Zhang SAN hates smart people, because they like to imagine. 02

At the head of the hall, Lu Gaosheng frowned slightly. He didn't have a deep understanding of martial arts, so he asked, "What do you mean?"

Kill Wolf of the Twin Wolves explained, "My lord is not from the jianghu, so you may not know this. What my brother and I practice is the 'Life-Devouring Skill' of the late Black Alliance leader Yu Xian before his death. This type of martial arts is extremely hidden. Those who can discern our background from the minute details when we practice must have an extremely deep understanding of our Black Alliance's martial arts, or may even be someone from within our Black Alliance!"

After speaking, Blood Wolf also said, "In fact, I also noticed something strange, though I'm not sure if I should mention it."

Lu Gaosheng asked, "Speak frankly."

Blood Wolf immediately said, "Actually, when you and that scholar were chatting earlier today, I kept feeling... that scholar emitted a killing aura at one moment! It even shocked me."

Hearing this, Lu Gaosheng's eyebrows furrowed slightly, because he knew that among the Twin Wolves, this Blood Wolf was the most ruthless killer who had taken countless lives. His perception of the so-called "killing aura" often discussed in the jianghu was perhaps real.

But just a killing aura that could shock someone like Blood Wolf?

Lu Gaosheng asked, "Are you certain?"

Blood Wolf immediately replied, "I dare not conceal this from you, my lord. Afterward, I discussed this with my brother, but he said he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I also felt the killing aura was just a flash, so I'm not sure if it was my misperception, or if that person had concealed it too deeply!"

Lu Gaosheng asked in more detail, "Then I'll ask you two a question now. If what you've said and guessed is all true, whether it's understanding Life-Devouring Skill or the barely detectable killing aura, then in your opinion, how strong is that person's martial arts?"

After thinking it over, Blood Wolf answered on behalf of the Twin Wolves. After all, only when encountering Hei Shanhu in the past had he ever felt such a chilling sensation coursing down his spine: "Replying to you, my lord, I think that if what we've said and guessed is all true, then it's very possible he's a high level exponent of the Earth Rank in our Black Alliance!"

Lu Gaosheng became suspicious again. As he was not a martial artist himself, he really hadn't considered this angle before.

But now after hearing Blood Wolf's explanation, it was not necessarily certain that the scholar was a descendant of the Zhennan Army.

Or could it be that the people who had left the Zhennan Army later got involved with the Black Alliance?

But upon careful reflection, Lu Gaosheng felt that given Bai Shixuan's strict military discipline and laws, it was unlikely that his subordinates would collude with the Black Alliance even after leaving the army.

However, if the scholar Zhang San really was a concealed exponent of the Black Alliance and had no relation to the Zhennan Army, and also had no malicious intent toward Bai Fang, then...

Considering these three points, Lu Gaosheng couldn't help but think, could it be that Zhang San coming to Tianruo City and buying the store, could it all just be a coincidence?

But could there really be such a coincidence in this world?

And not just one, but again and again?

Zhennan Army or Black Alliance exponent?

For the time being, without more information, Lu Gaosheng also couldn't deduce anything further.

However, now that he understood many key points, Lu Gaosheng gently turned the white jade thumb ring on his right hand, secretly making up his mind.

He would make more attempts to probe in the days to come. There was no one in this world who could perfectly conceal their identity.

If he really was a descendant of the Zhennan Army, then he must get to know Zhang San!

After all, the enemy of one's enemy is a friend. If he could obtain the assistance of Bai Shixuan's former subordinates in the Zhennan Army through Zhang San, then Lu Gaosheng's own power would absolutely increase by leaps and bounds.

Conversely, even if he really was some concealed exponent of the Black Alliance, Lu Gaosheng was too lazy to care whether Zhang San truly harbored malicious intent toward Bai Fang.

Because just the possibility of malicious intent was enough!

A cold light flashed in Lu Gaosheng's eyes!

He was cruel and vicious his entire life, absolutely merciless in his actions. Just as Qing Knight Han Wang had said before his death in Qing Sword Sect, he exploited the common people, had a vicious heart and cruel hands, greed and ferocity were his nature, and also his deeds.

But when it came to Bai Fang, he was willing to play every card at his disposal.

This included the thousand troops he could mobilize, his own influence in the jianghu, as well as Jin Wange, and the White Deer Army. To kill Zhang San, he would absolutely go all out without hesitation.

Lu Gaosheng stood up and said coldly, "You two return and resume your duties as before. I will assign another ten experts for you to command, and I will also send more elite troops to patrol the streets disguised as officials. In short, no matter who this Zhang San is, I only care about her safety. Understand?"

The absolute loyalty and fear the Twin Wolves held toward Lu Gaosheng was undoubtedly clear. This was also the biggest reason Lu Gaosheng had dared to, and was willing to, entrust Bai Fang's safety to them over the past five years.

At this moment, the Twin Wolves nodded in acknowledgment, their gazes resolute without the slightest hesitation.

"Very well, you may go." Lu Gaosheng waved them away.

The Twin Wolves respectfully exited the hall and slowly left.

Li Xing stood behind Lu Gaosheng. After the Twin Wolves had gone far away, he bowed and said, "My lord, last night I received a letter from the magistrate of Hei County. Because of the matter with Young Lady Bai, I did not report it."

Lu Gaosheng slowly sat down and calmly said, "Speak."

"This year's harvest in Hei County was poor, so regarding taxes..." The magistrate asked if, using previous methods, he could double the collection during abundant years for now, and pay less this year. I thought it over and felt that the money from the seaborne side this year could actually..."

Li Xing was unable to finish because Lu Gaosheng gave him a cold glance, so he didn't dare continue.

Because Lu Gaosheng had reminded him repeatedly before.

The money from smuggling and sea trade was reserved for the White Deer Army.

Lu Gaosheng's eyebrows furrowed as he coldly said, "With the old Commander retiring soon, we must prepare our own funds even with Jin Wange's assistance. Tell the Hei County magistrate that whether it's killing people to establish power, capturing young and middle-aged men and women to trade with the Black Alliance, or other methods, I don't care. If he doesn't collect enough taxes by the end of the month, he dies."

Li Xing hesitated slightly, but still bowed his head low and said, "Yes, my lord."

"You're getting soft-hearted now?"

Li Xing was not surprised that Lu Gaosheng had seen through his thoughts with one glance. He answered, "Somewhat."

Lu Gaosheng let out a cold laugh and said, "The fact that it's only 'somewhat' means you've grown much stronger than before. Remember, for the greater cause, killing some lowly commoners is nothing to fret about!"

Li Xing silently nodded without speaking.

...

At night, there were slightly more officials patrolling the streets compared to usual, about ten or so coming and going. It wasn't a number strange enough to seem suspicious.

Zhang San closed his door but peeked through the gap, secretly observing the passing officials.

It was about what he had anticipated.

That Lu Gaosheng had taken notice of him.

These patrolling officials walked steadily with orderly breathing. Clearly unlike ordinary yamen runners, Zhang San even suspected they were elites handpicked from Lu Gaosheng's troops.

And most importantly, they all had a fire signal arrow hanging from their waists.

But why would ordinary patrolmen carry fire signal arrows?

Zhang San immediately realized this should be Lu Gaosheng's countermeasure against himself.

If Lu Gaosheng was suspicious of him, then with a personality like his, he would naturally also assume that Zhang San's actions in helping Bai Fang that day were just for show, and that he may not truly be a scholar without martial arts.

And signal arrows were very effective against experts.

Especially since during these officials' patrols, their numbers were small, yet they always maintained a certain distance from each other, meaning they kept each other in sight at all times, but not too close.

Zhang San felt that if he clashed with these officials, unless he could ensure killing everyone nearby in an instant, he really couldn't stop the signal arrows that could be fired with a simple tug of the hand.

And once an arrow was fired...

The image of the Twin Wolves immediately appeared in Zhang San's mind.

Could he kill the Twin Wolves?

The answer was yes, but it would take time.

It was difficult for even a true Earth Rank master to instantly kill two 10th rank experts.

And once the battle was drawn out...

He already knew from Bai Xiaotang that Lu Gaosheng was working together with Jin Wange, and Jin Wange had also dispatched thirty-five Earth Rank experts, a hundred Golden Armored archers, as well as an Elder with at least upper Earth Rank martial arts.

Zhang San could not determine if this group of Jin Wange people were still in Tian Ruo City, let alone Lu Gaosheng had over a thousand Tian Ruo mansion troops under him.

The politics in Da Wu Country was corrupt from top to bottom, layers upon layers of rottenness. Aside from the Zhennan Army and Zhenbei Army, things like eating empty salaries and selling weapons from armories were commonplace.

It could be said that all the mansion troops were qualified as "rotten troops", completely useless in combat. However, the execution ground on the first day of entering the city already let Zhang San fully recognize that Lu Gaosheng's mansion troops were absolutely not any kind of "rotten troops".

Zhang San turned his thoughts and walked to the window, looking toward a tall building on one side of the main street.

Last night, he was on that tall building, and saw the double wolf murder in front of the tofu store, and from the Blood Wolf's weapons confirmed both person's identities.

The location of that tall building was too good, perfectly able to see everything in front of and behind the tofu store, naturally could also see everything at the painting and calligraphy store.

Zhang San sighed, silently thought: If I expect that Lu Gaosheng is an idiot, won't station scouts in such a good location, the idiot wouldn't be him, it would be me.

Zhang San understood, if he wanted to leave now, then the problem was already very clear.

If insist on fighting, he might not necessarily win.

If simply wanting to leave, with his Heaven Stairs lightness skill, he would be fearless.

But the problem was he still had a Wang Xiaoer by his side...

Zhang San fiercely shook his head, he himself had mid-stage Iron Cloth Shirt at the Earth level, even if he really was targeted by the mansion troops and Jin Wange's archers, as long as he was careful not to be shot at the joints there would be no problem.

But he could not guarantee that under the prerequisite of avoiding so many experts, he could still definitely protect Wang Xiaoer, who possibly could not withstand even a single arrow.

In the end, the idea of forcibly breaking out of the encirclement relying on lightness skill, Zhang San also gave up on.

He couldn't bet Wang Xiaoer's life on this.