Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie understood. Old Fifteen was out for revenge.
“Qin Jue?” Liu Piaopiao pondered for a moment. She had no impression of the name, so she naturally asked, “Who is Qin Jue?”
Yu Qing was slightly startled. He remembered that Qin Jue and the others had used different identities. They probably had not used their real names. Yet he did not know what names they had changed to either. So he explained, “He is the chief shopkeeper of ‘Jian Yuan Zhai’ in Youjiao Port. He also came to offer congratulations. This time, he posed as someone from a gold shop coming to offer congratulations. He probably did not use his real name. You can find him with a check among the congratulatory guests.”
“Someone from Youjiao Port?” Liu Piaopiao frowned slightly. “For no reason at all, why would I want to offend people from Youjiao Port? Moreover, even if he used a false identity, as long as he did nothing wicked and presented a congratulatory gift, he is a guest. Jianyuan Mountain has no reason to make things difficult for people unreasonably.”
Yu Qing immediately changed his approach. “The problem is that fellow knows my identity. I did not expect to meet him at Jianyuan Mountain. He knows I came. He knows I entered the ancient tomb. If he does not die, and one day discovers I am still alive, I do not care, but I fear it will bring trouble to you.”
Liu Piaopiao: “What trouble could it bring me? As long as you do not say I let you go, what does it matter to me how you climbed out of the ancient tomb and ran away? Who stipulates that I must know whether you are dead or alive, or how you got out? Opening your mouth and demanding someone’s death at the first word, I think you have a grudge against him?”
Yu Qing pursed his lips and admitted honestly, “Correct, there is a grudge. That fellow robbed me of several million taels of silver notes. However, that fellow truly does know my identity. It may not be a good thing if he finds out I am still alive. Anyway, he is on your territory, and with all this chaos, making him die would be something you can arrange casually. Just consider it doing me a favour, how about it?”
“I have already repaid what I owed you. Why should I help you? However…” Liu Piaopiao suddenly changed the subject of her words, glancing again at his ponytail, “If you are willing to tell me what that insect is, I might perhaps give it a try.”
Fine. Yu Qing did not hide it from her. “Speaking of the favour I am asking you to do, it is related to this insect. This insect is nothing else but the ‘Fire Cricket’ that Youjiao Port previously issued a task to find. Before coming to Jianyuan Mountain, I had been to Youjiao Port, intending to sell the ‘Fire Cricket’…”
Starting directly from the Fire Cricket transaction, he recounted the grudge between him and Qin Jue.
In short, he was extremely bitter about being robbed. If they had not been swindled out of so much money, they would not have had to run here to take risks.
Liu Piaopiao, however, had other suspicions. “You mean to say, you sold the Fire Cricket to that Qin Jue for the price of six million five hundred thousand. Of the money received, you gave two million to the woman Qin Jue liked. The remaining four million or so was then secretly snatched back by Qin Jue. Is that right?”
Yu Qing: “Yes. Such a treacherous villain, if not eliminated, is hard to dispel the hatred in my heart.”
Liu Piaopiao said suspiciously, “Then why is the Fire Cricket still in your hands? Did you not already sell it to him?”
“Uh…” Yu Qing was stunned. He looked at his two martial brothers.
Nan Zhu explained, “We are not clear on what happened either. We do not know how it flew back on its own. While walking on the road, it suddenly flew onto you.”
“Is it really like this?” Liu Piaopiao’s tone was somewhat strange. “That is to say, the other party spent over two million and got nothing at all, while you lost nothing and made over two million for free. Is that right?”
The three martial brothers could tell that this Grand Guardian clearly suspected the three of them were the fraudsters.
The logic was easy to connect. The other party spent money to buy something, the thing ran back into the seller’s hands, and then the other party, in a fit of anger, snatched the money back. This seemed more reasonable.
Yu Qing was amused and exasperated. “How strange. This world truly has no justice. Clearly, we were the ones who got swindled, yet it makes the robber seem more in the right. We cannot explain ourselves even if we had a hundred mouths.”
Liu Piaopiao: “This Fire Cricket is clearly a treasure capable of suppressing evil things, rarely seen in the world. You sold it for a few million taels of silver?”
“I…” Yu Qing found that the more he tried to explain, the darker it got. It was becoming increasingly impossible to explain clearly.
“How about this, I will round it up for you. Jianyuan Mountain will offer seven million taels to buy it. How about it?”
Yu Qing rolled his eyes and sighed, “I previously had no idea at all that this thing could restrain the evil things in the underground palace. Now I definitely will not let it go cheaply again.
No, what is that look in your eyes? What do you mean? Do you think we are the kind of people who would stop at nothing for a few million taels of silver?
What kind of person am I? Am I that vulgar? If I truly wanted money, I would not have abandoned literature for martial arts. Earning money is too simple for me. I could casually write something and sell it for tens of thousands of taels. Sitting at home writing and drawing every day would give me endless money. Would I need to ruin my own reputation to scam money?”
These words rather moved Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie. One lowered his head to find his toes hidden by his big belly. The other raised his head to look at the cave wall in contemplation.
Both of their expressions suddenly became somewhat profound and deep.
Liu Piaopiao fell silent.
Actually, nothing else said was of much use. Instead, it was the final passage that was more convincing, making Liu Piaopiao believe him.
After a moment’s thought, Liu Piaopiao felt it was indeed so. With this fellow’s talent and foundation, to earn money he need only move his pen. He truly had no need to ruin his reputation to engage in fraud. Her questioning like that had indeed somewhat wronged him.
So she no longer dwelt on the matter. “Enough said. Previously, to bring you here, I found an excuse to remove the eyes and ears from this area. People outside already know I have come out of the ancient tomb. I cannot stay here long. If I delay too long, someone will definitely come looking. You stay here first. Wait for my news.”
She threw down these words and ran off. The three of them had no choice but to wait and see how things developed first.
“This female demon has something wrong with her brain.” Yu Qing muttered.
He was puzzled. He told the truth and no one believed him. Instead, he was forced to tell lies before it would work. What kind of matter was this?
“Sigh, reputation is such a good thing. Old Nine, if the two of us could also muddle our way onto the golden list and earn a title, that would be great.” Nan Zhu sighed with deep emotion.
Mu Aotie: “You are overthinking it. You are a fugitive.”
“Old Nine, you really are not suited for conversation. Forget it, it is better if you do not open your mouth.”
With Liu Piaopiao’s return, Jianyuan Mountain was shaken internally.
The Third Cave Master of Qianliu Mountain naturally had to meet with her personally.
After the face-to-face discussion, the Third Cave Master immediately had Liu Piaopiao lead the way. A group of people followed Liu Piaopiao to the cave entrance she had escaped from, and went in to inspect it.
Coming out of the cave, the Third Cave Master ordered Hong Teng to arrange for a group of people to first dig back in reverse from this place to see. He himself temporarily disappeared.
Hong Teng and the others subsequently received word that Qianliu Mountain had issued orders for demon cultivators from several major regions near Luanzhou to assemble at Jianyuan Mountain.
When they saw the Third Cave Master again, Hong Teng made some inquiries and learned that the Great Sage wanted to assemble ten thousand demon cultivators to dig the underground palace to the bottom.
At the same time, Qin Jue and Cui You, who were watching the commotion, were asked to withdraw.
At least they themselves thought they were merely being asked to withdraw. However, upon returning to their lodgings, the moment they entered the courtyard, they immediately discovered they were surrounded. It was Liu Piaopiao personally leading the team.
Cui You was greatly alarmed. Qin Jue said in a deep voice, “Grand Guardian, what is the meaning of this?”
Liu Piaopiao: “Still planning to keep pretending to me? News came from the capital. Wu’s Gold Shop does not have people of your sort.”
Qin Jue cupped his hands. “This one admires the Great King, but feared his face was too thin, so he had no choice but to use a false identity to come forward and present congratulatory gifts. Even if there was impropriety, even if this one was not qualified to come forward with gifts, is there a need to put on such a grand display of mobilising troops?”
Liu Piaopiao: “I was fortunate enough to escape from the underground palace. Previously, inside the underground palace, I saw three people. One claimed to be Yu Qing, one claimed to be Nan Zhu, one claimed to be Mu Aotie. Are you willing to surrender, or do you want to keep being stubborn and force me to continue speaking?”
Cui You’s face changed greatly. Trespassing into a demon realm forbidden ground, and being discovered by someone, this did not conform to Youjiao Port’s rules of neutrality.
Back then, he had indicated to the chief shopkeeper not to agree to give those three fellows identities. The chief shopkeeper got carried away over a woman. Now look, trouble had come, had it not?
Qin Jue’s cheeks were taut. He had not expected that Tanhua Scholar to cause him this mess even before dying.
He wanted to argue that it was not people he brought in, but people brought in by the Blue Sea Shipping Line. However, the person was already dead. Dragging the Blue Sea Shipping Line in was meaningless. Firstly, the Blue Sea Shipping Line would not admit it. They might even turn around and say he had planted people inside the Blue Sea Shipping Line.
In the final analysis, the power behind the Blue Sea Shipping Line was not to be trifled with.
Liu Piaopiao waved her hand. “Take them!”
Just as the demons surrounded them, Qin Jue swiftly flipped his hand and revealed a blood-red plaque, crystal clear and exquisite. The pattern on the plaque was an orchid.
He did not resist and allowed himself to be captured. But he reminded them, “I think it is better not to harm the harmony. If the Grand Guardian cannot make sense of this plaque, you might as well show it to the Great King.”
Liu Piaopiao had already approached and snatched the plaque into her hand. It was icy and smooth to the touch. One look and she knew the material was extraordinary.
She waved her hand to signal for the people to be locked up first. Afterwards, she quickly went to Jianyuan Hall.
Inside the hall, Hong Teng and a few others were listening to the Third Cave Master.
After Liu Piaopiao arrived and saluted, she took out the plaque and showed it to Hong Teng. “Great King, that fellow from Youjiao Port had this on him. Is this the plaque of ‘Red Orchid Pavilion’?”
“Red Orchid Pavilion?” The Third Cave Master sounded surprised upon hearing this. Without waiting for Hong Teng to take it, he already reached out his hand. “Let me see.”
Hong Teng had no choice but to take it first, then hand it over respectfully.
After the Third Cave Master received it and examined it, he placed it before his nose and sniffed. He nodded. “This is the entry and exit waist plaque of ‘Red Orchid Pavilion’. Where did you get this?”
Hong Teng gave a rough explanation. “There is some shop in Youjiao Port, called some Zhai or other. They actually posed as people from some gold shop and ran over to join in the fun. They even sent a few people into the underground palace to cause trouble, hindering Piaopiao’s actions in the underground palace. They were indeed somewhat audacious. Piaopiao was bound to settle accounts with them after coming out. This matter has already been handed over to Piaopiao to handle as she sees fit.”
The Third Cave Master gave an “oh” and asked Liu Piaopiao, “How do you plan to handle it?”
Liu Piaopiao: “It was people from Youjiao Port who violated the rules first. Killing them would not be excessive!”
“Mm, indeed not excessive.” The Third Cave Master nodded. He also tossed the waist plaque back to her, then pointed at the plaque in her hand. “The relationship between the Great Sage and the Pavilion Master of Red Orchid Pavilion, how shall I put it, presumably you have all heard rumours. Someone who can possess this plaque is either from Red Orchid Pavilion, or necessarily has a certain connection with Red Orchid Pavilion. My meaning is, if the other party did not do anything too excessive, just give them a small punishment as a great warning. Notify Youya to come and give an explanation, and let Youya take the people away. That will suffice.”
Since he had spoken thus, what could Liu Piaopiao do? Hong Teng was also giving her meaningful looks. She had no choice but to cup her hands and accept the order.