you cannot sustain the skills of immortals for long, can you?" His folding fan swayed gently, sending a fragrant gust of wind howling head-on toward Yan Tao.

The dozens of handsome young men under Flower Protector Young Master simultaneously leaped into the air, arranging themselves in an orderly web overhead. They cried out together in clear, feminine voices, "Colorful Falling Shade, Brocade Under Heaven." More than a hundred delicate hands rose at once, and flowers, leaves, and fruits rained down across the sky. Driven by Flower Protector Young Master's wild gale, countless flowers, leaves, and fruits in every color, glinting with cold light, whirled upward and enveloped Yan Tao like a tornado.

Yan Tao shouted, "You are lovely ladies, so why become thieves? You girls from Brocade Manor... damn it... you stinking women from Brocade Manor!" Blood splashed as a crimson maple leaf with an edge sharp beyond compare sliced viciously across Yan Tao's waist, drawing a streak of blood. The pain made him swallow his tender words of cherishing flowers and pitying jade, replacing them with loud curses.

As thousands of hidden weapons closed in around Yan Tao, Gu Cangyue, who had already tucked up the hem of his robe and darted to the roadside, smiled faintly. He said softly, "Fine. Let Brocade Manor's people kill him, and spare Cangfeng Fortress the trouble of that old monster coming after us. How can anyone guard against thieves for a thousand days?" The hand he had clenched into a fist gradually relaxed, while he signaled Lang Tian and Zhao Lingtian with his eyes.

Lang Tian and Zhao Lingtian understood. They surrounded Yan Tao from a distance but did not attack again. Under Brocade Manor's ladies' Colorful Falling Shade formation, no matter how formidable Yan Tao was, how could he possibly escape?

Yet Yan Tao was worthy of being the swordsman bearing the fierce name King of Hell's Sword. He forcibly drew up a breath of scorching true qi and actually executed Sword Aura Transforming into Rainbow once more in midair. With a thunderous tearing crash, a cyan sword aura shot into the sky, bursting into more than a dozen streams of sword qi as thick as fists and five or six zhang long. It blasted a gap through the drifting net of hidden weapons, carried him more than ten zhang into the air, then wheeled sharply and dived down.

"Jiangnan is beautiful; its scenes I once knew well. In dreams, a sword lies hidden in Jiangnan. We shall meet again in the realm of the King of Hell."

As Yan Tao chanted loudly, Gu Cangyue and the others revealed gloating smiles, while Flower Protector Young Master cried out in alarm, "Careful! Move aside, now!"

How could they move aside in time? The thickest sword rainbow shattered with several cracking pops into countless dreamlike, flowerlike strands of sword qi, flashing past like a wild goose beyond the heavens. Amid screams, more than a dozen Brocade Manor subordinates disguised as men had their heads sent flying. Blood filled the sky, and for a moment, no one could see Yan Tao's movements clearly.

Flower Protector Young Master thrust out his right hand in fury and casually jabbed more than a dozen fingers in succession. Dark-red finger winds carrying a faint fragrance spread gently like a great net. With two sharp cries, his two maidservants flew over at once. They raised their hands, and countless glittering triangular crystal shards shot forth. Amid a series of crisp clinks, the shards collided chaotically more than a dozen times before suddenly spreading into the shape of the Taiji Eight Trigrams and covering Yan Tao.

Yan Tao stared strangely at the glittering net before him, drew in a long breath with a whoosh, and raised his Sword Gang again.

This time, Yan Tao used his signature skill. Three hazy cyan sword lights, each no more than a foot long, guarded his body as he crashed straight toward the net before him.

A savage smile appeared on Flower Protector Young Master's handsome face. His Flower Urging Finger was about to strike Yan Tao. Yet Yan Tao's sword light flipped through the air, shot straight into the sky, then turned sharply. After beheading three more beautiful Brocade Manor subordinates, it charged directly toward Suzhou Prefecture's city gates with lightning speed. How could anyone stop it in time?

Gu Cangyue sneered. "Brother Yan, Brother Yan, after killing so many people before me, the Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture, do you still think you can leave?" With that, he thrust his right palm forward. A white palm wind ripped through the air with hissing sounds, trailing rings of translucent ripples as it struck Yan Tao viciously in the waist. Gu Cangyue had observed for a long while and roughly grasped the transformations of Yan Tao's Sword Gang. Waiting at ease for the exhausted enemy, his strike landed true.

Yan Tao spat blood fiercely into the air. He shouted, "Good, good, good! What a Cloud Mover... Is the Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture so impressive? You are nothing more than the same breed as male bandits and female whores." Yan Tao felt as though his organs were burning, while the blood and qi throughout his body churned wildly. He could no longer draw up even a breath of true qi. In great alarm, he activated the life-saving Blood Gang Qi, spraying three mouthfuls of blood in succession. Transforming into a blood rainbow, he flew directly over Suzhou Prefecture's city wall and rushed into the city.

His ghostly speed caught Gu Cangyue and the others off guard. Though more than a hundred people stood present, they could only watch helplessly as Yan Tao escaped into Suzhou Prefecture.

Gu Cangyue's expression turned exceedingly ugly. He shouted, "Pass down the order! Search the entire city with every man we have. Ask the garrison commander to dispatch troops to assist us. Tell him Cangfeng Fortress will surely offer him suitable gratitude."

Flower Protector Young Master smiled mockingly and applauded repeatedly. "What authority, truly impressive authority. Worthy indeed of one who eats the imperial grain. I suppose the constables and garrison soldiers of Suzhou Prefecture belong to you, Lord Gu, rather than Emperor Taizu."

Gu Cangyue shot Flower Protector Young Master a venomous glare and said coldly, "Young Master Jin, watch your words. Bright yellow is a forbidden color. If not for the sake of our standing as fellow martial artists, you would have been squatting in a prison cell long ago... Young Master Jin, your beautiful subordinates suffered grievous casualties. Would you like to file a report at Suzhou Prefecture?"

Flower Protector Young Master lazily glanced at the dozen or so female corpses on the ground and shook his head. "Fallen flowers were heartless things to begin with... Why bother collecting them? We are leaving. Mobilize every hand we have. We must find King of Hell's Sword. Hmph, I wonder whether Elder Qingmu and the others have succeeded."

Brocade Manor's people hurried away after Flower Protector Young Master. There was not the slightest grief on those women's faces; every one of them looked at Flower Protector Young Master with a smile, making for an exceedingly strange sight. When Gu Cangyue and the others heard his final remark, their expressions changed slightly. They left six constables at the scene, while everyone else hurried away as well.

Within Suzhou City, Li Feng lazily gnawed on a roasted dog leg, changed into a fairly presentable outfit, rubbed his belly, and followed A Long out the door. Before long, the entire courtyard stood empty, without even a ghostly shadow in sight. Even the hoodlum Tiger Boss had sent to deliver instructions found no one. After cursing a few times, he could only turn and walk away.