Chapter 238: Chapter 199: I Invite You All to Your Death

Lou Yuxue’s eyes flew wide. She stared at him in disbelief. "You, how do you know about Hawk... Was it... was it that night?!"

The only thing she could think of was their encounter outside the West Market that night.

’So my guess was right—this man was outside the tailor shop in the West Market that night!’

Chen Yi gave a noncommittal nod. "Actually, I know far more than you think."

"What else do you know? My identity?"

"More than just that..."

"Never mind. If you want to know, follow me. If not, feel free to head straight back to the Spring Rain Building."

Chen Yi felt it was all rather dull. He gave her a look, then turned and mounted his horse.

"But as long as you remain in Shu State, I’ll always be able to find you."

With that, he didn’t wait for Lou Yuxue to speak again. He cracked his whip against his horse’s rump and galloped down the main road, chasing after Liu Lang and the others.

Seeing him leave so decisively, Lou Yuxue’s expression flickered. She suddenly shouted, "Wait up!"

But Chen Yi didn’t even slow down. His voice, laced with a curse, drifted back. "Wait, my ass. If you’re coming, then come."

"You..."

"Me what?"

"Stop dawdling. And you call yourself a Hidden Guard Silver Banner Officer?"

"If I’d wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t have lived to see tonight!"

Lou Yuxue seethed. Gritting her teeth, she leaped onto her horse and galloped straight after him.

However, when she finally spurred her horse and caught up with Chen Yi, every one of the several questions she asked was met with the same single-word answer: "Guess."

No matter how composed Lou Yuxue normally was, he made her absolutely livid.

"You said you were going to tell me!"

Chen Yi chuckled. "That was then, this is now. You’re the one who refused, aren’t you?"

"You..."

"Ten percent of the silver notes per question. Think carefully before you ask."

Beneath her mask, Lou Yuxue’s lips parted slightly as she stared at him, dumbfounded.

’What kind of question is worth thirty thousand silver coins?’

But seeing as they were getting closer and closer to Liu Lang and the others, Lou Yuxue took a deep breath and asked the one question she most wanted answered:

"Who are you, really?"

Chen Yi had clearly expected this. He pursed his lips. "Ask another one. I don’t feel like answering that."

Lou Yuxue was instantly incensed. "Are you messing with me?"

If not for the sliver of reason she still possessed, and if not for the fact that she knew she couldn’t beat him, she really would have smashed her fist into his face.

’Just to see if his skin was really that thick.’

Seeing her persistence, Chen Yi said, "Fine, listen up. I’m a member of the Xiao Family."

Lou Yuxue, of course, didn’t believe him. She huffed, "If you were with the Xiao Family, how could you dare keep this from the Old Marquis?"

"And what makes you so sure the Old Marquis doesn’t know?"

"Hawk... Are you trying to trick me into giving you information?"

When she still didn’t believe him, Chen Yi shook his head. "Alright, fine. Actually, I’m with the Jing State Liu Family."

"Impossible!"

Lou Yuxue still refused to believe it. Pointing at the carriage up ahead, she said, her voice tight with exasperation, "If you were one of Liu Wen’s men, why would he have come along?"

"Don’t tell me you plan on letting him go back alive."

Chen Yi glanced at her, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips. "The main branch of the Liu Family has many legitimate heirs."

"Is it not possible I work for Liu Zhaoxue?"

"Liu..."

Lou Yuxue froze for a moment. She tilted her head to size him up, considering the possibility.

’Clearly, the answer was yes.’

’It’s just...’

"Liu Zhaoxue would dare to have Liu Wen killed?"

"Why wouldn’t she? There is only one position of Patriarch in the Liu Family. Why can’t it be Zhaoxue?"

"But..."

Before Lou Yuxue could press him further, Chen Yi raised a hand to cut her off. "I’ve told you who I am. I don’t wish to elaborate on the reasons."

"Whether you believe me or not is for you to decide."

Lou Yuxue gave him a long, hard look before asking her second question. "What are you really trying to do?"

Chen Yi looked at her in astonishment. "You have to ask that? Are you just trying to give me free silver? I’m starting to doubt your intelligence."

"Just tell me!"

"To kill Second Young Master Liu, of course."

"..."

Lou Yuxue stared at him blankly for a moment, then slapped her forehead in frustration.

’Even if this man’s identity was a lie, his intention to kill Liu Wen was absolutely real.’

’I really did ask a stupid question.’

Chen Yi ignored her. Seeing they were about to catch up to Liu Wen and the others, he said in a low voice,

"Question time is over. Remember your promise. That silver—we split it sixty-forty, my favor."

With that, he spurred his horse forward, pulling up right alongside Liu Wen’s carriage and striking up a conversation with him.

Lou Yuxue watched his back, grinding her teeth in frustration.

’Even now, in her confrontation with this man, she was still on the losing end.’

’She was like a child, being toyed with in the palm of his hand, utterly unable to resist.’

’Now, all she could hope for was that the plan to "burn the Three Towns’ summer grain" would go off without a hitch.’

’After all, that was the outcome the Pavilion Master himself had approved.’

’If it failed, no matter where she and Hawk tried to hide, they would surely be punished.’

’Hawk...’

Thinking of Hawk, who’d been forced to flee Shu State, Lou Yuxue couldn’t help but feel a pang of gloom.

’It seemed unlikely that this plan of the Hidden Guards would reach a perfect conclusion.’

’At the very least, they wouldn’t be able to get all of the silver...’

As these thoughts ran through Lou Yuxue’s mind, her gaze toward the group ahead of them wavered uncertainly.

A moment later, she abruptly yanked her reins, turning her horse to ride back the way they had come.

’Liu Wu, scheme all you want, but I’ll never let you have that silver!’

Chen Yi naturally noticed her movement the instant it happened. He immediately smiled and said, "Young Master Liu, please go on ahead. I have a small matter to attend to."

Liu Wen lifted the carriage curtain and glanced back. "Is she running away?"

Chen Yi nodded. "There are always cowards who cling to life. It’s not surprising."

As he spoke, he calmly turned his horse around and rode after Lou Yuxue.

One chased, the other fled.

Lou Yuxue sensed him following and shouted coldly, "The silver or Young Master Liu! You can only choose one!"

Chen Yi, chasing her at a leisurely pace, just smiled. "I’ll take both."

"Then you can just try—huh?"