Within the span of a few sentences, Meng Qi transformed himself into Ji Tao, covered in blood, with several fierce-looking scars across his face, concealing the differences in appearance. Even someone intimately familiar with Ji Tao, unless they had shared a bed with him and were extremely attuned to his aura, would struggle to distinguish the impostor.
“You should disguise yourselves as these… these…” Meng Qi pointed at four corpses, his voice hoarse, feigning serious injury. His tone carried a distinct resemblance to Ji Tao’s.
Earlier, when “interrogating” Ji Tao, Meng Qi, skilled in transformations due to his Eighty-Nine Metamorphosis Art, had already considered impersonating him. Thus, he had learned specific details about Ji Tao and inquired about his personal guards and other martial artists. The four corpses he pointed at were all loners—men whose disappearances for ten days or even half a month would not prompt family inquiries. Even if someone like Jiang Zhiwei possessed only average disguise skills, no suspicion would arise.
—They were not palace guards, so they wouldn’t encounter acquaintances within the residence. Even if General Jiang Shenghong, commander of the personal guards, or Yin Lenghui, the Left Minister, wished to inquire, they wouldn’t stoop to such a level. Moreover, they wouldn’t even know the true appearances of such low-ranking soldiers.
“Alright,” Jiang Zhiwei nodded, choosing the leanest of the four corpses while leaving the only female corpse for Ruan Yushu.
This was a world where divine and demonic bloodlines had been passed down; there was no significant difference in strength between the sexes, so martial artists weren’t exclusively male. Compared to Jiang Zhiwei, Ruan Yushu’s temperament made it harder for her to disguise herself as a man.
As they changed clothes and applied disguises, Meng Qi once again drew the Liuhuo blade, stabbing Ji Tao’s corpse. Flames erupted from within, consuming it. When the fire died, only ashes remained. With a flick of Meng Qi’s sleeve, the ashes scattered into the flowerbeds beyond the left wall.
Soon, Qi Zhengyan and the others finished disguising themselves and disposed of the remaining evidence. The thin, mustachioed swordsman was Jiang Zhiwei, appearing quite like a swordsman. The man with a round face and average build was Zhao Heng. The timid, slightly hunched youth in blue was Qi Zhengyan. The plain-faced girl in a green silk robe was Ruan Yushu, her guqin stored in a mustard-seed ring.
After inspecting their disguises from all angles and confirming there were no flaws, Meng Qi released a distress signal. A red glow soared into the sky, bursting into clusters of blood-red flowers, highly conspicuous.
Shortly afterward, a middle-aged man in embroidered robes and a jade belt arrived, wrapped in wind, howling through the air, imposing and mighty.
“Where are they?” He hadn’t even landed yet when he began scanning the area, seeing only five battered figures.
A pale cyan wind swirled around him, and his every movement seemed to merge with heaven and earth.
Based on Ji Tao’s description, Meng Qi recognized the newcomer as Jiang Shenghong, the commander of the Left Protectorate’s personal guards. Although only a first-rank human-level cultivator, Jiang possessed an extraordinary bloodline, with certain abilities approaching earth-level strength. He could ride the wind, manipulate weather patterns, and was far superior to the leaders of the Red Army. Before Yin Lenghui’s emergence, he had been Left Hanfeng’s most formidable general.
(Note: Adjusted “留守府” to “Left Protectorate” as a plausible translation for a military/governmental title in a cultivation context. “Earth-tier” and “human-tier” are rendered as “earth-level” and “human-level” for smoother readability while retaining the cultivation hierarchy. The term “Red Army” is retained as a proper noun but could be localized further if context suggests it’s a faction name.)
“Heavenly resonance…” Meng Qi exchanged covert glances with Jiang Zhiwei and the others, roughly estimating Jiang Shenghong’s strength from his display. He appeared comparable to a cultivator in harmony with heaven, with the added advantage of flight—an extremely formidable opponent!
Of course, this was just an impression; actual combat might differ due to the unique traits of divine and demonic bloodlines. He might be even stronger or slightly weaker.
Meng Qi clutched his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He staggered forward, struggling to speak: “Re… Reporting, sir… They saw my distress signal and fled in panic…”
He gasped for breath, his words disjointed, his bloodied, scarred face a horrifying sight.
“Are you alright?” Jiang Shenghong glanced around, eyeing Meng Qi with suspicion from the corner of his eye, failing to detect that his trusted subordinate had already been replaced. Even the aura was nearly identical!
“I… I can still hold on…” Meng Qi reversed his true qi, forcing out another mouthful of blood, splattering his chest, staining it a deep red.
Jiang Shenghong noticed no clues, slightly furrowing his brow. He flicked a finger, sending a stream of qi into Meng Qi’s meridians to stabilize his injuries: “Which way did the enemies flee? What happened?”
“That direction.” Meng Qi’s speech suddenly became clearer. “I was guarding Lord Guo’s residence when I noticed someone sneaking around, asking about the whereabouts of the lame Guo. I secretly followed them here, only to fall into a trap. My men were all killed, and I barely managed to send out a distress call.”
“How many enemies were there?” Jiang Shenghong scanned the area, finding nothing. He turned back to the corpses and his capable subordinates, his expression grave.
Ji Tao was a second-tier human cultivator with the Thunder God bloodline, no easy opponent. His subordinates were numerous and skilled. For someone to kill them all so quietly, without giving them a chance to call for help, meant the enemy was formidable!
Could it be the Red Army’s main force had infiltrated Danning? Did they want to die?
Meng Qi took a deep breath: “Three people. Two men and one woman.”
His heart remained tense. With the Eighty-Nine Metamorphosis Art, the chances of him being exposed were minimal. However, people like Qi Zhengyan could easily be detected by someone of Jiang Shenghong’s level.
“Three people?” Jiang’s pupils contracted, astonished. Even he would find it difficult to kill Ji Tao and his men without prior poisoning, let alone do so so silently without giving them a chance to call for help.
Could these three possess strength comparable to his own?
He glanced once more at the corpses strewn across the ground, observing that many had been slain with a single, precise slash across the throat, while a few others had their bones utterly shattered, their bodies crumpled like heaps of mud.
The stabbed victims were different too—some had wounds with burn marks, no blood flowing from them.
So it really was three people… Jiang casually glanced at Jiang Zhiwei and the others, not paying much attention. He sensed they had undergone disguises, but as spies, such transformations were common.
“Who are they?” He asked Meng Qi.
Hearing this, Meng Qi finally relaxed. Jiang’s question meant they had passed the test: “Reporting, sir, they are my scouts, responsible for outer perimeter defense. They survived and arrived upon seeing the distress signal. They didn’t see the enemies.”
Jiang Shenghong nodded slightly, returning to the matter at hand: “Those three fled quickly. You’ll describe their appearances and martial arts characteristics to the artist so we can conduct a citywide search. Also, Master Sun, the physician, will arrive soon. Wait here and don’t move recklessly, or you might worsen your injuries.”
He briefly questioned Meng Qi about the three enemies’ traits, then the wind swirled around him, chasing in the direction Meng Qi had vaguely indicated.
Soon, a large group of guards arrived, including artists and physicians.
“Extend your hand.” Master Sun, pale-faced and beardless, spoke imperiously.
Meng Qi calmly extended his left hand, simulating Ji Tao’s true energy by combining the Thunder Mark, “Divine Destruction Nine Cycles,” and the Purple Thunder Force.
Master Sun placed two fingers on his pulse, carefully analyzing. Suddenly, he let out a soft exclamation, frowning: “How could someone survive such severe internal injuries?”
He stared at Meng Qi as if seeing a monster.
Uh-oh! Meng Qi’s heart sank. He realized his mistake—he had mimicked the injuries based on his own physical condition, forgetting that even as a divine-blooded descendant, he was still far from reaching the Nine Apertures state of the Eighty-Nine Metamorphosis Art!
Remaining calm, he quickly adjusted his pulse without panicking or answering.
“How could the pulse suddenly become erratic… Hmm, now it’s sinking again!” Master Sun exclaimed in surprise.
Judging from the pulse alone, the deputy commander should have died and revived seven or eight times already…
“How could this happen…” The physician, with decades of experience, had never encountered such symptoms. Sweat beaded on his forehead, disoriented.
Meng Qi coughed twice, countering with a question: “Doctor Sun, what’s the state of my injuries?”
He was trying to confuse the issue.
Master Sun wiped cold sweat from his brow, swallowing hard: “Tell me exactly how you were injured.”
“I was ambushed. A sneaky fellow struck my back with his palm, sending me flying forward. Then a swordsman slashed my face. If I hadn’t dodged in time, the thunder’s might would have made her hesitate, and I’d have gone to the underworld already!” Meng Qi sighed dramatically.
Before Master Sun could ask further questions, Meng Qi continued: “Strange thing is, my bones didn’t break when he hit me. It seemed like a soft palm force that penetrated my body…”
“Right, this palm force is unusual, hard to remove directly. Take two ‘Danhuang Pills’ to stabilize your heart pulse first, then try circulating your true qi to slowly expel it.” Master Sun wiped more sweat, letting Meng Qi start self-treatment while he returned to study ancient medical texts for the real cause.
If Ji Tao died because of this, it would be his own bad luck!
Meng Qi dared not eat anything carelessly, chewing the pills finely and pretending to swallow them. When Master Sun finished bandaging his wounds and inspecting the corpses, he secretly spat them into his palm.
Meanwhile, the guards were questioning Jiang Zhiwei and the others. They all insisted they had only been on outer perimeter duty and hadn’t seen the enemies, giving no hint of deception.
“Deputy Ji, is your injury stable?” Another guard officer approached with an artist.
He was another deputy named Wen Cheng, long at odds with Ji Tao. Now, under the guise of duty, he deliberately came to bother Meng Qi.
“Hmph, ask if you must.” Meng Qi mimicked Ji Tao’s cold snort from memory fragments.
Due to his hideous scars, Ji Tao had been disliked by the lady and daughter of the Liushou Mansion. Wen Cheng often took advantage of this to humiliate him, leaving painful memories in Ji Tao’s heart.
(Note: “留守府” is transliterated as “Liushou Mansion” since it appears to be a proper noun referring to a specific residence or official residence. If it refers to a historical or institutional title, an alternative translation like “Residence of the Left-behind Official” could be considered, but the context suggests it is a proper name.)
Wen Cheng, with a stern face, ordered the artist: “Listen carefully to Deputy Ji’s description and ensure accuracy.”
“Deputy Ji, the enemies were strong. They nearly wiped out your entire force.” Wen Cheng turned, his tone filled with mockery and regret. Aren’t you supposed to be the Thunder God’s descendant, the top subordinate under the commander? How come you’re so battered now? Pity it was only an “almost” total annihilation…
Meng Qi clenched his fists, grinding his teeth as if barely containing his anger.
Seeing this, Wen Cheng felt satisfied and returned to the matter: “How many enemies were there?”
“Three. Two men and one woman.” Meng Qi showed slight fear and dread on his face, appearing genuinely frightened.
“Describe their appearances and martial arts characteristics.” Wen Cheng maintained his stern expression.
“One man was around thirty, with a broom-like brow, flat nose, and big mouth, seemingly having suffered facial paralysis… His attacks were surrounded by purple star rivers, yet the palm strike on me was silent…” Meng Qi answered earnestly. “The other was young, with exceptional sword skills, bright eyebrows and star-like eyes, handsome and graceful, wielding a sword wrapped in flames, no ordinary weapon.”
Beside him, Qi Zhengyan suddenly twitched his lips after being questioned, while Jiang Zhiwei and the others stared at the ground, suppressing laughter.
“The woman was tall, wearing green clothes, dazzlingly beautiful, her swordsmanship unbelievable…” As the real “criminal,” Meng Qi described the “criminals” with mostly truth and a little fabrication.
The artist sketched rapidly, soon producing portraits for Meng Qi to confirm.
“These are them!” Meng Qi glanced briefly, his voice filled with hatred.
The three portraits differed somewhat from the real people, especially the one surrounded by purple star rivers.
After finishing these tedious tasks, Meng Qi took his “battle-tested brothers” back to the Liushou Mansion to recuperate, while other guards carried the portraits to conduct a city-wide search.
…
Upon entering the mansion, Meng Qi followed Ji Tao’s memories back to his courtyard residence.
He was unmarried, and his parents lived outside the mansion, so no one would discover the deception.
As they entered the corridor, a scream suddenly echoed ahead. A beautiful girl in a light-purple dress hastily retreated, her maids too afraid to look directly at Meng Qi’s face.
“What are you staring at? Don’t you know this ugly face might scare the young lady? Hurry up and leave!” An old woman beside the girl scolded angrily.
It was indeed Zuo Hanfeng’s granddaughter, Zuo Yiqian, frightened by Meng Qi’s face wrapped in white bandages, thinking she had seen a ghost in daylight.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Meng Qi mimicked Ji Tao’s manner, meekly responding before turning into a side corridor to avoid facing the young lady.
“Miss, it seems to be that ugly ghost Ji Tao.”
“It’s him… He seems injured again…”
“After he recovers, he’ll probably be even uglier…”
As murmurs followed, Meng Qi remained unmoved, quickening his pace with Jiang Zhiwei and others toward his courtyard.
Before he could open the courtyard gate, a man and a woman approached from another corridor.
“Deputy Ji, what kind of enemies did you encounter earlier?” The man asked.
He had distinct, sharp features and grayish skin, resembling a stone statue—an unusual sight. He was Yi Ren Mu An, a subordinate of Yin Lenghui, known for his strange and unpredictable abilities.
The woman beside him was also Yin Lenghui’s subordinate, Yi Ren Lan Die. Her hair was loose, her appearance striking, with unnaturally red lips.
Meng Qi coldly summarized the incident, as Ji Tao had always had a poor relationship with the three Yi Rens.
After listening, Lan Die suddenly smiled sweetly: “Deputy Ji, could you describe those people’s martial arts techniques in more detail? They seem somewhat familiar.”
She seemed particularly interested in the “two men and one woman” who had attacked Ji Tao.
“I hope you can help the Left-behind Office alleviate its burdens…” Meng Qi replied with a hint of sarcasm before elaborating on the techniques in detail.
“Purple Star Rivers…” Lan Die bit her lip thoughtfully.
The other two’s martial arts characteristics weren’t distinctive enough to identify.
“Was there any other clue left?” Mu An asked with a heavy expression.
Meng Qi shook his head: “I nearly died at their hands. There was no time to let them leave any clues.”
Mu An said nothing, turned and left, deliberately muttering, “Worthless.”
Meng Qi clenched his fists again, his performance extremely convincing. Then he took a deep breath, pushed open the courtyard gate, and strode directly into the side room.
The courtyard had several large trees casting green shade, blocking the scorching sun and keeping the side room cool.
Meng Qi was about to speak when Jiang Zhiwei suddenly raised a finger to her lips, signaling silence. Then she thrust her sword into a corner of the pillow.
The sword tip shimmered with pale green light. Following the trail, Meng Qi and others spotted a tiny bug the size of a grain of rice. It swam back and forth but could not escape the sword aura’s coverage.
“A Gu worm? Ji Tao had conflicts with Ji Ceng and Yin Lenghui, so they secretly planted a Gu to spy on him?” Meng Qi suddenly understood.
Ji Tao frequently had the chance to meet Zuo Hanfeng. If they were to directly plant a Gu on him, it would be easily discovered.
At the same time, Meng Qi felt somewhat emotional. In terms of perception, he had a certain gap with Jiang Zhiwei.
Previously, relying on stimulating the ancestral cavity in advance and the coordination of the Immortal Seal Method and the Changing Heaven and Earth Great Law, he usually had the upper hand over Jiang Zhiwei in similar aspects. However, she had been formally cultivating the ancestral cavity for several months now and was approaching the unity of heaven and man, surpassing him in one fell swoop.
After exchanging glances, Meng Qi suddenly spoke: “Damn it! If I ever meet them again, I’ll tear them to pieces!”
“General Ji, please calm your anger. It won’t be long before we see them in the dungeon,” Zhao Heng immediately understood Meng Qi’s intention and responded accordingly.
Leaving the Gu worm behind to feed false information to Yin Lenghui, ensuring they wouldn’t suspect they were dealing with impostors.
After “performing” for a while, Meng Qi and others walked out of the side room and into the courtyard, discussing in low voices.
“Yin Lenghui’s strength is unknown. If we recklessly probe him, it’s easy to make mistakes and put ourselves in danger,” Zhao Heng expressed his concerns.
To kill Zuo Hanfeng, they must confirm Yin Lenghui’s situation; otherwise, it would be easy to fail at the last moment.
Meng Qi nodded: “The two just now were also from the Yi tribe, closely related to Yin Lenghui. It would be relatively easier to start from them.”
“Mm, waiting for the opportunity,” Jiang Zhiwei agreed. She was not a person without patience.
Ruan Yushu and Qi Zhengyan nodded slightly, having no other opinions.
…
Three days later, inside the Imperial Guards’ Hall.
Jiang Shenghong paced back and forth in front of Meng Qi, his sense of harmony with heaven and earth ruined by his anxious mood.
“How come there’s no clue at all?” he gritted his teeth. “The three of them are like they vanished into thin air. We’ve searched the entire city but couldn’t find them!”
Of course, “they” were hiding inside the Liushou Mansion… Meng Qi silently replied, “Perhaps similar to Du Huaishang’s situation.”
“In other words, there are still forces in Daning City that we don’t understand or control?” Jiang Shenghong narrowed his eyes.
Meng Qi knew that if this continued, he would eventually suspect him of lying, so he hesitated and said, “If they don’t interact with others, hide in a secluded courtyard, and steal food and water, it would be hard to find them through normal means…”
“That makes sense,” Jiang Shenghong nodded slightly, feeling this possibility couldn’t be ruled out.
Meng Qi continued, “My Lord, my injuries have improved a lot. I’d like to bring my men to help.”
“Good. I will commend your loyalty to the garrison,” Jiang Shenghong said with great relief.
…
In a tavern filled with all sorts of shady characters, the innkeeper was drinking with his dubious friends. He was a local gangster, well-informed and sharp-witted.
Suddenly, his eyes fixed on the entrance where a girl in plain green dress walked in. Although she was disguised, those with sharp eyes could still see through her disguise. Her beauty was dazzling, beyond compare.
The girl carried a long sword, stepped forward slowly, and said solemnly, “I have a question for you.”
The innkeeper shivered, feeling the sword aura approaching. He quickly stood up and led the girl to a corner: “Miss, what do you want to ask?”
“Do you know where Du Huaishang is?” The girl was none other than Jiang Zhiwei.
The innkeeper smiled bitterly: “If I did, I would have already gone to the Liushou Mansion for a reward.”
Jiang Zhiwei nodded slightly, turned and left. Not far from the tavern, she suddenly quickened her pace, turned into an alley, shook off the followers, then climbed over a wall, changed her disguise, stuck on a pair of mustaches, and circled back to the area.
Inside the tavern, the innkeeper’s expression turned serious. He said to his dubious friends, “Quickly, go find the spies from the Liushou Mansion and tell them the person they’re looking for has appeared!”
Soon, the news reached the Viceroy’s Office through various channels. One of the reporters was none other than Jiang Zhiwei herself!
Jiang Shenghong and Lan Die almost simultaneously arrived near the tavern but lost the enemy’s trail again.
…
The following day, local gangsters in the eastern and northern districts of the city came across the fugitives from the Liushou Mansion. One was the young woman in green from the previous day, and the other was a flat-nosed man whose eyes appeared to shimmer with flowing violet starlight.
The news swiftly made its way back to the留守府, landing in the hands of Mu An and “Ji Tao,” who were on duty that day.
“Good rascals, daring to show up again!” Mu An’s stone-like face showed a hint of annoyance. He strode forward, giving orders while walking, “You go find Commander Jiang. We’ll act separately and mustn’t let the criminals escape.”
“If this matter requires the personal intervention of the Left Envoy and the Deputy Envoy, where would our dignity be?”
He treated “Ji Tao” as a subordinate.
Meng Qi sneered: “I’m afraid you’ll be the one killed by the criminals alone.”
How truly bizarre. They had been hiding inside the Left-behind Mansion for several days, yet hadn’t caught a single glimpse of Zuo Hanfeng or Yin Lenghui!
“Hmph, I’m not a loser,” Mu An quickly walked out of the hall.
Arriving at the eastern market, he also failed to find any trace of the enemy and had no choice but to seek help from spies and informants.
After asking several people, Mu An finally regained his spirit because he had a clue!
“A thin man with a mustache said, ‘I saw the girl in green turn into that alley.'”
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