Chapter 267: Senior Brother is Here?

At the entrance of Duojin Merchant House, three swordsmen surrounded a young girl. The leader, a swordsman without a sword, was fumbling awkwardly, seemingly trying hard to explain something.

"Just Jian Nian—do you understand Jian Nian?"

"You don't?"

"Then... how about Jian Yi? You must understand Jian Yi, right? That guy is at least at the level of Xian Tian Jian Yi. If he's comprehended Jian Nian, he might even reach a higher stage, though Jian Zong is probably out of the question."

"Is there someone like that... your master? Or maybe your senior brothers, sisters, or fellow disciples?"

Mu Zixi's big eyes blinked.

Truth be told, as soon as the terms Jian Nian and Jian Yi came up, she knew these three were looking for Xu Xiaoshou.

But...

Were assassins always this straightforward?

If you want to kill Xu Xiaoshou, why ask his junior sister directly?

There's no way I'd point you to him!

"I don't know him."

The young girl flicked her twin ponytails, pulling her straw hat down low.

The swordsman without a sword looked like he was about to cry. "There has to be one—you're lying to me!"

"I'm not lying. There's really no such 'person'."

"There is!"

"There isn't!"

Wu Jian Ke fell silent, turning to glance at his senior brothers behind him, his eyes signaling something.

"What do we do?"

Jiu Jian Ke tilted his head dismissively, signaling for Wu Jian Ke to step aside and let him handle it.

Wu Jian Ke brightened up immediately, watching as his second senior brother rubbed his hands together with a smile and bent forward.

"Little sister, we're really not bad people..."

Bao Jian Ke's face darkened. These two junior brothers of his had no sense of decorum at all.

He shoved them aside and stepped forward. "May I ask for the young lady's name?"

To get any information, you at least had to ask for the girl's name first!

They had no tact whatsoever!

How could they expect to get answers without showing some respect?

Mu Zixi's little face tensed up, her heart pounding with anxiety. She could sense that these three seemingly unreliable guys were each stronger than the last, way beyond her own Yuan Ting Jing peak level.

In that moment, she suddenly missed Xu Xiaoshou.

At least that guy was...

Even more unreliable than these three!

No, at least he'd make her feel safer...

"I really don't know the swordsman you're looking for. Maybe you've got the wrong person? I'm just here waiting for someone." The young girl hesitated.

"Waiting for someone?"

Bao Jian Ke's expression lit up—this was a new lead, and it could work!

He cupped his fists in a sincere introduction. "I'm Gu Qingyi."

He gestured to the two behind him. "These are my junior brothers, Gu Qinger and Gu Qingsan. May I ask, young lady... who are you waiting for?"

The two swordsmen behind him exchanged knowing looks, thinking to themselves that their senior brother was truly skilled at this.

The two of us just didn't have the knack for talking to women...

If we keep following senior brother's lead, we'll surely grasp his ways!

Mu Zixi was stunned. What kind of names were these...

"Are you triplets? You don't look like it!"

"No, our master gave us these names. We're just senior and junior brothers..."

Before Gu Qingyi could finish, Gu Qinger jumped in. "The young lady is right. Though we're just senior and junior brothers, our bond is as close as triplets!"

Gu Qingsan quickly added, not wanting to be outdone, "The young lady and second senior brother are both right—our relationship goes beyond brothers; it's even stronger than that!"

Mu Zixi: ???

Gu Qingyi nearly drew the sword from his embrace and struck down these two fools on the spot!

Did I ask you to speak?

You're more trouble than you're worth!

He turned back with a cold glare, making his two junior brothers shudder. They both zipped their mouths shut.

"Young lady, who are you waiting for?" Gu Qingyi steered the conversation back.

Mu Zixi was at a loss for words.

"I'm waiting for her!"

After a long pause, a light voice came from behind, and Mu Zixi brightened up, quickly looking over.

Senior brother was here?

In the next second, her heart sank.

"Another assassin? How does Xu Xiaoshou have so many enemies?"

The newcomer was none other than Xiao Shiliu.

He had been observing for a while and couldn't hold back any longer.

Those three swordsmen were clearly just passersby and could be ignored.

He hadn't seen Xu Xiaoshou, but he recognized Mu Zixi.

From the files, anyone connected to Xu Xiaoshou had been reviewed by him.

Though it was just a quick glance back then, he could still recall that this woman had a slight link to Xu Xiaoshou.

Now, it seemed the intelligence might be inaccurate. Anyone who walked out of the Ling Palace with Xu Xiaoshou couldn't have just a slight connection!

"You three, get lost!"

Xiao Shiliu strode over, waving dismissively at the three swordsmen.

"Are you the one this young lady is waiting for?"

Gu Qingyi's nose twitched, but he couldn't detect any trace of Jian Yi from this man, and he frowned.

Could Jian Nian really be cultivated by someone like this?

Though the man before him clearly had the aura of a Zong Shi, Gu Qingyi had brought down plenty of similar experts with his sword.

Looking at his age and appearance...

If this was the person they were seeking, it would be a huge disappointment!

Xiao Shiliu looked at these three ostentatious swordsmen and shook his head with a cold laugh.

A Xian Tian was still just a Xian Tian, no matter how many swords you carried—it was all worthless!

"That's right. What do you want with my junior sister?"

Mu Zixi was baffled. Junior sister?

This guy wasn't Xu Xiaoshou...

She parted her lips slightly, wanting to speak, but suddenly found she couldn't get a word out.

A Zong Shi?

The power of heaven and earth?

Her pupils shrank, and her expression turned even more panicked.

Xiao Shiliu turned back at the right moment, gently patting Mu Zixi's straw hat. "Junior sister, no need to say more. Let your senior brother handle them."

Mu Zixi: ???

An assassin!

This was the real assassin!

She tried to move but realized her body was completely immobilized.

Clearly, at her Yuan Ting Jing peak level, she might have a slight chance against a Ju Wu Jing assassin.

But a Zong Shi?

What a joke!

Were all of Xu Xiaoshou's enemies at the Zong Shi level now?

Mu Zixi wanted to call for help, but even her line of sight was blocked by the man's body.

Xiao Shiliu blocked the girl behind him and coldly smiled at the three swordsmen. "You three, if there's nothing else, please leave!"

Gu Qingyi furrowed his brows in silence.

He felt something was off about the situation.

But all he sought was the one who mastered Jian Nian, and this man clearly wasn't it.

Maybe the man was hiding his cultivation?

The thought barely crossed Gu Qingyi's mind before he dismissed it. Some things, some auras, couldn't be hidden.

As long as this man had cultivated Jian Nian, he would have noticed.

So... had he sensed wrong?

Realizing this, Gu Qingyi narrowed his eyes and stepped back. "Apologies for the disturbance."

"Get lost!" Xiao Shiliu snapped.