Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 382 Hidden Bat Night Raid, Feint to the East and Attack in the West

The night was dark.

A large white bird flew in the sky, its majestic appearance resembling the legendary phoenix descending to earth.

On the back of the white bird, Bai Feng, dressed in white robes, fluttered in the wind, while two other figures remained hidden in the shadows behind him.

The former still revealed a pair of eyes that faintly glowed with bloodlust, while the latter was nothing but a black shadow.

"That's all I can do for you. From now on, it's up to you."

"Do not worry!"

The man with blood-red eyes gave a sinister smile, then leaped out, flying like a bat towards the high mountain below.

The dark figure, indeed like a shadow, followed closely behind, landing together in the mountains, only to vanish into the darkness in an instant.

Soon after.

"Iron Hammer Leader, this is it!"

A disciple of the Mohist school shouted and led the giant iron hammer into a dense forest.

Big Hammer's expression was solemn as he saw hundreds of wild animal carcasses lying in the area, especially some monkey carcasses, which were hanging from a large tree.

Under the cover of darkness, a person's vision is already limited, and at first glance, it might be mistaken for a human corpse.

Combined with the overwhelmingly nauseating stench of blood at the scene, it created a terrifying image that would give anyone who thought about it nightmares.

The big iron hammer gripped the giant hammer tightly in his hand.

A whoosh of wind sounded behind him, and he reacted instantly, swinging his giant hammer.

But then a bat-like shadow appeared from the darkness, its sharp claws reflecting a faint light even in the dim environment.

The moment the two collided, the immense power unleashed from the giant hammer sent the bat-like figure flying backward.

However, the power that the bat shadow instantly displayed also made Big Iron Hammer realize that this was a formidable enemy that he needed to take seriously!

Moreover, he is least adept at dealing with agile enemies.

"Stand back!"

While giving orders to the Mohist disciples around him, Da Tiechui swung his giant hammer and took the initiative to meet the enemy.

None of the Mohist disciples were experts; knowing they would only be a burden if they stayed, they didn't linger and left one after another.

The bat-like figure didn't even glance at the Mo family disciples; it focused solely on the giant iron hammer, brandishing its claws as it engaged in battle.

This land, now belonging to the Qin Dynasty, and formerly belonging to the Seven Kingdoms, is the oldest and most enduring of all kingdoms.

But antiquity also means rigid class structure and inflexibility.

How rigid is it?

Shang Yang's reforms designed a complete framework for the Qin state, the purpose of which was to turn Qin into a complete war machine, making everyone serve the war effort.

In this country, even if you are a nobleman, if you want to make meritorious contributions, especially great ones, you can only do so by joining the army.

Ordinary people could only hope to gain wealth and status by joining the army, going to battle, and risking their lives.

In any other industry, there is no possibility of getting rich; in fact, the harder you work, the poorer you become!

However, even such a path to upward mobility, which requires risking one's life, remains something that countless ordinary people yearn for.

In the other six countries, there wasn't even such a passage; nobles remained nobles, and commoners remained commoners.

Even if you join the army and fight on the battlefield, you'll at most become a squad leader or platoon leader.

As for studying for the imperial examinations or practicing martial arts to strengthen one's body, forget about it.

The only way out for ordinary people was to be noticed by the various schools of thought and taken as disciples.

Therefore, throughout the entire Seven Kingdoms, every important figure had a background; they were either kings or nobles, or members of the Hundred Schools of Thought. There were no masters who rose from humble backgrounds.

However, while kings and nobles considered the skill of being born into a good family, the philosophers of the Hundred Schools of Thought not only needed to verify their own skill in being born into a good family, but also needed to have sufficient qualifications and enough luck.

Therefore, the path pioneered by the Qin state, though perilous, was a real path that ordinary people could actively strive for, a path that could transcend social classes.

Moreover, it was this very path that made the Qin state the only hegemon in the western lands!
Big Hammer was very lucky; he possessed exceptional physical attributes, and even without practicing martial arts, he had immense strength that ordinary people could only dream of.

But he was also unfortunate, because he was a commoner and a citizen of the Yan state.

Even if they joined the army and sold their strength, they still couldn't see a way out.

He was only able to join the Mohist school after gaining the appreciation of the nobleman Yan Dan, and eventually became a leader of the Mohist school.

Born into a very poor family, he had no way of obtaining advanced martial arts skills and could only cultivate the "Wind and Thunder Hammer" technique to his own limit.

How rough is this Thunder Hammer?
It has only two moves: Wind Hammer, which involves wielding a giant hammer to create a gust of wind; and Thunder Hammer, which involves gathering all the power in one's body to unleash a fierce attack as powerful as thunder.

And then... nothing.

Such crude martial arts skills are only possible for someone as naturally strong as him. Anyone else would never amount to anything in their entire life.

Fortunately, he met a worthy opponent.

That bat-like figure was none other than Wei Zhuang's subordinate, named Yin Fu.

This name doesn't sound like his real name, but his original name is now unknown.

Or perhaps, it doesn't have a name at all.

Such a person clearly came from a very poor background.

The martial art practiced by Yin Fu is called "Bat Blood Technique," which requires the consumption of human blood to cultivate, making it a truly evil art.

But even such an evil practice can be a path to progress for an ordinary person.

It was precisely because of this martial art that Yin Fu possessed his current strength and was able to join Wei Zhuang's ranks as an assassin.

Take orders, make money, survive!

This evil blood-sucking technique is not sophisticated and has significant flaws, which is why Hidden Bat has not been able to improve his strength despite years of practice.

At this moment, he was fighting against the big iron hammer, and the battle was evenly matched.

However, Hidden Bat, having been an assassin for so many years, was extremely adept at utilizing his advantages and the environment.

The reason he killed so many wild beasts and brought their corpses to this dense forest was to limit his battlefield to this forest.

The night was deep, the light perfect for an assassin like him. And this dense forest would allow him to maximize his agility.

On the other hand, while Big Iron Hammer's Wind and Thunder Hammer is powerful, this martial art follows a wide and sweeping style, which is quite restrictive in this dense forest environment with large trees all around.

Therefore, although there was not much difference in strength between the two, one could fully exert his abilities while the other was restricted. With this shift in strength, Hidden Bat quickly gained the upper hand.

Seeing this, several Mohist disciples decided to retreat to the Mechanical City to seek help.

Big Iron Hammer also realized the limitations of the environment on him. He swung his giant hammer, and as his true energy circulated, he gathered the power of wind and thunder on the giant hammer, sweeping across all directions.

The terrifying power smashed through the trees, snapping them in two.

The Hidden Bat dared not confront him, so it once again disappeared into the shadows, like a venomous snake, watching the Great Hammer, waiting for him to make another mistake.

The giant iron hammer smashed down the large trees within a radius of several feet, clearing a battlefield suitable for him.

However, the moment he stopped, Hidden Bat suddenly emerged from the darkness.

Big Iron Hammer's performance had indeed expended a great deal of energy. Although he was incredibly strong, his stamina and inner energy were clearly not limitless, and he was currently at the point of exhaustion. Big Iron Hammer was clearly powerless to withstand Hidden Bat's sudden attack.

Just as the sharp claws were about to tear the giant iron hammer's throat, a frosty sword suddenly pierced the night and blocked the hidden bat's claws.

The hidden bat instantly retreated several feet, its blood-red eyes fixed on the white-clad man who had suddenly appeared.

"Could this be... the scene of 'The wind howls, the Yi River is cold'?"

On the Water Cold Sword, true energy transformed into streaks of ice.

Gao Jianli said disdainfully, "To deal with you, I don't need Yi Shuihan!"

A flash of anger appeared in Hidden Bat's eyes: "Then I'll give it a try!"

It then transformed into a bat-like shadow and launched a surprise attack.

With a slight movement of his Water Cold Sword, Gao Jianli directly blocked the Hidden Bat's attack.

Hidden Bat didn't think his attack would be enough to defeat the renowned Gao Jianli, so he immediately swung his claws, displaying his killing skills.

Unfortunately, the difference in their abilities was too great.

Gao Jianli was a qin player before, but he was a qin player with a lineage. Not to mention that he later joined the Mohist school and became a trusted subordinate of Yan Dan.

In addition, he himself is quite talented, and his strength is far superior to that of Yin Fu, who has no foundation and practices evil arts.

But the claw shadows were numerous, while the sword light was clearly several times faster than the claw shadows.

Hidden Bat was secretly anxious, but he already had the intention to retreat.

Just then, the sound of a flute drifted over.

Hidden Bat looked up and saw the dark clouds in the sky gradually disperse, revealing a bright moon.

On a tree in the distance, stood a goddess-like figure, raising a jade flute to play.

The sound of the xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute) conveyed a sense of desolation.

No, it wasn't the sound of the flute, it was genuinely cold!
Hidden Bat involuntarily shuddered, realizing that he had been tricked.

The goddess in the tree is probably Xue Nu, another leader of the Mo family.

This person is particularly skilled in illusion. Through the bursts of music, he can make people fall into a state of illusion without their knowledge.

If it were just Gao Jianli alone, Yin Fu might have been somewhat willing to put up a fight, but facing two of them, he couldn't muster any fighting spirit at all.

Having already harbored thoughts of retreating, he now became even more resolute.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Snow Maiden's musical illusion had just begun and Gao Jianli had not yet taken it seriously, Yin Fu suddenly flashed and retreated, his figure completely disappearing into the darkness of the dense forest, never to be seen again.

Gao Jianli was taken aback, only then realizing that Yin Fu had actually left.

He quickly used his lightness skill to step onto the treetop.

Although the moonlight was slightly brighter than before, the darkness of the dense forest remained deep and unfathomable.

The hidden bat was already a master of agility, and with the help of favorable weather and terrain, it had completely disappeared from sight.

Even though his martial arts skills far surpassed his opponent's, it was impossible for him to catch up.

Gao Jianli frowned, but he had no choice but to abandon the idea of ​​pursuing them.

The next morning, the other leaders also learned about this.

Each of them had a furrowed brow.

They naturally realized that the enemy had found the exact location of the Mo Family's mechanical city and had even come to their doorstep.

However, being inside the mechanical city, all they could do was increase their defenses.

"I'm afraid they've not just come to our door, they've already stormed inside!"

Wu Liangtian said to Master Xu.

"Ok?"

Master Xu was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

Wu Liangtian said, "Master Xu, didn't you notice that the man's actions last night were full of contradictions? He killed over a hundred wild beasts in the mountains and gathered them all together. The stench of blood could be smelled from three to five miles away. He was clearly deliberately luring people over there!"

Master Xu was greatly surprised: "That's right, indeed! Could this person be plotting something?"

Wu Liangtian said, "This should be a feint, a diversionary tactic!"

"Why?"

"I'm certain this man has an accomplice. He deliberately created that scene to lure the giant hammer away, probably to attract its attention and create an opportunity for his accomplice."

The defenses of the Mechanized City are extremely tight; even Mohist disciples on patrol must undergo checks upon their return. But given last night's situation, were the Mohist disciples who rushed back for help subjected to rigorous screening?

"hiss!"

Master Xu gasped and hurriedly said, "I'll go and inquire right away!"

The answer is, of course, no.

Last night, during that emergency, the Mohist disciples who returned to seek help shouted that they had encountered a powerful enemy in the mountains of Great Iron Hammer Ridge and were in grave danger.

Upon hearing this, the Mohist disciple in charge of the inspection panicked and hurriedly sent someone to invite Gao Jianli. He had no mind to carry out the inspection at all.
Upon receiving this answer, Master Xu naturally realized that the situation was not good, and he quickly took Wu Liangtian to find Gao Jianli.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jianli frowned deeply.

"Big Iron Hammer, which Mohist disciples were you with last night?"

Big Hammer hurriedly said, "It's Xiao Wu and Shui Sheng!"

Gao Jianli immediately sent people to search for him. They found Shui Sheng, but Xiao Wu was nowhere to be found.

At that moment, without needing to be said, everyone understood.

Master Ban said, "Everyone in the Mechanized City knows each other. If a stranger suddenly appears, it's impossible for no one to notice. The person who sneaked in is probably a master of disguise..."

Big Hammer hurriedly said, "In that case, let's search the entire Mechanical City directly, as long as we find strangers."

This whole thing started with him. Although it can't be said to be his responsibility, Big Hammer felt guilty and, in a moment of panic, blurted it out without thinking.

Master Xu immediately retorted, "If we make a big fuss about this, wouldn't the enemy discover it immediately? Besides, there are only a thousand or so people in this huge mechanical city, and who knows how many are idle. Even if that person doesn't disguise himself, as long as he hides, finding him will be extremely difficult."

Everyone was at a loss for what to do.

Master Xu looked at Wu Liangtian.

He had always thought highly of this Mohist disciple, and today this person's ability to expose the plan was a great achievement.

Upon closer inspection, Wu Liangtian's eyes showed a thoughtful expression. After a moment, his eyes flashed, as if he had come up with an idea.

Master Xu keenly noticed this and was delighted. He asked, "Xiao Tian, ​​you saw through this plan. Now, do you have a solution for this situation?"

Wu Liangtian smiled and said, "I actually have a solution!"

"Oh? What can I do?"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned their attention to this ordinary Mo family disciple.

(End of this chapter)