Chapter 300: Northern Street

“North Street…” Dai Fei, the green-robed chief investigator, murmured after hearing Meng Qi relay Wang Siyuan’s words. He clasped his hands behind his back, furrowed his brow, and began pacing back and forth.

At this moment, Yu Wangyuan, the silver-insignia investigator, Sun Ke, the leader of the Gold Coin Gang, and Qing Yu, known as the “Five Directions Emperor Blade,” had all left to attend to their own matters. Only Meng Qi and Jiang Hengchuan remained with him in the room.

Both men remained silent, patiently waiting for Dai Fei to speak.

After a while, Dai Fei finally stopped pacing. He looked at Meng Qi and Jiang Hengchuan, his eyes filled with expectation. “This matter will require your assistance.”

“Why do you say that, Chief Dai?” Jiang Hengchuan returned the gesture respectfully.

Dai Fei carefully chose his words. “North Street backs onto the Jin River and is filled with a complex mix of people—it’s an ideal hiding place. To be honest, if it were any other location, no matter which Left Path cultivator or group of assassins might be hiding there, as long as our Six Ministries Bureau, the Wang family, and the Great River Gang made a firm decision, no one could stop us from sealing off the street and conducting a thorough search.

“In such a case, an expert at the external scene level would be stationed at each corner of the street to prevent those inside from making a desperate escape. Then, investigators and officers would search each house one by one. Once a house was cleared, its occupants would be driven out of the street. As the number of people decreased, no one could remain hidden.”

He first described the most serious scenario to demonstrate that the Six Ministries Bureau wasn’t trying to shirk responsibility, showing them his sincerity.

Meng Qi nodded slightly. This was the proper attitude and strength that a faction representing justice should have.

Dai Fei then shifted tone. “However, North Street has long been chaotic, with various factions clashing and intertwining. Who knows how many houses have secret tunnels leading elsewhere. If we forcibly seal off and search the area, we might scare them into action, allowing the Wolf King to escape through the tunnels, dive into the Jin River, or move to other streets in Maoling and then flee at will.

“The people of North Street are very familiar with Maoling’s various experts. If I enter, I would raise their alertness. But you two are outsiders who have only been in Maoling for a short time. If you disguise yourselves slightly, you should be able to enter smoothly without causing a disturbance. You can then locate our hidden agents and track down the Wolf King’s trail.

“Once you confirm his location, send a signal. I guarantee, on my official position, that at least one external scene expert will arrive in the shortest possible time. I’m sure, given your abilities, even if you encounter a hidden attack from the Wolf King, you can hold out until we arrive to assist.”

He subtly flattered them, hoping they would agree.

Meng Qi, still furious over the Wolf King’s unprovoked attack, thought for a moment and immediately replied, “Su Mou has no problem.”

I’m exactly the kind of person who seeks vengeance for every slight!

“Jiang Mou has no problem either,” Jiang Hengchuan said, his expression hinting at eagerness.

“Thank you both. In the future, if you ever need help from our Six Ministries Bureau, just let us know,” Dai Fei said joyfully as he clasped his hands in gratitude. “I’ll arrange for an investigator skilled in disguise to come immediately. You can instruct him on whatever image you’d like to take when entering North Street.”

“Image…” Meng Qi’s mind stirred. “Chief Dai, prepare a white robe for me.”

…

Inside the room, Meng Qi adjusted his clothes. He wore a snow-white robe, a long sword at his waist, and carried a bag holding the “Heaven’s Wound” on his back.

He patted his robe and walked with a smile to the bronze mirror, examining his face.

“Too bright a smile doesn’t fit the white-robed image…” He pinched his face.

“Just a slight smile, showing only a bit of teeth…”

“The smile should carry a hint of coldness, to match the hidden severity of a swordsman…”

“The brows shouldn’t relax, they need to show a bit of seriousness, or else it becomes too frivolous…”

“No, this smile is too seductive and wild—it doesn’t fit the cold and aloof swordsman of the “Flying Immortal from the Heavens” style…”

“Too cold isn’t good either; it should carry a touch of dashing charm…”

“Tsk tsk tsk, why do I look so stiff, like a corpse? Must have caught it from Senior Qi…”

After quite some time, Meng Qi finally pushed open the door.

Outside, Dai Fei and Jiang Hengchuan’s eyes lit up. They almost didn’t recognize him. Before, “Crazy Blade” Su Meng had striking features, but overall he appeared heroic and masculine. Now, dressed in snow-white robes, his handsome face bore a slight smile—both charming and slightly cold. With a long sword at his waist, his presence as a swordsman was indescribably striking.

“Excellent!” Dai Fei regained his composure and exclaimed loudly. “Even I almost didn’t recognize Brother Su. How much less would the people of North Street, who haven’t seen you much?”

Jiang Hengchuan chose the disguise most suitable for himself. He concealed the natural, harmonious aura of a cultivator who had merged with the heavens and added a touch of sunburn and weathering. He truly looked like an ordinary farmer, making it hard for anyone to believe he was a young prodigy ranked among the top ten in the Human List.

He smiled bitterly. “Master Su, if we walk together, others might think I’m your servant.”

“Old Jiang, with your look, forget about being a scholar’s page. You’d better be a loyal servant—it has great potential,” Meng Qi said in a nobleman’s tone, pretending to be serious.

Jiang Hengchuan shook his head, smiling. “Well then, a servant it is. At least it won’t raise suspicion.”

Meng Qi unhooked the Zi-Wu blade from his waist and held it in his hand. His pace unhurried, he strode gracefully out of the main hall.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Jiang Hengchuan and Dai Fei were momentarily stunned. So quick to get into character?

…

When the two entered North Street, it was already dark, yet the streets were bustling with people. There were flower vendors, chestnut sellers, and those peddling pastries and jewelry, making the street as lively as daylight.

Fragrant scents wafted through the air. Occasionally, women of decent appearance emerged from the seemingly modest and old houses on either side, enticing passersby with red silk scarves or sweet, melodic voices, their soft words stirring hearts.

“Don’t underestimate them,” Jiang Hengchuan, a native of Jiangdong, remarked. “Some of them might be exceptional assassins who strike fatally when you’re lost in their charms.”

Meng Qi carried his long sword, his white robe fluttering, eyes forward, his faint smile making him seem even colder.

“Is that so?” he replied briefly.

Jiang Hengchuan, dutifully playing his role as a servant, continued, “It’s said that outsiders who come to North Street in Maoling and don’t know how to keep a low profile, especially if their martial arts skills aren’t impressive, might be found naked in the street the next day, stripped of all their possessions. If they lack a powerful background, they might even end up dead in a corner.”

He glanced around, looking at flower-selling girls and boys playing by the roadside, then added solemnly, “When the time comes, they might all instantly become assassins, making it impossible to guard against.”

“A fine place of chaos,” Meng Qi said casually.

His striking appearance and dashing white robe attracted many glances.

Then, Meng Qi whispered through secret transmission, “Wherever there are people, true chaos is impossible. With time, beneath the initial appearance of disorder, there will always form an orderly set of rules. Assassins have their own rules and leaders, courtesans have their own codes and authorities. As long as one grasps the true structure, one can unravel the threads and see the reality beneath the chaos.”

“Exactly,” Jiang Hengchuan agreed happily. “Like in some places, if your purse is stolen, going to an investigator is useless, but if you find the right person, within an hour or two, your purse will return exactly as it was. We’re looking for that ‘right person.'”

At that moment, a young girl approached with a basket of flowers. “Young master, buy some flowers. The ladies will like them.”

She had clear eyes and a delicate face, about fourteen or fifteen years old. She pushed through the crowd, nearly reaching them when suddenly she saw the sword sheath strike her flower basket, producing several metallic sounds—clinking and clanking.

Her expression changed, but the white-robed young master walked past without even glancing sideways, treating her as if she were a real flower seller rather than a thief or assassin.

Meng Qi sighed inwardly, thinking how the mundane world was indeed filled with filth. If he had the chance, he would never forgive those scoundrels who turned innocent children into merciless killers.

“Liu Xingkong is exactly that ‘right person,'” he said calmly, stating their target. After that incident, no more flower sellers or chestnut vendors approached along the way.

Liu Xingkong was one of the minor but influential figures in North Street. He commanded a group of swordsmen and swordswomen who protected those who made a living trading in information. Secretly, he had pledged allegiance to the Six Ministries Bureau. He was the main target that Dai Fei had instructed them to find.

Tonight, the moonlight was dim. A small building, away from the main street, was shrouded in darkness, with only a single candle flickering inside.

Inside the building, Liu Xingkong held a saber in one hand and pressed the other over the wound on his waist. Leaning against a beam, he glared hatefully at the few people before him. “We’ve been brothers all this time, yet you actually betrayed me? Why? Why did you betray me?”

Blood continued to seep from between the fingers of his left hand, clearly indicating the severity of his injuries.

The candlelight flickered inside the room, casting heavy shadows, creating an eerie and sinister atmosphere.

The leader of the opposing group stood in the shadows, letting out a cold snort. “You’re too stubborn. Refusing the ‘Snake King’s’ invitation—we’ve risked our lives together for what? For riches and glory, for endless gold and silver! You, for your own status and selfish reasons, never considered us. When have you ever treated us as brothers?”

This was a face flushed with excitement, belonging to a man in his thirties who looked fairly decent. Because of what he had done, his body slightly trembled, yet his hand gripping the saber remained steady, the tip still dripping with blood.

It was this very saber that had just stabbed Liu Xingkong in the waist!

Beside him were four others, men who had built their current foundation alongside Liu Xingkong. But at this moment, all had betrayed him.

Wounded by a short blade and betrayed by his brothers, Liu Xingkong gritted his teeth, ready to roar that he had already prepared the safest and most secure escape route, when suddenly his gaze sharpened, turning toward the window.

The man who had stabbed Liu Xingkong followed his gaze, his own eyes also freezing. Outside the building, standing atop a tree, was a young man dressed in snow-white robes. Handsome and young, his eyes were emotionless as he stared at them, exuding a cold, dashing charm. Just like the sword in his hand—sharp, sharp-edged, cold, and straight!

Then, he saw moonlight, the most beautiful moonlight he had ever seen.

It was also the last moonlight he would ever see.

The body fell. Meng Qi stepped into the building, followed by Jiang Hengchuan, who now looked like a simple farmer.

“What benefit did the ‘Snake King’ offer you?” Meng Qi’s sword pointed downward, droplets of blood collecting at the tip before slowly falling onto the wooden floor, creating a grimly beautiful pattern.

The other four men were filled with terror, their voices faltering incoherently.

They had carved their way to prominence in North Street, skilled in assassination and ambush. Suddenly seeing Meng Qi standing there with his white robe fluttering, his back turned to them, they exchanged glances and attacked simultaneously, each taking a position and coordinating seamlessly.

Without turning his head, Meng Qi flicked his sword. The blade halted just before one man’s throat, scaring him into stopping mid-step, while the other three clutched their throats and collapsed with a thud.

“Can you answer now?” Meng Qi’s voice was cold and emotionless, imitating the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

At the same time, he signaled Jiang Hengchuan with his eyes to tend to Liu Xingkong’s wounds.

“I… I’ll speak,” the sole survivor, terrified beyond reason, nearly lost his mind, his spirit on the verge of collapse.