Chapter 971: Victory is easy to come by
After getting Xie Xuan's explanation, Gan Yonglin was no longer as anxious as he was in the past few days, and he no longer avoided Yan Bugui's repeated questions.

Although he also tried to make excuses, Gan Yonglin behaved neither arrogantly nor servilely, and was fearless, which made the aggressive Yan Bugui unable to react in time and returned in disappointment.

There was no conversation for several days, and in the blink of an eye it was already March 15th.

"I want to see Master Gan, please get out of the way!"

"Master Yan Si, my master is taking a nap..."

"Taking a nap? He tricked us into coming to Luzhou with a piece of news, but he himself just fell asleep? This is absurd!"

"Master Yan Si, my master..."

"Gan Lun, if it weren't for the fact that the Gan family has a history with the mansion master, you would have been killed by my sword long ago if you had dared to stop me again and again."

"Master Yan is so famous, how dare I offend him? It's just that..."

"Go away!"

Before Gan Lun could try to comfort Yan Bugui, several disciples from the Xianwang Mansion who were following Yan Bugui immediately rushed forward, pushed Gan Lun and several Gan family disciples who were trying to dissuade them aside, and rudely squeezed out a passage for Yan Bugui.

However, when the angry Yan Bugui arrived outside Gan Yonglin's room, before she raised her hand to knock on the door, the tightly closed door was suddenly pulled open, causing her to subconsciously take a step back out of surprise.

Immediately afterwards, the ecstatic Gan Yonglin rushed forward with a letter in his hand, and almost bumped into Yan Bugui due to his recklessness.

“Yan… Fourth Master Yan?” Gan Yonglin staggered to a stop and looked at the cold Yan Bugui in surprise, and asked in astonishment, “Why are you…”

"Excuse me, Master Gan, you must give me an explanation today no matter what." Yan Bugui gathered his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "We have been here for seven or eight days, but there is no trace of Liu Xunyi. I asked Master Gan for the details of Daming Mansion and wanted to lead people to investigate in person, but you were vague and evasive. Now, Madam is waiting eagerly in Luoyang, but we are doing nothing in Luzhou. It is simply outrageous! If the news is wrong, or the disciples of the Gan family have not found any trace of Liu Xunyi at all, and everything is just a lie of Master Gan's greed and recklessness, then... please tell the truth, Master Gan, so as not to mislead others and waste time."

"Master Yan, you are too polite!" Gan Yonglin frowned, as if he was displeased. "Even if I am greedy for merit and reckless, I would never dare to play tricks on the Xianwang Mansion. The Gan family disciples did find Liu Xunyi's traces in Daming Mansion, and have been looking for their whereabouts during this period. However... Liu Xunyi is cunning and it is not easy to find them, so there has been no news for a long time. I don't advocate that you go to Daming Mansion because Liu Xunyi has already left. Not only will your trip be in vain, but you might even alert the enemy..."

"That's enough!" Yan Bugui interrupted Gan Yonglin's explanation with an impatient look on his face. "According to Master Gan, if you can't find Liu Xunyi in one day, we will have to wait here in vain for one day. If you can't find her in one year, then we will have to wait here in vain for one year. If you can't find her in ten years, twenty years... won't we have to wait here in vain for a lifetime?"

"Don't worry, Fourth Master Yan. Since I have the courage to invite you all from Luoyang, I will be able to find Liu Xunyi as soon as possible." At this point, Gan Yonglin seemed to see Yan Bugui's irritability, so he raised the letter in his hand high, "Fourth Master Yan, please look, this is the secret report I just received, it is the news about Liu Xunyi."

"Oh?"

Gan Yonglin's words instantly piqued Yan Bugui's interest. The anger between his brows gradually subsided, replaced by a hint of deep suspicion. He tentatively asked: "What do you mean? Could it be that... you have found the whereabouts of Liu Xunyi?"

"That's right!" Gan Yonglin nodded solemnly.

Yan Bugui was shocked and asked quickly, "Where is he?"

"Gan Lun, quickly go and invite Palace Master Xie to the central hall to discuss matters."

Gan Yonglin ignored Yan Bugui's urgent request and gave Gan Lun an order. Then he smiled at Yan Bugui who was at a loss and said respectfully, "Fourth Master Yan, let's go to the main hall to talk."

"That's...okay!"

Although the geese that don't return home are unruly, they also understand the principle of "the guest should follow the host's wishes".

After all, this is the Gan Mansion in Luzhou, and Gan Yonglin is the head of the Gan family. She is a guest here, and she eats and sleeps well in the Gan Mansion, but she has repeatedly rushed around, which is already very rude. How can she repay kindness with resentment and usurp the throne?

With an anxious and apprehensive mind, Yan Bugui followed Gan Yonglin to the central hall. At this moment, Xie Xuan had been waiting for a long time under Gan Lun's hospitality.

"Brother Yonglin, why are you in such a hurry?" Seeing Gan Yonglin coming late, Xie Xuan did not stand up to greet him. Instead, he complained with an unhappy look on his face, "I was just planning to take a nap... Eh? Bugui, why are you here too?"

"Master Gan discovered Liu Xunyi's whereabouts, so I... came to take a look."

Since Luo Tianjin's death, Yan Bugui and Ling Xiaoxiao have "become closer and closer", and naturally "become more and more distant" from Xie Xuan. Therefore, the two of them communicate less and less, and even become strangers to each other.

"You two, please take a seat!" Gan Yonglin seemed to be aware of the subtle atmosphere and the embarrassment of Xie Xuan and Yan Bugui, so he stepped forward and smiled and invited the two to sit down.

"Master Gan, there's no need to keep us in suspense. Tell us where Liu Xunyi is," Yan Bugui urged. "This time... I hope he doesn't get away with it again."

When Yan Bugui said the word "lucky", he couldn't help but glance at Xie Xuan, as if implying that Liu Xunyi's lucky escapes were all related to Xie Xuan.

"Absolutely not!" Gan Yonglin glanced meaningfully at Xie Xuan and Yan Bugui, and said confidently, "To be honest, Liu Xunyi has already entered Luzhou. I have just sent three groups of people to closely monitor him. Right now, he is like a beast trapped in a cage, a turtle in a jar, and he can't fly away."

"Oh?" Xie Xuan pretended to be surprised, "Liu Xunyi came to Luzhou?"

"Yes!" Gan Yonglin replied, "Not only Liu Xunyi, but also a group of people from the Western Regions."

"Is the news true?" Xie Xuan asked Gan Yonglin, but deliberately looked at Yan Bugui, as if observing her reaction.

"I dare to guarantee with my life that this news is absolutely true!" Gan Yonglin said solemnly, "Liu Xunyi plotted to murder Alliance Leader Luo, and anyone in the world can kill him. I will recognize him even if he turns into ashes."

Yan Bugui thought for a moment and asked, "Why did he come to Luzhou? Where did he stay?"

"Why did Liu Xunyi come here... I don't know." Gan Yonglin looked ashamed, "But I know exactly where they stayed."

"Where?"

"Luzhou Inn!" Gan Yonglin answered frankly, "Not only that, I also found out that they have booked all the upper rooms in Luzhou Inn, and they seem to be planning to stay here overnight."

"Okay!"

Before Xie Xuan and Yan Bugui could respond, the disciples from the Xianwang Mansion standing nearby were already rubbing their hands in high spirits, eager to give it a try.

Looking at Yan Bugui who was deep in thought and silent, Xie Xuan's eyes sparkled, and he asked casually, "Bugui, what do you think?"

"I... don't know." Yan Bugui seemed to have not expected Xie Xuan to ask him this question. He was stunned for a moment and answered hastily, "According to common sense... Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen are both cautious people. How could they appear in the busy streets of Luzhou so brazenly? Not only were they discovered by the Gan family disciples, but... they were being 'bitten' tightly by someone and still had no idea. This... seems to be very different from their usual style."

"That makes sense!" Xie Xuan nodded pretentiously, "I also think they won't reveal their whereabouts easily."

"Why? Are you two suspecting that I am making things up? Or are you suspecting that the Gan family disciples are blind?" Gan Yonglin said angrily, "Whether it is true or not, we will know it when we go to Luzhou Inn now."

"Brother Yonglin, please don't misunderstand. We have absolutely no such intention." Xie Xuan smiled awkwardly, waiting for an opportunity to smooth things over. "We just think... this matter is a little strange."

"What's so strange? As the saying goes, 'every inch has its own strengths'. Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen are indeed very smart, but they may not be able to escape the surveillance of Gan family disciples in Luzhou." Gan Yonglin said indignantly, "If Liu Xunyi is not in Luzhou Inn, I would rather apologize to the leader of Qingfeng. If the news is true, I hope you can give me and Gan family disciples justice."

After saying this, Gan Yonglin, who felt greatly humiliated, suddenly stood up and gave Gan Lun an order with a frown on his face: "Call up fifty disciples immediately, bring weapons, and follow the master to the Luzhou Inn to encircle and suppress Liu Xunyi!"

"As ordered..."

"Wait a minute!" Before Gan Yonglin, who was full of murderous intent, led his men out of the hall, Xie Xuan hurriedly stood up to dissuade him, "Brother Yonglin, please calm down and listen to what I have to say. I am not trying to boost others' morale and destroy my own prestige, nor am I deliberately belittling Gan's disciples. If Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen were really in Luzhou Inn, they would have set up many ambushes in the open and in secret to prevent any accidents. I am afraid that they have already fled before the fifty Gan's disciples approached. Even if you are swift and make them unable to flee in time, once you confront them head-on... are the fifty Gan's disciples their opponents? In a bloody battle, regardless of the outcome, Gan's disciples will inevitably suffer heavy casualties. Isn't it a loss?"

"Brother Xie, after all this talk, you still don't trust me." Gan Yonglin glared at them angrily, "Even if the Gan family disciples are no match for them, I will risk my life..."

“Master Gan, forgive me for being blunt, but your desperate fight… will inevitably result in annihilation.” Finally, after a long pause, Yan Bugui spoke quietly, “Not only will the Gan family’s disciples suffer heavy losses, but we will also be in a difficult position to end the fight because of our haste.”

Seeing Yan Bugui speak, Xie Xuan and Gan Yonglin's thoughts changed at the same time. The difference was that Xie Xuan was secretly happy in his heart, while Gan Yonglin felt relieved.

"I wonder what Fourth Master Yan thinks?" Gan Yonglin frowned and pretended to be stubborn. "It's not that I'm stubborn, it's just that you don't trust me..."

"We absolutely believe in Master Gan's information." Gan Yonglin's indignation dispelled Yan Bugui's doubts and he gradually gave in. "Since Liu Xunyi has decided to stay overnight at Luzhou Inn, we don't have to rush. Right now, they are in the open and we are in the dark, so there is no need to confront them head-on. Let's make a careful plan and try to get rid of Liu Xunyi at the lowest cost. It would be best if... we could capture him without bloodshed."

……

(End of this chapter)