Chapter 649: Life and Death Determined by Fate (VII)

While the Xianwang Mansion was facing internal and external troubles and crises, Luo Tianjin, who was completely ignorant of everything, followed Liu Xunyi's footsteps and slowly came to the dead silent East Courtyard.

Since Liu Xunyi had sent out all the disciples from the three lower sects, there were only a few people left in the East Courtyard tonight.

What’s even more interesting is that Luo Tianjin was extremely unfamiliar with these night watch disciples. All the faces he met were new, as if these “disciples” had dropped from the sky and did not belong to the Prince Xian’s Mansion at all.

Who is Luo Tianjin? Although he doesn't often appear in front of the disciples, he personally inquires about every disciple who enters the mansion, and he has a photographic memory. Therefore, he can tell at a glance whether the "lower three disciples" who stayed in the East Courtyard tonight are human or ghost.

However, Luo Tianjin saw through it but did not reveal it. Facing the timid greetings of these fake disciples, he still responded with a smile, looking calm and pretending to be unaware of everything.

Under the guidance of the anxious Liu Xunyi, the two of them walked through the houses and courtyards and headed straight for the heart of the east courtyard.

At this time, a huge stage had been built. Dozens of people with painted eyebrows and hair and wearing theatrical costumes stood on both sides of the stage. All kinds of gongs and drums were in use, and from time to time they made "ding-dang-ding-dang" sounds, as if they were about to go on stage to perform.

In front of the stage, about ten steps away, there is a set of tables and chairs. On the table, there is fragrant tea, steam rising, bringing a touch of warmth in the cold night.

"Uncle Liu, I've finally got you here!"

With a warm greeting, Wei Liang trotted forward and bowed deeply to Liu Xunyi. At the same time, he glanced at Luo Tianjin with a meaningful look and said with a flattering smile: "I wonder who this person is..."

"This is the famous Northern Sage King!" Liu Xunyi suppressed the uneasiness in his heart and echoed Wei Liang in a calm tone, "The weather is cold, the Lord of the Palace should not stay here for long, how are you preparing?"

"Oh my! Lord Luo's name is well-known, and we are all familiar with his great achievements even though we are far away in Junzhou. It is a great honor to see him in person today!" Wei Liang bowed and nodded to Luo Tianjin, complimenting him repeatedly, "Lord Luo, don't worry, we have already prepared everything, and we are just waiting for your review and decision."

"How can I, a commoner, achieve great things? You are too kind to me." Luo Tianjin glanced at everyone and said with a calm smile, "I am very grateful to you for taking the trouble to come from afar."

"Lord Luo, are you trying to embarrass us by saying this?" Wei Liang agreed and invited Luo Tianjin to take a seat. At the same time, he glanced at Liu Xunyi with a hidden look, and a cold murderous intent flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Lord Luo, this is the Hangzhou Longjing tea specially brewed for you. Please enjoy their performance while tasting it."

Before Liu Xunyi could express his opinion, Wei Liang took the initiative to pick up the teacup on the table and carefully handed it to Luo Tianjin.

Looking at the steaming tea in Wei Liang's hand, Liu Xunyi's heartbeat suddenly accelerated and his eyes trembled uncontrollably.

In fact, Wei Liang had poisoned this cup of tea. Once Luo Tianjin drank it, even the Lord would not be able to save him.

"Hmm!" Luo Tianjin seemed to have no suspicion. He took the teacup and sniffed it gently, praising it, "The aroma is so fragrant and refreshing. It is indeed a good tea."

However, Wei Liang was extremely nervous at this moment, and all his energy was focused on the cup of tea. Therefore, in the face of Luo Tianjin's greetings, he turned a deaf ear and did not respond for a long time.

At the moment, not only Wei Liang was worried, but Liu Xunyi and other Golden Sword Captains were also uneasy. Everyone's eyes were cast on Luo Tianjin intentionally or unintentionally, and they were all looking forward to his next move.

Looking at the "defenseless" Luo Tianjin, Liu Xunyi became uneasy and at a loss. He wanted to say something several times but was stopped subconsciously by Wei Liang who was standing in front of him.

"father!"

When everything was silent and at the critical moment, a clear and pleasant shout suddenly sounded from outside the door. Then, Luo Ningyu, who looked haggard, walked over. She ignored Liu Xunyi, who was shocked, and Wei Liang, who frowned, and walked directly to Luo Tianjin's side.

It was not known whether it was intentional or a coincidence, but Luo Tianjin, who was about to sip his tea, was stunned by Luo Ningyu's sudden appearance. As he turned his head back, he subconsciously put the teacup back on the table with his right hand.

Seeing this scene, Wei Liang and the others all looked disappointed. On the other hand, Liu Xunyi breathed a sigh of relief.

However, before Liu Xunyi could rejoice that Luo Tianjin had escaped the disaster, a deep sorrow once again surged into his heart.

He could never have imagined that Luo Ningyu would suddenly appear at this critical moment.

Little did he know that the East Courtyard was currently surrounded by ambushes and murderous intentions. The appearance of Luo Ningyu undoubtedly added to Liu Xunyi's worries.

Another person who shared the same concerns as Liu Xunyi was Luo Tianjin. He knew the situation in the East Courtyard very well, and was therefore worried that his precious daughter was in danger.

"Yu'er, why...why are you here?"

"My daughter couldn't sleep, so she wanted to talk to her father. Unexpectedly, there was no one in the study. After asking the servants, she learned that her father and Xunyi had come to the East Courtyard, so she came all the way to find them..."

Having said this, Luo Ningyu seemed to be deeply attracted by the stage in front of her and the people in strange costumes around her, so she changed the subject and asked curiously: "What are they doing..."

"Oh! They are a troupe of opera performers from Junzhou. They will perform for the guests tomorrow." Liu Xunyi waved his hands at Wei Liang and the others inconspicuously, signaling them not to act rashly. At the same time, he pretended to be relaxed and explained to Luo Ningyu, "I'll ask the palace master to come and check tonight to see how they sing."

"Okay!" Luo Ningyu immediately became interested and nodded repeatedly, "I haven't watched a play for a long time. Tonight is just right..."

"No!"

Before Luo Ningyu finished her words, Luo Tianjin and Liu Xunyi refused in unison. This not only stunned Luo Ningyu, but also made Luo Tianjin and Liu Xunyi look at each other subconsciously.

At this moment, the three people had different thoughts, and three completely different expressions appeared between their brows.

Luo Tianjin's scrutiny, Liu Xunyi's astonishment, and Luo Ningyu's suspicion were all vividly reflected.

"Dad, Xunyi, what are you doing..."

"Yu'er, it's getting late and the night is chilly. You're wearing thin clothes, be careful not to catch a cold." Luo Tianjin pretended to be displeased and lectured, "Go back to sleep! If you want to watch the show, I'll let you watch enough tomorrow." "Not bad!" Seeing that Luo Tianjin didn't suspect anything, Liu Xunyi secretly rejoiced and quickly agreed, "They are just going through the motions tonight, it's nothing special. They'll officially go on stage tomorrow, and I'll definitely save a good seat for you then."

"Why are you guys acting so weird tonight?" Luo Ningyu hesitated, "I just want to watch the show, why do you have to..."

"Go back to sleep!" Luo Tianjin's face darkened and he said angrily, "What? Don't you even listen to your father?"

"I..." Looking at Luo Tianjin's harsh words, Luo Ningyu suddenly felt aggrieved and muttered, "If you want to go back, then go back. Why are you so fierce?"

After saying that, Luo Ningyu looked around again, then took a deep look at Liu Xunyi and said, "Xunyi, take good care of Dad for me."

Just these words made Liu Xunyi's heart sink, and the look he showed towards Luo Ningyu became more complicated.

At this moment, Qin Wei, in disguise, stood by the stage and watched coldly. His hands, tucked into his long sleeves, unconsciously clenched into fists, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

After saying that, Luo Ningyu turned around and left reluctantly, looking back every few steps, until the figures of Luo Tianjin and Liu Xunyi were completely blurred in the darkness.

Seeing Luo Ningyu leave safely, Luo Tianjin and Liu Xunyi breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

"Lord Luo, please have some tea!"

Wei Liang, anxious as he was, still refused to give up. He picked up the teacup again and handed it to Luo Tianjin. A hint of urgency was faintly revealed in his flattering tone.

Luo Tianjin was slightly stunned, and then took the teacup slowly. Under Wei Liang's expectant and nervous gaze, Luo Tianjin suddenly chuckled, put the teacup back on the table, and said with a smile: "This tea... don't rush to drink it."

Hearing this, the muscles on Wei Liang's face couldn't help but tremble, but before he could respond, Liu Xunyi hurriedly said, "That's right! Business is more important, let's just watch the show first!"

After saying that, Liu Xunyi hurriedly called everyone and urged them to go on stage quickly.

"This play... is not in a hurry to watch."

Luo Tianjin's voice rang out again, startling everyone present, and they all stood there at a loss as to what to do.

At this moment, Liu Xunyi's heart was in his throat. He turned his head tremblingly and said calmly: "The Lord of the Mansion means..."

"What you just said is right." Luo Tianjin stared straight into Liu Xunyi's eyes and smiled mysteriously, "Time is precious, business is more important."

“This…” Liu Xunyi felt something was wrong, but couldn’t figure it out for a moment, so he forced a smile and said, “The mansion master is right, so I urged them…”

"No!" Luo Tianjin waved his hands impatiently, "The 'business' I'm talking about is not about singing opera, and... these people don't know how to sing opera, so why are you making things difficult for them?"

"hiss!"

Liu Xunyi took a deep breath, becoming more and more certain that Luo Tianjin had seen through the clues.

"It's getting late!" Luo Tianjin stood up slowly, stretched his limbs lazily, and said nonchalantly, "Xun Yi, call out all the knifemen lurking around! If you don't take action now, it will be dawn."

"Wow!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the East Courtyard.

"Humph! Now that it's been made clear, there's no need for us to pretend anymore. Brothers, show us your weapons!"

Wei Liang's eyes changed, and he quickly took a few steps back, shouting loudly at the same time.

"Boom!"

With the sound of swords being unsheathed, dozens of people beside the stage showed their weapons. At the same time, hundreds of golden sword officers holding sharp blades swarmed out of the side rooms on both sides and surrounded Luo Tianjin in the blink of an eye. They stared at him eagerly, ready to deliver a fatal blow to him at any time.

Seeing this, Liu Xunyi's face changed color and he stammered, not knowing how to start the conversation for a moment.

"What a great trick to change the situation and lure the tiger away from the mountain." Luo Tianjin looked around with satisfaction and said with emotion, "It seems that Zhao Yuan has put a lot of thought into dealing with me. In this case, why don't you show up and talk to me, Lord Zhao?"

"This……"

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Before Liu Xunyi could recover from the shock, a burst of crisp applause suddenly came from outside the door. Then, Zhao Yuan, with a proud and determined look, slowly pushed through the crowd and walked towards Luo Tianjin.

"Master Luo is worthy of being the leader of the martial arts world. He remained calm in the face of danger. He is indeed courageous and wise."

"Lord Zhao is worthy of being an imperial envoy. He is loyal to his duties by any means necessary."

Facing Luo Tianjin's mocking expression, Zhao Yuan did not get angry but laughed instead. Suddenly, he straightened his eyes and took out a secret letter from his sleeve. He held it up high in front of everyone and said word by word, "The Prime Minister has ordered that Luo Tianjin is conspiring to rebel and his crime is unforgivable. Zhao Yuan from the Tianji Pavilion of the East Palace will lead nine junior guards and three hundred lieutenants to kill the traitor and execute him according to the law!"

……

(End of this chapter)