newbobooks Chapter 413 Ji Ruofeng is caught in two dilemmas, while the Ghost-Faced Woman achieves three goals a
Chapter 413 Ji Ruofeng is caught in two dilemmas, while the Ghost-Faced Woman achieves three goals a
Bai Xiaotang.
Beneath the base of the dilapidated temple's Buddhist shrine lies the renowned Hundred Knowledge Hall.
Shortly after Yi Bu left, Ji Ruofeng entered the inner room through the secret passage.
The interior, from the second floor down, was filled with constantly turning gears and mechanisms, as noisy as ever.
"Master, why do you look so worried as soon as you return? It seems like you've encountered some trouble."
Seeing Ji Ruofeng remove his mask and sit in the hall master's seat with a frown, the masked woman brought a pot of hot tea to him and asked with concern.
"It's not much trouble, but I don't want to get entangled with the imperial court. However, this time it's Yingzong Yibu blocking my way. I can't escape even if I want to. It's a headache..."
"The Shadow Sect has the backing of the Northern Li Dynasty and the support of the royal family. Yi Bu is also a troublesome fellow. It seems that we have no choice but to sell out this time. However, Hall Master, do not worry. Just tell us what you need us to do. There is no information in the martial world that our Hundred Knowledge Hall cannot find out!"
The masked woman comforted him and poured him a cup of tea, handing it to Ji Ruofeng.
“That being said, what Yi Bu wants this time is the location of Medicine King Valley and the whereabouts of Medicine King Xin Baicao. Bai Xiaotang has an agreement with the successive generations of Medicine King Valley inheritors that no matter how much they threaten or bribe, they cannot obtain a meeting with the Medicine King. This is both a rule and a promise…”
"Sigh... Giving it would ruin the reputation of my Hundred Knowledge Hall for centuries, but if we don't give it, the Shadow Sect is right under our noses and will definitely not let us off the hook. That's why I have a headache!"
As Ji Ruofeng spoke, he took out the five 10,000-tael silver notes that Yi Bu had just stuffed into his hand and slammed them heavily onto the table.
The masked woman glanced at the silver note and asked casually:
"The person who can make the Shadow Sect Master personally come to inquire about information must be a very important figure. I wonder if he is a prince or nobleman in the court, or a member of the royal family?"
Ji Ruofeng gave a bitter smile, his tone tinged with mockery:
"Unfortunately, you guessed everything wrong. It's the current emperor, and Yi Bu was clearly trying to cover it up by saying that the old emperor was acting recklessly out of anger. Forget about acting recklessly out of anger; he's clearly terminally ill!"
The masked woman was taken aback: "Incurable disease? Where did you get that idea? The old emperor has always been perfectly fine, so how did you know, Master?"
Ji Ruofeng picked up the teacup, blew on it to cool it, and said with a hint of pride:
"The inner palace may be a forbidden place for others, but if I want to go in, it's no different from going home! Last month, Wen Yanzhao and his brothers, including Baili Dongjun, caused a great disturbance in Tianqi City and swindled away a lot of gold and silver treasures!"
At the beginning of this month, Yunzhou suffered another defeat, which made the old emperor both anxious and angry. A few days ago, that kid surnamed Wen came again and supposedly even rescued the governor of Yunzhou. Humph! I wonder what that guy is up to!
It was Wen Yanzhao's sudden visit that frightened the old emperor. Zhuo Qing, the head of the Four Supervisors, was also in poor condition; not only had his power greatly diminished, but he seemed to have been drained of his yang energy, looking as sickly as the old emperor.
The masked woman was dumbfounded. Since following Ji Ruofeng, she had almost never left Baixiaotang. She devoted herself to collecting intelligence every day, and then sorted it according to its importance, urgency and value before presenting it to the hall master Ji Ruofeng.
Therefore, she almost never gets involved in matters outside the palace, especially those within the imperial palace.
"When did you pick up such a bad habit, Master? Spying on the palace all the time is not like you!"
Ji Ruofeng blushed at her words, turned his head and glared at her, saying:
"It's a good thing you've followed me for over a decade. This is called being prepared for a rainy day. Now, Baili Luochen has led hundreds of thousands of troops and has already taken over half of the southwestern part of Beili. The Xiao family can sit on the throne, and so can the Baili family. Who knows, the dynasty might change hands any day!"
"Baixiaotang has been around for over a hundred years. If it wants to prosper for a long time, it must keep up with the times. It was not easy for our ancestors to pass this business down to me, Ji Ruofeng. Even if it cannot be carried forward and developed in my hands, it must not disgrace the name of our ancestors!"
At this point, Ji Ruofeng immediately recalled the scene of Li Changsheng asking him about his sword in Luoshui and revealing his century-old secret.
The images in his mind faded, and Ji Ruofeng turned to the masked woman and said:
"Otherwise, do you think I'd want to keep running around to the inner palace all the time? Wouldn't it be better for me to stay home, count my money, and work on rankings?"
The masked woman stuck out her tongue, knowing she was in the wrong, and said:
"Master, why are you so angry today? I just said something out of turn, what are you saying..."
Ji Ruofeng put down his teacup, ignoring the masked woman, then released a burst of internal energy from his palm and waved it towards the cabinet below filled with various pieces of information—
"call out!"
The cabinet with the character "Medicine" written in cinnabar on its surface suddenly opened, and a parchment tube flew into Ji Ruofeng's hand in an instant.
The parchment tube looked quite old; the edges were white and cracked, and the ink inside had smudged considerably.
"This is intelligence from Medicine King Valley. It's been over twenty years... I hadn't even joined the sect leader back then!"
The masked woman gazed at the faded parchment scroll in Ji Ruofeng's hand, feeling somewhat sentimental.
Ji Ruofeng glanced at it a few times, then casually tossed it to the masked woman, as if asking her a question, or perhaps asking himself:
"The previous Medicine King had a past relationship with my ancestors and was kind to my Ji family. If I were to sell the whereabouts of Medicine King Valley and Xin Baicao to the imperial court now, wouldn't I, Ji Ruofeng, be a bit greedy and ungrateful?"
The masked woman thought for a moment, then casually grabbed the several ten-thousand-tael silver notes on the table:
"The hall master might as well think this way: since Emperor Tai'an is critically ill and urgently needs a divine physician to treat him and save his life, then they will not easily harm the Medicine King Xin Baicao."
Even if Xin Baicao fails to cure the emperor's illness and is punished, imprisoned, or possibly killed, wouldn't the head of the hall be able to rescue him from the palace again?
Moreover, the Hall Master just said that Zhuo Qing's power has greatly diminished. Looking across Tianqi City, besides Zhuo Qing and the Imperial Preceptor Qi Tianchen, there are probably no more than four people who could defeat the Hall Master within a hundred moves!
In this way, we can get the money, preserve the reputation of Baixiaotang, and also fulfill your loyalty and righteousness, Master. Isn't that killing three birds with one stone?
Ji Ruofeng's expression grew increasingly better as he listened, and after hearing the masked woman's last sentence, Ji Ruofeng couldn't help but burst into laughter:
"You clever little devil! Why didn't I think of this way of profiting from both sides? In that case, I'll sell the information about Medicine King Valley to Yi Bu, but I'll also warn him that this matter must not be leaked. I just hope that old fox Yi Bu will keep his promise..."
……
Half an hour later, at the Shadow Sect.
Since Yi Wenjun's death, Yi Bu has become increasingly taciturn.
Luo Qingyang also lost his way in the Northwest because of his junior sister's death, and Yi Bu had no one to talk to and rarely spoke all day.
Every night, Yi Bu would come alone to the backyard where Yi Wenjun used to live, and sit in the small pavilion in the yard, staring blankly at his daughter's boudoir.
Perhaps Yi Wenjun also held a significant place in his heart, but he deliberately suppressed his feelings for his daughter in order to gain power and climb the social ladder.
That day, after returning from Baixiaotang, Yi Bu went to the backyard alone as usual. Just as he was about to sit down, a figure appeared on the backyard wall.
The person was like a ghost, wearing a terrifying mask on their face!
"Ji Ruofeng! Stop playing tricks in my sect!"
Yi Bu drooped his eyelids and looked at Ji Ruofeng on the courtyard wall, his tone as cold as ice.
"Hmph! Sect Master Yi, what a grand display! Let alone this Shadow Sect, even within the Imperial Palace, I, Ji Ruofeng, can come and go as I please. Your cultivation is not enough to make me waste my time on such supernatural tricks!"
Ji Ruofeng's words clearly showed his disdain for Yi Bu, and Yi Bu, having no intention of arguing with him, went straight to the point:
"You brought what I asked for, right? I trust you're a competent businessman!"
Ji Ruofeng flicked his right index finger, and a flash of light appeared at the tip of his finger. A walnut-like object flew straight towards Yi Bu's face!
Ib's expression changed slightly. He raised his hand to catch it and found that it was a round ball made of peach wood. He weighed it in his hand and found that the ball was hollow inside.
"Crack!"
Ib pressed his fingers slightly and crushed the small ball, revealing a brocade handkerchief with small writing and a map pattern inside.
He pulled out the handkerchief, glanced at it a few times, and then looked at Ji Ruofeng:
"I hope you're not lying to me, this could cost you your head!"
Ji Ruofeng snorted coldly:
"Apart from my ancestor, no one in the world dares to cut off my head, Ji Ruofeng. Remember to come to the dilapidated temple in the north of the city for the final payment after it's done!"
After speaking, Ji Ruofeng took a step into the air and disappeared over the courtyard wall like lightning, leaving behind a sentence that left Yi Bu speechless:
"Remember, this time it has to be cash!"
……