Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 12 Looking for help

"My lord... you also know about mechanisms?"

Wang Yizhi stared in astonishment at the open gate before him.

"Understood."

This thing is similar to a modern safe, although it is not as sophisticated as later ones, but it has a lot of advanced technology.

Lu Chenyuan looked behind the door and saw a dark, long corridor that led nowhere.

"I'll scout ahead."

Wang Yizhi, with his higher cultivation and more acute senses, took the lead and stepped into the passage.

He meant well, so Lu Chenyuan had nothing to say. He followed behind him and carefully observed the passage. It was very narrow, only wide enough for two people to pass side by side. Every three zhang (approximately 10 meters) there was a luminous pearl embedded in it, which reflected a pale green light in the darkness.

The passage wasn't long, extending downwards. After walking about thirty feet, the light ahead became brighter.

A beam of sunlight fell from above, illuminating the muddy puddles filled with withered leaves.

Eager to solve the case and make a contribution, Wang Yizhi quickened his pace, stepped off the stairs, and waded into the mud.

"slow!"

Lu Chenyuan gave a low shout, and Wang Yizhi had already stepped onto the mud. Instantly, the sound of mechanisms rang out, and eight crossbows burst out of the mud, with eight arrows shooting straight towards Wang Yizhi.

Wang Yizhi's heart skipped a beat. With his keen senses, he heard the sound of the mechanism the moment he landed and realized he had fallen into a trap. He reacted quickly, his true energy bursting forth. His hands moved like clouds as he unleashed the Taiyuan Wang Clan's "Flowing Cloud Scattered Hands". The withered leaves under his feet moved without wind, flipping upwards with his hand gestures and transforming into a shield to block the crossbow bolts.

The "Flowing Clouds and Scattered Hands" technique emphasizes "strength like flowing clouds and form like spring water." When used, the ten fingers are like plucking the strings of a zither, which can use soft strength to neutralize fierce attacks. After mastering it, one can use natural imagery such as flowing water and mist as a medium to enhance offense and defense.

Wang Yizhi practiced diligently for many years, and at this moment he used it with exquisite skill.

Under the guidance of true energy, the layers of withered leaves surged, but the mechanism was ingenious and triggered swiftly. In the blink of an eye, a move was missed. Seven arrows fell to the ground, but the eighth one went straight through the layers of withered leaves and shot towards his face!

click!
Just as Wang Yizhi was about to activate his protective magic weapon, two fingers flashed from his side and precisely caught the arrow.

This strike was like hitting a snake at its vital point; the powerful arrow came to an abrupt halt.

Wang Yizhi looked at the gleaming arrows so close to his eyes, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"The Unskilled Sect, [Bee Tail Crossbow Formation]..."

Wang Yizhi said in a deep voice, "Where did the Turks get such a secret mechanism?"

"unimportant."

Lu Chenyuan casually tossed the arrow aside: "The Unskilled Sect is a major sect in Sichuan and a renowned family in the martial arts world. Getting involved with them based on this little bit of information would be a huge problem. Catching the thief is the priority now; there's no need to delve into any other minor details."

Wang Yizhi nodded: "You're right, sir. Thank you for your help."

Lu Chenyuan looked up and casually said, "If I don't help, you'll be fine. Just don't blame me for meddling. I've heard that you scions of noble families are most averse to others helping you, as it's seen as belittling. Is that true?"

Wang Yizhi's expression was strange: "It seems that there is such a thing, but the Wang family of Taiyuan is not included. The Wang family motto is: 'The sword tassel and the scabbard each have their place. Even a rough jade in the wild should be bowed to.' Your insight is remarkable, and you have lent a helping hand. I am filled with admiration and gratitude."

Lu Chenyuan turned around unexpectedly, looked at him carefully, and suddenly said, "Lai Junchen is probably going to die soon."

Wang Yizhi didn't understand the specific meaning, but he liked the sentence very much, and said indifferently, "He's dead!"

"Then come on."

Lu Chenyuan smiled and pointed to the sky above: "This looks like a dry well. Let's go up."

Wang Yizhi glanced at the crossbow formation: "Are we just going up like this?"

Lu Chenyuan said, "The Yu family is located in Yuwei Lane. The main house faces south. After we go down into the cellar, we will walk thirty feet south. We have now arrived at Congshanfang in the South Market. There are many people and many eyes in this kind of place. It is daytime now, so there will be no ambush. Let's go." After saying that, he leaped up and touched the well wall twice with his toes. He had already jumped out of the well.

Wang Yizhi looked back at the passage, then looked up at the well opening, and felt increasingly incredulous.

He used his lightness skill to catch up.

The two emerged from the well and looked around. It was a dilapidated Taoist temple, with ruins everywhere. Even the temple gate was half gone. Through the broken half of the gate, they could see the South Market. Several vendors selling flatbreads were calling out their wares on the street. On the other side of the long street, there were rows of red buildings, and music could be heard. The scent of perfume and the sound of a pipa wafted from the half-open windows.

Wang Yizhi was also familiar with the layout of the capital city. He had difficulty finding his way underground, but now that he was on the surface, he immediately recognized that this place was the first benevolent lane, Lotus Lane, which also had another name: Beili.

In the past, the Pingkang Ward in Chang'an was home to the Jiaofangsi (a government office for music and entertainment), and brothels were everywhere. There were three sections to the east of the north gate of this ward, called the South Section, the Middle Section, and the North Section, which were where prostitutes lived. Later, the term "Beili" (Northern Quarter) became a synonym for places of pleasure.

Following the old practice, the capital city built the North Lane within the Congshan Ward.

"It's troublesome."

Wang Yizhi frowned when he saw that they had followed them here: "The North District is a mixed bag, with countless singing houses and music halls. It is also adjacent to the South Market, where foreign merchants and江湖人士 (jianghu figures) mingle. Finding someone in such a place is like looking for a needle in a haystack!"

"Not necessarily."

Lu Chenyuan remained optimistic: "Before, it was just speculation, but now we can be certain that Ashina Yan and her gang are in these brothels. Compared to searching the entire capital, searching only this area greatly simplifies the workload, which is a good thing."

Wang Yizhi was puzzled: "How can you be so sure, sir? This is the South Market. Besides brothels, there are gambling dens, restaurants, carriage shops, temples, Zoroastrian shrines, and so on. The Turks could have taken people anywhere after they came out of this well. On the day of the Mingtang Grand Assembly, envoys from various countries were present. Although they did not directly participate in the assassination attempt, it is possible that there were Turkic accomplices among them!"

"Do not."

Looking at the bustling streets and flower-filled markets across the street, Lu Chenyuan smiled faintly and said, "Let's put aside whether you're on the same side or not. You've forgotten another key to that assassination: the Yinshan Blood Gu."

Wang Yizhi's expression changed slightly, vaguely sensing the connection. Lu Chenyuan said directly, "The [Yinshan Blood Gu] is infamous. My father told me that this thing grows in Yinshan, and its method of refining is evil, insidious, and terrifying—'Take a child who is not yet old enough to wear a hairpin, feed him with nine poisons such as snakes, scorpions, centipedes, and blood toads, imprison him in an iron cage suspended under an ancient banyan tree, and after seven times seven, when he has vomited out his internal organs, use a silver needle to pierce his skull to extract the marrow, mix it with Yinshan underworld soil and Turkic wolf blood, seal it in a green jade urn, and bury it in the Three Fiends Land for a hundred days. When the urn is opened, the Gu is like a red mist, which can be controlled with music, and can be made to appear or disappear, to live or die... Do you understand?'"

"temperament!"

A flash of inspiration struck Wang Yizhi, and he blurted out, "It still has blood!"

"Yes."

Lu Chenyuan said, "Refining Gu is not easy, but raising Gu is even more difficult. Yinshan Blood Gu can be open or covert, can be alive or dead. Otherwise, it could not be brought into the Mingtang. However, it still needs to find food. Every five days, a human sacrifice must be offered. During this process, it must be awakened with sound waves, and the smell of blood must be covered up. Only in brothels can you find brothels where not only is there constant music, but also rouge and incense to help cover up the smell of blood. Without a doubt, this is the best breeding ground and the best hiding place!"

"admire!"

Wang Yizhi sincerely praised him, then asked curiously, "Sir, did you really only do guard duty?"

Lu Chenyuan joked, "I've also been a Jade Master."

Yu Kui is the male courtesan...

The process of finding and researching targets is similar to researching customers.

Even wealthy women can be dishonest. What if they don't check your assets, age, and background first, and then try to get something for nothing by faking it?
The losses are too great!

Wang Yizhi's lips twitched: "You jest, sir... But even if we know they're hiding in brothels, we still have no way to get to them. There are at least dozens of official and city brothels in the North District, and the most famous ones cater to high-ranking officials and nobles! The relationships behind them are so intricate that it's difficult to investigate openly or secretly."

"Yes."

Lu Chenyuan frowned: "The blood aura of the Yinshan Blood Gu is the key. No matter how strong the incense is, it can fool a human's nose, but not a dog's. Do you know where there are greyhounds? We need a reliable place."

"I know, but it's no use."

Wang Yizhi shook his head: "Ten days ago, the Imperial Guards had already released dogs all over the city to search for the culprit, leaving no place with a strong smell of blood unchecked. In the end, they didn't find the person, but they did find several burial sites and uncovered several old cases involving thirteen court officials, including the Minister of Land and the Vice Minister of Winter Affairs. The Prefectural Government of the Capital has been in chaos for several days. Even if you borrow a hound, I'm afraid you'll be facing legal trouble before you can even find Ashina Yan."

Lu Chenyuan's expression was strange: "...Was this intentional, or..."

Wang Yizhi said solemnly, “They probably all are. In today’s capital, how many people are as pure as water and as clear as a mirror? Even if we don’t mention the secret killings, in September, on the day Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he made a great vow to cultivate Buddhism and do good deeds, and specially issued the ‘Prohibition of Slaughter’ order, which prohibits the slaughter of poultry and livestock throughout the country. Even fish and shrimp cannot be caught. If high-ranking officials want to eat meat, they can only slaughter it secretly. This matter can be big or small. Once it is brought to light, it will be a big deal! Those cruel officials in Lijing Prison are watching closely. Would they dare to let dogs into their mansions? And these brothels, which make a fortune every day, are involved in many illegal activities and have many protectors. Neither the brothels nor those behind them want anyone to get involved. If they really investigate, they will definitely use the same old tricks and do everything they can to obstruct it!”

"No wonder……"

Lu Chenyuan pondered for a moment: "Even the Imperial Guards aren't working?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Yizhi nodded directly: "The Inner Guards are the emperor's henchmen, but there are also many people who are the emperor's confidants... You are also an Inner Guard, didn't Wu Youji openly attack you and then not hold anyone accountable afterward? There are quite a few like him."

Wu Chengsi, Wu Sansi, Xue Huaiyi...

Lu Chenyuan frowned even more: "Are they all connected to brothels?"

Wang Yizhi smiled, but there was no hint of amusement in his eyes: "Not necessarily. But who doesn't like money delivered to their doorstep?"

Once the money is taken, whether you have connections or not, people have to turn a blind eye.

"But while the rich feast on meat and wine, they care not for the frozen corpses on the road."

"..."

Lu Chenyuan closed his eyes helplessly and cursed, "It's so damn hard to get anything done! Being a gigolo is much easier."

Wang Yizhi: "..."

After a long pause, Lu Chenyuan opened his eyes again and said coldly, "It seems that the only way is to use magic to defeat magic!"

Wang Yizhi asked, puzzled: "Grinding method? What do you mean, sir?"

Lu Chenyuan said, "I heard that Her Highness the Princess keeps a Golden Lion?"

Wang Yizhi suddenly realized: "The Golden Lion is a rare beast, said to be formed from the essence of gold in the West. It resembles a lion but is entirely gilded, with eyes like pools of molten gold, capable of observing the primordial energy of heaven and earth. Its nose is exquisite, able to smell the stench of rotting rats a hundred miles away... You want to borrow it for help, sir? The Golden Lion is the princess's beloved pet, able to freely enter and leave even the imperial palace, let alone this ten-mile brothel. If we can truly get it to help, the person behind it certainly won't dare to stop us, but..."

Wang Yizhi said with a wry smile, "It won't listen to me!"

The mythical beasts of the mountains and seas are said to be descendants of the five spirits, including the Qilin and the Phoenix. They not only possess innate supernatural powers but can also understand human nature.

The Golden Lion is the best among them.

But the more spiritual a creature is, the harder it is to control. The Golden Lion was a little tyrant in the Princess's mansion. It wouldn't listen to anyone except Li Lingyue. Even if Li Lingyue wanted to order it around, it had to consider its mood. If it was in a good mood, it would let her pet and hug it. If it was in a bad mood, it would bare its teeth, hiss, and stretch out its claws at anyone who came near.

Damn it...

Lu Chenyuan sighed again, feeling a headache coming on: "Fine, you stay here and keep an eye on things, I'll go try my luck."

Wang Yizhi's expression grew increasingly strange: "Sir, you also know how to control beasts?"

“I really don’t understand this.”

Lu Chenyuan shook his head, raised one hand, and his true energy burst forth, the golden light on his palm dazzling: "However, my true energy is of the metal element, which is of the same origin as it, so it shouldn't be able to be knocked out by one claw. As for the others, we'll figure out a way when we see them."

"Yes."

Wang Yizhi bowed respectfully and said, "I wish you great success, my lord."

Lu Chenyuan, finding a bittersweet smile, chuckled softly, "I hope so..."

(End of this chapter)