188: Chapter 188 The Dirty Clothes Faction's Favor
A blood-curdling scream suddenly rang out. Looking closely... good heavens, that little beggar had actually endured the attacks to sink his teeth fiercely into Fang Qing's foot.
The pain made Fang Qing howl at the top of his lungs, crying out like a helpless grandson.
"Huff, huff, huff."
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Brother Chen, did you see that? This damned beggar... no matter what, I'm going to kill him today!"
"Hurry up and interrogate him! Once you're done, I'll send him on his way!" Fang Qing glared viciously at the beggar, even drawing the long saber hanging at his waist.
He was ready to finish him off at any moment.
This sudden turn of events caught Chen Yichuan and the other two quite by surprise.
In the midst of this tense atmosphere...
Unexpectedly...
The captured beggar stood straight up, cupped his hands politely toward Chen Yichuan, and spoke with a refined air.
"I presume this dignified-looking gentleman is Lord Yichuan?"
"I am Wen Xiucai, a disciple of the Beggar Sect's Clean Clothes Faction!"
Despite being covered in filth, this beggar named Scholar Wen still acted with a refined grace, maintaining the etiquette expected of a scholar.
Hearing this...
Fang Qing's temper flared instantly. If Zhang Fan hadn't been holding him back, he would have delivered another kick.
"Scholar Wen? Scholar my foot! What kind of scholar are you supposed to be?"
"Clean Clothes Faction? You're lucky to even have clothes to wear. A beggar trying to act like a man of letters? Get lost!" Fang Qing cursed loudly, clearly infuriated by this 'Scholar Wen.'
However, Scholar Wen turned a deaf ear to him, staring intently at Chen Yichuan.
At the same time...
Chen Yichuan also carefully sized up this beggar of extraordinary temperament, frowning slightly. "Clean Clothes Faction? A beggar? Friend, you don't look much like one to me."
The Clean Clothes Faction beggars he had seen before were, without exception, decently dressed. But the one before him seemed a bit different.
As soon as he said this...
The previously calm Scholar Wen's expression changed drastically. He glared viciously at Fang Qing and barked coldly:
"Hmph!"
"It's all because of the tricks this dog played. I am clearly a disciple of the Beggar Sect's Clean Clothes Faction, yet he insisted that a beggar should look like a beggar."
"He forced me to look like I'm from the Dirty Clothes Faction. How unlucky!!" Scholar Wen's eyes were bloodshot as he spat on the ground.
Eh?
Such a thing happened?
Chen Yichuan looked surprised and glanced at Fang Qing.
Fang Qing glared back without refuting; given his personality, it was certainly something he would do.
It had to be said...
This kid Fang Qing really had some tricks up his sleeve.
Chen Yichuan was about to praise Fang Qing for a moment.
But then, Scholar Wen's voice rang out again.
"Lord Yichuan, the reason I threw mud in his face was to avenge that grievance."
"The Sages said that one must repay a grudge. There is nothing wrong with what I did, right?"
Chen Yichuan gave a faint smile. "No problem at all!"
Getting Chen Yichuan's answer, Scholar Wen's lips curled into a smirk, a hint of smugness flashing across his face.
He then respectfully cupped his hands to Chen Yichuan again and said, "Lord Yichuan, the Sages also said—when two armies clash, do not execute the messenger."
"May I know if I can leave now?"
Leave?
Hearing this, Chen Yichuan's lips curled into a sinister, cackling grin. "Leave? Where would you go? Little Scholar, even if the Sage himself came today..."
"...you would still have to leave your life here."
Thump.
Upon hearing this, Scholar Wen's face changed instantly. "Lord Yichuan, you aren't following the rules of martial honor?"
"Haha, what use do I have for martial honor? Besides... you aren't some messenger, you're a spy!" Chen Yichuan said coldly.
The next second...
With a howl...
Fang Qing pounced like a hungry wolf, teaching this Clean Clothes Faction disciple a harsh lesson.
Seeing this, Chen Yichuan turned his gaze toward the other three beggars.
"How do the three of you want to die?"
His voice was chilling, devoid of any emotion.
The beggars who had been sitting on the ground watching the show turned pale with fright.
The lead beggar scrambled to his feet and respectfully cupped his hands to Chen Yichuan, saying, "Lord Yichuan, I am Hong San of the Beggar Sect, a disciple of the Dirty Clothes Faction."
"Although the three of us were captured by this hero, we didn't resist at all... in fact, we were extremely cooperative."
"The reason we came here was also to give Lord Yichuan a piece of information."
Hearing this, Chen Yichuan was stunned for a moment, then turned to Head Escort Qian for confirmation.
"That's right!"
"When I made my move, these three didn't resist... they were very well-behaved afterward. Looking at it now, they likely got captured on purpose just to speak with you."
Standing to the side with arms crossed, Head Escort Qian nodded.
Hearing that...
Chen Yichuan's interest was piqued. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Oh? Interesting. What information? Is your Dirty Clothes Faction also planning to move against me?"
As soon as he said this...
Hong San's face changed drastically. He waved his hands frantically and said anxiously, "No, no, Lord Yichuan has misunderstood."
"The Dirty Clothes Faction has no intention of opposing Lord Yichuan. On the contrary, we want to offer you some help."
"Help?" Chen Yichuan was slightly taken aback.
Without hesitation, Hong San pulled a carefully folded slip of paper from his bosom and handed it to Chen Yichuan.
"Lord Yichuan."
"This paper records the strength of the Clean Clothes Faction within Dongshan Prefecture, across its four counties and the capital, as well as the strongest members of their respective branches."
Eh?
With a hint of doubt, Chen Yichuan slowly unfolded the note.
Taking a closer look...
Good heavens.
In Dongshan Prefecture, the capital and the four counties—excluding the Shuangjiang County branch that Chen Yichuan had already uprooted—were all entirely the territory of the Clean Clothes Faction.
The Branch Leader of the Beggar Sect in the Prefecture Capital was actually a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist. The Guangjiang County branch also had a Fourth-Rank Martial Artist, while the Sanhe and Shangshui counties were led by Third-Grade Martial Artists.
After reading the note, Chen Yichuan glanced at Hong San and snorted coldly. "Hmph."
"Hong San, you Beggar Sect disciples aren't from Dongshan Prefecture, are you?"
"Coming all this way to give me intelligence... are you planning to use my hand to wipe out the Clean Clothes Faction's power in Dongshan Prefecture?"
At these words...
Hong San looked a bit embarrassed. He rubbed his messy hair and gave a sheepish smile while cupping his hands. "Hehe, Lord Yichuan has seen through my little trick."
"Whether or not you choose to trouble the Clean Clothes Faction in Dongshan Prefecture is your business, My Lord."
"I am merely offering a favor while it's convenient."
Since he had been found out, Hong San stopped hiding it and spoke plainly.
"Hehe," Chen Yichuan smiled faintly and said, "At least you're honest."
"For the sake of this favor, the three of you may leave. Of course, if you want to stay and watch the execution, you're welcome to."
Hearing this, the three felt as if they had been granted a divine pardon and bowed repeatedly to Chen Yichuan.
They turned and left immediately, without the slightest desire to stay and watch the commotion.
"Ahem, Qingzi, that's enough. It's time to send him on his way," Chen Yichuan coughed, looking at Fang Qing, who was still dealing out punishment.
"Sure thing, Brother Chen! I'll send him on his way right now."
"Wait!"
Just as Fang Qing was about to strike, Chen Yichuan called out to stop him.
"Eh?"
"No way, Brother Chen. You want to steal this kill too?" Fang Qing made a bitter face.
"Steal my foot, I have serious business."