From Agong, Yan Shouyi learned about the grievances between him and Chu Liang.
The master of the two, named Bai Nan, was a legendary paper effigy maker.
Bai Nan had taken Chu Liang as a disciple over twenty years ago. Chu Liang's talent was decent, but his personality was solitary and extreme. The main reason Bai Nan accepted Chu Liang was his quiet and taciturn nature.
However, after years of traveling together, Bai Nan had never taught Chu Liang his true skills.
Initially, Chu Liang believed that Bai Nan withheld his true abilities out of fear of "teaching a student who would starve the master." Thus, Chu Liang didn't get angry, only thinking that when his master decided to retire, he would naturally pass on his true skills, and he only needed to quietly follow his master.
Later, Bai Nan found Agong, who was only four years old, and adopted him.
Chu Liang doted on this junior disciple, giving Agong all the best food and drink. Sometimes, when traveling long distances, he would even bend down to carry Agong.
Agong deeply respected Chu Liang and felt a sense of security he had never experienced before.
This should have been a beautiful story of two martial brothers growing up together, but the ending was not like that.
Not long after finding Agong, Chu Liang suddenly discovered that his master was secretly going to teach Agong the true skills of a paper effigy maker!
At that time, Chu Liang realized that his master wasn't worried about teaching a student who would starve him, but simply felt that he was not qualified to learn the skills of a paper effigy maker!
There is no greater sorrow than a heart that has died. Upon learning the truth, Chu Liang was filled with despair, his mind clouded by rage.
He called Agong to the kitchen. The innocent Agong thought his senior brother had more food for him. Who knew that his senior brother, who had always doted on him, would roughly grab his hair and shove his head into a fire pit!
The scorching charcoal left an ugly scar on Agong's face. It nearly killed Agong, but fortunately, Master Bai Nan arrived in time and stopped Chu Liang, saving Agong's life.
After that, Chu Liang left. The original trio of master and disciples was reduced to two, and Agong's heart was forever incomplete.
Years later, Agong became a true paper effigy maker, but the scar on his face grew with him. After his master's death, he put on a mask and vowed to find Chu Liang and avenge the past.
Now, the opportunity had arrived.
...
The next evening, at a secluded teahouse on Wuyi Mountain.
Yan Shouyi, Long Feicheng, Luo Ning, Agong, Wang Jiwang, and Zhao Yiyao, six people, appeared below the teahouse.
The teahouse was located in the mountains and was of high standard and quality. Despite its secluded location, many wealthy people were willing to drive there.
The group entered the teahouse, took a table in the main hall on the first floor, and sat around it, ordering two pots of tea.
The teahouse was decorated in a rustic and elaborate style, making one unsure if it was ancient or modern.
On stage, several beauties in ancient costumes played soothing folk music, creating a charming atmosphere. Many guests in the teahouse were likely drawn by these beauties.
A waiter, dressed as an ancient shop assistant, enthusiastically served tea to everyone. Yan Shouyi casually gave him a tip of two hundred yuan, which made the waiter beam with joy.
"Let me ask you," Yan Shouyi said to the waiter, "which tables in your teahouse are reserved by guests tonight?"
Having received money, the waiter was happy to oblige. He answered without hesitation, "Tables 3, 19, and 21 are all reserved."
"Got it. You can go now. No need to disturb us further."
After dismissing the waiter, Yan Shouyi explained to everyone:
"Since the Masked Magician and Chu Liang will definitely appear here tonight, either of them might have reserved a table. So, everyone focus your attention on these three tables."
"I have a question," Long Feicheng raised his hand.
"Spit it out quickly."
"Brother Yan, why didn't you give me that two hundred yuan just now? I could have asked the waiter to step outside for a smoke and found everything out. There was no need to waste it!"
Yan Shouyi: "..."
Wang Jiwang chuckled, "So you're trying to be a middleman and pocket the difference?"
Luo Ning said sarcastically, "Ever since Yan Shouyi 'married' into wealth, his spending has become quite generous."
Yan Shouyi directly ignored Luo Ning's sarcasm. In fact, the Lin family's increasing wealth was largely due to his grandfather's help in the past. Moreover, Yan Shouyi's "private collection" was priceless, though he couldn't convert it into usable cash.
Zhao Yiyao complained, "With our disguises, will that Chu Liang you mentioned really not recognize us?"
To prevent Chu Liang from recognizing Yan Shouyi and Wang Jiwang, everyone had put on disguises. Long Feicheng had even stuck a large beard on his face, like Zhang Fei.
Yan Shouyi said with a wry smile, "Regardless, a fight is inevitable. If he recognizes us, so be it, as long as Chu Liang appears."
"I have another question." This time it was Agong who raised his hand. He asked, "Does no one know what the Masked Magician looks like?"
Yan Shouyi shook his head and said, "This Masked Magician is the disciple of the old Masked Magician. Even people from the Old Xuan Mountain Sect don't know his appearance. We'll have to identify him ourselves."
Everyone was troubled. In reality, the Masked Magician was even more elusive than they were. Among those present, no one truly understood the Masked Magician.
The only fortunate thing was that there weren't many customers in the teahouse. Including them, there were only four tables at the moment.
They sat in a corner, quietly drinking their tea and waiting.
Soon, the guests at table 21 arrived.
The guests at table 21 were a couple who seemed to be regular customers of the teahouse. The waiter was exceptionally welcoming to them.
Yan Shouyi observed for a while and shook his head regretfully, "It shouldn't be them."
"Why?" Zhao Yiyao asked.
"The Masked Magician knows that Chu Liang will appear tonight. Even if he has a wife or husband, he wouldn't bring them here to put them in danger. Moreover, they are regular customers of the teahouse. The Masked Magician fled here, so he couldn't be a regular customer."
Zhao Yiyao was secretly surprised. She considered herself quite intelligent, and her previous defeat by Yan Shouyi was only because Yan Shouyi had the help of the Three Dragons and the Scabby One behind him.
Now, it seemed that Yan Shouyi, though the same age as her, had far superior insight and analytical skills.
This made Zhao Yiyao feel a sense of frustration, but also a hint of relief. It was good that she had woken up now, otherwise, she would only suffer greater losses in the future.
Unconsciously, Zhao Yiyao's attitude towards Yan Shouyi improved slightly.
At this moment, the guests at table 3 and table 19 entered the teahouse one after another. The guests at both tables were alone. The guest at table 3 was a silent young man who, after ordering tea, remained quiet. The guest at table 19 was a middle-aged man dressed in a classical style, which somewhat resembled the Masked Magician.
Long Feicheng poked his head over the table and said in a low voice:
"Let's have a bet, I'll be the banker. We bet on who the Masked Magician is."
Yan Shouyi glared at Little Long, "What time is it? Stop messing around."
Unexpectedly, Wang Jiwang immediately put down a hundred yuan and said, "I bet it's the guest at table 3."
Yan Shouyi: "..."
With someone taking the lead, others also became interested and placed their bets.
Yan Shouyi shook his head helplessly. In his heart, he felt that neither of these two tables were the Masked Magician.
The young man at table 3 was looking down at his phone, his hand trembling slightly. He was clearly not a martial artist.
The Masked Magician's hands must be fast, accurate, and steady. This young man's trembling hands indicated he was not the Masked Magician.
As for the middle-aged man at table 19, his eyes were constantly fixed on the classical beauties on stage. However, his gaze was not one of lust, but rather of paternal affection. This could only be explained by one thing: one of the beauties on stage was this man's daughter.
Yan Shouyi deduced that the Masked Magician likely did not have a daughter. Even if he did, knowing that Chu Liang was hunting him, he would not bring trouble to his daughter.
Therefore, neither of these two were the Masked Magician!
Then, where was the Masked Magician?
As one song ended, the classical beauties on stage packed their instruments and left. The atmosphere in the teahouse suddenly changed. From a corner, a Peking Opera performer wearing a costume and carrying a banner of props walked out – a master of face-changing!
Yan Shouyi's gaze instantly locked onto him.