Chapter 1 Disturbance

Above Ning Tian Prefecture, Zhou Jing's robes fluttered as he rode the wind, surveying the city's unrest like a falcon.

"This assassin acted alone to assassinate the emperor, I wonder if he has any accomplices waiting..."

He muttered to himself, activating his Elemental Vision to scan the area, but found nothing.

This assassin seemed to be a pure martial artist, not versed in spells, making him even harder to catch than Mei Zhanqing.

Specialties exist for a reason. Mei Zhanqing back then was full of evil energy, like a firefly in the night in the Elemental Vision, so distinct and outstanding.

But an ordinary martial artist's aura is no different from that of ordinary people, without any significant characteristics, and no special traces exist in the Elemental Vision.

Zhou Jing tried for a while, then deactivated his Elemental Vision. For this kind of target, it was better to use normal senses to find traces.

He lowered his altitude, circling in the night sky, observing the search paths of the many Imperial Guards, watching the streets illuminated by torches, while also paying attention to the movements in the dark alleys.

With his higher perception, the condition of the areas he flew over was entirely under his observation. Although not every detail was visible, he would not miss any small movements.

However, after searching for a while, he found nothing.

"The assassin is highly skilled. As long as he shakes off the pursuers, he can hide anywhere. Ning Tian Prefecture is very large. Without mysterious tracking methods, searching for a person is like looking for a needle in a haystack..."

Zhou Jing secretly pondered.

If he were the assassin, how would he escape after a failed assassination?

Hmm... escape my ass, he would definitely swagger out of the city.

"Cough, that's not what a normal person would think."

Zhou Jing composed himself, switching to the mindset of a mortal, and pondered:

"The assassination occurred at night, and the city gates are closed. The assassin can only hide in the city. And since the emperor was assassinated, even during the day, the city gates will inevitably be under martial law, and the curfew will not be lifted easily until the thief is found. Therefore, the assassin must either hide in the city and pray that he won't be found, or find a way to slip out of the city. He dared to assassinate, and he's highly skilled, so he shouldn't sit still and wait for death. The way to avoid the gate checks and escape from Ning Tian Prefecture..."

He narrowed his eyes and looked at the Yu Lin River that crisscrossed the city.

Ning Tian Prefecture has a dense network of waterways. If he wanted to avoid inspection, the most likely way would be to take the waterway at night and find a way to get out of the city through the water gate.

Zhou Jing had an idea. He lowered his altitude again and simply flew along the bank of the Yu Lin River, observing the movement on the river.

The Yu Lin River surrounds Ning Tian Prefecture, with both prosperous and remote sections.

He searched carefully for a while, and in a murky and remote area of the river, he really found some anomalies.

There was a stone bridge here, with clumps of aquatic plants growing in the arch of the bridge, and fish swimming, stirring up ripples.

Everything seemed normal, but Zhou Jing found a reed pipe sticking out from the aquatic plants.

In the dim environment, ordinary people would hardly notice this detail, but his perception was quite high, and his vision, smell, and hearing were far beyond those of ordinary people.

With comprehensive perception, he not only discovered this detail through vision, but also vaguely felt the faint air movement of the reed pipe, as if someone was breathing lightly.

'There should be a person hiding underwater... most likely the assassin, otherwise he wouldn't hide like this.'

Zhou Jing's eyes flashed, but he didn't step forward to expose him. Instead, he listened carefully to the movements around him.

The sound of the Imperial Guards searching was quite far away from here, and most of the buildings on the bank of this river section had their doors and windows tightly closed, and no one was watching.

He rolled his eyes, coughed, and deliberately muttered:

"I don't know who this assassin is, could it be the Life-Reaping Yama Chen Feng? This person has been killing officials and dignitaries all the way, claiming to be punishing the wicked, and is the most suspicious."

After saying that, Zhou Jing turned around and flew away, as if he had gone somewhere else.

In fact, he circled around and came back, quietly watching the movement here in the air.

Before long, he discovered a "drifting" reed pipe on this river section, quietly moving along the river towards the edge of the city.

Zhou Jing's eyes lit up. He did not tell anyone about this discovery, but quietly followed in the air, closely watching the person's tracks.

...

Duan Yunfeng sucked on the reed pipe, carefully swimming in the river.

It was autumn, and the river water was bone-chillingly cold. Even though he was strong and had inner Qi protecting him, he felt his body gradually freezing and could only hold on.

The underwater was murky and dark. Duan Yunfeng couldn't see the road ahead and didn't dare to surface, so he could only swim for a while and stop for a while, listening carefully to the movements on the shore through the river water.

Fortunately, he had been scouting for this past month and was already familiar with the river terrain. Even if he couldn't see clearly underwater, he could still move in the dark. He deliberately chose this route when he escaped, leading to the water gate in the west of the city, not passing through the prosperous river section lined with painted boats, thus avoiding attention.

He didn't know how long he had been swimming, but Duan Yunfeng finally touched the slippery moss on the side of the water gate wall. After listening to the movements for a while and confirming that there were no soldiers around, he carefully emerged from the water.

The water gate here was connected to the city wall and was arch-shaped, closed by iron bars. The river channel was narrow, only allowing one awning boat to pass through, and outside was a winding river channel leading directly to the Chunshan River.

As long as he got out, he would be able to escape.

Duan Yunfeng groped and grabbed the edge of an iron bar. There were several loose spots where it connected to the city wall, which he had loosened night after night during his month of scouting.

He took a deep breath and suddenly exerted his strength.

Crack!

The corner of the iron bar broke, revealing a gap that was barely enough to squeeze through.

Duan Yunfeng's body crackled, and he used the bone-shrinking technique, and his whole body squeezed through the gap.

He passed through the water gate, not daring to relax, and quickly swam along the river channel, all the way into the Chunshan River, touching the dark on a deserted wild forest bank and landing ashore.

Only then did he look back and see the general outline of Ning Tian Prefecture in the darkness.

"I'm out..."

Only at this time did Duan Yunfeng's tense nerves relax, and he felt that his clothes were wet and stuck to his body, and the wetness and coldness penetrated into his bones.

"Damn it, the official soldiers supported too quickly. This time, I didn't kill the dog emperor, and I almost lost my life inside..."

Duan Yunfeng gritted his teeth, feeling frustrated by his failure and resentful for his loss, with mixed emotions.

He took a breath, suppressed the emotions in his heart, and thought:

"Fortunately, I escaped. I must preserve my useful body. I can't fail again next time..."

Although he failed this time, he did not intend to give up assassinating the emperor.

However, after this battle, the protection around the emperor would inevitably be strengthened, and he knew that he would not have a chance in a short time.

Duan Yunfeng's original plan was to flee immediately if he missed, but at this moment he didn't know where to go.

"I assassinated with a mask, and I didn't expose my whereabouts, so I don't have to worry about the court's wanted order for the time being... but the world is so big, where should I go now?"

Duan Yunfeng hesitated in his heart.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered the voice of the "pursuer" he heard through the water when he was hiding in a bridge hole before.

"Life-Reaping Yama Chen Feng... I have heard of this person's name. He is a good man. This person is in the Jiangchun area. Although he has committed many crimes, he has not come to Ning Tian Prefecture. The court should not put this blame on his head, and this matter will probably not involve him. Hmm, this Chen Feng has been punishing evil all the way, so he must also be someone who hates the court. Why don't I go and see him? If I can get this person's help, it is better than me assassinating the dog emperor alone..."

Duan Yunfeng's eyes changed, and he made a decision. He immediately got up, dragging his tired body, and groped forward in the dark.

But he didn't know that Zhou Jing, who was flying in the sky, was now watching his back from afar, watching him disappear into the darkness.

"He does have some skills..."

Zhou Jing withdrew his gaze and did not intend to chase after him to capture him.

He didn't know the person's identity and origin, and he wasn't sure of the person's reasons for assassinating, but he didn't want to catch the assassin at the moment... no matter what the reason, a hero who dared to assassinate a fatuous ruler alone was more valuable alive than dead.

However, he didn't intend to meet with this person and leave an excuse for gossip, nor did he want to risk keeping this person by his side. He had been quietly following in the air, with the intention of acting according to the situation.

If the assassin unfortunately encountered the Imperial Guards during his escape, he would take action to capture the assassin as a way to grab credit.

But if this assassin did not alarm the pursuers and escaped quietly, he would turn a blind eye and pretend he didn't notice.

After all, Zhou Jing was not sincerely working for the emperor.

Catching the assassin was just icing on the cake for him. The reason why he was favored was his alchemy and metaphysical support. This was the core competitiveness for gaining favor, and he would not fall out of favor just because he came to help and didn't find the assassin... This was the duty of the Imperial Guards, not his.

Moreover, the emperor's heart was unpredictable. If he really caught the assassin who even the Imperial Guards could do nothing about, the emperor might be even more jealous and suspicious in his heart in addition to the reward, which was hard to say.

Zhou Jing intentionally instructed the assassin to find Chen Feng, but because it was inconvenient to speak face-to-face, he just pretended to mention it unintentionally, giving a hint and guidance. As for whether this person would go, that was unknown.

"If he goes to find Chen Feng, I can find out his origin..."

Zhou Jing turned various thoughts in his mind, pretending to continue flying and searching in the city.

...

One night passed, and the sky gradually turned white.

Because of the Imperial Guards' large-scale search, the news of the emperor's assassination had alarmed the entire Ning Tian Prefecture, especially the wealthy class, who were all shocked.

Zhou Jing flew in the sky all night, displaying his behavior of searching all night in full view of everyone. When it was dawn, he landed and requested an audience with the emperor.

This time, the emperor agreed to summon him, allowing the Imperial Guard commander and Zhou Jing to enter together to report.

Inside the palace, the emperor was wearing a dragon robe, sitting upright, watching the two enter and salute.

"Has the assassin been caught?"

The emperor's tone was deep.

The Imperial Guard commander swallowed and stammered, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the thief is cunning. We searched all night and have not found any traces of the thief. I have ordered the city to be sealed off for a search, and I will never let the assassin escape."

"Still not caught?"

The emperor was furious, suddenly got up, pointed at the Imperial Guard commander and scolded:

"The assassin almost broke into my bedroom. You failed to surround and kill this person, and even let him hide in the city all night. You are really incompetent!"

"Your subject knows his crime!"

The Imperial Guard commander knelt down tremblingly.

The emperor ignored him, turned to look at Zhou Jing, and asked in a deep voice, "I wonder if the True Master has any discoveries?"

Zhou Jing's face did not change: "I am ashamed, but I used the wind-riding technique to patrol in the air all night, and I did not find the person's whereabouts."

The emperor frowned: "The True Master is so powerful, I thought I would be able to capture him easily."

Zhou Jing shook his head and said frankly:

"When the incident happened, I was not here. When I heard the news and rushed over, the assassin was already gone. I could only search in the dark, which is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It is a pity that I cannot always guard the Holy One, otherwise if the thief dared to assassinate, I would have captured him long ago."

Hearing this, the emperor pondered slightly and did not blame him too much, knowing that this matter could not be blamed on the Wind-Riding True Master.

At this time, Zhou Jing spoke again and said, "Your Majesty was frightened last night. I sent someone to send a bottle of Mind-Calming Pills. How does Your Majesty feel?"

The emperor calmed down, nodded and said: "I have already used it. My mind is calm and peaceful, and I feel much better. It is indeed quite effective. Thank you, True Master."

Zhou Jing nodded and cupped his hands:

"Your Majesty is the True Dragon Son of Heaven, protected by dragon energy. The heavenly secrets of the immortal's dream should also be on Your Majesty. When encountering things, you will turn bad luck into good luck, and turn danger into safety. This assassin went against the heavens, of course he failed and was exposed, and there is absolutely no possibility of success."

Hearing this, the emperor slightly raised the corners of his mouth and said with a smile: "What the True Master said is true."

Everyone likes to hear good words, and he never gets tired of hearing other people's compliments.

The emperor calmed down, restrained his smile, waved his hand and said, "True Master, please go down first and find the thief's whereabouts for me."

"Then I will take my leave."

Zhou Jing made a salute with his palm and retreated out of the palace gate, turning around and walking away.

Before he had taken a few steps, he heard the emperor cursing the Imperial Guard commander behind him.

Zhou Jing raised his eyebrows, pretended not to hear, and did not look back, leaving on his own.

In the next few days, the Imperial Guards were still searching the city in a big way.

However, Zhou Jing knew that the assassin had already escaped, and these searches were useless, and he was just putting on a show.

The emperor's assassination caused a great panic in the entire Ning Tian Prefecture, and the news spread rapidly to nearby states as if it had wings.

...

Jiangchun territory, near a certain county town.

Chen Feng and his party were resting in the forest, eating dry food and chatting casually.

Compared to more than a month ago, the team has grown a lot.

Chen Feng went from Luhe to Jiangchun, killing corrupt officials and eliminating bullies all the way. He was chased and surrounded by official soldiers many times, but he was safe and sound. He gained a great reputation, and his prestige in the green forest world became higher and higher. He was already a famous figure in the southern green forest world.

Wherever he went, there were occasional poor men who had been bullied and wanted to change their way of life, and were willing to follow Chen Feng, but such people were only a small minority.

In addition, there were many green forest figures who admired Chen Feng and came to join him, to jointly accomplish the righteous cause.

At present, the number of Chen Feng's party had reached forty or so people, like a small group of bandits.

Most of them were poor families like Zhang San, and there were about ten martial artists mixed in the green forest, with some new faces.

However, although Chen Feng had a high reputation in the green forest world, the public opinion was mixed.

After all, the killing was too heavy. Even if those who were killed were bullies and local tyrants, many people were still afraid, thinking that he was a lawless murderer, and his fierce name could stop children from crying at night.

But there were also people who applauded this kind of behavior, mostly poor families who had been oppressed by local tyrants. Some people had even followed the trajectory of Chen Feng's actions and took the initiative to come and find him, hoping to invite Chen Feng to visit their hometown.

At this time, there was a sound in the forest, and Fang Zhen, who was inquiring about the news, came back.

Fang Zhen walked closer and said in an excited tone:

"Brothers, I just inquired about a major event. It is said that someone assassinated the fatuous ruler in Ning Tian Prefecture, and almost succeeded!"

"Is there such a thing? Brother Fang, please tell us in detail!"

Hearing this, everyone was immediately very interested and asked questions one after another.

After Fang Zhen told it in detail, everyone was surprised.

Guo Haishen couldn't help but praised:

"To assassinate the emperor alone and still be able to retreat completely, he must also be a highly skilled hero!"

"He is indeed a character. It is a pity that I don't know his name. I really want to meet him."

Hong Dingxian also nodded repeatedly.

Zhang San noticed another key point and said dissatisfied: "Hey, the people suspect that this matter was done by us brothers? It's really absurd. We don't have wings, so how can we fly to Ning Tian Prefecture overnight? A real man says one thing. If it wasn't done by us, we can't be implicated."

Chen Feng sat on a stone with a golden sword and said with a hum:

"There is no need to pay attention to folk rumors. Even if the court really puts the blame on me, what do I have to fear? If I get angry, what if I really take the head of the dog emperor!"

"Brother is so heroic! If the court dares to send people, we will kill one, and kill a pair if they send two!"

Everyone laughed and echoed.

At the same time, on the official road dozens of miles away.

Shen Sanqiu and other twenty-eight Jianghu experts were galloping on horseback, getting closer and closer to Chen Feng's location.

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