Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

The seven horses stopped three miles outside the city gate.

Ahead lies the capital city. The city walls are four zhang high, built of blue bricks, and densely packed with crenellations.

A long queue formed at the city gate, with merchants, porters, and cart drivers all bowing their heads and waiting to be inspected.

The two teams of Eight Banner soldiers were fully armed, their swords drawn half an inch from their sheaths, and they searched through the bags and carriages of passersby one by one.

Qin Han dismounted, and Wei Xiaobao approached him, saying, "Brother, let's go through the small south gate. The Heaven and Earth Society members will meet us there; we don't need to go through this checkpoint."

Qin Han glanced at the formation at the city gate.

There was a guard every three steps and a sentry every five steps, and the soldiers checking people were holding portraits.

Although it's too far to see clearly who the painting depicts, the gesture is clearly meant to abduct someone.

"Was this done by Ao Bai?"

"That's right."

Wei Xiaobao sighed. "Things are really tense in the capital these days. It's said that Ao Bai got the Emperor's order to deploy two thousand Imperial Guards and sealed off all nine gates. Anyone entering or leaving needs a travel permit, and anyone without one will be detained."

Two thousand imperial guards sealed off the nine gates.

This isn't a birthday banquet, it's just like throwing a sack of cloth!

Qin Han didn't ask any more questions. Now that he was alone, he could advance or retreat as needed, so he followed Wei Xiaobao around to the south of the city.

Liu Dahong, accompanied by four attendants leading horses, followed behind, walking along a dry riverbed.

After making three turns, Wei Xiaobao stopped in front of a half-collapsed earthen wall and imitated two bird calls.

A man in black emerged from behind the wall, nodded to Wei Xiaobao, glanced at Qin Han and Liu Dahong, said nothing, and turned to lead the way.

We walked through two narrow alleys and squeezed through the back door of a rice shop.

The rice shop was piled high with burlap sacks, and the air was thick with the musty smell of stale rice.

The man in black lifted a floorboard in the corner, revealing a stone staircase leading down.

Qin Han followed him down.

At the end of the stone steps was a passageway with oil lamps lit on both sides. After walking about a hundred steps, the view suddenly opened up.

A secret underground room.

A square table, eight benches, and a map of the capital city hanging on the wall, marked with more than a dozen points in vermilion ink.

Several sheets of paper were spread out on the table, with the floor plan of a certain mansion drawn on them.

There were already quite a few people sitting in the secret room.

The man in the center was in his early forties, with a lean face and a composed demeanor.

He was dressed in white, with a long sword at his waist, the scabbard of which was undecorated.

Chen Jinnan.

Behind him stood seven or eight leaders from various branches of the Heaven and Earth Society, each sitting upright and solemnly.

Two young people were sitting on the left.

The boy was seventeen or eighteen years old, with handsome features and a sword hanging at his waist; the girl was fifteen or sixteen years old, with her hair in two buns and her eyes darting around.

Mu Jiansheng, the young master of the Mu family, and his sister Mu Jianping.

There are three people on the right.

The leader was in his thirties, with a fair complexion and tall stature. He had a scholarly air about him, yet his upright posture revealed that he was a trained martial artist.

Chen Jialuo, the leader of the Red Flower Society.

As soon as Qin Han stepped into the secret room, everyone's eyes fell on him at the same time.

Chen Jinnan stood up, his gaze lingering on Qin Han's face for a moment.

This stop lasted a little longer.

The boy from Yangzhou back then is now broad-shouldered and has a restrained aura. His steps are neither hurried nor slow, and every step he takes is so steady that he doesn't look like someone in his early twenties.

Having seen countless people, Chen Jinnan could tell at a glance that this young man's skills were already on par with his own.

If it weren't for Wei Xiaobao...

The thought only crossed his mind for a moment before Chen Jinnan suppressed it.

There are no "what ifs" in this world.

"King of Qin"

Chen Jinnan cupped his hands in greeting, "I've kept you waiting."

Qin Han returned the greeting.

"You're too kind, Chief Chen."

Wei Xiaobao followed him in, chuckling, "Master."

Chen Jinnan glanced at his apprentice, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You've worked hard."

Mu Jiansheng stood up and clasped his hands in greeting: "I have long admired Brother Qin's name. Meeting you today, I can confirm that it is indeed well-deserved."

Qin Han nodded in response to the polite greeting.

Mu Jianping peeked out from behind her brother, curiously examining Qin Han, but was glared at by Mu Jiansheng and forced to look away.

Chen Jialuo simply nodded slightly as a greeting.

Qin Han didn't care and walked straight to the table, looking down at the defense map.

Chen Jinnan walked over and pointed at the map.

"Ao Bai's residence consists of three courtyards. The birthday banquet is held in the middle courtyard, which can accommodate three hundred people. The front courtyard houses the gatehouse and guard camp, with one hundred and twenty elite soldiers stationed there. The rear courtyard is Ao Bai's living quarters, and there are also forty secret guards."

My finger moved to the edge of the drawing and made a few vermilion marks.

"In the inner palace, Kangxi dispatched twelve imperial guards, led by Duolong. Ostensibly, they were there to congratulate Aobai on his birthday, but in reality, they were there to monitor him."

Qin Han stared at the picture for a long time without saying a word.

Chen Jinnan continued: "Our plan is that on the day of the birthday banquet, the Heaven and Earth Society, the Mu Prince's Mansion, and the Five Mountains Sword Sect will split into three groups."

"wrong."

Qin Han spoke.

The room fell silent.

Qin Han's finger landed on the defense map, and he pointed to two spots.

"Here, on the east side of the front yard, is marked the stable. Here, in the northwest corner of the back yard, is marked the woodshed."

Chen Jinnan nodded: "That's right."

How many people can a stable hold?

Chen Jinnan was taken aback.

Qin Han raised his head and glanced at everyone present.

"A stable that can hold thirty horses is shown as having a depth of four zhang (approximately 10 meters) on the drawing. Horses don't need that much space. The same goes for the woodshed; the marked area is three times the actual required area."

Chen Jialuo leaned forward slightly.

"These two locations are probably not ambush sites."

Qin Han traced a line on the map with his finger: "The east side of the front yard blocks the retreat, and the northwest corner of the back yard cuts off reinforcements. Add to that the banquet for three hundred people in the middle courtyard, and getting in is easy, but getting out is difficult."

No one spoke in the sealed room.

Chen Jinnan stared at the map, which he had obtained after three months of work and the use of four undercover agents.

I checked it three times to confirm that it was correct.

However, Qin Han only looked at it for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before he found a flaw in the size and proportions.

"Catching a turtle in a jar."

Qin Han withdrew his hand. He wasn't just loafing around in Sichuan; he had so many capable people under his command. Even if they weren't capable, they would still be influenced by Xu Xingzhi and Li Jing.

He could tell at a glance that the picture was wrong, and said in a calm tone, "Ao Bai's birthday banquet was a setup from beginning to end."

Mu Jiansheng's expression changed.

A man next to Chen Jialuo muttered a curse under his breath.

Wei Xiaobao opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Chen Jinnan remained silent for a long time.

"This picture..." His voice deepened, "was sent out by someone inside."

Qin Han looked at him.

"I can understand what Chief Chen means: the person who sent the map deliberately gave you a problematic map."

It is not a question.

It is a declarative sentence.

Chen Jinnan did not deny it.

"That's true, but they're all reliable people, so..."

Qin Han did not answer immediately. What reliable person? How can such a thing be reliable?!

This can be seen from Ao Bai's arrogant invitation to the whole world to attend his birthday banquet; this old man was using a calculated scheme.

His finger moved slowly around the Aobai Mansion, to the north of the mansion, across two streets.

The image is labeled with three characters.

Qin Han pointed his finger at the three characters and looked up at Chen Jinnan.

"Where is this place?"

Chen Jinnan leaned over for a look, and his brow twitched.

"That is..."