After Wen Qingkong finished speaking, the shopkeeper frowned deeply, and the entire room fell silent in an instant.
Wen Qingkong's speculation was not unreasonable. After all, Xie Hai had said it himself. Recalling the battle at Qingyang Mountain, where Xie Qianyu had killed so many opponents and joined forces with Shen Luo, two Martial Arts Grandmasters had ended with one dead and one injured, while even the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay had been taken.
That was rather suspicious.
The shopkeeper's heart burned with excitement. The more he considered it, the more likely Wen Qingkong's words seemed. If they could truly seize the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay, it would be a tremendous merit!
The shopkeeper looked at Wen Qingkong with admiration in his eyes.
"The Holy Maiden's decision to bring a little Corpse Seamstress like you into the Holy Church was indeed wise."
"You have done well. To have earned such great merit so quickly, you will certainly receive a generous reward."
"Whether it is weapons, pills, or secret martial arts manuals, the Holy Church will not be stingy."
"Only, this information..."
Wen Qingkong hurriedly said, "Shopkeeper, you can verify it first. If it is true, at least half the credit will be yours!"
The shopkeeper laughed heartily. The little fellow was young, yet remarkably skilled in the ways of the world.
He liked clever juniors.
Still, this young man had been personally recruited into the Holy Church by the Holy Maiden, so he could not exploit him too harshly.
"No need, no need."
"You and I will each take half the credit. How does that sound?"
"Oh, thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!"
Wen Qingkong thanked him repeatedly, and the shopkeeper's smile grew even brighter.
He saw Wen Qingkong out, then began using his own methods to investigate Shen Luo's recent movements.
A guess was still only a guess. He needed confirmation, strong evidence proving that the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay was in Shen Luo's possession.
That was not actually difficult. After obtaining the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay, Shen Luo would certainly behave differently.
Wen Qingkong did not know how the shopkeeper intended to investigate and verify it. After leaving Listening Wind Tea House, he returned to Corpse Seamstress House Number Nine. All he needed to do next was wait patiently for the White Lotus Sect's experts to enter the capital.
For the next five days, Wen Qingkong had no work. Likewise, no news came from Listening Wind Tea House.
Until the morning of the sixth day, when Wen Qingkong opened his door and saw a blooming white lotus mark in an inconspicuous corner by the wall.
It was the White Lotus Sect's signal.
Wen Qingkong knew that Listening Wind Tea House had received news.
He greeted Li Lan'er and headed straight for Listening Wind Tea House.
After arriving at Listening Wind Tea House, he returned to the same room as before. Though the shopkeeper tried hard to suppress it, Wen Qingkong could still see joy and excitement in his eyes.
It had worked.
Wen Qingkong had expected as much. The Life's Flashback could not be wrong, unless someone had later taken the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay from Shen Luo.
"Little Wen, you have truly rendered a great service!"
"I had men watch Shen Luo continuously, and through secret channels learned that ever since Shen Luo returned from Qingyang Mountain, he has remained in seclusion. He did not even attend his son-in-law Xie Qianyu's funeral."
"This practically confirms that he was the one who seized the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay."
"That old thief is truly vicious. He killed even his own son-in-law over a martial arts secret manual, and his grandson is only one year old!"
By the end, a chill had risen in the shopkeeper's heart as well.
These great families and orthodox sects had always denounced the White Lotus Sect as a Demonic Cult, yet their own methods were just as dark and ruthless.
Wen Qingkong said, "Then when do we act?"
The shopkeeper pondered briefly. "Soon. The Holy Church has already sent people here, and the Holy Maiden happens to still be in Yujing City. When the time comes, we will strike swiftly, seize the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay, and leave at once. Great Xia will likely be unable to react in time."
Wen Qingkong nodded slightly. The more detailed a plan was, the stronger the execution it required. Otherwise, any single detail could cause the entire plan to fail.
The White Lotus Sect clearly understood this principle. Thus, they had no elaborate plan at all. They would simply gather experts, wipe them out in one battle, seize the manual, and leave immediately.
This plan without a plan instead had a greater chance of success.
"Little Wen, once the Holy Church's elders arrive, they will need somewhere to rest. Your Corpse Seamstress Workshop is always quiet and has few visitors, so you must treat them well."
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Serve them well, and perhaps you may receive a heaven-sent opportunity."
The shopkeeper smiled at Wen Qingkong, looking as though he were thinking entirely for Wen Qingkong's benefit.
Wen Qingkong hurriedly thanked him as well.
After leaving Listening Wind Tea House, Wen Qingkong returned to Corpse Seamstress House Number Nine.
He did not know who the White Lotus Sect had sent, but Li Lan'er and her daughter were still in Corpse Seamstress House Number Nine. He hoped nothing unexpected would happen.
That night, after Li Lan'er and her daughter had gone to sleep, Wen Qingkong quickly descended to the first floor, where he found that the White Lotus Sect's Holy Maiden, Mu Yinyao, had somehow already arrived.
Just now, she had deliberately revealed her aura to draw Wen Qingkong downstairs.
"At midnight the day after tomorrow, we will attack the Shen Family and seize the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay. The Holy Church has relatively few people in Yujing City, so you will go as well."
Mu Yinyao's tone was indifferent, cold, and sharp, carrying an overbearing authority that brooked no argument.
Wen Qingkong nodded and accepted.
He had long guessed that the White Lotus Sect would have him join the attack.
After all, he had only recently entered the White Lotus Sect. There was no better pledge of loyalty than joining them in exterminating an entire family.
Seeing Wen Qingkong agree so readily, Mu Yinyao was even more satisfied.
She had seen too many traitors who had joined the Holy Church unwillingly, only to sabotage things at every turn.
For now, Wen Qingkong did not seem to be that kind of person.
At the very least, Wen Qingkong had been the one to inform the Holy Church about the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay.
"Your Corpse Seamstress House Number Nine has that mother and daughter, so the Holy Church's elders will not come here to rest."
"Although the shopkeeper of Listening Wind Tea House is an old member of the Holy Church, he has lived in Yujing City for years and has long been corrupted by wealth and glory. He has forgotten the Holy Church's mission and cares only for maneuvering over personal gain."
"You need not take his words to heart. As for who deserves the greater credit in this matter, the Holy Church already knows."
Wen Qingkong knew that Mu Yinyao was reassuring him, worried that he would harbor resentment over having his credit stolen.
Wen Qingkong did not care. After all, he was not truly doing this for the White Lotus Sect. He merely wanted the White Lotus Sect to pay the price.
Now, the White Lotus Sect's people had all gathered. What remained was Great Xia's imperial court.
How could he make all the White Lotus Sect's elders die in Yujing City on the night after tomorrow?
After Holy Maiden Mu Yinyao left, Wen Qingkong returned to the second floor.
For the moment, he could not leave Corpse Seamstress House Number Nine.
Wen Qingkong believed that a professional rebellion organization like the White Lotus Sect would certainly have sent people to watch him while carrying out its plans.
If he made any suspicious move, the White Lotus Sect's people would kill him.
Li Lan'er and her daughter could not leave Corpse Seamstress House Number Nine either.
They were surely under the White Lotus Sect's surveillance as well.
That left him with no one he could use to deliver a message.
Suddenly, Wen Qingkong saw Little One through Little Nine flap their wings as they entered one after another through the second-floor window, landing on the railing to sleep.
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