Actually, Mo Li also wanted to ask something else.
But that depended on whether the swordsman was willing to answer. Mo Li thought this guy probably wouldn’t reveal a single word.
It wasn’t just about his loyalty to Piaoping Pavilion, but also because the swordsman was extremely wary of them. The best way to deal with someone as cunning as a demon was to say nothing. The more you say, the more mistakes you make. Who knows which word might give you away?
The swordsman decided to adhere to the principle that silence is golden. Mo Li could only try to find the answers he wanted from his expressions.
As soon as he uttered the word “mountain,” the swordsman’s face involuntarily twitched.
He looked at Mo Li as if he were looking at a madman.
Who, when asked about origins, cared more about the mountains than the people?
Were mountains really that important?
Not only the swordsman but even Monk Yuan Zhi showed a surprised expression.
Mo Li didn’t find the answer he was looking for, so he had to change his approach.
He said calmly, “I can hear the problem with your voice, and naturally, I can hear your accent too.”
The swordsman thought it was nonsense. He spoke perfect Mandarin without any dialect.
Wouldn’t it be a joke if an assassin exposed himself as soon as he opened his mouth?
“You speak Mandarin well, but some words are not clear. If you listen carefully, there are still some clues.”
Mo Li sounded confident, but in truth, he wasn’t.
This matter of pronunciation, for someone like the swordsman who had a tumultuous life, it was unclear how the accent came about. If he was sold as a slave as a child, it’s uncertain whether the accent came from living with fellow slaves or from the place he was sold to. If he had been sold several times, it was even harder to determine.
The swordsman roughly understood this, so he remained unafraid.
Mo Li secretly sighed. In front of Monk Yuan Zhi, he couldn’t mention the three words “Feihe Mountain.”
Yes, Doctor Mo suspected it was Feihe Mountain in Yuanyang.
Ever since Meng Qi mentioned that there was a mountain in Jiangnan that most likely had dragon veins, Mo Li had been intrigued.
Their journey had been aimed at Feihe Mountain, but they were delayed here by the affairs of the four gangs and twelve associations in Yuzhou and Piaoping Pavilion.
There were so many famous mountains and great rivers in the world, having spiritual energy didn’t necessarily mean having dragon veins. Even Meng Qi couldn’t be sure that Feihe Mountain really had dragon veins, so Mo Li naturally couldn’t claim that the spiritual energy given to the swordsman came from Feihe Mountain’s dragon veins. Moreover, even if it were true, if he casually mentioned it and caused Fengxing Pavilion to stir up trouble, what would that accomplish?
Dragon veins generally had a temperament that considered everything about themselves to be perfect. Seeing outsiders coming in and rummaging around would surely make them furious.
That wouldn’t do. They had to visit properly. Offending them wouldn’t make interactions easy.
Mo Li thought very far ahead.
Could he not think far? He feared that Meng Qi might end up fighting with Feihe Mountain’s dragon vein.
As for why, that was Fish’s intuition.
——Seven lakes surrounding the mountain, cascading waterfalls and flowing springs, Feihe Mountain had no shortage of water.
Fish always liked water. Maybe before Mo Li could do anything, Meng Qi would already feel uneasy. If there was any conflict, wouldn’t they end up fighting?
Mo Li’s heart was hanging.
No one could say for sure what form the dragon vein would take.
Feihe Mountain was not only full of streams and lakes but also abundant with birds. The mountain’s name made it obvious.
Meng Qi feared that Feihe Mountain’s dragon vein might be a fish, while Mo Li feared it might be an eagle!
These thoughts were not something outsiders could understand.
“Master, may I take this person?” Mo Li decided to lay his cards on the table.
“This…”
Monk Yuan Zhi was caught in a dilemma.
Using sound transmission, he vaguely mentioned the promise made to Fengxing Pavilion. Mo Li had already found it strange that the old monk was so keen on pursuing someone, vaguely guessing it had to do with Fengxing Pavilion. After all, Monk Yuan Zhi had personally said that the information about Master Meng came from them.
Now, hearing this, it confirmed the news.
Money was secondary; the main issue was owing a favor. Fengxing Pavilion was well-informed, and the old monk would inevitably have to deal with them in the future.
Who made Master Meng adopt such a detached attitude towards worldly affairs? It was all because of his clothes.
“Master, have you ever thought that if Fengxing Pavilion couldn’t find out the origins of this group of assassins, it means they are either very good at hiding or have a base nearby?” Mo Li took a different approach, persuading Yuan Zhi, “Once we find that place, we won’t keep him. We’ll still hand him over to Fengxing Pavilion.”
When Mo Li said this, he completely mimicked Meng Qi’s demeanor and tone.
There was no other way. Among the people Mo Li knew, Meng Qi was the most persuasive.
Teacher was highly respected, Xue Lingjun was loved by the people, and their methods were entirely different from Meng Qi’s.
Master Yuan Zhi was still hesitating when voices came from behind.
Mo Li’s expression changed slightly.
They saw a group of experts from Fengxing Pavilion, surrounding Qiu Jing, approaching leisurely.
“Master, Doctor Mo.”
Qiu Jing greeted them with a smile: “What a coincidence. I heard from my subordinates that from the western mountains in this direction, a sudden demonic wind arose. In broad daylight, a fierce wind blew, yellow sand swirled, and there seemed to be a shadow hiding within it, scaring the people. Some went home, others went to temples to burn incense, causing quite a commotion.”
Yuan Zhi: “…”
Mo Li: “…”
They had underestimated Fengxing Pavilion. How could they find even this?
“You two need not be like this, I was just curious and came to take a look.” Qiu Jing was very modest, acting as if he had coincidentally guessed the right number on the dice.
In fact, anyone could see that there were only a few martial arts experts around here.
Regardless of whether it was related to Meng Qi and Mo Li, to Monk Yuan Zhi, or to the mysterious swordsman from Piaoping Pavilion, Fengxing Pavilion was interested.
What Qiu Jing hadn’t expected was hitting three targets at once.
It was like drawing the best lot, pure luck.
Seeing the swordsman in the sack, Qiu Jing immediately guessed his identity, as Monk Yuan Zhi had used a sack to hold him.
“Master is truly exceptional. It hasn’t even been twelve hours, and you’ve caught him.”
Qiu Jing’s iron fan had been cleaved by the swordsman, and both he and his subordinates had been injured. At this moment, everyone from Fengxing Pavilion was glaring at the swordsman with killing intent.
The swordsman remained silent, surrounded by a murderous aura. He hated having his face seen by others, and now he was completely exposed.
He was furious and wanted to kill.
Monk Yuan Zhi awkwardly looked at Mo Li. Without Mo Li, they wouldn’t have been able to catch the swordsman.
Before they could settle the issue of who the swordsman belonged to, Fengxing Pavilion had appeared. What a situation!
“Amitabha, Chief Qiu. This person was captured by the old monk and Doctor Mo together, but the old monk cannot make the decision alone.”
Monk Yuan Zhi clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist mantra. Mo Li had a sudden inspiration and took out his money pouch, asking Qiu Jing, “I heard that Master Yuan Zhi owed your Fengxing Pavilion money for buying Brother Meng’s whereabouts. If we catch the assassins from Piaoping Pavilion to pay off the debt, how much is owed? I’ll pay it, and this person will be mine.”
Qiu Jing was taken aback.
What Yuan Zhi owed was a favor, but how did this debt come about? Was it by selling the whereabouts of the person in front of him?
Mo Li spoke with such sincerity that it was hard to know what expression to make.
“Ah, Doctor Mo is joking.” Qiu Jing waved his hand, maintaining a polite smile. “The money is nothing. It’s just that Piaoping Pavilion has always been elusive and only concerned with killing. Whenever a murder case happens, it’s always too late to catch them. When we finally catch someone, they’re either dead or insane, and we can’t get any information. Recently, we discovered that Piaoping Pavilion is likely connected to the Tianshou King. Master Yuan Zhi is concerned about the war at Xuan Chuan Pass and is willing to help Fengxing Pavilion. We are deeply grateful.”
As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Monk Yuan Zhi, almost bending in half.
The people of Fengxing Pavilion were very perceptive and followed suit, bowing in unison. The matter instantly escalated from a monetary issue to the stability of the southwest.
Mo Li sighed inwardly and put the money pouch away.
——Without Meng Qi, he couldn’t win against Qiu Jing.
He missed the national teacher who could recite a Buddhist verse even when longing for clothes faded to pink.
Alas, traveling the Jianghu was impossible without Meng Qi.
***
Meng Qi didn’t know that Mo Li was missing him at this moment.
He was still chasing someone.
In the distance, smoke rose from cooking fires, and a creaking ox cart traveled along a rugged country path.
The cart was piled high with dry firewood, and the driver, a man, sat beside a boy holding a blue cloth bundle in his arms.
Both were covered in brown-yellow dust. The boy’s clothes were decent, but the man’s short jacket was washed out and patched.
The boy, dozing off against the cart shaft, nodded off now and then. The driver frequently turned to check on the boy, worried he might fall off in his sleep.
Their silhouettes against the setting sun resembled poor villagers returning from the market, having traveled a long way due to their remote home. The father, doting on his son, let him nap despite his fatigue, while they slowly made their way home.
——At least, that’s how it appeared.
Meng Qi laughed to himself: Well-played, the ox cart act is quite convincing.
At first glance, one might not suspect the driver’s identity. Assassins could hide among the crowd, but where could they hastily find an ox?
However, to Meng Qi, it was clear that the assassins had stolen someone’s ox cart, and the boy wasn’t dozing off but had his acupoints sealed. The ox cart moved slowly; people used donkeys or mules for market trips. How far could an ox cart travel in a day? The dust on them was evenly spread on the left side of the driver and the right side of the boy, showing they had been on the move for a long time.
Ridiculous. The sun wasn’t strong now, but at noon, it would have been unbearable.
An ox was a farmer’s most valuable possession. Driving it out in the heat was cruelty. Who would do such a thing?
And after a whole day of traveling, all they brought back was a cart of firewood?
What kind of market is that? Nothing else to buy? What kind of place is it where even firewood must be bought at a market?
The assassins from Piaoping Pavilion had put thought into wearing patched clothes under their black garb, but the good setup was ruined by a shoddy script. Meng Qi’s eyes twitched, unsure what to say.
Were the Jianghu folks losing their wits? Could such a flimsy disguise really fool anyone?
Wait, what about Fengxing Pavilion? Meng Qi had seen Fengxing Pavilion’s abilities. He didn’t believe they’d lose the assassins’ trail under normal circumstances, so what was the issue here? Normal circumstances?
Meng Qi’s thoughts raced.
Taking out the glass shard he had picked up, he began to suspect that the contents of the stone bottle weren’t just a simple antidote.
——They had disrupted Piaoping Pavilion’s operations, forcing the swordsman to flee, leaving behind pills. The assassins took the pills to deal with immediate issues, but their escape skills fluctuated, and their wits sometimes failed.
The swordsman probably didn’t take the pills.
As the assassins’ leader, without him and taking the pills hastily, the assassins showed flaws.
“Tut, I still need to ask a doctor.”
Meng Qi suddenly missed Mo Li. Traveling the Jianghu without a doctor felt incomplete.
Author’s note:
Wake up, you two have only been apart for half a day, what more do you want?
