Chapter 108
Chapter 108: The Spy
A servant dressed in worn-out gray clothes with a faded melon-skin cap stood cleaning nearby. He appeared to be in his early twenties and casually closed the door behind him. His round eyes swept over Li Mu Sheng and his companion for a moment. Quietly, he held up six fingers and whispered, “Are you the ones sent here?”
Cang Yin Yue did not answer. She merely tapped the table lightly.
Seeing this, the servant visibly relaxed. He boldly pulled out a chair and sat across from them, grinning broadly. “You got here quicker than I thought. I assumed Six Gates didn’t care about this matter anymore.”
As he spoke, he eagerly stuffed several pastries into his mouth.
Cang Yin Yue observed him carefully. “You sent word that remnants of Great Qi appeared here. Is this true?”
The young servant waved his hand dismissively. “That news is outdated. It’s more than just a few remnants of Great Qi lurking around—this entire place is their hidden den.”
Lowering his voice urgently, he continued, “Since last night, a group from Qing Shan House arrived secretly. I overheard clearly that they have planned something significant for today.”
Cang Yin Yue exchanged a glance with Li Mu Sheng and asked, “What exactly is this plan?”
The young man shrugged helplessly. “That I don’t know.”
He quickly glanced around the room, then asked in a low voice, “How many of you came this time? Among these Great Qi remnants are powerful martial dao masters. A few people won’t be enough to take them down.”
Cang Yin Yue shook her head slowly. “There’s no one else besides the two of us.”
Hearing this, the young man’s brow creased. He pursed his lips. “Then you’d better finish your tea quickly and leave. Go back and tell the Six Gates to send a Divine Constable next time. Only then might you stand a chance against them.”
But Cang Yin Yue met his gaze calmly and said, “Do you really think Six Gates has any extra manpower to send now?”
Hearing that, the young man scratched his head thoughtfully, suddenly recalling something. “True. Now the entire city is busy searching for the one who assassinated the imperial concubine. No one is likely free.”
He reached again for the pastries on the plate, casting a glance at Li Mu Sheng, who had quietly sipped his tea the whole time. The servant touched his own cheek jealously, muttering sourly, “Huh, Six Gates actually has someone even more handsome than me? Why haven’t I seen you before?”
At this, Li Mu Sheng finally looked directly at him.
[This kid has quite the eye!]
Suddenly, the young servant rose from his stool, waving dismissively. “Enough chatting. The longer I stay, the greater the chance they’ll notice. Better wait until Six Gates brings enough forces to wipe out these Great Qi remnants.”
He wiped his hands on the towel draped over his shoulder and turned to leave.
At that very moment, the door abruptly swung open from outside.
Standing in the corridor was a middle-aged man wearing an elegant blue silk robe, flanked by several servants whose eyes were cold and piercing. With a round face marked by wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, the middle-aged man gave a mocking smile as he fixed his gaze on the startled young servant.
“A’Bin, what are you doing in the guests’ room?”
Immediately, A’Bin’s expression changed, adopting a flattering smile. “Shopkeeper, this young lady accidentally knocked over her stool. I was just passing by and stepped in to help.”
“Is that so?”
The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes. “I was beginning to suspect we had a traitor among us, someone plotting to betray us.”
He gestured impatiently, beckoning A’Bin. “Since the stool is fixed, don’t linger. Let the guests enjoy their tea.”
With a smile frozen on his face, A’Bin secretly pushed palm wind behind him, knocking the stool over again with a loud clatter.
“Oh dear, young lady! You’ve knocked it down again,” he exclaimed dramatically, ignoring the shopkeeper’s call and turning quickly to pick up the stool. His back now faced the corridor, and he desperately made signals to Cang Yin Yue, urging her to act.
Yet Cang Yin Yue seemed utterly oblivious, simply glancing at the calm Li Mu Sheng.
Seeing her ignore his hints, A’Bin anxiously glanced around before suddenly leaping like a swift rabbit toward an open window.
But just as he reached mid-air, a shadowy figure gracefully landed on the windowsill, holding twin daggers gleaming coldly with murderous intent. A’Bin’s expression instantly turned grim. He quickly twisted his Qi in mid-air, awkwardly dropping back to the ground.
“Suspected you from the start,” the shopkeeper sneered. “Where did you think you could run?”
He clapped his hands sharply. Another menacing figure promptly burst through a second window, sealing it shut. Simultaneously, the servants from the corridor drew their sharp blades, swiftly encircling Cang Yin Yue, Li Mu Sheng, and A’Bin.
A’Bin turned back toward them with a mournful look, whispering sheepishly, “If I said this has nothing to do with me, would you believe me?”
Cang Yin Yue gazed quietly at the shopkeeper, sensing the formidable Qi of a Great Martial Grandmaster rolling off him. She narrowed her eyes slightly. “If Six Gates had sent anyone else, they truly might have been ruined by a spy as exposed as you.”
A’Bin’s eyes brightened with sudden understanding, whispering hopefully, “Could it be you have someone stronger hidden nearby?”
Li Mu Sheng raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly at A’Bin.
[Not only does this kid see clearly, his guesses aren’t bad either.]
Outside, the shopkeeper scoffed coldly, stepping slowly into the room and firmly shutting the door behind him. “Bluff all you want. You’ve learned Qing Shan House’s secret, and none of you will leave here alive.”
A’Bin glanced anxiously at Li Mu Sheng and Cang Yin Yue, noticing they still sat calmly, unmoved. His eyes narrowed subtly. Quietly, two butterfly-shaped silver swords slipped silently from his sleeves into his waiting hands.