Chapter 167

Lin Yaodong was about to leave when he heard what the leader of the Xuanming Sect said, so he stopped in his hurry.

The Xuanming Sect, Tongwen Hall, and Illusory Sound Workshop are the three major Jianghu organizations in the Central Plains, each affiliated with the Great Liang, Jin Kingdom, and Qi Kingdom, respectively. Their strength should be roughly equal. The Xuanming Sect has already given me quite a surprise, so the other two must be no less formidable.

After thinking about it for a moment, Lin Yaodong decided to go and have some fun first.

"Lead the way."

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Xuanming Sect almost burst out laughing. "Don't blame me, this person is the one causing trouble for you, not us from the Xuanming Sect Xuanming Sect. It has absolutely nothing to do with us, hahaha~"

"Alright, sir, please follow me."

Before long, the leader of the Xuanming Sect brought Lin Yaodong to the dark side of the Illusory Sound Workshop.

"Reporting to the leader, something terrible has happened! The Xuanming Sect has surrounded our Hundred Flowers Pavilion!"

A beautiful woman was immediately shocked. "What? How dare they be so brazen? Aren't they afraid that our Illusory Sound Workshop will wipe out their secret base in the Qi Kingdom as well?"

The beautiful woman paced back and forth, then said to her maid, "Try to stall them for now, I'll go shortly."

~~~

"Sir, you all look so fierce, you've frightened our young lady. Lord Liu, what's going on? Why are you making such a fuss?"

Seeing that the Xuanming Sect members, all wearing fierce-looking iron masks, had surrounded the Yichun Courtyard, the madam immediately stepped forward to laugh it off.

The leader gave a wicked smile, casually putting his arm around two girls. Judging from their technique and skill, they were definitely regular customers who frequented this place often.

"Madam Wang, we're not here for fun today; we have important business to attend to. Please bring out your most beautiful courtesan, the girl in Ziyi. We have distinguished guests today."

Madam Wang Ma said with some difficulty, "Oh dear, Lord Liu, so many sisters are still here. How heartbroken these girls will be if you say that?"

The two beautiful women beside Branch Master Liu chimed in, "Lord Liu, what have we sisters done wrong? You're such a heartless man, forgetting us old flames now that you have a new love."

"That's right, Lord Liu is quite the womanizer."

The two beauties then began to pant and whine to Branch Master Liu.

Branch Master Liu: Oh dear, these two vixens are getting more and more dangerous. If it weren't for important business to attend to today, I would have stayed here all night.

Branch Master Liu successfully appeased the beauty, and then proceeded to threaten the madam.

"Madam Wang, isn't the girl in Ziyi coming out yet? Does she really think we brothers are here for pleasure?"

Branch Master Liu slammed the wine jug he was holding to the ground, and at the same time, the Xuanming Sect members drew their machetes. In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire Yichun Courtyard became tense and murderous. The other guests who came to play also stopped what they were doing and looked nervously at the Xuanming Sect members.

They were terrified that they would kill them too.

Seeing this, Branch Master Liu sneered, "When the Xuanming Sect handling matters, anyone who doesn't want to die, get out of here."

Upon seeing this, the guests all felt as if they had been granted a pardon and rushed towards the door. The Xuanming Sect members also made way for them, allowing them to leave.

After all, those who come here to play are all high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen. Ordinary people are not qualified to come in and spend money. Just one drink can cost an ordinary family two or three months' worth of money.

Therefore, the Xuanming Sect members naturally turned a blind eye to these powerful or wealthy people, since they would run into them all the time. After all, a large part of their operating funds came from these people, and if they offended these big spenders, things would get tough in the future.

At this moment, the courtesan of Yichun Courtyard, dressed in Ziyi, finally arrived. She was indeed extremely beautiful, with a graceful figure, plump in the right places and slender in the right places, especially her long legs, which were incredibly alluring.

When Branch Master Liu, saw her, he was also somewhat excited, but when he thought of her identity, that Evil Fire was extinguished.

If I'm not mistaken, this girl in Ziyi should be the leader of the hidden branch that the Illusory Sound Workshop has planted here, and her cultivation level should be at the Lesser Star Rank.

The organizational structures of the three major forces are similar. At the bottom are the followers, commonly known as cannon fodder. They are always required to do all kinds of hard and tiring work, but they are never seen eating, drinking, or eating meat.

The next level up are the leaders, who are all skilled fighters in the martial arts world. Although they may not get any meat, they can still get a piece of the pie by following behind.

Above that are the leaders of the clandestine or overt branches, as well as some mid-level leaders.

These people are mostly at the Lesser Star Rank or Middle Star Rank level, and their cultivation has already reached the grade level, making them qualified to govern a region. For example, he himself is one of the leaders of many Mingduo.

Middle-level leaders are most typically like the Black and White Impermanence, always on the move wherever they are needed.

Above that are the near-high-level leaders, such as the Five Great Yama Lords of their Xuanming Sect. Although they are also branch leaders, they nominally control all the overt and covert branches, including Branch Master Liu, who is under the command of one of the Yama Kings.

Finally, there are the truly high-ranking figures: the Ice and Fire Guardians, Meng Po, the Four Great Corpse Ancestors, and so on.

~~~

Upon meeting the person in question, Liu, the Branch Master Liu, ran to Lin Yaodong's side and whispered obsequiously, "Great hero, this is the person from the Illusory Sound Workshop you're looking for. If I'm not mistaken, the courtesan in Ziyi before us should be the person in charge of the Illusory Sound Workshop here, and her cultivation is only slightly weaker than mine."

Don't underestimate her just because she looks like that. This woman is incredibly skilled at playing the flute; I almost fell victim to her several times.

Lin Yaodong frowned slightly. He rarely fought with women, but if he did, he wouldn't hold back. He would still hit them without hesitation.

Lin Yaodong stood up, his eyes sharply fixed on the woman in Ziyi.

"People from Illusory Sound Workshop?"

Ziyi then noticed Lin Yaodong. Previously, Ziyi had thought that it was that guy surnamed Liu who brought people from the Xuanming Sect to cause trouble, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.

The people from the Xuanming Sect seemed to have come for the man before them.

Could he be a new high-ranking member of the Xuanming Sect? But the Xuanming Sect doesn't seem to have such a person.

strangeness.

Judging from their positions and demeanor, this person did not seem to be a member of the Xuanming Sect. He did not have the deathly aura of the Xuanming Sect. Instead, he had a vibrant and powerful aura. In addition, his appearance was full of heroic spirit. Ziyi couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.

Judging from the attitude of the person surnamed Liu, they seem to be guests of the Xuanming Sect, very distinguished guests.

Ziyi decided to test the waters first. "Lord Liu, this is Yichun Courtyard, a place for pleasure-seeking. We only have girls from Yichun Courtyard; there are no girls from other establishments like Yin or Fang."

Lord Liu, you must have made a mistake.

The madam chimed in from the side, "That's right, this is Yichun Courtyard, not some brothel with girls. Lord Liu, you must be mistaken, right, ladies?"

As Madam Wang dried the food, the other girls chimed in, "That's right, that's right, this is Yichun Courtyard, not a..."

Bang~

Upon seeing this, Branch Master Liu kicked the table next to him, shattering it to pieces.

Then, glancing around, he said fiercely, "I don't have time to waste on you guys. I usually turn a blind eye, but now you dare to joke around with me? Don't you want to live?"

Seeing this, Ziyi stopped pretending and frowned, saying in a delicate voice, "Then what do you mean? Coming here directly to cause trouble for us, aren't you afraid that your Xuanming Sect's hidden agents within the Qi Kingdom will also be wiped out?"

Branch Master Liu gave a sinister smile, "Hehe, don't misunderstand."

"This time, it's not our Xuanming Sect coming to cause trouble for you. It's just that I have a distinguished guest who is very interested in you, which is why I've come here to find you."

Lin Yaodong then stepped forward and said, "He's right, I was the one who came to find you."

I've already experienced the skills of the Xuanming Sect. Now it's your Illusory Sound Workshop, and if nothing unexpected happens, the Tongwen Hall will be next. If you know anything about the Bad Guys, that would be even better.

I plan to attack them one by one, starting with the branch headquarters and then moving on to the main headquarters.

Lin Yaodong naturally understood the Xuanming Sect's schemes, so he directly told the Ziyi girl about his relationship with the Xuanming Sect and his purpose for coming.

I'm just here to fight and exchange martial arts skills; I have no interest in your personal grudges.

Ziyi naturally understood Lin Yaodong's meaning, and in her heart she had already cursed Branch Master Liu's ancestors for eighteen generations.

The Xuanming Sect suffered a considerable loss at the hands of the person before them, and with the thought that they shouldn't be the only ones to suffer, they shifted the blame to their Illusory Sound Workshop, and then to the Tongwen Hall as well.

Thinking about this, Ziyi felt annoyed. These kinds of martial arts competitions were the most troublesome. Now that they had come knocking on her door, there was no way to avoid them.

There was no other way but to bite the bullet and go for it.

The girl in Ziyi said, "I am honored that you think so highly of me, sir. May I ask your name?"

"Lin Yaodong!"

The man in Ziyi smiled generously and said, "So it's Master Lin. A friendly spar is no problem, but there are too many outsiders here, so it might not be very convenient!"

The Ziyi's meaning was clear: fighting was fine, but she didn't want to see any members of the Xuanming Sect right now.

Lin Yaodong nodded, then said to the Xuanming Sect members, "You all go out first, I'll be there shortly."

Branch Master Liu clearly looked troubled, but dared not offend Lin Yaodong, so he could only lead his men out awkwardly.

As the Xuanming Sect members withdrew and the gates of Yichun Courtyard closed, many of the girls inside changed their expressions. The remaining girls, who had nothing to do with Illusory Sound Workshop, left the front hall one by one and hid in their rooms.

They were all aware of what was about to happen, and naturally wouldn't stay here to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Because they were from the Dark Helms, the number of people in the Illusory Sound Workshop was not as many as those in the Xuanming Sect. Including the woman in Ziyi, there were only five people who surrounded Lin Yaodong. The other four were also very beautiful, although not as beautiful as the Ziyi, they were still considered to be of high quality.

Every move the Ziyi made was alluring. She tossed a strand of hair aside, and her voice was sweet and seductive, captivating all who heard her. "Master Lin~ This humble woman is no match for your martial arts skills, please go easy on me."

Before Ziyi could finish speaking, a bamboo flute was instantly pressed against Lin Yaodong's chest. As if by signal, the other four women also took out their personal items, such as daggers, scissors, or hairpins, and attacked Lin Yaodong's vitals.

Although Lin Yaodong didn't particularly enjoy fighting with women, it wasn't out of any chivalrous spirit. In fact, sometimes Lin Yaodong was even more ruthless when beating women than men.

The five women before him were ruthless killers, and Lin Yaodong would show no mercy, delivering every punch he deserved.

Lin Yaodong grabbed the bamboo flute of the woman in Ziyi and the hairpin of another beauty with both hands. He squeezed them tightly and swung his arms wildly. The two women were clearly not expecting Lin Yaodong to be so strong. He not only broke their personal weapons but also threw them both away.

The Ziyi was alright; her skill had reached the Lesser Star Rank. When she was thrown away, she used the force of the fall to regain her balance. The other woman, however, was not so lucky. She crashed into a screen and a chair before finally stopping. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and her body felt like it was falling apart. She couldn't even struggle to get up.

The other three beauties fared no better. One of them tried to stab Lin Yaodong in the waist with scissors, but Lin Yaodong kicked her away with a sweeping kick. The other two beauties dodged behind them to avoid being kicked away as well.

In an instant, two of the five members of the Illusory Sound Workshop collapsed.

Everyone else had only one opinion about Lin Yaodong: he was simply a beast!

How could you lay a hand on such a delicate and beautiful woman? And hit her so hard! Do you have a grudge against women?

Lin Yaodong was also somewhat surprised by this; wasn't it supposed to be that the three major forces were equally renowned?

However, the beauties of the Illusory Sound Workshop were clearly weaker than the members of the Xuanming Sect. Another reason was that they lacked martial ethics and resorted to sneak attacks, which Lin Yaodong reacted instinctively.

Faced with this, Lin Yaodong could only gather more strength to see what the secrets of the Illusory Sound Workshop's kung fu were.

When Ziyi clashed with Lin Yaodong again, as Lin Yaodong's strength weakened, Ziyi could clearly feel that Lin Yaodong had become much weaker. This made Ziyi even angrier and more furious. How dare he underestimate her like this? She would definitely make him pay the price.

As Ziyi performed exceptionally well, Lin Yaodong gradually came to appreciate the intricacies of the Illusory Sound Workshop's martial arts. These arts used sound and various light and dark effects as Genjutsu to confuse and bewitch enemies, and would suddenly erupt when the enemy was off guard, with extremely fast speed and explosive power.

Presumably, it is this talent that allows the Illusory Sound Workshop to contend with the Xuanming Sect.

After all, in terms of skill, the women of the Illusory Sound Workshop were indeed a notch weaker than those of the Xuanming Sect, but in terms of speed and explosive power, the Illusory Sound Workshop was superior.

Lin Yaodong didn't need to care about the Genjutsu sounds and tricks of the Illusory Sound Workshop, but their speed and skill during bursts of power were worth learning Lin Yaodong. As Ziyi performed exceptionally well, Lin Yaodong gradually came to appreciate the subtlety of the Illusory Sound Workshop's martial arts. They used sound and various light and dark effects as Genjutsu to confuse and charm their enemies, and then suddenly attacked when the enemy was off guard, with extremely fast speed and explosive power.

Presumably, it is this talent that allows the Illusory Sound Workshop to contend with the Xuanming Sect.

After all, in terms of skill, the women of the Illusory Sound Workshop were indeed a notch weaker than those of the Xuanming Sect, but in terms of speed and explosive power, the Illusory Sound Workshop was superior.

Lin Yaodong didn't need to care about the illusionary sounds and tricks of the Genjutsu Sound Illusory Sound Workshop, but the speed and skill with which they unleashed their power were something Lin Yaodong could learn from.