The interests at heart of the common people
Under the cover of night, Dragon Claw Peak was still bustling with noise.
Seeing this scene, other temples and Taoist monasteries were too scared to open their doors, hoping to avoid this calamity.
Monks and Taoists had cleared several areas in the mountains to plant vegetables and fruits, but still needed to go down the mountain to buy rice, grain, oil, and salt for daily use. Originally, they planned to rely on the stockpile in the cellar, but these martial artists were unreasonable, pounding on the doors of these temples and monasteries until they echoed thunderously.
In fact, if it were ordinary people’s homes, they wouldn’t be so direct.
But as monks and Taoists, they were expected to open their doors wide to all, as these people, often traveling through wilderness, were accustomed to staying in temples and monasteries and saw nothing wrong with it.
Tossing out a dozen or so copper coins, they demanded food and drink without considering if it was enough.
If the monks and Taoists showed the slightest neglect, they would become angry.
These were people who could split a table in two with a slap, armed and fierce, glaring as if they would devour someone, who would dare to provoke them?
Thus, the monks and Taoists reluctantly opened their guest rooms, inviting them in to rest. Afterward, they found that a lot of their stored grain had been consumed, and even the firewood was nearly gone. What were they to do?
“Just endure it for now, the government troops will arrive tomorrow.”
“What good will that do? These martial artists are slippery; they’ll just slip away when the government officials come, and once they’re gone, they’ll brazenly move back in, and we can’t drive them away. If this continues, the temple might be eaten out of house and home.”
The capital was prosperous, and the incense at Dragon Claw Peak had always been strong; these temples and monasteries had deep reserves and wouldn’t run out of resources anytime soon. They were more afraid of the martial artists starting fights, destroying property, or even killing people with knives.
What they feared came to pass.
Failing to find the treasure, and encountering old enemies, they began to fight.
After making a mess, the crowd left the courtyard in shambles and returned to their rooms to sleep, grumbling and dragging their weapons.
The people of the temples and monasteries, on the verge of tears, sent someone down the mountain to report to the authorities, not daring to wait until the next morning to set off, for who knew what else could happen if they delayed even half a day.
Treading the night roads with hearts in their throats, they found the mountains teeming with martial artists from all walks of life.
—With a mix of accents, as if people from everywhere were there.
What were so many martial artists doing gathered together?
Remembering the “earthquakes” and torrential rains during the day, along with strange phenomena for two consecutive days, it was impossible not to be suspicious. Someone boldly eavesdropped for a while, then was stunned by the words “Emperor Li’s tomb treasure.”
“Impossible, when did an imperial tomb appear on Dragon Claw Peak?”
“That’s uncertain; no one has ever discovered Chen Emperor Li’s tomb.”
“What a joke, even if it really is here, how would these bandits know? Choosing tomb sites based on feng shui has nothing to do with them!”
“Regardless of whether it’s true or false, we should hurry down the mountain and let the authorities deal with these people.”
Realizing this made sense, they continued down the mountain path in the dark.
But as they walked, the familiar paths seemed to change, eventually even the stone steps disappeared.
Some people got lost in the forest, while others, due to their choice of direction not near Liuhe Temple, managed to descend the mountain smoothly.
Just reaching the foot of the mountain, they witnessed a shocking scene.
Countless torches surged over, followed by a sky-filled barrage of arrows.
The martial artists waiting near the mountain base fled, and those with poor martial skills died on the spot under the cold arrows.
“What’s going on?”
People were asking everywhere, either in anger or in shock.
The Golden Phoenix’s Young Master made a decisive decision, ordering everyone to retreat up the mountain.
After all, with Dragon Claw Peak being so vast, there were plenty of places to hide, and there was no fear of the imperial court setting the mountain ablaze.
After several rounds of arrow rain, only corpses remained on the ground.
Under the illumination of torches, a person dressed as a general said coldly, “By His Majesty’s decree, all bandits must be exterminated. Anyone coming down from the mountain will be killed without question!”
“General Tan, our deputy commander is still on the mountain!” a Jinyiwei came over, saying angrily.
“I have already received conclusive information that the Imperial Inspector and his subordinates, including Officer Xiao Bai and others, were attacked by bandits. Not a single one of the hundred men survived.”
“May I ask where this information came from?”
“It was from your own Northern Defense Command,” General Tan said darkly, looking at the Jinyiwei. “They returned to the capital wounded. I am following the imperial edict and military orders, and I am unaware of anything else.”
“You!”
The Jinyiwei was both angry and anxious; he was sent by Xu Qianhu, a close confidant of Gong Jun.
Even close subordinates do not follow their superiors in everything. Before leaving, Gong Jun had hinted at dealing with a significant matter, which made Xu Qianhu particularly concerned and always on his mind.
After the emergence of the Golden Dragon and the Black Dragon, the capital suddenly went into martial law, and the commander of the Jinyiwei was summoned into the palace and never came out again. Both the Northern and Southern Defense Commands were shaken.
Because the gates were blocked by the Imperial Guards!
How novel, the Imperial Guards, who change colors at the mention of the Jinyiwei, blocked the Jinyiwei inside their own yamen.
It has always been the Jinyiwei who block others, when did it become the other way around?
Both the Northern and Southern Defense Commands are located in the imperial city, not far from Wen Yuan Pavilion where the prime ministers hold discussions. Although this area is patrolled and guarded by the Jinyiwei, the Jinyiwei do not usually take these people seriously.
During the Chen Dynasty, the Jinyiwei were one of the twelve guards among the Imperial Guards, but by the Qi Dynasty, they had completely separated from the Imperial Guards. They are the emperor’s confidants, with their own prisons, spying on secrets for the emperor, and supervising officials, with a notorious reputation.
The Imperial Guards are different; their duty is to guard the capital, especially the imperial city.
In addition, there are two large armies stationed in the capital, totaling one hundred thousand men.
The Jinyiwei originally thought they could do as they pleased in the capital until their own doors were blocked, then they suddenly realized that was not the case. In fact, they could have broken through if they really wanted to, but since things were not clear, no one dared to act rashly.
Was it that their own commander had sinister intentions and was taken down by the emperor? Or was someone plotting a rebellion, took control of the Jinyiwei, and targeted them?
No matter, even if the gates were blocked, they could still send a few highly skilled Jinyiwei to gather information.
The atmosphere in the capital was unusual, with a curfew-like lockdown in place before evening.
All city gates were closed, and patrol yamen and Imperial Guards were clearing the streets, arresting anyone wandering outside. The situation did not seem like a rebellion, but more like a preparation for something.
It was said that all yamen also received an imperial decree, ordering them to close and return home without going out.
The Jinyiwei who went to gather information calmed down and slipped back to report.
Only this subordinate of Gong Jun, restless in mind, managed to sneak out of the city with the Imperial Guards.
General Tan is the deputy general of the Left Camp in the capital region. Half a day ago, unidentified men in black infiltrated the Left Camp, and the commanding general of the camp died from hidden weapons. A similar incident occurred in the Right Camp, but the commanding general there was not killed.
The assassin was not caught.
Not only was the emperor enraged, but the military officers of both camps were uncontrollably furious.
By evening, an imperial decree reached the Left Camp, and General Tan mobilized ten thousand soldiers, marching towards Dragon Claw Peak with great momentum.
“General Tan! Dragon Claw Peak is so large, with many temples and Taoist temples on it, and those people are ordinary citizens. How can you issue such an order?” A subordinate of Gong Jun, seeing the bodies of monks among the corpses on the ground, couldn’t help but question.
General Tan repeated sternly, “By imperial order, kill without mercy!”
Seeing the logistics troops behind him bringing even cannons, the Jinyiwei couldn’t help but mock, “In that case, General, you might as well dismount. Staying under the flag on a tall horse, aren’t you just a target for hidden weapons?”
“How dare you!”
General Tan, a third-rank military officer at the same level as the commander of the Jinyiwei, had vastly different powers at his disposal. This Jinyiwei was merely a seventh-rank officer, and precisely because of his lower status, slipping out unnoticed was easier.
The Jinyiwei had become accustomed to strutting around the capital, receiving deference from everyone. At this moment, General Tan furiously rebuked him, unwilling to show any respect, leaving the guard no choice but to bow his head.
“I spoke out of turn. Please, General, calm your anger.”
General Tan ungraciously said, “The imperial edict states that bandits have infiltrated the capital with nefarious intentions. You, although a Jinyiwei, have no authority and no companions, claiming to have left the city on business only to be delayed outside. On your way, you eagerly followed us to Dragon Claw Peak, and now you obstruct me from carrying out the imperial will. I find you highly suspicious. Seize him!”
Though he spoke of capture, the aggressive posture of his personal guards, weapons drawn, clearly indicated they intended to leave no survivors.
It’s problematic to offend the Jinyiwei; if there’s no issue, it could cause trouble later. It’s easier to kill them, and blaming the dead is simple. If worse comes to worst, they could claim the individual was killed by bandits amidst the chaos.
The Jinyiwei, greatly shocked, didn’t think twice before kicking away the incoming swords and darting into the woods like a shot.
Despite his low rank, his martial skills were notable, or Xu Qianhu wouldn’t have sent him.
He first dodged several broadswords, then a dozen spears, followed by dozens of cold arrows, and finally broke through the encirclement, albeit with an arrow wound in his arm.
Entering the woods, he immediately sought cover behind trees, then leaned against a trunk and cut off the arrow shaft with his dagger, leaving the arrowhead in place.
Not daring to delay, he headed deeper into the mountains.
Along the way, he encountered many people from the martial world, all cursing the imperial army.
To avoid accidents, the Jinyiwei had no choice but to remove his outer robe and roll in the mud. Even though his official boots and standard-issue dagger could reveal his identity, it was hard to see clearly at night, allowing him to barely pass unnoticed.
The terrain of Dragon Claw Peak was not complex, and the mountain paths were well maintained. Essentially, following the paths would lead to a Taoist temple or a Buddhist temple, with no dead ends, just routes leading to different places.
This Jinyiwei intended to reach the Jinyiwei’s secret base on Dragon Claw Peak, not far from Liuhe Temple, but soon felt something was amiss.
The path became darker and vanished, with the forest so dark he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.
He wandered confusedly for a while, hearing many voices, as if everyone was lost.
Intending to avoid most people from the martial world, he deliberately headed towards quieter areas, bumping into trees several times. Through sheer luck, he avoided ending up in the valley where Xianyue Pavillion was located.
Like him, some martial artists lucky enough to reach Liuhe Temple appeared just as disheveled, unnoticed because most were in a similar state, their clothes wet and muddy, with dirt-streaked faces.
Those lingering were most concerned about a large pit.
They cautiously descended, uncovering bulky stone statues and dirty lacquerware.
After cleaning, the lacquerware, depending on its completeness, patterns, and designs, could fetch some money, but they weren’t there for this. What use was such a small amount of money? To buy a meal of meat and wine?
“This must be a decoy tomb!”
“The real tomb of Emperor Li is not here!”
Disappointment and complaints filled the air.
Some were determined to dig deeper, immediately stopped by those around them, while others hurriedly moved away.
“There’s poison gas below, don’t dig!”
“If there’s poison gas, it means this is the real tomb!” someone argued.
Just as everyone hesitated, another person laughed loudly, “What poison gas? It’s just the stale air that forms after a tomb is sealed. Tomb raiders see it all the time. It will dissipate in a few days, and we can dig then.”
These words resonated with everyone. After finally finding the tomb, who would want to leave?
“The imperial army is coming up the mountain!”
A martial artist who had just come out of the forest shouted.
“What?”
“What’s going on? Are they also after the treasure? If so, this must be the real tomb of Emperor Li!”
“Idiots, even if it is, we can’t take anything now!”
Unable to dig the pit and with the imperial army outside, no one here is a matchless master capable of retreating unscathed from crossbow bolts.
Reluctantly, they felt along the walls of the pit, ultimately confirming the absence of any gold or silver, nearly causing a collapse before leaving reluctantly.
The mountain is vast; hiding for a while seemed the best option.
Soon, only about a dozen people remained near the pit.
They all considered themselves highly skilled in martial arts, thinking they could escape even if the imperial army arrived, so they decided to stay and watch.
Gong Jun, accompanied by an injured Jinyiwei, stayed near a wind-sheltering boulder, growing suspicious and then anxious upon hearing that the imperial army was ascending the mountain.
Unable to resist, Gong Jun went to the ruins near Liuhe Temple to find Mo Li.
“Something’s not right.”
“What do you mean?”
Mo Li stood in the shadow cast by the remaining main hall of Liuhe Temple and the trees, practically invisible unless one looked closely.
Just then, a droplet of water fell from the treetops, heading straight for Mo Li’s left shoulder.
Without looking, Mo Li quickly extended his right hand and caught the droplet.
The droplet, which should have quickly dispersed upon touching his skin, instead remained intact, rolling around in his palm like a translucent glass bead.
Gong Jun recognized this as a manifestation of the ultimate control over internal energy, where even the most delicate and light objects could be manipulated, a concept in martial arts where even falling flowers and leaves could become deadly weapons.
—How could there be such a disparity in martial arts skill among practitioners?
Gong Jun himself was a rare talent in the martial world, with exceptional talent and a sword technique that was beyond compare, yet he lacked in internal energy. It’s often said that people long for what they don’t have, and Gong Jun was no exception.
“I hadn’t expected that in just a day’s time, your internal energy has deepened, presumably due to some enlightenment.”
Gong Jun’s tone was bitter, as reaching a certain level of martial arts skill, enlightenment could be more valuable than hard training.
Not to mention a day, sometimes a meal’s time or the burning of an incense stick could bring about a rapid advance in strength.
Mo Li remained silent at the mention of enlightenment. There was no sudden insight; he had been forcibly fed spiritual energy by the dragon vein of Taijing, leaving him unable to move, his meridians unresponsive, and he couldn’t even walk until Meng Qi carried him to Liuhe Temple.
Once he recovered, the spiritual energy of Shangyun Mountain felt much “closer” to him.
This endless supply of spiritual energy allowed Mo Li to control even more delicate things with his internal energy. Though his internal energy hadn’t increased by the slightest, he could do more with it.
This should have been good news, but the process of this “enlightenment” was embarrassing for Mo Li.
“…The situation you mentioned being off, is it about the imperial army coming up the mountain?”
“Exactly. Unless someone reported the matter of Emperor Li’s tomb treasures to His Majesty, the emergence of the tomb’s treasures and the commotion caused by the martial artists here would normally prompt a response from the authorities after two or three days.”
Martial artists are a disorganized group, with only a few highly skilled individuals posing a challenge. Mobilizing the thirty thousand troops from either the Left or Right Camps to surround the mountain would suffice.
Those martial artists would retreat once they gained a little, as they couldn’t carry away the larger items. If the rebels controlled one of the camps and took advantage of the other camp coming to suppress the rebellion for inside and outside coordination to quickly seize the imperial city, that was what Gong Jun deduced.
After hearing Gong Jun’s speculation, Mo Li shook his head, “Perhaps that was their plan, but now… how many people were alarmed by those two dragons? Just with that, those plotting rebellion could seize the opportunity to claim that a treasure has appeared, enticing the Emperor, who then sends people to compete for the treasure.”
Gong Jun hesitated, his expression odd.
“…Did I say something amiss?” Mo Li asked without pretense, seeking clarification for his confusion.
“Did the doctor not see the appearance of those two dragons?”
“I saw them, a golden dragon… and a black dragon.”
Mo Li’s ears felt warm, but his facial expression remained unchanged. It was night, and dark, so Gong Jun naturally couldn’t tell what Mo Li was thinking.
“At first, a golden dragon appeared, followed by a shadow slowly forming into a black dragon. Then, the two dragons slowly approached each other, entangling head to tail in combat. In the end, both dragons disappeared, and a sudden downpour fell. This couldn’t possibly be considered a good omen, could it?”
“…”
Mo Li breathed a sigh of relief. So, it looked like they were fighting?
Fighting was good, especially good.
“This phenomenon will only alert the Emperor.” Gong Jun initially wanted to continue referring to His Majesty, but seeing Mo Li’s tone, he tactfully switched his reference. He continued, “If the rebels claim the emergence of a treasure at this time, it would be a foolish move, and nobody would believe it. Likewise, with the Emperor already suspicious, how could he easily dispatch the capital’s troops? He would be busy purging and investigating the inner court and officials!”
It sounded reasonable, and Mo Li nodded in agreement.
He didn’t understand strategies, and at this moment, he couldn’t help but think of Meng Qi.
It would be great if Meng Qi were here.
“What do you think is happening?” Mo Li asked Gong Jun.
Gong Jun responded with a bitter smile and a shake of his head: “We’re stuck on Dragon Claw Peak, unaware of the situation in the capital, so we can only make wild guesses. Perhaps this is a strategy to lure the snake out of its hole: seal the city, cut off communication between the inner court and the outside, and then pretend to fall for the trap by dispatching troops to Dragon Claw Peak. If any of the rebel forces act rashly and reveal themselves, it would be easy to detect and follow the leads…”
Mid-conversation, one of Gong Jun’s subordinates ran over.
“Inspector, someone sent by Xu Qianhu has come.”
“What?”
Gong Jun was initially delighted, then his face turned pale.
Mo Li couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong?”
“Xu Qianhu is my confidant, left in charge of the Northern Defense Command. I didn’t bring him to Dragon Claw Peak. If it weren’t for a major incident, he wouldn’t have sent someone to find me overnight.”
Gong Jun immediately went to check, and Mo Li, seeing no one was digging in the pit anymore, followed.
After the martial artists near the pit left, the Jinyiwei, puzzled, prepared to investigate the “Emperor’s Tomb Treasure” but didn’t find any treasures and instead encountered his colleagues.
He was overjoyed and quickly reported to Gong Jun what had happened in the capital.
Gong Jun urgently asked, “The commander was summoned to the palace and hasn’t come out? What about Inspector Wang?”
Inspector Wang is another deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, whose predecessor was killed by Meng Qi three years ago. He was fortunate enough to fill the vacancy.
“Inspector Wang… was in the Southern Defense Command when the incident happened. Since the doors were blocked, it was difficult to gather information, so it’s unclear if he was summoned to the palace or trapped in the Southern Defense Command. General Tan from the Left Camp insists that Inspector Gong and our brothers are all dead. I felt something was wrong, so I boldly suggest that the Inspector should not return to the capital. It would be terrible if you were captured upon your return!”
Gong Jun sighed, patted the other’s shoulder, and said, “I appreciate the concern from you and Xu Qianhu. But what about the people still alive here, and our families in the capital? Are we to abandon them?”
Not return to the capital? What about his eight pet cats?
As Gong Jun worried, he suddenly heard Mo Li say, “Don’t move!”
His voice carried an invisible pressure, causing the Jinyiwei to pause.
Gong Jun turned around, puzzled, to see Mo Li approaching and bending down to examine the arm of the imperial guard who had brought the message, saying gravely, “He’s injured, an arrow wound.”
Gong Jun was surprised and looked more closely.
It was too dark to see clearly without high internal skills.
The Jinyiwei was covered in mud, and to facilitate his journey, he had completely shaved off the arrow shaft. Gong Jun’s pat on the shoulder, although light, still affected the wound. Gong Jun hadn’t noticed, but Mo Li, with his superior hearing, detected the guard’s sudden change in breathing.
—Such a reaction usually indicates surprise or pain.
Mo Li directly examined the wound. The Jinyiwei looked uncertain, and Gong Jun quickly explained, “This is Doctor Mo, highly skilled in medicine.”
“It’s impossible to pull out the arrow; the arrowhead has tiny barbs, and pulling it would tear out a chunk of flesh. There are also blood grooves on the arrowhead,” the imperial guard said with a bitter smile. “I saw the arrows they used to kill martial artists at the mountain base.”
Dealing with martial artists, naturally, wouldn’t involve ordinary arrows.
Gong Jun wanted to curse. Without medicine, bandages, or even clean water, how could they remove the arrowhead?
Mo Li pressed several acupoints on the imperial guard and then began searching for a fire starter.
“Where’s the doctor’s bag? Go find it!”
“No need for now,” Mo Li said as he took out a knife from his sleeve.
Gong Jun was startled. Wasn’t that a weapon?
Then, he watched dumbfounded as Mo Li brought the fire starter close to the knife blade.
A fire starter is a short bamboo tube filled with a mixture of cotton, saltpeter, paper, and reed, twisted into a rope-like form. Upon opening, one can see a dim red glow, similar to the embers in ashes, which does not extinguish. When needed, blowing hard on it produces fire, which can then be used to ignite something.
With a flick of his hand, Mo Li lit the fire starter, and then, defying normal expectations, a ball of fire detached from the fire starter and gently landed on the knife blade.
The flame was stable, not flickering at all, wrapped in internal energy, it heated the blade swiftly, then dispersed into several sparks and vanished.
Mo Li casually tossed the used fire starter back to Gong Jun, then lightly supported the wound with his fingers, locating the depth and position of the arrowhead and swiftly cut open the muscle.
His internal energy blocked the blood grooves and then wrapped around the arrowhead for extraction.
The injured guard’s arm was numb from the acupoint pressing, dulling the pain but not entirely removing sensation.
When the arrowhead was removed, Mo Li looked up and asked, “Where’s the medicine pouch?”
The imperial guard hurriedly mentioned he carried wound medicine.
Without clean cloth to bandage the wound, they could only apply the medicine and rely on acupoint pressing to stop the bleeding.
Gong Jun couldn’t help saying, “It’s all my fault, making you suffer like this.”
“The Inspector has always treated us kindly. Now, in times of great change, whether it’s wealth and rank, high positions, and lavish rewards, we, the little people, won’t get a share. But it’s precisely the time to repay the Inspector for his past kindness.”
Mo Li, moved by the sentiment, was about to say something when he heard the imperial guard say, “Before leaving the capital, I had already gone to the Inspector’s house and moved the chest of valuables and the eight cats to Xu Qianhu’s home. Even if there’s a disaster of house confiscation, the Inspector need not worry.”
The author’s note:
Gong Jun: Instantly fearless.JPG
————–
Mo Li: …Glad it’s not about bringing eight cats to find Gong Jun
Imperial Guard: I wish I could, but I can’t!
————–
To put it more precisely OYZ
Mo Li’s quick use of fire for disinfection might not be completely effective and is done in the open air.
Traditionally, instruments would be boiled in water, and careful heating by fire was common practice. If possible, the procedure would be carried out in a clean room, previously fumigated with herbs, with no bystanders allowed, and clothes boiled in water. Mafeisan would be used, and wounds cleaned with medicinal liquids or strong alcohol, which most people couldn’t withstand.
(Modern knowledge acknowledges boiling water isn’t effective, but it was indeed used in ancient times)
But the doctor… has internal (spiritual) energy!
The interests at heart of the common people
Under the cover of night, Dragon Claw Peak was still bustling with noise.
Seeing this scene, other temples and Taoist monasteries were too scared to open their doors, hoping to avoid this calamity.
Monks and Taoists had cleared several areas in the mountains to plant vegetables and fruits, but still needed to go down the mountain to buy rice, grain, oil, and salt for daily use. Originally, they planned to rely on the stockpile in the cellar, but these martial artists were unreasonable, pounding on the doors of these temples and monasteries until they echoed thunderously.
In fact, if it were ordinary people’s homes, they wouldn’t be so direct.
But as monks and Taoists, they were expected to open their doors wide to all, as these people, often traveling through wilderness, were accustomed to staying in temples and monasteries and saw nothing wrong with it.
Tossing out a dozen or so copper coins, they demanded food and drink without considering if it was enough.
If the monks and Taoists showed the slightest neglect, they would become angry.
These were people who could split a table in two with a slap, armed and fierce, glaring as if they would devour someone, who would dare to provoke them?
Thus, the monks and Taoists reluctantly opened their guest rooms, inviting them in to rest. Afterward, they found that a lot of their stored grain had been consumed, and even the firewood was nearly gone. What were they to do?
“Just endure it for now, the government troops will arrive tomorrow.”
“What good will that do? These martial artists are slippery; they’ll just slip away when the government officials come, and once they’re gone, they’ll brazenly move back in, and we can’t drive them away. If this continues, the temple might be eaten out of house and home.”
The capital was prosperous, and the incense at Dragon Claw Peak had always been strong; these temples and monasteries had deep reserves and wouldn’t run out of resources anytime soon. They were more afraid of the martial artists starting fights, destroying property, or even killing people with knives.
What they feared came to pass.
Failing to find the treasure, and encountering old enemies, they began to fight.
After making a mess, the crowd left the courtyard in shambles and returned to their rooms to sleep, grumbling and dragging their weapons.
The people of the temples and monasteries, on the verge of tears, sent someone down the mountain to report to the authorities, not daring to wait until the next morning to set off, for who knew what else could happen if they delayed even half a day.
Treading the night roads with hearts in their throats, they found the mountains teeming with martial artists from all walks of life.
—With a mix of accents, as if people from everywhere were there.
What were so many martial artists doing gathered together?
Remembering the “earthquakes” and torrential rains during the day, along with strange phenomena for two consecutive days, it was impossible not to be suspicious. Someone boldly eavesdropped for a while, then was stunned by the words “Emperor Li’s tomb treasure.”
“Impossible, when did an imperial tomb appear on Dragon Claw Peak?”
“That’s uncertain; no one has ever discovered Chen Emperor Li’s tomb.”
“What a joke, even if it really is here, how would these bandits know? Choosing tomb sites based on feng shui has nothing to do with them!”
“Regardless of whether it’s true or false, we should hurry down the mountain and let the authorities deal with these people.”
Realizing this made sense, they continued down the mountain path in the dark.
But as they walked, the familiar paths seemed to change, eventually even the stone steps disappeared.
Some people got lost in the forest, while others, due to their choice of direction not near Liuhe Temple, managed to descend the mountain smoothly.
Just reaching the foot of the mountain, they witnessed a shocking scene.
Countless torches surged over, followed by a sky-filled barrage of arrows.
The martial artists waiting near the mountain base fled, and those with poor martial skills died on the spot under the cold arrows.
“What’s going on?”
People were asking everywhere, either in anger or in shock.
The Golden Phoenix’s Young Master made a decisive decision, ordering everyone to retreat up the mountain.
After all, with Dragon Claw Peak being so vast, there were plenty of places to hide, and there was no fear of the imperial court setting the mountain ablaze.
After several rounds of arrow rain, only corpses remained on the ground.
Under the illumination of torches, a person dressed as a general said coldly, “By His Majesty’s decree, all bandits must be exterminated. Anyone coming down from the mountain will be killed without question!”
“General Tan, our deputy commander is still on the mountain!” a Jinyiwei came over, saying angrily.
“I have already received conclusive information that the Imperial Inspector and his subordinates, including Officer Xiao Bai and others, were attacked by bandits. Not a single one of the hundred men survived.”
“May I ask where this information came from?”
“It was from your own Northern Defense Command,” General Tan said darkly, looking at the Jinyiwei. “They returned to the capital wounded. I am following the imperial edict and military orders, and I am unaware of anything else.”
“You!”
The Jinyiwei was both angry and anxious; he was sent by Xu Qianhu, a close confidant of Gong Jun.
Even close subordinates do not follow their superiors in everything. Before leaving, Gong Jun had hinted at dealing with a significant matter, which made Xu Qianhu particularly concerned and always on his mind.
After the emergence of the Golden Dragon and the Black Dragon, the capital suddenly went into martial law, and the commander of the Jinyiwei was summoned into the palace and never came out again. Both the Northern and Southern Defense Commands were shaken.
Because the gates were blocked by the Imperial Guards!
How novel, the Imperial Guards, who change colors at the mention of the Jinyiwei, blocked the Jinyiwei inside their own yamen.
It has always been the Jinyiwei who block others, when did it become the other way around?
Both the Northern and Southern Defense Commands are located in the imperial city, not far from Wen Yuan Pavilion where the prime ministers hold discussions. Although this area is patrolled and guarded by the Jinyiwei, the Jinyiwei do not usually take these people seriously.
During the Chen Dynasty, the Jinyiwei were one of the twelve guards among the Imperial Guards, but by the Qi Dynasty, they had completely separated from the Imperial Guards. They are the emperor’s confidants, with their own prisons, spying on secrets for the emperor, and supervising officials, with a notorious reputation.
The Imperial Guards are different; their duty is to guard the capital, especially the imperial city.
In addition, there are two large armies stationed in the capital, totaling one hundred thousand men.
The Jinyiwei originally thought they could do as they pleased in the capital until their own doors were blocked, then they suddenly realized that was not the case. In fact, they could have broken through if they really wanted to, but since things were not clear, no one dared to act rashly.
Was it that their own commander had sinister intentions and was taken down by the emperor? Or was someone plotting a rebellion, took control of the Jinyiwei, and targeted them?
No matter, even if the gates were blocked, they could still send a few highly skilled Jinyiwei to gather information.
The atmosphere in the capital was unusual, with a curfew-like lockdown in place before evening.
All city gates were closed, and patrol yamen and Imperial Guards were clearing the streets, arresting anyone wandering outside. The situation did not seem like a rebellion, but more like a preparation for something.
It was said that all yamen also received an imperial decree, ordering them to close and return home without going out.
The Jinyiwei who went to gather information calmed down and slipped back to report.
Only this subordinate of Gong Jun, restless in mind, managed to sneak out of the city with the Imperial Guards.
General Tan is the deputy general of the Left Camp in the capital region. Half a day ago, unidentified men in black infiltrated the Left Camp, and the commanding general of the camp died from hidden weapons. A similar incident occurred in the Right Camp, but the commanding general there was not killed.
The assassin was not caught.
Not only was the emperor enraged, but the military officers of both camps were uncontrollably furious.
By evening, an imperial decree reached the Left Camp, and General Tan mobilized ten thousand soldiers, marching towards Dragon Claw Peak with great momentum.
“General Tan! Dragon Claw Peak is so large, with many temples and Taoist temples on it, and those people are ordinary citizens. How can you issue such an order?” A subordinate of Gong Jun, seeing the bodies of monks among the corpses on the ground, couldn’t help but question.
General Tan repeated sternly, “By imperial order, kill without mercy!”
Seeing the logistics troops behind him bringing even cannons, the Jinyiwei couldn’t help but mock, “In that case, General, you might as well dismount. Staying under the flag on a tall horse, aren’t you just a target for hidden weapons?”
“How dare you!”
General Tan, a third-rank military officer at the same level as the commander of the Jinyiwei, had vastly different powers at his disposal. This Jinyiwei was merely a seventh-rank officer, and precisely because of his lower status, slipping out unnoticed was easier.
The Jinyiwei had become accustomed to strutting around the capital, receiving deference from everyone. At this moment, General Tan furiously rebuked him, unwilling to show any respect, leaving the guard no choice but to bow his head.
“I spoke out of turn. Please, General, calm your anger.”
General Tan ungraciously said, “The imperial edict states that bandits have infiltrated the capital with nefarious intentions. You, although a Jinyiwei, have no authority and no companions, claiming to have left the city on business only to be delayed outside. On your way, you eagerly followed us to Dragon Claw Peak, and now you obstruct me from carrying out the imperial will. I find you highly suspicious. Seize him!”
Though he spoke of capture, the aggressive posture of his personal guards, weapons drawn, clearly indicated they intended to leave no survivors.
It’s problematic to offend the Jinyiwei; if there’s no issue, it could cause trouble later. It’s easier to kill them, and blaming the dead is simple. If worse comes to worst, they could claim the individual was killed by bandits amidst the chaos.
The Jinyiwei, greatly shocked, didn’t think twice before kicking away the incoming swords and darting into the woods like a shot.
Despite his low rank, his martial skills were notable, or Xu Qianhu wouldn’t have sent him.
He first dodged several broadswords, then a dozen spears, followed by dozens of cold arrows, and finally broke through the encirclement, albeit with an arrow wound in his arm.
Entering the woods, he immediately sought cover behind trees, then leaned against a trunk and cut off the arrow shaft with his dagger, leaving the arrowhead in place.
Not daring to delay, he headed deeper into the mountains.
Along the way, he encountered many people from the martial world, all cursing the imperial army.
To avoid accidents, the Jinyiwei had no choice but to remove his outer robe and roll in the mud. Even though his official boots and standard-issue dagger could reveal his identity, it was hard to see clearly at night, allowing him to barely pass unnoticed.
The terrain of Dragon Claw Peak was not complex, and the mountain paths were well maintained. Essentially, following the paths would lead to a Taoist temple or a Buddhist temple, with no dead ends, just routes leading to different places.
This Jinyiwei intended to reach the Jinyiwei’s secret base on Dragon Claw Peak, not far from Liuhe Temple, but soon felt something was amiss.
The path became darker and vanished, with the forest so dark he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.
He wandered confusedly for a while, hearing many voices, as if everyone was lost.
Intending to avoid most people from the martial world, he deliberately headed towards quieter areas, bumping into trees several times. Through sheer luck, he avoided ending up in the valley where Xianyue Pavillion was located.
Like him, some martial artists lucky enough to reach Liuhe Temple appeared just as disheveled, unnoticed because most were in a similar state, their clothes wet and muddy, with dirt-streaked faces.
Those lingering were most concerned about a large pit.
They cautiously descended, uncovering bulky stone statues and dirty lacquerware.
After cleaning, the lacquerware, depending on its completeness, patterns, and designs, could fetch some money, but they weren’t there for this. What use was such a small amount of money? To buy a meal of meat and wine?
“This must be a decoy tomb!”
“The real tomb of Emperor Li is not here!”
Disappointment and complaints filled the air.
Some were determined to dig deeper, immediately stopped by those around them, while others hurriedly moved away.
“There’s poison gas below, don’t dig!”
“If there’s poison gas, it means this is the real tomb!” someone argued.
Just as everyone hesitated, another person laughed loudly, “What poison gas? It’s just the stale air that forms after a tomb is sealed. Tomb raiders see it all the time. It will dissipate in a few days, and we can dig then.”
These words resonated with everyone. After finally finding the tomb, who would want to leave?
“The imperial army is coming up the mountain!”
A martial artist who had just come out of the forest shouted.
“What?”
“What’s going on? Are they also after the treasure? If so, this must be the real tomb of Emperor Li!”
“Idiots, even if it is, we can’t take anything now!”
Unable to dig the pit and with the imperial army outside, no one here is a matchless master capable of retreating unscathed from crossbow bolts.
Reluctantly, they felt along the walls of the pit, ultimately confirming the absence of any gold or silver, nearly causing a collapse before leaving reluctantly.
The mountain is vast; hiding for a while seemed the best option.
Soon, only about a dozen people remained near the pit.
They all considered themselves highly skilled in martial arts, thinking they could escape even if the imperial army arrived, so they decided to stay and watch.
Gong Jun, accompanied by an injured Jinyiwei, stayed near a wind-sheltering boulder, growing suspicious and then anxious upon hearing that the imperial army was ascending the mountain.
Unable to resist, Gong Jun went to the ruins near Liuhe Temple to find Mo Li.
“Something’s not right.”
“What do you mean?”
Mo Li stood in the shadow cast by the remaining main hall of Liuhe Temple and the trees, practically invisible unless one looked closely.
Just then, a droplet of water fell from the treetops, heading straight for Mo Li’s left shoulder.
Without looking, Mo Li quickly extended his right hand and caught the droplet.
The droplet, which should have quickly dispersed upon touching his skin, instead remained intact, rolling around in his palm like a translucent glass bead.
Gong Jun recognized this as a manifestation of the ultimate control over internal energy, where even the most delicate and light objects could be manipulated, a concept in martial arts where even falling flowers and leaves could become deadly weapons.
—How could there be such a disparity in martial arts skill among practitioners?
Gong Jun himself was a rare talent in the martial world, with exceptional talent and a sword technique that was beyond compare, yet he lacked in internal energy. It’s often said that people long for what they don’t have, and Gong Jun was no exception.
“I hadn’t expected that in just a day’s time, your internal energy has deepened, presumably due to some enlightenment.”
Gong Jun’s tone was bitter, as reaching a certain level of martial arts skill, enlightenment could be more valuable than hard training.
Not to mention a day, sometimes a meal’s time or the burning of an incense stick could bring about a rapid advance in strength.
Mo Li remained silent at the mention of enlightenment. There was no sudden insight; he had been forcibly fed spiritual energy by the dragon vein of Taijing, leaving him unable to move, his meridians unresponsive, and he couldn’t even walk until Meng Qi carried him to Liuhe Temple.
Once he recovered, the spiritual energy of Shangyun Mountain felt much “closer” to him.
This endless supply of spiritual energy allowed Mo Li to control even more delicate things with his internal energy. Though his internal energy hadn’t increased by the slightest, he could do more with it.
This should have been good news, but the process of this “enlightenment” was embarrassing for Mo Li.
“…The situation you mentioned being off, is it about the imperial army coming up the mountain?”
“Exactly. Unless someone reported the matter of Emperor Li’s tomb treasures to His Majesty, the emergence of the tomb’s treasures and the commotion caused by the martial artists here would normally prompt a response from the authorities after two or three days.”
Martial artists are a disorganized group, with only a few highly skilled individuals posing a challenge. Mobilizing the thirty thousand troops from either the Left or Right Camps to surround the mountain would suffice.
Those martial artists would retreat once they gained a little, as they couldn’t carry away the larger items. If the rebels controlled one of the camps and took advantage of the other camp coming to suppress the rebellion for inside and outside coordination to quickly seize the imperial city, that was what Gong Jun deduced.
After hearing Gong Jun’s speculation, Mo Li shook his head, “Perhaps that was their plan, but now… how many people were alarmed by those two dragons? Just with that, those plotting rebellion could seize the opportunity to claim that a treasure has appeared, enticing the Emperor, who then sends people to compete for the treasure.”
Gong Jun hesitated, his expression odd.
“…Did I say something amiss?” Mo Li asked without pretense, seeking clarification for his confusion.
“Did the doctor not see the appearance of those two dragons?”
“I saw them, a golden dragon… and a black dragon.”
Mo Li’s ears felt warm, but his facial expression remained unchanged. It was night, and dark, so Gong Jun naturally couldn’t tell what Mo Li was thinking.
“At first, a golden dragon appeared, followed by a shadow slowly forming into a black dragon. Then, the two dragons slowly approached each other, entangling head to tail in combat. In the end, both dragons disappeared, and a sudden downpour fell. This couldn’t possibly be considered a good omen, could it?”
“…”
Mo Li breathed a sigh of relief. So, it looked like they were fighting?
Fighting was good, especially good.
“This phenomenon will only alert the Emperor.” Gong Jun initially wanted to continue referring to His Majesty, but seeing Mo Li’s tone, he tactfully switched his reference. He continued, “If the rebels claim the emergence of a treasure at this time, it would be a foolish move, and nobody would believe it. Likewise, with the Emperor already suspicious, how could he easily dispatch the capital’s troops? He would be busy purging and investigating the inner court and officials!”
It sounded reasonable, and Mo Li nodded in agreement.
He didn’t understand strategies, and at this moment, he couldn’t help but think of Meng Qi.
It would be great if Meng Qi were here.
“What do you think is happening?” Mo Li asked Gong Jun.
Gong Jun responded with a bitter smile and a shake of his head: “We’re stuck on Dragon Claw Peak, unaware of the situation in the capital, so we can only make wild guesses. Perhaps this is a strategy to lure the snake out of its hole: seal the city, cut off communication between the inner court and the outside, and then pretend to fall for the trap by dispatching troops to Dragon Claw Peak. If any of the rebel forces act rashly and reveal themselves, it would be easy to detect and follow the leads…”
Mid-conversation, one of Gong Jun’s subordinates ran over.
“Inspector, someone sent by Xu Qianhu has come.”
“What?”
Gong Jun was initially delighted, then his face turned pale.
Mo Li couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong?”
“Xu Qianhu is my confidant, left in charge of the Northern Defense Command. I didn’t bring him to Dragon Claw Peak. If it weren’t for a major incident, he wouldn’t have sent someone to find me overnight.”
Gong Jun immediately went to check, and Mo Li, seeing no one was digging in the pit anymore, followed.
After the martial artists near the pit left, the Jinyiwei, puzzled, prepared to investigate the “Emperor’s Tomb Treasure” but didn’t find any treasures and instead encountered his colleagues.
He was overjoyed and quickly reported to Gong Jun what had happened in the capital.
Gong Jun urgently asked, “The commander was summoned to the palace and hasn’t come out? What about Inspector Wang?”
Inspector Wang is another deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, whose predecessor was killed by Meng Qi three years ago. He was fortunate enough to fill the vacancy.
“Inspector Wang… was in the Southern Defense Command when the incident happened. Since the doors were blocked, it was difficult to gather information, so it’s unclear if he was summoned to the palace or trapped in the Southern Defense Command. General Tan from the Left Camp insists that Inspector Gong and our brothers are all dead. I felt something was wrong, so I boldly suggest that the Inspector should not return to the capital. It would be terrible if you were captured upon your return!”
Gong Jun sighed, patted the other’s shoulder, and said, “I appreciate the concern from you and Xu Qianhu. But what about the people still alive here, and our families in the capital? Are we to abandon them?”
Not return to the capital? What about his eight pet cats?
As Gong Jun worried, he suddenly heard Mo Li say, “Don’t move!”
His voice carried an invisible pressure, causing the Jinyiwei to pause.
Gong Jun turned around, puzzled, to see Mo Li approaching and bending down to examine the arm of the imperial guard who had brought the message, saying gravely, “He’s injured, an arrow wound.”
Gong Jun was surprised and looked more closely.
It was too dark to see clearly without high internal skills.
The Jinyiwei was covered in mud, and to facilitate his journey, he had completely shaved off the arrow shaft. Gong Jun’s pat on the shoulder, although light, still affected the wound. Gong Jun hadn’t noticed, but Mo Li, with his superior hearing, detected the guard’s sudden change in breathing.
—Such a reaction usually indicates surprise or pain.
Mo Li directly examined the wound. The Jinyiwei looked uncertain, and Gong Jun quickly explained, “This is Doctor Mo, highly skilled in medicine.”
“It’s impossible to pull out the arrow; the arrowhead has tiny barbs, and pulling it would tear out a chunk of flesh. There are also blood grooves on the arrowhead,” the imperial guard said with a bitter smile. “I saw the arrows they used to kill martial artists at the mountain base.”
Dealing with martial artists, naturally, wouldn’t involve ordinary arrows.
Gong Jun wanted to curse. Without medicine, bandages, or even clean water, how could they remove the arrowhead?
Mo Li pressed several acupoints on the imperial guard and then began searching for a fire starter.
“Where’s the doctor’s bag? Go find it!”
“No need for now,” Mo Li said as he took out a knife from his sleeve.
Gong Jun was startled. Wasn’t that a weapon?
Then, he watched dumbfounded as Mo Li brought the fire starter close to the knife blade.
A fire starter is a short bamboo tube filled with a mixture of cotton, saltpeter, paper, and reed, twisted into a rope-like form. Upon opening, one can see a dim red glow, similar to the embers in ashes, which does not extinguish. When needed, blowing hard on it produces fire, which can then be used to ignite something.
With a flick of his hand, Mo Li lit the fire starter, and then, defying normal expectations, a ball of fire detached from the fire starter and gently landed on the knife blade.
The flame was stable, not flickering at all, wrapped in internal energy, it heated the blade swiftly, then dispersed into several sparks and vanished.
Mo Li casually tossed the used fire starter back to Gong Jun, then lightly supported the wound with his fingers, locating the depth and position of the arrowhead and swiftly cut open the muscle.
His internal energy blocked the blood grooves and then wrapped around the arrowhead for extraction.
The injured guard’s arm was numb from the acupoint pressing, dulling the pain but not entirely removing sensation.
When the arrowhead was removed, Mo Li looked up and asked, “Where’s the medicine pouch?”
The imperial guard hurriedly mentioned he carried wound medicine.
Without clean cloth to bandage the wound, they could only apply the medicine and rely on acupoint pressing to stop the bleeding.
Gong Jun couldn’t help saying, “It’s all my fault, making you suffer like this.”
“The Inspector has always treated us kindly. Now, in times of great change, whether it’s wealth and rank, high positions, and lavish rewards, we, the little people, won’t get a share. But it’s precisely the time to repay the Inspector for his past kindness.”
Mo Li, moved by the sentiment, was about to say something when he heard the imperial guard say, “Before leaving the capital, I had already gone to the Inspector’s house and moved the chest of valuables and the eight cats to Xu Qianhu’s home. Even if there’s a disaster of house confiscation, the Inspector need not worry.”
The author’s note:
Gong Jun: Instantly fearless.JPG
————–
Mo Li: …Glad it’s not about bringing eight cats to find Gong Jun
Imperial Guard: I wish I could, but I can’t!
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To put it more precisely OYZ
Mo Li’s quick use of fire for disinfection might not be completely effective and is done in the open air.
Traditionally, instruments would be boiled in water, and careful heating by fire was common practice. If possible, the procedure would be carried out in a clean room, previously fumigated with herbs, with no bystanders allowed, and clothes boiled in water. Mafeisan would be used, and wounds cleaned with medicinal liquids or strong alcohol, which most people couldn’t withstand.
(Modern knowledge acknowledges boiling water isn’t effective, but it was indeed used in ancient times)
But the doctor… has internal (spiritual) energy!
