Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 276: Star Pavilion Pillar

As night fell, the valley where the Xingchen Pavilion was located was shrouded in shadow. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li stood back to back, watching the men in black approaching them vigilantly. These men in black were calm and steady, and their moves were fierce. They were obviously well-trained assassins.

"Humph, you think you can stop us?" Gao Xingchen sneered, and the long sword in his hand turned into silver light, forcing several men in black to retreat. Nan Li shuttled between the men in black like a ghost, and every time he attacked, he took a life.

However, the black-clad men seemed endless, and they kept coming. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li gradually felt exhausted and had several more wounds on their bodies.

"Xingchen, be careful!" Nan Li suddenly exclaimed, and saw a man in black going around behind Gao Xingchen and stabbing him in the back with a sharp blade in his hand.

Gao Xingchen was unable to dodge and could only watch the sharp blade pierce him. At the critical moment, a figure suddenly appeared behind him and blocked the fatal blow for him.

"Xuanfeng!" Gao Xingchen exclaimed, only to see Xuanfeng groaning and a trace of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, but he still endured the pain and repelled the man in black.

"Master, I am late, please forgive me!" Xuan Feng knelt on one knee and said weakly.

"Stop talking for now, let's go!" Gao Xingchen knew that this was not the time to talk, so he pulled Xuanfeng up and broke out with Nanli.

The three of them ran all the way and finally got rid of the pursuit of the men in black. However, Gao Xingchen passed out due to excessive blood loss.

......

The atmosphere in Xingchen Pavilion was heavy. Gao Xingchen was lying on the bed, pale and unconscious. Nanli and Xuanfeng stood by, their faces full of worry.

"How could this happen? Who wants to kill Xingchen?" Nanli clenched her fists, flames of anger flashing in her beautiful eyes.

"Judging from the moves of those men in black, they should be from 'Shadow'." Xuan Feng said in a deep voice, "Shadow is the most mysterious assassin organization in the Nine Star Realm. No one knows their origins. We only know that they take money to do things and kill people without being seen."

“Shadow…” Nan Li muttered to himself, a cold light flashing in his eyes, “If I knew who hired them, I would make him pay a heavy price!”

At this moment, a disciple rushed in and said in a panic: "Oh no, Pavilion Master, Li Fushang... Li Fushang..."

"What happened to Mr. Li? Tell me slowly!" Xuanfeng frowned and asked in a deep voice.

"Mr. Li...he withdrew his investment!" The disciple took a deep breath and finally spoke out.

"What?!" Nan Li and Xuan Feng's faces suddenly changed when they heard this. Mr. Li was the largest investor in Xingchen Pavilion, and the news of his withdrawal was like a bolt from the blue.

"How could this happen? Why did the wealthy businessman Li withdraw his investment?" Nan Li asked in disbelief.

"It is said that it is because... because a mine invested by Mr. Li collapsed and caused heavy losses, so..." the disciple said hesitantly.

Nan Li and Xuan Feng looked at each other, and suddenly they had an ominous premonition. Xingchen Pavilion's capital chain was already somewhat strained due to its rapid expansion, and now that the wealthy businessman Li had suddenly withdrawn his investment, this was like adding insult to injury for Xingchen Pavilion.

"It seems that we are in big trouble." Xuan Feng said in a deep voice, his tone full of worry.

Nan Li nodded, a look of determination flashed in her beautiful eyes. She knew that now was not the time to be sad and desperate, she had to cheer up and tide over the difficulties together with Gao Xingchen!

Nan Li frowned, the news of the withdrawal of investment by the wealthy businessman Li was like a huge rock pressing down on her heart, making her breathless. The funds of Xingchen Pavilion were already tight, and now it was even worse. But she knew that she must not panic at this moment. Gao Xingchen was unconscious, and she had to carry Xingchen Pavilion.

"Go and check immediately what happened to the mine invested by the wealthy businessman Li!" Nanli ordered his disciples calmly, with unquestionable majesty in his tone.

"Yes!" The disciple took the order and left in a hurry.

"Xuanfeng, go and appease other investors immediately and don't let them panic." Nanli turned to look at Xuanfeng, his eyes full of anxiety.

"I understand!" Xuan Feng took the order and left, but his heart was full of worries. Xingchen Pavilion was now in trouble both internally and externally, and the situation was not optimistic.

Nan Li forced herself to calm down and began to deal with the daily affairs of Xingchen Pavilion. However, before one wave of troubles was over, another wave of troubles arose, and worse news came.

Elder Sun, the elder in charge of daily purchases for the Xingchen Pavilion, disappeared while out on a shopping trip.

"Missing? How could he be missing?" Nan Li felt more and more uneasy. Elder Sun was a cautious person and never took risks easily. How could he suddenly disappear?

"We have sent people to look for him, but there is still no news." The disciple who came to report also looked anxious.

Nan Li felt that Elder Sun's disappearance was not an accident and was probably related to the current predicament of Xingchen Pavilion. She immediately ordered to strengthen the defense of Xingchen Pavilion and sent more people to search for Elder Sun's whereabouts.

However, the development of the matter was far worse than Nan Li had imagined. Just as she was worried about the disappearance of Elder Sun, some discordant voices began to emerge within the Xingchen Pavilion.

Some elders questioned Gao Xingchen's leadership ability, believing that Xingchen Pavilion had expanded too quickly and taken too big a step, which led to the current predicament. They even began to secretly collude and wanted to nominate a new Pavilion Master.

"Gao Xingchen is just a greenhorn. How can he lead the Xingchen Pavilion? We can't let him mess around any more!" An elder with seniority said indignantly during a private gathering.

"Yes, the current predicament of Xingchen Pavilion is caused by his willful behavior! We can't just sit there and wait for death!" Another elder also echoed.

The elders' remarks soon spread within the Xingchen Pavilion, causing even greater panic and anxiety. Although Nan Li tried her best to suppress these rumors, it had little effect.

Just when Nan Li was exhausted, an anonymous letter was delivered to her. There was only one sentence in the letter:

"If you want Elder Sun to live, let Gao Xingchen hand over the control of Xingchen Pavilion."

Nan Li was suddenly struck by lightning, the letter slipped from her hands, and her face turned as pale as paper.

Elder Sun was indeed kidnapped! And the people who kidnapped him obviously wanted to take advantage of the internal and external difficulties of Xingchen Pavilion to completely control it!

Nan Li clenched her fists tightly, with a look of determination in her eyes. She would never compromise with these despicable villains! She wanted to rescue Elder Sun, and also protect the Xingchen Pavilion that Gao Xingchen had exchanged his life and blood for!

But who are the enemies? What is their purpose? Nan Li's heart was filled with doubts and uneasiness. She vaguely felt that a bigger storm was approaching Xingchen Pavilion...

Nan Li took a deep breath and burned the threatening letter to ashes. Fear and worry wrapped around her like vines, but she had to stay calm. Without Gao Xingchen, she was the pillar of Xingchen Pavilion.

"Someone come here!" Nanli shouted to the outside of the door.

"Master, what do you want me to do for you?" A disciple hurried in.

"Pass the order down, strengthen the vigilance, and no one is allowed to go out without my order!" Nan Li's tone was sharp, revealing unquestionable majesty.

"Yes!" The disciple took the order and left, but he felt even more uneasy in his heart. The atmosphere in the Star Pavilion was so depressing that it was almost suffocating.

On the other hand, Xuan Feng ran around to raise funds, even taking risks and contacting some powerful businessmen in the black market. He knew that this was very risky, but for the sake of Xingchen Pavilion, he had no choice.

"Boss Liu, what do you think of this deal..." Xuan Feng was sitting in a dim teahouse, his tone of pleading carrying a hint of pleading. Sitting opposite him was a short and fat man with a greasy face.

"Brother Xuanfeng, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that the situation is tense recently and I can't do anything to help you!" Boss Liu shook his head with regret, but a cunning light flashed in his eyes.

Xuanfeng naturally understood that the other party was perfunctory, but he did not give up and still begged hard, hoping to impress the other party. In the end, Boss Liu seemed to be moved by him and agreed to provide a batch of funds, but asked Xuanfeng to sign an agreement.

Although Xuanfeng felt somewhat uneasy, he was eager to resolve the predicament of Xingchen Pavilion. He only glanced at the contents of the agreement and signed his name.

However, he never expected that this agreement was actually a trap! The funds provided by Boss Liu could not be cashed at all, and the agreement became the ironclad evidence of his violation of the laws of the star domain!

Xuanfeng was framed by Boss Liu. Not only did he fail to raise funds, he also got into trouble and was thrown into jail.

The news was passed back to Xingchen Pavilion, which undoubtedly made the situation worse. After Nan Li learned about this, she was so angry that she almost vomited blood, but she understood that this was not the time to pursue responsibility. The most urgent task was to rescue Xuanfeng and stabilize the situation in Xingchen Pavilion.

At this time, Gao Xingchen was constantly thinking about how to break the situation while recovering from his injuries. He knew the difficulties Xingchen Pavilion was facing now, and he also knew that Nanli was under tremendous pressure.

"I must do something!" Gao Xingchen clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with determination.

He thought of his experiences on Earth and the delicious food that once made him proud, and a bold idea gradually took shape in his mind.

"I can use delicious food to attract the attention of various forces and gain a glimmer of hope for Xingchen Pavilion!" A flame of hope ignited in Gao Xingchen's heart.

He decided to hold an unprecedented food feast and invite all the important people in the Nine Star Realm to participate. He wanted to conquer everyone's taste buds with his cooking skills, and let everyone know that Xingchen Pavilion would never fall easily!

Nan Li's slender fingers tightly grasped the burnt threatening letter, the ashes on the letter stained her snow-white skin, shocking. The news of Xingchen Pavilion's broken capital chain spread like wildfire, and various forces were eyeing them covetously. Even the small and medium-sized forces that once depended on them turned against them one after another, and the situation was critical.

"Master, we have already found out that Elder Sun is being held in the Black Wind Village on the outskirts of the city, which is the territory of the Blood Knife Sect." A spy in black knelt on one knee and reported to Nan Li.

"Blood Blade Sect..." Nan Li frowned. This notorious force had always been at odds with Xingchen Pavilion. It was not surprising that they would take advantage of the situation. "I have already contacted Tianji Pavilion, and they have agreed to help us rescue people."

Tianji Pavilion is an intelligence organization that operates in the gray area of the Nine Star Realm. As long as you pay enough, they can provide any information and help you want.

As night fell, a waning moon hung in the dark sky. The cold wind blew up the fallen leaves on the ground, making a rustling sound. Nan Li, dressed in black, and several assassins from the Tianji Pavilion were lurking outside the Black Wind Village, ready to strike.

"Remember, our goal is to rescue Elder Sun, so try not to fight too long." Nan Li said in a low voice, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

"Understood!" Several killers responded in unison.

However, plans cannot keep up with changes. Just as they were about to sneak into the Black Wind Village, a burst of hurried footsteps came, accompanied by a rough shout: "Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Black Wind Village!"

It turned out that the patrol team from Black Wind Village discovered their tracks!

"Kill!" Nan Li acted decisively, drew out the soft sword from his waist, and rushed out first.

For a moment, the flash of swords and the shouts of killing shook the sky. Nan Li was a skilled martial artist and ruthless, and she quickly eliminated the few minions in front of her. However, the other side had a large number of people and had been prepared, so Nan Li and others gradually fell behind.

"Oh no! We've fallen into a trap!" an assassin from Tianji Pavilion exclaimed as a long knife pierced his abdomen and blood stained his clothes red.

"Retreat!" Nan Li made a prompt decision and covered the others to break out. However, it was too late, as a large number of black-clad men holding swords and knives emerged from all directions and surrounded them.

"Want to leave? Leave your life behind!" said a burly man in the lead with a grin. He held a huge axe in his hand, with a bloodthirsty light flashing in his eyes.

Nan Li and the others fought and retreated, but they were outnumbered and wounded. At this critical moment, a black shadow fell from the sky and shuttled through the crowd like a ghost. Wherever it passed, blood splattered and screams were heard.

"It's... it's a ghost!" The people from the Black Wind Village suddenly panicked. The ghost, the gold medal killer of the Tianji Pavilion, killed people without being seen. He was everyone's nightmare!

Taking advantage of the enemy's chaos, Nan Li and his companions finally fought their way out of the encirclement and escaped from the Black Wind Village. However, they failed to rescue Elder Sun and also lost several experts from the Tianji Pavilion, which was a heavy loss.

Back at Xingchen Pavilion, Nan Li is extremely worried. The situation of Xingchen Pavilion is getting worse and worse, and Gao Xingchen's body has not yet fully recovered. Can they really get out of the predicament? And can Gao Xingchen's bold idea in his mind - a gourmet feast - really become the life-saving straw of Xingchen Pavilion as he wishes?