Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 185: Chapter 158: Dead Men Tell Tales

Lu the Third fled the Escort Agency, his heart still pounding in his chest. He ran far, far away, terrified that Li Tai might go back on his word.

For a former West Desert bandit like him, a man like Li Tai was a shadow from his youth, a heavy weight buried deep in his heart. Just meeting him was enough to drain his confidence.

Moreover, during their confrontation, Li Tai had casually revealed a fraction of his strength. It was enough to prove to Lu the Third that the rumors were true, and the Flying Dragon List didn’t make mistakes in its rankings.

’What the hell was that... Thank goodness, thank goodness. He didn’t try to settle the score with me over those dead Escort Agency guys.’

Lu the Third shook his head.

He had just finished scouting Xie Yuan’s courtyard. Now, having found a safe spot, he activated his Profound Skill. A faint light glowed in his eyes as he began to discern the tracks again.

’Found them!’

One trail for Mu Chaoyun, one for Xie Yuan, the two tightly intertwined. There was another, crooked trail following close behind—it belonged to Deng Wan.

A cold smile appeared on Lu the Third’s face. The direction where these three trails converged was the direction he needed to go. It was like they were pointing the way for him.

He was feeling pleased with himself when he subconsciously glanced back. His mouth twitched, and he quickened his pace, following the tracks.

He followed them to the riverbank, where he glanced at the collapsed two-story building.

’That guy, Deng Wan...’

At that time, Escort Agency members had been killed or injured at all four city gates, and the Chunjiang Building within the city had been destroyed. Combined with the Escort Agency’s earlier grand display of force, rumors were flying everywhere, throwing both the inside and outside of Yunzhao County into a state of chaos.

This created some interference for Lu the Third, but he found a way. He patiently and slowly identified the tracks, gradually following them along the river and out of the city. Once outside, he used his strengths to his advantage, dashing across the wilderness before turning into the mountains.

The mountains were littered with traces of arrays destroyed by Deng Wan, which made Lu the Third’s brow slowly furrow.

’Has Deng Wan’s skill gotten this high? It looks like he faced no obstacles, scaling mountains and breaking arrays as he encountered them. He barely took any detours. It seems he came prepared, too.’

Based on the freshness of the three trails, Lu the Third could tell that Deng Wan was closing in fast. A sense of urgency grew within him.

’Don’t tell me he’s going to get to them first?’

When he reached a cliff and saw the scar left by Deng Wan’s single-saber strike that had split the rock, Lu the Third’s expression grew solemn. Later, seeing that numerous, even more complex arrays had also been broken, he realized how close Deng Wan had gotten. His face turned grim.

’If it were me, I’d have been misled by these arrays for a long time. I might have even lost more ground. That bastard Deng must have some treasure on him! This is bad. If he catches up and gets the item first, with that cunning mind of his, I might not be able to do a thing to him!’

Already moving at great speed, Lu the Third suddenly burst forward, pushing himself even faster. As he saw the tracks converging more and more, his brows knitted deeper.

Suddenly, he stopped. He stared at the remnants of a Mountain and River Concealment Array ahead. The auras of the three individuals were tangled and chaotic here—a battle had clearly broken out!

And here, all the tracks came to an end.

Lu the Third’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

’So Deng Wan really succeeded here... Those two, one half-crippled and the other useless, were no match for him. They must be dead by now, which is why their auras are gone. And that Deng Wan! He must have had a way to evade my detection all along, only using it after he succeeded so I couldn’t find him!

’Fine. So that’s how it is, you bastard Deng. After so many years as a "legitimate" businessman, you’ve gotten so damn crafty. Hmph, I don’t believe you could have covered your tracks perfectly. You’ve been living in the city for years. Are your old skills still that sharp? Let’s see about that. Don’t let me find your trail, or else...’

He pushed aside the dense bushes and entered the clearing where the battle had taken place. His resentful muttering came to an abrupt halt.

On the ground lay a corpse, the flesh around its waist mangled and bloody. Who could it be but Deng Wan?

Lu the Third froze for several breaths before snapping back to his senses, his face a mask of astonishment.

’So Deng Wan has been here all along...’

’Did all three of them kill each other?’

Lu the Third slapped his forehead, a look of delight spreading across his face. He excitedly circled the clearing, searching for the other two bodies.

But there was nothing. He didn’t see their bodies, nor did he find any clues.

It was as if Mu Chaoyun and Xie Yuan had vanished into thin air, all traces of them gone from this spot.

’This situation... Could it be that Mu Chaoyun killed Deng Wan and then escaped?’

Lu the Third returned to Deng Wan’s corpse, his brow furrowed in utter confusion.

’How could she have killed Deng Wan when she was so badly injured?’

’And this wound...’

Lu the Third examined Deng Wan’s body, his frown deepening.

The fatal blow was from Mu Chaoyun’s palm technique, no doubt about it. But this external wound, which nearly cut him in half at the waist, looked like it was from an axe. That was definitely not her style.

’An axe?’

Lu the Third’s eyes widened. ’Could it have been that kid?’

’Impossible!’

He shook his head instinctively.

’He’s just at the External Training stage. How could he possibly injure a Grandmaster so severely? Deng Wan might have been a good-for-nothing, but he was a genuine Grandmaster.’

’But how did they suddenly disappear? If Mu Chaoyun had that ability, why didn’t she use it sooner?’

’Was it the kid? Or... the legendary Black Celestial Book?’

Lu the Third’s eyes flickered. He couldn’t help but look again at the mangled flesh on Deng Wan’s lower back when another thought suddenly struck him.

’Could someone else have rescued them?’

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. There was no other way to explain Deng Wan’s death.

A sudden chill ran down Lu the Third’s spine.

That person must be far stronger than him, perhaps even stronger than Li Tai, to be able to take two people away without leaving a single trace.

He subconsciously scanned the surrounding forest. It was deathly quiet, yet he felt as if someone was watching him.

’This won’t do. There’s a mysterious expert ahead and Li Tai behind. I can’t stay here any longer.’

Lu the Third gritted his teeth, feeling a pang of reluctance as he thought of the legendary Black Celestial Book. But looking down at the corpse at his feet, he chose a different direction and turned to leave.

’Better to live to fight another day.’

’Mu Chaoyun, Xie Yuan... as long as you have the Black Celestial Book, I’ll find you sooner or later...’

Not long after Lu the Third left, the forest parted. A gust of wind blew past, and Li Tai’s figure appeared.

Although he had set out at least half a day later than Lu the Third, by the time he reached the forest, he was only an hour behind.

Li Tai looked down at Deng Wan’s body, a surprised expression on his face.

Amidst the chaos in Yunzhao County, he had learned that another Grandmaster besides Lu the Third was in pursuit. Urged on by an anxious Situ Qin, he had rushed over like the wind.

And yet, this Grandmaster was already dead.

’Looking at these injuries... an axe wound?’

’Xie Yuan?’

On Li Tai’s usually imperturbable face, a look of utter shock suddenly appeared.

His eye for detail was far sharper than Lu the Third’s, and he knew Xie Yuan much better. He recognized this wound as Xie Yuan’s handiwork!

’A Fourth Training practitioner... how could he injure a Grandmaster?’

’This Xie Yuan... he’s actually capable of something like this?’

Even for someone as experienced and worldly as Li Tai, this was simply unbelievable.

After a moment’s daze, Li Tai stood up and scouted the area. He was slightly surprised again to find no trace of Mu Chaoyun and Xie Yuan.

’Their tracks are so well hidden that even I can’t find them?’

He paced in the forest for a moment, then nodded slightly.

’Xie Yuan and that girl from the Mu family seem to be fine. The only ones chasing them were this man and Lu the Third. In that case, I’ll just hunt down Lu the Third, and their crisis will be resolved.’

A sharp glint flashed in Li Tai’s eyes. ’If I can’t find Xie Yuan, does that mean I can’t find Lu the Third?’

The tracks on the ground, though tampered with, were clearly the typical handiwork of a West Desert bandit. He was all too familiar with it.

Li Tai was about to follow the tracks when he suddenly paused.

He whipped his head around and shouted in a low voice,

"Who’s there? Come out."

The nearby bushes rustled, and a handsome man in an official’s uniform and cloud-stepping shoes walked out. He bowed slightly with his hands clasped.

"General Li, I trust you’ve been well?"

Li Tai looked at the newcomer, one eyebrow raised.

"Chief Su? You’re not in the Capital City. What brings you to Yunzhou?"

The young chief constable with the surname Su glanced at Deng Wan’s corpse and said calmly,

"I was investigating a case in Yanzhou. I suspected that this Deng Wan of the Golden Dragon Trading Company was the bandit leader who plagued the region outside the West Pass all those years ago. I tracked him all the way to Yunzhou, but it seems I was a step too late. He’s already been killed."

He looked at Li Tai, his calm eyes holding a scrutinizing gaze, and asked,

"And what brings General Li here?"

Li Tai’s face was impassive as he shook his head.

"I no longer serve the court. The title of ’General’ is not one I can accept. As for why I’m here..."

He said coolly,

"What’s this, Su Xing? Has the youngest Divine Catcher of the Spring Rain Building become so imposing that you want to investigate me as well?"

The pressure was palpable. Su Xing’s expression changed slightly.

He lowered his gaze a little.

"I wouldn’t dare. It’s just that Deng Wan is connected to a major case from over twenty years ago. The matter is of great importance, so I must ask."

He looked around and said methodically,

"The Mountain and River Concealment Array. Such a profound array can only be deployed by one of the few families who specialize in them. In this region, that would only be the Mu family of Beidu Mountain. The Golden Dragon Trading Company has always had dealings with the Mu family, so Deng Wan was undoubtedly tracking someone from the Mu family.

"Judging by the signs of battle, Deng Wan died from the palm strike of a Mu family Grandmaster. However, the severe wound he sustained before that was inflicted by someone else. It must have been a joint effort. The person from the Mu family kept Deng Wan occupied while the other individual gravely injured him. Then, the Mu family member seized the opportunity to finish him off."

Su Xing spoke each word with confidence, his analysis of the scene in just a few sentences painting a picture that was almost entirely accurate.

But as he said this, his brow furrowed in apparent confusion.

"However, judging from the aura on the wound, this person’s realm seems to be below even the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm. Yet, to be able to injure a Grandmaster, he must be at least at the Qi Blood Third Transformation. But the essence of his Qi and Blood was disguised so perfectly... I’ve never heard of such a Cultivation Technique, nor do I understand the reason for doing so. It’s baffling."

He stared at Li Tai and said slowly,

"Since General Li is here, I doubt it’s a coincidence. Would you perhaps enlighten me? Who is this esteemed, axe-wielding Martial Artist, and why did he kill Deng Wan?"

Li Tai looked at Su Xing with a strange expression, which left Su Xing a little confused.

He shook his head and said coolly,

"Detective Su, does the Spring Rain Building need others to teach you how to solve cases? Deng Wan hasn’t been dead for long. You can’t find the killer?"

Su Xing shook his head.

"I arrived just before you and have already searched the area, but I found nothing."

This time, Li Tai was genuinely astonished. ’Even a Divine Catcher from the Spring Rain Building can’t find Xie Yuan?’

’Did he sprout wings and fly away?’

He had been shocked by Xie Yuan several times today, but in front of Su Xing, he simply suppressed it and maintained a calm expression.

"I am not a man of the imperial court. I have nothing to help you with."

With that, Li Tai flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

Su Xing quietly watched Li Tai depart. His gaze then fell back to Deng Wan’s corpse, his eyes glinting.

’The Mu family... an axe...’

「A hundred li away in the mountains.」

Xie Yuan and Mu Chaoyun supported each other as they emerged from a forest.

Mu Chaoyun looked down at the Eight Trigrams Plate in her hand. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she sighed.

"There’s still only one path, and it’s right ahead—"

Xie Yuan followed her gaze and saw a majestic mountain looming before them. Its presence was magnificent, its main peak like a sword piercing the clouds.

He raised his eyebrows slightly and whispered,

"Cloud Mountain?"

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