My Apprentice Is Too Diligent

Chapter 76: A Sword Through the Chest (Seeking Subscriptions)

"Ah? I didn't do it."

Wang Hu hurriedly denied, approaching Chen Wuji and whispered, "My Lord Chen, you can't say that casually, otherwise it will cause big problems!"

"Didn't you say that the county lord hasn't been seen for several days?" Chen Wuji whispered.

"I said the county lord is busy, not that he disappeared," Wang Hu said anxiously.

"...Alright." Chen Wuji didn't pursue further, "The county lord is busy and cannot be seen."

"Yes, that's right!" Wang Hu forced a smile.

Anyway, he didn't admit it.

The county lord has been missing for several days, and he hasn't been seen in the county government or the tea house he often visits.

This matter hasn't been exposed yet, as the chief clerk and the historian are suppressing it, searching for people while keeping it under wraps. How long they can keep it under wraps, they will keep it.

However, Chen Wuji's thoughts went further.

The county lord's disappearance is most likely related to the group of men with hooked noses.

But another problem arises.

If the group of men with hooked noses kidnapped the county lord.

Then who killed the man with the hooked nose?

The old servant surnamed Lu by the county lord's side, although he used to be a True Qi Realm expert, his dantian is now shattered, and he doesn't have a trace of True Qi. It's impossible for him to kill the man with the hooked nose.

Looking at the body in front of him, the fatal wound was a sword wound to the heart.

The sword almost cut the man with the hooked nose's heart in half.

Just from the wound, one can see the perpetrator's mastery of Sword Dao, which is extraordinary.

The man was killed by a frontal sword strike, but his body was not cut in half.

This shows the perpetrator's mastery of Sword Dao, reaching a high level of control.

"Excuse me, excuse me!"

While pondering, a voice came from the door.

Two men of different heights pushed aside the constables blocking the way and walked up to Wang Hu.

"Are you Captain Wang? This corpse was our friend when he was alive. Captain, you don't need to worry about his body. We will take it back and bury it."

The man speaking had a greasy face and a round belly. He pointed at the man with the hooked nose, glanced at Chen Wuji, and said calmly.

"Ah, alright, no problem."

Wang Hu was first stunned, then nodded and said, "Thank you both."

"You're welcome."

The other man, tall with thick eyebrows but completely white hair, grinned and squatted down, grabbing the body of the man with the hooked nose with one hand.

The two of them walked away quickly without looking at anyone else.

Watching them disappear from sight, Wang Hu whispered, "These two are also True Qi Realm, unless something unexpected happens."

"...They are one of the newcomers in the past two months, right?" Chen Wuji calmly interjected.

"Yes, these people don't show up often, but their aura is getting stronger one by one," Wang Hu sighed, "White Water used to be stable, but in the past half year, there have been constant troubles."

"The Xiong Gang was wiped out, the Wang family was wiped out, the Blood Sword Sect was wiped out, and even... even Old Yang died under mysterious circumstances! It's really a troublesome autumn!"

Chen Wuji, "..."

He couldn't easily answer whether it was a troublesome autumn or not.

But he could be sure that the group of men with hooked noses had great ambitions.

Wang Hu was unaware.

Pang Qiandeng might know a thing or two.

...

Thinking of this, Chen Wuji asked the innkeeper for money to appease the injured people, then tidied up the inn and closed it for reorganization.

Chen Wuji then headed straight out of the city.

He found a small alley, changed his appearance, put on Qin Shubao's disguise, and found Pang Qiandeng to inquire about the situation.

"Master, the county lord did indeed disappear."

Pang Qiandeng respectfully replied, "Not only did the county lord disappear, but his son is also missing."

"Qi Xinshi is gone too?" Chen Wuji raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, both the county lord and his son disappeared about seven days ago," Pang Qiandeng replied, "We don't know who did it at the moment."

"I see."

Chen Wuji pondered, "Then the fight that happened at Chenji Inn today at noon, where two True Qi Realm experts clashed and one was killed, do you know who they were?"

(Note: The translation provided is a direct translation and may not flow as smoothly as a native English speaker would phrase it. However, it accurately conveys the meaning of the original Chinese text.)

"I don't know," Pang Qianding shook his head. "All I know is that a group of people, numbering around forty to fifty, has arrived in the county town in the past two months. Every one of them is very strong."

Chen Wuji said, "...Are they not from the government army?"

"They are not from the government army," Pang Qianding replied. "Zhao Kongchuang died in Yueyawan, and the governor did not inquire about it or send anyone down."

"Because the killer is very clear, it's the Four Ghosts of Hanshan. Three of these ghosts are already dead, only the Black-faced Ghost is still on the run."

...Alright.

I thought they were from the government army, turns out they're not.

Chen Wuji didn't stay long.

He instructed Pang Qianding to be vigilant and inform him promptly if there were any discoveries.

This group of people, including the man with the hooked nose and Shi Jiang, I wonder what they're plotting.

If it were just them, they would probably keep it hidden.

But now there's a True Qi Realm expert who isn't afraid of them, openly killing the man with the hooked nose in broad daylight at the restaurant.

Once someone dies, it's only natural for Shi Jiang's accomplices to seek revenge. Otherwise, it would be strange.

Chen Wuji decided to wait.

And as expected, things unfolded just as Chen Wuji had anticipated.

That night, Chen Wuji sat cross-legged on the rooftop, quietly cultivating.

Suddenly, he heard intense fighting sounds coming from the north.

Immediately, his figure flickered and he flew off the rooftop, swiftly rushing over.

From a distance, Chen Wuji saw two figures engaged in a rapid battle on the street.

Sword qi and fist imprints collided incessantly, creating ripples that plowed grooves into the ground.

He recognized one of the individuals.

It was one of the two men who had collected the body of the man with the hooked nose during the day.

That man was tall, with thick eyebrows and completely snow-white hair!

The person fighting against him was shrouded in black qi, wielding an equally pitch-black longsword, every move lethal, directly aiming for the man with the white eyebrows.

The man with the white eyebrows kept retreating, unable to match his opponent at all.

Just as Chen Wuji observed from a distance, less than ten breaths had passed.

Chi! Chi! Chi~

Sword qi sliced through the air, sealing off all of the man with the white eyebrows' escape routes.

In the midst of his shocked and angry roar, he attempted to die together with his opponent.

However, to his surprise, the figure shrouded in black qi and wielding the black sword suddenly let out a low shout, causing the man with the white eyebrows' body to stiffen for half a breath, pausing.

When experts clash, victory or defeat can be determined in an instant.

With this momentary pause from the man with the white eyebrows, he immediately lost his chance and was seized by the figure shrouded in black qi and wielding the black sword, who pierced his heart with a single strike.

"Pu chi!"

Blood splattered.

The figure shrouded in black qi and wielding the black sword withdrew the sword and flicked off the bloodstains.

With a flash of his figure, he swiftly entered a small alley next to the street, disappearing quickly.

He didn't even search the body!

Just a simple act of killing?

Chen Wuji was astonished.

He released his spiritual power, sensing his surroundings, listening for any abnormalities.

The result was that the figure shrouded in black qi and wielding the black sword had indeed gone far away.

There were no other people nearby for the time being.

So what was he waiting for!

Whoosh~

Whoosh!

Chen Wuji decisively flew from the rooftop, swiftly rushing over, and arrived next to the fallen body of the man with the white eyebrows. He quickly searched the body and obtained a few things.

Then, without checking them, his figure flickered and he entered another alley, a few flashes taking him far away from the street.

Hoo! Hoo!

Just as he flew into the darkness and hid, he heard the sound of breaking wind approaching rapidly from above.

The next moment, Chen Wuji heard a familiar voice, filled with anger and curses.

"Bastard, who did this!"

(End of this chapter)