Pearl Order [Complete] - 8

Chapter Ten: The Empty Building

That very night, around midnight, a group of people appeared on the mountain path leading from Longmen'ao to Xifeng'ao! This group, all on horseback, numbered at least twenty. At the head of the group rode a tall man with thick eyebrows and piercing eyes, around fifty years old, dressed in a sky-blue robe, appearing quite aloof. Behind him were eight burly men with blue headscarves, dressed in sky-blue close-fitting clothes, and carrying broadswords. Next came two fine horses, carrying two beautiful young women, one in a purple close-fitting outfit, the other petite and delicate, wearing a light green dress. Behind these two riders was a blue sedan chair. Behind the sedan chair were eight more horses, carrying eight women dressed in black, all with black headscarves, carrying long swords. Judging from their age, they were all over forty, with leather pouches at their waists and deerskin gloves on their left hands, clearly skilled in poisons. The group of riders moved swiftly, their hooves thundering in the darkness, like a long black dragon, without a sound. They had just left the Dragon Gate and traveled about half a mile when suddenly a sharp shout rang out from a sparse grove to their right: "Heaven-made!"

The old man in blue robes on the lead horse snorted, "On behalf of Heaven, I patrol."

With just four words, figures moved through the woods, and in the blink of an eye, more than a dozen men in black appeared swiftly before the trees, standing in formation. The leader bowed to the old man in blue, saying, "Your subordinate, Guo Zimin, was unaware of the angel's arrival..."

The old man in blue, his expression cold and stern, gestured behind him. The eight blue-clad warriors behind him simultaneously raised their right hands, seemingly scattering something into the air. In the darkness, nothing could be seen except their gesture. But in that instant, a shower of fine blue sparks flew from the ground before the trees, flashing and disappearing in an instant. The dozen or so men in black, without a sound, all fell to the ground. The old man in blue ignored them, simply gesturing behind him before continuing to lead the way. The eight blue-clad warriors behind him similarly waved from their horses and followed closely behind. A long black dragon snaked along the foot of the mountain, silently silencing the dozen or so men in black before them, as if nothing had happened. From Longmen'ao

to Xifeng'ao, it was at least twenty li. Along this stretch, they encountered seven or eight ambushes, but the old man in blue, leading the way, declared "I am patrolling on behalf of Heaven," and they all appeared to pay their respects. They were then annihilated in a shower of fine blue sparks by the eight blue-clad warriors, their bodies quickly dissolving without a sound or a trace. Thus, this group gradually approached Xifeng'ao, without any disturbance or alarm along the way. A short while later, they arrived at Xifeng'ao. Looking into the distance, they saw a plain surrounded by mountains on all sides. At the foot of a high peak to the north stood a large, dark manor. In the darkness of night, not a single light could be seen, nor could any sound be heard from within the manor. The old man in blue robes at the front of the horse stared intently at the manor, and with a slight raise of his right hand, signaled for those behind him to stop. The eight blue-robed martial artists behind him immediately tightened their reins and silently stopped before the forest.

At this moment, the beautiful young woman in a light green dress suddenly spurred her horse forward and softly asked the old man in blue, "Chief Steward Ba, is there any situation?"

The old man in blue shook his head slightly and said, "No, it seems they've already discovered us. All the lights in the manor are out, and there's not a sound. They're clearly prepared."

The beautiful young woman in purple also spurred her horse forward, pouted, and snorted, "They're prepared, so what? We never planned a sneak attack anyway, we'll just face them openly."

As she spoke, the sky-blue sedan chair behind them also stopped in front of the woods. An old woman's voice came from inside the sedan chair and asked, "Chief Steward Ba, why did you stop up ahead?

" The old man in the blue robe hurriedly bowed on his horse, saying, "Madam, there isn't a single light in the manor. They're probably prepared. I think it's best not to rush in."

The girl in purple chimed in, "Mother, we came here to confront them directly. What are we waiting for?"

A soft laugh came from the sedan chair from an elderly woman. She said, "These two girls have been as anxious as ants on a hot pan all the way here. How can they hold back now

that we're here? Steward Ba, go and deliver the invitation. Tell the master of their manor to come out and see me." The old man in the blue robe bowed and accepted the order. Suddenly, he pulled on the reins and charged forward. Eight blue-turbaned warriors followed behind him, galloping off. The nine horses galloped together, their hooves thundering as they crossed the meadow. When they reached the front of the manor, the old man in the blue robe reined in his horse. His well-trained horse immediately came to a stop. At that moment, the eight blue-turbaned warriors also stopped their horses and lined up behind the old man in the blue robe. In the darkness, the sudden, thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed far and wide, reaching the manor before abruptly halting, instantly restoring the stillness of the night. Of course, the people inside the manor had already heard the clatter, but remained completely still. The old man in blue, his eyes flashing with a cold light, chuckled and, with a flick of his left hand, said, "One of you go up and knock on the door."

Immediately, one of the eight blue-clad martial artists dismounted, took a few steps, and began pounding on the door, calling out, "Hey, is anyone inside?" He knocked forcefully, making the copper rings rattle like a drum, urgent and loud.

After a while, an aged voice came from inside, asking, "Who is it? Why are you knocking so loudly in the middle of the night?" The man slowly unlatched the door, opened it, and emerged—a hunched, frail old man holding a lantern, which he held up to illuminate the door.

The lamplight shone on the old man in blue robes riding in front of the gate, and the eight riders in tight-fitting clothes lined up behind him. The old man shuddered and stammered in panic, "Sir...sir, what...what are you doing here...I'm just...just looking after someone's yard..." He seemed to think these people were bandits.

The old man in blue robes looked at the bent-over old man and coldly chuckled, "Old man, go and announce that Madam Tang from Sichuan has come to pay her respects to your esteemed master." It turned out that Madam Tang from Sichuan was in the sedan chair, accompanied by Tang Wenqing and Miss Fang Ruping. The old man in blue robes was Ba Tianyi, the head steward of the Tang Clan.

The hunched old man rubbed his eyes and shook his head, saying, "Sir, you've come to the wrong place. This is our manor lord's villa. The manor lord always lives in the city. This is just an empty manor; there's no one here except for this old man."

Ba Tianyi was stunned. Looking at the hunched-over man, he certainly seemed like someone who didn't know martial arts. He immediately asked, "What's your manor lord's surname?" The hunched-

over old man replied, "Qi."

Ba Tianyi asked again, "What's his name?"

The hunched-over old man said impatiently, "The manor lord's name is Shang Cheng Xia Chang. He's a local official. Is that enough?" After saying that, without waiting for Ba Tianyi's reply, he turned and went inside, slamming the door shut. He was clearly angry, and his steps were a little too quick as he turned to go in.

As the head steward of the Tang Clan, Ba Tianyi's eyesight was extremely sharp. Even such a small detail couldn't escape his notice. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he snorted coldly, shouting, "Wait, old man!" But the hunched-over old man had already closed the door and ignored him completely.

Just then, six people dressed in black and with their faces covered by black veils appeared simultaneously on a small path to the west. These six masked men were all incredibly skilled. Ba Tianyi, who had become the chief steward of the Tang Clan in Sichuan, naturally possessed this kind of insight. He was secretly shocked, but not careless. He waved his right hand behind him, and the eight riders behind him immediately turned their horses and dispersed, forming a battle formation.

This all happened in an instant. When the men in black appeared, they were still more than ten feet away, but as soon as Ba Tianyi made the gesture, the men were already in front of his horse. The leader asked, "Who are you from the Tang Clan of Sichuan?" Ba Tianyi, still

on horseback, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and said, "I am Ba Tianyi, the chief steward of the Tang Clan. May I ask how you are addressed?"

The leader of the men in black sneered, "My name is no longer used, so I don't remember it."

From afar, the voice of Old Madam Tang said, "Chief Steward Ba, please invite them over."

Ba Tianyi, still on horseback, bowed and said, "Old Madam invites you."

The leader of the black-clad men had piercing eyes. He glanced at the eight blue-turbaned warriors on horseback, and after they dispersed, they returned to their positions, forming a Bagua formation. A hint of disdain flashed across his bronze face as he grinned and said, "This little formation can't possibly trap me."

Ba Tianyi said, "Since you don't take a mere formation seriously, then please."

The leader of the black-clad men said, "Fine, I'll go. I'll see what you can do to me!" With that, he strode forward. As soon as
he took a step, five masked men in black followed. Ba Tianyi smiled slightly, turned his horse, and followed closely behind the six, riding slowly. In that instant, the eight blue-turbaned warriors in their formation suddenly lowered their stance and stood upright on their horses, holding their sky-blue blood-red blades. They rode eight well-trained horses, requiring no command, their formation undisturbed. Following the six men in black, they moved several feet apart, still surrounding them. At this moment, the eight women in black turbans who had originally lined up on either side of the sky-blue sedan chair also spread out in front of the chair, each holding a rein. Like the eight blue-clad warriors, they formed a Bagua formation within a three-foot radius, ready for battle. It was also a Bagua formation, but the eight women's formation was smaller, forming an inner circle, while the eight blue-clad warriors formed a larger outer circle. Formally, this was a double Bagua formation. The six masked men in black followed, entering the inner circle of the Bagua formation one after another.

Just then, the sky-blue sedan chair suddenly lifted up. On the left and right sides of the chair rode two beautiful young women, Tang Wenqing and Fang Ruping. Suddenly, the six men in black were caught in a trap. Everyone else was on horseback, except for these six men. Surrounded by riders, all of whom were naturally more than half a person taller than them, the six masked men in black suddenly collapsed silently. As

the sedan curtain opened, Old Madam Tang's voice rang out, saying, "Steward Ba, quickly administer the antidote. Leave them alive." She then ordered the eight women in black, "Clear the way. Whoever you encounter, without further ado, poison them all."

Ba Tianyi had already directed eight blue-clad warriors to subdue the masked men. The eight women in black spurred their horses, and the eight horses galloped towards the manor like lightning. Tang Wenqing and Fang Ruping followed closely behind the sedan chair, riding across the lawn to the manor. The sky-blue sedan chair stopped, and the eight women in black had already dismounted, standing in two rows before the steps. Tang Wenqing and Fang Ruping also dismounted, and two maids accompanying the sedan chair lifted the curtain.

Madam Tang, leaning on her gilded phoenix-headed cane, stepped out of the sedan chair. Pointing her cane, she said, "Break down the gate! We don't need to be polite to them anymore." At her command, the leading woman raised her left hand and a black shadow flew from her palm, heading straight for the copper-clad gate. With a loud "boom," a flash of fire, and amidst the billowing smoke, the two gates were instantly blown open. Fang Ruping looked on curiously and asked, "Sister Wenqing, what kind of hidden weapon is this? It has such great power!"

Tang Wenqing replied, "I don't know either."

Old Madam Tang smiled and said, "These are the Thunderbolts of Luo Xuan, the God of Fire. Years ago, he was poisoned by someone's hidden weapon, but fortunately, he met Shaoqing's father, who saved his life. He gave us eight Thunderbolts, and we didn't expect them to come in handy today." Saying this, she waved her hand and said, "Let's go in."

Eight women in black had already withdrawn their gleaming blue broadswords and split into two lines, nimbly rushing towards the main gate. Two maids lit lanterns to lead the way, and Old Madam Tang, leaning on her gilded phoenix-headed cane, led Tang Shaoqing and his sister, along with Fang Ruping, into the gate. Just as they reached the second gate, they saw the old man who had been hunched over earlier, holding a lantern in one hand, angrily rushing out and shouting, "What are you people doing here...?"

The leading woman in black sternly rebuked, "Get out of the way." With that, she waved her left hand forward.

The hunched old man walked with a shaky gait, appearing extremely frail. But when he saw the leader of the black-clad men's left hand swinging out, clad in deerskin gloves, his expression changed drastically, and he swiftly dodged to the side. This dodge revealed his true nature; he was not only skilled in martial arts, but also extremely adept. However, after dodging seven or eight feet, he immediately somersaulted and could not get up again. The Tang Clan of Sichuan had come with no other choice this time. They used the "Tang Clan Invisible Powder," a poison passed down through generations of the Tang family and never used in the martial world for centuries. This was the Tang Clan's most potent poison. Once scattered, it dissolves upon contact with the wind, colorless, odorless, and invisible. Within a

ten-foot radius, even a small amount would cause immediate poisoning and unconsciousness. Without an antidote, death would occur within the time it takes to drink a cup of hot tea. Entering the second gate, there was a large courtyard. Beyond the courtyard was the main hall. The hunched old man's words didn't seem to be a lie; the vast manor remained dark and deserted, without a single person in sight—truly an empty house! Fang Ruping, sword in one hand and a miniature crossbow in the other, stormed into the hall. Tang Wenqing followed closely behind, entering side-by-side with Fang. Guided by two maids carrying lanterns, Old Madam Tang slowly walked into the hall, furrowing her brow, and said, "You two wild girls, you think this is the main hall of the Wu family's villa on Mount Bagong! You're so careless, barging in like that. If there's an ambush, you won't even have time to retreat."

Fang Ruping giggled, "Godmother, don't worry. If there were any thieves lying in ambush, I would have dealt with them long ago."

Just then, the head steward, Ba Tianyi, rushed into the hall, cupped his hands to Old Madam Tang, and said, "Reporting to Old Madam, the six people we captured have just been awakened, and they've all committed suicide by poison. Their mouths are filled with poison."

Old Madam Tang nodded . Nodding, Tang Zhangqing instructed Ba Tianyi and the eight women in black, "You split up and search. If you encounter any thieves, strike first. If you find anything, immediately signal with a whistle. Go quickly."

Ba Tianyi bowed and said, "Yes, sir." Since the eight women in black were originally guards of the inner quarters and not under his jurisdiction, he cupped his hands to the eight women and said, "We'll split into two groups, left and right, to encircle and search. Brothers, you go in one group, and Miss Han, you can go in from the right. We

'll meet in the backyard." Miss Han, the leader of the eight women in black, nodded and said, "Chief Steward Ba is absolutely right. Let's do it that way." Immediately, the two groups quickly headed towards the backyard. After the two groups left, Tang Zhangqing secretly winked at Fang Ruping, and then secretly gestured to her mother.

Fang Ruping nodded secretly, walked closer to Madam Tang, and said, "Godmother, Wenqing and I will go out and take a look too."

Madam Tang said, "You two girls, don't try anything funny. We're being open. We've occupied their hall, but they're nowhere to be seen, and haven't made a sound yet. They're no pushovers who can capture so many famous figures, and they're not necessarily afraid of us. We're in the open now, while they're in the shadows. Don't give us any bad advice and cause trouble."

As soon as she finished speaking, a man standing on the steps at the door suddenly shouted, "Who goes there?"

Tang Wenqing pulled Fang Ruping's hand and said, "Sister, let's go out and see." The two girls gracefully darted out of the hall.

A voice called out from outside the door, "Amitabha." At the same time, three old monks dressed in gray robes, their hands on their staffs, strode in. Fang Ruping, quick-witted, immediately recognized the thin, withered old monk in the middle of the group as Abbot Lingshan of the Shaolin Wenshu Monastery, whom she had seen that night on the Longmen Cliff. Secretly pleased, she quickly said, "They are eminent monks from Shaolin Temple." Following closely behind the three old monks was a long line of Shaolin monks in grey sleeves and straw sandals, each carrying a staff and a precept knife at their waist, slowly entering.

Upon seeing Fang Ruping, Abbot Lingshan immediately clasped his hands in greeting: "Amitabha, the young lady is already here. I presume Madam Tang has arrived."

Tang Wenqing said, "This junior is Tang Wenqing. My mother is in the hall. Please, masters."

Abbot Lingshan clasped his hands again: "So it is Miss Tang. I am Lingshan, and I am honored to be the abbot of the Shaolin Wenshu Monastery." He then introduced the tall old monk to his left as Abbot Pushan of the Arhat Hall, and the old monk to his right as Abbot Zhenshan of the Bodhidharma Hall. Madam Tang, having heard that people from Shaolin Temple had also come, had already come out to greet them. Tang Wenqing then introduced the three eminent monks to her mother.

Madam Tang repeatedly said it was a pleasure to meet you, and a kind smile appeared on her face. She said, "I was just feeling that we were short-handed and had to venture deep into enemy territory alone. It is a great relief that the three masters have come. Now we have reinforcements."

As they were talking, a thin old man wearing a blue satin robe and a tucked-in jacket, with a bamboo pipe tucked into his waistband, suddenly entered through the door. Behind him were three men in blue, tight-fitting clothes. The old man in the blue robe bowed to Master Lingshan and said, “I have carefully examined the area around the manor. It is built against the mountain, with each courtyard higher than the last. The last wall is about five zhang high, seemingly quite high. Moreover, several zhang outside the wall is covered with dense thickets of thorns, impossible to cross. Apart from that, there is nothing suspicious, and no hidden guards.”

Master Lingshan nodded. “That night, I clearly witnessed the woman who called herself ‘Angel’ leading a group of masked men in black into this manor…” He paused, then continued, “Junior Brother Ao, come, come, please first greet this Madam Tang from the Tang Clan of Sichuan.” He then said to Madam Tang, “This is my junior brother, Ao Shuhan, known in the martial arts world as the Multi-Armed Ape.” "

Madam Tang smiled and said, "I have long admired the name of Hero Ao. It is an honor to meet you tonight."

Ao Shuhan quickly clasped his hands and said, "I dare not accept that. I have not been active in the martial world for many years."

Master Pushan, the abbot of the Luohan Hall

, asked, "Madam, on your journey to this manor, did you encounter any interceptions?" Madam Tang smiled and said, "There were no interceptions. On the way from Longmen Pass to here, we did encounter several of their spies who questioned our origins, but the steward of the Han family handled them all. However, after arriving here, six masked men suddenly appeared, claiming they wanted to see me. I captured them, but before I could get a confession, they all committed suicide by poison." Suddenly, a series of footsteps were heard. Steward Ba Tianyi stepped into the hall and was slightly taken aback when he saw Master Lingshan and the others.

Madam Tang asked, "Steward Ba, what is the result of the search? Is no one in the house?"

Ba Tianyi stopped abruptly and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the Old Madam, this house has four courtyards. My subordinate and Aunt Han searched in two groups and found dust and cobwebs everywhere, indicating it has been uninhabited for a long time." Before Old

Madam Tang could speak, Master Lingshan frowned slightly and interjected, "That's impossible, isn't it? Three days ago, Lao Xiu secretly followed that woman who called herself 'Angel' into this house in a sedan chair from Longmen Ao. Their lair must be in this manor..."

Before he could finish speaking, a faint voice, as thin as a mosquito's buzz, suddenly rang in his ears, shouting, "Little monk, catch it!" A sharp, piercing sound shot past his head. Master Lingshan was startled and quickly turned his head, reaching out to grab the air. He caught it, but a powerful force shook him, causing him to lose his footing and stumble forward two steps. This was someone speaking through "thousand-mile telepathy," which no one else could hear except Master Lingshan. Even the gust of wind was incredibly fast, shooting from behind them. Even Master Pushan and Master Zhenshan, standing beside him, didn't notice. Everyone present only saw Master Lingshan suddenly turn his head, reach behind him, and then a man stumbled forward two steps. Pushan and

Master Zhenshan were both startled and hurriedly asked, "Senior Brother, what's wrong?"

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Master Lingshan had already regained his balance and realized that what he had received in his palm was just a tiny piece of paper the size of a mung bean. He was even more shocked. Master Lingshan was one of the top masters in Shaolin Temple, his skill already at a superior level. This person had thrown a tiny piece of paper, yet it had caused him to stumble forward two steps! The man's skill was simply astonishing. Master Lingshan was over seventy years old and held the position of elder in Shaolin Temple, yet this man had called him "little monk." But being a high-ranking Buddhist monk, he immediately realized that this person might be a senior master, and the paper ball he had thrown to him must contain some kind of revelation. Thinking this, he didn't have time to answer his two junior brothers. He solemnly turned around, his expression respectful, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply to the sky. Master Pushan and Master Zhenshan, seeing their senior brother's strange behavior, didn't press him for details. After bowing, Master Lingshan secretly took the paper ball from his palm and unfolded it. It was a strip of paper only the width of a finger, on which was written a line of small characters in charcoal: "Fourth courtyard Buddhist hall, push open the shrine."

Master Lingshan glanced at it, nodded inwardly, and turned to Ba Tianyi to inquire, "Manager Ba just said that this residence has four courtyards. I wonder if there is a Buddhist hall in the fourth courtyard?"

Ba Tianyi replied, "That's right, there is indeed a Buddhist hall in the main hall of the fourth courtyard."

Master Lingshan smiled slightly and said, "That's it then. The entrance to the 'Pearl Token' gang's lair is probably in the Buddhist hall." "

Ao Shuhan asked in surprise, "How did you know, Senior Brother?" Master Lingshan passed the note in his hand to everyone and whispered about how someone had just thrown the paper ball. Of course, he wouldn't mention that someone had called him "Little Monk."

Old Madam Tang said, "Since there is a master secretly giving instructions, we should hurry in and take a look."

Master Lingshan said, "We also need to send people to guard this place. Junior Brother Ao, you and Zheng Jie, the three of you, stay in the hall." Old Madam Tang also instructed the steward, Ba Tianyi, to lead eight Blue-Clad Martial Artists to stay in the hall. Then, eight women in black, including Han Gu

, led the way. Old Madam Tang personally led Tang Wenqing and Fang Ruping, while Master Lingshan led his two junior brothers, Pu Shan and Zhen Shan, and ten monks, all the way to the back courtyard. This fourth courtyard was the last one, surrounded by towering cypress trees. Entering this courtyard gave one a gloomy and desolate feeling. The group passed through the grassy courtyard, climbed the stone steps, and came to a spacious hall. In the center was indeed a shrine containing a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The woman in black led the way, standing to the left and right, followed by Old Madam Tang and Master Lingshan. Abbot Pushan of the Arhat Hall brought up the rear, waving his hand to signal his eighteen Dharma protectors to form a defensive formation in the courtyard. Master Lingshan stepped forward, clasped his hands in reverence before the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and then slowly retreated. Master Zhenshan had already taken two steps forward and raised his hand to push the shrine, but after pushing for a while, the shrine remained unmoved.

Tang Wenqing said, "Mother, the hidden door must be behind the shrine. Since we can't push it open, why don't we use a thunderbolt to blast it open?"

Old Madam Tang nodded and said, "You're right. These kinds of mechanisms can't be opened without knowing how. Even if we did, there might be some powerful ambush. It's better to destroy it." Saying this, she looked up and said, "Three senior masters, please step back a few steps. Aunt Han, you destroy it."

So, everyone retreated several feet away. Aunt Han bowed and accepted the order, taking a walnut-sized iron rod from her leather pouch and throwing it into the shrine. A flash of light, followed by a deafening roar, and a tall shrine and the statue of Guanyin were instantly blasted to pieces. Master Lingshan clasped his hands together, repeatedly chanting "Amitabha." Behind the niche, two iron doors were indeed revealed. A large hole had been blasted open at the base of the wall, but the iron doors remained intact and had not collapsed. Without waiting for orders, Miss Han threw another "thunderbolt" at the iron doors. With another loud bang, the two iron doors were blown open, revealing a dark passageway inside.

Old Madam Tang waved her hand and said, "Search inside."

Eight women in black, led by Miss Han, split into two lines and walked towards the south path. Old Madam Tang, along with Shaoqing, Wenqing, Fang Ruping, Master Lingshan, and Master Zhenshan, filed in. Master Pushan brought up the rear. He instructed eight monks to stay in the main hall to guard the entrance, and then led ten monks to follow. The passageway was only about ten zhang long before it ended, blocked by a stone wall. Miss Han stopped and threw another "thunderbolt" forward. After a deafening roar, dust filled the air, almost blinding everyone. A large hole had been blasted through the stone wall. Eight women in black, their faces veiled to protect their heads, leaped through the hole. Old Madam Tang, Master Lingshan, and the others followed, entering what appeared to be a large garden. In the hazy night, the shadows of trees were visible, with pavilions and towers nestled among them. They stood before a magnificent, ornately decorated building, preceded by a dozen wide stone steps. They had emerged from the hole blasted through the steps. Suddenly, dozens of burly men in black, wielding weapons, appeared from the shadows, surrounding them.

Fang Ruping snorted, "Good, so they were hiding here. We finally found them!" Then she added, "Mother, these people are trying to surround us. Let's give them a good beating..."

Old Madam Tang smiled kindly, "Second girl, you don't need to deal with them." As soon as she finished speaking, the black-clad men who had appeared around them suddenly collapsed one after another.

In the blink of an eye, all dozens of them had fallen to the ground. These men had all been poisoned by the "Tang Clan's Invisible Powder," falling without even a groan, motionless. Master Lingshan frowned slightly; the Tang Clan's poison was indeed extremely vicious. He murmured a Buddhist chant. Just then, the hall door opened on the stone steps, and two women in green robes with delicate sideburns, carrying palace lanterns, slowly walked out, standing on either side of the steps. Then, with a tinkling of jade pendants, a young woman with her hair styled in a palace updo, dressed in a black dress, walked out slowly, one hand on the shoulder of one of the women. She possessed arched eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes that sparkled, a delicate oval face, a nose like jade, and small, red lips. Her waist was slender, and her steps were graceful and fragrant. She was a truly alluring and captivating beauty.

The young woman in black appeared on the steps, her eyes darting around, a hint of surprise flashing across her peach-blossom face. She parted her lips slightly and said in a sweet voice, "Who are you? Why have you broken in at night? What brings you here?"

Master Lingshan clasped his hands together and bowed towards the steps, saying, "Greetings, benefactor. I am Lingshan, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple's Abbot Zhangshu. Today, I have come with my junior brothers, Abbot Zhenshan of the Bodhidharma Hall and Abbot Pushan of the Arhat Hall, to search for our senior brother, Abbot Leshan of the Medicine King Hall, who has been missing for several months..."

The young woman in black smiled coldly and said, "So, Master Lingshan is..." "I've heard that Shaolin Temple is a prestigious and righteous sect. How come your monks have gone missing and instead come to our manor? Master Lingshan must think that our Juechen Manor is harboring monks, which is why you broke in under the cover of night. You clearly saw that the Juechen Manor Master was out, and only I, a woman, was living in the back garden, easy to bully. Master Lingshan led his men here with great force, what exactly do you want with me? Armed men breaking into a respectable family at night are either for theft or to steal. Are you going to search, rob, or take this lowly concubine to Shaolin Temple?" Her voice was soft, but her words were sharp. Master Lingshan was a highly virtuous monk who rarely traveled in the martial world, and for a moment he was speechless.

Old Madam Tang snorted coldly and snapped, "Young lady, stop with your sharp tongue! Do you think we don't know who you are?"

The young woman in black glanced at Old Madam Tang and asked in surprise, "Is this old woman also from Shaolin Temple?"

Old Madam Tang chuckled and said, "I'm from the Tang Clan of Sichuan."

The young woman in black feigned ignorance and said, "The Tang Clan of Sichuan? What's that? I've never heard of it."

Old Madam Tang smiled and said, "Whether you've heard of it or not is unimportant. I'll just tell you one thing: you used the 'Pearl Token' as a token to kidnap Master Leshan, the old master of the Wen Family Fortress in Lingnan, the old master of the Zhu Family Manor in Longmian Manor, and my husband, among others. Now, I and the Shaolin monks have found this place. I advise you to release all the kidnapped people at once, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

At the same time, Fang Ruping suddenly heard a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz in her ear: "Are you Miss Fang Ruping? If so, nod. My name is Chu Yuying, also known as the Black-Clad Rakshasa." "Master Leshan and the others have all been detoxified by Ling Junyi and have regained their martial arts skills. I have already secretly sent someone to inform them. Jin Ding and Jin Kaitai of Shaolin, who were imprisoned in the dungeon, have also been detoxified. You won't have much trouble finding them. Ling Junyi has now infiltrated the 'Hundred Flowers Gang' to investigate the 'Pearl Token,' so you can rest assured. The mastermind Qi Chengchang and the 'Bewitching Fairy' are not at the manor, so don't waste your energy."

Fang Ruping looked at the woman in black with surprise. The woman nodded to Fang Ruping, who understood. The woman in black giggled, "Grandma, you have the upper hand tonight. I'm all alone; what tricks do I have left? But you'd better not forget that Master Leshan and Old Master Tang are still in my hands. If you push me too far, don't blame me, the Black-Clad Rakshasa

, for being ruthless." Old Madam Tang felt a chill run down her spine and snorted, "You dare?"

The Black-Clad Rakshasa giggled, "What wouldn't I dare?" Just then ,

four dark figures appeared, streaking across the sky and landing before the steps. There stood a monk and three laypeople. The first was an elderly monk with a narrow face and grey sleeves, holding prayer beads in his hand; he appeared to be over sixty. The second was a square-faced, large-eared, thick-browed, phoenix-eyed old man in a blue robe, over fifty. The third was a slightly plump old man in a brown satin robe, not very tall, with a fair complexion and a long, white beard. The fourth was a man in a blue robe, with a gentle appearance, about forty-four or forty-five years old, but with thick eyebrows and a black beard flowing down his chest. These four were the "distinguished guests" invited by Juechen Manor: Master Leshan, Tang Tianzong, Wen Yifeng, and Zhu Wenhua.

The three masters, Lingshan, Zhenshan, and Pushan, immediately stepped forward upon seeing Master Leshan, clasped their hands together, and bowed, saying in unison, "Senior brother, you've escaped your predicament?"

Master Leshan returned the greeting with his hands clasped, uttered a low Buddhist chant, and said frankly, "My foolish brother and the three old masters lived in the garden and rushed here upon hearing the news. Alas, the story is a long one..."

At this moment, Madam Tang also saw her husband and said with a mixture of joy and surprise, "Old man, are you alright?" Tang Wenqing followed up, bowed his hands, and called out, "Father."

Tang Tianzong stroked his beard and laughed, "Fortunately, Brother Ling arrived and cured everyone of the poison that had scattered our powers."

Fang Ruping had already rushed to Zhu Wenhua and exclaimed, "Are you really my uncle?"

Zhu Wenhua replied, "Ruping, I am your uncle."

Fang Ruping blinked and asked, "Then where is Brother Ling?"

Zhu Wenhua said, "My uncle was tricked by the black-clad demoness and imprisoned in an underground chamber. Tonight, Brother Ling rescued me from the chamber, and he has already left. When my uncle woke up, he was already in the Lan Garden of the inn and did not see Brother Ling."

Suddenly, Old Madam Tang exclaimed, "The demoness has escaped! Everyone, hurry and chase after her!"

It turned out that while everyone was talking, the black-clad demoness had quietly retreated into the hall with three maids. Hearing Old Madam Tang's shout, everyone turned around and saw that the black-clad demoness had indeed disappeared. Wen Yifeng did not speak to anyone. His figure blurred, and he rushed up the stone steps first, but when he reached the door of the hall, he suddenly stopped and stood still. At this moment, Master Leshan and his three junior brothers, along with Tang Tianzong, Madam Tang, Zhu Wenhua, and others, caught up.

Fang Ruping suddenly shouted, "Stop chasing!" Everyone, confused, stopped and looked at her. Fang Ruping quickly walked to Madam Tang's side and whispered a few words in her ear.

Madam Tang nodded and said, "We don't need to chase anymore. Saving people is the priority now. We need to find the dungeon quickly."

So, ten Shaolin monks lit torches, and the hall was immediately brightly lit. Tang Tianzong raised his thick eyebrows and shouted, "Everyone, quickly search all the houses!" He waved his hand and cleaved open the wooden door of the left wing room.

But the result of everyone searching separately was that the five-bay building of "Juechen Manor" was deserted. Not only was the black-robed Rakshasa nowhere to be seen, but even the maids and servants who usually served them were gone. The towering building was now empty, a desolate place. Zhu Wenhua carefully examined the area for a while, then walked behind the screen at the back of the hall. He pressed two buttons on the wall, and after a soft creaking sound, the floor slowly sank, revealing a circular entrance and a stone staircase leading downwards.

Master Leshan looked around and said, "Now that we've discovered this tunnel, we should go down and take a look. However, there are still many houses in this garden, and we need to search them one by one. Especially when Lao Xiu and the other three came out, they encountered several people who tried to stop them, but we subdued them all. Because of the time constraints, we only managed to put them down by the woods before rushing here. The person in charge here is a man named Qi Chengchang, and a woman called 'Bewitching Fairy,' who is also the 'Heavenly Guardian' who bewitched Benefactor Zhu. It is said that she has not returned from her trip. Besides the Black-Clad Rakshasa, there is also Qi Chengchang's adopted son, Tian Zhongbi, who has not shown his face all night." We currently have a considerable number of men. My suggestion is to divide them into three groups: two to search the entire garden, and one to track them down through the tunnels. Even if we don't find the main culprit, capturing a few members of the thieves will at least provide some clues about the "Pearl Token" gang. What do you all think of my suggestion?

Tang Tianzong, Wen Yifeng, and Zhu Wenhua all agreed, and immediately divided all their forces into three groups. The first group: Zhu Wenhua, Wen Yifeng, and Master Pushan, along with four Shaolin monks, accompanied by Han Gu and another woman in black to prevent the enemy from using poison, entered the tunnel to search. The second group: Masters Leshan, Lingshan, and Zhenshan, along with six Shaolin monks and two Tang Clan black-clad maids, searched eastward from "Juechen Manor" for "Xiegu Zhai" and the "VIP Area." The third group: Tang Tianzong and his wife, along with Wen Qing, Fang Ruping, and four black-clad maids, searched westward from "Juechen Manor" for "Kanjian Pavilion," "Wanxiang Pavilion," and "Tianqi Hall" to the south end of the artificial hill, where they would meet the second group. With the assignments complete, the three groups immediately took action, each conducting their own search.

Half an hour later, the first group, led by Zhu Wenhua, Wen Yifeng, and Master Pushan, returned to the hall from the entrance of the underground cave behind the screen. Soon after, the second and third groups also returned. They quickly found the prisoner's chamber and rescued Jin Ding and his apprentice, the lay abbot of Shaolin Temple; Wen Yixia, the second son of the Wen family of Lingnan; and Xiao Fenggang and his son, the old master of the Xiao family of Nanxiang, renowned for their swordsmanship and martial arts. The reunion after their ordeal was a joyous occasion. However, apart from them, not a single other figure was seen. The once vast garden, with its numerous pavilions and towers, was now deserted, a ghost town. After everyone had gathered, they filed out through the blasted stone steps at the front of "Juechen Manor" and returned to the main hall.

Fang Ruping was worried about Ling Junyi's safety and felt depressed. She slowly stepped out of the corridor, looked up at the bright moon, and whispered, "Brother Ling, where are you now?"

Just then, Tang Wenqing's sweet laughter rang out behind her. "Ruping, I know who you're thinking about." Fang

Ruping blushed and lightly retorted, "You're the one thinking about him."

Tang Wenqing asked, "What did you say to Mother just now?"

Fang Ruping quietly told her what the black-clad demon had said, and Tang Wenqing suddenly understood. "So it was Sister Chu who secretly helped. Sister, have you heard of the 'Hundred Flowers Gang'?"

Fang Ruping shook her head: "I don't know either. Let's go ask Mother together." The two women walked together towards the hall.

Chapter Eleven: The Wine and Meat

Monk. Nanbeihe Restaurant on East Street in Anqing Prefecture was the city's premier restaurant. Excellent wine, excellent food, excellent location, impressive facade, and the most reasonable prices, but what was most prized was the chef's skill. Generally, restaurants seem to have an unwritten rule: they always advertise regional cuisine. For example, some are Beijing/Tianjin restaurants, some Sichuan restaurants, some Zhejiang restaurants, and others Shanxi, Hunan, Cantonese, etc. Different regions have different flavors; you'll go to the restaurant corresponding to your region. But Nanbeihe is different. Their primary characteristic is that they offer a wide variety of regional cuisines. Whatever famous dish you can name, they can definitely make it. Therefore, no matter what... When people arrive in Anqing, they inevitably visit Nanbeihe Restaurant. Nanbeihe's business is booming, its five-bay storefront always bustling with customers.

It was midday when a snow-white steed appeared before Nanbeihe. Not a single stray hair was on its body; its mane was white, its hooves frosty, and its silver saddle and stirrups made it appear even more immaculate and extraordinary! Riding the horse was a young man in a blue robe, who looked no more than sixteen or eighteen years old. He had a face like powdered jade, eyes like autumn water, red lips and white teeth—exquisitely handsome! Despite his scholarly appearance, a finely inlaid longsword hung from his belt, giving him a unique air of dashing elegance. As soon as the young man dismounted, a waiter from the shop rushed forward, bowing and saying, "Sir, please come upstairs to a private seat. The livestock is at my disposal." The young man in the blue

robe handed over the reins and turned to walk inside. It was midday, and the five halls upstairs were nearly full, with about ninety percent of the seats occupied. A waiter at the bottom of the stairs saw the young man in the blue robe and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Are you alone, sir? Please come this way." He led the young man to an empty table by the window and poured him a cup of tea.

After the young man ordered his food and drinks, the waiter withdrew. The young man's gaze swept around, observing that the diners were all merchants and travelers, creating a noisy and chaotic atmosphere. He seemed somewhat annoyed, furrowed his brow slightly, and turned away to observe the street scene alone. Soon, the waiter brought his dishes, which the young man ate slowly. After a long while, he finally paid his bill and went downstairs, satisfied. As he walked slowly, he unknowingly entered a quiet alley when he suddenly heard an old voice say, "Young man, don't go any further. This old man has something to tell you." The young man in the blue

robe was startled, startled, and turned around, but there was no one there. He was greatly puzzled, looking around, but there was no one there. If he had misheard, he couldn't have mistaken someone speaking. Just as he was still wondering, he heard the voice again: "Hey, child, what are you daydreaming about?"

This time, the young man in the blue robe heard it clearly; the person was speaking behind him. He quickly turned around, but still couldn't see anyone. He was suddenly chilled; how could he not see the person who was speaking behind him? A chill ran through him, and he asked, "Who are you?"

The voice said in his ear, "I am who I am."

The young man in the blue robe said, "Don't you have a name?"

The voice laughed, "You're right, this old man indeed has no name." As he spoke, Zhu Jing suddenly spun around with lightning speed, but still couldn't see anyone.

The voice rang in his ears again, saying, "You don't need to turn around. Even if you spin around a few times, you won't see this old man."

The man in the blue robe asked, "Are you a ghost?" He shuddered involuntarily as he uttered the word "ghost."

The voice chuckled, "In broad daylight, what ghosts could there be? I'm an old man, a living bodhisattva, believe it or not?"

The young man in the blue robe turned his head and said, "I don't believe it at all."

The voice laughed, "It's fine if you don't believe it, child, what's your name?" The young man

in the blue robe said, "Zhu Jing."

The voice said, "I want you to do something for me, are you willing? Of course, I can't let you work for free. I may be poor, but I'm not stingy. Come on, child, time is short, I have other things to do. I'll teach you a couple of techniques, remember them, this is called 'Dog-Catching Style'..."

Zhu Jing heard the voice, and suddenly felt a strong force coming from behind him, and his left hand involuntarily slowly rose. He spread his five fingers, then bent them forward, and gently tapped them down, releasing his grip with a flick of his wrist. The technique was incredibly simple; anyone could learn it in no time. Zhu Jing was secretly astonished. The force he received from behind his left hand was so fluid, as if he were controlling his own hand—it was unbelievable. As his thoughts raced, he heard the aged voice say, "There's another move, called 'Dog-Beating Style'..." Before the voice finished, Zhu Jing felt his left hand suddenly swing backward. This move was also very simple.

Zhu Jing remembered a move from his family's swordsmanship called "Winter Plum Welcoming Spring," where the tip of his right sword points diagonally, drawing a small circle, while the left hand's sword gesture is a diagonal backward swing. The old man's "Dog-Beating Style" was similar to this backward swing, much simpler than the previous "Dog-Catching Style." The old man's martial arts skills were unparalleled, reaching a level of mastery. He had just mentioned that while he was poor, the gift he offered was anything but meager. But the two farming techniques he taught Zhu Jing almost burst out laughing. These moves were only good for fighting ordinary stray dogs; if you encountered the tiger's talisman on his own estate, you'd be lucky to avoid having your hand bitten off!

The old man snorted, "Little brat, do you think the techniques I taught you are too simple, not profound enough? If you don't believe me, go back and try them on your old man. I guarantee even your old man will be sent tumbling." Zhu Jing naturally didn't believe him, thinking, "Who do you take my father for?"

The old man continued, "I'm too lazy to explain to you. Think about it yourself, and you'll understand. Don't underestimate these two dog-fighting moves. Master them, and you'll never be bullied again. Alright, I'm leaving now. I'll be back in time. We'll meet tonight at the North and South Towers." This time, he truly left without another word.

Zhu Jing was somewhat skeptical when the old man described the two simple moves as so wondrous, but the old man's martial arts skills were so high that he had no choice but to believe him. He then practiced the movement of slowly raising his left hand, as the "Catching the Dog" move was very simple and easy to learn. He then practiced the second move, the "Beating the Dog" move, gently swinging his left hand backward, which was also perfectly standard and not difficult at all. After trying these two moves, he felt that there was nothing extraordinary about them, so why did the old man speak of them so solemnly? Judging from his tone, it was as if mastering these two moves would make him invincible! No, this old man was a playboy, but he would never lie to him. Could it be that these two simple moves concealed profound martial arts? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but practice the "Catching the Dog" and "Beating the Dog" moves again. Strangely enough, what seemed simple, utterly simple, suddenly became quite complex upon closer examination. However, all he could grasp was this feeling; he couldn't articulate why it was complex. Of course, this feeling alone was enough! Zhu Jing wasn't a fool; this sense of complexity convinced him that his thinking was correct. These two seemingly simple moves indeed concealed profound martial arts. He looked up at the sky, overjoyed. Zhu

Jing had no fixed destination, but the invisible old man had said, "If you can make it back, we'll meet in Nanbeihe tonight." Therefore, he decided to stay and see this mysterious master that evening. Looking at the time, it was almost late afternoon. Returning to Nanbeihe, he retrieved his horse and found an inn called Gaoshengzhan on East Street to settle down.

A waiter at the door took the horse, while another bowed repeatedly, saying, "Please come in, sir."

Zhu Jing stepped into the inn, paused, and said, "I don't like noise. Do you have a quieter room?"

The waiter replied quickly, "Yes, yes, the back of the inn is the quietest place. Please follow me, sir." He then led Zhu Jing inside. This was the last courtyard, with a dozen or so potted plants in front, indeed very serene. The waiter opened the door to a guest room on the right, smiling obsequiously, "Please look, sir. This room is quiet and spacious. There are no idlers coming into the back courtyard. It's perfect for a scholar like you."

Zhu Jing looked around and saw that the room was indeed quite spacious. Outside the back window was a vegetable patch. Opening the window, a gentle breeze blew in, and he nodded in satisfaction. The inn's waiters were all snobbish; they fawned over him, bringing him water to wash his face and brewing a pot of fragrant tea before leaving. Zhu Jing casually closed the door, washed his face, and seeing that it was still early, practiced the two techniques the invisible old man had taught him—the "Dog-Catching Style" and the "Dog-Beating Style." This time, he fully believed that although the names of these two techniques were commonplace, they concealed profound martial arts principles. Therefore, he practiced with complete focus and seriousness, performing the movements quite slowly. However, after practicing for a while, he found that these two techniques, despite their apparent mystery, were actually quite ordinary and lacked any real depth the more he tried to understand them. After practicing repeatedly for some time, he finally discovered a secret: these two techniques couldn't be viewed too profoundly. If they were, the flow of energy would become too slow, resulting in a rigid and unchanging style. But if they were viewed too simply, they would be careless, and the hidden variations would be lost. In short, these two techniques had to be used naturally and flexibly to be truly effective. He was secretly pleased with his discovery, saying, "I've been agonizing over this for so long, but it's actually quite simple."

As dusk settled, the innkeeper lit the lamps and served him, saying, "Sir, would you like to have dinner in town, or would you like me to instruct the kitchen to prepare some delicious food and drinks for you?"

Zhu Jing replied, "No need, I've already made plans with friends." The innkeeper readily agreed and left.

Zhu Jing donned his Seven Star Sword and gracefully stepped out. The streets were now ablaze with lights, bustling with pedestrians, even more vibrant than during the day. Zhu Jing was handsome, with a face as white as powder, lips as red as cinnabar, and a pair of clear, bright eyes. He was exceptionally handsome, though a little short, but even in his three-inch-high pink-soled boots, he appeared tall and elegant. He captivated the girls walking along the street, their eyes sparkling, their expressions conveying affection, secretly wondering, "Whose young master is this?"

Zhu Jing, of course, had no idea. He walked to the north and south shops and went straight up to the second floor. The waiter, with his sharp eyes, immediately recognized Zhu Jing as having been there at noon. He quickly stepped forward, smiling and greeting him, "Sir, you've come at the perfect time! There's still one more private seat by the window." He then led Zhu Jing to a seat by the window, adding with a fawning smile, "This seat faces the main street. You can enjoy your drink while admiring the night view. The girls in our city don't dare go out during the day; they all go out for a stroll at night with their friends. From this seat, you can see the girls, all dressed up, passing by on the street." He was particularly obsequious because Zhu Jing was a regular customer. Zhu Jing, young and delicate, blushed slightly at his words. After ordering his food and drinks, he held his teacup in one hand, turned his head, and admired the street scene. It was right at a crossroads, the shops on both sides brightly lit, pedestrians bustling about, and occasionally a carriage would clang past. The sounds of string and wind instruments carried on the wind, making it far more lively than during the day.

As he was observing, he inadvertently noticed a man in black standing in front of a silk shop across the street, looking up at him! No, perhaps he was just idly observing; hadn't he seen him too? Thinking this, he unconsciously looked away. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he quickly realized, "Something's not right! This man's face is ashen, and he's dressed in all black; he's definitely not a good person." With this thought, he hurriedly looked back, but the man in black had vanished without a trace.

It was the height of the night market, and the restaurant was packed with diners; all five halls were full. With so many people, it became chaotic and noisy, filled with the sounds of drinking games, shouts, and the shrill cries of the waiters! The waiter brought the food and drinks, smiling apologetically, "I'm so sorry, we have so many customers tonight; I've kept you waiting, sir." He poured Zhu Jing a cup of wine.

Zhu Jing said, "It's alright." He picked up the cup and took a sip. It turned out he couldn't drink; he slightly furrowed his brow while drinking.

The waiter said with a forced smile, "Sir, you're a scholar, easy to talk to. These guests, if the food is slow, they'll bang on the table..."

Just then, a loud, booming voice rang out from downstairs, singing loudly: "Poor monk, poor monk. No lodging, no temple to live in. No incense, no bell to ring. Barefoot I wander the ten directions, my tattered clothes hanging in the west wind. To nourish my five internal organs, I wander through taverns. If I meet someone with affinity, I'll offer them wine and meat."

The two men playing rock-paper-scissors were both angry and annoyed. The one on the left shouted, "Monk, what do you mean by this?"

The poor monk smiled and said, "You two benefactors are arguing so fiercely over a cup of wine. This poor monk is a monk, and I'm kind to others. I'll drink the wine for you two, and then everything will be fine, won't it?" As he spoke, he grabbed three or four slices of braised beef from the plate and stuffed them into his mouth.

The man on the right angrily said, "How can you eat with your hands?"

The poor monk laughed and said, "If I don't eat some food to settle down after drinking, I'll get drunk quickly. A few slices of beef from the benefactor, so this poor monk can take it on a journey to the Western Paradise, is a great act of kindness, immeasurable merit." Having said that, he walked away.

The diner on the right said angrily, "What a wine-and-meat monk! How outrageous!"

The poor monk chuckled and then loudly recited: "Meat must be braised, wine must be mellow, lingering on wine and meat in the dust. Straw sandals and tattered sleeves, I am laughed at; I am not a member of the Dragon Flower Assembly." His hoarse voice was strange and grating, yet he thought it was full of charm, and was quite pleased with himself. As he walked, he glanced around, looking at this table and that table, until he reached Zhu Jing's table. Suddenly, he stopped and said with a grin, "It's quieter here." He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to Zhu Jing and said, "Amitabha, it seems you have a connection with Buddhism, young benefactor, sitting here alone. This poor monk's meal is finally settled." Without waiting for Zhu Jing's reply, he pulled out a stool and sat down opposite him.

Zhu Jing noticed that although the poor monk seemed eccentric, the Taoist chants he sang and the poem he had just recited were not only deeply imbued with Zen principles but also quite good. Zhu Jing, being well-educated and having studied both martial arts and poetry, felt a deep respect for the poor monk and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Master, please have a seat."

The poor monk chuckled and nodded, saying, "Young benefactor, you possess profound wisdom and are indeed destined to be with Buddha. This poor monk has no choice but to trouble you." As soon as he finished speaking, he slapped the table and, in a hoarse voice, shouted, "Waiter...waiter..."

The waiter hurried over, frowning, and said, "Monk, what are you shouting about?"

The poor monk raised an eyebrow, glared at the waiter, and said, "Waiter, you're here to serve guests, aren't you? This poor monk..." When you go to a restaurant, you are a guest. Is this what you call monk? "

The waiter said: "Then what do you want me to call you?

The poor monk said, "Do you really not know, or are you just pretending not to know?" "

The waiter said: "In the restaurant, we drink wine and eat meat, and no monk has ever come here. How could I know? "

The poor monk said: "Okay, even if you don't know, then let the poor monk teach you. When you meet a monk, you can't call him monk, you have to call him daddy. Old people like me, a poor monk, have to be called Master Grandpa. "

The waiter said: "I have only heard people call them Master, Master, Master. How can anyone call them Master Dad or Master Grandpa?

The poor monk laughed and said, "So you know, haha, what's the difference between Master Master and Master Dad?" Isn't your father your father?

The waiter said impatiently: "Okay, okay, what do you want to eat?" "

The poor monk said: "If you don't call me Master Daddy, I, Buddha Tathagata, will make you fall down when I get angry. "

The waiter said: "I have been running the waiter for more than ten years. "I've never fallen before, so you can order whatever you want, but we don't serve vegetarian dishes here."

The poor monk said, "Okay, okay, I never chant scriptures, so naturally I don't need to be vegetarian."

The waiter said, "Then you can order."

He just wouldn't call him Master, so the poor monk said, "Listen, first, a large plate of braised beef, a plate of duck wings, two catties of Shaoxing wine, then have the kitchen make a chicken, ham, and shark fin soup, stir-fried shrimp, braised pig's trotters, and a large bowl of clear stewed fragrant meat soup." He actually ordered so many dishes for himself.

The waiter said, "Our shop doesn't sell fragrant meat."

The poor monk said, "I know you don't sell fragrant meat here, can't you go to the alley across the street and buy me a bowl?"

The waiter said, "Alright." He turned and left.

The poor monk called out, "Braised beef, duck wings, and two catties of Shaoxing wine, please."

The waiter didn't reply, circled the counter, and came back empty-handed. But before he reached the poor monk, he suddenly tripped, lurched forward, and fell flat on his face. Luckily, he was empty-handed and hadn't brought any food or drinks, but the fall was still quite hard. His face was flushed, and he got up, rubbing his knee, and limped over. The poor monk laughed loudly, "Amitabha! Didn't I say that if you didn't call me 'Grandpa Master,' Buddha would be angry? Now it's come true!" Then he exclaimed "Eh!" and asked, "I ordered braised beef, duck wings, and Shaoxing wine first, why didn't you bring them?" Zhu Jing's heart skipped a beat, but he was sitting right opposite the poor monk and hadn't seen anything the monk did.

The waiter, somewhat indignant, sneered, "The dishes you ordered will cost two taels, seven mace, and three fen of silver."

The poor monk rolled his eyes and retorted angrily, "Do you think a poor monk like me can't afford it?"

The waiter shouted, "We see plenty of people eating and drinking for free here every day. You ordered so much food by yourself; you're clearly doing this on purpose..."

The poor monk, enraged, stood up abruptly, grabbed the waiter by the back of his collar, and shrieked, "On purpose? You're saying I, a poor monk, am deliberately trying to extort money from you? Let me tell you, although I'm poor, I won't sit down to order if I haven't found someone I'm destined to meet. You look down on me without even asking first. If I were young, I would have thrown you out of the window onto the street like this." As he spoke, he lifted the waiter up like a chicken and stretched out his hand, pulling him towards the threshold.

The waiter, terrified, cried out for help, "Grandpa Master, spare me! I'm ignorant and don't know your place! You...you mustn't let go!"

All the diners were astonished to see the poor monk carrying the waiter out the window. The poor monk chuckled, withdrew his hand, and placed it on the floor, saying, "If you had called me Grandpa Master earlier, none of this would have happened." Then he pointed at Zhu Jing: "Ask this young benefactor if this poor monk paid for this meal." The waiter was so frightened he nearly collapsed to his knees.

Zhu Jing quickly said, "This master is right. Whatever he wants, just bring it to him. The bill is all on my tab." The waiter dared not say another word, repeatedly nodding and retreating.

The poor monk chuckled and called out, "Hey, don't forget to bring the braised beef, duck wings, and two catties of Shaoxing wine first."

This time, the bill was settled, and the waiter, having learned his lesson, dared not be negligent. In a short while, he brought over a plate of braised beef, a plate of duck wings, and two one-catty tin pots, setting out cups and chopsticks in front of the poor monk. The poor monk, already impatient, grabbed the wine pot, gulped down a few mouthfuls, wiped his mouth with his dirty, tattered robe sleeve, and laughed, "Delicious, delicious! Hmm, young benefactor, don't be shy, come, come." Saying "come," he didn't even use chopsticks, reaching into the plate to grab a few slices of beef and stuffing them into his mouth.

Seeing the monk's voracious appetite, Zhu Jing frowned slightly and said, "Master, please. My alcohol tolerance is limited; I've had enough."

The poor monk grabbed a wing and began to gnaw on it, saying, "Young benefactor, you're a scholar, so refined you're practically a young girl. I, a poor monk, don't abstain from meat or wine, yet I often go three months without tasting meat. Tonight's feast is enough to keep me from starving for three months. What's this 'practice'?" He grabbed a few more slices of beef, stuffed them into his mouth, and then grabbed the wine jug with his right hand, gulping them down. His mouth was constantly filled with wine and meat, he was almost breathless. Hearing the poor monk say he was like a young girl, Zhu Jing blushed and ignored him. Fortunately, the poor monk was too busy eating and drinking to talk to Zhu Jing. It was the busiest time of day at the restaurant; the entire place was packed, and the sounds of drinking games filled the air.

Zhu Jing kept looking around. The mysterious old man he was waiting for hadn't arrived yet, but instead, this poor monk with a gluttonous look had appeared. His gluttonous manner wasn't the worst part; what was most annoying was his scathing, rambling, and utterly eccentric speech. The waiter, carrying a large bowl in both hands, strode over and said, "Master, the fragrant meat is here!" Upon approaching, he was stunned. A large plate of braised beef, a plate of duck wings, and two jugs of Shaoxing wine had been devoured in a short time.

Hearing that the fragrant meat had arrived, the poor monk hurriedly reached out to take it, chuckling, "Waiter, quickly refill my wine, two more jin! Fragrant meat can't be eaten without wine, quick..." He took the bowl, didn't even put it on the table, and immediately drank from it. The bowl of fragrant meat soup was steaming hot, clearly scalding hot, but the poor monk drank it down, seemingly finding it increasingly delicious, swallowing the soup and meat whole. By the time the waiter brought the wine, a large bowl of piping hot, fragrant meat soup had already been devoured by the poor monk.

The waiter put down the wine jug, and the poor monk, just as he put down his bowl, grabbed a handful of wine and began gulping it down. The waiter turned to leave, then brought over a plate of stir-fried shrimp and a plate of braised pig's trotters, placing them on the table, and was about to leave when the poor monk beckoned and called out, "Waiter, wait a minute."

The waiter, not daring to offend him again, asked, "What is it, Master?"

The poor monk smiled and said, "Refill my wine.

" The waiter said in surprise, "I already refilled yours."

The poor monk laughed, "The wine you refilled has already flowed into my belly, so bring me two more jin."

He drank faster than he drank water, downing four catties of Shaoxing wine in the blink of an eye. While talking, he didn't stand on ceremony with Zhu Jing, picking up a plate of stir-fried shrimp with both hands and shoveling it down like leaves in the wind. Setting down the empty plate, he moved a large plate of braised pig's trotters in front of him. Just then, the waiter brought over two more jugs of wine, which the poor monk quickly reached out to take, saying, "Quickly, bring them here." He took the jugs and drank straight down.

He seemed perpetually hungry, finishing another jug in the blink of an eye. He rolled up his sleeves, picked up his chopsticks, and began wolfing down the braised pig's trotters. This was what he himself said: "The meat must be braised, and the wine must be strong." Braised pork was naturally his favorite. The diners at the neighboring tables were dumbfounded by the poor monk's astonishing appetite; they almost forgot to eat and drink, just watching his performance.

Zhu Jing waited for a long time, but the mysterious old man never appeared. Initially, he had assumed the poor monk, with his eloquent speech, must be a carefree poet-monk, and that he could discuss poetry with him since he had nothing better to do. However, the poor monk was only interested in eating and drinking, constantly busy, and his gluttonous eating habits were unbearably vulgar. The more he looked at him, the more crude and crude he seemed. He simply turned away, leaning against the railing, gazing at the street scene, feeling extremely impatient. Normally, he would have already gotten up and left. But now, firstly, the old man had shown him kindness in passing on his skills, and secondly, he longed to see the mysterious, invisible old man, so he had no choice but to wait patiently. A large plate of braised pig's trotters was quickly devoured. The poor monk, finding it too greasy, smacked his lips, burped, grabbed the wine pot, and took a couple more sips. The waiter then brought over a large round plate of chicken, ham, and shark fin soup.

The poor monk put down his wine jug, stretched, patted his belly, and laughed, "Looks like I'm almost done."

The waiter thought to himself, "You should have been done by now." But he replied with two "Yes," and said with a forced smile, "Master, are you really full?"

The poor monk squinted and grinned foolishly, "I ordered this myself, so I have to finish it. Besides, it's rare for someone to treat me to such a feast. This dish of shark fin alone costs one tael and two mace of silver; wouldn't it be a waste not to eat it?" Apparently, he had drunk quite a bit; his eyes were squinting, and his speech was becoming increasingly unclear. The waiter, seeing him grinning foolishly, felt a chill and, not daring to argue, was about to leave.

The poor monk said, "Waiter, bring me two more jin of Shaoxing wine."

The waiter exclaimed in surprise, "You want more wine, sir?"

The poor monk, holding the wine jug, said, "There's less than half a jin left. Without wine, how can I possibly finish this shark fin soup?"

The waiter then continued serving dishes and refilling wine. The waiter, who served almost exclusively him, nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, saying, "Alright, alright, I'll go get you some more wine."

The poor monk said, "Wait a minute. Don't think that just because I'm drunk, I can dilute the wine with water. Let me tell you, even a single drop of water can be detected by a monk."

The waiter said, "Don't worry, Master. Our shop operates honestly and strictly.

We would never dilute the wine with water." The poor monk waved his hand and said, "Go, go, it's good that it's not diluted. Hurry up and bring the wine."

Sure enough, the waiter brought two more jugs of wine, bringing the total to eight jin. The poor monk, burping from the alcohol, picked up the large round plate and lowered his head again, devouring the food with even greater gusto. This time, his eating manners were even more unsightly. In no time, he had finished the entire plate of shark fin. Then he reached for the wine jug and downed two jin of Shaoxing wine in one gulp. He stood up, his eyes still blurry with drunkenness and reeking of alcohol, patting his enormous belly with both hands. He laughed loudly, "You ate to your heart's content today, huh? This is all thanks to this young benefactor's affinity with Buddhism; his offering of alms is immeasurable merit, Amitabha!" He clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect to Zhu Jing and staggered towards the door.

But after only three steps, he suddenly turned back, grinning mischievously at Zhu Jing, and said, "Young benefactor, you don't need to wait any longer. The person you're waiting for won't be coming tonight." Zhu Jing

was greatly surprised and asked, "How did you know, Master?"

The poor monk laughed loudly, "What you know, this poor monk naturally knows. What you don't know, this poor monk also knows. What this poor monk doesn't know, who else would know?" With these words, he swayed and staggered down the stairs, holding onto the railing.

Zhu Jing watched the man stagger downstairs, acting erratically. He quickly stood up, called to the waiter, and asked, "How much is it in total?"

The waiter, having already calculated the bill, immediately smiled and replied, "Sir, it's four taels and three mace and three fen..."

Before he could finish, Zhu Jing casually grabbed a five-tael silver ingot, placed it on the counter, and said, "Keep the change." With that, he hurried downstairs. He and the poor monk had only exchanged a fleeting thought, but by the time he reached the restaurant entrance, the poor monk had vanished without a trace.

Although the night market wasn't as bustling as it was at dusk, there were still many pedestrians. If one didn't know which way he was going, there was no way to catch up. Besides, if he was determined not to let him know, even if you chased after him, you wouldn't be able to catch him. Zhu Jing stood at the restaurant entrance, staring blankly at the passersby on the street for a moment, then started walking towards the end of the street. Returning to Gaosheng Inn, he walked to the quiet back courtyard, which resembled a residence entirely. Except for a faint light emanating from the west wing, the other rooms were all dark and silent. Moonlight shone on the steps, clear as water, creating an exceptionally serene atmosphere.

Zhu Jing reached the end of the corridor, raised his hand to push open the door, and suddenly stopped! He found someone already inside, sitting quietly in a chair by the window. Although the room was dark, the bright moonlight outside made it not too gloomy. In that instant, Zhu Jing clearly saw that the person was dressed in black, with a sallow complexion—it was none other than the black-clad figure he had seen peeking at him from the silk shop across the street in the restaurant. Zhu Jing inwardly snorted, "This man really came for me."

The man in black raised his eyes, saw Zhu Jing push open the door and then stand still, and couldn't help but smile slightly, "You're standing at the door, are you afraid to come in?"

Zhu Jing sneered, "I thought I'd come to the wrong room."

The man in black slowly stood up and said, "You haven't come to the wrong room."

Zhu Jing stepped in, his gaze fixed on the man, and snorted, "Then my friend has come to the wrong room."

The man in black said, "I haven't come to the wrong room either."

Zhu Jing said, "Why do you say that?"

The man in black said, "Because I've been waiting for you."

Zhu Jing said, "What do you want with me?"

The man in black blinked, staring intently at him, and said, "I want to talk to you."

Zhu Jing said, "What do you want to talk to me about?"

The man in black smiled and said, "You seem to suspect that I have ill intentions, do

n't you?" His smile revealed a row of neat, white teeth, which was completely incongruous with his cold, sallow face. Those perfectly white teeth, if they belonged to a woman, would surely make her a stunning beauty. It was a pity that such delicate, white teeth were on the face of a cold, sallow-faced man; they were truly misplaced. But Zhu Jing didn't notice his stiff smile, nor did he notice the perfectly white teeth when he smiled. He simply said coldly, "Even if you have ill intentions, so what?"

The man in black clearly meant no harm. He stared at him intently again and said, "This is your room. I've come to see you, so I'm at least your guest. Looking at your appearance, is this how you treat a guest?"

Zhu Jing seemed impatient, his brows furrowing slightly. "Speak your mind," he said.

The man in black said, "I think you're familiar with my attire, aren't you?"

Zhu Jing said, "No, this is the first time I've seen this kind of attire."

The man in black asked in surprise, "Did you have two friends who went to Beixia Mountain?"

Zhu Jing said, "I don't have any such friends."

The man in black asked in surprise, "Then I've mistaken you for someone else?"

Zhu Jing said, "It seems so."

The man in black raised his hand and ripped off the black cloth wrapped around his head, revealing a cascade of dark, flowing hair. Zhu Jing exclaimed in surprise, "You're a woman!"

The man in black smiled, then removed a mask as thin as a cicada's wing. The previously sallow and cold face instantly transformed into the delicate, pink face of a young girl, her cheeks flushing red and then paling, overwhelmed with shyness, hesitant to speak. Zhu Jing stared at her in surprise and asked, "Who exactly are you?"

The girl in black replied tenderly, "My name is Black Rose. To tell you the truth, I was originally from the Hundred Flowers Gang, but I was assigned to the Black Dragon Society. My mission is now complete, and I must return." Before Zhu Jing could ask any questions, she continued, "I originally thought you were two friends of yours, heading to the Northern Gorge Mountain. The Black Dragon Society already knew about this. They use carrier pigeons to deliver messages, covering a thousand miles in a day. They probably had already laid a trap before they even reached the Northern Gorge. I didn't expect to have mistaken you for someone else and disturb you.

I'm truly sorry." As she spoke, she quickly gathered her hair, wrapped it with a black cloth, and abruptly stood up. She then said, "Alright, I've said what I needed to say. It's time for me to go. Take care, my lord." With that, she gracefully walked away. But as she reached the door, she couldn't help but turn back. In that instant, she had covered herself with a waxy yellow mask, leaving only her clear, large eyes, filled with boundless affection, to glance at Zhu Jing before turning and running away.

Zhu Jing watched, secretly amused, thinking, "This little girl has probably fallen for me."

Black Rose leaped onto the roof, left the inn, and landed, heading south. Just as she reached the vicinity of the Three Palaces, she saw two dark figures standing on either side of the road not far ahead. Without the moonlight, it would be impossible to spot them in the darkness unless one got close, but tonight was the full moon, the moonlight exceptionally bright. Those two dark shadows were neither trees nor people. Black Rose was incredibly astute; seeing people standing by the roadside, unable to distinguish friend from foe, she wouldn't willingly offer herself up. She immediately stopped. As soon as she stopped, she noticed the two figures slowly moving, approaching her. Black Rose remained standing, but her right hand had already subtly gripped the hilt of her sword. In the blink of an eye, the two figures appeared before her like ghosts. Black Rose could see them clearly now: both were dressed in black, one with a sallow face, the other ashen, their dark complexions giving them a sinister air. Black Rose immediately recognized the sallow-faced man as Number Twenty-Seven, who had come with her. Seeing him and the ashen-faced man appear together, she was startled and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your subordinate, Number Twenty-Eight, greets the Patrol Master." It turned out the ashen-faced man was called the Patrol Master; the Patrol Master was clearly a title within the Black Dragon Society.

The gray-faced man said in a sinister tone, "Number Twenty-Eight, do you know your crime?"

Black Rose's heart skipped a beat, but she wore a mask and remained completely composed, only bowing fearfully and saying, "This subordinate doesn't know what crime I've committed?"

The gray-faced man coldly snorted, "Bold girl, trying to deny it in front of me?"

Black Rose said, "My lord, please understand, this subordinate truly doesn't know what I've done wrong? Which rule of the organization have I violated?"

The gray-faced man snorted, "You really don't know? Fine, Number Twenty-Six, you tell her."

The sallow-faced man responded. "Yes," he said with a cold smile, "Before I left this time, I received a secret order from Hall Master Hao, who thought Number Twenty-Eight was quite suspicious and instructed me to keep an eye on your movements..."

Black Rose said, "I'm not Hall Master Hao's subordinate, how would he know if I'm suspicious or not?"

The sallow-faced man said, "You are Hall Master Shui's subordinate, so Hall Master Hao's secret order was naturally entrusted by Hall Master Shui." He continued, "After Number Nine committed suicide by poison, I deliberately said I was going to follow those two kids down there. Actually, we have people in Jin Shen Dun, so we don't need to..." "I wasn't following him. I did it just to see if there were any violations in the actions of Number Twenty-Eight..."

Black Rose sneered, "Where did I violate any rules?"

The sallow-faced man sneered, "What were you doing at the Gaosheng Inn last night?"

Black Rose coldly replied, "I thought that person was a bit suspicious, so I wanted to check on him. What's wrong with that?"

The gray-faced man said, "You don't need to argue anymore. Put down your weapon and come with me to see Master Shui."

Black Rose unconsciously took a step back, her right hand gripping the hilt of her sword tightly, and said, "Since the Patrol Master doesn't trust me... " "I will go see Master Shui myself,"

the gray-faced man said slowly, his lifeless gray eyes fixed on Black Rose. "Number Twenty-Eight, do you dare disobey?" As he spoke, he took out a thin black chain from his robes, with a small, exquisitely crafted iron lock on it. He slammed it to the ground with a clang and shouted, "Put it on yourself!"

Black Rose, seeing the instrument of torture, knew that arguing was futile. She took two steps back and sneered, "If the Patrol Master insists on framing me, let's go back to the hall and talk." She turned to leave.

The gray-faced man shouted, "You audacious wench, do you think you can escape?"

Without waiting for orders, the burly man with yellowed skin leaped forward, blocking Black Rose's path. Seeing that things had come to this point, Black Rose had no choice but to force her way in. A thought flashed through her mind, and she scoffed, "You want to fight me?" The word "fight" was followed by a sharp shout, "Get out of my way!" With a flick of her left hand, her short sword was drawn, unleashing a flurry of sword blossoms as she swept towards the sallow-faced man's chest. She had struck first, her sword flashing with

unparalleled ruthlessness. The sallow-faced man, not expecting her to dare attack in front of the patrol leader, hesitated to meet her attack head-on. He leaped back several feet, drawing his long sword at the same time, glaring and shouting, "You lowly wench, you really dare to fight!" The sword tip trembled as it lunged at Black Rose. Before he could get close, Black Rose let out a sharp cry, her sword flashing like the wind, unleashing eight consecutive strikes. These eight swords were continuous and deadly, each strike aimed at killing, creating a flurry of sword blossoms within a few feet.

The sallow-faced man, having lost the initiative, was almost powerless to retaliate except for parrying. He was greatly alarmed, and while parrying, he shouted, "Master, look at the swordsmanship this lowly servant is using!" As he shouted, he was forced back four or five steps. Black Rose, determined to escape, showed no mercy. With several consecutive sword strikes, she forced the sallow-faced man back, and without hesitation, she leaped forward, covering a distance of about ten feet. But just as she leaped a second time, her body suddenly trembled, and she fell to the ground with a thud.

The gray-faced man chuckled coldly, stepped forward, and said in a sinister tone, "Lowly servant, with your meager abilities, do you think you can escape from my grasp? Tell me, who sent you to infiltrate the organization?" He took the longsword from the sallow-faced man, vibrated the tip, and struck six or seven pressure points on Black Rose's body. Black Rose, now in his grasp, simply closed her eyes and remained silent.

The gray-faced man sneered, "In front of Yan, you think you can play dead? You're asking for trouble." Suddenly, he reversed his sword, striking Black Rose's chest with the hilt. The blow wasn't heavy, but the technique was clearly different from ordinary pressure point strikes. Black Rose's body trembled, and she let out a muffled groan.

The sallow-faced man looked at the gray-faced man in surprise and said, "This lowly wench is very stubborn. Let me teach her a lesson..."

The gray-faced man waved his hand slightly, smiling sinisterly, "You don't need to lift a finger. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, I'm not afraid she won't confess." The sallow-faced man was skeptical and dared

not ask further. "Hmm," the gray-faced man said, resting his chin on his hand, "Hmm," and continued, "Go and remove her mask. She can no longer be considered a member of this organization; she can no longer wear our mask. I'll take her veil back first." The sallow-faced man bowed and accepted the order, stepping forward and removing the mask from Black Rose's face. Upon removing the mask, he discovered that Black Rose's once pretty face was now completely pale, with beads of sweat on her forehead. He was secretly astonished and hurriedly presented the mask with both hands.

The grey-faced man tucked the mask into his robes and calmly sat down on a large rock by the roadside. In the short time that followed, beads of sweat, like soybeans, streamed down Black Rose's face, rolling incessantly. Her entire body trembled in waves, her teeth grinding together, clearly indicating she was struggling with excruciating pain and unbearable agony. She didn't groan, nor utter a sound. She simply gritted her teeth and silently endured. Her identity had been exposed, and she had accepted it. A beautiful young woman, in this instant, had been tormented into a monstrous, grotesque figure. The sallow-faced man's gaze was fixed on Black Rose's face, and he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine: "What methods did Yan Xun employ? They're so potent." The grey-faced man sat quietly to

one side, his heart seemingly made of iron; he seemed to have witnessed Black Rose's unbearable suffering, a pain that seemed to torment her to the point of wishing for death. Satisfied, he smiled sinisterly, slowly stood up, and gripped the sword tip upside down, lightly tapping the hilt against Black Rose's left breast. This was the disarming move; Black Rose, sitting there, suddenly trembled and slumped to the ground. The gray-faced man rolled his lifeless eyes and chuckled, "Number Twenty-Eight, you've tasted it, haven't you? Let me tell you, this is just a sample; the best is yet to come. I want to see just how much stamina you have."

Black Rose hissed, "Kill me!"

The gray-faced man sneered, "It's not that easy. You won't die unless you confess who sent you as a spy."

Black Rose slowly closed her eyes again, remaining silent. The gray-faced man snorted, "I don't believe you're made of copper or iron. If you don't talk, don't blame me for being ruthless."

He held the sword tip with three fingers and slowly tapped it towards Black Rose's chest. Just then, a delicate voice rang out from behind a large camphor tree on the right: "Stop!" The voice was clear and crisp, clearly belonging to a woman, and a young one at that! The gray-faced man's outstretched sword hilt stopped, and his lifeless gray eyes turned towards the source of the shout.

The large camphor tree, large enough for several people to encircle, its canopy like an umbrella, revealed two slender figures from behind it. The one in front appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a light pink silk shirt and a long black skirt. Her delicate, ethereal face, illuminated by the moonlight, seemed even more otherworldly. The one behind her was a young girl in green, with bangs covering her forehead and two long, glossy black braids hanging from her chest. She appeared to be a maid, yet was equally beautiful and clever. The gray-faced man, seeing that the newcomers were just two young girls, couldn't help but smirk and said, "Looks like you're in cahoots. That's perfect, you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, saving me the trouble of doing anything."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress raised an eyebrow and snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting? I was just passing by and couldn't stand your vicious methods against a defenseless Shi Niang."

The gray-faced man rolled his dead gray eyes and chuckled sinisterly, "What can you two little girls do if you can't stand it? I'll show you anyway." He held the sword hilt upside down and, as he spoke, slowly pointed it at Black Rose's chest.

The girl in green, one hand on her hip, angrily shouted, "You scoundrel! How dare you act so wildly in front of my young lady!"

The gray-faced man replied, "Why wouldn't I dare?"

The girl in the lotus-silk dress, her clear, watery phoenix eyes flashing with barely concealed anger, snorted and said, "If you touch her again, I'll cripple your right arm..."

The gray-faced man laughed loudly, "Little girl, if I were easily intimidated, I wouldn't be the Heavenly Dog Star! Just you wait and see." He pointed his sword hilt, its momentum extremely slow, almost touching Black Rose's chest.

At that moment, the girl in the lotus-silk dress suddenly raised her slender hand and shouted, "You really want me to make a move?"

The gray-faced man's right hand, about to strike with the sword hilt, suddenly felt something was wrong. His outstretched right arm went numb and he could no longer extend it. Startled, his five fingers gripping the sword tip loosened, and the long sword clattered to the ground. The sallow-faced man was equally startled and asked in a low voice, "Patrol Master, what's wrong?"

The gray-faced man turned pale with fright and shouted, "Go!" He stamped his foot, leaped up, and shot away like lightning. Seeing his patrol master fleeing wounded, the sallow-faced man dared not linger and followed closely behind the gray-faced man, flying away as well. In the blink of an eye, the two figures disappeared into the night.

The girl in green laughed, "Useless thing, scared away in an instant."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress said seriously, "Don't underestimate them. These two are extremely skilled. I only managed to strike when they were off guard. If it really came down to a fight, I'm afraid we wouldn't be a match for them." Then she said, "Let's go and see how badly this young lady is injured." She moved gracefully to Black Rose's side, bent down and asked, "Where is this young lady injured? Were they able to control her pressure points?"

Black Rose slumped to the ground, her eyes wide open, and said weakly, "Thank you so much for saving me, Miss, but I... I can't go on." As she blinked, two crystal tears rolled down her cheeks.

The girl in the lotus-silk dress sighed softly and said, "Tell me quickly where you are injured."

Black Rose shook her head slightly and said, "Miss, please don't touch me. I was hit by that scoundrel's vicious hidden weapon..."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress said, "You were hit by a poisoned hidden weapon, but it's alright. I have an antidote with me; perhaps it can cure you."

Black Rose said sadly, "It's no use. The poison I was hit by was extremely potent; there's no antidote in the world. I didn't die from the poison, but Tian Gou Xing blocked six of my meridians to force a confession, and the poison was temporarily suppressed..." As she said this, she looked at the girl in the lotus-silk dress. "Miss," said the young woman, "I have a favor to ask of you, Miss. Would you be so kind as to help me?"
The girl in the lotus-silk dress asked, "What is it? Just tell me. If it's within my power, I will do my best."

Black Rose said gratefully, "Thank you in advance."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress opened her bright, sparkling eyes and said, "Tell me, what is it?" Black Rose said sadly, "I have a small leather pouch close to my body. This cannot fall into the hands of the Black Dragon Society, so I have no choice but to entrust it to you, Miss..."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress asked, "This leather pouch must be very important. Would you like me to deliver it to you?" "Where to?"

Black Rose said, "The leather pouch isn't important, and it doesn't need to be sent anywhere. I just ask that you cremate it. Inside the pouch is a small, thin piece of iron with a hollow rose carved in the center. Tomorrow morning, please have this girl turn the iron upside down in a corner of the wall, so the rose is facing down, and smear it with ink in two or three places. That way, my companions will soon know I'm dead."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress nodded and said, "Okay, I promise you."

Black Rose added, "This is a very secretive matter; when you're smearing it, you mustn't let anyone see."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress... Shuang Dun frowned slightly and said, "Xiao Yan and I have never been active in the martial world. May I ask which gang you belong to?"

Black Rose replied, "I dare not lie to you, Miss. I am from the Hundred Flowers Gang. Since you rarely travel in the martial world, it would be best not to mention tonight's events to anyone."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress nodded and said, "I know. Every gang and faction has its secrets. I won't tell anyone."

Black Rose said, "Then I'll trouble Sister Xiao Yan to take out the leather pouch. I don't have much time left."

The girl in green said, "I'll get it." She squatted down and reached into Black Rose's clothing, taking out a small leather pouch.

Black Rose glanced at the sky, tears welling in her eyes, and said sadly, "There's one more thing, I almost forgot. There's a small black bottle in the leather bag. After I die, please ask Sister Xiao Yan to uncork it and sprinkle the powder on my face."

The girl in green casually opened the leather bag, took out a small black bottle, and asked, "Is this it?"

Black Rose nodded and said, "Yes." Then she looked up at the girl in lotus silk blouse and said, "I've said what I needed to say. Please release my pressure points, Miss."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress frowned and said, "If you release the acupoints, won't the poison attack my heart?"

Black Rose said, "That's right. Although six of my meridians are blocked, the poison can still gradually seep in after half an hour, and the pain will be even worse then. It would be better to release the acupoints now and let the poison attack my heart without any pain. I hope you will grant my request, Miss."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress hesitated for a long time and said, "I have never killed anyone before. How can I do this?"

Black Rose said, "It was the Heavenly Dog Star who killed me. You are saving me, Miss. If you don't..." "Untie my acupoints. Because six acupoints are blocked, the poison's effects are slower. Although I'm unconscious, my spirit isn't dead. This living torment is worse than death. Miss, I'm dying. Untie my acupoints so I can suffer less."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress glanced at her again before nodding sadly, saying, "Since you've said so, I'll untie your acupoints." She slowly bent down, but then hesitated, asking, "Is there anything else?" Tears welled up as she spoke.

Black Rose smiled sadly, "Thank you, no."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress wiped her tears, saying, "Then... alas... I... I really can't do it."

Suddenly, Black Rose trembled slightly, her face changing drastically. She stammered, "The poison... has... already... taken effect... Miss... quickly... quickly..." In an instant, she opened her mouth, but couldn't speak. It seemed the poison had already seeped into the blocked acupoints and was gradually taking effect! Seeing that Black Rose was speechless and unable to utter a sound, the girl in the lotus-silk dress had no choice but to push against her chest, releasing the pressure points that had been binding her. Upon hearing this, Black Rose's body suddenly shuddered, her already pale face gradually turning black, and black blood slowly trickling from the corner of her mouth.

The girl in the lotus-silk dress felt a chill run down her spine and sighed softly, "What a vicious hidden weapon! Ah, Xiao Yan, she told you to sprinkle the powder on her face, so hurry up and do it, we should go now."

The girl in green agreed, picked up the medicine bottle, uncorked it, and, mustering her courage, sprinkled the powder on Black Rose's face, saying, "Miss, let's hurry back to the inn." Her face was pale; she was clearly frightened.

The girl in the lotus-silk dress shook her head slightly and said, "We've been entrusted to burn this thing before we go back."

The girl in green asked, "Miss, do you want to burn it here?"

The girl in the lotus-silk dress replied, "No, this is always on the road; it wouldn't be good if someone saw us. Let's go to that dilapidated temple up ahead to burn it."

The girl in green said, "Miss, you're very thoughtful." In the time it took to say those two sentences, Black Rose's body had gradually decomposed, leaving only a pool of yellow liquid on the ground.

The girl in green was startled and exclaimed, "Miss, you...look, how...she's gone!"

The girl in the lotus-silk dress turned around, glanced at it, and said, "That's right, the powder she asked you to sprinkle on your face must be some kind of bone-dissolving pill. I once heard my father say that some vicious underworld figures in the martial arts world carry bone-dissolving pills with them. If they kill someone, they only need to flick a little on it with their fingernail, and the corpse will turn into a puddle of yellow liquid, which is used to destroy the evidence. She doesn't want people to know her background, so she asked you to sprinkle the powder on her to leave no trace."

The girl in green said, "What a pity, if I had known this bottle was bone-dissolving pills, I should have kept some."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress said, "We're not going to kill anyone, what use is such a vicious thing?"

The two girls approached the Three Palaces, a dilapidated temple that had been neglected for many years and had no incense offerings. It had two courtyards, but only the front courtyard was relatively intact; most of the back courtyard had collapsed. Under the moonlight, the weeds were sparse and the temple was dark and gloomy. The clever girl in green said, "Miss, we can't stay here long."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress smiled and said, "Who said we'd stay here? We'll burn the things and then go back." She took the leather pouch from the girl in green and opened it casually. Inside were only three items: a thin piece of iron, intricately carved with a rose; a mask as thin as a cicada's wing; and a silver dagger with a silk purple rose at the tip. Nothing else. The girl in the lotus-silk dress picked up the iron and handed it to the girl in green, saying, "This is probably their secret mark. She wants you to go to the corners of the street and mark a few places with ink. We'll burn the things and do it all at night when no one's around, fulfilling one of her wishes.

" The girl in green said, "She's already dead, why does she still want me to leave a mark for her?"

The girl in the lotus-silk dress smiled and said, "She wants you to place this rose with the center facing down, isn't that right?" "Flowers always face upwards, and stamens face downwards, doesn't that mean they've withered?"

the girl in green said. "But if it's painted on the corner of the wall, who would notice it?" The girl in the lotus-silk dress said, "I think the Hundred Flowers Gang members probably pass through here often. This is their own contact mark, so they'll naturally find it quickly."

As she spoke, she moved gracefully to the stone incense burner, turning back to say, "Little Yan, don't you have a tinderbox with you? Quickly, bring it here." The girl in green replied, "Yes," and took out a delicate tinderbox from her side, handing it over. Just then, the sound of horses' hooves was suddenly heard. It came from afar, growing closer.

The girl in the lotus-silk dress suddenly turned around and whispered, "Someone's coming."

The girl in green said, "Miss, hurry up and burn it, let's go."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress said, "It's too late, they seem to be coming this way, we must hide." As she spoke, her gaze quickly shifted. The shrine in the main hall was intact, with three statues of gods seated inside, each statue taller than a person, enough to hide two people. She grabbed Xiao Yan's hand and whispered, "Come with me quickly." The two leaped onto the cobweb-covered shrine, and just as they crouched down, the sound of horses' hooves reached the door. This clatter of hooves indicated at least three or four horses; what were they doing in this dilapidated temple so late at night? Two figures were already walking towards the temple gate.

The moonlight outside the hall was bright, making it easy to see the two men. One was of medium build, wearing a long blue cloth robe, while the other was tall and slender, wearing a long brown silk robe with floral patterns. Both carried long cloth bags on their backs, which were their personal weapons. They wore light, quick-moving boots with pink soles, indicating that they were both skilled fighters. They stepped into the hall, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings before they walked around the shrine to the left and right, heading towards the back. They seemed to be searching for something. After a short while, they returned from the back. The man of medium build in the blue robe said, "Brother Pan, let's stay here."

The man in the brown silk robe nodded and said, "Brother Shang is right. This place is rather secluded, so let's stay here." As he spoke, the man of medium build in the blue robe coughed, lighting a torch. Instantly, the hall was brightly lit. The girl in the lotus-silk dress quickly tugged at Xiao Yan's sleeve, lowered her head, and hid in the shadows, peeking out sideways. Just then, two more people entered carrying a burlap sack. The one on the left was thin, seemingly a scholar, while the one on the right was a page. The sack they carried looked extremely heavy; its contents were unknown. Judging by their presence in the middle of the night, carrying such a heavy sack to the dilapidated temple, they were probably there to divide the spoils.

The master and servant carried the sack to the altar and gently set it down. The young scholar sighed and said to the two who had entered earlier, "We've finally arrived. Tomorrow morning, when we reach the riverbank, someone will be sent to meet us. Your mission is complete. These past two days have been truly arduous for you." The man in the medium-sized blue robe and the man in the brown silk robe replied in unison, "You're too kind, young lady. It's our duty to protect you." It turned out that the young scholar was actually a young woman.

Just then, the pageboy took out a candle from his side, lit it, and placed it on the candlestick. The girl in the lotus-silk dress, hiding behind the shrine

, felt a growing anxiety. She thought, "Judging from the situation, they're going to spend the night here. How can the two of us get out of the shrine?" Just then, they heard the sound of horses' hooves approaching, stopping in front of the temple gate. A man in blue robes entered, carrying a large bundle. The young man, seeing him, eagerly asked, "Have you found Boss Jiang?"

The woman in green approached the young man, placing a large bundle on the ground. Panting, she said, "Found it! Oh, Sister Yu Rui, I heard some important news..."

The young man looked up and asked, "You're out of breath! What news did you hear?" As she spoke, she extended her slender, white hands and slowly opened the bundle. It turned out to be food: steamed buns, mantou, and various braised dishes; the buns were still steaming.

The young man, Yu Rui, raised his eyes and said, "Gentlemen, please sit down and eat." The two who had entered earlier had claimed to be protectors of the flowers, and now Yu Rui was calling them envoys—they were indeed protectors of the flowers! So everyone sat down on the ground around the large bundle of food.

The woman in green and the pageboy sat side-by-side to Yu Rui's right and continued, "It is said that Juechen Manor has been destroyed."

"Juechen Manor is destroyed?" The young man's expression tightened upon hearing this, and he asked in astonishment, "Who told you this?"

The man in blue said, "It was Boss Jiang who told me. This news can't be wrong. Boss Jiang has received instructions from above to meet us at Xinglong Teahouse."

The young man asked, "Have you heard who destroyed Juechen Manor?"

The man in blue said, "It's said that it was the old lady of the Tang Clan in Sichuan and people from Shaolin Temple who acted together."

The young man asked again, "Qi Chengchang isn't here, so what about the Black-Clad Rakshasa?" The man in blue said, "She escaped. The details are

still unclear to those outside."

The old man asked again, "What about the four in the VIP area?"

The man in blue replied, "The poison that had been used to weaken the Shaolin monks, Master Leshan, Tang Tianzong, Wen Yifeng, and Zhu Tianhua has long been neutralized. Just as the people from the Tang Clan of Sichuan and the Shaolin Temple were attacking the garden, the four VIPs suddenly appeared. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the black-clad Rakshasa had no choice but to escape through the tunnel." Hearing this, the girl in the lotus-silk dress hiding behind the statue was suddenly shocked and thought to herself, "So they kidnapped my father." The five people sitting around suddenly swayed twice, as if they were dozing off, and one by one they leaned to the side and lay down on the ground.

The girl in the lotus-silk dress had already stood up and said sweetly, "Xiao Yan, let's go down."

The girl in green laughed and said, "Miss, so it was you who knocked them down."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress jumped down from the shrine and said, "I did it to save someone."

The girl in green followed and jumped down, asking curiously, "Miss, you want to save someone? Where is the person?"

The girl in the lotus-silk dress said, "In a sack." As she spoke, she walked closer to the sack.

The girl in green followed and asked, "Miss, do you know who's in the sack?"

The girl in the lotus-silk dress shook her head slightly and said, "I don't know, but he must be a righteous person. Since we've encountered him, how can we stand idly by and let them take the land?"

The girl in green said, "Miss, should we cut the rope at the top of the sack?" With a swish, she drew a gleaming embroidered phoenix knife from her waist and was about to cut the rope tightly binding the top of the sack.

Suddenly, a voice came from inside the sack: "Miss Xiao Yan, don't cut me with a knife."

The girl in green was startled and exclaimed in surprise, "You can talk?" The

person in the sack chuckled and said, "I'm not mute, of course I can talk." The girl in

green asked, "Who are you? How do you know my name is Xiao Yan?"

The person in the sack said, "Miss Xiao Yan, please untie the ropes and let me out before I tell you."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress thought to herself, "If they didn't drug this person beforehand, they should at least have used acupressure on him. They wouldn't put a conscious person in a sack." Thinking this, she nodded to Xiao Yan and said, "Untie the ropes."

The girl in green did as she was told, untying the ropes as she said, "I know, you only know because you heard Miss call my name, right? Your ears are quite sharp."

The ropes were untied, the sack opened, and the person in the sack slowly stood up and stepped out. This man was tall and slender, dressed in a sky-blue robe, and appeared to be around forty-four or forty-five years old, with a fair complexion. His black beard flowed down to his chest, but his thick eyebrows gave him an air of inescapable menace. Beneath his thick eyebrows were a pair of intelligent phoenix eyes, shining brightly as if they could see right through a person's heart, making one hesitant to look directly at him. The girl in the lotus-silk dress rarely traveled the martial world and naturally did not recognize this man, but the moment she saw his luminous eyes, she felt an instant connection to him, and her heart skipped a beat. The black-bearded man clasped his hands in a deep bow and said with a smile, "I truly never expected to meet Miss Wen here."

The girl in the lotus-silk dress was even more taken aback, her beautiful, watery eyes widening as she returned the bow. She parted her cherry lips slightly and said softly, "May I ask how you came to know me, senior?"

The black-bearded man smiled and said, "I have disguised myself, no wonder you didn't recognize me."

Xiao Yan looked at him and interjected, "Who exactly are you?"

The black-bearded man said, "I am Ling Junyi."

The name "Ling Junyi" entered the ears of the girl in the lotus-silk dress, and two red clouds instantly rose on her pink face, both surprised and delighted. Ling Junyi, wasn't he the one she had been longing for? But before she could speak, Xiao Yan, looking surprised, blurted out, "You are Master Ling, but you don't look like him at all. Where did Master Ling get his long beard?"

Ling Junyi smiled and said, "As I just said, I have disguised myself." He reached into his robe and took out a colorful silk pouch, waving it in front of Xiao Yan.

The girl in the lotus-silk dress blushed even more and said, "Xiao Yan, it's him! Can't you even recognize Mr. Ling's voice?"

Xiao Yan giggled and said, "That's so funny! Why is Mr. Ling dressed up like this?"

Ling Junyi said, "I am impersonating Zhu Wenhua, the master of Longmian Manor." At this point, he suddenly said "Oh," and looked at the girl in the lotus-silk dress and said, "By the way, I met your father at Juechen Manor and spent three days with him..."

It turned out that the girl in the lotus-silk dress was Wen Wanjun. Before Ling Junyi could finish speaking, she anxiously asked, "What happened to my father?"

Ling Junyi replied, "Your father, along with Master Leshan of Shaolin and the old master of the Tang Clan in Sichuan, were all taken to Juechen Manor, and they were poisoned with a dissipating poison. Seven or eight tenths of their internal energy was lost..."

Wen Wanjun's brows furrowed slightly, and she exclaimed, "What should we do? Who exactly are the people at Juechen Manor?"

Ling Junyi said, "Please don't worry, young lady. I have already used a poison-repelling pearl to cure your father and the other two of them. I just heard them say that Juechen Manor was destroyed by the old lady of the Tang Clan in Sichuan in conjunction with the Shaolin monks, so your father and the others have escaped."

Wen Wanjun asked, "Wasn't Master Ling present when Juechen Manor was destroyed?"

Ling Junyi smiled and said, "I was already taken out by them."

Xiao Yan seemed to remember something, exclaimed "Ah!", and asked, "Master Ling, why didn't you let me cut the rope with a knife just now?"

Ling Junyi smiled and said, "If you cut the rope tying the bag, wouldn't that arouse their suspicion?"

Wen Wanjun looked at him tenderly and asked, "Master Ling, did you deliberately let them kidnap you? Are you trying to go deep into the tiger's den?"

Ling Junyi nodded and said, "What you say is true. My mother has been missing for several months. I disguised myself as Master Zhu and entered Juechen Manor to search for my mother."

Wen Wanjun looked at him tenderly and said, "Master Ling, would you like my help?"

Ling Junyi said gratefully, "I let them kidnap me only to secretly investigate my mother's whereabouts. I will not confront them directly. I am confident that I will not be in any danger. Thank you for your kindness, Miss."

Wen Wanjun looked at him and whispered, "But you always go into the Hundred Flowers Gang's most dangerous territory, alone and isolated. How can anyone..." Judging from her tone, she meant to say, "How can anyone feel at ease?" But she only got halfway through her sentence before blushing and lowering her head.

Ling Junyi's heart fluttered at her shy demeanor, and he quickly said, "I have the 'Clear Mind Pill' and the 'Dragon Poison-Repelling Pearl' from my family, which I've been given to me. I'm immune to sleeping potions and deadly poisons. If I relied on my true martial arts skills, I'm confident I could protect myself even in the most dangerous places." He then smiled and continued, "The only thing I need your help with right now is to make sure you tie the bag tightly when I re-enter it, and most importantly, don't let these unconscious people notice anything amiss."

Wen Wanjun nodded slightly and said, "I know." "

Xiao Yan chuckled, "If Master Ling is kidnapped by them and taken to the Hundred Flowers Gang, it's tantamount to entering the Land of Fragrances. Master Ling must be careful not to be bewitched by them."

Ling Junyi blushed at her words and said, "Miss Xiao Yan is joking."

Wen Wanjun's heart skipped a beat upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, and she gently scolded, "Xiao Yan, don't talk nonsense."

Ling Junyi suddenly exclaimed, "Oh," and asked, "How do you know they are from the Hundred Flowers Gang?"

Wen Wanjun said, "Tonight we encountered a member of the Hundred Flowers Gang by chance, and from the tone of their voices, they are undoubtedly from the Hundred Flowers Gang."

Ling Junyi cupped his hands to Wen Wanjun and said, "Take care, Miss. Please excuse me." After saying that, he stepped back into the sack and said, "Please trouble Miss Xiao Yan to tie the sack tightly again." Xiao Yan giggled as she pulled the bag shut for him, tying it securely with hemp rope.

Wen Wanjun, through the sack, whispered, "Mr. Ling, please be careful in everything."

Ling Junyi said, "When you leave, Miss, please blow out the candles and then wake them up."

Wen Wanjun replied, "Don't worry, I won't leave a trace." She then instructed Xiao Yan, "Xiao Yan, quickly go and give them some antidote; we should go now."

Xiao Yan agreed, leaning against the sack, and said, "Mr. Ling, we're leaving."

Ling Junyi, sitting inside the sack, replied, "Goodbye." Xiao

Yan took out the antidote, picked out a small amount with her fingernail, and gently flicked it into the nostrils of the five people. Wen Wanjun blew out the candle, and two figures, light as startled birds, gracefully darted out of the temple. A cool breeze seemed to blow through the main hall; the candlelight went out, but the wicks still had embers. The five people lying on the ground suddenly woke up. The middle-aged man surnamed Shang, dressed in blue, leaped up, immediately lit a torch, and relit the candle, illuminating the main hall once more. The man surnamed Pan, wearing a tea-colored silk robe, drew his sword with a clang and flew out like a whirlwind, leaping onto the roof. The man surnamed Shang also moved swiftly, shooting backward. The young gentleman, Yu Rui, blinked her pretty eyes and crisply ordered, "Liao Hua, Ping Hua, go quickly and check if anyone has touched the sack?" "

Liaohua and Pinghua agreed and went over together, but the sack was still lying there properly on the left side of the altar. Liaohua examined it carefully for a while, then looked up and said, "No, the sack is tied tightly, it hasn't moved at all."

The young master Yu Rui said, "That's strange. How could we have fainted for no reason just now?"

The pageboy Liaohua said, "Just now, a gust of wind probably blew out the candles. I just felt a darkness before my eyes. How could I have fainted?"

Pinghua added, "Yes, I was sitting there properly. I just felt the light go out, and then Envoy Shang lit a torch."

The young master Yu Rui shook his head slightly and said, "That's not right..." Before he finished speaking, a figure flashed, and the man surnamed Pan, wearing a brown silk robe, had already returned.

The young master Yu Rui asked, "Envoy Pan, did you find anything?" The man

in the brown silk robe shook his head and said, "Brother flew up to the roof. There aren't many houses in this area, and you can see at least half a mile in radius, but I didn't see any movement."

At this moment, the man surnamed Shang also came out from the back and continued, "There's not a soul in the back either." To them, it had only been a moment since the candlelight flickered. The

pageboy Liaohua involuntarily shivered and exclaimed in horror, "Sister Yurui, could there be a ghost here?"

Pinghua felt a chill run down her spine and stammered, "That's right, that gust of wind just now felt a bit chilly."

The young master Yurui felt suspicious but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She scolded, "Don't talk nonsense! The food's getting cold. Everyone, eat quickly!" Zhu

Jing, having nothing to do, finished washing and grooming himself as dawn broke. He paid the innkeeper's bill, mounted his jade dragon horse, and rode out of the city. Zhu Jing had never traveled far before, but he knew this road intimately. He dismounted in front of a noodle stall by the main road outside the city. He tied his horse to a tree, stepped into the pine shed, and found a seat. The waiter poured him a cup of tea and asked, "What would you like, sir?"

Zhu Jing replied, "Just give me a bowl of vegetarian noodles."

The waiter, seeing his clothes, assumed he was from a wealthy family, yet he only ordered a bowl of vegetarian noodles. He assumed he had misheard and continued with a forced smile, "Won't you have some wine, sir?"

Zhu Jing impatiently replied, "I don't drink. Hurry up and make me some noodles." The waiter, having been rebuffed, dared not say more, and simply nodded in agreement before retreating.

It was midday, and those on their way hadn't yet entered the city, but instead stopped for a bite to eat by the roadside before continuing their journey. Therefore, in the area outside the city gate, there were four or five food and drink stalls with their high-hanging signs, and at midday, their business was booming, always packed with customers. The stall Zhu Jing entered was the first one at the crossroads, taking advantage of its location and always being the first to be seated. At this moment, the four or five tables under the pine-covered awning were already full. Most of these people were peddlers and laborers in short, brown-clad clothes; as soon as they sat down, they put their feet on the benches, opened their chests, and shouted loudly… Drinking from large bowls often left them with a strong smell of sweat. Seeing that Zhu Jing was a pale-faced scholar with a refined appearance, they wisely refrained from crowding the four tables, keeping a seat for themselves and refusing to join the others.

Just then, two more men approached side-by-side. These two were also scholars, dressed in simple blue robes, appearing to be around sixteen years old, with fair skin and red lips—truly handsome! They seemed to have simply come for a stroll outside the city, not intending to stop for a meal, but the younger one, seeing Zhu Jing's jade horse tethered to a tree, couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh!" Looking up, he glanced at Zhu Jing and said softly, "Second Brother, let's have a meal here."

The older man looked at the shed full of rough, shirtless men and frowned slightly, saying softly, "You want to eat in a place like this?"

The younger man smiled and said, "Second Brother, come closer, I'll tell you a secret."

The older man was surprised and said, "What secret do you have? Isn't it better to say it like this? It's sneaky, what if someone sees us..."

The younger man didn't wait for him to finish, and chuckled, "A secret is a secret, of course. Come closer, then I can tell you." The older man said "Oh," and couldn't refuse, so he tilted his head and leaned in. The younger man whispered a few words in his ear.

A strange light flashed in the older man's eyes, and he nodded with a smile, "Okay." The two walked side by side to the shed. The older man stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhu Jing, and said, "Brother, is there anyone else sitting here?"

Zhu Jing quickly replied, "I am alone. Please, both of you, have a seat."

The waiter brought over tea and asked, "What would you two gentlemen like?"

The younger man said, "Slice a plate of braised dishes for us, and four ounces of Shaoxing wine, please."

After the waiter left, the older man said, "Third brother, would we like some wine?"

The younger man smiled and said, "Since we're having a snack, let's have some wine to moisten our throats."

Before the older man could speak, he said "Oh," and continued, "Second brother, didn't you just say that the horse you were tethering was as white as snow, without a single stray hair, and you were thinking of asking a horse trader to buy one for you?"

The older man said, "I was just saying. Such a magnificent horse is hard to find, even among thousands. Where are you going to buy one?"

The younger man said, "That's not necessarily true. I saw one last year, almost as good as the one tied to the tree, and the rider was a beautiful young woman. Ah, speaking of that girl, she's as beautiful as Chang'e in the moon. Anyone who glances at her will surely fall lovesick."

The older man chuckled and said, "Did you fall lovesick?"

The younger man said, "I was almost heartbroken for several days." He suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Second brother, do you know who that beautiful girl is?"

The older man shook his head and said, "I've never seen her, how would I know?"

The younger man spoke even softer, leaning closer, and said, "That girl is the famous Zhu Yaqin, also known as the Dragon Sleeping Phoenix. I heard she also knows martial arts." Although he spoke softly, Zhu Jing, who was at the same table, naturally heard him, and his face couldn't help but blush slightly.

The older man chuckled, "It's a good thing you didn't marry her. Otherwise, if she knew martial arts, you, as her husband, would be in deep trouble."

Zhu Jing raised an eyebrow, his face showing anger. Just then, a waiter brought him noodles, smiling obsequiously, "Please have your noodles, sir." Then another waiter brought over a plate of braised dishes for the two gentlemen in blue robes, along with a small tin pot of wine. The

younger man poured a cup of wine and offered it to Zhu Jing, smiling, "Brother, please have a drink too."

Zhu Jing coldly replied, "I don't drink."

The younger man said, "Brother, there's no need for such formality. We've met by chance, it's a matter of fate. May I ask your name?"

Zhu Jing glanced at him and saw that the man's face was smiling, and his bright eyes were staring at him intently. Zhu Jing blushed involuntarily. If he didn't speak up, it would be impolite for the man to ask with a smile, so he could only say coldly, "Zhu."

The younger one exclaimed, "Oh, it's Brother Zhu! I'm so sorry for my rudeness. Could it be that the jade dragon steed tied to the tree is yours?"

Zhu Jing only ate half of his bowl of noodles before putting it down. He took out a silver ingot from his side, placed it on the table, and got up to leave. A bowl of noodles cost only two coins, but his silver ingot weighed four or five coins. The waiter hurriedly called out, "Sir, please wait! I haven't given you your change yet."

Zhu Jing didn't turn his head, mounted his horse, and galloped away down the main road. The younger and older men looked at each other and smiled. The older man whispered, "You've angered him and made him run away."

The younger man chuckled, "Let's hurry and chase after him." They didn't even bother with wine or food, took out a silver ingot, placed it on the table, and hurriedly left their seats.

Zhu Jing had been walking for a short while when he noticed the two men following him. He was secretly annoyed, thinking, "I'll see what you two are up to." He dismounted and waited for them.

The two men rode up and dismounted as well. The younger one walked up to Zhu Jing and said with a smile, "Cousin, don't you recognize me?"

Zhu Jing was slightly taken aback when he heard him call him cousin. Looking at the younger man, he clasped his hands and asked, "How should I address you, brother?"

The younger man chuckled lightly, "Cousin, you really are forgetful. That's understandable. Although we are cousins, we've only met once. Perhaps you really can't remember. How is Cousin Yaqin?"

Zhu Jing's face flushed red.

He said in surprise, "You…" The younger man interrupted, "I am Ling Junping." Suddenly, he grabbed Zhu Jing's arm, pulled her aside a couple of steps, and whispered in her ear, "Cousin, I am Ruping." It turned out she was Fang Ruping, and Zhu Jing was her cousin, so she was naturally Zhu Yaqin.

Zhu Yaqin (Zhu Jing) was startled again, quickly turning her arm around and fixing her starry eyes on Fang Ruping's face, saying, "You are..."

Fang Ruping said softly, "I've disguised my face."

Zhu Yaqin grasped her slender hand and said directly, "Cousin, who is this? Quickly introduce her to your cousin." Fang

Ruping said, "She is Tang Wenqing, the second young lady of the Tang family in Sichuan." The three girls naturally had endless things to talk about when they met.

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