Chapter 658: She Wants to Kill You

The dark bricks and black tiles, the dim light flickering, the western gate backed by water and leaning against a tree, tightly closed, unguarded and eerily silent, enough to make one’s heart race.

After being tempered by the “Waiting” Wolf King, Meng Qi was now free of impatience. He patiently waited for the two mysterious figures to emerge. If he could catch Cao Family in a compromising situation, things might become easier. Jiang Zhiwei felt the same way; someone capable of sitting through a death-reverent retreat certainly possessed great patience.

Without patience, without silently enduring trials, there would be no sword light powerful enough to sever bindings and rise into the sky!

Time passed, minute by minute. The northern early winter night was cold enough to freeze a drunk man to death, but Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei had long since become impervious to heat or cold, focusing solely on the black side gate.

Creak! The side gate emitted a faint sound. A slight tremor rippled through Cao Family’s formation, but it quickly subsided under the power of their talisman.

Cao Tai was sending the two mysterious figures out!

His expression was solemn, as if engaged in something extremely important.

Without excessive words, he nodded slightly toward the two mysterious figures before turning back inside and closing the side gate. The two figures shimmered like water waves, transforming into eerie beams of light that skimmed the ground, vanishing beyond the Cao ancestral residence within a breath.

Meng Qi sensed the residual aura, his eyes seemingly glowing with lotus-like golden light, tracking the two mysterious figures.

Soon, two ghostly lights emerged within his pupils, moving forward between the cracks in the bluestone pavement. The streets on either side were clearly marked—they were on Peijing Zhuque Street.

No time to delay; Meng Qi, fearing they might lose the trail, wrapped Jiang Zhiwei in his aura and vanished, using the lingering kitchen fires of every household to travel.

Zhuque Street, Jinbo Bridge, Yuanren Alley, Baban Hutong… the two ghostly lights twisted and turned, circling halfway around.

Suddenly, “they” collided violently, each rebounding into the sides of the street, vanishing into the sewer ditch. Their stealthy lights changed direction and accelerated.

Oh no! Meng Qi, whose insightful vision was still newly developed, failed to lock onto their forms in time and had already lost their trail.

Just then, the voice of Lingbao Tianzun rang in both their ears: “Mali Lane.”

Mali Lane… Meng Qi harbored no doubts. He and Jiang Zhiwei flew swiftly toward it. As they just arrived, they saw the two ghostly lights spring up from beneath the bluestones, turning into the alley entrance.

Upon reaching the Dharmakaya stage, one truly attains immense supernatural powers. If a clan or sect lacks formidable treasures such as divine weapons, relics, or magic artifacts to suppress and protect, their defenses are virtually nonexistent!

Through the fire escape technique, Meng Qi carefully observed as the two eerie lights gradually slowed down. Their forms slowly solidified, silently slipping into the courtyard at the end of Mali Lane. Located beside the Golden Robe River, the place shimmered with rippling waves and had connections in all directions—making it an ideal spot for a getaway.

On both banks, the fragrant grass had withered, and the night was so quiet that the gentle flow of the river could be clearly heard.

“Shall we go in directly to capture and interrogate them?” Meng Qi asked Jiang Zhiwei.

With the number one expert from the Celestial List standing behind him—the commonly acknowledged supreme martial artist in the world—he felt emboldened, eager to resolve things decisively.

“But we still don’t know what exactly is happening inside or who these mysterious figures are…” Jiang Zhiwei hesitated, somewhat tempted.

She was bold and straightforward by nature, her sword techniques excelling in decisive moments, embracing selflessness and relentless advance. Given choices, she still preferred direct action. Meng Qi’s suggestion suited her perfectly, yet swordplay was like chess—whether direct or roundabout, one must think carefully before acting rashly.

Before Meng Qi could analyze the earlier stealth lights, Lingbao Tianzun’s voice reached him again: “It’s the Shadow Stealth technique from the Shamanic Arts.”

“They may be connected to a certain influential lay devotee. The old Daoist is a bit concerned that direct action might scare them off. Why not test them first while I remain hidden, waiting for the ‘snake’ to emerge from its hole?”

Shamanism? Was there a connection to Batu’s death earlier that day? Meng Qi hesitated briefly before agreeing without hesitation: “Fine!”

Ever since learning that Lingbao Tianzun could manifest the Three Pure Ones from a single breath and set up the Sword Array of Slaughtering Immortals alone, Meng Qi had immense confidence in him. Even if the courtyard concealed two Dharmakaya experts, he could still resist long enough to rescue himself and Zhiwei.

If one still hesitated even with the Celestial List’s number one guardian watching over them, what right did they have to roam the martial world or pursue the martial path? They might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes!

Jiang Zhiwei shared a similar mindset—having someone powerful watching your back made action easier. The two swiftly circled to the side, hiding their auras and silently infiltrating.

If they could capture a live suspect, that would be ideal, so they refrained from a direct assault that could destroy both people and courtyard.

A faint splash of water echoed as Meng Qi entered the courtyard, feeling an immediate sense of deep darkness, as if submerged underwater.

Sure enough, there was a formation in place!

However, this was a bustling urban area with frequent foot traffic, and the need to remain hidden meant the formation wasn’t particularly strong—merely a warning mechanism. Otherwise, it would have been discovered long ago. It posed no real challenge to Meng Qi, who possessed the Eight-Nine Art!

Treading softly, Meng Qi guided Jiang Zhiwei quietly through the formation. They soon spotted a moonlit well and two mysterious figures who had just removed their cloaks, revealing two distinctly steppe-featured faces.

The surrounding rooms and courtyards were also distinctly visible to Meng Qi’s senses. This appeared to be a rather large caravan, mainly consisting of steppe merchants!

Suddenly, the two steppe shamans simultaneously turned toward the spot where Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei were hiding, as if sensing danger through some special means!

“Attack!” Seeing this, Meng Qi acted decisively, his body radiating a faint golden glow as he dashed forward.

Black mist emerged, coiling into long snakes, while the earth sprouted clusters of “weeds,” seemingly capable of entering Meng Qi’s body through his soles. The two shamans reacted half a beat late, scrambling to counter.

One of them, one hand forming a mudra, the other gripping a black staff, struck Meng Qi from afar through empty space.

This seemingly weak strike caused invisible qi to rise around Meng Qi, his golden aura sizzling with a zzz sound.

At the same time, the Primordial Unity Golden Lotus between Meng Qi’s brows automatically bloomed, resisting the mysterious force.

Shamanic Supreme Art—Curse Staff Technique!

Thud! The black mist snakes wrapped around his body, but Meng Qi tore them apart with sheer strength. Within a breath, he reached one shaman, his hand shaped like a blade—A-nan Breaking the Vow, seducing and corrupting!

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhiwei’s sword light was pure and untainted, cutting through black mist, weeds, and curses alike, slicing cleanly through the courtyard toward the shaman’s face.

Both Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei held back somewhat, wary of the hidden figure mentioned by Lingbao Tianzun.

The two shamans, once touched by the vow-breaking blade technique, showed emotions on their faces—alternating between lewd laughter and solemnity—while the sword intent left them stunned like wooden chickens, seemingly on the verge of capture.

Suddenly, the void became strange. The airflow around them vanished in an instant, along with the earth’s power and other forces.

Empty outside but solid inside, the two shamans’ bodies involuntarily swelled outward, rapidly transforming into spheres.

Bang!

Before Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei could seize them, the two shamans exploded like overinflated bubbles, scattering blood and flesh everywhere. All their belongings were swallowed by the violent outward explosion.

Meng Qi raised his hand, shielding his brow. Droplets of blood capable of shattering gold and stone struck his body with dull thuds, unable to shake his Eight-Nine Art even slightly. Jiang Zhiwei’s sword light circled around her, spiraling upward, deflecting all the blood and flesh.

When everything calmed down, only blood and flesh remained in the courtyard. The steppe merchants in the caravan began to wake up in alarm.

“It seems their bodies were tampered with, and the old Daoist was momentarily distracted by an external presence.” Lingbao Tianzun’s voice reached their ears.

A presence capable of distracting the Tianzun without being detected? Meng Qi was startled—such a person must at least be a half-step Dharmakaya expert!

“The presence was unfamiliar, fleeting, and deliberately concealed. The old Daoist couldn’t identify who it was.” Lingbao Tianzun added.

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei had no time for further questions. They quickly took control of the situation and interrogated the steppe caravan. They discovered these were merely ordinary smugglers—though some among them were skilled in opening meridians, none knew that their two business partners were shamans.

…

Back at the inn, Meng Qi frowned and asked, “Is the Cao Family colluding with steppe shamans?”

“With Cao Family’s status and resources, there’s absolutely no need to ally with outsiders.” Jiang Zhiwei found it hard to believe.

“Perhaps it’s just cooperation on a specific matter. Where there’s mutual benefit, even enemies can temporarily unite.” Meng Qi believed in what he saw with his own eyes.

Lingbao Tianzun listened quietly, seemingly recalling the deaths of the two shamans, trying to uncover clues and identify the mysterious presence.

Meng Qi continued: “Regardless, the deaths of the two shamans will surely make Cao Family nervous, clouding their judgment and benefiting our plan to enter the forbidden area of the Immortal Lake.”

“It would be even better if we could discover what they were collaborating on.” Lingbao Tianzun’s tone carried a hint of solemnity. As the leader of the Northern Zhou’s orthodox sects, having fought numerous battles against the steppe tribes, he was especially vigilant against them.

Meng Qi nodded slightly, then suddenly had an idea: “Perhaps there’s a way to find out!”

Bayan had died near Peijing. His master, Agula, was likely hiding in Peijing and might know something!

The next day, Meng Qi left secret contact marks of the Wolf-Slaying Society in several crowded places in Peijing, clearly indicating his identity and the inn where he was staying.

Before going to hear Cao Family’s response, a shadowy figure stealthily entered the inn and knocked on the door.

He wore a fur hat and was dressed like a commoner of the Northern Zhou, his expression tense and uneasy, clearly living in constant fear. It was indeed Agula of the Hailasu Clan!

The door opened, and Agula saw Meng Qi in his black martial attire, his heroic and masculine demeanor seemingly unchanged, matching the bloody image of the Wolf King’s slayer in his mind.

“She wants to kill you!” Agula blurted out right at the beginning, to prove his usefulness.

“Who?” Meng Qi invited Agula inside, raising his eyebrows slightly.

For some reason, he thought of the strange figure “Jiesha” from the Heavenly Fate Observatory.

“The Wolf King’s master—the true ruler of the Wolf-Slaying Society!” Agula explained.

“Slow down. I don’t understand.” Meng Qi pretended ignorance.

Agula sighed bitterly: “If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I wouldn’t believe it either. To put it simply, the Wolf King’s master is Saren Gowa of the Moonlight Clan.”

“The Moonlight Clan?” Meng Qi had heard of this clan before. Once second only to the Golden Family among the steppe tribes, it had been wiped out decades ago by the rising Gurdo. He never expected any survivors to remain.

Agula nodded: “The Moonlight Clan seeks revival, aiming to overthrow the Golden Family. They secretly developed their strength. Saren Gowa was born before the clan’s destruction. It’s said that at her birth, the sun and moon lost their light, wolves howled across hundreds of miles, grass and trees grew wildly, and rats died in droves. She was called ‘Disaster’ and became the Moonlight Clan’s hope.”

“She later gained a rare opportunity, rapidly improving her strength. But the Golden Family remained powerful, relentlessly hunting her down. Along the way, for unknown reasons, she adopted the Wolf King from an abandoned wolf pack and taught him martial arts.”

“About ten years ago, Saren Gowa disappeared and was never seen again. At the time, it was suspected she had been assassinated by the Golden Family. Her subordinates used the Wolf King as bait to establish the Wolf-Slaying Society, an organization spanning east, west, south, and north, with excellent intelligence networks.”

“Ah, I see…” Meng Qi murmured thoughtfully, his mind conjuring the face of the Jiesha Daoist with phoenix eyes and willow eyebrows.

Agula took a breath: “After you killed the Wolf King, Saren Gowa suddenly returned, determined to kill you. She has frequently entered the Central Plains over the past few years, apparently tracking your movements!”