The sky grew increasingly dark. As Meng Qi stepped into the temple courtyard, he saw it was in a state of complete disarray, with footprints scattered everywhere.
“Master Zhen Ding, you’ve returned?” Ning Daogu and the others, who had been sitting around a stone table, stood up in surprise and rushed to greet him.
Meng Qi had already changed back into his gray monk’s robe and replied with a grin, “Amitabha, today has been hard work for the four of you, lay devotees.”
He didn’t need to ask; from the scene in the courtyard, he could deduce that there had been people coming to challenge them over the past two days, but all had been stopped by Ning Daogu, Yue Shishi, and the others.
“Where’s the hardship? It was just a simple task,” the four replied in unison.
Meng Qi smiled and said, “Buddhism emphasizes the principle of cause and effect. If the ‘Grandmaster Battle’ invites me to watch in the days ahead, you four lay devotees will have to endure being my attendants.”
“Really?” Yue Shishi and Nie Yao, the two young female disciples, exclaimed joyfully. Even if they gained nothing from observing the Grandmaster Battle, merely witnessing it would be something they could boast about for years.
Ning Daogu and Ji Xin quickly regained their composure and respectfully bowed, saying, “Thank you, Master.”
Meng Qi nodded slightly and entered his meditation room, hearing the four young disciples whispering excitedly among themselves.
“Sigh, how come I never had such a youthful time adventuring in the martial world…” Meng Qi sighed with feigned nostalgia before sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion, carefully reviewing the events and clues he had encountered in recent days.
Although he understood that the most crucial task at the moment was to “monitor” You Hongbo and wait for another member of the Twelve Divine Shadows to fall into their trap, he remained unhurried. Since the incident of the “Monkey Thief Stealing the Buddha,” the entire You family had been on high alert. You Hongbo had begun staying indoors more frequently, keeping close to You Tongguang to prevent any accidents. Meng Qi was convinced that unless the Dragon of Chen took action personally, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to abduct You Hongbo without prior arrangements.
Moreover, Meng Qi speculated that if he were in their position, the best time to capture You Hongbo would be tomorrow night, when the Monkey Thief Stealing the Buddha event would draw everyone’s attention, allowing the abduction to happen unnoticed.
Of course, this was just Meng Qi’s own judgment and he wouldn’t “impose” it on the other Divine Shadows. He had no idea how they might think, so starting tonight, he would have to keep a constant watch on You Hongbo until either a Divine Shadow appeared or the final moment arrived.
“As for the shadowy figure that night, according to Han Shi’s account, it might have been a master who had cultivated the ‘Phantom Transformation Art,’ or a Grandmaster who had refined the ancestral cavity between the eyebrows and unlocked the secret treasury of spiritual power. Since the first section of the Phantom Transformation Art proves that this extraordinary skill indeed focuses on cultivating the ancestral cavity between the eyebrows, Han Shi wasn’t lying about that. Unless he knows another skill that cultivates the ancestral cavity, which is practically impossible given his abilities.”
Meng Qi began analyzing what was trustworthy and what might be deception. “If he wasn’t lying, why did Fei Zhengqing say absolutely nothing about the possibility of a Grandmaster who had unlocked the spiritual treasury being involved, only mentioning the Phantom Transformation Art? Unless he didn’t know the significance of the spiritual treasury. But that’s unlikely—he was Cui Xu’s trusted aide.”
“In other words, Fei Zhengqing deliberately concealed the possibility of a Grandmaster who had unlocked the spiritual treasury being involved. And the only person who fits that description and is worth such concealment is… “
Meng Qi narrowed his eyes, staring at the white paper on the window, his mind echoing the name “Cui Xu.”
Hereditary city lord, genius swordsman, and righteous Grandmaster—these were the layers of glory surrounding Cui Xu. Whether it was power, wealth, or martial arts skills, he had nearly reached the peak that a normal person could achieve.
Meng Qi knew many other things about him, such as his childhood sweetheart, his wife’s death in middle age, his two children, and his many sworn brothers. Also, in the past five years, he had rarely taken action himself, entrusting the affairs of Tianding City to his son, Cui Jinhua.
“Moreover, that night the shadow only killed Jin Ancheng to silence him but ignored Fei Zhengqing, who was beside him and knew even more. His sword could easily pierce my Golden Bell Shield… Yet, Cui Xu, who lacks for nothing in power, wealth, or martial skill, why would he have any reason to target Duan Mingcheng and provoke a feud with Duan Xiangfei?”
If it wasn’t for him and his subordinates capturing Duan Mingcheng, Meng Qi couldn’t think of any motive strong enough for him to silence Jin Ancheng and not go all out to kill this “Monkey of the Shen” himself.
“Could it be for the treasure of the Snow Palace? But does Cui Xu really need that? Or perhaps he seeks the martial arts manuals and cultivation insights hidden there, aiming to advance further, unlock the three great secret treasuries, and break through the boundary between human and divine?”
Meng Qi pondered the possible motives and reluctantly concluded that Cui Xu might indeed have such a reason.
“Perhaps he learned about the Snow Palace treasure from You Tongguang and set his sights on Duan Mingcheng, who possessed a piece of the treasure map and was trying to make contact with the Snow Palace. He might have taken the opportunity of their meeting to eliminate them all at once.”
Setting aside whether the motive was sufficient, Meng Qi became increasingly convinced that this was exactly what had happened.
“By now, Duan Mingcheng’s treasure map should already be in Cui Xu’s hands. If the Snow Palace Venerables couldn’t withstand interrogation, they might have also revealed their portion of the map. Zhang Zongxian and his wife were pursued by the Twelve Divine Shadows, and the treasure map they had was given to Cui Jinxiu, so it must have eventually reached Cui Xu. As for You Tongguang’s piece, unless something unexpected happened, he would certainly present it to Cui Xu. He might already have gathered all four pieces of the treasure map…” Meng Qi analyzed carefully, feeling slightly alarmed.
However, he still had many doubts. For example, why had Fei Zhengqing left through the secret tunnel in the middle of the night? And why had the city lord Cui Xu happened to be at the scene? The most puzzling question was—who had silenced the Snow Palace’s Han Shi and the others?
The killer was also skilled with a sword and seemed to be someone respected by them, possibly a high-ranking member of the Snow Palace. It didn’t seem like Cui Xu. Why would he kill his own subordinates?
“If it was to make me suspect Cui Xu through Han Shi’s words, then move him away afterward, why go as far as killing them? Why not just silence them?”
“Moreover, this person seems to know my movements as if they were their own. They waited until I truly left before acting. Someone who could follow me all this time without my noticing—could it be the current Snow Palace Master?” Meng Qi was startled and felt a chill of fear. “What could their purpose be? To expose Cui Xu’s secrets and force him to hand over the treasure map? But why the need for silencing…”
As some things became clearer, others remained confusing. Meng Qi slowly sorted out his thoughts. Regardless, the main mission was crucial, and he must first keep a close watch on Cui Xu. And You Tongguang’s household would be the key to breaking through.
…
Wu Fengyu sneaked cautiously through the alleyways, feeling only a little safer in the darkness of the night.
Ever since the failed attempt to silence him by killing, he had been constantly worried that the other party might expose him, provoking a ruthless retaliation from the Third Master. Therefore, he had made up an excuse and temporarily gone into hiding.
“Who exactly is the powerful figure behind him? Why did he only warn me instead of killing me outright?” This question had haunted Wu Fengyu’s mind for days, leaving him unable to eat or sleep.
Pain suddenly struck the back of his head, and Wu Fengyu fainted from a mix of anger and frustration.
“Again?”
That was his last thought before losing consciousness.
…
On the rooftop near the You household, Meng Qi continued to observe the movements inside. But this time, his attention was not on You Tongguang, but rather on You Hongbo in the eastern wing room, watching him extinguish the lamp and go to bed as usual.
Just as Meng Qi thought it would be another quiet night, a man dressed as a bodyguard entered You Hongbo’s courtyard in a hurry, led by a servant.
From a distance, Meng Qi couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but he saw You Hongbo excitedly wave his hand, then pick up his sword and leave with the bodyguard.
“Going out in the middle of the night in dangerous circumstances must mean something is wrong—either a scheme by the Divine Shadows or a secret within the You household…” A spark of excitement lit Meng Qi’s heart as he carefully followed them. Whatever happened next would likely be something he would welcome with joy.
…
You Hongbo tightly gripped his sword, clenching his teeth as he followed the bodyguard, his expression fierce, as if he wanted to tear apart the person in his mind.
After all, he was a son favored by You Tongguang, and along the way, he remained silent, controlling his emotions.
“Is he here?” You Hongbo looked at the yellow walls and black-tiled roof in front of him, surprised and fearful.
“Third Master, Wu Fengyu is hiding in the Great Compassion Temple. Hmph, the traitor must be trying to scare us off with the reputation of the White-Robed Sword God,” the bodyguard replied excitedly.
You Hongbo cast a cold glance at him. “Zhu Mingyuan, you know about the White-Robed Sword God, yet you still encouraged me to go in and capture Wu Fengyu?”
If not for the importance of this mission, he wouldn’t have come in person—he could have sent any ordinary bodyguard.
“Third Master, it’s fine. Look, even Wu Fengyu managed to hide there, so we can too. As long as we don’t approach the courtyard where the White-Robed Sword God resides, we can cause as much chaos as we like. Two days ago, there were two groups fighting inside, and the White-Robed Sword God didn’t even notice,” Zhu Mingyuan quickly explained.
You Hongbo, proud of his status, believed that even if the White-Robed Sword God noticed, at worst he would only be scolded, not face any real danger. Restoring his father’s favor was more important, so he slowly nodded and said, “Alright, let’s go in.”
They climbed over the yellow wall and stealthily made their way toward the courtyard where Wu Fengyu was hiding.
“Trouble, there’s no sound!” You Hongbo didn’t let his guard down and checked the surroundings first, only to be surprised to find no breathing sounds coming from inside the room.
“He… he’s inside…” Zhu Mingyuan also looked astonished.
Frowning, You Hongbo pushed open the door, lit a match, and his right hand trembled violently, nearly dropping the match.
On the bed inside the room, Wu Fengyu lay silently, his eyes wide open, frozen in a look of indescribable fear—he was already dead.
Suddenly, a gust of wind slammed the door shut. A dark figure darted out, hands moving like lightning, sealing You Hongbo’s acupoints while he was still in shock.
You Hongbo’s martial skill might not have been much inferior to the dark figure’s, but he had lived a life of luxury with little hardship, and in such a situation, he failed to maintain his composure and forgot to guard against an ambush, making him an easy target.
He stared at the figure in terror, realizing it was a graceful woman dressed in black, wearing an adorable white rabbit mask.
“Mao Tu?” He wanted to shout loudly, but the dark figure’s pair of pitch-black eyes, visible beneath her mask, fixed on his throat, allowing him to utter only those two words.
“Third Master You, don’t worry. Someone just wants you as a hostage. If you cooperate quietly, you won’t be in any danger,” Mao Tu said cheerfully, deliberately disguising her voice to sound hoarse.
“You didn’t seal my voice—could it be that you have something to ask me?” You Hongbo, always a clever man, though inexperienced, spoke up, while Zhu Mingyuan had already fallen unconscious on the floor.
Mao Tu looked him up and down and laughed lightly, “I hadn’t planned to, but since I’ve captured you, I might as well ask about the treasure map while I’m at it.”
“Who?” Before she could finish speaking, she turned her head toward the window in alertness.
With a creak, the window opened, revealing a grinning monkey head outside.
“Shen Hou?” The two exclaimed in unison.
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