The sound of the zither gradually came to an end. Meng Qi quietly stood up and walked to the other side of the abandoned house, where beggars gathered and stray dogs roamed. He crossed his arms and stood in the darkness, silently watching everything. When the zither’s sound ceased, he stamped his foot, sending a stone flying into the midst of the stray dogs, provoking a chorus of barking.
“Woof! Woof!” The loud barks echoed far into the quiet night. The dogs turned to confront each other, barking even more fiercely, as if resenting the end of such a beautiful melody.
This was the signal Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu had agreed upon—to create barking sounds when her music stopped, indicating that everything was proceeding normally and they should continue as planned.
After waiting for a while until the barking subsided and no one paid attention anymore, Meng Qi leisurely left from beside the beggars and returned to the courtyard he had rented.
…
The next day, Meng Qi and Jiang Hengchuan slightly altered their appearances and strolled along the northern street, searching for anything unusual.
Compared to usual, the northern street had far fewer vendors selling flowers, roasted chestnuts, and other goods. Even the number of playing children had dwindled significantly.
“The Snake King is Maoling’s top assassin leader. Normally, various factions have some matters they couldn’t handle directly, so they turned a blind eye to him. But this time, his collusion with merciless heretics has become intolerable,” Jiang Hengchuan recounted what he had heard from the green-sash investigator Dai Fei.
“So they’re going to eradicate the Snake King’s entire influence?” Meng Qi thought of the children who had been cruelly trained and tortured as young assassins and asked, “What happened to the assassins and their apprentices?”
Jiang Hengchuan pondered for a moment before replying, “Those who could still be saved and remembered their origins were properly arranged and sent back home. Those who couldn’t recall were sent to the Six Gates’ training facility for investigators. As for those with blood-stained hands who couldn’t be redeemed, the Six Gates took some, though I don’t know exactly what for. The rest were divided between Madam Han and Boss Luo.”
“Of course, they’re meant for covert operations. At least the Snake King’s assassin training was decent enough…” Meng Qi muttered silently.
That day, the two found nothing. At dusk, they returned home separately. As Meng Qi reached the alley entrance, he suddenly stopped. In an inconspicuous spot, there were childish graffiti-like scratches forming an unusual shape, resembling orchid petals.
Glancing at it, he calmly continued home, tidied himself up, and slowly headed to a nearby tavern for dinner and drinks. He stayed until it grew completely dark before strolling through the streets as if admiring Maoling’s prosperity.
Upon entering a crowded area, he suddenly turned direction, weaving through several twists and turns to shake off any imagined followers, and stealthily entered a small alley with a dragon-locust tree.
The elderly woodcarving craftsman had already returned to his room with the door tightly shut. Meng Qi didn’t disturb him and directly went to the courtyard where he had hidden previously.
Just as he vaulted over the courtyard wall, a sword beam flashed, sweeping across the sky like the Big Dipper, illuminating the eight directions. It moved so fast that residual afterimages lingered, rivaling Xiao Zhenhai’s “Lightning Sword of Extreme Illumination” in speed!
A flash of knife light cut through, like electric serpents appearing suddenly, the heavy Tianzhishang moving as swiftly as if it had no weight at all.
Just as blade and sword were about to clash, the sword suddenly vanished, as if it had never been thrust in the first place, remaining in its original position, defying comprehension.
“Not bad, very alert,” a crisp voice like a nightingale’s call sounded. Jiang Zhiwei stood gracefully in the courtyard, her goose-yellow dress fluttering gently in the night breeze, exuding beauty.
Meng Qi sheathed his knife with a broad smile. “I guessed you’d greet me this way.”
The mark at the alley entrance was their secret signal. Whenever Jiang Zhiwei entered the city, she would leave a hidden mark to meet Meng Qi at this courtyard at night.
“Really? After knowing ‘Calculating the Mortal World’ for so long, you’ve become superstitious too?” Jiang Zhiwei sheathed her sword and teased.
Meng Qi chuckled. “We’ve known each other for years. If I couldn’t even predict this, what kind of friend would I be?”
“Years…” Jiang Zhiwei looked at Meng Qi, suddenly nostalgic. She raised her hand to demonstrate. “Yes, back then you were much shorter than me. Now you’ve grown taller.”
“Don’t focus on such details…” Meng Qi felt slightly embarrassed.
They chatted casually for a while before Meng Qi, unwilling to stay too long, turned to serious matters. “Zhiwei, tomorrow you should secretly go to Dajue Temple and find an opportunity to meet Yushu.”
They had never met before from opposite ends of the land. As a man, Meng Qi couldn’t directly become close friends with Ruan Yushu and then ask her and her elders for secret help, which would raise suspicion and vigilance. However, it would be reasonable and logical if Jiang Zhiwei acted as the intermediary.
As one of the most outstanding women of their generation, Jiang Zhiwei was a direct disciple of a major sect, her master held a high position with formidable strength, and her background was clean and reputable—making her a desirable acquaintance for any aristocratic youth. It was perfectly normal for her to become close with Ruan Yushu, and the Ruan family would welcome such a friendship. Later, if she requested secret assistance, things would naturally fall into place.
“Alright.” Jiang Zhiwei smiled. “Never thought I’d have to ‘reintroduce’ myself. I wonder when Senior Brother Qi will arrive?”
“He’s quite far away; he might not make it in time.” Meng Qi’s expression turned serious. “By the way, Zhiwei, these days, help me tail someone.”
“Who?” Jiang Zhiwei immediately showed interest.
“‘Lightning Sword of Extreme Illumination’ Xiao Zhenhai.” Meng Qi said solemnly. Taking this opportunity, he briefly explained the matters concerning the Snake King, Old Zhong, and others.
Jiang Zhiwei nodded lightly. “Indeed suspicious.”
“I’ll stay out in the open to draw attention, making the mastermind think I’m inactive, while you secretly follow Xiao Zhenhai. I refuse to believe they can anticipate this!” Meng Qi clenched his fist. He wanted to give those scheming villains a ‘surprise’!
Seeing Meng Qi’s competitive expression, Jiang Zhiwei couldn’t help but shake her head and smile softly.
…
In the following days, Meng Qi continued to wander the northern street with Jiang Hengchuan, showing no additional activity. It wasn’t enough to attract attention by going to Suyuan Garden, which would only alert Prince Wang and the figure behind the scenes. After all, anything unusual must be considered suspicious!
Another day passed fruitlessly. Shortly after returning to their rented courtyard, Meng Qi heard a knock on the door.
“Jiang, did you find something?” The one knocking was indeed Jiang Hengchuan. They had parted ways just half an hour ago, so Meng Qi was quite surprised.
Jiang Hengchuan cautiously glanced around before using secret sound transmission. “A friend from the northern street came to see me suddenly, saying he spotted Qiu Fei this afternoon.”
“Qiu Fei?” Meng Qi hadn’t expected to find a trace of “Wind-Striking Staff” Qiu Fei.
“Yes. Although he slightly changed his appearance, those on the northern street have sharp eyes. Plus, I had specifically reminded them, so they still recognized him.” Jiang Hengchuan maintained a composed demeanor, only his tone slightly excited.
Since Meng Qi had exposed the major secret of the Life-and-Death Unpredictable Sect, he naturally wanted to eliminate potential threats and asked, “Where did he go?”
“My friend didn’t dare to follow too closely, but he saw him heading toward the Jinshui riverside. Let’s go there to look for clues?” Jiang Hengchuan suggested.
Meng Qi naturally had no objections. The two went together to the northern street and reached the riverside behind it.
“He went that way.” Jiang Hengchuan pointed to a sparse grove by the riverside. “After that, he disappeared.”
“Could he have noticed the tailing?” Meng Qi frowned.
Jiang Hengchuan couldn’t confirm this.
Inside the grove, there were many traces of children’s play and discarded items. Meng Qi and Jiang Hengchuan carefully examined the noteworthy spots.
Suddenly, Jiang Hengchuan stopped and pointed to the shadow of a tree. “Look there.”
Meng Qi focused his gaze and saw a cluster of wild grass growing in the shadow. One plant was dim and yellowish, as if withering prematurely. However, its yellow color was different from normal, tinged with a faint greenish hue.
“Contaminated by Yin energy… Life-and-Death Unpredictable Sect…” Meng Qi inhaled deeply. “They indeed passed through here.”
The two continued searching but found nothing else. The traces had been completely erased until they crossed the grove with no further discoveries.
On the other side of the trees was the Jinshui River, with a towering bluish stone standing by the riverside.
Jiang Hengchuan’s expression slightly changed, his face showing contemplation before returning to normal.
After searching for a while without finding other clues and noticing the darkening sky, they temporarily ceased their search.
Returning to the alley entrance, Meng Qi once again noticed the childish graffiti-like marks in an inconspicuous place. He thus repeated his previous trick and came to the meeting courtyard at night.
This time, Jiang Zhiwei didn’t draw her sword. She sat cross-legged beneath a pillar, gently stroking the blade, as if cultivating her vigor.
“I followed Xiao Zhenhai and found he met with someone…” Jiang Zhiwei succinctly stated without describing the difficulties of tailing or Xiao Zhenhai’s cunning.
Meng Qi’s eyes lit up. “So it was him? Interesting… This matter is entrusted to you and the others. Try not to make any noise.”
“Yes, I’ve become quite ‘close’ with Yushu. I can probably ask Master Ruan for help, but I don’t plan to act immediately. First, let’s see what he intends to do.” Jiang Zhiwei said calmly.
Meng Qi nodded. “More thorough than I expected.”
…
Two days later, the Jinshui River’s great tide was about to arrive.
Late at night, Jiang Hengchuan knocked on Meng Qi’s courtyard door again.
“Jiang, what urgent matter brings you here so late?” Meng Qi raised his eyebrows.
Jiang Hengchuan rarely showed hesitation, carefully choosing his words. “Brother Su, I’d like to invite you to explore the Dongyang Villa together.”
He changed his address again.
“Dongyang Villa?” Meng Qi appropriately showed surprise.
Jiang Hengchuan nodded. “Yes, the opportunity I mentioned is precisely that. The inner chamber of the villa will open an hour before the Jinshui tide. Qiu Fei and the demon leader definitely won’t miss it. They’ll either bring help or possess formidable strength, likely planning to open it first and then fight for it. As a lone cultivator, although I have many friends, few are of equal strength, and they all have their own backgrounds. A slight carelessness could attract powerful figures.”
“Brother Su, your strength is nearly among the top ten of the Mortal List. With our combined efforts, we should be able to confront the demon, Qiu Fei, and the Life-and-Death Unpredictable Sect. I trust you, and I’m not worried you’ll bring in external experts. That’s why I chose you.”
“You left Shaolin, losing your cultivation support. This kind of relic is an opportunity you can’t afford to miss.”
He frankly stated his reasons. Since Meng Qi had no background and couldn’t find external experts to double-cross, he had approached him. And only revealing it now meant he hadn’t given Meng Qi a chance to find other help.
“Demon heads are ruthless. Judging by their strength, they might indeed go. But Qiu Fei, having suffered repeated setbacks, might instead hide and wait for another opportunity?” Meng Qi asked doubtfully.
Jiang Hengchuan chuckled. “Do you know where Qiu Fei is hiding?”
“You know?” Meng Qi was surprised.
Jiang Hengchuan nodded seriously. “After discovering him and the Life-and-Death Unpredictable Sect members at the Jinshui riverside grove the other day, I figured it out. He’s hiding in the Dongyang Villa. Although he can’t enter the inner chamber, the outer courtyard can still be inhabited.”
“That bluish stone?” Meng Qi suddenly understood.
“Yes.” Jiang Hengchuan confirmed. “So tonight should be an opportunity to open the inner chamber. Brother Su, shall we go together?”
Meng Qi hesitated slightly before decisively agreeing. “Alright.”
After both swore oaths not to harm each other within the villa, they set out under the cover of night to the Jinshui riverside, finding that bluish stone.
Jiang Hengchuan’s gaze shifted, scanning the surroundings as if vigilant against followers.
Suddenly, he exhaled and took out a misty-blue object. It looked neither metallic, wooden, nor jade-like, seemingly a fragment of some item.
When this object touched the stone, it immediately emitted a hazy glow, the pale blue light transforming the surroundings into an ethereal scene.
“Hold onto my clothes. Without a fragment of the Dongyang Seal, one cannot enter the villa.” Jiang Hengchuan turned his head to tell Meng Qi.
This way, followers couldn’t enter. Even if Prince Wang and others pursued, they could only sigh helplessly at the river… Meng Qi thoughtfully placed his hand on Jiang Hengchuan’s shoulder and stepped forward with him, “bumping” toward the stone.
A flash of blue light, and the world spun.
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