Chapter 598: Manhunt

Meng Qi moved his newly regrown left hand and felt that the meridians, skin, muscles, and even acupoints were exactly the same as before. He didn’t need to cultivate again from scratch, though there was a slight stiffness in channeling his energy. With a bit more practice, he should be as good as new.

No wonder it’s the “Flesh and Blood Possess Spirit” at the Dharmakaya level… Meng Qi inwardly praised, smiling as he looked at the middle-aged man and returning his bow with folded hands:

“Thank you for your help.”

His attitude was humble; he didn’t act arrogantly just because he was the “Juzi” of the School of Mo. It seemed as though there was only a difference in roles, not in status.

Seeing Meng Qi’s attitude, the middle-aged man was first surprised and delighted, feeling immensely honored, then quickly understood. He thought to himself, “Saying universal love must not remain mere words—it must be practiced. The Juzi is indeed a model!”

Qi Zhengyan also returned the bow and asked for the middle-aged man’s name. Among the five of them, their duties were different. Except for Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu, who directly handled affairs of the Mohists, the other three didn’t know many of the Mohists they encountered.

Of course, for the Mohists whose identities were secret, they were usually verified and recommended by the five of them. Even people like Bai Song and Zhao Bai were unaware, to prevent exposure.

“My name is Yan Kuan,” the middle-aged man introduced himself. “I was recruited by the Juzi and Master Ruan, and am unknown to others.”

In other words, unless Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu were captured, he had no fear of being traced back.

“Recruited…” Qi Zhengyan furrowed his brow. Although Meng Qi often used this word, he always felt it was a bit strange in this context.

Meng Qi finished healing and stood up, saying, “Brother Yan, please go out and gather some information to see what the current situation is.”

“It’s my honor to serve the Juzi. I’ll go immediately.” Yan Kuan exited the kitchen, walking out casually as if nothing had happened.

“He’s a nobleman with an official position, the least likely to be suspected as a Mohist,” Meng Qi smiled and explained to Qi Zhengyan. “But he’s well-read in ancient texts and understands the overall situation of the world. He had long lost hope in the nobility and hoped for change to end this chaotic and brutal era. After hearing our teachings, he felt he had met a kindred spirit and secretly sought us out, hoping to become a hidden Mohist and help us implement reform.”

He sighed and continued, “Although there may not be people betraying their own class interests, there will always be individuals betraying their class…”

“What did you say?” Qi Zhengyan was puzzled. Since this mission began, he had noticed that Meng, his junior brother, always came up with strange ideas and words that surprised him.

Meng Qi smirked slightly but said with a wry smile, “Nothing.”

It’s hard to understand without going through “nine years of compulsory education!”

He gave a perfunctory reply, and Qi Zhengyan didn’t mind—he didn’t care about such things at all.

After a short wait, Yan Kuan returned cautiously to the kitchen, glanced at Meng Qi and the others, and solemnly said, “Every street entrance is guarded by military squads, preventing people from going out. They announced that the Juzi had a disagreement with the king over reform and, in a fit of madness, suddenly killed people and fled into the city. Now the grand formation has been activated, cutting off the city from the outside, and a full citywide search will begin!”

“They even say that an Exemplar-level expert has left the city to pursue you!”

Since the soldiers had to coordinate with the battle formations and apprehend the formidable bandits, the world of Fengshen imposed extremely high demands on them—they had to at least have unlocked their acupoints. As a result, their numbers were inevitably limited. They could only begin by sealing off the main roads and conducting searches sector by sector. In the sky, various Exemplars hovered, instantly detecting any signs of combat or unusual disturbances.

“Hmph, so they’ve framed us after all,” Meng Qi sneered coldly, his expression unchanged, but his eyes turned icy.

If that’s the case, then King Chen was likely in grave danger!

King Chen trusted and valued us, but ended up with such a result. I didn’t kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me!

It’s not the act of a gentleman to leave such a revenge unfulfilled!

A surge of anger rose in his heart, and he silently made a resolution.

Qi Zhengyan remained expressionless, his eyes narrowing slightly, and his left hand, not holding a sword, instinctively clenched into a fist.

Yan Kuan sighed, “The king was determined to govern diligently, but… Alas, they really have no shame! The Juzi has no foundation in Chen territory and relied entirely on the king. With the reform progressing smoothly, initial benefits emerging, and no obstacles yet, why would you quarrel and suddenly kill people?”

More importantly, Juzi and his companions were still young and hadn’t even crossed the first heavenly threshold. Even if they possessed secret treasures, how could they possibly kill a grandmaster-level monarch?

He paused, his expression growing even more somber, “I heard that many of our Mohist brothers have been arrested, but fortunately, Master Bai, Master Zhao, and Master Wang narrowly escaped.”

Many of the openly known Mohists were arrested? Meng Qi inhaled deeply, forcing himself to suppress his surging emotions.

This matter absolutely cannot be let go!

Although they originally came to spread their teachings to complete a mission, they had changed these people’s lives, earning their respect, belief, and practice. Emotionally and morally, they couldn’t just ignore it.

If there really was no chance to save them, there would surely be “great retribution” in the future!

“At least Master Bai and the others quickly realized the danger and escaped with most of the Mohist members’ names…” After calming his emotions, Meng Qi felt slightly relieved. If those three had also been captured, the entire Mohist organization would likely suffer a devastating blow. Now, with most of the Mohists remaining hidden, they could go underground.

Just then, the three with extremely sharp hearing faintly heard commotion from the street entrance.

They exchanged glances, and Yan Kuan transmitted his voice, “I’ll go check again.”

There were temporarily no soldiers guarding the street, and many doctors and scholars had sent their family members to investigate.

After Yan Kuan left, Meng Qi sighed, “We were careless, not vigilant enough against the Golden Light Cave and insufficient in protecting King Chen.”

Actually, it wasn’t really carelessness—he was just expressing his frustration.

As for the grandmaster who shot the golden arrow from the palace, although Meng Qi didn’t know who it was, by combining the news that Gongyang Bo had returned home from the Golden Light Cave the day before, he could basically determine which faction was behind it.

“King Chen was a grandmaster and a monarch, possessing numerous treasures and strength far surpassing ours. He always protected us, and we truly found it difficult to protect him in return,” Qi Zhengyan comforted. “The core issue lies with the Golden Light Cave. Historical records indicate that secretive Daoist sects rarely intervene in trivial matters that haven’t fundamentally shaken the aristocratic order. Who could have imagined they would directly dispatch a formidable grandmaster, going to such extremes!”

Normally, if the Golden Light Cave wanted to interfere, they would send an envoy to warn King Chen. With their strength and influence, King Chen would certainly compromise. This was their initial concern. But who could have guessed that the Golden Light Cave would act completely against expectations, as if they had an ancient grudge, wanting to wipe them all out at once!

Meng Qi nodded, “The Golden Light Cave’s actions are strange and abnormal, surely with deep intentions. I wonder what they intend…”

As he spoke, his expression turned solemn, “No matter how strong they are, one day we will make them give an ‘accounting,’ to honor King Chen!”

“And those Mohists who were arrested…” Qi Zhengyan’s voice grew softer.

“Don’t give up yet. Let’s see if there’s an opportunity,” Meng Qi waved his hand. “But first, we must evade this citywide search.”

With the transformative abilities of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, unless they directly destroyed the city or possessed peculiar treasures, even if ten grandmaster-level experts scoured the densely populated and bustling city of Shangying, Meng Qi could still slip away with ease. The real concern lay with Qi Zhengyan, Jiang Zhiwei, and the others. Though they could disguise their appearances and conceal their auras, they couldn’t alter their forms. If Shangying remained under lockdown and soldiers conducted house-to-house searches, the likelihood of being discovered was high.

Fortunately, Shangying was currently filled with merchants and people of various backgrounds, making a long-term lockdown impossible… Meng Qi quietly exhaled.

At this moment, Yan Kuan returned to the kitchen, his face slightly anxious, “They’re searching this way soon!”

Searching directly here? Meng Qi and Qi Zhengyan were initially startled but quickly grasped the situation. Meng Qi had fled using fire escape while injured, inevitably leaving behind some clues or traces.

Yan Kuan took a breath and added, “Moreover, ‘Grand Minister of Works’ Gongyang Zeng has issued orders that everyone inside the houses must gather in one place for mutual identification to prevent harboring fugitives. If they are servants, the master must present the corresponding documents. If they are family members, their household registration must be verified to prevent impersonation.”

This… was indeed thorough and meticulous! Meng Qi realized he had underestimated Gongyang Zeng. This directly cut off their plan of disguising themselves as servants and having Yan Kuan hide them during the search.

Seeing Yan Kuan’s anxiety, Meng Qi chuckled, “This is just a minor trick; no need to worry. You just let them search as they wish.”

His confident and calm attitude eased Yan Kuan’s worries. He stabilized his emotions, went outside to gather his family and servants, and waited for the soldiers to arrive.

Qi Zhengyan, knowing Meng Qi’s Eight-Nine abilities, remained calm.

Shortly after, a squad of fierce-looking soldiers, led by an officer, entered the house. Because Yan Kuan was a nobleman, they maintained a relatively courteous attitude. While leaving some men in the hall to oversee the identification and verification, they divided into several small teams to search Yan’s residence.

Meanwhile, on a tree opposite the hall, a common bird quietly observed everything, especially paying close attention to how the teams divided their search areas.

Once they split up, the bird spread its wings and flew straight into the kitchen, transforming back into Meng Qi himself.

“Let’s go. We’ll move to that house,” Meng Qi secretly transmitted his voice, hiding his and Qi Zhengyan’s aura before carefully evading the Exemplars in the sky and sneaking into the chosen house.

Half a stick of incense time later, a small team searched the surrounding area. Just as they were about to approach the house, suddenly the door opened, and a “familiar” colleague walked out, sighing, “There’s nothing here.”

“Okay,” they nodded and turned to search other areas within their assigned range.

Meng Qi smiled, pretending to turn back and talk to the squad members as he waited for them to leave.

After a while, another team came from a different direction. Similarly, before getting close, they saw the door open and a familiar colleague shaking his head as he came out.

Seeing that they were indeed fellow searchers, they had no suspicions and changed direction.

After a stick of incense time passed, Yan Kuan’s residence returned to peace, leaving Yan Kuan astonished—how did the Juzi and the others hide so well?

“Even with the slightly chaotic situation just now, even if the soldiers exchanged information privately, they probably couldn’t detect us,” Meng Qi said to Qi Zhengyan. “We’ve basically evaded the search for now. Next, I need to try to leave the city.”

“Leave the city?” Qi Zhengyan was puzzled. “Now that the formation has been activated, cutting off the inside and outside, how can we leave the city?”

Meng Qi took a deep breath, “Once ‘our’ traces appear outside the city, the search inside will naturally stop, and everyone will be safe. There will also be an opportunity to rescue the Mohists from prison.”

It was a classic ploy—luring the tiger away from the mountain!

“As for the grand formation that cuts off the city…” Meng Qi smirked coldly, “Don’t the Exemplars who left the city to pursue us have to return eventually?”

…

At the residence of Sikou Tian Heng, Zhao Heng was hiding in Tian Kuo’s room, completely unconcerned about the search.

According to the plan, he initially used a Mohist within Tian’s household for concealment, then transferred here after Tian Kuo returned home.

“Are you okay?” Zhao Heng asked Tian Kuo, fearing he might be suspected.

Tian Kuo smiled, “I’m fine. They don’t know I’m related to the Mohists. And my father… well, he only has me as his son now! He still doesn’t know I’m involved in this.”

“How could you participate without your father’s knowledge?” Zhao Heng was quite puzzled. In such secret operations, how could the leader not know the participants?

Tian Kuo frowned, “I originally didn’t know about this, but after receiving a hint from an old Daoist in the prison, I secretly inquired at home and discovered there was indeed a plot. So, using my position, I made the other uncles believe it was with my father’s approval and successfully joined the team.”

He was the Assistant Minister of Justice, currently in charge of prison affairs.

“An old Daoist?” Zhao Heng became even more puzzled as he listened.

Tian Kuo smirked, “An eccentric old Daoist, very accurate in fortune-telling, making a living by it. A few days ago, for some unknown reason, he accidentally injured someone and was imprisoned. I had nothing to do, so I went to have him tell my fortune.”