Inside the pitch-black tunnel, the air was as thick and sticky as ink that could never be dissolved.
In the darkness, only Chen Ji's panting could be heard. Groping the walls, he stumbled forward. But this long tunnel seemed endless, as if he could never finish walking it.
The next moment, the approaching footsteps of his pursuers echoed from behind him—urgent, powerful, and with Murderous Spirit Rising.
In the darkness, someone shouted in a low voice, "The target is a Practitioner! Beware of ambushes; use crossbows to clear the way!"
The sharp whistling of wind tearing apart reached his ears. Unable to see the angle of the Crossbow Bolts, Chen Ji could only subconsciously turn sideways and press tightly against the wall.
Within the narrow tunnel, four Crossbow Bolts flew past, grazing his chest and the tip of his nose. However, the final bolt caught him completely off guard, pinning itself into his left shoulder.
Chen Ji gave a muffled groan as heart-piercing pain surged up. Shockingly, he couldn't even lift his arm anymore.
Ignoring the pain, he took advantage of the gap while the enemy was reloading their crossbows to quicken his pace and run toward the end of the tunnel.
From behind, someone shouted loudly, "It hit him! Pursue!"
Dragging his powerless arm, Chen Ji emerged from the underground tunnel. His gaze swept across the meat shop; instantly gritting his teeth, he used his single good hand to drag the meat-cutting table over, slamming it upside down over the tunnel exit and sealing it tightly from head to toe.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Inside the tunnel, the pursuers pushed upward with all their might against the meat-cutting table, but for a moment, they were unable to shove the heavy table aside.
Chen Ji took a deep breath and forcefully yanked out the Crossbow Bolt.
Despite it being winter, bean-sized drops of sweat rolled down his forehead. Ripping off a strip from the hem of his clothes, he tightly bound the wound on his shoulder. Turning around, he walked out of the meat shop's main door as if nothing had happened.
At this very moment, troops were passing through Anxi Street.
Holding long halberds, the Liu Family army marched past Chen Ji. They had tightly surrounded Prince Jing's Estate and Taiping Medical Clinic, completely sealing them off.
The guards of Prince Jing's Estate stood in front of the gate holding their halberds, confronting the troops. Swords were drawn and bows were bent; the tension between the two sides was extremely high.
Keeping his head down, Chen Ji walked beneath the eaves along the roadside, hurrying toward the end of Anxi Street. However, after walking only several dozen steps, he slowly came to a halt again.
Up ahead, dozens of soldiers stood guard, forbidding any commoners from entering or leaving Anxi Street.
Chen Ji turned around and walked toward the other side, only to see that the pursuers had already emerged from the meat shop. Gripping their sabers, they were currently scanning left and right amidst the flow of people on the street, searching for his silhouette.
He couldn't get away.
Chen Ji searched his surroundings for usable weapons, preparing for a fight to the death.
Before he could find a suitable weapon, a carriage stopped beside him, and someone inside said in a low voice, "Get in, I'll escort you out!"
Chen Ji turned his head to look. Surprisingly, it was Zhang Li from the Yellow Mountain Daoist Court. Having lifted the carriage curtain, he was waving at him from inside.
He ducked into the carriage, leaned against the carriage wall, and appraised Zhang Li with a vigilant gaze.
Zhang Li patted the young Daoist boy driving the carriage, signaling him to hurry and drive away.
The young Daoist boy said in a troubled tone, "Senior Brother Zhang Li, we shouldn't take him with us. It'll bring trouble upon ourselves."
Cursing in an annoyed tone, Zhang Li slapped the back of the boy's head. "How come your Mount Laojun Daoist Court is so afraid of trouble? How does your master normally teach you? What should you do if you encounter someone in danger and distress?"
The young Daoist boy was somewhat stunned. "We should beg the Dao Ancestors of the Three Purities to bless and protect him!"
Zhang Li laughed out of sheer exasperation. "Motherfucker... is there even time to beg the Dao Ancestors of the Three Purities right now? Let Senior Brother teach you: when you see injustice on the road, you should draw your blade and help!"
The young Daoist boy hesitated. "Senior Brother, this is different from what my master taught."
Zhang Li slapped the back of his head again. "Cut the fucking bullshit! If you don't drive, I'll split your head open! You begged me earlier to bring you guys to Luo City to play. Are my words useless now? Just you wait and see if I ever bring you guys out again in the future!"
The young Daoist boy pursed his lips and had no choice but to shake the reins and drive the carriage.
Zhang Li lowered the carriage curtain and turned around, smiling at Chen Ji inside the carriage. "Pardon the embarrassment, pardon the embarrassment."
Chen Ji asked in puzzlement, "Why has Daoist Master Zhang Li appeared here?"
Zhang Li explained patiently, "You did my Daoist Court a great favor at Luhun Villa previously. Now that I've come to Luo City, of course I have to pay a courtesy visit to your door. It was just an unfortunate coincidence that I bumped into this scene on my way here... By the way, is the Liu Family trying to capture you?"
Chen Ji remained outwardly composed. "No."
With a beaming smile, Zhang Li pointed at his shoulder. Looking down, Chen Ji saw that blood had already soaked through his grey cloth shirt, seeping all the way to the outside layer.
"Don't be nervous," Zhang Li smiled amicably. "My Yellow Mountain Daoist Court has no relationship with the Liu Family, and I absolutely will not sell you out. The Liu Family has already sealed off this long street, so let me escort you out first, and we can talk later."
The carriage drove toward the exit of Anxi Street. Just as they were about to leave, their path was blocked by over ten soldiers. "No passing through here!"
The young Daoist boy driving the carriage asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother, what do we do?"
Sitting inside the carriage completely unconcerned, Zhang Li said, "What do we do? Curse at them!"
Facing the soldiers, the young Daoist boy blurted out without hesitation, "You motherfuckers—"
Zhang Li hurriedly interrupted, "Wait, don't curse that colorfully!"
Hearing this, the young Daoist boy cursed at the soldiers in an annoyed tone, "Are you blind? You even dare to block the Daoist Court's carriage?!"
A soldier outside the carriage said in a heavy voice, "Mister Feng has ordered Anxi Street sealed off. I don't care if you're from the Daoist Court or the Buddhist Sect; you cannot leave."
The young Daoist boy said angrily, "I am the personal disciple of Immortal Master Dan Qiuzi from the Mount Laojun Daoist Court! The person inside the carriage is the chief disciple of the Yellow Mountain Daoist Court, Zhang Li—a man who once entered the palace to expound Dao Methods to His Majesty! Have your Liu Family's person in charge come see me. I want to ask exactly who gave you the courage to dare block my carriage?!"
The soldiers exchanged glances. One of them signaled with his eyes, and a soldier immediately slipped away quietly to report.
A moment later, an armor-clad general with a curly beard slowly walked over.
He spoke politely to the young Daoist boy, "Please forgive us, Young Daoist Master. We are also acting on orders to apprehend a rebel. Please cooperate with us."
The young Daoist boy raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like a rebel to you?"
The curly-bearded general explained, "This general isn't saying you are a rebel; I am merely worried that a rebel might have hidden inside the carriage while you weren't paying attention. How about this: allow me to inspect the inside of the carriage. As long as I confirm there is no rebel, this general will let you pass immediately."
The young Daoist boy sneered. "And what if I refuse? Inspecting just because you want to inspect—where is my Daoist Court's prestige then?"
The curly-bearded general's face slowly darkened. "This matter is of grave importance. If the Young Daoist Master refuses, then even if the Dao Ancestors of the Three Purities were inside the carriage, we could not let you leave."
Inside the carriage, Chen Ji's brows were tightly knit. I'm afraid I won't be able to avoid this tribulation.
He looked toward Zhang Li, only to see the latter pull out a dried Elm Leaf from his left sleeve, and then pull out a Rat Whiskers Brush from his right sleeve.
Zhang Li cut his finger, dipped the Rat Whiskers Brush in his blood, and wrote a complex talismanic seal on the Elm Leaf. Afterwards, he reached out and stuck the Elm Leaf onto Chen Ji's forehead, saying in a lowered voice, "Don't speak."
The next moment, he cleared his throat and said in a heavy voice, "Zhou Fang, since they want to look inside the carriage, then let them look."
The young Daoist boy acknowledged. "Alright, Senior Brother."
With that, he took the initiative to lift the carriage curtain for the curly-bearded general to inspect. "There, look!"
Chen Ji's heart was already in his throat. He watched helplessly as the curly-bearded general poked his head in and cast a sharp gaze right at him.
Yet the other party merely glanced in his direction before his eyes swept past, as if he hadn't seen anything at all.
The curly-bearded general cupped his hands at Zhang Li. "Daoist Master Zhang Li, my apologies. This general was only acting on orders."
Zhang Li gave a calm hum of affirmation and asked in a heavy voice, "Is there a rebel in my carriage?"
The curly-bearded general hurriedly replied, "No."
"Then aren't you going to let us pass?"
The curly-bearded general took a step back and waved at the soldiers. "Step aside, let them pass!"
The carriage swayed and wobbled as it began moving again. With a smile, Zhang Li removed the Elm Leaf from Chen Ji's forehead, lightly rubbing his two fingers together to turn it into ash. "Good thing they didn't pester us for too long, otherwise the ruse would have been exposed."
Chen Ji was caught between shock and suspicion. "Why couldn't he see me?"
Zhang Li laughed. "Just a minor Illusion Art."
He pulled out a gourd-shaped white porcelain bottle from his sleeve. "Fellow Daoist Chen Ji, roll up your sleeve. I'll apply some medicinal powder for treating metal-inflicted wounds to stop the bleeding."
Chen Ji rolled up his sleeve, only to hear Zhang Li give a soft "Eh?"
"The bleeding has already stopped?"
Chen Ji turned his head to look. The bloody hole left by the Crossbow Bolt was indeed no longer seeping blood, and he could even lift his previously numb and lifeless left arm now.
Furnace Fire!
He calmly took the porcelain bottle, sprinkled the medicinal powder onto the wound, and casually explained, "Ever since I was young, my wounds have always healed faster than other people's."
Zhang Li broke into a wide smile and didn't ask further. "Fellow Daoist is a person favored by the heavens."
Chen Ji pulled down his sleeve, lifted the window curtain just enough to create a crack, and peered outside. On the street, the Liu Family army was still continuously surging toward the prince's estate in an endless stream. "Daoist Master Zhang Li, do you have a method to get out of the city?"
Sitting upright with his hands tucked into his sleeves, Zhang Li said, "The four city gates are tightly shut right now, bed crossbows have been mounted on the city walls, and outside the city, military camps stretch continuously for over ten miles. Before the Liu Family launches their uprising, they absolutely will not allow any information to leak out. You won't be able to leave."
Chen Ji frowned.
At this moment, a squad of black-clad riders rode toward them, heading in the direction of the prince's estate. And the person leading them, draped in a blue cloak, was astonishingly Mister Feng, whom he hadn't seen in days!
Chen Ji immediately dropped the window curtain, terrified that the other party would spot him through the crack.
Sitting in the carriage, Zhang Li said with great interest, "Fellow Daoist, how about you return to the inn with me and hide there? I'm staying at the Yingxian Inn with over ten Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters. No matter what the Liu Family intends to do, they definitely wouldn't dare make things difficult for my Daoist Court."
Chen Ji shook his head. "I appreciate Daoist Master's kind intentions, but I cannot hide beside you all with a clear conscience. If I were discovered by the Liu Family, I'm afraid it would implicate you. Moreover, there is an expert among the Liu Family's strategists; the Illusion Art from just now might not actually be able to fool them."
With that, he cupped his hands at Zhang Li. "Thank you right here and now for Daoist Master's rescue. Let us part ways here."
Zhang Li didn't try to urge him to stay any further, smiling and cupping his hands. "Then let us part ways here; if destiny allows, we shall meet again. If Fellow Daoist survives this ordeal, remember to come be a guest at my Yellow Mountain."
"It's a promise."
Once Mister Feng's group was far away, Chen Ji lifted the door curtain and jumped off the carriage. Turning around, he vanished into a dark, secluded alley beside the road.
The young Daoist boy driving the carriage turned his head and asked curiously, "Senior Brother, your whole stomach is full of bad intentions, and you aren't exactly a chivalrous person either. Why did you help him?"
Zhang Li said in an annoyed tone. "Stop making fucking jokes about me. All of my methods are used to deal with the Buddhist Sect; when have I ever used them against others? Here I am working tirelessly until I'm exhausted, yet you guys gossip behind my back calling me 'a stomach full of bad intentions'? Be careful, I might slap you."
The young Daoist boy shrank his neck and muttered softly, "Senior Brother has even entered the palace and met His Majesty, so why is he still so vulgar?!"
Meanwhile.
Mister Feng rode his horse right up to the gate of Prince Jing's Estate, gazing with a smile at the closed vermilion gates. "Is it surrounded properly?"
The curly-bearded general stood beside the horse and reported, "Answering Mister Feng: my Elephant Armor Camp has tightly surrounded the prince's estate. Prince Jing and his family dependents are imprisoned within, and absolutely no one has been allowed to escape."
Mister Feng gave a hum of affirmation. "Where is the young man the Master wanted?"
The curly-bearded general hesitated for a moment. "This person tried to escape through the secret tunnel in the Taiping Medical Clinic. But we saw through his scheme and pursued him immediately. During the pursuit, that young man took one of our arrows—"
Mister Feng smiled chillingly. "Speak any more nonsense and carefully guard your head against falling to the ground. Let me ask you: where is he?"
The curly-bearded general was frightened into prostrating himself on the ground, his black cast-iron armor clattering loudly. "This general is still searching! He is injured, and since we've sealed off this area and let no one go, he must still be nearby!"
Mister Feng tilted his head up and pondered for a moment. "Are you absolutely certain no one was allow to escape? You better not be deceiving me. If I find out you uttered a single word of lies, I will execute your wife, children, and elderly parents."
The curly-bearded general hurriedly added a sentence. "Earlier, a carriage from the Daoist Court passed by. But this general thoroughly inspected the carriage and only let them leave after confirming there was only a Daoist priest inside."
"Oh?" Mister Feng raised his eyebrows. "What was that Daoist priest's name?"
"Yellow Mountain Daoist Court, Zhang Li."
Mister Feng was amused. "So it was him!"
The curly-bearded general was puzzled. "Mister Feng knows him?"
"Of course I do," Mister Feng asked with a smile. "When you went to inspect his carriage, did he not slap you?"
The curly-bearded general was somewhat stunned. "No, he hasn't."
Mister Feng mused deeply for a moment. "Since when did Zhang Li have such a good temper? That young man was definitely hiding in the carriage. Otherwise, Zhang Li would have gotten off the carriage and slapped you long ago. Send people to chase after them now... Actually, forget it. That brat is alert and sharp-witted; I'm afraid it's already too late."
The curly-bearded general trembled with fear. "Mister Feng, please spare my life—"
Mister Feng said with a beaming smile, "Get up. I'm not an unreasonable person. With the Daoist Court helping him, it is not your fault."