Cunning Ruyi Star

"Yes! Manager!"

The waiter acknowledged the order and quickly headed downstairs to find the accountant to write an invitation for Yanhe Pavilion.

Seeing the waiter leave, the bandit leader turned his gaze toward the window.

"If we include this Little Qilin, who is suspected to be at the peak of the Postnatal Realm, there are now nine Postnatal peak experts in town."

The bandit leader shook his sleeves.

"If I can also befriend this Little Qilin, I will have met every martial arts expert in town! Furthermore, I know several officials in the town yamen who can put in a good word for me. If ordinary martial artists want to move against me, they will have to weigh my connections first."

The bandit leader now enjoyed making wide connections and befriending many people. In Little Liuzi Town, he was doing quite well for himself and could be considered a figure whose name was known to others. Although most people simply referred to him as the "Manager of Yanhe Pavilion," it was still a reputation to have abroad.

Night fell. Inside a small room in the Zhao family's backyard, accompanied by the clatter of bowls and chopsticks, Chen Guan sat at a somewhat small table, shoveling through a small bucket of rice along with eight dishes and two soups.

"Slow down... slow down... don't choke..." On the other side of the table, Auntie Hua was kindly picking out food for Chen Guan, but she couldn't keep up with his eating speed at all. It was as if the moment Auntie Hua tore off a chicken leg and handed it over, Chen Guan would reach out, take it, open his mouth, stuff it in, and crunch away. With his hard teeth and a martial artist's powerful digestive ability, Chen Guan swallowed the meat and bones alike, finishing the piece in mere seconds. Because of this eating speed, Auntie Hua's hand barely stopped moving.

Meanwhile, outside the small room, Patriarch Zhao was pacing back and forth with several of his sons, truly at a loss for how to communicate with Chen Guan. Yet, just at this moment, seeing that Auntie Hua kept picking food for him while refusing to eat herself, Chen Guan couldn't help but put down the remaining half-bucket of rice and opened the conversation. "Auntie, if you don't eat, I won't eat either. You just watching me eat makes me feel awkward, as if this is the only meal left in the house."

"Ling..." At this, Patriarch Zhao saw an opening to join the conversation and walked in with a smile. However, he had originally intended to call out "Ling'er," but changed it at the last second: "Guan'er!" As he spoke, he looked at Auntie Hua, who was just about to stand up to offer a greeting, and said, "Sister Hua, Guan'er is right. Our estate isn't out of food; there's no need to worry about who eats first, who eats later, or who is reluctant to eat."

"Father and Fifth Brother are right!" Eldest Young Master followed behind Patriarch Zhao. At the same time, Eldest Young Master said to Second Young Master and Sixth Young Master, who were just about to follow them in: "Second Brother, Sixth Brother, go to the kitchen and prepare another table. Hua Niang hasn't eaten yet, and Fifth Brother is still hungry."

"Ah... right..." After a brief pause, the two agreed and prepared to head to the kitchen. Before they could leave, Eldest Young Master suddenly bowed with cupped hands and said sincerely to Chen Guan at the table: "Fifth Brother... Big Brother must thank you... If it weren't for Fifth Brother, Big Brother would have... would have..."

"The matter of the bandits is already in the past."

Chen Guan didn't care in the slightest and prepared to continue eating.

But seeing his eldest brother still bowing sincerely in thanks, and seeing his cheap father looking restrained, wanting to talk to him but not knowing how to start, he hesitated.

Finally, Chen Guan looked at his small room, then at Second Young Master and Sixth Young Master, who were preparing to leave the courtyard.

After pondering for a few breaths.

Chen Guan suddenly smiled and pointed to his small courtyard, "Second Brother, Sixth Brother, have someone add another table. The room won't fit our whole family."

Perhaps it was the blood relation, or perhaps they held no ill will toward him.

Furthermore, now that his strength had increased, they no longer harbored any ulterior motives.

Chen Guan suddenly felt that this home had become warm all of a sudden.

"Great, great!" Sixth Young Master truly respected Valiant Fifth Brother from the bottom of his heart.

Upon hearing that his fifth brother wanted to eat with them, he happily trotted off to notify the kitchen.

"Father." Chen Guan then looked at Patriarch Zhao, who had just broken into a smile, "I want to buy some saber technique manuals. Can the family help me out with that?"

"Yes... yes!" Patriarch Zhao's smile widened; it was the joy of finally being able to strike up a conversation with his valiant son.

"Father will have someone handle it right away! I'll have them go inquire..."

"It's ruined, it's ruined..."

The night deepened.

In the Liu family mansion on the west side of town.

Patriarch Liu was suffering from insomnia tonight.

He was also a rice merchant in Little Liuzi Town, on par with the Zhao family.

"A few days ago, I entrusted someone to leak information to those bandits, getting them to target the Zhao family.

I don't know if those bandits will find out about me, or if they will sell me out...

If Little Qilin finds out that the Liu family was involved in the bandit affair... then..."

Patriarch Liu thought of the bandits who had died miserably during the day, slaughtered to the last man by Little Qilin.

His heart hammered in his chest, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead incessantly.

"I shouldn't have done it..."

Patriarch Liu was full of regret, for he felt he was going to die.

But in reality, Chen Guan did not know.

The "fixer" Patriarch Liu had entrusted was quite capable.

But just at this moment.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, and a somewhat short man wearing a bamboo hat walked in.

He was the very "fixer" Patriarch Liu had entrusted.

Seeing this man, Patriarch Liu felt as if he had seen a savior, rushing forward a few steps and asking anxiously:

"Ruyi Star! Does Little Qilin know about my Liu family's involvement?"

"Although I know many people from all walks of life and am well-informed," Ruyi Star said, his expression unchanging beneath the bamboo hat as he heard Patriarch Liu's question, "I am not a god in the heavens who knows all things.

Regarding this matter you speak of, you can only ask that Little Qilin yourself.

Ask him if he knows that the Liu family participated in the bandit affair."

"You!" Patriarch Liu's expression turned angry, and he whispered through gritted teeth:

"I gave you fifty taels of silver back then to keep it a secret!

Did you tell those bandits about my Liu family's business?"

Of course I didn't tell them, and it would be hard for them to trace it back to me, Ruyi Star thought to himself as he looked at Patriarch Liu's expression.

But when he spoke, it was something else entirely, "Although I didn't tell them, it's hard to guarantee that those bandits, after making inquiries, wouldn't identify this as being entrusted by you, Patriarch Liu.

They have roamed the pugilistic world for years and have many ways of doing things.

Therefore, just in case, you should assume that Little Qilin already knows this matter concerns you."

Ruyi Star emphasized his tone as he continued, "Perhaps... he will come knocking one of these days.

Right now, Patriarch Liu, you are riding a tiger and cannot get off, with a sharp blade hanging over your head.

Especially since Constable Yan, Lord Yan, is more than half a man of the pugilistic world himself."

If Little Qilin were to tell Constable Yan about this matter.

The yamen likely wouldn't be able to protect you.

Especially since colluding with bandits is also a serious crime.

The best course of action for you now is to abandon your business and leave this place."

"Abandon all my business?" Patriarch Liu was unwilling, as most of his wealth was tied up in his goods.

But he also knew that running away might be the best method.

However.

When he thought of Ruyi Star, who had many crooked ways.

He ultimately still held onto hope and requested, "Ruyi Star, do you have any ideas?"

"An idea? Of course I do." Seeing that he had secured new business from a regular customer with just a few words, Ruyi Star finally revealed a confident smile and said:

"Do you know Bamboo Swordsman?"

"How could I not know him?"

Patriarch Liu blurted out:

"Senior Bamboo is the third-ranked Houtian Great Completion expert in our town, and furthermore, he is a close friend of the proprietor of Yanhe Pavilion!"

"Correct, that is him." Ruyi Star's smile did not fade.

"But what you don't know is that this man is extremely jealous, especially of young talents.

There are at least eighteen, if not twenty, young martial arts heroes who have died at his hands.

Now, if I were to lobby him, and you were to offer some money.

Perhaps... your problem would be solved."

"Really?"

At this moment, when the word "money" was mentioned, Patriarch Liu, who had been in business for many years, couldn't help but frown, feeling as though he had stepped into a business "trap."

But even if he knew it was a trap, he had to jump in.

It was better than having that Little Qilin vault over his courtyard wall one day.

"This matter will cost one hundred taels." Ruyi Star ignored Patriarch Liu's frowning expression and continued to smile, saying: "By tomorrow night at the latest, I will have Bamboo Swordsman pay you a visit."

For the sake of his life, Patriarch Liu endured the pain and paid the one hundred taels.

That night.

After taking the money, Ruyi Star ran away overnight.

After all, offending a Houtian Great Completion expert is not a good thing.

If he didn't run, was he supposed to wait for death?

In the event that Patriarch Liu was caught by Little Qilin first and forced to reveal him.

Ruyi Star felt that he wouldn't have a good outcome.

Of course, before leaving, he also sent a letter by carrier pigeon to the home of Bamboo Swordsman in the north of the town.

Running away is one thing, business is another.

He still maintained some integrity, and he hoped that Bamboo Swordsman would kill Little Qilin so that he could return.

Most of his regular customers were also in Little Liuzi Town.

He was just as reluctant to leave them behind.

The next day, in the afternoon.

Chen Guan, who was at home, received an invitation from Yanhe Pavilion.

The time was the night, five days later.

During the time he received the invitation.

Patriarch Zhao also told Chen Guan some things about the proprietor of Yanhe Pavilion.

In the end.

Chen Guan wanted to meet this big restaurant owner who had invited him as a guest.

He wanted to see if he could obtain some more secret manuals from him.

Because he heard from his cheap father that this proprietor knew many people in the martial arts world.

"Tell your proprietor..."

In the reception hall.

Chen Guan looked at the restaurant waiter, "Five days from now, Chen Guan will accept the invitation."