Chapter 165: Illusions

Inside the pitch-black tunnel, the air was as thick and viscous as ink that could never be dissolved.

In the darkness, only Chen Ji's panting remained. He fumbled along the wall, stumbling forward. But this long tunnel seemed endless, with no end in sight.

The next moment, the sound of his pursuers' footsteps came from behind him, urgent and powerful, filled with soaring killing intent.

In the darkness, someone shouted in a low voice: "The person opposite is an official, be careful of ambush! Use crossbows to clear the way!"

A sharp sound of air being torn came. Chen Ji couldn't see the angle of the crossbow bolts, only instinctively pressed himself tightly against the wall.

In the narrow tunnel, four crossbow bolts whizzed past his chest and the tip of his nose. The last one, however, unexpectedly lodged itself in his left shoulder. Just then, Chen Ji supported Jing Wang, who walked out of a room. Jing Wang said weakly: "Feng Da Ban, what happened?"

Feng Da Ban hurriedly bowed: "Your Highness, this humble official has come to escort you back to the mansion!"

Jing Wang said curiously: "Feng Da Ban usually has the demeanor of a steady fisherman on his platform. Why is he so anxious today?"

Chen Ji let out a muffled groan. A piercing pain surged up, and his arm was already unable to lift.

Ignoring the pain, he took advantage of the moment while the other side was reloading their crossbows, and quickened his steps towards the end of the tunnel.

Behind him, someone shouted in a loud voice: "He's hit, chase!" Several guards surged forward, making a gesture to lift away Yao Tai Yi's bamboo lounge chair. Liang Mao Er stood up and shouted angrily: "Stop!"

He saw Liang Mao Er's burly figure rush over and casually pull a guard, making him fall.

Feng Da Ban wasn't angry, only spoke lightly: "Yao Tai Yi, you should still tell him to stop. This humble official is also thinking for His Highness's safety. We cannot afford to delay."

Chen Ji, dragging his powerless arm, crawled out of the tunnel. His gaze swept across the meat shop.

Immediately, he gritted his teeth and used his single hand to pull over a meat chopping table, tightly covering the tunnel exit on the ground.

Thump thump thump. Feng Da Ban glanced at She Deng Ke and the others, then turned to Jing Wang and said: "Your Highness, this is no place to speak!"

Jing Wang smiled: "But there's no harm in speaking!"

Feng Da Ban took a deep breath: "Your Highness, the Liu family's private army from Yan Shi's big camp has already entered the city. Just now, they tightly surrounded the Lu Cheng government office, and now they are coming towards An Xi Street! The Liu family seems to be rebelling!"

In the courtyard, She Deng Ke, Liu Qu Xing, and Liang Mao Er exchanged glances.

Inside the tunnel, the pursuers were pushing against the meat chopping table with force, but for a while, they couldn't push open the heavy table.

Chen Ji took a deep breath and forcefully pulled out the crossbow bolt.

In winter, sweat the size of beans dripped from his forehead.

He rolled up his sleeve, tore off the hem of his clothes, and tied it tightly around his shoulder wound. Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned around and walked out of the meat shop's main door.

At this moment, soldiers were passing through An Xi Street.

Liu family soldiers holding long spears walked past Chen Ji. They tightly surrounded Jing Wang's mansion and Tai Ping Medical Hall, completely sealing them off.

The guards of Jing Wang's mansion stood at the door with long spears, confronting them. Both sides were ready to fight.

Chen Ji lowered his head and walked along the eaves on the side of the road, hurrying towards the end of An Xi Street.

But after walking only a few dozen steps, he slowly stopped again. Liu Qu Xing's face was ashen: "Wasn't it still peaceful yesterday? Why are they rebelling today?"

She Deng Ke said in a low, rumbling voice: "What are you afraid of?"

Liu Qu Xing cursed: "This is a major crime that will lead to the extermination of nine clans. I'm part of the nine clans! Do you think I'm afraid or not? Dog mother raised. Usually, I can't touch half a cent of the Liu family's benefits, but when something happens, I get implicated by them."

She Deng Ke's eyes widened and his mouth hung open. Only then did he realize that if the Liu family's rebellion failed, Liu Qu Xing would also be implicated and beheaded: "Then... then what if the Liu family succeeds?"

There were dozens of soldiers guarding the front, prohibiting all commoners from entering or leaving An Xi Street.

Chen Ji turned around and went in another direction, only to see the pursuers already chasing out of the meat shop. They were holding knives and sweeping their gaze across the street crowd, searching for his figure.

He couldn't get away!

Chen Ji looked around for a usable weapon, preparing to fight to the death.

Before he could find a suitable weapon, a carriage stopped beside him. Someone in the carriage said in a low voice: "Get in the carriage, I'll take you away."

Chen Ji turned his head to look and unexpectedly saw Zhang Li from Huang Shan Dao Ting lifting the carriage curtain and waving to him from inside. Liu Qu Xing subconsciously glanced at Jing Wang, then hurriedly twisted She Deng Ke's arm and whispered: "What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Feng Da Ban didn't pay attention to their conversation. He heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance and said earnestly again: "Your Highness, this matter cannot be delayed. You should first follow this humble official back to the wang mansion. After sending people to take the tiger tally to mobilize the Wan Sui Army, perhaps there is still a chance to salvage the situation!"

Jing Wang thought for a moment: "Let's go. Back to the mansion!"

He got into the carriage and leaned against the carriage wall, vigilantly sizing up Zhang Li.

Zhang Li patted the little Dao Tong driving the carriage, indicating for him to drive away quickly.

The little Dao Tong said with difficulty: "Senior Brother Zhang Li, we shouldn't take him. It will bring trouble."

Zhang Li cursed and slapped the back of his head: "How can you, an Old Jun Shan Dao Ting disciple, be so afraid of trouble? How did your master usually teach you? If you encounter someone in danger, what should you do?"

The little Dao Tong was startled: "You should seek the blessings of the San Qing Dao Zu."

Zhang Li laughed in anger: "You! Is it still in time to seek the San Qing Dao Zu now? Senior Brother will teach you now: if you see injustice on the road, draw your sword to help."

The little Dao Tong hesitated: "Senior Brother, this is different from what my master taught me."

Zhang Li patted the back of his head again: "Stop wasting time. If you don't drive, I'll hit your head until it's open. You begged me earlier to bring you to Lu Cheng to play, and now my words are useless? We'll see if I bring you again later."

The little Dao Tong pouted, and only shook the reins to drive the carriage.

Zhang Li put down the carriage curtain and turned his head back, smiling at Chen Ji in the carriage: "Sorry to make you laugh, sorry to make you laugh." At this moment, Chen Ji suddenly said to old head Yao: "Master, His Highness's illness cannot leave you. How about we also go to the wang mansion together?"

Old head Yao frowned and thought for a moment, then agreed: "Okay!"

Having said that, several people quickly packed their things and followed Jing Wang out.

When they reached the door, everyone turned back to look. They saw a team of military men just urging their horses forward, getting closer and closer.

Chen Ji asked doubtfully: "Why is Dao Chang Zhang Li here?"

Zhang Li patiently explained: "You helped my Dao Ting a lot at Lu Hun Mountain Villa earlier. Of course I came to Lu Cheng to visit. It was just a coincidence that I ran into this scene on the way! That's right. The Liu family really wants to capture you, right?"

Chen Ji remained expressionless: "No!"

Zhang Li smiled and pointed at his shoulder. Chen Ji looked down and saw that his gray cloth shirt was already soaked with blood, seeping outside.

"Don't be nervous..."

Zhang Li said with a kind smile, "My Huang Shan Dao Ting has no friendship with the Liu family, and I will definitely not betray you. Now that the Liu family has sealed off this long street, I'll first send you out."

The carriage drove towards the outside of An Xi Street. When it was about to leave, it was stopped by more than ten soldiers: "Passage is prohibited here!"

The little Dao Tong driving the carriage asked in a low voice: "Senior Brother, what should we do?"

Zhang Li in the carriage said nonchalantly: "What should we do? Curse them!"

The little Dao Tong faced the soldiers and said without thinking: "You..."

Zhang Li quickly said: "Wait, don't curse so vulgarly."

Hearing this, the little Dao Tong cursed at the soldiers: "Are you blind? You dare to block the Dao Ting's carriage?"

The soldiers outside the carriage said in a deep voice: "Master Feng has ordered An Xi Street to be sealed off. No matter if you are from the Dao Ting or the Buddha Gate, you cannot leave."

The little Dao Tong said angrily: "I am Dan Qiu Zi, the personal disciple of the immortal elder of Old Jun Shan Dao Ting. The person in the carriage is Zhang Li, the first disciple of Huang Shan Dao Ting. He is the one who enters the palace to lecture Dao law to His Majesty. Call your Liu family's person in charge to see me. I haven't even asked who gave you the guts to block my carriage?"

The soldiers looked at each other. One of them gave a signal with his eyes, and a soldier immediately quietly left to report.

A moment later, a curly-bearded general wearing armor slowly walked over. She Deng Ke said in horror: "Quickly leave, quickly leave. They are rushing towards the wang mansion."

However, Chen Ji seemed to have just remembered something: "Master, you go first. I forgot to bring something!"

She Deng Ke turned back while walking, only to see Chen Ji rush headfirst into Tai Ping Medical Hall.

He said angrily: "Chen Ji, quickly follow us! What are you still taking at this time? What is more important than life?"

He said politely to the little Dao Tong: "Please forgive me, little Dao Chang. We are also acting on orders to arrest rebels. Please cooperate a little."

The little Dao Tong raised his eyebrows: "Do I look like a rebel?"

The curly-bearded general explained: "This humble general didn't say you are a rebel, I'm just worried that rebels might take advantage of your inattentiveness and hide in the carriage. How about this, you let me check the inside of the carriage? As long as I confirm there are no rebels, this humble general will immediately let you pass!"

The little Dao Tong sneered: "What if I'm not willing? You say check, and I have to check? Where is the dignity of my Dao Ting?"

The curly-bearded general's face slowly darkened: "This matter is important. If the little Dao Chang is unwilling, even if the San Qing Dao Zu is inside the carriage, we cannot let you leave."

Inside the carriage, Chen Ji's eyebrows were tightly furrowed. This disaster would likely be unavoidable.

He looked at Zhang Li, only to see the other person take out a dried elm leaf from his left sleeve and a rat whisker pen from his right sleeve. In front of the Tai Ping Medical Hall door, the Liu family's military men dismounted, drew their waist knives, and rushed in with soaring killing intent to search everywhere!

Kitchen, bedroom, main room, no one was there.

A military man stood in the middle of the main room, frowning as he looked around. He had clearly seen Chen Ji return to the medical hall with his own eyes just now, so how could he suddenly disappear?

As he thought, his gaze fell on the bed.

Zhang Li cut his finger, dipped the rat whisker pen in blood, and wrote a complex talisman on the elm leaf. Then he reached out and pasted the elm leaf on Chen Ji's forehead, saying in a low voice: "Don't speak."

The next moment, he cleared his throat and said in a deep voice: "Zhou Fang, since they want to look inside the carriage, then let them look."

The little Dao Tong replied: "Okay, Senior Brother."

Having said that, he actively lifted the carriage curtain for the curly-bearded general to see: "Here, look." She Deng Ke stopped and waited for a few breaths, but he still didn't get an answer from Chen Ji.

A moment later, he gritted his teeth and went to search for Chen Ji, but he was grabbed by the wrist by Yao Tai Yi and forcefully pulled into Jing Wang's mansion.

Before entering the wang mansion, he suddenly discovered that the leading cavalry team was not rushing towards the wang mansion, but first tightly surrounding Tai Ping Medical Hall.

Everyone suddenly realized that these people were actually coming for Chen Ji.

Chen Ji's heart was already in his throat. He stared with wide eyes as the curly-bearded general poked his head in and cast a sharp gaze towards himself.

But the other person only looked in his direction for a moment, then swept over as if he had seen nothing.

The curly-bearded general cupped his hand to Zhang Li and said, "Sorry, Dao Chang Zhang Li. This humble general is also acting on orders."

Zhang Li calmly said "Mm" and asked in a condensed voice: "Could there be rebels in my carriage?"

The curly-bearded general hurriedly said: "No!"

"Still not letting us pass?"

The curly-bearded general took a step back and waved to the soldiers: "Make way, let them pass!"

This chapter is not finished, it's in the process of being continued...

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