Chapter 214: I Am Shen Qing, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard of Qingzhou

In the following days, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Shadow Guard were dispatched, frantically searching for information about the Reincarnation Tower.

Soon, pieces of information were delivered to Shen Qing's hands.

The scholar read these pieces of information over and over, and finally rubbed his temples: "Boss, this Reincarnation Tower is hidden too deeply."

Shen Qing laughed: "If it were easy, there would be no need to summon us from afar."

"But there's no rush now; we are separated from the Reincarnation Tower by only a sheet of paper—pierce that paper, and the Reincarnation Tower will have nowhere to hide."

"Is there anything useful in this information?"

The scholar shook his head: "No, these left-handed swordsmen don't match, and I even had Wang Lianshan secretly identify them— their voices don't match either."

"No good, I'll read this information again; maybe I can find something new."

Shen Qing stood up and patted his shoulder: "Don't rush; the more anxious you are, the easier it is to get confused."

"Come on, let's go out and see if there's anything to eat in Zijun City."

Soon, several people walked out of the Garrison Office and arrived at an inn still open for business.

The scholar tapped the table: "Boss, what food and drink do you have? Bring us something good to eat."

"Got it."

At this moment, several people suddenly noticed that Shen Qing's gaze had been fixed on a certain spot.

Following Shen Qing's gaze, they saw the approaching innkeeper, who had lost one arm and struggled to lift the wine jar.

Shen Qing suddenly laughed, then stood up: "Scholar, pack it up and take it back to the Garrison Office."

The scholar left a few taels of silver, picked up the wine jar, and followed Shen Qing's steps.

Shen Qing spoke.

"Scholar, regarding the one-armed swordsman from Yunzhou, have you looked into him?"

The scholar nodded: "Yes, these past few days I really heard of a swordsman named Fu Yun Sword Liu Yun; he made a name for himself in Yunzhou when he was young, but unfortunately he later lost an arm, and it seems he lost his... right... arm..."

The scholar's voice grew softer, and then he looked toward Shen Qing.

"Boss, you mean this Viper is the one-armed one!"

Shen Qing nodded: "Exactly, we've been misled by Wang Lianshan and Song Dian's words, thinking this Viper actually has both arms intact, but is merely left-handed."

"But do you still remember what Wang Lianshan said a few days ago? When this Viper met him, his right arm never moved, so could it be that the Viper isn't unwilling to move his right arm, but rather his right arm simply cannot move?"

The scholar stopped walking, his eyes widening more and more.

And every time this Viper appears, he wears a wide black robe, so he wears a fake arm to create the illusion of having both arms intact.

As a result, it has been very successful.

"Isn't this too sinister?"

Return Sword Sect.

Fu Yun Sword Liu Yun sat on the mountain peak, and beside him was a black iron-forged fake arm.

Behind him stood a beautiful woman.

Liu Yun's gaze pierced through the clouds and fell upon the refugees coming and going on the ground below; his eyes were full of coldness, and he softly murmured a phrase.

"The suffering of the mortal world—enter reincarnation."

At this moment, a disciple of the Return Sword Sect came running from afar.

The woman behind him retreated to behind the pavilion.

The disciple bowed and performed a salute.

"Greetings, Grand Elder."

"Has the Embroidered Uniform Guard come down from the mountain?"

The surrounding air suddenly dropped several degrees: "Embroidered Uniform Guard? Who is it?"

This disciple shivered: "Reporting to Grand Elder, it is Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander-in-Chief Jia He."

"He came to inquire about our Return Sword Sect's recent situation; he said he wishes to visit Grand Elder you, to ask for your opinion on this famine, and said the Embroidered Uniform Guard suspects this natural disaster is being pushed by someone behind the scenes."

Wang Lianshan's exposed information remains blocked by the Embroidered Uniform Guard; the outside world still does not know.

The surrounding air returned to normal.

"Understood, tell Jia Tongzhi to wait a moment—I'll go right away."

The disciple performed a salute and then took his leave.

After the people walked far away, this woman then came out.

Liu Yun let out a few soft laughs.

The woman looked at Liu Yun with some confusion: "Master, why are you laughing?"

Liu Yun stroked his beard.

"I laugh that the Six Gates lack wisdom, I laugh that the Embroidered Uniform Guard lacks strategy."

"Only now realizing it's man-made? Too late."

Immediately after, Liu Yun stood up and walked toward the mountain below.

In the sect's main hall at the mountain base, Jia He had a wooden box placed beside him, and was drinking tea.

Soon Liu Yun walked in from outside the door.

Jia He laughed and spoke: "Elder Liu Yun, long time no see, your bearing remains the same."

Liu Yun also laughed heartily: "Jia Tongzhi! These years, haven't you also taken the position of Tongzhi?"

Jia He knows Liu Yun is likely the Viper, and Liu Yun also dislikes the Embroidered Uniform Guard, yet the two still exchanged hollow greetings.

"Jia Brother, why did you suddenly think of visiting this old man today?"

Jia He laughed: "I came to catch a thief, happened to pass by here, and came up to take a look."

At this moment, Jia He suddenly patted his head: "Oh, right, right! I remembered, I still have something to do, so I'll leave first."

Saying that, he lifted the wooden box and walked down the mountain.

This left Liu Yun utterly bewildered—what on earth was going on?

Not long after descending the mountain, Jia He's smile gradually faded.

He raised the wooden box in his hand and knocked hard on it: "Wang Lian Shan, did you hear that?"

Wang Lian Shan's voice came from inside the wooden box: "Exactly! This sound won't be wrong!"

This was also Jia He's true purpose in visiting Liu Yun—to have Wang Lian Shan, hidden in the box, identify the sound.

After receiving Wang Lian Shan's affirmative reply, Jia He's face turned completely cold.

He looked up at the sky and nodded.

Meanwhile, Liu Yun, still utterly bewildered, walked toward the mountain peak.

But soon, he sensed that the atmosphere at the summit felt off.

Even the white cranes that used to call out daily had vanished without a trace.

He quickened his pace, striding toward the summit, and arrived shortly—only to find a man in a large red python robe already there.

This mountain pierced the clouds, with fierce winds howling, yet they could not stir even a corner of Shen Qing's robe, only lightly brushing the tips of his hair.

His female disciple, meanwhile, trembled as she poured tea for Shen Qing; hearing the commotion, she lifted her head and looked at Liu Yun, her eyes full of pleading.

Liu Yun did not act rashly, but gripped the hilt of his sword with his remaining left hand.

"Who are you."

Shen Qing ignored him, instead lifting the teacup and taking a sip: "Skillful technique."

Only then did he turn his body to face Liu Yun.

"You are the Viper of the Reincarnation Tower?"

"This should count as our first proper confrontation, you and the Reincarnation Tower."

"Oh, right—let me introduce myself."

"I am the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard of Qingzhou."

"Shen Qing."