Dragon Gate Escort Agency.
At this moment, a torrential downpour began in the pitch-black night, accompanied by thunderous roars. The flashes of lightning illuminated the plaque of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, revealing bloodstains washed away by the rain, making it appear particularly eerie.
Li Changfeng and Detective Peng walked in, shook off the rain, and solemnly looked at the corpses draped in white sheets. A strong stench of decay filled the entire hall.
Detective Peng seemed oblivious to the stench of death, turning over the corpses one by one to examine their injuries. With a grave expression, he said, "They were all killed by the same sword technique, suspected to be the method of the Southern Empire Brocade-Clad Guard!"
Li Changfeng said solemnly, "So, these people died at the hands of the Brocade-Clad Guard?"
"Not necessarily! It's currently a truce between Shaolin and the Southern Imperial Court. The Southern Imperial Court is unlikely to make a move at this time; doing so would only alienate the people and cause them to lose face!"
"If it's not the Brocade-Clad Guard, then who is it?"
"Sigh! I don't know either. It seems I'll have to go to the capital tomorrow to investigate!"
"Huh!"
Suddenly, Detective Peng seemed to have discovered something. After examining the corpses, he said, "These corpses are quite shriveled. Generally, when a person is killed, the blood will coagulate, and the body won't shrivele like this. There's something wrong here!"
"Every single one of their bodies showed this condition, and these problems wouldn't be noticeable without a close inspection!"
"So, there's more to the story behind these people's deaths!"
"Really!"
"Huh! There's one corpse missing! I remember there were one hundred and eight corpses!"
Upon seeing this, Li Changfeng quickly checked and discovered that the missing person was none other than Du Jinxiu, the daughter of Chief Escort Du. He then solemnly said, "It seems that the missing body is Du Jinxiu!"
"Brother Li! Do you know that missing woman?"
"Indeed! I've met them a few times!"
"That's good! If her body wasn't deliberately taken away, then she's still alive. If we find him, we might be able to find out the reason!"
Suddenly, a slight noise came from outside the door. Li Changfeng immediately sensed the movement, and in a flash, he arrived at the door. He saw a man in black eavesdropping there and suddenly struck out with his palm!
The man in black was taken aback and immediately struck out with his palm, which clashed with Li Changfeng's sudden palm strike.
"Bang"!
A muffled thud was heard as the two men's powerful palm strikes collided, creating a shockwave of true energy. They each staggered back seven or eight steps, staring intently at each other.
The man in black thought to himself, "This kid! His Inner Force is incredibly powerful. At such a young age, he already possesses strength comparable to mine. Truly, a prodigy emerges from among the young!"
Li Changfeng's expression turned grave. "Who are you? Why are you eavesdropping on our conversation? Could you be the murderer who destroyed the Dragon Gate Escort Agency?"
The man in black sneered, "Who I am is none of your business. I'm just here to find someone. The affairs of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency are none of my concern!"
"Snort!"
Detective Peng said cautiously, "Brother! Your attire in the middle of the night is quite suspicious. I am an officer from the Six Doors. Please come with me to investigate. If you are not the murderer, I will naturally clear your name!"
"Hmph! I said no, so it's no! You want to arrest me? Let's see if you have the ability!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng immediately took action, unleashing his century-old Inner Force. He picked up the Azure Rainbow Sword and thrust it forward with tremendous force, creating a series of afterimages with astonishing power.
The man in black sneered and unleashed his own century-old Inner Force, striking out a series of fierce palm prints to meet Li Changfeng's sword shadow head-on!
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
A series of explosive sounds rang out as the two exchanged hundreds of blows on the ground, neither gaining the upper hand. Each exchange unleashed a burst of true energy that shot wildly outwards, leaving the ground in a mess. Their power was truly astonishing!
Detective Peng frowned upon seeing the fierce battle between Li Changfeng and the other man. "How can this Carefree Young Master's swordsmanship be so simple? It seems to consist of only a few moves: thrusting, slicing, and chopping. It's as if there are no specific techniques. Could this be the legendary realm of a sword master, simplifying the complex and revealing the immense power contained within the simplest moves?!"
Li Changfeng unleashed his true energy, drew his Azure Rainbow Sword, and poured his Inner Force into it, causing the sword to hum with each strike. He then unleashed a powerful sword beam, fiercely slashing towards the man in black.
Upon seeing the fierce attack, the man in black's eyelids twitched. He quickly leaped up to dodge the domineering and sharp sword light, which struck the ground not far away, instantly carving a ten-foot-deep slab into the earth. Its power was domineering and awe-inspiring!
The man in black unleashed 130 years of Inner Force in mid-air and suddenly used the first move of the Vajra Prajna Palm, "Vajra Descent." A violent golden true energy condensed all over his body and frantically gathered in his palm, violently striking out a golden palm print fifty feet long!
A golden palm print, fifty feet long, slammed fiercely and domineeringly towards Li Changfeng. Li Changfeng felt an immense pressure that rendered him unable to move.
Then Li Changfeng planted his sword in the ground, unleashing 150 Inner Force. He then unleashed the first move of the [Vajra Palm of Immense Strength], "Vajra Arrival." A faint golden aura slowly condensed around him, and a Vajra phantom appeared behind him. He then unleashed a violent strike with both palms, and the Vajra phantom behind him also struck out with both palms.
The Vajra phantom unleashed a violent palm strike, which collided with the black-clad man's powerful, fifty-foot-long golden palm print, producing a deafening sonic boom. The point where the two palms clashed instantly erupted with a terrifying burst of true energy, directly pushing the soil on the ground a foot deep and ten feet away.
"Puff"!
The man in black coughed up blood, sent flying dozens of feet away by the powerful palm strike. He then used his lightness skill to escape and disappear into the darkness.
The man in black then went to a dark alley, looked around to see if anyone was chasing him, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no one. Then he spat out another mouthful of blood and exclaimed in horror, "That kid just now! He used the Vajra Palm of Immense Strength! Could it be that Shaolin Temple master has caught up with us?"
"No! That shouldn't be it! This kid probably obtained this palm technique from some Buddhist lineage. But his Inner Force is truly domineering. I almost died there. Luckily, he didn't chase after me, which saved me from a disaster!"
"We originally planned to ambush Li Changfeng at the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, but before we even saw him, we were injured by some random young man. What an inauspicious start..."