The truth emerges after the fog is thick
Chapter Quote:
There are undercurrents in Zhangjiaji, and mysteries are revealed in the secret passages;
It is difficult to distinguish true from false in the game, the twin jade pendants reveal the secret treasure.
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At dawn, Yan Qing and Yan Shun arrived at Zhangjiaji, a small town at the intersection of important roads. Although seemingly peaceful, it was actually turbulent.
"According to the plan, we will meet the contact at the Yuelai Inn in the east of the town." Yan Shun whispered, his eyes vigilantly scanning the streets in the early morning.
Yan Qing held his shoulder and shook his head gently: "Wait a minute. Did you notice that there is a red cloth tied next to the horse hitching stone at the entrance of the inn?"
Yan Shun looked closely and saw a simple red strip of cloth tied to the stone pillar. "Is this... a warning signal?"
"This is the code from 'Hidden Post', indicating that the rendezvous point has been exposed." Yan Qing's eyes were sharp. "It seems someone has gotten ahead of us."
The two of them turned into an alley. Yan Qing quickly took off his outer robe and put it on inside out. It turned out to be a special garment that could be worn on both sides. The color and style were completely different when turned over. He then used a disguise potion to slightly modify his appearance, and suddenly he looked like a different person.
"What a great method, leader!" Yan Shun exclaimed.
"When traveling in the martial arts world, one must always be prepared." Yan Qing whispered, "You go to the teahouse in the west of the town and wait. I will go investigate alone."
"This is too dangerous!"
"Too many people will make us more vulnerable." Yan Qing said firmly, "If I don't return in an hour, you will evacuate immediately and act according to the backup plan."
Yan Shun had no choice but to obey the order and leave.
Yan Qing wandered alone through the streets, seemingly casually, but in reality, he was observing every step. He noticed several suspicious stalls around the Yuelai Inn. Although the stall owners pretended to be doing business, their eyes kept glancing towards the inn entrance.
What frightened him even more was that deep in an alley, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure—it was Bai Sheng from Liangshan! Although disguised, Yan Qing would never mistake the way he walked.
Why is Bai Sheng here? Was he sent by Wu Yong, or...
Yan Qing's suspicions grew even stronger. He decided to take a risk and went around to the back alley of the inn, where he found a hidden side door - a unique design of the "Hidden Inn" known only to core members.
I knocked on the door gently, three long and two short. After a moment, the door opened a crack silently.
"Come in quickly!" an old voice urged.
Yan Qing slipped in and saw that the person who opened the door was an old man with white hair and beard. He was the person in charge of "Yinyi" in Zhangjiaji, code-named "Old Shopkeeper".
"Captain Yan, you're finally here!" the old shopkeeper said anxiously, "Since yesterday, several groups of people have come to town, all asking about your whereabouts."
"Do you know where it came from?"
"There are spies from the government, as well as people from the underworld. The strangest thing is..." The old shopkeeper lowered his voice, "There is also a group of people who seem to have come from the palace."
Yan Qing's heart was shocked: "In the palace?"
"I've been in the capital for a while now, and I can see through the way those people walk and the tone of their voices." The old shopkeeper said solemnly, "Captain Yan, you've gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble this time."
Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Open the door! The authorities are investigating!"
The old shopkeeper's face changed, and he hurriedly pushed open a cabinet in the corner, revealing a secret passage behind it: "Hurry up! This secret passage leads directly to the outside of the town."
Yan Qing was in no hurry to leave: "Boss, come with me."
"No!" The old shopkeeper shook his head. "I have to stay and deal with it, otherwise they will definitely become suspicious. Don't worry, I have a plan to escape."
Yan Qing gave the old shopkeeper a deep look and put a signal firework into his hand: "If there is any danger, release it immediately."
After entering the secret passage, Yan Qing did not leave immediately, but hid in the shadows and listened. He heard the sound of soldiers searching from above, followed by the old shopkeeper's calm response. After confirming that the old shopkeeper was safe for the time being, he continued along the secret passage.
This secret passage had clearly been in operation for years, with smooth walls and ventilation. After walking for about an incense stick's worth of time, they reached a fork in the road. According to the rules of the "Hidden Posthouse," they should have taken the left path, but Yan Qing noticed something unusual on the right—a few fresh scratches on the wall.
On a whim, he turned right. The passage narrowed until it was only wide enough for one person to pass through, bending over. Just as he was considering turning back, a faint groaning sound suddenly emanated from the front.
Yan Qing cautiously drew his dagger and approached quietly. At the end of the secret passage was a small stone chamber, and a blood-soaked man lay in the corner.
"Is...Is it Chief Yan?" The man heard the noise and raised his head weakly.
Yan Qing saw the man's face clearly and was shocked: "Captain Li? Why are you here?"
This man turned out to be Li Gu, the captain of Lu Junyi's trusted guards! But shouldn't he be protecting Lu Junyi in Daming Mansion?
"Master...Master asked me to come and help you..." Li Gu breathed weakly, "But we were attacked on the way, and all the brothers...are dead..."
Yan Qing hurried forward to check his injuries and found that he had been stabbed in the chest and was seriously injured.
"Who attacked you?"
"I don't know...but they are looking for...this..." Li Gu took out a jade pendant from his arms.
Yan Qing's pupils shrank sharply—this jade pendant was almost identical to the one he held in his arms! The only difference was that the "Yan" character on the back of Li Gu's jade pendant was clearer, and there was a fine golden line running down the middle of the jade pendant.
"This is..."
"This is the key to unlock the secret..." Li Gu said with difficulty, "The secret of Qinghui Pavilion...is not only about the fire that year...it is also related to the Song Dynasty..."
Before he could finish his words, he suddenly widened his eyes and stared at the back of Yan Qing.
Yan Qing knew something was wrong and quickly dodged to the side. A flying knife brushed past his ear and hit the wall with a clang.
"As expected of the Prodigal Yan Qing, his reaction is indeed quick." A cold voice came from the entrance of the secret passage.
But Bai Sheng and several others blocked the exit, each holding a weapon and with murderous looks on their faces.
"Bai Sheng, it's you." Yan Qing slowly stood up, protecting Li Gu behind him, "Did Wu Xuejiu send you?"
Bai Sheng sneered, "Yan Qing, do you think only the people from Liangshan are looking for you? Let me tell you, there are many people who want your life!"
His eyes fell on the jade pendant in Li Gu's hand, and greed flashed in his eyes: "Hand over the jade pendant, and perhaps I can leave your body intact."
Yan Qing calmly took out both jade pendants and played with them in his hands: "Is this what you want? Unfortunately, even if I give it to you, you can't use it."
"What do you mean?"
"This jade pendant requires the blood of the Yan family to open," Yan Qing said nonsense, but in fact he was testing him, "Even if you get it, it will only be a piece of waste jade."
Bai Sheng's face changed, and he exchanged glances with the people behind him. This subtle movement made Yan Qing realize clearly that these people didn't know the true use of the jade pendant, and there were people behind them!
"Stop talking nonsense! If we kill you, the jade pendant will naturally belong to us!" Bai Shengli shouted and led his men to rush over.
The secret passage was narrow, making it difficult for the other side to take advantage of numbers. Yan Qing used his clever kung fu to dodge and maneuver in a small space. The short knife in his hand turned into a streak of cold light, and in the blink of an eye, he knocked down the two men.
But Bai Sheng did not seem to be in a hurry to fight to the death, but was deliberately pushing Yan Qing deeper into the stone chamber. Yan Qing's heart was alarmed, realizing that there might be another mystery in this stone chamber.
Sure enough, during the fight, he accidentally touched a loose stone on the wall, but with a "click", a hole suddenly appeared in the ground!
"Now!" Bai Sheng was overjoyed and pounced forward to snatch the jade pendant.
Yan Qing remained calm in the face of danger. He rolled over and pushed Li Gu to a safe corner the moment he fell into the cave. He then used the force to push against the cave wall and landed lightly on the platform below.
This was an even more secret underground chamber, the air filled with a stale smell. In the dim light coming through the cave entrance, Yan Qing saw a stone platform in the center of the chamber, on which sat an ancient wooden box.
The keyhole of the wooden box was in the shape of a jade pendant!
"Yan Qing! Hand over the jade pendant!" Bai Sheng shouted angrily from above.
Yan Qing ignored his shouting and carefully observed the keyhole. He found that the internal structure of the keyhole was complicated and it seemed that two jade pendants needed to be inserted at the same time to open it.
Just as he was hesitating whether to try it, a scream suddenly came from above his head!
"Ah! You...you are..."
Then there was the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground, and Bai Sheng's screams stopped abruptly.
Yan Qing's heart trembled, knowing that a new enemy had come from above. Without hesitation, he inserted the two jade pendants into the keyhole at the same time.
Fits perfectly!
But then the wooden box opened slowly with the sound of a lever. Inside was no gold, silver, or jewelry, only a roll of yellowed silk and an iron plate engraved with strange symbols.
Yan Qing didn't have time to take a closer look and stuffed the silk and iron plate into his arms. At this time, several unfamiliar figures appeared at the cave entrance. They were all dressed in the uniforms of palace guards. The leader had a white face and no beard, and his eyes were cold.
"Master Yan, please come with us." The eunuch's shrill voice echoed in the secret room. "The emperor wishes to see you."
Yan Qing gripped his dagger tightly, knowing that today would not end peacefully. But what frightened him even more was that this matter had actually alarmed the emperor!
How big is the secret of Qinghui Pavilion?
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Chapter 59 End
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