Chapter 641: Jia Ren
Chapter 641: Jia Ren
"He's a traitor from Duan Jinmen who stole something from the Xie family. The Xie family posted a mission on the sect's notice board, and I, Sister Murong, and Brother Feng accepted it. We captured him in Bishan City and sent him to the Daoist prison..." Mo Hua explained succinctly.
"This man can disguise himself. His flesh and blood can contort and deform, making it difficult to discern his true appearance. He practices the Golden Escape Art of Duan Jinmen, turning his body into golden light and running very fast..." Mo Hua added.
Guchanghai's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke in a deep voice, "He stole something from the Xie family..."
"...and soon after, the Xie family was wiped out," Mo Hua nodded.
He hadn't thought of this connection before, but now seeing this traitor from Duan Jinmen, he found the situation intriguing.
And...
Mo Hua lowered his voice, "How did he escape from the Daoist prison? Could it be that there's an inside man in the Dao Court?"
Although Mo Hua didn't say it explicitly, Guchanghai clearly understood his implication, and his expression turned even more solemn.
"I'll have someone look into it," Guchanghai said as he took out a golden waist token from the Dao Court. It seemed like he was sending out a message.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Can this waist token from the Dao Court be used to send messages? What about mine?"
"Yours won't work," Guchanghai replied concisely.
"Why?" Mo Hua asked.
"Because you're a temporary worker," Guchanghai explained.
"Oh well..." Mo Hua sighed in resignation. He knew that temporary workers didn't get the same treatment as official employees, even when doing the same job.
Mo Hua glanced at the cosmetic shop again and asked, "Uncle Gu, what do we do now? Are we going to arrest him?"
Guchanghai sipped his tea and calmly replied, "There's no rush. Let's observe for now."
If Guchanghai wasn't in a hurry, Mo Hua certainly wasn't going to be. He was curious to see how Uncle Gu, as the chief judge of the Dao Court, handled cases on a typical day.
How does one find clues?
How does one make an arrest?
Knowing oneself and one's enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles.
What if...
One day, he were to be wanted by the Dao Court and pursued by Uncle Gu? How could he escape his grasp?
Of course, this was just a hypothetical scenario.
He was a law-abiding cultivator of Qianxue State and a well-behaved disciple of Tai Xu Men. Such a day would never come.
Nevertheless, it didn't hurt to learn and gain some experience and knowledge.
The cultivation world was profound and intricate.
Besides mastering cultivation techniques, understanding the ways of the world was also a form of wisdom.
Thus, Mo Hua patiently sat down again, continuing to drink his tea while keeping a close eye on both Guchanghai and the cosmetic shop, observing the movements of the traitor from Duan Jinmen.
The traitor's behavior was peculiar.
He kept entering and exiting the cosmetic shop, each time with a different face and attire, as if trying to avoid drawing attention to himself.
However, Mo Hua noticed that every time he entered the shop, he only had one storage bag with him. But when he left, he would have three or four storage bags.
Mo Hua secretly used his spiritual sense to keep an eye on the traitor and found that he didn't go far. He was just wandering aimlessly nearby with those storage bags.
Bishan City was built along the steep mountainside, and deep, unpredictable cliffs and ravines were common alongside the streets.
The traitor took advantage of moments when no one was looking to throw these storage bags into these cliffs and ravines.
After discarding them, he would return to collect more and continue discarding them...
It was as if he were disposing of "trash"...
Moreover, it seemed that he had been doing this for quite some time.
Mo Hua, munching on some pine nuts, leaned closer to Guchanghai and whispered, as if chatting about gossip, "Uncle Gu, is he... disposing of the stolen goods?"
Destroying the evidence...
Guchanghai's eyes narrowed slightly, "It's possible..."
"So, should we... arrest him now and catch him red-handed?" Mo Hua asked.
Guchanghai shook his head, "He's been disposing of the stolen goods for some time, indicating that there's a large quantity of them. We can't rush this..."
"Arresting him abruptly may alert the culprit and cause them to flee or hide," Guchanghai continued, "If there are any accomplices or spies of Huo Fotuo nearby, they might notice our actions."
"We need to wait for an opportunity to arrest him discreetly, away from prying eyes," he concluded.
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
As Guchanghai was about to say something more, his expression changed slightly, and he picked up the waist tablet, glanced at it, and then put it away.
Mo Hua, with his sharp eyes, asked, "Have you found the inside man?"
Guchanghai looked at Mo Hua and sighed, "No..."
"What do you mean, no?" Mo Hua frowned. "He was released from the Daoist prison so quickly. Isn't it because of an inside man?"
Guchanghai shook his head again, "His release was according to the rules."
Mo Hua was surprised.
"I had someone check the files," Guchanghai explained, "This person's name is Jia Ren, and he has no criminal record..."
"The Xie family claimed that their storage was robbed, but they didn't specify what was stolen. And when this man was captured, no spiritual artifacts, pills, or secret manuals with the Xie family's mark were found on him," he continued.
"The theft couldn't be proven, and thus, no conviction could be made," Guchanghai said.
"As for Duan Jinmen..."
"Duan Jinmen claimed that they had made a mistake. This man was not their disciple, and someone else had stolen their legacy and betrayed them," Guchanghai explained.
"So, he's not considered a traitor of Duan Jinmen either," he added.
"The only thing he could be convicted of was working as a 'male prostitute' in an illegally established brothel," Guchanghai said.
"However..."
Guchanghai's expression turned slightly awkward, "He's a man..."
"So, the Dao Court could only charge him with 'fraud' and 'violating social morals'. He was imprisoned for a month, and then he was released," he concluded.
"What kind of shady dealings happened behind the scenes is unknown, but at least on the surface, everything seems to be in order..." Guchanghai said.
Mo Hua was speechless.
Could they get away with this? He glanced at Jia Ren, who had many disguises and changed his appearance frequently, and his heart was filled with suspicion.
This guy was definitely up to no good...
But more questions arose:
First, about the Xie family...
Did the Xie family really lose something? If so, what was it? Was it stolen by Jia Ren? If not, why did the Xie family lie?
Was there any connection between this incident and the destruction of the Xie family?
Why did Duan Jinmen initially claim that Jia Ren was a traitor, only to later deny it? What happened in between?
The destruction of the Xie family, the disappearance of Huo Fotuo...
What exactly was Jia Ren's involvement in all of these incidents?
As Mo Hua was deep in thought, he noticed a change in Jia Ren's behavior.
A team of Dao Court executives from Bishan City was patrolling the area, and their presence seemed to alert Jia Ren.
Not wanting to be noticed while disposing of the stolen goods, Jia Ren pocketed three storage bags and headed north toward the deserted mountains on a secluded path.
Mo Hua glanced at Guchanghai.
As expected, Guchanghai's eyes lit up. He placed three spirit stones on the table and stood up to follow Jia Ren.
Jia Ren was on high alert.
Disguised as a short and sturdy cultivator, he carried a bamboo basket for herb collecting and meandered along the mountain path, occasionally stopping and turning back to look at the mountains.
Guchanghai and Mo Hua could only follow from a distance.
Fortunately, both of them had strong spiritual senses, so Jia Ren had no chance of escape.
"Uncle Gu, are we going to make our move now?" Mo Hua asked.
Guchanghai nodded.
"How are we going to capture him?" Mo Hua inquired further.
To capture him alive, they needed to act quickly, accurately, and decisively, leaving no room for Jia Ren to react or flee.
They also had to prevent him from alerting any accomplices...
Mo Hua was quite skilled at capturing people, but he wanted to hear how Uncle Gu, or the Dao Court, would typically handle such a situation.
By knowing their approach, he could then compare it with his own methods and improve where necessary.
Guchanghai's attention was focused on Jia Ren and Huo Fotuo. He calmly said, "We'll set up traps and array formations along his path to ambush him..."
"Place cuffs on the ground, laced with poison..."
"Use a sonic boom array to cause temporary disorientation..."
"Seize the opportunity to subdue him..."
"Then use spirit locks to bind his limbs..."
"Our preparations must be thorough, our actions swift, and our strikes decisive. We cannot give him a chance to counter-attack or take his own life..."
"This is the basic procedure of the Dao Court when capturing someone..."
...
As Guchanghai spoke, Mo Hua nodded along, listening intently.
Although he was familiar with some of these techniques, the details and nuances were new to him, and he found much to learn from.
After finishing his explanation, Guchanghai reminded Mo Hua, "Remember, you are not to intervene. I'll handle this."
"Yes, yes," Mo Hua agreed.
Guchanghai gave a slight nod and then, with a flash of his figure, swiftly navigated the rugged mountain rocks, arriving ahead of Jia Ren in just a few leaps.
Mo Hua also stealthily followed, hiding to the side and observing with his spiritual sense.
Oblivious to their presence, Jia Ren continued walking forward.
His destination was a nearby cliff.
Guchanghai set up several specially crafted array plates from the Dao Court in front of the cliff and buried a few cuffs underground.
His movements were skilled and efficient.
The traps he set were well-designed.
With a humble and eager-to-learn attitude, Mo Hua quietly observed and committed the Dao Court's trap-setting techniques and habits to memory.
Once everything was prepared, Guchanghai hid nearby, waiting for Jia Ren to arrive.
Soon enough, Jia Ren appeared.
He looked around, not noticing anything amiss, and began walking towards the cliff, intending to throw something off the edge.
However, after just a few steps, he heard a "clank" and felt a sharp pain in his leg.
"Not good!"
Jia Ren looked down and saw a cuff, resembling a tiger's mouth, clamped tightly around his calf.
The cuff was coated with green poison.
The toxic liquid spread through his bloodstream, causing a numbing sensation that gradually spread throughout his body.
Trap! Poison! Jia Ren's expression changed drastically, and despite the pain, he forcefully pulled his leg, tearing off a large chunk of flesh and freeing himself from the cuff. He turned to flee.
Just then, the sonic boom arrays exploded, filling the air with a muffled noise.
Outside the arrays, Mo Hua heard only a faint, dull sound.
But inside, Jia Ren experienced dizziness, his ears ringing painfully, and his spiritual sense became sluggish for a moment.
The sonic waves seemed to vibrate his entire body.
However, the effect was short-lived. Soon, one of the jade pendants on Jia Ren's body shattered, releasing a flash of light, and he regained his senses.
"A sonic boom array from the Dao Court?" Jia Ren's pupils dilated in shock. He reached into his clothes and pulled out a talisman.
But before he could use it, a wind blade sliced towards him, cutting a bloody gash on his arm and causing the talisman to fall from his hand.
The wind blade technique was swift and sharp.
Jia Ren turned to see the cold, indifferent face of Guchanghai.
Sensing Guchanghai's aura, despair filled Jia Ren's eyes.
"A Golden Core cultivator?!"
Before Jia Ren could react further, Guchanghai's figure blurred, closing in on him. Guchanghai's hand clamped onto Jia Ren's shoulder, his spiritual power surging and instantly shattering Jia Ren's left arm.
Jia Ren's face contorted in pain, cold sweat breaking out as he looked at Guchanghai in fear. Then, his right hand twitched, and he pulled out several pills from his sleeve, intending to swallow them.
Guchanghai pointed, and a wind blade sliced through the air, severing the tendons in Jia Ren's right hand.
Jia Ren's hand fell limp, and the pills tumbled to the ground.
The pills were a sinister shade of green.
With his rich experience, Guchanghai instantly recognized them as deadly poison pills.
"Trying to commit suicide?"
Guchanghai's eyes narrowed, and a cold light flashed in them as he realized something was amiss. He raised his head to see Jia Ren biting down on a tooth, intending to swallow it.
Was there poison hidden in his teeth? Guchanghai's eyes glinted dangerously, and he quickly grabbed Jia Ren by the neck with his right hand while delivering a powerful punch to his abdomen with his left.
Jia Ren groaned in pain, spitting out the tooth he had been biting.
He tried to resist and struggle, but his efforts were in vain, and even his attempts at suicide were thwarted.
At the same time, the anesthetic from the cuffs had spread through his bloodstream, numbing his entire body.
Jia Ren's heart sank as he realized the situation was dire, but his spiritual sense was becoming clouded, and his eyes closed as he lost consciousness.
Guchanghai retrieved some chains and bound Jia Ren's limbs before removing his teeth and tossing him behind a nearby rock, out of sight.
With that, Jia Ren was captured.
Mo Hua watched, a little dazed.
This Uncle Gu seemed a bit different from what he had expected.
He appeared proud and aloof, as if looking down on others.
Yet, his actions were meticulous.
Even as a Golden Core cultivator dealing with a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he remained thorough, cautious, and meticulous, leaving no room for error.
He gave his opponent no chance to escape, not even a chance to take their own life!
Mo Hua felt he had gained a lot from observing this.
Throughout the process, Mo Hua obediently followed Guchanghai's instructions and did not intervene rashly.
Now that Jia Ren had been subdued, Mo Hua emerged from his hiding place and ran to Guchanghai's side, looking at the unconscious Jia Ren with surprise. "This Jia Ren actually wanted to commit suicide?"
He had never encountered a criminal who, upon capture, would immediately choose death without seeking any other options.
Guchanghai frowned, his voice deep and grave as he said, "I initially took those precautions just in case, but I didn't expect that Jia Ren would truly prefer death over falling into my hands..."
"This suggests..."
Guchanghai's eyes narrowed, his expression turning grim.
"Yes." Mo Hua pondered, "They wiped out the entire Xie family to find something from them..."
"This Jia Ren initially went to the Xie family to steal that item too..."
"But he didn't manage to steal it..."
"And that item must be extremely important, so they had to get their hands on it no matter what."
"So, Huo Fotuo decided to annihilate the Xie family."
"They took away all the possessions of the Xie family, carefully searched through them, and then burned down the Xie residence to eliminate any traces of their actions..."
"As for the items they are discarding now..."
"It's because they've already searched through them and didn't find what they were looking for, so they're getting rid of the extra items..."
"Also, these items stained with the blood of the Xie family cultivators after the massacre must be discarded..."
"Otherwise, they would leave behind incriminating evidence that could be discovered by the Dao Court..."
"Or perhaps, they wanted to avoid incurring karmic retribution for their actions..."
It would be too time-consuming and noticeable to destroy these "stolen goods" with a refining furnace.
Instead, they took advantage of Bishan City's terrain and threw these "stolen goods" into the deep cliffs and ravines, disposing of them quietly and secretly.
Even if someone were to discover them later, it would likely be many years from now.
Guchanghai was intrigued.
This kid had a quick mind, and his speculation seemed plausible.
He thought about it and nodded, "That's a possibility, but it's still just a possibility. Don't jump to conclusions."
"Before we know the truth, jumping to conclusions can easily lead us astray..." Guchanghai cautioned.
"Yes." Mo Hua nodded.
However, he still felt that his guess had some merit and could be a viable line of thought.
Guchanghai continued to search through Jia Ren's storage bags.
Jia Ren's bags were ordinary, containing the usual items like spirit stones, pills, spiritual artifacts, and jade scrolls.
But Mo Hua didn't find anything unusual about them.
There were no signs of sealing, encryption, or tampering on the jade scrolls.
Apparently, Jia Ren was cautious, and he didn't carry anything important on his person.
Mo Hua examined everything once more.
While there was evidence, there were few leads.
They could only prove that Jia Ren was deeply involved in the Xie family massacre, most likely scouting before the incident and helping to dispose of the stolen goods afterward.
But aside from that, there were no other clues, especially regarding Huo Fotuo.
Given the circumstances, they had no choice but to interrogate Jia Ren.
Guchanghai took out a pill and fed it to Jia Ren. In less than an incense stick's time, Jia Ren woke up with a frown on his face.
He slowly opened his eyes, only to see Guchanghai's handsome yet "detestable" face.
Guchanghai asked coldly, "Are you one of Huo Fotuo's men?"
Jia Ren let out a cold laugh, his expression resigned to death, but he remained silent.
Guchanghai asked one question after another:
"Where is Huo Fotuo?"
"Why did you wipe out the entire Xie family?"
"What is your relationship with Huo Fotuo?"
However, Jia Ren was like a zombie, showing no reaction at all, as if he had detached himself from life and death.
Guchanghai frowned, losing patience.
In this situation, he had no choice but to resort to torture.
Guchanghai took out a second-grade "branding iron" torture device, upon which a fire-attribute array was engraved. It was heated until it turned red, and the scorching heat caused the skin to blister and the flesh to char.
As the branding iron touched Jia Ren's body, he grimaced in pain, his facial muscles twitching. Yet, he still refused to utter a word.
Mo Hua, who was watching, could no longer bear it.
"Uncle Gu, I don't think your method is very effective..."
Mo Hua quietly took out his own "iron plate." "Why don't we try mine?"
Hearing the crisp sound, Guchanghai was stunned, and Jia Ren, on the other side, also realized that there was someone else present.
But why did that voice sound so familiar?
And it resembled that of the little brat whom he hated so much that he wanted to chop him into a million pieces...
Jia Ren turned his head with difficulty and saw a pale, delicate face with beautifully shaped eyebrows and eyes.
Jia Ren, who had been like a zombie, suddenly came back to life, his eyes widening in disbelief as he exclaimed, "It's...you?!"
(End of Chapter)
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