Chapter 645: Life and Death Determined by Fate (Part )

"What the mansion master means is..." Huang Yulang rolled his eyes and asked tentatively, "There is something wrong with the troupe that Liu Xunyi found. They will set up an ambush in the East Courtyard tonight, intending to deal with the mansion master. And the mansion master wants to give them a taste of their own medicine, and instead leads them into the trap he has set up?"

"Probably so." Faced with Huang Yulang's speculation, Luo Tianjin could not deny it.

"But... Liu Xunyi has already sent all the disciples in the mansion out to patrol. How can Murong Bai and Deng Quan set up an ambush?" Deng Changchuan hit the nail on the head. "Could it be that the mansion master has secretly called back the eight sect disciples?"

In response to this, Luo Tianjin smiled slightly, but did not give a direct answer. Instead, he deliberately evaded the question: "I know you have doubts, but if I explain this matter, I am afraid I will not be able to explain it clearly until dawn. In short, I will handle the affairs of the East Courtyard myself, and no one else needs to intervene. You just keep an eye on the others and be careful of any changes."

Deng Changchuan seemed to understand, and said hesitantly: "I wonder what the mansion master meant by 'beware of changes' and 'other people'..."

"Madam and everyone from Wudang Sect." Xie Xuan blurted out, "Later, one of you will monitor Madam, and the other will monitor Taoist Qingfeng. If they make any unusual movements, report back to me immediately. Remember, this is a matter of life and death, so be careful and don't be careless."

"This……"

The sudden change had already made Deng Changchuan and Huang Yulang uneasy. Now, when they heard Xie Xuan say such serious words as "it's a matter of life and death", they became even more nervous.

Although they were confused about the cause and effect, they both had a vague feeling that what was happening tonight seemed to be far more urgent and dangerous than they had expected.

"Xie Xuan is right. Tonight is a matter of life and death, and we must not take it lightly." Luo Tianjin said seriously, "I hope Ling Xiaoxiao and Wudang Sect are doing well, so that everyone will be happy. If..."

Having said this, Luo Tianjin's eyes suddenly softened when he looked at Deng Changchuan and Huang Yulang, and he said worriedly, "If something unexpected happens, you must protect yourselves and respond flexibly. Don't... endanger your own lives. You are my brothers in life and death, and I don't want anyone to get into trouble."

Luo Tianjin's words surprised Deng Changchuan and Huang Yulang, and moved them deeply.

The two men knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Luo Tianjin. Deng Changchuan said righteously: "The Palace Master has shown us kindness and nurture, and we two have no way to repay him. Even if we are torn to pieces today, we will die without regrets!"

"Stop talking nonsense. Things like 'being torn into pieces' and 'dying with no regrets' are simply nonsense!" Luo Tianjin said unhappily.

Xie Xuan took the opportunity to appease them: "I asked you to monitor Madam and Taoist Qingfeng just to be on the safe side. You two don't need to be too nervous."

"That's right!" Luo Tianjin suppressed his worries and forced a smile, "After this matter is over, I will open a few jars of good wine and drink with you until we are drunk."

"There is something I don't understand, and I dare to ask the Lord of the Mansion for your advice!" Huang Yulang hesitated, "Zhao Yuan and Liu Xunyi are traitors of the court, so it is natural for the Lord of the Mansion to be wary of them. But Madam... after all, she is one of our family, so why would the Lord of the Mansion..."

Hearing this, Luo Tianjin's expression froze slightly, as if he was quite conflicted. But seeing that Deng Changchuan and Huang Yulang were both puzzled and curious, he couldn't help but sigh and said self-deprecatingly, "As the saying goes, 'Family disgrace should not be made public', but I have long regarded you as my own family, so there is no need to deliberately hide it. In fact, Ling Xiaoxiao and I have long been alienated, and our relationship as husband and wife is in name only. Not long ago, she went to Xiangyun Silk Shop to meet with Zhao Yuan without my knowledge. I am worried that... she will collude with Zhao Yuan to harm me, so I asked you to keep a close eye on Ling Xiaoxiao to prevent any changes."

"How can this be……"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

While the conversation in the study was in full swing, someone suddenly knocked on the closed door, which immediately changed Luo Tianjin's expression and his eyes became more solemn.

"Who?"

"Your Highness, something strange happened in front of the hall just now." The voice outside the door came from Luo Tianjin's trusted disciple who was sent to monitor Ling Xiaoxiao.

Hearing this, Luo Tianjin couldn't help but frowned and asked, "What's strange?"

"Just now, Madam sent a bowl of ginger soup to the guests to dispel the cold and sober them up. After everyone drank it... they fell asleep one after another, and some even lost consciousness."

"It really happened!"

The muscles on Xie Xuan's face trembled violently, and at the same time, he cast a melancholy look at Luo Tianjin, as if observing his reaction.

"Everyone take ginger soup?"

"Yes." The disciple replied, "Because it was given by the Madam, the guests could not bear to refuse it."

"Did the Wu-Tang Clan members drink it too?"

"I drank it. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Got it! You lead the others to send them back to the guest room to rest to avoid catching a cold." Luo Tianjin remained calm in the face of danger and ordered in an orderly manner, "Keep watching Ling Xiaoxiao and tell Xie Xuan if there is any movement at any time."

"As ordered!"

With the sound of footsteps going away, the messenger soon stopped moving. Luo Tianjin's eyes flashed coldly, and he said with a smile: "Ling Xiaoxiao really betrayed me, so I don't have to cherish my feelings for her anymore! Now, the situation is clear, and the enemy and us are clear. Liu Xunyi helped Zhao Yuan lead away the disciples in the mansion and set up an ambush in the East Courtyard. Ling Xiaoxiao drugged the guests to make it easier for Zhao Yuan to take action. In this way, there are only a few old and weak soldiers and you and me in the mansion. They think that if they cut off all my wings, they can bully the weak and force me into a desperate situation. It can be said that they are vicious."

"As expected by the Palace Master, Zhao Yuan is undoubtedly the biggest trouble tonight." Xie Xuan said admiringly, "Fortunately, everything is under our control."

At this point, Xie Xuan's eyes darkened, and he consoled her: "Although Madam secretly helped Zhao Yuan, she did not intervene directly, considering her relationship with the mansion master. Therefore, she can only be considered an accomplice, not the mastermind. After this incident... the mansion master does not need to be too harsh on her. After all, the Wudang Sect has deep roots in the martial arts world. If we get too estranged from them, it will not benefit either of us..."

"It's too early to tell whether she's an accomplice or not, whether she'll intervene or not." Luo Tianjin said in a bad tone, as if he had a lot of resentment towards Ling Xiaoxiao. "Besides, betrayal is betrayal. Not to mention that she's already taken action, even if she just had a thought, even if she had the slightest evil thought, it's a betrayal. As for Wudang... Master has always been a man of integrity, highly respected, and always aghast at good and hates evil. So even if he won't kill his relatives for the sake of justice, he certainly won't help the evil. As long as Master doesn't intervene, our relationship with Wudang will not be irreconcilable. And young disciples like Zheng Songren and Zhang Songyi are immature, so they're bound to be bewitched by Ling Xiaoxiao. Even if they're wrong, it can't be blamed on Wudang."

"This……"

Deng Changchuan and Huang Yulang looked at each other, both of them were confused and at a loss.

"Brother Xie, you will be in charge of the situation tonight." Luo Tianjin changed the subject and arranged, "Changchuan and Yulang will be on guard in the front, and you will gather the remaining disciples in the hall to be on standby in case of emergency. Tonight, if Ling Xiaoxiao is fine, it's fine. If something unexpected happens, you must provide timely assistance to prevent the situation from getting out of our control."

"Yes..." Xie Xuan seemed to be thinking about something, and his face was embarrassed. "Master, there is something I want to say but I don't know if I should say it or not?"

"It's already this late and you're still keeping me in suspense?" Luo Tianjin said impatiently, "Hurry up and tell me!"

"As you command!" Xie Xuan said in panic, "Just now the Palace Master estimated that Wudang Sect would not help the evildoers, but what if... I mean what if Wudang Sect intervenes..." Xie Xuan said while carefully observing Luo Tianjin's reaction, hesitating, "In other words, what if Taoist Qingfeng becomes concerned and even... takes action himself, how should we respond?"

Just these words made Luo Tianjin frown suddenly. After a moment of silence, he nodded slowly and said, "Xie brother, what you said makes sense. If Master loves her daughter so much, she will inevitably do something stupid. The result is indeed unpredictable."

"Then let's..."

"Brother Xie, if that's the case, you should come forward to negotiate peace with Taoist Qingfeng." Luo Tianjin made a prompt decision and warned, "Not only Taoist Qingfeng came this time, but also Seniors Gu Yue and Gu Xing. If they attack together, you will find it difficult to resist. Therefore, do not confront them head-on unless it is absolutely necessary. Try to persuade them with kind words and end it peacefully. Tomorrow, I will personally solve the troubles that follow, so you don't need to worry about this. In short, I don't ask for any merits from you tonight, but I ask for no mistakes from you."

"Yes, sir!" Xie Xuan and the other two straightened their expressions and responded in unison.

"Also, when Zhao Yuan shows up, I will order people to seal the gate of the East Courtyard. No one is allowed to enter or leave until the matter is resolved." Luo Tianjin thought carefully and said slowly, "Therefore, all matters outside will be decided by Brother Xie alone. I want to concentrate on dealing with Zhao Yuan. No one is allowed to go to the East Courtyard to disturb me. Those who violate my order will be severely punished!"

"As ordered!"

In fact, Luo Tianjin sealed the gate of the East Courtyard and did not allow anyone to disturb it. His real purpose was to prevent the news of the "Imperial Guards" from leaking out.

In Luo Tianjin's mind, the time is not yet ripe, so he does not want too many people to know the secret of his secret recruitment of troops.

He had already secretly determined in his heart that the East Courtyard would definitely see a bloody battle tonight, and in the end, apart from Murong Bai, Deng Quan and other "Imperial Guards", the only ones who would be able to walk out of the East Courtyard gate alive would be himself and Liu Xunyi.

Because the dead cannot speak, the secrets of the "Royal Guards" will be protected to the greatest extent possible.

"Since the Palace Master has guessed all of Zhao Yuan's thoughts, I wonder...what will happen next?"

Facing Huang Yulang's question, a faint light flashed in Luo Tianjin's eyes, and he murmured to himself: "Next, he should be here!"

"Him? Who is he..."

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Before Deng Changchuan could finish his words, there was another knock on the door, interrupting their thoughts again.

The corner of Luo Tianjin's mouth twitched suddenly. He was either nervous or excited, and he swallowed hard. Then, under the anxious gazes of Xie Xuan and the other two, he asked outside the door in the calmest tone possible, "Who is it?"

"Palace Master, I am... Liu Xunyi!"

……

　The temperature dropped sharply in the past two days, and my daughter caught a cold during the trip. I was exhausted from taking care of many things when I was away from home, so I couldn't calm down to create. And when it comes to the key content of "life and death are determined by fate", I dare not rush to do it. I apologize for this and hope you will forgive me.

　　Now I am back, my home is warm and everything is back to normal. I will also keep calm and concentrate on sending Liu Xunyi on his last journey as a "traitor".

　　In addition, as autumn deepens and the weather turns cold, everyone should add or remove clothes in time and keep warm to avoid sudden changes in temperature and possible illness.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)