While Pei Lianxue followed the lady owner to the back room to have her measures taken, Ye Anping was going to casually look at the clothes in the shop, but just as she entered the back room, he felt a killing intent coming from across the street.
Ye Anping flinched slightly and turned his head, looking over there warily.
Liang Zhu, wearing a bamboo hat, was leaning against the wall of a shop opposite. When Ye Anping looked at him, he raised his hat with his finger, glanced at him, and then walked down a side alley.
It seems that this man followed them all the way, but he held back his aura, so he and Pei Lianxue were completely unaware they were being followed.
"Why now..."Ye Anping sighed softly and looked in the direction of the shop's back room. It should take some time for his sister to finish the measurements. After a short hesitation, he crossed the street and followed Liang Zhu into the alley.
As for why Liang Zhu came to him at this time? He did have a general idea.
Thinking about it, it's likely that this guy secretly investigated his background, and since he followed him shopping with Pei Lianxue, he must have realized that he was tricked.
But, it was nothing unexpected.
His identity as the "shopkeeper" had not been done too carefully; there were too many flaws, and the moment it was found out that he was the Young Master of the ***Hundred Lotus*** sect, this false identity would be exposed.
After entering the dark alley, Ye Anping pinched the bridge of his nose to let his eyes gradually adapt to the darkness as he could barely see the surroundings.
He walked deeper into the alley and after crossing a corner, Liang Zhu was there, waiting for him.Seeing him approaching, Liang Zhu asked directly. "How many feathers does the Golden Crow have?"
This sentence was also a code of the ***Seven Slayers***, but it was not the code between "operative agents" and "informants", but between "operative agents" themselves.
As for the answer to the code...
Ye Anping replied. "One is gold, one is silver, and one is five-colored. A total of three feathers."
"..."
Seeing that Ye Anping once again knew the secret code, Liang Zhu became vigilant, frowned, and asked bluntly. "Young Master of the ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect, how did you learn about the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect's secret code?"
"Young master of the ***Hundred Lotus***? Big Brother Liang, it seems you have been secretly investigating me."
Hearing that Ye Anping still called him "Big Brother Liang", Liang Zhu sneered. "You still call me Big Brother, 'Sixth Brother'."
"After all, we became sworn brothers, didn't we?" A sardonic smile appeared on Ye Anping's face as he asked curiously. "By the way, Brother Liang, when did you start doubting my identity? Did you suspect me from the beginning?"
"Although I was surprised when you answered the informants' secret code, seeing that the shopkeeper here was just a kid, I didn't doubt it. After all, not everyone knows the code."
"Then..."
"It was after we escaped from the ***Black Star*** Sect back mountain..."
"..."
"I've thought about it for a long time... whether it's the easy way my 'Big Dipper suffocating spirit' spell was cracked, the death of my brothers, or your behavior at that time, I finally realized that there is a problem with you."
"Well, you're right."
"You previously said your name was Jiang Ziya, so I searched for the name again but found nothing about it. However, I found a lot about the name Ye Anping."
Saying that, Liang Zhu raised his sword fingers.
A spiritual light flashed, and a sword suddenly appeared in his right hand.
The next moment---
Swish---
A wheezing was heard in the air.
The sword was raised and stopped right next to Ye Anping's neck.
"..."
Ye Anping glanced at the sword's surface reflecting the silver light but did not make any movements to dodge.
"You're not scared?" Liang Zhu narrowed his eyes.
"Brother Liang, since you can think of checking my identity, it means that you are not stupid enough to kill me directly."
"Heh..." Liang Zhu sneered. "Do you know what happens to someone who impersonates a ***Seven Slayers*** Sect shopkeeper?"
Ye Anping nodded calmly and replied. "In short, he will die."
"That's right." Liang Zhu nodded. "And it will be a miserable death. He would be imprisoned by the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect and tortured, his body dismembered on a wheel and discarded on an unknown mountain."
"Yeah, I know."
"So?" Liang Zhu narrowed his eyes.
"Brother Liang, do you want to understand why I posed as one of the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect shopkeepers? And why did I lead you and the others into the ***Black Star*** Sect? And why did I bring you out safely from the back mountain in the end?"
"...does it matter?"
Ye Anping shrugged and leisurely replied. "If you really want to understand, then there is no need to hold the sword to my neck."
"..."
Liang Zhu quietly stared into Ye Anping's eyes, then helplessly withdrew his sword and said with a bitter smile, "Tell me."
"I pretended to be the shopkeeper of the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect, so as an agent of the sect, it is only natural for you to take my head."
"..."
"But what if I said that the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect is about to be destroyed?"
"Destroyed?" Liang Zhu was slightly shocked.
"The ***Black Star*** now regards the ***Seven Slayers*** as a thorn in their side, and Grand Elder Lei Wanjun is already planning to eradicate it from the **Western Region**."
"..."
"You didn't want to kill me to seek revenge for the brothers. You came here to take my life simply as a member of the ***Seven Slayers***. But now that the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect has become a mortal enemy of the ***Black Star***, do you still want to stay there?"
"..." Liang Zhu frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Are you a disciple of the ***Black Star*** Sect?"
"No."
"No? Then, why do you know... Nevermind..." Liang Zhu shook his head and retorted. "The location of the *Fort of Secrets* of the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect is top secret. I have stayed in the sect for more than forty years and have never entered it. Even if the ***Black Star*** wants to eradicate the ***Seven Slayers***, it will not be easy..."
"Is that so?"
Seeing that Ye Anping was still calm, Liang Zhu frowned even harder, this boy did not act like a 15-year-old at all.
"You wouldn't know where the *Fort of Secrets* is, would you?"
"Of course I know and I can tell you, but Brother Liang, think clearly---do you really want to know where the *Fort of Secrets* is?"
"..."
Liang Zhu hesitated.
He had indeed been curious about the location of that *Fort of Secrets* for many years, but at the same time, he knew a truth: that there were some things in this world that should remain a secret.
Ye Anping said with a smile, "Brother, how about you do me another small favor?"
"Since we've reached this stage..."
"I'm merely trying to make a little money. With just a little effort on your part, we can earn 7,500 spirit stones. Would you consider it?"
Hearing this, Liang Zhu looked into Ye Anping's eyes again and felt troubled.
The boy had lied to him once, so there was no way he could trust him again.
Therefore, no matter how many spirit stones he offered, he should never get involved with him again.
Common sense told him that's what he should do.
But---
Obviously, this kid had a maturity beyond his appearance and proved that he was definitely not a small potato.
He was good enough to know the secret codes of the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect.
He was also good enough to bring five *Foundation Building* stage cultivators, bypass the ***Black Star***'s defensive spells, and enter the back mountain unnoticed.
"..."
Liang Zhu suddenly felt that the young man in front of him was probably, like him, just a chess piece on a chessboard, except that he himself was a pawn and Ye Anping should be an important piece.
There was definitely a big shot behind this kid. Otherwise, with his experience and age, how could he know so many things?
The kid said he was doing him a favor, but in reality, it was probably the big shot trying to get his help.
His refusal might be a death sentence.
Liang Zhu gritted his teeth, but after a while, he asked in resignation. "What do I do?"
"Tomorrow afternoon, come to the **Willow Moon Lake**. I will hand over Feng Yu Die to you and you will take her to the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect to receive the reward."
"...You will hand her over to me?"
"Yes, and then you will send her to the ***Seven Slayers*** Sect and get the reward."
Liang Zhu hesitated for a while but still asked. "...Why do you want me to capture her to receive the reward?"
"Do you want to know why, Brother Liang?"
"Tsk..."
Hearing this question, Liang Zhu clicked his tongue, waved his hands, and asked directly. "I just want to know what happens after I do this. Will you let me go? Or will you silence me?"
Ye Anping paused briefly, then simply took advantage of the offer and said with a smile, "That depends on your performance."
Liang Zhu asked. "What time tomorrow?"
"At noon, I'll bring Feng Yu Die to the pavilion by the **Willow Moon Lake**."
"I'll be there."
After nodding in response, Liang Zhu turned and walked into the depths of the alley.
Within moments, he faded into the shadows.
After his aura completely disappeared, Ye Anping breathed a sigh of relief, and thinking that his sister must have waited a long time, he hurried back to the clothing store.
