Chapter 566 - 249: Seeking Revenge
Chapter 566: Chapter 249: Seeking Revenge
Just as Fang Shuwen and Luo Shuqing entered the secret chamber of the ancestral hall.
Meanwhile, outside Tingtiao Pavilion, things were also changing for Zuo Xuan, Zuo Hong, and Zhou Zhengze, the trio who were "searching" for them.
They weren’t so much searching for Fang Shuwen and his companion as they were hiding from the eyes and ears of Tingtiao Pavilion.
Their plan was to stay hidden as best they could until Fang Shuwen reappeared.
Zuo Hong smiled and said, "The Young Mistress called it. Tingtiao Pavilion really did turn into a tiger’s den."
"Once Hero Fang makes his appearance, all this danger will simply disappear."
As Zuo Xuan spoke, he suddenly seemed to think of something and hesitated, trailing off.
Zhou Zhengze, of course, paid it no mind, mostly because he wasn’t very good at reading people.
Zuo Hong, however, spoke up with a faint, knowing smile:
"What scheme are you cooking up now?"
Zuo Xuan said, hesitating,
"I have an idea... How about I share it, and the three of us can talk it over?"
It was only then that Zhou Zhengze caught on.
"What’s your idea?"
"Hero Fang has gone into hiding with the Young Mistress, which most likely means he’s sensed that something is wrong with Tingtiao Pavilion."
Zuo Xuan continued,
"Knowing Hero Fang’s temperament, once he figures out who’s friend and who’s foe, I’m afraid Tingtiao Pavilion is in for a bloody battle..."
"A bloody battle, or a bloodbath?"
Zuo Hong corrected him, urging more precise wording.
Zuo Xuan nodded immediately.
"Right, a bloodbath...
"To be honest, even though Tingtiao Pavilion is one of the Eight Forbidden Areas of the East Sea, I don’t think they have what it takes to stand against Hero Fang.
"So, in the meantime, what can we do to help Hero Fang?"
"Us?"
Zuo Hong thought for a moment.
"What can *we* do? With Hero Fang’s level of Martial Arts, it’s not like he needs our help, right?"
"Wrong!"
Zhou Zhengze interjected at once.
"We can go destroy Tingtiao Pavilion’s ships!"
Zuo Hong shot Zhou Zhengze a look, utterly astonished.
’How did his brain suddenly get so sharp?’
She didn’t realize, however, that this was just another sign of Zhou Zhengze’s simple-mindedness.
He was too direct and simple to come up with such imaginative plans on his own, but he had an excellent memory for things he’d already done.
The trip to Black Island wasn’t long ago, and destroying ships was exactly what they’d done then.
So when Zuo Xuan brought up the subject, he immediately thought of repeating the same tactic.
Zuo Xuan laughed heartily.
"Brother Zhou is right. That’s exactly what I was thinking."
Zuo Hong took a deep breath.
"I’m afraid that won’t be easy.
"Our mission on Black Island went so smoothly because Hero Fang took out the hidden sentries beforehand.
"But this is Tingtiao Pavilion... We probably won’t get a chance to scuttle their ships..."
"We can at least go and see if there’s an opportunity."
Zuo Xuan said with a smile,
"Even if there’s no real opportunity, we should at least scout out the area.
"When Hero Fang shows himself again, if he really decides to destroy Tingtiao Pavilion, he’ll want to make sure no one is left. If he asks us for information then, we can’t be completely clueless."
"That’s true..."
Zuo Hong had to admit that Zuo Xuan had a point.
The three of them exchanged a glance, all agreeing the plan was worth a shot.
They were young, after all—bold enough to dream, to act, and to take risks.
After agreeing that the plan was sound, they set off for the docks.
The docks were a vital chokepoint. All daily traffic to and from Tingtiao Pavilion had to pass through here, and the importance of ships at sea went without saying.
They had expected security to be tight and planned to approach cautiously to see if an opportunity presented itself.
If they were discovered, they could use the excuse that they were "searching for Fang Shuwen." They figured Tingtiao Pavilion wouldn’t dare to kill them outright.
But as they made their way forward, they were surprised to find not a single sentry.
The docks were just ahead, and just as they were wondering what was going on, Zuo Hong suddenly stumbled and was caught by Zhou Zhengze.
The two turned around and saw a body in the grass. The man’s face was ashen, his eyes wide open in death.
"It’s one of Tingtiao Pavilion’s disciples."
Zuo Xuan went forward to inspect the body. His expression changed as he immediately made the connection to last night’s assassins.
"Could it be... all the sentries near the docks have already been taken care of?"
The three of them exchanged uneasy glances. They took two more steps forward when Zhou Zhengze’s ear twitched. "Careful," he whispered urgently, "someone’s here."
They were well aware of the limits of their own Martial Arts. A true master would have no trouble spotting them.
After a moment’s thought, Zuo Xuan pointed. The other two followed his gaze to a spot on higher ground.
The three of them immediately moved toward it, and upon reaching the spot, they had a commanding view from above.
Looking out, they saw the docks below were brightly lit, illuminated by countless torches.
Three massive ships, each easily twice the size of Tingtiao Pavilion’s vessels, were moored quietly at the docks. They looked like three terrifying behemoths lurking on the surface of the sea.
Figures were leaping from the ships, darting towards the inner grounds of Tingtiao Pavilion, while another group remained near the large vessels, not leaving.
"What’s going on here?"
Zuo Xuan was dumbstruck by the sight.
Zuo Hong’s brow was furrowed in thought. She suddenly took a deep breath.
"This must be a calculated plot...
"Last night’s assassination attempt was a diversion. Suhe Zhen has been busy all day dealing with the aftermath, and the whole of Tingtiao Pavilion has been thrown into chaos.
"The matter with the assassins is supposedly almost resolved. Suhe Zhen caught some and killed others.
"But because of this, Suhe Zhen’s attention has been focused entirely inside Tingtiao Pavilion, leaving him unable to pay attention to what’s happening outside.
"They seized this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the docks, killing all the visible and hidden sentries, and then guided these three massive ships in..."
Hearing this, Zuo Xuan nodded slightly.
"That certainly makes sense."