Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Today's mission was directly ordered by the city lord's trusted general. The city gate officer and his brothers have been guarding the city gate for many days, waiting for an old man named Huang Long and a young man accompanying him. And most importantly, the general's order is to execute them on the spot.

The gatekeeper didn't know why or what the reason was. But since it was an order from the general, he, as a lowly gatekeeper, could only obey unconditionally.

They initially thought it was just a routine task, but unexpectedly, when Lao Huang appeared and the city gate official gave the order to capture him, countless arrows shot out from the city gate in an instant, clearly indicating to the official that things were not so simple.

As soon as Old Huang was struck by the arrow, the city gatekeeper instinctively went to check on him. Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine, and his forehead was instantly covered in sweat. In that instant, the city gatekeeper understood what had happened.

This matter was personally ordered and supervised by the general, so there's no doubt that the archers inside the city gates are also his men. Therefore, the two men in my mission, Huang Long and Wen Long, are the general's mortal enemies. But since the general has given the order and hasn't shown up, their identities are rather intriguing.

Based on the principle that avoiding mistakes is a virtue, the city gate official was not keen to participate in this battle between gods. However, it was his duty, and he had a family to support. Therefore, the city gate official could only obey the general's orders.

However, to his surprise, not long after they left, the city gate official had already lost nearly half of his men, whom he considered his brothers. This greatly displeased the city gate official, who had originally wanted to avoid getting involved in their affairs. But given the current situation, whether he wanted to or not, he knew he was already caught up in the mess. So, the city gate official had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

The information I just mentioned about stopping Wenlong and the reward of a thousand taels of silver was merely what the general ordered. Of course, I could choose not to say anything, but if the investigation came to light, I might not even know how I died.

To the city gatekeeper's surprise, the very people he had secretly instructed before setting out had still led to this situation. A wave of desolation washed over him; he regretted not taking responsibility for the whole affair, hoping to save his men. But now, it was too late.

They rode in silence, and while the city gate official hesitated, Wen Long had already spurred his horse far away. As darkness fell, Wen Long found a secluded spot, dismounted, and prepared to rest and tend to his wounds. Although the wounds weren't particularly bothersome or large, it was still best to treat them first.

After all, Wen Long didn't know when his pursuers would suddenly catch up, so he could only hurry to treat his wounds, eat some dry rations, and rest for a while. Also, the horse that had been running alongside him all day needed to eat some grass and rest; otherwise, it really wouldn't be able to hold on.

Although Wenlong was starving, he dared not light a fire. To light a fire and expose his identity for the sake of warmth and a better meal would be a greater loss than the gain. Wenlong could only force himself to chew on the hardened rations, replenishing his strength while calmly considering his next move.

After a while, Wenlong suddenly perked up, abruptly stopping what he was doing, leaning forward slightly, and staring intently at a dark spot not far away. Wenlong remained frozen like this for a short while, then a rustling sound came from the distance.

"Sir, is that kid really that fast? He disappeared in the blink of an eye."

"No, he can't have gone far. I took a look, and he's not riding a good horse. He can keep going, but his horse can't. So I'm pretty sure he's staying in this area right now. If we search carefully, we should be able to find him."

"But sir, I still don't understand why we're arresting them."

"I don't know either. It was the general's order. How could I refuse? When you're in the army, you're not in control of your own destiny. Heh." The last laugh sounded extremely bitter.

"But...we've all ended up like this. Ah-Dai and the others all died because of these two. We're clearly no match for them, so why did we have to provoke them?"

"I don't know either. Heaven is watching what people do. Sigh... I have no choice in the matter..."

"Sir, what should we do? If we really run into him, are we really going to go up and fight him head-on? I don't even have a wife yet, I can't let my family line end."

“I also hope we don’t run into him. I really don’t want to lose you all. I was thinking that once I’ve made something of myself, I could bring you all out here to find something to do and help support the family. Now look what’s happened. I brought you all out here, but I can’t bring you back here in peace. How can I go back to see their parents?” His voice was very bitter and trembled slightly.

"Should we continue searching?"

"Let's keep looking. We'll die whether we find him or not. We're going to die either way, so we might as well die at his hands. That way, at least we can send some money home and not implicate them."

"grown ups..."

"Just call me Big Brother. There are no outsiders here, so it's fine."

"Brother, if we really run into him, you must come back alive. I will protect you. When you get back, tell my parents that their son is not a coward." His voice trembled as he spoke of his parents.

"Who dares to call you a coward! Whoever dares to call you a coward, I'll chop him up!"

"And also, don't overthink it. We'll definitely all get back. What nonsense are you talking about? Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Wenlong, who had been hiding in the shadows, listened quietly to their conversation while slowly moving towards where his horse was tied, stopping every now and then to inquire about the situation.

Slowly, Wenlong moved to the spot where his horse was tethered. He stood up slowly and carefully wrapped the reins around his hand.

Then, standing motionless behind the tree, Wenlong took a deep breath, suddenly flung the reins, whipped his horse hard, and then lunged forward, rolling into the bushes to the side.

"Brother, how long do you think we'll have to search this place?"

"I don't know either, it's pitch black. Where are we going?" The man called "Big Brother" sounded increasingly annoyed and impatient. Indeed, even a moon would do. But there wasn't a moon, so they couldn't light torches and could only grope their way forward in the darkness.

If he and his men hadn't had some understanding of the terrain—not exactly an expert, but at least confident—their fate would be uncertain.

"Brother, you're not exactly incompetent, so why are you still stuck in this lowly position as a gatekeeper? Are those people blind?" The voice was tinged with resentment.

"Shh! Don't talk nonsense! If some people with ulterior motives hear this, we'll be in big trouble." The older brother's voice was noticeably more tense and lowered.

"In the end, it's because we have no connections and no money. Look at some of my former subordinates, their families are rich and influential, and now they're several levels above us. They used to call me 'sir' and had to fawn over me. Now, the tables have turned, and now we have to call them 'sir.' We have to fawn over them, and they don't even respect us." The voice shook its head bitterly at this point.

"Brother, stop talking about this, what if we..."

"Whoa!" A long neigh from a horse came from not far away. Upon hearing this sound, the two men who had been talking drew their swords from their waists as if facing a formidable enemy, holding their breath and staring silently into the distance. The two men who had just been talking were none other than the city gatekeeper and his subordinate.

"Quick! Chase after them!" The city gate official finally snapped out of his daze, pointed ahead, and roared an order to his men behind him. The man was finally about to be found.

"Wait! Wait..." But after only two steps forward, the city gate official suddenly waved his hand, stopping himself and his men. He didn't know why, but something felt off. However, because it happened so suddenly, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Therefore, to avoid any preventable casualties, the city gate official ordered everyone to stop their pursuit.

"Brother, if we don't chase after him now, it will be too late. He hasn't appeared for a long time, but now that he has, we can't let such a good opportunity slip by." The young soldier who had been standing next to the city gate officer immediately stepped forward and whispered a reminder to the city gate officer.

The city gate official turned around and quietly looked at the young man beside him, then his eyes suddenly brightened. He finally understood where the problem lay. Originally, Wen Long could have delayed being discovered by the city gate official and his men for a while longer, but now he had suddenly appeared in their sight.

Then there's only one possibility: this is a diversionary tactic. That means there's no one on the horse that ran ahead, and the young master of the Wen family he was chasing is still in the same spot. Thinking this, the city gate official couldn't help but turn around and look behind him. Then suddenly, his gaze stopped on a certain place. He was right; his eyes were fixed on the spot where Wen Long had just been.

The city gate officer looked quietly at the open space for a moment, then turned to look at the bewildered young soldier beside him and nodded slightly before giving the order.

"Chase him! Chase him quickly! We absolutely cannot let him get away! The general will reward whoever catches him handsomely! Move out of here!" The city gate officer pointed to the road in front of him and rode off on his horse first.

Although the crowd behind him was somewhat puzzled by the city gate official's behavior—why had he suddenly stopped after such a good chase, looked around inexplicably, and then directed his men to run away—they still followed closely behind him. The young man who had been talking to the city gate official didn't immediately run off. Instead, he turned back and looked at the spot the official had been staring at for so long. After a short while, the young man smiled slightly and nodded thoughtfully.

Then the young man turned around, spurred his horse, and caught up with the city gate officials and their men. He left behind a clear arrow mark where he had gone.

As the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, Wen Long slowly rose from the bushes. He took two steps towards the main road, then calmed himself and listened carefully before relaxing. After letting out a soft sigh, Wen Long turned to leave, but suddenly stopped.

As if he had seen something, Wen Long abruptly turned his head, his eyes fixed on the ground. What he saw was an arrow mark on the ground. Wen Long frowned slightly, and after recalling what had just happened, he gave a cold laugh.

Wen Long tiptoed onto the main road, cautiously glancing left and right. Seeing that nothing was amiss, he waved his hand, subtly using a bit of his battle aura, and the arrow mark on the ground vanished. Wen Long slowly retreated to the bushes where he had been to rest.

"Brother, why did you tell us to stop? Wouldn't that have let that Young Master Wen get even further away and make it harder for us to catch him?" The young man ran up to the city gate official and asked him curiously.

"Are you stupid? This tactic is called 'luring the tiger away from the mountain.' He's letting the horse out now, sending us to chase after it, while he switches to another horse to run away. That way, he can escape safely." The city gate official glanced around and lowered his voice.

Chapter 1248 Concealment

"Brother, why did you tell us to stop? Wouldn't that have let that Young Master Wen get even further away and make it harder for us to catch him?" The young man ran up to the city gate official and asked him curiously.

"Are you stupid? This tactic is called 'luring the tiger away from the mountain.' He's letting the horse out now, sending us to chase after it, while he switches to another horse to run away. That way, he can escape safely." The city gate official glanced around and lowered his voice.

"But why can't we just go and chase after them?" the young man asked, sounding a bit confused.

"Are you stupid? If you just chase after him like that, do you think you can catch him or beat him? I brought you out of the village, I can't go back with your corpses later." The city gate official gently patted the young man on the back of the head, speaking affectionately.

"But brother, if you catch up, wouldn't you earn merit? That way you can be promoted!" The young man looked indignant, seemingly defending the city gate official.

"Alright, silly child, this pool of water is deep now. I can't just walk away like that. I left a mark for the troops behind me before I left, and they'll know." The city gate officer sat up straight and looked at the road ahead, speaking quietly.

"Besides, we can all see this is a diversionary tactic. Is he really that stupid? Why not just quietly evade us instead of releasing the horse to attract our attention? Don't you think that's incredibly idiotic? So don't think we're just chasing an empty horse. It's really hard to say what the final outcome will be." The city gate official continued to explain to the young man beside him.

"Why do you say this problem is particularly difficult? Isn't it obvious?" The young man was a little confused.

"Let me ask you this: if you were that person, and you released the horse, causing such a commotion, what do you think the person chasing you would think?"

"I...I don't know. Maybe I'll think it's a diversionary tactic, just like you do, brother." The young man seemed a bit bewildered after hearing the city gate official's words.

"What if you were on that horse? What if the officer chasing you thought it was a diversionary tactic? Then you could escape unscathed." As he spoke, the city gate officer turned to look at the young man beside him. The young man met the officer's sharp gaze and was momentarily speechless with shock.

The young man had always thought his superior, his older brother, was a pushover, unambitious, and only interested in keeping his current position. But the moment he met the city gate officer's gaze, he realized he had been a complete idiot.

"So, this situation is a gamble. There are no winners or losers, or rather, the outcome is hard to predict. He could have pulled a diversionary tactic right there. Or he could be doing it right now on that galloping horse in front of us, making us think he's pulled a diversionary tactic. Hahaha, this kid's got some skills." With that, the gatekeeper ignored the young man and sat up straight again.

"And then there are some people who think they're so clever, that everything they do is flawless. But they don't realize they're being played like fools, while they stand by smugly, calling others idiots. Isn't that kind of person ridiculous? Hahahaha." The city gate official paused, suddenly uttering these seemingly random words. His gaze, fixed on the distance, deepened in an instant.

The young man who had been following him had also started to sweat profusely. What was even stranger was that there was a light breeze blowing through the forest, which shouldn't have been a hot place.

"Everyone! Light the torches! Chase after them immediately! Let's see if there's anyone on that horse!" The city gate officer didn't turn around to look at everyone's expressions. Instead, he shouted the order. Everyone immediately stopped, lit their torches, and resumed the chase.

After erasing the arrow markings on the main road and resting briefly in the bushes, Wenlong opened his eyes and crawled forward. Moving swiftly through the dark jungle, he soon left the main road and arrived at a place even he didn't know. After a careful search, Wenlong's eyes lit up when he spotted an extremely well-hidden cave. After cautiously looking around, he lowered his body again and crouched low as he approached the cave entrance.

Wenlong carefully lifted the vines covering the cave and peered inside. After a short while, he found nothing unusual. Then, he tiptoed into the cave and carefully checked it over before feeling relieved. There were no signs of animals living in the cave.

After carefully examining the cave entrance, Wenlong crawled out again and ran a long way to gather some grass and vines before returning to the cave entrance. He meticulously arranged the grass and vines, then nodded in satisfaction. Finally, he carefully cleaned up any traces of his footsteps.

After finishing everything, Wenlong crouched down and entered the cave, then turned around and carefully covered up all traces of activity at the cave entrance. He then meticulously laid out the things he had just gathered at the entrance, completely concealing it.

After everything was done, Wenlong carefully examined the area from several different angles before finally letting go of his anxiety. For the time being, Wenlong was safe and could finally have some peace and quiet. The day and night of commotion had left Wenlong utterly exhausted.

During the day, Wenlong had Lao Huang by his side, his own horse, and moments of joy and laughter. But in an instant, everything he once had crumbled, and he found himself being hunted. This series of sudden changes left Wenlong feeling endlessly exhausted—not just physically, but also mentally.

After a period of escape and intense psychological tension, Wenlong, finally able to rest, was instantly overwhelmed by exhaustion, his eyelids drooping. Leaning against the hard stone wall, Wenlong gradually drifted into a deep sleep.

"Master! Master! Master!" The shouts broke the silence of the Wen family mansion. When Master Wen Mou heard someone calling him outside, he got up, put on a robe, walked to his bedroom door, opened it, and stood quietly waiting for the servants to arrive.

Before long, the servant stumbled and ran into the courtyard of the master of the house, Wenmou, with a panicked expression. He turned around and saw Wenmou standing in front of his bedroom door waiting for him. The servant quickly ran to Wenmou and knelt down.

"Reporting to the patriarch, Linghai City has fallen. All of the Wen family's shops, intelligence stations, and special channels have been destroyed." Before the patriarch, Wen Mou, could speak, the servant had already explained the situation in one go.

When the head of the family, Wenmou, heard these words, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper. After the servant finished speaking, Wenmou suddenly asked a question.

"Where is the young master now?"

"Reporting to the patriarch... Young Master... If nothing unexpected happens, Young Master has already arrived in Linghai City." Upon hearing the patriarch Wenmou's question, the servant couldn't help but shudder, stammering as he answered.

Upon hearing this, Wenmou's eyes instantly flashed with a sharp light.

"Immediately summon all the elders to assemble in the main hall!"

"Yes, Master." Upon hearing Wen Mou's words, the servant quickly agreed and ran out like the wind.

"Linghai City, Chen Xiu, are you tired of living? How dare you touch someone from the Wen family. If anything happens to my Long'er, I'll skin your whole family alive!" After the servants left, Wen Mou stared in the direction of Linghai City, muttering viciously to himself, his eyes revealing undisguised murderous intent. The powerful aura emanating from him caused the flowers and plants in his courtyard to bend over.

After speaking, Wenmou let out a heavy snort, turned and went into his bedroom to change his clothes. Then, he walked heavily towards the council hall, the very hall where he had just instructed his servants to gather the elders. Clearly, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere swept over him as soon as he entered.

Everyone except for a few elders of higher seniority than Wenmou hurriedly stood up. Only after Wenmou walked to the main seat in the hall and sat down did everyone else, at his gesture, nervously sit down as well.

"I've gathered everyone here so late, you all know that something has happened to my Wen family." Wen Mou cleared his throat and began to speak in a heavy voice.