My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 637 - 423 I am Min Ning

The murky clouds engulfed Yuanfeng Building's Council Hall.

No one had anticipated that Xique Pavilion would preemptively surround Miaoshang Temple.

Within the hall, suspicion spread over every face. The fervor that had been stirring moments before dissipated in an instant, leaving the Jianghu warriors with varied expressions. Their gazes turned toward Huang Jing, his beard and hair trembling as his fists clenched tightly.

"Good. Very good!"

Waves of qi rippled outward from Huang Jing at the center, his sleeves billowing fiercely, kicking up dust from the old wooden beams. The presence of the Fourth-Rank martial artist was imposing, leaving Liuyang Daoist amazed and forcing the other experts to instinctively step back, remaining warily attuned to the aura.

After quite some time, the pulsations of energy finally subsided.

Huang Jing's face remained shrouded in shadows.

Once he appeared to regain his composure, Liuyang Daoist finally broke the silence. "Xique Pavilion is truly bullying us!"

His voice shattered the stillness of the Council Hall.

"What a cunning Xique Pavilion! To rob us blind before we even struck!"

"A bunch of corrupt officials and their lapdogs, exploiting us! Disgracing the true sons and daughters of Jianghu!"

"If it's a battle they want, then it'll be a battle! Who's afraid of whom?"

For a moment, righteous anger surged through the crowd, akin to a bubbling cauldron of iron. The dense smoke of passion dispelled the oppressive solemnity. Jianghu pride erupted unrestrained, filling the room with boisterous noise that rattled the old wooden boards. The flushed faces gathered in fervent camaraderie, seemingly ready to burst through the hall doors, their indomitable spirit refusing to waver.

Jianghu always held to the principle of shared honor and shared loss.

Yet amidst the escalating tumult, Huang Jing remained composed.

His fingers lightly brushed against the silver-inlaid sandalwood sheath at his waist—a family heirloom blade named "Wankong." His brows furrowed deeply.

Soon after, Huang Jing spoke in a steady, authoritative tone, "Everyone, please calm down. There's more to this than meets the eye."

"More to this?" Flying Sword asked with puzzlement.

Huang Jing turned to survey the crowd, then continued, "Those Western Jin spies are devious by nature. It's highly possible they anticipated Lonely Smoke Sword's whereabouts being exposed, so deliberately revealed their own trail to Xique Pavilion. This 'driving the tiger to devour the wolf' tactic allows them to reap the benefits as fishermen amidst chaos.

If we engage Xique Pavilion outside Miaoshang Temple, it'd be playing straight into the spies' scheme."

As his words sank in, the fiery Council Hall cooled slightly, the fervor diminishing.

Liuyang Daoist thought carefully before asking, "Then what… should we do?"

"Let Xique Pavilion deal with those spies first," Huang Jing replied after a pause in a deliberate tone.

"We, on the other hand, will surround Yingxiang Garden and strike at their leader."

With that said.

The Jianghu warriors' eyes reignited with determination.

Huang Jing deeply bowed, his body sinking low—a crisp and resolute gesture. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Everyone, I implore you to grant me this favor, to also create a tale of unity and valor for the Northwest Jianghu!"

.........

"Master Wei, let's not test the waters any further!"

Following those words, the hall fell silent. A few patrons regarded Chen Yi with strange and curious expressions.

Meanwhile, the nearby prostitutes exchanged glances, stifling their unease.

The situation was clear: Xique Pavilion had colluded with the prostitutes, and they were steering the patrons' conversation toward Chen Yi purposefully.

Lu Ying, only now realizing the unusualness of the moment, felt a pang of guilt for her earlier obliviousness, inadvertently giving herself away. If not for Chen Yi's deliberate intervention, she might have made things worse.

Soon enough, a page hurriedly descended the stairs, sheepishly inviting Chen Yi and Lu Ying upstairs.

On the third floor, the page led Chen Yi to an open parlor. Inside, Wei Wuque was seated upright, with steam rising from freshly brewed tea, alone in the room.

"If the Centurion trusts me, I'd kindly ask Miss Lu to wait in the neighboring parlor. I've heard she's a close acquaintance of Miss Donggong," Wei Wuque said slowly.

Chen Yi turned slightly, glancing at the adjoining room, and sure enough, Dong Gong Ruoshu was seated quietly inside.

Understanding her temperament, Chen Yi gave Lu Ying a meaningful look.

Lu Ying looked at Chen Yi, hesitated briefly, but eventually stepped into the other room.

Once she left, Chen Yi strode into the chamber and pulled out a chair to sit before Wei Wuque.

"You're not Centurion Chen?" Wei Wuque asked bluntly.

"No," Chen Yi replied leisurely. "Your test was far too superficial."

Wei Wuque smirked. "If you're not, how did you know I was testing you?"

What appeared superficial was, in truth, layered with implications.

Chen Yi understood the reasoning—playing dumb would have been the easiest route at the time. Yet, although he could bluff himself, Lu Ying's reactions were unmaskable.

"I hope you can offer me an explanation," Wei Wuque said, holding his tea bowl without hostility. "In Xique Pavilion, everything has to be reported upwards."

"My surname is Min, and I just happen to know him," Chen Yi replied slowly.

"How do you know him?"

"We're both from the West Factory. If you're from the Factory, you'd know."

"Know what?"

Wei Wuque, still new in his role, wasn't well-acquainted with the goings-on of the Capital City's West Factory.

"We're brothers—we're close associates."

"Just brothers? Be more specific. The higher-ups won't believe it, and neither will I."

"Fine, I, Min Ning,"

Chen Yi paused dramatically and said one word at a time:

"Have… a romantic bond with him."

Wei Wuque's eyes widened.

After a long pause, he exhaled slightly. "Thankfully, I'm a eunuch."

Chen Yi shrugged nonchalantly. "His preferences are normal; it's me who took the initiative to pursue him. I, this Min Ning, just happened to be too fond of him."

"Alright, I believe it."

"That's all it took?"

Wei Wuque replied coolly, "Believing Min Ning is a woman is still better than believing I'm a corpse."

At that, Chen Yi quietly removed his hand from the hilt of his blade.

Wei Wuque correctly guessing his identity didn't surprise him. The two of them were smart people, naturally understanding the proper moves in their respective circumstances.

Currently, capturing Lonely Smoke Sword and the Western Jin spies was Wei Wuque's top priority, inevitably facing resistance from Huang Jing and others. Making needless enemies would be unwise.

Thus, Wei Wuque wouldn't expose him—at least, not for now. Even that seemingly superficial test had an undertone of goodwill.

"Let's not waste any more time. Does Master Wei have anything urgent to relay?" Chen Yi asked.

"I do," Wei Wuque replied, his tone measured. "According to the latest intelligence, those Western Jin spies aren't merely helping Lonely Smoke Sword escape."

"Lonely Smoke Sword is just a wandering ranger of Jianghu, though his surname is Wanyan, he's only from a minor branch. What other plots could these spies have?" Chen Yi asked.

"Their movements suggest they planned additional schemes. For instance, Lonely Smoke Sword's whereabouts weren't under their control. Last night, he was spotted near the Prince Mansion—he's killed someone there."

Wei Wuque paused before continuing, "Moreover, there's been recent news: a blaze at the Xiaoguan archive destroyed the records. Many case files were lost. I suspect the spies sought a way to escape with intelligence pertaining to the border military troops."

"Did they transcribe the documents elsewhere?"

"Had they done so, border checkpoints would've caught them. When emergencies arise, only a few operatives need to carry copies out of the city—the rest can be abandoned as decoys. So instead, they committed it to memory."

"Everyone memorized different portions?"

"Presumably."

"Then wouldn't they need to regularly rehearse aloud? Or perhaps they've already mastered it silently," Chen Yi speculated.

"Uncertain. They're currently untraceable."

Wei Wuque paused again, speaking with gravity, "The Jianghu of the Northwest is fraught with complexities—righteous warriors, traitors, and people who play both sides abound. If you continue westward, proceed with utmost caution. In any case, leave sooner rather than later."

His words carried an implicit warning, urging Chen Yi to depart Shantong City and avoid prolonged involvement with Xique Pavilion.

Chen Yi nodded slightly, signaling his agreement, before asking, "So, has Master Wei deduced where the suspects might be?"

"I've narrowed it down: Miaoshang Temple or Chongyang Temple. It's down to these two locations." Wei Wuque's tone grew solemn. "There's talk of disturbances at Miaoshang Temple. Shall we head there together?"

After brief contemplation, Chen Yi made no objections.

Wei Wuque held up the tea bowl. "Then allow me to finish this tea first."

The last word had barely left his lips when halfway through the warm tea—

Boom!

A sudden eruption caused Chen Yi's hair to stand on end. He whipped his head around sharply, only to see the debris scatter.

The once-sealed doors and windows burst apart violently, and when the dust cleared, a page lay collapsed against the splintered window frame, blood gushing from his mouth before he slumped lifelessly to the floor. Looking further out, dark silhouettes packed the streets surrounding Yingxiang Garden—a throng of heads in every direction.

Liuyang Daoist, Flying Sword, Thunder Bear, and an untold number of names spread across the Northwest Jianghu had gathered.

Wei Wuque hurried to check the page's breathing. His expression turned grim as he strode to the balcony railing.

"Yuanfeng Building?"

Wei Wuque narrowed his eyes.

"Why have you all come here?"

As his words echoed, the crowd parted below, revealing Huang Jing at their forefront. A white ribbon adorned Huang Jing's forehead, seemingly mourning a lost son.

"Master Wei, we sought to surround Miaoshang Temple, yet you also sent forces there. Isn't this… an injustice?"

The Jianghu warriors alongside him bristled with indignation. Upon learning Xique Pavilion surrounded Miaoshang Temple, their initial reaction was to confront them directly. Fortunately, Huang Jing's sharp mind discerned the spies' intentional misdirection, luring both sides there.

To prevent an all-out clash at Miaoshang Temple, allowing the Western Jin spies to exploit the chaos and escape, Huang Jing had led his forces here to trap Xique Pavilion and compel them to hand over the spies.

With the sudden upheaval, the patrons within the hall scrambled beneath tables in panic. Within the shadows of Yingxiang Garden emerged countless gleaming weapons, ready to oppose the Jianghu warriors—a tense standoff erupted.

The cold sharpness of murderous intent pervaded Yingxiang Garden. Chen Yi's hand returned to his blade's hilt, his gaze steely with hostility.

The chilling glint of steel filled the air, freezing the bustling street.

It seemed the battle was about to begin.

At that precise moment, Wei Wuque's voice cut through with puzzlement:

"Did I send anyone to Miaoshang Temple?"