This action successfully made Yao Xingliu and Li Chong forget that there was a zombie outside the door. Their fear was greatly alleviated, and they looked astonished, their faces twitching slightly.
What was “Bu Yue” anyway?
Dongdongdong—the knocking sound echoed again. Unlike before, it wasn’t rushed anymore; it was slow and prolonged, appearing quite polite.
“Who is it?” Meng Qi lazily asked.
Heh, trying to scare me earlier? I’ve seen zombies before!
“A corpse walker,” a deep, dry voice floated in from outside.
Huuuh, Yao and Old Li simultaneously exhaled in relief. So it was a corpse walker, not a vicious ghost or zombie!
After exhaling, Yao Xingliu suddenly seemed to recall something. His face flushed red as he looked up at the pitch-black night sky: “Could some people always be this careless? When encountering unexpected situations, instead of hiding first, they casually open the door? Obviously brainless, only good for drinking.”
Meng Qi merely chuckled at Yao’s reproach without responding much. He looked toward the door and said, “That’s better. If you want to stay the night, then honestly state your name.”
He opened the courtyard gate again. Outside stood three figures. The first was a young man in his twenties. His skin was dull, his face gaunt, features decent but gloomy and terrifying. He wore a black robe, held a corpse-driving rod, wore a pointed black hat, and from his waist hung a black thread, the other end attached to a Banship Seal.
An expert… Meng Qi clearly judged.
Though this young man had no protective qi aura and hadn’t reached the ninth aperture, Meng Qi’s “Undying Seal Art” could detect no trace of his internal energy flow. The man was like a withered tree, like a corpse, everything deeply hidden within.
Beside the young man’s right stood the previous zombie, tongue sticking out to its throat, hopping along without giving off a dangerous vibe. Meng Qi estimated that an ordinary person with four apertures, as long as they weren’t afraid and possessed strong yang energy, could eliminate it.
On the young man’s left was a middle-aged man with a grayish-white complexion, weak breath, half-human and half-ghost, yet standing there like half an iron tower, calm and imposing, exuding a natural dignity, without even fighting, already commanding respect.
In Meng Qi’s spiritual perception, he was even more dangerous than the young man. Perhaps he had already opened the Life-Death Mystery Pass!
Since they had come knocking, Meng Qi had no intention of hiding. Calmly, he said, “Come in, but don’t wander around or scare the kids and elders.”
“You!” Yao was furious, teeth itching, but after all being one of the Seven Disciples of the True Martial Sect, he similarly judged their formidable strength and did not argue with Meng Qi, silently drawing his Yin-Yang Twin Swords.
The corpse walker grimly nodded and followed Meng Qi to sit beside the fire. The middle-aged man and the zombie stood beside him, not fearing fire like ordinary ghosts or zombies.
“He really is alive or dead…” Meng Qi sat casually roasting bread, secretly wondering. With his strength, he couldn’t even tell if the middle-aged man was alive or dead!
However, with many techniques at his disposal, he wasn’t afraid.
The corpse walker glanced at everyone, clearly lingering longer on Yao Xingliu. He barely glanced at Meng Qi and Li Chong, who had hidden their cultivation using the Eight-Nine Mystical Art, ignoring them as if they were the same, not worth wasting time on.
Except for Meng Qi leisurely roasting his steamed bun, everyone else remained silent. After a while, the corpse walker looked up at Yao Xingliu, about to speak, when suddenly he turned toward the wall and hoarsely asked, “Who?”
Meng Qi shifted his gaze from the deliciously roasted bun, smiling toward the spot. The corpse walker had detected the presence a breath later.
“I fear ghosts and spirits the most, so I dared not show myself, hiding instead,” a cheerful female voice sounded, as a red-robed woman stepped out from the corner.
She looked delicate, like a charming young lady from a noble family, a young mistress from a prestigious household. Dressed in red from head to toe, she was as bright as a torch, lighting up everyone’s hearts. It was none other than “Red Tender Hands” Xiao Yue!
“So it’s Madam Xiao, what brings you here so late?” Meng Qi acted as if it were perfectly natural, showing no surprise at Xiao Yue’s arrival.
“Calling me Madam makes me sound like a bandit leader. Officer Su, just call me Madam Xiao,” she smiled.
Bandit? You’re worse than any bandit! Meng Qi inwardly retorted.
Earlier, Zheng Jushan had assigned Meng Qi and Li Chong to stay behind, which Xiao Yue had noted.
Xiao Yue paused and said, “I saw Xingliu leaving the city at night, worried he might meet with an accident, so I followed.”
She spoke so affectionately that Yao Xingliu’s eyebrows twitched, seemingly on the verge of frustration.
Believe that, and you’re the fool… Probably you deliberately leaked the information to Yao so he could scout for you… Meng Qi muttered to himself but outwardly remained expressionless, smiling as he said, “It’s chilly tonight. Why don’t you warm yourself by the fire first, Madam Xiao?”
Let me see what tricks you two are up to!
“Officer Su, you’re so considerate. Tsk, such a pretty face and smile—if my girls saw you, they’d tear you apart.” Xiao Yue’s words matched her intentions, but her eyes weren’t on Meng Qi. Instead, she warily watched the corpse walker and Yao Xingliu.
Xiao Yue controlled eight-tenths of Qinglou brothels in Yangxia.
Since Xiao Yue entered, the corpse walker’s attention had mostly shifted to her—not because he was captivated by her beauty, but because her surface strength was the highest, with visible protective qi around her.
After sitting down, Xiao Yue didn’t even glance at Meng Qi, pretending to warm herself by the fire. Her fair, delicate hands with slender fingers exuded an indescribable charm.
Seeing the corpse walker unmoved, she coughed slightly, seemingly addressing the empty space: “May I ask what you are looking for?”
“I’m looking for someone,” the corpse walker replied hoarsely without lifting his head.
“Old Zhong and I were old acquaintances. Some things have been left with him for too long. I wonder if he has taken them with him,” Xiao Yue vaguely replied.
Yao Xingliu narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t stupid. He already understood that Xiao Yue had used him as a pawn to scout ahead.
“I want to kill him and take something. I wonder if that’s what you’re seeking,” the corpse walker tightened his rod.
Their spiritual energies clashed, partially focused on Yao Xingliu, mostly on each other.
Li Chong quietly recited “Amitabha,” seeking protection. As an experienced officer, he could clearly sense the surging undercurrents, feeling terrified, hoping not to be dragged into the conflict.
The corpse walker slowly stood up, and Xiao Yue did the same. Their eyes met, as if sparks flew.
“Cough.” Suddenly, both heard a cough. Glancing from the corner of their eyes, they saw that handsome, clean-smiling Officer Su slowly rising.
“Some things need to be clarified first. This is a crime scene, a matter of great importance, under the jurisdiction of our Six Gates. It counts as public territory. Whatever you plan to do, you must first report to me and obtain my approval. For example, if you intend to fight, you must do it outside. Don’t damage the scene or the corpse,” Meng Qi wore a strictly professional expression. Being an officer meant acting like one!
Li Chong’s mouth naturally fell open, forgetting to close it. Didn’t Officer Su realize these two were dangerous?
How dare he act like a real officer!
The corpse walker and Xiao Yue looked slightly stunned, their energies dissipating, both turning to stare at Meng Qi. How dare he talk so much? Did he really think wearing the Six Gates’ badge made him untouchable?
Yao Xingliu turned his head sideways, wearing an expression that said “I don’t know this guy,” confident in “Officer Su’s” strength, yet still annoyed by his pretentiousness.
Xiao Yue smiled, her sleeves sliding to reveal two short swords connected by silk ribbons to her wrists.
Li Chong snapped back to his senses, wanting to grab Officer Su and apologize, but found himself grasping at air. He watched as Officer Su stepped into the courtyard, drawing a long sword faintly swirling with black and white energies: “Then let’s do it in the courtyard.”
“Oh, now you don’t care about damaging the scene or the corpse?” As Xiao Yue finished speaking, the ribbons fluttered, and the two short swords shot toward Meng Qi.
However, her attention remained mostly on the corpse walker. The swords were merely wrapped in her qi aura—only an expert could break through her protective barrier.
Yao Xingliu sighed, unsure what he was sighing about.
Meng Qi’s sword thrust was ordinary.
A soft “puff” sound echoed as he pierced through Xiao Yue’s qi-wrapped swords!
The sword gleamed in the firelight, seemingly aiming to sever the ribbons.
Xiao Yue hadn’t expected this. Her face changed dramatically, her high chest quivered slightly. Her graceful footwork shifted, hands raised, swords rising like poetry and song, blocking the sword.
Mid-thrust, Meng Qi’s sword suddenly veered, slipping past the swords directly toward Xiao Yue’s chest.
Unprepared to counter, Xiao Yue could only retreat a step, reorganizing her defense.
Li Chong watched in shock. Officer Su actually forced back Madam Xiao?
Impossible!
Had he been bewitched by the zombie?
Meng Qi’s sword changed from thrust to slash, aiming at the ribbons again.
Xiao Yue forced another breath, retreating another step. The ribbons shook, swords flashing like moonlit waves on a night sea, beautiful beyond words.
But she hadn’t expected that the smiling Officer Su’s sword would change in perfect sync, as if she were willingly offering her wrists to the blade.
She inwardly cursed. If she hadn’t been wary of the corpse walker at the start and had been careless in her attack, how could she have ended up like this?
Her “Battle Array Sword Dance” was famous in Yangxia, graceful and deadly, yet today she couldn’t even land a proper strike, like a puppet with its strings pulled, looking clumsy and awkward.
Xiao Yue had deadly moves, but using them would mean no turning back. Plus, sensing that Officer Su had no killing intent, she found herself unable to muster any desire to kill.
After another step back, Xiao Yue suddenly stumbled, falling flat on her bottom, having retreated to the edge of the steps.
Her qi split into two streams, colliding and erupting, giving her a rebound force. However, the sword overhead was ready to slice her head off if she jumped up!
Xiao Yue could only use the “Thousand Catties Descent,” forcing herself to sit, narrowly avoiding the strike.
She was about to strike again when she suddenly froze. Behind her, the firelight flickered warmly. At this moment, she realized she had landed exactly where she had sat before, not an inch off!
Not an inch off!
“Now that’s better. Sit nicely,” Meng Qi smirked, sheathing his sword. “Fighting me doesn’t need to worry about damaging the scene or the corpse.”
This was his answer to the earlier question.
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