Chapter 110 - 109: Who Wants to Harm Me?
The look of shock on Guan Yingxing’s face never faded as he listened to Yang Zhicai’s account.
Every year, he would travel deep into the Grassland to purchase foals, a trip that would take him three to four months.
Who would have thought that upon his return this time, the whole of Ning Province would have undergone such a drastic change? Even those fiends from the Blood God Sect had appeared.
After processing all this, Guan Yingxing bowed deeply to Chen Yuan again. "Regardless of your status, Lord Chen, to me, you are my savior."
"There’s no need for such formalities, Young Master Guan. I have been waiting for you by the Tolin Riverbank for several days, precisely to save your life today."
Guan Yingxing’s expression changed drastically.
’From the sound of it, he seems to know that bandits were going to ambush me?’
’Could it be that he arranged for these bandits, just to save me and demand repayment for the favor?’
However, Guan Yingxing immediately suppressed the thought as soon as it appeared.
’If Lord Chen had arranged this, why would he say it to my face?’
Guan Yingxing took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Lord Chen, did you know all along that someone was going to make a move against me? I don’t quite understand. I ask that you enlighten me, Lord Chen."
Chen Yuan said faintly, "The Ghost Owl Thieves have always operated in Desolate Heaven Ridge. For them to suddenly appear in the Western Grassland, and to know the exact time of your return—don’t you find that strange, Young Master Guan?
Your Guan Family of the Celestial Star Ranch is on good terms with many of the tribes in the Western Grassland. If you were attacked, the surrounding Grassland Tribes would come to your aid.
But the location the Ghost Owl Thieves chose was extremely cunning. There are no major tribes within a hundred-li radius, and the few small tribes that are here would be no match for them.
To choose a location with such precision... unless it was someone extremely familiar with you, Young Master Guan, and extremely familiar with the Western Grassland, they could not have made such an arrangement.
I’ve left one of them alive here. He should be one of the Ghost Owl Thief leaders. Young Master Guan, why don’t you interrogate him yourself."
After hearing all this, Guan Yingxing’s expression became uncertain.
He had just escaped a desperate situation and his mind was in turmoil, so he hadn’t thought that far.
But now, hearing Chen Yuan’s analysis, he realized there was truly something wrong with this ambush. Something very wrong!
Guan Yingxing drew his long saber and pressed it to the Ghost Owl Thief Leader’s neck, growling, "Speak! Who sent you to ambush and kill me?"
The Ghost Owl Thief Leader, whose Dantian had been crippled by Chen Yuan, knew that falling into their hands meant certain death.
Faced with Guan Yingxing’s interrogation, he just snorted coldly. "If you have the guts, then kill me! I’ve killed countless people in my life. I live with my head on the line. You think I’m afraid of death?"
Guan Yingxing frowned. He was at a loss as to how to deal with such a tough, stubborn bastard.
Just then, Cui Guan suddenly said, "Leave him to me."
Cui Guan walked over and ripped off the Ghost Owl Thief Leader’s shirt.
This action immediately made the Ghost Owl Thief Leader’s face change.
’This guy isn’t going to use *those* kinds of methods, is he? Right here, in front of everyone?’
There were plenty of men among the Ghost Owl Thieves who were into that sort of thing, but even they knew to do it in private!
"You may not fear death, but what about a fate where you can neither live nor die? Do you fear that?"
Cui Guan extended his fingers and struck several acupoints on the man’s body. An intensely sour and numbing sensation instantly surged through him, causing the Ghost Owl Thief Leader to let out a muffled groan.
Then, Cui Guan took out his Curved Saber and began to slowly slice off a piece of flesh from his body.
The sliver of meat was cut extremely thin, even thinner than the slices carved from the roasted whole lamb earlier.
And with every slice, he would use his Inner Strength to stop the man’s bleeding.
This was death by a thousand cuts, but it was a thousand times crueler.
Cui Guan had amplified the man’s sense of touch and pain a hundredfold. Every cut of the blade brought a wave of agony so intense it was worse than death.
The Ghost Owl Thief Leader struggled and wailed, his face contorted like a vicious ghost, sending a chill through the hearts of the onlookers.
"I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Just give me a quick death! I’ll tell you everything!"
Cui Guan released the man’s acupoints, a look of contempt on his face. "And here I thought you were some kind of tough guy. You couldn’t even withstand ten cuts."
Everyone else present looked at Cui Guan with a trace of terror.
’A normal person probably couldn’t even handle one cut, could they?’
The Ghost Owl Thief Leader gasped for breath and said, "I honestly don’t know who wanted you dead. The person who hired us used a middleman. They gave us a large sum of money and some Upper Grade Elixirs as payment.
They also gave us detailed information about you, including your route, the exact strength of your guards, and even the designated location for the ambush."
Hearing this, Guan Yingxing felt a chill run down his spine, his limbs turning cold.
This person not only knew his route but also the exact strength of his guards. ’Just how well does this person know me?’
"Young Master Guan, can you guess who wants you dead?"
Guan Yingxing shook his head. "This person knows me so well. Could it be someone from inside the Celestial Star Ranch who wants me dead?
But that’s impossible. In the Guan Family, it’s just my father and me. The rest are Honored Guest Elders who are tied to my family’s fate. We prosper and fall together. What reason would they have to kill me?"
"The people who know you this well aren’t limited to just those inside your Celestial Star Ranch. There is also the Xu Family of the Flying Horse Pavilion."
"Impossible!"
Guan Yingxing denied it instinctively. "The Xu Family and my Guan Family have been allies for generations. My wife is a direct daughter of the Xu Family, and the Flying Horse Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, Xu Yuanshao, is my father-in-law. Why would they want to harm me?"
Chen Yuan smiled. "Whether it’s them or not, I will discuss it in detail with your father when we return to the Celestial Star Ranch.
You only need to know that I am here to save your Guan Family. That is enough."
Guan Yingxing pondered for a moment, then nodded. "In that case, I invite Lord Chen to return to the Celestial Star Ranch with me."
Although Guan Yingxing didn’t believe what Chen Yuan said, the ambush still left him deeply unsettled.
His father-in-law’s family treated him very well. His own wife was gentle and virtuous, and she didn’t even object to him taking concubines.
’The Xu Family would harm me? How could that be possible?’
With heavy hearts, the group traveled for a day and a night before finally arriving at the Celestial Star Ranch.
The Celestial Star Ranch covered an enormous area, situated in a fertile land with lush water and grass.
As far as the eye could see, the wind created waves in the grass like a surging, jade-green ocean. Within the fences, ten thousand horses galloped freely, a truly magnificent sight.
At the very center of the ranch was a manor, where the Guan Family and some of the ranch’s Honored Guest Elders resided.
Most of the people in charge of herding the horses were Grassland herdsmen hired by the Guan Family, and they mostly lived in yurts on the ranch’s outskirts.
The Guan Family line was sparse. For three consecutive generations, there had only been a single heir, and Guan Yingxing’s generation had yet to produce any children.
Therefore, the manor, occupied only by a few servants and Honored Guest Elders, felt somewhat desolate.
Hearing that Guan Yingxing had returned, the current master of Celestial Star Ranch, Guan Zhenshan, immediately came out to greet his son.
"Yingxing, why are you in such a sorry state? Did you run into some trouble on the road?"
Guan Zhenshan was in his sixties, but he didn’t look old at all. He had a dignified appearance and a tall, strong build.
Guan Yingxing still bore the marks of a bloody battle, and one glance was enough to know that something was wrong.
"Father, on the way back, we were ambushed by the Ghost Owl Thieves. I had already bought over a thousand foals, but now less than half of them are left."
"Ambushed by bandits!?"
Guan Zhenshan’s expression changed instantly, but then he let out a long sigh. "The horses are just horses. As long as you’re all right, that’s all that matters."
Guan Yingxing pointed to the man behind him and said, "This is Lord Chen Tian, the new Inspector of Kaiping Prefecture. We owe our lives to his intervention."
Upon seeing Chen Tian, Guan Zhenshan’s expression shifted slightly.
Guan Yingxing had been in the depths of the Grassland for three months, but Guan Zhenshan had been in Kaiping Prefecture the whole time. Naturally, he had heard of Chen Yuan’s reputation.
This was the young prodigy who had recently risen through the ranks of Zhenwu Hall. His methods were ruthless and his strength formidable. He had directly replaced Qi Yuanming, taking control of Kaiping Prefecture while only at the Sea of Reincarnation Realm. Such an achievement was rare in the entire history of Zhenwu Hall.
Now, having just become the Inspector of Kaiping Prefecture, he had sent out notices to all the local forces, stating his intention to renegotiate taxes. It was clear he didn’t come with good intentions.
And now, this same man had rescued his son from bandits. Guan Zhenshan was old and shrewd; he immediately considered several possibilities.
’Could this have been a deliberate act? Does he want to use this favor to force me to take his side and help him suppress the Jianghu Forces in Kaiping Prefecture?’
Guan Yingxing seemed to sense what his father was thinking and said in a low voice, "Father, I’ve already interrogated the Ghost Owl Thieves. Someone hired them to ambush and kill me.
Furthermore, that person is extremely familiar with our Celestial Star Ranch. They knew my route and even how many men I took with me deep into the Grassland.
The exact number of men was only decided the day before we left. How could they know such details unless they were one of our own?
However, Lord Chen says that the ones who want to harm us are the Xu Family of the Flying Horse Pavilion."
Guan Zhenshan let out a long breath and cupped his fists at Chen Yuan. "Lord Chen, I am eternally grateful to you for saving my son.
However, if you are using this as a pretext to drive a wedge between my family and the Xu Family, then I’m afraid you have chosen the wrong target, Lord Chen.
The Celestial Star Ranch and the Flying Horse Pavilion are like two branches of the same tree. Xu Yuanshao and I are sworn brothers, and our families are joined by marriage.
Could it be that you want to sow discord between our two families to make it easier for you to control Kaiping Prefecture?"
"You see him as a brother, but he just wants to devour you whole!"
Chen Yuan shook his head gently. "Master Guan, think about it carefully. The specific details of Guan Yingxing’s trip deep into the Grassland were only finalized the day before he left.
Even the Honored Guest Elders traveling with him only knew that they themselves were going, not who else was part of the group.
Your Guan Family line is thin. There can’t be many people you would consider ’one of your own’ who would be privy to such information, are there?"
Guan Zhenshan immediately realized something, his expression turning grim and uncertain.
Guan Yingxing, however, wore a look of utter disbelief. "Are you saying Xiwen wants to harm me!?"
Only four people in the entire Guan Family could have known these details: Guan Zhenshan and his wife, and Guan Yingxing and his wife.
Although Guan Yingxing had other concubines, he never discussed ranch matters with them.
His parents would never harm him. That left only one suspect: his wife.