Chapter 283 Ghost Hand Tang Xuan
August 26th, Jiuzhou Inn, south of Fengzhou City.

A month ago, Long Yu and the three leaders of the Hu Ma Gang stayed here, but were ambushed and killed by Tang Afu and "Qiao Bajue".

A chaotic battle, full of dangers. After that day, the situation in the martial arts world changed dramatically, and the situation changed again and again. In just one month, the times had passed and the people were no longer the same.

The elaborate scam of "killing with a borrowed knife" set up by the Mongols in the Central Plains eventually failed and disappeared due to a series of accidental mistakes.

In mid-August, General Sui Zuo of Xijing reported the affairs of the Qin Mansion to the Mongol court, which made the Mongol Khan extremely angry.

Not long after, the Mongolian Khan came to Chifengling and gave Yan Wuji a personal instruction, telling him to think twice before doing anything and not to act rashly to avoid making a big mistake.

First, his "good words of surrender" failed, and then his "borrowed knife to kill" strategy failed. Yan Wuji's strategy towards the Central Plains martial arts world failed again and again, which made the Mongolian Khan dissatisfied with him and even began to doubt his ability. This made Yan Wuji feel ashamed and angry, and he was very upset.

Today, Yan Wuji, who shoulders a heavy responsibility, no longer dares to use others to act. He no longer trusts Su He or Long Yu. Finally, he decides to go personally and rush to Fengzhou to meet a mysterious person.

Today in Fengzhou, it is raining heavily, as if to wash the whole world clean from all dirt.

In the evening, in the guest room of Jiuzhou Inn, Yan Wuji looked out the window, gazing at the dripping raindrops pouring down like a string of beads with a broken string, his face solemn and he said nothing.

In the room, Long Yu and Hu Zhen sat at the table next to each other, drinking separately. Huo Biao and Qiu Zheng stood aside, talking to each other in whispers from time to time.

Due to his severe injuries, Su He is still recuperating in Chifeng Ridge.

Up to this moment, they had been waiting here for three full hours.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The sudden knock on the door startled Yan Wuji and the others.

"squeak!"

There was a slight sound and the door opened.

A thin man wearing a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat stood outside the door, and behind him was a young man with disheveled hair and a wet body.

The man slowly took off his bamboo hat, revealing a thin and gloomy face. He was in his fifties, tall and thin, with dark skin, sparse hair, and compact features. His eye sockets were sunken into his cheekbones, and under his hooked nose, his two shriveled lips were covered with cracks, and he looked very scary.

On the other hand, the young man behind the man was fair-skinned, handsome, and in his early twenties, with an upright posture, straight as a gun, bright eyes, a straight nose, and a wide mouth. His every move could not conceal a hint of cynicism and unruliness.

The most eye-catching thing is the strangely shaped iron bow carried on the young man's back.

The shape of this bow is like an eagle with its wings spread out. However, it only has two wings but no eagle head. Only when the bow is drawn and the arrow is put on, the arrow and the bow become one, and then the arrowhead will transform into the eagle head.

"It's raining heavily and the road is muddy. Sorry to have kept you waiting!"

The man spoke first, his voice was as dry and hoarse as his appearance.

"Come in and talk!"

At Yan Wuji's invitation, the two of them walked into the room. The hem of the man's raincoat kept dripping with water, mixed with the mud on the soles of their shoes, leaving a trail of muddy footprints as they walked along.

"I am Tang Xuan, this is my inferior disciple Li Haitang, nice to meet Master Yan Ling."

The man introduced himself and pointed at the young man behind him.

"Are you the famous 'Ghost Hand Rakshasa' Tang Xuan?"

Looking at the plain-looking Tang Xuan, Yan Wuji couldn't help but show a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Obviously, the Tang Xuan in front of him was very different from the "ghost hand Rakshasa" he imagined.

"Tang Xuan is Tang Xuan, how can he be so famous?" Tang Xuan's tone was as calm as water, and no anger could be heard.

"That's wrong." Yan Wuji waved his hand and said with a smile, "In Chenzhou, if you hadn't helped, how could Long Yu have used the Tang Sect's hidden weapons to ambush and kill the Emei disciples? Hehe..."

As soon as these words were spoken, a hint of strong curiosity suddenly flashed in Hu Zhen's eyes as he looked at Tang Xuan.

"I'm just following orders!" Tang Xuan responded to Yan Wuji's greetings with neither servility nor overbearance. He changed the subject and said in a strange tone: "It's just that the final result doesn't seem to be satisfactory."

"Man proposes, God disposes." Yan Wuji's expression changed slightly, and he smiled faintly, "What's more, this farce is not without gain. At least... I got to know your friend."

In this regard, Tang Xuan remained unmoved, just staring at Yan Wuji without saying a word, as if waiting for him to explain his purpose.

Yan Wuji looked Tang Xuan up and down, and said with a half-smile: "I heard that you and Tang Clan's chief steward Tang Yuan are brothers from the same mother? Xuanyuan, Xuanyuan... Your name is Tang Xuan, and Tang Clan's chief steward is Tang Yuan. You are good at developing hidden weapons, so you are called 'Ghost Hand Rakshasa'. Tang Yuan is also good at using hidden weapons, so he is called 'Thousand Hand Shura'... So this rumor should be true."

"Not only that, even their looks are carved from the same mold." Long Yu held a wine jug and sat leisurely aside, with a hint of amusement in his eyes as he looked at Tang Xuan.

"I'm very curious!" Yan Wuji raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile, "Why did the former owner of the Tang Sect's hidden weapon room suddenly become one of the four guardians of Longxiang Mountain?"

Like the "Unrighteous Monk" Si Wudao, Tang Xuan is one of the four guardians of Longxiang Mountain, which is exactly his current identity.

"It is rumored that it is a dispute over the title of 'Tang Clan's Chief Steward'. Is it true or not?" Long Yu joked. "Back then, you were the owner of the Hidden Weapon Room, and Tang Yuan was the owner of the Soul Chasing Room. In terms of seniority, you are his elder brother. In terms of achievements, you have developed many hidden weapons for the Tang Clan, and your contribution far exceeds Tang Yuan. In terms of emotion and reason, you should have been promoted to Tang Clan's Chief Steward. But the rules of the Tang Clan are unreasonable. The first condition for becoming Tang Clan's Chief Steward is to be good at 'using' hidden weapons, not 'making' hidden weapons. A difference of just one word made you miss the position of Chief Steward, which is a pity. Since then, you left the Tang Family in anger, vowing to make a name for yourself and show it to the Tang Family. Later, by chance, you accidentally entered Longxiang Mountain and even got the throne of the Dharma Protector. I think... you have some real skills."

"Those things happened many years ago, I have long forgotten them." Tang Xuan said calmly, "Long Yu, did you invite me here just to inquire about my personal affairs?"

"I want to meet the Holy Lord of your Dragon Elephant Mountain." Yan Wuji said solemnly, "Please introduce me to the Holy Lord." "Dragon Elephant Mountain is far away in Dali..."

"No problem!" Yan Wuji said bluntly, "I have plenty of time. I am not afraid of the long journey. No matter where your Holy Lord is, I will see him."

Tang Xuan pondered and said, "The Holy Lord doesn't like to see guests, why doesn't Lord Yanling communicate through letters?"

"There is something of great importance that I must discuss with your Holy Master in person."

"May I ask what is the matter?"

Yan Wuji was slightly stunned, then narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the expressionless Tang Xuan meaningfully. After a moment of silence, he spoke faintly: "On the Double Ninth Festival next year, all factions in the martial arts world will nominate the leader of the Central Plains martial arts world at the top of Mount Huashan."

"Master Yan Ling means..."

"I would like to ask the Holy Lord of Longxiang Mountain to come forward and defeat Luo Tianjin and Jin Fuyu and seize the position of leader of the martial arts world."

"what?"

As soon as Yan Wuji said this, Tang Xuan and Li Haitang's faces changed.

Tang Xuan stared at Yan Wuji and asked word by word: "Master Yan Ling, do you know what you are saying?"

"What? Didn't I make it clear enough?"

Li Haitang interrupted, "Master Yan Ling, you don't know that according to the rules set by the Twelve Heroes of the Central Plains Wulin, anyone who wants to compete for the position of Wulin leader must first..."

"We must kill a Mongolian first." Yan Wuji replied calmly, "To help your Holy Lord, I can give him the head of a Mongolian warrior."

"This……"

Facing Yan Wuji who was determined to win, Tang Xuan's face was uncertain and indescribably complicated.

"I have checked the rules of the martial arts conference. Anyone from the Central Plains can participate. There is no distinction between 'righteous' and 'heretic' sects." Yan Wuji explained, "Although Longxiang Mountain is in Dali, your Holy Lord is an out-and-out Song Dynasty person, so he is fully qualified to participate in next year's martial arts conference."

"According to the rules... that's true." Tang Xuan muttered to himself thoughtfully, "But Longxiang Mountain has never participated in the martial arts conference, even a hundred years ago..."

"Just because you've never participated doesn't mean you can't participate!" Yan Wuji said sternly, "Once words are spoken, they can never be taken back. Since the rules for next year's martial arts conference have been set, I think Luo Tianjin and his ilk won't risk the world's disapproval by changing the rules without authorization, right?"

"Excuse me for being blunt, but the Holy Lord may not be interested in the position of leader of the martial arts world."

"You are not the Holy Lord of Longxiang Mountain, so how can you make decisions on your own?" Yan Wuji shook his head and said, "What's more, I have an agreement with you Longxiang Mountain. Since we are allies, we should support each other."

"This……"

"How?" Yan Wuji pressed, "Are you willing to lead the way for me?"

Yan Wuji's aura was overwhelming, but he did not know how to handle things properly. Tang Xuan was finally shaken by Yan Wuji's repeated questioning.

"Master Yan Ling, I can take you to see the Holy Lord. But before that, you have to do me a favor." Perhaps worried that Yan Wuji might misunderstand, Tang Xuan hurriedly added, "I am not deliberately making things difficult for you. I am just following orders and dare not make decisions on my own. If I cannot complete the tasks assigned by the Holy Lord, after returning to Longxiang Mountain... I am afraid that my master and I will have a hard time reporting to the Lord."

Hearing this, Yan Wuji couldn't help but look suspicious and asked, "What errand?"

"Rescue."

"Save people?" Yan Wuji was stunned and said in astonishment, "Longxiang Mountain is notorious for its evil deeds. In the past, I only heard that you killed people, but never heard that you saved people."

"The Holy Lord has ordered us to save him."

"Who did you save?"

"People from Jueqing Valley." Li Haitang continued, "Tang Afu, Feng Wuxin, Yu Wuyun, Lei Wuyin, Dian Wuming, Shan Wuling, Shui Wuyuan, Hua Wuguo, Ye Wuhen, as well as Granny Taohua and her apprentice Pan Yuyin."

When these words were spoken, Yan Wuji and the others were stunned at the same time, and a look of surprise appeared on their faces at the same time.

Hu Zhen explained to Yan Wuji: "These people were all captured by Luo Tianjin when they were in Xijing Prefecture."

"That's right." Tang Xuan nodded, "That's why the Holy Lord asked us to rescue people."

"What is the relationship between Longxiang Mountain and Jueqing Valley? Why did Longxiang Mountain send people to rescue the disciples of Jueqing Valley?" Hu Zhen asked curiously.

Unexpectedly, Tang Xuan's answer was very straightforward: "This matter has nothing to do with you, sorry I have nothing to say." Then he changed the subject and bowed to Yan Wuji, "Master Yan Ling, if you are willing to help me save people, I will take you to see the Holy Lord. How about it?"

"The people in Jueqing Valley were captured by Luo Tianjin, and you want to save them..." Yan Wuji muttered thoughtfully, "Excuse me, if you want to rescue them, you must..."

"We must go to Luoyang City, sneak into the Xianwang Mansion where there are so many experts, and rescue the people from under Luo Tianjin's nose!"

……

(End of this chapter)