Chapter 179
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: Chapter 36: Unbelievable Lawless Deity (4)
No one had ever attempted to assassinate Abbot Jigong up to now. No sect, no individual had ever tried.
Abbot Jigong was truly the supreme figure of the martial world.
There had been those who, out of curiosity or competitive spirit, requested a spar with him. But even they never got to exchange blows with Abbot Jigong himself. To even approach him, one had to get past his six disciples known as the Shaolin Six Monks—and no one had managed that.
In other words, assassinating Abbot Jigong required first defeating the Shaolin Six Monks.
It was impossible through sheer force or martial prowess.
Yet the biggest obstacle to assassinating Abbot Jigong was simply not knowing where he was.
Though he was the abbot of Shaolin, it was widely believed he had stepped down from the position and gone into seclusion. Shaolin claimed he was in closed-door training, but the common consensus that he had secluded himself was far more convincing.
The Shaolin Six Monks had also vanished from sight.
These pinnacle experts of Shaolin, who had been personally taught martial arts by Abbot Jigong as his direct disciples, had all secluded themselves at once.
That said, they hadn't completely abandoned Shaolin.
The martial world believed their seclusion spot was Mount Song.
Mount Song was a famous peak, offering plenty of quiet places for hiding away.
Though he no longer performed abbot duties, it seemed Abbot Jigong hadn't left the Mount Song he'd devoted his life to either.
In this situation, headquarters had ordered the assassination of Abbot Jigong.
Even setting aside how to pull it off, without substantial information from headquarters, they couldn't even encounter him.
"What about headquarters?"
Iron Orb Gramps shook his head vigorously.
"Damn it! If they're assigning an absurd task, they should at least provide minimal support. Are they telling us to do it or just talk about it?"
Even Vanguard, who rarely complained, grumbled at this.
"Looks like headquarters is washing their hands of it. Sigh!"
Iron Orb Gramps let out a deep sigh as he spoke.
It was his way of saying not to expect help from headquarters.
If headquarters truly intended to assist, something would have arrived by now, no matter what it was.
A thought suddenly flashed through Vanguard's mind.
"I see. We're the heretics of headquarters... the betrayers. That's common knowledge. So if heretics like us go after Jigong, it's no concern of headquarters? Heh heh heh! Stingy bastards. But even so, shouldn't they at least tell us where he is?"
"Why not wait a bit longer while we're at it?"
"What's the point of waiting?"
Vanguard turned away.
If that was headquarters' will... they probably resented even being associated with Iron Orb Gramps. They needed to leave this place immediately. Otherwise, they might drag the old man into their mess unjustly.
'Damn it!'
Vanguard's brow furrowed tightly, refusing to smooth out.
"This is Fire Lin, and this is Fire Thunder. You'll know once you use them, but handle them with extreme care."
Fox held out two pouches.
"Are you really a descendant of the Thunderclap School?"
Four Thousand Four took the pouches, opened one, and peered inside as he spoke.
"With the Thunderclap School, well... let's say we have a slight connection."
"That's more than slight. Handing over the secrets to their ultimate hidden weapons, Fire Thunder and Fire Lin."
Hanbi stared at the Fire Thunder inside the pouch as he said it.
"I've got one of those faces that makes you wanna give me stuff, right?"
"More like a face that invites beatings."
"What's with this? I made you something expensive."
"Fine, fine! Thanks."
Hanbi took the Fire Thunder and Fire Lin as he spoke.
Four Thousand Four opened the pouch and evenly distributed the powerful explosive hidden weapons inside.
"What about intel on Jigong?"
Vanguard asked.
"Abbot Jigong is on Mount Song."
"We knew that much. Where on Mount Song?"
Hanbi's eyes sharpened as he asked.
This wasn't mockery or scolding toward Fox. When Fox mentioned 'Mount Song,' it implied he knew more... perhaps even the exact seclusion spot. That's why Hanbi pressed him.
"I can only speculate on the precise location. I'll give you three hints. Figure it out. Flying Peak Wall, Thousand-Li Hanging Cliffs, Cliff Walls. So, which one?"
"Script Cliff!"
Hanbi named the spot before Fox even finished.
'Flying Peak Wall' referred to running along cliffs. It was how people described Shaolin monk martial arts training on sheer drops.
Thousand-Li Hanging Cliffs and Cliff Walls were all sheer precipices.
The prime spot on Mount Song for Shaolin monks to practice Flying Peak Wall was Script Cliff. The cliffs there stood in neat rows like stacked books, a continuous stretch of razor-sharp faces.
Of course, there were narrow ledges installed. But without safety measures, few dared cross them. Falls claimed lives there every year.
"If Jigong's at Script Cliff... ha ha ha!"
Vanguard burst into incredulous laughter.
A frontal assault was out of the question; they needed a sneak attack, but even that was impossible. The terrain overwhelmingly favored the defender.
It made sense for Abbot Jigong to seclude himself at Script Cliff.
Ordinary cliffs like that weren't habitable. No water, no food. Even a single meal required descending from the cliff base.
Abbot Jigong wouldn't shy from such harshness.
What better place to sever all worldly ties and pursue solitary cultivation?
But for assassins, it was the worst possible spot.
Not worst—it made assassination outright impossible.
"Is it really Script Cliff?"
Hanbi asked again.
"I think so too... but the clues I got were just Flying Peak Wall, Thousand-Li Hanging Cliffs, Cliff Walls. So I can't confirm it definitively, nor rule it out."
"Where'd you get that intel?"
"Heh! Come on, Vanguard. I have to keep some sources secret. Asking an informant their network is bad manners!"
"I'm asking if it's reliable."
A heavy silence fell.
The place Fox mentioned... Script Cliff was surely it. So how were they supposed to carry out the hit?
"Is this the order?"
Iron Orb Gramps handed over the needle pouch.
Four Thousand Four opened it and drew out a single needle.
About the length of an index finger, thickness of two hairs combined... an exceedingly thin, long needle. But not a sewing needle—no hole for thread.
"Yes, perfect."
Four Thousand Four smiled in satisfaction.
"That's your weapon?"
"Stock these in your weapon shop from now on."
"What's the use of junk like that? Who else would buy 'em but you?"
"Planning to come back for more."
"Come back? You talk like Jigong's already dead. Kid, don't you die. Forget coming back—plan to run as far as you can."
"You think headquarters will let me go if I run?"
"Overthink everything, and you'll never get anything done. When you run, just close your eyes, don't look back, and bolt. Got it?"
Iron Orb Gramps surely understood Four Thousand Four's predicament.
The reason Four Thousand Four couldn't flee... Vanguard and Hanbi knew it now too. Not because he told them—Four Thousand Four hadn't breathed a word. But anyone who thought about it could figure it out.
"I'll put it to good use."
Four Thousand Four tucked the needle pouch into his bosom.
The four of them left the underground chamber.
No one saw them off. That was the norm. Inside the chamber, they handled every little detail. Outside, they were total strangers. Unknown, no matter when or where they met.
Heavenly Annihilation Division operatives died alone, wherever it happened.
But this time, it felt even more solitary. Headquarters had utterly abandoned them, yet the mission demanded completion.
Vanguard and Hanbi said nothing about it.
They had already betrayed headquarters. They'd chased after Four Thousand Four prepared to throw away their lives. Though they couldn't help him—in fact, they were just baggage.
But Jaja and Fox were different. They couldn't abandon headquarters.
Could they tell Four Thousand Four to ignore their headquarters and act freely?
Truth be told, they grappled with the same issue. Ideally, headquarters still lived. Knowing they'd be used until death, they'd betrayed it... but they couldn't shake the wish that it endured, thriving.
Yeah, give up.
Even a guy like Four Thousand Four, who boldly ditched headquarters, ended up as its plaything.
They couldn't beat the Heavenly Annihilation Division.
Let headquarters have its way. If they died in the process, so be it. That's what they'd signed up for the moment they became operatives.
"Ugh! The stench!"
Fox wrinkled his nose at the thick booze reek and pungent cosmetic smell.
The narrow alley reeked of all sorts of filth too. Traces of last night's drunkard vomit lingered plainly.
"Fox."
"Yeah?"
Fox perked up and approached when Four Thousand Four called, his frown vanishing instantly.
"Find me one Beggar Clan member."
"Beggar Clan? Why?"
"Beat him like a stray dog."
"Beat? As in punch? Why?"
Four Thousand Four looked at Fox and smiled.
"Ah!"
Fox instantly grasped his intent.
Four Thousand Four aimed to draw the Beggar Clan's attention. Let them see clearly where they were headed, what they were doing.
"Will this help us?"
"No options at Script Cliff."
"Then?"
"Jigong has to come out."
"Lure Abbot Jigong out... possible?"
"Of course. You forgot? We've got two more on our side."
"Two more? Who?"
Vanguard cut in.
"Cheokwol and Mian."
At Four Thousand Four's words, Vanguard and Fox exchanged glances.
Their eyes screamed, 'This guy's insane!'
Four Thousand Four planned to use Cheokwol and Mian to draw out Abbot Jigong.
And the first step was using the Beggar Clan.
How to leverage the Beggar Clan, famed for their vast intelligence network...?
The idea of using them made sense, but beyond that, it was still murky.
"Agh! Headache. Whatever, got it. Just beat the crap out of one Beggar Clan guy, right?"
"Wouldn't I be better at it than him?"
Hanbi stepped forward.
But Four Thousand Four shook his head.
"You step in, one beggar dies. Have Fox go easy."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Vanguard let out a hearty laugh, the first in ages.
Pow! Pow pow! Pow pow!
A Beggar Clan member got thrashed in their own turf, Kaifeng.
Even in a shadowy alley, touching a Beggar Clan disciple was poking a hornet's nest—something no one dared lightly.
"Who am I?"
"Fox! Lord Fox!"
Pow! Pow pow pow!
"Urk! Gah! P-please... stop..."
The beaten beggar was a Second-Knot Disciple, one of the Beggar Clan's eyes, dubbed 'Dog Eyes.' Low martial skill, but with over five years in the clan and stationed at headquarters, he was a sly survivor who'd eaten plenty of shrewd meals.
And he was getting pummeled for no reason.
The sole cause: failing to answer 'Who am I?'
The beater asked again.
"Who am I?"
"Fox! Lord Fox!"
"Remember it well. That's why I'm beating you—to etch it in your bones. Call it bone-deep memorization!"
Pow! Pow pow pow! Pow pow!
Fox kept pounding until his fists went numb and the beggar's face swelled beyond recognition, features lost in the puffiness.