Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 256

This time, Lord Xia Kui didn't need to personally take action. Ji Yan, Chen Ping, and Zhu Jia acted simultaneously: Zhu Jia used acupressure to block the Bone Demon's movement in mid-air, and then Chen Ping and Ji Yan's longswords pinned the Bone Demon to the ground. The two deliberately avoided attacking his vital points, and the Bone Demon was captured alive.

Bone Demon's surname is not Tian. He is a lone assassin brought back from the Taihang Mountains by Tian Hu. Theoretically, he could have switched allegiance to the Tian family in its decline.

However, he still chose to be imprisoned as a remnant of the Tian family, and launched an assassination attempt without hesitation when Lu Wei arrived.

Bone Demon had experienced Lu Wei's strength long ago, and he knew very well that this assassination attempt had no chance of success, and that his actions would only be a futile suicide... However, Tian Hu was dead, and as his guest, Bone Demon felt it was necessary to demonstrate the chivalrous spirit of a guest repaying his master.

A ruthless killer with heinous crimes is not necessarily incapable of repaying kindness!

Bone Demon, this Taihang assassin actually had a longer history with Lu Wei than with Tian Hu.

Lu Wei coldly watched the bloodstained character struggling desperately on the ground, causing his wounds to widen, yet still stubbornly trying to crawl towards him, a fleeting memory flashing through his mind.

The story dates back to when A-Ye was still a disciple of the Xu family. On her way back to Ji City after making a horse trade deal with the Xiang family in Shouchun for the first time, she was humiliated and had some of her goods stolen by the Bone Demon, who was then a lone assassin.

When they finally met, this boneless fellow was subdued by Tian Hu.

The Bone Demon was quite strong, but Lu Wei never liked people who were loyal to others, and the Bone Demon was not worth interrogating. So he casually said "execute it" and walked around the bloodstains.

Upon receiving the order, Chen Ping and Ji Yan each swiftly completed their mission, one severing the bone demon's neck and the other piercing its heart. After doing so, they sheathed their swords and continued to follow behind Lord Xia Kui.

As for the corpse that was left behind, it will be dealt with by disciples later...

The subsequent patrol was quiet. Most of the Tian family's disciples had realized their situation, so apart from the Bone Demon, Lu Wei did not encounter any more assassination attempts that led to his death.

------

Before even entering the Shu Mountain territory, Meng Tian's army was harassed by the occasional Shu Mountain witchcraft, slowing their advance considerably.

The people of Shu Mountain could not withstand a single charge from the Golden Fire Cavalry, but these unpredictable witchcraft techniques were equally difficult for the Qin army, who were seeing such tactics for the first time, to defend against.

Yun Zhongjun and his Yin Yang School disciples did not want to show themselves so early, but they couldn't resist Meng Tian's request, so they made their move.

Compared to Yun Zhongjun, who can communicate while sitting in the vehicle, another Yin-Yang Master character, Dong Jun, was never in the main force from the beginning.

However, according to Yun Zhongjun, this important figure only appears when facing the Yu Yuan Guards or the Shu Mountain Shu Road Maze. Now she is hiding her tracks in order to catch Shu Mountain off guard at a crucial moment.

Meng Tian cautiously refrained from commenting further. Seeing that the marching speed had increased after Yun Zhongjun took action, he was in no hurry to ask Dongjun to intervene.

Yu Ziqi hid in the dense forest, watching the Yin-Yang School disciples and Yun Zhongjun who had cleared obstacles for the Qin army ahead of time, and couldn't help but clench his fists.

After much deliberation, he calmly refrained from leading the other elite disciples of Mount Shu into a hasty attack. According to the Grand Elder, although the five elders of the Yin-Yang School represent the high-end strength of the Yin-Yang School, Yun Zhongjun alone is not qualified to contend with the entire Yu Yuan Guardians of Mount Shu and break through the Shu Road.

The Yin-Yang School must have sent even more powerful figures to hide in the shadows!

Yu Ziqi's decision was correct, but what he didn't know was that the even more powerful Yin-Yang Master, Dongjun, was watching him from the treetops behind the Shu Mountain group, concealing his presence.

If Dongjun wanted to, she could easily set up a Yin-Yang spell right now to slaughter all these Shushan disciples.

But the guy in Daze Mountain meant that although they wanted to destroy Shu, they couldn't let Shu's forces suffer too much loss: the more Shu's forces remained, the more it would help their plan.

As a partner, Dongjun had no need to deliberately sabotage Lu Wei's plan. Cooperating with each other could lead to a win-win situation. Therefore, she only kept an eye on the actions of the Shushan people and did not kill them.

'These Yu Yuan guards aren't very strong. It seems the Shu Mountain lineage can only rely on those old guys to keep things going.'

After thoroughly investigating the backgrounds of all the Shu Mountain disciples, Lord Dongjun left, feeling bored.

...

On Mount Shu, the young Yu Yuan, who was guarding Xiao Yu, could not go out to hinder the Qin army's actions like his older brother. Instead, he could only add various small Gu spells to the Shu Road maze in the mountains.

A short while later, Lan, Xiaoyu's childhood playmate of the same age, found her and said that the Grand Elder was looking for her.

"Okay~ I'm coming right now." As she stood up, the slightly intricate silver jewelry on her body jingled as it clattered together. Xiao Yu smiled and nodded to her friend before running towards the mountaintop.

The divine tree that pierces the clouds at the mountaintop can be seen from anywhere in Mount Shu. The current Grand Elder of Mount Shu has been guarding the Fusang Divine Tree for decades. At this moment, he stands under the giant tree with its blood-red trunk, leaning on his cane. Its golden leaves, which never fall in any season, are dazzling.

Even though he could see this sacred tree every day, the Grand Elder was still amazed by its boundless vitality...

"Grandpa Elder, I'm here!" Xiao Yu nimbly leaped up to the mountaintop and cheerfully greeted the Grand Elder.

Mount Shu is indeed facing a crisis, but for Xiao Yu, who has never left Mount Shu since birth, she still does not understand the seriousness of this crisis.

It was only because the elder grandfather and his brother Yu Ziqi looked tense that Xiao Yu would occasionally show a serious expression, imagining what the brutal Qin people were like.

"Little Yu," the elder turned around, and only then did Little Yu see that the elder was holding a small, dark wild animal that was wriggling around. Her eyes lit up, and after walking closer, she realized that it was a little black leopard: "How is your Wushan Chaoyun practice going?"

"I've memorized the incantation, and releasing it... is no problem! But I'm not quite proficient enough..." While answering the question, Xiao Yu, who was holding the little black panther, noticed a human-like movement in the golden pupils of the little black panther's eyes as it met her gaze. She couldn't help but feel a surge of affection and curiosity, and asked:

"Elder, is this the new generation of the 'Nian Beast'?"

The black leopard, a mythical beast bred in the Shu Mountains, is well-known among the Shu Mountain people. When it is young, it is no different in size from a normal black leopard, but when it grows to adulthood, it can grow to more than three meters tall and can easily carry four or five people on its back.

Black Panther is not only a formidable fighter, but also very intelligent and perceptive.

Among them, the black leopard with the best bloodline in each generation is revered as the 'Nian Beast' in the customs of Shu Mountain and is worshipped by the people.

“That’s right, its name is Xiao Hei.” The elder bent down and put the little black leopard on the ground. Xiao Hei was not afraid at all and went straight to Xiao Yu’s feet, rubbing against her calves affectionately.

The fluffy texture made Xiao Yu smile even brighter as she squatted down and gently stroked its head.

"From now on, you will be in charge of taking care of it."

The Grand Elder looked at Xiao Yu, who had a strong natural affinity with the black panther. In terms of talent and mission, Xiao Yu was the most special among the current generation of Yu Yuan Guardians, and the recognition from the 'Nian Beast' was the best proof of this.

"Yes!" Xiao Yu was overjoyed to hear the elder's words, picked up the black panther and jumped for joy, saying, "I will definitely not let the elder down!"

However, what Xiao Yu didn't know was that by accepting the 'Nian Beast,' she had also taken on another mission...

The elder gazed at the innocent young girl, not immediately revealing his mission, but turning back to continue looking at the Fusang Divine Tree, which represented eternity:

What will the future of Mount Shu be like...?

Chapter 298 Investigating Gai Nie

Jicheng in Yandi has never been able to recover its former prosperity due to the great battle many years ago.

Most of the main part of the city wall of Jicheng was demolished after the war. The local people were fierce, and because of the former Yan king Dan, the court was even more vigilant in the area. Even though no members of the Yan royal family were left alive, the Qin army was extremely wary of the Yan nobles.

And as it turned out, their precautions were effective: according to intelligence reports, some nobles in Jicheng were still associating with certain clandestine wandering knights.

Beneath the surface of the empire's long-term stability lies a more concealed hiding place for enemies, where undercurrents surge.

Instead of immediately confiscating the nobleman's property, the local county magistrate decided to use this as bait to lure out more rebels and achieve a great feat in one fell swoop!

Therefore, in addition to keeping the constables in the city on standby at all times, the county magistrate also invited fifty armored Qin soldiers from the city's defense force, striving to ensure that not a single thief escaped.

Today, after receiving reports that the rebels had entered the nobleman's residence, he immediately ordered a nighttime raid to capture them.

The constables, in coordination with the regular army, gradually surrounded the noble mansion according to the military formation.

Inside the nobleman's mansion, capturing the rebels who came to Ji City would indeed be a great achievement, but for a county magistrate, it was a bit too much:

Yan Dan, the leader of the Mohist school, and Xiaoyaozi, the head of the Taoist sect, were talking with the master of the mansion, while Da Tiechui and Dao Zhi were on guard outside.

The Mohists were not actually in hiding as Wei Zhuang imagined. They did not show their faces in the martial arts world after the fall of Chu, but that was because there was no fertile ground for the Mohists to survive in the martial arts world at that time.

According to imperial law, Mohist disciples were collectively wanted with bounties. If ordinary people discovered Mohist disciples but did not report them, they would be punished as traitors. As a result, genuine Mohist disciples dared not openly reveal their identities.

However, establishing contact with the nobles of the remnants of the six states was something the Mohists had been doing under the leadership of their new leader. This path could also lead to rebellion against Qin, and it was even safer.

Especially after Qin unified the six states, with several large-scale conscriptions and forced labor, the people's grievances gradually arose, and the Mohist knights had another opportunity to play a role. The Mohist disciples once again recruited many new people from the common people.

As the overall environment improved, the Mohist school began to take more action...

For Yan Dan, Yan was his permanent base of operations, so he was naturally more familiar with activities there than in other places. It was quite normal for him to come to Ji City.

As for Xiaoyaozi, he came purely for the sake of the Mohist school.

As a symbol of open opposition to Qin, the Mohist school would attract a vast number of anti-Qin righteous people. As Xiaoyaozi wandered the world, his actions gradually became completely opposed to the Qin state. The Mohist school needed this steadfast ally.

"Brother Xiaoyao, are you returning to Mount Taiyi?"

Yan Dan lowered his voice, having just finished discussing the details of their cooperation with a nobleman from the Yan Kingdom. The nobleman then sensibly withdrew, leaving only Yan Dan, clad in a black robe, and Xiaoyaozi, also clad in a black robe, as secret agents.

"It's another year of the Heavenly Sword Debate. This is a major event for Taoism, and as the head of the Human Sect, I cannot be absent."

Xiaoyaozi nodded affirmatively. When the topic of the Heavenly Sword Tournament came up, although he had lost to Chisongzi, the leader of the Heavenly Sect, three times over a period of fifteen years, his tone remained very calm.

"The Heavenly Sect has always remained detached from worldly affairs, and Master Chishongzi is focused on cultivating the Dao on Mount Taiyi, while Brother Xiaoyao has to descend the mountain to worry about the people's livelihood. Such a duel is rather unfair..."

"No," Xiaoyaozi chuckled, offering his own interpretation and explanation of Yan Dan's view: "The Heavenly Sect cultivates the Way of Nature, regarding all things as straw dogs; their path is to cultivate diligently in Mount Taiyi."

"The Human Sect emphasizes engagement with the world, and helping the people is my path."

"The two celestial beings are each cultivating their own path, so the covenant between them is naturally fair."

"Brother Xiaoyao is a true gentleman." Yan Dan, dressed in black robes, cupped his hands and bowed slightly to Xiaoyaozi. "I understand. This covenant between Heaven and Man is an exchange of Dao between the Heaven and Man sects. The outcome of the sword contest cannot demonstrate the correctness or superiority of each other's Dao."

"exactly"

Xiaoyaozi nodded with a smile...

The exchanges within the mansion continued, while commotion outside the mansion had already begun.

On the Mohist side, there was a 'thief bone' in charge of guarding the area. He quickly noticed the slightest movements made by the constables and the Qin army.

Dao Zhi suppressed his playful smile and put away the flying wheel he had been playing with. With a serious face, he used his lightness skill to quickly check the area around the mansion. He estimated that there were quite a few Qin soldiers surrounding it.

Calmly retreating to his residence, Dao Zhi first warned Da Tiechui not to act rashly, and then immediately went into the meeting hall to inform the Grand Master of the news.

"Master, something terrible has happened! At least a hundred Qin constables and soldiers are approaching us. We may have been betrayed!"

Although no names were mentioned, the term "Robber Zhi" was clearly directed at the local nobles.

As a thief, Dao Zhi had seen too many wealthy and powerful people who were heartless and cruel, so he naturally had no good feelings towards most of them.

Even when it came to the 'previous' Grand Master Yan Dan, Dao Zhi was only completely convinced by Yan Dan's benevolent and righteous behavior when he was still the Crown Prince at the time.

Yan Dan and Xiaoyaozi remained calm upon hearing the news of the approaching hundred-plus Qin soldiers. They exchanged a composed glance, and the former shook his head.

"No, it must be that our whereabouts were exposed when we entered the city."

"But don't panic, there are tunnels in this mansion, we can evacuate through the tunnels."

"Dao Zhi, you tell Big Hammer and the members of the manor to retreat first. Brother Xiaoyao and I will go and buy you some time."

The decision was made quickly, and neither Xiaoyaozi nor Daozhi had any objections. The orderly evacuation operation proceeded smoothly.

The Qin soldiers left behind about twenty corpses, but only managed to capture a few dozen servants of the household; the master of the house had all escaped...

After Big Hammer and Robber Zhi led their large group out of the houses two streets away, their expressions remained serious; the danger they were in was not yet completely over.

Although the Qin soldiers' attention was diverted by the Grand Master and Mr. Xiaoyao, it was still possible that the secret passage would be discovered by the Qin soldiers.

They needed to leave Jicheng overnight.