Heaven-Collapsing Start [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Ji Liang sat in the moving carriage, his gaze wandering casually out the window, yet in his mind, he was calculating how many martial arts experts were secretly following the carriage’s progress.

On the surface, however, there was no one on the carriage except for Ji Liang inside the cabin and the driver.

But Ji Liang did not believe for a second that no one was hidden in the surroundings. Although he had lost his internal power, simply observing Ji’s mother’s reaction letting him leave so easily showed that while there was sorrow, it was within the bounds of reason.

Aside from this, the shift from house arrest to suddenly allowing Ji Liang to leave the Ji Family Villa was another matter worth deep reflection.

Ji Liang did not believe a single word of the nonsense his father spouted about “sending you away to recuperate.” If he truly needed to recuperate, could he not do so at the Ji Family Villa?

Until a few days later, the carriage drove into a city, passed through a bustling district, and stopped before a remote courtyard residence.

Ji Liang stepped down from the carriage and stood quietly before the residence, looking at the plaque above, a faint smile forming in his heart.

He had more or less guessed the reason why he was suddenly made to leave the Ji Family Villa.

…

The Hidden Pavilion (Yin Lou) primarily focuses on intelligence gathering. Its sphere of influence is vast, distributed mainly in places with high foot traffic like brothels and restaurants. Perhaps the waiter you ignore or the matchmaker pouring wine in your arms is a member of the Hidden Pavilion.

These people might have low individual strength, but once gathered, they form a massive force.

When the chaotic war between the Martial Arts Alliance and the Demonic Cult broke out and the original host was exposed, the one eradicated alongside him resulting in severe damage was the Shadow Pavilion (Ying Lou), which specialized in assassination.

In the past few days, Ji Liang had been secretly receiving intelligence from Chun Niang. From the moment the news that he was still alive leaked out, it could not be hidden from the powerful network of the Hidden Pavilion, allowing them to establish contact with him.

The messages mentioned that the Shadow Pavilion had been severely dismantled by the Martial Arts Alliance, with less than thirty percent of its personnel remaining intact. Fortunately, although the Shadow Pavilion and Hidden Pavilion were one entity, they operated independently. In the end, the majority of the Hidden Pavilion members, who lacked high martial skills, managed to escape the disaster.

The latest news from the Hidden Pavilion was: the Demonic Cult remnants were discovered by the Martial Arts Alliance, but they managed to escape again.

Of course, the fact that the Demonic Cult Leader had not died was also laid bare before Ji Liang’s eyes.

Shortly thereafter, Ji Liang was inexplicably sent away from the Ji Family Villa to this remote residence in a third-tier city, under the beautiful name of “recuperation.”

Heh.

Ji Liang guessed that this place was likely not far from the valley where the Demonic Cult remnants were discovered. Such a blatant move meant that the Demonic Cult side could surely guess this was a bait.

He just didn’t know if the other party, knowing full well it was a trap, would still be audacious enough to appear before him.

…

The residence occupied a large area and the environment inside was excellent. Every plant and tree was meticulously groomed; with flowing water and rockeries, it was leisurely and quiet, truly a good place for recuperation.

Except for Ji Liang, the master, there was only one butler and a dozen or so servants responsible for daily life. They did not restrict Ji Liang’s movements, seemingly treating it as a genuine stay for rest.

But Ji Liang swept a glance at the servants waiting outside the door and the butler standing before him reporting on the house’s status. No matter which one it was, their martial arts were likely not weak.

To be precise, in this residence, aside from him, the master, there wasn’t a single person without martial arts.

Although the original host’s body was ruined, Ji Liang’s eye for reading people still existed.

However, none of that mattered.

On the third day of living in the residence, Ji Liang stepped out of the front gate for the first time.

The only person accompanying him was a servant. Originally, the butler intended to arrange several more to “protect his safety” which was actually surveillance but the martial power sent on the surface was average. Ji Liang thought of the ridiculous scene of being crowded by a large entourage and refused.

“I am just going out for a walk to clear my mind; there won’t be any danger.”

The butler could only helplessly agree.

When he left, the sun had already risen from the east. By the time Ji Liang reached the busy streets, the sun was already high.

Today the sunlight was intense and the weather clear. The warm rays shone down on pedestrians and street vendors; many were drenched in sweat, and the bustling atmosphere was filled with the breath of life.

Even Ji Liang felt a wave of warmth. Perhaps it was an illusion, or perhaps Dr. Dong’s pills were taking effect, causing his health to gradually improve.

Ji Liang wandered casually through the lively streets. Perhaps because it was market day, there were many pedestrians, making it difficult for the servant accompanying him, whose main job was to shield him from the crowd and keep others from bumping into him.

However, even the most diligent servant has moments of negligence. Ji Liang only felt a slight tightening at his waist, as if someone had gently tugged at him an almost imperceptible sensation. When he lowered his eyes, he saw a hand clutching a money pouch, quickly vanishing among the pedestrians.

Oh, his money had been stolen.

Indeed, a young master who looked weak and frail, accompanied by only one servant, was clearly a “fat sheep.” It wasn’t surprising at all to be targeted by a thief.

…

Ji Liang sat by the second-floor window of a restaurant. Beside him was the servant, who was bowing his head and admitting his mistake repeatedly. He wasn’t very old, looking about fifteen or sixteen.

Yet he had been able to stand out among the group of servants and be chosen by the butler to accompany Ji Liang.

Fortunately, the little servant carried extra silver on him, so they weren’t so embarrassed that they couldn’t even enter the restaurant’s doors.

“Your name.”

The little servant, who was still tirelessly apologizing, froze and looked up, appearing quite dazed.

“Ah?”

Quickly reacting, he hurriedly replied, “Xiao Ba, I am called Xiao Ba.”

Ji Liang nodded. “Xiao Ba, is it? The purse being stolen is not your fault, so you don’t need to apologize to me.”

The little servant named Xiao Ba continued to be dazed.

Ji Liang, however, looked out the window. On the other side of the street, he saw a stall surrounded by many people. Bursts of smoke rose up, drawing gasps of surprise from the onlookers, accompanied by the lingering scent of food.

“Xiao Ba.”

The little servant, having just regained his senses, heard that cool, indifferent voice continue calling his name:

“Can you help me go buy some of that?”

Following the direction of a slender finger, Xiao Ba saw the exaggerated smoke that was clearly just used to attract people, though the smell was indeed good.

Xiao Ba hesitated for an imperceptible moment, but quickly nodded and replied, “Yes, Young Master.”

When the master wants to eat, there is no reason for a servant to disobey. However, at the moment Xiao Ba turned to leave, a flash of confusion seemed to flicker in his eyes as he glanced at Ji Liang.

This person… doesn’t seem as hateful as the rumors say…

…

Ji Liang withdrew his gaze from the window, picked up the kettle on the table, and poured himself a cup of tea.

Taking a light sip, the subtle tea flavor seemed to have a bit of lemon juice added, making it very refreshing.

Ji Liang brought out another cup. The kettle tilted, and the pale orange tea poured from the spout into the cup, filling it seven-tenths full.

Ji Liang pushed the cup of tea over. It turned out that, at some unknown moment, a person had sat down opposite him.

Facing the tea Ji Liang offered, the man smiled, his voice deep.

“I didn’t come here to drink tea.”

He raised his hand, and a familiar money pouch landed on the table.

“Returned to its original owner.”

Ji Liang’s expression did not change.

“Presumably, Your Excellency did not come here specifically to deliver this to me.”

“Young Hero Ji is indeed clever.”

The man lightly clapped his hands as if in praise, then continued:

“I have come for two reasons. First, I want Young Hero Ji to look at this object; surely you must still recognize it.”

As he spoke, a long wooden box was placed on the table, carved with exquisite patterns.

Then, the wooden box was pushed in front of Ji Liang.

At the other’s gesture, Ji Liang glanced at him, then placed his finger on the edge of the wooden box.

Click.

The wooden box opened. Inside was a layer of soft silk, slightly indented because, resting quietly upon the silk, was a wooden sword.

A very familiar wooden sword.

Of course a wooden sword shaped by Ji Liang’s own hands, how could it not be familiar?

The fingers still resting on the wooden box tightened, the tips turning slightly white.

As if failing to notice the change in Ji Liang’s gaze, the man smiled again and continued his unfinished words:

“Secondly, the Cult Leader asked me to bring a message to Young Hero Ji.”

“The Cult Leader says as for exactly what should be done, I hope my dear ally will consider it very carefully~”

…

After squeezing through the crowd for a long time, Xiao Ba finally managed to buy the thing Ji Liang wanted to eat. But as he turned to walk back to the restaurant, he suddenly saw a figure fly out from a certain window on the second floor.

Immediately after, several other figures leaped out from the surroundings, swiftly chasing after the one who had left.

Xiao Ba’s expression changed. His eyes fixed intently on the shadows about to disappear over the eaves. After a good while, he finally stepped into the restaurant.

The Demonic Cult remnants have truly appeared!

But when Xiao Ba reached the second floor of the restaurant, he saw that by the window, Ji Liang’s expression was still indifferent, as if he had seen no Demonic Cult dregs at all.

Ji Liang lowered his eyelids slightly, looking at the open wooden box on the table, his eyes appearing as detached as ever.

Yet for some reason, looking at Ji Liang like this, a trace of fear suddenly germinated from the bottom of Xiao Ba’s heart. Only, before he could fully perceive it, that trace of fear quietly slipped away.