Chapter 529 - 309: A Conversation Across Space with the Pavilion Master!

General?

It was indeed General’s appearance, yet his aura was vastly different from before. He wore black brocade robes and black boots etched with purple floral patterns. A long blade hung at his waist, its hilt and scabbard boasting an archaic and elegant design. His hair was combed into a neat bun and tied with a headband, revealing a cleanly shaven face. Above all, his eyes carried a faint smile but harbored an intense, predatory aggressiveness.

His imposing presence as a Golden Banner Officer of the White Tiger Guard was on full display.

Chen Yi scrutinized him up and down with a calm expression. Meanwhile, his ears caught a faint murmur. It sounded like Lou Yuxue muttering something about how they could have been discovered. Clearly, General waiting here was no coincidence.

Chen Yi thought for a moment before tipping his bamboo hat back to reveal his handsome face. "General of the White Tiger Guard? Your reputation precedes you."

General chuckled, his face flickering in and out of the shadows cast by the lanterns hanging from the corridor ceiling. "You must be joking, Mr. Dragon Tiger. I am but a nameless man selling my life for the Imperial Court, incomparable to a peerless genius like yourself." He paused, cupped his fists, and pointed to his right. "I know you are here to discuss matters of importance. Why don’t we have a chat in a Quiet Chamber?"

Chen Yi’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at him. He gave a slight nod. "I shall respectfully accept."

The Quiet Chamber over there was not the one Lou Yuxue was currently occupying. It seemed General had indeed waited here specifically because he had something to say.

Chen Yi was acutely aware of this, yet he followed along regardless. It just so happened that his own reason for coming to the Spring Rain Building also involved the White Tiger Guard. He could easily weigh the difference in importance between a Golden Banner Officer and a Silver Banner Officer.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, there were no windows on any of the four walls, and candlelight illuminated the space. There was a black wooden desk flanked by two Grandmaster’s Chairs. A pristine white tea cloth covered the desk, upon which sat two steaming cups of tea with clear, bright liquid.

Chen Yi glanced at it, a faint smile curling the corners of his mouth. "How thoughtful."

General could only guess that he would come, but he couldn’t possibly know exactly when. Therefore, for these two cups of perfectly brewed tea to be ready, he must have replaced them with fresh tea and boiling water every fifteen minutes. It was indeed thoughtful, or rather, a show of sincerity.

"It is only right for me to extend my hospitality to grace the presence of the esteemed Mr. Dragon Tiger." General sat in the inner chair and waved with a smile. "Please, have a seat."

Chen Yi graciously complied, taking the seat opposite him. Resting his hands naturally on the desk, he merely looked at the man calmly, quietly waiting for him to continue.

With General showing such exceptional courtesy—dismissing his subordinates and constantly brewing fresh tea—whatever he was about to ask for had to be quite significant. Chen Yi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity.

The smile on General’s face faded slightly. He raised his teacup and offered a simple, "Please."

Chen Yi noncommittally took a sip, set the cup down, and remained entirely silent.

Seeing this, General smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Dragon Tiger, you truly live up to your reputation as the figure who has recently stirred up storms in Shu State. Your composure alone is enough to put me to shame."

This time, he didn’t wait for Chen Yi to speak. Setting down his teacup, he continued, "Additionally, I should first offer you an apology."

"Oh?" Chen Yi was slightly surprised.

General smiled. "Earlier, when you ’killed’ Lv Jiunan in Heiyu Lane, I happened to be right outside the West Market. Out of curiosity, I followed you."

"That is human nature," Chen Yi said with understanding.

General shook his head. "If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been reprimanded by Lord Pavilion Master."

Truthfully, he hadn’t been wronged. That time, he had followed "Liu Wu" to Kangning Street and bumped into Liu Zhaoxue, leading him to mistakenly believe that "Liu Wu" was a member of the Liu Family. Because of this, he even specially wrote a letter to send back to the White Tiger Guard.

He originally thought Lord Pavilion Master would give him instructions on how to deal with the Jing State Liu Family. To his surprise, Lord Pavilion Master’s recent reply contained no such instructions. Instead, his wording was razor-sharp: "Fool! ’Liu Wu’ is a member of the Xiao Family!"

The letter conveyed a profound sense of anger at his Non-Struggle. Fortunately, there were a few more sentences at the end that helped ease General’s mood amidst his shame and trepidation. Otherwise, his tenure as a Golden Banner Officer would likely have come to an abrupt end.

Naturally, Chen Yi was unaware of these details. He asked, "The White Tiger Guard Pavilion Master... reprimanded you?"

He was asking a question to which he already knew the answer. If the mysterious Pavilion Master of the White Tiger Guard had reprimanded General, it could only be because he had made a misjudgment or committed a mistake. Combining this with what was just said, it wasn’t hard for Chen Yi to deduce that General must have assumed he was a member of the Liu Family and relayed that information back to the White Tiger Guard.

At the same time, he made an even deeper deduction: the Pavilion Master of the White Tiger Guard was absolutely certain he was not a member of the Liu Family. Or perhaps, that Pavilion Master knew his true identity?

It was impossible! Currently, the only people who knew his identity were Pei Guanli, Xiao Wan’er, Wang Ji, Zhang Dabao, and Yan Sea. Apart from those five, there was only Immortal Bai—the number one figure in Martial Arts who had seen through his Martial Arts Cultivation and true appearance with a single glance. As for anyone else, not even Liu Lang, who interacted with him closely, knew he was the live-in son-in-law of the Xiao Family. The White Tiger Guard Pavilion Master wasn’t even in Shu State, so how could he possibly know his identity?

Chen Yi recalled the few past incidents where his identity might have been leaked. Suppressing and killing Liu Jing, defeating Yan Fusha with a spear, and his recent slaying of Du Cang... Of the very few times he had revealed his true face or displayed his real strength, the most likely source of the leak was... Yan Fusha...

Who could it be?

Unaware that his casual, unintentional remark had led Chen Yi to deduce so much, General chuckled. "Indeed. Lord Pavilion Master possesses immense Divine Skills. The esteemed elder can know the affairs of the world without ever stepping foot outside his door."

Suppressing the doubts in his heart, Chen Yi asked, "Does this have anything to do with me?"

"Of course it does," General replied. "Lord Pavilion Master has ordered me to formally invite you to join the White Tiger Guard."

At this point, General shook his head. "However, I’m guessing that you won’t agree, Mr. Dragon Tiger. Just like how you rejected Lady Tiger last time—why would an exceptional talent like yourself ever stoop to serve under others?"

Chen Yi looked at him noncommittally. "How would you know if you don’t try?"

"Try?" General picked up his teacup and took a sip. He looked at Chen Yi and said, "You are a smart man, sir. I wouldn’t dare make a fool of myself in front of you."