Chapter 968: Close Yet Distant (Part )

"Oh?"

The secret letter in Qingfeng's hand immediately aroused Chu Mao's interest, and he subconsciously stepped forward to find out what it was.

However, just as he raised his foot, he suddenly became aware of the strange looks around him. He immediately felt relieved and slowly put his impatient right foot back to its original place.

Seeing this, Qingfeng's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a very subtle smile.

"Whether the contents of the letter are true or false, I have not yet figured it out. It is rare that Master Chu is here, so he can help us find the answer."

Having said that, Qingfeng did not hand the secret letter to Chu Mao, but still held it tightly in his hand.

"How dare I speak so arrogantly in front of the leader of Qingfeng?" Chu Mao was disdainful in his heart, but after the farce just now, he no longer dared to be sarcastic, so he bowed respectfully to Qingfeng and said humbly, "If the leader of Qingfeng does not mind that I am stupid, I am willing to discuss it with you."

"Hey!" Gu Chen teased, "Master Chu, there is no need to be modest. You are a senior official of the imperial court, with quick wit and extensive knowledge. Master Chu will definitely be able to see through things that we, the ruffians, cannot."

"Don't dare! Don't dare!"

At this moment, Chu Mao was both curious and anxious about the secret letter, and had no intention of arguing with Gu Chen. He laughed dryly twice, then cast his eyes towards Qingfeng, and carefully tested: "May I ask, Leader Qingfeng, what is the content of the letter..."

"The gist of the letter is that... Luzhou Gan's disciples found traces of Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen in Daming Prefecture." Qingfeng answered calmly, "According to them, Liu Xunyi has recovered from his serious injuries and is back to normal."

"hiss!"

As soon as these words came out, Chu Mao's face changed instantly, and an indescribable horror and worry quickly flooded into his eyes.

"How... is this possible?" Chu Mao muttered to himself, as if thinking about something. "That night, I saw with my own eyes that the Marquis pierced Liu Xunyi's heart with a sword. How could he have healed so quickly..."

"Master Chu, do you think this news is true or false?"

"This..." Chu Mao was stunned, "I don't know... I wonder what Leader Qingfeng thinks?"

"I don't know either." Qingfeng shook his head slowly with an expressionless face. "To be honest, I receive similar news every now and then. It's just that... seeing is believing, hearing is not. Although the news I have inquired about is of various kinds and too numerous to mention, most of them cannot stand up to scrutiny. Occasionally, some of them sound plausible, but after sending people to investigate, we find that... they are completely false."

"What the Qingfeng leader is implying is... this news is probably also fake?"

"When it is true, it is false; when it is false, it is true. When it is false, it is true." Qing Feng smiled, "For this kind of news, I would rather believe it than not believe it."

"This……"

Qingfeng's ambiguous answer made Chu Mao happy and worried at the same time, and he felt very conflicted.

"May I ask, Leader Qingfeng, when did the Gan family's disciples find Liu Xunyi in Daming Mansion?"

"The Jianghu is not like the imperial court. We don't have '800-mile express'. Therefore, it takes two days for this news to spread from Daming Prefecture to Luzhou, two days from Luzhou to Luoyang, and another six or seven days from Luoyang to Wudang." Qingfeng pondered, "According to this calculation, Liu Xunyi appeared in Daming Prefecture at least ten days ago..."

"Wait!" Chu Mao heard something and interrupted him quickly, "I understand that the news spread from Daming Prefecture to Luzhou, but why did it spread from Luzhou to Luoyang? Could it be..."

"That's right!" Qingfeng knew Chu Mao's thoughts very well, so he said frankly, "It was not the Gan family of Luzhou who tipped off this old man, but my daughter."

"My little girl..." Chu Mao was startled, then suddenly realized, "The leader of the Qingfeng Alliance is talking about... Madam Luo?"

"That's right! The Gan family of Luzhou has a history with the Xianwang Mansion. After they got the news about Liu Xunyi, they informed the Xianwang Mansion immediately, and then the Xianwang Mansion passed it on to Wudang."

"Since the news came from Madam Luo, I think this matter... should be a sure thing." Chu Mao asked meaningfully, "I wonder what Madam Luo thinks?"

"What do you mean by sure? She, like me, holds the same attitude of 'better to believe it than not to believe it' and tried her best. That's all." Qingfeng spoke without leaving any holes in his words, leaving no room for Chu Mao to use. "A few days ago, she had arranged for someone to go to Luzhou to find out the truth. This letter...she asked me for help to ensure that everything is foolproof."

"The Xianwang Mansion is a big family with a great business, why do they need to seek help from Wudang thousands of miles away?" Chu Mao's eyes moved, as if he was suspicious, "As the saying goes, 'distant water cannot quench nearby thirst'..."

"The headmaster is not only the leader of the martial arts world, but also the father of Madam Luo, and the person she is closest to, relies on, and trusts the most in the world. It is natural for a daughter to ask her father for help when she encounters a problem. Why is Lord Chu making a fuss?" Before Qingfeng could respond, Gu Yue spoke up to save the situation. After all, in Qingfeng's eyes, no matter how suspicious they were of Xie Xuan, it was still the family affair of the Xianwang Mansion.

Because "family disgrace should not be made public", Qingfeng was reluctant to let Chu Mao read the letter. The vague and half-spoken words were also to preserve the reputation of the Xianwang Mansion.

"Master Gu Yue is absolutely right!" Chu Mao was not a fool. Although he vaguely sensed that there was something else going on, he did not point it out to her face. Instead, he went with the flow and praised her. "Madam Luo made a prompt decision. She is truly a heroine and worthy of being the daughter of the leader of the Qingfeng Alliance. I just wonder... what the leader of the Qingfeng Alliance is going to do?"

"Since my daughter has spoken, how can I, as a father, just sit there and watch?" Qingfeng laughed at himself and said helplessly, "Even though I disdain rumors and think that this matter is full of doubts and most likely groundless, but... putting aside my identity as the leader of the martial arts world, just considering my mission as a parent, I will send someone there."

"The leader of the Qingfeng Alliance is extremely gracious and righteous. This move is not only worthy of the Central Plains martial arts community, but also worthy of your daughter. I, Chu, admire him prostrate myself in admiration."

Finally hearing Qingfeng's decision, the anxious Chu Mao was overjoyed. He was in a very good mood and used the flattery skills he learned in the court to the fullest in front of Qingfeng.

To Chu Mao, the truth of the news was not important. What was important was that Qingfeng had not been lazy and had been doing his best to hunt down Liu Xunyi. In this way, he could report to Qin Wei when he returned, and Qin Wei could also report to the court.

For these court officials who only talk but don't do anything, successfully getting rid of Liu Xunyi is a great achievement. However, things are unpredictable and changeable, and no one can guarantee when Liu Xunyi will be caught. Therefore, before getting rid of Liu Xunyi, they can report to the court regularly and quantitatively to show their "hard work". Although they can't get "merit", they won't be recorded as "faults".

"I wonder if Lord Chu is interested in going to Luzhou with us to find out what's going on?" Following Qingfeng's gaze, Guxing slowly stood up, walked to Chu Mao's side leisurely, and said with a hint of meaning, "If the news is true, Lord Chu is undoubtedly the most meritorious official in the court..."

"This……"

Facing Gu Xing's "warm invitation", Chu Mao felt uneasy for no reason. Especially when he saw Qing Feng staring at him intently, his heart sank, and he was flustered and refused incoherently: "Well... Your Majesty is waiting for me to report back, and I dare not delay... Therefore, Chu is willing but unable to do so... Please send someone to Qing Feng to go first, and once the news is confirmed, send a letter to Lin'an immediately. I believe Your Majesty will make a fair judgment..."

"The adults are so busy with official duties that they have no time to run around. Leave this kind of time-consuming and laborious little thing to us!"

"Chu has absolutely no such intention..."

"It's just a joke, Master Chu, don't mind it." Without waiting for Chu Mao to explain, Qingfeng waved his hand nonchalantly and said with a smile, "Master Chu, take a short rest in Wudang for two days. When you return to Lin'an, please tell Master Qin that I already know his feelings, and I hope he can understand my feelings. Since we are working together, we must work together and do our best. We must not... pass the buck to each other and expect to reap the fruits of others' labor."

After hearing Qingfeng's "advice", Chu Mao was even more embarrassed, but he didn't dare to quibble. He could only pretend to be confused and bowed in anger: "I will remember every word of the teachings of the leader Qingfeng, and I will convey them to you when I see you. I am already extremely ashamed of your presumptuous words today, so how dare I continue to bother you. What's more, I have my life on my shoulders, and I dare not delay your important matter. Therefore... I will take my leave first, and we will have a drink together after I capture Liu Xunyi."

"Well... okay!" Qingfeng agreed reluctantly, "Since Master Chu has made up his mind, I won't force him. Songren, help me escort Master Chu down the mountain."

"Qingfeng Alliance Leader, all Taoist priests, please sit down. I, Chu, will take my leave!"

"Master Chu, take care on your journey!"

After a brief greeting, Chu Mao, who was heavy-hearted, led his men to quickly leave Zixiao Palace under the guidance of Zheng Songren.

He came in a hurry and left in a hurry. The two were completely different, like two different people.

"It is said that 'the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams are crooked'. Qin Wei is young, but he is quite impressive. Even a minor official under him is showing off his power and arrogance." Gu Yue said contemptuously, "He has no regard for the superiors and the inferiors. He is a mean man who has achieved success. I want to see how long this 'young and promising' Marquis Tianji can remain arrogant?"

"Knock the mountain to scare the tiger! The lesson we gave Chu Mao today is enough to make Qin Wei afraid. I believe he will not dare to speak nonsense in front of the headmaster again. But..." At this point, Gu Chen frowned and hesitated, "The headmaster clearly believed in the young lady's news, why did he deny it in front of Chu Mao just now? Between the lines, he has been hinting to Chu Mao that the news is false... What is his intention?"

"That's right!" Gu Yue echoed, "Before, the leader has been complaining that the court is only good at talking big and hiding in Lin'an to boss us around. Now, we have finally found an opportunity to drag the court into trouble, why did the leader change his mind? He plays the good cop and the bad cop, and scared Chu Mao so much that he didn't even dare to go to Luzhou. Could it be that... the leader doesn't want the court to send people to help?"

Facing everyone's doubts, Qingfeng smiled and replied, "In the past, we had 'twice the effort for half the result', so of course I hoped that the court would endure the hardships with us. But now Xie Xuan has come personally, and whether he is loyal or treacherous, Liu Xunyi will definitely show up. Therefore, now that we have 'twice the effort for half the result', why would I hope that the court would have a share of the spoils?"

"If that's the case, why did the leader tell Chu Mao about this? He could just keep silent and believe that they wouldn't notice..."

"Our cooperation with the court is essentially mutual use, each taking what it needs." Qingfeng said quietly, "Right now, the young Qin King is occupying the Western Regions and eyeing the Central Plains martial arts world. We still need the court's support. Therefore, I don't want to fall out with them. Since I don't want to fall out, I can't be too covetous, and I can't hide the news of Liu Xunyi without authorization. Because once the news is true, the court will think that we have hidden selfish motives, and it will be extremely disadvantageous to us to bring up the past later. Therefore, they can not believe it, but I...can't not tell it."

"This..." The Wudang people became more and more confused as they listened, "What does the Sect Leader mean?"

"Not wanting to fall out with the court doesn't mean giving in in everything. As everyone knows, everything has a first come, first served. The court urgently needs Liu Xunyi to comfort the people, and the martial arts world urgently needs Liu Xunyi to avenge his shame. Qin Wei and I both want to compete for the first place. Especially Qin Wei, not only is he doing his job on orders, but he is ambitious and sees Liu Xunyi as a godsend opportunity to 'reach the next level'. Therefore, he is more eager than anyone else to execute Liu Xunyi himself. This guy is insidious and vicious, and will do anything to achieve his goals. It is very likely that he will trip us up in secret." Qingfeng's eyes were full of murderous intent, and his tone was He became more and more stern. "Liu Xunyi is not only an opportunity for Qin Wei to be promoted to a general and a marquis, but also an opportunity for me to control the martial arts world. We have gone through untold hardships to hunt down Liu Xunyi, how can we make things easier for others? How can we let Qin Wei gain something for nothing? Therefore, this first achievement must go to the Central Plains martial arts world, and the person who personally executed Liu Xunyi... must be me. As for Qin Wei, I am willing to give him a mouthful of "broth" and have given enough face to the court. If he overestimates his own ability and attempts to compete with me, the cooperation between the Central Plains martial arts world and the Song Dynasty court... will end here."

……

(End of this chapter)