Catching Monsters

Chapter 597 I Won't Go to the Imperial Prison

Suddenly, Qin Hong's right dragon arm, which was covered in golden light, burst out with powerful demonic energy. He raised his hand and grabbed, instantly tearing the golden light apart.

Qin Hong snorted coldly: "You dare to show off your petty skills before an expert?"

With a dragon's roar, Qin Hong grabbed Huang Fan's arm and twisted it forcefully. A crisp cracking sound rang out, the sound of bones tearing.

"Senior brother, we're here to help you!"

The two monks behind him rushed forward instantly, and with a wave of their hands, golden light burst forth.

The two simultaneously unleashed their Arhat Golden Body techniques and attacked Qin Hong.

Although the three of them were at the second-grade Arhat realm, even combined, they were far from being a match for Qin Hong. The gap between the second-grade and first-grade realms was still too great.

Qin Hong was ruthless, breaking the bones of the three men with ease. In no time, the three were severely injured.

With each palm strike Qin Hong unleashed, a dragon's roar resounded, and the powerful force shook the surrounding snow.

Qin Hong showed no mercy. Soon, he struck one of Huang Fan's junior brothers in the chest with a palm strike, then changed his palm into a claw, instantly piercing through the chest and ripping out the man's heart.

The bleeding heart was still beating in Qin Hong's palm.

With a gentle squeeze, he crushed the heart in an instant.

The monk whose heart had been ripped out stared wide-eyed as he slowly collapsed to the ground, his body trembling slightly. He clasped his hands together and said softly, "Brother, I'm going to the Pure Land to serve the Buddha."

After saying that, he slowly closed his eyes.

"Junior brother!!!" Huang Fan's eyes were bloodshot. The fact that he came to avenge Master Hongguang was enough to show that he was a person who valued loyalty and righteousness.

Seeing his junior brother die at the hands of the other party, he took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, put his hands together, and began chanting Buddhist scriptures.

"The Great Compassion Mantra?"

Qin Hong, being well-versed in many things, immediately recognized the technique the monk was using. He snorted coldly and shouted, "Dragon Elephant Divine Skill!"

Qin Hong leaped into the air, and behind him, a dragon and elephant shadow materialized. As Qin Hong unleashed a palm strike, the dragon and elephant shadow hurtled towards Huang Fan and his other surviving junior brother below.

The Buddhist light emanating from Huang Fan and his junior brother was easily torn apart by the shadow of the dragon and elephant.

The powerful Dragon Elephant Divine Skill slammed heavily into the two of them.

A huge explosion shook the snow off the treetops all around.

It also became completely quiet.

Qin Hong landed slowly and looked at the two monks, who were no longer breathing.

As for the other monks they brought, they were all killed silently, undoubtedly by the shadowy figures in black and white.

Sitting in the carriage, Xiao Yuzheng gently lowered his fingers from the curtain and said calmly to Feng Yu beside him, "Alright, let's go back to the capital."

After speaking, Xiao Yuzheng glanced at Linglong and said, "Little girl, have you achieved your goal of bringing me here?"

Xiao Yuzheng now understood that Linglong's purpose in bringing him here to enjoy the snow was probably not to kill the monks, but to have his experts kill them.

Xiao Yuzheng's face clearly showed some dissatisfaction, while Linglong sat down next to him with a smile and took his arm: "Father, you guessed it all?"

"Is it that hard to guess? I'm telling you, if you wanted to kill these monks, why didn't you just have me send Qin Hong? Why did I have to come out in person?" Xiao Yuzheng said calmly, "I have a lot of official business to attend to, I'm very busy."

If it were anyone else who schemed against Xiao Yuzheng like this, he would probably be furious. But looking at Linglong's smile, he couldn't bring himself to get angry.

Linglong took Xiao Yuzheng's hand and said, "Father, we can't let this attack by these monks go unpunished."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuzheng said calmly, "Jiang Yun."

"Your humble servant is here," Jiang Yun hurriedly replied.

Xiao Yuzheng: "These monks from the Western Regions attacked me. Your Eastern Garrison Command must investigate this matter immediately. I need to know the cause and effect within three days."

"I humble my duty and obey my orders."

"Let's go back to Beijing."

After returning to the capital, Xiao Yuzheng took Feng Yu directly back to the palace. At this time, only Feng Yu and Xiao Yuzheng were in the carriage.

Xiao Yuzheng closed his eyes and slowly said, "Tell me, why did these monks from the Western Regions attack me?"

“Their target is probably not Your Majesty,” Feng Yu said respectfully. “Some time ago, the Eastern Garrison Command discovered that this group of monks had arrived in the capital. Their goal is likely to avenge Master Hongguang and to deal with Jiang Yun.”

"What happened today is probably..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuzheng nodded and said, "I ordered Jiang Yun to kill Master Hongguang. If this matter is truly attributed to me, it would be reasonable. These are minor matters. The key issue is, why do I feel that Linglong's relationship with Jiang Yun is somewhat abnormal?"

"After Linglong returned, she basically stayed in the princess's residence and didn't like to go out much. Even when I often invited her to have dinner with me in the palace, she often said she didn't have time."

"Why is this girl so proactive whenever Jiang Yun needs something?"

Feng Yu smiled awkwardly and said, "Your Majesty, I am a eunuch, and I know nothing about matters between men and women."

Xiao Yuzheng frowned and slowly said, "This girl might actually fall for Jiang Yun. That woman from the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion, Feng Beier, right? Look at what she's become since she fell for Jiang Yun."

"Tell me, should I choose a young and handsome man for Linglong? If she gets married, she can settle down and won't think about running around outside the capital every day."

Feng Yu said, "Your Majesty, Princess Ningyi grew up outside the capital and is naturally free-spirited. If we force a marriage, she might have to flee to the outskirts of the capital to avoid trouble..."

"That's true." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuzheng also abandoned the idea. He then sighed and said, "Alas, none of these children give me any peace of mind. Only the Eighth Prince can give me some peace of mind."

……

Inside Bailong Temple, a group of imperial guards were searching for Abbot Yunwu, who was now shackled.

"Gentlemen, what crime have I committed? And what has Bailong Temple done?"

The leader of the Imperial Guards glared at Abbot Yunwu and said coldly, "Do I need to tell you what you've done? You'll know when we get back to the Imperial Guard headquarters."

"Has that monk named Wuhui been found?"

"Boss, we've searched everywhere. All the monks from Bailong Temple are here, but we haven't been able to find that monk named Wuhui."

The head of the imperial guards frowned and said, "Take this old monk back first."

Meanwhile, outside the Jiang residence, Wu Hui, wearing a hat and the clothes of an ordinary person, was hiding at a street corner. His face was filled with anxiety. Finally, he saw Jiang Yun and Linglong's figures in the distance.

Jiang Yun was thanking Linglong, but Linglong waved her hand and said, "Alright, there's nothing to thank me for. If the person behind this dares to use me, I, the sect leader, will have to find him and teach him a lesson."

"Come sit at my residence," Jiang Yun said with a smile. Suddenly, a figure rushed over from the side of the street: "Lord Jiang, Lord Jiang, something has happened."

Jiang Yun turned her head and almost didn't recognize Wu Hui at first glance: "Why did you change into such clothes all of a sudden? What happened?"

Wu Hui said anxiously, "A group of imperial guards suddenly arrived at our Bailong Temple and tried to arrest people without saying a word. When we asked them for a warrant, they couldn't produce one." "My master has already been arrested by them. I escaped through a secret passage in the chaos."

Jiang Yun frowned and asked in a deep voice, "What are those Imperial Guards doing, having nothing better to do than arrest you and your master?"

Wu Hui shook his head, indicating he didn't know either. After thinking for a while, he said, "Could it be related to that Master Huang Fan? My master said that guy seems to want to deal with you."

"But that doesn't make sense either. It's related to that Master Huang Fan. If that guy wants to deal with you, shouldn't it be the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigating?"

"By the way, not long ago, His Highness the Crown Prince came to Bailong Temple and said he wanted to meet Master Huang Fan. So my master and I specially introduced them to each other."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun asked, "Does anyone else know about this?"

Wu Hui shook his head: "In Bailong Temple, only my master and I know about it. His Highness the Crown Prince forbade us to reveal it to anyone."

Jiang Yun's expression changed slightly as he understood, and he said, "Go back to my Jiang residence and hide there first."

"I'm going to the Eastern Garrison Command's office."

Jiang Yun instantly understood that, regardless of the circumstances, the Western Region monks had attacked His Majesty the Emperor today, and this matter needed to be thoroughly investigated.

Few people know that Xiao Jingqing had contact with Huang Fan. Xiao Jingqing is definitely planning to kill them to silence them. He just needs to get rid of everyone who knows about this and is related to it.

Then he could easily absolve himself of the blame for Huang Fan's attack on His Majesty the Emperor.

"Jiang Yun, wait for me, I'll go with you too!" Linglong hurriedly followed.

……

Outside the city walls of the capital, on Paper Street, the shops on both sides were famous for making paper in the early years. Later, the paper mills moved outside the city, but the name remained.

This place is also a gathering place for people from all walks of life in the capital.

"My lord, Zhang Laosan's residence is not far ahead." Qi Da walked ahead, and together with Jiang Yun, Linglong, and a dozen or so Imperial Guards, they quickly headed there.

Zidane also introduced, "This man is called Zhang Qingyu. He is the third child in his family, so everyone calls him Zhang Laosan. He is quite influential in the capital and has connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles. Many important figures would entrust him with tasks that they would not be able to handle themselves."

This third son was the one who sent Yang Ping to deliver the message. If this person is taken away, it will be difficult to contact Crown Prince Xiao Jingqing about this matter.

Zhang Laosan's house was a three-courtyard house, but the gate was already open, and two imperial guards were standing guard outside.

Seeing Jiang Yun and his group approaching menacingly, the two Imperial Guard soldiers exchanged a glance and quickly reached out to stop them: "Gentlemen, the Imperial Guards are conducting a case here..."

Seeing this, Qi Da stepped forward and kicked the two soldiers aside, saying, "Are you blind? You dare to stop our Lord Jiang? Besides, what kind of cases do you Imperial Guards handle? Are you even qualified to handle cases?"

Upon seeing this, the two soldiers drew their swords to fight back, after all, the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards had just fought fiercely, and the two sides were irreconcilable enemies.

Soon, the Imperial Guards behind him rushed forward and pinned down the two Imperial Guard soldiers.

"Enter."

Jiang Yun strode inside. In the main hall of the house, Zhang Qingyu was being tied up by a group of imperial guards and was about to be taken away.

"Gentlemen, what have I done? I'm very familiar with the officials in the Ministry of Personnel, and I also know the officials in the Jingzhao Prefecture..."

Zhang Qingyu was around fifty years old, with a mustache and dressed in a blue brocade robe. He knew the newcomers were Imperial Guard soldiers, so he dared not resist and could only keep begging for mercy.

"Shut up." The Imperial Guard soldier who had grabbed him said, then took out a strip of cloth and stuffed it into his mouth to prevent him from talking nonsense.

There were about forty Imperial Guards inside the house.

Seeing that the matter was settled and they were about to leave, Jiang Yun and his group soon walked in.

"What are you doing? In broad daylight, the Imperial Guards are actually kidnapping people from someone's residence?" Jiang Yun walked forward slowly with his hands behind his back.

The junior officer of the Imperial Guard, in his thirties, frowned. He recognized Jiang Yun and said, "What the Imperial Guard does is none of your business, is it?"

“Coincidentally, our Embroidered Uniform Guard also needs this person. Please make way for him,” Jiang Yun said expressionlessly.

The Imperial Guard leader's eyes turned cold, and his men instantly drew their swords.

"Jiang Yun, don't think that our Imperial Guards are afraid of your Embroidered Uniform Guards."

“You Embroidered Uniform Guards can urinate and act arrogantly wherever you want, that’s none of our business, but we Imperial Guards won’t give you that kind of face.”

"Come here, take the person away."

Jiang Yun said casually, "Do you have the proper permits to arrest people here?"

The Imperial Guard leader's expression changed slightly, and Jiang Yun's face hardened: "Don't blame me for not warning you in advance. His Majesty was assassinated today, and this Zhang Qingyu is related to His Majesty's assassination case. This is a capital offense."

"Remember this man's appearance. Let them take him away. I'll go to the palace and report to His Majesty right away. The Imperial Guards have taken away this witness in the assassination attempt on His Majesty." Jiang Yun turned to look at Qi Da beside him.

Zidane nodded, making sure to remember the other person's appearance.

After the Imperial Guards cleared the way, the head of the Imperial Guards dared not forcibly lead his men away.

The Imperial Guard leader's expression hardened. He knew very well that the guards would not joke about something as serious as the Emperor's assassination attempt.

Could it be that the person in my hand is truly connected to His Majesty's assassination attempt?

He was just following his superior's orders to come and help fetch someone today.

Although Zhang Qingyu was very powerful in front of ordinary people, and everyone had to call him Master Zhang, he was still very powerful.

But in front of the Imperial Guards, he was just an ordinary person with some connections.

After pondering for a long time, the head of the Imperial Guard waved his hand and said, "Leave the people behind, let's go."

The expressions of the imperial guards under his command changed slightly.

"Didn't you hear me? Put the person down and leave."

"Yes."

The soldiers nodded in agreement and walked outside in unison.

Before leaving, the Imperial Guard leader glared fiercely at Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun and the others stepped forward and removed the gag from Zhang Qingyu's mouth.

Zhang Qingyu breathed a heavy sigh of relief: "Thank you all for saving me, officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I will definitely send you a generous gift later."

"Let's not rush the generous gifts. Let's go back to the imperial prison first."

Zhang Qingyu's expression changed; she had just escaped one danger only to fall into another.

Are we going to be imprisoned again?
Zhang Qingyu shouted hoarsely to the outside, "My lords of the Imperial Guards, come back and take me away! I refuse to go to the Imperial Prison!"

(End of this chapter)