MM Racing Chapter 145: Using a knife, leading a dog, enforcing the law, handsome—who is he?
Chapter 145: Using a knife, leading a dog, enforcing the law, handsome—who is he?
Chapter 145: Using a knife, leading a dog, enforcing the law, handsome—who is he?
When you offer a gift, you must have something in mind.
Xu Qingya showed mercy and made Duan Yu become his godfather, thus perfectly resolving the internal strife within the Duan family.
With such a generous gift, how could one not ask for anything in return?
Having desires is a good thing; having no desires is truly a pain in the ass, as one can't even find a way to repay a debt of gratitude.
Xu Qingya was by no means a virtuous gentleman who did good deeds without expecting anything in return. The reason he helped was twofold: first, he couldn't bear to see the Duan family suffer a tragedy, and second, he wanted to inquire about the situation of the Heavenly Mandate Sect.
As the saying goes: times change!
Just a moment ago, Duan Yanqing and the Heavenly Mandate Sect were close allies, working together to seize the throne of Dali.
At this moment, Duan Yanqing and the Heavenly Mandate Sect were mortal enemies. "The country belongs to my son. How dare you plot against my son's country? I'll fight you to the death!"
Duan Yanqing is by no means a good person. Compared with those demons and monsters, Duan Yanqing is not a "bad person". This does not prove that he is a good thing. After suffering for so many years, his heart has become distorted and his bloodlust is even greater than Xu Qingya's.
Upon hearing Xu Qingya's question, Duan Yanqing spilled the beans, revealing everything he had seen, heard, and that the Heavenly Mandate Sect had revealed about its branches, spies, and secret agents. He wished he could immediately silence them.
"Old Duan, slow down. Your language system is too excited, and what you're saying is incoherent. I'm asking you questions, so answer them seriously."
Xu Qingya gestured to Duan Yanqing to "hold his belly!"
While others are "silenced," Duan Yanqing cannot speak or move his mouth; he can only "suppress his hunger."
Duan Yanqing couldn't understand the first half of the sentence, thinking it was a dialect from somewhere in the Central Plains. He could understand the second half, so he obediently shut up and waited quietly for the answer.
Xu Qingya asked, "My first question is, how did you get in touch with the Heavenly Mandate Sect? As far as I know, the Heavenly Mandate Sect is skilled in using women as bait, but you've never been interested in women!"
Duan Yanqing was not averse to women, but after experiencing the White-Robed Guanyin, he saw all the beauties in the world as either rosy skeletons or withered branches and fallen leaves. In addition, with his legs crippled, how could he have the mind to think about matters of men and women?
Duan Yanqing replied, "I'll be frank about this matter! Believe it or not, it's up to you! The one who is in charge of Yipintang is General Helian Tieshu on the surface, but in reality, it is Consort Li Qiushui of Western Xia. As far as I know, Li Qiushui has a deep relationship with the Heavenly Mandate Sect, and she is the vice leader."
"Huh? Li Qiushui? The Vice Leader?"
Xu Qingya was about to say that this was nonsense, but then he thought of Li Qiushui's "great achievements" and felt that it was not impossible. You know, Li Qiushui married into Xixia when she was over forty years old. She was more popular than all the concubines. Nominally, she was Consort Li, but her power was even greater than that of the Empress.
Li Qiushui is naturally alluring and highly skilled in martial arts, but judging from her experience, she is not good at palace intrigue.
The success of this palace intrigue was largely due to the Heavenly Mandate Sect. The specific process may have been as follows: When Wu Yazi was obsessed with the jade statue, Li Qiushui became extremely jealous. She found a group of handsome men to frolic in front of Wu Yazi, hoping to make him jealous. Among them was even Ding Chunqiu. Some of these handsome men were disciples of the Heavenly Mandate Sect. They originally wanted to use this to control Li Qiushui, but Li Qiushui turned the tables and controlled her instead. Li Qiushui found Shan Yuru and became the vice leader of the Heavenly Mandate Sect.
Through her connections with the Heavenly Mandate Sect, Li Qiushui shone brightly in the Western Xia imperial harem. Her palace intrigue skills were top-notch, and she easily defeated all the other candidates. Although nominally a concubine, she was in reality as noble as the Empress Dowager and controlled multiple departments in Western Xia.
The Western Xia Yipintang, Minglitang, and other departments were roughly equivalent to the Jinyiwei and Dongchang in the Central Plains, and were all under the control of Li Qiushui. When Duan Yanqing joined Yipintang, he had met Li Qiushui by chance, and the two had exchanged a move.
With just one move, Duan Yanqing realized he was no match for Li Qiushui's Netherworld Claw and dared not cause any more trouble.
Xu Qingya composed himself and continued, "How did you contact the Heavenly Mandate Sect? When you arrived in Dali, who was in charge of the liaison? Was there a fixed code word for communication?"
Duan Yanqing said, "The Heavenly Mandate Sect has three branches in Dali and two branches in Miao territory. They have assigned me three experts: one named Luo Chaogui, a notorious bandit; another named Fu Yaojin, a master of the Hainan Sword Sect; and the last one named Zhan Yu, nicknamed 'Spear and Shovel Twins.' They are only responsible for the actual fighting!"
At this point, Duan Yanqing said with sarcasm, "The Heavenly Mandate Sect is good at using honey traps. In other words, most of those who accept the Heavenly Mandate Sect's recruitment are lecherous and debauched. Even if they were once famous heroes, they can fall into the demonic path in a moment of weakness and quickly give up on themselves, indulging in wine and women day and night."
This is a problem that the Heavenly Mandate Sect cannot solve.
A chivalrous hero who values loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness will not be recruited by the Heavenly Mandate Sect. Even if he is plotted against, he will choose to repent or even commit suicide to atone for his sins if he makes a wrong decision.
Greedy and lustful underworld figures are easily recruited by the Heavenly Mandate Cult, but these people are there to enjoy fine wine and beautiful women. Expecting them to risk their lives is wishful thinking. They run away quickly when there are benefits, and they run away even faster when there is danger. They are more likely to cause trouble than to achieve anything. Even the fierce courage and vigor they had when they were in the underworld are gradually weakened and decayed by wine and women.
Lu Bu once said a famous saying!
"I've been ruined by wine and women!"
Even a peerless warrior like Lü Bu could not withstand the combined attack of Lady Yan, Lady Cao, and Diao Chan, let alone the demons and monsters recruited by the Heavenly Mandate Sect.
The advantage of the Heavenly Mandate Cult lies in "corruption," and its disadvantage also lies in "corruption." The Heavenly Mandate Cult turns people into zombies who fall apart with every step they take. Expecting these zombies to unleash powerful combat abilities is a pipe dream.
In the world of martial arts, beauties abound, and witches are even more numerous. The transmigrator's advantage of foresight is somewhat powerless against a sect like the Heavenly Mandate Cult.
In terms of understanding of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, Xu Qingya was even less knowledgeable than Duan Yanqing. At least Duan Yanqing knew that the Heavenly Mandate Sect had a vice leader named Li Qiushui.
For the sake of his son's country, Duan Yanqing did not hesitate to sell the Heavenly Mandate Sect. Even if he only overheard a few things, he would tell Xu Qingya everything in detail so that Xu Qingya could handle them.
According to Duan Yanqing's explanation, the Heavenly Mandate Sect had two main bases: one in Western Xia, managed by Li Qiushui, and the other in Manchu Qing, personally managed by the sect leader Shan Yuru. The branches in Mongol Yuan, Han, and Dali were all branch headquarters, with the Han branch being the strongest.
The reason for dealing with Dali was mainly due to Liu Dinghuan's responsibility. Since Liu Dinghuan ascended the throne, she has vigorously cleaned up the accumulated problems left by the previous emperor. The court, if not completely transformed, is at least no longer in a state of chaos. In addition, since Liu Dinghuan is a woman, the Heavenly Mandate Sect has no room to maneuver.
In recent months, the imperial court has been busy digging for treasure, suppressing bandits, and providing disaster relief. The martial arts world is still in chaos, but the number of demons has obviously decreased.
This is not solely due to Xu Qingya's efforts.
Lu Xiaofeng, Chu Liuxiang, Long Chengbi, and others slay demons and monsters across the martial arts world. The Four Great Constables work tirelessly on cases. Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot launch deadly attacks on certain underworld forces every so often in order to complete Liu Dinghuan's mission.
The Heavenly Mandate Sect has fewer and fewer places to stand.
In order to cause trouble for Liu Dinghuan, Shan Yuru decided to use the "Duan Yanqing" card, attempting to help Duan Yanqing usurp the throne. Once Duan Yanqing ascended the throne, she would immediately deploy troops on the border, causing Liu Dinghuan a great deal of trouble.
To this end, Yipintang dispatched dozens of experts, Minglitang dispatched dozens of secret agents, and even Helian Tieshu secretly infiltrated Dali to direct the operation.
According to Duan Yanqing, in addition to the three masters Zhan Yu, Luo Chaogui, and Fu Yaojin, the Heavenly Mandate Sect has a core branch in Dali. The leader of the branch is a peerless master who is Shan Yuru's senior sister.
Unexpectedly, before they could prepare, Duan Yanqing suffered a "fatal triple blow," turning from staunch allies into mortal enemies. To be honest, Shan Yuru's plan, just as Xu Qingya and Yang Yan had discussed before their departure, was bound to fail if it used the rules of the Central Plains to analyze Dali's behavior patterns.
Even if Duan Yanqing never knew Dao Baifeng, and even if Duan Yanqing and Duan Yu were not related by blood, as long as Duan Yu knelt on the ground with a wine cup in hand to pay homage to his adoptive father, Duan Yanqing would definitely turn against the Heavenly Mandate Sect on the spot.
What is the purpose of becoming an emperor?
Firstly, it was to enjoy power, to hold the reins of power, to wield absolute authority, to speak with absolute authority, and to act with utter impunity.
Secondly, it is for the purpose of passing on the family line. I am the emperor, my son is the emperor, my grandson is the emperor, and so on, generation after generation, so that the Duan family of Dali can continue to exist.
That's the problem.
The Dali emperor's power was not that great; he was constrained by various parties and did not have the power to do whatever he wanted.
Duan Yanqing had no children. The Dali Duan family failed to seize the throne and would go to Tianlong Temple to become monks, not be silenced. Especially in public, they must be spared. Killing them would break the rules.
Breaking the rules will have consequences for Yang Yizhen.
In this situation, after Duan Yanqing's death, to whom would the throne pass? Wouldn't it be returned to Duan Zhengming? Then to Duan Zhengchun, and finally to Duan Yu?
As for having Duan Yu become Duan Yanqing's godfather, there are precedents in the Central Plains for this—the only son of a three-family clan!
For example, if there are three brothers, only the second brother has a son, and the others have no sons, then this son does not belong to the second brother, but to all three brothers. When the son comes of age, all three brothers will help him get married.
The eldest uncle paid for his wife's marriage, and the child he had was his grandson. The third uncle paid for his wife's marriage, and the child he had was his grandson. The same applied to the biological father's side. During festivals, whoever helped him get married would bring the corresponding wife to give him gifts, ensuring fairness for everyone.
Does this situation exist in the world of martial arts?
Have!
"Invincible Divine Fist" Gui Xinshu!
His son, Gui Zhong, was the only male heir in the family!
Why did Gui Xinshu spoil Gui Zhong so much? Because he was their only son. If he wasn't spoiled, his uncles would have taken him back to raise, and Gui Lao Er would have had another one!
The Duan family is in the same situation.
However, since the Duan family is the royal family, there is no need to arrange many wives for Duan Yu. He already has three palaces and six courtyards, and the position of the empress will inevitably be a woman from the Gao family.
As long as Duan Yu kneels on the ground, the Duan family, the Gao family, and Tianlong Temple will all be satisfied. Duan Yanqing will not have any complaints. At most, he will enjoy being the emperor for two days before going to Tianlong Temple to become a monk and wait for his godson to show him respect.
Do not use the principles of the Central Plains to analyze Dali.
Otherwise, a crushing defeat is inevitable.
The wisdom of our ancestors is very profound.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
Ignoring these four words will have serious consequences.
After hearing Duan Yanqing's words, Duan Zhengming angrily said, "Those traitors of the Heavenly Mandate Cult! They're not happy at all if the world is at peace!"
Xu Qingya scoffed, "Not at all! According to the theory of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, they are actually happier when the world is at peace. However, Shan Yuru doesn't have that ability; she only knows how to cause trouble."
Duan Zhengchun laughed and said, "Nephew is right! Li Qiushui's life is obviously more comfortable than Shan Yuru's. The more messes she makes, the easier it is for her to be hunted down by chivalrous people."
Xu Qingya smiled faintly.
Xu Qingya wasn't referring to Li Qiushui, but rather to what he had heard and witnessed in his previous life. Shan Yuru's methods were too crude, far inferior to those of later generations.
Gao Shengtai asked, "Lord Jing'an, I have long heard that you are most skilled at solving cases. I wonder if you can find that branch of the Heavenly Mandate Sect and restore order to Dali?"
Xu Qingya said, "I have a slight clue, it's just a thought of mine, but I haven't found any evidence yet."
"What are you thinking about?"
"I can't say! If my analysis is wrong, it will only tarnish people's reputations for no reason. This kind of thing must be handled with utmost care. I need some case files."
I've heard that in the last ten years or so, Dali has been losing some young and strong men every year. These men return a month later, mostly emaciated and almost devoid of desire, and the vast majority of them become monks.
I need the case file, which must include the victim's address, relatives, and the temple where they are ordained.
You can hand it over to me tomorrow afternoon.
I guarantee that this case will be solved within three days.
Xu Qingya had a vague guess in his mind that the Tianming Sect branch in Dali was not a brothel or casino.
Besides brothels, what other places in the world would gather a large number of women without arousing suspicion?
Xu Qingya's lips curled into a cold smile.
Just as he was about to leave the palace, Xu Qingya suddenly saw Duan Yanqing drinking water and said with a smile, "According to the rules of the Dali Duan family, Elder Duan should be sent to Tianlong Temple by now. Don't let anyone suspect anything."
Duan Yanqing said, "Amitabha, this humble monk has already let go of everything. Where in the world is there not a sacred mountain?"
Xu Qingya waved his hand: "No, no! Senior Duan cannot give up now. You must fight back. You must find a way to escape Tianlong Temple. Only in this way can you attract the Heavenly Mandate Thief. My words may be cruel, but everything in this world has a cause and effect. No one can escape it. If becoming a monk can sever all past ties, then the burden on Buddha is too heavy. Even gods and Buddhas cannot bear such a burden!"
"Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot" does not mean that you can become a Buddha immediately by putting down the knife, but rather that you have awakened and have Buddha-nature, and from then on you embark on the path to Buddhahood.
It's not that no matter how many crimes I've committed or how many wrongdoings I've done, as long as I become a monk, all the crimes I've committed will be forgotten and all the wrongdoings I've done will be forgotten.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Duan Yanqing's face was expressionless—he couldn't make any expression at all, he could only use his eyes to show that he was willing to be the bait, and he was willing to do so.
Duan Yanqing said, "Duan Zhengchun, I might curse your ancestors for eighteen generations in the next few days, and you might have a very unpleasant time. I think you can take this opportunity to beat me up and vent your anger in advance."
Duan Zhengchun laughed and said, "Are you joking? My ancestors for eighteen generations are also your ancestors for eighteen generations. How can you curse your own ancestors? You risked your life for the Dali people. What's wrong with cursing me a couple of times? A real man shouldn't even have this much magnanimity. That would be too petty."
Duan Yanqing thought to himself, "You gave up voluntarily. If you want to hit me again, don't blame me for breaking your legs."
Not long after, Duan Zhengming personally escorted Duan Yanqing to Tianlong Temple. Xu Qingya returned to Zhennan Prince's Mansion and discussed the matter with his confidante. The experts of the Heavenly Mandate Sect were anxiously pacing around after receiving the news of Duan Yanqing's arrest.
The Heavenly Mandate Sect is the most terrifying den of iniquity in the martial world. You think you can just walk away after taking the benefits from the Heavenly Mandate Sect? There's no way you can get away with that so easily. If this matter is not accomplished, Shan Yuru will use these people as a bounty to send their most insidious and vicious secrets to their relatives and friends.
These secrets are all supported by evidence.
Many secrets were personally guided by the Destiny Cult.
The Heavenly Mandate Sect even has a special channel that can send these case files to a certain Six Doors Divine Constable who is eager to make a name for himself and get promoted through a secret agent. That Divine Constable will definitely solve the case within nine days.
Luo Chaogui, Fu Yaojin, Zhan Yu and others were originally underworld bosses and notorious bandits, covered in countless amounts of excrement, so how could they be easily cleaned up?
The three discussed matters at their secret hideout.
Luo Chaogui cursed angrily: "Damn it! I knew Duan Yanqing was a good-for-nothing. He was robbed of his throne back then and didn't dare to return to Dali for twenty years. He could only survive by being Li Qiushui's dog. He doesn't deserve to be emperor. I feel disgusted when I see his ugly face."
Fu Yaojin sneered: "You're disgusting, but am I not? But who told him to have the surname Duan! This guy is the legitimate heir of Dali, so he's rightfully his."
Zhan Yu shouted, "Stop talking nonsense! You all know Shan Yuru's methods. If you don't want to be drained of your life force by her, you'd better shut your mouths and think about how to rescue Duan Yanqing. If we drag this out any longer, and Duan Yanqing is moved by Buddhism, we'd better run away quickly!"
Luo Chaogui said, "I heard a rumor that the Great Wheel King of Tibet is going to visit Tianlong Temple, ostensibly to discuss Buddhism, but privately—the Great Wheel King loves martial arts manuals the most in his life, and if I'm not mistaken, Kumārajīva probably wants to seize the Six Meridians Divine Sword of Dali."
Fu Yaojin shook his head: "No! No! Distant water can't quench immediate thirst. Who knows if Kumārajīva will arrive next month or next year? Even if he does, so what? Tianlong Temple will definitely ask Xu Qingya to be a witness. It's true that Kumārajīva's martial arts are superb, but can he defeat Xu Qingya?"
A ruthless glint flashed in Zhan Yu's eyes: "We can use a diversionary tactic. Xu Qingya is a womanizer with four wives. Apart from Hua Baifeng, their martial arts skills are not very good. We can capture them easily! As long as we capture one of them, we can threaten Xu Qingya."
Fu Yaojin shook his head again: "That's not right! Given Xu Qingya's status, does he lack women? Even if Xu Qingya truly likes those four women, where can you hide them? Xu Qingya has a spirit dog; even if you hide them three hundred miles away, they won't escape the dog's nose."
Zhan Yu sneered: "I can poison them!"
Fu Yaojin was so angry he almost overturned the table: "Cheng Lingsu is the successor of the Poison Hand Medicine King, and you poisoned her? Even if Wen Wan were here, she would probably think twice!"
Zhan Yu roared, "Damn it! This won't work! That won't work! We might as well just surrender and pledge allegiance to Xu Qingya, asking him to deal with the Heavenly Mandate Sect!"
Fu Yaojin still shook his head: "Xu Qingya won't take in lowlifes like us. Zhan Yu, I think we should start with Zhennan Prince Duan Zhengchun. This guy is a womanizer with many lovers and several illegitimate daughters. We can devise a plan to capture a few of them."
Now it was Zhan Yu's turn to flip the table: "Xu Qingya lives in the Zhennan Prince's Mansion! Duan Zhengchun only needs one word to ask Xu Qingya for help. You'd better think about how to escape this dog's nose first! Where did that bastard Xu Qingya find this dog? Is he the reincarnation of Erlang Shen?"
Luo Chaogui said, "Brothers, you've overestimated the agility of a dog's nose. As long as we place the people in different locations and tell Duan Zhengchun that if any place is breached, we'll immediately eliminate the hostages, Duan Zhengchun will definitely comply obediently, given his personality."
"Great idea, let's do it!"
The three of them agreed to the plan.
In a dark and deep room, a thin, small figure was panting. Sunlight streamed through the window cracks and fell on her face, revealing a face full of wrinkles and pits, as if it had been scorched by fire.
"Splash!"
A carrier pigeon landed outside the window.
The old woman's face darkened with anger, her eyes widened, and a torrent of powerful true energy surged forth, blasting the carrier pigeon into a cloud of blood mist, leaving only a small bamboo tube behind.
"You really consider me your subordinate?"
"I am your aunt!"
"Shan Yuru, you just wait!"