Chapter 1235
Si Ming sighed, "This man is a reclusive master who does good deeds anonymously. He has helped me many times, finding joy in doing good and helping others without asking for anything in return. His footprints have covered various countries in the Sea Continent, much like the ancient Mohist. I guess he sensed your wariness and left without saying goodbye to avoid conflict."
"Perhaps... What concerns me is that on the day before he left, we encountered an ambush set up by the priests of the Witch Gu Sect. They were using witchcraft on innocent civilians as hostages, forcing us to act with restraint. Fortunately, he saw through their scheme, found the priests hidden among the crowd, and captured the leader of the thieves."
"It doesn't sound suspicious."
"But when he killed the priest of the Witch Gu Sect, he said a few words to him. I was busy exorcising the people from the curses at the time and didn't hear clearly. I only saw his face turn pale, and then he looked lost and disoriented. Qingqing was worried that he might have been poisoned by the curses, but he just gave her vague answers every time she asked. I was planning to take him to see a doctor, but he left without saying goodbye on the way."
"It sounds a bit strange, but there might be other reasons he can't tell outsiders. He couldn't clear your doubts, so choosing to leave is understandable. In the end, didn't it just resolve the conflict between you?"
Thinking back on their past interactions, Si Ming also felt that this man was quite suspicious. However, regardless of the good impression he had beforehand, the man's actions proved that he was a virtuous and chivalrous person. How could he doubt him based on some unfounded feelings?
To falsely accuse a chivalrous person of having ulterior motives without any evidence is certainly not the act of a virtuous person.
"What you say makes sense. I'm probably overthinking it. Someone like him must have many secrets, and it's normal that he doesn't want to explain them to others. The Mohist School judge a person's character by their actions, not their intentions. He has helped me and Qingqing several times, yet I've always doubted him, which is really going too far. If we have the chance to meet again in the future, I will definitely apologize to him," Murong Qing said sincerely.
"However, this makes it even more suspicious that the Witch Gu Sect Heaven-Defying Society."
As they walked and talked, Chai Wanyang was carried on Si Ming's back. The four of them used their lightness skills to run at a speed of up to 80 miles per hour. Half a day later, they arrived at their destination. Then, they concealed their auras and sneaked into a large mansion with a plaque that read "Rongguo Manor".
This mansion is large and luxurious, surrounded by white walls and drooping willows. It has a three-bay gatehouse with hanging flowers, and covered corridors on all four sides. The courtyard is connected by paths, dotted with rocks. The backyard is full of roses and peony trellises, and there is a pond. The whole mansion is magnificent, elegant and luxurious, and the garden is full of beauty.
A group of servants and maids were busily organizing belongings in the courtyard, moving back and forth between the various courtyards, clearly preparing for a move.
Si Ming, "The little girl guessed right. If we had come a few days later, this place would probably be deserted."
Murong Qing looked towards the courtyard to the south. "There are several powerful auras over there; that should be the main force. Let's go take a look."
Murong Wu said worriedly, "There are so many people here, and it's broad daylight. It will be difficult for us to walk through without being discovered."
Murong Qing decisively said, "Let's just charge in straight away. We're here to eliminate traitors, not to assassinate anyone. There's no need to be sneaky. Let's make a big scene so people know what happens when someone betrays their master for personal gain."
Si Ming, "There's no need to hide it. We'll just walk in openly and honestly."
He flicked his fingers to unleash a Sword Intent, pointing it at each of the four people, then strode in first. The others looked at each other, puzzled, and quickly followed.
Along the way, the group seemed to be invisible. They walked right past each other without the other person noticing anything unusual, as if they hadn't seen them at all.
Murong Qing asked curiously, "What Swordsmanship did you use just now?"
"This is the Traveling World-Saving Sword Technique. Its Sword Intent allows one to traverse three thousand worlds like a traveler, leaving no trace. Even if one performs the feat of saving the world, no one will know their name," Si Ming explained solemnly. "Now, even if you shout in front of them, they will only think the wind is a bit noisy today. Unless you attack, they will not notice your presence. Of course, it also depends on your cultivation level; the higher your cultivation, the less affected you will be."
"Such a strange and wonderful Swordsmanship exists in the world. Truly, the world is full of wonders."
The four of them marveled at it. Even Chai Wanyang, who looked like a little adult, widened her eyes and looked eager to try it out. When she passed by a maid, she couldn't help but wave her hand in front of the maid's eyes, but the maid didn't react at all.
The group swaggered in, only stopping when they entered the inner courtyard. There were several top experts inside, and getting too close would alert them; their Sword Intent alone was insufficient to deceive their senses.
Si Ming carried Chai Wanyang and leaped onto the roof without making a sound. The other three followed suit and looked into the inner courtyard. There stood eight men, each with extraordinary skills and prominent temples. They were all top-notch in the martial arts world.
Six of them had a rough appearance and were clearly Barbarian Hu. The other two were a young man in his early twenties and a middle-aged man in his forties. They were both handsome, but they had fawning smiles on their faces, which made them look contemptible.
"It's Sixth Uncle, so even he..." Chai Wanyang looked at the middle-aged man and clenched her small hand.
The young man in the courtyard sighed, "I never thought it would come to this."
"Brother Merchant School, why are you sighing?" the leader of the six Barbarian Hu said. "If you abandon this house today, His Majesty will bestow upon you an even larger one later. With the immense merit you have rendered, are you afraid of not receiving a reward? Our Great Qian Emperor is not like that stingy and foolish ruler of the Li State who refuses to reward merit."
This Barbarian Hu chieftain dressed much like a Huaxia, in brocade robes, holding an ivory fan, and adorned with jewels. It was clear he was deliberately imitating the noble sons of the Li State. However, combined with his rugged, Zhang Fei face, he inevitably looked somewhat out of place.
The young man quickly explained, "It's not that I'm worried about these material possessions, but since my master is still alive, he will definitely not let me go. Once word gets out about what happened that day, I will no longer be able to stand in the martial arts world."
The middle-aged man beside him said, "Nephew, you were ordered by the Emperor to put righteousness before family. How can you be blamed for this? Just as we are both people who eat the food of the mansion, if the master gives us an order, can we disobey? This is called being ordered to do something, and we have no choice but to do it."
Take us for example. We have no grudge against your teacher; in fact, we used to have a good relationship. Serving the country and upholding the nation is a matter of justice, and arresting your teacher is an imperial edict from the Great Qian Emperor. Can we disobey the edict? The general trend of the world is that those who follow it prosper, and those who oppose it perish. Who told him to be so ignorant of the times and block our path of loyalty to the emperor, serving the country, and dedicating ourselves to the holy ruler?
The Barbarian Hu chieftain clapped his hands and said, "Brother Yang speaks well! Our Great Qian Emperor is reigning with the sun at its zenith, and the people are living in peace and prosperity, on the verge of creating a golden age. Yet there is a mantis trying to stop the chariot like Chai Wei, who refuses to serve the country and colludes with the rebels of Southern Li. We should capture him and earnestly persuade him to abandon the darkness and embrace the light. This is a perfect example of balancing personal loyalty with public duty!"
The middle-aged man nodded in agreement, saying, "In our Great Qian Dynasty, a time of peace and prosperity, taxes are never increased, and everyone praises the Emperor's Sagacity. Yet, there are a group of treacherous rebels who harbor ulterior motives and mislead the people. If these rebels were to rise up in rebellion, war would be dangerous, and wouldn't it be the common people who suffer? As the saying goes, 'The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people.' Since I, Yang, have been honored by my fellow martial arts practitioners with the title of Great Hero Flying Eagle, it is naturally my duty to serve my country and its people and eliminate these rebels!"
The young man said, "You've all misunderstood. What I'm worried about isn't personal honor or disgrace, but rather the fact that I'll no longer be able to gather intelligence for His Majesty as a disciple of the King of Zhou, thus losing another opportunity to earn merit."
The Barbarian Hu chieftain gave a thumbs-up and said, "Brother Shang is truly loyal to the emperor and loves his country. When you return to the capital and meet His Majesty, I will certainly report your loyalty and patriotism. At that time, you will bring glory to your ancestors and blessings to future generations, which goes without saying."
The three men exchanged a glance and burst into laughter in unison, while the other barbarians also grinned and laughed.
Chai Wanyang trembled with rage, Murong Qing couldn't help but exclaim, "Shameless! Utterly shameless!"
Si Ming exclaimed in admiration, "To be this shameless is quite a skill. We should learn from them so we can give them a taste of their own medicine in the future."
Murong Qing scoffed, "It's better not to learn such despicable skills."
"Petty people are thick-skinned, so a gentleman must be even thicker-skinned to deal with them."
As a pragmatist, Si Ming didn't care much about this. He observed the eight people in the arena and found that although the six barbarians were strong, they were a head shorter than the young man and the middle-aged man. The barbarian only reached the young man's shoulder.
Recalling his experience charging into the enemy lines yesterday, Si Ming noticed that the barbarians didn't seem to be very tall. Even he, at 1.75 meters, which was considered short among martial artists, could stand out among the barbarians.
After thinking about it, this situation is quite normal. Many people think that the Barbarian Hu family has herds of cattle and sheep and must eat meat at every meal. In fact, they usually eat dairy products and may not eat meat even once a month. Because of their poor diet, they are naturally short in stature. They rely on ferocity to fight, not on their size.
Based on the situation on Earth, before the Qing Dynasty, the average height of non-Han people was generally shorter than that of Han people. The concept of "tall Mongolians" is simply a false one. The average height of the Mongol army that swept across Eurasia in history was less than 1.6 meters. Even in the new century with abundant resources, the average height of Mongolians is only about 1.68 meters.
Tall and strong has never been the standard physique for Mongolians. There are occasional outstanding cases, but they cannot represent the average level of the ethnic group. Just as Han Ethnicity in Inner Mongolia are taller and heavier than Mongol Ethnicity.
Of course, for cavalry, being short is not a disadvantage but an advantage, because a low center of gravity makes them more stable on horseback and less likely to fall off. On the contrary, tall cavalrymen are slower when shooting from horseback and are more likely to be shot down during a charge—group combat and one-on-one duels are two different things.
From the perspective of survival of the fittest, those tall and strong non-Han people would naturally be eliminated in the competition among their own kind, and in the end, only the short and strong winners would remain.
"A bunch of maggots rolling around in a cesspool. Listening to them will only pollute your ears. Let's just take care of them all with one move."