James didn’t say anything else. Instead, he gestured toward Ogura Yuko. The Japanese woman gracefully walked to the center of the hall and smiled charmingly at everyone. “I wonder which kind-hearted Chinese friend would like to show me a bit of Chinese martial arts?” Without waiting for anyone to respond, she pointed directly at Liu Dashao and said, “I greatly admire the martial arts skills of your sect’s Tianyun Jun. However, for some unknown reason, he was angered by you and left us alone, wandering who knows where. So how about you demonstrate your amazing martial arts skills to me now, Daoist Master?”
Liu Dashao sneered coldly and said, “The Japanese have always been lackeys of American hegemonism. Since you’ve come to Chinese soil to commit all sorts of despicable deeds, allow me to teach you a lesson.”
Ogura Yuko didn’t seem angry at all. Instead, she coquettishly smiled and said, “Oh, Daoist Master, you seem quite hot-tempered!”
Liu Dashao snorted and cut her off, looking at her with disdain. “Enough nonsense! Show me your despicable Japanese ninja techniques!”
With that, he slowly walked into the center of the hall and stood in front of Ogura Yuko.
At this moment, Jia Zhuangyuan noticed a strange, sinister smile creeping onto Ogura Yuko’s lips. Suddenly, he recalled something: Liu Dashao’s supernatural abilities had vanished the moment he entered the area of the Wujidaozang. Yet how had this Japanese female ninja still been able to use her transformation abilities earlier?
As Liu Dashao was about to confront Ogura Yuko, Jia Zhuangyuan felt certain that Liu could hold his own if it were purely a martial arts match. However, if the Japanese ninja were to use her supernatural techniques, Liu Dashao would be in grave danger. Seeing that eerie smile on Ogura Yuko’s face, Jia couldn’t help but feel she had something up her sleeve. He quickly glanced at James and his group on the opposite side. They all stood calmly, smiling as they watched the two opponents in the arena.
Realizing this, Jia Zhuangyuan’s mind raced. Suddenly, he shouted loudly, “Wait! Liu, don’t move yet!” Liu turned to look at him, his eyes filled with confusion.
Jia Zhuangyuan stared steadily at James and said, “You Americans sure know how to plot treachery!”
James’s lips twitched slightly, but he continued to feign innocence with a fake smile. “Mr. Jia, what are you talking about? What treachery?”
Jia spoke slowly and clearly, “If I’m not mistaken, near the underground river where we avoided those white worm-like creatures, you must have secretly seen us. Then you deliberately dropped the detector. There must have been two purposes for that. First, you were so terrified by the ancient Nanzhao’s poisonous insects that you hid behind us, letting us lead the way as your scouts. Whenever danger arose, it would be us facing it first. When treasures were found, you would sneak in and snatch them. Second, you had experienced our supernatural powers before and were defeated. When the real treasure appeared, what would you fear most when making your move? Naturally, it would be our abilities. So what did you do? You must have plotted some scheme to neutralize our powers. Am I right, dear Dr. James?”
James’s expression changed slightly. He unconsciously adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and asked slyly, “Have your Chinese magical arts disappeared? What does that have to do with us?” He spread his hands as if to say he had no idea.
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “You old fox, you still want to pretend? Earlier, your henchwoman Ogura Yuko clearly demonstrated her supernatural transformation. What does that prove? It proves your people’s supernatural powers haven’t vanished.”
James suddenly burst into loud laughter. “Kid, when we first appeared, I was still worried whether your magical arts had really disappeared. Now, after hearing your words, I can finally rest assured.”
At this, the people around him also burst into laughter, their eyes now gleaming with cruelty, like wolves eyeing helpless lambs.
Meanwhile, everyone on Jia Zhuangyuan’s side looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he had revealed to the Americans that Liu Dashao had lost his magical abilities.
Jia Zhuangyuan coldly watched James and his gang laughing arrogantly. When their laughter began to subside, he walked to Caiqingchong and took the so-called high-tech detector from his hands. He then stood silently, staring at James’s ugly face.
James suddenly stopped laughing and glanced briefly at the detector in Jia’s hands. Jia keenly noticed that fleeting look in James’s eyes. His heart leaped with both joy and tension. He took a deep breath and decided to take a gamble.
He looked at James with a mocking gaze, gently tossed the detector in his hand, and said, “Dr. James, if I smash this detector into pieces, do you think our supernatural powers will return immediately?”
James’s face suddenly changed. His eyes revealed a hint of disbelief. He looked at Jia Zhuangyuan, barely managing a forced smile, and said, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Seeing James’s expression and eyes, Jia Zhuangyuan became even more certain of his guess. He calmly said to James, “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Then, raising the detector, he smashed it hard onto the ground. With a loud crash, it shattered into several pieces. Inside the broken casing, circuit boards, chips, coils, and other components scattered. From it rolled a small spherical object, resembling a steel ball the size of a thumb.
Jia Zhuangyuan bent down and picked up the small sphere. He saw tiny holes on its surface, with broken strands of wire protruding from them.
He looked up at James and said, “Doctor, this must be the device suppressing our supernatural abilities, right? Now, tell me, can it still be of any use to you?”
At this, James finally revealed his true colors, his face darkening as he glared at Jia and said coldly, “Even if you regain your supernatural powers, in the end, it will still be us who take the treasures!”
Jia Zhuangyuan burst into laughter and said, “Is that so, Doctor? Then let’s see who’s stronger in real combat!” He turned to Liu Dashao and said, “Now, you can properly teach this Japanese ninja a lesson with authentic Chinese Daoist martial arts.”
Liu Dashao smiled at Jia Zhuangyuan, gathered his energy, and indeed, an invisible force field immediately surrounded his entire body. The energy caused his robes to flutter slightly. The talismans in his hand suddenly seemed to come alive. With a slight flick, they emitted sharp whistling sounds as they cut through the air.
Across from him, Ogura Yuko’s seductive expression briefly changed, but she quickly regained her composure. Slowly, she untied a purple sash from her waist and, with a string of coquettish laughter, said, “Handsome boy, don’t be too rough with me now.”
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