Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Meng Qi slowly took a few breaths to calm down. As expected, he was not shocked, but rather found the whole issue more complex and confusing. He had no clue who told the truth and which words were actually a lie.
Now was not a good time to sort out clues and words now. Meng Qi carefully observed around to confirm no one was going to ambush him. He opened the door and went in.
There were nine corpses inside the house. Besides Wu Cheng, Frost Herald and his two retinues, there were four other people dressed in rags like they were wharf coolies.
Having carefully examined their wounds, Meng Qi found that all nine died from one fatal blow. The wounds were on their throat, made from a sword stab. There was no trace of a scuffle in the room.
The murderer’s Kung Fu was horrifying!
Meng Qi rather suspected the murderer to be the shadow from last night. The shadow was skilled with the sword, could break his Golden Bell Shield, and had the odd power to affect senses. It was not hard for him to achieve this outcome if he caught Frost Herald and the others off guard. Had the shadow not failed to kill Meng Qi within several sword moves and worried about the Storm Pear Needles, Meng Qi feared he would long be assassinated.
However, this was merely Meng Qi’s speculation. He could not be certain about the shadow.
Looking back and forth, he suddenly frowned when he noticed everyone died rather oddly, without any fear or surprise on their faces. Rather, they were looking down and wearing expressions of relief and respect.
“Could it be the seniors from the Snow God Palace? But why would he want to kill them?” Meng Qi wondered doubtfully.
Except for the tunnel leading to the North-South Pass, there were no traces worthy of concern in the entire yard. After confirming this, Meng Qi quietly retreated and constantly changed his direction. He returned to the area near You’s Mansion after moving a big circle around and looked for movement inside as he thought over the whole thing.
There were too many mysteries and possibility for anyone to lie. Many new ideas came to him, but in the end, he had no clear answer.
…
The household of Castellan Mansion was in minor chaos due to the challenge of Sword God in White. Since Cui Xu needed to retreat to grind his sword, all household issues were left to Miss Cui Jinxiu. But her uncles, You Tongguang, Mu Shan, and Fei Zhengqing, consciously stayed behind to assist her. They helped her deal with various matters in an orderly manner and gradually stabilized the complex situation.
Due to this, it was midnight when You Tongguang returned to his own mansion. Dark clouds covered the moon. If he reached out his hand against the moon, he would not be able to see his fingers.
“Dad, did Castellan the accept Luo Qing’s challenge?” His third son, You Hongbo, came to him as soon as he entered the house.
You Tongguang nodded. “Fifth Brother has been looking forward to a master-class duel for a long time. He’d like to boost his own potential to get close to the illusory Man-God Border.”
He explained in great detail because You Hongbo was one of his most satisfactory sons. His eldest son, You Hongwen, indulged himself in poetry and writing, unskilled in Kung Fu and lived in the capital all year round. Though he was keen on inheriting the family business, he was unwilling to be a merchant. The second son, You Hong, was spoiled when he was young and grew up to be badly behaved man who left others an impression of immaturity even at the age of 30 or 40.
Only You Hongbo, the youngest son, inherited the authentic martial arts from him and also had quite some gift for the merchant businesses. Hence, he had been taking over most of the business matters. If he did well, the family business was his in the future.
You Tongguang was unconcerned with the birth order of his sons or if they were born of lineal descent. He simply believed in one point, that people roaming the Jianghu will succeed in their family business with only talent or the whole family will die without a burial ground.
“How many years has it been since a master-class duel…” You Hongbo sighed with yearning.
You Tongguang chuckled. “There is no shortage of duels between masters, but most stop at the appropriate point and they don’t talk about it. It’s rare to see such a formal duel, but I’m confident in Fifth Brother.”
He paused. “Hongbo, how’s everything going with those darts?”
You Hongbo dared not meet his father’s eyes and said guiltily, “I’ve yet to figure who it was yet. If I found the traitor who leeches on us but helps outsiders, I’d definitely peel off his skin and break his bones!”
“Humph. Third Young Master really has a nasty temper. Now isn’t the time to look for the traitor. The darts are the most important thing. If you can’t find them, then hurry up and prepare another batch. Or else… humph.” You Tongguang’s expression darkened in a rare show of displeasure as he lectured his son.
You Hongbo naturally dared not contradict his father and smiled to please him. He entered the inner courtyard and walked towards the study with his father, accompanied by housekeepers and others.
You Tongguang went to the study as usual and unlocked the bronze lock. He pushed the door slowly with a squeak, but abruptly stopped with his expression fading away as he looked inside solemnly.
“What’s wrong, dad?” You Hongbo asked, knowing nothing.
You Tongguang said quietly, “Someone has entered the study.”
The housekeepers, escorts, and the rest were all in panic. This was their dereliction of duty!
You Hongbo knew his father had extraordinary martial arts and was adept in sensing changes in different breaths. Thus he suspected nothing and entered first to look around.
“There’s a letter!” He pointed at the white paper folded neatly in front of the white jade joss.
“Bring it to me,” You Tongguang commanded his escort.
The escort stepped forward to test the paper with silver needles. When they turned out to be non-poisonous, he picked up the letter to respectfully present it to You Tongguang.
When he unfolded the letter, his curious son also moved closer to read it.
“I’ve heard you own the white jade joss with uncanny workmanship carved by a highly skilled man, so I yearned for it and had a visit today. As expected, it deserves its reputation.”
“It’s not right for a guest to take it without notice, so I leave this letter to sincerely tell you I’ll collect it six days later at night. You’re always reasonable. You must not let me return fruitlessly.”
“Yours, Ennea Monkey.”
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After reading the letter, he was shocked and angry, afraid and furious. He not only wanted to tear up Ennea Monkey, but also wanted Twelve Animal Zodiac Gods to back away.
“He’s going too far! Too far!” You Tongguang gritted his teeth, his expression darkening as he threw the letter to the ground.
Thinking of his father’s strength and Uncle Castellan’s martial arts, You Hongbo suppressed his fear and panic. Flying into rage out of humiliation, he shouted, “Dad, we must teach Ennea Monkey a lesson!”
The housekeepers and escorts looked at each other. Since when did Ennea Monkey of Twelve Animal Zodiac God turn into a thief?
“Go and invite your uncles here tomorrow.” You Tongguang meditated for a while and said with any trace of a smile. “Uncle Cui has retreated to grind his sword, so don’t disturb him for now.”
He gradually suppressed his emotions and said calmly, “Another thing. Let this issue be known to the world.”
…
Meng Qi observed You’s Mansion for half the night, but You Tongguang’s reaction was calm as he handled the issue despite his initial anger in receiving the letter. He did not make any suspicious move, leaving Meng Qi with no clues. Meng Qi was forced to return to the temple early for the night.
The following day, after harmonizing Qi-circulation and entering Dhyana as well as practicing martial arts, Meng Qi leisurely walked towards the Exquisite Dining Building, intending to enjoy lunch and inquire something about the news.
Along the way, he purchased a bamboo hat, a set of clothes, and a set of white frock he had been dreaming about.
Entering the tavern, he was bombarded with news of Cui Xu and Luo Qing before he could even sit down.
“It’s a duel between two grandmasters! It’s a rare, once in a century event!”
“Yeah! I didn’t think we can experience such grand occasion.”
“It’s too bad only those legendary Jianghu figures with invitation can enter Castellan’s Mansion. We wouldn’t be witnessing this unforgettable duel.”
“Yeah, what a damn pity. But I heard that Cao Manzi is taking bets on the duel outcome. Who do you all think will be the winner, Castellan or God of Sword in White?”
As soon as this question came up, the people in the tavern started discussing enthusiastically, analyzing the strength of both sides.
“Castellan has been renowned for more than 20 years and was a grandmaster for 10 years. How could Luo Qing who has just become a grandmaster contend with him? I’m for Castellan!”
“You can’t be sure. Luo Qing roams the world with his sword. He’s known to be invincible, defeating all his enemies in less than three strikes. Luo Qing is on the rise, while Castellan hasn’t fought in recent years. I’m afraid he has lost some of his sharp momentum.”
“When the Castellan broke the seven-star Jianzhen three years ago, he used five moves. But God of Sword in White broke it with just two strikes.”
“Perhaps Castellan has opened another Secret Chamber within three years?”
People held different opinions and no one could be persuaded, to the point they almost fought. Fortunately, they channeled their outrage into the bet.
Meng Qi was eating tasty food with chopsticks. He found out Castellan Cui Xu had retreated to train, leaving Miss Cui in charge of all city affairs. He also learned that God of Sword in White was dwelling in Dabei Temple, burning incense and fasting, washing up and cleaning his sword, as he waited for the duel.
Was Junior Castellan Cui Jinhua really not in Destiny City? This concerned Meng Qi this most. It was hard to determine the authenticity of the information he currently held, so he had to find a way to ask the other relevant person, Cui Jinhua.
“By the way, did you know Ennea Monkey has appeared again last night?” Cao Manzi had his entourage putting away the bets and spread this piece of news.
“What’s going on? Who did Ennea Monkey kill again?” Many guests in the tavern were ordinary people, but there are also many from the Jianghu who were particularly interested in Jianghu news. Besides, Castellan of Destiny City was a grandmaster of their contemporary, so the locals were also concerned about Jianghu matters.
Cao Manzi slowly shook his head and said pretentiously, “Ennea Monkey didn’t kill anyone. Instead he sneaked into the home of Living God of Wealth and left a letter in his study.”
“What letter?” someone eagerly asked.
“The letter read ‘I’ve heard you own the white jade joss…” Cao Manzi had a stellar memory.
Everyone gasped hearing this. This provocative move with a boldness stemming from owning superior skills was shocking, but it was also what they yearned for.
“Living God of Wealth is only second to the grandmasters. Ennea Monkey is definitely no match for him!”
“Yeah, he should’ve taken the white jade joss in secret! Why did he leave a provocative letter? Where should Living God of Wealth put his face? I think Ennea Monkey will return empty-handed six days later.”
“That’s right. Living God of Wealth is outstanding in martial arts and has many friends. When dozens of masters surround the white jade joss six days later, let’s see how Ennea Monkey steals it!”
“I heard Living God of Wealth was planning to send the white jade joss to Castellan Mansion had it not for the upcoming duel. I suppose Ennea Monkey only has to admit failure at that time.”
“Ennea Monkey is really sly. He chose an appropriate time so Castellan has no time to help.”
…
The guests in the tavern discussed happily. After all, it was rare for something like this to happen in Jianghu.
An eavesdropping Meng Qi was very satisfied to hear this. This was precisely the outcome he wanted! The decisive duel between Sword God in White and Castellan Cui was imminent. If Twelve Animal Zodiac Gods were free, they would come to watch and broaden their horizon. Meng Qi left a letter at this time so he could create a commotion. This way, Twelve Animal Zodiac Gods would naturally seek for Ennea Monkey. This gave him hope of fulfilling his side task.
Of course, this alone was not safe enough. After satisfying his hunger, Meng Qi picked up the bamboo hat he bought and put it on, before quietly following Cao Manzi who was leaving.