Chapter 188 - 121: A Shakedown?
With Red Maple Manor destroyed, Qianliu Manor had seized the opportunity to rise. In truth, there was nothing wrong with that.
No one makes way for the dead; only the dead make way for the living.
However, if they wanted to rise, they should have done so through proper planning and management. Instead, without even confirming if Red Maple Manor had any living heirs, they occupied the estate and stripped it of its valuables.
Such behavior... was no different from that of robbers.
Coupled with the actions of Qi Kai and Luo Zhenxie in front of Red Maple Manor today, a mortal enmity had already been forged between them.
This held true for both Jiang Ran and Ye Jingshuang.
With the four great sword sects now gathered at Red Maple Manor, Qianliu Manor would certainly not dare to cause any trouble.
In fact, upon learning of Qi Kai’s death, Manor Lord Qi would likely go into hiding immediately to escape a fatal end.
Rather than allow such a venomous snake to lie in wait, ready to strike at any moment...
...it was better to go and beat the snake to death, for the sake of their own peace of mind.
And right now was the perfect time.
That was why Jiang Ran had no intention of resting here. He had slept well last night, and the confrontation before Red Maple Manor today had been little more than a warm-up.
There was no need to rest.
Shi Miao was even more direct. Upon hearing Jiang Ran’s words, she shot to her feet.
She grabbed her longsword and started to head out.
But she stopped abruptly halfway and turned back to look at Jiang Ran.
A cold glint flickered in her eyes, which held a hint of killing intent as she asked in a frigid tone:
"Where is Qianliu Manor?"
"..."
’You were in such a hurry, but you don’t even know where it is?’
Jiang Ran sighed and glanced at Ye Jingshuang.
Ye Jingshuang nodded. "I’ll lead the way!"
With that, she was already out the door.
Su Wanyi quickly said:
"Don’t be so hasty. I will gather my disciples to lend you our strength."
Jiang Ran smiled.
"Senior Su, you all should rest. We’ll be right back."
Su Wanyi thought for a moment, then finally nodded.
Firstly, she had seen Jiang Ran’s peerless martial arts with her own eyes today. With his protective dharma manifestation and a single point of his finger, he had shattered Shi Pingzhang’s insidious techniques.
Secondly, although her disciples were now awake, their bodies were utterly depleted, as if a thief had ransacked an empty house. They needed time to recover.
But as she thought about it, she found Shi Miao’s situation somewhat strange.
She had been unconscious longer than anyone else, yet upon waking, she was full of vigor, as if completely unaffected.
Recalling the unique art Shi Miao cultivated, Su Wanyi frowned. ’This is something I must report back to the sect,’ she thought.
...
...
Not many people went to Qianliu Manor.
Jiang Ran, Ye Jingshuang, Shi Miao, and Luo Qingyi.
Four people in total.
Luo Qingyi had caught the three of them just as they were about to leave.
When she asked and found out they were going to cause trouble at Qianliu Manor, she naturally insisted on coming along.
Li Tianxin and Zhang Zhihua were also nearby at the time.
For some reason, however, Li Tianxin—who usually loved to follow Jiang Ran into the thick of things—didn’t join them this time.
And since he wasn’t going, his little shadow, Zhang Zhihua, naturally wouldn’t either.
And so, the group of four set out.
Qianliu Manor was less than fifty li from Red Maple Manor.
As they traveled, Jiang Ran learned more about Qianliu Manor from Ye Jingshuang.
The master of Qianliu Manor was named Qi Cheng.
The man was by no means ordinary, possessing commendable skill in both martial arts and strategy.
Before the age of thirty, he had mastered his family’s ultimate art, the Thousand Streams and Ten Thousand Blades Finger.
He had made a considerable name for himself in the martial world.
Furthermore, he was known for his magnanimous and heroic character, earning a reputation for chivalry. As a result, some admirers had even called his the second Red Maple Manor.
In the past, Qi Cheng had often taken pride in this comparison, but now, it seemed it had all been an act.
Jiang Ran found this rather ordinary.
’After all, who would want to live in another’s shadow?’
As for heirs, Qi Cheng had only one son: Qi Kai.
After Qi Kai’s mother passed away a few years after giving birth to him, Qi Cheng never remarried.
This, too, earned him the admiration of many.
Besides Qi Cheng, there were four other experts in the manor.
These four were either acquaintances Qi Cheng had met in the martial world and invited to join him.
Or they had been drawn by his reputation and came seeking a position.
Each possessed their own unique martial skills.
It was also worth mentioning that Qi Cheng had a younger brother.
However, this brother was born to a concubine. He had been disdained by the old manor lord of Qianliu Manor, and now, he was naturally disregarded by Qi Cheng as well.
Ye Jingshuang had only heard of the man, but had never met him in person.
All she knew was that his martial arts were mediocre, that he loved a life of pleasure and indulgence, and that he was occasionally dragged home by Qi Cheng from the red-light districts to be confined and forced to reflect on his ways.
Incidents like these only served to further burnish Qi Cheng’s public image.
The group talked as they traveled, and covering the distance of less than fifty li at full speed using their Lightweight Techniques, it wasn’t long before they arrived.
Red Maple Manor was on Red Maple Mountain; Qianliu Manor was at another foot of the same mountain.
Jiang Ran’s group crossed the mountain and looked down to see a manor nestled beside a great river. With water before its gates and a mountain at its back, it projected an air of tranquil leisure, despite not being particularly large.
The group leaped down, and in just a few bounds, they arrived before the gates of Qianliu Manor.
They had barely steadied themselves when a Qianliu Manor disciple called out:
"Who are you? What business do you have at Qianliu Manor?"
Jiang Ran was admiring the surrounding scenery. Hearing the question, he turned back with a smile.
"I’ve long heard that the master of Qianliu Manor, Qi Cheng, is a man of great chivalry and soaring heroic spirit.
"The few of us were just passing through and have run out of travel funds. We figured we’d ask Manor Lord Qi for some silver to spend."