Chapter 56

A dark figure darted out from the forest, almost as if it had shrunk the distance, and before Meng Qi could react, it struck the back of Zhen Yong with a palm.

This palm was plain and unremarkable, seemingly done casually, making it hard to discern the origin of the technique. However, Zhen Yong's acupoints were sealed, and his hands were bound, leaving him unable to make any effective response. His eyes widened, his mouth opened, and he spat out a mist of blood, collapsing to the ground with a look of shock frozen on his face.

"Definitely an expert at the Enlightenment stage!" Meng Qi's pupils contracted. From the black-clothed person's movements, he initially judged this to be the case. At the same time, he held his precept knife horizontally, ready to fight to the death!

Defense was impossible; only by making the black-clothed person realize that he was not an easy opponent, willing to risk his life, and unable to resolve the situation quickly, would he consider the other monks summoned by Zhen Hui and retreat!

The figure was dressed in nightclothes, with only the nose and eyes exposed. After killing Zhen Yong, it did not stop but ran straight toward Meng Qi, raising its right palm and bringing it down with a grand and solemn momentum, as if enveloping the heavens and earth.

Meng Qi felt that no matter what movement he made, no matter which step of the "Divine Transformation of a Hundred Changes" he took, he would be enveloped by the palm wind, with no way to avoid or escape!

What kind of palm technique was this!

Wisdom and clarity, solemn and pure, the palm contained the heavens and earth!

Meng Qi recognized this as a Buddhist palm technique. When practiced to a high level, it could evolve into a "Buddhist Kingdom in the Palm," suppressing all things. Therefore, it seemed simple but could seal off all his subsequent movements.

Facing this palm, Meng Qi clearly knew that without mastering the essence of the knife path, neither the Blood Knife technique nor the Five Tigers Interrupting the Gate Knife technique had any chance of breaking through this seal. The "Divine Transformation of a Hundred Changes" lacked the inner essence of law and reason, unable to step out of the web of heaven and earth. The Fourth Level of the Golden Bell Cover could probably only withstand one palm!

After the black-clothed person struck, it had no doubt that it would hit the novice monk who had not yet reached the Enlightenment stage. This was confidence in its divine palm and its martial arts!

Holding the Prajna, proving the Tathagata, crossing the sea of suffering, reaching the other shore of purity!

In the face of life and death, with great terror, Meng Qi suddenly narrowed his eyes, a smile spreading across his face, as if enjoying the solemnity and purity brought by this palm.

Then, a glint of the knife appeared, the world seemed to be in a state of turmoil!

This glint of the knife, poetic and picturesque, entered the eyes of the black-clothed person. His eyes suddenly softened, as if he remembered the red sleeves and the fragrant scent, the soft and tender words, and the long prostration before the Buddha in the middle of the night, which could not bring back the purity of his Zen heart.

Then, his eyes were filled with a mix of pain, as if feeling guilty and self-reproachful, but without any regret.

With the purity cut off, how could the Prajna exist? The black-clothed person's palm, which contained the heavens and earth, returned to an ordinary palm.

"Bad!" The black-clothed person suddenly woke up, but the knife light was already upon him!

His pupils contracted violently, never expecting that this seemingly weak novice monk could deliver such a stunning blow!

The light dissipated, and the person retreated.

Meng Qi's left shoulder bore a deep palm print, his body faintly golden, with a dull color.

The black-clothed person had a deep wound on his abdomen, almost revealing the internal organs.

He covered his abdomen with his left hand, a layer of qi spreading to prevent the blood from dripping, and raised his right palm, as if preparing to attack again.

Meng Qi lowered his shoulder and held his knife horizontally, once again ready to fight to the death.

The black-clothed person took a step forward, his body suddenly bowing even more. After giving Meng Qi a deep look, he suddenly flipped like a kite and darted into the forest.

After seven or eight breaths, the sound of footsteps came from a distance.

"Senior Brother, are you okay?" Zhen Hui ran in, seeing Zhen Yong lying dead and Meng Qi standing stiffly, and asked with concern.

Meng Qi saw many yellow and gray-robed monks behind him, feeling relieved. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Come and help me up."

He was almost unable to stand!

Although the black-clothed person's palm had been broken by "Cutting Off Purity," and much of its force was withdrawn under the threat of the precept knife, it was still an attack from an Enlightenment stage expert, striking Meng Qi's left shoulder and almost breaking his Golden Bell Cover.

"The murderer is definitely not a newly enlightened expert; otherwise, a full-strength palm would not have caused such an effect." Meng Qi judged the black-clothed person's strength internally.

He had achieved the Fourth Level of the Golden Bell Cover, which had reduced most of the palm force, so he did not suffer serious injuries. However, after using "Cutting Off Purity," he felt somewhat drained, as it was a peak-level external technique—though Meng Qi's performance was only at the level of opening four or five acupoints.

Zhen Hui quickly ran to Meng Qi's side and supported him. Among the monks who followed, a plain-faced monk carefully examined the cause of Zhen Yong's death and then observed Meng Qi's injuries.

The other monks searched the area.

"The palm force is powerful; the murderer is likely a fairly good expert at the Enlightenment stage." The plain-faced monk nodded slightly. "Unfortunately, this palm was deliberately concealed, making it impossible to identify the technique."

"Senior Uncle, this is a serious matter. I don't know if Zhen Hui has explained clearly, but Zhen Yong and the murderer colluded to copy the 'Yi Jin Jing'!" Meng Qi said straightforwardly.

With the black-clothed person having escaped, the situation was now clear, but the enemy was still hidden. Meng Qi felt uneasy and wanted to emphasize the severity of the matter to gain enough attention to quickly find the mastermind.

As for the "oil paper package" that fell, even if it could withstand the poison, just mentioning that the secret manual fell would ensure that the Shaolin Temple would send people to search—otherwise, where did the manual go? Was it hidden?

"What? The 'Yi Jin Jing'?" The plain-faced monk was shocked, and the surrounding monks who heard Meng Qi's words were similarly shocked and disbelieving.

"Yes." Meng Qi, feeling a bit better, recounted the events in detail, leaving the rescue monks stunned and amazed, as if a demonic land had invaded a pure place.

"This is a serious matter, a serious matter. Xuan Yuan, go to the Bodhi Hall and report. Xuan Hua, go to the Discipline Hall." The plain-faced monk's face turned pale, his Zen heart shaken, as this was probably the first time in the temple's history that one of the treasures had been truly stolen.

After the two yellow-robed monks left, he looked at Meng Qi and said, "Senior Nephews, this is a serious matter. Please understand, I need to search you."

He was afraid they might have colluded and fabricated the story of the manual rolling down the cliff, hiding the copy of the 'Yi Jin Jing.'

Meng Qi naturally wanted to prove his innocence to avoid suspicion. He had nothing to hide—since he was practicing the Golden Bell Cover, the Blood Knife technique and the 'Divine Transformation of a Hundred Changes' were hidden in his meditation room.

"I understand, but Senior Uncle, please send people to search the monks quickly. An Enlightenment stage expert can move freely in the temple, so it must be a Shaolin disciple. Moreover, I am certain he used a Buddhist palm technique." Meng Qi wanted to catch the murderer, so he urged, "My precept knife struck his abdomen, causing a deep wound that will not heal quickly. Please have the monks check the abdomens of every monk."

"The situation is urgent; we must prevent him from injuring other monks to confuse the issue."

"You, you struck his abdomen?" The plain-faced monk was stunned, unable to believe that a novice monk who had been a disciple for less than a year and had not yet reached the Enlightenment stage could injure an Enlightenment stage expert.

When Meng Qi described the fight, he had been vague to conceal his Arhat Breaking Precepts Knife technique. The surrounding monks thought the black-clothed person had been scared off by Meng Qi's determination and their arrival, but they did not know he had actually injured the Enlightenment stage expert!

"Senior Uncle, it was a coincidence. Please search and inspect first." Meng Qi did not elaborate, adding, "Senior Uncle, I believe the black-clothed person is a monk from a nearby courtyard. He must have heard Zhen Hui's call and, knowing the terrain, came to silence Zhen Yong. Otherwise, if he had been hiding nearby, he would not have given Zhen Hui the chance to call for help."

"But he was wearing nightclothes, and we arrived quickly..." The plain-faced monk was skeptical. If the time to change clothes was added, the advantage of knowing the terrain would be negated, and the murderer would have no opportunity to commit the crime and escape.

Meng Qi speculated, "Perhaps he was wearing nightclothes when he met Zhen Yong to exchange the manual and had not yet changed clothes when he returned... Senior Uncle, when searching and inspecting, also check who from the nearby courtyards did not come!"

The more he spoke, the more he felt it made sense.

"Amitabha, let's do as he says." At this moment, an old monk in a red robe entered.

The plain-faced monk quickly clasped his hands together, "Greetings, Senior Uncle Wude. I will act immediately."

The old monk nodded lightly, indicating no need for formalities, then looked at Meng Qi and Zhen Hui, reciting a Buddhist chant, "I am sorry."

He extended his right hand, grabbed the air, and Meng Qi and Zhen Hui's monk robes immediately swelled, as if a gentle breeze was blowing.

"Zhen Hui, take me back over the path you took to report." Wude retracted his right hand, confirming that Meng Qi and Zhen Hui did not have the manual.

He wanted Zhen Hui to lead the way to prevent them from using the chaos to hide the manual.

Zhen Hui looked at Meng Qi honestly, worried that leaving would cause his senior brother to fall.

Meng Qi smiled at him, moved his hands and feet, indicating that he had recovered some strength, and then left the cliff edge with Wude.

The other monks began searching every place between the cliff and the forest, even reaching out to feel the cracks in the cliff face, leaving no place unchecked.

After a while, Wude returned with Zhen Hui and asked Meng Qi about the feeling when the murderer attacked.

Meng Qi honestly described his feelings, and Wude's frown deepened, saying, "There are not many similar palm techniques..."

At this moment, the plain-faced monk returned, followed by Meng Qi and Zhen Hui's master, Xuan Bei, and Meng Qi's familiar martial monk instructor, Zhen Miao.

Zhen Miao's expression was strange, a mix of anger, sadness, confusion, shock, and disbelief. The plain-faced monk had a similar expression, but Xuan Bei's face showed no emotion.

"Senior Uncle Wude, when searching the courtyards, we found Zhen Chang had committed suicide in his meditation room, with a clear wound on his abdomen and a suicide note." The plain-faced monk reported and handed over the note, giving Meng Qi a deep look—he had actually injured Zhen Chang, the strongest disciple of this generation!

Zhen Chang? Senior Brother? Meng Qi was shocked, unable to believe that a monk with a bright future would do such a thing with Zhen Yong!

And he committed suicide?

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