Tianding City, a vital hub connecting northern and southern waterways and a crucial passage linking east and west, was one of the most prosperous cities in the land. At noon, the streets were packed with people, bustling shoulder to shoulder in a lively scene.
Cao Manzi, known as the “gossip hound,” hummed an opera tune while guarding his money pouch. He felt no danger could possibly arise in broad daylight with so many witnesses around. Recently, he had placed a bet and happened to have two hired thugs accompanying him.
As he walked, he suddenly felt something hard pressed against his waist. A hoarse voice whispered in his ear: “Turn into the nearby alley.”
Despite the bright sunshine, cold sweat beaded on Cao Manzi’s forehead. He dared not test whether the object against his waist was truly a weapon, nor question the audacity of the person to commit violence in public. He slowly changed direction, heading into the nearby alley.
During this, he noticed the “assailant” was of medium height, wearing a wide-brimmed bamboo hat that obscured most of his face.
At this point, his two hired thugs noticed something was wrong but dared not act rashly. One cautiously followed, while the other rushed ahead to send a warning and seek help.
After passing through two alleys, the surroundings grew quieter. White walls and black-tiled roofs stood among moss and weeds.
“Alright, tell the one behind to retreat to the alley entrance,” continued Meng Qi in a suppressed voice, keeping his index and middle fingers pressed against Cao Manzi’s waist—his hands, when channeling the Golden Bell Shield, were as deadly as weapons.
Cao Manzi trembled as he ordered his thug to retreat, pleading, “Brother, we’re all martial artists here. Let’s maintain harmony and prosperity. If you’re in trouble, Cao Manzi will definitely help.”
“I heard you’re the best informant in Tianding City,” Meng Qi remarked, though he had secretly observed Cao for two days.
Hearing this, Cao felt relieved and hurried to answer, hoping to send this “plague spirit” away: “Everyone’s been kind enough to praise me. I have many friends, so I naturally know a bit more.”
“Good. If I want to hire the Twelve Divine Beasts, how should I contact them?” Meng Qi asked in a low voice.
The Twelve Divine Beasts must have a way to accept missions, or they would have “starved to death” long ago if relying solely on people like Duan Xiangfei tracking them down.
Of course, Meng Qi suspected Duan Xiangfei must have tried contacting them first and received intelligence, otherwise how else could he have encountered him so conveniently?
Cao Manzi shivered but immediately felt the pressure on his waist increase. He licked his lips and said, “I don’t know what you want with the Twelve Divine Beasts, nor do I want to know. You can try the ‘Autumn Cicada Hall’ on Huai Tree Street. Ask the shopkeeper to sell you seven taels and six mace of rootless flowers, then directly state the mission and the reward you’re willing to offer.”
“If the Twelve Divine Beasts agree to take the mission, the ‘Autumn Cicada Hall’ will sell a medicine called ‘Worry-Free Ointment’ the next day. You can then speak directly with the shopkeeper. Oh, and you must pay part of the reward in advance.”
“Not bad. You’re quite straightforward,” the hoarse voice echoed in Cao Manzi’s ear, followed by a crisp clang as several pieces of silver fell to the ground.
Before Cao could even look down at the silver, his vision blurred, and the person who had just abducted him had already vanished to the other end of the alley.
“This level of martial skill…” Cao stood frozen, slightly shaken. If he hadn’t cooperated so readily, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Though his martial arts skills were modest, his extensive connections and sharp eyesight served him well.
…
Although Meng Qi planned to lure out the Twelve Divine Beasts by commissioning a mission, he wasn’t in a hurry. Instead, he spent each night watching You Mansion, practiced martial arts during the day, and roamed around gathering information. After all, news of the Grandmasters’ duel and the Shen Hou’s theft of the Buddha had just spread, and the Twelve Divine Beasts nearby might not have arrived yet. If he commissioned a mission now, it would likely be accepted by “Shen Hou,” making the effort pointless.
By the fourth day, martial artists from nearby regions gradually arrived, making Tianding City even more lively, with many inns and teahouses packed to capacity.
After a hearty meal, Meng Qi returned to the temple where he was staying and noticed four young people in the courtyard—two men and two women—all in the prime of youth. The men wore curled-brim caps and wide-sleeved robes, their figures tall and straight. The two young women wore a lake-green long dress with white boots and a plain white martial outfit, respectively, both graceful and pleasing to the eye.
They all carried swords—Meng Qi muttered to himself, wondering if they could actually use them well. Ever since Jiang Zhimicro had set the bar so high and reminded him how difficult her sword techniques were to master, Meng Qi had developed a more critical eye toward sword users.
Since he couldn’t draw too much attention while gathering information, Meng Qi hadn’t worn the white monk’s robe he had bought. Upon seeing a gray-robed monk enter, the four young people assumed he was just another temple monk and paid him little attention, continuing their conversation about the duel between Cui Xu and Luo Qing, and the Shen Hou’s theft of the Buddha, clearly excited.
“If we could witness the battle between the two sword Grandmasters of this generation, our sword skills would surely improve dramatically,” said the girl in the lake-green dress, her features regular, skin fair, with a few faint freckles.
The taller man laughed, “Then the reputation of the Four Heroes of Jiangnan will spread throughout the land, from north to south, east to west.”
“But only the elders and famous seniors who received invitations can enter the city lord’s mansion to watch,” sighed the girl in the plain white martial outfit, her round face exuding cuteness.
The slightly shorter man looked toward the taller one, hopeful: “Brother Ning, aren’t you well-connected? Do you have any ideas?”
…
Their discussion was no different from those in the taverns outside, and Meng Qi found it uninteresting. He headed directly to his meditation room.
He met the reception monk on the way, who smiled and bowed: “Master Zhending, why have you returned so early today?”
“There are too many people outside, making it noisy. I’d rather come back here for some peace,” Meng Qi replied casually.
The reception monk pointed to the four young people in the courtyard: “Yes, many patrons can’t find rooms and have to stay in the monks’ quarters.”
So many martial artists have come that even this rundown temple is being used for lodging… Meng Qi muttered to himself. After a brief exchange, he pushed open the door to his meditation room.
Knock, knock, knock. No sooner had Meng Qi sat down than someone knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Meng Qi opened the door and saw the taller of the four standing outside with a smile.
He was dressed in an old-fashioned style, with distinctive crescent-shaped eyebrows, and smiled: “I am Ning Daogu, one of the Four Heroes of Jiangnan. The other three are my sworn younger siblings—Ji Xin, Le Shishi, and Nie Yao. May I know your name, Master?”
I don’t care about your nicknames… Meng Qi muttered to himself while replying: “This humble monk is Zhending. What brings you here, Master Ning?”
Ning Daogu tried to appear graceful: “Earlier, I mistook you for a monk of this temple. I wonder which temple you belong to? Are you here to witness the Grandmasters’ duel and the Shen Hou’s theft of the Buddha?”
“This humble monk is a wandering monk. I arrived in Tianding City a few days ago, not specifically for this,” Meng Qi “truthfully” replied.
Ning Daogu said “Oh” and exchanged a few more words before taking his leave.
After closing the door, Meng Qi walked back to his sleeping mat and faintly overheard Ning Daogu speaking to the others: “Just an ordinary monk, nothing special.”
“He looked extraordinary. I thought he might be a martial artist like us, perhaps a famous monk from a renowned sect,” said Le Shishi, the girl in the lake-green dress.
Ji Xin snorted: “Good-looking men with nothing in their heads aren’t rare. Do you think famous sects take disciples based on looks? I bet he’s just learned a few basic sword techniques.”
“Never mind him. The night after tomorrow is when the Shen Hou will steal the Buddha. Should we go wait near You Mansion?” Nie Yao said enthusiastically.
Le Shishi quickly got excited: “Yes! The night after tomorrow, the righteous martial artists will gather. No matter how skilled the Shen Hou is, he can’t fight so many people at once. Once he’s discovered, he won’t escape easily. We might even have a chance to capture him.”
“If we capture the Shen Hou, our reputation will spread throughout the land, from north to south, east to west…” Ning Daogu also began to dream.
Meng Qi smirked and focused on meditation. An hour later, he stepped outside and headed directly to Huai Tree Street.
“Autumn Cicada Hall” was an old-looking pharmacy. The elderly shopkeeper had dim eyes and slow hearing, offering no greeting to Meng Qi.
Dressed in plain blue clothes and wearing a bamboo hat, Meng Qi approached the counter and said, “I want seven taels and six mace of rootless flowers.”
Rootless flowers were a fictional herb.
The shopkeeper was counting on an abacus but paused at Meng Qi’s words, then continued, his voice aged: “Seven taels and six mace of rootless flowers?”
“Yes. Before the Grandmasters’ duel, capture You Mansion’s young master You Hongbo for me. The reward will be the ‘Great Shapeshifting Art.'”
Meng Qi deliberately altered his voice.
Though he didn’t possess the full version of the ‘Great Shapeshifting Art,’ it was enough to bluff someone. Besides, he wasn’t afraid of any retaliation from the Twelve Divine Beasts. If they wanted revenge, they could chase him into the Cycle Space!
At the mention of the ‘Great Shapeshifting Art,’ the shopkeeper’s eyelids flickered. He looked up abruptly, stared for a moment, then sighed: “No rootless flowers today. Come back tomorrow.”
Satisfied, Meng Qi smiled and left, changing routes several times before removing his hat in a secluded spot and changing into his monk’s robe.
Back at the temple, besides the “Four Heroes of Jiangnan,” more martial artists had gathered in the courtyard, likely their friends, chatting happily.
“Who’s that monk?”
“Just a regular visiting monk.”
“Oh, that explains why he’s so young.”
After a brief exchange, they quickly returned to their topics, while Meng Qi focused on meditation and acupoint concentration.
As the courtyard chatter continued, they suddenly noticed another dignified man entering. Around thirty, with thick eyebrows and a ruddy face, he exuded heroic bearing.
“May I ask if Master Zhending resides here?” the man politely bowed.
Ning Daogu instinctively sensed this man was no ordinary visitor. He smiled and stepped forward: “We just arrived today. We don’t know who Master Zhending is. May we ask your name so we can call the reception monk?”
“Mu Hengtian.” The man answered succinctly.
Le Shishi’s expression changed, a mix of surprise and joy: “Could it be the young master of the Eighteen Southern Waterways?”
What? Everyone present inhaled sharply. The Eighteen Southern Waterways were among the most powerful factions in the land, led by the chief leader Mu Shan, a top-tier martial artist who was also sworn brothers with City Lord Cui.
Mu Hengtian, renowned since youth, was rumored to have surpassed his father and was considered a future Grandmaster, far above so-called Jiangnan martial heroes like themselves.
“The Eighteen Southern Waterways recognize only a chief leader, not a ‘young master,'” Mu Hengtian replied sternly.
“Of course, Senior Mu is absolutely right,” Ji Xin flattered, and the others nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Mu Hengtian saw the reception monk enter and quickly asked where Master Zhending was.
The monk pointed to Meng Qi’s room: “Master Zhending just returned.”
What? That ordinary little monk was the Master Zhending that Senior Mu was looking for? Ning Daogu, Nie Yao, and the others were stunned.
Mu Hengtian took a deep breath, walked to Meng Qi’s door, bowed respectfully, and declared loudly: “Master Zhending, I am Mu Hengtian. I have come to avenge my father’s disgrace. Please accept my challenge.”
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