Chapter 245 Taking orders in times of danger
On the day of the Chenzhou Incident, Taohuawu was engulfed in flames, burning everything to ashes, including the bodies of the disciples of various sects who died tragically in it. The next day, the surviving disciples of the six major sects went their separate ways and dispersed.

At the same time, Liu Xunyi and others received a letter via carrier pigeon, and Luo Tianjin ordered them to split into two groups.

Liao Chuan and Liao Hai led people to escort the seriously injured Xu Heng and Chen Yong's body and rushed back to Luoyang to report.

Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen, led by Tang Cong, Abaolu, Xiao Yang, Su Hu, and Xun Budao, headed northwest to Xijing Prefecture. They agreed to meet Luo Tianjin at Duanjiabao outside Xijing Prefecture before the second day of August.

Over the next ten days, disputes broke out in the martial arts world.

The six major sects headed by the Xianwang Mansion and the four major families headed by the Jinjianwu are at odds with each other, and their previous "secret fights" have gradually evolved into "open fights".

For half a month, the disciples of both sides were in various places in the martial arts world, with endless conflicts and fights.

Although no sect openly declared its intention to become an enemy of other sects, in private, disciples of both sides spontaneously started feuds.

The leaders of various sects turned a blind eye to this matter. This tacit attitude made the disciples of various sects even more aggressive and acted more brazenly.

In recent days, rumors have been spreading like wildfire in the world, and are becoming increasingly serious.

What puzzled Liu Xunyi was that he had clearly told Luo Tianjin all about Chenzhou's "scam", but in the past half month, Luo Tianjin and the Xianwang Mansion remained silent, as if they knew nothing about it. Although they did not participate in the fight, they just watched from the sidelines.

Facing the growing hostility and murderous intent in the martial arts world, Luo Tianjin, as the King of the North, remained indifferent, which surprised Liu Xunyi deeply.

If Luo Tianjin did not come forward to clarify the matter, even if Liu Xunyi shouted at the top of his lungs, it would not cause any ripples in the martial arts world. In the end, he could only look up at the sky in melancholy, secretly praying that this storm would end as soon as possible and never turn into a catastrophe in the martial arts world.

July 24th, afternoon.

Liu Xunyi and his party stepped into the territory of Huazhou, which was very close to Hexi. If they rode fast, it would take less than three days to get there.

Therefore, after discussing with Xunzhen, Liu Xunyi decided not to rush on the journey and to rest in Huazhou for two days. After receiving news from other sects, they would set out to Hexi to avoid being too conspicuous and causing suspicion.

There was no conversation for a while, and it was evening.

Liu Xunyi and his party stayed in an ordinary little inn in the east of Huazhou City, which was called Ruyi Inn.

Although the inn was not big, it was doing quite a booming business. In the run-down lobby, groups of diners were bustling around, drinking and chatting, making it quite lively.

"I heard that early this morning, three Wudang disciples were caught in a hunting trap set by the Teng tribe in Xiangxi."

"Really? What about the casualties?"

"One fell into a trap and died. The other two were also seriously injured, but at least they managed to survive."

"Alas! The world is a bit chaotic these days, let's all be careful."

"What's there to be afraid of? Huazhou is not surrounded by mountains or water, and people don't come here."

"You can't say that! I heard that there's going to be a big mess in Hexi soon. If people from the south want to go to Hexi, Huazhou has to pass through. We'd better be careful! Be careful!"

"That's right! When the city gate catches fire, the innocent people will suffer. We ordinary people can't afford to offend anyone, so it's better to stay out of other people's business."

"Come on, come on, drink some wine..."

……

Hearing the chatter in the inn, Liu Xunyi in the corner looked particularly lonely. There were dishes on the table, but he had no appetite to eat a single bite. He just drank one cup after another in silence.

Liu Xunyi's action made Xunzhen, Tang Cong and others standing by very embarrassed.

"Master, you've been in a bad mood for several days." Tang Cong took the initiative to pick up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it on Liu Xunyi's plate, laughing dryly, "I know what you are thinking. We have our lives to bear, so we can't see Master Chen off for the last time... But it doesn't matter, after the matter in Hexi is settled, we can go to Master Chen's grave to pay homage..."

"I'm not worried about Patriarch Chen, but the crazy revenge between the six major sects and the four major families during this period." Liu Xunyi smiled bitterly, "What I can't understand is that the Palace Master clearly knows everything, why doesn't he come out to calm the storm? Does he have to wait until the second day of August? Or... the Palace Master doesn't believe me?"

"The reason why Lord Luo is unwilling to come forward is that the time has not come yet." Xunzhen said calmly, "More importantly, we can't convince the public with just words. Lord Luo is not a gangster, but the famous 'King of the North'. He must have a good reason for everything he does, and his words must be well-founded. Without real evidence, he will not only fail to convince the public, but will also be criticized."

"It's a pity that Granny Taohua refused to come forward to help." Liu Xunyi sighed, "Tang Afu also refused to help me track down the real culprit. Alas! It's really a waste of time. Now I can only watch helplessly as the various sects are being used by others. Not only are they kept in the dark, but they are also killing each other. The hatred between them will only grow deeper and deeper."

"There's nothing we can do about it!" Tang Cong said with a wry smile, "At worst we can just fight! We can't just sit there and do nothing when they come to kill us, right?"

"That's it!"

Suddenly, Liu Xunyi put down his wine glass, stood up slowly, and said in a dull tone: "Eat slowly, I'm going back to my room first!"

After saying this, without waiting for Tang Cong to persuade him any further, Liu Xunyi suddenly turned around and walked straight towards the backyard.

Ruyi Inn was originally a large compound, with a lobby in the front and a small square courtyard in the back. On both sides of the courtyard were the guest rooms, which were extremely simple and shabby in both layout and decoration.

The only half-burnt candle in the guest room was only as thick as a little finger. It emitted a dim glow, as small as a firefly, and could not even illuminate the entire room. It was really pitiful.

The dim, musty and narrow guest room was just like Liu Xunyi's mood at the moment, extremely depressing.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Suddenly, someone knocked on the closed door. Liu Xunyi was slightly startled and asked suspiciously, "Who?"

"Sir, I'm the waiter here to bring you the foot washing water."

"No need..."

"Sir, please open the door quickly, the water is getting cold!"

Hearing the voice outside the door sounded familiar, Liu Xunyi was startled, then opened the door doubtfully. Before he could ask what was going on, the "waiter" outside the door flashed and quickly went into the room.

Looking at the back of the waiter in rags and carrying a kettle, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and said in surprise: "You are so rude, why don't you come in without asking..."

"Brother Liu, it's me!"

Before Liu Xunyi could finish his words, the waiter quickly turned around, revealing a young and handsome face.

Seeing this, Liu Xunyi was shocked and slammed the door shut in panic.

The person who came was actually the Young Guardian of Tianji Pavilion, Qin Wei.

"Brother Qin?" Liu Xunyi listened carefully for a moment inside the room. After confirming that there was no one around, he walked up to Qin Wei with a look of surprise and whispered, "Why are you here?"

"Brother Liu, as soon as you entered Huazhou City today, I followed you secretly, but I never had a chance to meet you alone." Qin Wei put the kettle on the table, then sat on the stool casually, looking at Liu Xunyi with a smile, and jokingly said, "Why? Don't you welcome me?" "No." Liu Xunyi said unhappily, "It's just that your sudden appearance is too risky! Do you know that the person who accompanied me is sitting in the lobby of the inn right now? It's only a few feet away from me?"

"I can't help it. If it weren't for the emergency, I wouldn't want to be so abrupt." Qin Wei smiled bitterly, "The Marquis ordered me to meet with you alone before you arrived in Hexi, so I..."

Having said this, Qin Wei waved his hand bitterly to indicate his innocence.

"Since you're here, let's make it short." Liu Xunyi stopped making things difficult and asked quickly, "What do you want, my Lord?"

"Three things!" Qin Wei said solemnly, "First, the Marquis has already found out about the 'Young Qin Prince' that you asked me to investigate for you last time."

"who is it?"

"Young Qin Prince, Yelu Tai!" Qin Wei explained, "Descendant of Yelu Yanxi, the last emperor of Western Liao. Fourth-generation great-great-grandson of 'Qin Prince' Yelu Ding. To commemorate his ancestor, Yelu Tai inherited Yelu Ding's title and called himself 'Young Qin Prince'."

"So, the young prince of Qin is from the Liao royal family?"

"Yes!" Qin Wei nodded and said, "My Lord suspects that the last time Young Prince Qin sent people to kidnap Minister Jia, he probably wanted to use Minister Jia as a bridge to cooperate with the Song Dynasty court."

"Cooperation?" Liu Xunyi was stunned and asked, "Cooperation on what?"

"You probably want to unite with Song to destroy Mongolia, right?" Qin Wei sneered, "What else can a fallen royal family think about? You just want to restore your country, haha..." There was a hint of disdain in Qin Wei's words.

"No wonder!" Liu Xunyi muttered to himself thoughtfully, "Before, I couldn't figure out why Xunzhen told me about the secret collusion between Song Yu and Tianyu Dragon Palace, but now I understand. Not only that, I also understand why the Young Qin King sent Xunzhen to make friends with the Lord of Luo Mansion."

"Why?"

"Because Song Yu is from Jin Jianwu." Liu Xunyi chuckled, "And Jin Jianwu are all descendants of the Jin Kingdom. When the Jin Kingdom destroyed the Liao Kingdom, the two countries formed an irreconcilable blood feud. So it is reasonable for the young Qin King to use the hand of the Northern Sage King to eliminate Jin Jianwu and avenge his hatred."

Qin Wei nodded as if he understood, and said, "Who the Young King of Qin is and what his purpose is is not important at the moment. Brother Liu, what I am going to tell you next is the most urgent matter."

"Could it be related to the second day of August?" Liu Xunyi asked tentatively.

Qin Wei was stunned for a moment, then nodded heavily and replied, "That's right. The Marquis and the Prime Minister have heard the news. The situation in the Central Plains is precarious. All the sects in the martial arts world are ready to make a move. A widespread vendetta is about to break out."

"That's right." Liu Xunyi's eyes darkened and he whispered, "I wonder what the Marquis wants to say?"

"The Marquis asked me to give you a strict order, which was issued by the Prime Minister himself!"

At this moment, Qin Wei's face was more solemn than ever before.

Qin Wei stood up slowly with a solemn expression, while Liu Xunyi was slightly stunned, then quickly knelt on the ground and said solemnly: "Liu Xunyi accepts the order."

"The Prime Minister has ordered that no matter what the current situation of the martial arts sects is, the overall situation in the Central Plains must not be disrupted! Liu Xunyi must do his best to prevent a fight from happening on the second day of August, and he must also find a way to make the two martial arts sects stop fighting and disarm!"

"Liu Xunyi obeys your command!" Liu Xunyi bowed his hands to accept the order, and continued, "If the Central Plains martial arts world is in chaos, the Mongols will definitely take advantage of the situation and invade, and the Song Dynasty will be in danger. Family, country, and the world are interdependent. If the court is in trouble, the people will surely suffer and blood will flow like a river. No matter what, the overall situation in the Central Plains must not be in chaos!"

Qin Wei quickly helped Liu Xunyi up and said earnestly, "Brother Liu, although I don't know what happened in the martial arts world, just based on the Prime Minister's strict order to you, it is clear that it is extremely dangerous and difficult."

Liu Xunyi's eyes were firm, and he shook his head without question, saying, "Everything is for the sake of the overall situation. I understand this principle better than anyone else. Brother Qin, please tell the Prime Minister and the Marquis that even if Liu Xunyi dies, he will not let the Central Plains martial arts world cause a bloody storm."

"What are you going to do?" Qin Wei asked.

"I..." Liu Xunyi was speechless, his eyes flickering, his face embarrassed, hesitantly said, "I haven't thought of a way to have the best of both worlds yet, but no matter what, I will do my best..."

"Okay!" Qin Wei patted Liu Xunyi's shoulder heavily, his expression was both sad and moved, "By the way! I also heard some news from the Marquis's words. Although I'm not sure, it may be useful to you."

"What's the news?"

"What the Marquis means seems to be... as long as this matter can be resolved smoothly, you will be able to return to Lin'an soon." Qin Wei said hesitantly.

"Really?" Hearing this, Liu Xunyi was overjoyed.

"It should be true." Qin Wei said with a smile, "In short, you must take good care of yourself. I will wait for you to come back in Lin'an!"

"Okay!" Liu Xunyi agreed readily, then changed the subject and asked with a smile, "Brother Qin, how is the princess... doing these days?"

"To be honest, this is the third thing I want to tell you." Qin Wei looked embarrassed and hesitated, "The princess has been missing you more and more recently. She always sneaks out to ask me about your whereabouts. Even Prince Rong... has begun to doubt her. If this continues, it will not be a good sign."

Liu Xunyi looked guilty and said hurriedly: "The words I asked you to convey last time..."

"She doesn't believe it!" Qin Wei shook his head with a wronged look on his face. "She doesn't believe that I really met you, and she doesn't believe the words you asked me to convey."

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi felt as if his heart was burning with grief, but he had no idea what to do. He just kept muttering to himself, "What should I do? What should I do?"

"Because of you, the princess has fallen ill several times." Qin Wei sighed, "Now Prince Rong suspects her again. I'm afraid that if she keeps running out to look for you like this, something bad will happen sooner or later..."

"Brother Qin! Please help me!" Liu Xunyi grabbed Qin Wei's arm and said urgently, "What do you think I should do?"

Seeing this, Qin Wei also had a worried look on his face. After thinking for a while, he said hesitantly, "How about... you give me a token? Let me take it back to the princess. This way, she will definitely believe me."

"Very good! Very good!" Liu Xunyi, who was in a state of panic, could not help but nod his head repeatedly. But after thinking about it, he couldn't help but look embarrassed and said bitterly, "Brother Qin, I was alone when I left Tianji Pavilion. How could I have any token on me?"

Qin Wei thought about it again and again, and suddenly his eyes turned, and he hurriedly said: "Handkerchief! Isn't the handkerchief given to you by the princess the best token of love?"

"This..." Liu Xunyi hesitated about Qin Wei's proposal. After all, the handkerchief was the only thought Zhao Xin left for him.

"Brother Liu, now that things have come to this, if the princess becomes ill from missing you, or if Prince Rong finds out and creates trouble, wouldn't it be... not worth it?" Qin Wei advised earnestly, "Besides, you should return to Lin'an soon, and you can get it back later."

"That being said, I..."

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Before Liu Xunyi could answer, the tightly closed door was knocked again without warning. Hearing the sound, Liu Xunyi and Qin Wei were startled and their faces changed drastically.

"Who?" Liu Xunyi suppressed the nervousness in his heart and asked in a trembling voice.

"Master, it's me, Tang Cong!"

……

(End of this chapter)