Chapter 106:

Qingming Town.

It was already night time, but the town was still brightly lit.

The pilgrims who had gone up the mountain to pay respect to the gods were making their way back along the mountain path. There were many people coming and going.

Speaking of the number of pilgrims alone, perhaps Qingyun Temple had slightly fewer than Xuantian Temple in Heyang Prefecture. However, the level of devotion of the pilgrims and believers here was much greater. Even though it was already night time, there were still many pilgrims on the mountain road.

Ding, ding, ding.

The sound of the town’s bell rang again. The limping old man had arrived early this time and was standing at the front of the crowd, happily receiving his rice porridge.

The strong young Taoist who had distributed the rice porridge last time was still doing so, but this time he had received a special instruction from Taoist Chiyang. Naturally, he had a good expression on his face.

Since Qingming Mountain was right at the foot of the town, there were also many Taoists stationed here. So, the town was not a place where ruffians and troublemakers dared to cause trouble.

This small town at the foot of the mountain is actually safer than many cities under the rule of the Great Yan officials.

Qiao Mu stood on the balcony of his room at the inn, looking out into the distance. He saw the scene of a Taoist monk serving porridge to the servants, and then he gazed at the towering Qingming Peak. He felt that this town had a particularly harmonious and peaceful atmosphere, unlike anything he had seen since he traveled through time.

"Are you ready? Take off your clothes," came Wu Qizheng’s voice from behind.

"Okay."

Inside his room at the inn, Qiao Mu took off his jacket, revealing his strong and muscular body.

His main martial arts practice was the Long Life Fist and the prestigious Pure Yang Wuji Skill of the Wudang sect. Although he also trained in various other martial arts, his muscles were not overly bulky or abrupt. They had smooth and distinct lines.

If you only looked at his body and not his face, you would never guess that this was the body of a sixty-year-old man.

Previously, during the battle with the previous Star Xuan Envoy, Qiao Mu had also sustained some injuries. Taking off his clothes was just to facilitate the treatment from Wu Qizheng.

"The external wounds on your body are not a big concern, but the internal injuries caused by the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method are a bit troublesome," Wu Qizheng assessed.

The Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method is the most famous form of self-injury secret technique, and he naturally recognized it.

Of course, a skilled and decisive user of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method like Qiao Mu, he had indeed never seen before.

"Ordinary medical techniques cannot treat your internal injuries in a short period of time… Although I have another method, it is a bit special and requires cutting open your chest," Wu Qizheng asked.

"Do I have to take an oral dose of anesthetic?"

"No need," Qiao Mu fiercely expressed that he didn’t need it.

Mainly, he was somewhat curious about Wu Qizheng’s treatment method.

If he were to take an oral dose of anesthetic, he would naturally lose consciousness and be unable to feel anything.

As a remarkable man who was unafraid of entering the battle empty-handed, his pain tolerance was already inhuman. He didn’t pay attention to trivial pain.

"That works too," Wu Qizheng also readily agreed, immediately taking out a sharp blade and fiercely cutting it… on his own arm.

Qiao Mu：？

Did the doctor start by cutting himself?

But the next scene refreshed his understanding of the martial world.

On Wu Qizheng’s arm, a piece of flesh the size of a fist was cut off, but strangely, not much blood flowed out. The wound not only stopped bleeding on its own, but also slowly wriggled, healing at a visible speed.

Immediately after, Wu Qizheng held the fist-sized piece of flesh in his left hand and held the knife in his right hand, walking towards Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu’s face changed slightly, "What does this mean?"

He had experienced near-death situations before, but he had never experienced such a bizarre scene.

"The flesh and blood of monsters are great supplements for martial artists. And my flesh and blood…is somewhat special, also a great supplement for martial artists, it can be used for healing." Wu Qizheng said calmly.

"Compared to consuming the flesh and blood of monsters, after my flesh and blood enters your body, it can save you the process of digestion and absorption, directly repairing your internal body."

"The main reason is that I am stronger than you, so a small piece of flesh the size of a fist can repair the damage to your meridians."

"… Is this the modern method created by Martial Saint?" Suddenly, Qiao Mu remembered Mo Mingzhi’s words before he died.

In the forty years since the establishment of the Wuji Association, martial arts have progressed in Mo Mingzhi’s estimation by hundreds of years.

Although this statement is a bit exaggerated, looking at Wu Qizheng’s style of painting, there has indeed been significant breakthrough in martial arts. It’s just that the style of painting is a bit distorted.

However, Qiao Mu still had some hesitation.

With this foreign flesh entering his body, not to mention any rejection reactions, he even doubted whether, according to this style of painting, this mass of flesh could still control his body?

Seeing Qiao Mu pondering, Wu Qizheng also guessed his concerns and smiled faintly.

"Don’t worry. If the Wuji Association wants to control you, they can simply use force. Why would they need to resort to such methods?"

"Besides, in the Wuji Association’s arsenal, they have collected all sorts of martial arts and strange techniques from all over the world. Things like life and death symbols, lethal poisons that can cause near-death if not taken an antidote for a month… We have those too, so there’s no need for these extra measures."

Qiao Mu thought for a moment.

The most important thing is that he is not afraid of death. Why panic? Just be reckless and get it done.

So he didn’t resist and let Wu Qizheng use a sharp blade to cut open his chest. Then, forcefully, Wu Qizheng stuffed the fist-sized chunk of flesh into the wound.

The fist-sized chunk of flesh seemed to have a life of its own. It wriggled a little and gradually flattened from its original bulge, eventually seeming to become a part of Qiao Mu’s body.

"Three or four days should be enough to repair your damaged meridians. It won’t affect your participation in the plan to assassinate the emperor," Wu Qizheng breathed a sigh of relief, his face slightly pale.

Clearly, this "treatment" was not an easy task for him either.

Wu Qizheng stood up and walked towards the door, saying,

"Qiao Zhong, including you and the other members of the Qiao’s family, are brave souls who value honor over life."

"But for the assassination mission in a few days, I hope you can take better care of your own life."

It seems that Wu Qizheng is a little talkative tonight because he saw Mo Mingzhi’s death with his own eyes during the day in Tiger City.

"After all, only by surviving can one pass the test of the Martial Saint and obtain the top martial arts from the Martial Saint."

"I understand," Qiao Mu nodded.

When it comes to people like Mo Mingzhi, who took their own lives and harmed their disciples before, it’s a different story. But for those who truly sacrifice themselves for a noble cause, who wouldn’t admire them? Qiao Mu naturally feels the same way.

However, Qiao Mu never considered himself to be a moral saint. He has his own scale in his heart and knows himself well.

He was born with the ability to live forever, and he can experience repeated deaths to transcend the accumulation of long years, living day after day for decades.

In order to pursue a quality death, doing good or evil is just a thought away for him. He simply chose the path he liked better, nothing more.

"In fact, there have always been heroes who sacrifice themselves for a noble cause throughout history. It’s just that in the present Great Yan Imperial Court, such people have basically become extinct…" Qiao Mu thought to himself.



Wu Qizheng had already pushed open the door and was about to leave, but suddenly remembered something and said,

"People like the Martial Saint have always been stubborn and only believe in themselves… Since establishing the Wuji Association, his martial arts skills have progressed rapidly every day."

"In reality, we can only speculate about his hidden cards and tactics, and how strong he truly is, even as a disciple of the Martial Saint like me, one of the ‘seventy-two wise men’…"

"Therefore, someone like Mo Mingzhi, who is so insane, must have made a deal with non-human forces. The Martial Saint is definitely not a lifeline…"

"What do you want to say?" Qiao Mu asked.

"Most of the people who trusted the Martial Saint are already dead," Wu Qizheng left these words behind, pushed open the door, and left, leaving Qiao Mu alone in the room.

"This Wu Qizheng seems to be quite friendly towards me… I wonder if he has any ulterior motives."

Qiao Mu pressed his hand against his chest.

He and the Wuji Association were never on the same page, and now they are only cooperating, they can’t be considered as allies.

He still had some guarded feelings towards Wu Qizheng.

Qiao Mu carried a set of tables and chairs to the balcony and sat down. While brewing himself a pot of tea, he looked at the scene of people downstairs lining up for porridge.

Under the moonlight, Qiao Mu’s shadow stretched long.

Suddenly.

This long shadow twisted strangely, and a mixed-color cat darted out from within the shadow.

"This cat…" Qiao Mu paused for a moment.

Only now did he remember that this Impermanent Demon Cat seemed to have slipped into his shadow when he went hunting for the Saintess. It had only just emerged after nearly ten days.

What’s even stranger was that this cat’s small body had expanded by a whole circle. It was round and fat all over, with its belly almost touching the ground. It had turned into a chubby cat.

Meow… The cat stumbled a few steps, walking crookedly just like before.

Actually, it wasn’t its fault. During the previous hunt for the Saintess and challenge against the Martial Saint, the sudden strong death energy directly caused it to become unconscious from the fumes while hiding in the shadow. It only recently regained consciousness.

"In a few days, I might have to sneak into Qingyun Temple to kill Emperor Yonghe… This kind of important mission, even if I don’t need this impermanent monster, I know it’s a matter of life and death… It’s not an exaggeration to say it’s a matter of life and death."

After thinking for a moment, he grabbed the fat cat by the back of its neck and wondered whether he should release it or not.

The fat cat seemed to sense something. After being lifted up by Qiao Mu, its short legs flailed in the air desperately, and then it tightly clung to Qiao Mu’s legs and refused to let go.

In the blink of an eye, the fat cat suddenly became blurry in Qiao Mu’s hand. It forcibly broke free and quickly turned into a shadowy figure, slipping into Qiao Mu’s own shadow.

"…." Qiao Mu cautiously stepped on his own shadow a few times, but seeing no response, he had no choice but to give up.

………………

Four days passed quickly.

During these few days, Qiao Mu’s internal injuries gradually improved each day.

The strange flesh in his chest seemed like a second heart, occasionally generating a faint warmth that flowed through his blood, repairing the damaged meridians throughout his body.

On the last day, Qiao Mu’s internal injuries had almost completely healed.

But the strange lump in his chest had only slightly decreased in size, leaving Qiao Mu extremely surprised.

He could sense that the lump was still there.

In the past few days, he had repeatedly questioned Wu Qizheng several times, but Wu Qizheng intentionally or unintentionally brushed him off. He could only give up, but his heart became more guarded.

……………

This day was a rare auspicious day, suitable for burning incense and worshipping gods.

The sky was just beginning to turn a pale blue, and Qingming Town woke up from its slumber. There were already pedestrians and worshippers on the streets.

Many incense and candle shops on the roadside had opened early today, with customers flocking in. It was quite lively.

The old man with a limp got up early in the morning and joined the crowd to get incense and candles in preparation for climbing the mountain to worship the gods.

Although they burned incense and worshipped the gods almost every day, today was a bit different. There were more pilgrims climbing the mountain to worship the gods than usual, and the crowds seemed endless.

The main peak, Qingming Peak, stood tall in the clouds, with beautiful scenery like a fairyland.

Even though Qingyun Temple was not located at the highest point of the mountain, it still required climbing three thousand steps to reach the temple.

For ordinary people, especially for the old man with the limp legs, it was not an easy task.

But he was content.

He considered climbing up and down the mountain every day as a way to exercise his body, far better than working hard in the fields and worrying about next year’s harvest and taxes.

"Hmm? That person seems somewhat familiar…" The old man with a limp glanced at Qiao Mu standing next to him, tried to recall their brief conversation, but couldn’t remember much.

Qiao Mu, just like him, joined the crowd of pilgrims and climbed the stone steps one by one.

His identity is special. He is not a member of the Wuji Association, but he was chosen by the Martial Saint to participate in this matter.

As one of the assassins, he doesn’t know the Wuji Association’s entire plan, nor does he know who all the participants of this operation are…

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He only needs to find Emperor Yonghe’s presence among the worshippers and, when the time comes, assassinate him.

……..

"Great Yan Emperor, it’s time to go."

The two Taoists, Chiyang and Qingyang, stand side by side, urging Emperor Yonghe, who is already in Qingyun Temple, to get up.

Emperor Yonghe took a deep breath, looked at the swirling clouds in the mountains, his eyes deep, and took a step forward.

Chu Xing, the bodyguard, followed closely behind.

Emperor Yonghe, who was secretly traveling this time, actually disguised himself with magic spells, and with the protection of two cultivators, Chiyang and Qingyang, he was able to reach Qingyun Temple safely.

In the eyes of the other pilgrims around him, he didn’t look like himself, so they naturally couldn’t recognize him.



At this moment, he was just an ordinary pilgrim, blending into the crowd without attracting attention. However, Taoist Chiyang and his apprentice Qingyang always kept a close eye on him, no matter where he went.

"Do you think the Martial Saint will come?" Taoist Chiyang casually asked his fellow disciple Qingyang.

"It would be even better if he does. We can capture all the rats from the Wuji Association in one fell swoop and eliminate any future troubles," Qingyang said with a smile.

"The Martial Saint has strayed into the path of evil. If we kill him, it would be for the greater good," Qingyang added.

The extraordinary deeds of the Martial Saint in the mortal realm had been widely heard at the Tide Listening Building.