Chapter 29: Heaven is dry and withered, beware of fire and candles.

  Luotian Emperor Capital

  Although the imperial capital is not as rich as Jiangnan, nor as strong as Sai Bei, it has a broad vision. It happens that the Qiang people are making trouble, and talented and powerful people from all sides are gathering in the capital city, mixed with fish and dragons, bustling.

  It's already March, and the war between Luo Tian and the Xibe Qiang people has been going on for half a year. This time, Nan Gong Jin united the eight tribes of the Man Yi with the Qiang people, gathering an army of 400,000 to attack, their strength is not to be underestimated. Emperor Luo Tian personally went to Sai Bei to fight.

  The Qiang people and the Man barbarian troops were very brave, the northern border was often barren for years, their tribes were mostly displaced, it was rare to gather together in a tribe, and they were united, anyway there was no way out, so when fighting broke out, they fought desperately.

  Nangong Jin was away due to the war, so the imperial court's internal affairs were handled by the two prime ministers who gathered the senior officials of the imperial court to form a temporary council to deal with state affairs. It seemed calm on the surface.

  Chengnan, the most prosperous area of the imperial capital. Three months ago, a restaurant called Boming Building opened. On the day it opened, there were no firecrackers or excitement, just a quiet sign hanging and a silent opening of the door.

  Someone went in to take a look, but the dish prices scared people's legs soft. A plate of peanuts was clearly priced at 100 taels.

  This behavior is considered crazy by ordinary people, but for some clever people, it's thought-provoking.

  Late at night, the south of the city is still bustling with activity.

  The streets on both sides were hung with all kinds of lanterns, illuminating the surrounding shops brightly.

  A horse-drawn carriage slowly drove across the wide street, this carriage was very old and ordinary, it looked like it had been deliberately found to be so tattered. It's rare to see something so worn out in the imperial capital at this time of year.

  The coachman pulled the reins, and the carriage came to a stop. After a long time, an old hand opened the curtain from inside the carriage, and an elderly man with a rather strange appearance got out of the carriage with the help of the coachman.

  He, due to his advanced age, had a stooped body and the wrinkles on his face distorted his appearance. With the support of the groom, he slowly walked into the empty wine house, Bai Ming Lou.

  Behind the counter, the shopkeeper was busily clicking away at his abacus, even though not a single customer had come in all day, he seemed to have an endless amount of calculations to do. Hearing the commotion at the entrance, he quickly looked up and caught sight of the old man.

  He slightly raised an eyebrow, stopped the movement in his hand, hastily stepped forward, bowed and said softly: "Lord Liu, why have you come personally? Is there something that you would like to instruct us on?"

  "How could these young whippersnappers have the face to meet your esteemed husband? My own adopted son has come to pay his respects no less than five times, yet he hasn't even caught a glimpse of him." Old Man Liu spoke as if he would run out of breath at any moment.

  The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Look at what you're saying. The other day my master was not here, so I delayed you. What a coincidence, my master has just returned. Please follow me."

  The shopkeeper led Liu Gonggong to the elegant pavilion on the second floor.

  The shopkeeper led Liu Gonggong to the door of the elegant pavilion on the second floor, which was open, but a pricey beaded curtain hung from it. Liu Gonggong looked at this expensive beaded curtain and was taken aback, gasping for breath.

  "Sir, Liu Gonggong has arrived." The shopkeeper reported in a low voice at the door to the people inside.

  A sound of pages turning came from inside, and a moment later, a hollow voice sounded. "Mr. Liu, please come in."

  Liu Gonggong hesitated for a moment, just about to take the groom in with him, but the shopkeeper stopped the groom. He smiled somewhat awkwardly. "Sir, please."

  Liu Gonggong hummed and opened the bead curtain with a stoop, walking in.

  In the study, behind a very ordinary desk, a tall and imposing man was reading a book scroll. His physique was unusually tall and large, but also lean and thin, with huge palms wrapped around his bony hands, making him look like a walking skeleton wearing clothes.

  He slowly raised his head, and Liu Gong saw his face, was shocked for a moment, then breathed with difficulty.

  He had no face... his face was covered with all kinds of scars, and his facial features were no longer in their original position, leaving only a pair of eyeballs that glowed with a cold light, with a ferocious expression, like a ghost.

  Mr. Liu was also a man who had seen the world, he walked slowly over and sat down opposite the other person, the person opposite him didn't speak either, just quietly looking at the book in his hand, Mr. Liu thought for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.

  "This Huang Ren Zhong..."

  "One hundred thousand taels."

  "Isn't it 50,000 taels?"

  A few days ago, he let his adopted son come to ask the price, at that time Huang Renzhong was 50,000 taels, they hesitated for several days, until today decided to make a down payment, but did not expect, just a few days, this life has risen in price again.

  "Huang General came to see me yesterday, he offered one hundred thousand taels..." He slowly raised his eyes, his ferocious face under the candlelight was even more frightening, as if smiling, continued: "to buy your life."

  Mr. Liu's breathing was in disarray again, his chest was like a fan, and every difficult breath made a humming sound. "You..."

  "A businessman is a businessman, wherever the price is high, he does business there. Think thrice, sir." He said this with a smile, but still looked ferocious.

  "Alright, alright, I'll give 100,000 taels, 100,000 taels!" He was aware of the tactics employed by Bai Ming Lou; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to find them. As long as money is involved, there's no life that can't be bought.

  "Gold."

  Old Master Liu suddenly opened his eyes wide, and for the first time, the wrinkles on his face were smoothed out due to shock. Fortunately, he had seen all sorts of exaggerated things over the years; otherwise, he would have vomited blood and died long ago.

  "Good......" He had no choice now, as long as Huang Renzhong didn't die, he would have to die.

  The general's mansion, singing and dancing, Huang Renzhong sat on top, hugging a beauty in his arms, drinking and laughing.

  Under him were his subordinates, he was very happy today because he spent 200,000 taels of gold to buy the life of Liu Gonggong, the red person beside the Empress Dowager. With this man's death, the Empress Dowager's connection with those old stubborn people outside would be cut off.

  "General, Shanhe Guanwang has requested an additional 100,000 troops. What do you think..." At this time, the deputy officer under his seat asked for instructions.

  "How dare you!" Huang Renzhong suddenly flew into a rage. "Are you doubting Wang's ability?! A few barbarian bandits, Wang will naturally have a way to deal with them, when did it become your turn to say whether to increase troops or not? Take him away and behead him!"

  Suddenly, the room fell silent, everyone looked at each other in dismay, not a word was spoken. Outside the door, two guards dragged the captain away, but he did not beg for mercy, this was the outcome he had expected.

  He is Nan Gongjin's man, at this critical moment, he will naturally be hunted down by Huang Renzhong.

  Before long, a mournful cry came from outside the door. Huang Renzhong sneered and continued drinking and watching the dance, while everyone else pretended that nothing had happened.

  Suddenly, another mournful cry came from outside the door! The whole hall was silent again...

  Huang Ren felt a sense of foreboding, but he didn't panic. This was his general's mansion, heavily guarded, and even if something happened, he had the strength to resist. At this time, the door outside kept making all sorts of mournful cries.

  The dancers retreated to the back hall, and the military officers under the seats stood up one after another, drew their swords and protected Huang Renzhong in front of them, vigilantly looking at the empty door outside, the dark courtyard.

  For a moment, all was silent and still.

  "General!!" At this time, the steward of the general's mansion, covered in blood, stumbled and staggered in.

  "What's going on!" Huang Renzhong looked at his flustered appearance and suddenly felt a little uneasy.

  "There's an assassin! There's an assassin!" The housekeeper wailed, but couldn't say anything clearly, only shouting that there was an assassin.

  "Where is the Imperial Guard?" The General's mansion was guarded just as heavily as the imperial palace, and that thousand-strong elite cavalry unit had always been invincible wherever they went.

  "All the guards are dead, all of them!!" This is what made the butler feel most terrified.

  Suddenly, the subordinates in front of Huang Renzhong let out a sigh of surprise. The thousand elite cavalry guards were all dead in an instant?! And until now, they haven't even seen the assassin's shadow!

  Caw, caw, caw——

  Suddenly, the sound of wooden wheels rolling on the ground came from the corridor outside. Huang Renzhong's subordinates raised their vigilance, while Huang Renzhong stared with wide eyes and a pale face, he knew who had come, it was him, unexpectedly it was him...

  He lifted his head again, and Huang Renzhong almost suffocated. At the door, a large wheelchair was parked there, on which a man with an exceptionally tall figure sat, his face invisible in the darkness, only two eyes staring coldly at Huang Renzhong. Huang Renzhong trembled all over as he met that gaze, pointing at him, "J...j..."

  Judge?! At this time, those subordinates in front of him suddenly realized what they were facing.

  Suddenly! A cracking sound of breaking bones echoed, and Huang Renzhong took two steps back in fright.

  With a "thud"! The subordinates in front of him fell to the ground one after another, their faces filled with shock and horror. Their eyes were wide open, filled with fear and doubt. In the empty hall, except for Huang Renzhong and the person at the door, there was no one else.

  Huang Renzhong was no longer trembling, but **, the enormous fear made him almost unable to breathe, he sweated like rain, gasping heavily, his face full of horror.

  At the door, that person was already holding a thick book and a red brush several times larger than an ordinary brush. He wrote and painted on the book with great seriousness.

  "Huang Ren Zhong." He wrote the last three words, read them out loud, and after finishing, he seemed to smile coldly. Then he raised his hand and crossed out the three words on the book with his pen.

  As the last word was spoken, a loud thud echoed through the hall, and Huang Renzhong suddenly fell to the ground. His head rolled down the steps, with bright red blood gushing from his neck.

  At this time, a white figure had already stopped in front of him. "Bullseye."

  He nodded slightly, put away the thick book, and pressed the mechanism with his right hand. The wheelchair turned and moved towards the outside. His voice was as hollow as ever, like a grim reaper walking in the dark night.

  "Heaven is dry and things are withered, beware of fire."