Chapter 551 Things are different now
October 7th, noon.

Xunzhen, who had not been heard from for nearly a month, suddenly returned to Prince Xian's mansion.

Today, in addition to Abaolu, Su Hu, Xiao Yang, Xun Budao and other Western Region masters, there is also a mysterious man who is about fifty years old, with big ears, big eyes and a thick mouth.

He treated him like a human being. Not only did Abaolu and his men obey him, but even Xunzhen was respectful in front of him.

As soon as he entered the Prince Xian's Palace, the mysterious man kept looking around, as if he was interested in everything in the palace.

"I have heard that the Central Plains is prosperous. Today I see that it is indeed as famous as it is said to be."

It seemed that the mysterious man was deeply attracted by the pavilions, towers, carved beams and hanging buildings in the Prince Xian's Mansion. He could not help but sigh with emotion and praise it endlessly.

This move attracted curious glances from many disciples in the mansion.

"Although the Central Plains is prosperous, not every family is so luxurious." Xunzhen said with a smile, "There are probably not many families like the Xianwang Mansion with golden bridles and jade reins, long spears and noble gates in the entire Central Plains."

"The young king of Qin really has a sharp vision. He chose to make friends with Luo Tianjin among all the heroes in the Central Plains. He is far-sighted and wise." The mysterious man looked around and replied undeniably, "Now, Luo Tianjin has successfully taken the position of the leader of the martial arts world, which shows that he is both wise and capable."

"Hehe... You all have come from far away, and I hope you will forgive me for not welcoming you well!"

Accompanied by a burst of hearty laughter, Xie Xuan led Su Tang, Luo Qi, and Liu Xunyi, holding fans, and walked towards Xunzhen and others.

Before the two sides got close, Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen's eyes had already intertwined intentionally or unintentionally.

However, the meeting between the two was far from as cordial and natural as the reunion of old friends. Instead, there was less familiarity and openness in each other's eyes, and more unfamiliarity and vigilance.

It seems that the two people today are completely different from Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen who used to spend every day together and chat and laugh together.

An invisible, intangible, yet real gap quietly rose between the two.

In a trance, Xunzhen's parting words once again echoed in Liu Xunyi's ears: "Tomorrow, you will go west to Huashan, and I will go south to Jingjiang. No matter success or failure, I'm afraid it will be difficult to go back to the past. Therefore, after tonight, you and I will go our separate ways. ... Even if we meet again in the future, we may not be friends anymore..."

Xunzhen's words came true, and Liu Xunyi couldn't help but recall the past scenes of the two of them talking freely over a pot of good wine under the bright moon and cool breeze that night.

When Xie Xuan came closer, he took the initiative to greet Xunzhen and said, "I haven't seen you for a long time. Miss Xunzhen, how are you?"

As if her thoughts were interrupted by Xie Xuan's voice, Xunzhen was slightly stunned, and then quickly came back to her senses, with her usual confident smile on her lips, and replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Thanks to the blessing of the Northern Wise King and Mr. Xie, I am doing well."

"The mansion master has not received any news from Miss Xunzhen for a long time, and he is very worried. He sent people out to inquire several times, but they all returned empty-handed."

Xie Xuan pretended to be ashamed, but actually he had something else to say, implying that Xunzhen left without saying goodbye.

Xunzhen did not explain too much about this, but just smiled and changed the subject, asking, "Where is Palace Master Luo?"

"The mansion master had a fierce battle with Jin Fuyu on Mount Hua, and his vitality was seriously damaged. He is still recovering." Xie Xuan said with difficulty, "The mansion master didn't know that Miss Xunzhen was coming to visit today, so he just took medicine and went to bed."

"you……"

"Eh!"

Seeing Xie Xuan being so rude, Abaolu immediately became angry and wanted to yell at him, but was interrupted by the mysterious man: "It is not proper for us to come here uninvited. Since the Northern Sage King is resting, we should follow the host's wishes and wait for good news."

Hearing this, Xie Xuan could not help but raise his eyebrows, looked at the mysterious man with interest, and said modestly: "Forgive me for not recognizing you, may I know your name?"

"Who is this……"

“Hey!” Without waiting for Xunzhen to introduce him, the mysterious man waved his hand again and said with a smile, “I’m just a nobody, not worth mentioning.”

Seeing the mysterious man refuse to speak, Xie Xuan did not force him. He pointed to the center of the hall and said, "Everyone, please have some tea."

"Thank you!"

After saying that, the mysterious man took the lead and walked towards the main hall. The indignant Abaolu and his companions followed angrily behind him. Xunzhen hesitated for a moment and walked at the end.

When she and Liu Xunyi passed each other, they looked at each other. Xunzhen gave Liu Xunyi a meaningful smile, but Liu Xunyi was preoccupied and looked hesitant, as if he wanted to say something.

……

Afternoon, in the study. "Master, Xunzhen and the others have been waiting in the central hall for two hours..."

"No hurry!" Luo Tianjin sat leisurely behind the desk, holding an ancient book in his hand, reading it with relish, and said absentmindedly, "Let them wait!"

"But..." Xie Xuan hesitated, "They are the young king's men after all. It seems inappropriate for us to be so negligent."

"They suddenly disappeared and have kept us waiting. Now I let them wait for a few more hours, what's wrong with that?" Luo Tianjin put the book down and cast a dissatisfied look at Xie Xuan, "Brother Xie, I am just 'treating them in their own way'. Not letting them wait for ten days or half a month is already showing enough courtesy. There is a saying that 'if someone respects me one foot, I will respect him ten feet'. Don't forget that they were the ones who neglected me first, and I am just punishing them lightly. If I keep giving in to them, or even let them lead me by the nose, they will only look down on us more and more in the future."

"The mansion master taught me that."

Seeing Xie Xuan's timid expression, Luo Tianjin's expression gradually eased and he said jokingly, "Since they have been waiting for a long time, why not let them wait a little longer."

"Wait a little longer?" Xie Xuan hesitated, "Doesn't it mean waiting until night?"

"Give them orders to only serve them tea and not any food." Luo Tianjin said nonchalantly, "These people from the Western Regions are full of tricks, and tea is just the right thing to do to help them get rid of the 'golden money' in their stomachs."

Xie Xuan showed a worried look on his face and reminded: "There is a stranger among the visitors. Judging from his posture and the attitude of Xunzhen and others towards him, he seems to be of high status. I guess..."

"Do you think he is Yelu Tai, the Young Prince of Qin?"

"Yes!" Xie Xuan nodded. "Judging from his age, clothing, and the aura he exudes in his gestures, he is definitely extraordinary. If he is really Yelu Tai, will we be rude to him..."

"No." Luo Tianjin said firmly, "The Young Qin King lives a life of luxury and cherishes his life very much. He will never put himself in an unfamiliar environment unless he is absolutely sure. Moreover, with the precedent of Ren Wuya's death in Huashan, the Young Qin King does not want to follow in his footsteps, so he will never take the risk and come to the Central Plains. As for the unfamiliar faces you mentioned, they may be the confidants or favorites of the Young Qin King."

"That makes sense." Xie Xuan nodded slowly and asked hesitantly, "When does the Palace Master plan to meet them?"

"We'll talk about it tomorrow!" Luo Tianjin said calmly, "Remember, you don't need to prepare wine and food for them, and you don't need to arrange guest rooms for them. Just let them wait in the main hall."

"clear."

Seeing Xie Xuan about to turn around and leave, Luo Tianjin's eyes suddenly moved, and he said thoughtfully: "Brother Xie, there is something I have been thinking about for a long time, and today I want to hear your opinion."

"Please speak, Lord."

"I have been the leader of the martial arts world for nearly a month. Although all the sects have sent their names to me as promised, I always feel that... many people are still not convinced by me. Most of them pretend to obey me but actually try to curry favor with me. On the surface, they are my subordinates, but in fact, they don't take me seriously at all." Luo Tianjin said with a heavy heart, "If you want to dominate the Central Plains martial arts world, you can't just talk big, and you can't just rely on the title of 'leader'."

"The Jianghu is vast, and the martial arts world is broad. It is not easy for the Palace Master to control all the sects by himself." Xie Xuan pondered, "Although the Palace Master is the 'Leader of the Martial Arts World', the real command is still the Xianwang Palace. For other sects, especially the many sects far south of Qinhuai, it is inevitable that he is out of reach and unable to do what he wants."

"We have been operating in the north for many years, with deep roots and profound cultural heritage. Now with the blessing of the 'Master of Wulin', we are like a fish in water, and we can handle things with ease. However, the many sects and families south of Qinhuai are still a concern of mine. If I cannot control the overall situation, the Master of Wulin is just an empty title, not only without any dignity, but also causing people to laugh at me."

"The Palace Master means..."

"One person's plan is short, two people's plan is long. Instead of me taking care of all the northern and southern sects alone, it is better to divide and rule." Luo Tianjin thought, "I intend to recommend Wudang Sect Leader Qingfeng and Teng Clan Chief Teng Sanshi as deputy leaders to assist me in managing the Central Plains martial arts world. I wonder what Brother Xie thinks?"

"Deputy leader?" Xie Xuan was surprised. "From ancient times to now, I have never heard of the Central Plains martial arts world having a deputy leader, and there are two of them..."

"Master Qingfeng is a leader in the martial arts world. He speaks in a proper manner and is highly respected. With him in charge, no hero in the world would dare to act rashly." Luo Tianjin explained, "Master Teng is a hero of great stature, full of energy and determination, hates evil as much as he hates evil, is upright and incorruptible, and has a very high prestige in the martial arts world. I believe it is the best choice for him to help me contain the four great families, Longxiang Mountain, and Jueqing Valley."

"This... is not impossible. But, can they agree to this?"

"I am the leader of the Wulin, why do I need their consent?" Luo Tianjin's face darkened, and he said without question, "There is no need to discuss this matter with them. I can just announce it to the world in the name of the Wulin leader."

"Isn't this forcing us to do something? I believe Taoist Qingfeng will not refuse, but Patriarch Teng has a strong temper..."

"It is precisely because of his strong character that he will not be fickle." Luo Tianjin interrupted confidently, "When we were at Huashan, he personally acknowledged that I was the leader of the martial arts world, so he will definitely not resist my arrangement today. Based on my understanding of him, once he accepts the position of deputy leader, he will definitely perform his duties conscientiously and will never just sit there and do nothing and ruin his reputation."

Although Luo Tianjin's tone was calm and he seemed to be discussing something with Xie Xuan, in fact, Xie Xuan had a vague feeling of something unusual rising in his heart.

In the past, Luo Tianjin was strict with himself and strict with others. He listened to both sides of the issue and was open-minded.

Today, Luo Tianjin was arrogant and domineering, and he acted arbitrarily and arrogantly.

Xie Xuan was a bystander and was worried. In his eyes, the "Leader of the Martial World" today and the "King of the North" in the past were drifting further and further apart, and even going in opposite directions.

……

(End of this chapter)