Chapter 211: Diversion? (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Pitter-patter…
The sky gradually darkened, and heavy rain fell on a school in the west of the city. More than ten schoolchildren who couldn’t go home yet were sitting obediently in the schoolhouse and doing today’s homework.
On the side of the school, in the room where the headmaster rested, Nangong Shaofeng, dressed as a Confucian scholar, was standing by the window and looking in the direction of Jasper Pavilion with his hands tightly clasped behind his back.
Liu Qiansheng, the white-robed former Fist Chief, was also dressed as a teacher. He was holding a cup of tea in his hand and gently tapping the teacup with his fingers, causing slight ripples in the tea. “It will take at most fifteen minutes from the moment we take action to the moment we escape from the capital. Are you sure that the preparations in other places are foolproof?”
Nangong Shaofeng turned around and sat down beside the tea table. Although his brows were solemn, his tone was still calm. “We have already bribed most of the city gate officials of the Kaiyuan Gate and had them transfer most of the guards away. Hundreds of traps have been arranged on the retreat route. Xiao Yuan and the others are ready to take action everywhere. As long as Cao Aning reaches Cao Qiansui and successfully rescues him, the White-Haired Diting, the Eight-Armed Ksitigarbha, Ye Jingtang, and even the gate god in the palace will definitely go over to help. At that time, there will only be some imperial guards left in the Marquis of Yun Ning Estate. It will be enough to save His Majesty and escape from the city in fifteen minutes.”
Liu Qiansheng held his teacup and thought for a while. “Cao Qiansui is a few years younger than me. After being imprisoned in a dungeon for ten years, are you sure he can make the entire city feel that they are facing a formidable enemy?”
Nangong Shaofeng nodded. “It’s said that Eunuch Cao has practiced the Golden Scale, Jade Bone, Dragon Elephant, and Evergreen pictures of the Roaring Dragon Chart for sixty years. Even if he has lost all his strength in the dungeon, he can still stall countless experts for a long time with just his muscles, bones, and skin.”
Liu Qiansheng, the former Fist Chief, was now very old and had internal injuries. He was very interested in the ‘Beauty Retaining Pciture’ and the Fire Bathing Picture and asked, “It is said that the Evergreen Picture practices the qi of essence, qi, and spirit. After practicing this picture for sixty years, other than keeping the appearance from being old, does it have any other effects?” As the subordinate of a vassal prince, Nangong Shaofeng was quite familiar with such palace secrets. He explained, “People are born from qi, and qi is generated from the spirit. By nourishing qi and the spirit in its totality, one can attain the Dao. If one practices the Evergreen Picture every day, one’s physique and organs will remain strong every day. Supplemented with the three pictures of ‘muscles, bones, and skin’, the effect can be imagined. As long as Cao Qiansui comes out and has a little stamina, the Imperial Court will have to spend a few hours dealing with him before they can lock him up again. There will be enough time for us to leave.”
Liu Qiansheng thought for a moment and was slightly puzzled. “Why didn’t the Imperial Court kill such a living deity who no one can do anything to?”
“Cao Qiansui protected the founding emperor since the founding of the country. When the founding emperor passed away, he protected the former emperor. In terms of loyalty and self-sacrifice, all the civil and military officials in the court are not worthy of carrying his shoes.”
Nangong Shaofeng sighed softly. “Furthermore, the Roaring Dragon Chart pictures have been lost. Only Cao Qiansui knows so many pictures in this world. It’s not a problem for Cao Qiansui to live to a hundred years old. Moreover, the older he gets, the more powerful he becomes. Where can anyone find a second person like him? The empress should still want to persuade Eunuch Cao to be loyal to her. Otherwise, she would have removed Cao Qiansui from his position as the keeper of the seal.”
Liu Qiansheng nodded in understanding and didn’t ask further.
Nangong Shaofeng chatted about Cao Qiansui for a while. He felt that the plan was going extremely well, so he felt more at ease and continued, “It’s almost time. As long as the drums of Jasper Pavilion sound later, all the experts in the city will rush to Jasper Pavilion. We’ll…”
Tread, tread!
While they were talking, footsteps sounded at the entrance of the school.
Nangong Shaofeng and Liu Qiansheng became silent at the same time and looked at each other.
Nangong Shaofeng hesitated for a moment before putting down his teacup. Like an ordinary teacher, he slowly walked out of the room with a ruler and arrived at the school gate.
Whoosh!
Rain was pouring down.
The light in the limestone alley outside the school was dim. Three figures were standing in front of the gate.
Nangong Shaofeng looked up and saw that the two people behind were wearing dark green constable robes, official sabers at their waists, and bamboo hats. They were standing quietly in the rain without moving.
The leader was a cold man in a black official robe. He had sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, and a clear face. There was a waist token with the word ‘Jing’ hanging on the side of his jade-inlaid belt. He was standing upright with a black oil-paper umbrella in his right hand, his left hand behind his back, and a saber hanging at his waist. His demeanor looked gentle and elegant, but the energy in his eyes was like two dazzling sharp knives.
Although Nangong Shaofeng didn’t see Ye Jingtang’s face when he fought against him, it was very difficult to find a second person in the capital with this handsome face that was almost ‘aggressive’. Therefore, he still recognized this new fiend of the Black Office at first glance.
Nangong Shaofeng knew that something was wrong. His footsteps subconsciously slowed down, but his expression remained the same. He came to the gate and cupped his hands. “So it’s a sir from the Black Office. May 1 ask who you are?”
“Ye Jingtang.”
“Oh, so it’s Sir Ye. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Ye Jingtang took a step forward, stepping onto the white stone steps of the school, and looked at the schoolhouse inside. “Mr. Nangong, you’re a retainer of the Prince of Wu’s heir. Why did you come here to teach?”
Nangong Shaofeng smiled and gestured for Ye Jingtang to enter. “I was a teacher in Wu Province. His Highness is already an adult, so 1 can’t teach him anymore. 1 have nothing to do in the residence, so I set up a school in the city to teach the children of the poor families in the surrounding area.”
Ye Jingtang closed his umbrella and slowly walked in. He looked at the neat courtyard. “Mr. Nangong, your character is admirable. If I had met a teacher like you when 1 was young, 1 wouldn’t have ended up thoughtlessly practicing martial arts and be on tenterhooks all day fighting and killing.”
“Hehe, Sir Ye, you’re wearing that robe at such a young age. 1 am unworthy of
your praise..”
