Chapter 901 Becoming a Puppet

"Let me introduce you to this, this is Master Yuan."

Seeing Xunzhen pushing the door open, the drowsy Liu Xunyi struggled to get up, and with great effort he finally leaned against the head of the bed.

Even though it was just a trivial move, he was already out of breath, with beads of sweat pouring out of his forehead. The severity of his injuries and the weakness of his body were all evident.

"Master Yuan, he is Liu Xunyi."

Upon hearing this, the uneasy Yuan Xiao calmed down, quickly straightened his clothes, and walked forward quickly. While bowing to the confused Liu Xunyi, he looked at him carefully with curious eyes and greeted him: "I am Yuan Xiao, and I have long heard of the great name of the hero Liu. It is a great honor to meet you today!"

"This……"

Faced with the sudden compliment, Liu Xunyi was stunned, and nodded subconsciously to Yuan Xiao, saying weakly: "Thank you for your respect, Your Excellency. I... just got the reputation in vain..."

After saying that, Liu Xunyi cast a puzzled look at Xunzhen, who was smiling but not saying anything, and said hesitantly: "This Mr. Yuan is..."

"Mr. Yuan is my friend and a great hero in the martial arts world. He is well-known in Liaoyang and even in the Northeast." Xunzhen said, "This inn is his business."

"Oh?" Liu Xunyi was secretly shocked to meet Xunzhen's friend in Liaoyang, and a friend who was quite powerful in the local area. He once again cast his gaze on the plain-looking Yuan Xiao and said weakly, "So you are a fellow martial artist. I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"I dare not! I dare not!" Being called "fellow" by Liu Xunyi, Yuan Xiao seemed a little flattered. Although his face was full of smiles, he did not forget to be humble. "It is all thanks to the love of the young prince Qin and the eldest lady that I can find a foothold in the troubled times. Hehe... Compared with the hero Liu, my 'reputation' is not worth mentioning."

"Young King Qin?" Liu Xunyi frowned and asked with a hint of meaning, "So Master Yuan is Young King Qin's friend?"

"This……"

Yuan Xiao didn't know Liu Xunyi's attitude towards the Young Qin Prince, nor did he know Xunzhen's plan. At this moment, Liu Xunyi caught him in a conversation, and he couldn't help but look embarrassed, worried that he would make a mistake and ruin the important event between the Young Qin Prince and Xunzhen. He hesitated for a while, not knowing how to answer.

"Master Yuan is not only the friend of the Young King of Qin, but he is also your friend now." Xunzhen handed a glass of water to Liu Xunyi and said with a half-smile, "If you want to arrive at Changbai Mountain safely, don't want to be disturbed while you are healing, and don't want anyone to cause trouble for Granny Taohua and the 'Shuangsu Exiled Immortal' afterwards, you must rely on Master Yuan and his friends."

"The two exiled immortals" refers to Huang Yangming and Mei Zichuan who lived in seclusion in the Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means that our whereabouts have been exposed. In the future, more and more people will know about it, and it will soon spread like wildfire and be known to the world." Xunzhen did not explain what happened this morning, but simply stated their urgent situation. "This is not the territory of the Song Dynasty. I don't think the Song Dynasty government will dare to easily overstep our boundaries, but Qingfeng and the martial arts sects will not hesitate. They will definitely come upon hearing the news. Even if they dare not attack the tiger's den or the dragon's pool, they will block the roads leading up and down the mountain. By then, not only will we be unable to escape, but even Granny Taohua and 'Shuangsu Exiled Immortal' will be implicated."

"This……"

"As the saying goes, 'a powerful dragon cannot overpower a local snake'. Although the leader of the Central Plains martial arts world is rich and powerful, he cannot exert his power in Liaoyang, and his deterrent power is far less than that of the Central Plains." Xunzhen pointed at Yuan Xiao confidently and said, "Here, Master Yuan and his friends are the masters who have the final say. Now you are deserted by your friends and family, and you are isolated and helpless. If you want to make a comeback and return to the top, you must abandon your old obsessions, and even forget some hypocritical 'old friends'. From now on, you have to open your eyes and make some new friends, some... friends who can help you cut through the wind and waves and help you rise to the top. For example... Master Yuan."

"This……"

"I would be more than happy to do my best for Mr. Liu." Yuan Xiaoxin vowed solemnly, with an honest look on his face, making it difficult for Liu Xunyi to raise his doubts.

"Master Yuan already knows about Liu Xunyi's situation. We will go to Changbai Mountain to treat our injuries soon. During this period, there will definitely be many uninvited guests lying in ambush at the foot of the mountain, waiting for us." Xunzhen ignored Liu Xunyi's hesitation and said to Yuan Xiao, "The most urgent thing is to ask Master Yuan to solve these problems for us."

"What the young lady means is..." Yuan Xiao frowned and stretched out his hand to gently stroke his neck. The meaning was self-evident.

"It's best not to kill people unless it's absolutely necessary." Xunzhen looked thoughtful and shook his head slowly. "First, it's easy to expose your strength. Second, if it attracts a large-scale encirclement and suppression by the Central Plains martial arts world, it will be more trouble than it's worth. This is your territory. Most of the inns, post houses, teahouses and wine shops have close relations with you. From the government officials to the street scoundrels, most of them are familiar with you. My idea... to spread spies around Changbai Mountain. Once we find uninvited guests, we will send people to constantly cause trouble for them. It would be best if we can force them to leave on their own initiative."

"Creating trouble?" Yuan Xiao pondered, "Miss, do you mean... burning, killing, and looting?"

"Those who dare to travel thousands of miles to Changbai Mountain to hunt down Liu Xunyi must have some skills. You may not be able to gain an advantage in a head-on confrontation, and you will inevitably suffer a loss if you fight rashly." Xunzhen's beautiful eyes turned and she said cunningly, "It takes strong means and courage to burn, kill and plunder. I'm afraid you are no match for the Central Plains sect. But when it comes to 'bees, hemp, swallows, sparrows, gold reviews and colorful hangings'... there is no shortage of masters here."

"I understand!" Yuan Xiao suddenly realized and agreed happily, "Miss means that we should cheat, deceive, steal, and do whatever it takes to make those people suffer repeated setbacks and frustrations. They come here with great momentum and leave in disgrace."

"Although this method is somewhat despicable, it can dampen their spirit and avoid their edge. At least... it can reduce half of the trouble."

"Don't worry, Miss. I will call Yan Shun, Hong Si, and Lei Zhen to discuss countermeasures together."

"That's great!" Xunzhen was quite satisfied, and added, "Today you have officially met. Please tell Seniors Yan Shun, Hong Si, and Lei Zhen that from now on, Liu Xunyi's affairs are my affairs, Xunzhen's affairs, and the affairs of the four prefectures in Shangjing. I hope you will be of one mind and one heart, like the Xun and the Chi, and stand together with Liu Xunyi through thick and thin, and share life and death with him."

"Hiss!" Xunzhen's words carried great weight, not only cheering up Yuan Xiao, but also making Liu Xunyi panic and pale with fear.

He and Yuan Xiao had only met once, and had never heard of the "Four Prefectures of the Capital". But now, with Xunzhen's matchmaking, they had become friends who would share weal and woe and life and death. This matter seemed strange no matter how he thought about it. Liu Xunyi was shocked and could not calm down for a long time.

"Xunzhen, this matter..."

"Alright!" Xunzhen didn't give Liu Xunyi a chance to argue, and said to Yuan Xiao, "Liu Xunyi is weak and it's not suitable for us to chat for a long time. Master Yuan, please go and get busy first!"

"Miss, Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond are forbidden places in the martial arts world. Going there rashly may lead to bad luck. Otherwise... I will find some hunters who are familiar with Changbai Mountain to lead the way for you..."

"No need!" Xunzhen refused flatly, "No matter how good a hunter is, he can't enter the tiger's den and dragon's lair. It will only cause trouble. Since we dare to come, there will naturally be a way to pay respect to the mountain."

"Oh well!"

Yuan Xiao agreed reluctantly, and then took a deep look at Liu Xunyi, who was in a state of confusion and hesitant to speak, and said with a cupped hand: "Hero Liu, have a good rest. Yuan will take his leave first!"

"Master Yuan, please take care. I'm sorry that I can't see you off as my injury hasn't healed yet."

After the greetings, Yuan Xiao, who was worried, left the guest room quickly. When Xunzhen was about to leave together, he was stopped by Liu Xunyi.

"What's going on? I just can't understand what's going on?" Liu Xunyi could no longer suppress his inner confusion and asked impatiently, "Who exactly is this Mr. Yuan? And what are the 'Four Prefectures of Shangjing' that you mentioned?"

"Shenzhou Yuanfu, Jeju Yanfu, Taizhou Hongfu, and Qingzhou Leifu are collectively known as the 'Four Houses of Shangjing'. They are the local bosses here." Xunzhen explained absentmindedly, "Among them, Shenzhou Yuanfu has the greatest power, and Master Yuan has the highest status among the four family heads. Therefore, introducing him to you is equivalent to making friends with the Four Houses of Shangjing."

"The Four Prefectures of Shangjing..." Liu Xunyi pondered and muttered to himself, "Why have I never heard of their names?"

"It's not surprising. They have been entrenched in the Northeast for many years and have never entered the Fortress. They are not considered as people in the Central Plains martial arts world. They have always kept a low profile and are only somewhat famous outside the Fortress. They are unknown in other places. The people you dealt with before were all famous bigwigs. It is normal that you have never heard of these 'little people'."

"Such a low-key person, even I who live in the Central Plains don't know him, how can you know him from the faraway Western Regions?" Liu Xunyi asked suspiciously, "Mr. Yuan just mentioned 'Young Qin King', could it be... they are all Young Qin King's friends?"

"Yes." Xunzhen said bluntly, "The reason why I brought you here is, first, because the 'world's number one doctor' Peach Blossom Granny is in Changbai Mountain, and second, because this is the territory of the four prefectures of Shangjing, which can ensure that we are safe."

"them……"

"Don't worry. They have a close relationship with the Young King of Qin and will never harbor any ill intentions." Xunzhen replied impatiently, "Since I asked them to do so, they will do their best to protect you. No matter how miserable your reputation is now, or how many enemies you have made, they won't care."

"From your tone, it seems that they are not just friends of the Young King Qin, but more like his... subordinates."

"You could say the same thing."

"hiss!"

Xunzhen's answer to every question surprised Liu Xunyi far more than the relationship between Prince Shao Qin and the four prefectures in Shangjing.

He looked at Xunzhen in disbelief, his face full of sincerity. He was confused and asked incoherently, "I thought about it all night, but I still couldn't figure out why you saved me. But now, I think I have guessed the answer. You saved me... because the young king of Qin ordered you to, right? In fact, he was the one who really wanted to save me and help me. You were just following orders, right?"

Facing Liu Xunyi's question, Xunzhen did not answer, but looked into his eyes silently, with a hint of emotion in her beautiful eyes.

"The more this happens, the more confused I am." Liu Xunyi said in a tangled manner, "As I expected, the old man Yuan and the 'Four Prefectures of Shangjing' just now... should be the secret forces secretly cultivated by the young prince Qin, right? What value do I have? Is it worth you to use this power? Although I am puzzled and don't think I have such great ability, I feel that I am becoming more and more like your puppet. My life and death are determined by you, my joy and anger are determined by you, and even 'making friends'... I have to listen to your arrangements. Xunzhen, can you tell me... why are you so unsparing and reckless in helping me?"

"It doesn't matter why we help you. What matters is... do you need our help?" Xunzhen stared at the troubled Liu Xunyi and said quietly, "You are tired. Take a rest first!"

"But……"

However, before Liu Xunyi could ask further questions, Xunzhen suddenly turned around and disappeared out of the room without looking back in his anxious and uneasy gaze.

……

(End of this chapter)