Chapter 72

Meng Qi had been trailing You Hongbo from a distance, not daring to get too close for fear of being discovered by Xiang Shen. It was only when the door closed that he confirmed Xiang Shen's presence and exerted all his skills to rush over.

He casually jumped into the room, slowly closed the window, and waited for Mao Tu to speak first, to avoid any rules of the Twelve Xiang Shen that he might not be aware of.

Seeing how relaxed Shen Hou looked, as if he were back at home, You Hongbo felt both angry, annoyed, and resentful. He had always prided himself on his intelligence, but he never imagined that his anxiety over the lost goods would attract the attention of two major Xiang Shen, Mao Tu and Shen Hou. In his haste, he had let his guard down completely.

"Why did you come?" Mao Tu couldn't help but ask first.

Meng Qi chuckled, "Of course, to capture Uncle You in exchange for the white jade Buddha statue. Otherwise, even if I had three heads and six arms, I couldn't steal the statue with so many experts surrounding it."

He had thought of an excuse long ago, but in his heart, he mocked the idea. If he really had three heads and six arms, or even the seventy-two transformations, he could easily steal the statue even if the room was packed with experts.

"Why did you steal the Buddha statue so openly?" Mao Tu didn't doubt him and instead asked about the letter left behind.

"An earlier mission I took on couldn't be completed without such a high-profile approach," Meng Qi answered vaguely.

Mao Tu, not wanting to pry into others' missions, nodded. "My task is to take You Hongbo away. Don't compete with me."

"No problem. As long as You Hongbo disappears, I'm sure You Tongguang will comply," Meng Qi replied nonchalantly. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and he looked at the closed window, speaking in a grave tone, "White-robed Sword God..."

Mao Tu was startled and listened intently to the sounds outside. But suddenly, she saw Shen Hou's figure flash, and he pounced on her like a ghost, his hands aiming directly at her chest acupoints.

Caught off guard, she couldn't dodge and retaliated in kind, her hands also reaching for Meng Qi's chest.

She didn't believe that her expertise in hand techniques would be inferior to Shen Hou, who was only known for his sword skills!

Her speed was faster than Meng Qi's, and her fingers glowed with a dark light as they grabbed several major acupoints on her chest.

A dark golden light flowed, and Mao Tu felt as if she had struck metal, the pain unbearable. Then, her chest went numb, and she stood frozen in place.

Meng Qi panted heavily, adjusting his breathing to dispel the numbness in his chest. Mao Tu's point-striking technique was quite special, managing to penetrate the defense of the Golden Bell Cover and affect his acupoints. If he hadn't deliberately avoided the vital point, it would have been a lose-lose situation.

"It seems I can never underestimate anyone's skills, nor can I always be so crude and simple..." Meng Qi reflected inwardly.

He knew he had very little knowledge of the Twelve Xiang Shen's internal affairs, and any wrong answer could raise suspicion. Therefore, he never intended to pry information from Mao Tu but planned to capture her directly and interrogate her about the secrets, codes, and dialogues of the Twelve Xiang Shen, so he could smoothly infiltrate and complete the side mission.

"What do you want to do?" Mao Tu asked in fear.

Meng Qi didn't answer, directly sealing her and You Hongbo's vocal cords, and carried them out.

This wasn't a good place to interrogate for information.

Just as he stepped into the courtyard, Meng Qi suddenly stopped, his playful monkey face now serious.

Under the wutong tree in the courtyard, the fallen leaves swirled, and a figure in white stood out, a long sword gleaming with a cold light, drawing everyone's attention.

The man was tall and slender, with eyebrows like dragons and a nose like a hanging gallbladder. His white robe was spotless, and his cold demeanor exuded decisiveness.

He was handsome, but everyone would overlook this, focusing instead on his deep, sharp black eyes.

The White-robed Sword God, Luo Qing!

Meng Qi almost sighed in frustration. Was he a jinx, or did he just say it and he came?

Luo Qing stared at Meng Qi, his voice icy, "The Twelve Xiang Shen, guilty of heinous crimes, deserve death."

Then he raised his sword, saying calmly, "Draw your blade."

Can I say I'm not Shen Hou... Meng Qi didn't know Luo Qing's stance and naturally wouldn't reveal his identity. He put down Mao Tu and You Hongbo, drew his ring knife with his right hand, and immersed his mind, touching the Plum Rain Needle with his left hand.

The long sword thrust out, and all the light in the courtyard seemed to converge on it, the cold light piercing, the skin tingling.

In Meng Qi's field of vision, there was only the sword light, occupying all space, blocking the sky, coming from all directions, overwhelming and unstoppable.

The power of one sword, terrifying indeed!

Meng Qi knew his senses had been completely affected, but knowing was one thing, and at this moment, he couldn't distinguish the true direction of the sword. Even if he set up a wall of defense, it would only be a sensory illusion, with countless vulnerabilities in reality.

Luo Qing must have opened a mental secret treasury, no wonder he dared to challenge Cui Xu upon entering the Master level!

And he was even more terrifying than Cui Xu, not just a shadowy figure but a sword hidden in all directions. The Plum Rain Needle could only deal with one direction, helpless!

Meng Qi closed his eyes, focused his hearing, and forgot his skin. The world instantly became quiet, as if he were chanting in a temple, as if he were in a meditative state, as if he were hearing the evening drums and morning bells.

Then, the long knife rose, the Buddha statue collapsed, the noise entered his ears, and the bells and drums were damaged!

The knife intent erupted, unobstructed, and Meng Qi miraculously grasped the trace of Luo Qing's sword.

Luo Qing's expression was slightly dazed, seemingly affected by the knife intent, and his sword slowed a bit.

Just as Meng Qi was about to deliver the "Cutting Purity" strike, several people suddenly flew into the courtyard, some bare-handed, some with long sticks, and various weapons. But they all had one thing in common: they wore masks, representing Rat, Tiger, Ox, Snake, and others.

The Twelve Xiang Shen?

Meng Qi was startled and didn't deliver the "Cutting Purity" strike. These seven or eight Xiang Shen didn't target him but took advantage of Luo Qing's slight daze to attack with knives, swords, and sticks, their killing intent overwhelming.

Luo Qing's long sword swept, and most of the Xiang Shen's weapons magically changed direction, striking empty space. Only Zi Rat, with his hands flying, managed to get close to Luo Qing.

Luo Qing's expression remained unchanged, and he lowered his sword, using the hilt to strike Zi Rat's hands.

They were using me to assassinate Luo Qing?

Meng Qi was shocked. Fortunately, he hadn't truly used the "Cutting Purity" strike. If his trump card had been revealed, and he had been exhausted, he would have been in grave danger facing these ruthless Xiang Shen.

Amidst the chaos, and with no knowing if there were more ambushes outside, Meng Qi didn't want to get entangled and carried You Hongbo away.

Although he didn't know where he had slipped up, the current situation proved that the Twelve Xiang Shen had already seen through his identity and set a trap, using the You Hongbo incident to lure him into a confrontation with Luo Qing, and then suddenly attack to assassinate Luo Qing at a critical moment!

So, capturing Mao Tu was no longer necessary.

The Xiang Shen who came were all dealing with the White-robed Sword God, and no one stopped Meng Qi as he slipped away. Only Mao Tu slowly stood up, gazing at Meng Qi's back.

She hadn't been sealed!

"Your point-striking technique is too weak. I wanted to trick you..." she gritted her teeth, but knowing her strength was far inferior to Meng Qi's, she didn't dare pursue.

Far from Dabeisi Temple, after circling around several times, Meng Qi finally slowed down, his mind filled with doubts:

"How did I slip up?"

"Why were they so sure I could interfere or resist Luo Qing for a while, without being instantly killed?"

"They are so audacious as to dare to assassinate a Master..."

...

The next night, Meng Qi quietly approached the You residence, looking around. Goodness, every place that could hide someone was filled with people!

Many martial artists had come to witness the theft of the Buddha statue by Shen Hou. One, it was a worthy spectacle to boast about, and two, they were taking a chance, hoping to catch Shen Hou.

"Venerable Zhen Ding, here, here?" Le Shishi's voice came from above. Meng Qi looked up and saw the four of them hiding on the beam under the eaves.

"Venerable Zhen Ding, this is the only place left," Ding Daogu whispered.

Meng Qi's lips twitched. Was this a concert venue or a place for ruthless martial artists?

Climbing onto the beam, Meng Qi looked at the distant You residence and asked in a low voice, "Shen Hou hasn't come yet?"

"No, I heard that Living God and twenty experts are guarding the Buddha statue in the center, making it impossible to steal," Nie Yao said, relaying the information she had gathered.

...

In the main hall of the You residence, a square table was set up, with the white jade Buddha statue placed on it. Led by You Tongguang, twenty experts surrounded it, making it impossible for birds to fly in or insects to crawl in.

"Old You, what else are you worried about? Even a Master would have to forcibly take it. How could Shen Hou be a Master?" a wealthy-looking old man in a robe chuckled.

You Tongguang sighed, "I always feel uneasy."

Before he finished speaking, a loud explosion shook the house.

"Is that the Thunderbolt Hall's Heavenly Thunder Seed?" an old man exclaimed.

"Be careful, Shen Hou might be using a diversion!" You Tongguang shouted, and everyone turned to face the entrances and the roof.

At this moment, someone shouted from a distance:

"Third Master has been captured!"

"Third Master has been captured!"

You Tongguang's face changed. "Please hold your positions, I'll go save my son."

A son is more important than a jade Buddha!

The others had no objections, even speculating if Shen Hou's true target was You Hongbo, and the Buddha statue was just a distraction.

As they discussed, You Tongguang rushed out, and they continued to guard.

After a while, the commotion gradually subsided, and You Tongguang returned with a dejected You Hongbo. Just as he stepped inside, his expression suddenly froze, his eyes fixed on something behind the others.

"Old You, what's wrong?" someone asked nervously.

You Tongguang pointed behind them, "The jade Buddha has been stolen..."

Everyone turned in shock and saw that the white jade Buddha statue was gone from the table, leaving only a piece of paper!

"Grateful for your gift, Shen Hou bows."

Someone read it out, bewildered.