Chapter 66

Meng Qi met Cui Xu not in the main hall of the city lord's residence, nor in the study, but in the garden between the inner and outer courtyards.

Cui Xu was a lean middle-aged man who, in his youth, had undoubtedly been handsome and dashing, exuding a refined and stern demeanor even now, with a long beard and a graceful bearing.

He was accompanied by four people, two of whom Meng Qi had met before: one was Cui Xiujin, the young lady of the Cui family, with a charming face and a preference for red clothes, and the other was Fei Zhengqing, the chief constable with a long face and a beard.

The other two were slightly older than Fei Zhengqing. One was a plump old man with white hair and many wrinkles, but a ruddy complexion and a straight back, often smiling, making him seem particularly approachable and amiable. The other was over fifty, with a dark red face, bushy eyebrows, and abundant hair and beard.

Seeing this group of five, Meng Qi was slightly taken aback. There was Cui Xiujin, but not the young city lord Cui Jinhua. Could he be out on some business?

"Master Zhen Ding, I apologize for the abrupt invitation. Please forgive me," Cui Xu, though always stern, maintained the proper etiquette as a master of the righteous path.

Meng Qi clasped his hands together and said straightforwardly, "Amitabha, the Twelve Beasts have wreaked havoc in the world, with countless lives lost. They are deeply sinful. Upon hearing that Shen Hou committed a bloody crime in Tian Ding City, I would have come even if the city lord had not invited me."

After greeting, Cui Xu nodded with a stern expression, "Master Zhen Ding, your compassion is commendable. I thank you on behalf of the people of Tian Ding City."

After the pleasantries, Fei Zhengqing took over the conversation with a smile, "Master Zhen Ding, you are a guest from afar. Allow me to introduce you. I am Fei Zhengqing, the chief constable of Tian Ding City, responsible for capturing Shen Hou. This is Mr. You Tongguang, the city lord's sworn brother, known as the 'Living God of Wealth.'"

He pointed to the old man who was always smiling.

So, this is You Tongguang... Meng Qi greeted him without showing any emotion, memorizing his appearance, build, clothing, and mannerisms.

"This is Mr. Mu Shan, the chief of the Southern Eighteen Waterways, also the city lord's sworn brother, known as the Third Master Mu." Fei Zhengqing introduced the old man with a dark red face and abundant hair and beard.

Mu Shan nodded lightly, his gaze filled with suspicion as he looked at Meng Qi.

"I won't introduce Miss Xiujin, as I believe you are already acquainted," Fei Zhengqing said, putting away his smile and speaking sincerely, "Master Zhen Ding, your ability to wound Shen Hou with a single strike makes you one of the top experts in the world. I hope you will assist us in capturing him."

"Heh." Mu Shan laughed, with a hint of disdain, but did not make any extreme moves.

"Chief Constable Fei, please ask your questions." Meng Qi was not worried that Fei Zhengqing would identify him as "Shen Hou" based on his height, which was the most common.

Fei Zhengqing nodded, "Master Zhen Ding, please do not take offense at my questioning. I apologize in advance, but it is a matter of habit."

After receiving Meng Qi's confirmation, he began to ask, "Where did you come from, and where did you encounter Shen Hou?"

"I returned from the far west and was traveling the world. While on a boat, I happened to see Shen Hou brutally killing Mr. Zhang and his wife..." As Fei Zhengqing asked questions, Meng Qi described the events, mixing truth and falsehood. He portrayed himself as an outstanding swordsman who had severely wounded Shen Hou with a single strike, but Shen Hou, due to his hard training, had feigned death to escape.

Fei Zhengqing continuously asked about the details, but Meng Qi had thoroughly prepared, ensuring his account matched the description given by Mr. Zhang and his wife, without any contradictions.

"Master Zhen Ding, you are truly a master of the sword. Shen Hou, with his formidable hard training and sword skills, was defeated by you. It is embarrassing to admit, but from the ease with which Jin Ancheng was killed, with little sign of a struggle, I fear I would not be a match for Shen Hou," Fei Zhengqing smiled, but his expression still carried a hint of doubt.

Even if Shen Hou's injuries were not severe due to his hard training, for him to recover and defeat me so quickly is too incredible to believe, unless Shen Hou's martial arts are just a step away from unlocking the secrets of the human body.

And if that is the case, Master Zhen Ding, who defeated him head-on, must be at least at that level. For someone of your age, that is truly terrifying!

Before Meng Qi could respond, Mu Shan laughed without a smile, his gaze sharp like an eagle, "Master Zhen Ding, your story is well-told, but I do not believe it. Even a genius cannot bypass the hard work!"

"Let me test you!"

As he spoke, he drew his long sword and lunged forward. Cui Xu, Fei Zhengqing, and You Tongguang did not stop him, but watched Meng Qi with intense interest.

Meng Qi, sitting on a stone bench, smiled and did not move. With a light stroke, he cut through Mu Shan's attack just as it was about to unfold, striking him in the most uncomfortable spot.

This was not the Blood Sword technique, nor the Five Tigers Breaking the Gate technique, but a few moves Meng Qi had developed over the past seven months by breaking down the relatively simple variations of the "Ananda Breaking the Precepts" technique, using his own two sword techniques as the framework.

Meng Qi hoped that in time, this would become a complete set of techniques, a set of techniques that would be quite good even at the Enlightenment stage.

Even without the immersion of sword intent, the changes lost their charm and brilliance, but by the standards of the Qi Accumulation stage, these few moves were still exquisite and contained a subtle and indescribable charm.

In this world, apart from the seven masters who had not yet engaged in combat, Meng Qi felt that the top experts were at the level of Qi Accumulation Mastery, just short of Enlightenment. For some reason, Meng Qi felt that cultivation in this world was missing something, with more constraints and far less efficient than in his own Shaolin.

Seeing Meng Qi's miraculous move, Cui Xu's eyes narrowed slightly, and Fei Zhengqing and You Tongguang also shed their other expressions, their focus hiding their shock.

The momentum of Mu Shan's attack was interrupted at a critical moment, causing his blood to surge and his breathing to become labored. But he was not old in spirit, gritted his teeth, and changed his stance, circling around Meng Qi and slashing from the side.

Meng Qi did not move his feet or body, but with a casual stroke, like a waterfall, he struck the weak point of Mu Shan's long sword, forcing him to take a step back.

Mu Shan roared and lunged forward again, but his three consecutive attacks, after Meng Qi's seemingly casual strikes, dissipated like thunder without rain.

"Third Brother, stop testing. Master Zhen Ding's sword skills are truly miraculous," Cui Xu stopped Mu Shan, describing Meng Qi's moves as "miraculous."

Mu Shan stopped, panting heavily, and as he recalled the encounter, his competitive spirit crumbled.

Seeing this, Meng Qi smiled, "I cannot accept the city lord's praise."

These few moves are still scattered and lack a coherent system. If we continue, the miraculous effect will be lost, and after a few more moves, Mu Shan might figure out the problem and force me off the bench, leading to a battle of movement. If the "Divine Traveling Hundred Transformations" technique is revealed, Fei Zhengqing would surely recognize it. Last night, when I was struggling against the Black Shadow Sword, the "Divine Traveling Hundred Transformations" was fully utilized.

So, Cui Xu's intervention was timely.

Cui Xu turned to Fei Zhengqing, who shook his head in shock and seriousness, indicating that this was completely different from Shen Hou's sword skills, belonging to a different level.

Shen Hou's sword skills, besides the common large-scale movements, had a touch of the bizarre, making his attacks and movements unpredictable and unorthodox, unlike the righteous path. Master Zhen Ding's sword skills, on the other hand, were profound and exquisite, containing deep principles.

Cui Xiujin, from the moment Meng Qi drew his sword, had not closed her mouth, watching the encounter in a daze. Now, she murmured, "Master, it turns out you never used your full strength when we fought..."

I thought the gap between me, Master, and Shen Hou was not that great...

Cui Xu stood up and bowed, "Due to Shen Hou's earlier injuries, I suspected that the Shen Hou last night was a disguise. Now, I see that it was a baseless suspicion. I apologize, Master."

He spoke openly and apologized.

"The city lord's urgency is understandable," Meng Qi replied sincerely.

Just as he was about to ask about the crimes committed by "Shen Hou," a servant rushed into the garden, his face filled with shock and fear.

"City lord, city lord, something terrible has happened!" He waved a red letter in his hand, unable to focus.

Everyone, including Meng Qi, looked over, and Cui Xu said sternly, "Speak slowly."

The servant took two deep breaths, presented the red letter, and said, "City lord, this is the challenge letter from the White-robed Sword God. In seven days, he will come to challenge you."

This news had already spread widely, so he did not consider Meng Qi's presence.

Luo Qing, the White-robed Sword God?

One of the seven masters!

This will be a rare confrontation between masters!

Meng Qi and the others were shocked, but Cui Xu's expression did not change, "I have long wished to learn from Master Luo. I accept the challenge."

With these words, the confrontation was inevitable.

"Truly a time of many troubles..." You Tongguang and Fei Zhengqing sighed in unison.

Due to this event, their attention shifted from Shen Hou, and after a brief exchange with Meng Qi, they escorted him out of the residence.

"They are still using the same story from the rumors. What are they trying to hide? Or are they afraid of alerting the enemy?" This situation was confusing, leaving Meng Qi scratching his head.

"But with such a major event today, You Tongguang will likely return home very late, giving me an opportunity," Meng Qi thought to himself.

Since You Tongguang might be a remnant of the Snow God Palace and possibly knew strange techniques like the "Illusory Transformation," Meng Qi did not confront him directly like he did with Jin Ancheng. Instead, he planned to take a more indirect approach.

Moreover, Meng Qi wanted to use this opportunity to find a way to complete the side mission.

...

As night fell, Meng Qi, who had been monitoring the You residence and confirmed that You Tongguang had not returned, changed into night clothes, put on a mask, and used his movement technique to quietly infiltrate You Tongguang's study.

There was nothing special in You Tongguang's study, except for a white jade Buddha statue that seemed priceless.

Meng Qi searched the nearby bedroom but found no clues related to the Snow God Palace. He returned to the study, found a piece of white paper, and, changing his handwriting, wrote in the style of the thief king Chu Liuxiang:

"I have heard of your white jade Buddha, exquisitely carved, a masterpiece of art. Today, I have seen it, and it is indeed as described."

"However, taking without permission is not the way of a guest. I leave this letter to inform you that in six days, I will come to take it under the moonlight. You, being a refined and understanding person, will not let me return empty-handed."

"Respectfully, Shen Hou."

...