On the other end of the phone, a man pressed the receiver tightly against his ear. His expression was cold, but his hand trembled slightly as he held the phone.
It had been sixty years. He was aware that the original owner of the Ghost Lantern Temple was a formidable figure, unlikely to have died so easily. However, after all this time, he wondered if the original master had perhaps lost interest in this place.
Thus, he began to make arrangements, plotting to secretly break the sealing spell surrounding the Ghost Lantern Temple and extract the treasures within.
Yet, unexpectedly, someone had arrived.
"Damn it!" the man ground his teeth.
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After leaving the hotel, Scholar Song and Fay Yu wandered through the bustling streets of Loxin District.
They hadn't encountered any old folks chatting away, but instead stumbled upon something even more entertaining—five drunken lechers.
On the train, Scholar Song hadn't faced any "beauty disaster" scenarios, but upon arriving in Loxin District, he was met with a group of drunken fools who eyed Fay Yu with lustful intentions.
They found themselves on a quiet back street, where the five drunkards staggered and blocked their path, their bloodshot eyes greedily fixed on Fay Yu.
Drinking emboldens even the most cowardly souls. Under the influence of alcohol, people do all sorts of ridiculous things. They might kiss a pig, bite a dog, or even pick a fight with one.
These five drunken men had never seen a woman as beautiful as Fay Yu, and the moment their eyes landed on her, they couldn't look away.
"Damn, this woman is as stunning as a fairy. If I could have her just once, I'd happily sacrifice ten years of my life!" Such was their twisted thinking, and emboldened by drink, they closed in on her.
What was there to fear? Worst case, they'd just do a couple of years in prison.
This was the tragic ignorance of those who don't understand the law. They had only half-heartedly heard stories about how one might get a few years for assaulting a woman. Did they think this was still years ago? Or perhaps they thought they were in India?
These days, if someone assaulted a woman, they would face a life sentence, and in worse cases, it'd be like being sentenced to death.
Scholar Song couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation at the scene. He stretched his limbs, ready to step in.
His combat skills were decent… usually, he could easily take on three opponents at once, let alone these five scrawny drunks. For that reason, the local delinquents never dared to mess with him.
One of these opponents was nothing; he could take on ten!
Just as Scholar Song prepared to show off his skills, he heard a rush of wind pass by his ear.
Then he saw a pair of long legs moving like lightning, kicking out rapidly. The legs danced through the air like butterflies flitting through flowers, a sight to behold. But it wasn't just beautiful; the force was terrifying. Each kick echoed in the air with the sound of a whip cracking.
The five drunks screamed as they were sent flying, thrashing on the ground and vomiting uncontrollably, soon losing consciousness.
Had they been knocked out? In one second? Or perhaps even less!
Scholar Song turned to see Fay Yu retracting her long leg—how cool did she look!
Compared to Fay Yu, his own fighting skills felt like nothing more than a novice's.
As he gazed at the incapacitated drunks, he recalled the local delinquents who had previously made trouble outside his school.
If—hypothetically speaking—Fay Yu's combat prowess was as effective as what she had just displayed, it seemed entirely possible that she could take down those seventy or eighty delinquents in a matter of moments.
But back then, Fay Yu was still on the plane.
Could it be that Sable Sixteen from their group was responsible? Was it possible that everyone in their group truly possessed such outstanding combat abilities?
"Did I accidentally kill anyone?" Scholar Song worriedly asked.
"Don't worry, Senior. I have my limits. They'll be unconscious for at most two days. That's just right; if it were three days, they might have health complications from not eating or drinking," Fay Yu replied.
Hearing that answer, Scholar Song felt a wave of relief wash over him—could it be that the drunks had yet to wake up simply because the 'two-day' limit hadn't hit?
"Let's go, Senior," Fay Yu said with a bright smile.
Scholar Song nodded stiffly, his mind still a bit muddled as he followed Fay Yu away from the scene...
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After Scholar Song and Fay Yu had moved on, a man stepped forward from the shadows of the alley, approaching the five drunken men lying on the ground.
"Drunks really are too weak; they couldn't even force their opponent to get serious," the man sighed.
Behind him, a figure in black knelt down and said in a deep voice, "Master, should we send a few people to test them?"
"No need. These five drunks are just ordinary people, so their opponent will show restraint. If our people go up…" The master said solemnly. He valued each of his trained subordinates; even the most ordinary recruit cost over a hundred thousand dollars to train, and they were not disposable resources.
The woman who just struck out had already revealed her strength in that brief encounter. Those whip-like kicks and the effortless control she exhibited were far beyond what a mere first-rate martial artist could achieve.
She was clearly a true master who had condensed their true energy!
This was no match for his subordinates.
Moreover, that woman had a companion whose depth of skill was beyond his comprehension, a 'senior' whose capabilities were unfathomable.
They could easily eliminate his well-trained elites in various ways. No matter how many subordinates he had, wasting them like that was not an option.
To be honest, he felt a bit frightened.
"We can only wait for the right moment to act," the master murmured.
He felt a growing sense of despair over the treasures within the Ghost Lantern Temple, though a small part of him still held onto hope.
Fay Yu and Scholar Song wandered through Loxin District for quite a while, encountering a gentleman in his fifties, but no one had any knowledge about the Ghost Lantern Temple.
Scholar Song felt a headache coming on; he hadn't expected finding a temple would be this troublesome. "Fay Yu, are you sure the Ghost Lantern Temple is in Loxin District of J City?"
"It's definitely right here, and I absolutely didn't misremember the name—Ghost for ghost, Lantern for lantern!" Fay Yu insisted. "My mother brought me here when she was pregnant with me, but back then, I could only observe the outside world through my father's spells. I just remember that wooden sign with the name Ghost Lantern Temple."
She spoke clearly until the last part, which left Scholar Song baffled. Their thought processes were clearly on different wavelengths.
"Is there anything special nearby? Like a mountaintop? A hillside? Or maybe a small river?" Scholar Song asked.
"Not on a mountain; it should be flat ground. I can't remember much else," Fay Yu admitted sheepishly.
"Has North River Senior sent any news?"
Fay Yu pulled out her phone and checked, her eyes lighting up. "North River Senior is online!"
In the Jiuzhou One group chat.
North River Hermit: "Fay Yu, have you found the Ghost Lantern Temple yet?"
"Not yet. Has Senior found any news?" Fay Yu eagerly typed back.
"Sorry, I've asked some fellow practitioners, but unfortunately, all my contacts are in eastern Huaxia, and no one knows anything about J City," North River Hermit replied with a wry smile emoji. "Moreover, a particularly troublesome fellow just showed up, and I'm currently tied up with them. I'm afraid I can't be of much help."
"It's fine; just focus on your matters, Senior," Fay Yu replied with a smile.
Scholar Song felt a surge of disappointment upon reading North River Hermit's message—he truly was an unreliable man. Whenever he wasn't needed, he seemed to be online every second. But the moment Scholar Song actually needed help, he was in the midst of his own troubles!
"Senior Song, we'll have to rely on ourselves!" Fay Yu declared, raising her small fist in a cheer.
So adorable! Scholar Song couldn't help but feel that this woman, who appeared to be older than him, was unexpectedly cute.
Just then, ahead of them, a row of dazzling headlights suddenly lit up. A line of colorful motorcycles roared toward Scholar Song and Fay Yu, their engines emitting a loud, modified growl.
"Motorcycle gang? What era is this?" Scholar Song muttered, pulling Fay Yu toward the side of the street.
Upon hearing "motorcycle gang," Fay Yu's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Should we take them down?"
"What?" Scholar Song was confused.
"Aren't motorcycle gangs supposed to be sent to jail? We should knock them out and send them to prison!" Fay Yu rubbed her hands together, clearly eager to take action.
"…" Girl, you make a compelling argument; I'm at a loss for words.
However, Fay Yu ultimately refrained from making a move.
As the seven or eight motorcycles zipped past them, one of them suddenly slammed on the brakes, executing a beautiful spin before coming to a stop right beside Scholar Song.
The helmet lifted to reveal a handsome face with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. "Scholar Song! What brings you to this neck of the woods?"