Chapter 14: The Conferred God Experiment (God-Sealing Experiment)
Shi Hao’s haughty tone irritated Du Yuejiao.
Having cultivated in the Chongxian Sect since childhood, she couldn’t imagine anyone embracing the label of “unorthodox” with such pride.
She gripped the hilt of her sword, glaring at Shi Hao.
Unfazed, Shi Hao sneered, “So, you’re going to kill me just because I tried to buy some medicinal ingredients?”
Du Yuejiao snorted, drawing her sword an inch, the blade gleaming, “Speak! What is your purpose in infiltrating the Marquis’ residence and colluding with the attackers yesterday, pretending to save my junior sister?”
Shi Hao said disdainfully, “Since you’ve already decided I was working with those masked attackers, what’s the point of talking? If you have evidence, go ahead and inform the Six Gates. Let them come and arrest me.”
He ignored her and continued walking.
Du Yuejiao shouted, “Don’t think I won’t kill you here and now!”
“Of course you would!” Shi Hao retorted. “The Chongxian Sect is the orthodox leader of all Daoist sects. What’s it to you to kill someone without proof? If you want to kill me, just draw your sword.”
He continued walking, ignoring her, until he reached the end of the alley and turned onto a dirty, dilapidated street.
Although Du Yuejiao had half-drawn her sword, her killing intent clear, she ultimately didn’t attack. The anger in her eyes, however, intensified.
Finally, she sheathed her sword with a clang, “Hmph! Cowardly unorthodox scum!” She turned and left.
Shi Hao walked down the street where the poor resided, a dirty and chaotic street crowded with people, some in rags, some children as thin as sticks.
Jin City was located in West Shu, geographically far from the central regions and provinces like Jiangzhe and Huangdong.
But recently, more and more refugees had been arriving from the east.
These refugees, with nowhere to go, mostly crowded into these neglected areas, where people died every day.
The officials and the wealthy never saw these people. Their lives, their deaths, were like dust particles rising and falling in the shadows, never touched by the glittering lights of the wealthy.
These Chinese people, living on Chinese soil, from birth to death, couldn’t escape the oppression and humiliation of foreign rule. Their lives were lowly, their deaths pitiable.
Shi Hao hated that he couldn’t do anything for them.
Passing through this shadow-shrouded area, he was surrounded by listless gazes, eyes devoid of hope.
He felt his body, under their gaze, growing as cold as their eyes, yet he couldn’t suppress the burning anger within him.
He crossed a stone bridge, passing a street vendor pushing a cart. On the other side of the bridge, the scene changed dramatically. Red-light districts, luxurious pavilions, and fragrant carriages, as if he had entered a different world.
Shi Hao walked back to his residence in silence.
After a while, he sensed someone watching him.
He discreetly used the Soul Chasing Locking Steps, sensing the energy flows around him, and finally locked onto his targets.
Two people were following him. He turned at a stall and casually glanced back. The two quickly hid among the crowd, avoiding his gaze.
Although it was just a quick glance, Shi Hao saw that they were both men, dressed in the common brown clothes of the lower class, keeping their distance from each other, both wearing conical bamboo hats.
He thought to himself, “They don’t seem like people from the Chongxian Sect. Could they be Six Gates agents? No… they don’t feel like it either!”
A patrol of soldiers passed by, and the two men instinctively turned their backs to them.
It was clearly a subconscious, instinctive reaction.
Even though the soldiers hadn’t noticed them and weren’t there to arrest them, they still did it involuntarily.
Shi Hao seized the opportunity, slipping into a side alley while they were distracted by the soldiers.
The two men arrived moments later, looking around. Not seeing him, they ran into the alley.
A young man approached from the opposite direction. He was about the same height as their target, but his features were sharp and angular, with a slightly prominent hooked nose. He wasn’t the person they were tracking.
They glanced at him and continued running, exiting the alley.
One of them said grimly, “Where’s that kid?”
The other spat angrily, “Looks like he got away. Damn it!”
Unable to find their target, they gave up and left…
The young man with the sharp features and hooked nose discreetly followed behind them.
He had to admit, the skills taught by the Enchanting Fire Witch were incredibly practical in the martial world.
The Evil Shadow Disguise Technique had its limitations. It couldn’t subtly control his facial muscles to perfectly imitate someone else.
But altering a few key features, like raising his forehead, widening the bridge of his nose, and making his facial contours more defined, was enough to make him look like a completely different person.
The Soul Chasing Locking Steps allowed him to lock onto other martial artists’ energy flows. At this moment, he didn’t even need to use his eyes; he could pinpoint their location simply by sensing their energy.
This made it impossible for the two men, despite constantly looking back to check for tails, to detect him.
Occasionally, they would stop and hide in the shadows, making sure they weren’t being followed, before continuing.
Shi Hao knew they weren’t being so cautious because they suspected they were being followed.
It was their environment that forced them to be constantly vigilant.
As they entered a secluded area, their pace quickened.
Guided by their energy flows, Shi Hao stayed close behind.
They arrived at a large courtyard and slipped inside.
Shi Hao silently scaled the wall and hid under the eaves, listening to the conversation inside.
“We ran into that barbarian lapdog from Red Mountain yesterday,” one of the men said angrily. “I wasn’t at Red Mountain yesterday, but Old Yang recognized him. That’s the guy who injured his wrist.”
A woman’s voice followed, “I heard he’s very skilled. Yesterday’s plan should have been flawless, but he ruined it single-handedly. You didn’t cause him any trouble, did you?”
Shi Hao felt he had heard this woman’s voice somewhere before.
The other man replied, “We followed him, wanting to see who he was, but we lost him.”
An unfamiliar old man’s voice said, “Be careful. Don’t let him follow you instead.”
The two men said, “Don’t worry, Old Qiu!” “We were very cautious. We made sure no one was following us.”
Shi Hao’s mind raced, and he suddenly said, “You can’t be so sure!”
His voice startled everyone inside. The sounds of rushing wind filled the air, and a flying knife shot out the window, spinning.
A young woman leaped out, caught the knife, and landed gracefully.
A figure stood beneath a tree, leaves rustling in the wind, casting dappled shadows on him.
She said in surprise, “It’s you?”
Several figures rushed out of the house and surrounded the young man under the tree.
Besides the two men, there was also an old man in a long robe and several other martial artists, each possessing at least ninth-rank strength.
They looked at the young man under the tree with surprise and suspicion. The old man quickly glanced at the young woman, “You know him?”
The woman put away the flying knife, “He’s one of us! This is the righteous man who killed the Rat and Bat Duo and those Six Gates lapdogs on Disordered Chess Mountain, saving those two children.”
The old man in the grey robe was moved. He cupped his hands towards the young man under the tree, “May I ask where you come from, kind sir, and what brings you here?”
Shi Hao looked around. The young woman was the one who had killed Zhao Haisong with a flying knife on Disordered Chess Mountain.
The other martial artists, although they had surrounded him, softened their stance after learning he was the “righteous man” who saved the two children.
Shi Hao looked at the old man and said slowly, “I apologize. The two men I followed in the street were tracking the same target as me. I didn’t know if they were friend or foe, so I followed them discreetly. I apologize for disturbing you.”
The two men exchanged glances, shocked.
They had been extremely cautious along the way, yet someone had still managed to follow them undetected.
This man’s abilities were truly incredible.
The old man thought to himself, “This man managed to follow us here and hide undetected. If he hadn’t spoken, we wouldn’t have even noticed him. Since he revealed himself, he probably doesn’t mean any harm. Besides, Tong’er saw him kill the Rat and Bat Duo and those barbarian lapdogs with her own eyes. He must be an ally.”
He waved his hand, signaling the others to step back. He cupped his hands towards the young man, “Please come in, kind sir.”
Shi Hao bowed, “Please.”
He followed the old man into the hall.
The hall was sparsely furnished, with a simple wooden table, a few stools, a ceramic tea set, and some coarse tea.
The old man invited him to sit down and asked, “May I ask for your name, kind sir?”
Shi Hao said calmly, “My surname is Hao.”
He had changed his name slightly, using a homophone.
The old man didn’t mind that he only gave his surname. After all, they were strangers, and caution was necessary.
The old man said, “My surname is Qiu. Everyone calls me Old Qiu.”
The young woman beside him smiled, “My name is Lu Tong.”
Shi Hao nodded, “Old Qiu, Miss Tong.”
Old Qiu said, “Since you revealed yourself to us, kind sir, you must have something to ask?”
Shi Hao asked solemnly, “Why were you following the young master of Small Han Mountain City?”
Old Qiu said, “The young master of Small Han Mountain City? So, the one who protected Marquis Wusu Baoteng’s daughter at Red Mountain yesterday was the young master of Small Han Mountain City? As far as I know, Small Han Mountain City isn’t a martial arts sect. I didn’t expect their young master to be so skilled.”
Shi Hao knew that these people had their own organization and would eventually discover his identity, even though they were currently operating in secret and their information was slightly outdated.
It was better to reveal it himself as a gesture of goodwill from “Righteous Hao.”
He said slowly, “Indeed. I heard that the barbarian lapdogs in the Six Gates are investigating his martial arts background, so I followed him discreetly to see what secrets he might be hiding. I didn’t expect to run into your people.
“I initially thought the two men following him were from the Six Gates, but I realized I was mistaken when I recognized Miss Tong’s voice.”
Lu Tong, dressed in a light green skirt, poured him a cup of tea and asked in surprise, “The Six Gates are investigating him? Isn’t he a barbarian lapdog serving the Marquis’ residence? He injured more than a dozen of our people yesterday while protecting that County Mistress Li Tong.”
Shi Hao slowly shook his head, “It seems that’s not the case. Yesterday, he was simply invited to the banquet as the young master of Small Han Mountain City and was inadvertently caught in the crossfire.
“Neither the Marquis’ residence nor the Six Gates knew he possessed martial arts skills beforehand. That’s why I became curious about him, wanting to know his background, so I followed him secretly.”
Old Qiu said, “So, although he protected the barbarian County Mistress yesterday, he only injured our people’s wrists, forcing them to retreat, but he didn’t kill anyone. According to those who were there, his swordsmanship is divine and profound.”
“With such skill, if he had intended to kill, our people probably wouldn’t have escaped unscathed. It seems we still need to observe whether he is friend or foe. It’s very likely he was just caught in the crossfire.”
Shi Hao was worried that these people would specifically target him, the “barbarian lapdog.”
He wouldn’t know whether to kill them or not, so he decided to clear things up beforehand using a different identity.
Shi Hao slowly asked, “Why did you try to capture County Mistress Li Tong? Just because she’s Wusu Baoteng’s daughter?”
He deliberately laced his tone with disapproval, as if he looked down upon such actions that implicated innocent people.
Old Qiu and Lu Tong exchanged glances.
Old Qiu lowered his voice and said, “Since things have come to this, we won’t hide it from you, kind sir. We didn’t intend to kill her, but to capture her. We wanted to exchange her life for a secret from the Chongxian Sect’s Ming Kun Monastery.”
Shi Hao asked, “What secret?”
He paused, “It’s alright if you can’t tell me.”
Old Qiu shook his head, “There’s nothing I can’t tell you. We received intel that the Chongxian Sect’s Ming Kun Monastery is conducting a secret experiment with the Yue Ke Tai clan, a prominent barbarian family. It’s said that this initially disregarded hypothesis, deemed improbable, unexpectedly succeeded.
“Our informant within the Chongxian Sect only managed to reveal a few clues, letting us know that this experiment is called ‘Conferred God.’ Its success could potentially reshape the martial world, allowing the barbarian court and the Chongxian Sect to truly rule it. But he was killed before he could reveal more.
“Security is tight at the Ming Kun Monastery due to a recent theft. Left with no other choice, we decided to capture County Mistress Li Tong. She’s the disciple of Recluse Zhuo of Ming Kun Monastery and also Wusu Baoteng’s daughter. By capturing her, we hoped to force Ming Kun Monastery to exchange the secrets of the ‘God-Sealing Experiment’ for her life.
“Unfortunately, despite our careful planning, our efforts were thwarted at the crucial moment by the young master of Small Han Mountain City.”
Shi Hao frowned, his slightly hooked nose appearing even more sharp and grim, “God-Sealing Experiment?”
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