Chapter 19: Reversal
"When coming to Chong Province, I looked through the Hidden Intelligence Bureau's reports on the Blood-Bathed Alliance. This person killed a woman's husband and seized her and her daughter's property. His evil deeds are countless. He's already on the court's extermination list." Cang Yinyue explained.
Her eyes glanced coldly at Yu Changlu as if looking at a dead man.
At this time, Yu Changlu had already been tortured by the poison until his consciousness was near collapse. Aside from barely maintaining a thread of will to call to Li Musheng for help, he had no attention to spare to defend himself.
Li Musheng nodded slightly, turned and leaped onto the mule-horse that was now spirited as a dragon and fierce as a tiger.
Although the mule-horse was inferior, it also somewhat understood human nature. Seeming to know that Li Musheng had saved it, it affectionately nuzzled its head.
Li Musheng looked down at Yu Changlu, whose poison had attacked his heart and whose gaze was gradually scattering. Shaking his head, he turned instead to look at Cang Yinyue, "Miss Cang just seemed to mention some extermination list. Does the Hidden Intelligence Bureau not only catch secret agents and spies from various nations but also handle clearing out martial world evildoers?"
While circulating her true qi to force the poison from her body thread by thread through her palms, Cang Yinyue explained, "Currently it's just collecting information. Not only the Hidden Intelligence Bureau, but Six Doors and the Tianjin Guards are also doing this."
Saying this, a sharp gleam appeared in her eyes, "The martial world forces are too powerful. The court finds it difficult to restrain them. Some criminals with many evil deeds, even if they're on the government's wanted list, because they're protected by certain martial world sects and gangs, the court has no way to deal with them."
"Even more so, some martial world forces themselves prey on the common people, the very source of calamity poisoning Great Li. So this entire martial world should have been cleared out long ago. The Great Li court just lacks an opportunity."
Hearing this, Li Musheng raised his eyebrows and asked in a low voice, "This matter should count as court secrets, right? Aren't you afraid I'll spread this and cause upheaval in the martial world?" Cang Yinyue's expression was calm as she looked directly at Li Musheng, "Have you forgotten your identity as a Great Li prince?"
Li Musheng shrugged, "Isn't this matter still up in the air? Moreover, what if I suddenly get it into my head that I want to become a Martial Alliance Leader?"
Cang Yinyue's eyelids twitched slightly as she expelled the last trace of poison from her body.
Then her figure lightly leaped up, sitting on her own mule-horse.
"Actually, spreading it wouldn't matter. In the martial world, there are too many rumors and things both true and false. Some people believe, while others scoff at them."
"Before truly taking action, rumors will always just be rumors. Moreover, no one in the martial world believes that with enemy nations watching from all sides, the court would dare interfere in the martial world."
As Cang Yinyue spoke, she reached out to touch the mule-horse beneath her. In her heart, she marveled. This horse's current bright-eyed appearance was simply a hundred times more spirited than even she was.
"What you say is quite right."
Li Musheng nodded, patted the horse's back, and continued on the road.
The masked woman had gone to chase the Blood-Bathed Alliance people. Right now, with no one paying attention to them, it was clearly a good time to travel.
However, after thinking about it, he curiously asked another question, "Can the Great Li court swallow this entire martial world?"
At this time, Cang Yinyue sat up straight. With a flash of blade light from her hand, Yu Changlu lying on the ground moaning was already separated from his head.
"I'm not clear about that. It's also not something I should consider."
Cang Yinyue shook her head. Without continuing to discuss this topic, after giving Yu Changlu a quick end, she left together with Li Musheng.
Next, they only needed to cross the mountain ahead, and the road after would be easier. In about three more days of travel, they could reach Shangyang City.
However, they hadn't gone far when a thunderous explosion suddenly came from the distant mountain forest.
Under the night sky, a stretch of densely leafed trees snapped with successive "cracks," falling into the deep bushes one after another, stirring up a gust of wind and wood dust.
Then a black shadow staggered out from the dense forest, just happening to pass the mountain path in front of Li Musheng and the other, fleeing toward the mountain valley to the side.
"You've been hit by this old man's 'Thousand Leaves Wind-Crushing Palm.' Your meridians inside are probably half severed. Where can you escape to in this wilderness? Why not stop and accept death? Let this old man give you a quick end!"
Behind the black shadow, three figures pursued relentlessly. The one speaking was precisely the black-robed middle-aged man who had retreated earlier.
At this time, Cang Yinyue had also clearly seen the fleeing black shadow. It was actually the masked woman who had previously gone to hunt down the three people.
Seeing this, her expression changed. She immediately pulled Li Musheng to retreat backward, distancing themselves from this person skilled in poison techniques.
The masked woman hastily glanced at them but had no time to pay attention. Clutching her chest, she quickly fled into the mountain valley ahead.
The three Blood-Bathed Alliance experts arrived in a flash, likewise seeing Li Musheng and the other.
However, they only swept a cold glance without making any stop, continuing to hunt down that masked woman.
Clearly, the black-robed middle-aged man and those two elders considered the masked woman the greatest threat and had to deal with her first.
Cang Yinyue and Li Musheng stopped on the roadside. She looked toward the mountain valley, a trace of surprise flashing across her face.
She seemed somewhat surprised. Clearly, it was the masked woman who had gone to hunt down the poisoned Blood-Bathed Alliance three people. Why had it turned into her being hunted in the blink of an eye?
However, she didn't think much about it. Instead, she immediately pulled Li Musheng, preparing to take the opportunity to leave.
In the current situation, after the Blood-Bathed Alliance dealt with the masked woman, they probably wouldn't let them go either.
However, Li Musheng waved his hand, looking toward the valley direction, "Don't rush. Let's watch first."
Just at this moment, although the masked woman had already fled into the mountain valley, she was caught up by the black-robed middle-aged man and the two elders, who blocked her escape routes from three sides.
"Look at what you've done. This old man will definitely flay you alive and pull out your tendons later, ensuring you die miserably!"
The black-robed middle-aged man's gaze swept over the Blood-Bathed Alliance disciples in the valley who had died miserably. His voice roared coldly.
The other two elders' expressions were also extremely ugly, seeming as if they couldn't wait to kill the masked woman.
However, the surrounded masked woman suddenly sneered coldly, "A group of hypocritical villains. Clearly knowing I had poisoned around the mountain valley, you only secretly took antidotes yourselves, deliberately letting your disciples be poisoned to death to dispel my vigilance. The ones who truly killed them weren't me, but you yourselves!"
Hearing this, the black-robed middle-aged man's eyes narrowed. The anger on his face gradually disappeared. He snorted heavily and said, "If we hadn't done this, how could you have fallen into the trap?"
An elder stared at the masked woman and said in a deep voice, "Your poison techniques are too terrifying. We had no way to capture you before and could only use this desperate measure. Otherwise, once we let you, this poisonous woman, escape, who knows how many more people would die at your hands."
"Don't waste words with her. To avoid complications from delay, first sever her limbs!"
At this time, the other elder clearly understood that talking too much wasn't good. He immediately struck like thunder toward the masked woman.
Seeing this, the masked woman's expression changed. She immediately shouted loudly in alarm, "Junior Brother, what are you waiting for? Hurry and attack!"