Xiao Tao cried out in alarm and hurriedly shielded her chest with both hands. Who could have known that Yan Chihuo would jab a finger at her right arm? Xiao Tao's arms shuddered and dropped to her sides. His fingers curled like hooks, and he followed with a tug. It looked as though he would tear off her bodice in one pull. Xiao Tao twisted her body and flicked her right hand diagonally. Her sash fluttered loose, truly like falling blossoms, her movements exquisitely graceful.
Yan Chihuo withdrew his hand and said, "That was Falling Blossoms from the Falling Flower Sword Art. Miss Xiao Tao, that move was splendid. Without more than ten years of hard practice, you could never have reached that level. The thirteen sword wounds on Steward Tie's body were inflicted with Heavenly Flowers Scattering from the Falling Flower Sword Art!"
Xiao Tao's face changed drastically. "That's right. I was the one who sent people to rob the silver that day. Du the Third, that great stupid bear, was so bewitched by me that he told me everything, right down to his ancestors' eighteenth generation." As soon as she finished speaking, Du Ming's face turned ashen. His eyes seemed ready to spit fire, and his fists clenched with a crackle, yet he did not say a word.
Yan Chihuo clapped his hands. "Tsk, tsk, what a devoted couple you are! Miss Xiao Tao was actually willing to take the blame herself."
Du Ming could no longer hold back. "What do you mean by that?"
Yan Chihuo said, "If I'm not mistaken, the 28-Style Gale Axe Technique used by the Third Manor Lord included the Falling Flower Sword Art. Yesterday, when the Third Manor Lord blocked his opponent's strike, he used Falling Blossoms, the very move we just saw. The move I used on Miss Xiao Tao just now was the same one you used to attack your opponent yesterday. The Falling Flower Sword Art is a secret art passed down only within the Hua Family. After the Hua Family was wiped out twenty years ago, only Hua Ling and her husband escaped. Who would have thought you would join Cloud Sun Manor and even become its Third Manor Lord?"
Du Ming's face changed drastically. Yan Chihuo continued, "Though Steward Tie died by the sword, one of the thirteen wounds on his body was clearly too deep. Now it's plain that you've wielded an axe for too many years. When you used a sword, your hand came down a little too hard, exposing a flaw you shouldn't have."
Du Ming roared in fury. "You're making wild accusations! If this Xiao Tao is Hua Ling, she must be at least forty. How could she look like this?"
Yan Chihuo raised his hand and jabbed Xiao Tao seven times in quick succession. Though Xiao Tao was no weakling, she failed to evade even a single finger. Her body went limp and slumped to the ground.
Yan Chihuo took a small bottle from his breast and said to a young man whose expression was as impassive as a stone carving, "Qu Wuxing, use this to remove her disguise." Qu Wuxing was around the same age as Zhou Fang, considerably older than Yan Chihuo, but like Zhou Fang, he did not dare disobey Yan Chihuo's orders in the slightest. It was plain that he followed Yan Chihuo's lead in everything.
Yan Chihuo turned back to Du Ming. "I've been in the martial world for ten years and have assassinated sixty-seven prominent figures. The Disguise Technique has been an enormous help to me, so Miss Xiao Tao's disguise couldn't fool me." In moments, Qu Wuxing had washed Xiao Tao's face with the liquid in the bottle. Sure enough, beneath the disguise was a stunning woman of about forty.
Yan Chihuo said, "Third Manor Lord, do you have anything else to say? Under my watch, I guarantee Hua Ling will tell us everything, clearly and in full."
Du Ming let out a tigerish roar and swung the great axe from his back, bringing it down on Yan Chihuo. This was his famed signature technique. As the wind from the axe surged, it sealed off every direction around Yan Chihuo. Yet before the axe had even finished its arc, a flash of light streaked by, and blood spurted from Du Ming's throat, raining down like a shower before dispersing like mist. A moment later, the great axe crashed to the ground with a thud. Du Ming's body swayed twice, then toppled after it.
Yun Zaitian saw this and let out a long sigh. "I've truly grown old and blind. I didn't notice a thing. But now that Du Ming is dead, how are we supposed to learn where those one hundred thousand taels of silver are?"
Yan Chihuo said, "No matter. We still have this woman. By the way, whatever Du Ming did wrong, I shouldn't have killed him myself. But before I left, Second Master gave me the Black Tiger Order and authorized me to act as I saw fit. I hope Manor Lord Yun won't take offense." As he spoke, he took a black iron token from his breast. A lifelike tiger's head was carved into it.
Yun Zaitian managed a faint smile. "Du Ming brought this upon himself. You're not to blame, Nephew Yan."
Yan Chihuo nodded. "Thank you for your magnanimity, Manor Lord Yun." With that, he opened the account book and began leafing through it carefully. More than two hours passed before he closed the book and said to Tong Huaibing, "Second Manor Lord, you were in charge of building the Hundred Flower Garden at Cloud Sun Manor last year, weren't you?"
Tong Huaibing's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly replied, "That's right. I requested two hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver at the time and spent a total of two hundred and forty-seven thousand six hundred and thirty-nine taels. I turned over the remainder as well."
Yan Chihuo said, "You were also in charge of renovating the Justice Gathering Hall, weren't you?"
Tong Huaibing said, "That's right. The Justice Gathering Hall had fallen into disrepair. I requested fifty thousand taels of silver and spent a total of forty-eight thousand two hundred and sixty taels."
Yan Chihuo said, "Unlike Du Ming, Second Manor Lord is a veteran of the Tiger Roar Manor. Twenty-three years ago, you were in charge of renovating its inner hall. You spent just over twenty-three thousand taels of silver, saving thirteen thousand taels, and the workmanship was even better. Am I wrong?"
Tong Huaibing said, "Young Master Yan has an excellent memory. Actually, it wasn't that someone else had lined their pockets. The people at the manor were all fighters competing in the martial world, and construction was beyond their expertise. As for me, I'm not particularly clever. I simply wanted to do more for the Manor Lord and took the work seriously."
Yan Chihuo said, "That's right. From then on, Second Manor Lord caught Second Master Ping's attention. He entrusted you with many business dealings, and not one went awry. You also spent less, so when Cloud Sun Manor was established, Second Master Ping appointed you to assist Manor Lord Yun."
Tong Huaibing said, "I'm grateful to Second Master Ping for recognizing my abilities. I naturally did my utmost."
Yan Chihuo said, "However, over the past ten years, Second Manor Lord's expenses have kept climbing. Ten years ago, for instance, the construction of Plum Blossom Hall cost more than eight hundred and ninety thousand taels. Even so, that was still twenty percent less than Shopkeeper Xue's estimate. Seven years ago, Shopkeeper Xue passed away, and Steward Lin was assigned elsewhere, leaving all construction matters in Second Manor Lord's hands. But your expenses kept rising."
Tong Huaibing forced a smile. "It couldn't be helped. The prices of materials and labor have risen sharply. I did the best I could."
Yan Chihuo said, "I compared the Tiger Roar Manor's account books from the past fifty years and found that the funds allocated to the manor were more than enough. There was always money left over. But the quality of the construction varied. For work done well, only seventy percent of the amount recorded in the books was actually needed. For ordinary work, just fifty percent—or even less—would suffice. Second Manor Lord, you discovered this secret twenty-three years ago and became even more adept at managing funds. That was why you saved nearly sixty percent on the renovation of the Tiger Roar Manor's inner hall."
Sweat began to bead on Tong Huaibing's forehead. "I never noticed that. I simply kept a strict eye on expenses."
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