The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 556 Yu Wenhuaji invites Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling to serve as officials

The old Taoist priest who could talk to Xiaoyaozi on an equal footing and who always referred to himself as the old ghost was definitely not an ordinary person. It would certainly be a good thing if they could have a handover. However, this person was quite mysterious, and he came and went like the wind and disappeared in the blink of an eye, which made Song Lu feel a little regretful.

They didn't know much about the sloppy old Taoist, but it was universally acknowledged that Xiaoyaozi was at least a peak Grandmaster. After all, he had escaped unscathed from the hands of the Evil King, sauntering along the Yangtze River with unfettered confidence, easily defeating all attacks, both overt and covert, along the way. Rumors even circulated that Zhu Yuyan of the Yingui Sect had personally attempted a test, only to be easily defeated by Xiaoyaozi, a testament to his extraordinary abilities.

Since testing Xiaoyaozi, the Yingui Sect seems to have undergone some changes. Zhu Yuyan has been living in seclusion and seems to have some unspeakable secrets, while the Ryukyu Dongming Sect is showing signs of rising, which seems to be related to Xiaoyaozi's voyage to the sea.

The Song clan, based in Lingnan, was also powerful in shipping, having made their fortune from smuggling salt. Ryukyu, on the other hand, had developed maritime transport, and their weapons and armor were truly exceptional. There was more or less some interaction between them, and not long ago, the Dongming clan even used a new salt-making method to exchange a lot of goods from the Song clan. Although they were all plants from warm zones, the Song clan was a little more wary of the Dongming clan.

It was probably because they really saw the Dongming Sect's secret large ocean ships. There were only three of them, which forced the Song clan to be cautious and vigilant. They learned from Mrs. Dongming that all these changes were caused by Xiaoyaozi, and that the Dongming Sect was secretly transferring refugees from the Central Plains and quietly encroaching on the Luzon area.

The Han Chinese were always proud, and the debate between Chinese and barbarians never ceased. In their eyes, the outside world was a barbaric and desolate land, and even Lingnan was a smoky and barbaric place, which is how the southern barbarians came from. Although the Song clan was located in Lingnan, it was one of the four major clans of the Sui Dynasty. They were naturally arrogant and looked down on the outside world.

Madam Dongming said it very clearly. The Sui Dynasty had many powerful forces and was deeply intertwined. It was difficult to intervene. Since they had already failed and been driven out of the Central Plains and went overseas, re-entering the Central Plains would inevitably cause new disputes. It would be better to occupy the barbarian land that others looked down upon. Although it was a bit remote and desolate, it had the advantage of less pressure and greater freedom.

The Song clan only believed Mrs. Dongming's words to a point. The fact that Dongming had sent weapons all over the Sui Dynasty told them that they were not that simple. If they really believed her, there would be something fishy going on.

Moreover, according to intelligence, the Dongming faction seems to be related to the Liaodong Marquis. They travel to Liaodong frequently every year. In addition to business, they also help suppress Goguryeo's newly established navy, dump goods to Goguryeo at high prices, and squeeze Goguryeo's wealth in large sums. Even Baekje and Silla could not escape their clutches.

Let's not talk about the small talk, let's not talk about the regret of Song Lu and Song Shidao, let's just say that the sloppy old Taoist and Feng Zhenzhen abandoned the bamboo raft and used their lightness skills to follow the traces of Fu Jun'er and Yu Wenhuaji. Just after they walked a few miles, a figure came towards them. This person was tall and strong and had an air of nobility about him, but his steps seemed a little slow.

"Yuwen Huaji, it seems we are not on the wrong path." Feng Zhenzhen's voice was very soft, but it could not be hidden from the cautious Yuwen Huaji. As the saying goes, a wounded prey is the most dangerous. At this time, Yuwen Huaji was extremely alert. He paused slightly and stared at the woman in white who was moving quickly opposite him. The breeze blew the gauze of her hat on her face, revealing a delicate and beautiful face, which made his heart beat suddenly.

"Who are you, young lady? Do you recognize me?" Yu Wenzhi felt his heart beating faster, and an inexplicable feeling came over him, sour, sweet, and panicky.

"I am a poor woman living in Yangzhou, but I have seen Lord Yuwen riding his horse through the streets." Feng Zhenzhen's words were not without sarcasm, but her voice was as clear and pleasant as a lark. Yu Wenzhi felt that his heart was about to melt, so he asked her the purpose of her visit.

The sloppy old Taoist priest next to them took a sip of wine and watched the two of them looking at each other with a smile. He couldn't help but sigh that fate was so wonderful. He sent someone to buy Feng Zhenzhen a long time ago and trained her to be a master assassin, responsible for the affairs of Yangzhou City. He never thought that she would eventually meet Yu Wenzhi.

Feng Zhenzhen didn't know any of this, and felt a little uncomfortable being stared at. She snorted and wrinkled her nose, saying, "Lord Yuwen is so powerful, so influential. With just one wanted order, my two brothers are completely stranded. As their elder sister, I'm running around everywhere for them."

"So she's the sister of the Kou and Xu brothers. I was careless before, not knowing their relationship with you. I think they were young and accidentally exploited by Shilong, taking things they shouldn't have. If you can persuade the two brothers to return the things to the court, I will immediately send someone to cancel the wanted order." Yu Wenzhi paused slightly and continued, "If the two brothers are willing, I can recommend them for official positions. I'm not sure about civil service positions, but low-ranking military positions shouldn't be a problem."

The sloppy old Taoist almost couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of old wine. Yu Wenzhi wanted to invite Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling to be officials?

Feng Zhenzhen glanced at the sloppy old Taoist with a strange expression, and immediately understood what he meant. She glared at him fiercely, angrily said a few words to Yu Wenhuaji, and then threw a punch. The beautiful woman's boxing posture was graceful but powerful. Although it was only in the early stage of innateness, it forced the seriously injured Yu Wenhuaji to temporarily avoid the edge and give way.

"Grandpa Zhang, hurry up! Who knows if Kou and Xu brothers were injured by him? If so..." The voice grew farther and farther away, and the white figure disappeared. The slovenly old Taoist priest suddenly appeared beside Yu Wenzhi, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Boy, I believe in you. Zhenzhen is tough on the outside but gentle on the inside. Don't be fooled by her fierce appearance in front of outsiders. In fact, she is a classic and gentle woman from the south of the Yangtze River. Let's not talk about her skills in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but her needlework and cooking are absolutely amazing."

After saying that, he walked away with a hearty laugh. Yu Wenzhi's face stiffened, his whole body trembled, and he gently patted his shoulder. He looked at the figure in the distance with a pale face, and finally let out a long sigh after a while: "What a scary old man."

He was a powerful Grandmaster, and although he seldom took action personally due to his high position, he was definitely not an ordinary mortal. This old man was able to pat his shoulder when he had no power to resist, leaving him unable to dodge. Does that mean that even if he wanted to smash his head, he would be unable to dodge?

Even though he was seriously injured and distracted by the beautiful woman, he would not let his guard down. Excluding all impossibilities, the only remaining explanation was that "this slovenly old man is a master, a great master!

"Yangzhou City, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's sister, a woman named Zhenzhen." Yu Wenzhi muttered to himself, and then clenched his fists, as if he had made a decision. He took a deep breath, pretended to be calm, and turned to walk towards the river. The sloppy old man patted himself, and it seemed that a warm current flowed into his body. The injuries on his body were miraculously alleviated by three points, which made him feel even more incredible.

"Grandpa Zhang, you said that I have exposed my identity. Can I leave Yangzhou and go to Liaodong?"

"Haha, you have a lot of tricks up your sleeve, but they're harmless. As for your so-called exposed identity, what did you reveal? The Liaodong intelligence chief stationed in Yangzhou, or a dragnet assassin? You're already a natural talent, and being a bun shop owner isn't suitable for you anymore. This might be an opportunity."