Chapter 33: Slay
Qin Sang's face lit up with joy. "Isn't that perfect? Brother Liu, you may not know, but I just received a message from General Wang Liu outside the city. Due to the rough mountain roads, he’ll be delayed by two days. Let’s proceed as you suggested. Send word to General Mu that we’ll act according to plan the day after tomorrow, and open the city gates at dawn the following day."
Seeing Liu Ji and his subordinates' uncertainty in response to his words, Qin Sang secretly sneered.
The Blood-Clad Tower wasn’t a unified force. The tower’s leader, Black Crane Sage, had four protectors under him: Elder Yue, Grass-Head Immortal, White-Robed Scholar, and Red Embroidered Lady. These four operated independently and often had disagreements.
Both he and Elder Yue only followed the orders of the Dongyang Lady.
Red Embroidered Lady was a close confidant of the eldest prince. Qin Sang had met her once and suspected that this flirtatious woman might be the prince’s lover.
Grass-Head Immortal was a direct subordinate of the third prince from the royal manor and was considered the weakest faction within the Blood-Clad Tower. To Qin Sang, this seemed more like a token position.
The White-Robed Scholar, on the other hand, was a trusted aide of Black Crane Sage, and Liu Ji was one of his men.
One probing sentence had indeed revealed Liu Ji's hidden agenda. If Wang Liu and Liu Ji were colluding, it meant that Black Crane Sage was likely leaning towards the eldest prince, which was bad news for the Dongyang Lady’s faction.
In the Dongyang King’s manor, there were four princes with the right to inherit. The eldest prince was, of course, the most prominent, but of the other three, the third prince was the most powerful, though even he couldn't threaten the eldest's position.
However, there was an anomaly in the Dongyang King’s manor: Dongyang Lady.
The Dongyang Lady, whose real name was Anning, was the eldest daughter of the Dongyang King by his first wife. After the passing of the first queen, Lady Feng, the king, in his grief, showered the Dongyang Lady with affection.
As the Dongyang Lady grew older, she exhibited extraordinary intelligence, winning even more of the king’s favor. He granted her the title of Dongyang Lady, and she enjoyed unlimited privileges.
With the support of her late mother’s family, the Dongyang Lady's power was no less than that of the eldest prince. However, being a woman, and with the eldest prince holding the moral high ground, it was understandable that Black Crane Sage would side with the eldest prince.
The situation remained unsettled, and various parties had already started scheming.
Liu Ji, suspecting nothing, went along with the suggestion. "Leader Qin, you're wise. The mountains in Jiangzhou are treacherous, so it's normal for a delay of a day or two... I'll instruct General Mu to march slowly, so the timing aligns perfectly. It’s as if heaven itself is helping us!"
"No rush." Qin Sang waved his hand. "General Mu is already close by. We can send a message outside the city tomorrow. Tonight, let's review the plan one more time. Tomorrow, you can show me around the county seat so that I won't be caught off guard when the time comes."
The curfew in Hening County was strict, and they were strangers here, so it wasn’t wise to go out at night.
"Yes!"
…
The next day, it wasn’t until dusk that Qin Sang, Liu Ji, and the others returned to the inn. They had brazenly wandered around Hening County several times, focusing on the city defenses and the residences of the county magistrate, Chu Dazhuang, and others. Qin Sang also inquired carefully about their daily routines.
"You all stay outside and keep watch."
After instructing Water Monkey, Qin Sang pointed at Liu Ji. "Please have someone retrieve my token. They need to deliver a message to General Mu outside the city."
Liu Ji hurriedly left and soon returned, leading a man to knock on Qin Sang’s door.
"Come in and close the door."
The two men gently pushed open the door, but as they turned to close it, they suddenly blacked out and lost consciousness.
Qin Sang's figure appeared behind Liu Ji, catching the two corpses before they fell. He quietly moved them to an inner room, waiting for King Yan to extract their souls and begin the interrogation.
As expected, Liu Ji and Wang Liu were in cahoots, acting on orders from the White-Robed Scholar. Qin Sang sneered but felt no fear.
He had no ambition to be an official for life, nor did he care who became emperor. But Dongyang Lady had promised him the right to be ennobled at the Holy Mountain of Zhao, so he only served her.
Over the past year, he had killed many Blood-Clad Tower comrades. Anyone who stood in his way, he would slay.
Today, not only Liu Ji but even if the White-Robed Scholar himself had come, he would have killed him without hesitation.
Qin Sang continued to interrogate Liu Ji, who remained relatively honest. The overall plan didn’t differ much from what he had previously disclosed, but Liu Ji had lied about the whereabouts of his subordinates.
Qin Sang memorized the details of each person. When midnight arrived, he changed into a set of dark clothes and quietly left the premises.
With a single strike, Qin Sang ended the life of Liu Ji’s close aide. He then handed a piece of paper to Water Monkey, his tone icy as he spoke, "Liu Ji has betrayed us, secretly siding with the fake emperor and attempting to sell us out. I’ve already executed him. His subordinates cannot be trusted. Here are their hiding spots—leave no one alive. Dispose of the bodies cleanly, and meet me at the city gates once you’re done."
Without a word, Zheng Kun and Water Monkey immediately accepted their orders and departed.
Qin Sang activated the Shadowless Steps and silently made his way toward the county office alone.
The county magistrate, Li Ji, resided within the county office, while Reckless Monk’s residence wasn’t far from there. Qin Sang’s primary target was Reckless Monk.
The security around the county office was noticeably tighter than in other areas, but these local guards and officers could only deter ordinary people; they stood no chance of detecting Qin Sang’s movements.
In the vast residence, only Reckless Monk and a few servants lived there. Qin Sang easily located Reckless Monk’s quarters. Though Reckless Monk was skilled in martial arts, Qin Sang didn’t want to take any risks, so he stopped outside the room.
Just as he was about to release King Yan, a sudden, piercing cry came from within the room.
"Who dares sneak around here?!"
The shout was as shocking as a thunderclap, causing Qin Sang’s head to buzz. He felt a wave of dizziness and quickly bit his tongue, the sharp pain bringing him back to his senses. Alarmed, he immediately withdrew.
In the next moment, Qin Sang sensed an incredibly violent aura erupting from within the room, rushing towards him.
Boom!
A fiery fist smashed through the wall, creating a large hole. The scorching, explosive aura hurtled toward Qin Sang’s hiding spot, leaving a deep crater in the stone-paved ground.
Debris flew everywhere, and dry leaves swirled in the air.
This is true qi released externally!
Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. Has Reckless Monk already broken through to the innate stage?
No, there are two people in the room!
An old monk stepped out from the broken wall, followed by a tall and burly monk, who was the real Reckless Monk, Chu Dazhuang.
Qin Sang didn’t recognize the old monk, but the man looked like an ordinary elderly person, with a face full of wrinkles and a withered appearance. Yet, standing before him, Qin Sang felt an intense sense of danger, his hair standing on end.
Within this emaciated body was an astonishing power.
Qin Sang had never encountered anyone who gave him this kind of feeling; not even Elder Yue or Bai Jianglan could compare to this old monk.
Reckless Monk glared at Qin Sang with tiger-like eyes and coldly declared, "Master, this man might be a lackey of the rebels!"
This old monk was none other than Reckless Monk’s master, Saint Yuanjue, the head of the Arhat Hall at Xuanji Temple!
A flash of realization struck Qin Sang—he had indeed hit a steel wall. Saint Yuanjue was rumored to be the top martial artist at Xuanji Temple, with some speculating that he had already reached the innate stage. Now, it seemed those rumors were true.
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