C168

The guards around the house of the Marquis paced back and forth to ward off the cold, but no one noticed a black shadow pass by them, leaving a shallow depression in the ground and disappearing into the ruins.

"Lord, we've already inspected it and everything is as it should be."

Xia Fan nodded his head as he looked at the half-lit candle on the table. "Let's rest for a while. We'll make another round of inspection in fifteen minutes."

"Yes." "Yes." The guards replied and sat on the ground in their wooden huts, stretching their bodies. This wooden house that was hastily built with wooden planks was still leaking air everywhere, but compared to the outside, it was already an excellent place to hide from the wind.

As he looked at the teardrops dripping down, he realized that it was about time. He stood up and was about to call the guards when he bent down and coughed. His face was pale.

"My lord!" The guards saw that he was coughing so they hurriedly got up.

Xia Fan stopped coughing and shook his head. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Pei Yun said, "Your excellency's injuries have not yet healed and have yet to be healed. It would be better if you did not overwork yourself." It's just a patrol. Leave it to us.

"It's not tiring," Xia said.

Pei Yun was startled. "But …"

Xia Fan raised his hand to indicate for him to stop talking, "I promised the three sirs that I would be on duty for the night. Due to my injuries, they have been replacing me for the entire night.

Pei Yun muttered, "It's all Martial Uncle. He knew that Senior Xia was injured, but his attack was still so heavy."

"Young Master Wen did not know that I was wounded. Furthermore, he did not hold back when we fought, so he did not intend to hurt me."

Pei Yun sighed, "Fine."

Xia Fan said, "Let's go. After we finish patrolling this round, we'll strengthen our guard. We'll have nothing else to do in the early hours of the night." The guards acknowledged and followed him out.

As the group left, the candles on the table also burned to the end. The wooden house sank into darkness.

The corners of the people outside the room twitched. They took a few steps forward and were about to catch up.

"Young Master Wen sure is carefree. To be able to meet with someone and have the mood to follow them as guards on duty, aren't you afraid of being discovered?" A faint chuckle sounded, startling everyone so much that they abruptly turned around.

Wen Wan looked at the smiling man standing five steps behind him, and asked, "You are?"

The man dressed in black laughed leisurely. "I shall be the one who you ask for tonight, Young Master Wen."

Wen Wan's fingers slightly moved, he hid his movements behind his sleeves, "Since you're someone who is on the same side as Jiang Wuyan, why do you have to cover your face with cloth? Could it be that you want to be on guard against me?"

The person hiding in the darkness shook his head, "No, I'm not guarding against Young Master Wen. It's just that my martial arts are not good enough, so I have to be careful. After all, I don't have a martial arts like Young Master Wen."

Wen Wan gave a cold laugh. "If I had strong martial arts skills, how could I not know your distinguished self?"

The person pointed to the distance between the two of them, "If I take another step, Master Wen will definitely notice. What's more … The young master of the Wen family may not have good martial arts skills, but what about the famous' Xia Chan's Yu Bing 'that everyone in the martial arts world knew? "

Wen Wan's eyes turned dark, and he didn't seem surprised at all. "It seems that you have thoroughly investigated my background."

The person smiled and said, "I dare not to. We should not only cooperate, we should also show our worth." Young Master Wen wants to cooperate with us, but aren't we waiting for this moment as well? "

Wen Wan lowered his eyes and adjusted his sleeves. "You are not from Bewitching Butterfly Town."

The person nodded his head, "I am not, but I have decided to serve Jiang Wuyan alone. You and I are friends and not enemies. "

Wen Wan smiled. "I like what you said after that."

The person laughed as well. "Young Master Wen approves of the best outcome."

Wen Wan shook his sleeves to reveal his wrist, his hands empty to show that he did not want to make a move: "Since you know my identity, you should also know the power behind me. On the other hand, I need to know your abilities and your sincerity. "

"Sure." The person took off the black cloth on his face and stepped out from the corner. Is Young Master Wen satisfied? "

Seeing his face, Wen Wan slightly hesitated, then laughed: "It seems that on the day you let me go, you still have such a plan."

Han Yan shrugged his shoulders. "Selling a favor first is not a bad thing after all."

Wen Wan was noncommittal as he talked about another matter. "A few days ago, I went to the Wind Cloud Pavilion and checked on some of the things that I was curious about."

Han Yan replied with a curious expression, "Oh?" May I know what Young Master Wen is investigating? "

Wen Wan said: "I myself and Xia Fan do not have a good relationship, but old friends entrusted, so he should pay more attention to a few points. Half a month ago, he had talked with the young prince about him. He heard the young prince say that Xia Chen was saved by Master Bao when he was severely injured, and was treated by the young prince himself. As I was investigating this matter, I came across something extremely interesting. "

Han Yan said, "Since it is interesting, I must listen attentively."

Wen Wan looked at him for a while, and slowly said: "I heard that you and Chen Huayi were both promoted by the young prince, becoming first-rate bodyguards in the palace. Chen Huayi might be more intimate with the young prince than you, but the two of you should be people he trusts and trusts. To you, your highness, not only do you owe me your life, but you also owe me your life. For a mere guard who has no money to pave the way for me, and does not have the support of a noble person, to come this far, which part of you that did not owe me a debt of gratitude? "

Han Yan's smile was calm and collected, as if he was not angry at all. "What Young Master Wen said is true. This young prince has given me a debt that I will never be able to repay in my life."

Wen Wan raised his chin. "You want to harm him now?"

Han Yan fell silent but still smiled, "Then why don't I remind Young Master Wen? Young Master Wen's senior brother and Xia Fan had also received a great favor from the young prince. Although it was a coincidence, if the young prince didn't help, they would not have been able to survive. In addition, the connection between Young Master Wen and the young prince was not shallow. "Could it be that Young Master Wen did not forget his kindness and did not have any intention to harm us?"

Wen Wan said: "I will never forget the kindness of your highness Xia Fan, but if you say that my senior brother has been saved by his kindness, please forgive me for not agreeing with you. Senior Brother, I would risk my life to save you from your injury. Without the young prince, I would have been able to exchange my life for him. A single summer like this is not enough to make me feel ashamed. "

Han Yan shook his head, "I didn't teach Young Master Wen any sense of shame, and I didn't think that what Young Master Wen said was wrong. I am only saying this to Young Master Wen. In my heart, there are always things that I must do even if I have to turn a blind eye to their kindness. Although there is a difference between my and Young Master Wen's circumstances, there is absolutely no difference in my heart. "

Wen Wan was silent.

Han Yan said, "Young Master Wen did not mean to receive kindness from the young prince. Jiang Zhen and the young prince did not mean to befriend each other. I have no other choice but to give it a try and think about how ungrateful I am. "

Wen Wan said: "It's precisely because I'm afraid that you will hesitate that I want to know your decisiveness."

Han Yan laughed and asked, "Since Sir Wen doesn't believe me, then why would you dare to negotiate with Lord Jiang Zhen?"

Wen Wan said: "Because he has an entire town behind him, he doesn't dare to gamble. "How can you teach me to believe that you're alone?"

Han Yan shrugged his shoulders. "Young Master Wen, you're not curious, how did I learn of Young Master Wen's identity?"

Wen Wan nodded. "I am indeed curious. My identity, temperament, and even my martial arts appearance didn't leave a trace of my past. There are only a few people who know my identity, and I can't trust them any further. I am very surprised that you were able to reveal my identity. "

"The melody ripples the martial arts world to evade, the Bewitching Butterfly Dream Awakens the Nine Prefectures' Words." The ancient and modern sacrifice of the vintage of the poison wine, the Trojan horse laughs to the end of the world. " Han Yan recited four lines of poem leisurely. "Where did Young Master Wen think I came from?"

Wen Wan's eyes flashed with a trace of surprise. "I didn't expect there to be a man in the Sound Pavilion."

Han Yan said, "The Yu Yin Pavilion's impression of the Jianghu indeed has nothing to do with men. However, if you were to imagine, how could the Sound Pavilion, which holds half of the calamity of life and death in its hands, not have any men? "

Wen Wan shook his sleeves, his right hand behind his back, and gave him a sidelong glance: "I have heard that a hundred years ago, the Sound Pavilion split into two branches, leading one side, and united the other. Feng Yunxuan is clearly a faction that is controlled by a woman, so you should belong to a faction that mainly involves men. "But I haven't heard from you in decades. I wonder how many people are left by your side?

Han Yan replied truthfully, "Not much is left, just for self-preservation."

Wen Wan couldn't help but laugh. "You're quite frank."

Han Yan said, "What you do is related to life and death. How dare you deceive me? "Han Yan's movements are weak. I hope Young Master Wen won't turn your back on me." He bowed deeply.

Wen Wan looked at him with interest and asked, "You and Jiang Wuyan also said the same thing?"

Han Yan said, "It's not too far off."

Wen Wan asked, "He actually didn't kill you?"

Han Yan smiled. "Young Master Wen, you don't want to kill me?"

Wen Wan answered as if he was telling the truth: "If you don't have Jiang Wuyan behind you, it's hard to say."

Han Yan said, "Sir Wen and Lord Jiang Zhen are both smart people. If I had been a coward for death, I would not have revealed the truth. Rather than kill me and bring about unnecessary trouble, why not spare my life for now and help me? "

Wen Wan tilted his head. "You seem to be keeping a low profile."

Han Yan was unable to detect the mockery in his words, but her expression remained calm. "Borrowing someone's roof, how can you be arrogant?"

Wen Wan shrugged his shoulders, no longer bothering with this matter. "Since you're Jiang Wuyan, then after you've said so much to me, do you have the intention to form an alliance with me?"

Han Yan muttered to himself, "Lord Jiang Zhen wanted me to ask if Young Master Wen and the Bai Family had any intentions of cooperating with the Puppet Palace."

Wen Wan said, "Uncle thinks that the Puppet Palace is still a fog, so it's hard to see the person inside. In the past, the Puppet Palace had suffered a great loss in strength, and now, it was in the hands of Mo Sang, who knew nothing about the past. Whether he was an enemy or friend, he might not know. Instead of acting recklessly, we might as well just wait and see. "

Han Yan then asked, "What about Young Master Wen?"

Wen Wan said, "I don't trust the people in the Puppet Palace these days."

Han Yan nodded, "I understand. Lord Jiang will not probe the Puppet Palace either."

Wen Wan slightly narrowed his eyes. "Did he originally intend to come into contact with the Puppet Palace?"

Han said: "Because of the poison wine hall and the Light Wind Palace, Jiang Zhen and the Puppet Palace had some contact. On the other hand, the Bai Clan Head was a complete stranger to both parties and didn't understand each other. He was obviously not the best partner to form an alliance with. Of course, since Young Master Wen has offered to cooperate, it would be for the best. "

Wen Wan asked, "What is it? If you work with us, you can give up the Puppet Palace? "

Han Yan said, "Young Master Wen and Chief Bai's worries are also Lord Jiang Zhen's worries. The so-called alliance should work together, the more the better. The Puppet Palace had too much ambition and too deep of a foundation. They were definitely not the best partners. Furthermore, today we finally understand that Young Master Wen's abilities far surpass our knowledge, and his hesitation towards the future has lessened. "

Wen Wan smiled, the smile in his eyes was cold. "Praise me?"

"No." Han Yan shook his head, looking serious. "From what Young Master Wen said just now, it should be confirmed that Feng Yunxuan is from the Sound Pavilion. Furthermore, did you also manage to identify Xia Chenchen and Chen Huayi? "

Wen Wan lightly said: "That year, wandering in the martial arts world, I had a few encounters with Master Feng Xuan, so I learned a thing or two about the Yu Yin Pavilion. As for Xia Cheng and Chen Huayi, I have already seen their martial arts thousands of times. Furthermore, their names have not even been changed, so how would it be strange for them to recognize them? "

Han Yan asked, "Young Master Wen and the Bai Family Head don't plan to bring them away?"

Wen Wan looked at him deeply for a long time, then lightly waved his sleeves: "Uncle didn't know that the two of them were here, so I didn't want to be too nosy. The imperial government and the imperial palace are the safest places in this chaotic world. "

Han Yan said, "In troubled times, the martial arts world is chaotic, and the imperial government is even more chaotic. Chen Huayi and the young prince were very close, and Xia Cheng was the one who saved the young prince, so how could other people think that Young Master Wen could have guessed it? As long as the young prince is in trouble, the first to be implicated will be them. "

Wen Wan didn't want to hear more, so he interrupted: "I know."

Now that he has said what he needed to say, Han Yan no longer said anything. "The Lord of Jiang Zhen will visit the young prince this evening. If Young Master Wen does not mind, we can discuss this with Lord Jiang Zhen after the young prince has left. "

Wen Wan smiled and said, "This is very good. Tonight, I will tell my uncle everything I have said. I hope that neither of us will be disappointed when we wait for the two of you to come at any time. "

Han Yan saw Wen Wan give a definite answer and secretly let out a sigh of relief. "Since that's the case, then …"

"Who's there?" A clear shout rang out, and the fire lit up.

Han Yan and Jiang Wuyan looked at each other, took off their cloaks and threw them to the side. Wen Wan took the hint, reached out for his cloak, and dodged behind the half-collapsed wall.

"Milord." "Milord." The guards bowed as they saw Han Yan.

When Xia Fan saw Han Yan in his official uniform, he was startled. He bowed first and then asked, "Why are you here?"

Han Yan pinched the center of his brows and sighed softly, "Today, Sir sent a letter from the capital asking us why we have not returned yet, and Young Prince instructed us not to explain this matter to Sir beforehand. The letter had to be reported as soon as possible, and it would be difficult to keep it up for a long time, so I had to go out for a walk to clear my head, and take a look at if your injuries are any worse. "

Xia Zhencheng did not suspect him and quickly said, "This lowly official's injuries are already fine, so my lord does not need to worry. On the other hand, the lord's inquiry is indeed difficult. "

Han Yan's face was full of distress. "That's right, if we don't get any clues tonight, I'm afraid we'll have to wait for Young Prince to have his breakfast before disturbing him." But the young prince is already so worried right now, and as his subordinate, I am unable to help him share his worries. In the end, I still somewhat blame myself. "

"Although this matter is difficult to deal with, there is always a way to resolve it," Xia said. Master, do not worry too much. Rest early, and it is not too late to think of a solution tomorrow. "

Han Yan looked hesitant, but after a moment he nodded slightly, "That makes sense. Thank you for your reminder, Leader Xia." It is not early yet, so I will return to rest. It's almost winter, so you should add a few more pieces of charcoal into the house. You've ordered too little. "

"I understand."

Han Yan said, "Then I'll be leaving now. You guys go ahead." His pace was neither fast nor slow as he headed towards the inn.

Pei Yun looked around but did not find anyone. He could not help but feel a little surprised.

"What are you doing?"

Pei Yun rubbed his nose and said, "Nothing, I just saw a mouse run over."

Without asking any more questions, Xia Fan turned back into the house. "It's just a mouse, what does it matter?"

Pei Yun took one last look at the place where Wen Wan had hidden himself, and curled his lips in dissatisfaction. Then, he followed the guards into the room.