The martial arts inn was a melting pot of all sorts, a place where minor rumors often originated. Xiao Wangye and Lin Xiao, disguised mysteriously, drew attention.
"Brother, new here? Haven't seen you before?"
Xiao Wangye covered his mouth and coughed, not speaking. Lin Xiao lowered his voice and explained, "We're not new. We've been here before and are quite familiar with the innkeeper. Her plum wine is the best."
The proprietress of the martial arts inn was a beautiful woman skilled in martial arts, her reputation known to all within the inn.
Indeed, as soon as Lin Xiao finished speaking, the proprietress leaped down from the second floor, smoothly taking the wine pot from a server and pouring for the two mysteriously dressed guests. "They are indeed old customers, visiting two to three times a month. It's a shame..." The proprietress circled the two, her figure graceful. "It's just that they change their masks every time they come, which is why everyone finds them unfamiliar!"
The crowd, being decent folk, apologized generously upon realizing it was a misunderstanding. "Hahaha, so you're friends with the proprietress! A pleasure, a pleasure."
As Lin Xiao was about to step forward, Xiao Wangye stopped him.
Lin Xiao relented and sat down to savor the wine.
Xiao Wangye picked up a wine bowl from the table, about to take a sip, when he suddenly remembered Ye Qingcheng's admonition: "Let me tell you, you've been poisoned, and the toxins have spread. I can detoxify you, but you must abstain from alcohol. Do you understand?"
Xiao Wangye had no choice but to put down the wine bowl.
The proprietress, laughing and chatting with others, noticed this with a keen eye. She traced a finger on the table, her aura exuding charm. "Young master, why have you put down the wine? Or do you find the wine... unpalatable?"
Xiao Wangye frowned and turned his head. Lin Xiao stepped in front of Xiao Wangye. "Proprietress, my young master doesn't have a taste for it. Please keep your distance."
The proprietress was not angered by the refusal. She covered her mouth and smiled disdainfully, but her eyes were sharp. "You two gentlemen, coming to a wine shop but not drinking, what are you here for?"
Everyone shivered. At that moment, no one spoke, after all... they all had their own purposes for being there.
The burly man, being genuinely forthright, stepped forward indignantly. "Exactly! If you're not here for drinks, what are you here for?"
Xiao Wangye glanced at him. The burly man's speech carried a regional dialect, indicating he was not a local.
Just as Lin Xiao was about to argue, Xiao Wangye stopped him. He remained silent but spoke with his actions.
Xiao Wangye reached out, picked up the bowl, and downed the wine in one gulp.
Everyone was surprised.
It was the burly man who led the applause. "Well done! I like your style. A hero of wine."
He then raised his bowl and shouted, "I toast everyone, I'll drink first." And he emptied it.
His actions ignited a lively atmosphere. People started toasting each other, and no one noticed Xiao Wangye secretly using his internal energy to force the wine out.
After several rounds of drinks, everyone was somewhat tipsy and elated, starting to chatter.
"I heard not long ago, there was news in the martial world about Cheng Yong, you know him!"
"Sigh~ Who doesn't! He's one of the top five swordsmen."
"Hmph! I heard this capable fellow is now half-dead over a woman, disgracing that title!"
The crowd also voiced their indignation.
"Exactly!"
However, there were dissenting voices. A voice seasoned by life's trials stood out among the crowd.
"Alas, it's understandable. Heroes have always found it hard to resist beauty! When one truly meets such a person, whatever they do is only natural!"
"Bah! What can women do?"
The proprietress, overhearing this, was slightly displeased. "Esteemed guest, are you discriminating against women?"
The man chuckled. "Ah, the proprietress is a woman of valor, naturally different from those women in the inner chambers."
The proprietress said no more. She understood she was flattering them, women trying to make a living here. But they were just a bunch of scoundrels. She looked at Xiao Wangye. He was very mysterious, but she didn't have the curiosity to probe further. Those in her position understood best that excessive curiosity could be fatal.
The proprietress tilted her head back and drank the remaining wine in the pot, savoring the taste. Hmm... it was fragrant, a good wine.
The noisy chatter of the crowd briefly quieted. A moment later, someone spoke up again.
"I have some explosive news."
The crowd became excited again.
"What is it?"
The man, playing coy, ate a handful of peanuts and took a sip of wine before speaking, "The current Emperor will not survive tonight!"
"What?"
The crowd erupted.
Lin Xiao also couldn't help but stand up. Xiao Wangye's lips curved upward. He had finally waited for a useful piece of information.
The proprietress grew wary. "Esteemed guest, are you suggesting my inn has been open for too long?"
The burly man slammed the table. "Exactly! The current Emperor is not someone we can discuss. You're lying without even a decent excuse."
The man was surprised by their reaction, especially the burly man. You could call him petty and conniving, but you couldn't call him a liar. "Nonsense! What I'm saying is factual and absolutely true."
Xiao Wangye idly stroked the bowl. "Then how did you find out?"
The man puffed out his chest proudly. "Not long ago, the Crown Prince died in battle. The Emperor fell gravely ill!"
"This has already been announced to the world. We all know that."
The man chuckled. "But you don't know that someone wants that position, and the Emperor has been arranged to die tonight."
Xiao Wangye's hand paused, and his gaze fixed on him.
The man explained in detail. "Around the time the Crown Prince went to the front lines, someone secretly sent people from the capital to the border."
"Who was it?"
The man took a sip of wine to moisten his throat. "It was someone from the Prime Minister's mansion!"
Xiao Wangye was shocked.
"When I was traveling the border, I encountered the Crown Prince's army. Their momentum was immense. After stopping there for some time, I noticed some groups disguised as merchant caravans. However, the leader rode with a straight posture, not like someone from a merchant caravan, but more like..."
The proprietress reminded him, "A martial artist!"
"Yes, precisely, a martial artist. My lightness skill is good, so I followed them for a while and discovered they were training private soldiers."
The proprietress frowned. "Secretly harboring private soldiers, that's treason!"
Xiao Wangye shook the bowl. "It seems this Prime Minister has long harbored intentions of rebellion."
"Indeed!"
Lin Xiao felt indignant, his tone calm. "Then why didn't you inform the Crown Prince? Perhaps he wouldn't have died then."
The man acted as if he had heard the greatest joke. "Why would I inform him? There's no reason! I've never met the Crown Prince, and besides, I have no obligation."
Lin Xiao's heart jolted. Just as he was about to step forward to argue, Xiao Wangye frowned. "Stand down."
Lin Xiao was taken aback. Hearing the tone in Xiao Wangye's voice, he knew he was angry, so he quickly said, "Yes."
It was just a minor interruption. The crowd urged the man to continue.