Xiao Ming helped Liu Dayong up, and after everyone entered the manor, Liu Dayong followed Xiao Ming and the others to their room.
"Why did you treat me like a liar?" Xiao Ming asked.
Liu Dayong explained the situation, and Xiao Ming said unhappily, "This Zhao Qixian is really asking for a beating. Call him and tell him to come to Mian Yin City immediately."
Liu Dayong called Zhao Qixian and told him that Xiao Ming was indeed the young master of the Kuang Dao Sect. Zhao Qixian was terrified and hurried to Mian Yin City with a few subordinates.
Xiao Ming asked Liu Dayong how he ended up at the Nangong family's manor. Liu Dayong told Xiao Ming that the Nangong family had invited him to Funiu Town to cook for the wedding banquet.
This time, not only Liu Dayong came, but also more than a dozen famous chefs from the Kuang Dao Sect were going to Funiu Town.
Upon learning that a large number of people from the Kuang Dao Sect would be going to Funiu Town to cook, Xiao Ming said happily, "That's great, I was worried about what identity I could use to enter Funiu Town."
"Young Master, are you also going to Funiu Town?" Liu Dayong asked.
Xiao Ming nodded and said, "Yes, I'm going too, but I can't go openly."
Liu Dayong didn't ask why Xiao Ming was going to Funiu Town and said, "This is easy. You all can go with me. Your identity can be cooks, or assistants helping me."
Xiao Ming looked at Old Daoist Xiao and said, "Daoist Master Xiao, what identity do you think we should use?"
Old Daoist Xiao smiled and said, "The identity doesn't matter. They wouldn't dare to stop me if I went openly."
After some discussion, they finally decided to act separately. Xiao Ming's identity would be a cook, while Luo Tianshui and Ye Mei would be assistants to Liu Dayong.
Old Daoist Xiao didn't need to change his identity and could directly take his disciples.
As Xiao Ming and the others discussed how to go to Funiu Town, Long Xiao found a place to stay after arriving in Mian Yin City.
He was going to Funiu Town to snatch someone, and the Nangong family should have known about it long ago. From the moment he boarded the plane in the capital, Long Xiao noticed he was being followed. These people should be from the Luan family.
Upon arriving in Mian Yin and disembarking, he was immediately put under surveillance. He didn't pay attention to those watching him and took a taxi directly from the airport to a hotel.
As soon as Long Xiao found a place to stay, he received a call from Ming Tianya, informing him that the President of the Sichuan West Martial Arts Alliance was going to meet him and host a welcome banquet.
The Martial Arts Alliance was a force that could be utilized. Although they couldn't rely on the Martial Arts Alliance to deal with the Nangong family, it should be fine to have them gather some information.
Soon, Long Xiao received a call from President Lin of the Sichuan West Martial Arts Alliance. President Lin told Long Xiao that he had booked a private room at the Ju Hai Lou Grand Hotel, and the car to pick him up was already at the entrance of the hotel where he was staying.
Lin Haishan, the newly appointed President of the Sichuan West Martial Arts Alliance, was in his early sixties, with a ruddy complexion. He wore a Tang suit and idly played with a purple clay teapot in his hand.
As soon as Long Xiao came downstairs, he saw Lin Haichuan waiting for him at the hotel entrance.
"It's really inconvenient to have President Lin pick me up personally," Long Xiao said politely.
Lin Haichuan smiled and said, "Elder Hu's visit to Sichuan West is our good fortune..."
After a few pleasantries, they got into the car and headed to Wanghai Lou Grand Hotel.
As Long Xiao got into the car, he noticed that the people following him had increased, from two groups to three.
In the car, Lin Haichuan asked, "Elder Hu, would you like me to send someone to deal with the people following you?"
Long Xiao shook his head and said, "Let them follow. My whereabouts are public, and it doesn't matter if they follow or not."
There were many people to welcome Long Xiao, including not only members of the Sichuan West Martial Arts Alliance but also many people from smaller families with good relations with the alliance.
Everyone knew why Long Xiao had come to Sichuan West, but no one mentioned it during the banquet.
After a satisfying meal, everyone saw Long Xiao off to the car, and President Lin Haichuan also got into the car.
"Elder Hu, there are some situations I need to tell you about."
Long Xiao nodded, and Lin Haichuan continued, "The wedding banquet hosted by the Nangong family this time seems to be a trap. Long Xiao must have offended the Nangong family, and they want to get rid of him."
"How do you know it's a trap?" Long Xiao asked.
Lin Haichuan told Long Xiao that when he left the capital, President Ming had arranged for the Sichuan West Martial Arts Alliance to mobilize everyone to gather information.
All sorts of information converged on Lin Haichuan, and through analysis, he sensed a conspiracy.
Lin Haichuan told Long Xiao about various suspicious points and then said, "Something big might happen this time. A large number of Dragon Guards have entered Sichuan West, and the Luo family and Zhang family from the Nine Sects of Xuan Shu have also appeared. Some people have even seen people from reclusive sects, but due to the lack of information, it's unclear which sect they belong to."
After hearing Lin Haichuan's news, Long Xiao looked at him expressionlessly and asked, "Are there any other family members who have entered Sichuan West?"
"People from five of the Eight Martial Families have appeared. People from the major families in the capital have also shown up."
"Are they here for the wedding banquet? The Nangong family is the head of the Eight Martial Families, and the Luan family is one of the Five Great Families in the capital. The other families in the capital will definitely send people."
Lin Haichuan shook his head and said, "It doesn't seem like it. Some people came openly, and they should be attending the wedding banquet. However, a significant portion of them came secretly."
Lin Haichuan told Long Xiao everything he knew and also shared his analysis for Long Xiao's reference.
Long Xiao just nodded after listening and didn't express his opinion, his expression unchanged.
Based on the intelligence provided by Lin Haichuan, the situation was indeed becoming more complicated. Long Xiao couldn't draw any conclusions until he had a complete understanding of it.
However, no matter what happened, he had to go to Funiu Town and take Luan Jiping away. He couldn't just stand by and watch Luan Jiping fall into a pit of fire.
On the second day of Long Xiao's stay in Mian Yin City, a pure-looking girl carrying a large cello case appeared on the road leading into the city.
She walked with her head down, seemingly lost in thought.
The second day of Long Xiao's stay in Mian Yin City, eighty kilometers away from Funiu Town, in Lingnan City.
A monk in a saffron robe, with a ruddy complexion, walked slowly down the street, holding a bronze alms bowl. He kept his head down, as if contemplating where to beg for food today.
The alms-collecting monk walked steadily and calmly, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him. Walking was the only thing he needed to do.
At the same time, a passenger plane slowly landed at Lingnan City Airport. Not far from the runway, a motorcade of luxury cars was parked quietly, and a group of elegantly dressed men and women stood by the cars, watching the landing plane.
As the cabin door opened, an old man in traditional Japanese attire appeared. Seeing the luxury motorcade, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Accompanying the old man off the plane were a group of seemingly respectable Japanese middle-aged men, all energetic and with rosy complexions.
The men and women standing at the front of the luxury motorcade rushed forward to greet the old man as soon as they saw him. Everyone had a smile on their faces, as if they were seeing long-lost relatives.