For a moment, the black-clad men were caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
Seeing this, the Red Clad Girl hurriedly helped Uncle Chen withdraw to the Guo brothers' side.
Guo Xi'wu had also examined Guo Xuewen's injuries and treated them as best he could. Though Guo Xuewen was unconscious from his severe wounds, they weren't life-threatening.
Meng Qingshan didn't care whether the Guo brothers lived or died. He walked straight up to the Red Clad Girl and quietly asked, "Do you have anything to eat?"
"What?!"
Hearing Meng Qingshan's question, An Ning'er clearly froze. Then, almost without thinking, she blurted out two words.
Thinking she hadn't heard him, Meng Qingshan bent close to her ear and explained softly, "To be honest, I haven't eaten in almost two days. Does anyone have anything to eat?"
Although An Ning'er and the Guo brothers had grown up together, their bond was more like that of siblings, as close as family. She had rarely been this close to an unfamiliar man.
Now Meng Qingshan's breath brushed her ear and neck. She instinctively took half a step back, a shy blush rising on her face.
She took a wineskin from her waist and looked at Meng Qingshan. Seeing his clear gaze, free of any lecherous intent, she felt some of her displeasure subside.
An Ning'er said, "The food was all in the carriage, and now we don't know where it is. The only thing I have left to drink is this wine!"
Meng Qingshan felt a little disappointed, but still took the wineskin from the Red Clad Girl. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Wine will do."
He eagerly pulled out the stopper, tilted his head back, and began gulping it down.
"Ning'er, that wine..."
Seeing Meng Qingshan take the wineskin and drink deeply, Guo Xi'wu seemed about to warn him. But before he could finish, An Ning'er cut in with a question: "Big Brother Guo, how is Little Brother Guo?"
Guo Xi'wu opened his mouth. Seeing the Red Clad Girl's warning glance, he finally said only, "He's still alive."
Just then, one of the black-clad men quietly approached their leader and whispered a few words in his ear.
The hesitation and doubt in the leader's eyes instantly gave way to resolve and icy determination.
He glared at Meng Qingshan and the others, his voice full of disdain and provocation. "Hmph. Kid, the Seven Mysteries Sect never oversteps its jurisdiction when handling cases. This is the Central Continent. Do you think the name Sheng Wubing alone is enough to scare us off?
"Today, I'll see for myself whether the constables of the Seven Mysteries Sect in Yunzhou are truly as formidable as their reputation!"
Meanwhile, Meng Qingshan poured the last drop from the wineskin into his mouth.
A line of translucent blue text appeared before his eyes:
[You drank 'White Jade Fat.' Blood and vital energy recovery rate +40%, Physique +20%, Strength +20%. Effects last for 4 hours!]
"Excellent wine! Truly excellent wine!!!"
Meng Qingshan praised it from the heart, then tossed the wineskin back to An Ning'er.
He was now slightly tipsy, the state drinkers loved most.
Seven parts sober, three parts reckless. It was as if he stood among the clouds, his whole body suddenly light and nimble.
As the alcohol gradually took hold, Meng Qingshan's body began to warm. He savored the strange stimulation that coursed through his nerves in his pleasant haze.
Even the hunger in Meng Qingshan's belly seemed to vanish.
In its place surged a sense of strength unlike anything he'd ever felt.
As the saying went, "When a man carries a sharp weapon, the urge to kill arises."
Meng Qingshan had just inherited the legacy of Xiao Tianfang, the Great Hero of Shenzhou. There was no way he didn't want to test his current abilities.
Just about any player who learned a new skill wanted to try it out in actual combat. Meng Qingshan was no exception.
"You've got some nerve, ignoring even the name of Constable Sheng of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Very well. Let me, Zhang, see what the lot of you are made of."
After speaking, Meng Qingshan turned to An Ning'er and pointed to the spear beside Uncle Chen, who was sitting with his eyes closed and regulating his breath. "May I borrow this weapon?"
An Ning'er hesitated. "This spear is called Divine Might. It's over a zhang long and weighs seventy-two jin. Even if an ordinary martial artist can lift it, they could hardly wield it freely..."
She didn't finish. An Ning'er's voice abruptly cut off.
Meng Qingshan had already hooked the spear up with his toe and effortlessly caught it in his hand.
The moment he gripped the spear, a cool, heavy sensation shot through his palm like an electric current.
Meng Qingshan felt an inexplicable shiver of excitement ripple through him, a thrill rising from instinct.
Since his injury, this body had gone a long time without the feel of a spear in its grasp.
Now the long spear was in his hand. It still felt a little light to Meng Qingshan, but that didn't stop him from using it.
He twirled the spear once. In an instant, it felt like an extension of his own arm, perfectly attuned to him.
At a thought, the weapon's Attribute Panel appeared before his eyes:
------ Item: Divine Might Hundred Refined Spear Affiliation: Divine Might Camp Description: This spear was the standard weapon of the soldiers of the Divine Might Camp under King Yun Chu. It was over a zhang long and weighed seventy-two jin, forged from hundred-refined steel and red copper, and coated all over in black lacquer. A lifelike fire dragon's head was carved at the butt, while the spearhead was shaped like a dragon's tongue, as if flames were surging around it—an awe-inspiring sight.
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