Chapter 643: Chapter 357: Dragon Tiger? Exchanging Pointers

"Lord Dragon Tiger, what are your thoughts on the Holy Emperor’s desire to launch northern and southern conquests?"

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that his guess had indeed come true.

The current Holy Emperor actually wanted to start a war and proactively launch a conquest.

After a brief moment of thought, he smiled and said, "My opinion doesn’t matter. What matters is what the current Holy Emperor thinks."

Seeing him avoid the topic, General asked bluntly, "Did you deduce this yourself, or did someone else inform you?"

"It was just a guess."

"And what was it based on?"

"Liu Hong, the Ji State Trading Company, and..."

Chen Yi pointed at him and Lou Yuxue, smiling as he finished, "...the constant movements of your White Tiger Guard in Shu State."

General gave him a deep look. "I presume the Xiao family is a factor as well?"

Chen Yi gave a noncommittal response. "The Xiao family is caught in the center of the whirlpool, blind to their own situation. I, however, am unconstrained."

However, he knew that after the recent turmoil, both Elder Master Xiao and Xiao Jinghong had already realized the reason behind their previous suppression by the Imperial Court.

General smiled and nodded, instructing Lou Yuxue to prepare some tea—an obvious excuse to send her away.

Lou Yuxue had gathered the gist of their conversation, and turbulent waves of shock crashed through her mind. She wondered if the Holy Emperor truly intended to start a war. This... this was actually true!

Once Lou Yuxue left, Chen Yi sat up slightly straighter. He looked directly at General and asked, "Do you have something to say?"

General adjusted his clothes with slow, deliberate movements, his bearing growing noticeably more commanding.

"Since Lord Dragon Tiger has guessed the Holy Emperor’s intentions, you must also know that the situation in Shu State and the Xiao family is set in stone, yes?"

Chen Yi smiled. "That’s the best part about talking to smart people. There’s no beating around the bush."

From the decree the Holy Emperor had previously given Elder Master Xiao, it wasn’t hard to deduce the Emperor’s current choice.

General also smiled. "Lord Dragon Tiger flatters me."

After a pause, he stated frankly, "Lord Pavilion Master sent a letter recently. He believes Shu State needs the Xiao family to hold down the fort, so no major actions should be taken against them."

"That is good, then."

If the White Tiger Guard truly intended to stabilize Shu State, Chen Yi was naturally happy to see it happen.

But he still wouldn’t trust them completely.

At the very least, until his and Chen Yunfan’s standings within the White Tiger Guard were entirely clear, he wouldn’t place full faith in the organization.

General’s expression then turned serious. "Lord Pavilion Master has ordered me to once again invite Lord Dragon Tiger to join the White Tiger Guard. Will you accept?"

"I refuse."

Chen Yi answered bluntly, though his smile remained unchanged. "The White Tiger Guard is too restrictive. I am used to a free and undisciplined life; I’m afraid I don’t have the fortune to enjoy such a position."

"Won’t Lord Dragon Tiger reconsider?

"Lord Pavilion Master specifically instructed me that if you have any conditions, the White Tiger Guard will do everything in our power to fulfill them."

"Any condition?"

General said earnestly, "Lord Pavilion Master thinks very highly of you. I have never seen him value anyone to this extent."

Chen Yi still refused. "Those who walk different paths cannot work together. Please thank Lord Pavilion Master for his kind intentions."

"Those who walk different paths cannot work together..."

General murmured the phrase, a bitter smile surfacing on his face. "In that case, I will truthfully relay your answer to Lord Pavilion Master."

In truth, General was deeply perplexed by this matter.

To his knowledge, Lord Pavilion Master had always looked down upon Jianghu Wanderers, once describing them as nothing more than "a pond full of little fish and shrimp."

Previously, there had been some Jianghu Wanderers with decent talent whom Lord Pavilion Master had specifically invited. Some accepted, and some refused.

But never before had anyone been brought up by Lord Pavilion Master again after explicitly rejecting the White Tiger Guard.

The reasoning behind this truly made General curious.

He temporarily suppressed his doubts and changed the subject.

"Ma Shuhan’s case is far too bizarre. I still need to investigate it further. If there is any news in the future, I will definitely inform you."

Hearing this, Chen Yi smiled and stood up. "Since that’s the case, I will quietly await your news."

Informing him was nothing but an excuse.

Chen Yi knew this perfectly well. He turned and walked out of the Quiet Chamber.

Outside the door, Lou Yuxue was holding a tea tray. Seeing him emerge, she glanced into the room at General out of the corner of her eye, before simply saying, "Take care... I won’t see you out."

Chen Yi smiled, waved goodbye, and swaggered away.

Lou Yuxue watched him disappear around the corner before walking into the Quiet Chamber and setting down the teacups.

General’s eyes were lowered, the smile long gone from his face. He rested one hand on the table, tapping it lightly.

TAP, TAP, TAP...

Lou Yuxue stood respectfully to the side, but her mind was preoccupied with the figure that had just left. That bastard had walked away as carefree as ever.

In her daze, she heard General speak up, "Sit."

Lou Yuxue snapped back to reality and sat across from him. "My Lord."

General leaned forward, interlocked his fingers, and looked straight at her.

"Keep what was discussed earlier to yourself. You are not to mention it to anyone for the time being."

Lou Yuxue knew he was referring to the Holy Emperor wanting to start a war. She nodded silently.

"Please rest assured, my Lord. Lady Tiger will keep her lips firmly sealed."

General waved his hand. "You are now a Golden Banner Officer within the Guard, holding the same rank as me. There is no need to address me as ’my Lord’ anymore."

Lou Yuxue hesitated slightly before saying, "Gen... General."

She knew very well that her promotion to Golden Banner Officer was largely due to luck. The White Tiger Guard had previously planted many Banner Officers in the Bright Moon Building, and she was merely one of them.

But as of today, she was the highest-ranking person within the Bright Moon Building. Because of this, she had caught Lord Pavilion Master’s attention and been promoted to Golden Banner Officer.

General nodded, showing not the slightest discomfort at seeing a former subordinate now sitting as his equal.

"Enough idle chatter. Lord Pavilion Master has issued an order."

Lou Yuxue’s expression grew stern. She immediately sat up straighter, adopting a posture of utmost respect.

General’s face turned equally serious. "Golden Banner Officer Lady Tiger is ordered to secretly escort Liu Hong’s accomplices to Capital Prefecture.

"Lord Pavilion Master wishes to see you."

Lou Yuxue froze for a moment. Upon processing the words, she pointed at herself with a thrilled expression. "M-me?"

"That’s right.

"The secret letter sent by Lord Pavilion Master explicitly requested that you make a trip to Capital Prefecture. The senior likely has a task to entrust to you."

General’s serious expression faded, and he smiled. "Remember to speak and act cautiously. Lord Pavilion Master’s eyes miss nothing, and he does not tolerate any deception."

Lou Yuxue nodded repeatedly. Then, she thought of something, and the joy on her face dissipated slightly.

"When did Lord Pavilion Master order me to depart?"

"Within three to five days. The sooner, the better."

General naturally saw through her thoughts. With a slightly ambiguous smile, he said, "I will have Hawk come to the Prefecture City. He will take over the Spring Rain Building when the time comes, so you have nothing to worry about.

"However, you will need to tie up loose ends within the Bright Moon Building yourself to prevent them from discovering you.

"If you want to take care of some personal matters, it depends on you and... heh heh..."

Having her thoughts exposed, a blush flashed across Lou Yuxue’s face, though her lips offered a firm denial.

"Lady Tiger has no personal matters. My heart is entirely devoted to the affairs of the White Tiger Guard."

Before General could speak again, she continued, "I have already arranged everything in advance within the Bright Moon Building.

"Due to the presence of ’Dragon Tiger’, the Mountain Race, and the Xiao family, Shu State won’t be assigned any new Elders for the time being.

"Therefore, I used an excuse to request a transfer to Jinling, and several of the Bright Moon Building’s Masters have already agreed."

General offered a few words of praise before adding, "When you travel from Capital Prefecture to Jinling, remember to be careful.

"It is not like Shu State, with its high mountains and distant roads. Jinling is close to Capital Prefecture, as well as Jiangnan Prefecture. There are numerous high-ranking officials, nobles, wealthy merchants, and local gentry. Do not do anything unless you are absolutely certain of success."

Lou Yuxue nodded in agreement. "Thank you for the reminder, General."

Pausing for a moment, she resisted the urge to stand up and chase after Chen Yi, asking with a slightly odd tone, "About the matter with Ma Shuhan..."

General raised a hand to interrupt her. "Just focus on preparing for your journey north. With me here in Shu State, they won’t be able to make any waves.

"Don’t forget, Lord Pavilion Master cares deeply about Shu State. If anything happens, he will arrange for others to come."

Seeing this, Lou Yuxue didn’t press the issue further.

A moment of silence passed.

General saw through her mind. Smiling, he stood up and walked toward the exit. As he walked, he said, "This journey covers thousands of miles. Take care of yourself."

"Yes..."

After General left, Lou Yuxue slowly lowered her hands from their saluting posture. Under the glow of the candlelight, her eyes glistened slightly.

The road ahead was long and arduous, and she didn’t know when they would cross paths again.

...

Chen Yi naturally had no idea about the subsequent events inside the Spring Rain Building.

He was currently heading to the Imprisonment Department to find Fang Hongxiu, intending to ask about the specific reason the Imprisonment Department had gone to the Xiao family to demand Li Sanyuan.

But before he could find her, his light footsteps suddenly halted. He turned his head toward a tile-roofed house to the west and called out, "Who is it?"

A voice drifted over: "Dragon Tiger? Care to spar?"

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