Chapter 99
Tracking!
Princess Ling Ming called out from a distance. "Uncle Ye! Ignore him. Let’s leave."
Ye Gu Han was so angry that he very nearly went off on that devil child right then and there. He disappeared before Jun Mo Xie’s eyes with a "swish" sound and secretly decided in his heart. Although this brat’s Xuan Qi is garbage and his martial arts are mediocre, his poisonous mouth truly is first under the heavens. I better not run into him in the future. If a day comes when he angers me to death, then I’ll certainly set a record in the Xuan Xuan Continent as the first Sky Xuan expert to be angered to death by a debauchee!
In that brief period, he hadn’t even fight not to mention getting injured, yet his Qi churned, and he want to vomit blood! He has never experienced something like this in his life. Even the backlash from when his martial arts cultivation went astray hadn’t been this grave.
"I, your father, will be d.a.m.ned if I didn’t anger you to death! But I still have to thank you for solving my problem." Jun Mo Xie snorted and watched Princess Ling Ming and Ye Gu Han leave while spouting smoke through their seven orifices. After checking both ends of the empty street, he gave a curious laugh and pushed off with his left foot, leaping up on top of the walls with a "swish" and disappearing with the blink of an eye.
Princess Ling Ming climbed straight onto the sedan chair. Her body was still trembling from head to toe, her sight shrouded in darkness, her lungs venting vehemently and her heart practically exploding out of her chest.
The maids to her side were frightened out of their minds, continuously patting the princess’ chest and ma.s.saging her back in an attempt to relieve her anger. The maids took the better part of the day to calm her down and felt as if they had just come back from waging war. This is the first time in Princess Ling Ming’s life that she had been angered to this extent, so much so that she had an urge to dismember Jun Mo Xie’s body into ten thousand pieces!
"Head to the Dugu Residence!" Princess Ling Ming commanded.
Ye Gu Han’s face became black, then pale, then red, before change back to black. It was like this person was putting on a face changing performance, but the only regret is that there were no alternatives to red, black, and white color. If there were a few more colors, than he would be worthy of being a face changing grand master! The anger rising in his body gave him the urge to destroy everything. Both eyes looked straight ahead like an erupting volcano.
The eight Jun Family bodyguards were sweating profusely as they watched him, their hearts filled with anxiety. How come the princess and this person have come back but our family’s young master still has not returned? Did our young master not shout out just now? This person wouldn’t have beaten our young master senseless right?!
Even though Ye Gu Han’s fury was palpable and the bodyguards were aware that this was a dangerous time to provoke him, their sense of responsibility to protect the young master still prevailed in the end. Finally plucking up the courage, one of the guards opened his mouth and asked. "This distinguished lord……do you know my family’s young master….."
"Get lost!" Both of Ye Gu Han’s eyes became blood red. His long, gray hair rose up as if to pierce the sky. His furious bellow was drawn-out and full of power, causing the heavens and earth to quake. The color drained from everyone’s faces, their heart wildly beating as they were shaken to the point of almost falling over. This was the absolute strength of a peak Sky Xuan expert!
All the pent-up anger in his heart finally poured out like torrential rain! If he had not vented out his anger just now, he was afraid that he might have suffered from internal injuries!
The shout shocked the entire city!
Countless experts in the capital instantly became alert as they soared up into the sky to hover over the capital. Everyone was curious. An expert that can issue forth a voice this imposing is at the very least a peak Earth Xuan expert! What could cause this expert to become so infuriated? Everyone can tell from the fury in his voice that he wanted to burn down heaven and earth!
By a small tavern doorway, Old Song suddenly widened his turbid old eyes in astonishment. How come I can hear little Ye’s voice? Watching as Ye Gu Han and Princess Ling Ming’s sedan chair leave, the Jun Family bodyguards hurried into the alley to find it empty; not even a shadow of their young master could be seen. The guards couldn’t help but cry out bitterly to the heavens over their rotten fate!
The young master has not only been killed in this old and
Jun Mo Xie appeared from the hidden depths of the shadows, rus.h.i.+ng through the alley, his spiritual senses already spread out so as to closely match the swift speed of the black clothed a.s.sa.s.sins. Jun Xie’s hands ceaselessly moved and, before he had even advanced one zhang, his face completely transformed into that of another person. He now resembles a man in his mid-thirties, and his hair was slightly disheveled. This ordinary appearance could be found everywhere in the capital and would be difficult to identify this person in a crowd.
Jun Xie flew out onto the main street after several twists and turns, his feet under him seem as though they were moving in slow motion but was actually quite fast. After pa.s.sing through a clothing store, his speed had not slowed down in the slightest but his moon white gown had changed into navy blue commoner garment. The owner of the shop was now unconscious, still sporting the same ear to ear grin to welcome customers……
The a.s.sa.s.sins ahead were obviously very cautious. After changing directions and taking multiple detours, each and every one had already changed their appearances to that of ordinary merchants and peddlers. They were neither fast nor slow as they traveled eastward, talking while walking, occasionally letting out fits of laughter as if sharing a very enjoyable conversation. Vulgar expressions were seen on their three faces, appearing to other people as if they were having perverse thoughts about women, like a stereotypical patron of brothels.
This a.s.sa.s.sin group’s level is not simple. Jun Xie sighed in his heart. It is true that in his past life, such disguises were clearly understood by a.s.sa.s.sins. But now there are three people in this world can do it so naturally, so it’s clear that the training is quite well-established. What is even more impressive is that the three had concealed killing intent such that not one bit can leak out. This place really has superior talent.
If not for his spiritual sense being able to detect the cold yin aura from the other party, they would almost certainly be impossible to track.
In other words, there is no one else that can use this tracking method apart from him!
It was in this way, going around in circles as if chasing a teapot*, that faint sounds of water were soon heard from up ahead, accompanied by the melodious sounds of a string instrument and the voices of women singing. After the fragrance of a woman’s cosmetic had become more and more concentrated, the a.s.sa.s.sins’ destination became readily apparent.
[*This is a metaphor for the teapots typically being kept on rotating trays called Lazy Susans at the center of tables in Chinese restaurants. If you wanted to pick up the teapot while others are rotating the tray, then you’d be "chasing" the teapot.]
Spirit Fog Lake!
Jun Mo Xie finally understood why these people had to pa.s.s through that particular street; it was the only road that leads directly to the Spirit Fog Lake. Any other route would inevitably lead to a long detour around the lake! But if he wants to change his appearance, then he would rather take this detour several more times. He will almost certainly not be caught!
And along the way, Jun Mo Xie already changed his clothes three times and even transformed his height and body type three times!
Tianxiang City’s Spirit Fog Lake is the heaven for all men. There are heavenly beauties here of all shapes and sizes. As long as you can imagine it, you will certainly find it here! Patrons could wantonly enter one of the many pavilions or step foot on a merrily-decorated pleasure boat. Whatever you can think of you can try. Whatever you desire you can do. As long as you have enough money, you can do as you please without any worries!
But if you don’t have money, then…you’d better just leave. Even old and even older escorts as fat as Tang Yuan will not spare you a look!
This world naturally has their fair share of fairytales: gifted scholars and beautiful maidens*, escorts falling in love, vows of marriage without parents’ approval, how love will find a way, and so on. But a fairytale, after all, is only a fairytale!
[*ideal pair of lovers = brains and beauty]
Fairy tales always have happy endings, but unfortunately, life can be very cruel. Many poor and vain scholars, who thought in themselves that they were handsome and talented, had put on a distinguished intellectual appearance to come here in an attempt to create their own fairytale story. They had antic.i.p.ated that a divine beauty would fall in love with them at first sight, and how their charm and talent would allow them to live on the earnings of these escorts…
Unfortunately, they had all been heartlessly thrown out in succession after only being able to fish out a pittance of copper coins from their pockets. Some were even thrown into the Spirit Fog Lake and were drowned half to death. Their misfortune reminded them that fairy tales are certainly appealing, but without enough money in their pocket, you will just throw your life away and die in a stupid, meaningless and shameful manner…
Think about what kind of place a local brothel is? Escorts don’t talk about love and courtesans only talk of nonsense! And a brothel is a place that is filled with the former! What man would visit this kind of establishment and agree to remain chaste if his wife is not in the room? Pretending to have pure intentions at a brothel is like giving the escorts a certificate of achievement*. How detestable and patronizing!
[*I wasn’t really sure how to translate this. 牌坊 is a placard that’s traditionally bestowed upon wives who have worked tirelessly worked to upkeep their home and raise the children while their husbands are away at work. Giving an escort such an award is like a slap in the face.]
For the women who been accustomed to seeing the very worst in people, how could they not see through the half-a.s.sed scholarly and cultured pretenses for what it really is?
There are very few good men like in the fairytales!
No wonder Tang Yuan once said that b.a.s.t.a.r.ds were cleanly killed with one sword stroke, but hypocrites were continuously tormented and tortured until they collapsed from a mental breakdown.
He always kept these words close to heart!
Jun Mo Xie concealed himself among the shadows, sticking to the walls and hiding behind trees. His body seem as though it possessed an almost intangible and elusive quality and was able to become one with anything he used as cover. Not one pa.s.serby along the way noticed his presence, not to mention the three a.s.sa.s.sins he is following.
But looking at the three men in front, ** dominated their thoughts, but they kept up a perfect gentleman’s appearance. These nouveau riche entered a luxurious building in the outer reaches of Spirit Fog Lake—Ni Chang Pavilion.
After the party went in, a nearby pleasure boat begins to slowly row over before coming to a stop in the waters near the Ni Chang Pavilion.
Jun Mo Xie was stunned by what he saw. Apart from the helmsman outside, there was surprisingly no one else on the boat. It seemed as if it’s just waiting for him. This situation seemed a little odd. What’s more, the people that have since gone onboard have stayed on the other side of the boat? Isn’t this too good to be true? Jun Mo Xie gritted his teeth. Let’s take a gamble!
A sudden gust of wind rose up. Amidst a clump of reed, a piece of reed broke loose before gently drifting away on the surface of the lake. A hint of dream-like quality accompanied the arrival of the setting sun, forming an uncanny scenery.
Jun Mo Xie planned to exploit these drifting reeds. His entire body seems to merge effortlessly into the clumps of reeds by the side of the lake and soon came within a dozen zhangs of the boat. Hidden behind a thick willow on sh.o.r.e, he broke off two pieces of reeds to hold in his hands and slipped soundlessly into the water. His movement in the water was as light as a feather such that he did not arouse even the slightest ripples. Actually, he had only recently achieved this level of movement after vigorously training. If it were a fortnight before, he would not have been able to move in this way.