An Wu, I'm Here

Even after crossing through the main gate of Anguo Temple, Yaoshi Yuan still didn't trust Yellow Dog's plan to close the hall doors.

Her Embroidered Uniform Guard had thoroughly investigated the personnel movements in Anguo Temple over the past year, confirming that Yellow Dog couldn't possibly have planted people inside the temple within just a few days. And given Chang'an City's divine protection, Yellow Dog couldn't murder the temple's monks and impersonate them, either.

Yellow Dog's claim that he had planted an infiltrator inside Anguo Temple was a complete and utter lie.

She had already prepared her words. As long as Yellow Dog failed to close the hall doors, she would immediately step forward and berate him harshly for overestimating himself and bringing disaster upon himself. His failure showed that he was irresponsible and lacked the courage to shoulder responsibility. His only way out now was to follow her commands. Only she could lead everyone to victory...

Until a deafening wave of bells shattered her fantasies.

Yaoshi Yuan watched as the monks hurriedly shut the hall doors in every direction and latched them, including the small door leading to the second floor. They hadn't even spared the windows. In less than twenty seconds, all of Anguo Temple had been completely sealed off, cutting it off from the outside world. It was practically the perfect crime scene.

Only the monks of Anguo Temple could have had enough manpower to close the hall doors in such a short time.

Although Yaoshi Yuan still didn't know what Yellow Dog had done, there was no doubt that every monk in Anguo Temple had become an "infiltrator" at this moment!

He had actually been telling the truth.

He had really done it.

Right under my nose, he had laid out the perfect plan, while I hadn't even uncovered the slightest trace of it!

Closing the hall doors was his plan, opening the golden cabinet was his proposal, and even the escape route had been chosen by him!

Chang'an City was clearly my territory. How could he act so recklessly?

I'm the daughter of the Duke of Jin and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. How could he be even more at ease than I am?

I'm clearly the destined master of the Thieves' Den. Why is he better than me?

Why?!

Why?!

After Yaoshi Yuan put on the Black Wolf mask, no one could see her expression. Everyone could only feel the heat of her surging blood and the aura that kept rising!

"You actually dare to run wild in Anguo Temple!"

A tall martial monk wielding a staff vaulted over the counter. When he saw the one-armed monk lying on the floor and the blood covering the ground, his brows knotted together and his face darkened, resembling an enraged Arhat.

"Although I don't know what you did to dispel Chang'an City's Buddha's protection, those who incur the karma of killing shall forever be killed in turn. Without Buddha's protection, do you think you can act with impunity? Let me teach you this: Buddha possesses great compassion, but also great wrath!"

"Ben De, Ben Ci, Ben Ming, follow me and subdue the demons!"

"Yes, Uncle-Master Chengming!"

The three martial monks nearby had been somewhat at a loss, but upon hearing the tall martial monk's order, they immediately came to their senses and surrounded the four of them from different directions.

Yan Qing's heart sank—this was one of the worst situations he had envisioned.

If the monks failed to react, they could use their information advantage to eliminate Anguo Temple's fighting force first. By then, those monks who believed Chang'an City would protect them would die in confusion, no matter how powerful they were.

But as soon as someone rallied them and led them into battle, Yan Qing and the others would have no choice but to clash head-on with Anguo Temple's martial monks!

As the saying went, if you didn't show someone a skill, they really wouldn't know how useless you were.

With only a Second Turn Messenger's strength, once Yan Qing fought someone, the other side would inevitably see through him completely. Everyone would learn that he was merely a small-time rookie. Even if he completed the mission, the loss would still be unbearable for Yan Qing.

He had made so many preparations and laid so much groundwork. Could he still not avoid a direct confrontation?

While Yan Qing wrestled with himself, Yaoshi Yuan walked in front of them. Her low voice carried an almost arrogant chill. "Come at me together. I'm in a hurry."

"You insolent little thief!"

The tall martial monk roared and swung his staff at Yaoshi Yuan together with the other three martial monks! This wasn't the time to talk about martial honor. They couldn't afford to miss this chance to cripple one of their enemies while she was off guard!

At the same time, Yaoshi Yuan removed the bundle wrapped in black cloth and took out two folding steel rods. With a twist, turn, and lock of her hands, they transformed into a Fine Steel Spear!

She faced the martial monks' staffs head-on without the slightest defense!

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The martial monks' staffs struck Yaoshi Yuan without hesitation, producing a series of dull booms through the air. Uncle-Master Chengming's staff was even wrapped in red lightning. When it struck Yaoshi Yuan, it sounded like a bell being struck, erupting with deep, rumbling vibrations!

The ordinary martial monks were First Turn Messengers. They possessed only the 'Arhat Robe' Defensive Token, but with their vigorous blood and qi, even their staff strikes could shatter jade and split stone. Chengming, however, was a Second Turn Messenger. In addition to the Arhat Robe, he possessed the Second Turn Token 'Thunderclap Pearl,' which could greatly enhance the lethality of any weapon he wielded.

Against an ordinary person, Chengming and the other three attacking together would have been enough to beat them into minced meat. Even rocks and steel would have been pulverized.

Yet Yaoshi Yuan, who had taken all their attacks head-on, merely had ripples of pale golden light rise across her body. She was completely unharmed.

Able to withstand attacks enhanced by the Thunderclap Pearl—is that a Second Turn Defensive Token?

This thought flashed through Chengming's mind. He guessed that his opponent was probably a Second Turn Messenger with high defense and low attack.

His guess wasn't unreasonable. After all, replenishing spiritual power was extremely troublesome for Messengers. Limited by their spiritual-power capacity, Second Turn Messengers usually wore only one Second Turn Token. If they focused on offense, they couldn't focus on defense; if they focused on healing, they couldn't focus on movement.

Just then, he heard Yaoshi Yuan's low, murderous voice.

"Finished? Then it's my turn."

The golden light around Yaoshi Yuan transformed into flowing water that wrapped around the Fine Steel Spear. She raised the spear high with one hand, her body tensed like a drawn bow!

The martial monks weren't afraid. They intended to rely on the Arhat Robes to endure the attack and use this opportunity to continue attacking Yaoshi Yuan.

Only Chengming realized what was happening. He backed away while shouting, "Dodge! This is—"

Token: Vidyaraja Armor!

Yaoshi Yuan let out a shout and swept the spear across with one hand. Golden light poured from the tip like flowing water, transforming into a golden spear aura that swept across!

What she swung wasn't a spear, but a sea of blood!

The martial monks' Arhat Robes shattered instantly. Even Chengming failed to dodge. Their bodies were all sliced in half at the waist, and blood sprayed onto the ground, forming a line of scarlet. The surrounding Guest Monks rolled and crawled backward in terror, staring fearfully at Yaoshi Yuan and the others.

Chengming wasn't dead yet. With only half his body remaining, he struggled to open his eyes wide and stared at Yaoshi Yuan's Black Wolf mask. In a trembling voice, he said, "Rare... It's actually a rare... Token..."

Smack!

Yaoshi Yuan pierced his head with the spear, ending his torment.

She looked back at everyone and said calmly, "Let's go. We're short on time."

Even through the mask, Yaoshi Yuan could see the astonished little looks in White Fox and Red Snake's eyes. A surge of satisfaction immediately rose in her heart.

Now you know how formidable I am!

But when she looked at Yellow Dog, she felt her anger about to burn through her stomach—Yellow Dog had actually walked straight ahead without showing the slightest shock at her performance!

This is a rare Token! Have you ever seen a rare Token? Do you even know what a rare Token is? You clearly don't, which is why you can't see how formidable I am!

What an ignorant bumpkin!

Yaoshi Yuan nearly wanted to stab Yan Qing from behind. At that moment, Yan Qing opened the counter door and prepared to enter Anguo Temple's inner hall, when the Shopkeeper Monk cowering behind the counter suddenly drew a Precept Blade and tried to ambush Yan Qing from behind.

Seeing this, Yaoshi Yuan stepped forward and swept her spear out with one hand. The powerful, sturdy shaft slammed the Shopkeeper Monk into the wall, and he slid down like a rag, unconscious.

When Yan Qing turned back, she snorted and scolded him. "Watch your surroundings. Don't cause me trouble."

"Sorry." Yan Qing smiled. "Don't attack in a moment. My people have arrived."

Yellow Dog's people?

This time, not only Yaoshi Yuan, but even Ying Ru Shi and Shang Xin Lei looked over curiously.

Yan Qing pushed open the counter and the inner hall's door. Immediately, a wave of heat mixed with the smell of burning filled the air.

"This really is... blasphemy." Ying Ru Shi murmured.

Inside the inner hall, where golden statues of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas stood, several twisted corpses lay on the floor. Every one of them had been burned into charcoal. When they opened the door, a martial monk bathing in flames was still screaming, but he couldn't escape because three identical triplets blocked his path. Even though the flames had reached them as well, they remained motionless until the martial monk collapsed and stopped moving.

More than a dozen frail, pale nobles huddled in a corner. Their faces were filled with terror, and they didn't dare speak, as though afraid of awakening the evil spirits in the Buddhist hall.

Standing in the center of the inner hall was a boy holding a blade in one hand. Half his body had been burned black, and his right arm had been burned down to half its length. That remaining half looked like charcoal still radiating heat, as though it would crumble apart at the slightest touch. The eyebrows and hair on his face had been burned away, while the skin on the right side of his face had been burned into a distorted, aged texture like twisted bark, turning his delicate face hideously ugly.

Facing the hall filled with Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, he looked like an evil spirit that had crawled out of hell.

But Yaoshi Yuan, Ying Ru Shi, and Shang Xin Lei all noticed the same thing at once—

The White Iron Straight Blade in the boy's hand was exactly the same as Yellow Dog's blade!

"An Wu, I'm here."

Yan Qing stepped into the inner hall and greeted him loudly.

The boy turned toward Yan Qing. His devilish face was devoid of sorrow or joy.

For a moment, Yan Qing thought the other party might not recognize him—

"You came."

An Wu paused, then continued, "We killed four, and three escaped. They complained."

At that last sentence, Xue Yan, Third Miss Yang, and the others froze. Then their expressions changed drastically.

Every one of them nervously felt their hearts rise into their throats. They didn't even dare breathe heavily as they anxiously watched the strange man wearing Yellow Dog's mask, waiting for his response!