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Chapter 191 - 191: Meeting on a Narrow Path (1)
Chapter 191 - 191: Meeting on a Narrow Path (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Somewhere in Yun’an City, in a mansion that had been renovated since last year…
The courtyard of the luxurious mansion was full of bricks, stones, soil, and wood. A few carpenters were knocking on pillars. Because the surroundings were full of rich and powerful families, bamboo fences had been specially erected on the courtyard wall to block the view and prevent the messy scene from attracting criticism from the neighbors.
Cao Aning, dressed as an ordinary servant, entered the residence with a lunch box in his hand. Behind him was Xu Bailin and the white-robed old man walking with his hands behind his back.
Cao Aning glanced at the back of the mansion. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, he went to a half-rebuilt house, opened the floor covered by wooden boards, went down the wooden stairs, and arrived at an underground passage.
Both sides of the underground passage were bottomless. The bricks and stones were ancient, but the soil on top was new and had traces of trampling.
The white-robed old man walked silently beside the two of them and sized up the old bricks and stones in the tunnel. He was slightly surprised. “This tunnel looks like it was built by the previous dynasty. How did you find this place?” Cao Aning was quite respectful to the white-robed old man. After all, this old man was the master of Jiang Zhahu, the overlord of Liang Province. He was also a formidable figure who had once fought with his bare hands and earned the title of Fist Chief.
Thirty years ago, just the appearance of the old man’s name in Yun Province was enough to make the capital’s government offices tremble as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Although the white-robed old man was over 80 years old, had been severely injured by the disciple he had expelled, had the reputation he had accumulated for half his life shattered in the battle, and had no choice but to hide and struggle at death’s door, those who had ascended to the mountain peak were still legends of Jianghu that could only be looked up to for martial artists like Cao Aning who were still only halfway there.
Upon hearing the white-robed old man’s question, Cao Aning replied, “I was in the palace for many years, but I didn’t know that there was such a secret tunnel underground. His Highness possesses remarkable abilities. 1 don’t know where he found the information, but he speculated that there was a tunnel underground. He sent people to explore secretly for a long time before finding this place.”
“Where does the tunnel lead?”
“The other end leads to outside the city near the Clear River. It has already collapsed and been blocked. The entrance might be in the imperial city, but the risk is too great, so we haven’t verified it.”
Hearing this, the white-robed old man nodded slightly and sighed. “It’s a pity I found out too late. If the people of Jianghu knew that there was a tunnel that led into the palace, the current Jianghu would probably be in a different situation.”
Xu Bailin knew that the white-robed old man was someone who had participated in the bloody battle in the capital at the end of the previous dynasty. He asked, “It’s said that when Yun’an City was breached, more than half of the Martial Arts Chiefs came and fought for treasures in the Imperial City. What was the exact situation back then?”
The white-robed old man explained, “The last Yan emperor lost the heart of the people because of his excessive extravagance. Feng Guancheng was disheartened, so he came out of seclusion, confined himself on Mount Yang, and no longer asked about the affairs of the world. The chief eunuchs of the Imperial City and the Imperial Preceptor were also restrained by the revolutionary army, causing the defense of the Imperial City to be empty. The heroes of the world all came to Yun’an City to fish in troubled waters.
“At that time, not only did more than half of Great Yan’s Martial Arts Chiefs come, but many experts from Northern Liang also came. Some came to snatch the Roaring Dragon Chart, but there were also those who swore to protect the country to the death and heroes who helped the revolutionary army fight. They fought against each other and directly changed Jianghu. I, Xuanyuan Chao, and others, who were all in our teens or twenties at the time, only dared to watch from afar in the city and didn’t even dare to take half a step closer to the Imperial City.”
Xu Bailin could imagine the brutality of the battle and asked, “According to the rumors in Jianghu, Kuang Yazi obtained one of the Roaring Dragon Chart pictures in the end. Is this true?”
The white-robed old man thought for a moment. “I’m not sure, but I saw with my own eyes that when Kuang Yazi killed his way out of the capital, he directly took off all his clothes. He only had his saber with him and didn’t even wear pants. If not for that, it would have been very difficult for him to escape from the pursuit of the heroes of Jianghu.”
Cao Aning said, “After that, the Imperial Court investigated. Four of the Roaring Dragon Chart pictures gathered by the previous dynasty had been lost. One was probably taken to the South Firmament Mountains, one was taken away by the Northern Liang people, and the remaining two are missing. I reckon Kuang Yazi still succeeded. At the time, he barged into the Peaceful Hall and then fled all the way. He might have hidden the Roaring Dragon Chart picture in his wound…”
While the three of them chatted, they walked in the tunnel for a long time before light appeared in front of them.
Several oil lamps were hanging on the ceiling of the tunnel. There were two tables along a wall with some blueprints, brushes, and ink on them. There were also more than thirty wooden barrels piled up by the wall.
Five men were sitting against another wall with hoes, shovels, and other tools beside them. When they saw Cao Aning coming over, they hurriedly stood up to welcome him. “Lord Cao.”
“Continue resting. I just came to take a look…”
On the wall between the men, there was a perpendicular tunnel entrance opened, revealing soil. It was supported by wooden boards to prevent collapse, and oil lamps were hanging along the way, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Cao Aning went to the entrance of the newly dug passageway and gestured inside. “The foundation has been dug. As long as we know the location of the load-bearing points, we can pour dissolving oil on them and soak them for two days. But Ye Jingtang’s schemes are too deep, so 1 don’t dare to act rashly in the city…”
Halfway through his sentence, the white-robed old man beside him raised his hand and turned toward the dark tunnel. He frowned. “Do you still have people over there?”
Cao Aning turned to look into the depths of the tunnel, slightly puzzled. “Farther in is the vicinity of the Imperial City. We don’t dare to step in it rashly, and it’s already sealed. Is there any movement?”
The white-robed old man listened carefully before turning around and walking into the tunnel…
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