Maoling, a tavern where the lowest levels of martial artists gathered.
Once again, Meng Qi subtly altered his appearance and physique before stepping into the dimly lit, smelly establishment. He ordered a pot of wine and a dish of fava beans, then sat in a corner quietly listening to others discussing martial arts affairs.
Right in front of him, a tall man whose limbs seemed unusually long, as if practicing Tongbi Fist, finally saw his companion arrive, and excitedly yet deliberately whispered, “Have you heard? Last night, ‘Shocking for a Hundred Miles’ and ‘Furious Blade’ had a fierce battle at Guanjin Garden!”
His companion, dressed as a bodyguard, laughed loudly, “I know more details than you. Last night, our chief bodyguard heard the commotion and personally rushed there to investigate.”
At this point, his expression turned serious. He sat down with an air of confidence, took a sip of wine, and his face showed an ambiguous mix of envy and disappointment, or perhaps awe: “An opening technique match that could rival the destruction caused by top-tier external martial artists! The wind rose, clouds surged, lightning flashed, the earth cracked, trees snapped, grass flew, houses collapsed, and everything was charred…”
His tone carried a bit of dreaminess.
“So terrifying?”
“Such power really exists!”
The tall man and another companion exclaimed in unison, clearly unable to believe what they had heard.
The bodyguard sighed, “Indeed, the top ten on the Human List are truly formidable. ‘Furious Blade’ Su Meng may not be in the top ten yet, but he’s not far off.”
“So, did Furious Blade lose?” The tall man caught the implication.
The bodyguard hesitated slightly, “It’s said he was at a disadvantage, but still managed to drive ‘Shocking for a Hundred Miles’ back with a full-powered slash and left unharmed.”
“No wonder you say he’s close to the top ten,” another companion murmured, smacking his lips, “Why did they fight anyway? Was it a competition for the Human List?”
The bodyguard’s expression turned slightly odd, “Jiang Hengchuan’s younger brother was killed, and Furious Blade was at the scene. The wound was also of the lightning type.”
“What is Furious Blade trying to do? He should not involve innocent family members!” The tall man exclaimed in shock.
The bodyguard’s expression became even more peculiar, “However, today Jiang Hengchuan publicly declared to several senior martial artists that yesterday he acted too rashly without fully investigating, wrongly accusing Furious Blade. He believes the incident was too coincidental and must be a setup. Moreover, although the wound was of the lightning type, there were slight differences in the blade technique and weapon compared to Furious Blade’s style. Therefore, he is actively seeking out Furious Blade to apologize.”
“This…” The other two exchanged glances. This turnaround seemed too sudden.
However, thinking about it, it made sense. As someone ranked on the Human List, Jiang Hengchuan must possess strong mental cultivation. Even if he was wild and impulsive, he wouldn’t let anger cloud his judgment and ignore suspicious clues. Once he calmed down, he would naturally detect inconsistencies and respond appropriately.
Meng Qi listened quietly, confirming from different martial artists that Jiang Hengchuan’s attempt to apologize had spread throughout the martial world, making the possibility of a setup very low. Only then did he rise leisurely, walk out, change direction several times, bought a set of black martial attire, restored his original appearance and physique, slung a blade over his back, and carried a sword as he walked through the streets.
Three quarters of an hour later, as expected, Meng Qi saw Jiang Hengchuan approaching like a swift fish weaving through the crowd.
Jiang darted through the crowd, always narrowly missing collisions with others, yet managing only to brush past them as he rapidly approached.
“Master Su, Jiang humbly apologizes for my rashness yesterday and comes to express my regret,” Jiang Hengchuan adopted a very humble posture, though his natural grace and effortless charm remained evident, his thick eyebrows and farmer-like demeanor unchanged.
Meng Qi accepted the apology without showing any emotion, “Brother Jiang, this place is noisy. Let’s find a quiet place to talk.”
“Excellent,” Jiang Hengchuan didn’t waste words and turned to lead the way.
He chose the Hero Building.
Since Meng Qi had already cleared it and Jiang Hengchuan was also well-known, especially after yesterday’s joint display of power that caused destruction rivaling top-tier external martial artists, they encountered no resistance and directly ascended to the fifth floor, where the view was vast and open, overlooking the small rivers and towns below.
The fifth floor was empty, so the two chose a corner and quietly waited for tea to be served.
The aroma of tea filled the air as they each took a sip. Jiang Hengchuan stood up and bowed again, “Yesterday, I was overwhelmed by anger and lost my composure. I beg Master Su to forgive me.”
“In such a situation, I wouldn’t have stayed calm either. I probably would have tried to subdue the person in front of me first,” Meng Qi replied casually, bearing no resentment toward Jiang Hengchuan.
In his mind, however, he was reflecting on Jiang’s words. Had Jiang also lost his composure yesterday?
During the late hours of the previous night, while reviewing the battle, Meng Qi realized that his disadvantage wasn’t solely due to the gap in strength but also his failure in the mental and spiritual confrontation. Facing someone he felt guilty toward, he couldn’t generate true fighting spirit, and his hesitation naturally suppressed his momentum, allowing him to use only seventy to eighty percent of his power.
Yet now it seemed that Jiang had also experienced a flaw in his mind, falling into impatience. In that case, they were evenly matched, and last night’s fight had indeed reflected their true strength comparison.
“I still need to work harder!” he thought to himself.
In another one or two months, Meng Qi’s seven openings would stabilize, allowing him to begin adjusting his inner world. At that time, his cultivation would enhance his blade and sword techniques, improving his overall strength.
Jiang Hengchuan’s dark skin concealed the change in his complexion as he added with a touch of self-mockery, “No, normally one should first try diplomacy before resorting to force. I should have politely asked Master Su to stay and examine the body together. Only if you refused should I have taken action.”
“Later, I examined the body with Yu Yinzhang and Dai Qingshou from the Six Ministries, and Liang, the chief bodyguard of Zhenyuan Escort Agency. We discovered that, aside from the lightning wound, the qi was an intentional imitation of the Shaolin Golden Bell Shield. However, since Liang is a lay disciple of Shaolin, he noticed slight differences and identified the frame-up. It was then that I realized my grave mistake.”
“With qi capable of imitating Golden Bell Shield… such a martial art must be rare…” Meng Qi fell into thought. However, due to the vastness of the primary world and the multitude of martial arts, countless techniques remained unknown to him, making it difficult to find clues at the moment.
“Could it be the Lesser Emptiness Art?” Meng Qi speculated, considering that even the Heaven Demon Art had been involved, so the appearance of the Lesser Emptiness Art wouldn’t be a mere coincidence.
To be honest, Meng Qi’s own Eight-Ninth Primordial Art could also imitate techniques. Once he advanced to the seventh opening stage and his inner world was initially formed, his control over his body and soul would become stronger. His mastery of qi and physical details would surpass anyone at the same level. As long as he had the corresponding secret manuals to reference, altering his qi and simulating special techniques would be within his capabilities.
After a moment of contemplation, Meng Qi frowned, “To be able to imitate a Shaolin martial art… do the seniors have any clues?”
“For now, none. Although similar martial arts are rare, some have long been lost. Perhaps someone unearthed it from a grave…” Jiang Hengchuan shook his head, “Do you have any clues, Master Su, that could help me find the real culprit?”
Meng Qi briefly recounted the coffin and the paper ball found in the innkeeper’s mouth, then asked, “Brother Jiang, with you guarding him, how could your younger brother be killed?”
Jiang Hengchuan remained silent for a long time before slowly replying, “This story is long. Please don’t tell anyone else, Master Su.”
“Alright,” Meng Qi nodded slightly, secretly speculating on the reasons that had drawn Jiang to Maoling.
“Several months ago, I killed a rogue martial artist and obtained a ‘chance,’ gaining some benefits in Maoling. However, to delve deeper, I needed three ‘chances’ simultaneously. Without any clues, I had to leave Maoling and settled down in Daxing for cultivation. Unexpectedly, I received a message via a flying dart, saying that my cousin Tapo had been kidnapped and demanding that I return to Maoling with the ‘chance’ to exchange for his life,” Jiang Hengchuan deliberately used ‘chance’ to refer to the specific item.
Unable to reach my third brother, I secretly went to Maoling and discovered he hadn’t actually been kidnapped. He had simply become hooked on gambling and lost everything in a high-stakes game at the top-tier players’ table, ending up forced to work off his debt. I barely scraped together enough money to bail him out.
“I sensed something was amiss, so I deliberately kept my identity hidden and lived under an assumed name near my third brother’s residence, investigating who had lured me to Maoling. Last night, I suddenly stumbled upon a lead, but after being led on a wild chase, I finally managed to shake off my pursuer. Just after returning and having a cup of tea, I heard a commotion coming from He Feng Xiao Zhu, so I rushed over to check and encountered the shocking and infuriating scene. It immediately struck me as a warning from the mastermind behind all this, cautioning me to be careful with the rest of my family!”
“Chances… Could it be the key to entering Dongyang’s Villa?” Meng Qi listened impassively.
Qiu Fei must have obtained it from Dongyang’s Cottage. What about the others?
After listening to Jiang Hengchuan’s account, Meng Qi smiled bitterly, “I’m also confused myself. What event are you referring to?”
Jiang Hengchuan sighed, “I intentionally used a vague term to prevent others from overhearing. It’s hard for solitary cultivators to obtain treasures. If an external martial artist gets involved, I’d have no choice but to give it up.”
“Brother Jiang, do you have any suspects in mind?” Meng Qi cut straight to the point.
Jiang Hengchuan’s expression darkened, “Yes, ‘Wind-Chasing Staff’ Qiu Fei!”
“Why him?” Meng Qi wasn’t particularly surprised by the answer.
Jiang Hengchuan took a deep breath, restraining his urge to clench his teeth, “When I gained benefits in Maoling, I encountered two groups. One was a large group fighting among themselves, and the other was Qiu Fei alone. He also gained some benefits but lacked the other two ‘chances,’ so he probably set his sights on me. Even with his strength and family treasure weapon, though he could defeat me, killing me would be impossible, so he resorted to this underhanded scheme.”
Did Qiu Fei have the ability to orchestrate such a plan? Meng Qi thought of Wang Siyuan, but Jiang Hengchuan’s next words stirred his mind.
“Qiu Fei is very suspicious. His advancement speed is getting faster and faster,” Jiang Hengchuan had been paying close attention to Qiu Fei for a long time.
Meng Qi inhaled slightly, his mind recalling Qiu Fei’s background:
“Seventeen years old when he opened his first acupoint, twenty with four openings, twenty-four with six openings, twenty-nine with seven openings”—up to this point, it was merely above average. However, after that—”thirty-two with eight openings, thirty-three with nine openings, thirty-six when he broke through the Life and Death Barrier”—showing a pattern of slow progress followed by rapid advancement.
Meng Qi had previously assumed it was due to an encounter at Dongyang’s Cottage, but now, calculating the timeline, it didn’t quite fit. If Qiu Fei had obtained the ‘chance,’ he should have come to Maoling immediately.
“Brother Jiang, does the ‘chance’ require a specific time?” he asked the person directly involved.
Jiang Hengchuan affirmed, “No, but the emergence of ‘chances’ seems to cluster within a certain period.”
Meng Qi didn’t press further or bring up Wang Siyuan’s words. Instead, he said, “Brother Jiang, many young martial arts experts have gathered in Maoling, and there seems to be an undercurrent beneath the surface. This matter likely involves other peculiar elements. How about we split up to investigate and uncover the mastermind behind all this?”
“Good. Do you have any suggestions, Master Su?” Jiang Hengchuan agreed immediately.
Meng Qi took out the wooden carving, note, and paper ball found in the coffin and from the innkeeper’s mouth, handing them to Jiang Hengchuan, “Every action leaves a trace. Brother Jiang can look into the origin of the wooden carving and the handwriting on the note, while I will investigate the purposes of the other young martial experts in Maoling.”
Jiang Hengchuan accepted the items, stood up, and apologized once more.
Just as he was about to leave, Meng Qi suddenly asked, “Brother Jiang, since it’s difficult for solitary cultivators, why don’t you join the imperial court, a noble family, or a sect?”
Jiang Hengchuan was first taken aback, then smiled in a simple, rustic manner, like a farmer:
“I cultivate to improve myself, not to find a master to serve.”
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