The General's Temple's Old Rival?

The result was that although Tang Changsheng had prepared plenty of dishes, the portions were really only enough for one person. Now there was nowhere near enough to eat! Fortunately, the General's Temple had plenty of ingredients stored in its cellar. Ling Xiaoyu went into the kitchen herself and cooked two dishes so delicious Tang Changsheng nearly bit his tongue off.

For a moment, Tang Changsheng felt an urge to keep the young woman around as his cook.

But then he thought again. Wouldn't it be a waste to make such a beautiful young woman a cook?

Just as Tang Changsheng's thoughts were beginning to wander after a good meal, his phone rang.

"What? Song Da's in the hospital? All right, I understand."

Tang Changsheng hung up. His face had gone still as water, but a cold gleam flickered in his eyes. Every cell in his blood, meanwhile, seemed to leap with excitement!

Ten years to hone a sword, its frosted edge still untried. Today I draw it for you to see—who has a wrong to set right?

Tang Changsheng felt he had made great strides in his cultivation lately. So when he heard of a formidable enemy, he felt no fear. Instead, he was itching to test himself.

"Miss Ling, I forgot to ask. Where did you get that Necklace you wore last time?"

Tang Changsheng took out the Necklace with its bat pendant and showed it to her.

Ling Xiaoyu had seen his expression when he answered the phone and knew something must have happened. Now, seeing the way he looked, she stiffened. "Does it have something to do with what happened to me last time?"

Sharp as ice and snow, just as I thought, Tang Changsheng praised her inwardly. Aloud, he said evenly, "I can't say for sure... Experts are rare enough these days. There couldn't suddenly be two of them in the Lower River area!"

When the so-called Da Xiang's spell had been broken, the first thing he had thought of was the General's Temple.

Now Tang Changsheng, too, had linked the unknown expert who had plotted against Ling Xiaoyu with those grave robbers!

Those grave robbers clearly had some ability. They had caught Zhang Dacheng off guard and left more than a dozen of his men dead or wounded. They were no simple opponents!

"I bought it at a boutique..." Ling Xiaoyu said uneasily, fear showing on her face. Remembering what had happened last time was clearly no pleasant experience for her.

Something stirred in Tang Changsheng's heart. He almost reached out to take her hand and comfort her.

Instead, he touched his hair without thinking, trying to hide how close he had come to losing his composure.

For no reason he could explain, he hated the enemy lurking in the shadows all the more.

After a moment's thought, he smiled. "Stay at my temple for a few more days. Don't worry. I'll have someone notify your family!"

Ling Xiaoyu gave a little "Ah," then obediently nodded without saying anything more.

Tang Changsheng stood, walked out into the courtyard, and gazed coldly at the surrounding woods. He let out a derisive laugh.

"Heh. You're probably waiting for me to rush down the mountain right now, aren't you? Well, I'm staying right here. Let's see whether you make your move!"

Less than two hours later, Zhang Dacheng and Zuo Xingfa arrived at the mountain together with their men.

In the video, a white streak could be seen beneath the river's surface, moving like a torpedo. It slammed into an assault boat and overturned it, throwing four or five people into the water.

Then the white streak moved again, racing toward another assault boat at astonishing speed.

Aboard that boat, Song Da and his men fired desperately. Dozens of bullets struck the water in an instant, sending spray everywhere...

But they failed to stop the monster. It charged on and overturned the second boat as well.

"Master, what kind of monster is that?" Zhang Dacheng asked, staring in horror at the paused image.

The picture had been enlarged as far as it would go. Beneath the water, they could make out the faint outline of a dorsal fin, black as iron... It seemed to belong to an enormous fish!

Tang Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

Then he burst out laughing. "Good! Very good! I wondered who'd dare set their sights on my General's Temple. So an old rival has returned!"

"An old rival?" Zhang Dacheng's eyes narrowed, but he could not place who Tang Changsheng meant.

Zuo Xingfa was older and knew more of the local tales.

Recognition shook him. "You mean... Gourd Islet?"

Gourd Islet, the General's Temple; Three-Course Dam, Dead Man Mountain. Enter none of these four places, or through the gates of death you'll pass...

It was the best-known rhyme for hundreds of miles around the Lower River!

Of course, times had changed. Three-Course Dam had long since become a reservoir, and the Gourd Islet waterway had fallen into decline...

Only the older generation still remembered the rhyme. Few young people had even heard it!

Zhang Dacheng certainly knew it. At the mention of Gourd Islet, he looked every bit as shocked as Zuo Xingfa. He nearly jumped out of his seat.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid? Or do you have other ideas?" Tang Changsheng asked suddenly, with a smile that was not quite a smile.

His tone and expression put enormous pressure on them both, like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads.

Only then did they seem to remember who stood before them: the master of the General's Temple!

He, too, was a formidable man with an endless array of mysterious methods, someone who could decide whether they lived or died with ease!

"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare... The General's Temple is the rightful line, after all. You're the rightful master!" Zuo Xingfa wiped cold sweat from his brow, cursing his luck inwardly.

Tang Changsheng gave a cold chuckle. "Don't worry. Since this concerns Gourd Islet, I won't need you to get involved..."

Before he had even finished, Zuo Xingfa and Zhang Dacheng felt as though they had been granted a pardon. Neither dared show his relief; they could only struggle to keep it hidden.

In truth, both felt terribly wronged! This was clearly strife within the General's Temple, its own people turning blades on one another. Why should lowly pawns like them be dragged into it?

But there was no way they would dare say that in front of Tang Changsheng!

Tang Changsheng knew exactly what they were thinking. He had not been counting on them anyway. He merely sneered. Very good. Very good. So the people of Gourd Islet have returned...

If they'd come back a little earlier, I truly wouldn't have been able to resist. But now... At that thought, he raised a hand. A gust of cold, ghostly wind came howling in, filling the room with wind.

All that remained was the look of utter horror on Zuo Xingfa's and Zhang Dacheng's faces...

After seeing the two of them off, Tang Changsheng fell into thought. Then he heard a young woman ask, "I heard the General's Temple has run into a little trouble?"

Tang Changsheng looked over in surprise and saw Ling Xiaoyu. He was not surprised she knew; he had made no effort to avoid speaking in front of her while talking with Zuo Xingfa and Zhang Dacheng.