Volume 1: Deceived and Humiliated by You Chapter 172: A Plan within a Plan

  Chapter 172: The Plan Within the Plan

  Treating others as guests is just an excuse.

  Today, Wang Qiulou has a Dragon Gate formation set up by Huo Baoyi. The three main culprits have gathered together to wait for the formation to take effect.

  "Mei Shan, how's it going?" Xu Jiu was naturally the one most concerned about the outcome.

  Mozi habitually observed first and soon discovered that Meishan's complexion wasn't quite right, with a faint sheen of sweat on his face and an unsteady gait. Had the game not gone as planned, or had something unexpected happened?

  "Old Nine... Old Nine, Eighth Brother he..." Mei Shan's lips trembled as if frightened.

  Xu Jiu also felt something was off and shouted loudly, "Quickly speak, what happened to Lao Ba?"

  "Old Eight is dead." Finally, Mei Shan couldn't hold on anymore, his legs went soft and he knelt down.

  Mozi naturally knew what this sentence meant, but she couldn't sit still, and suddenly stood up, unable to help asking, "Is Old Man Huo dead?"

  "Let's fart" Xu Jiuzi swept away the table in front of him, cups and dishes shattered all over the floor. "We set up a beauty trap for him, not a fatal one. Even if he's an official, it's impossible to behead him on the spot."

  "Not an official, but a close attendant of the small king Wu Lianqi of the Li Wangfu." Mei Shan entered the Wangqiu Building early in the morning under the arrangement of Mozi and Cen Er to make a close investigation. If things go wrong, he can also respond accordingly.

  "What's going on with Wu Lianxi?" Xu Jiu was stunned.

  "Not only Wu Lianqi, but also his younger sister, Qingchi County's Lady Wu Youyan, both of whom followed Yanyang here together. Originally, I thought today's situation was doomed, but unexpectedly, Yanyang and the county lady ran into Eighth Master on their way to Yun Ge Tai. The county lady is a renowned beauty, how could Eighth Master let her go? After exchanging a few flirtatious words, he actually tried to take liberties with County Lady Qingchi. Naturally, she cried out for help, Wu Lianqi rushed over with his men and, in a fit of rage, revealed their identities. Eighth Master knew it was too late to beg for mercy, so he put up a fierce fight, hoping to escape and regroup later. However, Wu Lianqi's personal guards were all top-notch experts, and they outnumbered him; after just a few rounds, they stabbed Eighth Master through the chest, killing him along with his loyal followers." Meishan finished speaking in one breath.

  Xu Jiuzi's eyes widened in shock, his body swayed back and forth, and he sat down with a thud, muttering to himself, "How could it be like this?"

  His original intention was only to make Huo Ba guilty of offending high-ranking officials, and thus lose his qualification for the position of leader. But he never thought that a plot to use Huo Ba's lustful nature would end up costing Huo Ba his life. Although Huo Ba wasn't a good person, after all, the two brothers had been struggling together for many years, and he didn't have it in him to be ruthless enough to take Huo Ba's life, otherwise he wouldn't have hesitated so long before taking action.

  "Master Jiǔ, please restrain your grief and accept the change. Huò Bā is Lǎo Bāngzhǔ's adopted son, and it's a sad thing for an old man to send off a young one. What's more, Lǎo Bāngzhǔ has been bedridden with illness for many days. The best plan now is still to hurry back to the gang and support the overall situation." Yuán Chéng remained seated, his expression unchanged.

  Her purple eyes narrowed slightly.

  "Yes, Ninth Master. Now the only one who can lead the gang is you. You must hurry back, lest others impulsively cause trouble for the Li Wang Fu and bring about a great disaster for the gang." The Leopard Gang lacks brains, but not impulsive loyalty. Although Heo Baiping usually knows how to get along with people, having lost his life like this, it's somewhat deserved, but it's hard to guarantee that there won't be gang members who want revenge.

  Xu Jiu stood up again, his sorrowful expression now firm and resolute. He strode forward with large steps, nodding to Yuan Cheng and Mo Zi as he walked, "You two, I'll go deal with this matter first. We'll talk another day."

  Mei Shan got up and gave Yuan Cheng a long bow, then hurriedly followed Xu Jiu.

  Xu Jiu disappeared from view, and Mo Zi slowly sat down cross-legged, gazing at Yuan Cheng.

  The latter smiled and looked back at her, "Brother Mo has something to say."

  Mozi continued, "Xu Jiu said that the matter of Cui Niang going to Wang Qiu Lou was arranged by you. What is your relationship with Cui Niang..."

  "Old acquaintance."

  He curled up his lips in disdain, and it turned out that he had many acquaintances. There was Zhang Bang, Lu Man, and also the concubine of Li Wang. That Jin Yin was probably someone he knew too.

  "Does Cui Niang know the role she is going to play?" The role of being teased by Huo Ba and then going back to cry to Li Wang.

  "Nature." Just two words.

  "She knew what was going to happen, so why did she bring the county master along without telling you that things had changed? If she had told us, Huo Ba wouldn't have died today." Mozi didn't have a good impression of Huo Ba, but she was deeply influenced by the rule of law society and always felt that private fighting to the death was an extreme behavior.

  "Everything is going according to plan, where did this unexpected event come from?" Yuan Cheng's eyes were as deep as the night sky.

  With a flick of his purple sleeve, wine splashed onto the dark red table surface. "Yuan Cheng, it turns out that the beauty in this plan is actually the county princess?"

  "Yan Niang is just a small concubine, and even if Li Wang favors her, she should not offend the Jianghu gangs without careful consideration. However, Wu Youyan is different, with her noble status as a princess and being deeply loved by her father and brother. If Huo Ba dares to be reckless in front of her, his life will be over, and he can't blame others. Yan Niang is just a thread-pulling needle."

  "If this doesn't work out, then next time, the time after that, we'll set up another scheme. In short, He Bo must die?" Mozi finally understood that Yuanqing and Xujiu were not on the same page at all.

  "Mo Ge thinks that Huo Ba is so stupid? If this plan doesn't succeed, Xu Jiu will be the one to die. Since ancient times, when a king wins and a bandit loses, it's either you or me who will survive. And if Xu Jiu spares Huo Ba's life, he will surely become a future disaster, and both of us will be implicated." Yuan Cheng is more far-sighted than Xu Jiu, and also more ruthless.

  "You're afraid that Xu Jiu won't agree, so you've been keeping it from him. But Mei Shan is in the know." Mo Zi noticed Mei Shan's grateful bow to Yuan Cheng as he was leaving, "This person is loyal to Xu Jiu, and will tell him the truth in the future. Aren't you afraid that Xu Jiu will turn against you?"

  Yuancheng burst out laughing, "Mo Ge, Xu Jiu is a man of his word and doesn't want to see his brother die. But don't forget, he also has ambitions. At this moment, he's grieving over his brother's death, but in the future, when he becomes the leader of the Leopard Gang, even if he knows the truth, can he still publicly admit that he had plotted against his own brother? Besides, Xu Jiu turned against me, why should I be afraid? I didn't know him before, he gave me a generous gift, and I helped him once. He never said anything about saving Huo Ba's life, whether Huo Ba lives or dies, the position of the Leopard Gang leader is already in his pocket, his goal has been achieved smoothly."

  "Mei Shan..." Mu Zi suddenly thought of a possibility, "Could it be that he is also an old acquaintance of yours?" That's why he was able to easily get in touch with Xu Jiu.

  "Mo Ge really looks up to me." Yuan Cheng smiled and shook his head, "Mei Shan and Xu Jiu met with me at the same time. However, Mei Shan is a strategist after all, and he thinks more thoroughly than Xu Jiu. He privately asked to see me, wanting to get rid of Huo Ba's roots."

  "The two of you are just right, a perfect match, the beauty trick sends people to the road to Huangquan. Only pity Xu Jiu, who still thinks that it's just to crush the sharp spirit of Huo Ba, and doesn't need to worry about the name of brotherly murder." Mozi felt a cool breeze blowing on the back of her neck, was she too naive, volunteering to join forces with Yuan Cheng? Being with him gave her this feeling - as if only one's own life is precious, while others' lives are worthless.

  "Mo Ge, it's not necessarily about sparing the other person's life, but rather not being ruthless. From Xu Jiu agreeing to your plan, using a woman to lure Huo Ba into a trap, he can't escape this heart of ruthlessness. Since you have the intention, just be resolute and cruel, otherwise you'll harm yourself and gain a reputation for being sinister." Yuan Cheng walked forward, kneeled down, and poured a cup of wine for Mo Zi, personally handing it to her.

  "Fifty steps laughing at one hundred steps?" Everyone is calculating the misfortune of Huo Ba, but it's just a matter of degree.

  Mozi held up a cup of wine with both hands, "Yuancheng, are you using wine to make amends?" She was also one of the parties who had been kept in the dark.

  "For you, I'll ride the same boat from now on. A toast to Brother Mo! Apologizing? What a beautiful thought. Pulling her into the water is just about right." "Brother Mo wants to manage the dock, if he needs my help, just let me know."

  Purple ink smiled slyly, "This busy, but want me to send a heavy gift before helping? Only, I'm poor."

  "How can Mo Ge compare himself to those who came to my door seeking favors? Mo Ge is a friend to me, and I am a friend to Mo Ge. Friends help each other, so this gift is not needed; after the matter is settled, a thank you will do." Yuan Cheng smiled with such clarity.

  Mozi really wanted to spit the wine in his mouth onto him, but for her own safety, she forced herself to swallow it. "I don't understand the rules, may I ask how to receive this gift?"

  "If there's no rule, then it depends on how grateful I am to you, Brother Mo. People say that as long as the intention is sincere, that's all that matters." Yuan Cheng picked up an empty cup, filled it, and clinked cups with Mo Zi, downing it in one gulp, "Brother Mo, just do what you think is right."

  Mozi smiled wryly and said, "I'll try not to trouble you too much." Jokingly, he asked how many taels of silver the favor would cost. He was so expensive.

  "Don't be polite to me, Mexico." She took in her amused expression, and Yuan Cheng took a step back, returning to his seat.

  "No need to be polite, no need to be polite. In the future, there may be many places where I'll need your help as a good friend, so don't worry about bothering me, let's take it slow." She herself is a troublemaker. Shipbuilding is something she's good at and has confidence in for now.

  "Are you coming slowly? Yuan Cheng raised an eyebrow, is this a foreseen trouble in the future? She was like a ball of mystery, could he unravel it?"

  The messenger has arrived to report that all preparations are complete and we can set off now.

  "Have you heard of the Ten Mile Lamp River at Shifang Temple, famous far and near? The Qixi Festival is the most lively. If you feel bored in our mansion, and Mo Ge happens to be free, would you like to go with me for a stroll?" Xu Jiu was originally going to invite guests for dinner, but he had pushed away many social engagements. Unexpectedly, this person was not in the mood, and suddenly he had some free time.

  Mozi thought for a moment, and at this time going back, I estimate that there is no one in the other courtyard either. Shili Dengan sounds pretty good, following Yuan Cheng, should be able to have a lot of fun, food and drink are not a problem. She was wearing men's clothes, and she never cared about the difference between men and women, so she nodded in agreement.

  Out of Yuanfu, Mozi and Yuancheng rode in the same carriage. They saw Huayi leading a team of horses, each with a spirited and energetic atmosphere.

  "Are these all Qian Niu's guards?" he asked very naturally.

  "Mo Ge is very good-looking." The response was also natural.

  Mozi sat in the carriage, the scene before her eyes was just like when she had rescued Yuancheng from the city.

  "You may not be wearing prisoner's clothes now, but you're not as carefree as when you were wearing them and sitting in my carriage." Every time we go out, we must have an escort. "However, since the treatment is good, don't take it lightly, reveal all secrets, and always keep a few to save your life."

  She was deep in thought, but her face was calm and serene. When asked if she liked guessing lantern riddles or competing to see who could guess more, she casually chatted about trivial matters.

  The night color spreads on the ink paper, painting stars like a river, knotting jade belt into a bridge, shining brightly.

  Chapter 172: The Plan Within the Plan

  Chapter 172: The Plan Within A Plan, Arriving At The Website