Chapter 59: Be Careful, the Opponent Is Very Strange

"Chief Constable Wei, you're here so early. There won't be any skewers ready for you at this hour," Lu Yang joked with a smile from the doorway.

It was still morning when Chief Constable Wei arrived at the barbecue restaurant with two constables and a silk banner.

"Here it is, the silk banner we talked about yesterday. I've brought it over for you."

Chief Constable Wei unfurled the banner on the street, intentionally displaying it. The banner read, "Acts of Bravery, Upholding Righteousness."

As expected, this action attracted many onlookers.

The two constables held the banner and hung it on the wall directly opposite the main door in the hall, where it was very conspicuous.

Originally, there were two tiger spirits skewering meat in the main hall, but Lu Yang had them go to the backyard beforehand to stay out of sight.

Lu Yang brought over three cups of tea and casually asked, "Did you get anything out of those idiotic thieves yesterday? Where are these outsiders from, daring to provoke the renowned Iron-Faced Constable?"

"Sigh, don't even ask. We didn't get anything out of them," Chief Constable Wei said, picking up a cup of piping hot tea and downing it in one gulp.

Someone at the Foundation Establishment stage isn't afraid of scalding hot water.

"Why is that?"

"Those foolish thieves had weak willpower; they talked simply by being intimidated. Just as they were about to explain why a group of cultivators came to Yanjiang Prefecture, they were killed by an assassin from who-knows-where. Nine poisonous needles, as fine as ox hair, were stuck in their necks, causing instant death. The room was sealed, and we have no idea where the assassin entered from."

"At the time, I instinctively went outside to look for the assassin, but found nothing. Later, I realized that the assassin must have mastered some sort of shadow-related spell. He hid in the shadows beforehand, killed them as soon as we started questioning, and then, while I ran out, he vanished by moving through the shadows."

"If I had blocked the door at the time, I wouldn't have let the assassin escape. I only regret that I was too angry then and didn't think of that!" Chief Constable Wei said, then angrily gulped down the tea meant for the other two constables.

The two constables stared blankly at Chief Constable Wei; they hadn't even had a sip.

Lu Yang smilingly saw off the angry Chief Constable Wei and the two unlucky constables who hadn't even managed a sip of water.

Meng Jingzhou transmitted his voice, "According to yesterday's plan, should we kill Qin Yuanhao?"

After returning last night, Lu Yang recounted what he had seen. Since they now knew the location of the Yanjiang Branch, there was no longer any need for Qin Yuanhao to remain alive.

The three of them formulated a plan to ambush Qin Yuanhao that very night.

Specifically, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou discussed, while Mang Gu listened in.

"No rush, I have some new ideas. Let's prepare a bit more."

...

The black-robed man gently knocked on Qin Yuanhao's mansion gate, but no one opened it for a long time.

The black-robed man simply waited.

Finally, the gate opened, but there was no one at the entrance; it seemed to open by itself.

The wide-open gate resembled the gaping maw of a demon, ready to swallow the unsuspecting.

The black-robed man calmly entered the mansion. The moment he stepped inside, the gate slammed shut with a bang, and the bolt slid into place, trapping him within the residence.

The black-robed man took out a bone token and loudly announced, "Is Senior Qin Yuanhao here? I've come on behalf of my master to pay my respects."

"Oh, so it's you. A tiger spirit under Brother Hu."

A voice came from behind the tiger spirit. Qin Yuanhao suddenly appeared, so abruptly that the tiger spirit didn't even notice which direction he came from; it was as if he had materialized out of thin air.

"What do you want with me?"

"My master said that after some thought, he agrees with your point: 'It's good to lean on a big tree for shade.' He wants to join the Yanjiang Branch, but he has some concerns and would like to invite you to Mount Song for a discussion."

Qin Yuanhao looked at the tiger spirit with amusement. "Oh, Brother Hu has been slow to reply. I thought he had no intention of joining the Yanjiang Branch."

The tiger spirit gave a deferential smile. "My master takes a bit longer to think things over."

Qin Yuanhao's expression changed instantly. He grabbed the tiger spirit by the neck. "You dare to play tricks in front of me? Tell me, who sent you? With Brother Hu's personality, how could he possibly take the initiative to join the Yanjiang Branch?"

The tiger spirit was greatly alarmed and repeatedly insisted that no one had sent him.

Qin Yuanhao applied more force to his grip, choking the tiger spirit until its spirit weakened, at which point it finally told the truth.

"A few days ago, some ignorant cultivators ventured into Mount Song and stumbled upon my master's whereabouts. My master killed them, and while tidying up their belongings, he discovered that their sect was extraordinary, with powerful Golden Core stage elders among their seniors."

"My master became somewhat afraid, fearing that a Golden Core stage cultivator might come looking for him. He then recalled Senior Qin's invitation, and after convincing his mistress, decided to join the Yanjiang Branch. So, he sent me, a humble subordinate, to invite you over to discuss the specific matters."

Qin Yuanhao got the answer he wanted and casually tossed the tiger spirit aside. "That's more like it."

No longer suspicious of the tiger spirit, Qin Yuanhao followed him to Mount Song.

"Senior Qin, my master is waiting for you not far ahead," the tiger spirit said respectfully. "My master dislikes having others listen in, so please go ahead."

Qin Yuanhao ignored the tiger spirit and walked forward alone.

The forest was dense and secluded, as if human footsteps had not disturbed it for a long time. The distant chirping of birds added to the tranquil atmosphere of the thick woods.

A four-meter-long tiger demon was seated cross-legged ahead, and two cups of tea were placed on a stone table, giving the impression of expecting guests.

Qin Yuanhao unconsciously lowered his guard, and his pace quickened.

Suddenly, his cultivation technique activated automatically, forming a thin membrane on his body surface that blocked an attack from an unknown source, leaving only a shallow red line on his neck.

"An ambush!"

Qin Yuanhao, with his vast experience, instantly recoiled backward and saw an almost invisible thin line stretched across the air at neck height.

"This dried noodle really works! It almost severed his head."

A gloating voice rang out from a tree to Qin Yuanhao's right; it was Meng Jingzhou.

What Qin Yuanhao saw was not a mere thin line, but "dragon beard noodles" that Lu Yang had bought from the cafeteria.

According to the senior disciple who bought the noodles, this type of dried noodle could kill invisibly and was perfectly suited for ambushes.

If not for Qin Yuanhao's special cultivation technique, which had an automatic defense function, his head would have been severed by now.

"You dare to plot against me!" Qin Yuanhao glared fiercely at the tiger demon. This wasn't about discussing joining the Yanjiang Branch; it was a trap from beginning to end!

Unexpectedly, the tiger demon had already vanished. The ground beneath Qin Yuanhao's feet felt soft, and a Qingfeng sword struck directly at Qin Yuanhao's crotch.

Fortunately, Qin Yuanhao reacted quickly. His right knee collided with the Qingfeng sword, deflecting it and protecting his vital spot.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, he turned and fled.

He was completely unprepared, while the opponents were fully ready. How could he possibly fight?

"It must be fellow demonic cultivators!" Qin Yuanhao declared with certainty. That last sword strike was too wicked. What righteous path practitioner fights like that?

Mang Gu, who had been waiting behind him for a long time, swung an entire tree and smashed it at Qin Yuanhao, sending him flying a great distance.

"Hmm, why didn't it feel right?" Mang Gu wondered. He had clearly hit the opponent, but it felt like hitting a sheet of paper.

Qin Yuanhao flew a long distance, but his momentum was undiminished, and he was unharmed.

"Watch out for his cultivation technique! It's very strange!" Mang Gu shouted a warning.

"A few youngsters think they can deal with me? You're a hundred years too early!" Qin Yuanhao laughed loudly. As long as they couldn't figure out the true nature of his cultivation technique, no one could catch him.

Lu Yang calmly leaped into the air and, using his identity jade pendant, uttered a command towards Qin Yuanhao: "Collect!"

Qin Yuanhao froze for a moment, not yet understanding what was happening. The jade pendant looked like an alternative storage ring, but a storage ring couldn't store living beings, especially himself.

Qin Yuanhao noticed Lu Yang and the other two looking at him strangely.

He slowly lowered his head and discovered that he was naked; his clothes had disappeared at some point.

Qin Yuanhao's clothes had been stored inside the jade pendant, leaving him shivering in the air, clad only in his underwear.

"Damn it, you're the weird ones!"