Chapter 53
Xie Yijun smashed the teacup, spilling scalding tea all over the floor, splashing onto the guards below.
A line of people knelt in the Mingguang Hall, all bowing their heads and not daring to raise their heads.
Ye Zhilan had just returned from the disciples' quarters and saw this scene as soon as she entered. Her heart sank, and she quickly asked, "Master, why are you angry? What happened?"
Xie Yijun held a Buddhist prayer bead in her hand, the beads clicking as she fiddled with them. "Ask him!" she said.
Ye Zhilan, puzzled, quickly walked to Xie Yijun's side and looked at the hidden guard disciple.
The guard disciple then slightly raised his head and whispered, "Reporting to Senior Sister, it's... it's that Martial Uncle is missing."
Ye Zhilan was startled and asked in surprise, "Gone?"
"Hmm..." The guard disciple looked worried and sighed, "On the night of the first day of the new year, our master instructed us before coming to Mingguang Hall that we didn't need to take turns on duty. After all, it was the New Year, so all the disciples went back to their courtyards to rest. The next day, we were on guard near Jingyue Peak as usual, but we didn't see our master. However, our master has been staying overnight in the new disciples' courtyard from time to time lately, so we didn't think much of it. But we didn't expect that several days have passed and our master still hasn't come back..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Yijun shouted, "A bunch of good-for-nothings! There aren't many guards in the palace to begin with, and I even transferred most of you to Jingyue Peak to help Jiang Xue with her affairs and take better care of her. Now that she's gone without a word, you only come to report to me now!"
The guard disciple frowned and said with a bitter face, "It is indeed our fault for neglecting our duties and failing to take good care of our master. We beg the sect leader to punish us!"
Xie Yijun was so angry that she kept holding her forehead.
Originally, Xie Yijun had kept in mind the agreement made that night to discuss the matter again the next day. However, Man Jiangxue did not come to see her the next day. Xie Yijun was also busy with many things and forgot about it. By the time she remembered, Man Jiangxue was no longer in the palace.
It's truly unexpected that someone as composed as Man Jiangxue could do something like this. For the sake of a child, she went down the mountain to find the Ziwei Sect without even saying goodbye. So what if she's a master of martial arts? She probably wouldn't even be able to get through the gates of the Ziwei Sect.
Xie Yijun grew increasingly angry, both furious at Man Jiangxue's recklessness and worried about her safety. She paced back and forth in the hall, her face pale.
Ye Zhilan had come here with something to report, but seeing Xie Yijun's appearance, she couldn't bring herself to speak and could only stand silently to the side.
Xie Yijun, however, remembered something and asked her, "What did you rush back for?"
Ye Zhilan hesitated for a moment before reporting, "A disciple just came to report that Wan Shu is also missing." She glanced at Xie Yijun's face and added, "She took her sword and changed her clothes, so she probably went down the mountain too..."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yijun became even more indignant, slamming her hand on the table and exclaiming, "They've all gone too far!"
Ye Zhilan considered for a moment and said, "How about... this disciple takes some men and goes after them?"
"So much time has passed, what are you still chasing!" Xie Yijun shouted. "Both of them are capable, and who knows how far they have gone in all this time. One is the master of a peak, and the other is the chief disciple. Which of you can catch up with them?"
Ye Zhilan sighed, "Actually, my uncle is just worried about my junior sister. That's the Ziwei Sect. No one who goes in has ever come out alive."
Xie Yijun said, "Nangong Min wants to find the Holy Sword. With Yin Qiu, he can lure Man Dong out. She will definitely not do anything to Yin Qiu. It's such an obvious truth. Jiang Xue has always been very sensible. How come she is so ignorant now!"
Ye Zhilan paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Master, there's no need to rush. I think that since Junior Sister was brought back, Martial Aunt has become more humane than before. She must have a brilliant plan in mind, which is why she left the palace in such a hurry."
Xie Yijun looked at her with a worried expression and asked, "What do you mean?"
“Since the incident with Uncle Shen, she has become increasingly quiet,” Ye Zhilan said. “I grew up in the palace since I was a child. In the past, although she was not a talkative person, after the Ruyi Sect incident, she became increasingly aloof and cold, even living alone on Jingyue Peak and not contacting others. But now that she has Junior Sister, she has someone to care about and cherish. This should be a good thing. Besides, she is highly skilled in martial arts, acts cautiously, and has Senior Sister Ji with her. She should be fine. Master can rest assured.”
Xie Yijun remained silent for a long time before angrily saying, "What you're implying is that she's more like a human being than before, but what good is that? If something goes wrong, even a god couldn't save them!"
Ye Zhilan said, "But it's too late for you to be angry now. Junior Sister has been kidnapped for so long, we have to find a way to rescue her, don't we?"
Xie Yijun fell silent again before finally softening her tone and saying, "Alright, they've already left. Since that's the case, you should quickly take your men to Hezhou City and join them as soon as possible. Going alone like this is simply ridiculous!"
Ye Zhilan readily agreed. Xie Yijun, still furious, waved her hand and returned to her chambers. Ye Zhilan, not wanting to comfort her any further, immediately left the chambers to gather her men and hurry down the mountain.
·
"Uncle-Master, we've arrived."
Ji Wan tightened the reins and dismounted in the secluded woods. She raised her hand to shield her brow and peered through the gaps in the branches at the bustling city gate in the distance.
"It is indeed Hezhou City; the headquarters of the Ziwei Sect is located inside."
The soft sound of horses' hooves came from behind, and soon they caught up. Man Jiangxue sat upright on the horse, holding the reins in one hand and the saddle in the other. She wore a black veil hat, which concealed her face. Her black clothes were neat and elegant, making her look more energetic than when she wore a white dress, and she also had a touch more coldness.
A gentle breeze stirred, lifting the black veil on the bamboo hat and revealing Man Jiangxue's calm eyes. She gazed into the distance for a moment before speaking, "Every year-end, the checkpoints in the major cities are strictly inspected, and one cannot enter through the main gate."
Ji Wanshu, leading the horse, said without hesitation, "I know a place we can go."
Man Jiangxue raised her eyelashes and cast a scrutinizing glance at her.
Meeting Man Jiangxue's calm gaze, Ji Wanshu seemed to pause for a moment for some reason, then lowered her voice and said, "I've been here many times before when I was investigating Wen Chaoyu's whereabouts..."
Man Jiangxue glanced at her again and smiled silently: "I haven't even said anything yet, why are you so nervous?"
Ji Wanshu quickly turned her face away and calmly said, "I'm not nervous."
After she finished speaking, she led her horse along the path toward the city wall, and Man Jiangxue dismounted and followed her.
Avoiding the sights and ears of the city guards, the two came to a dark corner where two figures were walking on the city wall. Ji Wanshu watched from the shadows for a while, and when she saw them slowly walk to another place, she snapped her fingers at Man Jiangxue. The two silently used their lightness skills to leap up, and before the two guards could turn around, they fell back down into the wall.
The movements were fluid and smooth, without making a sound. The two walked along the wall, winding through the streets and alleys, and finally chose a relatively secluded inn to stay in.
As soon as he entered the room, Ji Wanshu took out a parchment map, spread it on the table, and said, "This was found on a Ziwei Sect member three years ago. It roughly depicts the terrain of the Ziwei Sect's headquarters. However, three years have passed, and I estimate that many places have been altered."
Man Jiangxue stood by the window, gazing into the distance, and said, "The Ziwei Sect is located in a basin in the Cangxia Mountains. It is surrounded by mountains and water on all sides, making it airtight. Even the sect's gate is carved out of the mountain. If you want to enter, there is almost no other way but to go through the main gate."
Ji Wanshu looked at the blueprint again and again, and said slowly, "Indeed, the four surrounding mountains are towering and steep, forming a whole, like a man-made city wall, which perfectly encloses the Ziwei Sect headquarters. The geographical location is excellent. There is a watchtower every mile on the mountain, and people patrol day and night. Even if you want to jump off the cliff, there is a great risk that you will be discovered."
This is quite difficult to handle.
The main gate was obviously the only option. The only way to get in was to disguise themselves as members of the Ziwei Sect and force their way in. The former was not advisable, since the two of them were too conspicuous. Even if they made masks, it would not be easy for them to blend into a group without arousing suspicion. The latter was even more obvious. Even if the two of them were peerless masters, they did not have the extraordinary ability to force their way into a sect without bringing a single soldier.
Furthermore, if they were to use their lightness skills to jump down from the surrounding mountains, even if they could fool the patrolling cultists, it would be difficult to escape easily once inside. Moreover, they were not familiar with the terrain of the Ziwei Sect's headquarters, and with only that rudimentary map from three years ago, they might be caught as soon as they entered. In short, if they wanted to go in to rescue people, forcing their way in was a pipe dream, and proceeding quietly would also leave them with no way out.
Not to mention that they also had to escape with Yin Qiu, which made things even more difficult.
Ji Wanshu pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "If all else fails, I'll go and kidnap Wen Chaoyu and force her to lead the way for us."
Without turning her head, Man Jiangxue said, "You severely injured her last time, so she must be staying in the Ziwei Sect. Where are you going to kidnap her?"
Ji Wanshu thought for a moment and then said, "Then let's go there after nightfall, pick a watchtower and kill those patrolling cultists, and find Yin Qiu first."
She was still too young, thinking only of the immediate consequences and acting too rashly. Man Jiangxue rubbed her temples and said thoughtfully, "If we had a detailed blueprint, it would be much easier."
Ji Wanshu paused for a moment and said, "But Yunhua has never planted any spies in the Ziwei Sect. Getting the blueprints is as difficult as climbing to heaven."
Moreover, the terrain deployment map of a sect is a highly confidential information that ordinary people cannot access. Apart from Nangong Min himself, only the four protectors have it. The other three protectors rarely show their faces, and only Wen Chaoyu and the others are somewhat familiar with them, but they are definitely not capable of subduing her.
As a result, the rescue of Yin Qiu has already encountered numerous difficulties even before it has begun.
So what should we do?
Wen Chaoyu was able to come and go freely in Yunhua Palace because she was extremely familiar with it and had spies secretly helping her. Man Jiangxue and Ji Wanshu, on the other hand, knew nothing about the Ziwei Sect and had no one to help them. Moreover, after this incident, Nangong Min must have already made preparations within the sect. Even if the two of them successfully entered the main altar, they didn't know what kind of traps they would encounter on their rescue journey.
The two fell silent at this point in their conversation. Ji Wanshu was secretly pondering a plan when she suddenly heard Man Jiangxue call out to her, "Wanshu."
Ji Wanshu looked up: "What?"
Man Jiangxue narrowed her eyes slightly and gestured with her chin towards a spot outside the window: "Look."
Ji Wanshu followed her gaze and suddenly saw a young girl sitting on the roof of a restaurant across the street.
The little girl held a slender bow in her hand, basking in the sun with great ease. Perhaps noticing the two people's gaze, she grinned and waved to Man Jiangxue and Ji Wanshu in greeting. Then she took an arrow from the quiver on her back and nocked it on the bowstring.
Ji Wanshu frowned: "What is she doing?"
Before the words were even finished, the little girl suddenly let go, and a stray arrow shot out instantly, embedding itself in the window frame beside Ji Wanshu the next moment.
Then the little girl flipped over and jumped off the roof, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Ji Wanshu's brows furrowed, and he immediately drew his sword, leaped out of the window, and swiftly chased after the girl in the direction she had gone.
The arrowhead pierced deep into the wood, indicating that the archer possessed considerable strength. It would be hard to believe that this was done by a young girl unless one witnessed it firsthand.
As Ji Wanshu disappeared into the crowd, Man Jiangxue remained standing quietly by the window without moving. She shifted her gaze and noticed a small, delicate pouch hanging from the arrow's fletching, seemingly containing something.
Man Jiangxue's eyes flashed, and she pulled off the purse, opened it, and found a brand new sheepskin blueprint inside.
Not only did it depict all the locations on Ji Wanshu's map, but it also meticulously marked the terrain and routes within the main altar, from the gate all the way to the various palaces. It could be said that it clearly depicted the entire landscape of the Ziwei Sect.
On that piece of paper, there was a clearly visible red dot, located in a building at the far end of the main altar.
Not only that, but next to the red dot were two tiny characters written: Secret Passage.
Man Jiangxue looked at the blueprints, then turned back to look out the window. The streets were crowded with people, but Ji Wanshu was nowhere to be seen.
·
The restaurant was bustling with noise and filled with the aroma of food. At a table by the window in the corner, a woman in purple was calmly pouring and drinking tea.
Before long, a light and nimble figure was seen vaulting in through the window and hurriedly hiding under the table.
The woman in purple casually tugged at the hem of her skirt, glanced at the woman in green who flashed past the window, and said indifferently, "If you bring her in, you can stop following me from now on."
The little girl leaned on her lap and giggled, "As expected of the chief disciple of Yunhua Palace, your lightness skill is excellent! I almost got caught by her!"
"Your lightness skill is barely passable," the woman in purple said. "Has the goods been delivered?"
The little girl clapped her hands, hid under the table and didn't come out, saying smugly, "With me in charge, of course there's no problem!"
The woman moved her leg, kicking the little girl aside. Looking at the woman in black standing on the second floor of the inn diagonally opposite, she said, "With the blueprints, they can enter the Ziwei Sect headquarters to rescue people, saving us the risk of showing ourselves."
The little girl peeked out and glanced at Man Jiangxue, then laughed, "They would never expect me to be hiding here. Besides, what's the point of chasing me? I'm not a bad person. This time I gave them the blueprints, so Yunhua Palace owes me a favor."
Seeing that Man Jiangxue had already taken the purse and entered the room, the woman pondered for a moment and said, "Although Man Jiangxue is skilled, the Ziwei Sect has many people and is powerful. She and Ji Wanshu alone probably won't get away with it. We need to arrange for someone to keep watch outside the secret passage. If they are chased by the Ziwei Sect when they come out, we can help them in time."
The little girl asked in confusion, "But wouldn't that expose us? Didn't you say we couldn't let Man Jiangxue see you?"
The woman tapped her head and sighed, "How can you be so stupid? You and I can just watch from the shadows and not show ourselves. Why do I have to do everything myself? What are those people down there doing?"
The little girl covered her head: "Oh..."
"Leave this place as soon as possible," the woman stood up and tossed some silver coins onto the table. "If something like this happens again, don't provoke them on purpose. If Ji Wanshu had caught up with you just now, I wouldn't have come out to save you."
"I just thought it was fun," the girl said with a sly smile. "I even greeted them, but they still didn't manage to catch me, did they?"
The woman chuckled, "It's only because they're not familiar with Hezhou City. If this were Shangyuan City, would you still dare?"
The little girl thought for a moment, then said decisively, "You dare!"
The woman glanced at her and said nothing. The little girl giggled twice and rushed to her to apologize. The two of them kept a close eye on their surroundings and walked out of the restaurant through the back door of the hall.
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