Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King-Chapter 238 - 228: Li Xian Makes His Move, Reversing the Heavenly Gang
Li Xian and the others smoothly entered the city. The streetlights glowed like daylight.
His face was smeared with mud and ash, concealing his features. But facial contours are hard to change, giving off a sense of "this place has no silver at all." If they were to meet eyes, it would inevitably expose him.
Li Xian was thorough in his thinking, secretly worried.
He then quickened his steps, staying ahead of Hu and Quan, to avoid eye contact. His broad chest provided forced support for Wen Caishang, her body tense, safety dependent entirely on Li Xian’s handling.
In front of the tavern.
Li Xian pushed the door open and shouted, "Shopkeeper, quickly bring wine to honor these two lords!"
The waiter hurried to attend, seeing Li Xian’s towering figure, yet holding a beautiful woman bound like a zongzi. Surprised, he wondered if perhaps it was the Flower Thief? Seeing Quan and Hu, with their ugly appearances, and terrifying wounds, he was so startled his legs went weak.
Li Xian shouted, "Hurry up!" The waiter quickly replied, "Yes, yes, I’ll go right away!"
He immediately served wine.
Li Xian looked around, thinking about their escape plan. His keen senses picked up sounds from the kitchen, as if someone was moving things back and forth.
He understood: the city’s taverns were both inns and dining places, requiring daily supplies to be prepared the day before. Every night, the ’vegetable man’ would deliver fresh produce by cart.
Li Xian had a spark of inspiration, thinking, "If I forcefully fled with Wen Caishang, it would provoke the two’s vicious intentions. They were heavily injured, but their strength is evident. Avoiding them even for a moment would be preferable. If I took the vegetable cart, I could leave quietly and safely."
With a decision made, he said, "Honored elders, I know these deceitful locals skimp on weight. I’ll go to the kitchen and watch them, stir-fry a couple of dishes."
Quan and Hu clinked their glasses and said with a wave and a smile, "Go on."
Li Xian walked to the kitchen. After a few steps, Hu suddenly said, "Wait a moment!"
Li Xian was secretly on guard, body tense. Wen Caishang was also quite anxious. Li Xian turned back slightly, face partly in shadow, and calmly said, "Honored elders, is there a particular dish you fancy? If nothing else, I have some culinary skills and can cook personally."
"Kid, are you just reluctant to let go of the beauty?" Hu said displeased.
Li Xian said with a laugh, "Hahaha, so the esteemed elders are eager to enjoy her company. I indeed overlooked this matter. I’ll place this treacherous woman beside the two elders now."
Wen Caishang furrowed her brows, her nails digging into Li Xian’s stomach, shaking her head slightly.
Hu said, "Don’t rush. I didn’t say anything, so you can keep holding her." He waved his hand dismissively.
Desire for beauty entwined with fear of Wen Caishang’s ability filled his thoughts. Entering the city made him anxious to toy with her. Inside the tavern, he calmed down, his desire intensified. But seeing Wen Caishang’s white dress, he thought of his brothers’ tragic deaths, and his shadow grew, halting his intentions.
His spirits lifted, raising his wine bowl, "Quan brother, let’s drink to honor our fallen brothers!"
Hu, named Zhang Hu, and Quan, named Li Quan, were sworn brothers with the deceased Python and Deer. Years ago, during a visit to the Ruins, they glimpsed Wen Caishang’s elegance and became infatuated, neglecting Martial Arts, intent on winning her. Wen Caishang laughed and dismissed them, later severely injuring them when they confronted her.
Li Quan said, "Brothers, rest easy! That treacherous woman has been captured alive by us! The humiliation you suffered, I will avenge for you."
Zhang Hu said, "If it weren’t for the brothers watching over us, how could we inexplicably capture that treacherous woman? It’s truly satisfying. I’ve never seen her this aghast. Thinking back, she was like a divine goddess, so high and unattainable, one glance would make me live or die for her willingly. Now... hahaha, soon I’ll make her wish for death..."
Li Quan laughed, "Next time, let her experience Tiger Brother’s prowess, afraid she’ll lose composure further."
Zhang Hu said, "More than that, I want her to wallow in humiliation." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
They clinked their glasses and drank heartily.
In the kitchen.
The cook heated the pan till it smoked, pouring in lard, adding vegetables and meat, which sizzled. The aroma wafted out. The kitchen had a backdoor, currently open, with several waiters ferrying ingredients back and forth. Outside, a cart was parked, the vegetable man sitting on the edge, urging them on, seemingly taking a long look at Wen Caishang.
Wen Caishang, stained with blood but appearing neat in her predicament, bound in chains but exuding charm, and naturally beautiful, captivated the vegetable man instantly. Her cold glance didn’t deter him. Only when Li Xian shot him a sharp look did he turn away, not daring another glance.
Li Xian, making noise on purpose, loudly urged the cook to stir-fry.
Once the cart was fully loaded, Li Xian seized the moment, sneaking in when no one was watching. Utilizing Martial Arts techniques like the "Light Technique" and "Vast Leg," he was as light as a falling leaf, entering without a single vibration.
The vegetable man, a street vendor unfamiliar with Martial Arts, didn’t notice. After receiving payment, he shouted, "Giddyup!" and set off.
In the kitchen, dishes were gradually served; Zhang Hu and Li Quan enjoyed their drink and feasted heartily. Having resolved a grand grievance, only drinking and eating, speaking bold words could offer them any comfort. Amid the boisterous exchange, they discussed punishing Wen Caishang, humiliating her, and teasing her... words were venomous, the language obscene, unpleasant to the ears.
After a long time, Zhang Hu said, "By the way, that kid from Sword Rain Tower, do we really let him have a taste too?"
Li Quan sneered, "That kid is unlucky, he’ll either die by Wen Caishang’s hand or ours. We pursued her arduously, yet couldn’t even attract a glance. If he were to gain her favor so easily, wouldn’t we have been too pitiful back then?"
Zhang Hu said, "Exactly, with Wen Caishang in our hands, how to humiliate her is our business. That kid just got unlucky showing up, haha, whether his fortune is deep or shallow, it remains to be seen, but his life won’t be spared."
Li Quan said, "If not for fearing whether Wen Caishang has any tricks left, hmph, such a delightful task would never have fallen to him." By "a delightful task," he referred to binding Wen Caishang while Li Xian took advantage. Li Quan had been quite envious.
Zhang Hu said, "In my opinion, Wen Caishang really has no tricks left. Later, when that kid comes, let’s drink some wine, eat some food, and just deal with it directly."
Li Quan said, "No, to be safe, let’s keep him for another day and observe. We can even pretend to let the kid go first. By then, I don’t believe Wen Caishang can still have any tricks left. Once we’re sure she’s out of moves, we can enjoy ourselves thoroughly."
Li Quan said, "Call that kid over, he might still be of use." He shouted several times towards the kitchen, "Lin Li," but did not hear a response. Li Quan and Zhang Hu exchanged glances, realizing things were amiss. In hindsight, it was full of flaws:
"It was already night by then. The disciples of Sword Rain Tower, Taixin Sect, Yellow Sand Sect always traveled together, arranging formations. It’s rare for them to go out alone."
"The kid didn’t show up early or late, but right after the battle ended, as if he had been waiting nearby all along for the right moment."
Many details surfaced in their minds.
Li Quan and Zhang Hu slammed the table and stood up, finally remembering that alongside Wen Caishang, there was a fair-skinned kid, and shouted, "It’s him!"
The two, driven by reputation, fought with Wen Caishang. It was clear they were poor strategists, overly concerned with face. When Li Xian appeared, he flattered them with words, which delighted them immensely. Having captured Wen Caishang alive, they felt immensely proud, ignoring everyone and everything else.
They looked down upon Li Xian even more.
Thus, Li Xian’s flawed plan surprisingly worked. Although he was indeed lucky, it was already four parts feasible.
"You brat! How dare you trick the two of us!" Li Quan roared in anger. The sound waves burst out, shattering all the wine jars, porcelain, tables, and chairs in the inn.
The shopkeeper, who had been snoring in his sleep, hurriedly put on his shoes to check. Before he could speak, Li Quan struck him with a palm, and with a "bang," killed him instantly.
Zhang Hu walked on his hands and rushed into the back kitchen, only to find no one there. Zhang Hu and Li Quan shouted angrily, "Chase!"
The streets around were chaotic with running and searching, but there was no trace to be found, leaving them frustrated and resentful, cursing their own stupidity and carelessness.
The sky gradually brightened.
Zhang Hu and Li Quan knew Li Xian had escaped and would be hard to catch in the short term. The two, angry and irritable, vented their rage by smashing the surrounding shops. With a palm strike, rows of windows shattered, and the ground stalls... were broken to pieces.
The two vented their anger completely. Suddenly, they heard someone shout, "Assistants! Have you lost your mind?!"
Su Qiuyu leaped over, pressing down on the two’s shoulders. Zhang Hu and Li Quan, in their fury, jointly attacked. Su Qiuyu coldly snorted and dissolved their moves.
Zhang Hu and Li Quan were already heavily injured. After three consecutive strikes, their Qi was weak, and their blood exhausted. They had to extinguish their anger and cease fighting.
Su Qiuyu said, "It seems you four, not only failed to harm Lady Zhe Jian, but she also drove you mad."
"Bah!" Zhang Hu said angrily, "Su Qiuyu, where was your support?! Why do you only show up now!"
Su Qiuyu calmly said, "Last night, I encountered other strong opponents, so I was a bit late."
"Is that what you call a bit late? You damn well never showed up!" Li Quan trembled all over.
Su Qiuyu said, "What’s done is done, we still need to work together, no need to dwell on that."
He said confidently, "It seems the Four Heroes of Taixin failed to capture Lady Zhe Jian. Oh well, not unexpected."
"Bullshit!" Zhang Hu said, "The four of us brothers, fought with all we had, resulting in two dead and two injured. Last night, we had already captured Wen Caishang alive. But her servant rescued her. Still using the name of your Sword Rain Tower! If you had come to help yesterday, this wouldn’t have happened!"
"Hmm?" Su Qiuyu was stunned, "Really?"
"Of course, it’s true!" Zhang Hu said.
Su Qiuyu suspiciously said, "With just the four of you, even injuring Lady Zhe Jian is difficult. How could you capture her alive?"
"Ha!" Li Quan was furious, "So it’s like that, you always looked down on the two of us!"
"Hmph! You’re right, Wen Caishang is indeed formidable. When she struck with her sword, we four brothers could only flee. But couldn’t resist heaven’s will, her Inner Qi completely failed."
"This..." Su Qiuyu, smart as he was, guessed he missed a great opportunity amid his doubt, secretly regretting it, yet he showed no sign of it on the surface, saying, "You said Wen Caishang was rescued? Her servant, young as he may be, has limited martial arts prowess, how did he rescue Wen Caishang from you two?"
Li Quan and Zhang Hu suppressed their anger and detailed the events of the previous day, how they captured Wen Caishang, how they drank at the inn, how Li Xian disappeared into thin air...
Su Qiuyu pondered, "If that’s the case, I certainly missed a great opportunity yesterday! Alas, regret is useless, if Wen Caishang truly has no Inner Qi now, capturing her at this moment is the best chance."
He coldly said, "Let’s go! Take me to that inn!"
...
...
On the other side.
The carriage sped through the streets, with Li Xian holding the helpless lady, lying inside the carriage.
