Dark flames surged, instantly reducing the fine figure to nothingness. Ling Yue grabbed with his left hand, unleashing a strange and indescribable suction force. Unfortunately, it was half a beat too late to stop the destruction.
Even Meng Qi couldn’t save him, let alone others?
Shi Xiaoxiu, Shi Xiaodang, and the others were no exception. Only after catching their breath did they react, letting out sounds of shock, anger, and despair.
Meng Qi relaxed his furrowed brows, outwardly calm, yet his mind churned with guesses. Was it a shamanistic secret art with similar appearance but different essence, or a contract from the Six Paths? If the latter, did this matter involve Mythical-level figures, or was Old Butler Zhou himself a peripheral member of the Mythical?
“It’s over, it’s over, the clues are all gone…” Shi Xiaoxiu, repeatedly struck by misfortune, finally seemed unable to bear it. Her body swayed slightly, and her right hand hurriedly gripped the corner of the desk.
Ling Yue inhaled deeply, seemingly suppressing inner grief and anger.
Meng Qi’s right hand stroked the hilt of his saber, his voice heavy: “Not necessarily. There are inevitable laws between all things. As long as we grasp the key, we can glimpse part of the truth.”
Morning sunlight poured through the window, bathing him in its glow.
Shi Xiaoxiu’s expression brightened, and she hastily asked: “Young Hero Su, have you noticed something else?”
“In recent years, has Old Butler Zhou or his wife and child shown any abnormalities? For example, a sudden dramatic increase in power, a fortuitous encounter, taking a beautiful concubine, or expanding his influence within the fortress?” Meng Qi elaborated with examples.
Beside him, Shi Xiaodang pondered aloud: “Old Butler Zhou and his wife have always been the same—conventional, steady in their actions, never stepping out of line, maintaining their own little plot of land. Occasionally, they’d act like foxes wearing tiger skins in front of others, making small moves. His son has ordinary martial talent but excels in Confucian studies, always clamoring to study at the Changle Academy. Only recently did Old Butler Zhou finally agree…”
Therefore, the probability that Old Butler Zhou and his family were merely fringe members of the Mythical organization appeared extremely slim. Few would stake their lives without any tangible gain. If coercion was at play, Six Paths contracts were far from inexpensive. Barring exceptional circumstances, one would require at least a reserve member status to utilize them. As for alternative means—given Shi Tianqi’s vast network and meticulous disposition—Old Butler Zhou would only need to drop the faintest hint for Shi Tianqi to grasp the situation and devise a resolution…
Meng Qi had already formed a preliminary assessment. After a brief pause for reflection, he sought confirmation by inquiring: “Old Butler Zhou has been by your father’s side for decades, rising from humble origins to jointly establish Shi Fortress, and has always enjoyed his unwavering trust?”
“Yes.” Shi Xiaoxiu’s eyes were still red. “Whatever happens in the fortress that we don’t know, Old Butler Zhou definitely knows!”
“His family is affluent, holds a prestigious position within the fortress, and his martial arts cultivation has long reached a dead end. His son is still young and devoted to Confucian studies. After all this time, there’s no indication of betrayal.” Standing with his back to the window, Meng Qi was bathed in golden light. “Moreover, if he had already betrayed us, the Lone Wolf affair would undoubtedly have been exposed. Whether it’s the Golden Tent of the Grasslands or another faction, given their close cooperation, why would they leave the Lone Wolf an opportunity to obtain critical intelligence?”
“Why couldn’t it be another faction, like the Benevolent Hall, simply accepting a commission to act?” Ling Yue felt Meng Qi’s judgment was somewhat tenuous.
Meng Qi replied solemnly: “The Lone Wolf, deeply hidden in the Golden Tent, recklessly heading south, and hiring a Blue-tier assassin from the Benevolent Hall to silence him—these all indicate the matter’s importance. Given such significance, how could the Golden Tent entrust it to an untrustworthy faction?”
The Benevolent Hall’s cold, rational, even twisted image stemmed from thousands of years of tradition. The Golden Tent could trust them not to plot ulterior motives, but how could other factions offer such assurance?
“That’s true. The Golden Tent and the Eternal Cult both have many spies in Zhou territory, colluding with numerous traitors who abandoned their ancestors, possessing sufficient strength.” Speaking of such matters, Ling Yue clenched his teeth again.
“Therefore, without the Lone Wolf’s intelligence being leaked, how could the enemy accurately locate the Shi Fortress, forcing or bribing Old Butler Zhou into betrayal?” Meng Qi pointed out the core question.
“Publicly, my father was a renowned martial hero, but secretly, he was involved with spies from the steppe. Many people knew about this. Perhaps that’s why they came after us?” Shi Xiaoxiu hesitated, speculating about the reason.
Meng Qi nodded: “Certainly many powerful figures have similar identities. How could they be certain it was your father?”
“Wide netting!” Ling Yue beside him suddenly realized.
“Exactly. If it’s a wide netting operation with significant movement, wouldn’t other martial heroes have left some clues? We should immediately inform the nearest Huamei Villa, letting them verify through their disciples spread across the land. Matters of such importance should be handled by top-tier factions!” Meng Qi continued fluently, “Other clues include the whereabouts of Old Butler Zhou’s wife and child, who he met two or three days before sending them to Changle, and waiting for the Lone Wolf’s counterattack.”
Since their father’s murder, Shi Xiaodang and Shi Xiaoxiu had always felt shrouded in mystery and powerless. Yet now, listening to Meng Qi unravel the threads methodically, their confusion lifted, giving them a direction and a pillar of support.
“Thank you, Young Hero Su, for your guidance.” Shi Xiaoxiu and Shi Xiaodang solemnly bowed.
As Meng Qi was about to offer some comfort, suddenly his heart stirred, every hair on his body standing on end. A sense of danger surged like stormy waves, yet the surroundings seemed perfectly normal.
Could it be that a Blue-tier assassin from the Benevolent Hall had silently passed through the Shi Fortress’s protective wards, hiding nearby, and upon hearing our analysis, decided to kill us all to silence us?
The Benevolent Hall had existed for thousands of years. When it came to assassination, none dared claim first place if they ranked second. As a Blue-tier assassin, possessing secret techniques to evade ordinary grand arrays wasn’t impossible!
Most importantly, Zhou’s betrayal might have revealed more than just the Lone Wolf’s information!
Was a Blue-tier assassin capable of killing a Grandmaster about to strike?
Various thoughts surged through Meng Qi’s mind. He realized his own oversight, and the sense of danger intensified. Yet, as always, the more dangerous the situation, the calmer he became. Ignoring the sweat pouring down his back, his right hand gripped the hilt, and with a metallic ring, he drew his long saber. His spirit poured into it, seemingly slow but actually swift, slashing toward a spot on the left. The strike was inexplicable, the direction inexplicable, everything seemingly nonsensical.
Using the ultimate treasure as his eyes, using the ultimate treasure as his ears!
At this moment, Meng Qi felt the Tianzhi Sword replace his spirit, merging with the mysterious forces of heaven and earth. The entire Shi Fortress clearly reflected in his mind, subtle dangers faintly perceptible.
The long saber traced an arcane trajectory, its lightning fully contained, cleaving toward the shadow near the left wall corner.
Clang!
The blade hadn’t completed half its arc before it struck something hard. Almost simultaneously with Meng Qi’s strike, a sword beam erupted from that spot, a beam filled with pure death intent.
A chilling, overwhelming force surged through the point of contact. Meng Qi’s entire body convulsed violently—his right arm throbbed with pain, and the flesh between his thumb and forefinger nearly split open. Without activating the Heaven-Earth Manifestation technique, he remained half a step behind in a direct clash against this true Grandmaster!
At this moment, Meng Qi noticed the figure before him slightly blurring. Without the qi connection, he wouldn’t have sensed or detected it at all. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his Jade Pillow Acupoint at the back of his head, a chill approaching, and his sense of danger exploded!
Trusting the premonition of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art, Meng Qi didn’t hesitate. He stepped into the Somersault Technique, dashing forward furiously.
The cold, sharp killing intent clung like a parasite, seemingly several steps faster than Meng Qi’s sprint. Though slightly slower than expected, it was about to pierce the back of his head.
Meng Qi’s heartbeat quickened, drumming like a war drum. His sense of danger felt like a death omen.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind. Without hesitation, he opened all his acupoints, collapsing into his flesh, converging through the myriad worlds, and finally returning to the beginning.
Instantly, the surroundings around him darkened. A killing sword beam from behind was about to strike, but this chaos slightly delayed it for a moment.
Faster than words could describe, Meng Qi’s body transformed into a saber light, slicing through the darkness, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance, severing all obstacles.
Bang! The wall collapsed. Meng Qi shot out a hundred zhang at unimaginable speed, narrowly escaping the fatal sword beam!
Since his body now rivaled a mid-grade treasure weapon, he could use his body as a saber to unleash the “Creation-Sundering” technique—not seeking power, only speed!
After cleaving a hundred zhang, Meng Qi abruptly turned, dashing forward with thunderous steps. The Tianzhi Sword dragged behind him at an angle, as if accumulating force.
The person who had just attempted to assassinate him from behind had the exact same aura as the frontal attacker!
Could he use a clone technique?
A shadow-body and true body linked assassination technique?
Truly something impossible to guard against!
Thudding footsteps. Within two or three strides, Meng Qi charged before the assassin, the trailing Tianzhi Sword suddenly swung, like a thunderous dragon breaking free, claws and fangs bared, pouncing toward the assassin.
The assassin’s sword flicked once, and the terrifying electric dragon instantly dissipated.
At this moment, the Tianzhi Sword suddenly rebounded, slashing down with tremendous force as if to cleave mountains apart and shake the heavens!
This was Meng Qi’s imitation of the Empress Wu’s layered internal force techniques, enhanced by the concealment ability of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art—truly surpassing the master!
Clang! The Blue-tier assassin barely managed to block sideways. Amid the gale that overturned nearby houses, he was forcibly driven back several steps.
As Meng Qi was about to utilize the “Emulating Heaven and Earth” technique for a sustained assault, the Blue-tier assassin’s figure abruptly blurred and vanished without a sound.
Thump! Meng Qi tightened his grip on the saber, alert for another sudden assault. Yet the surroundings were empty, leaving only the traces of their lightning-fast clash.
“A Blue-tier assassin?” Ling Yue flew over, his brows slightly furrowed, gripping his bamboo staff, embodying someone who had already disregarded death.
Meng Qi nodded, sighing: “After missing one strike, he immediately retreated far away.”
This was the Benevolent Hall assassin’s style.
At this moment, Meng Qi thought of Shi Tianqi’s death. He attacked forward but was struck from behind his head, and there was only one assassin.
Did this Blue-tier assassin possess a special supernatural ability to seamlessly switch between shadow and true body?
The true body lured the enemy head-on, while the shadow hid behind, undetectable until a critical moment when they switched?
No wonder he had the ability to kill a Grandmaster. Meng Qi himself had nearly been deceived!
“Hero Su, you drove off a Blue-tier assassin?” Shi Xiaoxiu and Shi Xiaodang rushed over, eyes wide, stunned into silence.
“I blocked a few strikes. He saw no opportunity and withdrew on his own.” Meng Qi replied truthfully.
That was already impressive! This was a Blue-tier assassin! A killer capable of assassinating Grandmasters! They both thought simultaneously.
Meng Qi had no time for other emotions. His expression turned serious: “The protective wards of the Shi Fortress cannot stop this assassin. This place is now dangerous. All of you must quickly follow me to Huamei Villa for temporary refuge. Otherwise, we’ll certainly be silenced.”
Shi Xiaoxiu’s face turned pale. Stammering, she said: “B-but we might also be attacked on the road, dragging you into unnecessary danger. Why don’t you hide and go request help from Huamei Villa while we defend this place and wait for rescue?”
Meng Qi horizontally raised his saber, reflecting the brilliant sunlight, declaring loudly: “The journey to Huamei Villa is merely one or two hours away. With my saber in hand, what’s so fearsome about a Blue-tier assassin from the Benevolent Hall?”
Shi Xiaodang and Shi Xiaoxiu were momentarily stunned. After a few breaths, they clasped their hands together: “Young Hero Su, truly a hero of this age!”
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