At these words, Guo Xuewen was caught completely off guard by the sudden interrogation.
The reason he had stopped Meng Qingshan twice was simply that he had noticed Meng Qingshan glance at the commandery princess in an unusually strange way both times. Suspicious, he had wanted to get to the bottom of it.
Now Meng Qingshan had produced Sheng Wubing's Famous Constable Token, leaving him momentarily at a loss.
But Guo Xuewen suddenly remembered that this place lay in the Central Continent. The Seven Mysteries Sect had no authority to investigate cases outside Yunzhou. He immediately snapped, "Jiaxing is already beyond Yunzhou's borders. Who gave you the authority to cross into another province and investigate cases?"
Meng Qingshan's heart tightened. I actually forgot about that. I've really made a mess of things!
At that moment, the Red Clad Girl gently stepped in to mediate. "Since he serves under Brother Wubing, he's one of us. We're brothers, so why let a moment's anger sour our friendship? Why don't we go upstairs, sit down, and share a few drinks? We can turn hostility into friendship!"
Meng Qingshan said awkwardly, "This Zhang still has important business to attend to. Please excuse me."
With that, he turned and left, unwilling to get entangled with them.
Guo Xuewen, however, called out to stop him. "You brat, you don't know the rules of the sect, you're not wearing a black uniform, and you don't even have a waist token. I'm afraid you stole that Famous Constable Token, too!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a gust of force shot toward Meng Qingshan from behind.
Meng Qingshan didn't even try to dodge.
To be honest, he had recently acquired two martial arts techniques of green grade or higher in a row, and his strength had increased considerably. If only the Guo brothers attacked, they wouldn't be able to keep him here.
What's more, under Sheng Wubing's guidance the previous night, he had already cultivated the Bone-Piercing Nail to the first level. He could now use it with ease, without the slightest impediment.
He gently turned both hands over, and three steel needles appeared in them from nowhere. The True Qi in his body flowed, gathering at his fingertips in an instant.
Meng Qingshan urged his True Qi to its limit. The three steel needles instantly shrieked through the air, speeding straight toward Guo Xuewen behind him.
"Brother Guo, watch out!"
"Xuewen, watch out for the hidden weapons..."
Two cries rang out in quick succession, and Guo Xuewen saw the steel needles Meng Qingshan had fired.
He had assumed Meng Qingshan would draw his blade to meet the attack. He hadn't expected him to use hidden weapons.
Though he had practiced martial arts since childhood, his actual skill was about the same as Meng Qingshan's original body.
Faced with the Bone-Piercing Nails hurtling toward him at astonishing speed, how could he possibly dodge them easily?
In his desperation, he had no time to think of a better response. He could only shield his vitals with both hands and brace for the three steel needles.
Yet the three needles seemed to have eyes, skimming deftly past him.
"Clang, clang, clang—"
Three crisp rings sounded as the steel needles embedded themselves in the inn wall.
Still shaken, Guo Xuewen looked up. Meng Qingshan had already vanished into the crowd without a trace.
"That was close!"
The Red Clad Girl pressed a hand to her heaving chest, her expression plainly betraying her lingering fear and nervousness.
Guo Xi'wu had already pulled two steel needles from the wall. He handed them to Guo Xuewen and said, "No doubt about it. These are Constable Sheng's Bone-Piercing Nails. He held back!"
Guo Xuewen's expression changed several times at the sight, becoming quite a spectacle.
Jiaxing City, west side.
Twenty-Four Beam Moon-Reflection Bridge.
After shaking off the Red Clad Girl and the others, Meng Qingshan came straight here.
Recalling the look on that Guo Xuewen brat's face, he couldn't help sneering to himself. No wonder An Ning'er, who grew up with them, can't stand those two brothers. They're nowhere near good enough for her!
Meng Qingshan shook his head, amused. He couldn't help wondering why he had bothered to argue with someone who couldn't even recognize his own abilities.
A lovesick fool who couldn't see his own place wasn't worth giving another thought.
Now that he had reached Moon-Reflection Bridge in Jiaxing City, the Mysterious Encounter of the "Great Hero of the Divine Land," Xiao Tianfang, was just ahead, practically within reach.
Meng Qingshan's excitement surged along with the thought.
Unfortunately, Jiaxing City was currently hosting a grand wine-tasting festival. This place was the festival's main venue, bustling with people.
If he went into the water now, he would surely draw attention. It would be unwise.
It seemed he could only wait until nightfall before coming back to search for that underground river.
The night was deep and still.
It was the third quarter of the Hai hour.
Jiaxing City enforced a curfew, so not a soul could be seen on the Moon-Reflection Bridge over Qu River.
Meng Qingshan quietly made his way there.
Beneath the night sky, a full moon hung like a mirror, casting its clear light across the world.
Moonlight rippled across the river's shimmering surface, reflecting the twinkling stars overhead.
In an instant, the sea of stars and Qu River seemed to merge, and for a moment, it was as if two moons hung high above the world.
A cool breeze swept by, wrinkling the jade platter of the river. Mottled moonlight spilled over the Twenty-Four Beam Moon-Reflection Bridge, making the ancient bridge look like a celestial realm.
Captivated by the beautiful scene, Meng Qingshan lost himself in it.
Suddenly, a line of translucent blue text appeared before his eyes:
[At the third quarter of the Hai hour, you saw the beautiful scene of two moons hanging above the Twenty-Four Beam Moon-Reflection Bridge in Jiaxing City, their clear light illuminating the bridge. Your heart and mind were swept away, and you gained a new insight into the Martial Dao, earning 21,000 cultivation points!]
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