Chapter 57: The Death of Zhen Chang

“Zhen Chang, Senior Apprentice?”

“Zhen Chang, Junior Apprentice?”

The monks who had been searching the cliffside could hardly contain their astonishment. They blurted out loud, unable to believe that Zhen Chang, the most outstanding among the “Zhen” generation, would collude with sinister individuals and steal the sect’s secret manuals, ending up dying by his own hand after his plot failed. They also couldn’t believe that Zhen Ding, who had only achieved minor success in cultivating his Qi just a year ago, could actually wound Zhen Chang, who had reached a minor perfection in both the “Arhat Subduing Evil Art” and the “Prajna Palm.” Even monks of the “Xuan” generation who had opened six acupoints dared not guarantee they could injure him!

Filled with shock and doubt, they looked at Meng Qi with expressions of suspicion, uncertainty, and even fear.

The suicide note had been hastily written and not folded, so when Wu De received it, he glanced through it and his expression immediately changed. He turned to Xuan Bei and said, “Senior Apprentice Xuan Bei, this matter is extremely serious. We must report it to the Abbot immediately. You stay here and keep watch.”

He feared there might still be accomplices of Zhen Chang and Zhen Yong among the monks, so he felt more assured leaving only Xuan Bei, a fellow Elder, behind.

“Yes, Master,” Xuan Bei replied. He had already seen the entire suicide note while standing beside Wu De and understood that the situation was far graver than he had imagined.

Just as Wu De was about to step forward, he suddenly remembered something and spoke again, “Junior Apprentice Xuan Bei, until this matter is fully investigated, you must temporarily separate your two disciples from others and have them reside alone in a courtyard.”

Regardless of anything else, the near-theft of the “Yi Jin Jing” was a matter of utmost severity. Although Meng Qi and Zhen Hui had exposed the incident, they still couldn’t be fully cleared of suspicion—perhaps they were accomplices who had turned against each other, or perhaps they had greedily hidden away a copy of the “Yi Jin Jing.”

Xuan Bei nodded slightly, “As you wish, Master.”

Wu De slowly nodded in approval and turned to Meng Qi and Zhen Hui, “Amitabha, Zhen Ding and Zhen Hui, I must ask you to endure this inconvenience for a while. Once the truth is revealed, the Bodhi Hall will not forget your contributions. Xuan Zhuang and Zhen Miao, you two take Zhen Ding and Zhen Hui to a nearby courtyard to stay temporarily. No one is allowed inside unless bearing the Abbot’s decree.”

Thus, the previous steward monk and Zhen Miao led Meng Qi and Zhen Hui away from the cliffside and into a long-neglected courtyard.

Meng Qi was very curious about the contents of the suicide note. While Xuan Zhuang kept watch at the outer gate and Zhen Miao guarded the inner courtyard, Meng Qi casually approached Zhen Miao, pretending to be very familiar with him.

“Senior Apprentice Zhen Miao, do you know who ordered Senior Apprentice Zhen Chang? I simply can’t believe that someone as talented and genuine as Zhen Chang would betray us.”

Since the suicide note had not been folded and was simply placed on the table, both Zhen Miao and Xuan Zhuang had already read its contents. Upon hearing Meng Qi’s question, Zhen Miao looked at him with a complex expression and said, “I don’t believe it either. Senior Zhen Chang had exceptional talent and a steady character. Whether it was the ‘Arhat Subduing Evil Art’ or the difficult-to-master ‘Prajna Palm,’ he progressed rapidly. After returning from his pilgrimage through the Bronze Man Alley, he was even granted the first volume of the ‘Yi Jin Jing.’ I really can’t understand why he would risk everything to copy the secret techniques for Zhen Yong.”

Although he was competitive and always wanted to surpass Zhen Chang, as one of the most outstanding disciples of the “Zhen” generation, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of sorrow.

“Maybe Zhen Chang’s family was captured and he was forced into this,” Meng Qi speculated.

Zhen Miao shook his head, “Zhen Chang was an orphan who grew up in Shaolin since childhood. This place is his home.”

“What about a seduction plot?” Zhen Hui asked eagerly. In the stories his senior brothers told, many heroes had fallen because of beautiful women.

“That’s impossible! There are no women in the temple! Zhen Chang had been helping Zhen Yong steal the manuals for a whole year, not just since his recent return from pilgrimage.”

Now even Meng Qi couldn’t think of a better explanation and asked, “Then didn’t Zhen Chang’s suicide note explain the reason?”

“Zhen Chang only wrote that he had been tempted, broken the precepts, and willingly fallen into corruption. He didn’t specify what the temptation was,” Zhen Miao answered casually. After all, while the note was of great significance, it didn’t contain any secrets that needed to be concealed.

Meng Qi took a deep breath, “What about Senior Zhen Yong? Did the note mention why he stole the manuals?”

“Zhen Yong was a secret agent trained from childhood by the Vajra Temple, sent here specifically to steal the manuals,” Zhen Miao replied with a grim expression.

“Vajra Temple?” Meng Qi repeated in astonishment. It was indeed unexpected, yet somehow fitting!

Still, the fact that Zhen Yong had managed to steal the manuals so easily made the matter seem even more mysterious. What could he possibly have offered to tempt Zhen Chang?

“Hmm,” Zhen Miao fell silent for a moment, then looked at Meng Qi with a complicated gaze. “Junior Apprentice Zhen Ding, what surprises me the most is you. You actually managed to wound Senior Zhen Chang with a single slash, forcing him to commit suicide in shame. When did your swordsmanship reach such a level?”

If he had been in Zhen Chang’s position, he probably wouldn’t have just been wounded! Zhen Ding’s martial arts and sword techniques had become terrifyingly formidable in such a short time!

It hadn’t even been a year!

Was it because Senior Xuan Bei had trained him well and secretly given him more resources, or did Zhen Ding have other secrets?

Meng Qi chuckled dryly, “Senior Zhen Chang was too eager to kill Zhen Yong and made a mistake. I just managed to seize that opening desperately.”

So that all-encompassing palm technique that sealed every possible move was the “Prajna Palm.” No wonder it was famous!

Hmm, since Zhen Yong was a spy from the Vajra Temple, the sword technique he used must be one of the three great sword techniques of the Vajra Temple—was it the “Sword of Severing Afflictions,” the “Sword of Exorcising Demons,” or the “Sword of Cutting Karmic Bonds”? Whatever it was, it was undoubtedly profound and intricate. However, Zhen Yong hadn’t even grasped the basics. He hadn’t even comprehended the sword intent, let alone mastered the techniques. It was likely a heavily simplified version, with most of its power lost.

Meng Qi silently recalled the sword techniques Zhen Yong had used, trying to understand their intricacies and incorporate them into his own sword cultivation.

This was a rare opportunity. The three great sword techniques of the Vajra Temple were ranked among the few greatest sword techniques like the “A-nan Sword of Breaking Precepts,” and were revered as the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

“Is that so? Senior Zhen Chang wasn’t the kind of person to act carelessly,” Zhen Miao said doubtfully.

Seeing this, Meng Qi could only pretend to still be recovering from his injuries, walking back to his meditation room to rest.

After closing his eyes for a moment, a grand and solemn voice suddenly echoed in Meng Qi’s mind: “The third cycle begins!”

“This mission is an individual task for each member of the squad.”

An individual task? Meng Qi was startled, then plunged into a brief darkness—true darkness.

……

A refreshing breeze blew across the river, its vast waters still echoing with the sound of waves.

Meng Qi, his left hand resting on his chin, gazed at the scattered fishing boat lights in the distance, listening to the clinking sounds around him, momentarily lost in thought.

After initiating the cycle mission, he found himself not entering a space first, but directly appearing at the bow of a three-story riverboat.

“At least the Pear Blossom Needles were sent over… and I have my sword for protection…” As Meng Qi landed on the bow, he felt a sense of familiarity. Reaching into his robe, he found the Pear Blossom Needles he had stored in the cycle space, and his sword, which he had carried during patrol, was still at his waist.

The clinking sounds continued without pause. Meng Qi gathered his thoughts, his left hand still resting on his chin, watching the fight on the deck with great interest.

“Too monotonous footwork…”

“That slash was practically a joke!”

He muttered to himself, watching the battle between two men and a woman with keen interest. One of the men wore a black robe and a monkey mask with a grinning expression, wielding a sword with ferocity and precision. He was forcing a young couple, who seemed to be husband and wife, into a desperate struggle. Their bodies bore fresh wounds, blood flowing steadily, and it seemed they wouldn’t last much longer.

When Meng Qi “arrived,” the scene before him was already bloody. The deck was littered with corpses—men, women, elders, and children, all with throat wounds. Only the three ahead remained alive, but the masked figure was clearly the killer.

“I wonder what level this kind of combat represents in this world…” After watching for a while, Meng Qi mused, resting his chin in his hand as the river wind fluttered his monk’s robe.

Although the young couple faced Meng Qi directly, they were too busy struggling to notice the young monk leisurely watching from the bow. As the man was struck again, the woman, her hair tied in a bun, spat out bitterly, “You twelve beasts have lost all sense of morality. You will surely face retribution!”

“Lost all sense of morality?” The masked man laughed in a deliberately altered hoarse voice, “As long as someone can pay the price and offer the reward, why shouldn’t we take the job? Besides, this time it’s your fault for possessing something valuable. Hand over the treasure map, and we’ll leave you with a complete body. Our ‘Twelve Beasts’ have never failed a mission!”

With a slash of his sword, the woman stumbled forward unsteadily. If the man hadn’t blocked the attack with his sword, she would have been struck from behind and killed instantly.

After barely regaining her footing, the woman turned to rejoin the fight but suddenly noticed a gray-robed novice monk sitting at the bow, smiling as he watched behind her.

He rested his left hand on his chin, sitting lazily, still young but already showing signs of handsomeness.

Who was he?

When had he appeared on the boat?

Startled and fearful, the woman blurted out, “Who are you?”

Hearing her exclamation, the masked man forced his opponents back with two slashes, glanced sideways briefly, and without hesitation, charged directly at Meng Qi.

Zhang Zongxian and his wife were already at their limits, unable to escape. This sudden appearance of the gray-robed novice was even more alarming!

He acted decisively, and within a breath, he was already in front of Meng Qi, slashing diagonally with his sword, fierce and fast, almost like a surprise attack.

Meng Qi wanted to test the strength of a martial expert in this world. He slightly tilted his head and watched the sword come down on his shoulder.

The masked man saw Meng Qi still sitting there, seemingly caught off guard, and a surge of joy filled his heart. He felt satisfied with his decision and added more force, fully committing himself to splitting this interfering monk in two.

Clang!

He felt as if he had struck iron or stone. The sword barely made progress before a counterforce surged back, nearly causing him to lose grip of his blade.

What kind of body-forging technique was this?

His heart filled with shock and fear. He couldn’t believe that his full-strength slash had only managed to cut through the monk’s clothing, leaving a pale mark on his shoulder.

This was terrifying! It might even rival the forty-year pure yang “Childhood Art” of the suffering monk from the Fa Xuán Sect! He was one of the Seven Great Grandmasters!

Where had this little monk come from?

He was so frightened that he turned to flee even faster than when he had charged. But at that moment, a blade of light came from below and the side, cutting off his first escape route.

Gritting his teeth, the masked man turned again, opened his mouth, and spat out a black flash straight toward Meng Qi’s face.

This was his last resort, a hidden weapon!

It was fast, and the distance was short. Meng Qi closed his eyes and let the weapon strike.

Clang!

The weapon hit Meng Qi’s face but left no mark.

After launching the hidden weapon, the man, one of the Twelve Beasts, seized the opportunity to leap past Meng Qi, aiming for the river. He had no illusions that this weapon could break through such terrifying body-forging skills—he only hoped to distract his opponent and secure his escape.

The waves rolled, crashing against the boat’s hull. The man’s heart leaped with joy as he prepared to jump, but suddenly, a blade slashed from an unimaginable angle, directly cutting through his abdomen.

His legs gave way, and he fell forward, the sound of the waves growing fainter in his ears.

How could there be such a terrifying monster…

Meng Qi stood with his back to him, sheathing his sword with an elegant gesture. Inside, however, he was cursing inwardly. He had originally intended to capture the man for interrogation, but the hidden weapon had distracted him, nearly allowing the enemy to escape. He had no choice but to strike decisively to avoid future complications.

The young gray-robed monk stood unmoving, not even turning his head, yet with a single slash, he had slain one of the feared “Twelve Beasts.” The couple stood there, stunned, doubting whether they were dreaming.

Outside the Seven Great Grandmasters, there were probably only a handful of people in the martial world capable of such a feat.