Chapter 2589: The Enigmatic Master Li (1)
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jade Capital City.
Plenty Gold Carriage House.
Upon the open plaza, hundreds of carriages stood in neat rows, their horses occasionally snorting in the night air as they grazed peacefully.
This was the carriage shop under the Plenty Gold Company, situated within Jade Capital City where safety was a.s.sured.
The few carters overseeing the shop, aside from their routine patrols, spent most of their time drinking and conversing under the canopies.
“Neigh…”
From a corner of a particular ca.s.sia carriage, a horse suddenly whinnied, breaking the silence.
Yet in the bustling carriage shop, such occurrences were commonplace and drew little attention.
Inside the ca.s.sia carriage, a jade talisman concealed beneath a carpet glowed faintly, and Li Fugui emerged from it.
Impeccably cleaned up, he was already dressed in fresh clothes free of any stench.
This extra jade talisman of the Apricot Realm was a precious gift bestowed by Lord Shou before Li Fugui left Jade Capital City for Changde Town to meet Zhu Yike.
At the time, Li Fugui had thought it excessive caution.
Now, however, it seemed Lord Shou’s foresight was indeed thorough!
This jade talisman was now proving its worth—after entering the Apricot Realm from Changde Town, Li Fugui had used it to teleport back to Jade Capital City, where the talisman remained hidden.
“Phew…”
He breathed a sigh of relief and waited quietly.
Observing no undue attention from those around him, nor any surveillance from the white-clothed people, Li Fugui cautiously retrieved a communication bead.
Within the Apricot Realm, he established another spiritual connection with Lord Shou.
This time, he had important tasks to accomplish, several of them!
Any mistake or detection could mean not just his life but also those of Lord Shou, Zhu Yike, Aunt Xiang, and others in Qingyuan Mountain!
“It must connect, it must…”
Silent prayers filled his mind as Li Fugui infused the communication bead with a trace of spiritual source, preparing to communicate.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten to discreetly activate the soundproofing array on the ca.s.sia carriage to prevent eavesdropping.
Lord Shou had a.s.sured him that this modified array could be used safely.
“Beep.”
The wait wasn’t long before the communication bead connected.
Li Fugui’s eyes brightened, a weight lifted off his chest, and with utmost respect, he brought the communication bead close to his mouth.
“Excuse me, is this Lord Bazhun’an?”
This communication bead was gifted by Lord Shou in the Apricot Realm, allowing direct contact with Bazhun’an.
Having worked in the Flower Pavilion for decades, Li Fugui had never even seen the Pavilion Masters in person.
Lord Bazhun’an…
He had never dared to imagine it before!
“Mm.”
A brief response came through the communication bead.
Suppressing his excitement, Li Fugui quickly introduced himself:
“I am under Lord Shou’s command, named Li Chengtian.”
“Lord Shou asks, ‘Do you remember the sword by Goose Lake?’”
The communication bead fell silent for a long while; only the faint rustling sound of static could be heard.
Before long, Lord Bazhun’an’s voice came through, calm and succinct:
“Speak.”
Was this the extent of the ident.i.ty verification?
Li Fugui was curious. What exactly was ‘that sword by Goose Lake’ that Lord Shou mentioned?
But he couldn’t dwell on it now. Following Lord Shou’s instructions, he asked:
“You must also verify your ident.i.ty.”
“Hmm?” There was a hint of emotion in the voice through the communication bead, clearly displeased.
“Cough, as Lord Shou instructed!” Li Fugui hurriedly added, then braced himself and asked:
“Bazhun’an, in the All Time Forgotten Sorrow Pavilion, there are three individuals. Among them, who is most fond of soaring high?”
Once again, the communication bead fell silent for a long time before a voice emerged:
“Me.”
Li Fugui took a deep breath. “Why?”
“He blasted me.”
Setting down the communication bead, Li Fugui gently parted the carriage curtain, taking in a breath of fresh air outside, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“Congratulations, you answered correctly, but there’s no reward.”
With that statement, the communication bead instantly felt exceedingly heavy, as if it could crush a person.
Amidst the static, a low chuckle emanated, and then Lord Bazhun’an spoke again:
“Are you Li Fugui?”
Li Fugui froze, his heart skipping a beat.
He dared not answer that question directly, instead saying, “Lord Shou is trapped in Changde Town. He wonders why there hasn’t been any support at this critical moment. Are you all just idling around?”
“Heh.” Lord Bazhun’an seemed amused. “What else did he say?”
“Kui Leihan would never help us. The so-called peerless genius you mentioned hasn’t even made a fart. Are you sealing your sword or your brain? How dare you say such nonsense?”
“What else?”
“And the Holy Emperor Qilin is a puppet of the Bei clan’s Holy Emperor. Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know, intending to send us to our deaths?”
“Anything else?”
“Uh, Lord Shou said you better answer the previous question first, or he won’t let you off…” Li Fugui wiped his forehead, his voice trembling.
“I genuinely don’t know.”
“Right! You know nothing, yet dare to send me to die? You must have a big tumor in your brain!” Li Fugui s.h.i.+vered.
The communication bead echoed with soft laughter. “If my answer was ‘I know,’ what would he say then?”
“It wouldn’t be pleasant. It’s best you don’t hear…” Li Fugui didn’t dare utter the profanities brewing in his mind. His life hung by a thread.
After tonight, that thread might have snapped.
“What support does he need?” Lord Bazhun’an intervened.
“Lord Shou said he needs you to drive Sky City straight into Elder Dao the Flamboyant’s face, preferably killing that old ghost. He’s done playing around.”