Intelligence Ultime

Chapitre 19

The monk in scarlet robes pointed at the map, then looked up at Zhu Huihui and ordered, "Have him come over!"

The two burly men in red released their grip and stood respectfully to one side.

Zhu Huihui jumped up from the ground, glared at the two big men, patted the dirt off his body, and then mustered his courage to approach the table.

Maple Snow Color and the Scarlet Monk both gave him a cold look. He immediately and tactfully stepped back a little and looked at the map from a distance. However, after looking at it for a long time, he still couldn't understand what the winding lines on it represented. He stared at it for a long time without saying a word.

The monk in crimson robes shook his head, and Feng Xuese couldn't help but sigh. This little rascal is utterly useless!

Seeing the undisguised contempt and disappointment, Zhu Huihui, despite her thick skin, felt a little hurt and said, "I'm not so useless! I remember boarding the ship in Minhua County. We were supposed to go to Guiming Prefecture, but then that unfortunate thing happened. The captain was killed, and everyone was terrified and rowed downstream to escape. Later, we arrived at a dock in Xujiaji and got off the ship."

Maple-colored fingertips traced the map downwards as she slowly said, "From Minhua County downstream to Xujiaji, it's nearly 120 li by water. If the wind and current are favorable, it'll take a day—what kind of boat did you take? How many people were on board?"

Zhu Huihui said, "It was a wooden boat. Besides me and Huahua, there were eleven other people on board, including a boat captain, but he was killed."

The monk in scarlet robes immediately ordered his men, "Go and check that ship."

Long-distance waterways are fraught with treacherous shoals and waves. Officially registered passenger boats usually have a captain, along with several rowers, helmsmen, and so on. Boats operated by only one person are mostly private boatmen who are experienced on the water, familiar with the river, and daring.

Feng Xuese asked again, "How long after your ship left Minhua County did this happen? How long did it take to get from the accident site to Xujiaji?"

The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Part One: The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Chapter Six (1)

Zhu Huihui thought about it carefully and said, "We set sail from Minhua County at 3:45 AM. When the boat was en route, a woman said she needed to urinate, so the boatman moored the boat in a place where the water was calm and the reeds were lush. At that time, the sun had just passed its zenith. We had been traveling for about three hours. It took us about an hour to get from there to Xujiaji."

Based on what he said, Feng Xuese calculated for a moment, then pressed her finger on a point on the sheepskin map and said, "It should be around this location!"

The monk in scarlet robes glanced at it, a cold smile appearing on his full lips, and said, "Tiger Tide River Dragon Sorrow Rock!"

Longchou Rock on the Hulan River is not a waterway that ships usually pass through. It is located in a bend in the mountain of a tributary. Due to the treacherous mountain shape and the fact that there are almost no people around, it is indeed a good place to kill.

Maple Snow Color hummed in agreement.

A mysterious assassin in black, five massacres of entire families, the murder of the chivalrous brothers who vowed never to eat or drink, a riverbank massacre—and many more unsolved cases...

These seemingly unrelated individual events suddenly became intertwined, linked together by the black-clad assassins and their cruel, arrogant, yet sophisticated and difficult-to-detect killing methods.

But what do these assassins in black represent?

What lies hidden behind these events?

The sky was gray, the air was damp and cold, and a thick white fog filled the courtyard, making everything around seem hazy.

The doors and windows of the main hall were all tightly closed, and there was no light, making it feel very oppressive. Only the outlines of people could be vaguely seen.

Everyone held their breath, watching the person sitting in the center, waiting for him to make his final decision.

After a long silence, the man spoke, his voice low and deep: "Jie Tian Shui Yu, Feng Xue Cheng, Shen Bing Jie, and Chi Yan Tian, now, except for Shen Bing Jie, three of the four great martial arts families have been drawn into this matter?"

"Yes!" a tall man replied respectfully.

"In the current martial arts world, the four great families are the leaders. Among them, Jietianshui Island reigns supreme in the eastern seas, controlling 720 islands and most of the rivers and waterways in the east. Its power has always been very strong. The leader, Fang Jianwu, took over the family business at a young age. He appears gentle and refined, but in reality, he is quite capable. Under his rule, Jietianshui Island's reputation has spread far and wide overseas. In the past ten years or so, the people along the eastern coast have lived in peace and prosperity, which is closely related to the Fang family's well-ordered rule."

"The Blazing Flame Heaven is the overlord of the Western Heaven, with immense wealth and astonishing strength. Wherever the Blazing Flame Banner passes, the underworld obeys its orders. Young Master Xi Yeyan has been traveling the world in recent years under the name 'Master Kongkong,' and has a very close relationship with the Snow-Colored Young Master of Maple Snow City;

"Maple Snow City stands majestically in the south, painstakingly built up by the Feng family over generations. The current city lord, 'One Sword Maple Light Color,' and his wife, 'Full Sleeves of Thousand Snowflakes,' are known for their low-key nature, seemingly indifferent to worldly affairs. However, among the four great families, Maple Snow City is the most enigmatic. Based on the information we currently possess, we still cannot accurately assess its true strength. Especially the young city lord of the Feng family, known in the martial arts world as the Snow-Colored Young Master, Feng Xuese. He rose to fame at the age of nine and is hailed as a martial arts prodigy rarely seen in the past three hundred years. Although he comes from a distinguished family, he dislikes ostentation, roaming the martial world alone with his sword, meeting countless martial arts masters, making friends all over the world, and enjoying an extremely high reputation!"

“Each of the four great families is already extremely troublesome, let alone the fact that they have always been closely connected and supportive of each other, with the younger generation of heirs being particularly close. Now that three of the four great families have been drawn into the mess, the Deep Ice Realm will likely get involved soon as well… If this continues, this matter will become extremely difficult…”

The man in the center gently tapped the dragon-shaped armrest of the rosewood chair with his fingers. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "Let Ye handle this matter."

"You mean... Night?" The other person seemed incredulous and asked blankly.

"Isn't Ye already... dead?" the third person asked hesitantly.

The man in the middle shook his head slightly and snorted softly, "Legends shouldn't be taken at face value!"

"You mean, this matter should be handled by Ye Lai—if he were still alive?" someone asked cautiously. "This is a matter of great importance..."

"Only Ye can handle this matter, and handle it well." The middle man's voice was slightly dazed, as if he had remembered something, and then he sighed imperceptibly.

The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Part One: The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Chapter Six (2)

From Guiming Prefecture to Minhua County, the Hulan River and Longchou Rock are not the only routes, but they are the shortest. However, the mountains here are steep, the cliffs are towering, the river is turbulent, and the current is rapid, making it very difficult and dangerous to travel by both river and land. Therefore, except in very special circumstances, few travelers or boats use this route.

Below the cliffs of Longchou Rock lies a treacherous shoal.

The beach was covered with coarse sand and gravel, and the reeds grew very lushly. The river water was somewhat turbid, roaring and crashing against the rocks on the shore, making a booming sound. The yellowish foam was washed away by the rushing river before it could accumulate.

The narrow river was shrouded in mist and fog, carrying a hazy water vapor. Reeds swayed beneath the opposite cliffs, as if concealing countless armored soldiers.

The sky was somewhat gloomy, with low-hanging gray clouds that completely obscured the sun, leaving only a hazy, dim yellow glow.

Feng Xuese stood with his hands behind his back on a huge rock by the riverbank. The river wind blew, making his white clothes flutter and look free and unrestrained, as if he wanted to ride the wind away.

Zhu Huihui stood on the other side of the treacherous shoal, his stomach filled with wind, and he was so angry he rolled his eyes. Damn it, it was almost raining, and this old man Feng was still going crazy on the rock. He wasn't afraid of the wind and rain, so why did he have to drag him down with him?!

He grumbled inwardly while glaring at the water. He'd been having such bad luck lately; he'd been taken hostage by this old man Feng, and Hua Hua had been held captive as a "pig" by that scarlet-robed monk!

Although Zhu Huihui was cunning and shrewd, he was nothing more than a street thug. How could he possibly fight against seasoned veterans like Feng Xuese and the Scarlet-Clad Monk? Under the threat of sharp blades, this cowardly man, afraid of both death and pain, confessed everything. He thought that after this, he would be out of trouble, and that the heroes and masters would spare his life. But who would have thought that Feng Xuese would force him to return to the same place, back to this nightmarish beach once again?

After waiting for a long time, Feng Xuese still showed no sign of leaving. Zhu Huihui wanted to remind him, but didn't dare to—this old man Feng's sword was no joke.

Yesterday, I passed through a grove of trees and saw a rich young man harassing a girl. As a result, Grandpa Feng chopped off his ear. Actually, all that rich young man did was push the girl to the ground and tear her clothes; at most, he'd have to pay her for a new outfit. What a big deal! Last time, in some town—I think—I even pinched the mayor's chubby daughter's butt. If Grandpa Feng found out, he'd chop off my hand!

Yeah! Grandpa Feng is too violent. Staying with him, I'll probably lose my hands, legs, and head sooner or later...

Lost in thought, a shadow suddenly appeared before him, and Feng Xuese was already standing in front of him.