Chapter 252 – With a Flip of the Hand, Clouds Turn to Rain, The Fiendish Li Yuan - Part 3

Back home, as soon as she entered the courtyard, Cui Huayin tugged on Li Yuan’s sleeve, speaking softly but urgently.

“Husband, I was ambushed.”

Li Yuan raised his eyebrows. “Finally calling me husband, eh?”

She ignored his remark. “It was a sixth rank stranger and an undying. Without your ebony kinghounds, I...who knows what might have happened.”

She trailed off, then led him to the carriage, where she unwrapped the three items from her cloak and showed him. “I found these on the bodies. The sixth rank stranger was carrying them and said...”

Li Yuan prompted her, “Said what?”

Cui Huayin hesitated. “He planned to make me his slave—your wife, his slave.”

Li Yuan’s expression darkened. He’d already suspected as much the previous night, which was why he’d stationed two the ebony kinghounds with her that morning. The human-skin manacles were useless in a direct clash between two experts. But in other situations, they could be terrifying, enough to let one person seize control of an entire area at a moment’s notice. That was why they were so valuable, costing a full two mace of ghost money.

After talking more with Yan Yu, Li Yuan understood that a ghost shop grew stronger the more ghost money it earned.

Lately, Yan Yu had indeed become far more powerful, and the production rate of her human-skin manacles had risen from a couple every two months to six. Slipping him half of those supplies was like crippling half of her own cultivation.

After all, those manacles sold at a premium and were a unique item that kept wealthy undying husks coming back to her shop. She also had her own sly tricks—stocking them irregularly, so anyone hoping to buy one had to

try their luck

in the general store. If they were unlucky, they had to spend at least one mace and four cash before leaving empty-handed. But if word got out that the store carried no more manacles, its reputation would plummet and daily revenue would suffer.

That was why, after conferring with Yan Yu, Li Yuan had abandoned any notion of monopolizing the supply. Compared to the vast network of ghost shops, her little establishment was hardly the only place to acquire such things.

Many thoughts flickered through Li Yuan’s mind. At last, he pulled Cui Huayin close. “I’ll make them pay for hurting you.”

She stood there silently. For the first time, she sensed a depth in her husband she’d never noticed before.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

That night, Li Yuan returned to Ginger Tavern. He met with the fake Manager Wu, whose real name was Duan Yangsheng.

Li Yuan relayed the details of what had happened and discussed a plan of action.

The following day, Duan Yangsheng stormed into the ancient ghost street, heading straight for a manor in the Silkfloss Province.

He burst inside, shouting angrily, “You actually let that lecher Xue Li take a pair of human-skin manacles and go after Cui Huayin? Have you lost your minds?! Xue Li is dead, and Li Yuan learned everything! He knows about how Xue Li tried to enslave Cui Huayin and make her do his bidding! Why didn’t you send a female sixth rank expert for this mission? Why did you have to send Xue Li?! Now look at what you’ve done. Li Yuan was ready to leave with me, and you people have ruined everything!”

“Xue Li...how did he die?”

“Didn’t you investigate?” Duan Yangsheng asked, exasperated.

“This is deep in the Holy Tree Temple’s territory. Any major disturbance brings them swarming right away. We didn’t dare.”

“Well, I bet you never expected this. But besides being a weaponsmith, Li Yuan is also a skilled beastmaster. He had two sixth rank demonic beasts guarding Cui Huayin. Xue Li was torn to pieces by Li Yuan’s trained hounds!” Duan Yangsheng rolled his eyes.

“A beastmaster?!”

One of the undying husks shot to his feet, eyes brimming with astonishment. How could one person have so much talent? Both a weaponsmith and beastmaster? The value of someone like that was incalculable.

A sixth rank weaponsmith could craft fifth rank spirit weapons, or even half-step fourth rank weapons with quasi-domains. And a sixth rank beastmaster, in theory, could potentially tame a fifth rank demonic beast, given the right skill book.

Faced with such possibilities, the man realized that losing an ordinary sixth rank martial artist like Xue Li was nothing in comparison.

Somewhat meekly, he asked, “Does Li Yuan...really know everything?”

Duan Yangsheng sneered. “Obviously! He came to see me last night; he’s furious, and so am I! Are you all pigs? He was ready to go with me, but you messed it up. Now everything’s spoiled!”

His face contorted in fury, and he snarled, “Why in the world did you let Xue Li go after Cui Huayin in the first place? Was he just looking to violate her? Whose bright idea was that? I’m reporting this. The higher-ups are going to hear who ruined our chances!”

The man he was speaking to had a sickly pallor and drooping hair that partially covered his dull eyes. His name was Liang Ku, a veteran undying husk here in Silkfloss Province. His expression flickered, and at last he asked, “Is there any way to fix this?”

Duan Yangsheng said curtly, “Show sincerity.”

“What kind of sincerity?” Liang Ku asked.

“Who suggested having Xue Li try to enslave the Yin Consort?”

“His brother, Xue Sa. One is an undying husk, the other a wandering sixth rank martial artist.”

Duan Yangsheng sighed. “So you just went with his idea?”

Liang Ku brooded in silence for a while, then said, “I messed up. What do you propose we do?”

“Hand over Xue Sa to Li Yuan. Let him kill the man. That’s how we get our weaponsmith beastmaster back on our side.”

Liang Ku hesitated. “Won’t Li Yuan think we’re just offering up a scapegoat?”

“Xue Sa really is Xue Li’s blood brother. That’s easy enough to verify. Besides, Li Yuan still trusts me, at least a little. If you don’t kill Xue Sa, he’ll remain an enemy in Li Yuan’s eyes. Are you ready to lose Li Yuan forever just to protect that idiot? If you don’t want the credit, fine; let me have it.”

After some thought, Liang Ku nodded. “I’ll detain Xue Sa for now and wait for approval from above.”

“Then I’ll wait for your word.”

With that, Duan Yangsheng stomped off. Liang Ku stood there, expression grim, as though wrestling with some internal dilemma.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

A few days later.

Deep beneath the Ginger Tavern, a skinny man was tightly bound to a wooden pillar in a dark basement. Seated casually nearby was Li Yuan, one hand resting on five leashes. On the end of each leash was a hulking ebony marquis, their eerie green eyes burning in the gloom.

Three he brought over from Gemhill County, and two more had joined later. All of them were as big as little mountains. Now they stood licking their chops and drooling, eyes fixed on the bound man.

The captive was Xue Sa. His face was twisted in terror and regret. He wanted to beg for mercy, but his mouth was gagged. His pants were soaked; filthy drops still fell from the hems in a steady trickle.

Li Yuan loosened his grip on the leashes. In a flash, the five ebony marquises lunged forward, slamming Xue Sa to the floor and tearing into him with savage ferocity.

Li Yuan gave a sigh. “I do understand what you were trying to do. By controlling Cui Huayin, you and your brother might have risen through the ranks. It made perfect sense from your point of view.” He stood, walking closer to the pitiful, muffled screams. “So I hope you can understand my position as well.”

SNAP!

One of the dogs bit through Xue Sa’s neck. Its jaws wrenched until his head pulled free and rolled across the floor, eyes still staring at Li Yuan in wide-eyed terror.

A short while later, Li Yuan led the five ebony marquises out through the main floor of the Ginger Tavern into the bustling streets, drawing gasps from onlookers.

“Master Li is a beast tamer as well?!” Stunned whispers rippled through the crowd.

Li Yuan simply continued on, unconcerned by all the staring eyes.