nycdaug #803 - Front and rear attack
#803 - Front and rear attack
“The most pressing matter now is to find Professor Xu as soon as possible. You said you attended Professor Xu's lectures before, so you should have a fairly close relationship with him. Do you know where he might go?” Kui asked.
“Uh, I did attend his lectures, but only a few times… Later, I got busy with my own things,” Lu Jing said, then added, “But I know someone who definitely knows.”
After saying that, he led Kui straight to the residence of the young Taoist Xie Anshi.
Among the three disciples studying Celestial Observation and Deduction, Lu Jing was just going through the motions.晏筠 and Xie Anshi were both very serious about their studies.
晏筠 was doing it to cultivate the Supreme Secret Scripture of the Cloud Water Quiet Mercy Pavilion, the Nebula Divine Art. In comparison, Xie Anshi was more purely interested in the subject of Celestial Observation and Deduction itself.
Professor Xu naturally treated him with special regard, not only imparting all his skills but also frequently inviting Xie Anshi to his residence to help out with various tasks.
If anyone in the academy was most familiar with Professor Xu, it would have to be Xie Anshi.
And the young Taoist indeed lived up to Lu Jing's expectations.
“You’re talking about Professor Xu? If he’s not at his residence, he’s probably at the Star Observation Platform on the mountaintop. By the way, he asked me to deliver vegetables, rice, and flour to him before.
“He said he would stay on the mountain for a while to focus on deciphering a star chart.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Xie, you’ve really helped me out this time.”
Lu Jing was about to head up the mountain when he heard Xie Anshi say, “Are you going to find Professor Xu?”
“That’s right.”
“Take me with you. Professor Xu has been on the mountaintop for a month now, and I’m a little worried about him. I even specially observed the life star of the teacher a few days ago.”
Xie Anshi was halfway through his sentence when Lu Jing covered his mouth, “Stop, stop… Now is not the time to talk about such things. Let’s go see him first, then you can tell me what you saw.”
Lu Jing hadn't forgotten that this guy was the one who observed the stars for the Department of Celestial Observation, predicting a fragmented answer, which has now come true. He was practically a top-tier jinx.
Although Lu Jing wasn't very superstitious, he didn't want Xie Anshi to set up any flags at this sensitive time.
Without another word, he pulled the young Taoist along and headed up the mountain together.
From a distance, the three of them saw smoke rising from the thatched hut beside the Star Observation Platform.
Lu Jing stopped and patted Xie Anshi's shoulder, saying, “Senior Brother Xie, you go.”
“Ah, why me? Aren’t we three going together? Seeing Professor Xu doesn’t require any particular order.” Xie Anshi was a little puzzled.
On the other side, Lu Jing had already revealed Mountain Fire and Lake Light, “There’s a high probability that we’ll have to fight later. If the guest inside sees me and Inspector Kui, they’ll immediately realize our intentions and might harm Professor Xu.
“But if you go to knock on the door, he shouldn’t be so vigilant. Then you can slightly distract him, and Inspector Kui and I can strike together and take him down in the first instance.”
“Is that so?” Xie Anshi felt a little nervous, but after hearing what Lu Jing said, he straightened his clothes and walked up to knock on the door.
Before he could enter, he heard a voice from inside, “Professor Xu, have you really not deciphered it yet? To be honest, this is our last hope…”
Perhaps hearing the footsteps outside the door, the voice stopped abruptly.
Remembering what Lu Jing had just said, Xie Anshi was worried that the person inside would really harm Professor Xu, so he quickly cleared his throat and said, “Professor Xu, disciple Xie Anshi has come to see you. I was wondering if you need anything. I plan to go to the capital tomorrow and can buy it for you.”
After a moment, Professor Xu's voice came from inside, “Is that Anshi outside? I appreciate your kindness, but I haven't finished the rice, flour, and vegetables you sent me last time. I don't need anything recently. Leave, I'm busy talking about an important matter with a distinguished guest and don't have time to talk to you.”
Xie Anshi was dumbfounded. He didn't expect Professor Xu to not let him into the house at all. In that case, the distraction that Lu Jing had told him to do would naturally be in vain.
Besides, listening to Lu Jing's words just now, the person inside seemed to be ill-intentioned. Xie Anshi was worrying about how to remind Professor Xu when he heard the person inside say, “Is that Professor Xu's student? He's not an outsider. Let him come in.”
“Inspector Wu, if what you say is true, then this matter is of great importance. The fewer people who know, the better,” Professor Xu said.
“That's true, but the department suffered heavy losses during the Secret Realm trip. Now that these students from the academy have become inspectors, they can certainly hear about this matter.”
As Wu Mu spoke, he got up to open the door for Xie Anshi.
Professor Xu's heart sank. Wu Mu's sudden visit had already made him vaguely aware that something was wrong, so he didn't want to involve Xie Anshi.
But now it seemed that his attempt to send Xie Anshi away had aroused the other party's suspicion. Wu Mu was now determined to keep Xie Anshi.
So, Professor Xu secretly formed a hand seal under the table.
Wu Mu acted as if he hadn't noticed anything and got up to open the door for Xie Anshi.
But then he heard something behind him hit the ground with a dull thud.
The next moment, Wu Mu's heart tightened. A galaxy seemed to appear before his eyes, pressing down on his body and limbs.
However, Wu Mu was only trapped for a moment. As if he had been prepared, a treasure light emanated from the array disk in his arms, and then his whole person regained his mobility.
On the contrary, Professor Xu groaned, feeling that the connection between himself and his secret power had been severed.
The trick he had used to intimidate the academy disciples had been easily broken by Wu Mu.
The latter even showed a hint of surprise on his face, “Professor Xu, what are you doing?!”
Before he finished speaking, the thatched roof turned into arrow clusters, shooting down from the roof towards his face.
Wu Mu's expression changed, realizing that there were enemies outside the house, and blurted out, “Who is…”,
Before he could utter the last word, another thing flying from the door pierced his right hand!
Then his other hand was also nailed to the wall.
“Inspector Lu, Inspector Kui, what does this mean?”
Wu Mu finally saw the two figures above his head and outside the door, his face somewhat unsightly.
“I should be asking that question. Didn't you say that Celestial Observation and Deduction Professor Xu is the number one person in the Department of Celestial Observation? With him here, you wouldn't be in charge of the star chart anymore.” Lu Jing walked into the house.
“I changed my mind halfway. Anyway, I'm idle, so I might as well come over and help.” Wu Mu's expression remained unchanged.