Chapter 532
Upon Murong Qing was filled with respect. "If there were more good people like you in the world, there would be far fewer calamities and peace would last much longer."
Si Ming trusted the breakfast vendor's character and, having worked with him before, considered him practically one of his own. So, he shared his information with the vendor, hoping to gain some assistance.
After hearing this, Qingyan almost couldn't help but curse. What were these criminals thinking? Why did they have to pick such a bad time to clash with his plans?
If his target were just an audience member, it wouldn't be so bad; he could take advantage of the chaos to strike. But his target was a superstar, the only main character of the concert. If any signs of chaos appeared, the group of heavily armed guards would rush onto the stage to protect Yuezheng Yao. As a cleaner, how would he have any chance to get close to his target?
It would be even worse if those criminals were also targeting Yuezheng Yao. Although his job was to achieve his goal regardless of the method, and if he was lucky enough to have his target die of a heart attack, he could still consider the mission accomplished. But how could he, who aimed to become a legendary assassin, allow such a disgraceful stain on his first step?
His Qingyan was filled with anger, and his rage was undisguised. To Si Ming and the others, this was clearly a manifestation of his hatred for evil, a sign of a righteous person with zero tolerance for wickedness. Even Yu Shuying, who could read his emotions, was a little confused at this moment. Could this person really be a reclusive hero, and that becoming a cleaner at the concert was just fortuitous opportunity, rather than something he had heard about from the underworld? That was why she had been puzzled by what everyone had said earlier?
Thinking about it that way, it makes quite a bit of sense.
Si Ming pressed him down. "Uncle, are there any suspicious people among the staff at the scene?"
Both sides shared the same goal, so Qingyan dared not be negligent. He closed his eyes and thought carefully, then shook his head and said, "No, I can guarantee that. Unless the other party's cultivation and acting skills reach a state of perfection, it's impossible for them not to give themselves away."
"Someone with such cultivation or ability doesn't need to act suspiciously; they can just come openly and honestly." Si Ming then turned to ask Yu Shuying, "Are there any suspicious individuals among those bodyguards, police officers, or Mohist Knight Guard?"
"No."
"So, are the audience the last remaining suspects?"
Although Yu Shuying has the Mind-Reading Technique, she can't possibly look at every single one of the tens of thousands of spectators. It's only because there are fewer security personnel that she can identify them one by one.
Murong Qing, "The possibility of the other party infiltrating the audience is very low. There are guards standing in formation separating the audience from the stage, not to mention the Mohist Knight Guard patrolling back and forth. If the other party wanted to assassinate Yuezheng Yao, it would be almost impossible for them to succeed from the audience side."
Qingyan nodded in agreement. "That's right. While blending in with the audience can effectively conceal one's identity, it's a foolish approach. Not only is the success rate low, but getting away is also a major problem."
He had carefully analyzed the problem, which could be described as a "natural performance." Therefore, he preferred to pretend to be a cleaner rather than a member of the audience. Otherwise, even if he managed to launch a sneak attack with a hidden weapon, he would be surrounded by a sea of people and face tens of thousands of angry spectators. Only Spirit Transformation cultivator would have any chance of escaping.
Murong Qing, "If the other side's goal is to create a riot and the target of the attack is the audience, then infiltrating into the crowd is not a smart move. Even if the aim is to die together with the spectators and there's no intention to escape unscathed, efficiency will be a major problem."
Firearms are not common in this world, so even in terrorist attacks, martial arts are used instead of bombs. There has never been a case of someone rushing into a crowd to detonate a bomb on their person or suddenly pulling out a submachine gun and firing wildly. A powerful special move is unleashed, and its destructive power is no less than that of a hand grenade.
The problem is that preparing a powerful move requires warning signs, especially since it causes a violent fluctuation in one's Primal Qi. People around you aren't stupid. If you frantically increase your Primal Qi, even if they don't guess you're planning a terrorist attack and mistakenly think you've lost control of your internal energy, they will still take action to subdue you.
As for the idea of reversing one's internal True Qi and self-destructing on the spot, to be honest, if one's Internal Cultivation level is not high enough and the Cultivation Body True Qi too small, doing so will at most cripple one's own cultivation. One cannot even self-destruct. If one wants to be powerful enough to injure others, one's Internal Cultivation level must reach at least level nine. And experts of this level generally would not be used as cannon fodder.
Si Ming said with a troubled expression, "If we rule out the audience, security personnel, and staff, doesn't that mean there are no suspects left?"
"No, there's another one, which is precisely our blind spot," Yu Shuying suddenly spoke up, "That's the band members! Including the backup dancers, the on-site support staff, and the guests and assistants invited by Yuezheng Yao, etc."
Si Ming suddenly realized. "Because these people accompanied Yuezheng Yao in, they will be regarded as 'one of us' and subconsciously judged as harmless. In reality, there is still a possibility of infiltration. Although infiltration is time-consuming and laborious, it has three major advantages: first, they are not subject to security personnel checks; second, they are very close to Yuezheng Yao; and third, they are separated from the audience seats, providing enough space to escape."
This undoubtedly takes advantage of people's tendency to overlook what's right under their noses. If Yu Shuying hadn't been so fond of using divisive and counter-espionage tactics, and hadn't felt insecure about these "own people," she probably wouldn't have made such a connection so easily.
"So that's how it is, no wonder..."
Qingyan seemed to be deep in thought. He had originally gone to apply for a job according to his plan, hoping to infiltrate the target's side. However, he found that positions such as sound engineer and lighting technician were all filled by in-house experts. Unless something unexpected happened, they would not recruit externally. This was because these jobs, which seemed inconspicuous behind the scenes, actually played a huge role in the live performance. They would not be hired without sufficient trust.
When he set his sights on backstage workers and backup dancers, he discovered that a group of people had already secured their spots, including several substitutes, leaving him with no chance. In the end, he could only work as a cleaner.
Qingyan immediately said, "They are behind-the-scenes staff. Many of them are new faces. As far as I know, a few people were hired by the behind-the-scenes team because they wanted to see Yuezheng Yao up close and didn't want any salary."
Large-scale performances are a very troublesome affair. The equipment alone requires several trucks to transport. Although there are only a few people moving around on stage, there are actually many backstage workers. Stage design, costume design, props, smoke, speakers, monitoring, monitors, internal amplification, and external amplification all require assistance.
At that moment, intense and high-pitched music filled the stadium, accompanied by the audience's adrenaline-pumping screams; clearly, the concert had officially begun.
The group exchanged bewildered glances, not bothering to ask Qingyan how she knew the news, and quickly ran towards the back of the stage.
"Wait a minute! Who are you? This is the back studio area. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed in. Stop right there!"
The bodyguards in charge of security shouted to stop them, but did not immediately take action because Si Ming and his group looked like students, and they subconsciously assumed that they were fanatical fans trying to sneak backstage to see the star.
Murong Qing took out the token representing her identity as a Mohist Knight Guard. Before she could explain, Si Ming made a lightning-fast move, his fingers flashing as he channeled his energy into her acupoints, numbing her muscles and bones, and knocking down all four bodyguards blocking her way.
"Time is of the essence, there's no time to explain. They might not believe a token, and besides, they'll definitely demand identity verification. By the time we're done, it'll be too late. Let's just barge in!"
Murong Qing paused slightly, but did not object. She stomped her foot, and a chill spread along the ground, seeping into the body of the bodyguard and rendering him unable to speak.
"We can't let them give us a warning, otherwise we might alert them. We need to catch those criminals off guard before they can react!"
Suddenly, several patrolling Mohist Knight Guard appeared around the corner in the distance. Upon seeing this scene, they were about to shout when they were shot in the throat by several invisible arrows formed from divine power. Green sprouts would then grow on the surface of their throats, and they would become unable to speak, babbling incoherently.
"You guys charge in, I'll snipe."
Holding a jade-green wooden bow, Liu Qingqing spoke.
Yu Shuying quietly put away the hidden weapon she was holding between her fingers, and Qingyan also released her fingers from the mechanism of the sleeve arrow. With no more worries, everyone charged forward.
Whenever someone appears, Liu Qingqing's divine arrows strike their throats before they can react, silencing them completely. This is not only due to her superb archery skills but also thanks to the blessing of Divine Arts, which allows her to "correct the trajectory." The price is sacrificing lethality, but right now, the aim is to silence the enemy and not to kill them, which is a perfect solution.
The deity that Liu Qingqing summoned at this moment was not Hou Yi, the god of arrows, but Goumang, the god of wood. Jumang is the god who governs the growth of plants and all kinds of life, as well as the god who governs agricultural production. He assists the Eastern God, the Azure Emperor Taihao. Goumang has it that the sun rises from the Fusang tree every morning, and the divine tree Fusang is under Goumang's jurisdiction, as is the area where the sun rises.
The Mozi Ming Gui chapter also mentions Goumang, saying that Duke Mu of Qin once saw a god enter the ancestral temple with a bird's body and a square face, which frightened him so much that he turned around and ran away.
The Divine Dao, "Do not be afraid. Because of your virtue, God (referring to Taihao) has sent me to grant you nineteen years of life, so that your country may prosper and you may have many children and grandchildren."
Duke Mu of Qin bowed in gratitude and inquired about the god's name, to which he replied, "Goumang."
Because of this story, Goumang became one of the deities worshipped by the Mohist Religion, but the Divine Arts associated with him are mostly for healing and assistance, and rarely for harming enemies.
The group rushed into a studio that resembled a dressing room. Si Ming glanced around and thought, "Hmm, everyone here is weakling. Their Internal Cultivation is no higher than level six. There shouldn't be any criminals inside."
Just to be on the safe side, Yu Shuying used her Mind-Reading Technique to check again. The answer was as Si Ming had guessed. Even among behind-the-scenes workers, there are professional and non-professionals. The people here clearly all possess professional skills and are members of the celebrity team, so they are not easily replaced.
"Hey, who are you?" A heavily made-up woman with a sign around her neck frowned. "This is the backstage area. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed in. Get out of here now! What are the bodyguards doing? Come over here and kick everyone out!"