#257 - Chapter 257: Jinxi Building

Raising his head, Xu Le gazed at the ancient and majestic plaque. The three characters “Golden Echo Pavilion” were inlaid upon it with a flowing and unrestrained grace. The golden paint shimmered with a faint glow under the setting sun. Xu Le gently stepped over the threshold, murmuring in his heart, “That’s right, this is the place.”

As he entered the pavilion, a delicate aroma of sandalwood wafted over, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle outside. The hall was decorated with both splendor and elegance. Glazed lanterns hung high, reflecting on the exquisite carved window lattices. Every detail revealed an extraordinary taste.

Inside Golden Echo Pavilion, the lights were bright, a stark contrast to the tranquility outside. Xu Le stepped over the threshold, and a mixed scent of sandalwood and alcohol rushed towards him. Whispers and laughter immediately followed, for this was the most mysterious intelligence exchange in the Prefecture City.

He passed through the bustling crowd, his eyes wandering among the cunning or indifferent faces, finally stopping on an old man behind the counter who was resting with his eyes closed. The old man's beard and hair were all white, but he possessed an imposing aura, as if he could see through people's hearts.

“I want to inquire about some information,” Xu Le’s voice was not loud, but it clearly entered the old man’s ears.

The old man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp, and sized Xu Le up and down before slowly saying, “You know the rules, right? The value of the information depends on the price you offer.”

Xu Le smiled slightly, took out a heavy gold ingot from his arms, and gently placed it on the counter. The gold ingot gleamed with an enticing light under the lamplight. “This is a deposit. I want to know about all unusual movements related to the Su family caravan in the Prefecture City recently.”

The old man’s eyes lit up slightly, and then he signaled Xu Le to wait a moment. After a while, he returned with a sealed envelope in his hand. “Here is the answer you want, but remember, some secrets are best left unknown.”

Xu Le took the envelope, and a sense of inexplicable excitement and unease surged in his heart. He knew that once this step was taken, there would be no turning back. But for the future of the Hongmen, for that heavy responsibility, he had to move forward.

His brother-in-law told him to be the vanguard; he had to make a name for himself, otherwise, he would be laughed at to death by his brother-in-law when he returned.

Leaving the Golden Echo Pavilion, the night was already deep. There were few pedestrians on the street, and only the occasional sound of the watchman's clapper in the distance reminded people of the passage of time. Xu Le quickened his pace, pondering how to safely send this information back to Wu Feng, and how they should act next.

Back at the residence, Wu Feng was carefully studying the clues collected today by the dim candlelight, his brow furrowed, obviously encountering considerable difficulties. Seeing Xu Le return, he immediately greeted him, his eyes flashing with anticipation.

“How was it? Did you find out anything?”

Xu Le nodded and handed the envelope to Wu Feng. The two sat around the table together and opened the envelope. The contents inside made them look at each other with solemn expressions.

The destruction of the Su family caravan involved many forces in the Prefecture City. The main reason was that the Su family caravan was transporting an unknown valuable item, suspected to be letters related to the Red Lotus Sect rebellion in the Eastern Imperial Route and Tonglu Route.

This stirred up a storm in the Prefecture City.

After reading this message, Wu Feng and Xu Le's expressions changed. Being associated with the rebel Red Lotus Sect was not something ordinary people could handle.

Wu Feng took a deep breath, “This matter is of great importance, we should not interfere.”

Xu Le nodded, “The situation in the city is complicated now, it is better for us to keep a low profile. It's just a pity for that gold ingot.”

Just as the two were discussing, a faint footstep suddenly came from outside the door.

Wu Feng looked warily at the door, secretly gathering strength in his hands.

A black shadow flashed past and instantly entered the room.

Wu Feng and Xu Le quickly got up and adopted a defensive posture.

The black shadow did not speak after seeing the two in a defensive posture, but directly attacked them.

The black shadow's movements were swift and silent, like a leopard in the night, carrying an imposing and fierce momentum. Wu Feng and Xu Le reacted extremely quickly, their figures flashed, dodging to both sides, while each grasped their weapons, ready to deal with this sudden attack.

Seeing Wu Feng and the other able to dodge his attack, the man in black said with interest: “Are you two the ones inquiring about the Su family caravan?”

“Who are you, visiting late at night? What is your business?” Wu Feng shouted in a deep voice, his voice containing both vigilance and a hint of imposing manner.

The black shadow did not answer immediately, but leaped lightly in the room, seemingly looking for flaws. Moonlight shone through the window lattices, dappling on his body, vaguely revealing his thin figure, wearing a black veil, only revealing a pair of sharp eagle-like eyes.

“Hmph, I am a Shadow Guard of the Red Lotus Sect, here to retrieve the letter belonging to my sect.” The black shadow finally spoke, his voice low and cold, revealing an undeniable majesty.

Xu Le's heart shuddered when he heard this. He did not expect the Red Lotus Sect's power to have penetrated to such an extent, even targeting small figures like them.

“We don’t know anything about any letter, nor have we ever seen anyone from the Su family caravan. We just wanted to use this opportunity to make a name for ourselves. You’ve come to the wrong people.” He tried to remain calm, trying to stabilize the other party with words and dispel the misunderstanding.

The black shadow sneered, obviously not believing it, “The matter of the Su family caravan has spread throughout the Prefecture City. If you want to stay out of it, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy. Hand over the letter now, and I might consider sparing your lives.”

Wu Feng was furious when he heard this. He knew the notorious reputation of the Red Lotus Sect and was even less willing to be threatened by them. “Although we are small figures, we also know right from wrong. If there really is a letter, handing it over to you would be fine, but you are just trying to find fault!” As he spoke, his figure moved, and he was about to launch an attack on the black shadow.

However, the black shadow seemed to have been prepared for this, his figure flickered like a ghost, easily avoiding Wu Feng's attack, and with a backhand strike, he hit his side rib: “It seems that only by capturing you can I get the truth.”

Having said that, the speed of the shot is even faster

Wu Feng hurriedly regained his momentum to defend. The two immediately fell into a fierce battle.

Wu Feng felt that the Red Lotus Sect Shadow Guard's strength was stronger than his, but definitely not as strong as the Sect Master Wei Zhuang. His strength should be around the middle or late stage of Bone Refinement.

Seeing this, Xu Le was not willing to lag behind. Although he was not good at martial arts, he was intelligent and resourceful. While the black shadow was entangled with Wu Feng, he quietly went around behind him, preparing to sneak attack.

However, just as he was about to succeed, the black shadow seemed to have eyes on his back, suddenly turned around, and slapped out a palm, colliding with Xu Le's knife, making a muffled “bang” sound.

Xu Le only felt a huge force coming, and his whole body could not help but retreat a few steps, his heart filled with shock. He knew that he was definitely not this person's opponent, but looking at Wu Feng in a difficult battle, he had to grit his teeth and persevere, looking for an opportunity to counterattack.