Chapter 165: Illusions

In the pitch-black tunnel, the air was as viscous as ink that would never dissipate. In the darkness, only Chen Ji's breathing remained. He fumbled along the wall, stumbling and staggering forward. But this long tunnel seemed endless, with no end in sight.

The next moment, the sound of his pursuers' footsteps echoed from behind, urgent and powerful, surging with killing intent.

In the darkness, someone shouted in a low voice: "The other side is official, beware of ambush, use crossbows to clear the way!"

A sharp whistling sound pierced the air. Chen Ji couldn't see the angle of the crossbow arrows, only subconsciously pressed his body against the wall.

In the narrow tunnel, four crossbow arrows whizzed past his chest and the tip of his nose. The last one unexpectedly embedded itself in his left shoulder. Just then, Chen Ji supported Jing Wang as he walked out of the room. Jing Wang weakly said: "Feng Daban, what happened?"

Feng Daban quickly bowed: "Your Highness, this humble official has come to escort you back to your residence!"

Jing Wang said curiously: "Feng Daban usually has such a steady demeanor, why are you so anxious today!"

Chen Ji grunted, a searing pain surged through him, his arm was already unable to lift. Ignoring the pain, he took advantage of the time it took for the other side to reload their crossbows, quickening his pace towards the end of the tunnel.

From behind, someone shouted loudly: "Shot! Chase!" Several guards surged forward, making a move to lift Yao Taiyi's bamboo lounge chair. Liang Mao'er stood up and angrily shouted: "Stop!"

Just as Liang Mao'er's burly figure rushed forward, with a casual pull, he sent the guard tumbling. Feng Daban wasn't angry, only spoke calmly: "Yao Taiyi, you should still ask him to stop. This humble official is also thinking for Your Highness's safety, we cannot delay."

Chen Ji dragged his limp arm and crawled out of the tunnel, his gaze sweeping over the meat shop. Immediately, he gritted his teeth and with one hand pulled the meat cutting table, firmly flipping it over at the tunnel exit.

*Dong dong dong.* Feng Daban glanced at She Dengke and the others, then turned his head to Jing Wang and said: "Your Highness, this is not the place to talk!"

Jing Wang smiled: "But say no harm!"

Feng Daban took a deep breath: "Your Highness, the private army of the Liu family's Yan Shi main camp has already entered the city. Just now they completely surrounded the Luocheng Government Office, and now they are heading towards Anxi Street! The Liu family seems to be rebelling!"

In the courtyard, She Dengke, Liu Qu Xing, and Liang Mao'er exchanged glances. The pursuers in the tunnel exerted force to push the meat cutting table, but for a while, they couldn't move the heavy table.

Chen Ji took a deep breath and forcefully pulled out the crossbow arrow. In the winter, pea-sized drops of sweat dripped from his forehead. He rolled up his sleeve, tore off the hem of his clothes, and tied it around his shoulder wound, then turned and walked out of the meat shop door as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, soldiers were passing through Anxi Street. Liu family soldiers holding long spears walked past Chen Ji. They tightly surrounded the Jing Wang Residence and the Taiping Medical Hall, completely sealing them off. The guards of the Jing Wang Residence held long spears and confronted them at the door, both sides with swords drawn and bows bent.

Chen Ji walked with his head down under the eaves on the side of the road, hurrying towards the end of Anxi Street. But after only walking a few dozen steps, he slowly stopped again. Liu Qu Xing's face was ashen: "Weren't things peaceful yesterday? Why are they rebelling today?"

She Dengke said in a booming voice: "What are you afraid of!"

Liu Qu Xing cursed: "This is a crime punishable by extermination of the nine clans. My whole family is in the nine clans. Do you think I'm afraid or not? You dog mother raised. Usually, we can't touch a bit of the Liu family's benefits, but when something goes wrong, we have to suffer their implication."

She Dengke stared, dumbfounded. Only then did he realize that if the Liu family's rebellion failed, Liu Qu Xing would also be implicated and beheaded: "Then... then what if the Liu family succeeds?"

Ahead were dozens of soldiers guarding, prohibiting all common people from entering and exiting Anxi Street. Chen Ji turned and walked towards the other side, but saw the pursuers already chasing out of the meat shop, holding knives and scanning left and right through the crowd, searching for his figure.

Can't get away! Chen Ji searched around for a usable weapon, preparing to fight to the death. Before he could find a handy weapon, a carriage stopped beside him, and someone in a low voice said: "Get on the carriage, I'll send you away."

Chen Ji turned his head to look, and it was unexpectedly Zhang Li of the Huangshan Dao Court who lifted the carriage curtain and waved to him from inside the carriage. Liu Qu Xing subconsciously glanced at Jing Wang, then hurriedly grabbed She Dengke's arm and shouted in a low voice: "What nonsense are you talking about!!!"

Feng Daban ignored their conversation. He heard the sound of horse hooves echoing from a distance and said earnestly again: "Your Highness, the matter is urgent, you should first follow this humble official back to the Wang Residence. Perhaps if we send someone with the tiger tally to mobilize the Wansui Army, there might still be a chance to salvage the situation!"

Jing Wang thought for a moment: "Let's go. Back to the residence!" He got into the carriage, leaning against the carriage wall, and sized up Zhang Li with wary eyes.

Zhang Li patted the little Dao Tong driving the carriage, indicating for him to quickly drive the carriage away. The little Dao Tong said with difficulty: "Zhang Li senior brother, we shouldn't take him, it will cause trouble."

Zhang Li cursed and slapped the back of his head: "Why is your Old Jun Mountain Dao Court so afraid of trouble? How did your master usually teach you, what to do if you encounter someone in danger?"

The little Dao Tong was startled: "We should pray to the Three Pure Ones Dao Ancestor to protect him."

Zhang Li laughed in anger: "You mother!!!! Will praying to the Three Pure Ones Dao Ancestor still be in time? Senior brother will teach you now, to draw your sword and help when you see injustice on the road."

The little Dao Tong hesitated and said: "Senior brother, this is not the same as what my master taught."

Zhang Li slapped the back of his head again: "Less nonsense, if you don't drive, I'll bash your head open. Earlier you begged me to bring you to Luocheng to play, and now you're not listening to me? See if I'll bring you later."

The little Dao Tong pouted and could only shake the reins to drive the carriage. Zhang Li put down the carriage curtain, turned back, and smiled at Chen Ji in the carriage: "Sorry, sorry for the mess." At this moment, Chen Ji suddenly said to old man Yao: "Master, Your Highness's illness cannot leave you, how about we also go to the Wang Residence together?"

Old man Yao wrinkled his brow and thought for a moment, then agreed: "Good!" With that said, several people quickly packed their things and followed Jing Wang out.

When they reached the door, everyone turned to look, only to see a team of soldiers urging their horses forward, getting closer and closer. Chen Ji asked doubtfully: "Why is Zhang Li Dao Zhang here?"

Zhang Li patiently explained: "Earlier you helped my Dao Court a lot at Lu Hun Mountain Villa, so of course I have to visit when I come to Luocheng. It's just a coincidence, I happened to run into this scene on the way! Right. The Liu family really wants to capture you, right?"

Chen Ji remained unmoved: "No!"

Zhang Li smiled and pointed at his shoulder. Chen Ji lowered his head to look, and blood had already soaked through the gray cloth shirt, seeping outside.

"Don't be nervous..." Zhang Li said with a kind smile, "My Huangshan Dao Court has no friendship with the Liu family, and I will absolutely not betray you. Now that the Liu family has sealed off this long street, I'll send you out first."

The carriage drove towards the outside of Anxi Street. Just as it was about to leave, it was blocked by more than a dozen soldiers: "Passage is prohibited here!" The driving little Dao Tong asked in a low voice: "Senior brother, what should we do?"

Zhang Li said casually from the carriage: "What should we do? Scold them!" The little Dao Tong blurted out to the soldiers without thinking: "You mother..."

Zhang Li quickly said: "Wait, don't curse so vulgarly." The little Dao Tong heard this and cursed at the soldiers: "Are you blind? You dare to block a Dao Court carriage?"

The soldiers outside said in a deep voice: "Mister Feng has ordered Anxi Street to be sealed off. No matter if you are from the Dao Court or the Buddha Gate, you cannot leave."

The little Dao Tong said angrily: "I am the direct disciple of the immortal master Dan Qiu Zi of the Old Jun Mountain Dao Court. The person in the carriage is Zhang Li, the first disciple of the Huangshan Dao Court. He is the person who enters the palace to lecture on Dao law for His Majesty. Call your Liu family person in charge to see me. I still have to ask, who gave you the guts to dare to block my carriage?"

The soldiers exchanged glances. One of them made a signal, and a soldier immediately quietly left to report. A moment later, a general with a curly beard wearing armor slowly walked over. She Dengke said in terror: "Hurry, hurry. They are rushing towards the Wang Residence."

However, Chen Ji seemed to suddenly remember something: "Master, you go first, I forgot to take something!" She Dengke walked and turned his head at the same time, only to see Chen Ji duck his head into the Taiping Medical Hall. He said angrily: "Chen Ji, quickly follow us! What are you still taking at this time; what is more important than life?"

He said politely to the little Dao Tong: "Please forgive me, little Dao Zhang, we are also acting on orders to catch anti-thieves. Please cooperate a little."

The little Dao Tong raised his eyebrows: "Do I look like an anti-thief?"

The curly-bearded general explained: "I am not saying you are an anti-thief, I am just worried that an anti-thief might take advantage of you not paying attention and hide in the carriage. How about this, you let me check inside the carriage. As long as I confirm there is no anti-thief, I will immediately let you go!"

The little Dao Tong sneered: "What if I don't agree? You say check, then check. Where is the dignity of my Dao Court?"

The curly-bearded general's face slowly darkened: "The matter is significant. If the little Dao Zhang does not agree, even if the Three Pure Ones Dao Ancestor is in the carriage, we cannot let you leave."

In the carriage, Chen Ji's eyebrows were tightly furrowed. This disaster was probably unavoidable. He looked towards Zhang Li, only to see the other side take out a wind-dried elm leaf from his left sleeve, and a rat whisker pen from his right sleeve. At the entrance of the Taiping Medical Hall, Liu family soldiers jumped off their horses, drew their waist knives, and rushed in with surging killing intent, searching everywhere! The kitchen, bedroom, main room, all were empty.

A soldier stood in the middle of the main room, frowning as he looked around. He had clearly seen Chen Ji return to the medical hall with his own eyes just now, how could he have suddenly disappeared? As he thought, his gaze fell on the bed.

Zhang Li cut his finger, dipped the rat whisker pen in blood, wrote a complex talisman on the elm leaf, then reached out and pasted the elm leaf on Chen Ji's forehead, saying in a low voice: "Don't speak."

The next moment, he cleared his throat and said in a deep voice: "Zhou Fang, since they want to see inside the carriage, then let them see."

The little Dao Tong responded: "Okay, senior brother." With that said, he proactively lifted the carriage curtain for the curly-bearded general to see: "Here, look." She Dengke stopped and waited for several breaths, but never heard a response from Chen Ji.

A moment later, he gritted his teeth and went to search for Chen Ji, but was grabbed by the wrist by Yao Taiyi and forcefully pulled into the Jing Wang Residence. Before entering the Wang Residence, he suddenly discovered that this first team of cavalry was not rushing to the Wang Residence, but first completely surrounded the Taiping Medical Hall. Everyone suddenly realized that these people were actually here for Chen Ji.

Chen Ji's heart was already in his throat. He watched with wide eyes as the curly-bearded general poked his head in and cast his sharp gaze towards himself. But the other side only glanced in his direction, then swept past as if they saw nothing.

The curly-bearded general cupped his hands to Zhang Li and said: "Zhang Li Dao Zhang, my apologies. I am also acting on orders."

Zhang Li calmly hummed and asked in a condensed voice: "Could there be an anti-thief in my carriage?"

The curly-bearded general quickly said: "No!"

"Still not letting us go?"

The curly-bearded general retreated a step and waved to the soldiers: "Make way, let them go!"

This chapter is not finished, in...

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