119: If the master beats the master, the apprentice will naturally beat the apprentice.

"Good, very good, very good, Marquis, you have done well!"

Zhao Jiguang laughed in extreme anger, unable to resist putting down his saber to clap his hands: "I have long heard that you, the 'Smiling Yaksha,' are ruthless and cruel, never caring what methods you use or who you use as a threat to solve a case. Seeing it today, it is truly so!"

"You flatter me, My Lord; I am merely relieving your worries." Mo Yingqi waved his hand, and the Flying Fish Guard grabbed the little boy and slowly retreated. "With your family scattered and leaving the capital, I was worried something might happen to them, so naturally, I had to take good care of them."

Of course, Mo Yingqi was not telling the truth; this was done by Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning. He had merely sent people to bring over the youngest son born to Zhao Jiguang's concubine to threaten him.

This man was like a loach, and he knew the methods and informants of the Pacification Bureau intimately; otherwise, he wouldn't have scattered his family and tried to find ways to sneak them out of the capital in disguise.

But while he could deceive the informants of the Pacification Bureau, he could not deceive the eyes and ears of Partridge Sky. There was no help for it; compared to the Pacification Bureau, the informants of Partridge Sky were more widely distributed and more covert.

"Mo Yingqi, are you truly determined to force me to my death?" Zhao Jiguang slowly gripped the hilt of his saber with his right hand. "Do not be too ruthless in your conduct; even if I am unforgivable, my family and my children are innocent!"

"Lord Zhao, the premise that 'misfortune does not extend to the family' is that 'benefit does not extend to the family' either." Mo Yingqi did not care in the slightest, even looking at him with a provocative expression. "It is true that your actions have nothing to do with your family, but you know full well how many benefits you have reaped by colluding with Zhou Chutian all these years. The salary of our yamen is not much to begin with; even a Pacification Commissioner like you could not afford an Estate, let alone one wife and two concubines who constantly wear gold and silver, and shops under your name that increase from time to time."

"Lord Zhao, do not tell me this money fell from the sky or was blown in by the wind. When the founding Emperor established the Pacification Bureau to monitor all officials, the thing he feared most was internal corruption, from the Commander down to the Captains accepting bribes."

"Do you really think no one in the Pacification Bureau is watching your affairs? Do you really think that by colluding with the people of the Southern Division, no one would know what you have done? My Lord, I have been keeping face for you; do not refuse to accept a kindness!"

With a bang, Zhao Jiguang stood up and kicked the chair behind him aside, his hand gripping the saber trembling slightly: "Marquis Mo, do not treat me like clay to be molded. Since my whole family is in your hands today, I fear neither of us will have a good ending!"

"Heh, so you don't intend to leave yourself any way out, My Lord?"

"What else? We are both running dogs of the Pacification Bureau; we know all the ins and outs, not to mention that I am well aware of your methods, Marquis Mo."

Zhao Jiguang held his saber horizontally across his chest, taking two steps back as he spoke: "I fear you captured my family because you know that when you and your mother were intercepted and killed all those years ago, it was I who led the team! Since that is the case, how could you possibly let me go?"

Back then, Zhou Chutian had sent Zhao Jiguang to intercept and kill Mo Yingqi and Mo Qingyu, firstly to silence them, and secondly to completely tie Zhao Jiguang to his own ship.

Zhao Jiguang naturally understood this principle. At that time, he was not yet a Pacification Commissioner, having only joined Zhou Chutian's faction for a year or two. He understood very well that this was his only opportunity to climb up.

But he did not expect Xie Qingfeng to appear halfway. Zhao Jiguang had studied literature and martial arts since childhood, possessing excellent talent and being skilled in both. However, his family fortunes had declined, and although the family still had some reputation, there was no way they could secure his official career.

Zhao Jiguang had understood since he was young that if he wanted a smooth official career and to revive his family, he could not care whether his methods were those of a gentleman or a villain.

Compared to Zhang Jiawen, he perhaps saw things more clearly. He had felt long ago that Zhou Chutian's mind was unpredictable and unfathomable. This Grand Chancellor had reached the pinnacle of officialdom and had many Disciples; back then, he was just one of them.

To gain his favor and rise rapidly in his career, he could only wait for an opportunity to come and seize it; then he could turn his life around.

Back then, Zhou Chutian was selecting his Disciples, hoping someone could join the Pacification Bureau. But unfortunately, most of his Disciples were scholars who had taken the imperial examinations; even if some knew a little martial arts, it was just flashy, superficial skill, and they could barely protect themselves, let alone enter the Pacification Bureau, which was filled with wolves.

Zhao Jiguang thought for a long time. He knew that if he joined the Pacification Bureau, he could forget about a normal official career. Once in the Pacification Bureau, even a gatekeeper was despised by everyone. But if he didn't join the Pacification Bureau, how long would he have to wait for another opportunity?

Among Zhou Chutian's Disciples, there was never a lack of those with brilliant literary talent. Although he was a legitimate product of the imperial examinations and had made the list back then, compared to others, he really didn't measure up.

So when he took the initiative to approach Zhou Chutian, the Grand Chancellor looked at him, revealed a satisfied smile, and then said: "In that case, before you join the Pacification Bureau, do something for me. If you do it well, I will ensure your rapid advancement and let you sit in the position of Pacification Commissioner very soon."

And the so-called "doing something" was to intercept and kill Mo Yingqi and his mother. This was not just to relieve Zhou Chutian's worries, but also a pledge of allegiance; once you did it, you were stained, and naturally, you became his man.

But he did not expect that a Xie Qingfeng who appeared halfway would kill them all, leaving not a single one behind with just one person and one saber. In the end, seeing that the situation was bad, he took the two or three remaining people and turned to leave.

An official career was important, but if one's life was gone, no matter how good the official career was, one could not enjoy it.

Fortunately, Zhou Chutian did not care and comforted him, saying: "What is destined to be will be. Since you didn't kill them, perhaps that mother and son were not meant to die. Moreover, a master appearing halfway was not something you could have anticipated."

Later, Zhou Chutian fulfilled his promise. After Zhao Jiguang joined the Pacification Bureau, with Grand Chancellor Zhou's guidance and help behind the scenes, he became a Captain immediately upon joining, and subsequently rose all the way to Pacification Commissioner with almost no obstacles.

"Yes, My Lord, you are finally not wrong this time." The smile on Mo Yingqi's face faded. "I was still young back then, and my master arrived in time; plus, you were covering your face, so when I found out about this, I never intended to let you go."

Mo Yingqi had learned of this when he returned from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, from Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning. In fact, this matter was not worth mentioning in itself, at least for the imperial court; it was, at most, just one of the evils committed by Zhou Chutian, Zhang Jiawen, and Zhao Jiguang.

But unexpectedly, the Dancer who was following Zhang Jiawen had disguised herself too well. One day, Zhang Jiawen drank a bit too much, and for a moment, he couldn't hold his tongue; while complaining about Zhou Chutian, he didn't forget to badmouth Zhao Jiguang behind his back.

"Just a dog that came fawning over me to get ahead! He was the one who led the team back then to kill my son and..."

Zhang Jiawen realized he had said too much and stopped, not continuing. The Dancer pretended not to hear clearly, but she kept it in her heart.

Therefore, to expect Mo Yingqi to let Zhao Jiguang go, or to let his family go, how could that be possible? The saber you once swung at others will sooner or later bring retribution upon your own head.

In the past, Zhao Jiguang did not believe it, but when Mo Yingqi entered the capital, he began to be afraid. Given his character, he should have suppressed Mo Yingqi when he entered the Pacification Bureau, or simply killed him outright.

But he did not expect that Mo Yingqi seemed to have someone behind him. Ever since Mo Yingqi became a Flying Fish Guard, Fang Wenbo had been protecting him openly and secretly. Even though his own official rank was higher, the other's uncle was Eunuch Fang.

At that time, The Emperor was also keeping a close watch on the remnants of the Rebel Prince and was openly suppressing him; if he couldn't do it openly, could he kill Mo Yingqi secretly? That was even more impossible.

Not to mention that Mo Yingqi's martial arts were extremely high, the people he had tried every possible way to transfer over were caught by Fang Wenbo the next day and delivered to him.

He still remembered Fang Wenbo saying with a forced smile: "My Lord, why make things difficult for a junior? Now that the imperial court is in a troubled time, it is also a time when the Pacification Bureau needs people. Little Mo is doing well; my uncle has even specifically asked about him several times."

These words were, in fact, telling him clearly that it was not he who was protecting Mo Yingqi, but his uncle, Eunuch Fang, who was protecting Mo Yingqi, or rather, it was equivalent to The Emperor protecting Mo Yingqi.

Not to mention the subsequent marriage of the two princesses to him, the wedding, and the conferral of the title of Marquis; now, even if Mo Yingqi walked sideways in the capital, I fear no one would dare to provoke or stop him.

Since Mo Yingqi returned from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, Zhao Jiguang had always felt an inexplicable panic in his heart. Today, Mo Yingqi killed his people in the Southern Division and brought his youngest son here, so he could guess that he would not have a good ending today.

"But rest assured, My Lord; although I am a person who seeks revenge, I also understand that public is public, and private is private." Mo Yingqi slowly stood up. "So, killing you is killing you; as for how your family members will be dealt with, it will still be in accordance with the laws of the Daxing Dynasty. However, My Lord, you do not need to worry; it will be nothing more than confiscation of property, exile, or something similar."

"But you, My Lord, are different. Since you have mentioned it, you are very clear about the methods of the Pacification Bureau, so I will write a report carefully stating that you refused to cooperate with the investigation and resisted arrest, leaving me with no choice but to kill you."

Mo Yingqi stopped talking here, suddenly closed his mouth, and looked Zhao Jiguang up and down: "Also, My Lord, we are about to fight for our lives in a moment; you don't really intend to use that xiuchun saber to fight me, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why bother playing dumb with me, My Lord? A sword user using a saber, disguising yourself for so many years—your skills are clearly extraordinary, but it is a pity..."

Before Mo Yingqi finished speaking, he was already in front of Zhao Jiguang, the japanese sword in his hand flashing with a cold glint, the blade slashing from bottom to top towards Zhao Jiguang's chest.

With a sound of metal clashing, the xiuchun saber in Zhao Jiguang's hand was split in two, the upper half of the blade falling to the ground with a crisp sound.

Mo Yingqi, having succeeded in one strike, did not continue, but instead retreated to his original position, raising his sword to point at Zhao Jiguang: "My Lord, the saber is broken; you should take out your sword now, right?"

Zhao Jiguang looked at the broken saber in his hand with a gloomy expression, then suddenly laughed a few times: "Good, very well. In all these years, no one has ever noticed that I am a sword user. I didn't expect the Marquis to be so sharp-eared and sharp-eyed; we haven't even fought yet, and you already knew I was disguising myself?"

"It's alright, thanks to having a master who is bored." Mo Yingqi shrugged. "There are always subtle differences between using a saber and using a sword. Fortunately, since I was young, I was thrown into the northern mountain forests by my stupid master; with perennial snow and the need to hunt prey, I consider my eyesight to be passable."

Zhao Jiguang did not respond, just threw the broken saber in his hand aside. Then his figure swayed, his footwork extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the box containing the dossiers.

"From the day I joined the Pacification Bureau, I worried that something would happen, so I have always kept my family heirloom sword hidden here."

Zhao Jiguang opened the box, and in a secret compartment of the box was an ancient sword. Zhao Jiguang drew the sword from its scabbard, performed a sword flourish, and actually assumed the starting stance of the School sword technique.

Mo Yingqi couldn't help but frown when he saw this. Although Xie Qingfeng was good at using a saber, he was a martial arts fanatic, and in recent years, he had been studying the martial arts of various sects in the northern border.

Especially Longhu Mountain and the School, which were full of masters and talented people; he had studied these two sects a lot. Mo Yingqi had even teased him when he was a child: "You are studying these things here, but no one comes to your door; aren't you just wasting your time?"

"What do you know, you brat? It's about taking precautions. They say there is no second place in martial arts; although I have no interest in being the best in the world, I still have to study what I should study, right?"

"Is that really because you don't want to be the best in the world? I'm too embarrassed to expose you."

"Hey, you brat, you really have to bring up sore subjects, don't you?"

It is said that master and Disciple are of one mind. Of course, Xie Qingfeng did not know that his Disciple was thinking of the same thing as him at this moment. But seeing the familiar School starting stance, Xie Qingfeng couldn't help but pout: "Tsk, you are already a traitor to the School, yet you still use the School's sword technique; do you have no shame?"

The Old Daoist Priest was not angry, just gave a dry laugh: "Sword techniques don't need to be new, as long as they work. But old lay practitioner, you and I are fighting here in the Zhou Residence; aren't you afraid of attracting others? Don't say that I, this poor Daoist, am bullying you with numbers then."

"Enough, stop talking nonsense, will you?" Xie Qingfeng shook his head impatiently. "At our level, once we fight, it is definitely not something outsiders can participate in; don't you know that? Or do you want to change to another place to die?"

"Who will win is still unknown..."

"Yes, yes, yes, stop talking nonsense, hurry up!"

As the words fell, both of them fell silent. Immediately after, their figures simultaneously disappeared halfway, and only two afterimages could be seen colliding continuously in mid-air.

Each time, a sound of metal clashing erupted. Suddenly, gusts of cold wind rose in the courtyard; the willow tree nearby was blown, rustling, its branches trembling wildly, and leaves falling one after another.

"Old ox-nose, you actually have some skills."

After another burst of metal clashing, their figures slowly landed. Both of them were unscathed. Xie Qingfeng stroked his beard, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the composed Daoist in front of him.

"Didn't you think about taking a Disciple?" Xie Qingfeng suddenly asked. "Tsk tsk tsk, but taking a Disciple, I'm afraid someone like you, old ox-nose, wouldn't be able to grasp the ropes of that."

"It's alright, I can be considered to have passed on some of my mantle." The Daoist chuckled. "Back then, my employer brought a young man; I thought he was okay, so I taught him some skills. I heard that young man has now become a Pacification Commissioner of the Pacification Bureau? But that has nothing to do with me."

"Ha, that's really a coincidence."

Xie Qingfeng was briefly stunned, then laughed out loud: "Master fights master, then naturally Disciple fights Disciple... It's a pity, Daoist, I fear that today, your Disciple will have to accompany you to the underworld!"