Chapter 969: Luzhou Gan Family
March 12, Gan Prefecture, Luzhou.

Since Xie Xuan and Yan Bugui led more than ten disciples of the Xianwang Mansion to Luzhou, the Gan family had prepared beds and shoes to welcome them. For several days, they held banquets every day and had singing and dancing every night, which made Xie Xuan and his party flattered.

Gan Yonglin, the head of the Gan family, was over sixty years old, but he was still vigorous and strong as an ox. Especially his eloquence and his ability to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, almost every day he could make Xie Xuan, Yan Bugui and others dizzy, and then he would get them drunk until they passed out.

It was the same tonight. After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Gan Yonglin ordered people to send the drunk people in Prince Xian's Mansion back to the guest rooms. Then he came to the garden alone and strolled there for about half an hour.

Taking a walk after meals has been Gan Yonglin's habit for decades. One reason is to help digestion, two is to sober up, and three is to meditate.

"Master, it's time to rest."

In the dead of night, a thin middle-aged man came into the garden carrying a cloak.

"Gan Lun, are the guests asleep?" Gan Yonglin asked casually as he took the cloak. "Before going to bed...did they ask anything? Or say anything?"

Gan Lun is Gan Yonglin's distant nephew and the chief steward of Gan's residence. He is smart and capable, and is very prudent in his work, which earns Gan Yonglin's trust.

"Most of them were drunk and fell asleep as soon as they were sent back to their rooms." Gan Lun bowed and reported, "Only the Fourth Master Yan... kept mumbling about Liu Xunyi before going to sleep. The general idea was... blaming us for not doing a good job and not being able to find Liu Xunyi's whereabouts."

"Alas!" Gan Yonglin had a sad face and sighed bitterly, "This Fourth Master Yan's temper... has always been unfriendly. At the beginning, when I dealt with the Xianwang Mansion, I was not afraid of Lord Luo, but only of two of the Seven Heroes. One was the stubborn Sixth Master Huang, and the other was the arrogant Fourth Master Yan."

"In fact, I have never understood why the master lied when we clearly had no clues about Liu Xunyi..."

"Hush!" Before Gan Lun could finish his words, Gan Yonglin quickly reached out to cover his mouth and scolded, "Now is different from the past. There are outsiders staying in the mansion. You must be extremely careful in your words and actions, and you must not talk nonsense."

"Master is right!" Gan Lun nodded angrily, "I'm just a little worried..."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm worried that we won't be able to find Liu Xunyi's whereabouts, and this matter... may not end." Gan Lun said timidly, "After all, this matter can be big or small, light or heavy. What if the people in the Xianwang Mansion refuse to leave and force us to hand over Liu Xunyi, then..."

"Yes!" Gan Lun's words made Gan Yonglin feel even more depressed. His eyes were extremely tangled. He nodded and replied, "Since the first day they came to Luzhou, Fourth Master Yan asked me for help. Now it's the fifth day... I wonder how long my 'enchantment array' can last?"

"At the banquet just now... Fourth Master Yan's face seemed a little gloomy." Gan Lun recalled with lingering fear, "We persuaded her to drink several times but she refused outright. If it weren't for the master personally taking action, I'm afraid it would be difficult to get away with it tonight, and it will definitely become more and more difficult in the future."

“No!” Gan Yonglin’s eyes suddenly fixed as if Gan Lun had hit his soft spot. He said in a deep voice, “Playing mad and stupid is definitely not a long-term solution. This matter… must be resolved as soon as possible.”

"What do you think, sir?"

"The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. It doesn't matter whether I have any 'brilliant ideas' or not."

"What the master means is..."

"Send someone to keep an eye on Fourth Master Yan and other disciples of the Xianwang Mansion. I will go to Second Master Xie to reminisce about the past. After all, this matter was caused by him. Now that the Gan family is in a difficult situation, he can't just sit back and do nothing."

"Master, you mean... now?"

"Now!"

Before he finished speaking, Gan Yonglin, who was determined in his thoughts, suddenly turned around and walked quickly towards the front yard.

"Gan Lun, you stand guard at the door. Cough twice if anyone comes."

"Yes."

After giving a few simple instructions, Gan Yonglin held his breath, concentrated his mind, and his expression became more and more solemn.

"squeak!"

With a slight sound, Gan Yonglin pushed the door open and walked in.

At this moment, Xie Xuan, who was drunk, was lying on the bed with his arms and legs spread out, sleeping soundly. In the dim light, he could hear bursts of snoring from time to time. Gan Yonglin lit the candlestick, walked slowly to the bedside, took out a jade bottle from his arms, and gently shook it in front of Xie Xuan's nose.

All of a sudden, a rich and cool scent diffused out, causing Xie Xuan, who was sleeping, to frown. He twisted his body a few times and slowly opened his eyes.

"Brother Xie, how does my hangover-relieving powder taste?" Seeing Xie Xuan gradually waking up, Gan Yonglin quickly put away the jade bottle and raised a amiable smile at the corner of his mouth.

"It turns out to be Brother Yonglin..."

After recognizing Gan Yonglin's appearance, Xie Xuan's frown relaxed slightly, and the energy gathered in his fingertips disappeared instantly, and he slowly stood up with the help of Gan Yonglin.

"Strong liquor is dry, drink a glass of water to moisten your throat." Before Xie Xuan could completely get rid of his mental chaos, Gan Yonglin had already handed him a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Brother Yonglin!"

As the tea went down his throat, Xie Xuan's consciousness became clearer. He struggled to get out of bed, staggered to the wall, and plunged into a half-basin of water. He immediately felt refreshed and energetic.

"I, Xie, boast that I can drink quite well, but I have never lost my composure when drinking with others. But when I meet Brother Yonglin, I am totally vulnerable." Xie Xuan wiped his cheek with his sleeve while stretching his waist lazily. "Brother Yonglin is still strong and his drinking capacity is still the same as before. I admire him!"

"I drink like water and cannot enjoy life without it. It's just a habit, not worth mentioning at all." Gan Yonglin led Xie Xuan to sit at the table and said jokingly, "You have been in my humble abode for five days, but I have not been able to find a chance to chat with you alone. It is really... impolite to treat guests. Haha..."

"Brother Yonglin, you and I have known each other for many years, and we have long been close as brothers. You are talking to me about 'etiquette of hospitality'. Are you treating me as an outsider?" Xie Xuan's face darkened, pretending to be displeased. "Even if you don't say it, I can guess what Brother Yonglin is here for. In fact, even if you don't come to see me tonight, I will come to see you tomorrow."

“Oh?” Seeing Xie Xuan speak directly, Gan Yonglin was secretly delighted and said jokingly, “Brother Xie and I have the same idea. We really have a tacit understanding. Haha…”

"Now that we have come to this, Xie can no longer pretend to be ignorant."

Having said this, Xie Xuan stood up and bowed to Gan Yonglin, who was smiling, and said sincerely: "Thanks to Brother Yonglin's generous help, I was able to temporarily relieve my urgent need. Brother Yonglin is so kind, Xie Xuan has no way to repay him, please accept my greeting!"

"This... Thank you, brother, please get up quickly!"

Gan Yonglin was caught off guard and was shocked. He quickly stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "Thank you, brother, for mentioning 'urgent need'. What exactly does that mean?"

"At the beginning of this month, Brother Yonglin received a secret letter from me. A few days later, Yan Bugui and I led people to Luzhou. During this time, I had no chance to explain the reason to Brother Yonglin, but Brother Yonglin and I understood each other's minds and cooperated tacitly. He helped me hide the truth from Yan Bugui, and the Gan family was impeccable. This alone is enough to make Xie grateful."

"This..." Gan Yonglin was stunned, and said bitterly, "Since Brother Xie secretly ordered me to do so, I naturally dare not slack off. However, after thinking about it, I really can't figure it out. Why did Brother Xie ask me to admit that the Gan family disciples found Liu Xunyi's whereabouts in Daming Mansion? Why did he ask me to lie in front of Master Yan Si and other disciples of Xianwang Mansion? As for the news that Liu Xunyi appeared in Daming Mansion... where did it come from? Is it true or false?"

Looking at Gan Yonglin, who was completely puzzled and talking like a string of cannonballs, Xie Xuan hesitated and said perfunctorily, "The reasons are so complicated that they can't be explained in a few words."

"What do you mean?" The more vague Xie Xuan was, the more curious Gan Yonglin became. "Brother Xie, what exactly are you up to?"

"Brother Yonglin, forgive me for being blunt!" Seeing Gan Yonglin asking questions, Xie Xuan's eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying light, and he said word by word, "Some things... the more you know, the more dangerous it is."

"I understand what Brother Xie means. It's not that I don't know the current situation, but... the Gan family is already in the middle of it and is caught in a dilemma." The threat hidden in Xie Xuan's words made Gan Yonglin shudder. He knew that Xie Xuan was not exaggerating, but due to his status and the life and death of the men, women, old and young of the Gan family, Gan Yonglin had to bite the bullet and complain, "Alliance Master Luo was very kind to the Gan family when he was alive. I will always remember it in my heart. He met with an unexpected accident, and I am extremely sad. Yes! I really want to tear Liu Xunyi into pieces and grind his bones to ashes to comfort the soul of Alliance Master Luo in heaven. Unfortunately, things often don't go as one wishes. I am not very talented and knowledgeable, and my moral character is weak. The Gan family is even more insignificant in the world. Although I hate it, I also know myself. With the ability of the Gan family disciples alone... it is nothing but a fool's dream to avenge Alliance Master Luo."

"Brother Yonglin is so grateful and repaying his kindness. The Lord of the Mansion will surely be very pleased if he knows this." Xie Xuan said seriously, "To be honest, I didn't ask you for help on purpose to drag the Gan family into trouble. It's really... It's urgent, and I can't find a more suitable candidate at the moment. At this moment of life and death, Brother Yonglin is the only one who is worthy of my trust and my life."

"Brother Xie, what you said... makes me feel ashamed." Gan Yonglin's eyes turned red, and he was deeply moved. So he made up his mind and spoke frankly, "Now that things have come to this, I will not beat around the bush. In fact, from the day I helped you hide the truth from Fourth Master Yan, Brother Xie and I have been in the same boat. If I abandon you, there is only one way to go, and that is death. Although I don't know why Brother Xie is acting in front of his family, I am not confused yet, so I can vaguely sense something strange... You asked me to lie to you without telling anyone, as if there is a gap between me and Fourth Master Yan, the brothers of the Xianwang Mansion, and even Madam Luo... At least there are gaps between us, or at least we are hiding things from each other. The twists and turns are mostly family affairs of the Xianwang Mansion. Since Brother Xie doesn't want to talk about it, I won't ask too much. However, I can choose not to ask about the affairs of the Xianwang Mansion, but when it comes to the Gan family... I have to take care of it. I hope Brother Xie will understand my difficulties."

"Brother Yonglin, what you said makes sense. It was Xie who was not thoughtful enough." Looking at Gan Yonglin who was so righteous, Xie Xuan's mind moved and he nodded slowly, "Brother Yonglin, please feel free to ask whatever you want to ask. As long as it is something I can say... Xie will tell you everything I know."

"Since the more you know, the more dangerous it is, then... I will not ask about other things. Tonight, I only want to ask Brother Xie one question, and I hope you can tell me frankly."

"Brother Yonglin, please speak!"

"Will the Gan family be destroyed because of Liu Xunyi?"

……

(End of this chapter)