Gu Shenwei had imagined a variety of ways to meet Maid Lotus again, but none of it was like this: Holding a sword in his hand, he wanted to move, but he held himself back, knowing that he would be defeated as iciness gripped at his Dantian .

He fell off the beam . His landing was wobbly but he managed to stand firmly .

They stared at each other in silent, wary of each other . Each had no intention to speak up first .

Suddenly, a series of exclamations came from outside . "Are you alright, Dragon King?" Lin Xiaoshan asked urgently .

"I'm alright . " His gaze still remained on Maid Lotus . "How many were killed?"

"Five, and two of them belonged to Joy Pavilion . "

"Alright, I got it . " A total of four a.s.sa.s.sins were heard by Gu Shenwei, but he was still missing one .

Lin Xiaoshan was full of doubts but did not dare to ask . Then, he cleaned up the corpses along with the guards and left .

"So, you are called Dragon King now?" Maid Lotus spoke first, her hostility and vigilance suddenly disappeared . She even smiled faintly, as if they were still good partners, just like before .

"So, have you came to save me again?" Gu Shenwei replied sarcastically . The hostility was gone but he still kept his vigilance . He had had a taste of Maid Lotus' tricks and knew that she would never help him kill five a.s.sa.s.sins for no reason .

"It is New Moon Hall who saved you, not me . "

After not seeing Maid Lotus for three years, Gu Shenwei noticed that she had changed . It was very subtle, but he realized that the quiet girl who had often been overlooked in the past now possessed a sense of confidence and grace, so much so that it was somewhat aggressive .

Maid Lotus had accomplished a huge deed for New Moon Hall, naturally, she would be held in high regards by the Master of Xiaoyue Hall . Her temperament would surely be different now that she was of a different status . Unknowingly, Gu Shenwei became defiant and c.o.c.ked his head slightly . "If that's the case, then let the Master of Xiaoyue Hall come and speak to me . "

Maid Lotus somehow noticed the change in his att.i.tude and relaxed her stance . "Just consider me as the messenger from New Moon Hall . You should at least talk to the messenger briefly before meeting the Master . "

Gu Shenwei suddenly realized that he was giving in to his personal feelings . No matter what Maid Lotus' real intentions were, the Great Snowmountain and New Moon Hall were natural allies as they shared a common enemy . One acted in the open and another in secret, but this actually complemented each other . Slowly, he eased his tone and released his grip on the hilt of his sword .

"Are we discussing it here right now?"

Maid Lotus glanced over at Jiang, who was sleeping soundly . She had breathed in quite a significant amount of the knockout powder and was in a deep slumber, oblivious to the conversation going on beside her .

"No, go to Doctor Sun's at North City after daybreak . We will talk there . "

Even though Gu Shenwei was aware that New Moon Hall had planted many spies in Jade City, he was still taken aback . He would never have thought that Doctor Sun, who was well renowned, would pledge his allegiance to New Moon Hall . He immediately felt that he had done far too little these few years .

Maid Lotus took out a small wooden box and pa.s.s to him, "Take one pill every morning and night . It acts as an antidote for the poison in your chest . "

Gu Shenwei took the wooden box but did not open it .

"You know I won't hurt you . "

She smiled softly and left without waiting for Gu Shenwei to answer .

There was some bawls outside the room before Lin Xiaoshan barged in . He had noticed that something was amiss, so he let the guards continue their patrolling while he remained guarded outside the room . But in a blink of an eye, the person who came out of Dragon King's room leaped onto the roof and was gone before he could even catch up .

Relieved that Dragon King was unscathed, he saw Jiang on the small bed and was a bit embarra.s.sed . He stammered, "Please pardon me, Dragon King . . . I didn't know . . . "

"It's okay, she's . . . a friend from the past . "

Lin Xiaoshan was slightly suspicious but took his leave . Gu Shenwei played with the wooden box for a long time before opening it . Inside was two small pills with an unusually bright shade of red .

Gu Shenwei closed the lid without touching what was inside .

After daybreak, Gu Shenwei headed toward North City, accompanied by Lin Xiaoshan and 10 other guards . This was not really necessary since the news of five a.s.sa.s.sins killed in the residence had already spread to the whole of Jade City . Everybody now believed that Dragon King had never been hurt in the first place, let alone paralyzed .

Lin Xiaoshan and others waited outside the residence of Doctor Sun while Gu Shenwei entered alone .

The tall and robust Doctor Sun remained unchanged, only balder than before and his beard bus.h.i.+er . "The last time I diagnosed you, you were still a killer apprentice . Today, you are Dragon King . The affairs of the world are constantly changing, no?"

Doctor Sun gazed at Gu Shenwei curiously, as though he was a rare case waiting to be examined .

"A lot of things are not how you would expect it to be, isn't it?"

"Well, there's no need to think about it if it's going to be unexpected . Come, let me check your pulse . "

The doctor reached over with his slender fingers and Gu Shenwei did not move away . He knew Doctor Sun was excellent in kung fu .

Doctor Sun's brows furrowed sharply as the minutes ticked by . Soon, nearly an hour had pa.s.sed . He had completely forgotten that Dragon King had come here today with the purpose of meeting Maid Lotus as a messenger of New Moon Hall . When he finally spoke, his tone carried a sense of bewilderment, like someone at their wits' end . "Difficult, this is indeed difficult . Dragon King, how could you possibly practice your Internal Strength to this extent? Both positive and negative exist within, and your yin and yang are not in harmony . To think you could actually withstand it . . . "

Doctor Sun could not help but shake his head . Clicking his tongue, he said, "If Dragon King doesn't mind shortening your lifespan by 30 years, I actually have a solution that you can try . But no promises that it'll work out . "

"I am not here to see a doctor . " Gu Shenwei replied coldly . "If I was able to endure it before, I can endure it in the future as well . "

Doctor Sun stared at Dragon King in surprise . His haughty demeanor had been replaced with one that seemed like a child making a mountain of a molehill . Bowing slightly, he said, "As Dragon King wishes, I apologize for meddling . One moment, please . "

Doctor Sun took his leave . Gu Shenwei waited alone until suddenly, the bookshelf near the wall split open and Maid Lotus emerged .

Seeing Maid Lotus in daylight made him realize how much she had really changed .

In the past, she had been a quiet and amiable girl . Although she did not attract attention, she was able to gain the trust of others easily . Now, even though her looks remained unchanged, there was something in her gaze that people could not possibly ignore .

Gu Shenwei suddenly missed that quiet girl . He quickly cleared his thoughts and said, "When can I see your Master?"

"Soon, but not now . " Maid Lotus' gaze was making him uncomfortable . "Master is not in Jade City right now, she has other matters to attend to . "

"If that's the case, does that mean you are the one who makes decisions in Jade City now?"

Maid Lotus smiled before lifting her hands in front of her and clapping twice . Guan Shang, the former black-masked a.s.sa.s.sin from Golden Roc Fort came in upon hearing the summon . She bowed respectfully toward Maid Lotus and asked, "What can I do for you, Managing Master?"

"Convey to him what Master said . "

"Yes . " In the presence of Managing Master who was younger than her by a few years, Guan Shang's nervousness was akin to a killer apprentice who had just entered the East Castle . Her tense expression eased as she turned toward Dragon King .

"Dragon King would like to wipe out the Shangguan family, and New Moon Hall would like to occupy the castle on the mountain top . Since Golden Roc Fort is the common enemy, Master hoped that we could cooperate and work together . With the Great Snowmountain in the open, and New Moon Hall in secret, this is a match made in heaven . "

Gu Shenwei tensed slightly at the words 'match made in heaven', but showed nothing .

Maid Lotus waved a hand in dismissal, and Guan Shang bowed as she left the room .

"What do you think?" Maid Lotus asked .

"Working together is a good thing . " Gu Shenwei suppressed his true emotions and decided to consider the proposal in his role as Dragon King . "Let's be honest and talk about what we both want . "

"We only want to take over Golden Roc Fort as it was the original home of New Moon Hall . "

"The Great Snowmountain wants to take over the entire Jade City, all 800 miles from east to west . "

"The Great Snowmountain can have all territories as long as you provide New Moon Hall an escape route . "

"How many people are there in New Moon Hall? Where are they distributed?"

The answer to that question was cla.s.sified information . However, Maid Lotus did not hesitate and answered immediately, "167 people . 121 of them are in Jade City . We have seven people in Meng Family, one in Joy Pavilion, another in Four Truths Temple and 18 of them in Golden Roc Fort . The rest are dispersed in different areas . It is alright to a.s.sume that New Moon Hall had insiders planted in all the forces within the Jade City . "

Gu Shenwei was surprised and delighted . New Moon Hall was indeed the a.s.sistance that he needed . In the past three years, when he had been hunted and forced to flee to the Western Region, New Moon Hall had quietly s.h.i.+fted their influence from the desert to Jade City . It was even possible that Supreme King had no idea that his enemies were so close to him .

"Are your people reliable? Take Guan Shang for instance . "

"People are never reliable . " There was a hint of coldness from Maid Lotus' voice . "What is reliable is the means to control them . "

A green pill, similar to the one that she gave to Gu Shenwei, appeared in Maid Lotus' hand . "The Blood Coagulation Pill was made with the blood of the drug maker and mixed with 81 types of herbs and poisons . It is necessary to consume one every year . If you miss the timing, within seven days, you will go berserk and die . And the state when you are dying . . . it's better not to say . "

Her calm tone carried a tinge of pride, as though the pill in her hands was an elixir that could bring back life .

"You consume it as well?" He could not help but ask, relieved that he had not taken the pills given by Maid Lotus yesterday .

"People are never reliable . " Maid Lotus repeated, not answering Gu Shenwei's question directly . "I know a lot of things in New Moon Hall, for example, Supreme King used pills like that to control the black-masked a.s.sa.s.sins . Golden Roc Fort has sworn to never use the occult sciences from New Moon Hall, but he still kept some of it . He didn't even dare to name the pills . But those are just imitations . Their effectiveness pales in comparison to the authentic ones that we have in New Moon Hall . "

Gu Shenwei finally understood why Guan Shang had defected from Golden Roc Fort . He cannot help but shudder at the allegiance established through fear by these pills . But then he remembered the crazed women and believed Maid Lotus' words . The reverence she had towards the Blood Coagulation pills was also tinged with a trace of craziness . Gu Shenwei heightened his alertness .

"With such tactics, New Moon Hall should be able to penetrate Golden Roc Fort from within any time . "

Maid Lotus shook her head and put away the green pill . "The Blood Coagulation Pill is very rare and precious . You cannot use it on just anybody . If we want to capture Golden Roc Fort, it's better to rely on true strength, like the swordsmen from the Great Snowmountain that you led . "

Gu Shenwei became vigilant and slowly drew out the Dragon Head Sword, pointing it at a slant to the ground .

Maid Lotus pulled out her sword nonchalantly and crossed it together with Gu Shenwei's weapon .

With this as a symbol, the two of them began their second cooperation .

Gu Shenwei recognized that Maid Lotus' weapon had not changed, it was still the "Huan" sword .

Chapter 311 CooperationTranslator Transn Editor TransnGu Shenwei had imagined a variety of ways to meet Maid Lotus again, but none of it was like this Holding a sword in his hand, he wanted to move, but he held himself back, knowing that he would be defeated as iciness gripped at his Dantian . He fell off the beam . His landing was wobbly but he managed to stand firmly . They stared at each other in silent, wary of each other . Each had no intention to speak up first . Suddenly, a series of exclamations came from outside . Are you alright, Dragon King Lin Xiaoshan asked urgently . I m alright . His gaze still remained on Maid Lotus . How many were killed Five, and two of them belonged to Joy Pavilion . Alright, I got it . A total of four a.s.sa.s.sins were heard by Gu Shenwei, but he was still missing one . Lin Xiaoshan was full of doubts but did not dare to ask . Then, he cleaned up the corpses along with the guards and left . So, you are called Dragon King now Maid Lotus spoke first, her hostility and vigilance suddenly disappeared . She even smiled faintly, as if they were still good partners, just like before . So, have you came to save me again Gu Shenwei replied sarcastically . The hostility was gone but he still kept his vigilance . He had had a taste of Maid Lotus tricks and knew that she would never help him kill five a.s.sa.s.sins for no reason . It is New Moon Hall who saved you, not me . After not seeing Maid Lotus for three years, Gu Shenwei noticed that she had changed . It was very subtle, but he realized that the quiet girl who had often been overlooked in the past now possessed a sense of confidence and grace, so much so that it was somewhat aggressive . Maid Lotus had accomplished a huge deed for New Moon Hall, naturally, she would be held in high regards by the Master of Xiaoyue Hall . Her temperament would surely be different now that she was of a different status . Unknowingly, Gu Shenwei became defiant and c.o.c.ked his head slightly . If that s the case, then let the Master of Xiaoyue Hall come and speak to me . Maid Lotus somehow noticed the change in his att.i.tude and relaxed her stance . Just consider me as the messenger from New Moon Hall . You should at least talk to the messenger briefly before meeting the Master . Gu Shenwei suddenly realized that he was giving in to his personal feelings . No matter what Maid Lotus real intentions were, the Great Snowmountain and New Moon Hall were natural allies as they shared a common enemy . One acted in the open and another in secret, but this actually complemented each other . Slowly, he eased his tone and released his grip on the hilt of his sword . Are we discussing it here right now Maid Lotus glanced over at Jiang, who was sleeping soundly . She had breathed in quite a significant amount of the knockout powder and was in a deep slumber, oblivious to the conversation going on beside her . No, go to Doctor Sun s at North City after daybreak . We will talk there . Even though Gu Shenwei was aware that New Moon Hall had planted many spies in Jade City, he was still taken aback . He would never have thought that Doctor Sun, who was well renowned, would pledge his allegiance to New Moon Hall . He immediately felt that he had done far too little these few years . Maid Lotus took out a small wooden box and pa.s.s to him, Take one pill every morning and night . It acts as an antidote for the poison in your chest . Gu Shenwei took the wooden box but did not open it . You know I won t hurt you . She smiled softly and left without waiting for Gu Shenwei to answer . There was some bawls outside the room before Lin Xiaoshan barged in . He had noticed that something was amiss, so he let the guards continue their patrolling while he remained guarded outside the room . But in a blink of an eye, the person who came out of Dragon King s room leaped onto the roof and was gone before he could even catch up . Relieved that Dragon King was unscathed, he saw Jiang on the small bed and was a bit embarra.s.sed . He stammered, Please pardon me, Dragon King . . . I didn t know . . . It s okay, she s . . . a friend from the past . Lin Xiaoshan was slightly suspicious but took his leave . Gu Shenwei played with the wooden box for a long time before opening it . Inside was two small pills with an unusually bright shade of red . Gu Shenwei closed the lid without touching what was inside . After daybreak, Gu Shenwei headed toward North City, accompanied by Lin Xiaoshan and 10 other guards . This was not really necessary since the news of five a.s.sa.s.sins killed in the residence had already spread to the whole of Jade City . Everybody now believed that Dragon King had never been hurt in the first place, let alone paralyzed . Lin Xiaoshan and others waited outside the residence of Doctor Sun while Gu Shenwei entered alone . The tall and robust Doctor Sun remained unchanged, only balder than before and his beard bus.h.i.+er . The last time I diagnosed you, you were still a killer apprentice . Today, you are Dragon King . The affairs of the world are constantly changing, no Doctor Sun gazed at Gu Shenwei curiously, as though he was a rare case waiting to be examined . A lot of things are not how you would expect it to be, isn t it Well, there s no need to think about it if it s going to be unexpected . Come, let me check your pulse . The doctor reached over with his slender fingers and Gu Shenwei did not move away . He knew Doctor Sun was excellent in kung fu . Doctor Sun s brows furrowed sharply as the minutes ticked by . Soon, nearly an hour had pa.s.sed . He had completely forgotten that Dragon King had come here today with the purpose of meeting Maid Lotus as a messenger of New Moon Hall . When he finally spoke, his tone carried a sense of bewilderment, like someone at their wits end . Difficult, this is indeed difficult . Dragon King, how could you possibly practice your Internal Strength to this extent Both positive and negative exist within, and your yin and yang are not in harmony . To think you could actually withstand it . . . Doctor Sun could not help but shake his head . Clicking his tongue, he said, If Dragon King doesn t mind shortening your lifespan by 30 years, I actually have a solution that you can try . But no promises that it ll work out . I am not here to see a doctor . Gu Shenwei replied coldly . If I was able to endure it before, I can endure it in the future as well . Doctor Sun stared at Dragon King in surprise . His haughty demeanor had been replaced with one that seemed like a child making a mountain of a molehill . Bowing slightly, he said, As Dragon King wishes, I apologize for meddling . One moment, please . Doctor Sun took his leave . Gu Shenwei waited alone until suddenly, the bookshelf near the wall split open and Maid Lotus emerged . Seeing Maid Lotus in daylight made him realize how much she had really changed . In the past, she had been a quiet and amiable girl . Although she did not attract attention, she was able to gain the trust of others easily . Now, even though her looks remained unchanged, there was something in her gaze that people could not possibly ignore . Gu Shenwei suddenly missed that quiet girl . He quickly cleared his thoughts and said, When can I see your Master Soon, but not now . Maid Lotus gaze was making him uncomfortable . Master is not in Jade City right now, she has other matters to attend to . If that s the case, does that mean you are the one who makes decisions in Jade City now Maid Lotus smiled before lifting her hands in front of her and clapping twice . Guan Shang, the former black masked a.s.sa.s.sin from Golden Roc Fort came in upon hearing the summon . She bowed respectfully toward Maid Lotus and asked, What can I do for you, Managing Master Convey to him what Master said . Yes . In the presence of Managing Master who was younger than her by a few years, Guan Shang s nervousness was akin to a killer apprentice who had just entered the East Castle . Her tense expression eased as she turned toward Dragon King . Dragon King would like to wipe out the Shangguan family, and New Moon Hall would like to occupy the castle on the mountain top . Since Golden Roc Fort is the common enemy, Master hoped that we could cooperate and work together . With the Great Snowmountain in the open, and New Moon Hall in secret, this is a match made in heaven . Gu Shenwei tensed slightly at the words match made in heaven , but showed nothing . Maid Lotus waved a hand in dismissal, and Guan Shang bowed as she left the room . What do you think Maid Lotus asked . Working together is a good thing . Gu Shenwei suppressed his true emotions and decided to consider the proposal in his role as Dragon King . Let s be honest and talk about what we both want . We only want to take over Golden Roc Fort as it was the original home of New Moon Hall . The Great Snowmountain wants to take over the entire Jade City, all 800 miles from east to west . The Great Snowmountain can have all territories as long as you provide New Moon Hall an escape route . How many people are there in New Moon Hall Where are they distributed The answer to that question was cla.s.sified information . However, Maid Lotus did not hesitate and answered immediately, 167 people . 121 of them are in Jade City . We have seven people in Meng Family, one in Joy Pavilion, another in Four Truths Temple and 18 of them in Golden Roc Fort . The rest are dispersed in different areas . It is alright to a.s.sume that New Moon Hall had insiders planted in all the forces within the Jade City . Gu Shenwei was surprised and delighted . New Moon Hall was indeed the a.s.sistance that he needed . In the past three years, when he had been hunted and forced to flee to the Western Region, New Moon Hall had quietly s.h.i.+fted their influence from the desert to Jade City . It was even possible that Supreme King had no idea that his enemies were so close to him . Are your people reliable Take Guan Shang for instance . People are never reliable . There was a hint of coldness from Maid Lotus voice . What is reliable is the means to control them . A green pill, similar to the one that she gave to Gu Shenwei, appeared in Maid Lotus hand . The Blood Coagulation Pill was made with the blood of the drug maker and mixed with 81 types of herbs and poisons . It is necessary to consume one every year . If you miss the timing, within seven days, you will go berserk and die . And the state when you are dying . . . it s better not to say . Her calm tone carried a tinge of pride, as though the pill in her hands was an elixir that could bring back life . You consume it as well He could not help but ask, relieved that he had not taken the pills given by Maid Lotus yesterday . People are never reliable . Maid Lotus repeated, not answering Gu Shenwei s question directly . I know a lot of things in New Moon Hall, for example, Supreme King used pills like that to control the black masked a.s.sa.s.sins . Golden Roc Fort has sworn to never use the occult sciences from New Moon Hall, but he still kept some of it . He didn t even dare to name the pills . But those are just imitations . Their effectiveness pales in comparison to the authentic ones that we have in New Moon Hall . Gu Shenwei finally understood why Guan Shang had defected from Golden Roc Fort . He cannot help but shudder at the allegiance established through fear by these pills . But then he remembered the crazed women and believed Maid Lotus words . The reverence she had towards the Blood Coagulation pills was also tinged with a trace of craziness . Gu Shenwei heightened his alertness . With such tactics, New Moon Hall should be able to penetrate Golden Roc Fort from within any time . Maid Lotus shook her head and put away the green pill . The Blood Coagulation Pill is very rare and precious . You cannot use it on just anybody . If we want to capture Golden Roc Fort, it s better to rely on true strength, like the swordsmen from the Great Snowmountain that you led . Gu Shenwei became vigilant and slowly drew out the Dragon Head Sword, pointing it at a slant to the ground . Maid Lotus pulled out her sword nonchalantly and crossed it together with Gu Shenwei s weapon . With this as a symbol, the two of them began their second cooperation . Gu Shenwei recognized that Maid Lotus weapon had not changed, it was still the Huan sword .