Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

This road is clearly a shortcut; under normal circumstances, a week should be enough.

With Dong Tianbao, Zhang Junbao, and members of the Giant Whale Gang escorting Liao Fang, there shouldn't be any safety issues traveling by water.

Qin Han spoke to Wei Xiaobao while riding his horse.

"Tell me about the current situation in the capital."

Wei Xiaobao rode alongside him, this time without his usual joking and laughing demeanor; he was unusually serious.

"Brother, this trip to Beijing was originally planned by Master Chen Jinnan himself."

"It's very simple. Ao Bai is celebrating his birthday in a few days, and we'll hold a banquet at his residence in the capital. We'll strike while he's drunk. The Heaven and Earth Society will send people, the Mu Prince's Mansion will send people, and we'll add experts from Sichuan. With the three of us working together, we can kill him in one blow."

Qin Han glanced at Wei Xiaobao and asked, "Has the plan been leaked?"

Wei Xiaobao wore a bitter expression.

"It's more than just a leak. That old turtle did it on purpose."

"Knowing that someone was going to cause trouble at his birthday banquet, he not only didn't cancel the banquet, but instead made the scene even bigger. He sent his birthday invitations to various major sects and forces."

Qin Han pulled on the reins, slowing the horse down a bit.

"What do you mean?"

"The literal meaning." Wei Xiaobao held up three fingers. "Ao Bai has connections with the Heaven and Earth Society, the Mu Prince's Mansion, the Five Mountains Sword Sect, the Quanzhen Sect, the lay disciples of Shaolin, and several sects from the Southern Song Dynasty that have spies in the Qing Dynasty."

Qin Han frowned.

That old bastard Ao Bai, he's clearly setting up a trap.

Even more arrogant than the Feast at Hongmen.

At least the Feast at Hongmen was a closed-door affair where people were killed, but Ao Bai's Feast was a case of the gates wide open, the lights shining brightly, announcing it to the whole world.

Come on, all of you, I'm waiting for you at my mansion.

"Those who come will support him, those who don't will lose face." Qin Han's tone was very calm.

Wei Xiaobao nodded repeatedly.

"That's exactly what I mean! What's even more despicable is that if some hothead dares to cause trouble, that old turtle can just kill someone in front of the whole world to establish his authority. They'll either die or lose face."

Wei Xiaobao added another sentence.

"Moreover, he was not only unafraid of people coming, he also didn't take the young Emperor Kangxi seriously."

Qin Han glanced at him. Why wasn't he calling him Little Xuanzi anymore? Could it be that their relationship had soured?

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Given Wei Xiaobao's current situation, not only is he suffering from two deadly poisons, but he's also practically a eunuch. How could his relationship with Kangxi possibly be any better?

"Does the young emperor know?"

"I know." Wei Xiaobao lowered his voice. "The young emperor was so angry that he smashed three tea sets in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. But what could he do? Most of the Imperial Guards were in Ao Bai's hands, and six out of ten Imperial Guards were Ao Bai's men. If he dared to utter a word, Ao Bai might just lead his troops to besiege the palace the next day."

Qin Han remained silent for a few moments.

"The leader of the Five Mountains Sword Sects from that list you just gave us, is he here too?"

"He personally led the team and has already arrived in the capital."

Who is the leader of the alliance?

Wei Xiaobao scratched his head and thought for a moment.

"His name seems to be... Yue Buqun? The leader of the Huashan Sect."

Qin Han was taken aback.

Yue Buqun?

In his mind, the leader of the Five Sacred Mountains Alliance should be Zuo Lengchan of Mount Song.

That cunning old bastard with a mind full of ambition, who spends all his time plotting to seize power, is indeed the strongest among the Five Mountains in terms of scheming, methods, and strength.

"Where is Zuo Lengchan?"

Wei Xiaobao slapped his thigh.

"Brother, you don't know this! This matter caused quite a stir in the martial arts world six months ago!"

"Zuo Lengchan was indeed once the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance. As a result, he somehow obtained a musical score from the Sun Moon Sect, which supposedly contained clues to an evil martial art."

He arrested Qu Yang's granddaughter, Qu Feiyan, intending to execute her in public. I guess that old bastard just wanted to establish his authority. But then…”

Wei Xiaobao swallowed hard, his expression becoming quite interesting.

"Dongfang Bubai personally went up Mount Song that day."

Qin Han tightened his grip on the reins.

Dongfang Bubai?!

"One person. Just one person." Wei Xiaobao gestured, "In front of the other four sects, with only an embroidery needle, he fought his way from the gate of Mount Song to the back of the mountain, and then back again. Nine of the thirteen bodyguards of the Mount Song sect died, and Zuo Lengchan had both arms broken and was barely alive."

"After that battle, the Songshan Sect was severely weakened. Although Zuo Lengchan did not die, he was crippled and could not even hold a sword steadily. The position of leader of the Five Mountains Alliance was naturally vacant."

"Yue Buqun was good at dealing with people. He first arranged for medicinal herbs to be prepared for the aftermath of the disaster for everyone in Songshan, and then stepped in to coordinate the relationship between the five factions. After half a year, the other factions all gave him face and made him the leader of the alliance."

Qin Han remained silent for a moment.

The news that Dongfang Bubai could pierce through Mount Song with a single embroidery needle would shake the martial arts world for three years.

But what concerned him even more was Yue Buqun.

The Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.

These three words swirled in my mind.

Lin Pingzhi was one of his men, and Linghu Chong also died at his hands.

According to Lin Pingzhi, Yue Buqun also practiced that skill, but at a great cost...

However, with Zuo Lengchan gone and the Songshan Sect crippled, Yue Buqun conveniently picked up the pieces.

Everything was so logical, so logically sound...it was all too clean.

It's hard to tell whether Yue Buqun should be happy or sad, since he's already cut it off, but now he can't use the Evil-Slaying Sword Technique anymore.

"How many men did Yue Buqun bring to the capital?"

"Not many." Wei Xiaobao thought for a moment, "The Huashan Sect sent seven or eight people, and the Hengshan, Hengshan, and Taishan Sects each sent a few people, totaling less than thirty."

"Has his wife arrived yet?"

Wei Xiaobao gave Qin Han a strange look.

Liu Dahong, standing to the side, also glanced at him slightly.

Qin Han coughed lightly as he felt the two men staring at him.

"Miss Ning has also come. She even brought her daughter, and a disciple, I think his surname is Lu, right, his name is Lu Dayou."

Qin Han nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Liu Dahong, who hadn't said much until now, chimed in.

"Your Highness, the Mu family can only send a few men for this trip to the capital. I only have four attendants with me."

Qin Han turned around and glanced at him.

"It's not important how many people Senior Liu brings. What's important is that once we're in the capital, everyone has a clear division of labor."

Liu Dahong asked, "What are your plans, Your Highness?"

Qin Han did not answer immediately.

At Ao Bai's Feast at Hongmen, the Heaven and Earth Society, the Mu Prince's Mansion, the Five Mountains Sword Sect, and the Quanzhen Sect all wanted to attend.

People from all walks of life gathered in the capital, all with the same goal: to take Ao Bai's head.

Even if these people don't fight amongst themselves, just the mutual distrust they have when they get together is enough to cause a lot of trouble.

Furthermore, Ao Bai himself was a top-tier expert, and his residence housed hundreds of elite soldiers and a group of martial arts masters. A direct assault would be tantamount to suicide.

This battle cannot be fought blindly.

Qin Han looked at Wei Xiaobao.

"When is Ao Bai's birthday banquet scheduled?"

"August 15th".

Mid-Autumn Festival.

Twelve days left.

Qin Han looked northward, his lips twitching slightly.

That's enough.

Wei Xiaobao didn't understand.

"What's enough? Big brother, what are you planning to do?"

Qin Han spurred his horse, and the chestnut horse suddenly accelerated, charging ahead first.

Wei Xiaobao was taken aback, then quickly followed, muttering, "Brother, why did you only tell me half the story..."

Liu Dahong followed on horseback, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Four attendants from the Mu family followed closely behind.

Seven horses galloped northward, their hoofbeats fading into the distance and disappearing into the dust at the end of the official road.