Meng Qi slowly let out a few breaths, calming the emotions in his heart. Due to having some expectations, he wasn't too shocked, but rather felt that this matter was becoming increasingly mysterious and confusing. He didn't know who was telling the truth and who was lying, nor did he know which words were true and which were false.

  It was not the right time to tidy up the threads and words, Meng Qi cautiously observed his surroundings, confirmed that there were no ambushes before opening the door and walking in.

  There were nine corpses in the house, apart from Han Shi and Wu Cheng and two attendants, there were four others, all wearing tattered clothes, seemingly dockworkers.

  After carefully examining the wounds, Meng Qi found that all nine people were killed with one blow, and the wounds were in their throats, which belonged to sword stabs. There was no sign of struggle in the room.

  The martial arts of the person who made the move are truly terrifying!

  Meng Qi was somewhat suspicious that the murderer was the black shadow from last night. He was skilled with a sword and could break through his own Golden Bell Shield defense, and had an unusual skill that affected others' senses. Under the sudden attack of Han Shui and others, it wasn't difficult to achieve this effect. If he hadn't been confident in killing himself within two or three swords, he wouldn't have had to worry about the hidden attack of the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle, and perhaps he would have also been killed secretly.

  However, this is just Meng Qi's guess and it cannot be confirmed whether it was that black shadow.

  He looked back and forth, suddenly furrowing his brow, because he found that the expressions of Hanzei and others were quite strange, without surprise or astonishment, but instead with lowered eyebrows and eyes, with a hint of reverence and relief.

  "Could it be someone from the upper echelons of the Snow God Palace? But why would they want to silence him?" Meng Qi thought in puzzlement.

  After confirming that the entire courtyard, except for the passage leading to the "South-North Passage" shop, had no other notable traces, Meng Qi quietly exited and changed direction repeatedly, circling around a large area before returning to the vicinity of the You Mansion. He observed the movements inside while pondering the entire matter.

  Due to the numerous mysteries involved, anyone could be lying, and Meng Qi kept coming up with new ideas, but there was no clear train of thought.

  …………

  The White Robed Sword God's challenge has caused some commotion in the City Lord's Manor, as Cui Xuan needs to go into seclusion to "hone his sword", so he has handed over all matters within the manor to Eldest Miss Cui Jinxiu. As uncles of her generation, Yu Tongguang, Mu Shan and Fei Zhengqing have voluntarily stayed behind to assist her in handling various affairs in an orderly manner, gradually stabilizing the chaotic situation.

  It was already midnight when Yu Tongguang returned to his own mansion, with dark clouds covering the moon and visibility of no more than five feet.

  "Father, should the city master accept Luo Qing's challenge?" His third son, You Hongbo, came up to him as soon as he entered.

  Yu Tong Guang nodded slightly: "My fifth brother has been expecting a duel at the level of a grandmaster for a long time, wanting to use this to stimulate his own potential and approach that elusive boundary between human and god."

  He spoke in great detail, because Yu Hongbo was the most satisfactory son - the eldest son Yu Hongwen was obsessed with poetry and books, his martial arts skills were poor, he lived in the capital all year round, although he was enthusiastic about inheriting the family business, but he didn't like to do business. The second son Yu Hongshi was spoiled since childhood, and at the age of 30 or 40, he still hadn't matured.

  Only the youngest son, You Hongbo, has fully mastered the true transmission of his own martial arts skills and also has some natural talent for business. Therefore, he has already handed over all the affairs of the security firm to him, and if he does well, the family business will be his in the future.

  You Tongguang had always been indifferent to the distinction between elder and younger, legitimate and illegitimate, believing in only one thing: In the world of Jianghu, a family's business can only be inherited by those with talent; otherwise, the entire family will perish without a place to rest.

  "It's been many years since I've had a battle at the level of a grandmaster..." Yu Hongbo sighed wistfully.

  Yu Tong Guang chuckled and said, "Fights between masters are not uncommon, but most of them stop at a touch, without spreading outside. Formal duels like this one are indeed rare. However, I have confidence in my fifth brother."

  He paused and said: "Hongbo, what about those goods?"

  You Hongbo didn't dare to look into his father's eyes, and said with a guilty conscience: "Not yet found, if I find out who the scoundrel is, I will definitely skin him alive!"

  "Hmph, Yu San has a big temper! Now is not the time to find traitors, the most important thing is the goods. If we can't find them, then quickly prepare another batch. If not... Hmph." Yu Tongguang rarely scolded his son, teaching him a lesson.

  You Hongbo didn't dare to disobey his father, so he smiled and followed You Tongguang into the inner courtyard with the butler and others, arriving at the study.

  You Tongguang habitually went to the study first, so he opened the copper lock, pushed the door open with a creak, and slowly opened it. However, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, the smile on his face faded away, and he looked at the room with a serious expression.

  "Dad, what's wrong?" Yu Hongbo asked in confusion.

  "You Shuang said in a low voice: 'Someone has entered the study.'"

  The housekeeper and guards are all flustered and at a loss, this is their dereliction of duty!

  You Hongbo knew that his old father's martial arts were special and could sense different changes in breath, so he didn't suspect anything and rushed in to take a look around.

  "There's a letter!" He pointed at the white paper folded neatly in front of the White Jade Buddha statue.

  "Bring it over." Yu Tongguang instructed his guards.

  The guard stepped forward, probed with a silver needle to ensure it was non-toxic, then picked up the letter and respectfully presented it to You Tongguang.

  You Tongguang unfolded the letter, and You Hongbo curiously leaned in to take a look at its contents:

  "I heard that you have a white jade Buddha statue, exquisitely carved by your skilled hands, with craftsmanship so divine it's as if the gods themselves had a hand in its creation. My heart has long been yearning to see it, and today I finally do, truly it does not disappoint me."

  However, taking something without permission is not the way to treat a guest. I'm leaving this letter to inform you sincerely that after six days, I will come to take it back on the 15th of the month. You are a refined and understanding person, and surely you won't let me make a futile trip back and forth.

  "Monkey King pays his respects."

  After reading the content, he was shocked and angry, fearful and annoyed, hating that he couldn't tear Shen Monkey apart, yet hoping that the Twelve Gods would know difficulty and retreat.

  "Too deceitful! Too deceitful!" You Tongguang's face sank like water, gritting his teeth as he spoke, and directly threw the letter to the ground.

  "Dad, you must give Shen Hou a good look!" Yu Hongbo thought of his own father's strength and the city master uncle's martial arts, suppressing his fear and trembling with anger.

  The housekeeper and guards looked at each other in dismay. When did Shen Monkey, one of the Twelve Divine Generals, become a thief?

  "Tomorrow, I'll invite a few of your uncles over." Yu Tongguang's face no longer showed any hint of a smile, and after a moment of contemplation, he said: "Your Uncle Cui is going to be in seclusion 'tempering his sword', so don't disturb him for the time being."

  After saying this sentence, he gradually suppressed his emotions and calmly said: "Right, spread the word about this matter."

  …………

  Meng Qi observed the Yu residence for half a night, but after Yu Tongguang returned to the mansion and discovered the letter, he initially flew into a rage, but later handled it calmly without making any suspicious moves, leaving Meng Qi with nothing gained and forcing him to return early to the temple.

  The next day, Meng Qi adjusted his breath, entered a state of calm, and practiced martial arts to temper his body. After that, he strolled leisurely towards the "Absolute Delicacy Building" to have lunch and gather information.

  Along the way, he bought a conical hat, a set of casual clothes, and a white monk robe that he had always dreamed of.

  As soon as Meng Qi entered the wine house, he hadn't even sat down yet when his ears were constantly filled with topics related to Cui Xuan and Luo Qing.

  "A duel of master level! This is a rare encounter in a hundred years!"

  "Indeed, who would have thought we'd experience such a grand event."

  "Unfortunately, except for the famous Jianghu guests who received invitations, we can't enter the City Master's mansion and won't be able to see this epoch-making duel."

  "Yes, it's really unfortunate. But I heard that Cao Manzi is setting up a gambling den to bet on the outcome of this duel. Do you think the City Master has an advantage or is the White-Robed Sword God more formidable?"

  As soon as this question came out, the whole wine building suddenly buzzed with a piece of sound, all analyzing the strength comparison between the two sides.

  "The City Master has been famous for over twenty years, and he has also entered the realm of the Sect Master for ten years. Can Luo Qing, who has just entered the Sect Master's realm, be his match? I'm rooting for the City Master!"

  "Not necessarily, not necessarily. Lu Qingjian has tried his sword on the world and hasn't met an opponent yet, no one can withstand his three swords. His momentum is at its peak, but the city master has rarely taken action in recent years, probably doesn't have that sharp intention anymore."

  "Three years ago, when the city master broke the Wudang Sect's Seven Stars Sword Formation, he used a full five moves. The White Robed Sword God, however, only needed two swords to successfully break the formation."

  "In three years' time, who knows if the castle owner will open another secret storage?"

  Everyone had different opinions and no one could convince anyone else, they almost came to blows, fortunately there was a gambling game set up, so they all diverted their anger from the dispute into bets.

  Meng Qi held his chopsticks and ate, listening to the discussions, and learned that the city master Cui Xuan had begun to close the door, and Miss Cui was in charge of everything in the city. He also knew that the White-Robed Sword God had moved into the Temple of Great Compassion, burning incense and fasting, bathing and washing his sword, waiting for the day of the decisive battle.

  Is City Lord Choi Jin Hua really not in Tiān Dìng City? Meng Qi is most concerned about this point, because the intelligence he currently has is difficult to distinguish between true and false, and he can't help but think of a way to "ask" another person involved, Choi Jin Hwa.

  "By the way, did you guys know that Shen Hou appeared again last night?" Cao Manzi had his attendants put away the gambling money and started spreading the news.

  "What's going on? Shen Hou killed someone again?" Many of the guests in the tavern were ordinary citizens, but there were also many from the jianghu, so they were particularly interested in this kind of jianghu news. Moreover, the lord of Tiandu City was a contemporary master, and local people couldn't help but pay attention to jianghu affairs.

  Cao Manzi slowly shook his head and said in a pretentious tone, "Shen Hou didn't kill anyone, but instead snuck into the 'Living God of Wealth's' home and left a letter in the study."

  "What news?" someone asked hastily.

  "The letter reads 'I heard you have a white jade Buddha statue......' Cao Manzi's memory is quite good."

  The crowd gasped in shock at this nearly provocative move, this display of skill and daring that left them both stunned and admiring.

  "Huojin is the first person under Zongshi, and Shenyuan is absolutely no match for him!"

  "Yes, he secretly took away the Buddha statue and left a letter to provoke us. Where can we put our faces as the living Wealth God? I think after six days, he will return in defeat."

  "It's just that Huo Wu Gong is extraordinary, and he has many good friends. Six days later, more than a dozen masters surrounded the White Jade Buddha statue. Let's see how Shen Hou steals it!"

  "I heard that if it weren't for the upcoming duel between the city masters, Huo Tian would have sent the White Jade Buddha statue to the City Master's mansion. Heh heh, at that time, Shen Hou would have had no choice but to admit defeat."

  "Speaking of which, Shen Hou is also cunning, and his timing is just right, leaving the city master no time to help."

  ……

  The guests in the wine house were discussing enthusiastically, after all, it was rare for such big things to happen frequently in the Jianghu.

  Meng Qi was very satisfied with the result, this is exactly what he wanted! The battle between Bai Yi and Cui Cheng was about to begin, and if there were people from the Twelve Spirit Gods nearby who had nothing better to do, they would definitely come to watch the battle and gain some insight. At that time, Meng Qi could leave a letter behind, create a big commotion, and the people from the Twelve Spirit Gods who came would naturally look for Shen Hou, giving him hope of completing his side quest.

  Of course, this was not enough to be safe. Meng Qi ate his fill and then put on the bamboo hat he had bought earlier and quietly followed Cao Manzi as he left.