Three punches shattered the demonic soul, young hero, I'm an honest man!

The teahouse remains on the corner of the south city street.

The clamor of the pursuers downstairs had receded like the tide, leaving only a desolate scene after the dust had settled.

The massive chase that just now resembled a staged farce in the martial arts world.

The drums and gongs were beating loudly, but the main character had already quietly left the stage.

Pei Yun lightly tapped the warm teacup with her fingertips, her gaze passing through the window and landing on the seemingly peaceful Jia Mansion in the distance.

The last trace of languor in his eyes vanished, replaced by an almost indifferent coldness.

It was as if the hunter had finally waited for the moment when the fox was most relaxed.

"It's almost time."

He put down his teacup, the bottom of which lightly touched the table with a crisp "tap".

The voice wasn't loud, but it made Zhang Quan, who was standing to the side, feel a tightness in his heart.

"grown ups?"

Pei Yun did not turn around; his voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination.

"It's good that that idiot Liu Mang is gone."

"The net has been cast for so long, it's time to reel it in."

He turned his head to the side, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Zhang Quan".

"Your humble servant is here!"

"Have you remembered the points I reminded you of?"

"Your subordinate will remember this!"

"Alright, take your men and go through that abandoned secret passage in the east wall."

"Remember, keep it quiet, don't disturb the neighbors."

He paused, then added, his voice revealing a nonchalant ruthlessness.

"Quickly and decisively take down that guy surnamed Jia, and also the 'guest' hiding inside."

"The item has been found. Try to keep the person alive; I still have questions to ask."

Zhang Quan understood immediately, and his eyes sharpened.

The adults are trying to trap and beat the dog!

"Understood, sir!"

He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, without the slightest hesitation, then turned and quickly went downstairs.

The figure blended into the shadows below like a ghost, disappearing in a few flashes.

Behind him, more than ten elite officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had been waiting for orders, followed silently like shadows.

Their movements were synchronized, and their breathing was restrained.

Walking through the increasingly quiet alleys of the southern city, I didn't even stir up a single extra breeze.

……

The Jia family mansion.

The vermilion gates were tightly shut, and the high walls stood tall.

The deafening shouts and battle cries outside didn't seem to disturb this secluded mansion much.

Only a few servants and guards peeked around the gatehouse, their faces showing some unease.

Deep within the mansion lies a quiet room, luxuriously furnished yet exuding an eerie atmosphere.

The sandalwood incense wafts gently, yet carries a faint, sweet scent that can make one feel dazed and confused.

Thick Persian carpets covered the floor, and several paintings of ladies hung on the walls. The women in the paintings were scantily clad and had seductive expressions.

Jia Zhengchu, a wealthy merchant from the south of the city, was sweating profusely and restless.

His obese body was squeezed into an expensive armchair, and he kept wiping his forehead with a silk handkerchief.

"Master, outside... the Imperial Guards are making such a ruckus outside, will anything bad happen?"

In the center of the quiet room, a young monk dressed in a moon-white robe sat cross-legged.

The monk was exceptionally handsome, with a cinnabar mole between his eyebrows that added to his eerie appearance.

He was the head of the Huanxi Zen sect in the capital, and his Dharma name was "Miaole".

At this moment, the monk Miaole slowly opened his eyes, a sinister glint flashing in them.

"What's the panic?"

His voice was soft, yet it possessed a strange and alluring charm.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is just bluffing. Their leader, Pei Yun, has lost his cultivation; he's nothing but a pretty face. What can he do to me?"

"The plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain has succeeded; they must be chasing after those scapegoats now."

"Master Jia, please rest assured."

"Once things calm down, I will take you away from the capital to find a blessed land where we can enjoy ultimate bliss."

A confident smile appeared on the lips of the monk Miaole.

Beside him, several beautiful women, disheveled and with vacant, numb eyes, huddled together like soulless dolls.

They were kidnapped by Miaole and used as vessels to cultivate evil arts.

In front of the monk Miaole, there was a palm-sized box carved from special warm jade.

The box was tightly closed, yet wisps of indescribable stellar energy still emanated from it.

It was the most precious treasure stolen from the Imperial Observatory—

Stardust!

"Now that we're all packed, it's time for us to get going."

The monk Miaole was about to get up.

suddenly!

"puff!"

A very faint sound of a sharp object entering flesh came from outside the quiet room.

Immediately following was a dull thud as a heavy object fell to the ground.

Jia Zhengchu's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

The monk Miaole's pupils contracted sharply, and he stood up abruptly!

"not good!"

He reacted extremely quickly, instantly forming hand seals and chanting incantations.

"Buzz—"

An invisible wave emanated from him.

The air inside the quiet room distorted, and a pink mist appeared out of nowhere, quickly spreading.

In the mist, countless naked, alluring figures seemed to appear and disappear, accompanied by seductive music that penetrated straight to the heart and soul!

The bewitching maze of Joyful Zen!

"You Imperial Guards! You're courting death!"

The monk Miaole shouted sharply, his eyes revealing murderous intent.

He hadn't been unaware that the Embroidered Uniform Guards would realize they'd fallen for the trap.

But I didn't expect it to happen so quickly!

"boom!"

The door to the quiet room was smashed open by a tremendous force!

Amidst the flying sawdust, Zhang Quan, wielding his Embroidered Spring Blade, his face ashen, was the first to rush in.

Behind him, officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard filed in, their blades gleaming in the swirling pink mist.

"Form ranks!"

Zhang Quan gave a low shout.

The captains moved swiftly, instantly forming a simple Three Talents Sword Formation, surrounding the monk Miaole and Jia Zhengchu in the center.

A pink mist surged, and alluring phantoms rushed towards them, attempting to disturb their minds.

But which of the Imperial Guards wasn't a man of unwavering resolve?

This illusion is not enough to make them lose their way!

Zhang Quan's sharp eyes scanned the quiet room.

He remembered clearly that before setting off, Lord Pei Yun had specifically given him a piece of advice:

"The affairs of the Joyful Sect are inseparable from sensual pleasures and debauchery, and the core of their formations is mostly in the most filthy or the most conspicuous places."

"If it's a bewitching array, ignore those flashy female shadows and just chop down the shrine or smash the incense burner!"

Zhang Quan's gaze instantly locked onto the low table where the Star-Attracting Sand Jade Box was enshrined!

There, a censer of sandalwood incense was burning, emitting a sweet and cloying aroma!

"break!"

Zhang Quan roared, his figure flashing like lightning, advancing instead of retreating!

He ignored the pink phantoms that were entangled around him, and with a flash of cold light, his embroidered spring knife cleaved straight at the bronze incense burner!

"clang!"

A crisp clang of metal clashing!

The incense burner was struck by the blade and shattered into pieces instantly!

Ash and incense smoke flew everywhere!

As the incense burner was destroyed, the pervasive pink mist seemed to lose its support and suddenly faded.

Those alluring phantoms let out a reluctant shriek and vanished into thin air.

Break the illusion!

"How dare you, you brat!"

The monk Miaole was both shocked and furious; his handsome face was contorted with rage.

He hadn't expected the enemy to break through the formation so decisively!

How is that possible?!

Could it be that a master has given you guidance?

Seeing that the formation had been broken, Miaole no longer hesitated.

With his palms clasped together, he flicked out several condensed, almost tangible, pink energy blasts from his fingertips, shooting towards Zhang Quan and the others like venomous snakes!

This wicked monk actually possesses cultivation levels approaching the Foundation Establishment stage!

Zhang Quan dared not be careless.

The Embroidered Spring Blade danced like the wind, its blade flashing fiercely, slicing the pink venomous snakes to pieces one by one.

But the sorcerer monk's movements were unpredictable and slippery.

While fighting, he tried to get close to the corner window, hoping to escape.

"As the master has warned me, the wicked monks of the Joyful Zen sect are most skilled at bewitching minds. Their movements appear elusive, but their power actually comes from their waist and hips!"

Pei Yun's reminder flashed through Zhang Quan's mind again.

Just as the demonic monk changed his form again, attempting to confuse Zhang Quan's vision...

"Stay!"

Zhang Quan snorted coldly, turned his blade, ignored the upper path's feint, and slashed straight at the demon monk's waist and abdomen!

Sharp angles, ruthless to the extreme!

The evil monk was terrified!

He never expected that not only would his formation be forced, but even the flaws in his proud footwork would be instantly exposed!

There must be a mastermind behind this Imperial Guard!

scoff!

The blade sliced ​​through, kicking up a cloud of blood.

The demonic monk screamed in agony as a deep, bone-revealing wound was slashed open on his left side, leaving him bleeding profusely.

He staggered backward, knocking over the bookshelf. His previous composure was gone, replaced by fear and resentment.

Meanwhile, the two captains had already blocked the escape route through the rear window.

The remaining captains' swords flashed, forming a fine net that enveloped the monk Miaole!

The combined attack techniques of the Embroidered Uniform Guards are simple and direct, yet the most effective!

"Take him down!" Zhang Quan shouted.

Two captains immediately pounced on him, seizing the opportunity to kill him while he was still weak, and slammed the hilt of their swords hard into the back of the monk's neck.

The demonic monk groaned and collapsed to the ground.

A cold blade was pressed against his neck.

On the other side, Jia Zhengchu, who was already terrified, didn't even need to lift a finger. He simply collapsed to the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy with tears streaming down his face.

"Spare me! Your Honor, spare me! He forced me to do this! I don't know anything!"

Zhang Quan didn't even glance at him. He walked straight to the low table and carefully picked up the gold-painted black jade box.

It feels warm and smooth to the touch, and a strange energy fluctuation emanates from the box.

It's very faint, but it's real.

He remembered that the centurion had said that the contents of that package had a faint and mixed aura.

The one in this jade box, though faint, felt different.

Is this the real star-attracting sand?

Zhang Quan looked at the jade box in his hand, then glanced at the bound demon monk and Jia Zhengchu on the ground.

A sense of disbelief flashed through my mind.

He still doesn't understand how Lord Hyakuho knew that the remnants of the Joyful Zen sect would be here.

Lord Baihu clearly has no cultivation, yet he can see through all of this.

This feeling is even more terrifying than facing a powerful expert with extraordinary cultivation.

Zhang Quan waved his hand.

"Take them all!"

"yes!"

The officers acted swiftly, binding Jia Zhengchu and the sorcerer monk tightly and stuffing cloth wads into their mouths.

At the same time, they carefully helped the women up and led them to a corner to prevent them from being hurt again.

Zhang Quan held the jade box, turned around, and walked out of the quiet room.

Outside, it was already broad daylight.

The clamor of the Jia family finally subsided into silence.

All that remained was a scene of utter devastation, and the lingering, strange stench of blood and cosmetics in the air.

In the teahouse.

Pei Yun looked towards the direction of the Jia family mansion in the distance, where a wisp of barely perceptible blue smoke was rising as a signal.

That was the code signal that Zhang Quan had succeeded.

A slow smile played on Pei Yun's lips as he downed the slightly cooled tea in his cup.

"knock off."