Escape arts

The elderly man, whose head was sickly white, was not angered by the questioning. Instead, his face showed lingering fear as he said:

"Just as I was about to climb over the wall and sneak in, the owner of the yard opened the door and started sweeping up fallen leaves. Damn it, who does that in the middle of the night?"

"I pretended to be crazy and tried to force my way in, but he kept sweeping, only making a few random gestures with the broom. Each gesture was aimed at my weaknesses, forcing me to change my tactics. By the third time, I could no longer change my tactics or dodge, and could only roll away to escape."

He Jin, whose face had yellow and black leopard spots and whose head had two bull horns, blurted out:

"Aren't you just scaring yourself?"

"Who could do something like that? They didn't even touch it, just gestured with the broom a few times, and it scared you like this."

"According to you, that person's strength must be..."

"Unfathomable." Hou Yang, whose head was sickly white, gave his answer.

He sought an explanation himself:

"That person didn't look unusual at all. Flame Capital is full of hidden talents; he might be some Great Grandmaster hiding among the common people."

"Do you think Celestial Person and Martial Grandmaster are that common?" He Jin asked with amusement.

The old man in the gray robe paced back and forth a few steps and said:

I'll try again.

"Are you out of your mind?" Hou Yang was startled.

We'll have to think of another way!

Besides, Wu Zheng might not have left no trace in those alleys.

Is it worth offending a highly powerful and unfathomable figure for this?

He Jin sneered:

"In terms of pure strength, you and I are evenly matched, but when it comes to infiltration, you are far inferior to me. I just want to confirm whether there are other people in that courtyard, and whether they are like Wu Zheng, so as not to disturb the unfathomable master you speak of."

"If you want to die, that's your business." Hou Yang and He Jin didn't get along, so he didn't bother to persuade him further.

He even thought it would be better if He Jin died in that courtyard. In that case, the matter would obviously be beyond their control, and they wouldn't need to worry about how to handle it; they could just report it directly.

He Jin, skilled and daring, immediately gathered information, left Treasure Market, crossed South-Pacifying Street, and arrived at Tiger Tail Alley.

He passed by the Cheap Wine Shop but didn't take the opportunity to sneak in; he simply surveyed the terrain and memorized the route.

And so he circled around to the outside of the two alleys and stopped in the shadows at the corner.

His body suddenly sank, disappearing into the depths of the stone-paved road in an instant, vanishing into the night.

"Five Elements Escape Art!"

This technique is said to encompass all five elements, but it primarily uses earth and wood escape techniques. However, when one goes underground to move stealthily, there are often obstacles such as metal, stone, flowing fire, and dark water blocking the way. It is impossible not to involve the metal, fire, and water elements.

After the Severance of Heaven and Earth, the Law Realm can only escape a maximum of one hundred feet at a time.

He Jin didn't venture too deep. Staying close to the ground, he followed the route he remembered in his mind, sneaking towards the Rear Courtyard of the Cheap Wine Shop in a deep darkness and blurry shadows.

In this state, he can only vaguely sense people and objects on the ground, and they must be above him or not far away.

Soon, He Jin arrived at his destination.

He noticed two people chatting in the courtyard, but he couldn't hear what they were saying because he was underground.

"The female Wine Shop Manager and her lover? According to Hou Yang, that lover is an unfathomable master... If she is an unfathomable master, why would she take a fancy to a Wine Shop Manager?" He Jin had roughly understood the target's situation from the information he had gathered.

He crept towards the Main Room, intending to check whether Wu Zheng was hiding in the inner room before the owner of the courtyard returned to his room.

Upon reaching the side of the Main Room, He Jin cautiously peeked out, surveying his surroundings.

Just then, he saw a broom.

The broom swept towards him as if it were clearing away fallen leaves.

He Jin instinctively wanted to burrow back underground, but the earth seemed to become his enemy, desperately preventing him from sinking.

He was forced to jump off the ground to break free from this confinement and restraint.

However, he was horrified to discover that the heavens and earth were against him, and the broom grew larger and larger, sealing off all possibilities of escape.

He hurriedly raised his hands, trying to block, but his movements were much slower, as if he were welcoming the broom.

When in Rome, do as the host says.

Puff!

The broom struck He Jin, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted, collapsing to the ground with a thud, being swept into a corner like a fallen leaf.

Ding Songyan turned his head and looked at Twelfth Madam Luo was holding a broom.

Twelfth Madam Luo slightly raised her chin, a hint of a smile in her eyes and brows, and said:

"It's alright, isn't it?"

"Impressive," Ding Songyan replied sincerely.

If he were in a different position, he wouldn't be able to do it so easily. He would have to seize the opportunity when the opponent just emerged halfway out of the ground and launch a surprise attack before the target could react, just like when he dealt with Lu Zhizhai, who was "inspecting" the defenses of the Prince's Residence.

Besides, escape techniques are rare in this world. It's easy to repel this intruder, but it's very, very difficult to knock him unconscious and subdue him.

Twelfth Madam Luo's eyebrows relaxed, her smile became more pronounced, and she seemed to radiate light.

Twelfth Madam has a beautiful smile, she should smile more often. No, that's a disguise, why do I still feel this way? Ding Songyan was stunned for a moment.

He asked casually:

"Twelfth Madam, why did you give this person the chance to observe his surroundings?"

Can't we just swat it away as soon as it peeks out, like playing whack-a-mole?

Twelfth Madam Luo glanced at Ding Songyan in a good mood:

Wasn't that a sneak attack?

"If you can only casually slap me in the face by resorting to a sneak attack, then aren't I already half a step behind you?"

A strange contest... Had I known that Twelfth Madam could so easily knock out a Martial Grandmaster without making a sound, I would have let that old man in to enter my dream... This is called, this is called a blessing in disguise. If I hadn't missed that one, how could this escape technique have come knocking on my door... Is the distinction between Dao of Name and Reality, host and guest, too overbearing, or is Twelfth Madam truly Great Grandmaster? Ding Songyan looked at Twelfth Madam Luo, forcing a smile, and said:

"Twelfth Madam, could you please excuse me for a moment? I have Secret Art to extract useful information from this person."

"Another Secret Art?" Twelfth Madam Luo's face was full of disbelief.

But she turned around and walked back to the stone table in the courtyard.

Ding Songyan immediately turned his back to the Manager, revealing his snake-like face, horse-like eyes, and prominent bluish-black scales.

Using the Heavenly Heart Imprint as a disguise, he infiltrated the unconscious old man's dream.

He Jin fled the Rear Courtyard of the Cheap Wine Shop in a disheveled state and returned to his temporary residence near Treasure Market.

He immediately noticed Hou Yang's gloating expression.

"Am I right? The owner of that courtyard is unfathomable," Hou Yang said sarcastically.

He Jin said with a gloomy and somber expression:

"She is unfathomable, but the reclusive master is not the young man you mentioned, but the Wine Shop Manager. She is like, like the ruler of that Fang Tian, possessing the majesty of Great Grandmaster."

"You have terrible taste; you can't judge people properly. That young man is just the Wine Shop Manager's kept man..."

"Impossible." Hou Yang argued a few times, then said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time to argue about this. Think about how to explain this to the Prince."

"Continue to search the nearby streets and alleys in secret, without alerting the Martial Prohibition Bureau and top sects. I will report to the Prince personally." After arranging the follow-up matters, He Jin traveled from the South City to the north city in just a few breaths.

He stopped in front of a grand mansion.

A plaque with bright red characters hung on the mansion:

"Prince Shen's Residence"

He Jin went around to the side and entered the mansion through the side gate. As soon as he saw Prince Shen, everything in front of him became blurry.

Immediately afterwards, he was sent back to his room to reflect on his actions. He had no choice but to start reading the secret manual of the sect, "The Five Elements Escape Art," page by page, very carefully.

Ding Songyan's eyes revealed Double Pupils. He left the Main Room, sat opposite Twelfth Madam Luo, and said in a low voice:

"It was Prince Shen, Hong Yuanqing, who instigated this group to seize the ' Myriad Flames Origin Flow Art '."

This is one of the three Great Grandmaster surnamed Hong, currently serving as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

"Hong Yuanqing... what does he want to do?" Twelfth Madam Luo didn't question the result of Ding Songyan's question, and started talking to herself.

Was Prince Shen harboring ulterior motives, or was he plotting for Emperor Jianwu? "Fire" seemed crucial, but it was unclear what the key was... Those below only knew how to seize the "Myriad Flames Origin Flow Art," without understanding why they were doing so... Ding Songyan also fell into thought.

After a moment, Twelfth Madam Luo said to him thoughtfully:

"Once Wu Zheng recovers, find a way to send him to Phoenix Terrace Studio. After that, don't worry about anything else. Don't cause any big trouble for the Xiaoming Sect."

"Okay." Ding Songyan didn't try to be stubborn.

He then said:

"Twelfth Madam, the infiltrator's name is He Jin. We can have Chef Shi confirm whether he is a servant of Prince Shen's Residence."

"Uh, what would happen if you knocked him out while his body was still halfway in the ground?"

"Your lower body will be crushed into blood and gore by the earth, beyond saving even by a god," Twelfth Madam Luo replied simply.

"Then be careful when using the ' Five Elements Escape Art '..." Ding Songyan hissed inwardly.

Twelfth Madam Luo glanced at the Main Room and said again:

"Later, throw that man out at the alley entrance, but make sure the Watchtower doesn't spot him."

After Ding Songyan agreed, the Manager suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh:

Actually, I used to be even more competitive.

"Really?" Ding Songyan saw that Twelfth Madam was in a casual mood, so he naturally played along.

Twelfth Madam Luo looked up at the dark night sky and recalled, saying:

"From childhood to adulthood, I've always strived to do my best in everything I do. Sometimes Non-Self parents who made me learn so much; it was my own desire. Looking back in recent years, I've realized I've missed out on a lot of fun."

"Have you become less competitive over the years?" Ding Songyan asked at just the right moment.

Twelfth Madam Luo nodded slightly:

"Yes, it was only Hold Fast to the Mean. ' I accepted my own nature, but I couldn't indulge myself too much. Such principles are always easier said than done. I only hope that one day I can do as I please without overstepping the bounds."

"Some truths are hard to grasp, while others are immediately apparent. What is hard to grasp is easy to put into practice, and what is easy to see is hard to put into practice," Ding Songyan remarked with deep feeling.

A chill ran through him, He Jin jolted awake, rolling to his feet and surveying his surroundings.

The alleyway slept in the deep night, no cars or horses passed by, no pedestrians returned home late, only the cold wind rustled the withered branches, everything was so quiet and peaceful.

"Wasn't I knocked unconscious by a broom? How did I end up here?" He Jin recalled his recent experience and felt as if he had a series of fragmented dreams that were difficult to remember.

This made the incident of being knocked Manager by the Wine Shop with a broom seem like a dream.

He Jin quickly checked himself to make sure he was not injured and had not lost anything.

"Manager Wine Shop deliberately showed goodwill, indicating that she didn't want to be our enemy, but simply didn't want her secrets to be pried into?" He Jin calmed down, his thoughts racing, and he made some guesses. "In this case, it's really possible that she didn't save Wu Zheng. Otherwise, with her strength, she could have moved Wu Zheng to another place before we even arrived, and then let us spy on him in secret, thus dispelling our suspicions."

"A person of great ability has their own style; they'd rather be suspected than let us search their yard."

P. S.: Please Monthly Tickets during the double reward period!