Chapter 92 The traitor will never die
Time passes easily and leaves no trace.

When Liu Xunyi and Bai Shuang entered Yumen Pass, it was already late autumn. Fifteen days later, they arrived at Pingliang Prefecture and welcomed the first winter snow of the year.

Yumen Pass and Pingliang Prefecture are three thousand miles apart. If Liu Xunyi rode alone, he could arrive there in seven or eight days. However, Bai Shuang was not good at riding and his body was weak and not suitable for running, so it took them half a month to walk the three thousand miles.

In the snow-covered city of Pingliang, people have already put on their winter clothes. Lanterns are hung high in the streets and alleys, and one can vaguely see a hint of the New Year atmosphere.

The west of Pingliang City is full of poor and shabby courtyards, and most of the residents are poor people. Once they become a little rich, they will move out with their families. Therefore, over the years, many abandoned and dilapidated courtyards are left in the criss-crossing narrow alleys of the west city.

Early in the morning, a figure hurriedly crossed the streets of the west city, running towards the dilapidated courtyard at the end of the alley, one step deep and one step shallow in the snow.

In the only relatively intact northern room in the dilapidated courtyard, a pot of burning firewood was placed on the ground, and five or six young and strong men were sitting on the ground around the fire pot.

Although they were all wrapped in thick cotton clothes, they were still shivering in the sudden heavy snow. They sat around the brazier, warming their almost frozen hands and drinking a few sips of strong liquor from time to time to keep away the cold.

Several men had swords at their feet, and they looked like they were not good people.

"Liuzi is back."

With a slight sound of the courtyard door opening, a young man shivering from the cold rushed into the room, stamping his feet and rubbing his hands. He didn't even bother to shake off the snow on his body, and rushed to the brazier to warm himself up, trembling and yelling, "What kind of hell is this place? Why is it snowing so heavily? I almost froze to death outside."

"Sixth son, you still have too little experience. You usually stay in Quanzhou, so of course you are not used to the northern weather." A middle-aged man with a rough appearance scolded with a smile, "At least there is a house here for you to stay in. Little did you know that we walked in the ice and snow for three days and three nights without a moment's rest."

"Why don't you take a rest?" Liuzi asked curiously.

"Nonsense! In a place like that, if you don't move for a cup of tea, you'll be frozen into an ice stick." The burly man snorted and laughed, "Compared to that, you're already enjoying a great life."

"Liuzi, did you find the thing?"

As if disturbed by the noise in the outer room, a man slowly walked out of the inner room. He was wearing a blue robe inside and a woolen cloak outside, and there was a serious look on his old face that showed no emotion.

"Master Zhu!"

When they saw this man, several men stood up and saluted. This man was the chief steward of the Jiangnan Lu Mansion, Sikong Zhu.

"Found it!" Liuzi hurried forward, reached into his arms and took out a piece of dry bark. There was a rather strange symbol engraved on the bark, which looked vaguely like a deformed "Lu" character.

Sikong Zhu took the bark and said thoughtfully, "Yes, it seems that Liu Xunyi and Bai Shuang have entered Pingliang Prefecture last night. This place is only a day's journey from Xingyuan Prefecture. Once we get there, we will be back to the territory of the Song Dynasty. There will definitely be spies from various forces mixed in. So I intend to take action here and seize the Jingfenghuayu Tu."

Liuzi chuckled and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Our young master really has a keen eye for talent. I didn't expect that the Wind and Rain Painting that all the masters fought so hard to get was easily won by a woman like Miss Bai."

"Since entering Yumen Pass, Bai Shuang has left many marks for us along the way. She is smart and knew that we would follow in secret. It is worth it for you to cultivate her." Sikong Zhu said lightly, "I was reluctant to take action because I was afraid that there might be a master from the Xianwang Mansion hiding with Liu Xunyi. Now it seems that I was worrying too much. Luo Tianjin doesn't seem to believe that Liu Xunyi can get the map back by himself, so he didn't even arrange someone to pick him up."

"Wouldn't Liu Xunyi be trapped in a jar?" Liu Zi said with a sinister smile, "As long as Master Zhu says the word, we can kill him at any time and take the map back."

"Where was this mark found?" Sikong Zhu suddenly asked, changing the subject.

Hearing this, Liuzi couldn't help but show a trace of displeasure on his face, and complained: "According to the agreement between us and Miss Bai, the mark should be left near the inn where they live, so that we can set up an ambush in advance. But this time I went through all the inns in Pingjiang Prefecture one by one, but couldn't find any mark. After that, I searched everywhere like a headless fly, and it took me half a night to find this one at the city gate."

"At the city gate?" Si Kongzhu was stunned, then raised his eyebrows and asked, "You only found this one?"

"There is only this one." Liuzi replied confidently, "I know the rules. If Liu Xunyi leaves Pingliang City overnight, Miss Bai will definitely leave another mark outside the city gate where they leave. But I have searched all four gates of Pingliang City inside and out, and there is indeed only this one."

"That is to say, they did enter Pingliang City last night, and have not left yet." Sikong Zhu frowned slightly, and said thoughtfully, "In other words, Liu Xunyi and Bai Shuang are still in the city..."

"Then why didn't Miss Bai leave a mark outside the inn?" Liu Zi asked in confusion, then his eyes changed and he exclaimed, "Could it be that Miss Bai... was discovered by Liu Xunyi?"

Sikong Zhu frowned, pondered for a moment, and slowly shook his head and said, "Bai Shuang has always been cautious in doing things. Moreover, the two of them have been together for more than ten days. If there was anything unusual, Liu Xunyi should have noticed it long ago, but they have been safe and sound all the way, so Bai Shuang should not reveal his tracks at this juncture. There must be other reasons..."

Sikong Zhu was lost in thought, and Liuzi and the others did not dare to speculate. For a moment, the house was completely silent, with only the occasional crackling sound of the firewood burning in the brazier.

"Then can you leave a letter for her as we agreed in advance?" Sikong Zhu suddenly asked Liuzi.

"I left it there." Liuzi nodded in response, "It's right at the place where Miss Bai left her mark. I left a letter to tell her our whereabouts."

Si Kong Zhu pondered for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully and said, "That's great. I believe it won't be long before Bai Shuang comes here in person to give us an explanation."

Although Si Kong Zhu's words did not point it out explicitly, his uncertain eyes already vaguely revealed a hint of "seeing through the truth".

Nothing happened all day until late at night, when noises could be heard again from the broken courtyard which had been silent all day.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"squeak!"

Before the knock on the door had even ended, the gate had already opened, and a graceful figure in a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat walked quickly into the room.

"You're finally willing to show up?"

Sikong Zhu, who had been waiting for a long time, looked up and down at the newcomer with a strange look. The man took off his bamboo hat, revealing a stunning face. It was Bai Shuang who was walking with Liu Xunyi. "Master Zhu!" Bai Shuang bowed respectfully to Sikong Zhu, then glanced at the solemn-looking men holding knives around him, and whispered, "Am I late?"

"It's not too late." Si Kongzhu replied calmly, "As long as Liu Xunyi and the painting haven't left Pingjiang Prefecture, it's not too late. But, shouldn't you explain something to me?"

Bai Shuang was not stupid. She had guessed everything as soon as Sikong Zhu said that. Without any hesitation, she knelt on the ground and begged, "Bai Shuang wants to ask Master Zhu to spare Master Liu's life. Just take the map, not kill anyone!"

"Humph!" Si Kongzhu had expected this to happen, so he snorted coldly and asked in a deep voice, "Bai Shuang, do you know who you are?"

"I know!" Bai Shuang hurriedly explained, "Bai Shuang is Mr. Lu's person in life and Mr. Lu's ghost in death. I will never betray Mr. Lu in this life or in the next."

"Since you remember that you are the young master's woman, you should know that there are some things... you shouldn't say." Si Kongzhu scolded coldly, "Especially when you plead for another man."

"Bai Shuang only has Master Lu in her heart, Master Zhu, please don't misunderstand me." Bai Shuang's anxious tears rolled back and forth in her eyes, and she begged bitterly, "It's just that Master Liu... Liu Xunyi saved my life. In Tianshan Yulong Palace, if Liu Xunyi hadn't risked his life to save me, I'm afraid I... I would never have the chance to go back and see Master Lu..."

"He saved your life, so you plan to marry him?" Sikong Zhu sneered.

"That's absolutely not the case." Bai Shuang's expression changed, and tears immediately streamed down her face. She said hurriedly, "I swear that I have never done anything to let Mr. Lu down..."

"Forget it!" Si Kongzhu couldn't bear to see women crying, so he waved his hand and asked, "Which inn is Liu Xunyi staying in?"

"No..." Bai Shuang shook her head repeatedly, "I beg Master Zhu to let Liu Xunyi go. Bai Shuang is willing to steal the Jingfenghuayutu."

Si Kong Zhu raised his eyebrows and sneered, "Do you think Liu Xunyi is one of those playboys in Su Shui Pavilion? Just relying on your sweet words and a few tricks of seduction, you can easily trick him into falling for it?"

"He saved my life, how can I repay him with hatred?"

"From the moment you left your first mark at Yumen Pass, you betrayed him." Si Kongzhu said angrily, "Now that things have come to this, you tell me that I can't repay kindness with enmity, then why did you betray him in the first place?"

"I..." Under Sikong Zhu's questioning, Bai Shuang had no way to defend herself. She could only shake her head and cry without saying a word.

Si Kong Zhu was aggressive: "Since you have already betrayed him, you can no longer be soft-hearted. It is not my intention to take his life, but the order of the young master. Do you want to betray the young master?"

"No..." Bai Shuang couldn't bear to hear someone say that she betrayed Lu Tingxiang. To her, the meaning of life was Lu Tingxiang. She lived her whole life for Lu Tingxiang. If Lu Tingxiang abandoned her, she would completely lose the value of living.

As for Liu Xunyi, Bai Shuang was completely grateful for saving her life, a gratitude that came from the bottom of her conscience.

Seeing Bai Shuang in agony, Si Kong Zhu thought for a moment, then slowly put away his harsh words, replaced them with a kind look, and said softly: "Bai Shuang, you have never betrayed the young master, now you just don't want to be a vicious woman who repays kindness with enmity, right?"

"That's right." Bai Shuang was shocked and quickly responded, "I beg Master Zhu to show mercy and spare Liu Xunyi's life. From now on, I owe him nothing!"

Si Kongzhu looked at Bai Shuang deeply. Seeing Bai Shuang crying, he could not help but sigh and nodded reluctantly, "Well...Okay! But only this time. Don't have any contact with this person in the future, so as not to hurt the young master's heart."

Bai Shuang was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, saying, "After this incident, I will never have anything to do with Liu Xunyi again."

"Then how do you plan to steal the Shocking Wind and Raining Picture?"

"This..." Bai Shuang was speechless, but her thoughts turned out fruitless.

Si Kong Zhu smiled faintly, took out a jade bottle from his bosom and threw it to Bai Shuang, saying: "Liu Xunyi's martial arts skills are extremely high, with your ability, there is no way you can steal the Jingfenghuayutu from under his nose. This bottle contains a knockout drug, try to trick him into taking it, so that it will be easier for you to do it."

"This..." Bai Shuang was worried that there was poison in the jade bottle, but she didn't dare to say it directly, so she looked a little hesitant.

"Don't worry, since I've promised you, I will never harm his life." Si Kongzhu said calmly, "If you don't believe it, you can find a dog to test the poison and see if it is poison or not."

"I was too suspicious, please don't blame me, Mr. Zhu." Bai Shuang hurriedly apologized.

"Go!" Si Kongzhu nodded and smiled, "I won't kill him, and I won't force you to ask where Liu Xunyi is. Just go and get the Jingfenghuayutu. I'll wait for you here."

"Liu Xunyi wants to prepare some warm things here, so he will stay in Pingliang City tomorrow. I want to start tomorrow night. If things go well, I can return here with the Jingfenghuayutu before midnight." Bai Shuang pondered.

Si Kong Zhu nodded vaguely and said with a smile: "Go quickly and come back soon, the young master is still waiting for you in the mansion!"

When Lu Tingxiang was mentioned, Bai Shuang's eyes suddenly flashed with tenderness. She quickly agreed, hurriedly said goodbye to Zhu Lao, and left the broken courtyard in the west of the city overnight.

"Master Zhu, are you really going to let Liu Xunyi go?" As soon as Bai Shuang left the house, Liuzi couldn't wait to ask.

Si Kong Zhu's eyes gleamed, and he pondered, "Didn't you see it just now? If we force her again, I'm afraid it will ruin the situation. If we can't appease Bai Shuang, she will definitely attract Liu Xunyi's attention when she returns. Even if we find his residence by then, what can we do? Once we start fighting, if we alarm the local authorities, we can't even get away with it. I'm afraid that this matter will be known to the world, and my Jiangnan Lu Mansion will be in trouble in the future. In this way, isn't it putting the cart before the horse?"

"So what Master Zhu meant was..."

"Let Bai Shuang get the map first, and the rest will be much easier." Si Kong Zhu's eyes suddenly flashed with a treacherous and sinister look, and he turned to look at the confused Liu Zi and said quickly, "Liu Zi, you still have to work hard again. Follow Bai Shuang quietly, and remember not to alert the enemy. When you find Liu Xunyi's residence, come back and tell me immediately."

"Sixth son, obey the order! Hehe..."

……

(End of this chapter)