Chapter 222
In the pursuit of knowledge, one must choose a rooftop under the clear breeze and bright moon. Do you expect them to lie in the gutters like hired blades, disguising themselves as street beggars to gather information?
Though Jian Cheng is willing to lend a helping hand, it is limited to fighting.
“Yunzhou is not like Ziyang Prefecture; we cannot afford to make a big fuss,” Xue Jing nodded in agreement.
“Actually, the solution is right before us,” Li Mo suddenly smiled and said.
Everyone paused, taken aback.
He stepped out onto the street and called out loudly, “Hey, everyone! We’ve got new work!”
In an instant, the bustling street fell silent.
Countless merchants, street performers, all halted their activities.
Even the old man playing chess and the limping beggar stood up, lining up at the entrance of the tavern.
“Master Li, what are your orders?”
“Who do you want us to kill? Just say the word!”
“How do you want it done? Should we chop them into pieces?”
The atmosphere at the tavern entrance was filled with enthusiasm, the assassins brimming with motivation and a thirst for achievement.
What a hardworking bunch, striving for wealth through diligence!
“Ahem, let me keep it brief,” Li Mo said. “Not long ago, I withdrew my bounty, but I haven’t retracted that reward yet, so…”
Watching Li Mo stand before a group of assassins, the patrons inside the tavern fell into contemplation.
If outsiders saw this, they might think Li Mo was the master of the Yunzhou branch of the Xiyu Tower. In fact, even they had begun to feel that way.
After all, we are the Qingyuan Sect, a prestigious righteous faction!
Before long, young Li arranged for the assassins to head out.
He was about to return to the tavern to discuss matters further when a voice suddenly called from behind.
“Li Xiong.”
It was a middle-aged man with a waxy complexion.
“I am Huang Donglai.”
Fearing that Li Mo wouldn’t recognize him, Huang Donglai reverted to his original voice.
“Oh, it’s Brother Huang! Are you here to stay at the inn? I’m afraid I don’t have the time to entertain you right now…”
“No, I’m here to lend a hand to you, Li Xiong.”
Huang Donglai clasped his hands and said earnestly, “Tracking down clues is also my specialty.”
“You have some expertise in this area?”
“Yeah, I have some insights, especially in how to destroy corpses and conceal one’s tracks.”
“…”
Li Mo looked at Huang Donglai, who was disguised as a middle-aged man.
Without using the Heavenly Fate Divine Eye, even he wouldn’t have recognized him.
Clearly, he had some real skills.
A rare talent indeed.
...
While dark currents surged through the city, a certain temple stood in unusual tranquility.
Located on the outskirts of Yunzhou City, it usually didn’t see much traffic, but with its green waters and lush mountains, it was indeed a rare place for quiet cultivation.
However...
The temple had been completely taken over, from the abbot down to the novice monks.
Creak—
After sending off the last batch of worshippers, the monk closed the heavy temple door, then kicked aside the obstructing wooden fish and approached the abbot.
“General…”
“Hmm?”
The thick-browed abbot opened his eyes slightly, a hint of malice in his gaze.
The monk quickly corrected himself, “Abbot, we’ve been here as monks, eating nothing but tofu and cabbage, our mouths are going dry. When can we go back?”
It turned out that the original monks of Jin Guang Temple had all met with disaster.
The temple had been occupied by a group of rebel soldiers.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
Chang Bolong snorted coldly.
“Right now, the winds in Yunzhou City are turbulent; we can’t leave for the time being. We can only stay here and wait for the storm to pass. Those Yunzhou swordsmen are all arrogant, thinking they’re above everyone else. No matter how hard they try, they won’t figure out that we’ve ‘renounced the world.’”
“Now that the ‘Divine Being’ has issued a decree,” he glanced at the Buddha statue behind him and grinned, “we’ve already found the Divine Son for the Divine Being. Naturally, there will be rewards from the sect.”
“As long as we endure this period, we’ll be free to soar high and no longer suffer in that desolate place in the southern frontier.”
As his words fell, the ‘monks’ all showed expressions of joy.
“With the General’s achievements, you should at least be promoted to a protector of the sect.”
“Joining the Divine Sect is the way to go; I broke through my five-year stagnation just yesterday.”
“Hahaha, how could those foolish Yunzhou swordsmen possibly catch us?”
“Wait, don’t you think… this incense is a bit too fragrant?”
“It’s too fragrant… it’s making me a bit dizzy…”
...
At that moment, Chang Bolong, disguised as the temple abbot, sensed something was off and suddenly held his breath.
“There’s poison in the incense!”
He shouted.
In the next moment—
Bang—
The temple door was kicked open.
“Those from Xiyu Tower, everyone get down and cover your heads!”
The monks: “?”
What’s going on? Xiyu Tower??
No way.
Why does this scene look so familiar?
Though they were now fugitives, they had once been official soldiers, properly receiving military pay…
They were the ones who used to kick down doors.
Now, they were being barged in by a group of assassins?
Well, that’s quite a shock.
...
PS: Sorry for the late update today! I spent a long time this afternoon outlining and sorting out the plot for the southern frontier journey.
Kisses!
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Chapter 238: Dreamlike Collaboration, Chang Bolong is also in a Bind
Chang Bolong was captured in a way he never could have imagined.
...
He had originally been a minor general on the southern frontier, limited by his innate talent, with no hope of achieving great things.
Until he encountered a divine envoy from the Huàn Mó Sect, who taught him part of the true scriptures of summoning demons. He began to wield power in his post, rapidly increasing his strength.
But as the saying goes, one who walks by the river will inevitably get their shoes wet.
His actions eventually drew attention, and he had to rely on the divine envoy’s help to escape his post.
Perhaps even the heavens were looking out for him.
While passing through Yunzhou, he unexpectedly encountered a ‘Divine Son.’
A half-demon body, favored by the gods; as long as he could bring this person back to the sect, it would be a great achievement.
The ‘Divine Son’ kept murmuring a name along the way:
“Li Xiong will come to save me…”
The Qianlong List’s prodigy, Li Mo?
At that moment, Chang Bolong laughed.
Ranked 19th on the Qianlong List, it would be a miracle if he could escape from under my nose, let alone come to save someone.
Moreover, even if the other party truly had the strength to fight, what good would it do if he couldn’t find me?
But Chang Bolong never expected that Li Mo would actually come knocking.
And not just that.
He brought with him the joint enforcement of Xiyu Tower and Hengyun Sword City!
What a surreal collaboration!
...
“Who dares to call us Hengyun dogs? You’ll crawl out of here today!”
“Offending Master Li and still thinking you can escape?”
“So this is what it feels like to catch someone; it’s exhilarating.”
“Today, we must make sure to impress Master Li; not a single one gets away!”
The once tranquil temple was suddenly anything but.
Though Chang Bolong wasn’t a good person, his strength was indeed formidable, and he could form a military formation with dozens of his subordinates, amplifying his own power.
The rebels, surprisingly, did not fall quickly.
But it was only a matter of time.
Among the assassins from Xiyu Tower were many skilled fighters, employing various techniques like hidden snakes lurking in the dark.
And the external affairs officers from Hengyun Sword City exuded a chilling sword aura.
With various powers overlapping and chaotic energies surging, Jin Guang Temple was instantly reduced to ruins, causing the very earth to tremble.
Several skilled fighters were engaged in fierce combat, creating a significant commotion.
Not far away.
“Fortunately, I disguised myself as a worshipper and poisoned them. This Chang Bolong is a bit tricky.”
Huang Donglai sighed in relief, then turned to Li Mo and clasped his hands, “Li Xiong, it’s still too close here. Should we retreat a bit further?”
“Is it alright to retreat this far?” Li Mo took a few steps back.
“Further back…”
“This far?”
“Retreat, retreat!”
Huang Donglai stood by the riverbank, ready to dive into the water and float downstream at the first sign of trouble.
“…”
Li Mo’s mouth twitched.
Standing this far back, he couldn’t even see what was happening inside the temple!
And how did Huang Donglai just zip back so quickly? His legs were too nimble; even with my Bu Yun shoes, I’d struggle to catch up.
Clearly.
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