The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind
Mo Li watched the chaos around him and fell into deep thought.
This ambush was unexpected; how many people does the Holy Lotus Sect have in Yuzhou?
Although gunpowder, bows, and crossbows are hard to come by, they can be quickly deployed with prior preparation, unlike traps and ambushes. How did these people know that Meng Qi and he would take this direction? Even if the enemy had a strategist capable of deducing their route from the way they covered their horse tracks, setting up such extensive traps would take time.
This path, at first glance, seems secluded; the trees are densely packed, making it an ideal spot for an ambush.
However, it is not far from the main road; how can they ensure that no one other than their target uses this path? Does the Holy Lotus Sect have such capabilities?
“Brother Meng, wait—”
Mo Li hurriedly called out just as Meng Qi grabbed someone and pulled a token from the person’s waist.
The token bore a circular emblem, resembling an ancient bell.
“Jiangnan Eight Rhymes Hall?” Meng Qi exclaimed in surprise.
As Mo Li hurried over, the name sounded vaguely familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
The man, half-crushed by the trees, was dragged out and pointed angrily at Meng Qi, shaking for a long while without being able to utter a word.
Others also began to groan in pain, struggling to crawl out.
Meng Qi sheathed his soft sword at his waist, and mockingly said while weighing the token, “Your territory is in Jiangnan; why are you digging holes in Yuzhou? Sorry, I am ignorant; I only heard that after your old hall master, the former martial arts alliance leader, passed away, Jiangnan Eight Rhymes Hall has been keeping a low profile. What kind of minds do you have that can shrink thousands of miles away?”
“You reckless fool! You’ve ruined our plans to exterminate the demon spawn of the Holy Lotus Sect, yet you speak such outrageous nonsense?”
The people from the Eight Rhymes Hall finally lost their patience and glared in anger.
They were covered in mud and leaves, disheveled, with some having broken legs, unable to even crawl.
Mo Li paused; he remembered what Jiangnan Eight Rhymes Hall was about.
The golden chain mail at the bottom of his pack had been stolen by the notorious thief Li Kong’er from Jiangnan Eight Rhymes Hall.
Li Kong’er was unscrupulous; he sneaked in during a funeral and stole several treasures, causing the recently bereaved Eight Rhymes Hall to lose face.
Apart from the golden chain mail, the stolen items included the old hall master’s weapon and the command tokens used by the martial arts alliance leader. Normally, the loss of any of these items would have caused a major uproar in the martial arts world, but everyone’s attention had been taken by the golden chain mail.
The ambitious Elder Qingwu intervened, claiming that the golden chain mail had come from Emperor Li’s tomb, which led to more and more people vying for the treasure, eventually leading everyone to forget about the original owners, Jiangnan Eight Rhymes Hall.
Mo Li and Meng Qi acquiring the golden chain mail was purely accidental.
The chain mail was practically useless to them; keeping it was a burden, and revealing it might trigger a new round of bloody conflict.
Thus, Mo Li had considered returning it to Jiangnan Eight Rhymes Hall, especially since they were heading towards Jiangnan anyway. As for how to return it, that would be decided later, but before Mo Li could leave Yuzhou, Eight Rhymes Hall had already staged this scene.
“You set an ambush for the people of the Holy Lotus Sect here?” Mo Li frowned deeply.
Although the Eight Rhymes Hall members were furious, the two men in front of them had easily dismantled their carefully laid traps like slicing through vegetables, clearly indicating they were masters. From the way they spoke, they did not seem to be in league with the Holy Lotus Sect, so the men restrained themselves to cursing, not daring to act.
“The Holy Lotus Sect beguiles the people, truly demonic, and must be eradicated. This time, Eight Rhymes Hall leads, along with Yuzhou’s Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies, to thoroughly eradicate the Holy Lotus Sect’s branch in Yuzhou. It was only after tracking the unusual movements of the Holy Lotus Sect’s people last night and gathering them here today that we could not miss this opportunity for a decisive battle…”
Mo Li’s mind buzzed, and everything he had been puzzled about became clear.
The Holy Lotus Sect didn’t have the power to monopolize a road and prevent others from using it, but local forces did.
Escort agencies, when arriving in a new area, would present their credentials to the local powers, knowing who belonged to which circles and who not to provoke. They had a clear understanding of these local dynamics. The Holy Lotus Sect struggled in Yuzhou largely because they clashed with these local powers. Branch manager Liang had even complained about this.
Last night, Meng Qi had caused a disturbance in the county town, prompting Branch manager Liang to rush his men to either bring back or silence Master Yin, who knew too much about a conspiracy, thus providing the Yuzhou Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies with a perfect opportunity to play the role of the oriole behind the scenes.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
The cicada’s significance and the mantis’ grievances with it are of no concern to them.
Rather, they do not want to miss this rare opportunity. The life of the cicada was deliberately ignored by them.
“Ambush aside, were the death soldiers also sent by you?” Mo Li asked, word by word.
The group, muttering curses and complaints, suddenly fell silent, somewhat revealing their guilt.
According to the original plan, both the people of the Holy Lotus Sect and their pursuers were supposed to die in the explosion. They were here merely to catch any who slipped through the net, for although the main branch of the Holy Lotus Sect was strong, the Yuzhou branch was understaffed and it was unclear if one or two masters might be hiding here.
Due to the fear of a supposed master from the Holy Lotus Sect, none of the Yuzhou Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies were willing to take the lead.
It was uncertain if there were any masters within the Holy Lotus Sect, but those being chased by them were definitely masters!
—Those damn mantises, what kind of cicada were they after? Is this a cicada?
Meng Qi laughed in anger, flicking through the debris to find a crossbow that was still in decent condition.
The crossbow was identical to those used by the followers of the Holy Lotus Sect, so Meng Qi instinctively thought they all belonged to the Holy Lotus Sect. But that wasn’t the case at all, as previously admitted by the leader Liang, that they had connections in Jiangnan to purchase military arms. However, the Holy Lotus Sect, always short on funds for their rebellion, had stolen their crossbows from other gangs in Yuzhou.
Stolen, and thus identical?
“Who sent the death soldiers?” Mo Li continued to press as no one answered.
Meng Qi had never seen Doctor Mo look so terrifying.
The sand mouse felt a bit helpless; this wouldn’t do! Getting angry with these scoundrels of the martial world was not worth the trouble!
“Doctor, I will find out.”
Meng Qi turned and lifted a man directly.
The man cried out in pain, feeling an unusual surge of energy wreaking havoc in his meridians, visible under his skin like a serpent slithering in his arms.
The others’ faces changed, this clearly looked like a method of forced confession!
“Who, exactly, are you?”
“A basketful of Thunderclap Hall’s gunpowder came, and seven or eight traps were dug along the way… and now you ask us who we are?”
Meng Qi loosened his grip, letting the man howl in pain as he rolled on the ground, while the few who could, tried to run.
“Ah—”
The few unharmed men tumbled together like gourds on a string, either clutching their heads or their feet, wailing as if cursed.
Those pinned by tree trunks or with broken legs and unable to run were pale as paper, barely managing not to show their fear.
“I’ll talk, don’t hit, I’ll talk!” a bald man clutching his broken right leg gritted out, “Those weren’t death soldiers, they were assassins from Piaoping Pavilion, paid for by the Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies. The Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies said there might be masters within the Holy Lotus Sect who could escape the massacre, so this ambush was just a precaution.”
Mo Li did not know what Piaoping Pavilion was, but Meng Qi had heard of it.
It was the most mysterious assassin organization in the martial world.
Regardless of the state of the world and the martial realm, such organizations always exist.
It’s a no-capital business, exchanging money for lives, and even those who are broke might occasionally take on a job. Organized groups are usually very secretive, with high martial skills and reputations, never betraying their employers, and always completing the job once paid.
Piaoping Pavilion was reputed to be such.
The bald man squeezed out from between his teeth, “People from the Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies are no good, they only said that hiring Piaoping Pavilion assassins would make things foolproof, I didn’t know they brought Thunderclap Hall’s gunpowder. Even this ambush was their idea, pushing us from Eight Rhymes Hall to take the lead, they provided the money and the manpower, we provided the people.”
“Why would Eight Rhymes Hall, with its influence in Jiangnan, get involved in Yuzhou’s affairs?”
“…With the old hall master gone, our Eight Rhymes Hall needed to regain our reputation and position in the martial world, we couldn’t afford not to put in effort. Since we took the lead, we had to see it through, and facing these cowardly folks from the Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies, we had no choice but to swallow our teeth along with the blood.”
Meng Qi gave a cold laugh upon hearing the words.
The bald man’s face seemed to have been slapped sideways by an invisible hand, followed by him spitting out a tooth. He was both shocked and furious, yet half of his face was so numb with pain that he couldn’t feel it. A metallic taste of blood cleared his mind, forcing him to swallow back the words “this is too much” mingled with his blood.
Meng Qi paused, not turning back.
In fact, the slap hadn’t come from him.
But, it resonated deeply with him.
The people from the Eight Rhymes Hall spoke with difficulty, as if the blame was entirely on these local snakes of Yuzhou, when in reality it was a mutual use of each other. The Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies wanted to secure their territory by eliminating the Holy Lotus Sect, a looming threat; Eight Rhymes Hall wanted to use this opportunity to turn the tables and make a name for themselves again. Both were complicit in their dealings, and any backstabbing was just desserts.
Since they claimed to swallow teeth and blood, why not truly taste it?
Mo Li’s expression was blank, his hand slightly tightening around the hilt of the bladeless knife hidden in his sleeve, the cold touch tempering the anger in his heart.
“How much did the Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies pay Piaoping Pavilion to send so many to their deaths? Do you know all the people of the Holy Lotus Sect? Why would Piaoping Pavilion’s assassins chase down an innocent passerby?”
The person Mo Li spoke of was Young Master Qiu, who was temporarily deaf and still unaware of what was happening around him.
“…Piaoping Pavilion has always been mysterious; we haven’t had much interaction,” the bald man coughed a few times, bitterly saying, “Perhaps they wanted to escalate the situation, involve the official forces, and drive out the Holy Lotus Sect members from Yuzhou completely.”
“Nonsense!”
Meng Qi was not buying his story.
These convoluted plots might deceive ordinary folks of the martial world, but could they deceive the former National Advisor Meng?
“Instability under one’s rule is a serious matter. The officials of Yuzhou prefer to avoid trouble rather than seek it; they would definitely not publicize this affair to trouble themselves but would rather intensify their efforts to covertly clean up the gangs, making life difficult for these local snakes. This turmoil might just be what you Eight Rhymes Hall wanted.”
If the local snakes were in trouble, they would seek help from outsiders.
Was Eight Rhymes Hall leading the elimination of the Holy Lotus Sect to gain fame or to help these local forces in distress? Certainly not. They needed not only renown but also to be “needed” by these martial associations; only then could another leader from Eight Rhymes Hall possibly emerge in the martial world.
The bald man’s expression stiffened, he hurriedly said, “How can you make such baseless claims, and besides, a lowly person like me would not know the intricacies of such matters.”
As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible force flung him seven feet backwards.
He landed awkwardly; after a scream, his other leg broke too.
“Doctor.” Meng Qi rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, looking inquisitively towards Mo Li.
Mo Li shook his head, his expression unspeakably weary.
Mo Li heard everything Meng Qi asked, and even the unspoken thoughts, he understood them too.
Thus, a haze of confusion arose in his heart, even blurring his view of everything in this world—these martial folk, blinded by profit, had no scruples.
“What does Brother Meng think we should do?”
“Leave them half-alive,” said Meng Qi nonchalantly. Those in the martial world who stir up trouble usually do so out of boredom and power; cripple one to see how the rest jump.
Meng Qi looked sideways, thoughtfully speaking to the crowd, “Broken bones can heal, but if we sever them, it might be inconvenient for your livelihoods. Better give me a gesture of good faith; after all, one can still see with one eye missing.”
The people from Eight Rhymes Hall paled dramatically, quickly pleading for mercy.
“A gesture or your martial skills, which do you choose?”
The crowd measured it in their minds; without martial skills, they were truly done for. There were many one-eyed warriors in the martial world.
As Meng Qi stepped closer, they felt a murderous aura and frantically indicated they were willing to lose an eye.
Screams echoed through the woods as Meng Qi brushed off the leaves and dust from his clothes and stepped towards the edge of the forest.
Behind him, someone weakly called out, “Why… why disable my martial skills, I clearly said…”
“Alright, I asked you to answer because I wanted to see what you valued more,” Meng Qi spoke calmly.
“You…”
It seemed someone was so furious that they spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted right there.
Meng Qi walked away with his hands behind his back, just in time to see Mo Li handing over the gold chain mail, which was tightly wrapped in oiled paper, to Young Master Qiu.
“What is this?” Young Master Qiu asked, puzzled.
Mo Li tapped two acupoints behind Young Master Qiu’s ears, and the latter finally felt the buzzing noise in his ears lessen somewhat, barely able to make out the sounds around him.
“A treasured item from the martial world, coveted by many. Keep it hidden; worn close to the body, it can protect against hidden weapons and swords,” Mo Li whispered secretly.
Young Master Qiu was startled and hastily declined, “If it’s such a treasure, why give it to me?”
Mo Li remained silent, and Meng Qi timely added, “The trouble you faced today started because you saw people from the Holy Lotus Sect chasing us and came to offer help. Now that we have offended both the Eight Rhymes Hall and the Four Gangs and Twelve Assemblies of Yuzhou, we don’t mind, but your merchant caravan is still behind. You should head back soon. Stay hidden in your carriage before leaving Yuzhou. This treasure, called the gold chain mail, was stolen by the notorious thief Li Kong’er from Eight Rhymes Hall. It came into our possession by chance, and now that it has no owner and we have no use for it, it belongs to you.”
Young Master Qiu was stunned by the name “gold chain mail,” unable to recover for a moment.
“By the way, do you want this horse?” Meng Qi didn’t want to miss this opportunity, pointing to the nag Young Master Qiu was riding, “It’s not a steed of a thousand li, but it’s quite spirited. If you treat it well, I’ll give you the horse too!”
Mo Li immediately looked at Meng Qi, but Meng Qi seriously said, “Doctor, don’t be angry. Now that we’ve lost the carriage, how shall we proceed? Should I ride the horse while you use your lightness skills? Or should we leave the horse and both use our lightness skills?”
Mo Li: “…”
Author’s Note:
There it goes! Finally got rid of that horse! HappyMouseJumping.jpg
