Chapter 67: 65 Chasing White Hair Under the Moon

65 Chasing White Hair Under the Moon

Tang Zhao tidied up the room in a rush, and when he arrived outside, everything had fallen silent.

In a mountain Daoist temple, once the lamps were extinguished, one could not see one's own fingers, and the world was so still it felt as if it were outside the world.

At one end of the guest quarters, in the room where Pei Wang and the other were drinking, the sounds gradually faded, and the shadows cast on the window disappeared; one could assume they had drunk themselves into a stupor. As for the others, whether young or old, they had all entered the realm of dreams.

Tang Zhao quietly entered a small room and poured himself a cup of water. He first covered the cup with his hand, using the heat to warm his fingers, which had just been washed in cold water.

His stiff fingers slowly softened, and he couldn't help but ask himself:

What did I come here for?

Sneaking out of a warm bed in the middle of the night to disguise himself and gather intelligence in an ancient mountain temple—Tang Zhao had expected a thrilling adventure, but it had ended up being a night of doing chores.

He hadn't washed as many bowls in the last twelve years as he had tonight.

Intelligence...

"Does this count as having gathered a little?"

At the very least, he knew that this faction, which had a significant number of people and a Sword Guest holding the line, was coveting the Demon Cave, and they felt much more respectable than the rabble at Iron Scorpion Castle.

Sword Guest, Sword Envoy, Loose Practitioner, Heavy Swordsman...

Aside from a Spirit Official, the lineup was already quite complete.

As he thought, he focused his attention on the "Sword Envoy."

Soldier against soldier, general against general. A Sword Guest should naturally be dealt with by a Sword Guest. That mysterious Sword Guest with the haughty air would be handled by Xing Ji. And the one Tang Zhao should correspond to was likely the Sword Envoy.

Pei Shoujing...

The girl's face flashed through his mind—she was a very calm girl. To be praised by the ancestor of a noble family, her strength must not be weak.

She was a Sword Envoy who officially wielded a power sword; she was certainly more familiar with various Sword Arts than he was, and she must even be proficient in coordinating various tactics.

As for himself, aside from relying on the power of the sword itself, he only had the advantage of "the enemy being in the light while I am in the dark."

However, could that really be considered an advantage?

Tang Zhao didn't even know what kind of sword she had, only that her sword was related to plum blossoms. Should he go and scout again?

Would that be considered creating extra trouble? He wasn't a professional spy; what did he know about extracting information? In the spy stories Chen Zong told, those who were self-righteous and acted off-plan always ended up miserably.

Now there seemed to be a new situation; the mysterious Sword Guest was coming tomorrow. Would there be a change in the plan?

A door sounded behind him, and Tang Zhao said, "Junior Uncle?"

This was to address Black Widow; he would call her that when no one was around to avoid suspicion if overheard.

It was indeed Black Widow who had come, and she was alone.

In the darkness, her silhouette was blurry, only the yellow crown on her head was quite distinct. She came to Tang Zhao's side, leaned down, and said in his ear, "Prepare quickly, we are going down the mountain."

Tang Zhao said, "Tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow has nothing to do with you." In the darkness, her voice was steady, but her speaking speed was faster than usual, almost devoid of that typical languor: "I didn't know a Sword Guest was coming before, which is why I brought you out. Now the plan has changed; I cannot intervene in the matter of the Sword Guest, and I have already sent a message to notify the people of the Land Inspection Division."

Tang Zhao opened his mouth, wanting to say: How does it sound like you brought me out privately, and the Land Inspection Division didn't even know?

But he did not question her, saying, "What about you?"

Black Widow said, "I will see you down the mountain and return before dawn. It doesn't matter if a Daoist Child is missing from the temple, but if I were to disappear too, wouldn't that blow my cover? This identity of mine was not easy to cultivate, and it is not yet time to abandon it. Let's go."

Tang Zhao said, "I'll go down the mountain myself. You stay here; don't let anyone see you going up and down the mountain, or it will arouse suspicion."

Black Widow said, "That won't do. In these deep mountains and old forests, do you even know North from South? I must see you back to a safe place before I can return. Preserving this stronghold is important, but you are more important. If this place is destroyed, at most we won't catch any fish, but if you are hurt, Xing Ji will fight me to the death."

Tang Zhao said no more. He had nothing to prepare, so the two of them stood up directly and quietly exited through the back door.

After descending the mountain, the two did not light any lamps and walked back silently along the path they had taken.

Suddenly, Black Widow pulled Tang Zhao and said, "Hide."

Tang Zhao didn't feel anything unusual, but this was not the time for hesitation, so he immediately slid his feet and hid behind a bush.

Black Widow hid behind a tree in another direction.

Just after the two of them crouched down, a white figure walked over from afar.

Tang Zhao took a quiet look and immediately lowered his head. In that one glance, he only saw that the person had a head of white hair, hanging down like a waterfall.

Was that the Sword Guest?

So the Sword Guest also walked? He wasn't Flying on a sword.

He was amused by his own thought. Thinking of Xing Ji, thinking of Ping Jiangqiu, Sword Guests usually ate, slept, walked, and rode horses; aside from their personalities being somewhat eccentric, there was nothing special about them.

But unlike the unreliable Sword Guests he knew, this Sword Guest had a stern, murderous air with his white hair. His footsteps on the withered leaves of the mountain made a rustling sound. The closer the figure got, the more Tang Zhao felt his breathing become labored.

Don't be nervous. Nervousness would cause a rapid heartbeat and short breath, making it easier to be discovered.

He used his Inner energy to adjust the circulation of his breath. Although he wasn't proficient, the effect was good, and gradually he couldn't even hear his own breathing. As for Black Widow opposite him, Tang Zhao didn't need to worry about her; even if Tang Zhao were discovered, she wouldn't be.

Seeing that the white-haired person was about to pass by him, he suddenly heard other sounds.

Before he could distinguish what the sound was, the white-haired person had already stopped and said, "You still won't give up? Overestimating your own strength, utterly stupid."

A person was seen stumbling out, covered in blood on their body and face, as if they were a bloody man, but they still stood straight and said, "How could I let you escape?"

Tang Zhao was horrified and almost cried out: "Teacher Si—"

The white-haired person's voice dropped a few degrees and said, "Escape? Look at yourself, are you worthy of making me escape? I can't be bothered to deal with you people from the Land Inspection Division. I spared your life, yet you continue to pester me. You really refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."

Tang Zhao was worried, but also surprised: Judging by his tone, he didn't intend to be an enemy of the Land Inspection Division? Wasn't he planning to organize people to raid the Demon Cave? Why hold back?

Si Liyu wiped the blood from his head and said in a condensed voice, "Hand over Tang Zhao."

Tang Zhao was stunned. The white-haired person said, "I have already said I don't know Tang Zhao. I will say it again now. My patience is limited."

Si Liyu said, "You entered Tang Zhao's room, and then he disappeared. Now you tell me you don't know him? Wasn't it you who issued his bounty to all the black-market scum?"

Tang Zhao suddenly realized: Black Widow had indeed brought him out privately; the Land Inspection Division didn't know at all. His Disappearance had nothing to do with anyone else; it was a misunderstanding.

But why did this person enter his room? The bounty was indeed issued by him; the Land Inspection Division's intelligence was correct. But since they knew about this person early on, why didn't Xing Ji make a move, leaving only Si Liyu alone at this time?

Tang Zhao stared at the white-haired person for two more glances, confirming he didn't know him. Why would he put a bounty on him?

Regardless, this was a misunderstanding; Si Liyu's situation was precarious, and Tang Zhao had to step forward to let Si Liyu know he was safe, so that he would not continue to force a fight.

Of course, he could not just jump out and say, "I am here, stop fighting." After all, this person had once issued a Tong Qi for him and might truly want to capture him, only having failed to find him this time. If Tang Zhao rashly ran out, a fake hostage would become a real hostage, which would be bad for everyone.

His gaze swept around, intending to move silently to a place where only Si Liyu could see him; once he vaguely revealed his face, with Si Liyu's alertness, he would naturally seize the opportunity to retreat.

The white-haired person said indifferently, "Who? Oh, that brat. I have no use for him anymore; I have something better. Also, since we've met, tell your lackeys to stay away from me. I feel like vomiting whenever I smell the stench of the Land Inspection Division. I've ignored you while you've been sniffing around after me these days because I didn't want complications, not because I was afraid of you. Don't provoke me into kicking over your dog kennel. Get lost."

Si Liyu stared at him and said, "I understand, you put him in the Time Jar?"

Tang Zhao was horrified and, disregarding everything else, poked his head out to look, only to see the white-haired person holding a jar in his hand—the very one he had placed under the bed—

Ping Jiangqiu!

In an instant, Tang Zhao panicked; could it be that the white-haired person had broken into his room at night specifically for Ping Jiangqiu?!

Upon hearing the word "jar," the white-haired person's eyebrows rose, and he rebuked, "Giving you face and you don't want it, go—" A cold light flashed as the blade left its sheath: "Die!"

He was fast, but Si Liyu was no slower; almost simultaneously, he lunged forward like an arrow released from a bow, the Sword Light on his hand flickering.

His sword was not a Sword Light as bright as frost and snow, but one that carried a faint, bewitching...

Blood light!

His sword was the same as his current state, filled with Blood Qi, staining the night with a shade of blood.

Amidst the strange-colored Sword Qi, the two exchanged several moves rapidly, and Si Liyu retreated violently, stepping back several paces in succession.

The white-haired person said coldly, "A mere Dharma Artifact, yet you dare to offend a Sword Guest?"

Si Liyu panted more and more heavily, fresh blood flowing incessantly from his head and body, covering the blade.

The blade remained bright red, only more piercing and vivid.

The blade, which had originally been solidified like a ruby, now flowed like blood in a vein, connecting with the hand holding the sword.

The red color seeped in from bottom to top, spreading wantonly like an intricate tattoo, dyeing his body red inch by inch. A faint blood mist permeated the air, shrouding Si Liyu's figure, his features half-hidden and appearing extraordinarily bewitching.

The white-haired person's originally indifferent expression gradually turned grave, and the blade in his hand trembled slightly; he did not reveal a strange phenomenon like Si Liyu, but he reached out his other hand and pinched a Sword Seal.

Tang Zhao could no longer worry about hiding and moved along the bushes toward the back of the white-haired person.