Switching the Pillars
The rain lasted for a long time.
Until evening, the dark clouds still had not dispersed, the sky was gloomy, and visibility in the mountain forests was nearly zero.
“Young master, something has happened on the mountain.”
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. He was in a pavilion at the foot of Dragon Claw Peak, where his people from Golden Phoenix Villa had cleaned and arranged it neatly, laying soft fabrics and placing a small incense burner on the stone table.
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master leisurely fanned himself with a gold-embellished folding fan, with someone massaging his back and a stool in front for his feet. Aside from the absence of a beautiful maid serving him, he was no different from the privileged youth of Taijing.
More and more people from the jianghu arrived at Dragon Claw Peak, some eagerly went up, while others hesitated at the foot of the mountain.
“What are they saying?” Golden Phoenix’s Young Master asked, pointing at the groups of people from the jianghu.
“They seem to be talking about the dragon that appeared in the sky earlier.”
After saying this, the person from Golden Phoenix Villa repeated, “Young master, it seems something has indeed happened on the mountain.”
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master said lazily: “What could possibly happen? It’s just a fight over the treasure, maybe three to five or even a dozen dead, right? Is it confirmed that it’s Emperor Li’s tomb?”
“…It is said that the disturbance of the emperor’s burial mound caused a giant dragon to surge into the sky, shaking the valley, followed by a downpour.”
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master couldn’t help but laugh, ridiculing: “You believe such nonsense?”
His subordinate thought, even if it’s unbelievable, it must be mentioned, it can’t be kept secret.
“Some say the tremor occurred before the dragon appeared, others say after. Some also saw red mist rising in the forests, but unfortunately, the rain was too heavy, and the mist disappeared without a trace shortly after. There’s someone from Fengxing Pavilion here, who deals in information on the jianghu. Would the young master like to meet with him?”
“Bring him here!” Golden Phoenix’s Young Master arrogantly flicked his fan.
Soon, a lean man was led into the pavilion by the attendants of Golden Phoenix’s Young Master Villa.
He greeted with a grin and asked for a hundred taels of silver.
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master raised an eyebrow, about to get angry.
Even though he had money to burn, he didn’t like being taken advantage of.
“A hundred taels? Ridiculous. Now that the imperial tomb’s treasures have been discovered, what kind of information do you hold to fool me with such a price?”
“Please, calm down, young master.”
The shrewd-looking man grinned, “Fengxing Pavilion’s reputation in the jianghu is well known. I wouldn’t dare tarnish our own name. I can give a clear account of everything that has happened on Dragon Claw Peak in the past half month, ensuring the young master won’t be at a loss.”
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master snorted and turned his head: “Give him a hundred taels.”
If the information was false, he would have the man crippled as compensation, considering the silver as payment for his life and retirement.
After verifying the silver note and happily pocketing it, the man lowered his voice: “The story begins with Liuhe Temple and Xianyue Pavilion…”
True to its reputation, Fengxing Pavilion knew all the details about Qingwu Ancestor hiding in Xianyue Pavilion, the Jinyiwei searching Liuhe Temple today, and even the guards shouting Meng Qi’s name before quickly returning, vividly describing the explosion that seemed to split the mountain, indicating that gunpowder had blasted the tomb’s seal layer. The red mist was the stale air from the tomb, driving anyone who inhaled it mad.
“This morning, a group of masked men attacked the Jinyiwei on the path to Liuhe Temple, fighting fiercely, leaving limbs and arms, and marks of the Bamboo Sword Client on the stone slabs. The masked men came from the direction of Xianyue Pavilion, likely Qingwu Ancestor’s men. How did they get involved with the world’s number one swordsman? That’s one thing. Secondly, the rumored former Imperial Teacher Meng Qi also appeared, not as an old man with white eyebrows and beard but seeming immortal. Some heard an officer of the Jinyiwei calling him ‘Master Meng.’ Apparently, he was accompanied by a physician of great skill. I learned this from the monks who escaped from Liuhe Temple.”
Upon hearing “physician,” Golden Phoenix’s Young Master’s eyelids twitched.
—Could it be the mysterious doctor with high martial skills he encountered on the road?
“That physician appeared quite young, about seven feet tall, with seemingly remarkable martial skills.
“The head of Chunshan Sect arrived faster than your people from Golden Phoenix Villa and has already gone up the mountain. Elder Song Ya was killed by that Master Meng, and the head of Chunshan Sect would surely seek justice.”
“It’s said that many have already entered the tomb, and up to now, no valuable items have been found. They’ve only found some pottery figures and lacquerware. This tomb might just be another decoy.”
The lean man finished in one breath, and suddenly, a commotion came from the direction of the mountain path.
“What’s going on?”
“…The people from Chunshan Sect have returned!”
Everyone crowded around to see the commotion, and the disciples from the major sect who had left earlier in high spirits were now all disheveled, covered in mud, tangled with vines and leaves, supporting each other, all looking extremely frustrated.
“Get lost, what are you looking at?”
Due to Chunshan Sect’s prestige, people stepped aside, but their eyes remained fixed on them.
Once they had walked far enough, the crowd burst into an uproar.
“Is that unconscious person being carried… the head of Chunshan Sect? It looks like him!”
“I think so too.”
Elders and heads of major sects on the jianghu hardly came, so who could have seriously injured Chunshan Sect’s head?
The prime suspects were naturally the Qingwu Ancestor and then Meng Qi.
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master mumbled to himself, “Could it be that all of our guesses were wrong?”
Thinking of the figure he saw on the Qing River, Golden Phoenix’s Young Master couldn’t suppress his curiosity about what kind of martial arts could achieve feats only attributed to immortals in stories.
Regarding the dire state of Chunshan Sect, a portion of the people from the jianghu quietly left, feeling the situation was no longer simply about treasure. Staying could mean not only missing out on wealth but also encountering trouble. Still, many others weren’t ready to give up and continued to wait and see.
However, the path up the mountain was challenging.
The ground was muddy, and the trees seemed to have suddenly grown taller, the forest so dense that the path was obscured, leading many to wander in circles on the spot.
After much effort, they eventually found the stone steps.
Sections of the stone steps appeared damaged, supposedly caused by the “dragon” emerging from the ground.
Such peculiarities would usually cause hesitation, but now no one cared—having seen a “dragon,” what was a partially collapsed mountain path? Truly timid individuals wouldn’t venture into the mountains, and those who did weren’t afraid, hardly expecting ghosts or demons to emerge and consume them halfway.
“Woo-woo.”
Eerie sounds echoed through the woods, like wailing lost souls.
Those seasoned in the jianghu weren’t scared, recognizing it as the cry of night owls, cursing under their breath.
After groping in the dark for a while, they finally reached the vicinity of Liuhe Temple, only to find rubble everywhere and a large pit ahead. Many people from the jianghu were already at the bottom of the pit, digging around but finding nothing but stones.
“This is not Liuhe Temple; this is Xianyue Pavilion!”
A person wearing a mask suddenly appeared, shouting loudly.
The crowd was stunned; they couldn’t afford to spend a hundred taels of silver for information, and many were visiting Shangyun Mountain for the first time, completely unaware of the difference between Liuhe Temple and Xianyue Pavilion. Wasn’t there only one path to Liuhe Temple?
“You’ve all been deceived; there’s nothing here!” the masked person said bitterly, “There’s Qimen Dunjia outside the valley, and you’ve been led to a nearby valley!”
Then someone in the crowd spoke up: “I recognize this person; he’s Ancestor Qingwu’s senior disciple, Liu Changqing. They were the ones who said the imperial treasures were in Taijing, and now they’re saying we’ve been deceived. It seems we’ve been played by them!”
The masked person angrily retorted, “Who’s spouting nonsense?”
Liu Changqing had a significant reputation in the martial world, and the people present didn’t dare to speak up against him, seeing his anger.
“What a great show of authority.”
A person slowly emerged from the woods.
Upon seeing him, the masked Liu Changqing instinctively stepped back, his hand tensely clenched into a fist.
Meng Qi, holding a dark purple soft sword, was spotless, his clothes and shoes free of any mud, his long hair fluttering in the wind, exuding an ethereal aura, his appearance far from ordinary. Compared to the disheveled crowd, he seemed like a hermit suddenly stepping into the mundane world from seclusion.
From his elevated position, he indifferently scanned the people digging at the bottom of the pit, his cold gaze finally settling on the masked individual.
“Come.”
With a flick of his wrist, the sword light flashed,
Liu Changqing, caught off guard, hurriedly dodged.
Just as he steadied himself, intending to counterattack with his Crushing Fist, Meng Qi gave him no chance to retaliate.
The Zhongqing Sword, bolstered by internal energy, was straight as a die, emitting a ghostly glow colder than the wind, and as swift as lightning, instantly manifesting various changes.
The unpredictable sword tip enveloped Liu Changqing, targeting several vital points around his body. Normally, he could have used his internal energy to forcefully break free, as he did against Gong Jun, but Liu Changqing wasn’t foolish. Competing in internal energy against someone who could match his master, Ancestor Qingwu, would be suicidal.
Without regard for his dignity, he rolled on the ground and fled at high speed.
The sword light closely pursued him, and in the blink of an eye, both disappeared into the woods.
The crowd at the edge of the pit, ready to dig for treasure, looked at each other in bewilderment. The excitement they hoped for didn’t materialize, and they were left confused about whether there was any treasure or if this was even Liuhe Temple.
A person in the crowd, head bowed, hastily wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, muttering worriedly, “That was close! Almost capsized!”
He carefully looked around and then took the opportunity to flee amidst the chaos.
But he couldn’t find his way out and, while anxiously wandering, suddenly saw the man with the sword standing in front of a boulder, seemingly with drops of blood falling from the sword.
He quickly retreated, hoping the other hadn’t seen him.
Fate wasn’t on his side, as the man lifted his head, his piercing gaze freezing him in place, unable to move.
“So it’s you.” Meng Qi recognized the man, saying, “Fengxing Pavilion’s Mountain Shaking Tiger.”
With that nickname, the dragon veins wouldn’t forget.
Mountain Shaking Tiger chuckled nervously, having dealt with countless individuals and although he found Meng Qi somewhat familiar, he couldn’t recall where he’d seen him in his haste.
“Elder, I was just passing by, I definitely won’t reveal anything…”
“Was it you who exposed the identity of Ancestor Qingwu’s senior disciple?” Meng Qi interrupted, asking directly, “How many from Fengxing Pavilion are here, and how do you communicate with each other? What do you know about Ancestor Qingwu’s rebellion?”
Hearing the last question, Mountain Shaking Tiger was speechless, offering a wry smile, “We only deal in jianghu news, anything else… isn’t our business.”
“If you know of Ancestor Qingwu’s whereabouts or any other secrets, you can also inform our pavilion. We are willing to pay a high price.”
“The imperial tomb’s treasure is a hoax, there’s nothing at Xianyue Pavilion, and Liuhe Temple is a decoy tomb, how much is this news worth?” Meng Qi asked, squinting.
Before coming here, he had agreed with Mo Li to use Fengxing Pavilion to spread news, targeting those in the crowd who seemed interested in the treasure but were not actively digging.
The connection to Fengxing Pavilion came from a name card given by Mountain Shaking Tiger.
It was a coincidence that Mountain Shaking Tiger was also at Dragon Claw Peak.
“That… isn’t worth much,” Mountain Shaking Tiger said with a forced smile.
“You might not be interested in the rebellion, but Ancestor Qingwu’s rebellion also concerns the lives of you people from the jianghu. He’s been trapped in this valley for hours, and might have already found a way out…”
Meng Qi added emotionlessly, “He might start by killing, then incite conflict between the jianghu people and the officials who have come here, hoping for a bigger disturbance on Shangyun Mountain, diverting attention away from the imperial city.”
Mountain Shaking Tiger’s mouth hung open.
At the ruins of Liuhe Temple, Gong Jun looked at the unconscious people on the ground, asking weakly, “Doctor, how much longer until their acupoints are unsealed?”
“I’ve calculated it.” Mo Li answered.
After restoring his internal energy, he immediately split up with Meng Qi. Meng Qi led people to a nearby valley, where he dealt with occasional martial artists coming their way, and oversaw Gong Jun and his subordinates moving some of the stone statues and lacquerware out of the pit.
The tomb was divided into several layers. As long as the mechanism leading to the lower levels was not activated, it was not difficult to make it look like a decoy tomb.
Mo Li even specifically found a huge stone to block the tomb passage. Coupled with the destruction of the sealing layer of earth, the tomb did not look like it was filled with mechanisms; instead, it appeared very dilapidated.
The murals on both sides of the tomb passage, first hit by the blast of air and then washed by rainwater and mud, had completely lost their original appearance, with severe color loss.
The real trouble was the martial artists who had arrived at Liuhe Temple earlier. Mo Li simply used his internal energy to grab a handful of raindrops and then flung them out as hidden weapons, knocking everyone down.
When they woke up, they were uninjured but their minds were foggy (having been drenched in the rain for half a day and lying on the ground). If someone shouted that this was the effect of poison gas leaking from the tomb, most would be half-believing.
This caused many people to back down and quietly descend the mountain.
Mo Li was not in a hurry. He varied his force, and these people would wake up in batches. Those who were scared ran away, while those who were unwilling to give up continued to stay and wander around the tomb.
Mo Li was not afraid of them noticing anything amiss, because due to the “poison gas” earlier, those who got close to the tomb and saw the vague situation inside went mad. None of the remaining people had seen the real tomb after the explosion.
As long as someone dug around randomly, Mo Li would secretly make a move after they dug for a while.
It looked like the residual poison in the tomb was not yet completely gone.
This was just a temporary measure, a deception that could not last forever, but it was all that could be done for now. As long as not hundreds or thousands of martial artists came to dig up the tomb, it was possible to delay for a while longer.
The mechanisms of Emperor Li’s tomb were not so easy to break through.
“If Xianyue Pavillion is storing gunpowder, they are now wet and can no longer be used, but Ancestor Qingwu will not stop here…”
Mo Li thought of Meng Qi’s words, his brows furrowed.
With insufficient manpower, even if he guessed something, he could do nothing to stop it.
Switching the Pillars
The rain lasted for a long time.
Until evening, the dark clouds still had not dispersed, the sky was gloomy, and visibility in the mountain forests was nearly zero.
“Young master, something has happened on the mountain.”
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. He was in a pavilion at the foot of Dragon Claw Peak, where his people from Golden Phoenix Villa had cleaned and arranged it neatly, laying soft fabrics and placing a small incense burner on the stone table.
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master leisurely fanned himself with a gold-embellished folding fan, with someone massaging his back and a stool in front for his feet. Aside from the absence of a beautiful maid serving him, he was no different from the privileged youth of Taijing.
More and more people from the jianghu arrived at Dragon Claw Peak, some eagerly went up, while others hesitated at the foot of the mountain.
“What are they saying?” Golden Phoenix’s Young Master asked, pointing at the groups of people from the jianghu.
“They seem to be talking about the dragon that appeared in the sky earlier.”
After saying this, the person from Golden Phoenix Villa repeated, “Young master, it seems something has indeed happened on the mountain.”
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master said lazily: “What could possibly happen? It’s just a fight over the treasure, maybe three to five or even a dozen dead, right? Is it confirmed that it’s Emperor Li’s tomb?”
“…It is said that the disturbance of the emperor’s burial mound caused a giant dragon to surge into the sky, shaking the valley, followed by a downpour.”
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master couldn’t help but laugh, ridiculing: “You believe such nonsense?”
His subordinate thought, even if it’s unbelievable, it must be mentioned, it can’t be kept secret.
“Some say the tremor occurred before the dragon appeared, others say after. Some also saw red mist rising in the forests, but unfortunately, the rain was too heavy, and the mist disappeared without a trace shortly after. There’s someone from Fengxing Pavilion here, who deals in information on the jianghu. Would the young master like to meet with him?”
“Bring him here!” Golden Phoenix’s Young Master arrogantly flicked his fan.
Soon, a lean man was led into the pavilion by the attendants of Golden Phoenix’s Young Master Villa.
He greeted with a grin and asked for a hundred taels of silver.
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master raised an eyebrow, about to get angry.
Even though he had money to burn, he didn’t like being taken advantage of.
“A hundred taels? Ridiculous. Now that the imperial tomb’s treasures have been discovered, what kind of information do you hold to fool me with such a price?”
“Please, calm down, young master.”
The shrewd-looking man grinned, “Fengxing Pavilion’s reputation in the jianghu is well known. I wouldn’t dare tarnish our own name. I can give a clear account of everything that has happened on Dragon Claw Peak in the past half month, ensuring the young master won’t be at a loss.”
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master snorted and turned his head: “Give him a hundred taels.”
If the information was false, he would have the man crippled as compensation, considering the silver as payment for his life and retirement.
After verifying the silver note and happily pocketing it, the man lowered his voice: “The story begins with Liuhe Temple and Xianyue Pavilion…”
True to its reputation, Fengxing Pavilion knew all the details about Qingwu Ancestor hiding in Xianyue Pavilion, the Jinyiwei searching Liuhe Temple today, and even the guards shouting Meng Qi’s name before quickly returning, vividly describing the explosion that seemed to split the mountain, indicating that gunpowder had blasted the tomb’s seal layer. The red mist was the stale air from the tomb, driving anyone who inhaled it mad.
“This morning, a group of masked men attacked the Jinyiwei on the path to Liuhe Temple, fighting fiercely, leaving limbs and arms, and marks of the Bamboo Sword Client on the stone slabs. The masked men came from the direction of Xianyue Pavilion, likely Qingwu Ancestor’s men. How did they get involved with the world’s number one swordsman? That’s one thing. Secondly, the rumored former Imperial Teacher Meng Qi also appeared, not as an old man with white eyebrows and beard but seeming immortal. Some heard an officer of the Jinyiwei calling him ‘Master Meng.’ Apparently, he was accompanied by a physician of great skill. I learned this from the monks who escaped from Liuhe Temple.”
Upon hearing “physician,” Golden Phoenix’s Young Master’s eyelids twitched.
—Could it be the mysterious doctor with high martial skills he encountered on the road?
“That physician appeared quite young, about seven feet tall, with seemingly remarkable martial skills.
“The head of Chunshan Sect arrived faster than your people from Golden Phoenix Villa and has already gone up the mountain. Elder Song Ya was killed by that Master Meng, and the head of Chunshan Sect would surely seek justice.”
“It’s said that many have already entered the tomb, and up to now, no valuable items have been found. They’ve only found some pottery figures and lacquerware. This tomb might just be another decoy.”
The lean man finished in one breath, and suddenly, a commotion came from the direction of the mountain path.
“What’s going on?”
“…The people from Chunshan Sect have returned!”
Everyone crowded around to see the commotion, and the disciples from the major sect who had left earlier in high spirits were now all disheveled, covered in mud, tangled with vines and leaves, supporting each other, all looking extremely frustrated.
“Get lost, what are you looking at?”
Due to Chunshan Sect’s prestige, people stepped aside, but their eyes remained fixed on them.
Once they had walked far enough, the crowd burst into an uproar.
“Is that unconscious person being carried… the head of Chunshan Sect? It looks like him!”
“I think so too.”
Elders and heads of major sects on the jianghu hardly came, so who could have seriously injured Chunshan Sect’s head?
The prime suspects were naturally the Qingwu Ancestor and then Meng Qi.
Golden Phoenix’s Young Master mumbled to himself, “Could it be that all of our guesses were wrong?”
Thinking of the figure he saw on the Qing River, Golden Phoenix’s Young Master couldn’t suppress his curiosity about what kind of martial arts could achieve feats only attributed to immortals in stories.
Regarding the dire state of Chunshan Sect, a portion of the people from the jianghu quietly left, feeling the situation was no longer simply about treasure. Staying could mean not only missing out on wealth but also encountering trouble. Still, many others weren’t ready to give up and continued to wait and see.
However, the path up the mountain was challenging.
The ground was muddy, and the trees seemed to have suddenly grown taller, the forest so dense that the path was obscured, leading many to wander in circles on the spot.
After much effort, they eventually found the stone steps.
Sections of the stone steps appeared damaged, supposedly caused by the “dragon” emerging from the ground.
Such peculiarities would usually cause hesitation, but now no one cared—having seen a “dragon,” what was a partially collapsed mountain path? Truly timid individuals wouldn’t venture into the mountains, and those who did weren’t afraid, hardly expecting ghosts or demons to emerge and consume them halfway.
“Woo-woo.”
Eerie sounds echoed through the woods, like wailing lost souls.
Those seasoned in the jianghu weren’t scared, recognizing it as the cry of night owls, cursing under their breath.
After groping in the dark for a while, they finally reached the vicinity of Liuhe Temple, only to find rubble everywhere and a large pit ahead. Many people from the jianghu were already at the bottom of the pit, digging around but finding nothing but stones.
“This is not Liuhe Temple; this is Xianyue Pavilion!”
A person wearing a mask suddenly appeared, shouting loudly.
The crowd was stunned; they couldn’t afford to spend a hundred taels of silver for information, and many were visiting Shangyun Mountain for the first time, completely unaware of the difference between Liuhe Temple and Xianyue Pavilion. Wasn’t there only one path to Liuhe Temple?
“You’ve all been deceived; there’s nothing here!” the masked person said bitterly, “There’s Qimen Dunjia outside the valley, and you’ve been led to a nearby valley!”
Then someone in the crowd spoke up: “I recognize this person; he’s Ancestor Qingwu’s senior disciple, Liu Changqing. They were the ones who said the imperial treasures were in Taijing, and now they’re saying we’ve been deceived. It seems we’ve been played by them!”
The masked person angrily retorted, “Who’s spouting nonsense?”
Liu Changqing had a significant reputation in the martial world, and the people present didn’t dare to speak up against him, seeing his anger.
“What a great show of authority.”
A person slowly emerged from the woods.
Upon seeing him, the masked Liu Changqing instinctively stepped back, his hand tensely clenched into a fist.
Meng Qi, holding a dark purple soft sword, was spotless, his clothes and shoes free of any mud, his long hair fluttering in the wind, exuding an ethereal aura, his appearance far from ordinary. Compared to the disheveled crowd, he seemed like a hermit suddenly stepping into the mundane world from seclusion.
From his elevated position, he indifferently scanned the people digging at the bottom of the pit, his cold gaze finally settling on the masked individual.
“Come.”
With a flick of his wrist, the sword light flashed,
Liu Changqing, caught off guard, hurriedly dodged.
Just as he steadied himself, intending to counterattack with his Crushing Fist, Meng Qi gave him no chance to retaliate.
The Zhongqing Sword, bolstered by internal energy, was straight as a die, emitting a ghostly glow colder than the wind, and as swift as lightning, instantly manifesting various changes.
The unpredictable sword tip enveloped Liu Changqing, targeting several vital points around his body. Normally, he could have used his internal energy to forcefully break free, as he did against Gong Jun, but Liu Changqing wasn’t foolish. Competing in internal energy against someone who could match his master, Ancestor Qingwu, would be suicidal.
Without regard for his dignity, he rolled on the ground and fled at high speed.
The sword light closely pursued him, and in the blink of an eye, both disappeared into the woods.
The crowd at the edge of the pit, ready to dig for treasure, looked at each other in bewilderment. The excitement they hoped for didn’t materialize, and they were left confused about whether there was any treasure or if this was even Liuhe Temple.
A person in the crowd, head bowed, hastily wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, muttering worriedly, “That was close! Almost capsized!”
He carefully looked around and then took the opportunity to flee amidst the chaos.
But he couldn’t find his way out and, while anxiously wandering, suddenly saw the man with the sword standing in front of a boulder, seemingly with drops of blood falling from the sword.
He quickly retreated, hoping the other hadn’t seen him.
Fate wasn’t on his side, as the man lifted his head, his piercing gaze freezing him in place, unable to move.
“So it’s you.” Meng Qi recognized the man, saying, “Fengxing Pavilion’s Mountain Shaking Tiger.”
With that nickname, the dragon veins wouldn’t forget.
Mountain Shaking Tiger chuckled nervously, having dealt with countless individuals and although he found Meng Qi somewhat familiar, he couldn’t recall where he’d seen him in his haste.
“Elder, I was just passing by, I definitely won’t reveal anything…”
“Was it you who exposed the identity of Ancestor Qingwu’s senior disciple?” Meng Qi interrupted, asking directly, “How many from Fengxing Pavilion are here, and how do you communicate with each other? What do you know about Ancestor Qingwu’s rebellion?”
Hearing the last question, Mountain Shaking Tiger was speechless, offering a wry smile, “We only deal in jianghu news, anything else… isn’t our business.”
“If you know of Ancestor Qingwu’s whereabouts or any other secrets, you can also inform our pavilion. We are willing to pay a high price.”
“The imperial tomb’s treasure is a hoax, there’s nothing at Xianyue Pavilion, and Liuhe Temple is a decoy tomb, how much is this news worth?” Meng Qi asked, squinting.
Before coming here, he had agreed with Mo Li to use Fengxing Pavilion to spread news, targeting those in the crowd who seemed interested in the treasure but were not actively digging.
The connection to Fengxing Pavilion came from a name card given by Mountain Shaking Tiger.
It was a coincidence that Mountain Shaking Tiger was also at Dragon Claw Peak.
“That… isn’t worth much,” Mountain Shaking Tiger said with a forced smile.
“You might not be interested in the rebellion, but Ancestor Qingwu’s rebellion also concerns the lives of you people from the jianghu. He’s been trapped in this valley for hours, and might have already found a way out…”
Meng Qi added emotionlessly, “He might start by killing, then incite conflict between the jianghu people and the officials who have come here, hoping for a bigger disturbance on Shangyun Mountain, diverting attention away from the imperial city.”
Mountain Shaking Tiger’s mouth hung open.
At the ruins of Liuhe Temple, Gong Jun looked at the unconscious people on the ground, asking weakly, “Doctor, how much longer until their acupoints are unsealed?”
“I’ve calculated it.” Mo Li answered.
After restoring his internal energy, he immediately split up with Meng Qi. Meng Qi led people to a nearby valley, where he dealt with occasional martial artists coming their way, and oversaw Gong Jun and his subordinates moving some of the stone statues and lacquerware out of the pit.
The tomb was divided into several layers. As long as the mechanism leading to the lower levels was not activated, it was not difficult to make it look like a decoy tomb.
Mo Li even specifically found a huge stone to block the tomb passage. Coupled with the destruction of the sealing layer of earth, the tomb did not look like it was filled with mechanisms; instead, it appeared very dilapidated.
The murals on both sides of the tomb passage, first hit by the blast of air and then washed by rainwater and mud, had completely lost their original appearance, with severe color loss.
The real trouble was the martial artists who had arrived at Liuhe Temple earlier. Mo Li simply used his internal energy to grab a handful of raindrops and then flung them out as hidden weapons, knocking everyone down.
When they woke up, they were uninjured but their minds were foggy (having been drenched in the rain for half a day and lying on the ground). If someone shouted that this was the effect of poison gas leaking from the tomb, most would be half-believing.
This caused many people to back down and quietly descend the mountain.
Mo Li was not in a hurry. He varied his force, and these people would wake up in batches. Those who were scared ran away, while those who were unwilling to give up continued to stay and wander around the tomb.
Mo Li was not afraid of them noticing anything amiss, because due to the “poison gas” earlier, those who got close to the tomb and saw the vague situation inside went mad. None of the remaining people had seen the real tomb after the explosion.
As long as someone dug around randomly, Mo Li would secretly make a move after they dug for a while.
It looked like the residual poison in the tomb was not yet completely gone.
This was just a temporary measure, a deception that could not last forever, but it was all that could be done for now. As long as not hundreds or thousands of martial artists came to dig up the tomb, it was possible to delay for a while longer.
The mechanisms of Emperor Li’s tomb were not so easy to break through.
“If Xianyue Pavillion is storing gunpowder, they are now wet and can no longer be used, but Ancestor Qingwu will not stop here…”
Mo Li thought of Meng Qi’s words, his brows furrowed.
With insufficient manpower, even if he guessed something, he could do nothing to stop it.
