Chapter 374: Night Talk at Luoshui
Ten miles outside the city is the Luo River.

It is the time of spring when flowers bloom and everything comes back to life. The riverside is covered with flowers and grass. The moon is bright overhead and the stars are shining. The breeze blows gently, the weeping willows sway, and the blue water ripples. Especially in the dead of night, when everything is quiet, the world is clear and the air is fresh.

Liu Xunyi and Qin Wei stood by the water, their faces filled with excitement of meeting close friends again.

"Brother Qin, I..."

"Brother Liu, I..."

The two spoke almost at the same time, as if they both had questions they couldn't wait to ask each other. But as soon as the words came out, they stopped abruptly. In response, the two looked at each other and smiled calmly.

Liu Xunyi took the initiative to give in and said, "Brother Qin, you speak first."

"I want to ask if the guy named Tang Cong at Ruyi Inn last time... could detect any clues about you and me?" Qin Wei pondered, "And the woman named Xunzhen, I ran into her when I left, could she recognize my identity?"

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi's expression darkened and he smiled bitterly, "That day, Tang Cong did find something strange, but he didn't report it to me. As for Xunzhen... he didn't see through your identity either."

"Tang Cong must not be allowed to stay for long, or there will be endless troubles..."

"Brother Qin!" Liu Xunyi interrupted, "There is no need to mention this matter anymore, because... Tang Cong is dead."

Qin Wei was stunned for a moment, then he breathed a sigh of relief and said happily: "That's great!"

Liu Xunyi neither agreed nor blamed Qin Wei for his relief and even gloating reaction. After all, he and Tang Cong had different positions.

Qin Wei had no idea what Liu Xunyi was thinking, so he asked, "Brother Liu, what did you want to ask me just now?"

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi's eyes straightened, and hesitantly asked, "I want to ask, after you left Ruyi Inn, could you tell the Marquis about Luo Tianjin's affair with the Mongolians?"

On that day, Tang Cong blurted out the news that Luo Tianjin was willing to accept the Mongolian amnesty, which happened to be heard by Qin Wei. This incident made Liu Xunyi feel uneasy.

"Brother Liu, I'm sorry!" Qin Wei said bitterly with a guilty look on his face, "I can't hide anything in front of the Marquis, let alone lie. I can only report the truth."

"This..." Liu Xunyi was horrified, but what Qin Wei said was not without reason. For a moment, he felt mixed emotions.

"However, I have conveyed your thoughts to the Marquis truthfully." Qin Wei added, "The Marquis trusts your judgment on this matter. So you don't have to worry..."

"Brother Qin, you did the right thing!" Liu Xunyi straightened his face and nodded, "Your life and mine were both given by the Marquis, so how could we lie in front of him?"

"In the Tianji Pavilion, the person the Marquis values ​​the most and trusts the most is you." Qin Wei said, "He believes in your intuition and your loyalty. After I reported it, the Marquis never mentioned it again, and the Prime Minister didn't say a word about it either. So I guess the Marquis has suppressed this matter for you, otherwise the court would never have kept silent."

"My Lord, I have no way to repay your kindness. I can only be loyal to you and strive to complete the task as soon as possible." After saying this, Liu Xunyi calmed down and changed the subject, saying, "Brother Qin, why are you here this time?"

"The Marquis ordered me to tell you that you handled the Hexi incident on August 2 last year very well." Qin Wei said seriously, "The Prime Minister's intention is very clear. He wants you to do your best to recommend Luo Tianjin to sit on the throne of the leader of the martial arts world. Only when the 'Northern Sage King' becomes the 'leader of the martial arts world' can the Prime Minister's subsequent plans proceed smoothly."

Recalling the strange things that happened in Hexi, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but frown and boldly speculated: "Brother Qin, do you know that on the second day of August last year... did the court send another person besides me?"

"Who are you referring to?"

"The richest businessman in the Song Dynasty, Shen Dongshan!" Liu Xunyi went straight to the point and said bluntly, "Looking back on the situation that day, if Shen Dongshan hadn't come to my rescue, I would have been hard to achieve anything with my own strength. More importantly, Shen Dongshan's indirect approach and persuasion were clearly behind the reopening of the martial arts conference and the nomination of the martial arts leader. Moreover, he had the seal of the Minister in his hand that day. All these things made me suspect that he was an insider deliberately arranged by the Prime Minister, cooperating with me in the open and in the dark. Otherwise, how could he, a businessman who is good at calculating, risk his life and death to enter the dangerous places of the rivers and lakes? How could he bet his own life and property and become an enemy of the Mongols?"

"This..." Qin Wei hesitated at Liu Xunyi's speculation and shrugged, "I don't know about this! How could the Prime Minister inform me when he does something? But no matter what, Shen Dongshan is helping you. Whether it's intentional or unintentional, it's not a bad thing for you."

"That being said, I'm afraid that I might accidentally hurt my colleagues without knowing it." Liu Xunyi said awkwardly, "Brother Qin, please tell the Marquis that if the Prime Minister secretly sends more helpers, please let me know in advance to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

"Okay." Qin Wei agreed happily, and then said, "Brother Liu, the Marquis will tell you the Prime Minister's true intentions. I believe you already know what to do next. The Marquis told you that 'if you want to succeed, you must go further'!"

"Go further?"

"Yes!" Qin Wei nodded mysteriously, "One step closer to Luo Tianjin."

"This……"

"Don't be surprised!" Seeing Liu Xunyi's shocked expression, Qin Wei couldn't help but smile indifferently, and said in a secretive manner, "Although the Marquis has been vague with you, I have already guessed your mission through several secret meetings with you. Brother Liu, the real purpose of your sneaking into the Xianwang Mansion is to get close to Luo Tianjin, right? The Prime Minister intends to nominate Luo Tianjin to sit on the throne of the leader of the martial arts world. His real intention is to prepare for the future recruitment, right? You are a sharp sword planted by the court beside Luo Tianjin. If he is obedient and loyal to the court, you will cut through the thorns and thorns for him and move forward. But if he is stubborn and has other ideas in his mind, you can turn the sword at any time and take his life in an instant, right?"

Qin Wei's words shocked Liu Xunyi. He was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond. Tonight, Qin Wei asked three "yes or no" questions in a row, which was enough to show that he was smart and was no less intelligent than Liu Xunyi.

However, rules are rules. Even if Qin Wei guessed everything correctly, Liu Xunyi could not admit it.

Seeing Liu Xunyi's complicated expression and erratic eyes, Qin Wei immediately understood everything and said with a smile: "Brother Liu, I know you are responsible for your life, so you don't have to answer me."

"Brother Qin, the reason... I will explain it to you slowly after I return to Tianji Pavilion."

"Okay! I'll wait for you!" Liu Xunyi's eyes moved, and he quickly calmed down from his anxiety. He said in a serious tone: "Go back and tell the Marquis that I know what to do next. Please rest assured."

"Brother Liu, you are now a famous hero in the martial arts world." Qin Wei said jokingly, "Even though I am far away in Lin'an, I can still hear some news about you."

"If you can hear it, I believe others can hear it too." Liu Xunyi said self-deprecatingly, "The Marquis once said that the more people know me... the more dangerous it will be."

"So you must complete your mission as soon as possible and return to Tianji Pavilion." Qin Wei replied undeniably, "Do you remember what I said to you last time?"

"Of course I remember." Liu Xunyi smiled bitterly, "You said that as long as I successfully resolved the Hexi issue, it wouldn't be long before I could return to Lin'an. At that time, I thought I had seen hope, but unexpectedly... Alas!"

"September 9th!" Qin Wei said solemnly, "When Luo Tianjin takes the throne of the leader of the martial arts world, you will be able to resume your position soon."

"Day after day, year after year. First it was the second day of August, then it was the ninth day of September..." Liu Xunyi smiled nonchalantly, "Sometimes, even I can't tell, am I the young protector of Tianji Pavilion? Or the master of Xianwang Mansion? The longer I travel the world, the more confused I am... Which one is the real me?"

"No one is heartless, no one is heartless," Qin Wei sighed. "Although I cannot empathize with Brother Liu's distress, I can understand a little."

"Forget it!" Liu Xunyi shook his head, as if to get rid of all the worries in his mind, and then he asked again, "Besides this, is there anything else?"

Qin Wei groaned for a moment and whispered, "There is one more thing. Although it has not been confirmed, it is not groundless."

"What's the matter?"

"Xifu!" Qin Wei said in a serious tone, "Xifu seems to want to intervene in the martial arts conference on September 9th."

"What?" Liu Xunyi's expression changed immediately, and he asked hurriedly, "What are they doing?"

"I don't know." Qin Wei shook his head. "The Privy Council has kept this matter very secret. If it weren't for the Prime Minister's great power, we might not even get this little news."

"Ding Qinghong!" Liu Xunyi suddenly had an idea and blurted out subconsciously, "Ding Qinghong once colluded with the West Mansion secretly. Behind him is Peach Blossom Sword Island, one of the four major heretical sects in the martial arts world."

At this point, Liu Xunyi's eyes suddenly became nervous, and he said anxiously: "I used to worry about whether Peach Blossom Sword Island would make a comeback with the help of the West Mansion. Today, it seems that what I feared is coming true. The only difference is that it is not that Peach Blossom Sword Island is using the power of the West Mansion to fight back in the Central Plains, but that the West Mansion wants to use the power of Peach Blossom Sword Island... to interfere in the martial arts world!"

"That makes sense!" Qin Wei nodded thoughtfully, "It's impossible for the West Mansion to intervene in the disputes in the martial arts world. They will definitely rely on a strong party. And Peach Blossom Sword Island... is indeed the most likely. No! I must report this matter to the Marquis as soon as possible, so that the Prime Minister and the East Mansion can prepare in advance to avoid being caught off guard."

After that, Qin Wei quickly grabbed Liu Xunyi's arm and warned him, "Brother Liu, if Peach Blossom Sword Island has the support of the West Mansion, it will definitely come with great force. It is said that Peach Blossom Sword Island has the deepest hatred with the Xianwang Mansion. Their previous island master was injured by the Northern Xianwang more than ten years ago, so he fled overseas and made a contract never to set foot in the Middle Earth. This matter has always been regarded as a great shame by Peach Blossom Sword Island. If they really want to make a comeback, they will definitely cause trouble for the Xianwang Mansion. You are in the Jianghu, isolated and helpless, and now you are with Luo Tianjin... You must be very careful to avoid being affected."

"Don't worry!" Liu Xunyi grabbed Qin Wei's arm and assured him, "I will definitely come back alive!"

"Good brother!" Qin Wei grinned and bowed to say goodbye, "It's not suitable to stay here for long, so I'll say goodbye. When we return to Lin'an one day, we'll get drunk together!"

"Wait a moment!"

Before Qin Wei could turn around and leave, Liu Xunyi suddenly said, "Brother Qin, there is one more thing I want to ask you."

"What's the matter?"

"The princess..." When Liu Xunyi mentioned Zhao Xin, he suddenly felt a pain in his heart, and his expression became a little complicated. "Is she okay? Has she seen my handkerchief? How is her condition? Has it improved?"

Hearing this, Qin Wei's face changed, but he regained his composure in an instant, and nodded nonchalantly, "The princess... is fine, Brother Liu, don't worry."

"Then her illness..."

"I'm already healed." Before Liu Xunyi finished speaking, Qin Wei could not wait to reply, "This is not the place to talk. You'd better hurry back to the Xianwang Mansion to avoid arousing suspicion."

"Brother Qin, the princess..."

"Brother Liu, a man should put his fame and career first! Love affairs will inevitably make a man lose his temper, so don't let it make a mistake." Qin Wei interrupted, "I'll say it again, the princess is fine, you don't have to worry. If you miss her, finish the errand as soon as possible and try to go back to Lin'an to see her as soon as possible. I'm leaving first, bye!"

"But……"

Before Liu Xunyi could finish her words, Qin Wei suddenly turned around and quickly disappeared into the night.

On the bank of Luoshui River, only Liu Xunyi was left with a confused and even somewhat at a loss look on his face.

Although Qin Wei kept saying that Zhao Xin was fine, for some reason, Liu Xunyi always had an indescribable worry in his heart, as well as a vague but lingering sadness.

……

(End of this chapter)