"Lingya Post" was built in a huge open-air cave on a cliff in Sizu Mountain. It was particularly lively today. The post's deacon, Taoist Wu Feng, and his daughter-in-law gave birth to a son in Beiluan City.
For such a happy event, Taoist Wu Feng asked the post's dining hall to add extra meals and entertain hundreds of patrolling disciples from all over the post.
His son came to report the good news, and specially brought a batch of spiritual wine and fresh fruits and vegetables from Beiluan City, plus a large amount of game from hunting by the disciples of the post on weekdays when patrolling the mountains and forests.
There was wine and meat, and the banquet was quite sumptuous. The drinking and fist-fighting made these patrolling disciples eat very hard.
"Fifth brother, what does Wang Ping mean?" While the post's dining hall was busy eating and drinking, the noise continued. The two deacons of the post, Xia Houpian and his cousin Xia Houlu, were sitting in a stone room with gloomy faces.
"You said you had something to do and couldn't leave. If you didn't come, then you didn't come. Second brother, you don't need to be angry!" Seeing Xia Houlu pacing back and forth in anger, Xiahou Pian persuaded him.
It turned out that Taoist Wu Feng sent someone to the Black Pool Post early in the morning and invited Taoist Xuan'an, the commander of the post, to come to a banquet. At the same time, he also sent some drinks and cakes to the patrolling disciples of the post.
Unexpectedly, Wang Ping was so disrespectful that no one of his own came. He only sent an apprentice and gave him 6,000 low-level spiritual stones as a gift.
With this little spiritual stone, it would be better not to send it to a beggar. Xia Houlu felt a fire in his heart at this moment.
"Hmph! It seems that this guy has a grudge against us because of the death of his apprentice!" Xia Houlu couldn't help but snorted.
"It's okay to hold grudges!" Xiahou Pian said with a slight frown.
The sect announced that what happened to the group in the Jinhua Secret Realm had reached the outpost. Xia Houkong, his son and Di Qing, who were the direct line of the family, killed several disciples of the Xuanzi Lineage in the secret realm, including Wang Ping's disciple Zhang Tianyi and his disciples. Junior sister.
It was understandable that Wang Ping felt resentment towards the Xiahou clan because of this, but this matter had nothing to do with him and his cousin Xiahou Lu.
Based on my friendship with him and having worked together for so many years on overseas assignments, I treated him quite well, and he, Wang Ping, would not hold a grudge against his cousin.
I think it was because of the sudden bad news that I felt hatred towards the Xiahou clan, and also had conflicts with myself and my cousin.
"This guy is just a white-eyed wolf, we need to be more careful!" Xia Houlu said angrily.
"Let me think about it!" Xiahou Pian couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
After something like this happened, this person obviously had a estrangement from him, and his relationship with him would definitely not be the same as before. The fact that he didn't come to the banquet this time is proof. If this is the case, he really needs to be careful.
"Master, Senior Lingshu is here!" At this time, Lu Hu, Xiahou Pian's apprentice, came to announce.
"Where is he!" Xiahou Pian and Xiahou Lu looked at each other, why is this person here?
"In the disciple's room!" Lu Hu said quickly.
"Go and invite him here!" Xiahou Pian said immediately.
"Why is he here?" Xia Houlu said with a frown.
"I think I came to congratulate you after hearing the news!" Xiahou Pian thought for a while and said.
The Lingshu Taoist they mentioned was the leader of the "Hundred Rats Gang", a hunting gang in the Black and White Mountains.
The Baishu Gang took advantage of the ban on trade between the three sects, the Spiritual Beast Sect and the Tianluo Tantric Sect, and the prices of the special spiritual materials of each sect were rising. Under the leadership of the Lingshu Taoist, they secretly penetrated into the patrol border and started a smuggling business. Over the years, they earned a lot of money. It's pouring in.
Xiahou Pian got to know this person because the people he placed at Black Pool Post discovered that Wang Ping was secretly covering the smuggling of the Hundred Rat Gang. However, after careful consideration, Xia Houpian did not report the matter to the sect in the end, but secretly suppressed the matter. .
Then he met the Lingshu Taoist through Wang Ping, and also cooperated with the Baishu Gang in the defense area of Lingya Post, and also started a smuggling business.
Although Xiahou Pian was a disciple of the Xiahou family, he was born in a side line. Most of the family resources were concentrated on the direct line of the ancestor, so the family support he could get was not high.
It's easy to advance from Qi training to foundation building, but if you want to reach the golden elixir realm, just relying on the three melons and two dates allocated by the family is far from enough.
Seeing that the profit from smuggling was so high, and in the area around Lingya Post, he, Xiahou Pian, was the Tu Emperor, and he had the final say in everything, so he couldn't help but feel selfish.
Without telling the sect and family, he established a relationship with the Baishu Gang and started a smuggling business together.
The profit earned was sixty-four cents. This "six" was taken by him, Xiahou Pian. The Hundred Rat Gang could only get 40% of the profit, and the Hundred Rat Gang's 40% still had to go to the opposite Spiritual Beast Sect's deacons.
But the Baishu Gang is not at a loss either. With Xiahou Pian's cover, the volume and frequency of smuggled goods will naturally increase significantly.
Far more cautious than before, the volume of goods secretly transported through the Black Pool Post was much larger, so the more money he made.
"What kind of wind has brought fellow Taoist here!" Lu Hu soon brought Taoist Lingshu over. Xia Hou stood up with a smile and wanted to greet him.
"I heard in Beiluan City that fellow Taoist Wu Feng was blessed with a grandson, so he personally escorted the shipment. He stopped by to congratulate and ask for a wedding drink. He came so unexpectedly. I wonder if the two fellow Taoists will still welcome him?" The rat Taoist raised his hands and said humbly.
This Taoist, as his name suggests, has a thin body, a narrow face and a sharp mouth. Several slender beards at the corners of his mouth beat from time to time when he speaks, giving him the look of a rat.
But despite his short stature, this Taoist is sophisticated and smooth in his actions. He stands out in this sinister black and white mountain range, builds his foundation as a casual cultivator, and establishes the Hundred Rat Gang single-handedly. He is indeed a person.
"Welcome, of course you are welcome!" Xia Houlu said immediately.
"This little bit of kindness is sent by Pindao on behalf of all the members of the gang. Fellow Taoists, please don't think it's too little!" Taoist Lingshu then took out a purple spirit ticket and handed it over, saying with a smile.
"I am very happy that fellow Taoist friends are willing to come. There is no need to give these away. Put them away quickly!" Seeing this, Xia Houlu's eyes couldn't help but light up, but he still pretended to be evasive.
"It's just a little thought. Fellow Taoist, please accept it quickly. If you don't accept it, I won't be ashamed to ask for this wedding wine!" Taoist Lingshu put the spirit ticket into Xia Houlu's hand and said repeatedly.
Xia Houlu couldn't shirk it, so he had to put the spiritual ticket with a face value of one million spiritual stones into the lapel of his clothes.
"Lu Hu, hurry up and ask the dining hall to prepare a table of good wine and food. Fellow Taoist, come and sit here!" .
…
"Why don't you see fellow Taoist Xuan'an? If you are here, call us!" The three of them chatted for a while, and then the food and drinks were served one after another. Taoist Lingshu rolled his eyes and pretended to say casually.
"Huh!" Xia Houlu's face suddenly became unhappy.
"It's because something happened at the outpost, so I didn't come!" Xia Houpian shook his head and said with a chuckle.
"Oh! What a pity that such a good wine is!" Taoist Lingshu picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.
"Fellow Taoist must also have heard some news. There are three traitors in our secret realm this time. There are some conflicts between our clan and the Xuanzi lineage. Fellow Taoist Xuan'an, now I am afraid that I have some grudges against Pindao and Brother Dang. ." Xiahou said slowly and clearly.
"Pindao has indeed heard some rumors, but what does this matter have to do with these two fellow Taoists?"
"Fellow Taoist Xuan'an must be angry for a moment, so he won't hold a grudge against you two." Taoist Lingshu said in a hurry.
He came here specially this time because he heard that Taoist Xuan'an's fellow disciples and disciples died under the knife of the Xiahou family. He used the excuse of congratulations to explore the current relationship between Xuan An and the two people in front of him at "Black Pool Whistle". .
If these three people had a quarrel, it would be extremely detrimental to the Hundred Rat Gang.
"That's not necessarily true. If he gets mad for a moment and brings our matter to the sect's law enforcement hall, none of us will be able to escape!" Xia Houlu said angrily after taking a sip of wine.
"My fellow Taoist is serious. Fellow Taoist Xuan'an has always been prudent in his actions. Even if his disciples are killed, even if they are angry, they can't blame us, and they will not do such things that harm others and do not benefit themselves."
"Besides, if the incident happened, he himself wouldn't be able to escape the involvement." Taoist Lingshu said immediately.
This is what Taoist Lingshu is most worried about, but judging from his experience in the Black and White Mountains for so many years, Taoist Xuan'an is usually a serious person, and he is a thoughtful person at first glance. He should not do such stupid things. out.
However, I heard that Xuan An and the murdered man had the same affection as father and son. I am afraid that this matter will not be let go so easily, and there will definitely be revenge on the Xiahou clan.
He was afraid that he would really go crazy and bring the matter of smuggling to the sect, causing the Hundred Rat Gang to suffer the same fate.
"What Fellow Taoist said is reasonable, but we must be on guard against this matter!" Xiahou Pian said with a solemn expression.
"Oh! Fellow Taoist, you have a good idea!" Taoist Lingshu narrowed his eyes and said slyly.
"The one who came here today on his behalf is one of his disciples, his name is Wang Gou. I would like you to meet this fellow Taoist!" Xiahou Pian said with a slight smile on his lips.
"I know this son, I know, that his father used to be a member of our gang, and later joined the outer sect of your noble sect and got a position as the leader of the patrol in Heitan Post. When this son was young, his father took him to pay homage to him. I've been to Pindao several times!" Taoist Lingshu knew he couldn't hide it, so he said it bluntly.
In fact, this son's father was an important member of the Baishu Gang, and was later inserted into the Black Pool Post as an internal agent. What outsiders didn't know was that this son was able to become Wang Ping's sect only because of Taoist Lingshu's advice.
"Lu Hu, go find Wang Gou!" Xiahou Pian shouted to his apprentice Lu Hu who was waiting outside the house.
"Disciple, go now!" Lu Hu then walked towards the dining hall where the commotion continued, and Wang Gou was eating and drinking in the dining hall.
"Fellow Taoist, do you want to..." Taoist Lingshu could not help but touch a few slender beards near his mouth.
"Although Pindao has deployed manpower at Blackpool Post, it has aroused his vigilance and he cannot get any useful information."
"This boy is following him now, so that he can monitor his every move for us, lest he does anything stupid. We still don't know anything about it, fellow Taoist, what do you think?" Leng said.
"That's what fellow Taoist said!" Taoist Lingshu stroked his slender beard and nodded silently.
…
"Master, you didn't go to Lingya Post!" Zhang Tianhuang led the team to change defenses and returned to the post. When he learned that Master had not gone to Lingya Post for the banquet, he immediately came to say hello.
"Where are you going? Your master died tragically in the hands of the Xiahou clan. They still have the nerve to ask Pindao to attend the banquet. I will make the Xiahou clan pay for this with their blood!" Wang Ping sat in the dark corner of the stone house and said fiercely. He opened his eyes and said.
"From now on, you should have less contact with them!" After saying that, he did not forget to tell Zhang Tianhuang.
"Disciple knows!" Zhang Tianhuang nodded immediately. Zhang Tianhuang was born in the Tianping Zhang family. He was both Zhang Tianyi's descendant and Zhang Tianyi's disciple. After this happened, he naturally had no good impression of the Xiahou clan.
"How about asking Sixth Master Uncle to pay more attention to it. On weekdays, when disciples see Sixth Master Uncle, they are a little close to the few people stationed here at Lingya Post." Zhang Tianhuang remembered it and said immediately.
"Don't worry about him!" Wang Ping closed his eyes and said lightly.
Xuanchen Road
