Chapter 751 The Young Master's Ambition
May 29th, noon.

The Lu family spies who went out to inquire about the news rushed back to the dilapidated temple on the outskirts of Weizhou City and reported everything they saw and heard in the city to Sikong Zhu, who then verified the truth and reported back to Lu Tingxiang.

In the dilapidated Great Hall, Lu Tingxiang, Ding Ao, Dong Xiaoer, Lu Yao and seven or eight core disciples of the Lu family listened attentively to Si Kongzhu's opinions. During this time, Ding Ao, Dong Xiaoer and others opened their mouths to discuss from time to time, but Lu Tingxiang remained expressionless and silent, as if he had something else on his mind.

"So, Liu Xunyi is surrounded by not only Su He and Feng Tianba, but also Li Haitang from Longxiang Mountain and the young monk Wuchan from Shaolin Temple?" Dong Xiaoer frowned slightly, puzzled, "They have no relatives or friends with Liu Xunyi, so why are they suddenly related?"

"Li Haitang and Wuchan are just the instigators. The real trouble lies in Longxiang Mountain and Shaolin Temple behind them." Ding Ao pointed out the key point. "If Liu Xunyi has Longxiang Mountain and Shaolin Temple backing him up, this matter will become extremely difficult. If we continue to act according to the previous plan, I'm afraid... we will get half the result with twice the effort."

"No way?" Lu Yao swallowed in disbelief. "Let's not talk about Longxiang Mountain for now. Let's just talk about Shaolin... It has always regarded itself as a famous and upright sect, the authentic martial arts. It shouldn't risk the world's condemnation to stand up for Liu Xunyi..."

"But Wuchan is now living and eating with Liu Xunyi at the Weizhou Inn. How do you explain that?" Dong Xiaoer retorted, "What if Ding Ao guessed it right? Li Haitang and Wuchan are just the instigators, and there are other masters hiding in Weizhou City... In my opinion, why not let Ding Qinghong investigate further and find out the reason why Li Haitang and Wuchan suddenly appeared?"

"I'm afraid this won't be easy." Si Kongzhu shook his head slowly. "First, time is running out and we don't have time to sort out everything. Second, Ding Qinghong is under Liu Xunyi's watchful eyes and must be very careful with his words and actions. Revealing the news to us is already extremely dangerous. If we contact him again, if Liu Xunyi finds out... it will be more trouble than gain."

"But……"

“I’m afraid Ding Qinghong doesn’t know why Li Haitang and Wuchan came.” Ding Ao interrupted, “He mentioned Li Haitang and Wuchan but refused to explain why. There is only one reason: he knows nothing about them either.”

"That makes sense..." Dong Xiao'er pondered for a moment, then her eyes suddenly changed and she said in surprise, "So, Ding Qinghong has not gained the trust of Liu Xunyi and the others. Will this matter... change?"

"Changes?" Lu Yao was confused. "What do you mean?"

"What if Liu Xunyi has already realized that someone is plotting against him? What if Shaolin and Longxiang Mountain are really in cahoots with him? What if they have already laid a net and are waiting for him?"

"What do you mean by that?" Si Kongzhu's face darkened and he questioned, "You are so hesitant, are you planning to retreat at the last minute?"

"That was not what I meant……"

"okay!"

Lu Tingxiang, who had not spoken for a long time, suddenly interrupted everyone's discussion and said in an unquestionable tone: "No matter why Li Haitang and Wu Chan came, it will not shake my determination, let alone change my plan."

"But just in case..."

"If Shaolin and Longxiang Mountain go against the Central Plains martial arts world and dare to openly protect Liu Xunyi, I will take full responsibility and will never put you two in danger." Lu Tingxiang knew Ding Ao and Dong Xiaoer's concerns, so he said frankly, "If the situation really becomes a stalemate, you two can leave on your own. Don't worry. I will never blame you."

"This……"

After getting Lu Tingxiang's personal promise, Ding Ao and Dong Xiaoer secretly breathed a sigh of relief and looked at each other at the same time, with complicated expressions on their faces.

On the other hand, Sikong Zhu, Lu Yao and other disciples of the Lu family were all contemptuous and indignant.

"I guess Shaolin and Longxiang Mountain dare not protect Liu Xunyi. Unless Xuanming and Yun Zhuiyue are crazy, they will never do such a stupid thing." Lu Tingxiang pondered, "As for why Wuchan and Li Haitang suddenly appeared... maybe there is another hidden reason, and they are not here for Liu Xunyi, you don't have to worry."

"You are right, sir!" Sikong Zhu echoed, "We have only one goal tonight. As long as we don't take the initiative to attack others, I don't think they will dare to bring trouble upon themselves. After all, there is a princess who is powerless among us. Her life is much more precious than Liu Xunyi's in the eyes of Song and Mongolia."

"From early morning to noon, three groups of Lu family disciples in disguise have sneaked into the Weizhou Inn and kept a close eye on Liu Xunyi to prevent any changes." Lu Yao reminded, "But... Ding Qinghong doesn't know about this yet. Should we send someone to inform him secretly?"

"No need!" Lu Tingxiang made a prompt decision. "The less Ding Qinghong knows, the less likely he is to be exposed. What's more, Master Jin asked him to tell us Liu Xunyi's whereabouts. As for the rest... Master Jin didn't give us any instructions, so he might not care about us."

When Lu Tingxiang said the last sentence, he looked at Ding Ao and Dong Xiaoer who were looking at each other with a meaningful look, which contained some innuendo.

It seems that in Lu Tingxiang's heart, the Lu family disciples are still the ones who are truly trustworthy and valuable. As for the helpers sent by Jin Fuyu, most of them can only add icing on the cake, but not help in times of need.

"Report!"

As everyone was discussing the details of tonight's action, a disciple of the Lu family hurried into the hall, bowed to Lu Tingxiang and said, "Sir, a group of people suddenly came outside the temple. The leader called himself the 'Three Heroes of the Qin Family' and said he wanted to see the head of the Lu family for something important."

"The three heroes of the Qin family?" Si Kongzhu raised his eyebrows and asked suspiciously, "Why are they here in Weizhou instead of in Xijing Prefecture to deal with the various troops?"

"Are they here to help?" Lu Yao speculated, "After all, we are all on the same boat, and they don't want anything to go wrong tonight. Why not invite them in first..."

"Wait!" Lu Yao was about to finish his words when Lu Tingxiang suddenly interrupted him, "How many troops did they bring?"

"At a glance, there are at least fifty or sixty people," the disciple thought, "and they are all carrying weapons."

"So many people?" Lu Yao was shocked and asked in astonishment, "Are they competing with us for Liu Xunyi?"

"If they come to rob people, how could they let us know?" Sikong Zhu said angrily, "I have repeatedly warned you to think twice before speaking. It is simply shameful for a disciple of the Lu family to say such stupid things." After speaking, Sikong Zhu cast a solemn gaze at Lu Tingxiang who was thoughtful. The two looked at each other for a moment, and a look of understanding appeared on their faces at the same time.

"I understand!" Lu Tingxiang cast a mysterious look at Ding Ao and Dong Xiao'er, and said with a smile, "The three heroes of the Qin family are not coming for us, but for the two of you."

"us?"

"Ahem!" Ding Ao stopped Dong Xiao'er who seemed to understand and laughed dryly, "No matter who you come for, you are here to support Master Lu. What the little brother said just now is true. Now we are all in the same boat, why should we distinguish between you and me? What's more, this is Qin's territory. With them accompanying us, I believe that other monsters will not dare to jump out and ruin Master Lu's good deeds."

"In that case, I should thank them for their kindness?" Lu Tingxiang's tone sounded joking, but it contained a hint of accusation.

Lu Tingxiang was quite disgusted by the uninvited visit of the Qin clan's three heroes. It was not that he disliked their help, but he did not want the Qin family to "flirt" with Jin Jianwu without him. At this time, he heard Ding Ao helping the Qin clan's three heroes to excuse themselves, which made him even more dissatisfied, so he asked this question.

On the surface, it seemed like a joke, but in fact, he was questioning Ding Ao, "Do I need you to decide whether I should accept the Qin family's help?"

Ding Ao was a cunning old man, how could he not hear the hidden meaning of Lu Tingxiang? So he said respectfully, "They are the guests that Master Lu brought aboard. Whether to thank him or not... is entirely up to Master Lu. How dare I take over the host's position? Haha..."

Looking at Ding Ao who was insincere and pretending to be cautious, Lu Tingxiang couldn't help feeling mixed emotions.

First, he felt that the alliance between Jiangnan Lu Mansion and Jinjianwu was by no means solid. On the contrary, they each had their own ulterior motives and were wary of each other.

Secondly, he was impressed by the fact that Jin Fuyu had so many talented people under his command, and Ding Ao alone was already able to understand the subtleties and recognize opportunities. In contrast, except for Si Kongzhu who was smart and capable, the other disciples of the Jiangnan Lu Mansion were all incompetent, weak in morals and intelligence, and it was difficult to entrust them with important tasks.

The third one felt sad that he had taken the initiative to show his goodwill to the three Qin brothers and made many promises to show his sincerity. However, he did not expect that the other party would not appreciate it at all. They would rather take the initiative to flatter Jin Fuyu, who was seriously injured and had a high opinion of himself, than to believe in his sincerity, which really made Lu Tingxiang embarrassed and bitter.

Although he had a thousand thoughts in his mind and hated Ding Ao for his hypocritical behavior, due to the current situation and Jin Fu Yu behind Ding Ao, Lu Tingxiang had to suppress his shame and anger and gave him a faint smile as if to play along.

……

At the same time, Ding Qinghong, who was in Weizhou Inn, also felt very uneasy.

After arriving at Weizhou Inn, he had been looking for an opportunity to meet Zhao Xin. Unfortunately, he lost Xu Guangsheng's help, and with only his status as the "Right Class Deputy Governor", he was not taken seriously by Liu Xunyi and Feng Tianba. Therefore, almost every time Ding Qinghong asked for a meeting, he was rejected by Zhao Xin.

Although it was not stated explicitly, Ding Qinghong could clearly feel that Liu Xunyi and Su He were wary of him.

Ding Qinghong tried to get close to Li Haitang and Wuchan, trying to get some information from them. However, Li Haitang seemed to be quite disgusted with his eunuch identity, so he always disdained his approach.

As for meditation, he only knew how to sit outside the princess's room and chant sutras, a typical example of "three sticks can't make a fart". Even if Ding Qinghong talked his mouth off, he was like a block of elm, either keeping silent or mumbling some incomprehensible Buddhist verses, which wore out Ding Qinghong's patience.

Being treated like a thief by Liu Xunyi and Su He, Ding Qinghong's efforts were in vain and he was filled with resentment, but he had no place to vent.

As dusk approached, the lobby of Weizhou Inn was brightly lit, and guests came in groups of three or five and sat around the table.

At this time, the kitchen was busy. The waiters were walking through the hall carrying wine and food. The shopkeeper stood in the counter, bossing and shouting. The guests were in groups of three or five, toasting each other, making the already noisy Weizhou Inn even noisier.

Filled with resentment, Ding Qinghong sat alone in a corner, ordered a table full of good wine and delicious food, and while feasting on the food, he secretly cursed Liu Xunyi and the others for a bad death tonight.

"Sir, your wine is here."

"It's not my wine, take it away!"

However, in the face of Ding Qinghong's scolding, the visitor did not leave in anger. Instead, he placed the wine jug gently in front of him as if he had heard nothing.

"Are you deaf..."

Ding Qinghong stopped talking as soon as he opened his mouth, because he suddenly realized that the person standing next to the table was not a waiter of the inn at all, but an elegant young man in a light fur coat, a loose belt, a silk scarf and a feather fan.

Although his attire was very different from before, Ding Qinghong could still recognize his identity. He was the mastermind of tonight's plan and the person who should not be here, Lu Tingxiang.

……

　There is no plague in the Gengzi year, and Mingtai drew the lot to indicate Taixu.

　　The wind and snow scorched the sky across the nine provinces, and the dragon was slain with a sword, and his clothes were stained with blood.

　　I am late, please forgive me. I am a man of many years, I only wish to borrow your pen and give you my raincoat!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)