Chapter 117: Valuing Life Over Death

Northern Townships.

Intelligence from many Jianghu sects and organizations, from the hands of the secret agents of the Brocade Guards in various divisions and states are constantly summed up here, and then handed over to another group of agents who are accustomed to organizing data and comparing information, for review and extraction.

Shen Qi, as the one who gave the orders, only needed to wait for the results of their screening.

In the hall, some of the brocade guards were in a hurry, some exchanged in low voices, and some were busy with their work, the whole organization was running in a solemn and efficient manner. A sheet of organized intelligence was presented to the officer.

Shen Qi looked over the paper in his hand, his eyes resting on one of the pages–

Hidden Sword Sect. Song dynasty and the political and years of the swordsman Xiao Yin created, hundreds of years between the ups and downs of the wind and clouds, and now the talent is withering, the heritage is nearly severed.

Xiao Yin founded the Hidden Sword Sect with the intention of combating violence, cutting out evil and eliminating treachery, especially punishing corrupt officials. The disciples call themselves “Chivalrous Assassins”, the first successive generations of masters can still be upright, to the Yuan Dynasty, the rule of brutality and the people are not happy, the Hidden Sword Sect has gradually degenerated into the two capitals of the nobles assassination of dissenters, the power of the tool for the struggle for power.

After Emperor Taizu established the dynasty, the Hidden Sword Sect withdrew from the jianghu to avoid the court’s crippling efforts because of their deep collusion with the old power elite, and they were nowhere to be found.

“They are called Chivalrous Assassins to put it nicely, but they are actually assassins.” Ri Penal Thousand-director Wei Ying sat down beside Shen Qi and handed over a few thin pages of paper, “Please look, my lord, this is the martial arts situation of the sect and what they have committed, but they are hidden in the wild and difficult to probe, and there is very little information.”

He and the punishment of a thousand Shi Yifushuang, are Su Yan before the opportunity to remove the Feng party thoroughly combed the Brocade Guards, was Shen Qi single-handedly promoted up the beloved belly. The two followed Shen Qi for nearly ten years, as an old subordinate, talking and acting with the superior officer is more casual.

Shen Qi finished flipping through it and said, “It’s true that the information is small and shallow, but there’s still something to keep an eye on.”

He pointed to one of the lines, “Look here, it says that the Hidden Sword Sect has a secret technique that can confuse people’s minds, and is especially effective when used in assassinations. Outsiders don’t know the name of this technique, but because the pupil is like blood when it is performed, it is called ‘Ghost Pupil’.”

“Pupils like blood …… ghost pupils ……” Wei Ying murmured, suddenly brightened up, “I remembered, His Highness the Crown Prince said that the black-clothed man who assassinated him He said that the man in black who assassinated him had a pair of scarlet and weird eyes! Could it be related to this Hidden Sword Sect’s secret technique?”

Shen Qi nodded, “Very likely.”

Wei Ying got up and said, “Since the clues point to the Hidden Sword Sect, even if it hides deeper, we’ll be able to uncover it even if we dig three feet into the ground!”

“There’s no rush.” Shen Qi gestured for him to sit down, “There’s another snake.”

“The silver-ringed snake that bit the Crown Prince? My lord, to be honest, this snake is not very easy to check, although it is not found in the capital area, it is widely spread in the Central Plains, including Nan Zhili, Huguang, Jiangxi, Fujian and other places. If we were to check the source, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Shen Qi also knew that it was difficult to investigate. Such a small snake, even if the capital was tightened up, all the doors in and out of the city were blocked, and house-to-house searches were conducted, it would still be impossible to find it.

“Maybe this snake was bred by the Hidden Sword Sect to aid in assassinations. Why don’t we just attack the dragon and eliminate the Hidden Sword Sect.” Wei Ying suggested.

Shen Qi pondered for a moment and slowly said: ”I always feel that there is something else about this snake. Although the Hidden Sword Sect is keen on assassination, they are also dedicated to the way of the sword, and from the information gathered, the sect still prides itself on its swordsmanship even after a hundred years of decline. It’s possible to quench poison on the sword, but keeping poisonous snakes and bugs to kill is not like their style.”

When Wei Ying heard this, he felt that it was not unreasonable and couldn’t help but frown, “If there is someone else behind the Viper, then is the Hidden Sword Sect joining forces with him, or are they under his orders? What exactly is the collusion between the two and what is the purpose?”

“This is all still just speculation, and needs evidence to confirm.” Shen Qi placed the information on the desktop and curled his index finger to knock, “We can’t scare the snakes, but we can lure them out of their holes.”

“How do you draw?”

“The best bait, of course, is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The person behind the scenes wanted to kill him and didn’t, so naturally they won’t stop. If the crown prince is used as bait to catch the ‘snake’, I think the chances of winning will be the greatest.”

Wei Tassel’s face turned white, looking at Shen Qi who had a bland face, stuttered: “Da, my lord …… that’s the crown prince, the Crown Prince! How can it be used for …… impossible ……”

Shen Qi pulled the corner of his mouth slightly mockingly, “I know it’s impossible. Just saying that doing so has the highest probability of catching a ‘snake’.”

Wei Tassel sighed in relief. He knew Shangguan’s temperament and was afraid that if his madness came up, he would sacrifice himself and the entire Northern Zhenfu Si.

But on second thought, Shen Qilang was less crazy and more shrewd. Besides, even if the sword went sideways, this master would definitely ensure his own safety first. In order to survive and climb up, how far Shen Qilang could go, and how ruthless, tough and tenacious he was, he had seen it in his eyes for so many years and knew it very well.

“What does your lordship intend to do?” Wei Ying asked trustingly.

Shen Qi said, “As a second best, I’ll be the bait.”

“My lord–“

“Right. I am responsible for this case, I just need to put out the word that I, Shen Qi, have investigated the Hidden Sword Sect, not only to wipe them out, but also to thoroughly investigate all the colluders of interests behind the scenes, and that I already have some clues in my hands. When they heard that, they couldn’t sit still, and the simplest and most effective way to get out of the situation was to kill me. And then destroy the case related information and files, so that those who take over this case can no longer investigate.”

Wei coma admitted Shen Tongzhi Shen Lord plan treacherous deep, ruthless, but this kind of spicy method can also be rushed to their own, it is not ordinary people can eat it.

He wanted to advise Shen Qi not to take the risk lightly, but he also knew that since the other party had spoken out, he had already made up his mind, and other people could not be shaken.

Wei Ying sighed, “My humble servant sometimes really can’t tell whether Your Excellency emphasizes life, or is light on life and death.”

Shen Qi laughed: ”Of course I’m afraid of my life. I’m just used to walking on cliffs, even if I’m given a flat road, I’ll only take the fastest and most favorable one. This case is of great importance, the top is pressing hard, if I don’t show some strength, how can I tell them to see my skills?”

Wei tassel only nodded: “adults have to be this bait, at least to ambush the reinforcements, I go to call Shi Qianhu over, together planning planning ……”

–

Ten days later, it was August 15, the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Jade dew washed the autumn sky, and the clear light of a full moon shone on both the capital city and the Clearwater Camp in Lingzhou.

The same lights are on and the same drinks are going on.

Inside the temporary mansion of the Qing Shui camp, Su Yan received a round of toasts from the jinyiwei at the same table and left the table to go back to the house with four or five points of drunkenness. Behind him, a pair of scarlet eyes were dotted in the shadow of the dark trees, staring at him with fervor and thirst.

Late at night in the capital city’s Wang Xian Lou, Shen Qi shook off the Flower Lady who came forward to help him, walked out of the door of the restaurant with floating steps, turned over and mounted his horse, and in his drunken eyes, he recognized the way home.

He squinted and pointed around with his riding crop, finally settling on one of the paths and belching, “…… This way!”

The two small banners under his command followed him out uneasily to escort him back to the house.

Shen Qi said with a big tongue, “No …… use for you guys, go, all go! I can go back …… home by myself!”

He raised his whip and gave a hard whip on the horse’s buttocks, and the horse ate the pain, blinking its hooves and leaping to more than ten feet away. Shen Qi lowered his head and fought with the reins that were scattered into several shadows, as for the two small flags shouting a few sentences behind him, they had long been swallowed up by the sound of the wind that passed through his ears.

Fortunately, the good horse knows the way and runs well on its own through the streets without much trouble from the rider.

Bumped to halfway, Shen Qi suddenly strangled the reins, couldn’t wait to roll the saddle off the horse, holding the roadside willow tree trunk, wow a little vomit.

The ground was full of wreckage, and the acid wind drifted away. A nearby shifter covered his nose and hurried past, and there were no more pedestrians beyond that.

On the outside of the willow is a small river, the water dark, reflecting the faint lights in the distance. Inside the willow is a green stone path, and further inside is a whitewashed wall. The academy’s teachers and schoolchildren are on vacation, even the night watchman also went home for the reunion festival, inside the pink wall is dark and silent.

Shen Qi vomited twice in a row, his abdomen barely settled down a bit, left the willow tree, stumbled on his feet and walked to the river and squatted down, scooping water with his palms to rinse his mouth and wash his face.

The cold river water seemed to sober him up a trifle, and he wiped his hands from his face, which was full of water, and was about to rise and return to his mount –

A swimming snake-like agile, fast and strange sword light shot out from under the deep water, stabbing him straight in the face.

The sword light was extremely fast and tricky, and Shen Qi only had time to tilt his head back, barely avoiding this fatal blow.

At the same time, a black shadow broke through the water in the splashing waves.

The sword blade was like a shooting star like electricity, Shen Qi was dragged by the drunkenness, it seemed that he couldn’t even pull out his sword, he could only roll sideways to avoid the sword wind.

Rolling, staggering, falling forward, leaning back, each attack he avoided in a very difficult way, as if he was going to be killed by the sword in the next second, but every time, it was like he was lucky, and he always dodged through the sword blade.

The sword light was even more rapid, Shen Qi’s robe had several more cracks, he sucked in his breath and leaped up to the top of the pink wall, and his body was unsteadily planted towards the courtyard.

The black-robed man was one with the sword light, chasing after his undershirt, seeing that he was going to stab him through the heart.

Shen Qi was in mid-air, violently twisting his waist, shaking out the political iron chains hidden in his sleeves, wrapping them around the blade of the sword in a circle, and also wrapping up the arm holding the sword.

The black-clothed man was alarmed that something was different, his face under the hood suddenly raised, and a pair of ghostly scarlet eyes looked straight at Shen Qi.

Shen Qi’s heart was austere, turned away his face in advance, not to make eye contact with him, and his hand movements were unceasing, firmly fastening the locking clasp on one end of the chain to the other’s arm and wrist.

This political iron chain and then around to the back of the staggered, a le le a buckle, lock the meridians within the direction of the real gas, any of his back wings are also difficult to escape, is the public door within the special take martial arts offenders of the sharp weapon.

Shen Qi spun behind the man in black, snapped the second lock, and pressed the other party to the ground.

But he saw the black hood at the back of his head fall down unexpectedly, revealing a masked face with scarlet eyes like the whirlpools of a bloody sea, to devour the souls of men, and suck in the sanity–

The moment before his consciousness twisted, Shen Qi suddenly reacted: it wasn’t that he was born with two faces in front and back, but the one in front was a mask worn on the back of his head, and this one was the real face.

This assassin also didn’t know what kind of contortionist technique he had practiced, his bones and joints could even be folded like a snake, and in the moment he realized that he had been tricked, he twisted his face almost behind him, and used the mask he wore at the back of his head as a blindfold, with the purpose of forcing him to look at him with his own bloody pupils.

The Hidden Sword Sect lived up to its hundreds of years of inheritance, not only were their figures light and agile, and their swordsmanship as swift as lightning, even these tricky tricks were hard to defend against.

The moment he fell into the realm of ecstasy, Shen Qi seemed to hear shrill cries and the sound of swords and knives coming from all directions, completely engulfing him.