"Did Yan Fengyun tell you this plan?"
"Exactly, Master. Tomorrow you only need to send some men to attack the sheep head-on. You personally lead the men to attack the Beggar Clan's camp from the east. With Brother Yan cooperating inside and outside, the Beggar Clan will be defeated."
At this moment, Linglong had left the territory of the Beggar Clan and came to Xuehua Palace. She informed Gu Zijin of her pre-prepared plan. With Lu Hanjiang asking Elder Qi to cooperate secretly, her trip up the mountain went very smoothly.
After listening to the words of his eldest disciple, Gu Zijin did not make a decision immediately, but solemnly asked again: "Linglong, Yan Fengyun is the deputy leader of the Beggar Clan. He once received a lot of kindness from Liang Benlang. He really Are you willing to help us deal with the Beggar Gang?"
Linglong nodded: "Master, don't worry, Brother Yan personally promised me, and the new Gang Leader Lu is very afraid of him. I think for his own sake, Brother Yan will not let the Beggar Clan do whatever they want."
When she said this, Linglong felt unusually calm in her heart. She originally thought that using such nonsense to deceive her master and harm her fellow disciples would make her feel very painful. However, this was not the case. At this moment, her heart felt completely calm.
Sure enough, she was born a cold person, Linglong thought with some self-deprecation.
Gu Zijin pondered for a long time and said to Linglong: "Master knows, you go back and tell him that I will act as planned tomorrow."
A hint of joy flashed in Linglong's eyes: "Disciple, I obey."
Seeing Linglong leaving in the moonlight, Gu Zijin stood there in silence for a long time. She raised her face and looked at the cold moonlight shining on the floor tiles that had lost its temperature. She suddenly let out a soft sigh: "Hong Yi, I've never been there since." I never thought that Linglong would betray me one day."
Hongyi, who was following Gu Zijin, was stunned for a moment after hearing the words, and then said in surprise: "Palace Master, what are you talking about! How could Linglong..."
Gu Zijin raised her hand to hold up a wisp of moonlight, and her eyes gradually drifted away: "Linglong doesn't understand Yan Fengyun very well. Back then, the three of us brothers and sisters married Jinlan. He knew me and I also knew him. The old friendship is still there, and he He will not watch the Beggar Clan attack and destroy the Xuehua Palace, but he will never help the Xuehua Palace to trap the Beggar Clan."
Speaking of this past event, Hongyi's face was complicated. Before Li Guishou's accident, he had such a good relationship with Gu Zijin and Yan Fengyun. The three of them had a life-saving debt to the Bu family and themselves.
Gu Zijin looked at Hongyi, seeming to recall those past events. She raised her lips slightly: "Yan Fengyun is that kind of person. The creed he pursues is the chivalry in his heart. If he wants to be a traitor and deal with the beggar gang, he is determined not to do it." It’s possible, so Linglong must have deceived me.”
At this point, Hongyi had no reason to argue. She could only say dullly: "Then, who can convince Linglong to switch sides..."
"Who knows."
Gu Zijin's tone was incomprehensible. She half-closed her eyes, and there seemed to be an indelible sadness deep in her eyes: "That year, when I met Linglong, she was less than ten years old. She was a little girl, following a group of people on the street. In the busking team, she knew how to perform tricks like a three-legged cat, and she liked a lot of people with her sweet words, which also made her a good match, so I brought her back to Xuehua Palace."
"Palace Master..." Hongyi felt a little distressed. Gu Zijin rarely showed such a fragile look. Linglong's betrayal must have hurt her.
Gu Zijin closed her eyes and reopened them after a while. Her eyes were calm again: "I taught Linglong martial arts, and she has also worked hard for Xuehua Palace these years. In the end, we are not indebted to each other. I won't object to her leaving if she goes to higher places, but I want to know what the people from the Beggar Clan promised her, which Xuehua Palace cannot give her."
Hongyi didn't say anything, and the two of them just stayed there quietly. After a long time, Gu Zijin finally spoke: "Hongyi, tomorrow you take some people down the mountain from the secret passage, and I'll go and settle the matter with the beggar gang."
Hong Yi was shocked and quickly tried to dissuade her: "Palace Master! Since Linglong has betrayed Xuehua Palace, we are afraid that we will lose this battle sooner or later. There is no need to show off our anger. We can have everyone evacuate together at night."
Gu Zijin shook his head: "Even if we can take a step first, but don't let them taste the pain, what should we do if the Beggar Gang comes after us... Don't worry, I have my own plan for this matter. Since the Beggar Gang If we want to use a traitor, we can use the trick, don't worry, letting you take people down the mountain is just a precaution."
Only then did Hongyi let out a sigh of relief: "Since the palace master has made a decision, the disciple will prepare now."
Gu Zijin nodded, and Hongyi left quickly. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay and help, but it was just that she had only been in Xuehua Palace for a few months, and her martial arts skills were barely comparable to those of ordinary disciples. Even if she stayed, she wouldn't be able to help.
After receiving Gu Zijin's order, Hongyi immediately went down the mountain along the secret road. This road leads directly to Qingwu Village at the foot of the mountain. There are two roads up the mountain where Xuehua Palace is located. One is the Ming Road, the route discovered by the Beggar Clan. That's it.
In addition, there is a secret road, half hidden in the dense mountain forest. The road is steep, but the distance is shorter. The end is Qingwu Village at the foot of the mountain.
Hongyi went down the mountain along this secret road and went all the way to the residence of her sister who stayed in the village. Qianxi was very surprised to be disturbed in the middle of the night. She looked at her sister who looked in a hurry and asked quickly: "Sister Hongyi, are you like this?" yes......?"
Hongyi stopped Qianxi from lighting the oil lamp. She lowered her voice and said in the dim night, "Sister, there is something I need to ask you to worry about."
Qian Xi was stunned for a moment, and then said seriously: "Despite Sister Hong's orders."
Hong Yi took Qian Xi's hand and solemnly explained: "You should get up early tomorrow. There are several carriages prepared in the village. Please invite some familiar villagers to set off with you to Liaoyang with the empty carriages. When the city falls, I will lead my men to catch up with you halfway, and we will travel disguised as official ladies."
Qian Xi was startled and asked: "Sister Hongyi, what happened? Why do we have to go to Liaoyang City suddenly?"
Hongyi hesitated for a moment, but did not choose to hide it from her sister: "Tomorrow, the palace master will go down the mountain to put an end to the beggar gang, but the outcome is uncertain, so the palace master asked me to take half of the people with me just in case."
After being shocked, Qian Xi nodded vigorously: "Sister Hongyi, don't worry, I will take care of this matter."
"Sister, thanks to you." Hong Yi smiled happily, and then left quietly under the night without disturbing the others.
Qian Xi was left tossing and turning alone. She climbed on the window sill. After confirming that Hong Yi had left, she took a piece of paper and wrote down a piece of information. Then she went to the backyard, where there was a snowy owl and several homing pigeons. .
The snowy owl is a tool specially used by Xuehua Palace to convey messages, and the carrier pigeon is also used by Xuehua Palace. Sometimes, carrier pigeons are used when it is necessary to conceal people's eyes.
Qianxi lives in Qingwu Village. She is not only an ordinary farm girl, she is also responsible for some tasks of delivering news. Although she does not have access to too many secrets, she is still respected.
Most of the Xuehua Palace disciples also knew about Qian Xi's existence. On the one hand, it was because her sister Hongyi was a popular person in front of Gu Zijin. On the other hand, because she lived at the foot of the mountain and was often in contact with the outside world, many disciples would entrust her with tasks. Some things, such as bringing jewelry and clothing, or asking for information.
Over the past few months, Qian Xi has accumulated a network of contacts, and her own abilities are worthy of recognition, so this time Hongyi will entrust such an important task to her.
After confirming that no one was paying attention, Qian Xi took out a pigeon with nothing special from the pigeon cage, tied the letter to its leg, and let it fly.
