Chapter 321: The Dispute over Staying or Leaving
Late at night, in a dimly lit guest room.

Liu Xunyi packed his bag without saying a word, while Tang Cong, Liao Chuan and Liao Hai stood beside him, wanting to say something but stopping themselves several times. An indescribable complex expression was on the faces of all three.

"If you have something to say, say it. Don't keep it in your heart."

Liu Xunyi spoke without even raising his head. At the same time, he drew out half of his sword, staring at the gleaming blade, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Master, are we really going to the Potala Palace to steal the Buddha lotus seeds?" After hesitating for a long time, Tang Cong was the first to break the silence and said bitterly, "Do you know where Luoshui City is? We are going to..."

"It's not us." Liu Xunyi sheathed his sword and interrupted, "It's me."

"This……"

Hearing this, Tang Cong and the other two were horrified. Liao Chuan asked anxiously, "Master, are you planning to go to the Potala Palace alone?"

"Yes."

"No! No!" Liao Hai shook his head repeatedly, "If we go, we go together. If we die, we die together. The Sect Master must not take risks alone!"

"That's right." Tang Cong said, "Besides, I'm the best at stealing things. They can stay, but I have to go."

Liao Chuan's face changed and he shouted, "What do you mean? Could it be that we brothers are afraid of death?"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The sudden knock on the door interrupted the argument between the three people and also made Liu Xunyi slightly stunned.

"squeak!"

The doors opened in response. Then, Xunzhen, with a gloomy face, walked into the room quickly. Before Liu Xunyi could greet him, Xunzhen spoke first, "You three, get out first!"

"This……"

Faced with the cold Xunzhen, Tang Cong and the other two were all surprised. They turned to look at Liu Xunyi, and only left the room awkwardly when they saw him nod slightly.

"Liu Xunyi, are you crazy?"

Without saying anything, Xunzhen angrily scolded Liu Xunyi: "Do you know what you are doing? Do you know what going to Tubo means? Do you know that Ren Wuya is using you? Do you think he is giving you a chance? In fact, he is pushing you to death!"

In Liu Xunyi's impression, Xunzhen has always been calm and composed, with a cunning mind like "unmoved even when a mountain collapses in front of him". This is the first time he has seen him so furious and violent tonight, so he was really scared.

"You...what's wrong with you?" Liu Xunyi laughed dryly, "I've never seen you lose your temper like this..."

"Don't laugh and joke around in front of me. I don't have time to joke with you." Xunzhen said coldly, "Liu Xunyi, who do you think you are? You get carried away and become arrogant just because someone flatters you? What do you think Tubo is? You are a Han Chinese, your appearance and language are very different from theirs. Not to mention the Potala Palace, even in Luoshui City, as long as you show up, you will become the target of public criticism in a moment. If you are caught in the Potala Palace, you will be sentenced to death and your body will be mutilated."

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but smile bitterly and defended himself, "I will not set fires or kill people when I go to Tubo. Even if I am caught, I will only be considered a thief who stole things. I should not be sentenced to death, right?"

"Though theft is not punishable by death, it does depend on the area." Xunzhen said angrily, "If someone steals something from the Great Song Palace, what will be the result?"

"This……"

"You are smart all your life, but you are foolish for a moment. How could you agree to Ren Wuya's request?" Xunzhen sighed with a look of resentment, "If you die in Tubo, Jinjianwu will definitely reap the benefits. This is why Song Yu retreated at the height of his career. He knew very well that you would never be able to escape unscathed from the Potala Palace."

"To be honest, this is also what I am worried about." Liu Xunyi pondered, "Jin Fuyu attaches so much importance to the relationship with Yulong Palace, but Song Yu refused Ren Wuya's request without even thinking about it. This matter... don't you think it's a bit strange?"

Hearing this, Xunzhen was stunned. After thinking for a moment, he asked suspiciously, "You mean... Song Yu is pretending to refuse?"

"It's very likely." Liu Xunyi nodded and said, "Song Yu is 'openly repairing the plank road but secretly attacking Chencang'. He rejected Ren Wuya in person, but in fact he wanted to paralyze you and me and make us relax our vigilance against Jinjianwu."

"Master Liu, are you being too suspicious?" Xunzhen raised his eyebrows slightly, with a strange look of doubt. "If it were somewhere else, Song Yu might play dumb, but in the Tibetan Palace... I don't think Song Yu would dare to take such a risk. If he goes to Luoshui City, he will die."

"Xunzhen, you are too pessimistic." Liu Xunyi advised, "The lama is a human being, and so am I. How can there be no chance of survival?"

"Can you fight against the entire Tantric Buddhism on your own?" Xunzhen said contemptuously.

"My goal is not to compete with them, but to steal the Buddha's lotus seeds." Liu Xunyi insisted on his own opinion and said stubbornly, "Although Tubo is in chaos, it has nothing to do with me."

"You went to someone else's territory to steal things, and you still have the audacity to say it has nothing to do with you?" Xunzhen sneered, "Do you know that once the matter is exposed, you will become the mortal enemy of the entire Tubo overnight? This is different from a personal grudge. To them, what you did is a blasphemy against Tantric Buddhism and a trampling on the noble faith. Everyone will kill you."

"I'm used to seeing all the grudges in the martial arts world, and I've been hunted down more than once or twice..."

"How can the hatred in the martial arts world be compared with this?" Xunzhen said angrily, "Tibet is different from the Central Plains. Tantric Buddhism is the supreme existence in the hearts of all Tibetans. They are different from the intrigues among the Central Plains people. Although they will fight each other, they all admire Buddhism and respect religious authority. The Potala Palace is not only a palace for the nobles, but also a holy place in the hearts of the Tibetans. You can say they are simple or pious. In short, once you reveal your flaws, you will be surrounded by enemies in Tibet and have nowhere to hide."

"What do you think I should do?"

"Tell Ren Wuya that you are not going to the Potala Palace."

How could Liu Xunyi not know about Xunzhen's concerns?

However, before coming here, Luo Tianjin had repeatedly told him that no matter what Ren Wuya asked, he must agree to it and must not refuse. This shows that Luo Tianjin is determined to get Tianshan Yulong Palace.

Liu Xunyi was not blindly loyal, nor was he forgetful. The reason why he was not afraid of danger and was willing to risk his life was not because he wanted to help Luo Tianjin, but because he wanted to help himself.

Liu Xunyi's ultimate goal of lurking beside Luo Tianjin is to recruit the martial arts heroes through him. To achieve this goal, he must help Luo Tianjin take the throne of the leader of the martial arts world. On the contrary, once Luo Tianjin loses power, Jin Fuyu will definitely kill him. At that time, all Liu Xunyi's efforts will be in vain. Therefore, he must not let Luo Tianjin lose to Jin Fuyu. In other words, he must not let Yulong Palace become an accomplice of Jinjianwu, so as to avoid the loss of one and the gain of the other.

Seeing Liu Xunyi's complicated expression, as if thinking about something, Xunzhen thought that he was wavering, and subconsciously said: "Don't worry, if you are not comfortable speaking, I am willing to make it clear to Ren Wuya for you..."

"No!"

Suddenly, Liu Xunyi waved his hands righteously and said, "I can't refuse this. I must retrieve the Buddha Lotus Seed for Ren Wuya. Only in this way can we promote the alliance between the Xianwang Mansion and the Yulong Palace."

"If this matter is not dangerous, why doesn't Ren Wuya send his own people to do it?" Xunzhen was disappointed and shook his head repeatedly in disbelief, "Liu Xunyi, you think this matter is too simple."

"I know that going to Tubo is full of dangers, but I still want to go." Liu Xunyi insisted, "The Palace Master has given the order, and I have to obey!"

"Was it the Lord of the Palace who ordered this? Or was it the imperial court?" Xunzhen's face darkened, and he whispered, "There are some things that you and I know tacitly, so why do you have to pretend to be loyal and brave in front of me?"

Liu Xunyi stared at Xunzhen without blinking, and asked quietly, "Since you know my secret, why do you insist on stopping me?"

"Because I don't want you to die!"

"Do you not want me to die? Or do you not want me to die so soon?"

"you……"

After Liu Xunyi revealed his thoughts, Xunzhen's expression suddenly changed. He turned around and said coldly without even turning his head: "Okay, okay! Go, go! But don't even think about asking me to die with you. Humph!"

"Xunzhen, you and I each serve our own masters, and there is nothing we can do about it." Looking at Xunzhen's back, Liu Xunyi's tone slowed down and he said bitterly, "You know very well that people like you and me are living on the edge of a knife, and we are always in danger. We have already put life and death aside. For me, some things... are far more important than life."

"What is more important than life?"

"For example... fame and great achievements." Liu Xunyi has great ambitions and his heart is in the Song Dynasty.

"If you've lost your life, how can you talk about fame and success?" Xunzhen turned slowly, staring at Liu Xunyi with her beautiful eyes, and there was a bit of confusion in her words, "Sometimes I really don't understand you Han people. You are the most loyal, and you are also the most treacherous."

"Loyalty, treachery, good and evil, change in an instant. Loyal ministers also have a sinister and treacherous side. Traitors also have a kind heart of filial piety and righteousness. As for where to go? It often depends on a single thought. How can we generalize?" Liu Xunyi smiled bitterly, "The human heart is as complicated as this."

"What are you going to do?" Xunzhen saw that Liu Xunyi had made up his mind, so he simply gave in and asked, "You are going to Tibet, and you are unfamiliar with the place. If you go there rashly, how can you enter the Potala Palace?"

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but look embarrassed. Although he was full of passion, he was at a loss as to what to do when the situation came to him.

"I……"

"Bang, bang, bang."

Before Liu Xunyi could say anything, the tightly closed door was knocked again. Ding Ao came in uninvited.

"Mr. Ding San came to visit late at night. I wonder why?"

"First, I want to congratulate you two." Ding Ao said with a smile, "Second, I want to share your worries."

"Oh?" Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen looked at each other, both with a hint of suspicion on their faces. Xunzhen said, "I don't know where the joy comes from?"

"At the time in Piao Miao Pavilion, Sect Master Liu was not afraid of life and death, and was righteous, which won the appreciation of the Palace Master." Ding Ao explained, "In contrast, Song Yu was timid and hesitant, which made the Palace Master quite unhappy. As one side gained strength while the other lost, although Sect Master Liu has not yet taken back the 'Buddha Lotus Seed', you have already won 70% of the battle between you and Jin Jianwu. At least in the Palace Master's heart, the courage and sincerity of Xianwang Mansion are far superior to Jin Jianwu. In this case, I naturally have to congratulate you two."

"Mr. Ding San, you are too kind." Liu Xunyi said self-deprecatingly, "Tibet is a long way away, and whether I can come back alive is another matter. Even if I have a 70% chance of winning, what does it matter? If I can't get the Buddha Lotus Seed back, it will all be in vain."

"That's why I came to share Master Liu's worries." Ding Ao smiled mysteriously and said frankly, "In fact, the old palace master has long been eager for the Buddha Lotus Seed, so he sent me to Tubo five years ago to find out the truth. Although I did not sneak into the Potala Palace that year, I left a very reliable spy in Lhasa City. Over the years, I have been exchanging letters with him and have had close contacts. This person knows the customs of Lhasa City and the Potala Palace very well. If we can get his help, Master Liu will surely be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort."

"Really?" Liu Xunyi was secretly surprised and asked doubtfully, "Is Mr. Ding San trying to scare me?"

"With the young prince Qin as a guarantor, I would not dare to deceive you two even if I have ten guts." Ding Ao promised solemnly, "Besides, deceiving you will do me no good. Only if you succeed in retrieving the Buddha Lotus Seed, and the Xianwang Mansion and Yulong Palace join forces, can I keep my position in the heart of the Palace Master. I only hope that after Yulong Palace enters the Central Plains, Master Liu can give more support. Hehe..."

"This..." Liu Xunyi hesitated and turned to look at Xunzhen.

Xunzhen frowned slightly and said thoughtfully, "I have known Banner Master Ding for many years. Although he is a bohemian person, he is very reliable in his work. I believe he will not lie to me."

"In order to show my sincerity, I borrowed something from the Palace Master for Master Liu. Look!"

After that, Ding Ao quickly took out a piece of soft armor from his arms, handed it to Liu Xunyi, and said jokingly: "The fact that the Palace Master can lend this item is enough to show that he appreciates Master Liu very much. In fact, he also hopes that Master Liu can achieve success in his trip to Tubo."

"Green Silk Armor!"

Seeing this, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise. He was very familiar with this item. In the past, Cao Qin stole the Jingfenghuayutu from the Jiangnan Lu Mansion. Liu Xunyi relied on a clue from the Qingsi Armor to finally find Cao Qin's whereabouts.

"How is it?" Ding Ao asked with a smile, "Now, Master Liu, can you believe in my sincerity?"

Liu Xunyi hesitated for a moment, then his expression changed and he said seriously, "I wonder how I can contact the spy that Mr. Ding San mentioned?"

"In the west of Lhasa City, at the Bajiao Pharmacy, find a man named 'Boren'. Tell him that it was Master Ding San from Tianshan who asked you to come. He will arrange the rest for you."

……

(End of this chapter)