The Iron-Handed Demon, slightly lifting his toes, created a sharp gust of wind as he ran and kicked toward Meng Qi’s chest with fierce and ruthless force, seemingly venting his frustration over the failed mission onto this chatty young man.
He saw the youth before him seemingly frozen in fear, showing no reaction, leaving himself completely open, allowing the Demon’s right foot to strike true.
Hmph, he’s just some guy who enjoys gossiping about martial arts rumors. What’s there to show off?
All those stories he told earlier are common knowledge among anyone who’s traveled a bit in the martial world. Besides, he didn’t even recognize us. We had to rely on our conversations to identify each other and explain our strengths. Nothing special there. And in the end, he even misjudged the strength of the young master of the Wang Clan from Zhou County. Obviously, he lacks good judgment.
Judging from his appearance, he can’t be more than eighteen years old. What future could he possibly have, mingling among sailors?
Shan Xiumei, the young master of the Wang Clan from Zhou County, and his old servant were too far away to intervene. They sighed inwardly, feeling that another innocent bystander had been caught up in the conflict.
We must capture the Iron-Handed Demon and bring him to justice, so that the Wang Clan from Zhou County can demonstrate its righteous might!
Puff!
The Iron-Handed Demon kicked Meng Qi, unleashing a surge of power, intending to rupture his internal organs. Yet, after releasing his force, it was as if it had vanished into thin air, with no effect. It felt as though Meng Qi’s body were completely empty, offering no resistance whatsoever!
Without any internal energy or strength to counter, the kick barely made a sound as it lightly touched Meng Qi.
Just as the Iron-Handed Demon was puzzled, suddenly a familiar force surged back, fierce and ruthless, traveling through his toes and causing his entire body to go numb, his chest churning with turbulent energy, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Though his body was numb, his momentum hadn’t stopped. He stumbled forward, and Meng Qi slightly sidestepped, letting the Demon fall beside him with a splash, his face plunging into a large iron pot filled with boiling meat.
The rich aroma filled his nose, mouth, and eyes, while the scalding broth burned his skin, causing unbearable pain.
Instantly, the Iron-Handed Demon recovered from his numbness and tried to leap away from the pot.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through the back of his head, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
Meng Qi held a bamboo chopstick in his left hand, deeply embedded into the back of the Demon’s head. In the white broth, a stream of blood surged up, quickly turning the soup murky and dark red.
“It’s such a waste of food,” Meng Qi sighed, letting go of the chopstick and clapping his hands together.
The events unfolded with extreme speed. In the blink of an eye, the Iron-Handed Demon had been killed. The young master of the Wang Clan and Shan Xiumei, who had rushed over to intercept, instinctively stopped in their tracks, blinking in confusion, unable to understand what had just happened.
Just moments ago, the Iron-Handed Demon was a ferocious killer venting his rage. Though ranked last among the nineteen demons of the Heaven-Annihilating Gate, he was still a well-known expert with years of fame. How could he, in the span of a single breath, transform from a killer into the killed?
And the killer stood there so calmly, as if he had merely swatted a fly, only slightly regretting the damage to the meat pot caught in the crossfire!
Reflecting carefully on the brief encounter, it was simple and direct. After kicking his opponent, the Iron-Handed Demon lost his balance and fell forward, his face plunging into the pot. The killer then seized a bamboo chopstick, without turning his head or looking back, precisely thrusting it straight into the back of the Demon’s head, as if the two had rehearsed this many times.
This level of timing and the ability to counterattack with internal energy clearly indicated that the killer’s strength was extremely high.
Even more terrifying was the fact that he seemed far from having used his full strength!
The old servant of the Wang Clan from Zhou County took a step forward, closing the distance in an instant as he stood beside his young master. Even he felt that this young man, who seemed to be lamenting the wasted food, was extremely dangerous.
The Undying Seal Art is truly effective… Meng Qi inwardly sighed, though he felt slightly puzzled because the Iron-Handed Demon had seemed too weak.
Even though the Heaven-Annihilating Gate had suffered greatly after the disappearance of the Devil Master, shifting from open aggression to secrecy, the Eight Great Demon Kings and the Nineteen Demons who appeared publicly did not represent their full strength. Yet anyone who had earned a reputation in any of the Nine Devil Sects must possess formidable strength, experience, and unique techniques—or at least excel in one particular area. Even if the Iron-Handed Demon ranked last among the Nineteen Demons, he shouldn’t have been defeated so easily by Meng Qi?
Meng Qi had originally thought he would need to draw his sword and exchange a few blows before finishing the fight, yet with just one move of the Undying Seal Art, the Iron-Handed Demon had become a fish on a chopping board, completely at Meng Qi’s mercy.
Feeling something was off, Meng Qi showed no mercy, finishing the Demon with a single chopstick thrust to avoid capturing him alive, which might have led to discovering some forbidden conspiracy and attracting the attention of powerful figures from the Heaven-Annihilating Gate seeking to silence them.
The enemies Meng Qi would face after killing the Iron-Handed Demon and those who would come after him upon discovering some hidden plot or secret would be vastly different in strength.
Silence fell across the deck, no one spoke. Whether stunned, surprised, or filled with curiosity, all eyes were fixed on Meng Qi.
Meng Qi turned his head, looking at the shattered pot, and slightly apologetically asked the head sailor, “Still want to eat?”
“No more…” the head sailor shook his head in fear.
He wasn’t some cannibal who would eat fresh brains!
Meng Qi took out a piece of silver and handed it to the head sailor, then patted his clothes and slowly stood up.
“My name is Wang Ce of the Wang Clan from Zhou County. I apologize for the disturbance caused by that demon just now,” the young master of the Wang Clan regained his composure, his expression returning to normal. Coming from a prestigious family, he had seen many experts before, but this young man’s youth was quite unusual. He wondered whether Meng Qi might be someone ranked on the Human List.
Among his peers in the Wang Clan, Wang Ce was considered quite strong, but since all the powerful enemies had been dealt with by his old servant, his achievements were not prominent enough to earn him a place on the Human List, a fact that had always troubled him. On this return journey home, he planned to convince his doting mother to replace the old servant with a scholarly page. After all, disciples from major sects usually traveled alone without “expert escorts,” relying solely on their own abilities to hone their skills.
Meng Qi returned a bow and said, “It’s not your fault; the demonic forces simply ran rampant.”
Polite and refined, he looked like a typical scholar.
Wang Ce nodded slightly, his expression neither arrogant nor haughty, yet subtly self-assured. He said nothing further, not even asking Meng Qi’s name, and turned to Shan Xiumei, “Miss Shan, why would the Heaven-Annihilating Gate target you?”
Most men naturally felt a sense of favor toward the elegant and fairy-like Shan Xiumei.
Still flushed from the battle, Shan Xiumei looked at Wang Ce with admiration and gratitude, “Thank you, Young Master Wang, for rescuing me. I am deeply grateful and will surely repay you in the future.”
As expected, the typical aftermath of a hero saving a beauty. Meng Qi smirked slightly and began searching the Iron-Handed Demon’s body, only to find nothing—no identification, no money, no secret manuals or hidden weapons.
So he was planning to dine and dash from the start? Could it be that the money was with the Joyful Demon? Meng Qi muttered to himself.
Shan Xiumei continued, “Previously, the Luo Sect was active in the Three Mountains and Four Rivers region, sparking much speculation. The Heaven-Annihilating Gate then sent the Joyful Demon and the Iron-Handed Demon here. They had their eyes on the Celestial Marvelous Stone of the Qinshan Sword Sect, intending to seize it through a conspiracy. Unfortunately for them, I happened to stumble upon their plans, ruining their scheme. Thus, they bore a grudge against me and secretly followed me onto this ship, launching their attack today.”
Wang Ce enjoyed the admiration in Shan Xiumei’s gaze and slightly nodded, “I’ve heard that the Celestial Marvelous Stone was once stolen before—wasn’t that during the time when ‘Blazing Palm’ Zhang Zhihuan was present?”
He had once met Zhang Zhihuan briefly in Jiangdong, at a banquet hosted by Wang Siyuan, known as the “Calculator of All Fates.”
“Yes, later, with the help of a Western Liang swordsman, we managed to recover the Celestial Marvelous Stone from the Luo Sect,” Shan Xiumei said, her beautiful eyes glancing at Wang Ce with subtle admiration.
Upon hearing this, Meng Qi paused, turning his ear to listen attentively.
“To recover the Celestial Marvelous Stone from the Luo Sect, that Western Liang swordsman must be quite formidable. What level was he at? He must be a well-known swordsman, right?” Wang Ce curiously asked, partly to continue the conversation with Shan Xiumei.
Shan Xiumei thought to herself, “It’s said he had four apertures, but most cultivators don’t believe it, claiming he concealed his true strength, likely at least six apertures. The Void Envoy of the Luo Sect is no easy opponent.”
“He calls himself ‘Free-and-Easy Sword,’ and was unknown in the martial world. After this incident, Hua Lun of the Zengxian Sect praised him for his noble character and chivalrous spirit. Despite having the chance to observe the Celestial Marvelous Stone for three days, he quietly departed. Thus, in the Three Mountains and Four Rivers, he’s also known as the ‘Gentleman Sword.'”
Meng Qi’s face darkened, nearly spitting out a mouthful of old blood. If you can’t come up with a good nickname, then don’t bother!
Wang and Shan returned to their seats, chatting about interesting experiences and getting along quite well.
Meng Qi, having lost interest, returned to his cabin, shut out all emotions, and focused on cultivating the Purple Thunder Qi and pondering the Purple Thunder Sword Technique.
The qi flowed, slowly circulating along the pathways of the Purple Thunder Qi, as Meng Qi entered a state of inner emptiness and introspection, free from worries, joys, expectations, or disappointments.
As the Purple Thunder Qi neared completion of a full cycle, a purple lightning mark emerged on the back of his left hand, with faint electric energy merging into his qi.
It’s really helpful! This was the first time Meng Qi had attempted to cultivate the Purple Thunder Qi after pondering for over half a month, and the assistance from the lightning mark was surprisingly evident!
With this, he was like a half-thunder deity, his cultivation of the Purple Thunder Qi becoming significantly more effective!
Strands of qi transformed into purple “lightning,” fierce and powerful. Even though it belonged to him, Meng Qi could still feel the terrifying force within.
He calmed his mind, circulating the qi for eight or nine cycles before gradually refining the Purple Thunder Qi into a single strand, concealing it within his dantian.
This was a technique meant for application rather than as a primary cultivation method, to avoid conflicts with the Eight-Nine Mystical Art and the Golden Bell Shield qi.
Dong!
A faint sound from the deck reached Meng Qi’s ears.
What’s going on? He ended his cultivation, cautiously drew his sword, and stepped outside. The moonlight reflected off the snow outside, casting a cold and silent glow everywhere.
Meng Qi searched around and found someone near the deck. The person’s clothes were tattered and covered in dark blood.
“Master Tang?” Meng Qi recognized him as the young master of the Tang Clan who had been assassinated earlier. He hadn’t expected him to survive after having his throat pierced. Perhaps he had hidden at the bottom of the ship or had been clinging to its side all along.
Meng Qi swiftly moved forward, intending to assist him, but observed that Young Master Tang was staring with wide eyes, tears flowing down his cheeks, his expression one of desperate entreaty. Yet, he had already ceased to breathe.
He had climbed onto the deck in a final flicker of life, but passed away before anyone could discover him… Meng Qi knelt down and began examining the belongings on the body of Young Master Tang.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage