Chapter 370: None of Them Are Good
April 3rd, early morning.

The sound of the zither is rippling on the Jiumo Cliff, melodious and long. A graceful lady is sitting in the Qingtian Pavilion, her hands dancing lightly on the strings of the zither. Her jade fingers are plucking and changing the strings. The heavenly sounds are lingering, calming people down and relieving their boredom and sorrow.

After returning from Jiangzhou, Jin Fuyu had been sitting in meditation in the Qingtian Pavilion for three days and three nights. He had not eaten or drunk anything, and did not utter a word. He just leaned over the railing and looked out at the waves of the Li River, his eyes blurred and his mind in a trance, as if he was wandering in the sky.

A sound of light footsteps approached from afar. Leng Yiyi climbed the stairs and entered the pavilion. Seeing Jin Fuyu still expressionless and like a sculpture, she couldn't help but hesitate. After thinking for a while, she whispered softly, "Master, Song Yu and Shi Zhenshan are back. They are kneeling in front of the steps, waiting for your order."

As soon as Leng Yiyi finished speaking, the lingering sound of the piano suddenly became a little quieter.

"We didn't gain any advantage over either the Jade Dragon Palace or the Kunlun Sect." Jin Fuyu's gentle voice rang out quietly, "We fought two games in a row and lost both. It's ridiculous, pathetic, and hateful!"

"As for the matter in the Western Regions, it was just Liu Xunyi's good luck. As for the Kunlun Sect... it was because Yin Baimei was afraid of death and didn't dare to offend Luo Tianjin." Leng Yiyi explained, "Besides, the Qingcheng and Emei sects abandoned the dark and joined the light. So, the leader and Luo Tianjin have won and lost, so it can be considered a draw."

"I don't care about the Kunlun Sect, but it's a pity that the trip to the Western Regions not only failed, but also killed Jian Zhong." Jin Fuyu said, "The great falsehood appears to be true, and the great treachery appears to be loyal. Luo Tianjin is an old fox. He either doesn't take action, or when he does, he will hurt people. Do you have any clues about the matter I asked you to investigate?"

"Master, are you asking about the recent sneak attack on Emei, Qingcheng and the four great families?"

Jin Fuyu did not answer but asked: "But was it done by the Xianwang Mansion?"

Leng Yiyi shook her head and said, "According to investigation, the martial arts of that mysterious group of masters do not seem to be the Central Plains style. Perhaps... this matter has nothing to do with Luo Tianjin."

"It must be related to him." Jin Fuyu said firmly, "The war has not started yet, but the backyard is already in flames. Moreover, the sects that were attacked were all involved in the Jiangzhou incident. If the four great families, Qingcheng, and Emei did not collude to deceive me, then it must be Luo Tianjin who was secretly doing something. This move of 'encircling Wei to save Zhao', which dealt with the six major forces in one fell swoop, is such a big deal. Looking at the entire Jianghu, only the Northern Sage King can do it."

"But that group of mysterious masters are not from the Xianwang Mansion."

"If I were Luo Tianjin, I wouldn't send my own people to do this either." Jin Fuyu smiled slightly, his eyes flickering, as if he was thinking about something, muttering to himself, "The woman who appeared with Liu Xunyi..."

"Xunzhen?"

"It seems to be this name." Jin Fuyu pondered, "She doesn't seem to be from the Central Plains either. Can you find out her origins?"

"This……"

"Tell Song Yu to find out Xunzhen's background as soon as possible. I don't remember such a person in the Xianwang Mansion." Jin Fuyu ordered, "I have a hunch that she must be hiding some secrets and intentions that cannot be revealed."

"Yes." Leng Yiyi couldn't figure out Jin Fuyu's thoughts, so she decided not to ask him any more questions. She changed the subject and asked, "How does the owner of the dock plan to deal with Song Yu and Shi Zhenshan?"

"They've worked hard all the way, let them rest!" Jin Fuyu said calmly, "Even I was defeated by Luo Tianjin this time, how can I blame them?"

"Master, you are kind. I believe Song Yu and Shi Zhenshan will learn from their mistakes and then be brave again." Leng Yiyi flattered humbly, and then said, "It is reported that Luo Tianjin plans to invite the leaders of the four sects, Shaolin, Wudang, Kongtong, and Kunlun, to Luoyang for a banquet during the Dragon Boat Festival in May."

"Haha...it seems like he can't wait to kill me."

Leng Yiyi was secretly surprised and asked, "What does the owner mean..."

"The invitation was fake, but the conspiracy was real." Jin Fuyu said, "Luo Tianjin can't wait for the martial arts conference and wants to step on me as soon as possible."

"Why?"

"Because he's afraid." Jin Fuyu explained, "First, Emei and Qingcheng defected, and then Kunlun almost turned against him. If this continues, he's worried that he won't be able to defend himself, and sooner or later Shaolin, Wudang, and Kongtong will also leave him. By then, the Northern Sage King will be alone, and no matter how ambitious he is, he will be destined to be a sparrow, and will not be able to make waves. The best defense in the world is offense. Instead of being on guard day and night, it's better to turn passivity into initiative and strike first. Once I'm too busy to take care of myself, he can have some free time."

"Shaolin, Wudang and Xianwang Mansion have a close relationship. If we want them to turn against us, I'm afraid it will be... as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"That's right!" Jin Fuyu nodded. "Shaolin and Wudang are the strongest and have the closest relationship with Luo Tianjin. Similarly, they are also the most upright in their conduct."

"Please let me know, Master!"

"By protecting Jueqing Valley, Luo Tianjin's reputation in the martial arts world has been greatly damaged. If we expose his scandal of secretly colluding with Yulong Palace... what will be the result? Shaolin and Wudang are known as the two major martial arts sects, and their profound foundation is far beyond the comparison of other sects. Therefore, they care most about the golden signboard of "famous and upright sect". They abide by the principle of "good and evil cannot coexist, and water and fire cannot coexist". Once Luo Tianjin is accused of colluding with a heretic, even his father-in-law Qingfeng will not dare to risk the world's condemnation and betray the Wudang ancestral precepts to help him." Jin Fuyu smiled mysteriously, "This is not only me who knows, Luo Tianjin is also clear about it."

Leng Yiyi continued thoughtfully, "Let's not talk about protecting Jueqing Valley for now. We are the only ones who know that he secretly colluded with Yulong Palace. Therefore, Luo Tianjin wants to take action against us before the truth is revealed, so as to nip the biggest hidden danger in the bud."

"That's right!" "Then what are we waiting for?" Leng Yiyi said impatiently, "Send someone to spread the news immediately and make public all the ugly deeds of the Xianwang Mansion in the Western Regions!"

"No!" Jin Fuyu shook his head and said, "This is a double-edged sword. Don't use it lightly unless it's a critical moment. Especially now, we just lost in Jiangzhou. If we release the news right away, people will think we are desperate and deliberately fabricating rumors. Then, Luo Tianjin will exaggerate and defend himself, or even bite back, and the truth will become false. Not only will we fail to catch the fox, but we will also get into trouble."

"That makes sense!" Leng Yiyi pondered, "We know Luo Tianjin's scandals, and Luo Tianjin also knows our secrets. Once we attack each other, it will allow people with ulterior motives to profit from it. For example... the Mongols."

"That's right." Jin Fuyu said with emotion, "This double-edged sword should not be unsheathed easily unless it is absolutely necessary, otherwise it will hurt others and yourself."

"What should we do?" Leng Yiyi said indignantly, "We finally caught Luo Tianjin's handle, but in the end we can't fight back. It's really frustrating. Now that Luo Tianjin has the intention to kill us, are we going to sit there and wait for him to bully us? Wait for Luo Tianjin's troops to arrive at the gates of the city?"

"Luo Tianjin is not a fool. I won't do such a stupid thing as hurting the enemy by a thousand and hurting myself by eight hundred. Neither will he."

"What do you mean?" Leng Yiyi asked in surprise, "The owner just said, 'Luo Tianjin can't wait to attack us', why did he suddenly change his words now?"

"To deal with someone, you don't necessarily have to kill him." Jin Fuyu smiled mysteriously, "If Luo Tianjin wants to trample me under his feet, he doesn't need to send troops to Jingjiang Mansion."

"That……"

"Liu Xunyi." Jin Fuyu interrupted, "This person has already smelled our secret. As long as Luo Tianjin finds ways to dig out this secret... then there will be bigger troubles waiting for us without him having to do it himself, leaving me no time to compete with him."

"hiss!"

Leng Yiyi, who suddenly realized what was going on, took a deep breath, her eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

Jin Fuyu continued, "They want to test the waters with a single blow, but as I just said, Luo Tianjin is an old fox. He either won't attack, or he will go straight for the vital points."

“This…” Leng Yiyi was uneasy and said with lingering fear, “If the Palace Master hadn’t seen through everything, Luo Tianjin’s vicious move would have been enough to put us in an irreparable situation.”

"The situation is critical. I don't have time to find another suitable person to replace Jian Zhong." Jin Fuyu narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a concentrated voice, "Let... Shi Zhenshan rush to Hengshan Village overnight."

"Shi Zhenshan?" Leng Yiyi hesitated, "But he is a Han Chinese after all..."

"Although he is a Han Chinese, he is loyal to me." Jin Fuyu said solemnly, "A family cannot be without a master for a day, and a country cannot be without a king for a day. Hengshan Village cannot be without someone to take charge of the overall situation."

"Not long ago, the leader sent Jian Zhong to the Western Regions and ordered Wen Lian to take care of Hengshan Village. Now that Jian Zhong is dead, why not let Wen Lian take over?" Leng Yiyi suggested.

Wen Lian, one of the four great masters of Jinjianwu, is a master of the "Nine Shadows Cloud Palm" that is unrivaled in the world.

"Although Wen Lian is highly skilled in martial arts, he has the temperament of a scholar." Jin Fuyu shook his head and said, "If you want to manage the overall situation of Hengshan Village, you must have people like Jian Zhong and Shi Zhenshan who are decisive and ruthless."

Leng Yiyi was unwilling, but after much thought, she could only nod reluctantly.

"Master, are you really going to leave Luo Tianjin alone?"

"Of course not." Jin Fuyu said, "If he is allowed to act recklessly, he will ruin our plans sooner or later."

"What the owner of the dock means is..."

"It's impolite not to reciprocate." Jin Fuyu chuckled, "He gave me a surprise in Jiangzhou, how can I not give him a big gift in return?"

Having said this, the amiable look in Jin Fuyu's eyes suddenly froze, and then a very rare cold look emerged. He said with a smile: "As the saying goes, 'Train your troops for a thousand days and deploy them for a moment'. Now, it's time to teach Luo Tianjin a lesson he will never forget. This time, I will not only make him suffer, but also ruin his reputation!"

"The owner wants to..."

"On the Dragon Boat Festival in May, Luo Tianjin will hold a banquet in Luoyang City, and we will host it in Jingjiang Prefecture. Invite the heads and patriarchs of Qingcheng, Emei, Tang Sect, Lu Mansion, Teng Clan, and Qin Family to come here for a gathering, and tell them that I, Jin Fuyu, want to treat them to a great show."

……

(End of this chapter)