LRAB Chapter 93: More enigmatic than flowers, more fragrant than jade.
Chapter 93: More enigmatic than flowers, more fragrant than jade.
Chapter 93: More enigmatic than flowers, more fragrant than jade.
"The once mighty Golden Roc Dynasty was at its zenith —"
Dugu Yihe slowly began to explain the reason.
"Unfortunately, it could not escape the iron law of decline after reaching its peak. The three princes fought for power and profit, using every means possible, while the Rakshasa Kingdom was eyeing them covetously, so it was a case of internal and external troubles."
"Knowing that the Great Golden Roc Dynasty was facing an unprecedented crisis, the old Golden Roc King secretly transferred a large amount of gold and silver treasures."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yu couldn't help but ask, "Is it the gold and silver treasure hidden in the legendary treasure map?"
Dugu Yihe shook his head: "There is no treasure map at all."
"Oh?"
"That's just a malicious conspiracy by some people to create chaos."
"You mean, the Green Robe Pavilion?"
Dugu Yihe said, "Based on my guess, it's not just Qingyi Tower."
"Since there's no treasure map, I'm curious, where are the gold and silver treasures of the Great Golden Roc Dynasty?"
Dugu Yihe hesitated for a moment before saying, "Those treasures were secretly transported to the Central Plains in batches. I have a portion, and the other two ministers and the little prince each have a portion."
"So that's how it is. What's the story behind Huo Tianqing saying that the sect leader embezzled this fortune?"
Dugu Yihe said angrily, "This is simply throwing dirty water on my head. I haven't touched a single penny of that wealth. All these years, I've been searching for the Little Prince's whereabouts, but to no avail."
Gu Yu then asked, "There's one more thing. I wonder why Sect Leader Dugu is so determined to deal with the Green Robe Tower?"
A cold glint flashed in Dugu Yihe's eyes as he said, "Through years of covert investigation, I suspect that the owner of Qingyi Tower is the true minister who embezzled the treasures of the Great Golden Roc Dynasty—Shangguan Mu!"
"Shangguan Mu is a member of the royal family of the Great Golden Roc Dynasty, so he took the most treasure, at least half of it."
Gu Yu nodded: "I see. Has Sect Leader Dugu been able to find out who the owner of the Green Robe Pavilion is?"
Dugu Yihe shook his head: "This is precisely why I want to deal with Qingyi Tower. I must force the person behind it all to come out."
Gu Yu smiled and said, "Why would Sect Leader Dugu tell me these secrets?"
Dugu Yihe said frankly, "Because we share the same goal, and you and Qingyilou have already formed a deadly feud, a great battle will break out sooner or later."
"If we join forces, there will be no harm whatsoever."
"Hmm, that makes sense."
"So, Young Master Gu has agreed?"
Gu Yu smiled, leaned closer and whispered, "There's someone that Sect Leader Dugu can secretly investigate."
"Who?"
"That's Huo Xiu, who's known as the richest man in the world!"
"Hoshye————"
Dugu Yihe paused for a moment, looking thoughtful.
As the saying goes, a single word can awaken a person from a dream.
The Hua family was incredibly wealthy in Jiangnan, a large family formed through generations of accumulation.
Huo Xiu's origins are shrouded in mystery; no one knows his past. Yet, he managed to build his fortune from scratch, with businesses scattered across the land, which is indeed somewhat suspicious.
"Understood, thank you for the reminder, Young Master Gu."
In the blink of an eye, a few more days have passed.
That evening, Gu Yu saw Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou again.
After chatting for a while, Lu Xiaofeng said with a smile, "I'll take you to a fun place tonight."
Gu Yu asked instinctively, "Where?"
"Silver Hook Gambling House!"
"Hmm?" Gu Yu raised an eyebrow. "I don't think there's a Silver Hook Gambling House in the capital."
"We just opened for business today, and Silver Hook Casino is here for the big prize."
Hua Manlou laughed and said, "It seems that many forces in the martial arts world want a piece of the pie."
Lu Xiaofeng nodded: "This duel between Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng can be called a grand event in the martial arts world in a century. Many people have placed bets, and the stakes are very high. I heard that someone bet over a million taels of silver at once."
Hua Manlou exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that a bit too much?"
Lu Xiaofeng laughed and said, "This is a typical gambler's mentality. Currently, more people are betting on Ye Gucheng to win, as his odds are 1 to 1, while Ximen Chuixue's odds are 1 to 3."
Hua Manlou couldn't help but ask, "Judging from the odds, most people are indeed not optimistic about Ximen Chuixue. So, who are you planning to bet on?"
Lu Xiaofeng sighed: "As a friend, I will naturally bet on Ximen Chuixue."
Hua Manlou added, "It sounds like you don't really think highly of Ximen Chuixue either, you're only betting on him to win as a friend."
Lu Xiaofeng remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Indeed, that was what he thought, because he had received Ye Gucheng's sword and knew how terrifying that sword was.
Moreover, he was certain that Ye Gucheng hadn't used his full strength in that sword strike. In a life-or-death battle, he wasn't sure he could have withstood that attack.
Hua Manlou frowned and said, "Then why didn't you persuade Ximen Chuixue to give up the final battle?"
Lu Xiaofeng shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Giving up is tantamount to showing weakness, which is even harder than killing him."
Soon after, the three of them arrived at the newly opened Silver Hook Casino.
As soon as he entered, a man named Fang Yufei came forward to greet him. He was Lu Xiaofeng's friend and also the manager of the Silver Hook Gambling House.
The three of them played a few rounds of gambling in the casino, and then followed Fang Yufei to the backyard.
"Haha, it's an honor to have you here, Master Lu! I'm so sorry I didn't greet you properly!"
Upon entering the courtyard, before seeing anyone, a burst of hearty laughter reached my ears.
Then a bearded man strode forward to greet them.
This man was the big boss of Silver Hook Casino, known as "Bluebeard".
Lu Xiaofeng laughed and said, "Your blue beard is quite unique."
Bluebeard laughed heartily, ripped off his blue beard to reveal an ordinary face: "A casino owner has to look intimidating, otherwise he won't be able to keep the place in check."
Bluebeard warmly invited the three into the flower hall, where a table of exquisite food and wine had already been set out.
Just as the group sat down, a beautiful and charming woman walked in.
A sky-blue, narrow-sleeved long dress perfectly outlined her shapely figure, and her skin was as smooth and delicate as white jade, making one want to caress it.
More enigmatic than flowers, more fragrant than jade.
This woman's name is Fang Yuxiang!
Bluebeard chuckled, "Madam, let me introduce you. This is the renowned Lu Xiaofeng, the great hero Lu."
Fang Yuxiang gave a graceful curtsy: "Greetings, Master Lu!"
"This is Hua Manlou, the seventh young master of the Hua family in Jiangnan!"
"Greetings, Seventh Young Master!"
Bluebeard pointed at Gu Yu again and laughed, "This young hero is none other than Gu Yu, the one who single-handedly razed a branch of the Green Robe Pavilion and killed Huo Tianqing, the only son of the Heavenly Bird Elder, with a single sword strike!"
At this moment, a strange light flashed in Fang Yuxiang's eyes, and she bowed again: "So, young hero Gu is the renowned young hero of the martial world. This humble servant greets you!"
Gu Yu cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said with a smile, "Madam, you are too kind. Boss Lan, I truly envy you."
"Oh?" The blue-bearded man chuckled. "I'm just a gambling den owner; what is there for you to envy, young hero?"
Gu Yu laughed and said, "I envy you for having such a beautiful wife."
"I am truly ashamed. Young Master Gu, you flatter me."
Next, Fang Yuxiang picked up the jade pot and poured wine for everyone.
When she reached Gu Yu's side, her body suddenly stiffened.
Because, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Gu Yu moved his leg and touched her leg—
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