Volume 3, Chapter 192 – Please Exit the Carriage for Inspection, Sister

Not far from the Beihe Commandery city gate, there was a small tea pavilion.

“Boss, another pot of tea.”

A woman in blue robes sat at a small table in the tea pavilion.

She had a tall figure, wore her hair in a high ponytail, and had a short blade at her waist. She looked heroic and spirited.

Beside her sat a girl in a white dress, slightly shorter than the woman in blue. She held a book in her hands, with a small gourd hanging at her waist. She looked obedient and adorable.

These two women—one cool and heroic, one sweet and cute. They both had outstanding appearances. Either one of them would be extremely eye-catching in any crowd.

Yet now, as they sat in this tea pavilion, no one around paid them any attention.

It was as if the people sitting in this tea pavilion were just two ordinary women with plain faces and no appeal whatsoever.

This woman in blue robes was none other than Ye Xiaoqing, the assassin from Sin Moon Tower who had previously attempted to assassinate Lu Zhuxin.

Now sitting beside her was her good friend, Bai Yuening, also an assassin from Sin Moon Tower.

“This employer is really putting us through the wringer,” Ye Xiaoqing complained to Bai Yuening. “If they wanted us to continue the mission, they should have said so earlier instead of dragging it out for so many days.”

“Look, that girl has already been brought into the city by the Chi family. It’s going to be much more troublesome to make a move on her now than before.”

“Is that so?” Bai Yuening listened to Ye Xiaoqing’s complaints. Her gaze shifted from her book, and she said with amusement, “An assassin with Sixth Realm cultivation was actually discovered in advance by a mortal with no cultivation, then was driven into a desperate situation by a Fourth Realm alchemist and a Fifth Realm martial artist.”

“Before this, I never would have imagined such a foolish assassin would appear in our Sin Moon Tower.”

Ye Xiaoqing’s face immediately flushed with embarrassment. She quickly retorted, “I already told you, that was just an accident!”

“Who would have thought that wild girl with no cultivation would have such sharp eyes?”

“And that so-called Fourth Realm alchemist was a complete lie! Have you ever seen a Fourth Realm pill refiner fight as fiercely as a Fifth Realm sword cultivator?”

“The intelligence was wrong! You can’t blame me for that!”

“Besides, there’s very likely a seven-tailed fox demon hidden on that estate!”

“The powerful experts guarding that girl were completely different from what the intelligence reported!”

Hearing this, Bai Yuening asked with a light laugh, “Xiaoqing, I’ve been wanting to ask you. Are you certain that fox really came out of that estate?”

“Of course!” Ye Xiaoqing said. “That red fox followed behind me from the moment I left the estate after the failed assassination.”

“She definitely has some connection to that girl named Chi Xiyan!”

As she spoke, Ye Xiaoqing suddenly frowned. “What, don’t you believe me?”

Bai Yuening shook her head. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you. I just think your judgment is a bit hasty.”

“If that fox demon really has some connection to Chi Xiyan, then why didn’t she stop you during the assassination? Why did she wait until you left the estate to follow you?”

“Think about it carefully. A Fifth Realm martial artist, an alchemist comparable to a Fifth Realm sword cultivator, plus a fox demon at your same realm… If they all attacked together, you’d have a hard time escaping unscathed, right?”

“So that doesn’t make sense.”

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Ye Xiaoqing couldn’t help but furrow her brow upon hearing this.

“Then you tell me, what’s the deal with that red fox?”

“Was she just passing by coincidentally?”

“If she really was just passing by, then why did she track me all that way?”

Bai Yuening closed her book and shrugged. “Who knows?”

“But if it’s really like you guessed, and that red fox has some connection to the Chi family’s young miss…”

“We might as well wait here a bit longer.”

Bai Yuening pointed toward the queue in the distance where people were being inspected.

“Over there, there’s a pheromone detection stone from the Seven Sword Sects.”

“That thing will give us our answer.”

The pheromone detection stones from the Seven Sword Sects.

Lu Zhuxin had indeed mentioned such things in the original text.

As someone obsessed with fox girls, Lu Zhuxin had written scenes in which the original male lead, Song Shixuan, used these things to capture quite a few little fox girls.

This thing was somewhat special. Although its function sounded ordinary, like a hunting dog that could respond to pheromones, in reality, its essence was to react to the spiritual energy contained in fox demon pheromones.

As long as the person being tested had been contaminated with pheromones within the past half month, whether the concentration was deep or shallow, the pheromone detection stone would react.

Even using cleansing spells to wash the entire body and completely remove the scent would still be detected by this pheromone detection stone. Its effects were extremely domineering.

If one wanted to completely remove traces left by pheromones, only special spiritual herbs and immortal medicines could cleanse them.

Previously, Lu Zhuxin had used pheromones on Chi Xiyan. Although she had only used pheromones to soothe her emotions and the dosage was extremely small, she had still left traces on Chi Xiyan’s body. This would cause the pheromone detection stone to react.

Moreover, besides Chi Xiyan, whose body had been contaminated with Lu Zhuxin’s pheromones, there was also Lu Zhuxin herself, who similarly couldn’t approach that pheromone detection stone carelessly.

“Sister, what’s happening outside?” Lu Zhuxin asked.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry,” Chi Xiyan said. “You’ve been living on the estate all this time and don’t know what’s been happening outside. The Human Empress issued an imperial decree for the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Seven Sword Sects to work together to investigate fox demon spies who have infiltrated.”

“Oh!” Lu Zhuxin’s face showed a look of sudden realization. “Sister, so do we also have to get out now for inspection?”

“Let’s wait and see. Steward Liu has already gone to negotiate. In the past, the commandery city has also had situations where it was sealed off to capture fugitives, but the commandery’s garrison troops have never intercepted Chi family convoys.” Chi Xiyan furrowed her brow.

This time’s situation was indeed different from usual.

In Beihe Commandery, the Chi family was practically a local tyrant. Even the court-appointed commandery magistrate had to show some courtesy when meeting Old Master Chi.

Being stopped outside the city gate like this was a first even for Chi Xiyan herself.

Chi Xiyan raised her head and looked at Lu Zhuxin. “What’s wrong, Zhizhi? Are you worried about something?”

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“Mm.” Lu Zhuxin nodded. She lifted the carriage curtain and through the window could see the long queue outside.

This was the commandery city’s gate. Even normally, there was considerable foot traffic.

Now, because the Demon Suppression Bureau and sword sect disciples had set up checkpoints outside the city gate, crowds had already formed outside the commandery city’s gate.

The crowd was packed together, noisy and chaotic, extremely disorderly.

Not far away, the original Beihe Commandery garrison troops were barely maintaining order.

Such a scene made Chi Xiyan frown as well.

This kind of crowded, chaotic environment was simply the perfect opportunity for some with ulterior motives to fish in troubled waters.

Chi Xiyan understood what Yu Lizhi was worried about.

Normally, in Beihe Commandery, as long as the Chi family convoy was there, no one would dare approach carelessly.

But now it was different. Yu Lizhi had already suffered one assassination attempt before. The assassin had directly followed Chi Xiyan and infiltrated the formation at Lin Family Manor.

Now, in this place, there was no formation protection.

With so many people crowding around, it was simply the perfect cover for assassins.

Chi Xiyan wasn’t certain whether those assassins from Sin Moon Tower had given up on this contract.

But if she let Yu Lizhi expose herself like this, it would be extremely dangerous.

Although the Chi family convoy had Chi family guards protecting it, and among them were even two Fifth Realm experts, Lin Xiu and Steward Liu, Sin Moon Tower always acted arrogantly and boldly, with no taboos.

If Sin Moon Tower had dispatched a Sixth Realm early-stage assassin last time, would they dispatch two Sixth Realm assassins this time?

No one could say for certain.

“Lin Xiu, go hurry Steward Liu along,” Chi Xiyan said. “Staying in a place like this too long will be dangerous.”

“Miss, the current situation might be somewhat troublesome,” Lin Xiu’s voice came from outside the carriage.

“Troublesome? What happened now?” Chi Xiyan asked with a frown. “Is it because of the Demon Suppression Bureau? Just give them some benefits and have them make a show of it, won’t that work?”

“No, Miss,” Lin Xiu continued. “The sword sect disciples manning the checkpoint with the Demon Suppression Bureau are young masters from the Chi family.”

“We have received the Empress’s decree and should fulfill our duty loyally.”

“Today, no matter who comes here, they must submit to inspection.”

“Sword sect disciples are present. No one should think they can use their privileges to take shortcuts!”

At the city gate, among the checkpoints set up by the Demon Suppression Bureau, Chi Zhong was leading several sword sect disciples, looking at Steward Liu before him with a serious expression.

Chi Zhong said, “My apologies, Steward Liu. I carry the imperial decree and cannot allow even the slightest personal favoritism.”

“Even though I’m also a Chi family member, I cannot show leniency toward the Chi family convoy because of that.”

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“Or rather, precisely because I’m a Chi family member, I should lead by example even more.”

“When Chi family members are outside, we should place maintaining family values and family reputation as our top priority. This is what Elder Sister Xiyan taught us.”

“Steward Liu, please convey my exact words to Elder Sister Xiyan and have her cooperate with our investigation.”

Steward Liu looked at Chi Zhong before him. His face showed no emotion whatsoever.

Having served as steward for so many years, what kind of people and what kind of sordid backroom affairs hadn’t he seen?

He could see through this young master’s little schemes at a glance.

However, recalling Old Master Chi’s instructions before departure, he didn’t say anything more to Chi Zhong.

Steward Liu turned and returned.

He was ultimately just a steward of the Chi residence, following Old Master Chi’s orders.

And Old Master Chi’s meaning was: don’t interfere, don’t intervene.

Let the children resolve their own matters themselves.

“I hope this doesn’t go too far,” Steward Liu muttered to himself.

In the distance at the tea pavilion, Ye Xiaoqing and Bai Yuening saw all of this.

Ye Xiaoqing laughed lightly. “Doesn’t the outside world say the Chi family is internally very united, solid as iron? Looking at it now, that doesn’t seem to be the case at all.”

Bai Yuening gently tapped the book scroll in her hand on the table and said, “This is a good thing for us.”

For assassins, the more chaotic the situation, the better.

That way, it was more convenient for them to find opportunities to assassinate.

“Moreover, if Chi Xiyan really uses her privileges to avoid inspection, then we won’t be able to confirm whether she has any connection to those fox demons.”

Ye Xiaoqing nodded upon hearing this.

Her gaze continued looking over. Past the crowd, she could see, behind several sword sect disciples, a beautiful gemstone heavily protected.

“A pheromone detection stone specifically targeting the fox demon lineage, heh…”

On the other side, Steward Liu had already conveyed Chi Zhong’s exact words.

“Chi Zhong…” After listening, Chi Xiyan couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

She never would have imagined that the ones causing her trouble at this time would actually be Chi family disciples.

Moreover, that little fatty Chi Zhong had actually, in front of so many people, used Chi Xiyan’s own words to bind her.

Chi family’s Chi Zhong, carrying out inspections by decree, upright and honest, treating even Chi family main bloodline members equally without favoritism.

If this reputation got out, it would definitely be excellent acclaim.

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But Chi Xiyan was exactly the opposite. If she insisted on using the Chi family’s power to avoid inspection, then the image of the kind-hearted Fairy Xiyan she had been cultivating all along would be stained with a blemish.

“He really knows how to pick the right time to cause me trouble,” Chi Xiyan muttered to herself. “Is it because I gave him too much face last time, making him think I’m easy to bully?”

“Miss, what should we do now?” Lin Xiu asked Chi Xiyan.

Steward Liu stood to the side, silent. He too was waiting for Chi Xiyan’s decision.

Lu Zhuxin looked at Chi Xiyan’s face. She could see the struggle on Chi Xiyan’s expression.

This girl was hesitating.

On one side was the good reputation she had worked so hard to cultivate. On the other was her sister’s safety.

Chi Xiyan stood as if before a fork in the road.

“Heh…” Lu Zhuxin laughed lightly in her heart.

If this were the Chi Xiyan from Lu Zhuxin’s original text, she wouldn’t hesitate at all.

Yu Lizhi was but a sister she’d only known for a few days. How could her safety be more important than her own reputation?

Just then, Chi Zhong walked over with the sword sect disciples.

In front of everyone, he said loudly, “Please exit the carriage for inspection, Elder Sister Xiyan. Don’t make things difficult for your younger brother.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it held a trace of spiritual power, drawing everyone’s attention.

In the tea pavilion, Ye Xiaoqing said to Bai Yuening, “The show has begun. I love this kind of wealthy family drama most. It’s even more exciting than storybooks.”

Chi Xiyan lifted the curtain and looked outside the window.

She could see that among the surrounding crowds, besides those ordinary common folk, there were also many carriages from various family disciples.

They looked at the Chi family convoy, whispering and discussing among themselves.

Chi Xiyan’s expression wasn’t good.

The gazes cast by the people around were like flames.

They lifted Chi Xiyan up and roasted her.

“Chi Zhong.” She looked again at the little fatty before the carriage, speaking each word in a low voice with heavy emphasis.

“Elder Sister Xiyan.” Chi Zhong cupped his fists slightly toward Chi Xiyan in the carriage window. “I carry the imperial decree. It is my duty.”

“Please forgive me, Elder Sister.”

A slight smile leaked from the corner of Chi Zhong’s mouth.

Chi Xiyan, you have no choice.

The longer you delay, the greater the impact on your reputation.