Within the Six Gates of Zhou County, Qing Shou Captain Kong Yu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, listening to the report from the middle-aged man, slightly frowning. “Are you certain it’s the Thunder Saber Mad Monk?”
“Reporting to Captain Qing Shou, we’re not certain,” the middle-aged man replied. Without access to the Six Gates’ secret records, it was impossible to verify Meng Qi’s identity based solely on the vague portrait released to the public. “But he declared he will challenge the heroes of Yedu tomorrow, so he probably won’t lie about his identity.”
Since the opponent would be the heroes of Yedu, techniques like the Golden Bell Shield and the Ananda Breaking the Precepts Saber would inevitably be revealed, confirming his identity.
Kong Yu nodded slightly, muttering to himself, “Demon girl… which demon girl… what trouble has he gotten himself into… why challenge the heroes of Yedu…”
He wasn’t surprised that He Mu had been guided by the Thunder Saber Mad Monk. The evaluation on the Heroes’ List was “sword in the left hand, saber in the right, with exquisite sword techniques.” It had been eight or nine months since then, and it was normal for his sword techniques to improve after intensive training.
The middle-aged man glanced at Kong Yu and boldly suggested, “Captain Qing Shou, shall we send someone to monitor the Thunder Saber Mad Monk tonight or talk to him directly…”
“No need to rush. The Thunder Saber Mad Monk’s last words implied that we shouldn’t rush to confront or monitor him, lest we scare him away. Let’s observe the situation first,” Kong Yu waved his hand, then continued after a moment’s thought, “Those qualified to be called a demon girl by the Thunder Saber Mad Monk are few indeed. This matter might be serious, and I must report it to Captain Silver Seal.”
Yedu had three districts, each governed by a Senior Investigator with nine openings. The Six Gates headquarters in the prefectural capital had one Captain Silver Seal and two Qing Shou Captains. The former was a top-tier expert beyond the external scenery, while the latter were either half-step beyond the external scenery or experienced fighters with nine openings. Additionally, there were eighteen elite Hu Bao Captains, each with at least eight openings, responsible for maintaining peace throughout Zhou County. Kong Yu had recently advanced to half-step beyond the external scenery and was transferred from another county to serve as a Qing Shou Captain in Yedu.
Normally, conflicts among opening-stage martial artists didn’t require the involvement of a Silver Seal Captain, but since Kong Yu was newly arrived and the matter seemed suspicious, involving a martial artist from the Heroes’ List, he decided to play it safe and report it.
The middle-aged man cautiously suggested, “Captain Kong, should we inform the Senior Investigators of the three districts?”
He subtly changed his address, trying to get closer to Kong Yu and gain his favor.
Kong Yu thought for a moment, “Not yet. Go and bring Captain Xu here.”
Captain Xu, Xu Wanqing, was a Hu Bao Captain with all nine openings open, and one of Kong Yu’s trusted men brought to Yedu.
…
Meng Qi meditated and rested well, sleeping soundly as if he had no worries. At dawn, he naturally woke up and practiced some martial arts in the courtyard. Then he cooked millet porridge and had it with pickled vegetables, finishing it off noisily. Afterward, he hung the Xie Jie and Zi Wu swords and, as if going for a morning walk, slowly strolled to the courtyard gate.
Unknown to him, a carriage had already arrived at the gate. It was still covered with white woolen cloth, and the driver still had a zombie-like face.
With a creak, the carriage door opened. The pretty and pure “maid” Gu Xiaosang jumped down, holding a cloak, and greeted him with a smile, “Master, I didn’t expect you to have the talent for cooking, but from now on, you don’t need to do it yourself. Leave it all to Xiaozi.”
She naturally draped the cloak over Meng Qi’s shoulders, speaking affectionately, clearly a favored maid.
Would I dare eat what you cook… Meng Qi noncommittally boarded the carriage and sat down casually.
Gu Xiaosang, holding a bundle, cheerfully leaned closer, her subtle fragrance making Meng Qi feel quite uneasy.
“What are you doing? A maid should know her place!” Meng Qi said in a master’s tone.
Gu Xiaosang was momentarily stunned, not expecting Meng Qi to get so into character, then smiled, “Master, your reputation in Yicheng is well-known. If you appear in public, you should dress the part, just like when we met at the Jade Bridge.”
When Meng Qi bought a long sword, he subtly adjusted his appearance using the Jiujie Xuan Gong and used a disguise kit purchased from the Lord of the Six Realms. Combined with the half-year passage of time and his more matured features, only those extremely familiar with him would recognize him as Junzi Jian Meng Qi.
Hearing this, Meng Qi didn’t say much, just nodded slightly, allowing Gu Xiaosang to take out various items from the bundle and apply them to his face, subtly adjusting his muscles.
After a while, Gu Xiaosang clapped her hands and joyfully said, “Done, Master, take a look.”
She took out a clear bronze mirror and held it in front of Meng Qi. The reflection was still vaguely Meng Qi, with no obvious disguise, but his skin tone was slightly tanned, his features more defined, exuding a more masculine aura, making him look heroic and different from Junzi Jian.
“Isn’t my work great? Isn’t my work great?” Gu Xiaosang tilted her head, eagerly awaiting praise.
If it weren’t for my Jiujie Xuan Gong, how could there be such a good effect? Meng Qi hummed in approval, maintaining his master’s demeanor, ignoring her.
Hearing Meng Qi’s hum, Gu Xiaosang was delighted, as if receiving the most anticipated compliment, proudly saying, “Still missing something, hmm, Master, your clothes are too scholarly, not suitable for the Thunder Saber Mad Monk. You should change.”
“I never acknowledged that nickname, the Thunder Saber Mad Monk…” Meng Qi looked at Gu Xiaosang seriously.
Gu Xiaosang didn’t care, taking out a black martial arts outfit from the bundle and helping Meng Qi change in the carriage.
Since it was just an outer garment, Meng Qi didn’t resist, allowing Gu Xiaosang to work.
“Heroic and masculine, a real man.” Gu Xiaosang fastened the last button of the black martial arts outfit, resting her left hand on her cheek, tilting her head to look at Meng Qi, her eyes sparkling with beauty. Suddenly, she clapped again, “Still missing something.”
She found a black hero’s headband and tied it on Meng Qi’s forehead, then stepped back to the opposite seat, smiling as she admired her masterpiece.
Meng Qi glanced at the bronze mirror, finding that the black martial arts outfit and headband made him look truly handsome and masculine, exuding a cold and stern aura. Internally, he couldn’t help but sigh, “Girls are indeed more skilled at dressing up. My previous green robe was beautiful, but something was always missing.”
Gu Xiaosang admired him for a while, satisfied with a nod, and then magically produced a long saber, its sheath black, simple, and unadorned.
“Master, the saber you used in Yicheng is too well-known, so better use this one instead. Hehe, one slash to kill the Iron-Handed Human Demon, how heroic and mighty!” Gu Xiaosang handed the long saber to Meng Qi.
She was there watching… Meng Qi’s face twitched slightly, recalling how “Tang Jing” used “Duan Qingjing” to kill the Iron-Handed Human Demon. Gu Xiaosang couldn’t have guessed that was his alias.
He drew the long saber, a low, continuous ringing sound like someone whispering in his ear, stirring up a flurry of thoughts.
Examining the long saber closely, its blade was dazzling, resembling a pearl-made weapon, with seal script inscriptions on it: “Whisper.”
“This saber is named ‘Whisper,’ like an inner voice, perfectly complementing the first two moves of your Ananda Breaking the Precepts Saber Technique,” Gu Xiaosang introduced, then took off the Xie Jie sword, “I’ll keep this treasure sword for you, Master.”
Exchanging one saber for another.
In Yicheng, Meng Qi had used his own insights to develop the essence of the Ananda Breaking the Precepts Saber Technique and the Purple Thunder Saber Technique without directly copying the moves to prevent recognition. This time, he planned to openly display his saber techniques, using the essence to trigger them, so he wasn’t worried about being recognized as Tang Er Gongzi.
Moreover, in the past six months, Meng Qi had mastered the variations of the “Thunder Shocking the Nine Heavens” move, gaining deeper insights, allowing him to showcase the saber’s power differently from Tang Jing.
Of course, using the Purple Thunder Saber Technique in front of Shan Xiumei would be self-incriminating.
Meng Qi hesitated slightly but didn’t stop Gu Xiaosang from taking Xie Jie, instead hanging “Whisper” at his waist.
Gu Xiaosang suddenly frowned with her delicate eyebrows, “No good, if you were a scholar, carrying a saber and sword wouldn’t be strange, but with your current outfit, it looks odd…”
She rummaged through the bundle again, approached Meng Qi once more, and tied Whisper and Zi Wu across his back.
The long saber diagonally from the upper right to the lower left, its hilt easy to grasp with the right hand, and Zi Wu diagonally from the upper left to the lower right, its tassel hanging from the left shoulder.
“Just like this, just like this…” Gu Xiaosang’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Meng Qi looked in the bronze mirror again, feeling a surge of heroic and solitary aura.
I’m still quite outstanding… he thought smugly.
Gu Xiaosang’s eyes gleamed with excitement as she said cheerfully, “Master, don’t you love to show off in front of others? This time in Yedu, you must display your full majesty and demeanor. A master must truly look the part!”
“It’s like finding joy amidst hardship…” Meng Qi let out a sigh.
…
Wanhua Building, the best restaurant and inn on Yuqiao Street.
In the main hall, many martial artists, merchants, and minor officials were dining and discussing the most talked-about martial arts competition in Yedu.
A guest at a table near the door suddenly felt a stir in his heart and turned to look at the entrance. A young man wearing a hero’s headband and a black martial arts outfit slowly stepped in. He carried a sword and saber on his back, exuding a heroic and masculine aura. As he walked, he looked around confidently, followed by a pretty maid in a green dress, smiling with eyes only for her master, seemingly oblivious to the many heroes in the hall.
A hard-to-describe solitary and strong aura followed the young man’s entrance, making the guests near the door instinctively fall silent, no one daring to speak.
The silence spread, and one by one, the guests turned their heads. The hall fell into complete silence.
“Guest, are you here to stay or dine?” The waiter was momentarily stunned but quickly approached.
Gu Xiaosang cheerfully replied, “Do you have a courtyard? If so, we’ll stay for a month.”
She played with a gold ingot in her hand.
The waiter hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes.”
Meng Qi looked at him and took out a letter from his bosom, “Please deliver this letter to the Red Sun Martial Arts School and hand it to Master Jin.”
He spoke politely, not looking down on the waiter because of his position, but his aura remained unchanged, making people feel that in his eyes, whether it was a waiter or a strong person, it was all the same.
Everyone was secretly astonished. Who was this high-level martial artist? Why was he looking for someone from the Red Sun Martial Arts School?
…
Inside the Red Sun Martial Arts School, the competition was in full swing.
The headmaster, Jin Jinxian, was accompanying Wang Ce, Shan Xiumei, Kong Yu, and others, exchanging views on each match and commenting on the young people they valued.
He was a senior martial artist with all nine openings, a well-known figure in Yedu, often commenting on opening-stage martial artists on the Zhou County Heroes’ List, and had close ties with the Wang family, which is why the Red Sun Martial Arts School could rank among the top eight in Yedu, equivalent to the Wang family’s outer sect.
“Master, someone has sent you a letter,” a martial artist approached.
Jin Jinxian slightly frowned, “Whose letter?”
“Unknown,” the martial artist shook his head.
Jin Jinxian, maintaining his dignity, said, “You open it and check.”
The martial artist examined the letter and, finding no issues, opened the envelope and quickly skimmed through it.
Suddenly, his expression changed dramatically, and with slightly trembling hands, he handed the letter to Jin Jinxian, “Master, look, look…”
Jin Jinxian’s expression became serious, drawing the attention of Wang Ce, Kong Yu, and others around him.
After receiving the letter, Jin Jinxian glanced through it, and his gaze immediately froze.
The letter contained only a few lines of elegant, flowing handwriting:
“Hearing of Master Jin’s mighty and expansive Red Sun Sword Technique, with a sword like the sun and breath like rays, renowned in Yedu, this junior cannot help but admire it.”
“Tomorrow, under the full moon, at the Wanhua Building, this junior will be waiting with sword and saber for the master.”
“Yesterday in tranquility, people called me ‘Thunder Saber Mad Monk’; today entering the mundane world, removing thunder and monk, I am just ‘Saber Madman,’ Su Meng respectfully presents.”
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