Chapter 241: Chapter 225 Your Turn is Over, My Turn to Enter the Stage Chapter 241: Chapter 225 Your Turn is Over, My Turn to Enter the Stage When Chen Yuan heard the news, he actually felt elated. He and Nie Qi Yun had never seen eye to eye and would have been happy if the other dropped dead sooner.
The rules within the Heavenly Patrol Bureau meant that it was inappropriate to strike at him, and finding an opportunity was tough. Otherwise, he would have killed the lad a long time ago. After all, even rumors of killing a colleague could significantly lower the higher-upsâ esteem for him.
âWhat mission was Nie Qi Yun carrying out that he was left so severely injured?â
Chen Yuan asked, his expression unchanged as he regarded Tao Qingyuanâs somber face.
Missions within the Heavenly Patrol Bureau were confidential and difficult to leak. Chen Yuan wasnât particularly interested in this area and thus had never put much thought into it.
Tao Qingyuan glanced at Chen Yuan:
âIt was an assassination task. We thought that Nie Qi Yun would handle it without a hitch, but unexpectedlyâŠâ
Nie Qi Yunâs mission was to kill a Jianghu martial artist who had recently entered Nanling Prefecture and been discovered by a covert operative of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau. His cultivation was merely at the Condensing Evil stage,
Nie Qi Yun should have easily captured him, but a mishap occurred. He inadvertently got caught up in another mission, and the other party inflicted severe wounds on Nie Qi Yun, who wasnât killed outright due to his identity.
However, the one being pursued by Nie Qi Yun seemed intent on killing him, which was conveyed in his distress message.
He hoped that Tao Qingyuan could send help to escort him back.
âI had thought to dispatch Lu Yang and the others, but they too have cases at hand and are currently indisposed. Youâve been resting at home for so long, so you came to mind,â Tao Qingyuanâs gaze shifted to Chen Yuan.
The martial artist capable of severely injuring Nie Qi Yun was definitely not someone an ordinary Heavenly Gang could handle. And as the Nanling Heavenly Patrol Envoy, unless it was necessary, he couldnât leave the prefecture city at will.
This place was the heart of Nanling Prefecture and needed a Reach Profound expert to be in charge.
If a powerful entity caused trouble here, who would take responsibility?
Not to mention, the recent major blow given to the No-Life Sectâs demon within the prefecture, nearly wiping out its Nanling branch entirelyâwho could guarantee they would not seek revenge?
Therefore, Tao Qingyuanâs first thought was of Chen Yuan.
Through previous incidents, whether he admitted it or not, Chen Yuan was the strongest Gang Condensation Realm martial artist under him, and only he was capable of bringing Nie Qi Yun back.
But, there was one issue. The rivalry between Chen Yuan and Nie Qi Yun was an open secret, and one Tao Qingyuan was very much aware of, yet never interfered with.
Because such rivalries were quite common among his subordinates.
Now, with Nie Qi Yun in trouble, if he sent Chen Yuan, Tao Qingyuan admittedly harbored some reservations, knowing full well Chen Yuanâs character.
âTo be thought of by the great sir is an honor for me,â Chen Yuan said as he bowed with hands clasped.
âMight you bring him back?â
Tao Qingyuan looked directly at Chen Yuan, demanding a promise.
âI can only say Iâll do my utmost. Jianghu is perilous. If the expert who injured Nie Qi Yun is truly determined to kill him, I certainly canât exchange my life for his,â Chen Yuan replied with a smile.
âHmmâŠâ Tao Qingyuan pondered for a moment:
âVery well, just do your utmost. If you manage to bring him back, this mission will be remembered as your merit.â
Currently, he didnât have many options. While he could force Chen Yuan to commit, it would undoubtedly make Chen Yuan uncomfortable. If Chen Yuan were just an average Heavenly Patrol Guard, it wouldnât matter.
But now, he valued Chen Yuan highly and wished to extend his favor.
âI accept the command!â Chen Yuan said with a solemn face.
âŠ
âŠ
For this mission, under Tao Qingyuanâs direction, Chen Yuan took Yue Shan and nearly ten others, each an elite member of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau. He left the Yunjiang Four Ghosts behind to continue their previous task.
The location where Nie Qi Yun was currently at was not far from Nanling Prefecture City, within a smaller county near the prefectureâa spot he had designated for contact while communicating with the Heavenly Patrol Bureau.
If nothing unexpected happened, he should be on his way to the predetermined location.
However, how could Chen Yuan obediently follow his plan with such an ongoing rift between them? He could reach the meeting place in two days under normal circumstances,
but this was anything but a normal situation.
Under Chen Yuanâs subtle indication, Yue Shan deliberately caused several minor delays, buying a lot of time, so when Chen Yuan was about to reach the meeting point, it was already three days later.
If Nie Qi Yun was lucky, he should still be alive. If not, his death could not be blamed on Chen Yuan.
Of course, Chen Yuan was also cautious. Even as he neared the meeting spot, he didnât rush in but disguised himself before entering the county.
The designated rendezvous point was inside one of the more well-known inns in the county. Chen Yuanâs group spread out, with only him and Yan Qing entering.
Inside a room on the second floor,
Nie Qi Yun, pale as a ghost with red-rimmed eyes and clenched fists, considered this mission his disgrace. All the Heavenly Patrol Guards he brought had fallen in battle.
Only by exerting all his strength had he escaped from that powerful opponent. And due to his severe injuries, the person he had been pursuing actually sought to leave him dead for good.
With no choice left, Nie Qi Yun managed to contact a covert operative of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau and urgently requested correspondence to be sent to the prefecture city at the fastest speed.
As for why he didnât seek help from the nearby County Government, first, Nie Qi Yun could not lower his prideâafter all, a Heavenly Gang Martial Artist being chased down like a homeless dog by someone of Condensing Evil cultivation was too embarrassing.
Second, he had a bad feeling in his heart and guessed that the expert who had seriously injured him before might still be watching him. Only he had seen that personâs face,
and to lay hands on an imperial officer was a capital offense. He felt that the other party might kill him to silence him.
Therefore, since reaching the pre-arranged rendezvous point the day before yesterday, Nie Qi Yun had disguised himself and hidden in this place, not wanting anyone to detect his presence.
At the same time, he took the opportunity to heal his wounds.
What was odd, though, was why there was no response from the Heavenly Patrol Bureau to his urgent call for help?
He had already been waiting for nearly two days!
Didnât they understand the urgency of life and death?
Or could it be that the reinforcements sentâŠ
Impossible, who would dare do such a thing? That would be as serious as treason!
SighâŠ
In the first place, he should not have coveted some gains and provoked that powerful individual.
Feeling a dull pain in his chest, Nie Qi Yunâs expression grew even more gloomy. The powerful energy of that expert had pierced right through his right chest, damaging his internal organs,
without a monthâs healing, he would not be able to recover.
âI canât wait any longer!â
Nie Qi Yun clenched his fists, feeling pain in his chest. If the rescuers had indeed been intercepted, then his current location was no longer safe.
He had to leaveâŠ
If the reinforcements were merely delayed, there was nothing he could do about it. Nie Qi Yun would even prefer the other party to draw the attention of that expert. In the future, he would be willing to avenge them.
Thinking this, Nie Qi Yunâs face twisted, and after rubbing it a few times, he completely changed his appearance. Unless someone was very familiar with him, they would not be able to recognize his true identity.
Pushing open the door, Nie Qi Yun slightly bowed his head, his hands hanging by his sides, he paid his bill in a calm manner and walked out of the inn.
But he did not see that, as he left the inn, Chen Yuan and Yan Qing, who had also changed their appearances, were intently watching his retreating figure from the stairs above.
âThis guy is quite cautious!â
Yan Qing snorted softly. Before, he and Chen Yuan had tiptoed to find the room mentioned in the call for help, but it was empty. As they searched, Nie Qi Yun had instead come out of a completely different room.
If Chen Yuan hadnât recognized his figure and the way he walked, Nie Qi Yun might have actually slipped away this time.
âHaving mixed in the Heavenly Patrol Bureau for so many years, Nie Qi Yun is not that simple. Letâs go, follow himâŠâ Chen Yuan said indifferently, as he took Yan Qing and followed behind Nie Qi Yun.
Yan Qing walked up to Chen Yuanâs side discreetly, whispering,
âMy lord, this Nie Qi Yun has opposed you many times before. Should we take this opportunity toâŠâ
As he spoke, Yan Qing made a slicing gesture across his own neck.
âNie Qi Yun is an imperial officer, a colleague of Chenâs. How could I possibly resort to such underhanded means?â replied Chen Yuan with a hint of a smile curving his lips, speaking softly,
âEven if he should die, it would be appropriate for Nie Qi Yun to die at the hands of the person he was pursuing before. As for us⊠we were merely a step too late.â
Even so, this would still cause Tao Qingyuan to feel suspicion, but without evidence, who could prove that Chen Yuan did not make every effort to rescue Nie Qi Yun? Clearly, it was Nie Qi Yun who changed rooms, and they merely passed by each other.
Nie Qi Yun walked alone, leading a frail yellow horse, his steps slightly unsteady, while Chen Yuan, followed by Yan Qing, trailed at a leisurely pace far behind him.
A country lane was unsuspicious in the least, at least Nie Qi Yun had not noticed any danger yet.
As for Yue Shan and the others, they kept an even greater distance.
The setting sun was falling, and its afterglow spilled over the human world. Nie Qi Yun, who was leading the horse, suddenly stopped, raised his head, and looked ahead to see a middle-aged man with a sword, smiling at Nie Qi Yun.
The unexpected information he had received before was correct; Nie Qi Yun, that dog, had indeed changed his appearance.
âWu Daxiang, do you realize how serious a crime it is to intercept a Heavenly Patrol Envoy?â
The person opposite him was already waiting there, Nie Qi Yun knew it was no longer possible to hide, but fortunately, he had recovered some strength and was not without the power to fight.
As long as that powerful individual did not appear, Nie Qi Yun had little to fear.
âWhat a big joke, youâre allowed to chase me, but I canât intercept you? Killing you, I can just flee to Blood State, what can the court do to me? Besides, is your Nie Qi Yunâs life really worth the Governmentâs full effort?â
Wu Daxiang flicked his sword, a breath of Evil Qi enveloped its blade, and he stepped forward sequentially, thrusting straight at Nie Qi Yunâs chest.
âGood, even if it damages my foundation, today I must cripple you!â
Nie Qi Yun snorted coldly, untying the bundle hung on the horseâs back, revealing the Yan Ling Saber inside!
âSwoosh!â
The saber was drawn from its sheath, a flash of cold light appeared.
Pedestrians scattered from the road, while Chen Yuan following behind stopped in his tracks, suppressed his presence, and watched the scene with cold eyes.
ââââ
Seeking monthly tickets,