The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 4: Chapter 7

Now, at least there were some clues. Zhu Que hurriedly arrived at the place mentioned by Quan Zhengyi. By this time, the sky was getting darker. Zhu Que had a hearty meal at a nearby restaurant, estimating that the members of the Fragrance Cult would also be having dinner around this time, so he walked straight over.

The place where the Fragrance Cult protected its teachings was a private residence, looking unremarkable from the outside. Who would have thought that this was the gathering location of a cult, right in the bustling city? When Zhu Que saw the door was closed, he knocked on it. After a while, someone came to open the door and asked, “Who is it?”

Zhu Que said, “I am looking for someone.”

The person said, “You must have come to the wrong place; I don’t have the person you’re looking for.”

Zhu Que pretended to be puzzled and said, “Am I at the wrong place? I clearly heard that Wang Zhaoxian lives here.”

Wang Zhaoxian was the leader of the Fragrance Cult. Upon hearing Zhu Que casually mention the leader’s name, the man was quite shaken, unsure of how their identity had been exposed.

Taking advantage of the man’s shock, Zhu Que pushed him through the door. The man let out a strange cry, and suddenly, a dozen people surged out from the courtyard, armed with weapons, their expressions clearly not friendly.

A short and stout man walked through the crowd towards Zhu Que. Zhu Que observed the man’s stocky build and how he waddled like a duck; Zhu Que knew this was a unique skill from the martial arts of Shaanbei. A chill ran through Zhu Que as he realized this man would be difficult to deal with. If everyone here were of the same caliber, then coming here would not only mean trouble, but it might even be challenging to ensure his safety.

The man pulled out two short sticks from his pocket, struck them together in front of him, creating sparks, and asked, “Are you here to cause trouble, sir?”

Zhu Que replied, “I’m looking for someone, not looking for trouble. Please ask Wang Zhaoxian to come out; I have something to say.”

“No one here goes by that name. Please leave, or don’t blame me for being rude.”

“Really?” After saying that, Zhu Que took a step forward.

The short and stout man could no longer contain himself, letting out a roar as he charged forward, crossing his two sticks towards Zhu Que. Zhu Que did not draw his sword; instead, he fought him barehanded. He focused on the incoming attack, using one hand to deflect one of the short sticks while the other hand formed a knife with his palm, striking down on the short stick. Both of them staggered slightly from the impact.

Zhu Que took a step back, dissipating the staff’s internal energy, but the man stood his ground, unmoving, yet his face was already flushed red. Zhu Que knew the man had taken his strike head-on, and his internal energy had been shaken.

To outsiders, after the two exchanged a move, Zhu Que took a step back while the short, stout man stood still, making it seem as though the stout man had won. Little did they know, he was suffering in silence, desperately trying to regulate his internal breath, and just needed a moment to recover. Unfortunately, Zhu Que did not give him that opportunity. Zhu Que stepped forward and attacked him with both hands as if to grab him.

The short, stout man knew that if he waited a moment longer, he would be able to catch his breath, but Zhu Que’s hands were already in front of him, leaving him no choice but to raise his two sticks to block.

This time, he made a firm move, but his technique appeared somewhat stiff, and Zhu Que easily caught his weapon with one hand. The man pulled back with all his might but couldn’t budge it. Suddenly, he let out a loud shout, using both hands to wrest it away, only to feel that Zhu Que had no strength at all in his hand. He had misapplied his force and was sent flying backward.

At this moment, Zhu Que pushed him with both palms at the ends of his two sticks, sending the short, stout man flying through the hall’s main door like a broken kite and disappearing inside. Following that, a series of loud crashing sounds echoed from within, indicating that the man had broken something.

The others only then reacted, surrounding Zhu Que and attacking him with a flurry of hands and feet. Fortunately, the short, stout man had the highest skill among this group, while the others were significantly weaker than him.

Zhu Que’s fist was striking with punching and kicking, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. A punch from the east, a kick from the west, each hitting the opponent’s vital points. Among these people were hardly any capable fighters; in just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Zhu Que had knocked them all to the ground.

However, these people were highly fierce; after falling to the ground, they immediately got back up and attacked him like mad tigers.

At that moment, Zhu Que’s sword was drawn. He gripped the hilt tightly and immediately unleashed the Thunder Movement Through the Nine Heavens technique. Leaping into the air, the sword struck down like lightning. Under the cover of his sword’s light, everyone’s wrist tendons were cut, and they instantly lost strength in their hands.

Even the fiercest person, when powerless, was like a tiger with its teeth pulled out; it could no longer be fierce.

Zhu Que’s sword returned to its sheath and said, “I’ll come back tomorrow. If I still couldn’t see Wang Zhaoxian in person, it won’t be as gentle as a light cut on the hand like today.”

Having said that, Zhu Que turned and left, and the people behind watched him go, not a single one daring to chase after him.

Stepping out of the gate, Zhu Que let out a long sigh, the breath released after a good beating of the people of the Fragrance Cult, feeling immensely relieved in his heart.

With nothing to do, he went to the Zhuang manor again, but Zhuang Yuxie had not returned yet, so Zhu Que had to find an inn to rest for the time being.

In the middle of the night, Zhu Que was awakened by a knocking sound at the window. He opened the window and saw a person standing in the yard outside.

Under the moonlight, this person was dressed in night attire, facing away from him, wearing a conical hat that obscured their features.

Zhu Que only felt that this figure was familiar but couldn’t remember who it was.

This individual was the one who knocked on the window. Zhu Que jumped out of the window, and this person immediately jumped over the wall. Zhu Que had no choice but to follow, and the two walked one after the other.

Zhu Que asked from behind, “May I ask who you are? At this late hour, where are you taking me?”

The person did not answer, suddenly quickening their pace and running ahead. Zhu Que also sped up, chasing after them. He wanted to step forward and see who the person was, but this small wish remained unfulfilled for the next half hour. While Zhu Que was astonished, he vaguely guessed the person’s identity.

This person made their way to the city’s outskirts, and Zhu Que followed them outside the city.

Outside the city, there was a graveyard. Zhu Que has never believed in ghosts or deities, but on this night, as he followed a figure that seemed both ghostly and enchanting into the center of the graveyard, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Suddenly, a dark cloud floated by, blocking the moonlight, and the surroundings became pitch black; the person in front seemed to have vanished.

When the dark clouds moved away and the moon reappeared, Zhu Que was horrified to find that there were no longer any shadows ahead.

Where could this person hide in just a moment?