Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 19 Strange People

Xiang Quan pondered for a moment, then said, "I think it's better if my brother goes out and hides somewhere, rather than staying in the Xiang residence!" Elder Xiang was somewhat puzzled and said unhappily, "Your brother often bickers with you, but you wouldn't hold a grudge, would you, my daughter?" Xiang Quan frowned and smiled, "Father, why do you think so highly of your daughter! Am I that kind of person?" Bai Shandian chimed in, "Father-in-law, what Quan'er means is that people in the martial arts world are eyeing our family's 'Complete Book of Martial Arts' with covetous intent. If we let my brother-in-law stay in the Xiang residence at this time..." "Recovering from injuries will undoubtedly be difficult to conceal from the public and the authorities!" Elder Xiang was shocked: "Then what should we do?" Bai Shandian's eyes flashed with intensity as he said solemnly: "There is only one way, and that is to make the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' disappear from the Xiang residence! Because in this way, we can not only ensure my brother-in-law's safe hiding place, but also protect the lives of everyone in the residence! You all know that the tricks of the Jianghu people are unfathomable, right?" Recalling the kidnapping incident of the Beggar Clan leader Huo Shaoyun, everyone in the Xiang residence fell silent, feeling quite fearful.

"What do you want to do, Lightning!" Xiangquan stared intently into her husband's eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but besides the sincerity in Bai Shandian's eyes, there was no trace of his flustered expression! Could it be that he didn't harbor any malicious intentions, but was truly acting out of love?

"I don't want to do anything, Quan'er! It would be safer for you to give the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' to any of your six hall masters than to leave it here!" Bai Shandian said earnestly.

"What if I give you the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' for safekeeping?" It was clear that Xiang Quan was testing him.

"What merit do I possess? In terms of martial arts, I am no match for any of your six hall masters! In terms of qualifications, I am at most your husband in name only. Moreover, I am a favorite of Emperor Qianlong. As you know, the court is also eager to obtain the 'Complete Book of Jianghu'!" What Bai Shandian said was the truth, the absolute truth.

"I refuse to believe it! You think you can betray me?" Xiang Quan suddenly reached into her robes and pulled out the strange book from her innermost pocket, handing it directly to Bai Shandian! It turned out that through this series of witty exchanges, she had completely trusted her husband. As the saying goes, "If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them." Now, it was safer to entrust the book to Bai Shandian than to keep it on her own. At least he was heavily guarded and backed by the imperial court; no one in the martial world dared to mess with him!

While Bai Shandian feigned modesty, he was secretly overjoyed: "So it turns out I cleverly devised a plan, deliberately rescuing Stinky Feet to curry favor with the Xiang family, and sure enough, they were all grateful to me, setting aside their prejudices and truly entrusting me with the Xiang family's heirloom, the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World'!" He then deliberately offered Xiang Fu some advice: "You should first hide your brother-in-law in a secret cave to recover from his injuries. Because the greatest hermit hides in the court, the middle hermit hides in the city, and the lesser hermit hides in the mountains—following this basic principle of concealment, everyone in the martial world knows..." The "Complete Book of Jianghu" originated from the secret cave, and according to common sense, you wouldn't put the extraordinary book back there. Naturally, the secret cave is now the safest place in the Xiang residence. Therefore, having my brother-in-law hide there ensures absolute safety! Xiang clapped his hands in approval, even his stinky feet were filled with admiration, saying, "Brother-in-law truly lives up to his reputation as a top imperial spy, his thoughts are indeed meticulous and impeccable, I admire you!" Xiang, upon reflection, realized this made sense and began to look at him with new respect. He was now surprised to find that his son-in-law was not at all unpleasant; on the contrary, he was quite likable!

"To avoid arousing suspicion from the officials, I must return now!" Bai Shandian jumped onto the carriage, cupped his hands in farewell, and took his leave. The crowd saw him off at the gate of the mansion, watching his carriage disappear into the darkness.

Bai Shandian walked for nearly half an incense stick's time until he reached a desolate wilderness. He suddenly shouted for a halt, and the coachman immediately reined in his horse. Bai Shandian jumped down, took out a silver ingot, and said it was for the coachman's rent. The coachman happily jumped down, took the ingot, and said, "Sir, so much? I don't have any change!" Bai Shandian coldly smiled, "Keep the change, consider it paper money!" The coachman sensed something was wrong, and before he could react, his neck snapped with a crack. As he stared, dumbfounded, at the ruthless killer before him, his body was already falling into the nearby West Lake! Then, with a loud thud, the horse and the carriage also tumbled into the rippling blue water…

"What a cruel way to kill! It gives the impression that the coachman was just drunk and accidentally drove the carriage into West Lake! Jie Jie!" A sinister laugh startled Bai Shandian. He whirled around and saw a disheveled, short middle-aged man standing behind him. The moon was bright and the stars were few, making it easy to see. The man was strangely dressed, wearing a loose, oversized kimono and sporting a coiled bun on his head—a complete Japanese ronin. Bai Shandian hated being spied on, and he never expected to encounter such a monster in the middle of the night in this desolate countryside! A murderous intent surged within him. Without hesitation, he charged forward, extending the claws he had just used to kill, intending to subdue his opponent with a throat lock and kill him again in the face of unpredictable events! Before the claws could reach him, the man had vanished. Just as he was wondering what was happening, a sinister voice rang in his ear: "Don't move, or you'll die!" He felt a chill run down his neck; it was the man wielding a Japanese sword, poised to slash at the back of his throat—damn it! How did this Japanese guy get behind him? His movements were too fast! So fast it was almost uncanny! He dared not move, because the thin, almost invisible blade of the Japanese sword had already pierced his skin, and a little blood was seeping out!

"Who are you? What do you want?" For the first time in his life, Bai Shandian's voice was off-key and trembling slightly!

"Let me tell you the truth, I saw everything you did today! Hmph, a high-ranking Imperial Guard Minister of the Qing Dynasty, daring to release a wanted criminal—that's the first capital offense. As the son-in-law of the Xiang family of Jiangnan, you used deception to pretend to rescue the stinky-feet, gaining the Xiang family's trust, and then easily obtained the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World'—completely violating moral principles! That's the second capital offense. You discarded them after using them, betrayed them after crossing the river—you just hired the carriage and driver, then murdered them to cover it up. This is an outrage against both gods and men, deserving of a thousand cuts! That's the third capital offense. Three big..." "If these crimes were revealed to the world and found out by the current Emperor Qianlong, which one wouldn't be punishable by death!" Bai Shandian was very clear-headed and asked in a deep voice, "What do you want me to do?" The Japanese ronin laughed loudly and said, "As expected, Lord Bai is extremely intelligent. It's truly a pleasure to work with you!" He then changed the subject and said in a low voice, "Give me the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World'! Your capital crimes will then be nothing, and will become a secret that will never be known to anyone!" Bai Shandian was a clever man. After careful consideration, he decisively reached into his robes and presented the strange book with both hands—because his life was at stake, he had no choice but to accept his fate!

The Japanese ronin, Jie Jie, chuckled strangely, "Lord Bai, Black Sun will leave you alone. Farewell!" Before his words were even finished, he had vanished into the vast night sky! Bai Shandian suddenly felt the chilling Japanese sword leave the back of his neck, and only then dared to cautiously look back. But on the desolate, moonlit landscape, a cold wind howled, and there was no one in sight. He hurriedly pinched his ear with his fingernails, almost wondering if he had just had a nightmare! That strange man—his martial arts were so high, unlike anything he had ever seen! Was he human or a ghost? Did such bizarre and eerie martial arts exist in the world? His own skills were already fast enough, yet this man was even faster!

"Black Sun!" Only one thought occupied Bai Shandian's mind: return to the General's Mansion immediately and have his men search for the culprit, posting wanted notices everywhere. He was determined to find Black Sun within Hangzhou and bring him to justice, to vent his anger! Tonight, he had suffered a tremendous loss of face, arguably the greatest humiliation of his life!

White Lightning leaped into the air, using his lightness skill to leap and bound faster than a meteor, disappearing into the vast night.