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Kapitel 93

An hour later, he and Master Fei finally boarded a small boat and ferried them to the south bank. After noon, the two went into a small rural restaurant next to National Highway 310 for lunch.

“Master, look, there’s a little boy walking on the other side of the road…” Master Fei suddenly stopped eating and said, his one eye shining brightly.

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Song Diweng asked casually.

"It's that little monk Youliang!" Master Fei jumped up and said hastily, "I'll go and capture him."

"Wait a minute..." Song Diweng reached out to stop Fei Daozhang, and said with a slight smile, "Since we've met the little monk here, I'm wondering why he came to Henan alone?"

"It's... Nizi!" Master Fei exclaimed in sudden realization.

"By the way, he might already be with Nizi and Master Jia, or on his way to meet them somewhere. In any case, he would never leisurely go on a hiking trip alone to admire the beautiful landscapes of our motherland," Song Diweng chuckled wistfully.

"Master, you have such discerning eyes that you saw through the essence of the problem at once. I am ashamed of myself..." Master Fei said sincerely.

"Eat quickly, then quietly follow behind," Song Diweng instructed, slurping down his soup.

The two quickly finished their meal, paid the bill, and went outside, following Youliang at a distance as they headed southeast.

Youliang's figure gradually disappeared into the lush green forest.

Song Diweng squinted and looked ahead. Turning into the Xiaoshan and Xiong'er Pass, further in, lay the renowned Yuxi Grand Canyon.

Shortly after leaving the capital, Lou Yi noticed that an unidentified vehicle was following them. "Sir, someone is following us," he said alertly.

The commander glanced back. About a hundred meters behind him on the national highway, a car's headlights were slowly but surely following him. Judging by the lights, it was a small car. Who could it be? There were only two possibilities: either someone from the director's side, possibly secretly monitoring him—in which case, there was no need to alert them; he could simply pretend not to know. Or it could be the Burmese assassin mentioned in the intelligence. If that were the case, being in a moving car would actually be safer…

"Sir, should I get out of the car and deal with them?" Old Master Qiao snorted dismissively.

The leader replied calmly, "No need. Let's just wait and see."

Lou Yi gradually increased the speed of the accelerator, and the car behind him also accelerated. The national highway was narrow and winding, and there were many cars traveling at night. To ensure the safety of the leader, he dared not accelerate to more than 80 kilometers per hour. Otherwise, the Toyota SUV, known as the "Land Cruiser," would have been able to completely shake off the pursuers.

"Sir, if I may ask a question I shouldn't, could you please tell me why you risked your life to go to Sanmenxia? Rest assured, Mr. Qiao will not reveal a single word." Mr. Qiao asked cautiously.

"It's to retrieve something," the leader replied after a moment's thought. Since he needed Mr. Qiao's help, he should at least provide some details.

"Things?" Master Qiao asked, puzzled.

"Have you heard the legends about the 'Ghost Pot'?" the leader asked.

"'Ghost Pot'? Never heard of it." Old Master Qiao shook his head.

"In his book 'Notes from the Thatched Cottage of Close Observation', Ji Xiaolan of the Qing Dynasty recorded that five thousand years ago, the prime minister of the Yellow Emperor was named 'Feng Hou.' This man invented the compass chariot and eventually defeated Chi You in the desert. After his death, he was buried in Fenglingdu, Hedong, Shanxi, and his tomb is called 'Feng Hou Mausoleum,'" the leader said.

"Hmm, I do know a little about 'Feng Hou'. He was the founder of the Zhuyou technique in the Central Plains and a famous ancient shaman," Master Qiao said after thinking for a moment.

“Indeed, among the burial goods of this person was an item that Ji Xiaolan said was similar to an ancient xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument), capable of producing five tones corresponding to the five elements, and able to reopen the gate of Yin and Yang, named ‘Ghost Pot’,” the leader explained.

"What does 'reopening the gate between Yin and Yang' mean?" Master Qiao asked in confusion.

"It means bringing the dead back to life, but Ji Xiaolan only collected some unofficial historical legends. There is no scientific basis for it, so it cannot be completely believed. In any case, this item has a long history, can be called a national treasure, and is priceless. Both the legitimate and criminal worlds have coveted it for a long time," the leader said with a chuckle.

Master Qiao nodded and pondered, "I see. No wonder the top masters of the martial arts world have shown up..."

"'Innate Qi Gong' is the highest martial arts skill of the Quanzhen School. There is probably only one person in the world who knows this divine skill. That person is the former abbot of Baiyun Temple in the capital, known as 'Master Jin,' whose real name is Jia Shiming. The 'Ghost Pot' is currently in his hands," the leader said.

Master Qiao chuckled and said, "So, Chief, you're determined to get it?"

"Exactly." The leader nodded.

"Don't worry, with Master Qiao here, it will be a piece of cake," Master Qiao assured confidently.

"I hope so," the commander said with concern.

As dawn broke, the SUV entered Sanmenxia City. The streets gradually filled with more vehicles and pedestrians. Lou Yi pulled the car over to the side of the road, leaned out to ask a traffic policeman on the early shift for directions to the Yuxi Hotel, and continued driving forward. When the leader looked back, the dark gray Shanghai-brand sedan that had been following behind had already disappeared into the chaotic traffic.

Lou Yi drove the car onto the street near Sanmenxia West Station and slowly passed in front of the Yuxi Hotel. "Commander, that's the Yuxi Hotel," Lou Yi gestured with his lips.

The commander didn't answer. His gaze fell on the other side of the road, where a dark green minivan with a Beijing license plate was parked. As he passed by, he vaguely saw three policemen sleeping inside...

"Lou Yi, pull over. There's something going on in that Beijing-plated van. It's from the legitimate world..." the leader said alertly. All three policemen were asleep so early in the morning. Needless to say, it must be the director's lover.

"Yes." Lou Yi turned the steering wheel and parked the Toyota SUV behind the van.

"I'll go check, sir. You stay in the car and don't get out." Mr. Qiao said, jumping out of the car and walking to the van. He casually opened the door and smelled a faint stench of decay. Three policemen were leaning against the seats, their eyes closed as if they were fast asleep. Strangely, the three men looked exactly alike.

"This smell is poisonous..." Old Master Qiao's heart skipped a beat. He immediately took two steps back, opened his mouth wide, and inhaled a large amount of air, his lower abdomen bulging high. Then, he stepped forward and blew a powerful breath into the car, instantly expelling the stench as if a whirlwind had swept through. He then stretched out a hand and pressed the tip of his index finger onto the Yintang acupoint between a policeman's eyebrows, slowly channeling a stream of true energy into it.

Tang Laoda slowly woke up, opened his eyes, and suddenly saw an old man with a youthful face and white hair, staring at him.

"Who are you?" Ambassador Tang shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to clear his mind, and then asked in surprise.

Mr. Qiao said calmly, "Police triplets? Who are you people?"

Tang the eldest was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the second and third brothers, who were still unconscious. "We...we overslept," he stammered, trying to cover it up.

"Hmph," Master Qiao said with great displeasure, "Stop making things up. I was the one who cured you. Who poisoned you?"

Tang Laoda was now fully awake. He quickly pulled a small, pale green bottle from his inner pocket, which contained the Tang Clan's exclusive antidote, capable of curing all nameless Gu poisons. He uncorked the bottle, poured out two small black pills, and put them into the mouths of the two brothers.

"Old comrade, thank you for the detoxification. We are on official business." Tang Laoda glanced at the flow of people going to work outside the window, then jumped into the driver's seat, turned the ignition switch, and started the car.

“Jia Shiming…” Old Master Qiao murmured.

"What did you say!" Boss Tang suddenly became alert, staring directly at the white-bearded old man.

Master Qiao chuckled and said, "As I suspected, this matter is related to Jia Shiming. But what's strange is that this person's 'innate qigong' is unparalleled in the martial arts world. Surely he wouldn't resort to such a despicable method of poisoning?"

"Who exactly are you?" Boss Tang demanded sharply.

At this moment, Tang Lao Er and Lao San also slowly woke up, looking at their eldest brother and the unfamiliar white-bearded old man with blank and puzzled eyes.

Master Qiao's face hardened, and he said, "Tell me, where is Jia Shiming of the Yuxi Inn now?"

Tang Laoda wondered to himself, "Is this old guy friend or foe? How does he know about Jia Shiming? Judging from his tone, he doesn't seem to be on Jia Shiming's side. Could it be that the director has secretly sent someone to help him...?"

"You are..." Tang Laoda's attitude softened, and he tentatively asked.

"Never mind who I am, where is Jia Shiming now?" Master Qiao said impatiently.

"He... went west," Tang Laoda replied, pointing ahead.

"Is the 'Ghost Pot' still in his hands?" Master Qiao pressed.

Tang Laoda stared at him in astonishment, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

"Lou Yi, pull over. There's something going on in that Beijing-plated van. It's from the legitimate world..." the leader said alertly. All three policemen were asleep so early in the morning; it was undoubtedly the director's slept soundly.

"Yes." Lou Yi turned the steering wheel and parked the Toyota SUV behind the van.

"I'll go check, sir. You stay in the car and don't get out." Mr. Qiao said, jumping out of the car and walking to the van. He casually opened the door and smelled a faint stench of decay. Three policemen were leaning against the seats, their eyes closed as if they were fast asleep. Strangely, the three men looked exactly alike.

"This smell is poisonous..." Old Master Qiao's heart skipped a beat. He immediately took two steps back, opened his mouth wide, and inhaled a large amount of air, his lower abdomen bulging high. Then, he stepped forward and blew a powerful breath into the car, instantly expelling the stench as if a whirlwind had swept through. He then stretched out a hand and pressed the tip of his index finger onto the Yintang acupoint between a policeman's eyebrows, slowly channeling a stream of true energy into it.

Tang Laoda slowly woke up, opened his eyes, and suddenly saw an old man with a youthful face and white hair, staring at him.

"Who are you?" Ambassador Tang shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to clear his mind, and then asked in surprise.

Mr. Qiao said calmly, "Police triplets? Who are you people?"

Tang the eldest was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the second and third brothers, who were still unconscious. "We...we overslept," he stammered, trying to cover it up.

"Hmph," Master Qiao said with great displeasure, "Stop making things up. I was the one who cured you. Who poisoned you?"

Tang Laoda was now fully awake. He quickly pulled a small, pale green bottle from his inner pocket, which contained the Tang Clan's exclusive antidote, capable of curing all nameless Gu poisons. He uncorked the bottle, poured out two small black pills, and put them into the mouths of the two brothers.

"Old comrade, thank you for the detoxification. We are on official business." Tang Laoda glanced at the flow of people going to work outside the window, then jumped into the driver's seat, turned the ignition switch, and started the car.

“Jia Shiming…” Old Master Qiao murmured.

"What did you say!" Boss Tang suddenly became alert, staring directly at the white-bearded old man.

Master Qiao chuckled and said, "As I suspected, this matter is related to Jia Shiming. But what's strange is that this person's 'innate qigong' is unparalleled in the martial arts world. Surely he wouldn't resort to such a despicable method of poisoning?"

"Who exactly are you?" Boss Tang demanded sharply.

At this moment, Tang Lao Er and Lao San also slowly woke up, looking at their eldest brother and the unfamiliar white-bearded old man with blank and puzzled eyes.

Master Qiao's face hardened, and he said, "Tell me, where is Jia Shiming of the Yuxi Inn now?"

Tang Laoda wondered to himself, "Is this old guy friend or foe? How does he know about Jia Shiming? Judging from his tone, he doesn't seem to be on Jia Shiming's side. Could it be that the director has secretly sent someone to help him...?"

"You are..." Tang Laoda's attitude softened, and he tentatively asked.

"Never mind who I am, where is Jia Shiming now?" Master Qiao said impatiently.

"He... went west," Tang Laoda replied, pointing ahead.

"Is the 'Ghost Pot' still in his hands?" Master Qiao pressed.

Tang Laoda stared at him in astonishment, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

Back in the SUV, Mr. Qiao recounted the situation of the policemen in the van to his superior. "The poison they were given was very peculiar; it smelled worse than a fart," he recalled, frowning.

"So, the 'Ghost Pot' is still in Jia Shiming's hands..." the leader pondered. It seemed that the director's men had not been able to receive the goods smoothly. Something must have happened. As far as he knew, Master Jia was proud and arrogant and had never bothered to use poison. Could there be another hidden story behind this?

"Sir, the 'tail' is following us again." Lou Yi saw the dark gray Shanghai-brand sedan in the rearview mirror, which was suspiciously parked at the street corner.

"Let's head west, drive slowly, and see if this 'tail' has any connection to the van," the commander instructed.

"Yes," Lou Yi replied, then drove off. As he passed the van, he caught a glimpse of the three policemen through the car window.

"They really are twins; they're not police officers." The commander could tell at a glance that the three were disguised as public security personnel for the purpose of facilitating their actions.

Sure enough, the Shanghai-brand sedan secretly followed behind, and didn't react when it passed the van.

Inside the van, Tang Lao Er and Lao San had regained their senses. "Big brother, what should we do?" Lao Er asked.

Tang didn't answer. He took out a pocket-sized radio tracker from his pocket, pulled out the antenna, and turned it on. A static noise, "crackling..." came from the speaker.

“The situation has changed. That old man with the white beard got into that Toyota SUV and headed west to track Jia Shiming. I just saw clearly that it also has a Beijing license plate, so it’s probably another group of people secretly dispatched by the director. If we stop now, it will be difficult to explain when we get back. It’s just a pity for the third brother,” Tang said, while adjusting the knob. “The transmitter inside the combination lock is currently about 5 degrees south of due west. Second brother, let’s follow them.”

"Alright then," Tang Lao Er replied.

At this moment, the road was bustling with traffic and commuters. Since he had the wireless tracking device, Tang Jia San Shao was not in a hurry and slowly headed west, mingling with the traffic.

Shortly after leaving the city, there was a small fork in the road ahead. "Brother, where is the signal?" Tang Lao Er asked cautiously.

Tang Laoda stuck the antenna out of the window, listening for the faint "beep beep" signal, and said, "The signal is heading south. Jia Laodao is probably worried that we will follow us, so he didn't take the national highway, but instead took this country road."

The van was parked on the side of the national highway. This small side road wound its way towards the distant mountains. The road was too narrow for cars to pass, so it seemed the only option was to abandon the van and walk.

"Jia Shiming is truly cunning and treacherous. That Toyota SUV must have gone down the national highway," Tang Lao Er muttered to himself as he locked the car door.

Tang, the eldest brother, nodded and instructed, "Everyone must be careful. That old woman and her group might have also taken this path. Third brother, your wrist..."

"Big brother, it's alright, I can handle it," the third brother said through gritted teeth.