The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 311 Chase
Reality never changes because of the feelings of the parties involved. No matter how much Xue Hanmeng regrets or suffers, Xue Bangzhu's story has already reached an irreversible conclusion.

As dawn broke and the sounds of insects and birds began to rise, "Bu Liuxing" had become a blurry mass of flesh and blood, completely unrecognizable as human. Xue Hanmeng remained lying on his corpse, tearing at it relentlessly.

Zheng Yi calculated the time, then flashed behind Xue Hanmeng and pointed at the "Fengchi" acupoint. Her true energy penetrated the acupoint, and Xue Hanmeng collapsed to the ground.

She had completely changed; her mouth and face were covered in blood and bits of flesh, and horizontal lines rose between her brows. She looked more like a man-eating beast than a human.

Even though the beast was unconscious, tears were still streaming down its face.

Zheng Yi laid her flat on the ground, placed her hand on her dantian, and, as instructed, crippled her martial arts. As the last wisp of true energy disappeared from Xue Hanmeng's dantian, blood suddenly spilled from her seven orifices, and she instinctively coughed.

Although it had only been half an hour, Xue Hanmeng had already suffered several qi deviations, and the meridians in her body were in complete disarray.

In particular, the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian, which governs "anger," the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, which governs "sadness," the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian, which governs "resentment," and the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, which governs "regret," are already riddled with holes. The fact that a celestial being's meridians could be destroyed to this extent shows just how turbulent Xue Hanmeng's emotions were.

Zheng Yi had anticipated this, and with a burst of true energy, she soothed the shock in his meridians.

An hour later, Zheng Yi raised her hand and turned to look at Xue Hanmeng's side.

Xue Hanmeng clutched the half-book left behind by Xue Bangzhu tightly in her hand.

Zheng Yi reached out to pull out the half-booklet, but after several attempts, she ended up lifting Xue Hanmeng's arm along with it.

Even while unconscious, Xue Hanmeng still clung tightly to the half-book, refusing to let go.

Zheng Yi frowned, lowered her head and carefully pried open Xue Hanmeng's fingers one by one before pulling out the booklet.

She flicked away the blood and flesh clinging to it and was about to put it in her arms when her gaze inadvertently swept across Xue Hanmeng's face, and she paused for a moment.

The tears that had stopped as her veins were smoothed out welled up in Xue Hanmeng's eyes again.

After Zheng Yi soothed her meridians, her face calmed down, returning to her original girlish appearance, though she looked even paler and more haggard. At this moment, her brows furrowed, and two lines of clear tears flowed continuously, like a lost child.

Zheng Yi suddenly stood up, her eyebrows furrowed, and paced back and forth a few steps, muttering curses under her breath.

"Damn it, damn it, who are you trying to impress with this attitude!"

"Where did your fighting spirit from last night go?!"

"Now you know you regret it? Where were you before!"

After walking back and forth for a while, Zheng Yi suddenly stopped and stomped her foot.

"That's it, that's all!"

Zheng Yi stuffed the half-book into Xue Hanmeng's arms, then slammed her palm into the ground, smashing "Bu Liuxing's" corpse into the soil. She then raised her sword and slashed wildly at the cave entrance.

The rocks collapsed, covering the entrance to the cave.

Zheng Yi then picked up Xue Hanmeng and used her lightness skill to rush towards Kaifeng City.

She knew where to send Xue Hanmeng.

The place Li Miao prepared for Xue Hanmeng was the same small courtyard where Xue Bangzhu lived when he first came to the city. It was combined with Yan Fan's ancestral home and was very spacious.

Letting Xue Hanmeng spend the rest of her life here can be considered a fitting end to her life.

Before dawn, the people in that house were kicked out by the yamen runners who smashed down the door. They were initially aggrieved, but when a roll of silver notes was thrown in their face, they immediately bowed and scraped away with the notes in their hands.

Zheng Yi jumped off the roof, and the yamen runners guarding the door saw her at a glance and rushed over to tackle her to the ground.

"Are you the garrison commander's sister?"

Zheng Yi looked embarrassed, but didn't know what to say.

With her face like that, no one would believe she had nothing to do with Li Miao, and she couldn't explain it to the constable either. She could only nod in agreement.

The constable quickly gestured and led Zheng Yi into the courtyard.

"The house was prepared long ago, and everything was cleared out. As the garrison commander said, we found an old man who knew Xue Bangzhu back then, and the items inside were all arranged exactly as she lived back then, exactly the same."

Zheng Yi nodded and placed Xue Hanmeng into the arms of the yamen runner.

"Has the magistrate already explained things to you?"

The bailiff nodded.

"Yes, rest assured. From now on, we will send people here every day to keep an eye on things, and we've also found a careful old woman to accompany us. Whether in official matters or in the martial world, if there is the slightest mishap, I will offer my head in retribution!"

"We have collected and buried the remains from the mortuary, as well as Yanfan's body, outside the city. We are currently having a master chant sutras to help them pass on to the afterlife."

Zheng Yi nodded and gave Xue Hanmeng a deep look.

"She might try to commit suicide, so we need to keep a close eye on her these next few days and make sure there are no sharp objects in the house. She should be fine in a few months."

"After this, I will have to trouble you to take care of me."

The constable's expression changed, and he nodded in agreement.

Zheng Yi said no more and turned to leave.

A moment later, they arrived at the small courtyard where Li Miao was staying. As soon as they entered, they heard Li Miao laughing and talking inside.

What's wrong with being paid by the government?

"What is the clear distinction between the martial arts world and the imperial court? The wickedness of people's hearts, their intrigues and deceit, are never confined to the imperial court."

"They say, 'One should learn both literary and martial arts to serve the emperor.' Regardless of whether you like wealth and honor, you must be interested in 'divine inheritance,' right?"

"Let's put aside what the Embroidered Uniform Guard was like before, now I'm in charge. If you don't come—do you have some kind of grudge against me?"

As Zheng Yi stepped in, she saw Cao Hanyan shaking her head vigorously to explain, while Yin Suqin was so anxious that she was scratching her head and wished she could go up and press Cao Hanyan's head down to agree.

When Li Miao saw Zheng Yi return, he nodded to signal her to come over, then waved his hand and said in an unquestionable tone.

"Anyway, the people I've set my sights on have never run away before."

"Cao Hanyan, I'll give you half a day to pack your things and say goodbye to your relatives and friends. You'll be leaving with me first thing tomorrow morning. From today onwards, you will be a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

If I don't see you tomorrow morning—

Li Miao glanced at Yin Suqin and said with narrowed eyes.

"I'm going to investigate this story about me that your friend is spreading... Go ahead."

Before Cao Hanyan and Yin Suqin could speak, Li Miao waved his hand and swept them out of the door. The door slammed shut with a bang, as if there was no wind.

The two were left standing outside the door, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing that Li Miao's matter was settled, Zheng Yi stepped forward and bowed.

"My lord, Xue Hanmeng has been settled... Thank you."

Li Miao shook his head.

"It doesn't matter."

He reached out and took out the first half of the booklet left by Xue Bangzhu, waving it in the air.

"The matter of Xue Bangzhu is now closed."

"Although she left behind few messages, they were all crucial... I think you should have some guesses by now."

"About yourself, and your mother."

Zheng Yi pursed her lips and nodded.

"Yes."

"If the information left by Xue Bangzhu is true... then there are two suspicious points about me."

"Firstly, my background."

“If a person from Penglai does not give birth in Penglai, only one of the mother and child can survive… But when I had mastered martial arts, my mother was still a living Celestial being.”

Secondly—

Zheng Yi gritted her teeth, paused for a long time, and then continued.

"My mother's identity." Li Miao nodded with a smile.

"That's right, you are indeed much stronger than Xue Hanmeng."

"Judging from the information left by Xue Bangzhu, your mother was not as simple as an ordinary Penglai disciple who fled to Dashuo."

"When the Penglai sect was wiped out, the members scattered and fled to Dashuo. They had no idea who had escaped or where they were hiding. But your mother left behind a few words that guided us to Kaifeng and where we found Xue Bangzhu."

Li Miao used one finger to open the booklet and turned to the page that recorded Zheng Yi's mother's name.

"Xue Bangzhu died at the hands of her fellow disciples in Penglai. She also marked some of the names of her fellow disciples in this book, including your mother."

"Is she marking fellow disciples who might still be alive... or is she guessing who the murderer is who is hunting down her fellow disciples?"

"What is the basis for her labeling your mother?"

Zheng Yi pursed her lips, about to open her mouth to argue, but was stopped by Li Miao waving her hand.

“You don’t need to explain. This matter is still unresolved, but the doubts surrounding you and your mother will never be forgotten.”

There's something I need to tell you beforehand.

Zheng Yi frowned, looking at Li Miao's malicious smile, and immediately understood that what the other party was about to say was definitely not serious.

Whether it was because of their blood ties or not, after just over a month of getting to know each other, Zheng Yi felt that she already knew Li Miao's personality inside and out.

Sure enough, seeing that she didn't respond, Li Miao smiled and said to himself.

"It's not really important, it's just a pattern I've recently discovered. I'll tell you about it, believe it or not."

"That is, most of the opponents I've encountered since I started my journey in the martial world have two common characteristics."

Li Miao held up one finger.

"First, her background is shrouded in mystery."

Then the second one slowly extends.

"Secondly... it's because they didn't die cleanly."

"You didn't witness your mother being killed back then, did you?"

"You'd better prepare yourself mentally with Xue Hanmeng's example in mind, so that you don't lose your composure if you discover some truth you don't want to accept in the future."

"If you die at the hands of someone else because of a moment of hesitation, don't blame me for not warning you."

Zheng Yi did not answer.

Li Miao stopped talking and handed the booklet to Zheng Yi.

"Look at the names Xue Bangzhu wrote down. Which ones do you recognize? How many positions did your mother mention? Can you match any of them?"

Zheng Yi took the booklet, looking at the names and carefully recalling them. After a while, she looked up and pointed to a marked name.

"this."

Li Miao looked at the name: "Zheng Huaijin, judging from the name, he shouldn't be from the same family. Where is he?"

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"Jiangxi Provincial Administration Commission, Guangxin Prefecture!"

--------

Autumn rain, evening.

The sound of horses' hooves shattered the mud, splashing water like a curtain, with specks of mud hitting the stirrups, sword sheaths, and cloaks, only to be shaken into the air by the violent movements.

"Thieves, please leave!"

"Stop running! You can't escape. Struggling will only cause you unnecessary suffering! Why don't you stop and let me stab you once? If you can withstand it, we'll let you go, how about that!?"

"Our Kongming Sect is a reputable and righteous sect, and we keep our word! Friend, please consider it!"

A sound of grief and indignation came from ahead.

"Do you think I'm stupid?!"

"They set a trap to lure me here, drugged my drinks, set a crossbow under the bed, and put a trap on the bed! They even poisoned it!"

"What's worse is that you actually attacked me while I was urinating! What kind of righteous sect do you think you are!"

His words were filled with grief, indignation, and desolation, and even a hint of grievance.

A flash of lightning illuminated the face of the person being chased.

If any members of the martial arts world were present, they would be astonished. The person being chased was none other than Shu Qingyi, a notorious and ruthless master of the underworld in Ganzhou Province, known as "One-Shot Shu"! He was engaged in the despicable profession of "flower picking," a trade scorned even by those in the underworld!
Because of his superb martial arts skills and his careful selection of targets, he lived a relatively comfortable life.

But everything changed after the moon-viewing banquet at Mount Song.

After August 15th, Shu Qingyi suddenly discovered that he, who was originally hated by everyone, had suddenly become popular. In fact, many prestigious sects sent him messages saying that they wanted to give him a guest elder position.

He didn't know what was going on, so he picked one to take a look—and then he fell into the trap.

While drinking with him, the sect leader suddenly smashed his wine cup on the ground! Then, the disciples who were lying in ambush all around rushed forward and almost killed him!

He barely escaped with his life and was just thinking about how to get revenge when he discovered that the world had changed.

Almost all the prestigious sects, upon seeing him, reacted as if he had seen a beautiful woman – their eyes lit up!
Fortunately, the prestigious sects were used to feigning virtue and their methods were somewhat outdated, which allowed him to survive. But now, these same sects are becoming increasingly vicious and despicable!
They ambushed him while he was urinating! And it was a gang fight! Even the most wicked people wouldn't stoop to doing something like that, but these guys did it!
His pants are still wet!
Who is on the righteous path and who is on the evil path?
Shu Qing was on the verge of tears. His thigh had been slashed by a sword, making it difficult for him to run. The other party was on horseback, and there was no way he could escape.

The faint sounds of their excited conversation could be heard behind them.

"Senior brother, the method taught by Commander An is indeed effective! After taking this head, should we exchange it with the Embroidered Uniform Guard for some money, or for some secret manuals?"

"Of course, it's the secret manual! We'll practice until we're good enough, then find even more damn villains to kill, and then get even better manuals! That's what we call a 'virtuous cycle'!"

"That's right! Hahaha!"

Shu Qingyi became increasingly desperate.

Fortunately, as they ran, they saw a faint light ahead. Shu Qing looked closely and saw a dilapidated temple in front of them, with a man with a knife at his waist standing at the entrance. He was clearly a martial arts practitioner!
He thought to himself, "There's always a way out!"

He hurriedly ran towards the dilapidated temple.

As he got closer, he shouted.

"Friends, friends!"

"Help! I am a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) from the 'Tiger Might Escort Agency,' and thieves are chasing me! Please help me fend them off, and I will repay you handsomely in the future!"

Having said that, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a stack of stolen silver notes, and threw them over.

"This is a deposit; I will definitely visit you in person to express my gratitude later!"

The other party didn't even move, letting the silver note fall down.

Shu Qing also looked despairing.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and with a "whoosh," the silver note vanished.

Then a lazy voice came from inside the temple.

"Xiao Cao, this isn't like us."

“We have no reason to turn down money—of course, whether we’ll actually do the job is another matter.”

Cao Hanyan pursed her lips, sighed deeply, and hastily drew her sword, holding it horizontally at her waist, intending to stop Shu Qingyi and get to the bottom of things.

Suddenly, a shrill sword cry rang out from beside him!

A sharp shout followed.

"His head is mine!"

(End of this chapter)