The next day.
In Luoyang, where heroes from all over had gathered, another explosive piece of news spread like wildfire. It sparked heated discussion and close attention among the many heroes who were already keeping watch on a major affair.
According to reports, the news went roughly like this: last night, at around the hour of the ox, the "Shadow Assassin" Yang Xuyan and the "Amorous Young Master" Hou Xibai had joined forces to sneak into the Jingnian Monastery, where the He Shi Bi was kept. With someone's help, they had stolen the He Shi Bi right in front of Zen Master Liaokong?
The news had come from a senior monk at the Jingnian Monastery. Many heroes who had gone to investigate through various channels had also received confirmation, to one degree or another, from some of the monks. There was plenty of evidence to support it. What's more, quite a few people had indeed seen the monastery's Four Vajra Guardians and a large number of warrior monks frantically pursuing two black-clad figures outside Luoyang all night. There was no way the story could be false!
What left the heroes lying in wait in Luoyang utterly bewildered and incredulous was that the "Shadow Assassin" Yang Xuyan and the "Amorous Young Master" Hou Xibai had actually escaped the siege and pursuit of the Jingnian Monastery's many monks—and even made off with the He Shi Bi. To this day, both they and the He Shi Bi remained nowhere to be found.
At first, when they heard someone had stolen the He Shi Bi from the Jingnian Monastery, the various forces, noble clans, and heroes in Luoyang had been quite excited. After all, it would be easier to seize it from the thieves than from Cihang Jingzhai. They had all rubbed their hands