Chapter 54: Uninvited
When Pei Lianxue followed the shop owner to the back room for custom fitting, Ye Anping planned to browse through the finished clothes in the store casually. However, as soon as Pei Lianxue entered the back room, he sensed a wave of hostility coming from the opposite side of the street.
Ye Anping hesitated slightly and immediately turned his head to look over cautiously. Liang Zhu, now wearing a straw hat and leaning against the wall of a shop across the street, tipped his hat when Ye Anping looked at him and then walked into an adjacent alley.
It seemed that this person had been following him and Pei Lianxue all along but had been stealthy about it, so neither of them had noticed being trailed.
“At this moment…”
Ye Anping sighed softly and glanced in the direction of the back room, realising that his junior sister would take a while with measurements. After a moment of contemplation, he followed Liang Zhu into the alley.
As for why Liang Zhu suddenly sought him out, he had some idea. Presumably, this guy had secretly investigated his background and, upon seeing him shopping with Pei Lianxue, had realised he had been deceived.
It wasn’t something entirely unexpected. His identity as the “shop owner” was never too detailed, with many flaws. Once they discovered he was the young master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, this false identity would easily unravel.
Walking from the street into the dim alley, Ye Anping pinched his nose, allowing his eyes to gradually adjust to the darkness inside the alley, barely making out his surroundings. He went deep into the alley, turned a corner, and saw Liang Zhu waiting for him there.
Seeing Ye Anping’s approach, Liang Zhu directly asked, “How many golden crows?”
This phrase was still the Seven Killing Sect’s covert code but not the street code between “thugs” and “shops”. It was the street code between “thugs.”
As for the next line of the code…
Ye Anping answered, “One feather is gold, one feather is silver, and one feather is a five-colour feather, three feathers in total.”
“…” Liang Zhu’s eyebrows furrowed as he became alert upon Ye Anping responding to the thug’s code once again. He asked straightforwardly, “Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, where did you learn the street code of the Seven Killing Sect?”
“Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect looks like Brother Liang secretly checked up on me,” Ye Anping said with a smirk.
Hearing Ye Anping still calling him “Brother Liang,” Liang Zhu sneered and jokingly asked, “You still call me brother, Lao Liu?”
“After all, it’s your job, isn’t it?” Ye Anping retorted with a smirk.
Liang Zhu’s face showed a sneer as he asked in a jesting manner, “So, when did you start suspecting my identity, Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect? Did you suspect it from the beginning?”
“When you recognised the street code of the shop, I was surprised. I thought it was strange that the shop owner here was just a kid, but I didn’t suspect it. After all, not everyone knows that code,” Liang Zhu explained.
“So…”
“It was after we escaped from the back mountain of Xuanxing Sect…”
“…”
“I thought for a long time, whether it was the fact that my Seven Star Suffocation Formation was easily broken, the death of my second brother and the others, or your behaviour at that time. I finally realised that there was probably something wrong with you.”
“Well, you’re right.”
“You said before that your name was Jiang Ziya, so I looked up the name again, but there wasn’t even a hair on it. However, I found out a lot about the name Ye Anping.”
With this, Liang Zhu pointed his hand like a sword.
A flash of spiritual light appeared, and a spiritual sword suddenly materialised in his right hand.
Next moment—
Swish—
A hollow sound was there. The sword was raised and directly placed next to Ye Anping’s neck.
“…” Ye Anping remained silent.
Ye Anping casually glanced at the sword’s shiny surface reflecting silver light but made no effort to dodge.
“You’re not avoiding?” Liang Zhu squinted.
“Brother Liang, since you can consider checking my identity, it means you’re not foolish enough to kill me outright,” Ye Anping calmly responded.
“Hmm…” Liang Zhu sneered, “Are you aware of the consequences of impersonating a Seven Killing Sect shop?”
“Brother Liang, if you’ve truly grasped my motives, you wouldn’t be pointing a sword at my neck,” Ye Anping shrugged nonchalantly.
Liang Zhu stared at Ye Anping, eventually retracting his sword with a reluctant expression. “Speak then.”
“I posed as the Seven Killing Sect shop owner. It’s only natural for you, a member of the sect, to come after me,” Ye Anping explained.
“Does it matter?” Liang Zhu inquired.
Ye Anping shrugged again, saying, “If I told you that the Seven Killing Sect is on the brink of extinction?”
“Extinction?” Liang Zhu was slightly shocked.
“The Xuanxing Sect now sees the Seven Killing Sect as a thorn in its side. Elder Lei Wanjun is planning to eradicate the Seven Killing Sect,” Ye Anping revealed.
Liang Zhu frowned, “You’re a disciple of Xuanxing Sect?”
“No,” Ye Anping replied.
“Not? Then how do you know… Never mind,” Liang Zhu shook his head, “The location of Tianji Castle is top-secret. Even if the Xuanxing Sect wants to eliminate the Seven Killing Sect, it won’t be easy.”
“Is that so?” Ye Anping responded.
Seeing Ye Anping’s calm demeanour, Liang Zhu couldn’t help but frown even more. The young man before him seemed far older than his claimed age of fifteen.
“Do you know where Tianji Castle is?” Liang Zhu asked.
“I certainly do, and I can tell you, but think carefully, Brother Liang. Do you truly want to know where Tianji Castle is?” Ye Anping warned.
“…” Liang Zhu hesitated.
He had been curious about the location of Tianji Castle for years, but he also understood that some things were better left unquestioned.
Ye Anping smirked, “Senior, how about doing me another small favour at this point?”
“I’m just trying to earn a little money. With just a small favour from Senior Liang, you can earn 7,500 spirit stones. Don’t you think so?”
When Liang Zhu heard this, he scrutinised Ye Anping again and felt troubled. This boy had deceived him once so he couldn’t trust him again. No matter how many spirit stones he offered, he couldn’t afford to be associated with him.
According to common sense, this was the right decision. However, this young man possessed a maturity beyond his appearance, and he had proven that he was not just an ordinary person.
Knowing the Seven Killing Sect’s secret code was a valuable asset. With five foundation-building cultivators, they could sneak into the Xuanxing Sect’s back mountain without being noticed.
“…” Liang Zhu squinted his eyes, suddenly feeling that this young man was probably in the same situation as him—an expendable piece on a chessboard, with Ye Anping as the “bishop.”
There was likely a significant figure behind this young man, given his knowledge beyond his age and experience. The young man offering him a favour was probably a request from that influential person.
Liang Zhu gritted his teeth, but after a moment, he reluctantly asked, “What?”
“Tomorrow afternoon, at Liuyue Lake next to Xuanxing Sect, I will hand over Feng Yudie to you. Take her to the Seven Killing Sect to collect the reward,” Ye Anping explained.
“You will give her to me?” Liang Zhu questioned.
“Yes, and then you will take her to the Seven Killing Sect for the reward,” Ye Anping affirmed.
Liang Zhu hesitated for a moment but couldn’t help asking, “Why do you want me to capture her for the reward?”
“Do you want to know why, Brother Liang?” Ye Anping teased.
“Tsk…” Liang Zhu clicked his tongue.
Upon this question, Liang Zhu was a bit surprised and pondered for a moment. He waved his hand and asked, “I just want to know, what happens after I do this? Will you let me go, or will you silence me?”
Ye Anping paused briefly and smiled, “That depends on Brother Liang’s performance.”
Liang Zhu thought for a moment and asked, “When?”
“At noon, by the pavilion next to Liuyue Lake, I will bring Feng Yudie there.”
“I’ll be there.”
After nodding in agreement, Liang Zhu turned around and walked deeper into the alley.
After a while, his figure gradually disappeared into the shadows of the dark alley. After Liang Zhu’s breath disappeared completely, Ye Anping let out a breath of relief. Thinking that his junior sister had probably been waiting for a long time, he hurriedly ran back to the clothing store.
…
