Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 20 Eavesdropping

"Qingxu Temple..."

Zhao Yu reined in his horse and looked up. Not far away stood a gray Taoist temple, the three characters "Qingxu Temple" on the plaque blurred by wind and rain.

There wasn't even a young Taoist priest guarding the gate; only two half-withered old pine trees stood crookedly.

Just as the waiter had said, this place was extremely remote. There were hardly any pilgrims or even passersby, which made it perfect for the Qingcheng Sect to use as a cover.

Zhao Yu dismounted, casually tied the horse to an old tree at the alley entrance, took out a handful of beans to feed it, gently brushed the horse's mane with his fingertips, and whispered, "Wait here."

The horse snorted meekly and stopped moving.

The next moment, Zhao Yu lightly touched the ground with his toes, and the Northern Darkness True Qi circulated within his body. His whole body was like a leaf swept up by the wind, silently leaping more than ten feet high and lightly landing on the wall of the Taoist temple.

He walked slowly along the roof ridge, the tiles beneath his feet making not a sound.

The Taoist temple was small, with only three main halls in the front courtyard. Two elderly Taoist priests with gray hair and beards were sweeping the courtyard slowly, clearly local Taoist priests of advanced age, and definitely not from the Qingcheng Sect.

Zhao Yu glanced around and knew that there was no one in the front yard. He tapped his toes again and his figure swept across the two courtyards like a ghost, heading straight for the back yard.

As soon as they reached the backyard wall, they heard a series of cursing and swearing coming from inside the house, mixed with the clattering of wine bowls. It was the voices of Shen Renjun and Ji Rentong.

"Damn it, that kid's too arrogant! Does he really think the Qingcheng Sect is easy to bully?" Shen Renjun's voice was thick with alcohol and lingering resentment. "When have we ever suffered such a loss!"

"Exactly!" Ji Rentong chimed in with a curse. "When Master arrives in Fuzhou, the first thing we'll do is report this matter. We'll ask Master to take action and break that brat's arms, then we'll see if he still dares to swagger in front of us."

The two of them went on and on, getting more and more excited as they cursed, as if they could already see Zhao Yu being beaten to his knees and begging for mercy by Yu Canghai.

The wine bowls clattered loudly, and the room was filled with wild and unfounded ramblings.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu, who was on the rooftop, had a flash of cold light in his eyes.

He felt he had shown leniency today, but now that they were asking Yu Canghai to attack him, Zhao Yu mentally sentenced them to death.

However, he was not in a hurry to make a move at this time.

Zhao Yu lay on the roof ridge, suppressing his aura, and quietly listened to the sounds coming from inside the house.

The two of them argued for a long time, but all they said were drunken threats and nothing of substance.

Zhao Yu, finding the conversation uninteresting, was about to slip away when Shen Renjun's muffled question suddenly came from inside the room: "By the way, the letter from the sect the other day, didn't it say... that Senior Brother Yu Renyan is going to Fuzhou first?"

Zhao Yu's steps suddenly stopped, and the foot that was about to be lifted fell back onto the tile. He leaned down and pressed himself against the roof ridge, listening intently.

"That's right." Ji Rentong hiccuped. "Senior Brother Yu came to Fuzhou this time to check out the situation first, to pave the way for Master, and to enjoy the scenery along the way."

"Judging by the days, it should be around in a day or two. When that time comes, let's keep Senior Brother Yu entertained and make him comfortable. We'll definitely get our share of the benefits when we return to the mountain."

"Of course," Shen Renjun quickly agreed, then a look of doubt appeared on his face.

"However, I still can't figure it out. The Lin family's Weifu Escort Agency sounds impressive, but it's all show and no substance. Lin Zhennan's kung fu is nothing compared to our master's; he might not even be able to beat the two of us brothers."

"But Master first sent us to keep an eye on things, then sent Senior Brother Yu over, and finally came himself. What is he trying to achieve?"

A knowing, cold smile curled at the corner of Zhao Yu's mouth.

What's the point? He's after someone else's Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, although Zhao Yu himself came for that very reason.

Ji Rentong, sitting inside, scoffed and said nonchalantly, "What's the point? What else could it be? Money, of course! Haven't you seen how well the Fuwei Escort Agency has built up its fortune over the years?"

"Didn't you see the Lin family mansion? It's so grand. How could it be lacking in gold and silver treasures? Master has probably had his eye on the Lin family's wealth for a long time. He's just here to find an excuse to swallow up the Lin family's assets."

"That's true." Shen Renjun laughed along. "You know what, the Lin family may lack ability, but they are certainly wealthy. Once Master takes over the Lin family, we two brothers, as scouts, can at least get a share of the spoils and have some fun."

The two were not core disciples at all, so they had no idea about Yu Canghai's plans.

They were so preoccupied with figuring out how much they could get from the Lin family that their mouths were filled with foul language, and not a single useful piece of information came out.

Zhao Yu found the conversation tedious and, with a flicker of his body, drifted down from the rooftop like a wisp of smoke, silently leaving Qingxu Temple.

From beginning to end, the two drunkards in the house didn't notice a thing.

Once out of the alley, Zhao Yu mounted his horse and, instead of returning to Fuzhou city, spurred his horse towards the desolate outskirts of the city.

The story of Swordsman is about to officially begin.

Once Yu Renyan arrives in Fuzhou, it won't be long before he harasses Yue Lingshan in a tavern and is stabbed to death by Lin Pingzhi.

Yu Renyan's death was the trigger for Yu Canghai's massacre of the Fuwei Escort Agency.

There is not much time left for him.

After riding to a deserted place, Zhao Yu dismounted, untied the reins, and released the horse.

Zhao Yu closed his eyes and focused his mind.

The next moment, the light and shadows distorted before my eyes, and after a dizzying spin, the surrounding scenery had changed drastically.

Before Zhao Yu was an interior room with carved beams and painted rafters, the air filled with a faint sandalwood fragrance. This was his palace in Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.

"Your Majesty?"

A respectful voice came from outside the door; it was Wang Huai'an.

"Come in," Zhao Yu greeted.

Wang Huai'an stepped forward and bowed.

"Get up." Zhao Yu walked to the table and sat down, casually picking up a teacup and taking a sip. "During the days I was away, was there anything unusual at the manor? Was there any activity at the palace?"

Wang Huai'an bowed his head and replied, "Your Majesty, everything in the manor is fine, and there is nothing unusual. As for the palace, with the New Year approaching, His Majesty sent someone to inquire, saying that he hasn't seen you enter the palace for a long time. As you instructed, I told him that you have been in seclusion cultivating Taoism and not receiving any guests, and His Majesty did not ask any further questions."

Zhao Yu nodded, understanding dawning on his mind.

His emperor brother, though seemingly concerned, was actually full of vigilance.

After all, Zhao Kuo had been on the throne for many years and had many concubines in his harem, but he had never had a grown prince. Under such circumstances, he would definitely have to be wary of his own younger brother.

For this reason, Zhao Yucai used the pretense of focusing on Taoist cultivation to stay away from court intrigues and secretly develop his own power.

"By the way," Zhao Yu looked up at Wang Huai'an, "did you practice your swordsmanship diligently as I told you before?"

Wang Huai'an quickly replied, "This servant dares not slack off. I practice diligently every day according to the method taught by Your Majesty, and I dare not be lazy in the slightest."

After he finished speaking, he hesitated for a moment.