35: The honest monk is not honest, the wine is poisonous!

Just a hundred zhang from their ambush site, on the official road, a monk with worn-out robes and a shiny bald head was crawling forward in the dust, using both his hands and feet, in a posture that was both extremely devout and extremely disheveled.

The back of the monk's robes was soaked with sweat, clinging to his spine.

Rough grit, soaked sweat, mixed with dirt, clung to his exposed knees and elbows, making him appear filthy.

Every movement was accompanied by a struggle between his skin and the coarse sand, leaving shallow sweat stains.

He crawled very slowly, very steadily.

His smooth, bald head was bowed low, almost touching the ground, and large drops of sweat streamed down his temples and the tip of his nose, creating dark little pits in the dry dust.

Honest Monk!

In this world, only Honest Monk could do such a thing, only he.

“Why is he here?!” Lu Xiaofeng muttered in a low voice, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes.

This was another one of his friends, and his friends often hurt him the most.

Honest Monk seemed completely immersed in his own world, oblivious to the strong, thick smell of blood and the corpses scattered on the ground.

He continued to crawl forward inch by inch, focused.

Sweat flowed into his eyes, bringing a stinging sensation, and he blinked hard, shaking off the sweat drops, but his movements did not stop in the slightest.

Lu Yuan and the others walked over, and as they got closer, Lu Jiuyuan covered his mouth, letting out another uncontrollable cough, his body swaying slightly.

Honest Monk stopped his crawling.

He slowly raised his head, and on his dust-covered face, his eyes were exceptionally bright.

“amitabha.” A low, peaceful Buddhist chant emanated from his mouth, not loud.

“A battlefield everywhere, death’s impermanence. Benefactor Lu, such heavy killing karma, we meet again!”

“Honest Monk, it truly has been a long time!” Lu Jiuyuan coughed, his face pale as he spoke.

Lu Xiaofeng looked at his miserable appearance and couldn't help but shake his head: “What mistake did he make this time? To punish himself like this.”

Honest Monk did not answer immediately. He slightly adjusted his posture to make his crawling more comfortable before slowly saying:

“This poor monk violated the precept of lust and entertained delusive thoughts. Miss Ouyang Qing came to the capital, and this poor monk couldn’t resist and took care of her business again, causing dust to rise in his heart.”

“This poor monk violated the precept of speech by revealing Ye Gucheng’s injury, leading to a series of killings in the capital. I did not kill Bo Ren, yet Bo Ren died because of me.”

“I must be punished, crawling ten li to calm my mind and cleanse my impurities.”

After he finished speaking, he didn't even look at the three of them and simply continued to crawl away.

Lu Jiuyuan, Lu Xiaofeng, and Shangguan Xueer watched him leave.

“He truly is an Honest Monk! To punish himself for such things.”

Shangguan Xueer couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. As a young girl who had once told many lies, she found it truly difficult to understand such an eccentric existence as Honest Monk.

“Honest Monk…” Lu Xiaofeng felt a bit down. Ye Gucheng’s injury was something he had spread, and his shadow was also behind the ambush here.

As a clever person, he found it hard not to suspect him, even though everyone in the world knew him for his honesty.

The courtesan is a virgin, and Honest Monk is not honest! This is Gu Long’s world.

Lu Jiuyuan’s mouth twitched: “Shouldn’t you have been mentally prepared already? In this Jianghu, what you see is always just the surface.”

Lu Xiaofeng remained silent; how could he not know?

Honest Monk’s “honesty” was, in itself, the most exquisite disguise and weapon.

“So that’s why you’ve been pretending to be severely injured all along!”

“Let’s go to Li Yanbei’s place!”

“At least on his territory, it won’t be so easy for petty villains to sneak in and launch a sneak attack!”

In the capital, at Li Yanbei’s home, with its high walls and deep courtyards, eight formidable guards stood at the entrance, their eyes sharp, their temples bulging high, clearly all skilled practitioners of both internal and external martial arts.

Inside the courtyard walls, figures could be vaguely seen moving, with hidden sentries everywhere.

Lu Xiaofeng stepped forward and whispered a few words to the head of the guards. The guard captain clearly recognized the Great Hero Lu, renowned throughout the land,

and knew that his boss had a deep friendship with him, so he dared not be negligent and immediately turned to go inside and announce their arrival.

In a short while, the heavy vermilion-lacquered gate creaked open.

A tall and burly middle-aged man with a full beard, dressed in brocade martial attire, strode out to greet them.

“Hahahaha! Lu Xiaofeng! You scoundrel, remembering me at a time like this truly makes me too happy!”

Li Yanbei’s voice boomed like a bell as he gave Lu Xiaofeng a bear hug, his gaze then falling upon Lu Jiuyuan, who was supported by Xue'er behind Lu Xiaofeng, his face pale, and the hem of his green robe still stained with faint dark red bloodstains.

He clasped his fists in greeting, not daring to be negligent.

“Hahahahaha, Li Yanbei greets Great Hero Lu!”

Lu Jiuyuan forced a breath, nodded slightly, his voice hoarse but clear: “I have long heard of Estate Master Li’s reputation as ‘Righteousness Fills the Capital,’ and I apologize for disturbing you today.”

As he spoke, another suppressed cough escaped him, and a fresh trickle of crimson blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

“Quick! Please come in! The wind outside is strong! Someone! Prepare the best guest room! Get Doctor Wang! No, go and invite Old Immortal Sun from Huichuntang! Quickly!”

While loudly giving orders to his subordinates, he personally stepped forward, carefully trying to support Lu Jiuyuan’s other arm, his actions filled with the utmost respect and concern.

If his earlier attitude towards Lu Xiaofeng was brotherly affection, then his current attitude towards Lu Jiuyuan was one of respect and gratitude towards a god of wealth.

After all, Ye Gucheng’s injury directly concerned the six hundred thousand taels of snowflake silver that Li Yanbei had bet on Ximen Chuixue!

“Thank you, Estate Master Li, you don’t need to be so polite. A quiet room for me to recuperate will suffice.”

Lu Jiuyuan waved his hand, refusing the support, and forced himself to stand steady, his gaze sweeping over the strict guards around them, nodding slightly: “This place… is indeed safer.”

Li Yanbei’s mansion had quiet, deep courtyards and strict guards.

Lu Jiuyuan chose a slightly secluded guest room, with Shangguan Xueer attending to him every step of the way, personally handling all food and drink to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

Li Yanbei, though slightly displeased, did not show it. Given the numerous enemies of the other party, being cautious in an unfamiliar place was only natural.

He then pulled Lu Xiaofeng to chat in the front hall.

“The underworld in the capital has gone mad this time. Money dazzles the eyes and blinds the heart; now everyone looks like they deserve to die, everyone wants to kill!”

“In just two days, no less than a hundred people have died.” Li Yanbei’s face was ashen as he took a hefty gulp of strong liquor,

“Those who bet on Ye Gucheng winning are constantly killing people, or hiring assassins. Even assassin organizations from all around are continuously converging on the capital.”

“Within the capital, apart from the imperial palace, there is no other place that is truly safe for him.”

“Just to be safe, my residence is guarded by three layers of trusted subordinates, inside and out. Not even a fly can get in or out,” Li Yanbei said:

“Let Sword Devil recuperate here in peace. This dangerous situation will only last for these two days; once the duel is over, it will naturally disperse.”

“Lu Xiaofeng, the waters of the capital are deep enough to drown people these two days.”

“It’s best if you don’t get too involved; the deeper you get, the more dangerous it becomes.”

“As of now, no less than five Sect Heads from various Schools, and over ten renowned elder generation top experts, have gathered in the capital.”

“People from Wudang, Emei, Kongtong, Shaolin, and Diancang have all come.”

“Nowhere outside is as safe as it is here.” Before he finished speaking, Li Yanbei’s face suddenly changed!

A purplish-blue color, like a frozen eggplant, instantly spread from his neck to his entire face!

His burly body stiffened abruptly, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a “bang,” shattering into pieces.

Gurgling strange sounds came from his throat, as if an invisible hand was strangling him. He wanted to speak but couldn't utter a single word, only large beads of sweat instantly covered his forehead.

“Li Yanbei!” Lu Xiaofeng rose in alarm.

Li Yanbei painfully curled up, clutching his throat desperately with both hands, his body convulsing violently, his eyes filled with extreme pain and disbelief.

The poison acted with incredible speed and overwhelming force!

“Someone! Call a doctor quickly! Be on alert!”

Lu Xiaofeng roared, simultaneously quickly pressing several vital acupuncture points on Li Yanbei’s chest, attempting to slow the spread of the poison.

The effect was evident, directly curbing the rate of diffusion.

But the purplish-blue color was still slowly spreading. Li Yanbei took a few deep breaths, using his internal energy to suppress it.

“My wine… is poisoned! Investigate!”