Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 404 The Thief Hides
Capital city, Regent's Palace.

Chuntai was wearing a robe embroidered with gold, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the warm room, with a wisp of white steam rising from the colorful green tea bowl at his hand, and the fragrance of tea was long-lasting.

On either side of him was a man kneeling, one wearing a short blue coat with a large collar, and the other wearing a black cloak with red sleeves. They were playing chess and fighting in the small space of a low table.

"Yuan Gongbao, Yuan Gongbao, you are very good at using a knife to kill someone, but people are greedy. Under the current situation, how long can the money in your hands last if the Beiyang Army does not take action?"

After reading the memorial recently submitted by the cabinet, Chuntai was generally satisfied with what Yuan Xiangcheng had done in Tianjin, but he was somewhat disdainful of his approach of preserving the strength of the Beiyang Army.

The day before yesterday, when Zhili was in chaos, he issued an edict to Yuan Xiangcheng, intending to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, weaken the Beiyang military power by taking advantage of the bandits' fierceness, and use the murder of Kulun to alienate Yuan Xiangcheng from the Beijing-Tianjin martial arts community. However, Yuan Xiangcheng had been in the court for a long time and was a shrewd man among shrewd men. Naturally, he knew not to step into this glaring pit, so he took advantage of the issue and combined the two events, using silver rewards to further win over the huge Beijing-Tianjin martial arts community.

This Yuan Gongbao is indeed a capable and important official of the imperial court, but unfortunately, he is a Han Chinese.
Chuntai thought of the royal family members who spent their days eating, drinking, gambling, and smoking, most of whom were good-for-nothings. He shook his head, picked up the tea bowl, took a sip of the clear Biluochun tea, and raised his eyes to look at the black and white dragons fighting on the table.

"Yuanzi, you always say that you are proficient in summoning the gods to help you, asking for divination and using yarrow stalks to tell fortunes, and that you know how to avoid disasters and seek good fortunes, and how to escape death and find life. But how come when it comes to the chessboard, your dragon is no better than a straight one?"

"Of course it's because my destiny as a black dragon has come to an end. It's time for me to die."

The blue-shirted Taoist priest named Yuanzi held an obsidian chess piece between his fingers, staring at the dying black dragon in the small space. He thought for a long time, and was about to make a move when Chuntai pointed at his wrist.

"How do you think today compares to ten years ago?"

When Chuntai heard the Taoist's words, he looked a little uneasy, but looking at the chessboard situation in front of him which was so similar to the one in Shenzhou Fengyun, he sighed and asked.

"The Boxer Rebellion will re-emerge, causing even greater harm. If we cannot fight and resolve it quickly, the imperial court will be in danger of being overthrown, but China will not be in danger of sinking."

Seeing Chuntai stopping him, the Taoist didn't care. He just dropped the chess piece on his fingertips back into his palm and put it back into his sleeve.

"Yuan Gongbao is a capable minister in a peaceful era, but also a treacherous hero in a chaotic era. Compared to the rebellious followers of the Democratic Party, the master should be more wary of this person."

Seeing Chuntai testing him, Quzhi put down his chess piece, turned around and replied respectfully.

"I think, instead of being on guard against Yuan Gongbao, a mortal, all the time, it is better to think about how to subdue the magic spear that protects him. If that kid had not rejected my kindness many times and stood in Tianjin like a stone in a toilet, forcing me to protect the roots of the court and unable to move south, the fire in the south would never have started."

Chuntai didn't care about Yuan Xiangcheng who couldn't even withstand a bullet. At his level, the only things that could concern him were the ever-changing world situation and the martial arts masters who had reached the pinnacle.

"Li Shuwen has been a law-abiding person these years and has never left Zhili. I think the Boxer Rebellion has nothing to do with him."

When the Taoist in blue shirt heard Chuntai mention Li Shuwen, the black dots in his palm kept flying up and down: "But recently, his mysterious eldest disciple has returned. It is said that this man came back from studying abroad in Japan. He is very resourceful. In his early years, he collected a lot of wealth for Baji Sect. Now he is visiting the boxing sects that have opened doors in Zhili Province. It is hard to guarantee that he is not secretly colluding and plotting something."

"Oh? How strong is he?"

Chuntai thought of the Blood Blade Master [Fire Head Master] who he sent to Yanshan on Lantern Festival night but never returned.

"He's about the same as Gong Houzi, or maybe even stronger. After all, no one has ever seen him use his full strength."

Qu Zhi took out a book with the words "Bajimen" written on it from the shelf behind him at the right time, turned to the page about Qin Huai and handed it to Chuntai.

"When he was over ten, he completed his studies and became a master. He won the championship in the martial arts competition in Beijing. Later, he traveled far away from Tianjin and founded the Jinlou in Foshan. Later, he appeared in Kowloon and stayed there for a long time, and then disappeared. When he was over twenty, he became a master. The day before yesterday, he had a closed-door competition with Sanhuang Paochuimen in Jingtang. It is unknown who won."

Chuntai looked at the register and suddenly thought of his beloved disciple Yan Xiaoguo. It seemed that he went to Kowloon during that period, and then died on the battlefield for his loyalty to his country.

"In the Baji Sect, apart from the Li family kid, is there anyone who can take down Vibhiya who is accompanied by the Vajra monks?"

"Huang, Zhang, and Li should be able to work together, but none of them were at Yanshan on the night of the Lantern Festival, so someone else must have killed Vibiya."

Quzhi recalled the spy's intelligence and answered.

"Your subordinates have been secretly investigating for so long, but have you come up with any results?"

Chuntai flipped through a few pages of the register, looked at them one by one, and finally eliminated a few people, leaving only Qin Huai, who was the most suspicious.

"All we know is that on the night of the Lantern Festival, Wang Zhongquan, the Baji Sect's [divine stick], returned to the Jinmen boxing gym, and then stayed in the Jinlou on Hualou Street for the night. However, Qin Huai, the owner of the Jinlou, disappeared and did not show up until the next day."

"Hualou, Kulun, Yanshan, and Viyaya."

Chuntai pointed at the portrait of Qin Huai in the register and said in a voice that was unrecognisable: "You two should go to Tianjin and test his strength."

"What about my chess piece?"

The Taoist in blue shirt seemed to have been struggling for a long time, and finally came up with a magical idea. His fingertips kept rubbing the obsidian in his palm.

"Go ahead. I want to see how you can bring this crippled dragon back to life."

Chuntai glanced at Yuanzi, who was known as the "Earth-Defying Taoist", waved his hand, and said meaningfully.

"The chess game is already decided, and human power cannot change it. The only way to revive it is to use the finishing touch."

As soon as one piece fell, the situation on the field suddenly changed.

The Taoist in blue clapped his hands, pulled out a hexagram from his sleeve and handed it to Chuntai.

"Yesterday, I observed the sky at night and saw the Purple Star. It was bright for a long time, illuminating the three celestial palaces. I think that Shenzhou has produced several more favored sons of heaven with imperial destiny and the appearance of emperors."

Seeing Chuntai frown, the Taoist in blue shirt continued, "Ten years ago, the old Buddha went hunting in the west to avoid disaster, and the prince cut off his tail to survive, which extended the court's reign for another ten years. Now the roots are shaken, and Shenzhou is in chaos. If we want to save the world again, there is only one way."

"explain."

Chuntai looked at the Tianji Envoy who was proficient in the art of strange men and numbers, and actually had the answer in his mind.

"Replenish the dragon energy for the root veins, eliminate the chronic diseases and malpractices inside and outside the court, and make the Jianzhou dragon reborn after its tail is cut off."

The Taoist in blue shirt raised a finger, his expression gradually becoming wilder: "It's a pity that there are no real dragons in this world, otherwise it would be much easier to catch them and offer sacrifices to the heavens. There is no place to find the superior ones, so we can only seek the inferior ones. If we want to replenish the dragon energy, we can only work on those people whose fate appears in Ziwei."

"Shenzhou is vast. If there are no extraordinary people with special skills to search all provinces, it is too difficult to find the target person." Chuntai shook his head, still feeling that hope was slim. He had lived for more than two hundred years, and apart from his own emperor, he had never seen a few people with the fate of appearing in the Purple Star. Now, if he wanted to find a specific person in the vast sea of ​​people, it would be as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Your Highness is so concerned that he has forgotten what kind of world we are in now."

The Taoist in blue shirt laughed loudly and patted the newly delivered frontline report beside the table: "The Zhongshan woodcutter in Honolulu and the leader of the White Lotus Sect who started the Boxer Rebellion, aren't they both people who are destined to appear in the Purple Star?"

"It has been several days since the Yellow Lotus Holy Mother fled to Tianjin. I think the Tang worshippers should have found some clues."

Seeing the Taoist in blue shirt looking at him, Qu Zhi nodded and pulled out a few secret letters from his bosom: "Lin Hei'er has reached the north bank of the Yangtze River. I think he will cross the river and go south today, hiding among the Boxer Rebellion people in the southern provinces. Master, do we want to take it?"

"Well, the White Lotus Relics are of great importance. All six sticky rod envoys should be dispatched to make sure the mission is accomplished!"

Chuntai nodded slightly. He was the pillar of the Qing court and could not be too far away from the capital. In this case, it would be best to let those confidants who had been trained by him for many years come out in full force. If the six envoys of the sticky pole could also capture a few people who were destined to appear in the Purple Star, it would save a lot of effort.

"Yuanzi, you will be the leader of this trip. Please assist us in all aspects and adapt to circumstances. Don't be afraid of losing yourself."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best."

The Taoist in blue shirt pointed to the register on the table and asked, "Liu Qing is in Tianjin now. Why don't we let him go with us and test this young man together?"

"Just do what you want. If the magic spear moves unexpectedly, I will block it for you."

Seeing that the Taoist was determined to kill someone who was wrong rather than let him go, Chuntai naturally agreed. After throwing him a gilded token, he picked up a book from the mountain of memorials next to him and started reading again.
-
That night, in the southern part of Tianjin.

Ever since the martial arts community in Beijing and Tianjin learned that the Governor's Office had offered a huge reward for their help in catching bandits and robbers, each boxing gym has sent out its disciples to take charge of the surrounding areas. Although they did not catch any vicious bandits, they did reassure the general public and, in some ways, reduced the impact of the burning, killing and looting by the gangsters.

The chief culprit of the Zhili turmoil, Yanfu Xingzou, who participated in free hunting, also sensed the undercurrent and immediately changed his flamboyant style and acted low-key. During the day, he looked for a place to learn from a master, and at night he imitated Swallow Li San and did things with his bare hands.

As the behind-the-scenes promoter who revealed the [Fighting Training Method] to Yanfu Xingzou and indirectly reduced the intensity of the conflict, Qin Huai has not been idle these days. After filling his soul with Yuan Qi, he once again visited several boxing gyms that have close relations with Bajimen. After sparring with the heads of each gym, he felt that his progress in mastering ancient martial arts has really taken a big step forward.

Qin Huai had just finished a drinking party with his fellow disciples from the Zhizi Sect at Wanchun Tower. As he was walking from Nanshi to Jinlou, he felt a gust of cold wind suddenly blow behind his ears.

In just a moment, the candles and city lights were all extinguished, the wind was sharp and the frost was fierce, the bright moon was covered by dark clouds, and the sky and the earth were dark!
The strong wind suddenly pressed down on the street stalls, the awnings broke and fell down, and the dark blue oilcloth blocked the view of Qinhuai.

Stab it!

The golden and red knife flashed, Qin Huai split the annoying awning, paused, and looked back.

Shashasha~
The extremely subtle sound of footsteps was hidden in the whistling wind, and three figures whose faces could not be seen clearly walked from the end of the long street. The surging Yuan Qi carried with it the raging snow, which surged and rolled, and was extremely powerful.

"Blocking the road in the middle of the night, seeking revenge?"

Qin Huai glanced at the three people, rolled up his sleeves, and said with a fake smile: "Qin's fists can't kill the nameless ghost. If you don't tell me earlier, you won't have a chance later."

"Five years ago, you killed Yan Xiaoguo. Seven days ago, you killed Kulun. The next day, you killed Viyaya, the fifth-generation disciple of Baji Sect, Qin Huai. Am I right?"

A gentle voice came out from the man in the middle. Qin Huai narrowed his eyes slightly, and black ripples flashed, allowing him to see his appearance clearly.

The man was wearing a blue shirt and short jacket, and looked very imposing. He had a small braid on the back of his head and was about fifty years old. He had a fair complexion, a full forehead, a pair of bright and restrained almond-shaped eyes, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were so fine that they were barely visible.

He is an old Taoist priest who has the secret to maintaining his youth.

At the same time, a glimpse!
【The Taoist of Earthly Destruction】

Name: Roundness

Status: Qi exists, Heavenly Principle (incomplete), Three Secrets (proficient in numerology, good at using the three secret treasures of Qimen, Liuren, and Taiyi to do what he wants)

Threat level: Purple (Eight Extremes Peak)
Note: One of the real people of Quanzhen Longmen sect, his Taoist name is Di Jue. He was a recognized master of numerology a hundred years ago. He practiced both life and death, and his depth was unfathomable. Because the ancestral temple of the sect had been supported by the Qing Dynasty for more than three hundred years and the interests of the sect were inseparable from the Qing court, he was invited by Aisin-Gioro Chuntai to come down the mountain to support the dragon. He is now in charge of Tianjishi, one of the six envoys of the sticking pole.

"Old Taoist priest, you are well versed in numerology, but you didn't tell your fortune before leaving. Will you die tonight?"

Qin Huai looked at the threatening purple-red and black color on his body, curled up the corners of his mouth, and pulled out a very heavy bronze sword box out of thin air with his right hand.

bang~
The bronze sword case smashed the snow and mud, making a dull sound as it hit the ground.

"It is difficult for a doctor to treat himself, and it is difficult for a fortune teller to calculate himself. Since you are not willing to refute yourself, then come with us."

Yuan Du saw that Qin Huai's words revealed his strengths, and he did not refute the previous lies he had told him. He knew that he had run into the culprit. The heavy sword behind him fell down and fell into his hand, and the murderous intent in his heart suddenly rose.

"People who practice Taoism have such a strong murderous nature. Old Taoist priest, aren't you afraid that your practice will go wrong?"

Qin Huai drew out the Eight-sided Han Sword [Pride] and the Heian Sword [Jealousy], and pointed the sword tips at the three people.

"Killing someone and paying with your life, and paying off a debt are all natural things. At your level and mine, if you can't see through it, then something goes wrong."

Yuan Du shook his head, his heart was not shaken at all. He could feel the strong Qi hidden deep in Qin Huai's body, and whispered to the two people around him: "Go all out and kill him. He is more than just a grandmaster."

"What are you talking about? Come and die!"

The dark sword shadow cut through the long night, opening a gap in the snow and wind that was almost big enough for a person to pass through. But with a "clang" sound, Yuandu blocked the heavy sword in front of his chest and muttered something.

"Kun character - lotus rising from the ground!"

The ground beneath their feet rippled like flowing water. Qin Huai swung his knife upward, and a tiger roar exploded from deep in his throat.

【Welling】!
The feeling of reality came back to his feet. The hair on Qin Huai's forehead danced wildly, the sword light leaped down, and the blue veins were like a bulging dragon.

(End of this chapter)