Chapter 199 Today, All of You Have to Die!
A light breeze brushed through the forest in the mountain.
“Yes!”
Tantai Yutang said with certainty. Although the other party had tried hiding in some other places midway, changed their routes a few times, and even sprinkled medicine on the papaya girl to conceal her scent, these efforts were all useless. He was still able to find her.
“Then would we be alarming them if we were to come over so rashly?”
Ying Baiwu was worried. They should have informed their teacher.
“Just treat it as coming out to the suburbs for a trip, what do you mean by alarming them? We’re all youngsters. Who would have their guards up against us? Therefore, you guys better act as if you’re out to have fun. Especially you, Xuanyuan Po. Don’t always wear a frown on your face.”
Tantai Yutang instructed.
“I still feel that we should tell Teacher.”
Ying Baiwu felt that it wasn’t a good idea to be taking action by themselves like this.
“We’re already here. Stop talking c.r.a.p. Let’s go quickly!”
Tantai Yutang urged them on. He wasn’t going to let Ying Baiwu tell Sun Mo.
In this operation to save Lu Zhiruo, Tantai Yutang wanted to prove his own value and give Sun Mo a big surprise.
“I’ve told you that I’m someone who relies on my brain for a living!”
Tantai Yutang pouted.
In the forest, Sun Mo and Old Wolf Ren met up.
“Teacher Sun, there are only the few of you?”
Old Wolf Ren was speechless and he glared harshly at the triangular-eyed guy. (How do you do things? How are we going to barge into the Daoist temple with only the few of us?)
“Where’s my student? Is it certain that she’s inside?”
Sun Mo asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the Daoist temple. There were young married ladies who came to pray for children, but there weren’t many people.
“Most probably so.”
Old Wolf Ren said and then quickly shared his a.n.a.lysis.
“You’re saying that this place is a base for human-traffickers?”
Li Ziqi was surprised. To think that there was still such a filthy place in an ancient city with a legacy of over 1,000 years? “Most probably so!”
Old Wolf Ren nodded.
“I’ll go in and take a look. Bring your men and spread out. Surveil the surroundings. Check to see if there are any secret pa.s.sageways or something.”
Sun Mo was worried that if they started fighting, the enemies would escape from the secret pa.s.sageways.
“Teacher Sun, I suggest that we better mobilize troops to seal up the mountain. This way, none of them would be able to escape.”
Old Wolf Ren suggested.
“It’ll take up too much time.”
Sun Mo’s brows furrowed so tightly that he could clamp a king crab to death. It was because Lu Zhiruo was a girl. Each additional second she stayed in a den of human-traffickers meant that she was subject to one additional second of danger.
“Take my token and head to Jinling government office and get the provincial governor to send troops over.”
Li Ziqi took out a small golden token and handed it to Old Wolf Ren.
Old Wolf Ren bent over to receive it with both hands trembling. It wasn’t because he was afraid, but that he was excited. This time around, he had really managed to cling onto someone influential.
The provincial governor was the highest-ranking official in Jinling City. How amazing must this girl in front of him be to be able to use such a small token to mobilize his troops?
“A Fa, you go.”
Old Wolf Ren pa.s.sed the token to the triangular-eyed guy. Although he couldn’t bear to do so, he had no choice. He had to stay by Li Ziqi’s side.
If he could help her take a blow and get insured, he’d be able to become successful.
“Sons, it’ll be up to your father’s performance today to see if you guys can become the children of an official.”
Old Wolf Ren decided to go all out.
“Go to the Zheng Clan manor and tell Old Master Zheng about the matters here as well!”
Sun Mo instructed.
“Alright!”
The triangular-eyed guy didn’t even need to ask which ‘Zheng manor’ he was referring to. It was because in the entire Jinling City, the most famous one was the former prime minister, Zheng Qingfang’s manor.
However, he felt a little nervous. He hadn’t even dared to step near such an influential place, let alone enter it. If he was caught, he’d be beaten to death for that.
“Go quickly!” Old Wolf Ren urged. He then a.s.sessed Sun Mo, feeling admiration for him.
To think that a newly employed teacher could be so amazing, taking in a student like Li Ziqi. How great could he become in the future?
Ding!
Favorable impression points from Old Wolf Ren +30. Friendly (110/1,000). “Ziqi, stay here. Old Wolf, take care of her.”
After giving out instructions, Sun Mo left the forest. However, he had only taken a few steps when he got stunned. It was because the group with Xuanyuan Po in front had appeared from the path.
Both sides met.
“Teacher?”
Ying Baiwu was elated and ran over at the very first instant.
Tantai Yutang was speechless. (What happened to the opportunity to prove my value? With Sun Mo here, everything is a mess now)
“Why have you guys come?”
Sun Mo frowned.
“Tantai brought us here.”
Ying Baiwu betrayed Tantai Yutang right away without any hesitation.
“Go over and hide.”
Sun Mo was worried that the students would get into danger.
“Teacher, are you going to fight your way in? Why don’t you attract their attention from the front while we sneak in secretly and search for Zhiruo’s traces?”
Tantai Yutang suggested. “Stop being willful!” Sun Mo reprimanded, “All of you go hide quietly. Otherwise, don’t blame me for resorting to the house laws!”
Tantai Yutang turned and looked toward Xuanyuan Po. “We have house laws?”
“I haven’t heard of it!”
Xuanyuan Po replied seriously.
“This troublemaker!”
Li Ziqi felt displeased. Tantai Yutang was too much of a troublemaker. If this question was posed to Jiang Leng or Ying Baiwu, the two of them would definitely not reply. However, Xuanyuan Po was just a combat addict whose brain was filled with nothing but muscles. He would have no idea that Tantai Yutang was just mocking Sun Mo.
“You...”
Sun Mo wasn’t in the mood for jokes.
“Teacher, I’m in the wrong. But I can find Zhiruo.”
Tantai Yutang interrupted Sun Mo and held back his ridiculing expression.
“How did you find your way here?”
Sun Mo was actually curious about this as well. Tantai Yutang was quite smart to be able to find this children-gifting Daoist temple so quickly. “My const.i.tution is weak, so I often take medicine throughout the year, causing my body to emit a medicinal scent. I’m also very sensitive toward the smell of medicine.”
Tantai Yutang explained, “Lu Zhiruo and I often come into contact, and thus my medicinal scent has rubbed onto her. I found my way here by relying on my nose.” “I don’t believe a single word this guy said,” Li Ziqi mumbled in her heart.
In fact, after Tantai Yutang had seen Sun Mo expelling Zhou Yong, he had looked for an opportunity to smear a type of medicinal powder onto Li Ziqi and the others.
Lu Zhiruo and Ying Baiwu were the two he had “taken care of” with greater emphasis.
It was clear that Li Ziqi had a significant background, so if Zhou Yong were to be seeking revenge, he wouldn’t choose her. Xuanyuan Po and Jiang Leng were either too difficult to deal with or were trash. Even if he were to kill or cripple them, there wouldn’t be much interest. However, it was different for Lu Zhiruo and Ying Baiwu.
The papaya girl especially was considered to be the closest to Sun Mo. If anything were to happen to her, Sun Mo would definitely be enraged and blame himself for life.
If Tantai Yutang was in Zhou Yong’s shoes, he’d choose to target Lu Zhiruo as well.
“Hmph, I’ve already said that I’m someone who relies on my brain for a living!”
Although Tantai Yutang didn’t say anything, he was feeling exceptionally proud of himself. (Look, what I’ve done is to take prior precautions. It’s a pity that Sun Mo has come as well, so things aren’t perfect.)
“Really?”
Xuanyuan Po went up to Tantai Yutang and took a whiff but didn’t smell anything.
Tantai Yutang pushed away the combat addict’s head. “Teacher, seeing that there are no government officials with you, you should have found your way here through information dealers? I’ve asked about this Daoist temple before I came. It has been around for many years, and its reputation is quite good. This means that this is a group of sly repeat offenders who knows how to make use of the human heart. I won’t believe that those priests are innocent.”
Li Ziqi looked at Tantai Yutang. She didn’t expect this sickly guy’s brain to be quite good.
“My plan is for you and Ziqi to play the role of a couple who had defied morals to be together and had come to seek a child. Try to think of a way to meet that head priest. Then, Xuanyuan Po would charge in, pretend to be a simp and cry out loudly in grief, shouting ‘Sun Mo you trash’.”
Tantai Yutang didn’t care about the others and went on to share his plan. “At that moment, the head priest would definitely be shocked and distracted. Teacher could then draw your dagger and plunge it into his heart.”
When Tantai Yutang said this, he even raised his hand to perform a thrusting gesture. “Be harsher, try to take his life in one blow!”
“Don’t call me Ziqi! Call me Eldest Martial Sister!”
To act as a couple with Teacher, Li Ziqi felt that this plan didn’t look bad. This was the first time she realized that Tantai Yutang had his good side.
“Alright, Ziqi.”
Tantai Yutang expressed that he understood.
Li Ziqi decided to take down this score on the small booklet in her heart.
“What if this Daoist temple’s head priest is innocent?”
Jiang Leng, who had been quiet all this while, spoke up with a grim countenance.
Swoos.h.!.+
Everyone turned their gazes over. (Oh my, it’s unexpected that someone like you who always wears a dead-pan expression would turn out to be so kind?)
“I’m also very worried about my elder martial sister’s safety, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Jiang Leng felt immense pressure with everyone looking at him. “Human lives are very precious, and he has a family as well. If he were to die, his wife and child would be upset.”
“Don’t worry. Old priests won’t get married. So even if he were to die, no one would feel sad.”
Tantai Yutang consoled him.
Jiang Leng was speechless. (This wasn’t what I meant.)
“Why should I be the one acting? Jiang Leng could also do it, right?”
Xuanyuan Po felt displeased. He was going to be the guy who was number one in the spear, being proud and lofty. “I feel that Jiang Leng is better suited for it!”
Ying Baiwu was in agreement. Judging from how Xuanyuan Po’s brain was filled with nothing but muscles, it was clear that he didn’t know how to act. They could be exposed then. Moreover, Jiang Leng clearly looked like a pervert. However, she couldn’t say this, or she’d hurt his pride.
“Haha, Elder Martial Brother Jiang Leng is very agile. He’ll go to accompany me.”
Tantai Yutang explained. “Xuanyuan Po’s acting might be a little worse off, but his battle prowess is high. He can protect Ziqi.” “I told you to call me Eldest Martial Sister!” Li Ziqi corrected him. “Alright, Li Ziqi.” Tantai Yutang continued to explain, “Moreover, Xuanyuan Po’s mission is just to shout ‘Sun Mo, you tras.h.!.+ You deserve to die a horrible death!’ Before he could show off his acting skills, the head priest would be stabbed by Teacher and killed, and a chaotic battle would break out. This is unless Teacher’s attack wasn’t vicious enough.”
Li Ziqi admitted that Tantai Yutang’s plan wasn’t bad. But why was it that this curse sounded like he was taking the chance to deride Teacher?
Alright. One more score to record.
“I have objections!”
Ying Baiwu raised her hand. “Li Ziqi’s physical capabilities are too weak. She’s a burden. I should be the one to play the wife!”
“You can’t!”
Li Ziqi immediately refused. (Such a symbolic character must be played by me, the Eldest Martial Sister.)
“You can’t!”
Tantai Yutang shook his head. Li Ziqi then felt that Tantai Yutang had a good side to him now. (Alright, I won’t fuss about the problem of you not calling me Eldest Martial Sister for now.)
One score written off from the booklet. “Why?”
Ying Baiwu wasn’t willing to accept this.
“You’re too straightforward by nature, and it’s clear in one look that you’re a woman with great ambitions and won’t accept living a dull life. Pray to be pregnant with a child? You don’t have that motherly disposition.”
Tantai Yutang explained.
“Tsk. Do you think that I can’t tell that you’re trying to mock me for having a soft character in a concealed way?”
Li Ziqi’s lips twitched. This mustn’t do. She must add back the score she had scratched out from earlier.
Ying Baiwu fell silent.
Tantai Yutang took a glance around, appearing pleased. He then looked toward Sun Mo. “Teacher, what do you think?” They weren’t fools. Therefore, although no one asked Tantai Yutang for his objectives, they all understood.
That head priest had a high probability of being the boss of this human-trafficking group. His battle prowess was likely to be the highest as well. If he were to be a.s.sa.s.sinated first, the enemies would definitely be thrown into disarray.
This was what it meant to be luring the enemy out. Tantai Yutang was going to take the opportunity of the chaos to find Lu Zhiruo and save her.
What would happen if there were too many enemies and they couldn’t flee from the Daoist temple? Haha, why was there a need to run? Couldn’t they just kill all the enemies?
Other than Li Ziqi, Tantai Yutang and the others thought the same way.
“Are you certain that you’d be able to find Zhiruo?”
Sun Mo took in a deep breath. He knew that once he agreed to this plan, his five students would have to risk their lives.
“At most ten minutes.”
Tantai Yutang a.s.sured.
“Teacher, quickly make the decision. The longer we drag things out, the more dangerous it would be.”
Li Ziqi urged.
“Alright, we’ll do it this way. But remember, once there is danger, immediately retreat. Your safety must be put first and foremost.”
Sun Mo made up his mind. Although Tantai Yutang was a lunatic, this plan was really perfect. What that was left would depend on how the students performed their roles.
“Let’s go!”
Tantai Yutang immediately called out, leading Jiang Leng and Ying Baiwu to enter the forest by the side of the road, conducting their search operation.
“Let’s go!”
Sun Mo started to think of any possible loopholes in this plan. “Everyone’s so amazing.”
Li Ziqi felt very moved. She realized that Tantai Yutang was smiling, as if he had found something fun. Xuanyuan Po was looking very excited because he could get in a fight. Jiang Leng continued to wear a dead expression, seemingly not scared at all.
As for Ying Baiwu, this girl had her lips pursed and wore a determined gaze. It seemed that she wouldn’t let things be until Lu Zhiruo was found.
“This can’t do. As the Eldest Martial Sister, I can’t lose out to them.”
Li Ziqi took a few quick steps and caught up with Sun Mo. She held onto his arm, and soon, wore an expression that looked unsettled while still filled with hope for the future.
This image of a delicate female who had fallen in love with her teacher but was worried that this love relations.h.i.+p would end in a bad way, instantly fell into Xuanyuan Po’s eyes.
Xuanyuan Po was astonished. His mother’s words were right. It wasn’t just women’s words that couldn’t be trusted. He mustn’t believe in any expression from them as well.
The current Li Ziqi was definitely a great actress.
Sun Mo entered the Daoist temple and immediately looked toward the dao page who was sweeping the courtyard. Sun Mo had just activated his Divine Sight when a red note popped up. “Human trafficker, facade, extremely good acting skills. Please take note to keep your guards up.”
When the dao page saw Sun Mo and Li Ziqi, he wore a likable smile and bowed before going back to sweep the floor. Although he was quite young, he had a hint of unsecular disposition.
This dao page looked very handsome. In addition to his clean and crisp priest robe, he looked very suave.
Sun Mo observed every priest he encountered as he walked, his brows furrowing even deeply. They had entered a human-trafficker den.
None of them were innocent.
Sun Mo moved near to Li Ziqi’s ear, reminding her in a soft voice, “Be careful. All of them are human traffickers.”
Li Ziqi blushed, but she still went on to hug Sun Mo’s arm tightly, behaving even more intimately. It wasn’t difficult to meet the head priest.
Li Ziqi took ten golden leaves and bought incense and candles, then pretended to pray to the divine altar in the Three Purities Temple. She then slowed down her footsteps, pretending to be admiring the scenery while whispering away to Sun Mo.
It didn’t take three minutes before a middle-aged man appeared.
“I am Daoist White Bird, the head priest of the Three Purities Temple!”
Daoist White Bird looked very amicable. “Judging from both of your physiognomies, it seems that you’re feeling greatly troubled.”
“h.e.l.lo, head priest!”
Li Ziqi nodded and bowed, but thought nothing of him in her heart. As expected, the prowess of ten golden leaves was very powerful. She had thought that this guy would have to wait for over ten minutes before coming out.
“Head priest!”
Sun Mo wore an expression as if he was hesitant to speak up.
“Teacher!”
Li Ziqi called out at Sun Mo, grabbing onto his hand.
Daoist White Bird’s ears twitched. He was an expert that had reached the divine force realm after all. This tiny mosquito-like voice wouldn’t be able to get past him.
He couldn’t tell that this girl was actually so courageous.
Daoist White Bird a.s.sessed Li Ziqi without leaving any traces. Her chests were like small purses, but she had a slim face that was extremely exquisite. Moreover, from her disposition and generosity, she was clearly someone from an influential family
Daoist White Bird had sold too many women, and he could tell that this girl was of great quality. However, he didn’t dare to kidnap her to sell. Otherwise, he’d get into big trouble.
But that didn’t matter. Girls like her were the best signboard. This was her greatest value.
(If even a young miss from a n.o.ble family is a devotee of our Three Purities Temple, then which of those young married ladies would suspect that this was a demonic cave?)
“I’m definitely eating this fish today.” Daoist White Bird withdrew his greed and distracting thoughts, appearing increasingly unsecular. He was like a living bodhisattva who would dispel troubles for others. Sun Mo wore a conflicted expression and started showing off his acting skills as well. However, he had already activated his Divine Sight.
Fan Bai, 45 years old, second level of the divine force realm.
Strength 37, went overboard in leaping, strength is in decline.
At the sight of this, Sun Mo’s eyelids twitched furiously. Even if his strength was in decline, it would still be crus.h.i.+ng Sun Mo by several times over.
But this was normal. The higher the realm, the harder it was to cultivate. However, one’s battle prowess would also increase in folds. Intellect 46, sly and intelligent. Despite committing all sorts of evil deeds, you continue to roam freely. You can be said to be an old fox.
Agility 50, escaping is your capability.
Endurance 47, slept with too many women that his waist bone has turned soft. Will die on the stomach of a woman sooner or later. Will 36, scared of death. Wishes to enjoy life for his entire lifetime.
High potential value!
Note: Leader of human traffickers. As he roamed freely over the years, he had developed a proud mindset. This is something you can make use of.
Note: You only have one chance to make your move. If you can’t grasp it, you’ll die. Densely-packed data appeared next to Daoist White Bird. Sun Mo quickly glanced through them, trying to find useful information.
“To think that he is left-handed?”
Sun Mo felt that things were very dangerous. The spot he launched the sneak attack was of utmost importance. He had planned on attacking from the left. After all, most people were right-handed and it wouldn’t be easy for them to fend off his attack. However, he had to change to attack his right side.
“I’m going to create a perfect chance for Teacher to make his move!”
Li Ziqi wore a worried expression, sharing her pain while appearing embarra.s.sed. She looked just like a dainty lady who seemed to be feeling lost about her future. This reduced the Daoist White Bird’s wariness greatly.
“Tsk, he can even get on with his female student. This teacher is really something!”
Daoist White Bird felt really envious. It’d definitely be very exciting to have such a teacher-student love relations.h.i.+p. However, he started to feel proud next. (I’ve also slept with a few female students. Although they weren’t as pretty as this one is, that youthful feeling was still very great.) Sun Mo feigned a troubled appearance, ‘casually’ walking up to Daoist White Bird’s right side. He was waiting for Xuanyuan Po’s bellow while feeling enraged in his heart.
“Since you dared to kidnap my lucky mascot, today, all of you will have to die!”