Chapter 638 Acting as Bait
For several days in a row, heroes from all over the world were invited to arrive in Luoyang City.

As more and more guests and friends came from all over, the Prince Xian’s Mansion became more and more lively day by day.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Liu Xunyi secretly ordered Qin Wei to lead 300 disguised golden sword captains to stir up trouble in Luoyang City, deliberately creating an uneasy and tense atmosphere.

Since Luoyang City had just experienced a catastrophe not long ago, this incident immediately caused panic among the people of Luoyang and vigilance among the people in Prince Xian's Palace.

Right now, the Xianwang Mansion is filled with distinguished guests and good friends, and countless eyes are closely watching the situation in Luoyang City. If any trouble occurs at this time, it will surely attract criticism from heroes all over the world.

By then, not only will the Xianwang Mansion lose face, but even the prestige of the leader of the martial arts world will be greatly questioned.

December 5th, morning.

Liu Xunyi, using the excuse that there were traitors causing trouble in the city, proposed to Luo Tianjin during a meeting in the central hall that they should follow the method used to deal with Jin Fuyu and Qin Ming and send disciples from the Xianwang Palace to patrol and guard various places in the city in order to ensure peace in Luoyang.

Huang Yulang was the first to stand up and oppose this. His reason was that when all the disciples in the palace were sent out, the Xianwang Mansion was attacked by Song Yu and his men. Suffering from being outnumbered, Luo Tianjin had to compromise with them.

Wong Yuk-long did not want to repeat the same mistake, so he firmly opposed Liu Xunyi's proposal.

As soon as these words were spoken, they were immediately echoed by the crowd.

However, to everyone's surprise, Luo Tianjin readily agreed to Liu Xunyi's suggestion on the grounds that "this is a different time".

This move caused an uproar in the hall.

After all, Luo Tianjin was furious about this matter and severely punished Liu Xunyi.

Why did his attitude change so drastically in the blink of an eye?

Not only were the people in the Xianwang Mansion puzzled, Xunzhen and Yeluqin were secretly worried, and even Liu Xunyi himself was secretly speculating: "It was so easy to lure the Xianwang Mansion disciples away from the mountain. Is this going too smoothly? It's so smooth... It's almost unbelievable."

Afternoon, in the study.

Just like the previous few days, Xie Xuan reported to Luo Tianjin the new guests who had arrived today and the gifts they had presented. It took him nearly an hour to finish reading the long list of gifts.

"I haven't sent out so many wedding invitations, why do so many people suddenly appear?" After Xie Xuan put away the gift list, Luo Tianjin expressed his confusion, "In the list you just read, many of the people I have never even heard of."

Xie Xuan smiled bitterly and said, "The Lord of the Mansion is wise! Six or seven out of ten guests who have come to our house recently were not invited by us. Most of them came uninvited."

"Oh?"

Facing the interested Luo Tianjin, Xie Xuan paused for a moment and explained, "Most of them admire the reputation of the Palace Master and have long wanted to make friends with the Xianwang Palace, but have always been unable to find an opportunity. Now they finally see the Palace Master inviting heroes from all over the world, so even if they don't receive an invitation, they are willing to come and try. They hope to take this opportunity to see the true face of the leader of the martial arts world to quench their thirst for admiration."

"Haha..." Luo Tianjin suddenly realized, "I understand! I understand! Back then, you and I were the same. Even if we were driven away by others, we would still put on a smile and stuff the gifts through the door, just hoping that others would know that there were Luo Tianjin and Xie Xuan in the martial arts world."

"Yes!" As if recalling the difficult years of his youth, Xie Xuan's eyes flashed with sadness, and he sighed, "That's why I didn't refuse their kindness. I made the decision on my own, please punish me, Lord."

"What are you talking about, Brother Xie?" Luo Tianjin pretended to be displeased. "We are not those snobs back then, so we will not do such despicable things as looking down on others. I asserted in the past that anyone who judges a hero by his reputation cannot be called a hero. Most of them are people who curry favor with the powerful and are greedy for money. Even if they are at the peak of their careers, they will not last long. Since ancient times, why do we ask where heroes come from? Little do people know that heroes at the end of their lives are also true heroes. We only hope that one day they can spread their wings and soar beyond the nine heavens, putting all the other sparrows, pigs and dogs to shame."

"What the Palace Master said is absolutely right. Those who looked down on us in the past have either become bones in a grave or have become peasants in the mountains. They are no longer worth a sneer at." Xie Xuan agreed, "The gate of the Xianwang Palace is always open to welcome heroes from all over the world. We will never distinguish between high and low based on reputation, qualifications, seniority, or origin."

"Everyone who comes is a guest, so remember not to neglect them." Luo Tianjin warned, "But you must also be careful of those who take advantage of the situation and plot against you."

"As you command!" Xie Xuan replied, "I only arrange for old friends to stay in the mansion. As for those who come uninvited, most of them will be arranged in the inns in the city."

"Well done." Luo Tianjin praised, "I have borrowed Danfeng Garden from Mr. Shen. If necessary, you can also arrange for the guests to stay in Danfeng Garden."

"So good!"

"That's all!" Luo Tianjin personally poured two cups of tea and handed one to Xie Xuan, smiling faintly, "Leave the reception to Luo Qi and the others. Brother Xie doesn't have to do everything himself, lest he become too tired."

Seeing Luo Tianjin personally serving tea, Xie Xuan was extremely honored. He quickly took it with both hands and thanked him hastily.

"Let's talk about the most important thing right now!" Luo Tianjin changed the subject and asked calmly, "Any news about Yun Zhuiyue?" "I have sent people to find out Yun Zhuiyue's whereabouts, but they hid very deeply and no clues have been found so far." Xie Xuan said ashamedly, "Since the Palace Master met him, Yun Zhuiyue has never appeared again. I guess, maybe he has left..."

"No." Luo Tianjin said firmly, "Who is Yun Zhuiyue? He traveled thousands of miles to Luoyang City. It is impossible that he came all the way here just to tell me that Xunyi is my son. He must have other intentions."

"The Palace Master means..."

"I'm worried that Yun Zhuiyue's appearance might be related to the imperial court's offer of amnesty." Luo Tianjin frowned and thought, "Although there is no evidence, it is better to be cautious."

"Noted. I'll continue to send people to check."

"Where is Zhao Yuan?" Luo Tianjin asked with a thought, "According to the date, he should have entered the territory of the Song Dynasty."

"The spies sent pigeons to report that Zhao Yuan's convoy arrived in Luzhou yesterday morning. At this speed, they will be able to return to Lin'an City in three to five days."

"So fast?" Luo Tianjin was quite surprised. "It seems that they traveled day and night without stopping."

"That's right." Xie Xuan looked worried and hesitated, "Palace Master, now that Zhao Yuan has left, should our plan be..."

"Brother Xie, do you really think Zhao Yuan is gone?"

"This..." Xie Xuan was stunned, as if he didn't understand Luo Tianjin's implication, and asked in astonishment, "What does the Palace Master mean?"

"Do you dare to make a bet with me?" Luo Tianjin said with a sly smile, "I bet Zhao Yuan has not gone far. Now he must be hiding near Luoyang City, keeping a close watch, waiting for an opportunity to strike."

"But our spies clearly saw..."

"The spies only saw Zhao Yuan's convoy, but did they see Zhao Yuan himself?"

"This... the spies dare not get too close, so as not to arouse their suspicion. In addition, they travel day and night, and Zhao Yuan sits in the car most of the time, so..." At this point, Xie Xuan's eyes suddenly lit up and he suddenly realized, "The Palace Master means... Is this Zhao Yuan's strategy of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west?"

"I wasn't sure at first." Luo Tianjin said, "But what happened in the past few days has made me more determined that Zhao Yuan must not have gone far."

"What's the matter?"

"First, Zhao Yuan gave up the offer of amnesty, why didn't he take Liu Xunyi with him? He deliberately left a pawn behind, as if he was still thief with other intentions. Second, a group of nameless thieves suddenly appeared in the city. They acted secretly and deployed carefully. Their methods and style were neither those of Jianghu heroes nor heroes of the green forest. Instead, they were very similar to the well-trained government soldiers. Third, Liu Xunyi has always been cautious in doing things. Why did he take the initiative to suggest sending disciples from the mansion to patrol the city? Even Lin Fangda and others could see the danger, so how could he not see it? Fourth, Zhao Yuan was unsuccessful. If he returns, he will be severely punished. If so, why did he rush thousands of miles? Is he rushing back to die? "Luo Tianjin smiled confidently, "All these strange things are nothing more than wanting me to forget Zhao Yuan as soon as possible, so that I can focus on the trivial matters in Luoyang City while enjoying the congratulations from all directions. There is a saying that 'cleverness can be a mistake'. The more Zhao Yuan wants to conceal his whereabouts, the easier it is to reveal his whereabouts. Therefore, I concluded that Zhao Yuan did not leave. Not only did he not leave, but he has already strung his crossbow and is ready to go."

"Hiss!" Xie Xuan was shocked and said hurriedly, "If that's the case, then the Palace Master is in danger everywhere, isn't he?"

"Isn't 'Danger All Around' what we are waiting for?" Luo Tianjin said with a smile, "Xunyi and Zhao Yuan conspired to stage a good show, taking the opportunity to transfer most of the disciples in the mansion. In this way, they will have the opportunity to kill me. This morning, I rejected everyone's opinion and agreed to Xunyi's proposal, which was exactly the same as their trick."

"That being said, I still think this move is too dangerous." Xie Xuan said cautiously, "We know that our opponent is Zhao Yuan. But how many murderous intentions are there hiding in the dark? Madam...had a secret meeting with Zhao Yuan. Just now, the Palace Master also speculated that Yun Zhuiyue might be related to the amnesty..."

Before Xie Xuan finished speaking, Luo Tianjin interrupted him with a wave of his hand: "I know there are some risks in this matter, but so far everything is under our control. Brother Xie, your worries are not unreasonable, but Xunyi is my flesh and blood. I can neither turn a blind eye nor force him to recognize me without considering his feelings. Therefore, in order to make things happen with him, I must take some risks!"

"Father's love is like a mountain. Xie admires it!"

"You don't have to worry too much. Our biggest enemy is still Zhao Yuan. As for Ling Xiaoxiao and Yun Zhuiyue, although the former has some resentment towards me, she has not yet pushed me to the brink of death. After all, I have known her since childhood and have slept in the same bed for more than 20 years. We have some affection for each other. Moreover, she comes in and out of the mansion all day long. It would be easy for her to kill me. Why wait until today? As for Yun Zhuiyue, he is a man who seeks fame and reputation. He is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. He is far from my opponent, otherwise he would not have lost miserably in Xiangxi that year. What's more, Yun Zhuiyue was lucky to escape the disaster because the head of the Teng clan guaranteed him at the martial arts conference. If he dares to plot against the law and become my enemy, the Xiangxi Teng clan will be implicated. Yun Zhuiyue does not care about the monk's face, but the Buddha's face. He may not care about his own life or death, but he will never care about the rise and fall of the Teng clan. After all, the Teng clan gave birth to him and raised him. It would be unbearable for him to repay kindness with enmity."

"The Palace Master's words make sense!" Xie Xuan analyzed, "Since Xun Yi used the strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain, it is enough to prove that the troops sent by the court are not many, otherwise they could have entered the palace with great fanfare and would not have to hide their heads and tails at all."

"That's right!" Luo Tianjin said righteously, "That's why I'm not afraid at all."

"According to the orders of the Palace Master, Murong Bai and Deng Quan have secretly dispatched 800 "Imperial Guards" into the city. Under my arrangement, they sneaked into the Palace in batches and are now hiding in various wings." Xie Xuan reported, "This matter was personally handled by Murong Bai and Deng Quan from beginning to end. No one else in the Palace knows about it except you and me."

"Very good!" Luo Tianjin smiled slyly and said meaningfully, "Brother Xie, now that the bait has been thrown, let's just sit back and watch and see when this smart fish will take the bait."

……

(End of this chapter)