The city passed by in chaos for the night.
As dawn approached, two figures hopped and skipped in the darkness towards the Five Lakes Inn. They stealthily observed their surroundings, then took off their clothes by a nearby river and gave themselves a simple wash.
The river was rather cold in the early morning of autumn, but to these two figures, it wasn't a big deal. After cleaning off the strange powder and smell on their bodies and clothes, the two figures even did a round of self-reflection.
"We were careless..."
"Mm mm, the bad guys also have experts..."
"That last one's martial arts are very high..."
The two concluded, feeling like they had "survived a disaster". Afterwards, they simply put on their clothes and sneakily made their way to the side of the Five Lakes Inn. They climbed over the wall and entered a small room in the corner of the second floor through a window.
...
Light seeped out from the eastern horizon. It was a cloudy day in Jiangning City.
Amidst the chaos, where all five factions of the Fairness Party participated, the city gradually calmed down. There were still fires burning in some of the streets, but the number of people responsible for maintaining order gradually increased. Small teams of soldiers pushed water hose carts forward to provide disaster relief, while some people fished up corpses and cloth bags floating on the river surface.
Although it could be said that all parties participated in the conflict that night, the entire chaotic scene was mainly concentrated in a small half of the city. Some of the areas that had long been fiercely clashing became the main battlefields, while some of the more consolidated power markets were not affected. Here, the five factions of the Fairness Party had some sort of tacit understanding of "holding a meeting".
After the sun rose, the fighting on the surface calmed down. All the various powers were busy summarizing and evaluating the losses they had suffered or the results they had obtained that night.
Halfway through the morning, Wei Yiwen, who hadn't slept all night, went to the eastern end of the city to inspect the crime scene that was in the worst condition.
"Martial Alliance Master Long Aotian, Little Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, visited this place. Kill, kill, kill, kill! "
When he saw this crooked row of words, the corners of Wei Yiwen's eyes couldn't help but twitch a few times. The row of corpses in the courtyard was proof of the savagery of the intruders. He carefully examined the knife wounds on the bodies of a few people.
This was not the only crime scene. Before coming here, he had already visited another crime scene. It was a medium-sized territory that belonged to the "King of Hell". Just before dawn, an explosion occurred that collapsed three or four houses, causing some damage.
"So … everything started here …" Wei Yiwen crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at everything with a gloomy expression. "These two … things … called Long Aotian and Sun Wukong … rushed in here and first killed … that who was guarding here …"
He pointed at the leader who had been impaled on the wall earlier. The person beside him poked his head over and said, "Hu Hai."
"… So, they first killed this Hai guy and set off the warning fireworks. After a while, this guy called Yu Cheng brought some people over to investigate. He rode a horse, and in front of everyone, he was tied up with a rope and left. On the way, he was knocked on his head by a stone and died … "
"… Then, this Long Aotian and Sun Wukong, the Little Sage, Heaven's Equal, didn't let the matter rest. When General Huang Wanyong came over to investigate again, they followed General Huang to the street and quietly laid an ambush. When it was almost dawn, and everyone was probably asleep, these two … things wanted to make a move on General Huang. Who knew that they would be discovered by General Huang, and he came out to chase after them."
"… Huang Wanyong didn't expect that the other party had planted a barrel of explosives at the back wall. Perhaps it wasn't to blow him up, but rather to escape after being discovered. Huang Wanyong came out to chase after them, and in the end, he was killed by the explosives as well. Because there were also explosives at General Huang's place, four or five houses were blown up … Now, do you think that these two people were coming for me … "
Wei Yiwen swept his gaze across the crowd, and then looked at the ugly handwriting that said "Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill".
Someone lowered his head and said, "These two people are highly skilled in martial arts. If they appeared at this time, I'm afraid that they must have followed their elders into the city."
Wei Yiwen stretched out his hand and slapped the person's face.
"Writing this kind of bullsh * t words, how can they be learned! You bunch of dogs, go back and practice your writing today. In less than half a month, your writing will be better than this! Family learning! I'll let you have your family learning once! Pfft — "
His gaze swept across the twisted handwriting again. When the incident happened here last night, he should have been on the other side of the city preparing to capture people. Although he couldn't say it now, he had a strange feeling that when he stared at the abyss, the abyss was also staring back at him.
However, some abyss was more serious, while some abyss was extremely ridiculous …
"Ask Lu Xian to arrange for people to capture them." Wei Yiwen waved his hand and made the arrangements. "I want to teach them how to write!"
…
The light that fell from the sky was gray. On the plains, the clouds were flying away.
"Find Chen San."
In the afternoon, someone reported this name at the East Ascension Inn in the south of the city.
When You Hongzhuo came down from upstairs, he was surprised to see An Xifu with bandages on his body.
"What happened?"
"There was an accident. Let's talk as we walk."
An Xifu's left arm was injured, and his body emitted a faint smell of medicine. At this moment, he smiled, turned, and walked out of the inn.
The sky was overcast, and most of the people on the road had hurried expressions. Some were hurrying home, while others were packing their bags and preparing to leave the city.
"It's chaos and chaos." An Xifu said with a smile. "I originally thought that the Fairness Party's conference this time would be open to the entire world, just like the conference in the southwest, and that it would be a good thing. So everyone rushed here, and the people who originally lived in the city weren't in a hurry to leave. But last night, I discovered that without a unified Fairness Party, the five parties were all like lunatics. So look, the roads out of the city are all blocked today. "
"I heard that while they were fighting, these people first guaranteed the transportation of supplies and rations in and out of the city. This means that they didn't want to scare everyone away, "You Hongzhuo said.
An Xifu nodded. "This time, we rushed over from the land of Jin, so we originally thought that this matter was a bit too simple. You see, the five parties held a conference to strive for the intentions and help of all the people in the world. Naturally, they wouldn't casually offend the representatives of the various parties … but this matter with Miao Zheng made us realize that things aren't so simple. There have been some changes. "
"Miao Zheng has been found?"
"He sent us a letter yesterday afternoon and arranged a meeting place."
"Then how should I …"
You Hongzhuo was slightly hesitant. Liang Siyi had been following Miao Zheng's lead, and these past few days, You Hongzhuo and Liang Siyi had partnered up to explore a few places of the "King of Hell", but hadn't found anything. Logically speaking, since the other party had come looking for them, they should continue letting Liang Siyi contact them.
"I felt that there was a trap, so I didn't inform Siyi," An Xifu said.
You Hongzhuo frowned and looked at the wound on An Xifu's body. An Xifu smiled, and used the finger of his right hand to point at his left arm. "There is indeed a trap … fortunately, I made preparations."
"Then Miao Zheng …"
"… I'm afraid … something is going to happen to him."
The streets were sparsely filled with pedestrians. The two of them passed through the hazy streets and fell silent for a while. The wind blew through the streets, rustling the fallen leaves.
"What does Miss Liang think about this matter …"
"Brother You, why do you think we contacted you for help?"
"Hmm?"
"The number of people who came this time isn't too many, but it's not too few either. We came to Jiangning and contacted our old comrades from the Mani Sect. We should be able to find some helpers. Young Hero You, do you have any guesses as to why I suddenly asked for your help? "
An Xifu turned his head and looked at You Hongzhuo. His words were rather straightforward. The martial world was so big, and they weren't newbies. For such a long-distance operation, if they recruited an untrustworthy person, it could lead to the complete annihilation of the entire team. Why would they directly trust you and ask for your help just because they fought side by side in the past? They felt that you must be trustworthy … Such a question was too utilitarian and impolite, but You Hongzhuo had naturally thought about it.
However, he looked at An Xifu and didn't say anything.
An Xifu paused. At this time, sparse raindrops fell from the sky. The two of them crossed the street and went to the eaves by the roadside.
"Siyi is a very responsible girl."
"… But sometimes, she pushed herself too hard."
"… Of course, this can't be blamed on her. All these years on the battlefield in Jindi, she sent many of her brothers and sisters away. She's young, so she might not be able to see through these things … "
The autumn rain gradually fell on the long street. The two of them stood under the eaves. An Xifu said these words, and You Hongzhuo listened for a while. He looked at the rain.
"When I was in the southwest, I heard that there was a course called psychological counseling. It was said that everyone killed people on the battlefield all day, or watched their brothers and sisters die, so it's easy for them to feel … unhealthy. For these people, they can do some … psychological counseling. It's really a very powerful thing … "
An Xifu smiled and sighed. "These years in the north have been too bitter. Wang Shuai is an extreme person, but he has no money or food. Most of the time, he can't care about so many things. Back then, in order to raise money and food, he had no choice but to do bad things. He did many bad things … "
As he spoke to this point, he turned his head to look at You Hongzhuo. Seeing that You Hongzhuo was only listening carefully, he continued, "Ning Yi is a naggy person. He has always been somewhat strange and blindly fastidious. Back in Hangzhou, he used the idea of everyone being equal to Watermelon and Chen Fan to fool them. Now look at Jiangnan …"
As he spoke, he pointed at the pedestrians running on the street in the rain. "Back then, the Sage wanted equality. Today, the Fairness Party wants equality. In the future, there will be many people who want equality. But no matter how good the idea is, how to achieve it is the real important thing … In the whole world, only the southwest can be a little more particular and naggy. As for us, I'm afraid we have to make do slowly, slowly …"
"… How can I help?" You Hongzhuo asked.
"Help keep an eye on Siyi." An Xifu said, "Wei Yiwen wants to capture someone through Miao Zheng. This is very unusual. Logically speaking, if you really want to build connections with the outside world, whether it's killing or capturing someone from Jindi, it's meaningless. Either way, you'll offend a great power … We're investigating the reason for this, but on Miao Zheng's side … I don't think it'll be easy."
"Mm." You Hongzhuo thought for a moment. After understanding, he nodded. "I understand. I'll go kill Chen Juefang … or Wei Yiwen …"
"… Ah?"
Under the eaves, An Xifu frowned. Only then did he look at the other with a caring gaze.
"You also … need psychological counseling?"
"I'm joking."
You Hongzhuo smiled.
Outside the eaves, the curtain of rain continued to fall. The two then chatted for a while more before parting ways.
*****
On the 21st of August, the autumn rain that had fallen in Jiangning continued to fall intermittently for the next few days. The humidity in the city never stopped.
This continuous curtain of rain reduced the frequency of people going out. If they didn't have a clear goal, most people would choose to hide in their homes or inns to chat and brag.
The representatives of the various powers that came from other places connected with each other. On the 22nd of August, the "King of Equality", Shi Baofeng, entered the city, followed by Heavenly King Gao and Zhou Shang. Some representatives of the major powers worked together to promote their ideas. For example, the idea of the "Chinese Martial Arts Association" proposed by a group of people representing Dai Mengwei became the hottest topic in the martial arts arena of Jiangning.
Of course, only a small portion of people accepted the idea proposed by Dai Mengwei and were the first to join. As for more people, they were paying attention to the battle between Liu, Dai, and Zou Xu's forces north of the Yangtze River.
"That Zou Xu is from the southwest. Liu and Dai, let's talk about it if he can survive …"
For the people of Jiangning, this was a relatively common view of the situation in Jiangbei. Among the two sides fighting, Liu Guangshi had money and connections, Dai Mengwei had fame, and Zou Xu had the identity of a traitor of the Chinese army. If the scale of the war was really put on the scale, the significance of this identity could be big or small. Most importantly, this was the first round of large-scale confrontation of forces in the whole world after the death of the Female Zhenren. Even the Confucian scholars who used to boast that they knew the most about the world basically had a conservative attitude towards the battle in Bianliang.
Of course, Dai Mengwei had long known that this was human nature, so he had long said that he would "wait until the dust of the battle in Bianliang settles before fulfilling this promise", which could be considered as burning a cold stove for himself and raising his morale. If he lost the battle in Bianliang, he would naturally pretend that he had never said these things. But if Dai Mengwei really returned to Bianliang for the Wu dynasty, the reputation of the "Chinese Martial Arts Association" would rise along with the tide. It was a scheme of the winner taking all.
The continuous autumn rain reduced the frequency of large-scale fights outside. In the following few days, most of the events that occurred outside were small scale vicious incidents.
At the Five Lakes Inn, every night, the figures of two young men in straw raincoats would sneak into the curtain of rain. "Wulin Master" Long Aotian and "Heaven's Equal" Sun Wukong were looking for Wei Yiwen at their own pace.
The two young swordsmen had some ideas of their own. Sometimes their actions would succeed, and sometimes they would fail. When they succeeded, they would often leave behind a crooked signature. The suffix of the signature would gradually develop from "God Kill Kill Kill Kill" to disgusting words such as "Wei Yiwen's mother is dead", "Zhou Shang is a stupid dog", "He Wen loves Gao Chang", and so on.
In the school of Zhang Village, "XX loves XX" had always been a very embarrassing humiliation. The person whose name was written would often blush and be speechless. The little monk also very much agreed with this form of humiliation. He felt that his big brother was really too bad. Of course, in the eyes of the real bad guys, they would occasionally be confused. "Aren't you here to kill Wei Yiwen? Why do you say that He Wen loves Gao Chang …"
Of course, sometimes they would fail because they met a master. The result of a failed operation was usually chaos. The two young men were very skilled in martial arts. Because of the fighting style of their family or master, their awareness and methods of escape were even more outstanding.
Long Aotian, who was slightly older, had developed in all aspects. Not only could he fight and run, but he could also set up all kinds of traps, throwing knives, and other hidden weapons that were impossible to defend against. As for Sun Wukong, who was nicknamed the Little Sage, Heaven's Equal, he was able to maximize his abilities. Even if some of the experts managed to defend against the two assassins, they would always return empty-handed in the subsequent pursuit. Sometimes, they would even lose many of their subordinates.
In the span of a few days, the autumn rain shrouded the land of Jiangning, drenching the houses and shacks into a dark gray color. However, the public opinion field formed by the various inns and crowd gathering points was very lively. In most of the inns, teahouses, and pubs, the consumption of drinks and snacks was much higher than before. Amidst this wave of public opinion and the gossip circles under the political field, rumors about Long Aotian and Sun Wukong, the "Heaven's Equal" gradually surfaced.
"… I heard that these two people came from somewhere, but they've been stirring up trouble in the city recently. Speaking of martial arts, they're really good. They've already fought against Wei Yiwen a few times …"
"… It's not just Wei Yiwen. You don't know this, but aside from King Yama, King of Chakravarti and King of Equality are also looking for the Five Feet Demon in the city. They're all saying that they want to take his head …"
"… I heard that the Five Feet Demon is the disciple of the Hundred Feet Demon, an elite from the West Region. Once he entered the Chinese plains, he did all sorts of evil. Wei Yiwen, King of Chakravarti, and King of Equality all had daughters of their families die in his hands. The grudge between him and King of Equality was sown in Tongshan Mountain. He tainted the daughter of Tan Gongjian's Yan Family. Do you still remember this? Do you? "
"… Ah, don't talk nonsense. There's no such thing as the Hundred Feet Demon …"
"… You don't get it, do you? This is the rule of the West Region. It's all based on numbers. Look at his junior brother. He's the" Heaven's Equal "or something … His title might be the Four Feet Demon …"
For the people of the Forest Sect, they did not need to treat these gossips too seriously. They would occasionally talk about it in a lively manner, but it was just a topic of conversation after a meal. But if the news spread a little more, it would inevitably enter the ears of people who should not know.
In the northwestern part of the city, in the territory that was currently under the control of King of Equality He Wen, who had the best security, Qian Luoning, who had already formally contacted He Wen and returned to the inn, heard such a conversation while he was eating breakfast one day. He had been concerned about the affairs of the country for the past few days, and his gaze was a little confused.
The two men in black, one limp, and a few core members of the Huaxia Army who came over covered their faces with their hands.
"What's going on?"
Qian Luoning took his food and moved to another table.
The black girl explained to him in a low voice, "… It sounds like Little Brother has entered the city."
"How did he suddenly become enemies with King Yanluo, King of Chakravarti, and King of Equality …"
"Who knows." Yuwen Feidu, who was beside him, pinched his mouth and said in a very soft voice, "But if we're talking about causing trouble, he was taught by all of us after all …"
"You're so damn proud of it!" Qian Luoning glanced at him.
"Finding joy in sorrow …" Yuwen Feidu sighed.
Little Black cupped his face, "We originally wanted to find out who did it, kill them, and seal off the news. But that Monkey King Li Yanfeng is of a higher rank, so we wanted to discuss it with you first. We thought it wouldn't be a problem for three to five days, but who knew … the news would spread so quickly. We didn't expect him to be in the city … "
"There are two things we need to do now. First, we need to find him and bring him back for Master and Mister Ning to teach him a lesson." The black girl stabbed a bun with her chopsticks and said calmly, "Second, since the news has already spread, let's create an even bigger incident to drown it out. Since we're going to fight anyway, let's make a plan to kill one or two of the three parties that have a grudge with Little Brother. If Prince of Fairness fights in Jiangning and he dies, no one will remember it in the future."
Qian Luoning glared at her, "Why don't you do it?"
The black girl pointed to the front with her chopsticks, "Let Yuwen do it. The chance of success is very high …"
The people at the table cupped their chins and fell into deep thought. Qian Luoning looked left and right, then said, "Look over there …" He reached out and slapped the black girl's head.
The black girl pursed her lips, "If you have something to say, just say it."
"Actually, what the black girl said makes sense …"
"Boss Qian is wise. I said that the black girl deserves a beating. I never thought about shooting people. How can you be so cruel and black-hearted …"
The black girl glared, "Just like what you said …"
Little Black sighed, "Let's just blow up the cripple tonight …"
"Alright." Qian Luoning also sighed, "You guys go out and look for him these few days. Try not to let others beat you to him. If your identity is revealed, you'll be embarrassed for life … And that 'Four Feet Yin Demon', what kind of person is he? If you meet him, take care of him …"
"It's the 'Little Sage Equal to Heaven'. Boss Qian, he's called the 'Five Feet Yin Demon', you can't call him that too …"
"This is great. Everyone in the city is looking for them. Little Brother is surrounded on all sides …"
"Hehe, I think after this incident in Jiangning, the 'Five Feet Yin Demon' title will follow me for life …"
"Don't talk nonsense when you get back …"
"Do you know how to talk nonsense?"
"I don't."
"Anyway, I won't … It's all your fault …"
The few of them ate and chatted with a serious expression.
As it was morning, the two hot topics, 'Wulin Master' and 'Little Sage Equal to Heaven', were sleeping soundly in the inn's room. Ning Ji originally planned to use Wei Xiawen's head to wash away the bad rumors about him, but these two days, he felt that it was okay to kill Zhou Shang. Other than meeting a powerful figure called Lu Xian in last night's operation and escaping after a fight, they still didn't know that they were being hunted by many parties …
Under the same curtain of rain, outside a camp belonging to the 'Immortal Guard' of the 'Turning Wheel King', three corpses were hung high. These were the bodies of Miao Zheng's family after they had been tortured.
They were originally in contact with Liang Siyi and turned to Wei Xiawen after they failed. Now, their corpses had miraculously returned to the hands of the 'Immortal Guard'.
Liang Siyi stood in the distance, watching everything in a daze. A little further away, You Hongzhuo looked at her quietly and sighed …
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