Chapter 389

Hu Jing's martial arts are not low, but his swordplay is broad and open, and Japanese ninja techniques are precisely his counter.

Moreover, judging from the two sent this time, the people they send are no slouches in martial arts.

He simply cannot beat them.

Once found, his only fate is capture.

Hu Jing fell into thought—but… it's not entirely without a solution.

Hu Jing's gaze swept over Pan Yun; besides following Pan Yun, there was another way.

That was to hide.

The world was vast; if he truly wanted to hide, even martial artists would struggle to find him, let alone the Japanese pirates.

Do they know how to navigate?

Do they have contacts?

Hu Jing sneered repeatedly, then snapped back to find Pan Yun leaning close, her eyes nearly pressed against his face.

He recoiled in shock, nearly collapsing onto his wound, "What are you doing?"

Pan Yun: "You're strange—what are you so pleased about? Found a way to deal with the Japanese pirates without me?"

Hu Jing snorted, "I can just hide. I don't believe the Japanese pirates can find me."

Pan Yun looked at him in exasperation, "You mean hide in some mountain nook with no money, eating nothing but vegetables and hunting a little game yourself?"

"No wine, no friends, not even anyone to talk to—hiding alone in the mountains?"

Hu Jing was speechless.

Pan Yun gazed at him in disappointment, "They're just Japanese pirates—it's Great Ming! You're on Great Ming soil, walking openly, yet you're scared into hiding from a bunch of Japanese pirates! Where's the face of Great Ming's martial world? Where's the face of the imperial court?!"

Hu Jing hadn't felt bad before, but with Pan Yun's words, he suddenly felt stifled and humiliated—a surge of anger rose within him.

Pan Yun slapped his arm and snapped, "Just follow me—I'll see who dares come for you. I'll make them come one and leave one, come two and leave two!"

Hu Jing regained his reason, frowning at her, "Although Sanzhu, what you say makes sense, but are you really this kind? Aren't you using me as bait to lure the Japanese pirates?"

Pan Yun: "What benefit would I get from luring those Japanese pirates?"

Hu Jing's waist ached, his chest ached, his arm hurt, and his head throbbed too—he couldn't think of an answer.

He stared at Pan Yun, thought for a moment, then still didn't give a firm reply, "I need to think."

Pan Yun: "Think all you want. You're injured and won't be moving anytime soon. When you decide, tell me. If you decide to leave, I won't stop you."

Pan Yun patted his arm and said, "You know—I, a Daoist Priest, always respect people."

Hu Jing: …

Pan Yun turned, lifted the curtain, stepped out, and jumped down from the cart to say to Tao Yanbai, "Go inside and take care of him. I'm going for a walk."

Tao Yanbai: "Little Master, you go ahead—I'm not tired, I can still walk."

Pan Yun tapped his head, "Don't overthink—it's not for you to rest, it's for you to care for the patient. I don't want to see his face for now."

Hu Jing inside the cart shouted, "Sanzhu Daoist, I heard that!"

Pan Yun: "Didn't mean to hide it from you."

She nodded toward Tao Yanbai, "Go up!"

Tao Yanbai obediently climbed up.

Tao Yanbai had nothing to chat about with Hu Jing, so he simply watched his wounds and occasionally gave him sips of water.

Both the person inside and outside the cart fell into thought.

Hu Jing pressed his money pouch, thinking of the fake map Pan Yun had just slipped inside.

If this fake map left his hands, could he truly wash his hands of everything and blame it all on Zhu Zixun?

Pan Yun also pressed the real map hidden in her chest, pondering: Did Hu Jing really have only this one map?

With his intelligence, could he possibly memorize the coordinates and route on the treasure map?

Originally, they planned to retrieve the treasure immediately after Chen Wen secured the men—but if the Japanese pirates didn't have the treasure map and didn't even know the island's coordinates, then whether they came sooner or later didn't matter much.

They could even split into two groups—one to guard the sea, one to land and retrieve the treasure…

Sigh, too bad the deal was already made; as a Daoist Priest with conscience and morality, Pan Yun couldn't break her vow.

Otherwise, once her magical artifact was complete, she could simply fly over with her companions and take the treasure herself.

But this island looked far away—she wasn't sure if her current cultivation level could carry her across.

Both were thinking. Wang Cong was thinking too.

He was the only one who had heard every word spoken inside the cart. Like Pan Yun, he believed it was best to keep Hu Jing under their control.

Once the treasure was retrieved and Hu Jing no longer posed a threat, they could part ways then.

Wang Cong made up his mind and planned to persuade Hu Jing to stay. They slowly headed toward Jinan, completely unaware that Liu Jing and others had already arrived ahead of them in Jinan and were searching the city for Hu Jing.

Jinan Prefecture was under lockdown; inns and private lodgings had been searched, and every government office had been questioned—no trace of Hu Jing.

"Strange. Hu Jing left Licheng early yesterday—he should have reached Jinan Prefecture by afternoon."

Wang Shan frowned, "A man his size, not even trying to hide—how could he vanish? Go look again! And what about the wanted criminal? Found him yet?"

Liu Jing immediately replied, "Found him. His name is Tang Peng. This year he's been hiding in Chengnan, posing as a laborer loading cargo at the docks, occasionally helping butchers slaughter pigs and sheep. With his messy hair and full beard, no one recognized him."

He knew Wang Shan would never remember the wanted man's name—even though he mentioned it every report, Wang Shan still forgot.

Wang Shan said, "Keep watch on him. Hu Jing will come for him. When he shows up, seize him immediately!"

A nearby captain immediately volunteered, "My lord, I'll personally lead men to watch him—I'll bring Hu Jing back for sure!"

But Liu Jing disagreed, whispering, "My lord, Hu Jing is a professional bounty hunter. His investigative skills rival even the best officers in the Ministry of Justice, and his tracking abilities are on par with ours. If our men linger nearby, he'll notice."

"With Hu Jing's caution, he'll vanish before we even spot him."

Wang Shan frowned.

!. Read

The nearby patrol leader said, "Liu Jing, stop exaggerating. He's just a rogue wanderer—we're all seasoned Embroidered Uniform Guards; how could he spot us?"

Liu Jing bowed his head. "My lord, Hu Jing should not be in Jinan Prefecture right now. Yesterday's heavy rain caused particularly severe flooding along the road out of Licheng; rumors say there was even a minor mountain flood. He may have been delayed somewhere."

"But Licheng is close to Jinan Prefecture. The news of Jiang Shuxiao's arrest will reach Jinan soon. So Hu Jing must fear that if he waits too long, Tang Peng will hear about it. By tomorrow at the latest, he will act."

Liu Jing proposed, "Why don't we pick two men to disguise themselves as martial world figures and go after Tang Peng tomorrow too—just chase him, don't arrest him. Hu Jing will surely show up to intercept."

"Hu Jing fears the Embroidered Uniform Guards, but he won't fear martial world rivals competing for the same job."

"And with two people pressuring him, he'll grow even more desperate, and when he does, he'll neglect his surroundings—making it easier for us to call for backup."

The patrol leader: "A third-rate martial arts master? Do we really need backup?"

Wang Shan lifted his gaze. "Can you beat Hu Jing?"

The patrol leader fell silent, afraid to answer—he feared Wang Shan would make him go alone.

Wang Shan was the sort who'd gladly stir up trouble just for amusement.

Seeing the man stay quiet, Wang Shan snorted coldly and ordered, "Follow Liu Jing's plan. This matter is entirely under his command."

Liu Jing immediately agreed.

"Liu Jing, you've already been promoted to Sergeant Major. If you bring back the treasure map before Wang Wen does and report back to Jingcheng first, I'll speak to my uncle and recommend you for Patrol Leader."

Liu Jing immediately knelt down, tears streaming, and shouted his thanks.

Seeing this, Wang Shan burst into laughter, turned, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

The patrol leader, watching, couldn't help grinding his molars.

From the start of the year until now—less than three months—Liu Jing had risen from an ordinary Embroidered Uniform Guard to Sergeant Major.

And now he'd become Wang Shan's confidant. If he kept staying by Wang Shan's side, he'd truly be promoted to Patrol Leader. When Wang Shan advanced further, Liu Jing would rise with him.

The patrol leader gnashed his teeth in envy, spat on the ground, and pushed ahead of Liu Jing, turning to his comrades with a cold sneer: "Some people are just good at sucking up. No wonder Patrol Leader Wang originally hated him so much—he kept him down all this time."

The nearby Embroidered Uniform Guards broke into cold sweats, neither daring to offend Liu Jing nor the patrol leader, so they mumbled a vague reply.

But the patrol leader wouldn't let it go—he kept whispering to Liu Jing's face: "Patrol Leader Wang vanished without a trace. Could someone be taking revenge?"

The Embroidered Uniform Guard now dared not answer. He hurried forward with a dead-eyed expression, cursing inwardly: You want to fight? Go after Liu Jing yourself—why drag me into this?

Liu Jing, shoved to the back, showed no expression on his face, still wearing a faint smile—but beneath his sleeve, his fingernails dug hard into his palm.

He hadn't thought of Wang Yong in a long time. Since leaving Jingcheng with Wang Shan, he no longer regretted his decision.

If Wang Yong hadn't disappeared, Liu Jing would forever remain his subordinate. No matter how many cases he solved or how many merits he earned, it would all be for Wang Yong's glory.

If Wang Yong had been promoted and taken him along, that would've been fine.

But Wang Yong's relationship with Wang Zhen was neither close nor distant—no blood tie, merely a clan connection. He'd reached Patrol Leader and could go no further, relying entirely on Wang Zhen's influence.

He himself reached Patrol Leader, then refused to let subordinates rise—especially capable ones like Liu Jing.

Everyone else found connections or paid to leave. Only Liu Jing remained stuck, held down by Wang Yong, unable to advance or transfer.

When Wang Yong died, Liu Jing was dragged down, stripped to the rank of ordinary Embroidered Uniform Guard—but in just three months, he'd covered the ground that once took him three years.

If he secured one more merit this time, once back in Jingcheng, he'd be promoted to Patrol Leader.

And Wang Shan is Wang Zhen's own nephew—he'll become Vice Prefect, Assistant Regional Commander, even Regional Commander…

As long as he stays by his side, as long as he remains useful, he can rise—rise, and rise again!

Liu Jing's lips curled slightly, his eyes bright: Hu Jing—he would capture him!

The treasure map—he would seize it!

(End of Chapter)