Knife splashing

Chapter 696: Bloody Night Never Stops
Under the moonlight, Kong Hui's blue shirt fluttered in the night wind.

There was a faint red glow in his eyes and a hint of sneer at the corners of his mouth, as if he was mocking everyone.

Li Yan didn't expect that this monster would appear in front of them so openly.

"How dare you!"

Li Yan's eyes were filled with murderous intent and he held the warrant.

The reason why he became a thorn in Jianmu's side was largely because of his identity as a "living ghost messenger". No matter how clever these old monsters were, they were rampant in the human world and would only die if they encountered the soldiers of the underworld.

But while holding the certificate, Li Yan frowned slightly.

His letter had no effect.

The other party should be holding a national sacred artifact, so I need to get closer...

Thinking of this, Li Yan exerted force on his feet and instantly jumped seven or eight meters away.

His Gou Die is inlaid with jade pendants, which makes its sensing power even stronger.

But at the same time, Kong Hui also flew backwards, faster than him.

Li Yan stopped immediately and made a gesture with his hands behind his back.

boom!
Sharifei raised his gun and attacked without saying a word.

This is their team's code, meaning fire support.

The gunshot roared, and the lead bullet tore through the air and shot straight into Kong Hui's chest.

But after the smoke cleared, everyone's pupils suddenly shrank.

In the distance, there was a big hole in the roof of the inn, and bricks and tiles were scattered everywhere.

At this distance, the musket should have been able to hit the target every time, but before the gunshot ended, Kong Hui's black robe suddenly swayed like water waves - the lead bullets wrapped in gunpowder actually penetrated his body and shattered the roof behind him, while the opponent's clothes were just blown by the wind.

"how is this possible?"

Sharifei swallowed his saliva, his face full of disbelief.

After the emergence of new firearms, they became invincible and the situation in the martial arts world changed.

No matter how good your skills are, if you are surrounded by a dozen muskets, you have to temporarily avoid the attack.

Some people lament that the emergence of firearms may represent the decline of the world.

Even the Duwei Division formed a special musket team to practice formations in order to deal with the grandmaster.

This is the first time I see someone ignoring the musket.

"What a coward!"

Sharifei didn't believe it, cursed and asked to change the bullet.

"Don't waste ammunition."

Wang Daoxuan stopped him in a deep voice.

He has the ability of seeing, and his eyesight is better after all. He caught the seven afterimages in an instant and said uncertainly: "This seems to be some kind of body movement, shifting seven times in an instant, it is difficult for ordinary people to see clearly."

Only then did everyone remember Kong Hui's origins.

The other party is one of the ten great masters of the Northern Song Dynasty. He has reached the pinnacle of martial arts and is also the emperor's teacher.

"It's 'yinwenbagu'!"

Kong Shangzhao also followed Luo Mingzi back to the post station and hid behind, screaming in surprise.

Li Yan really wanted to ask what "Yinwen Baju" meant, but now was obviously not the time.

On the distant street, the sound of dense footsteps sounded like thunder.

It turned out to be the soldiers stationed near the post station who rushed over after hearing the news, and their torches formed a winding dragon of fire in the night.

"over there!"

A sharp-eyed soldier shouted loudly, pointing the torch in his hand directly at the elusive figure on the roof.

In an important area of ​​the capital, gunshots rang out suddenly and the soldiers immediately went into combat status.

They didn't care about the orders to capture them alive and raised their rifles to aim.

Bang bang bang!
A series of deafening gunshots pierced the night sky, and lead bullets poured out like raindrops.

The roof tiles exploded in the hail of bullets, and debris flew everywhere.

Kong Hui's figure was like a ghost, dodging and moving in the rain of bullets.

Seeing reinforcements coming from all directions, he snorted coldly, turned around and fled.

A cold light flashed in Li Yan's eyes, and he exerted force on his feet to chase after him relentlessly.

However, a strange rhythm was created when the folding fan in Kong Hui's hand opened and closed.

The evil spirit stirred up a strong wind, and with each gust of wind, his figure became more and more erratic, as if blending into the night.

With two whooshes, the green figure disappeared at the end of the street, leaving Li Yan standing there with his clenched fists making a clattering sound.

"Damn it!" Li Yan spat fiercely.

This was the first time that he was completely suppressed in terms of physical skills.

Even Cheng Jianxian, who is famous for his lightness skills, probably doesn't have such speed.

At this time, a large group of soldiers had surrounded the street.

The leading officer immediately knelt on one knee when he saw the badge Luo Mingzi showed:

"I am Yuan Cheng, the commander of the West City Army, and I am here to see you, sir."

Luo Mingzi's face was solemn, and he raised his hand to signal, "Commander Yuan, please stand up. You are here just in time. Take down these rebels immediately. At the same time, send troops to follow me to encircle and destroy the Iron Anchor Society's lair."

"This..." Yuan Cheng was embarrassed, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead, "The Iron Anchor Society is involved in a lot of things. I'm afraid..."

"I hold the imperial token in my hand. This case has been approved by the emperor himself!" Luo Mingzi shouted sternly, "Anyone who dares to stop me will be charged with treason!"

"As ordered!"

Yuan Cheng did not dare to hesitate any longer, turned around and shouted: "Everyone listen! Follow me!"

The seriously injured members of the Anchor Society were tied up and dragged away.

Li Yan looked at the direction where Kong Hui disappeared, with a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Let's go and meet these bastards together!"

Now that we have finally got a clue, we naturally cannot neglect it.

As Luo Mingzi issued orders one after another, the elite troops of the Duwei Division and the masters of the Law Enforcement Hall rushed over.

The East City Military Command also received the urgent report and surrounded the Tiemao Huixiang Hall in advance.

Torches lit up the night sky, and the war horses snorted nervously.

Inside the warehouse, the gang members looked pale and no one dared to take a step forward.

Although their warehouse was renovated like a fortress, it can only protect against people from the underworld.

The officers and soldiers were dispatched, carrying a large number of firearms, and it was obvious that resistance would only lead to death.

Finally, the man with the gold teeth came out tremblingly, with a flattering smile on his face: "My lords, I wonder what law I have violated."

"You bastard! Do you still recognize me, your grandpa?"

Zhang Tiankui limped out of the crowd, leaning on a long sword, with a particularly ferocious smile.

"The sky is falling - shoulder to shoulder, grabbing weapons, fighting with green and red! Setting up incense in front of the King of Hell's Palace, it's a life and death letter from brothers!"

The man with gold teeth suddenly changed color and tried to flee while shouting.

Zhang Tiankui kidnapped someone and escaped. All the masters in the gang went to chase him, and Kong Hui was too lazy to remind them.

Therefore, he didn't know the truth until now.

These underworld jargons were a signal that there was no hope and the situation was hopeless. Unfortunately, he had just taken two steps when a master from the Duwei Division threw out an iron chain, which was wrapped around his neck. He was dragged into the formation like a dead dog and tied up.

Wow!
At the same time, the doors and windows on the top of the warehouse were all knocked open, and dozens of black gun barrels protruded out.

In an instant, gunshots sounded like thunder and the air was filled with smoke.

The incense hall of the "Iron Anchor Society" had long been turned into a den of thieves. Even though they were unaware of King Snake's secret activities, they often pretended to be bandits and robbed and sold children. Seeing the disaster approaching, the gang members fought like trapped beasts.

However, the ordinary firearms in their hands were no match for the more than 20 magic fire guns of the Duwei Division.

After a round of salvos, a hole as big as a washbasin was punched in the thick brick wall of the warehouse, and the load-bearing wooden beams were broken into pieces.

The whole building was shaking, as if it would collapse at any time.

Some desperate criminals tried to break through, but either their legs were broken by lead bullets, or they were dragged back with iron hooks and chains and tied up like dumplings.

In less than half an incense stick of time, this den of thieves that had been entrenched for many years was completely eradicated.

"Sir, we've found something!" the searching officer suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone rushed over in the direction of the sound, only to see a dozen boys and girls huddled in a cargo box. Their faces were all ashen, and they had already suffocated to death.

"Beast!" Luo Mingzi's eyes were red with anger, and he shouted sternly: "Take them all back to the prison, and we must interrogate them tonight to get to the bottom of it! Also, summon Luo Gongsheng of the Iron Anchor Society to see me immediately!"

Orders were issued one after another like thunder, and this was destined to be another sleepless night.

However, Li Yan and others could not hide their disappointment.

Apart from these abducted children, no trace of the Jianmu organization has been found...

…………

In the backyard hall of "Rouyuan Station", the flickering candlelight illuminated the solemn faces of everyone.

Kong Shangzhao stroked the teacup on the table and said in a deep voice: "As you all know, the Confucian school of thought places the highest importance on nurturing a righteous spirit. Whether it is practicing martial arts or performing sacrificial rituals, the basis is to rectify the mind. Although Kong Hui was born in Confucius' school, he has fallen into evil ways."

He rubbed his brows and continued, "This man was once one of the ten great masters of the Northern Song Dynasty, and was even more prestigious as the emperor's teacher. The records of the Confucius family in Qufu show that he later sneaked into the ancestral temple and burned many books, leaving only a few pages of fragments recording his evil methods."

"He turned Zhu Xi's teaching of 'preserving the principles of heaven and eliminating human desires' upside down and created the evil art of 'planting human desires and eroding the principles of heaven'. Based on the eight sufferings of life, he twisted the Confucian path into an evil path, which is 'yinwen eight-part essay'."

"That was called the Funeral Bier Step. It was a step in the Nine Palaces position to confuse the opponent by using the three transformations of 'opening the coffin, guiding the soul, and burying the dead'. In the past, it was famous for its extraordinary body movements."

Li Yan frowned: "Does he have any weaknesses?"

Kong Shangzhao shook his head: "I don't know the weakness. But since he uses evil thoughts to stimulate martial arts, perhaps the righteousness of Confucianism can be broken."

Wang Daoxuan's face was solemn. "This demon is not easy to deal with. Is he the master who attacked the living ghost messenger that Old Man Wu mentioned?"

"Hard to say."

Li Yan frowned slightly. "The living ghost messengers were robbed after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Kong Hui had been active in Cangzhou before, plotting to seize the Jizhou Ding. The timing doesn't match up, but it can't be ruled out."

"There is one more thing." Kong Shangzhao suddenly lowered his voice, "Kong Hui is not only proficient in Confucianism, but also good at Feng Shui construction. In the past, many temples in various places invited him to preside over the construction."

Everyone naturally knows about this.

The main hall of Shangqing Palace on Mount Mang was tampered by this person.

As they were talking, at this moment, Long Yaner came over, wiping her hands, "The young man has woken up."

Everyone quickly got up and went to the next room.

Inside the wing, the "son of a bitch" had been bandaged and covered with herbal medicine.

Long Yaner’s medical skills far surpass Wang Daoxuan’s, and she has now become the physician of the Twelve Yuanchen.

"Son of a bitch" are just external injuries, so they can't bother her.

Looking at Li Yan's face, the "son of a bitch" breathed a sigh of relief, but then he started to cry again, "They killed Old Crooked Mouth. I looked for you everywhere in the city, but couldn't find you. So I went to look for Old Man Wu, but as soon as I got there, I was captured by the people from the Anchor Society."

"They beat me because they wanted to know the clues about Old Man Wu."

Listening to his story, Li Yan also understood the whole story. He sighed and said, "I was not thoughtful enough. I didn't expect they had so many spies in the city. Don't worry, I will have Old Crooked Mouth buried properly. After this matter is settled, I will find you a job."

The dead cannot be resurrected, so this is all he can do.

The "son of a bitch" nodded, and due to mental fatigue and the fact that he was still seriously injured, he fell into a deep sleep again...

…………

After a busy night, Luo Mingzi arrived at Rouyuan Posthouse again at noon the next day.

"The confessions have been obtained."

He handed a few pages of paper to Li Yan and said in a deep voice: "Those gang members are all fools who are accomplices to the tiger. They only know that the king snake gives more money, and they know very little about Jianmu's affairs..."

"The thug with the gold teeth is a member of the Iron Anchor Society who specializes in doing dirty work. According to his confession, he was instructed by King Snake to often secretly abduct and sell young boys and girls. We were looking in the wrong direction before, and our attention was focused on the Westward Journey Beggars' Gang..."

"The leader of the 'Anchor Society' came to see me. They didn't know about the King Snake, and they are sending people to search the whole city for it."

Li Yan said coldly: "Can you easily brush this matter off with just one sentence of oversight?"

Luo Mingzi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "This is all I can do."

"Luo Gongsheng of the Iron Anchor Society is a man of Yan Wang Xiao Jinglie. He is also a disciple of Huo Yin of the Divine Fist Society. Even if we report this to the emperor, it may not necessarily make the entire Iron Anchor Society pay the price. Instead, it will make enemies."

As he spoke, he sighed, "This is the capital city. There are constraints everywhere in doing things. We should focus on our business and not mess with those people."

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Yan understood instantly.

Because the emperor had not appointed a crown prince for many years, the princes were fighting fiercely among themselves.

This year, due to health reasons, a crown prince was finally appointed.

But it was said that the prince was cowardly and pedantic, and was not liked by the emperor.

Therefore, the fight for the throne has probably not yet been settled.

They don't interfere in the imperial court, so there's no need for them to get involved in such matters.

After explaining something, Luo Mingzi left in a hurry again.

The matter of the British royal palace is not over yet, and now the "Anchor Society" has also created this situation.

Although the gains were not small, it must be said that since Li Yan came to Beijing, Luo Mingzi has been very busy and has not had a good night's sleep for several days and nights.

After he left, everyone looked at each other in silence.

"That's all."

Sharifei shook his head and said, "This capital is really troublesome. There is nothing we can do. Even investigating a case requires us to consider this and that. Anyway, the court has already sent out experts. Why don't we just ignore it and let them worry about it themselves?"

"You put it lightly."

The taciturn Lu San suddenly spoke up, "We can't avoid this. Do you know why Kong Hui showed up last night? I figured out the reason."

"All the Jianmu monsters we encountered, whether it was Lu Sheng or the Northern Mang Ghost Emperor, had the 'Edict of the Earth Official to Pardon Sins'."

"I suspect that he was planning to lure Brother Yan away last night, and then use the 'Edict of the Earth Official to Pardon Crimes' to drive away the underworld soldiers. With his skills, Brother Yan would be in danger, and Zhao Qingxu might be hiding nearby."

"Once Brother Yan leaves, who can stop this monster?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was silent.

If it was true as Lu San guessed, then someone among them might have died last night.

Li Yan put the information on the table and said in a deep voice: "San is right, we must strike first."

"I'm going to go out for a while, you guys stay in the inn and don't run around."

After saying that, he stood up and walked out.

It is another sunny day today, and the midday sun is even a little dazzling.

Li Yan took out a badge from his arms and examined it carefully.

This is the token given by "Golden Swallow Gate".

Perhaps this powerful intelligence organization could help him find the whereabouts of Kong Hui and Zhao Qingxu...

(End of this chapter)