Chapter 55: Attack with scheming
"Bang, bang, bang!"

Late at night, there was a crisp knock on the door outside Lu Tingxiang's study. A moment later, Lu Tingxiang's cold voice rang out from inside the room: "Come in!"

Si Kong Zhu agreed in a low voice and pushed the door open.

In the room, Lu Tingxiang sat lazily behind the desk, holding a cup of tea in his hand, drinking it slowly. Beside him, Bai Shuang, with a flushed face, hurriedly tidied her slightly messy dress. When she saw Sikong Zhu, she couldn't help but show shyness, hurriedly turned sideways to tie her skirt, and then bowed slightly to Sikong Zhu, and then wanted to "run away", but was suddenly grabbed by Lu Tingxiang.

With a scream, Bai Shuang fell into Lu Tingxiang's arms again.

Bai Shuang's watery almond eyes were full of shyness, and she looked at Lu Tingxiang as if she was not looking at him. Lu Tingxiang first showed her a charming and doting smile, then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Such intimacy in front of Si Kongzhu made Bai Shuang's face feel hot as if it was on fire.

When Sikong Zhu saw the dishevelled Bai Shuang, he had guessed everything. Having remained a virgin for decades, he could not help but look away quietly, pretending to be blind.

"You don't have to go back to the Shui Pavilion tonight, stay here with me." Lu Tingxiang said softly to Bai Shuang.

Hearing this, Bai Shuang's face flushed immediately, but she could not hide the joy between her brows, and she nodded gently and obediently.

"Go first!" Lu Tingxiang ordered and slowly pushed Bai Shuang away.

Bai Shuang raised her eyes and glanced at Sikong Zhu who was looking straight ahead, then fled away from the study.

After Bai Shuang left, Lu Tingxiang still wanted to put his hand in front of his nose and sniffed it gently. A faint fragrance remained on his palm. He sighed: "A beauty is really a beauty. The faint fragrance is enough to make people intoxicated."

Seeing that Lu Tingxiang was in high spirits, Si Kongzhu couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Sir, why don't I come back tomorrow morning..."

"No need!" Lu Tingxiang, who was full of intoxication, quickly put away his distracted mind and said seriously, "A beauty can only please a man, but not be addicted. Otherwise, how can he concentrate on doing serious work?"

"Young Master, you don't lose your mind in the face of power, you don't squander gold and silver, and you don't indulge in lust in the face of beauty. You can control yourself so well, which is a blessing for our ancestors and the Lu family." Si Kongzhu smiled respectfully, "But although you can remain calm in the face of temptation, Bai Shuang is a beauty in the world. After a long time, it is inevitable that..."

"Ahem!" Before Sikong Zhu could finish his words, Lu Tingxiang suddenly coughed twice and said, "Master Zhu, there are some things you shouldn't say."

"That's right!" Sikong Zhu apologized hastily, "I'm just worried about the young master's health. Everything is just as the young master said, beauty can only be used to please the heart, never to indulge. With Bai Shuang's current status, it is impossible for the young master to marry her openly, but the young master is reluctant to let her go. I'm also worried that if this goes on for a long time, she will disturb the young master's mind."

"I know how to deal with Bai Shuang." Lu Tingxiang waved his hand in displeasure to interrupt Si Kongzhu's words, and then changed the subject and asked, "How is the investigation going?"

Si Kong Zhu straightened his expression and nodded, "Everything is just as you expected, young master. Luo Tianjin did not kill Liu Xunyi, nor did he take him back to Luoyang City. Instead, he asked Liu Xunyi to find the whereabouts of the Shocking Wind and Rain Picture for him."

Lu Tingxiang sneered confidently, "This Liu Xunyi's origins are unknown. With Luo Tianjin's cunningness, how could he easily trust him? I know Luo Tianjin's character very well. For a young master like Liu Xunyi whose origins are unknown, he would either recruit him for his own use or kill him to prevent him from being used by others. He would never let him go for no reason."

Si Kong Zhu responded, "You are wise, young master. I have been secretly following Liu Xunyi these days and found that he has been searching all the silk and satin shops in Jiangnan area, trying to find out the origins of those two pieces of cloth."

Lu Tingxiang laughed disdainfully and said, "Luo Tianjin thought that he could get away with it by letting Deng Changchuan secretly take away the rag in Mo Cen's hand, but he didn't know that I saw the scene where Mo Cen fought back and grabbed the black-clothed man's chest before dying. But I also have to thank Master Zhu for reminding me in time that I should not tear my face with Luo Tianjin and confront him face to face. Instead, I should learn to be a mantis stalking a cicada while the oriole is waiting behind. This will save us a lot of trouble. Now it seems that Liu Xunyi has found out some information?"

"That's right!" Si Kong Zhu replied, "I came back to report this to you. Two days ago in the evening, Liu Xunyi was gathering information at the Qingsi Workshop in Pingjiang Prefecture, and he got some clues from Mr. Zhou. Then I went to visit the knowledgeable Mr. Zhou late at night, and indeed got some clues about the man in black."

"Who is that man in black?" Lu Tingxiang suddenly became interested and asked impatiently.

"The man in black is wearing a green silk armor." Sikong Zhu said slowly.

"Green Silk Armor?" Lu Tingxiang frowned slightly, then his eyes lit up and he asked suspiciously, "Could it be someone from Tianshan Jade Dragon Palace?"

"That's right!" Si Kongzhu nodded with approval, "Mr. Zhou said that there was a strand of green silk on one of the pieces of cloth that Liu Xunyi showed him, so he deduced that the man in black was wearing green silk armor."

Lu Tingxiang muttered to himself thoughtfully, "I was wondering who was so bold, it turned out to be the Tianshan Jade Dragon Palace. So it's not surprising that the man in black dared to ask Mo Cen for the Jingfenghuayutu in front of all the heroes in the world. These pagans have always been fearless of us famous and upright sects, but... I'm afraid it would be difficult for the Tianshan Jade Dragon Palace to accomplish this. There must be their accomplices among the guests that day. Master Zhu, who do you think the traitor is?" Sikong Zhu smiled bitterly and shook his head slowly, saying, "I originally thought that it was Luo Tianjin who was secretly doing this, but now it seems that this matter is not done by Luo Tianjin, otherwise he wouldn't have to go to so much trouble to let Liu Xunyi look for clues."

Lu Tingxiang frowned and said, "I originally thought that Luo Tianjin secretly took away the two pieces of cloth in order to destroy all clues, but I didn't expect that he was also kept in the dark."

Si Kong Zhu whispered, "That day we arrested the waiter of Fu Man Inn and searched the room of the man in black, but we didn't get any clues. This shows how cautious these people are. In this way, we have to thank Luo Tianjin and Liu Xunyi. If it weren't for them, we might never know the origin of the man in black and the whereabouts of the Jing Feng Hua Yu Tu."

Lu Tingxiang nodded nonchalantly and said, "This Liu Xunyi... is indeed quite capable. No wonder Luo Tianjin not only didn't kill him, but also gave him such an important task to do."

"Luo Tianjin is a shrewd man, how could he have made a mistake?" Si Kong Zhu said with a smile, "Maybe Liu Xunyi, this kid who came out of nowhere, can really... do something. But since we already know the clues, the next step is simple. You only need to send two groups of people, one to deal with Liu Xunyi, and the other to go to the Cold Ridge of Tianshan Mountain to retrieve the Shocking Wind and Rain Picture."

In response to Sikong Zhu's suggestion, Lu Tingxiang slowly shook his head and said dimly, "We still don't know who the traitor is who is colluding with Tianshan Yulong Palace, so whoever goes to Tianshan Hanling to search for the Jingfenghuayutu will be exposed. As the saying goes, it is easy to dodge an open spear, but difficult to guard against an arrow from the dark. Rather than letting our people run into obstacles, it is better to let Liu Xunyi take the lead for us. It is best to let him lead out the traitor first, so that we can see the enemy's strengths and weaknesses clearly, and then it will not be too late to take action."

Si Kong Zhu nodded repeatedly and said, "Sir, you are right. I was too reckless. Then we will not touch Liu Xunyi for now. We just need to send someone to follow him quietly and keep a close eye on his every move until the traitor shows up or the Shocking Wind and Rain Map falls into his hands."

Lu Tingxiang's fingers gently rubbed the teacup, his eyes flashing with coldness, and he sneered: "The reason why Luo Tianjin pushed Liu Xunyi out to investigate this matter is actually to make him a scapegoat, while Luo Tianjin himself hides behind and reaps the benefits. After all, the life and death of a small character like Liu Xunyi is not important to Luo Tianjin. Since Luo Tianjin knows that the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, he is unwilling to show up rashly, so we won't show up either. The traitor is hiding deep, and Luo Tianjin is hiding deeper than the traitor, so we have to hide deeper. This water is already muddy enough, let Liu Xunyi go and stir it up again!"

Si Kong Zhu laughed and said, "Yes, it's easy to fish in troubled waters, but this Liu Xunyi was being used without knowing it, and he was foolishly buying Luo Tianjin's life. It's really pitiful and ridiculous."

Lu Tingxiang said calmly: "There is nothing we can do. Who can help him because he has no one to back him up? If we don't let him die for us, who else can we let die for us?"

Sikong Zhu pondered for a moment and said, "But since Luo Tianjin and Young Master are so sure that Liu Xunyi has some ability, will he also be hiding in the dark to search for the Jingfenghuayutu? After all, Liu Xunyi is not a fool. He can't be stupid enough to cause trouble for Tianshan Yulong Palace alone. What if he keeps hiding and refuses to show up, then won't the muddy water become a pool of stagnant water? What if the people we send to monitor him get into trouble first? For us, wouldn't it be a loss instead of a gain?"

"The longer the night, the more dreams there are." Lu Tingxiang nodded slowly in response, but he suddenly raised his eyebrows, looked at Sikong Zhu, and asked, "From what Master Zhu said, have you thought of any solution?"

Sikong Zhu whispered: "That Mr. Zhou from the Qingsi Workshop has been taken by me..." Before Sikong Zhu finished speaking, he stretched out his hand to gesture at his neck, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Lu Tingxiang was very smart and figured out the key point immediately. He asked suspiciously, "Do you want to frame Liu Xunyi for this?"

"Liu Xunyi caused a big disturbance at Qingsi Shop. More than a dozen employees have seen him. Even if he says he didn't do it, I'm afraid no one will believe him." Sikong Zhu said, "He caused a big disturbance at Qingsi Shop and Master Zhou was killed right after. Who else should we suspect? In this case, even if the government can't catch Liu Xunyi, they will at least give him some trouble. In short, we can't let this kid have an easy life. The more trouble he has, the easier it will be for him to show his true colors in front of Tianshan Yulong Palace, and the more convenient it will be for us to do what we need to do later."

"Let Feng Tianba go!" Lu Tingxiang suddenly said, "He is keeping on biting me and is very annoying. He is a stubborn person, so it is a good opportunity to let him investigate Liu Xunyi's murder. I believe it will be enough to give Liu Xunyi a headache for a while. It also saves him from hanging around in front of me all day."

Si Kong Zhu nodded and said, "This is easy. We just need to inform Li Ji and the young master, and we can drive this ignorant and reckless man out of Quanzhou tomorrow. Since the young master doesn't like him, then let him never think of coming back again."

"Hmm!" Lu Tingxiang stood up slowly, and said with a half-smile, "Now I actually hope that Liu Xunyi can find the Jingfenghuayutu as soon as possible. If thetu is really in his hands, it will be much easier for us to get it. In short, let Feng Tianba harass him, but we don't have to rush to touch him. Tianshan Yulong Palace is far away in the Western Regions, mysterious and unpredictable. They have always had ill intentions towards the Central Plains martial arts world, and they think highly of themselves. It's a good opportunity for Liu Xunyi to go and find out their bottom line."

"Sir, it would be better for me to personally lead people to the Tianshan Cold Ridge for this matter. I am confident that Liu Xunyi will not be able to escape from my grasp." Sikong Zhu asked confidently.

"No!" Lu Tingxiang shook his head and said, "Liu Xunyi is an expert, and we don't know if Luo Tianjin will send another expert to protect him secretly. The experts from the Lu Mansion will definitely be very conspicuous and will inevitably arouse suspicion, and they may not be able to keep an eye on Liu Xunyi as they wish. To deal with an expert like Liu Xunyi, I have a more preferred candidate. I believe that this person will not only not arouse suspicion from outsiders, but also can easily get close to Liu Xunyi."

"I wonder who you are talking about, sir?"

Lu Tingxiang smiled mysteriously and said, "Master Zhu, do you still remember that night in Sushui Pavilion when you told me that Liu Xunyi risked his life to rescue Bai Shuang from Tang Afu? Although Bai Shuang doesn't know martial arts, she has means and skills that no man in the world can resist. Now, besides us and Luo Tianjin, I don't know how many people are secretly trying to find out the whereabouts of the Jingfenghuayutu. Tianshan Hanling is bound to be a mixed bag soon. At this time, only by taking an unconventional approach can we achieve a surprise victory."

Si Kongzhu suddenly understood and said in surprise: "Young Master, what you mean is..."

"Since ancient times, heroes have been unable to resist the temptation of beauty, and steel can never resist the softness of a finger. Liu Xunyi has other thoughts about Bai Shuang, even a fool can see it. In this case, I will do as he wishes and send Bai Shuang to him."

……

(End of this chapter)