Chapter 738 Heading North to Jiangling
"In the midst of the colorful clouds of the White Emperor, thousands of miles of rivers and mountains are returned in one day. The apes on both sides of the bank can't stop crying, and the light boat has passed the Ten Thousand Mountains."

May 22, morning.

The sky was high and the clouds were light, the wind was calm and the waves were peaceful. A small boat went down the river, winding around thousands of peaks and ridges, rippling the endless blue waves, and slowly came in the river and sky. The river surface was breezy and sparkling, and the grass and trees on both sides were dense, and deer and pigs were roaming.

Flowers are red and willows are green, water is clear and mountains are green. The breeze is faint and the moon is faint, and the water flows and the clouds move. This scene is like a splash-ink landscape painting with a profound artistic conception, which makes people linger in their dreams and leave endless aftertastes.

Jin Fu Yu, wearing a purple and gold cloak, stood quietly at the bow, looking at the beautiful mountains and rivers, the graceful willows and flowers, listening to the gurgling water and the chirping of swallows, feeling the river breeze blowing past his face mixed with the refreshing fragrance of flowers and plants, and a happy smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Song Yu and Leng Yiyi stood behind Jin Fu Yu respectfully. They were as still as clay statues and did not utter a word. It seemed that no one dared to disturb Jin Fu Yu's interest.

About half an hour later, the boat gradually docked at a slightly deserted beach.

The ground is paved with gravel and overgrown with weeds. It is surrounded by water on one side and mountains on three sides. It is a remote and quiet place far away from the hustle and bustle and rarely visited by people.

At this moment, Wen Lian, Ding Ao and Dong Xiaoer were standing on the shore with anxious and nervous looks. They had been waiting here for a long time.

As soon as they saw Jin Fuyu stepping down from the bow, Wen Lian and the other two hurried forward, knelt down on the ground, and kowtowed, saying, "Greetings, Master!"

"Sorry for the long wait!" Jin Fuyu calmly glanced at the three people who didn't even dare to breathe, and said with a faint smile, "No need to be polite, stand up!"

"Thank you, Master!"

However, after hearing Jin Fuyu's response, only Wen Lian accepted the order. Ding Ao and Dong Xiaoer still knelt there motionless, with their heads buried deep in the weeds and gravel.

"You two, get up!" Jin Fuyu's tone sounded a little playful, "Thank you for your hard work on this trip."

"We two failed to live up to the master's trust and failed to complete the task he assigned us. Instead, we lost hundreds of men and horses in vain. We really deserve to die!" Ding Ao's voice was full of guilt and even a trace of panic. "If it weren't for our incompetence that caused Master Lu to get so angry, the master wouldn't have to come to Jiangling in person to clean up the mess for us..."

"It's as expected." Jin Fuyu said nonchalantly, "One is a princess of the Song Dynasty, and the other is a Mongolian prince. How could they die so easily in your hands? If they can't even protect themselves, they don't deserve to rule such a big country. Therefore, I'm not surprised that you failed to kill Zhao Xin and An Chen. As for Liu Xunyi... after An Chen and Zhao Xin escaped, killing him also became a losing business. It was a wise move for you not to pursue him relentlessly. Not only will I not blame you, but I will also give you credit for your achievement."

"Reward me?" Dong Xiao'er was stunned. She subconsciously raised her head and looked at Jin Fuyu, who was very secretive, with a blank face. "Are you joking, Master?"

"I have an agreement with Lu Tingxiang. After killing Liu Xunyi, all the benefits will go to him." Jin Fuyu smiled calmly, "If you let An Chen and Zhao Xin go and kill Liu Xunyi instead, we will completely become Lu Tingxiang's puppets and become his tools to kill people with borrowed knives. Just as you are most worried about, I will be the one who loses troops and generals, and he will reap the benefits. This is not the outcome I want to see."

"Master, please understand!"

"Although An Chen and Zhao Xin were not defeated in the bloody battle at Yunya Town, the killing of 800 Mongolian cavalrymen was enough to put the relationship between Song and Mongolia in jeopardy. It is expected that... the court of the Song Dynasty is now in chaos and is trying every possible means to remedy the situation. Although the Mongolian Khan has not responded yet, the truth cannot be hidden, and this matter will eventually cause a storm."

"Master, we followed your instructions to get rid of Xu Guangsheng, but we didn't expect Lu Tingxiang's reaction to be so fierce." Wen Lian said awkwardly, "I thought he also wanted to use us to get rid of the hidden danger, but he got so angry. We went to apologize and explained the pros and cons to him, but he was not only unwilling to understand, but also spoke rudely and almost attacked us..."

"How do you respond?" Jin Fuyu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Did you have a conflict with him?"

"We dare not! No matter how Lu Tingxiang scolded us, we always greeted him with a smile and apologized to him."

Dong Xiaoer muttered, "I thought the 'First Gentleman in the Martial World' was a gentle and reasonable person, but I didn't expect him to be so stubborn. Not only did he turn a blind eye to our apologies, but he became even more aggressive and made things worse. He said that the three of us had no right to say anything in front of him, and that even if we apologized, it would not be our turn. He even threatened... to let the owner of the dock explain to him personally."

"Haha..." Jin Fuyu smiled instead of getting angry, and waved his hand, saying, "You don't have to mind it. He was furious not because you killed Xu Guangsheng, but because you let Liu Xunyi go, causing him to lose both his wife and his army. After all the hard work, not only did he not gain any benefit, but he also lost an insider in the court, and this person was his relative. This deal is a huge loss, so Lu Tingxiang is certainly not happy. He is not giving up, just trying to take advantage of the situation and make us owe him a favor, so that he can bargain with me in the future and get more benefits."

"Master, you hit the nail on the head. I admire you!"

"Do you know why Lu Tingxiang didn't return to Quanzhou after the Yunya Town incident, but instead stayed in Jiangling waiting for me?" Jin Fuyu changed the subject and asked meaningfully, "Why not guess what Lu Tingxiang is planning?"

"As I expected, Lu Tingxiang is unwilling to go south because he has not completely given up." Song Yu guessed, "As for why he stayed in Jiangling? It is because Jiangling is located between the north and the south. It can attack Mobei and retreat to the south." "That makes sense!" Jin Fuyu nodded with satisfaction, "Guess what he wants to do by insisting that I come here in person?"

"Lu Tingxiang wants to be firmly tied to the master, so that he won't be ruthlessly abandoned by us after he loses his value." Ding Ao pondered, "In addition, he also wants to urge the master to continue to fulfill the promise between you and complete the mission we failed to complete in Yunya Town."

"You mean..." Dong Xiao'er thought for a moment and carefully probed, "Lu Tingxiang still wants to use us to hunt down Liu Xunyi?"

"That's right." Ding Ao sneered, "Last time in Yunya Town, he stood by and watched, relying only on us, but he didn't get what he wanted. As I expected, he will take action himself this time."

"The current situation is very different from the past. In the past, Liu Xunyi was protected by the elite soldiers of Song and Mongolia, and most of the heroes in the martial arts world were afraid of the court and the Mongols, so they did not dare to act rashly. Now, Liu Xunyi has become a lonely man, and there must be many people waiting in the dark to take advantage of this piece of fat meat." Song Yu pondered, "If Lu Tingxiang's stumbling block before was Song and Mongolia's soldiers, then his stumbling block now is the various powerful people who are eyeing him covetously."

"That's why he wants to tie himself to the master of the Wudang, and use the prestige of the two major forces of Jinjianwu and Jiangnan Lu Mansion to deter those who want to compete with him for Liu Xunyi." Ding Ao continued, "At least, ordinary martial arts forces dare not openly become our enemies. Shaolin has a transcendent status and should not take action. Wudang is Qingfeng's family, and he, as the leader of the martial arts world, should not compete with other sects for credit. The Xiangxi Teng clan has always been at odds with the Xianwang Mansion, and it is expected that Teng Sanshi is not interested in avenging Luo Tianjin. The Hexi Qin clan They had not obeyed the "Leader's Order" from the beginning, let alone now. As for the Xianwang Mansion, Luo Tianjin's death has seriously damaged their vitality, and they are still struggling to survive. I am afraid they are unable to fight. Apart from that, the remaining ones are nothing more than Kunlun, Qingcheng, Kongtong, Emei, and Tang Sect. As for Jueqing Valley and Longxiang Mountain, they are too happy about Luo Tianjin's death to avenge him? Therefore, once Jinjianwu and Jiangnan Lu Mansion join forces, they will definitely be the greatest hope for competing for Liu Xunyi. "

"Since you have figured out Lu Tingxiang's thoughts, can you come up with a strategy to deal with it?" Jin Fu Yu looked at Song Yu and Ding Ao with interest.

Now, among the eight masters of Jinjianwu, these two are undoubtedly the most insightful and shrewd. Jin Fuyu often throws out some "difficult questions", and Song Yu and Ding Ao also compete secretly in their strategies, striving to be the first think tank under Jin Fuyu.

"Reporting to the master, our top priority is to sow discord between Song and Mongolia and undermine the peace between the two countries." Song Yu's expression became serious and he spoke with certainty, "Therefore, we should not be led by Lu Tingxiang, and we should not accompany him in his impulsive actions, so as not to be dragged down by him and cause trouble."

"You mean... refusing to join forces with Lu Tingxiang?" Jin Fuyu asked back, "Do you know that Jin Jianwu and Jiangnan Lu Mansion are very likely to part ways because of this?"

"No!" Song Yu said firmly, "In the past, we tried to win over Lu Tingxiang because there was an ambitious Xianwang Mansion on the other side of Jinjianwu. If we don't win him over, the Jiangnan Lu Mansion will switch to Luo Tianjin's camp. The rise and fall of one will destroy the great cause of the owner of the Wudang to unify the martial arts world. But now is different from the past. Once Luo Tianjin dies, the Xianwang Mansion will inevitably decline. Looking at the world, who can compete with us head-on? Qiu Qingfeng is now sitting on the throne of the leader of the martial arts world, but he is old and there is no successor to Wudang. I dare to assert that the Central Plains martial arts world will sooner or later become the master's possession. As long as Lu Tingxiang is not stupid, he dare not tear his face with us, because once he offends the owner of the Wudang, he will no longer have a place in the martial arts world. I think, take this opportunity to clarify the pros and cons, so that Lu Tingxiang can completely understand who is the master and who is the follower?"

"I don't agree with what Song Yu said!" Ding Ao retorted, "Right now, our prestige in the martial arts world is not enough, and we are not yet fully grown. It is not the time to break off relations with the Jiangnan Lu Mansion. On the contrary, we urgently need Lu Tingxiang's support and give him great benefits. This will tell the heroes of the world that anyone who is close to Jinjianwu will not be treated unfairly by us. The owner of the Wudang has great ambitions and is committed to the country, so how could he care about the petty gains in front of him? Even if we help Lu Tingxiang solve Liu Xunyi and give him all the benefits, what will it matter? In the end, the owner of the Wudang is still the owner of the Wudang, and Lu Tingxiang is still Lu Tingxiang. What he gets is just a 'deputy leader' in name only. Don't forget that what the owner of the Wudang wants is the position of leader who holds real power and can truly command the world!"

"Liu Xunyi is an official appointed by the imperial court after all. We have just caused a big disturbance in Yunya Town. If we take action against Liu Xunyi now, it will inevitably arouse suspicion. What if the imperial court follows the clues and finds clues that we massacred Yunya Town? Wouldn't it be a loss?" Song Yu argued and pressed forward step by step.

"That's wrong!" Ding Ao refused to give in and retorted, "If everyone else goes looking for trouble with Liu Xunyi and we are the only one standing still, wouldn't that be like admitting guilt without even trying?"

"Master, please understand!"

"Master..."

"Okay!" Jin Fuyu smiled slightly and waved his hand slowly, "What you said makes sense, but I already have a plan for this matter, so you two don't have to argue anymore."

"What the owner of the dock means is..."

"Ding Ao!" Jin Fuyu ignored Song Yu's confusion, walked towards the two carriages parked not far away, and casually ordered, "Tonight, you accompany me to see Lu Tingxiang!"

"As ordered!"

Ding Ao couldn't help but show joy when he heard this. On the other hand, Song Yu's heart suddenly sank, and the expression on his face froze instantly.

However, before Song Yu could wake up from his trance, Jin Fuyu's leisurely voice sounded again: "Song Yu, go meet another 'friend' for me tonight. The trouble he brings is no less than that of Lu Tingxiang."

After that, Jin Fu Yu got into one of the carriages accompanied by Leng Yiyi and Dong Xiaoer, and talked to them enthusiastically about Jiangling cuisine.

Accompanied by a relaxed and pleasant conversation, the carriage gradually left the beach and squeaked along the rugged mountain road towards the valley.

……

(End of this chapter)