Chapter 163 A Chance Encounter with Li Fuzhou

Chapter 163: A Chance Encounter with Li Fuzhou

Everyone looked in that direction, only to see two Taoists in black robes descending.

The two had astonishing Auras, no weaker than Ling Yuanjing and Five Venoms Lord, clearly possessing the cultivation of Half-Step Grandmaster.

“Song Chenbiao and Sima Changlin!?”

“The other two Peak Leaders of Zhenyi Sect actually came?”

“I didn’t expect them to arrive so quickly? Is Zhenyi Sect planning something big?”

Many Jianghu heroes around were greatly shocked to see this.

The newcomers were none other than Song Chenbiao, the Peak Leader of Void Tempering Peak, and Sima Changlin, the Peak Leader of Chongling Peak, both from Zhenyi Sect.

It was rare for Zhenyi Sect to mobilize three Peak Leaders; usually, matters of the Jianghu were handled by Ling Yuanjing, the Peak Leader of Nanhua Peak.

Although the news of Xiao Qianqiu descending the mountain had spread, it was only known to the top forces in the Jianghu and had not yet fully disseminated throughout the Jianghu.

An Jing’s brow furrowed. Zhenyi Sect was not close to Five Poison Mountain. Their ability to arrive so quickly suggested that Zhenyi Sect had been secretly investigating and tracking him for a long time.

“Junior Brothers, you’ve arrived at just the right time.”

Ling Yuanjing took a deep breath when he saw the newcomers and said, “The four of us will work together to capture this Ghost Swordsman, saving Senior Brother Xiao the trouble of descending the mountain.”

Senior Brother Xiao descending the mountain!?

Hearing Ling Yuanjing’s words, An Jing’s pupils suddenly constricted.

Who Senior Brother Xiao was, there was no need to ask; it was naturally Xiao Qianqiu, the Sect Leader of Zhenyi Sect.

An Jing had not been in the Jianghu for long, but this name still resonated like thunder in his ears. Whether in the Jianghu or the market, this person’s name could be heard.

The number one person in Great Yan Jianghu, Great Yan National Master, one of the top martial arts prodigies in the world—the many halos around him, any one of which was enough to shake the Jianghu.

And how terrifying would it be for so many halos to be gathered on one person.

“Is Xiao Qianqiu descending the mountain?”

Some belated Jianghu figures were slightly stunned.

The reclusive, most powerful man in Great Yan Jianghu, was he actually descending the mountain?

“Good!”

Song Chenbiao looked at An Jing, who was bathed in golden light, with a hint of solemnity in his brows.

This Ghost Swordsman was truly formidable. Even without a sword in hand, and severely injured, he could still defeat the combined efforts of Ling Yuanjing and Five Venoms Lord. How terrifying would he be with a sword in hand?

Five Venoms Lord’s expression was grim, and he said nothing.

The four Half-Step Grandmasters surrounded him, their eyes fixed on An Jing.

That extreme sense of oppression felt like a mountain pressing down on his shoulders.

An Jing’s expression was calm, as if he hadn’t noticed the pressure at all. He was secretly surprised in his heart, this Great Sun Tathagata Mantra truly lived up to its reputation as a Cultivation Technique surpassing the Heavenly Martial level.

“Let’s go together!”

As Song Chenbiao shouted, the four rushed towards An Jing like a strong wind.

Looking at the four figures shooting towards him, An Jing remained calm and pushed a palm forward.

Bang!

Although it seemed like an ordinary palm, it carried a terrifying and domineering palm force.

The four immediately unleashed their terrifying attacks, which covered the sky and earth, crashing down on the palm print.

Rumble!

Although the palm print was incredibly solid, under the furious bombardment of the four Half-Step Grandmasters, it vibrated violently, sending out ripples.

From the looks of it, it would clearly shatter very soon.

Around Five Poison Mountain, everyone watched this scene and secretly gasped. The combined power of four Half-Step Grandmasters was indeed terrifying. The previously dominant Ghost Swordsman was now completely at a disadvantage, no longer as brave as before.

If this continued, once An Jing’s attack was broken, he would be caught in the combined assault of the four Half-Step Grandmasters, unable to escape.

Clearly, the situation had reached an extremely dangerous point.

An Jing’s expression was calm and composed, his face showing no ripples. He simply looked up, staring at the four figures in front of him, with no trace of panic in his eyes.

Under the blessing of the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra, he felt as if his Internal Energy was inexhaustible, as if a deity had bestowed power upon him.

In mid-air, the sounds of collision continued to reverberate, and powerful, incomparable attacks slammed onto the giant palm, causing the heavens and earth to tremble incessantly.

An Jing’s back glowed with brilliant golden light, like the morning sun, impossible to look at directly, and his dark eyes were like the tranquil night sky, very profound.

Everyone at this moment sensed that the Internal Energy fluctuations erupting from An Jing’s body had surged to an astonishing degree.

Boom!

An Jing clapped his hands together again, and the golden Buddha behind him pressed down with a palm.

“Be careful!”

Seeing An Jing’s Aura continuously condensing, the four simultaneously let out a low shout.

Instantly, Internal Energy condensed behind the four figures.

Five Venoms Lord unleashed the Five Venoms Art, his Internal Energy surging like smoke and mist, carrying a hint of bewilderment.

The Internal Energy of the other three Zhenyi Sect experts was vast and profound, surging like an endless tide.

The four’s attacks had already fiercely slammed down.

Boom!

At the moment of impact, the world seemed to fall silent for an instant, and then a massive wave of Internal Energy impact spread outwards from the center.

And in the world, all eyes were fixed on the point of collision.

There, a storm raged, and a golden giant palm, connecting heaven and earth, fiercely struck Ling Yuanjing, Dai Danshu, Song Chenbiao, and Sima Changlin.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The four groaned, their faces somewhat pale, and then they retreated step by step.

The world was in an uproar, and countless experts looked at the scene with disbelief, clearly not expecting the Ghost Swordsman to be able to directly withstand the combined attack of four Half-Step Grandmasters.

“He’s contending against four Half-Step Grandmasters with his own strength, and he doesn’t seem to be at a disadvantage at all.”

As whispers rose in the world, Song Chenbiao and Sima Changlin also fixed their icy gazes on An Jing.

An Jing shook his slightly numb arm, smiled faintly at the four in front of him, and said, “What? No more tricks? Then it’s my turn.”

An Jing finished speaking, not waiting for the four to reply.

The next moment, the magnificent Buddha statue behind him released a majestic and awe-inspiring power.

It enveloped half of Five Poison Mountain, and countless Jianghu experts looked on in horror, their faces filled with terror as they gazed at the golden Buddha statue.

An Jing, with a calm expression, uttered profound and esoteric Sanskrit that was difficult for ordinary people to understand, and took a step forward.

The golden Buddha suddenly opened its eyes, and upon closer inspection, those eyes were blood-red.

Blood Buddha Opens Eyes!

Instantly, the world solidified, and a palm print that covered the sky and sun descended.

It carried an unstoppable and unrivaled power that could sweep away everything!

It was as if the handprint had connected with the heavens, and what was falling was not a handprint, but the heavens and earth themselves.

Rumble!

“This is too strong!? What kind of martial art is this!?”

Such thoughts flashed through the minds of the four, and their figures retreated without hesitation.

No matter how fast they retreated, they couldn’t escape the range of the falling palm print.

On Five Poison Mountain, the golden palm print heavily struck the four, who then unleashed their ultimate techniques, and powerful Internal Energy surged, causing the heavens and earth to tremble and hurricanes to howl.

“Five Poisons Unite!”

“Thousands of Mountains, No Shadow!”

Countless gazes were fixed on the front at this moment.

What was initially expected to be an intense battle turned into a one-sided situation.

The palm print descended fiercely, and the four’s Internal Energy was simply unable to stop it, being directly crushed into nothingness by the golden palm print.

The next moment, four streaks of light were seen crashing down, and four enormous deep pits were blasted into the ground.

“Is that?”

All eyes pierced through the black mist, focusing on the four figures. In an instant, everyone’s eyes suddenly widened, and a look of incredible horror surged onto their faces.

The figures lying in the four giant pits were none other than Dai Danshu, Ling Yuanjing, Song Chenbiao, and Sima Changlin—four Half-Step Grandmasters!

Whoosh!

A chorus of astonishing gasps echoed across the world, one after another. The experts of Five Venoms Sect all changed color, their expressions terrified, as if they had seen a ghost.

“Too, too strong!”

“Four Half-Step Grandmasters working together, and they were actually defeated?”

“The Ghost Swordsman’s strength is truly too great. What kind of Buddhist martial art is this?”

Before this battle, no one believed the Ghost Swordsman could win.

The four who besieged the Ghost Swordsman, in a Jianghu where Grandmasters were not active, were all top experts in the Jianghu. Yet, their combined efforts were defeated by the Ghost Swordsman.

And the Ghost Swordsman didn’t even have a sword in his hand.

Qiu Heng also looked surprised: “Is this Ghost Swordsman already so formidable at the Heavenly Flower Realm?”

One must know that the Ghost Swordsman was in the Heavenly Flower Realm, a cultivation Realm even lower than any of those four, yet he still defeated them when they teamed up.

“How… how is this possible?”

Looking at the white-robed figure in front, Dai Ling felt a sense of powerlessness from the depths of her heart.

An Jing stood still above the heavens and earth. Although there was no vast Internal Energy surging from him at this moment, everyone felt a terrifying sense of oppression slowly emanating from his body.

Under that subtle oppression, the entire Five Venoms Sect fell silent.

They felt a sense of oppression from that figure, and their gazes quietly turned reverent.

In the Jianghu, killing is the quickest way to gain fame.

Killing experts even more so.

An Jing, however, paid no attention to the myriad gazes from all directions.

At this moment, his internal Qi was also a bit chaotic. As the saying goes, strong moves often come with self-harm.

The Great Sun Tathagata Mantra, such a terrifying martial art, when used, possessed unfathomable power, but it also caused a certain degree of damage to the body afterwards.

At this moment, Feng Lingyue, who was entangled with the black dragon, also felt a shock in her heart. She had originally thought that with the two Peak Leaders of Zhenyi Sect, dealing with an expert in the Heavenly Flower Realm would be foolproof, but she didn’t expect that even four Half-Step Grandmasters couldn’t defeat him.

“Sect Leader Dai, today’s matter is an old grudge between me and Zhenyi Sect.”

An Jing narrowed his eyes, then extended a hand, reaching for Ling Yuanjing and the other two.

“This Ghost Swordsman, could he actually intend to kill the three Peak Leaders of Zhenyi Sect!?”

Qiu Lun couldn’t help but exclaim when he saw this.

The three Peak Leaders of Zhenyi Sect were not only famous experts in the Jianghu, but also held high positions of power within Zhenyi Sect. If they were to die today, Zhenyi Sect would collapse by half, and would Zhenyi Sect’s experts let him off?

“Not good!”

Ling Yuanjing and the other two felt their hearts tremble as An Jing attacked, but having been severely injured by that palm, they lacked the strength to dodge.

Everyone was surprised by how audacious the Ghost Swordsman was, actually daring to kill three Peak Leaders of Zhenyi Sect.

Just at this critical moment, a figure flew swiftly, blocking in front of the three.

“Hmm?!”

An Jing’s brow furrowed, and he slapped his palm forward. Immediately, a powerful tremor passed into his arm, and then he quickly retreated backwards.

“Grandmaster!?”

An Jing looked at his palm, his heart involuntarily shaken, and he looked forward with a solemn expression.

The person in front wore a black robe, tall and imposing, with the hem of his clothes flapping in the strong wind. He wore a red monkey mask, making his exact appearance unclear.

Standing between heaven and earth, he exuded a natural air of grace and Aura.

“Lord Meng!”

Ling Yuanjing’s heart still pounded wildly when he saw the newcomer. If it weren’t for this sudden arrival, he might have already perished in the Yellow Springs.

“Meng Zhaodou actually came?”

Qiu Heng felt a hint of surprise when he saw that person.

The newcomer was none other than Meng Zhaodou, the Chief Leader of Heavenly Net.

With Meng Zhaodou’s appearance, everyone around felt their hearts clench. The already complicated situation seemed to have taken on a few more changes.

“Lord Meng,”

An Jing muttered to himself, then guessed the identity of the person before him. In Great Yan, there was only one Grandmaster with the surname Meng, and that was Meng Zhaodou of Heavenly Net.

Meng Zhaodou looked at An Jing in front of him and slowly said, “Although this is a dispute of your Xuanmen Dao tradition, I should not intervene, but today, I, Meng, have no choice but to interfere.”

Zhenyi Sect was the state religion of Great Yan. If Zhenyi Sect were to experience turmoil, it would be a severe blow to the entire Great Yan, especially in the current restless situation.

For the sake of Great Yan’s current national power, he had no choice but to step in and stop An Jing.

“Hahahahaha.”

An Jing couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this. “Just now, when I was being besieged by four people, why didn’t Chief Meng appear?”

Meng Zhaodou stared into An Jing’s eyes for a long time before saying, “If Sect Leader Xiao insists on killing you, I can save your life.”

Upon hearing this, An Jing knew that Meng Zhaodou was in the Grandmaster Realm, and that his desire to kill Ling Yuanjing and the other two was undoubtedly a pipe dream. He could only abandon the idea of killing the three.

Regardless of whether Meng Zhaodou’s words were sincere or just for show, he was powerless.

“Good, I hope Lord Meng keeps his word.”

An Jing finished speaking and looked at the black dragon in the distance.

At this moment, Feng Lingyue’s face was very grim. The black dragon not far away also had some wounds on its body, and even some scales had fallen off onto the ground.

Clearly, Feng Lingyue knew that it would be difficult to keep An Jing today. If they continued to fight, she might also get injured, so she directly chose to stop.

“Roar!”

The black dragon let out a low growl, then prostrated itself before An Jing.

Meng Zhaodou seemed to see An Jing preparing to leave and immediately said, “Your Excellency, Sect Leader Xiao has already descended the mountain. Even if you go to the ends of the earth, it will be useless.”

An Jing’s heart sank slightly upon hearing Meng Zhaodou’s words.

The three words Xiao Qianqiu were like a mountain, pressing down on the entire Great Yan Jianghu, making all the experts gasp for breath.

If he really descended the mountain, would he and the black dragon be his match?

Even if Meng Zhaodou could save his life, what if Xiao Qianqiu crippled his cultivation? Could he still live a peaceful life?

Not to mention how many people he had offended; Southern Barbarians, Seven Fiends Sect, Five Venoms Sect, they would definitely not let him go.

And his wife might be involved with the Demonic Cult…

The road ahead was still difficult.

“Whoosh!”

Suddenly, a sharp sound came from a mountain not far away.

Then, a vast and majestic Qi surged forth, three points stronger than Feng Lingyue’s Qi, and even sharper.

“Soul Qi returning to its place!? Someone has broken through to Three-Qi Grandmaster!”

Feng Lingyue frowned, then thought of something: “Could it be…”

Three-Qi Grandmaster!?

Many experts in the world were greatly shocked when they heard Feng Lingyue’s words.

What was the concept of a Three-Qi Grandmaster? Xiao Qianqiu, a few years ago, relied on his Peak Three-Qi Grandmaster Realm to dominate the entire Jianghu.

When the Five Qi return to the origin, if the body remains still, the essence is solidified, and water returns to the origin; if the heart is still, the Qi is solidified, and fire returns to the origin; if the true nature is silent, the soul is hidden, and wood returns to the origin; if false emotions are forgotten, the soul is subdued, and metal returns to the origin; if the four great elements are at peace, the will is settled, and earth returns to the origin. This is called the Five Qi returning to the origin, all gathering at the crown. To gather the body and mind, the mind not wandering outwards, emotions not pursuing external things.

When the Five Qi return to the origin and gather in the cauldron, one can be called a Great Grandmaster of the world, nourishing the essence of the five zang and six fu organs, and gaining three hundred years of Lifespan.

In this vast world, with thousands of years of magnificent history, the wheels of time roll on, yet there have been only about one or two dozen Great Grandmasters.

A top Grandmaster can dominate an era.

And in today’s world, no Great Grandmaster has yet appeared.

A Three-Qi Grandmaster is enough to shake the entire Great Yan Jianghu.

“Who is it!?”

A hint of doubt appeared in Song Chengbiao’s eyes.

“It’s that old geezer.”

Ling Yuanjing took a deep breath, his face full of solemnity.

The Five Venoms Lord, Sima Changlin, and the others all felt a shock in their hearts.

Meng Zhaodou also looked over in the direction of the voice.

Above the mountain Peak, dark clouds gathered, the sky was pitch black, and a fierce wind howled, as if it wanted to uproot the trees on the Peak; it stung their faces.

That astonishing Aura rose, causing everyone to frown tightly.

With the mountain Peak as its center, a vortex of Qi formed, madly absorbing the surrounding Qi.

After about several dozen breaths, the Qi vortex gradually dissipated, and the world returned to clarity.

Two figures soared out from the mountain Peak.

One of them was not tall, with a head full of white hair, a face covered in wrinkles from the passage of time, unkempt and somewhat slovenly, with two long swords hanging on his back.

With one hand behind his back, he carried another black-robed person by the back, like a chicken.

He stepped on the cliff face as if walking on flat ground, and in an instant, landed on the main Peak of Five Venoms Sect.

The arrivals were precisely Lou Xiangzhen and Tan Yun.

An Jing saw Tan Yun and immediately let out a sigh of relief.

This time, it seemed he hadn’t let her escape.

And after Tan Yun landed, she also looked at An Jing, then noticed An Jing was looking at her, and her heart trembled, beating even faster, as if it was about to jump out of her throat.

“Senior Lou.”

Meng Zhaodou saw the newcomer and quickly clasped his fists.

“It really is this old fellow.”

Feng Lingyue’s expression was somewhat complex; one could say he was a few years older than Lou Xiangzhen, yet his cultivation was only at the Two Qi Realm, while Lou Xiangzhen had now reached the Three-Qi Grandmaster Realm. It was evident that Lou Xiangzhen was also a rare genius of his time, but he was suppressed by the Sword God of Yuheng Sword Sect and had been in decline for over ten years.

Three-Qi Grandmaster!?

Ling Yuanjing and the other two exchanged glances, secretly startled.

Lou Xiangzhen was a top Great Sword Immortal, and now that he had reached the Three Qi cultivation, his strength was a few points stronger than an ordinary Three-Qi Grandmaster. If Xiao Qianqiu wanted to take him down, it now seemed very difficult.

“It’s Lou Xiangzhen! It’s actually him!”

“Ghost Valley Sword Immortal Lou Xiangzhen, I didn’t expect him to have already reached the Three Qi Realm.”

“This old man has heard of the Ghost Valley Sword Immortal’s name since he first entered the Jianghu, and now this old man is almost in his grave, yet the Ghost Valley Sword Immortal still roams the Jianghu.”

At the appearance of Lou Xiangzhen, the entire world was in an uproar.

Who was Lou Xiangzhen? The oldest of the Five Great Sword Immortals, and the only top Great Sword Immortal who spanned two eras.

Unexpectedly, today at Five Poison Mountain, a convergence of events, not only several Half-Step Grandmaster Realm experts appeared, but even three Grandmaster experts showed up.

This scene was definitely a rare grand event in the Jianghu.

Many people sighed in their hearts, secretly thinking that this trip was truly worthwhile.

Lou Xiangzhen said indifferently, “Meng Zhaodou, I can protect my grandson myself, so you don’t need to worry.”

An Jing: “??”

I treat you like a brother, and you actually want to be my grandfather!?

“Grandson!?”

Meng Zhaodou looked at Ghost Swordsman in astonishment, his heart filled with disbelief.

When did Lou Xiangzhen have a grandson!?

Not only Meng Zhaodou, but everyone was stunned; that Ghost Swordsman was actually Lou Xiangzhen’s grandson?

Does that mean he also has the surname Lou?

“Isn’t he a member of Kuiyuan Sect? When did he become Lou Xiangzhen’s grandson?”

The Five Venoms Lord was somewhat surprised.

Qiu Heng also shook his head, feeling completely confused, then suddenly realized, no wonder Lou Xiangzhen was willing to protect Ghost Swordsman; so there was this layer of relationship.

Only Dai Ling gritted her silver teeth, secretly resentful in her heart. She hadn’t expected Ghost Swordsman to have such a peerless expert as Ghost Valley Sword Immortal Lou Xiangzhen backing him. It seemed it would be extremely difficult to kill him.

Feng Lingyue frowned tightly, not speaking.

Lou Xiangzhen looked at Feng Lingyue, “Brother Feng, the losses of Five Venoms Sect this time, consider it you repaying my favor from that day, and let’s call it even from now on.”

Feng Lingyue took a deep breath, looked at Lou Xiangzhen, and said, “Good!”

When Five Venoms Sect separated from the Demonic Cult, the Demonic Cult naturally wouldn’t let it go easily. Feng Lingyue invited many experts to hold the line, but very few were willing to come.

After all, the Demonic Cult’s prestige in the Great Yan Jianghu at that time was only comparable to Zhenyi Sect, and not many people would provoke the Demonic Cult at such a time.

Because Lou Xiangzhen had an old acquaintance with Feng Lingyue, upon receiving Feng Lingyue’s letter, he immediately rushed to Five Venoms Sect without a word.

Feng Lingyue had always kept this favor in mind.

An Jing heard this and secretly thought, so this old man Lou still owes Feng Lingyue a favor.

Lou Xiangzhen nodded slightly, then looked at Ling Yuanjing and said with a smile, “Youngster Ling, I won’t make things difficult for your Zhenyi Sect Disciples today. Isn’t that Xiao Qianqiu down the mountain?”

“Three days from now, above Yuan Lake, I will wait for him.”

Three days from now, above Yuan Lake, I will wait for him.

The voice was grand and echoed throughout the heavens and earth.

Whoosh!

As soon as Lou Xiangzhen uttered these words, it immediately stirred up a thousand waves.

Everyone’s hearts trembled endlessly.

Lou Xiangzhen was a Three-Qi Grandmaster, while Xiao Qianqiu had already been at the Peak of Three-Qi Grandmaster several years ago.

Both of them were among the top experts in the Great Yan Jianghu, and now that they were facing each other, it was basically the most top-tier duel currently in the Great Yan Jianghu.

“Good, I understand. I will definitely deliver the message.”

Ling Yuanjing took a deep breath and clasped his fists towards Lou Xiangzhen.

Lou Xiangzhen looked at An Jing, “Youngster, let’s go.”

An Jing remained silent, then controlled the Black Flood Dragon to descend.

Lou Xiangzhen and Tan Yun also sat on the Black Flood Dragon’s back, and with a low growl, the Black Flood Dragon soared away, disappearing above Five Poison Mountain.

“Senior Lou!”

Meng Zhaodou came to his senses and quickly transformed into a black shadow, chasing after them.

“Yuan Lake in three days?”

Feng Lingyue looked at the departing figures and murmured to himself.

He was also very curious who was stronger, Xiao Qianqiu or Lou Xiangzhen.

Qiu Lun said faintly, “Why don’t I have such a good grandfather?”

Qiu Heng’s face completely darkened upon hearing this.

“Lou Xiangzhen has been promoted to Three-Qi Grandmaster and challenged Xiao Qianqiu!”

“I wonder who will win or lose between these two?”

“The Jianghu is about to experience another upheaval!”

The surrounding Jianghu experts also came back to their senses, and the discussions erupted like a volcanic eruption.

The entire Great Yan Jianghu had been silent ever since Xiao Qianqiu became the number one expert in the world, silent for far too long.

And now, finally, a major event that would shake the entire Jianghu was about to happen.

Yu Prefecture City, Faxi Temple.

Inside the magnificent hall, a young monk with red lips and white teeth sat cross-legged on a cushion, tapping a wooden fish.

This young monk was the abbot of Faxi Temple, Fa Wu.

He stretched out his palm, and immediately three sarira the size of pigeon eggs appeared in his palm.

sarira!

These were precisely Buddhist sarira!

An Jing had only obtained one sarira from Monk Fa Zhi back then, but now Fa Wu held three.

“After absorbing these three sarira, my cultivation will probably reach the Half-Step Grandmaster Realm.”

Fa Wu looked at the sarira in his hand and murmured, “There are still thirteen sarira in the sect. If I absorb all of them, it will take a year.”

Most eminent monks, after their passing, would leave behind a sarira. These sarira were considered treasures in the outside world and rare treasures within Buddhism, but not necessarily precious.

Within a hundred years, two or three Bodhisattvas would appear in Buddhism, and over a thousand years, a total of over a dozen sarira had accumulated.

And how vast would the vital essence contained within these sarira be?

However, sarira contained extremely pure and potent Yang Qi, which was not something ordinary people could absorb at will. An Jing, after refining two sarira, felt it difficult to absorb any more vital essence from them.

“Master.”

Before long, a monk walked in.

The monk had a fierce, fleshy face and a burly, corpulent physique.

This monk was Fa Wu’s newly accepted Disciple from half a month ago, Jie Lu.

He was originally a notorious bandit from the mountains, a wicked and heinous individual. Recently, he couldn’t make ends meet, so he sought to join Faxi Temple to learn some martial arts, and then roam the Jianghu.

Who knew that his sins were so profound that Fa Wu immediately took a liking to him and directly accepted him as his Disciple, becoming Fa Wu’s second Disciple, Junior Brother to Jie Se.

“Senior Brother is gone.”

Jie Lu clasped his hands together and replied honestly.

He really couldn’t understand Han Wenxin. He himself had joined Faxi Temple because he couldn’t make a living.

But his Senior Brother Jie Se, from a wealthy family and quite capable for his age, why did he insist on joining Faxi Temple to endure the hardships of these monastic rules?

Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to be a wealthy young Master, listening to music in the Brothel and playing with beauties every day?

He really didn’t understand.

Fa Wu asked, “Where did he go?”

Jie Lu replied, “Junior Brother Jiechen said that Senior Brother Jie Se went down the mountain to see his brother and get a haircut by the way.”

“Brother?”

Fa Wu’s eyes held a hint of confusion.

Jie Lu sighed deeply before saying, “It’s that black dog. Senior Brother Jie Se often brings it to the mountain.”

He initially couldn’t understand why his Senior Brother often talked to that black dog, until one day he heard Jiechen explain the whole story.

It turned out that his Senior Brother Jie Se had a close friend, a famous divine doctor in Yu Prefecture City. Later, this divine doctor suddenly died violently, passing away, and the only thing he left behind was this black dog.

It is said that in order to bring his close friend back to life, he once made a great vow before the Buddha.

Senior Brother Jie Se is truly a person who values emotions.

“And the haircut is…?”

Fa Wu’s eyes were full of doubt, “He is bald, with no hair, so why would he need a haircut? Moreover, there is water and basins in the temple, why does he have to go down the mountain?”

Jie Lu hesitated upon hearing Fa Wu’s question.

Fa Wu looked at Jie Lu and said, “You may speak freely.”

Jie Lu clasped his hands together and whispered, “Senior Brother Jie Se said he went for a ‘small’ haircut.”

“Small haircut?”

Fa Wu’s confusion deepened, feeling this was even more profound and obscure than a Buddhist koan.

Yuan City, outside the city.

The Black Flood Dragon landed on a giant rock.

“Good grandson, you two catch up on old times.”

Lou Xiangzhen felt Meng Zhaodou chasing from behind, so he leaped down from the Black Flood Dragon’s back.

An Jing also frowned, looking in the direction Meng Zhaodou was chasing from.

Lou Xiangzhen used the technique of shrinking the ground to an inch, disappearing into the forest in a moment.

Instantly, only Tan Yun and An Jing were left on the Black Flood Dragon’s back.

Tan Yun secretly glanced at the Ghost Swordsman in front with her large eyes, her heart pounding erratically.

“Alright, take off the human skin mask on your face.”

An Jing looked at Tan Yun and said indifferently.

Goodness!

He had actually been deceived and played by this simple-minded Tan Yun, failing to see through her true identity.

Thinking of this, An Jing grew increasingly angry in his heart.

Could it be that his own mind was also becoming simple-minded?

“Oh.”

Tan Yun heard the cold voice and carefully removed the mask from her face, revealing her pretty, somewhat round face.

An Jing stared intently at Tan Yun’s face, shouting in his heart: “I’m truly a fool! After discovering Li Fuzhou was an expert from the Demonic Cult Human Sect, and then testing Tan Yun, I believed her.”

Those brows, that expression, those seemingly innocent eyes—who else could it be but Tan Yun?

Tan Yun saw An Jing’s ‘fervent’ eyes, her face flushed, and she quickly lowered her head.

“Cough cough.”

An Jing coughed lightly, “You’re from the Demonic Cult, aren’t you? What’s your relationship with Li Fuzhou?”

He needed to question her properly, one by one. He wanted to see how many secrets she was hiding from him.

“He is my Master.”

Tan Yun blinked and replied.

Master!?

So that’s it!

An Jing’s eyebrows raised slightly upon hearing this. Tan Yun was actually the old fox’s Disciple; no wonder Tan Yun usually looked at Li Fuzhou like a mouse seeing a cat.

Seeing An Jing remain silent, Tan Yun quickly said, “Actually, my Master is very kind, not at all like the rumors say. And my Demonic Cult, too, it’s all been slandered by malicious people.”

Watching Tan Yun gesticulate, An Jing felt that she might genuinely be simple-minded, but the more he thought this, the more he felt like he had been deceived.

Perhaps she truly was foolish, which was why she had deceived him.

Hadn’t he still discovered an old fox like Li Fuzhou?

“…Actually, I’ve been looking for you.”

Seeing An Jing remain silent, Tan Yun mustered her courage and whispered.

“Why are you looking for me?”

An Jing said coldly.

“I… I…”

Tan Yun’s face flushed, then she became flustered, “I have food here. I can share half of it with you.”

With that, Tan Yun took out her favorite pastries from her bag.

Ever since she was brought to the Demonic Cult by Li Fuzhou, she had a special obsession with food.

She knew better than anyone how precious food was.

In her opinion, being able to offer half of her favorite food was a silent expression of affection.

This was Tan Yun’s most simple expression of her current feelings.

“I’m not hungry. You keep it for yourself.”

An Jing looked at the pastries offered to him, shook his head, “I have some questions I want to ask you.”

“What questions?”

Tan Yun awkwardly withdrew the pastries in her hand, lowering her head as she spoke.

An Jing asked directly, “Where is your Young Miss?”

“Young Miss?”

Tan Yun’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. She then looked up at the Ghost Swordsman in front, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Why was this Ghost Swordsman asking about the Cult Leader?

Ever since she followed Zhao Qingmei, she had always remembered Zhao Qingmei’s words: not to reveal her identity or location to anyone outside the Demonic Cult.

Unless Ghost Swordsman was willing to join the Demonic Cult.

An Jing cleared his throat and explained, “I saw you and your Young Miss at Faxi Temple. I was very impressed at the time.”

In his memory, that was the only time he had met Zhao Qingmei and Tan Yun as Ghost Swordsman.

“To still remember someone you met by chance in such a vast crowd, Your Excellency’s memory is truly remarkable.”

Just then, an old, deep, and very familiar voice rang out.

In the distance, an old black-robed scholar slowly walked over.

An Jing raised an eyebrow and looked over.

This person was none other than Li Fuzhou.

PS: I originally didn't want to say who the person was, but you guys scolded me so much that I'm not doing cliffhangers anymore. I'm laying it all out.