flstandardbreds Chapter 155 Entering the Mountain
Chapter 155 Entering the Mountain
Several days later, Liu Shan carefully disguised himself, not only changing his clothes but also cleverly altering his appearance and demeanor, and infiltrated the chaotic gathering place of various gangs in the martial arts world under an assumed name.
This place is bustling with people from all walks of life, noisy and bustling, yet fraught with hidden dangers.
He moved quietly among the taverns, listening intently and keeping a close eye on every suspicious figure.
Suddenly, Liu Shan saw a man in black talking to someone in a low voice. His heart tightened, and he quietly moved closer, vaguely hearing the word "Shadow".
He frowned slightly, quickly memorized the characteristics of the man in black, and decided to follow him to find out what was going on.
The man in black navigated through the winding alleys and eventually entered a restaurant.
The restaurant is hosting a grand gathering of martial arts gangs, with many martial arts figures toasting and drinking, creating a lively atmosphere.
Liu Shan quietly followed, hiding in a corner, his eyes sharp, watching the man in black's every move.
After a few rounds of drinks, the man in black, under the influence of alcohol, gradually lost control of his speech.
He inadvertently revealed that a certain sect and a certain minister had a close relationship, and that the two were in cahoots, stirring up trouble between the martial arts world and the imperial court.
Liu Shan was startled and slowly approached, casually mentioning the Shadow Gate.
However, something unexpected happened to Liu Shan.
The moment the words "Shadow Gate" were uttered, Liu Shan was instantly silenced. Even the drunken men in black suddenly looked up, a hint of wariness flashing in their eyes.
Liu Shan had a bad feeling, but he pretended to be calm and chuckled, "I've just heard some rumors in the martial arts world, there's no need for you all to be so nervous."
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
The man in black snorted coldly, got up, and left.
Liu Shan was acutely aware that he was in a dangerous situation, surrounded by people from the martial arts world who were difficult to distinguish as friend or foe. A single misstep could lead to utter ruin.
Liu Shan took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his expression, tried to appear casual and nonchalant, and quietly left the party.
He walked with a calm demeanor, but his heart felt heavy, and he was careful with every step, afraid of attracting the attention of others.
As night deepened and the streets and alleys grew darker, Liu Shan finally dared to breathe a sigh of relief.
However, the faint whispers behind him made him tense. He turned around and saw several figures quietly following him.
Liu Shan remained calm and turned into a secluded alley, trying to shake off his pursuers.
The alley was dark and gloomy. Liu Shan quickened his pace, his heart pounding like a drum.
He cleverly used the debris in the alley to conceal himself, narrowly escaping discovery several times.
Finally, in front of an abandoned house, he slipped into the shadows and waited patiently.
A moment later, the pursuers hurried past, unaware of anything amiss. Liu Shan quietly breathed a sigh of relief, secretly rejoicing.
However, just as he was about to leave, a series of hurried footsteps came again. Liu Shan quickly disappeared into the shadows and saw a masked man striding over, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. He was clearly the leader of the pursuers.
Liu Shan held his breath and waited until the masked man was far away before slowly revealing himself. Watching the masked man's departing figure, his mind was filled with countless thoughts.
The next day, Liu Shan went to a tavern.
He chose a corner to sit down, ordered a pot of sake, but kept scanning his surroundings.
The tavern was filled with the stench of alcohol and sweat, and the noise was deafening.
Liu Shan's gaze quickly locked onto an experienced bodyguard, who was talking quietly with someone else, a hint of worry showing between his brows.
Liu Shan moved closer quietly, and vaguely heard the words "unable to compensate".
He leaned closer to listen and learned that the security escort agency had recently suffered huge losses that were difficult to recover.
A thought struck Liu Shan: perhaps this was the opportunity for him to escape his predicament.
He pretended to stumble and deliberately bumped into the bodyguard, spilling his wine cup and splashing the wine right onto the bodyguard's face.
The bodyguard glared at him angrily, and Liu Shan quickly apologized, inadvertently revealing a stack of silver notes in his sleeve.
The bodyguard's eyes flashed, and his anger subsided slightly.
Taking the opportunity, Liu Shan whispered, "I am willing to lend a helping hand to the escort agency..."
The bodyguard's eyes were complicated. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded and said in a low voice, "Come with me."
The two quietly left their seats, walked through the noisy crowd, and came to the backyard of the tavern.
The bodyguard looked around warily, making sure no one was following him, before speaking: "This matter is of utmost importance and needs to be discussed in detail."
Liu Shan smiled slightly, secretly delighted, knowing that the opportunity had arrived.
He took out two silver notes from his sleeve and handed them to the bodyguard: "This is two hundred taels, consider it a small gift. I can also provide the funds for the rest of the trip."
The bodyguard accepted the silver note with a complex expression, a hint of gratitude mixed with a touch of timidity in his eyes.
Seeing this, Liu Shan took out several more silver notes...
In this way, Liu Shan bribed the bodyguards with a large sum of money, and the two tacitly agreed to the arrangement.
The bodyguard narrowed his eyes slightly, looked around warily, and then lowered his voice to say, "I've heard that the Shadow Gate's stronghold is hidden deep in the Gray Mist Mountain. That place is treacherous and the surrounding environment is complex, making it difficult for ordinary people to get close."
A glint of light flashed in Liu Shan's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "That's precisely why we need to rely on the help of the escort agency. I need a detailed map."
The bodyguard nodded and agreed in a low voice: "Leave this to me, but be careful. The Shadow Gate is a powerful force, and the slightest mistake could cost you your life."
The two talked privately for a long time until night fell before they parted ways.
The next morning, after obtaining the map, Liu Shan quickly selected more than ten trusted confidants, including Lü Ding, who were skilled and loyal.
The group disguised themselves, avoided being seen, and quietly set off with simple yet practical weapons.
The mountain road in Gray Mist Mountain was rugged and difficult to traverse, with sharp thorns covering both sides. Everyone held their breath and carefully navigated around the thorn bushes, with only the sound of the wind and their footsteps in their ears.
Liu Shan gripped the map tightly, observing the surrounding terrain from time to time to ensure that everything was correct.
Finally, deep within the Gray Mist Mountain, a gloomy manor appeared before them.
An eerie atmosphere permeated Zhuangzi's surroundings, as if he were shrouded in a dark mist.
Liu Shan gestured for everyone to stop and whispered, "Be careful and do not act rashly." Everyone nodded and followed closely behind, proceeding cautiously and slowly towards the manor.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the occasional bird calls sounding particularly sinister and sending chills down one's spine.
As the group approached the manor, a group of men in black suddenly emerged from all around.
These men in black were all agile and wielded sharp blades. Their eyes were filled with fierce killing intent as they surrounded Liu Shan and his companions like vicious wolves.
The leader of the men in black had a cold look in his eyes and shouted, "Who goes there? How dare you trespass!"
Liu Shan remained calm and said unhurriedly, "We are just ordinary passersby who have lost our way and have mistakenly entered your esteemed place. We hope you will be lenient with us." The man in black sneered, clearly not believing him, and brought his sharp blade closer: "If you entered by mistake, why are you carrying a weapon?"
Liu Shan remained calm and composed, replying, "It's just for self-defense in this desolate wilderness."