"Second Nephew, why do you think that Buddhist sect fellow chose to hide in the cave and wine pool at Shenquan Manor?"
The chubby Taoist Xiang Qingniu, tired from climbing the mountain, squatted down on a rock, took out a bag of candy from his sleeve, opened it, popped a piece into his mouth, and asked the Crane Cry Taoist while chewing.
Crane Cry Daoist replied, "That night, my nephew found that Buddhist monk and severely injured him. Although we don't know who rescued him, such serious injuries, even if he carried the Buddhist treasure, the Bodhi Pill, would certainly require him to find a place to recuperate. And the smell of blood on him is too strong; the Imperial Guards, the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and our Yi Qi Temple disciples searched the entire city. Such a strong smell of blood couldn't be hidden."
"To hide safely, we need to find a place that can conceal the smell of blood. Without a doubt… the wine pool at Shenquan Manor… that's a good place."
Xiang Qingniu nodded, swallowed the candy in his mouth, and smacked his lips. After waiting a while and not hearing the howling of the mastiffs coming from the cave, he shook his head and said, "I can't wait any longer. I'll go in and check now. I don't have time to waste here. I need to finish quickly so I can get to the training ground and hopefully make it in time for Xiao Fangjie's final match. If I don't go, that guy will definitely say I'm bragging. I'm an examiner, how can I let him look down on me?"
He stood up and slowly walked towards the cave.
"Junior Uncle, why don't you, your junior nephew, go?"
He Li Daoren advised.
"You think I can't handle this?"
Xiang Qingniu glared at He Li Daoren, then, swinging the wide sleeves of his black Daoist robe, he swayed his hips and walked towards the cave. He Li Daoren naturally didn't dare to be careless. After hesitating for a moment, he followed after Xiang Qingniu. Before entering the cave, the crack on his forehead slowly opened, and a dark red light was faintly visible within it.
"Nephew, is this divine eye of yours truly innate?"
Xiang Qingniu asked as they walked.
"Yes."
"Then how did you discover you had this ability?"
"Junior Uncle, this… can we not tell you?"
"What do you think?"
"Junior Uncle, the ability to see through worldly pretenses with my third eye, and the Illusion Binding Technique, are the result of Master's guidance in cultivation. It's all thanks to Master's teachings… um, that's it."
The Crane Cry Daoist, his face slightly flushed, answered earnestly.
"Do you think I believe that? I ask you, did you accidentally discover that the eye on your forehead could see through wooden boards and see the big white buttocks of little girls bathing, and then you diligently cultivated it? Don't play the serious card with me. Do you think I don't know what kind of people the Daoists of Qing Le Mountain are?"
"Junior Uncle… you're also from the One Qi Temple…"
"That's why I know!"
Xiang Qingniu answered matter-of-factly, and by the time he finished speaking, the two of them had already entered the cave. Standing at the cave entrance, Xiang Qingniu frowned slightly after adjusting to the dim light inside. He could see the dozen or so mastiffs inside, sniffing around aimlessly, but finding nothing.
Xiang Qingniu shook his head and said, "Could we have come to the wrong place?"
"No."
The Crane Cry Daoist's expression also changed slightly. After carefully examining the inside, he said, "Before we came up the mountain, someone was watching this place. We didn't see anyone escape. The Imperial Guard's intelligence wouldn't be so careless. Since they said the Buddhist sect is hiding here, they shouldn't be wrong."
Xiang Qingniu nodded and stepped forward.
"Junior Uncle, let me go."
The Crane Cry Daoist stepped forward, blocking Xiang Qingniu's path, and walked step by step into the cave. The mastiffs, unable to find a target, quieted down. Some dogs even couldn't resist the temptation and stuck out their tongues to lick the wine jars, seemingly eager to taste the wine. Dogs can be addicted to alcohol, and Xiang Qingniu found it somewhat amusing, as it was the first time he'd seen it.
This time, he didn't fight over it, following behind the Crane Cry Daoist deeper into the cave. He made a sword gesture with his left index and middle fingers together, a faint light flashing on his fingers. The Crane Cry Daoist was intently searching the cave, and it seemed as if another eyeball in the vertical eye on his forehead was moving back and forth, making the appearance of three eyes searching in different directions particularly eerie. Especially as they went deeper into the cave and the light dimmed, the dark red light in his vertical eye became even clearer.
"Someone must have hidden here," the Crane Cry Daoist said, pointing to several broken wine jars not far away. "If an injured person can't find medicine, washing the wound with strong liquor might have some effect."
"How stupid would someone have to be to go out without even carrying medicine?"
Xiang Qingniu snorted. Crane Cry Daoist shook his head: "It's arrogance."
Xiang Qingniu curled his lip: "Does he think no one can hurt him after entering the Great Sui? That's quite an idiotic arrogance."
Crane Cry Daoist smiled bitterly to himself, thinking he'd never seen a Daoist more unreliable and untrustworthy than his junior uncle. Compared to his junior uncle, even his master was almost ridiculously serious.
After taking a few more steps forward, Xiang Qingniu suddenly stopped and sniffed.
"Quick, let's go!"
He suddenly pulled Crane Cry Daoist, and they retreated rapidly. Crane Cry Daoist didn't understand what was happening, but instinctively followed Xiang Qingniu backward. Two figures, one black and one red, sped out of the cave like streaks of light, their speed too fast for the eyes to follow. Just as the two reached the cave entrance, the air deep within seemed to violently vibrate, followed by a massive blast of air erupting from within, and then a deafening explosion.
With a deafening boom, the blast of air, carrying a large amount of gravel, mud, and liquid, seemed to shake the entire mountain. Boulders rained down, almost completely blocking the cave, creating a truly spectacular scene.
Both Crane Cry Daoist and Xiang Qingniu were somewhat disheveled. Although they had managed to escape the cave in time, the explosion had forced them into a state of disarray. The two high-ranking figures of the Daoist sect had their prestigious robes torn and ruffled by the blast. Had it not been for the intricate patterns on their clothing flashing with light at a crucial moment, partially shielding them from the blast, both of them might have been injured.
And in that instant after bursting out of the cave, Crane Cry Daoist swiftly turned around, extending his hands towards the cave entrance, unleashing two powerful repulsive forces that surged forth violently. It was precisely because of the repulsive force he instantly unleashed and the combined effect of their Taoist robes that he and Xiang Qingniu were able to escape unscathed from such a violent explosion.
"He wasn't without medicine," Xiang Qingniu sighed, brushing the dust off his clothes. "He'd rather mix at least spirit-grade medicine with other herbs and soak it in wine to create such a deadly weapon than use that medicine to treat his own injuries. This guy... he's ruthless. He actually abandoned treatment to scheme against us. Is he even human? Those mastiffs weren't oblivious. I felt something was off when one of them licked the wine jar, but I was too careless to think of it."
"Fortunately, Junior Uncle noticed it early," Crane Cry Taoist said, still shaken.
Even with his astonishing cultivation, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand such a violent and powerful explosion. He had only shown superficial respect to this Junior Uncle before, but now he finally felt genuine respect for Xiang Qingniu. "In medicine, even your master might not be better than me."
Xiang Qingniu couldn't resist a smug remark, then shook his head and sighed, "Willing to give up a spiritual medicine with life-saving effects comparable to our Daoist sect's minor divine pills, setting up this ambush just to trick those who find this place. Didn't this guy consider that what if they were just some government officials or servants and apprentices from Shenquan Manor? Wouldn't it be a waste to waste such a precious medicine? Damn it, such a waste of a treasure is truly unacceptable!"
"A madman."
He Li Daoren thought for a moment and said, "I can only say that this person is an absolute madman."
...
...
The Martial Arts Arena.
On the Earthen City Wall.
Zhou Banchuan, who had been watching the archery and horsemanship competition with great interest, suddenly raised an eyebrow. He turned to look at the mountain with its rounded curves in the far distance, and after a brief silence, said to the person behind him, "Yan Qing, go check on Shenquan Mountain."
Yan Qing didn't ask why and immediately nodded, saying, "I'll go right away." To avoid attracting the attention of the other examinees, he went behind the earthen wall before leaping down, his figure spreading out like a great eagle as he rushed forward. In just a moment, his figure disappeared behind the buildings of the martial arts arena. At the instant his figure disappeared, a muffled thud suddenly came from the direction Zhou Banchuan was staring at.
Meanwhile, in Chang'an City.
The old man in blue robes, who had once nearly crippled Shen Qingshan with a single palm strike and fought the old cripple, was sitting in a pavilion in Changchun Garden, drinking tea. As he raised his teacup to his lips, he suddenly paused, then immediately stood up and ordered his attendants, "Please summon Commander Luo and Garrison Commander Hou to the Imperial Palace for my escort. I must leave the city!"
His guards, not daring to ask what had happened, immediately ran out to find Luo Weiran. The guards had only run a few dozen meters when they saw Luo Weiran, the commander of the Imperial Guards, walk in with a somewhat gloomy expression. He nodded to the old man from afar, and the old man vanished in a flash.
After the old man disappeared, Luo Weiran slowly walked to the pavilion where the old man had been sitting. He asked for a clean cup and drank the remaining half-pot of tea.
The emperor, sitting on the earthen platform in the Imperial Palace processing memorials, looked out the window. Seeing that the person sitting in the pavilion was now Luo Weiran, he paused slightly, then slowly shook his head, a hint of anger in his eyes. But soon, he turned his gaze back to the memorials on the table.
Hongxiuzhao.
The old cripple, who had been lying on a long bench humming an unknown but particularly desolate and heavy tune, sat up, looked outside, and then lay back down. The window on the third floor opened, and Xi Huamei, the manager of Hongxiuzhao, appeared at the window. The old cripple shook his head at Xi Huamei and said a few words softly.
"For ten years, no one has dared to act recklessly in Chang'an. Some people think that without him, Chang'an is no longer dangerous. So, they inevitably become arrogant. It's good that something happens; it lets those people re-evaluate what Chang'an is like. It's alright… There are many people in this city who can kill, and many who can kill more than I can."
Xi Huamei nodded without speaking, closed the window, and went back to the table to continue reading the book she had half-finished.
In her boudoir, separated from hers by a room, Xi Zhuxin's expression became somewhat unnatural upon hearing the old cripple's words. For some reason, her unnaturalness also revealed a hint of pride and arrogance. The Military Governor's Office of the Four Cities of Chang'an.
General Xu Xiaogong of the Right Guard, who was drinking tea and chatting with Hou Wenji, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, suddenly stopped laughing. His eyes flashed with barely suppressed anger. He turned to look at Hou Wenji, who sat there calmly, seemingly not intending to do anything. He was puzzled, but he didn't ask.
Xu Xiaogong stood up, apologized, and prepared to leave. Hou Wenji smiled and said, "General, please sit for a while longer. My visit to the Military Governor's Office today wasn't just for tea."
"Oh?"
Xu Xiaogong stopped and glanced at Hou Wenji, asking, "What brings the Garrison Commander here?"
"His Majesty said..."
Hou Wenji pondered for a moment before speaking seriously, "Chang'an has been restless these past few days. Some petty villains think Chang'an isn't as dangerous as it was ten years ago, so they've started causing trouble. But it's not enough to require the military's intervention. If we can't even handle this small matter and have to use the military, it will inevitably make people look down on our Great Sui Dynasty and our capital, Chang'an. So, General, please sit down and have some tea. Rest assured, upholding His Majesty's dignity is not solely the military's responsibility."
Just then, a refined-looking middle-aged man slowly walked in. He glanced at Xu Xiaogong, then at Hou Wenji, and asked coldly, "How could His Majesty have known this would happen today? If you told His Majesty, why didn't you know there was trouble at the Military Governor's Office?"
Hou Wenji rose and bowed, "Greetings, General Yu… His Majesty naturally wouldn't have foreseen this. His Majesty simply felt that since it was members of a sect causing trouble, then the sect should handle it, lest people say that our Great Sui has no capable martial artists. General, you know His Majesty has always valued the Daoist Sect highly, and when the time comes, he won't hesitate to use them. After nurturing them for so long, it's time to see if they're any good or not."
The one addressed as General Yu was none other than Yu Manlou, one of the Emperor's Six Armies and the Left Martial Guard General.
Yu Xiao was his son.
Yu Manlou frowned, then grunted, "Since this is His Majesty's will, I will naturally comply. However, if anyone from the Yi Qi Guan or anyone else lacks the ability to act, they shouldn't be in their positions. The soldiers of the Great Sui Dynasty ultimately live to uphold His Majesty's dignity."
These words were heavy, so Hou Wenji couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
Yu Manlou's meaning was clear: he didn't trust the Yi Qi Guan, nor did he trust the Imperial Guard. The pride of a soldier was vividly displayed in the Left Martial Guard General. Perhaps in his view, no one except those in the military was trustworthy.
Although Hou Wenji felt uncomfortable, he still maintained a smile: "General, some things are not as simple and superficial as they seem. Since some people are in their positions, they are not just there for the food, the clothes, or to show off their status. If anyone wants to harm Chang'an, then let them see how terrifying Chang'an can be when it moves."
"I guarantee it," he said.