Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 153: Chapter 130: Meeting Again

The gatehouse had collapsed. Thick smoke billowed up, and flames shot toward the sky.

Behind them, the Vajra Sect headquarters was in utter chaos. If left unattended, it would soon be reduced to a pile of ruins.

But Xie Yuan and the men from the Escort Agency didn’t care. The Vajra Sect had already been swept from the stage, destined for the annals of history. Whether their territory remained was irrelevant. At most, a shadow of their existence might persist in the gossip of tavern waiters for a few years, or in the stories old men told their grandchildren many years from now.

The group strode proudly down the long street. The crowd of onlookers automatically parted, their gazes full of reverence as they watched Xie Yuan and his companions pass.

The Vajra Sect had been more than a simple martial arts school; it was a major power in Yunzhou. Its interests, both overt and covert, reached into every facet of the city, from gambling dens and brothels to everyday businesses. With the Vajra Sect’s fall, a massive power vacuum had appeared, one that the Longteng Escort Agency was naturally poised to fill. The agency’s strength would predictably skyrocket, taking it to new heights and making its position completely unassailable.

The dust had almost settled. Only one last thread remained.

Xie Yuan finally had a moment to ask:

"Did the Agency Head go to confront Yu Chunsheng?"

"That’s right."

Chu Sheng nodded, his brow slightly furrowed.

"If the Agency Head had been here, how could they have acted so brazenly? If he had truly made a move, he could have finished off Peng Jie and all the rest before that potent poison even took effect, assuming it worked on him at all. So they were bound to find a way to keep him from intervening. We anticipated as much."

"Was it because of Xu..."

Xie Yuan asked tentatively.

Zhao Xingyang gave a slight nod.

"Yu Chunsheng took Xu the Head of the Escort’s son hostage to prevent the Agency Head from intervening. We all discussed it and decided our own strength would be sufficient, so we agreed."

He gave a bitter laugh and shook his head with a sigh.

"We thought we were fully prepared. Who would have guessed the entire Escort Agency would nearly capsize? We really have you to thank, Xiaoxie. The Vajra Sect may lack true strength, but their underhanded schemes are endless and impossible to guard against. Thankfully, they’re finally done for."

"When facing enemies like this in the future, we cannot afford the slightest hint of carelessness or wishful thinking. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before disaster strikes again. We won’t always have Xie Yuan showing up in the nick of time. We must all remember this lesson and reflect on this painful experience."

Lu Zhenyu said solemnly. This time, everyone deeply agreed and didn’t object to his sternness.

"The Vajra Sect, or perhaps I should say Yu Chunsheng, is certainly full of cunning tricks. Exactly what you’d expect from someone who’s made his way in officialdom—he’s nothing like a martial artist. He caused all this trouble just by capturing Xu the Head of the Escort’s son."

Xie Yuan said, shaking his head.

Chu Sheng stroked his beard and sighed softly.

"Ah, Xie Yuan, don’t take it the wrong way. Xiaoxu was a friend of ours for decades, and his contributions to the Escort Agency were immense. Although... well, let’s not get into that. What’s done is done, and he’s gone. But he died right in front of the Agency Head—in front of all of us. His only wish was to save his son, his only child. The Agency Head couldn’t possibly ignore that."

"Chu the Head of the Escort, you’re being too serious. I didn’t mean anything by it, I was just making an observation."

Xie Yuan waved his hands dismissively, his eyes shifting as he asked:

"Do we know where Xu the Head of the Escort’s son is being held now?"

"The Agency Head said he secretly approached the County Magistrate to find a solution. But when the Magistrate sent someone to check the prison, the boy was gone. He had already been transferred; Yu Chunsheng was prepared for that."

"The prisons are basically Yu Chunsheng’s private fiefdom. Even though the County Magistrate is nominally in charge of Yunzhou, given their relationship, he can’t really interfere."

"Heh, now that the Vajra Sect is destroyed, the County Magistrate is probably the happiest person besides us. With Yu Chunsheng’s influence diminished, it’ll be easier for him to get things done."

"Diminished isn’t enough. It would be better if he were silenced for good."

Xie Yuan mused aloud, stroking his chin, which quieted the other heads of escort for a moment.

The men exchanged glances, then all chuckled.

"Looks like the men from the Vajra Sect weren’t enough to satisfy our Xiaoxie. He won’t be happy until everyone at the Third Training and above is dead."

"But Xiaoxie, you must be careful. As long as Yu Chunsheng wears that official’s uniform, you can’t touch him. The higher-ups are no pushovers, and the Six Gates is full of experts. They will never tolerate an imperial official being assassinated. Don’t be reckless."

Lu Zhenyu warned.

Xie Yuan nodded. The Six Gates was the Great Li dynasty’s agency for handling the affairs of the martial world. It was filled with masters, and they were the ones who compiled the Heavenly Dragon, Flying Dragon, and Hidden Dragon Lists. Their influence was vast and their power immense—they were not an organization to be provoked lightly.

However, he thought of the two ledger pages in his tunic, and an idea stirred within him.

’These two thin sheets of paper could be the final stone that crushes Yu Chunsheng, but now is not the time to act...’

’There’s been no news from Yunzhou Prefecture yet, and the Inspector General’s political enemies haven’t made their move. They must still be plotting. If I act rashly, I’ll likely draw their attention to myself.’

’Offending Peng Yue openly... I can’t bear that kind of pressure yet.’

’The safest strategy is to wait until the "gods" up above start their battles. Then, I can take advantage of the chaos, bring this out, and deal Yu Chunsheng a fatal blow.’

He steered the conversation back to the key issue:

"So Xu the Head of the Escort’s son isn’t in the main prison? Then where did Yu Chunsheng take him?"

Chu Sheng said with some hesitation:

"We have two theories. One is that the boy is hidden in Yu Chunsheng’s private residence. The other is that he’s at a secret courtyard villa. The first is the more likely possibility."

"We’ve thought about sneaking in to rescue the boy, but Yu Chunsheng is a Fourth Training master. We’re not confident we can get in and out without alerting him, and even the Agency Head isn’t sure. After all, stealthy infiltration isn’t our agency’s specialty... If he were to discover or capture us, it would only lead to more trouble."

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