189: Chapter 188 Linjing Assassination 1 [Extra for 5500 votes] 189: Chapter 188 Linjing Assassination 1 [Extra for 5500 votes] …He hastily ended his visit to the southwest region and the passenger boat headed down the Jiang river illuminated by the light.
The banners drew closer to the route of Blue Clouds, and, wearing his sword, he embarked for Linjing City.
The boat flowed swiftly with the current, and if this pace was maintained, he would arrive at the Divine City of Anhe Country within half a month, then he would switch to horseback and the road to Anhe’s Linjing would not be far off.
He focused his primary objective on assassinating Gu Xiqiao, which was, of course, Yu Zhengxing’s suggestion in the Jade Scroll.
First, kill, then repay kindness; the order must not be mistaken.
The executioner prioritized momentum, impressive then benevolent for greater gratitude; kindness followed by force would fail to impress, which is a creed for sword cultivators.
…The passenger boat made frequent stops, and while passengers came and went, this honorable guest in the deluxe cabin kept a low profile, never making an appearance, and gradually, everyone forgot about him.
Guests couldn’t reach him, and sailors dared not approach; every rich or noble person has their quirks, and if one considers that he was a cultivator, it was not so strange.
Hou Niao continued to tinker with his Purple Mansion, ignoring the Purple Mansion Vortex, and gradually, he made a new discovery; he was pleased to see, he was still a normal human, and couldn’t regard himself as a freak just because of this vortex.
The cultivation technique from the Anhe Daoist Sect was excellent, aiding him in gradually clarifying the traces in his Purple Mansion amid the pinch of his Double Dantian.
Only a thin veil remained, and he knew, it required a true epiphany?
As for what kind of enlightenment, he was still unsure.
The greatest feature of a sudden inspiration is that you don’t know where it will flash?
Is it an understanding of the Dao?
Or a sudden realization during battle?
It’s simply stumbling upon good fortune.
Seven days later, the ship entered Anhe Country; there was hardly any border control, for the current national system on the Jinxiu Continent couldn’t manage strict enforcement, basically allowing free movement unless a massive throng of people migrated, which would attract government attention.
And as for controlling cultivators?
That was a joke; the border was vast, with just roads, so who could it stop?
Dragon River became Qingchuan River, and then each passenger paid a transit fee; for someone of status like Hou Niao, he didn’t even need to show his face, as the boat crew smoothly handled everything for him.
A dozen more days and the boat approached Wang Family Crossing, which was not the final stop of this passenger boat, yet it was the end for Hou Niao.
He needed to disembark here, switch from boat to horse, and complete the last hundred-odd miles.
The travel permit was already prepared well in advance, and there was no issue using it temporarily.
He came to kill, and after completing the deed, he would leave, so the concocted details on the back of the permit were not a problem.
The key was, he was originally from Anhe, and his accent and habits were all very natural; this was what Yu Zhengxing valued most.
At the ferry, he bought an inferior horse and immediately hit the road.
This time, he did not rush but traveled leisurely; after years away, he was finally back, the local dialect in his ears still moved him somewhat.
He hadn’t expected his first return to Anhe to be not for a triumphant homecoming but for carrying out an assassination.
Life was unpredictable; the face-slapping ideas from the time of his departure now seemed so naive.
“One cannot know the world without going out the door; nor can one ever grow without traveling far.”
Linjing Dao Mansion was one of the Daoist Mansions of Anhe Country, just like the one in Guangchuan State of his hometown and had a similar touch of genius with the branch in Jin City in the vast Da Feng Plain of Shan Country, all of which were key control nodes by the Cultivation System over the mortal nations.
However, the control exerted by the Quanzhen Sect of Shan Country was even more detailed, extending down to the level of cities and towns, such as Miao Gao Town, such as Yinling; the Anhe Daoist Sect adhered more to letting nature take its course, governing by non-action, thus the Dao Mansions only extended up to the state county level, leaving other matters to the secular government to flow naturally.
In Linjing City, although he was a bona fide person from Anhe, it was his first time visiting.
Previously, he had been diligent with his official duties in Fufeng City and seldom traveled.
Now, broadening his horizons, he found it incredible to think back on how he had confined himself in that small place for years after the Pulse; it was truly a waste of time, squandering his prime years.
Once settled, he positioned himself as a wandering Loose Cultivator, which was the most common cultivation ecology in Anhe Country; compared to the notorious reputation of the Quanzhen Sect abroad, the Anhe Daoist undoubtedly attracted more Loose Cultivators from various countries to wander, which related to the domestic cultivation ecology of letting things take their own course…
In a state like Linjing, there were countless Loose Cultivators, both domestic and international, of all shapes and forms, creating a vibrant trade atmosphere for cultivation goods.
One must admit that the Daoists’ emphasis on and extensive involvement with artifacts were unmatched by the sword-carrying Quanzhen Sect; not to mention the prosperity of the Divine City of Anhe, even just Linjing as a State Daoist Palace location, its cultivation market’s level of prosperity made Jin City look rather provincial, more akin to a rural market.
Hou Niao’s problem was finding this man!
The Gu Family in Linjing was somewhat renowned as a Cultivation business family, whose lineage had thrived on this trade generation after generation, rich in connections, intricate in relationships, a typical local powerhouse.
Going to the Gu Family mansion to look for someone was foolish, something he wouldn’t do; without reaching Tongxuan to have Divine Sense, venturing into a place teeming with hidden dragons and crouching tigers in Linjing to hop from roof to roof, searching room by room, abducting servants to inquire, what kind of madness would it take to do such a foolish act?
One exposure, and once the other party got wind of it and went deep into hiding, he would have nowhere to find him; moreover, he couldn’t stay here any longer.
There was only one chance, striking once then fleeing a thousand miles away was his goal.
According to the information provided by Yu Zhengxing, it had been half a year since the Poison Pill incident.
After all, Fake Elixirs were not instantly lethal poisons, the effects slowly set in, which had given Gu Xiqiao enough time to escape back comfortably; since half a year had passed and he was back in his stronghold, he wouldn’t expect a scoundrel to remain secluded, so the man must have resumed his operations, albeit more discreetly.
Attacking him later, after three years, would be easiest, but Yu Zhengxing couldn’t wait that long; half a year was already his limit.
To find a scoundrel, one naturally starts with transactions; the Gu merchants dared to deal in fake elixirs in Shan Country, but would never dare such outrageous acts at their own base, yet fundamentally, engaging in deceitful tricks privately was inevitable.
To the locals, Anhe Daoist Sect Daoists, they dared not deceive, but if it were unaffiliated Loose Cultivators, or cultivators from other Sects who drifted here, that might not be the case; this was almost a common vice among all Cultivation merchants, differing only in courage and ruthlessness.
Hou Niao disguised himself as a Loose Cultivator from Anhe, with some items to sell, initially offering some less valuable goods at a few of the Gu Family’s shops, suffering minor losses, being slightly tricked, then during the transactions, slowly hinted that his ancestors had left behind a few treasures, which he now needed to sell for cultivation resources.
This way, by slowly tempting and enticing, he gradually baited out some items.