Chapter 88
"This way!"
The Tang Clan's martial artists, who were in groups of four or five, were each searching the surroundings.
Although it was not clear what exactly they were looking for, seeing that so many martial artists had been mobilized, anyone could guess that the matter was quite serious.
In order to search the vast Tang Clan, they were spreading a kind of heavenly net.
Although it was not an easy task to follow the Tang Clan's martial artists under the cover of night, Jiang Ziya and Xi Xichang, who had made their presence faint with magic, were following one of the groups well.
[Looking at the atmosphere, it seems that they are looking for someone... I have no idea what's going on.]
Jiang Ziya nodded his head at Xi Xichang's telepathic message.
[Since there are guards standing guard everywhere, it seems difficult to approach any further.]
Jiang Ziya looked at the building in front of him and quietly concentrated his mind.
It was clear that a fairly strong remnant of magic was being felt from that place.
Since it was the most heavily guarded place, it was clear that there was something.
[If we get caught like this, we might get into big trouble with the head of the Tang Clan.]
[Someone is coming out.]
Two people with slightly excited expressions appeared from the main gate of the mansion that Jiang Ziya was watching.
One was an old Taoist with a fine physique and a well-groomed beard, and the other was a female disciple in a Taoist robe.
[The Wudang Sect!]
Although it was a question why the people of the Wudang Sect were coming out of the Tang Clan, since their expressions looked quite dark, it did not seem that there was any good news.
Especially the old Taoist, judging by his attire, seemed to be a person with a considerable seniority in the Wudang Sect.
[Seeing that they are saying that they have to find the culprit, it seems that something has happened there.]
[Can you hear what they are saying?]
[I can hear them roughly.]
Since it was already dark and there was a considerable distance, it would have been difficult to make out their conversation even with a skill like lip-reading, but Jiang Ziya was listening to their conversation as if it were nothing.
Xi Xichang, although she had used a magic to kill her presence, thought that Jiang Ziya was truly amazing.
It was amazing that he did not stand out even while carrying such a strange fishing rod, and he sometimes displayed a surprising skill.
The people of the Wudang Sect soon led the martial artists of the Tang Clan and moved somewhere.
It was also a very unusual thing for the martial artists of the Tang Clan to be commanded by a person of the Wudang Sect.
As they left the mansion, the security of the mansion became even tighter.
[Let's check that place first.]
[The situation seems to be unusual. If we get into a misunderstanding by mistake, we might really get into trouble, so let's go back for now.]
If the word 'culprit' was heard, it meant that at least an attack or an ambush had taken place.
If such a thing had happened in the Tang Clan, it was a great incident.
Moreover, although they were guests, if they, who were outsiders, were to get involved wrongly, they could really get into a misunderstanding.
Moreover, if the opponent was an old Taoist of the Wudang Sect, it could be an incident related to the Martial Arts Alliance.
Since Xi Xichang was a member of the Sichuan Alliance, it was even more unwelcome to be involved in an incident of the Martial Arts Alliance.
[Are you burdened?]
Jiang Ziya grabbed the tiles on the top of the wall and lightly flew his body and went up on it.
And as he put strength into the top of his feet and flew his body, his body was shot out like an arrow and reached the roof of the opposite pavilion in an instant.
Xi Xichang, who had seen the Bow Body Bullet Shadow with her own two eyes, was startled and bit her lower lip, looking at Jiang Ziya, who had landed on the roof in the distance.
The movement of taking off his feet and flying his body was so quiet that not even a sound of the wind was heard, so just looking at his lightness skill, it was clear that he had a skill that was superior to her.
Xi Xichang, who had climbed up on the wall following Jiang Ziya, touched the tile that Jiang Ziya had stepped on with her fingertips.
No matter how great a master was, if he were to display a lightness skill, a trace would be left.
If it were of this level, it was a lightness skill that was not inferior to that of a supreme master.
If the level of his other martial arts were also close to this lightness skill, perhaps he was learning a supreme martial art.
'That can't be... by any chance... is he from a thief background?'
Looking at his appearance of facing the Two Strange Men of the Unshaven before, although he was surely a master, it could not be said that his skill reached the level of his lightness skill.
Considering his method of hiding his presence and his outstanding lightness skill, it seemed that there was a possibility.
[Aren't you coming?]
Although it was annoying how he could move so quietly while carrying such a fishing rod, Xi Xichang felt as if Jiang Ziya's question was a provocation to her.
Thump!
Although it seemed that the sound of the tiles being pushed and falling at the tip of her feet was heard, her body had already flown into the air.
Xi Xichang gritted her teeth and displayed her lightness skill with all her might.
It was an unacceptable thing for her, who was competing for the top spot among the rising stars of her time, to be pushed back by Jiang Ziya, who she didn't even know where he had come from.
The distance from the wall to the roof of the pavilion was about one zhang.
She felt the strength in the tips of her feet running out and her body gradually falling to the ground.
Xi Xichang felt a chill run down her spine at the dizziness.
If she were to fall to the ground like this, a big commotion would arise, and with Tang Yizheng's great anger, she would become a laughingstock in an instant.
Swoosh!
A strong force was felt at her waist, which was gradually falling.
Her body was shot up into the air again by some other force.
If someone had seen this sight, they would have screamed, saying that a person was floating in the air.
Xi Xichang hurriedly held back the short groan that was about to come out.
She felt suffocated by the pressure on her waist.
It was difficult to keep her balance as the sky and the earth were spinning and she felt the wind.
"Heave-ho."
As the feeling of the ground was felt on her two legs, Xi Xichang hurriedly came to her senses. Jiang Ziya was supporting her by her side.
Jiang Ziya was supporting Xi Xichang with his left hand, and in his right hand, he was holding the fishing rod that he usually carried.
"Did you... fish me?"
"If I had left you alone, you would have fallen to the ground. You don't have to thank me."
To have lifted a person who was displaying a lightness skill with a fishing line was a great divine skill.
But even if that skill was great, from the perspective of a martial artist who had been caught on a fishing line with his eyes open, it was also that much of a disgrace.
"I could have done it on my own."
If she had displayed her lightness skill once again using the surrounding objects before falling to the ground, Xi Xichang's words were also a possibility.
Of course, the probability was half and half.
"Let's just say that I did it to avoid trouble for both of us. More importantly, please cover that up."
"What..."
On the ground, a fishing line that was shining in the moonlight was scattered.
The spot that Jiang Ziya was pointing at was Xi Xichang's waist.
Xi Xichang, who saw that the clothes on her waist had been cut as if by a knife and her navel was showing, hurriedly pulled the cloth from another part and covered it.
"How dare you...!"
"Isn't it an irresistible force?"
Jiang Ziya picked up the fishing line from under Xi Xichang's feet and wrapped it around Tonglin.
The line of Tonglin was made of heavenly silkworm silk, whose strength and sharpness were said to be comparable to that of a famous sword.
Although Xi Xichang didn't know, if someone else had done the same thing as Jiang Ziya with Tonglin, her waist might have been cut off.
"Let's investigate that place first, since the inside is unexpectedly unguarded."
Xi Xichang said, turning her face, which was flushed with shame.
But Jiang Ziya, half-listening to Xi Xichang's words, was fixing his gaze on the spot where a rope was tied under the roof.
Thump!
Just as when he had climbed up on the roof, Jiang Ziya landed on the dirt as lightly as a feather.
"Do you need my help again?"
Xi Xichang, at Jiang Ziya's question, hurriedly flew her body and landed by his side.
Xi Xichang, who had glared at Jiang Ziya once, looked at the rope that was spread out long in the clearing and slowly looked around.
"It seems that someone fought here."
"Hmm..."
As soon as Jiang Ziya arrived here, he could feel the remnants of a magic similar to what he had felt when he had first entered the Tang Clan.
Since it was the strongest feeling he had felt so far, it was clear that the reason for this incident was related to it.
"It's clear that someone's body was in this spot."
Xi Xichang continued her reasoning, looking at the pressed dirt marks carefully.
Although the body had already been disposed of and had disappeared, it seemed that the traces had not been erased for the investigation.
The withered grass and the rotten trees in various places meant that a strong poison had been spread here.
"A fight using poison in the Tang Clan... but why are the people of the Wudang Sect..."
To make a connection, she could not understand the reason why the Taoists of the Wudang Sect had suddenly appeared.
If the Tang Clan had used poison, it meant that a person of the Tang Clan had been attacked, so there was no room for a person of the Wudang Sect to intervene.
"Ah!"
Xi Xichang's eyes widened as if something had flashed through her mind.
If the people of the Tang Clan had been attacked, the people of the Wudang Sect would not have led them proactively in the Tang Clan.
The culprit was a person of the Tang Clan... or someone who used poison.
'If so... the person who was attacked... must be someone related to the Wudang Sect.'
When she had met him, Tang Yizheng's expression had been filled with annoyance and urgency.
If it were a situation that could drive him into a corner in the Tang Clan, it would not make sense if it were not of this level.
'Who on earth... without their guts spilling out...'
It did not make sense for a person of the Tang Clan to have attacked a party of the Wudang Sect with a plan, unless Tang Yizheng was crazy.
If so, it meant that someone who had a grudge against the Tang Clan had used poison to turn the blame on the Tang Clan, but in any case, the Tang Clan and Tang Yizheng had suffered a fatal blow to their fame.
"Did you find anything?"
"No."
Xi Xichang, as if she had expected it, looked around slowly again.
The traces of being cut by a sword and the traces of something big and heavy being swung, although she didn't know what it was, were left in a mess.
Looking at the sword marks left on the walls and trees, it was clear that the person who had handled the sword was also a considerable master, so it was clear that the opponent had a very high level of martial arts.
Jiang Ziya was carefully touching the deeply dug dirt marks on the ground with his fingers.
Although others didn't know, Jiang Ziya could clearly feel that the traces of magic remained in this trace.
Since he could not find any traces of magic in the spot of the body that Xi Xichang had mentioned, it was clear that the culprit was somehow related to the Non-Duality Gate that Jiang Ziya was chasing.
But he could not explain to Xi Xichang about magic or the Non-Duality Gate.
Moreover, if it were related to the Non-Duality Gate, it would be dangerous for both of them to draw Xi Xichang in.
"I think it would be better for you, young lady, to go back first."
"What?"
Jiang Ziya covered his nose and mouth with a cloth.
"If you get into trouble while investigating, isn't it you, young lady, who is most at risk?"
"Are you telling me to back out now?"
"Even if I get caught, it will be difficult for the head of the Tang Clan to do anything, but don't you have another purpose, young lady? I'll investigate a little more first, so please go back first."
"That is..."
"How dare you think of going anywhere? Both of you will die by my hand today."
Xi Xichang's heart sank at the cold voice that was suddenly heard.
"Don't look back and just run straight ahead."
Jiang Ziya, seeing the old Taoist whose hair was waving as if it were on fire with anger, checked the cloth that was covering his face again.
"How dare you kill this Wu Guang's disciple and hope to live and breathe under the sky?"
(End of Chapter)