Li Muzhen chuckled, glancing down at her, and smiled, "Man proposes, God disposes. It’s nothing. We’ll smash our way out of this!"

Li Yuqi bit her full, red lower lip and nodded gently.

Seeing that Li Muzhen had taken her Master away, safe and sound, she felt confident in his movement skills.

She was secretly furious, blaming herself for her own incompetence—for being discovered, surrounded, and unable to escape, thereby implicating Li Muzhen.

Li Muzhen walked slowly, one deliberate step after another, and laughed, "Hall Master Feng, such a grand display. Were you waiting for me?"

"Monk Shan, state your name!" Feng Jun raised his voice as he stopped, pointing his small white bow at Li Muzhen. The tip of the small arrow glowed faintly with a chilling blue light that made the heart seize.

As he halted, the other three elders also stopped, setting up a perimeter about ten zhang away, surrounding Li Muzhen.

Li Muzhen smiled: "Heh heh, you ask for my name. If I give it right away, wouldn't that make me too easy to bully? With Miss Li here, what face would Wu have left?"

Feng Jun gritted his teeth, glaring at him fiercely, the muscles in his face twitching grotesquely, terrifying to behold. "You bald donkey, did you kill my Kun'er?!"

Li Muzhen was momentarily stunned. He shook his head, "Hall Master Feng, why do you say that? Who is Kun'er?"

"If you didn't kill Kun'er, where did you learn the Feiyun Step?!" Feng Jun stared hard, his teeth clenched, his gaze piercing like a beacon.

Li Muzhen was stunned again. "Feiyun Step? What Feiyun Step?"

"The one you just used! Without the Feiyun Step, how could you escape my grasp?!" Feng Jun said coldly, his hand twitching. His patience seemed worn thin, ready to explode at any moment.

"This is the Feiyun Step?" Li Muzhen expressed surprise, shaking his head. "It's strange to say, but I picked it up in a grove of trees."

"Picked it up!?" Feng Jun laughed in extreme anger, a chilling, eerie sound. "Do you expect me to believe that!?"

"Although it’s a coincidence, a man of the cloth does not lie," Li Muzhen stated solemnly.

He muttered internally that he wasn't exactly lying; he had picked it up. However, he had picked it up from Feng Shangkun.

Feng Jun frowned, his gaze flicking over Li Muzhen’s head, then glancing at Li Yuqi, whom he was holding. He sneered, "Are you truly a monk!?"

Li Muzhen’s expression changed. He said in a deep voice, "This humble monk's Dharma name is Zhan Ran! I have official ordination papers, and my name is recorded in the Hundred Monks Register. If Hall Master Feng doesn't believe me, you can check!"

As he spoke, his demeanor was solemn, his teeth gritted, and his face flushed red, displaying great anger.

Seeing his righteous indignation and flushed face, Feng Jun became somewhat uncertain. He said in a deep voice, "Then tell me, where did you pick up the Feiyun Step?"

Li Muzhen shook his head. "It was in the dark; I couldn't see the direction. It was just by the roadside. How would I remember the details?"

"Besides, I originally picked it up to use as tinder. Who would have thought it was this Feiyun Step!" Li Muzhen sighed.

"Hall Master, this brat is talking nonsense. Don't listen to his drivel, just kill him!" an elder said solemnly.

His right wrist was wrapped in white cloth, and he held his sword with his left hand, glaring coldly at Li Muzhen, his gaze sinister, as if looking at a dead man.

Seeing such killing intent, Li Muzhen knew that because the elder was injured, he was displacing his anger onto him, eager to kill him quickly to avoid future complications.

However, since his right hand was injured, why wasn't he retreating? Did he dare to rush forward? Could it be that his skills with his left hand were also not trivial?

Considering this, Li Muzhen was quite curious, itching to test his theory.

He raised his long sleeves and laughed, "Venerable Sir, you are harboring resentment because of your injury and wish to vent by killing me, is that right?"

The elder, whose beard was white and face weathered by the elements, pointed his long sword and roared, "Silence! This clever-tongued little thief, how could the Hall Master be fooled?!"

Li Muzhen smiled faintly, "Oh? So you mean to say that your Hall Master is speaking with me because he has been tricked by me?"

"Little thief, die!" The white-bearded elder was enraged, stepping forward. He crossed the distance of ten zhang in an instant, and his sword light lashed out like a bolt of shimmering silk.

Before the sword arrived, the coldness did. Li Muzhen retreated a step, shaking his head. "Hall Master Feng, don't you want to ask who left this book behind?"

"Elder Mo, wait a moment!" Feng Jun hurriedly waved his hand.

The white-bearded elder instantly retreated to the distance of ten zhang. The sword light, like shimmering silk, instantly retracted, as if it had never appeared, showing effortless control and profound mastery.

Li Yuqi glanced at him and inwardly marveled. Master was truly magnificent; even facing such a formidable elder, Master could hold his own against four opponents.

Of course, Zhan Ran was also formidable. Though young, seemingly her own age, his swordsmanship was no less than that of the Eldest Senior Sister—truly a youthful prodigy.

Feng Jun said in a deep voice, "Little monk, you say, who left this book behind?"

At this moment, Li Muzhen's face was flushed, as if his anger had not yet subsided. He shook his head and remained silent.

"Little monk, speak quickly!" Feng Jun stepped forward, glaring coldly. His face had returned to calm, but his voice was colder, chilling the heart.

Li Muzhen shook his head and said slowly, "I couldn't see clearly. It was just one person, average build, neither fat nor thin. It seemed he was injured, but it was too dark. By the time I looked again, he was already gone."

"You didn't see his face clearly!?" Feng Jun asked urgently.

He took another step forward.

Li Muzhen stepped forward as well, shaking his head, "I didn't see clearly. I felt he was very young."

"Kun'er..." Feng Jun muttered to himself, his expression shifting—sometimes worried, sometimes joyful, sometimes suspicious—his gaze darting across Li Muzhen's face.

Li Muzhen’s flushed face maintained an air of honesty, yet he sighed internally. He had now broken his precepts. He could lie without changing expression, making falsehood indistinguishable from truth.

However, ordinary people did not understand the principle behind Buddhist precepts. He knew that jie (precepts), ding (concentration), and hui (wisdom) were the three disciplines of non-leakage; precepts existed to achieve concentration. Without precepts, it was hard for ordinary people to find stillness.

His meditative power was now profound, having surpassed the realm of the First Dhyana. With the Gazing at Heaven and Man Manifestation Scripture, achieving stillness was easy, and he no longer needed to cling rigidly to the precepts.

Elder Mo said solemnly, "Hall Master, regardless, capture him first and question him slowly later!"

"Precisely!" Feng Jun snapped back to reality, revealing a cold sneer. "We still need to find out where that madwoman surnamed Lin has gone!"

With that, a blue light instantly arrived, shooting toward Li Muzhen’s chest.

This arrow was utterly sudden, without warning, but Li Muzhen had been watching his hand constantly. The moment the hand moved, his inner force mobilized immediately.

Speaking so much, delaying for this long, was precisely for this moment!

"Bang!" With a muffled grunt, Li Muzhen transformed into several figures, suddenly appearing in front of Feng Jun.

Feng Jun frowned but did not dodge; he fired another arrow.

Li Muzhen’s form remained unchanged, ignoring the incoming arrow. His left hand, which he hadn't used until now, suddenly swept out with his sword, instantly erupting in white light, like a falling sun, dazzling and disorienting, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

A sharp ‘Ding’ sound, like the clang of metal on metal, followed by another muffled grunt.

The three elders quickly opened their eyes, only to see Feng Jun lying on his back, a large hole gaping in his left chest, a truly gruesome sight. Li Muzhen was already bending down, rummaging through his body.

"Hall Master!" The three exclaimed, flying forward with swords flashing like lightning.

Li Muzhen frowned, rising to meet the three. He swung his right-hand sword—‘Ding, ding, ding’—and said in a deep voice, "Miss Li, search him quickly. Your Master has been struck by a poisoned arrow and needs the antidote!"

"Okay!" Li Yuqi responded. Ignoring her fear, she bent down to search.

The large hole in Feng Jun’s left chest, utterly gruesome, was pierced by Li Muzhen’s Nine Luminaries Divine Sword. Yet, there was no blood, only a faint, scorched blackness, as if he had been baked, which was quite strange.

The three elders were shocked and furious. They hadn't expected this monk to kill the Hall Master in the blink of an eye—it was like demonic magic.

Although the Hall Master's martial arts weren't top-tier, his archery was extremely high. His divine bow and sharp arrows were invincible, responsible for the deaths of countless heroes. That this time he failed to kill the monk, but was instead killed by him, was truly bizarre.

Li Muzhen inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. The Heart-Protecting Mirror had worked again, and the power of the Nine Luminaries Divine Sword was boundless.

He swung his sword to defend himself, falling to a disadvantage, and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, Hall Master Feng is dead. We have no past grievances or recent enmity. Why not stop here and go our separate ways?"

Elder Mo swung his sword and sneered repeatedly, "If we don't kill you, how can we explain ourselves to the brothers of the Crimson Blood Hall? What face would we have to live on alone?!"

The other two elders nodded, their expressions grave. To kill the Hall Master with a single sword strike, this little monk was truly formidable. It was best to eliminate him now.

Li Muzhen shook his head and asked lightly, "Miss Li, have you found it?"

"I found it!" Li Yuqi replied quickly. Fumbling in haste, she finally gathered everything from Feng Jun’s embrace into a bundle.

"Take the bow and arrows too," Li Muzhen instructed, his sword light continuous, forming layers of shimmering barriers, skillfully blocking the three elders’ assault.

He felt increasingly strained. Although these three elders held back somewhat, fearing his power, their combined might was still astonishing, like a giant boulder slowly pressing down, ready to crush him at any moment.

"Go!" Li Muzhen’s sword light suddenly flared, emitting a brilliant flash. The three elders quickly retreated a step to defend themselves, thinking: Here it comes!

They hadn't seen clearly how Feng Jun was struck, but upon seeing the bright light, they were like birds startled from a bowstring.

Li Muzhen turned, swept up Li Yuqi, and with a muffled "Bang," dissolved into several shadows, instantly appearing ten zhang away. With another "Bang," he vanished into the forest.

"Chase!" Elder Mo's eyes widened as he watched the two disappear into the woods, roaring in anger, starting to pursue.

A gray-robed elder quickly raised a hand: "Wait a moment!"

"Brother Zhang, what is it?!" Elder Mo stopped, turning to ask.

The gray-robed elder shook his head and sighed, "Brother Mo, let it go. Let's collect the Hall Master’s remains."

"Brother Zhang, you’re letting that murderer go?!" Elder Mo found it hard to believe.

The gray-robed elder kept a stern face and said slowly, "The Hall Master’s remains are important! As for revenge, he cannot escape. Let's combine our efforts and strive to capture him in one go. The three of us cannot stop him."

"Brother Mo, Brother Zhang speaks sense!" the yellow-robed elder nodded.

"You all..." A heavy sigh escaped Elder Mo’s lips as he pointed at them, giving up the argument.

Li Muzhen and Li Yuqi moved like a fierce wind, skimming just above the treetops. When they reached where Lin Qiongying was waiting, just as he intended to leap up to the large tree, Li Muzhen suddenly staggered, spitting out a mouthful of bloody mist, and slowly sat down.

"Zhan Ran!" Li Yuqi cried out, quickly moving to support him.

Li Muzhen, however, seemed boneless, collapsing softly like a mud doll, impossible to hold up. "Zhan Ran, what's wrong?!" Li Yuqi asked anxiously, looking down at his face.

At this moment, Li Muzhen’s face was ashen, devoid of color, his eyes hazy and unfocused.

"Zhan Ran! Zhan Ran!" Li Yuqi called urgently.

Li Muzhen managed to rouse himself slightly and quickly said, "Help me to a quiet place. I need to heal."

"Okay!" Li Yuqi readily agreed, hastily asking, "Are you alright?"

Li Muzhen managed a faint smile and shook his head gently, "It’s... it’s nothing."

Li Yuqi quickly helped him to a secluded spot where four large trees surrounded a square patch of grass, about three steps long and wide. The wind could not reach them there.

Li Muzhen sat down, painstakingly crossing his legs, forming hand seals. Instantly, his bearing became majestic, as if he had transformed into a Buddha statue in a temple.

Li Yuqi stared at him motionlessly, like a statue herself.

"Qi'er?" A gentle call suddenly came from above.

Li Yuqi looked up and quickly responded, "Master?"

She suddenly remembered the bundle. She glanced at Li Muzhen with concern, considered for a moment, then leaped up. With two bounds, pushing off the air, she reached the treetop and landed before Lin Qiongying.

"Master, are you alright?" Li Yuqi asked quickly.

Lin Qiongying sat cross-legged on the thick branches, her face cold, and huffed, "Nonsense!"

Li Yuqi immediately lowered her head, twisting her hands together, fingers intertwined ceaselessly.

Lin Qiongying’s face was masked with frost. She spoke coldly, "What did I instruct you to do? When you heard the signal, why didn't you leave immediately? Not only did you not leave, but you ran over here!"

"Nonsense!" Lin Qiongying cut her off coldly. "Whether it's Xian'er or you, coming here is courting death. Why throw your life away needlessly?! How much effort did I expend cultivating you all?!"

"Yes, Master, I was wrong..." Li Yuqi murmured.

"If this happens again next time, you will no longer be my disciple!" Lin Qiongying said coldly.

"Yes," Li Yuqi whispered.

Lin Qiongying stared at her for a moment, then her tone softened. "Tell me, how did you find me?"

Li Yuqi looked up. "Zhan Ran brought me. He is meditating below. He was severely wounded saving me."

Lin Qiongying nodded. "Mmm, this Zhan Ran, his loyalty and courage are admirable; he is indeed a good child!"

"He also brought the antidote for Master. It’s all here..." Li Yuqi untied the bundle. Inside were three small porcelain bottles, some silver taels, a letter, and the small ivory bow.

Lin Qiongying picked up the three small porcelain bottles and frowned after examining them.

She put them down and then picked up the small ivory bow, stroking it for a long time, showing great fondness.

Never expected the monthly tickets to increase so much, truly grateful and overwhelmed by the honor. D