Chapter 41: Great Star-Sucking Art

Meizhuang, Qin Room.

Lu Li and Xiang Wentian made as if to leave, but how could the Meizhuang Four Friends bear to part with those few treasures? They immediately prepared a banquet to keep Lu Li for a meal.

Lu Li had been fighting for half a day and was indeed hungry.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of food.

Heibaizi finally spoke: "Young Brother Lu, our manor has another friend whose martial arts far surpass our own, and he also wishes to test your sword techniques."

"However, this person's identity is special, so we can only invite Young Brother Lu to go over alone."

Furthermore, you must be blindfolded along the way.

Moreover, your sword must also be left outside.

We will prepare wooden swords for the two of you to spar; I wonder if this is acceptable?"

Xiang Wentian immediately feigned anger: "What kind of request is this? If you are playing some underhanded tricks, wouldn't my brother Lu be suffering for nothing?"

Danqingsheng said loudly: "What do you take us for? How could there be any reason to deceive Young Hero Lu?"

Xiang Wentian pretended to argue for a few moments before Lu Li spoke: "It is fine, I only hope this sword spar will not disappoint me."

The group drank a cup of wine and walked outside.

Xiang Wentian followed them to the courtyard, deliberately walking at the back.

He waved his hand, signaling for Lu Li to turn back.

It looked like he was showing concern for Lu Li, but in reality, he stuffed a paper ball into Lu Li's hand.

"When you see that person, give this to him."

Heibaizi and the others all thought Xiang Wentian was speaking ill of them, and their expressions were all unsightly.

Lu Li hid the paper ball and followed Heibaizi and the others into the room.

They saw that Huangzhonggong had already been waiting for a long time; he held a mask in his hand and somewhat embarrassedly asked Lu Li to put it on.

Heibaizi opened a wooden cabinet and took out two wooden swords.

Just like that, Lu Li's vision went black; he put on the hood and followed the group for a long time, only hearing the sound of mechanisms opening repeatedly outside, and as his footsteps grew heavy, he had already arrived in a tunnel.

Upon entering the tunnel, Huangzhonggong removed Lu Li's hood.

Lu Li looked around and suddenly said to Heibaizi: "Senior Heibaizi, please trouble yourself to give me a wooden sword."

"Without a sword in hand, my heart is uneasy."

Heibaizi nodded and handed a wooden sword to Lu Li.

The group walked forward, seeing several iron doors ahead; they walked for a long time, and the surrounding stone walls grew increasingly damp, clearly indicating they had reached the bottom of West Lake.

Taking advantage of the dim surroundings, Lu Li had already casually dropped the paper ball Xiang Wentian gave him onto the ground.

A moment later, the group stopped before an iron door.

They heard Huangzhonggong call out toward a small square hole on the iron door: "Mister Ren, the four brothers of Huangzhonggong have come to pay you a visit."

"Screw your Meizhuang Four Friends!"

"I have no need for your visits, get lost as far away as you can!"

A vulgar male voice came from behind the iron door; presumably, the speaker was none other than Ren Woxing.

Ignoring Ren Woxing's insults, Huangzhonggong said: "My four brothers have always considered Mister Ren's sword skills to be the best in the world. Who would have thought that today, Young Hero Lu would come to Meizhuang to spar? He is only twenty years old; while we four brothers are certainly no match for him, I fear that compared to him, Mister Ren's sword techniques might also be a small witch before a great one..."

Upon hearing this, Ren Woxing laughed loudly: "Hahaha!"

"So you four bastards can't beat someone and want to find me to help? Keep dreaming!"

"Not sparring."

It was clear that Ren Woxing did not intend to spar.

At this moment, Lu Li suddenly spoke: "Not sparring won't do."

"I came here specifically to spar with you."

Before the words had faded, Lu Li's wooden sword turned into an afterimage, stabbing four times in an instant to seal the acupoints of Huangzhonggong and the other three.

This sword was too fast and completely without warning; Huangzhonggong and the others were all sealed, standing in place unable to move.

"Brother Lu, what is the meaning of this?"

Lu Li walked toward the four and struck again to seal several more major acupoints, only then saying: "Naturally, it is to let him out to spar."

Huangzhonggong was greatly alarmed upon hearing this.

He said sternly: "Brother Lu, you must not!"

"Do you know who this person is? Once he is released, the pugilistic world will surely be plunged into a bloodbath."

"Not to mention other sects, your Huashan Sect alone would lose at least half its people because of him."

Lu Li's hands searched the bodies of the Meizhuang Four Friends, and he soon fished out several keys.

While testing the keys to unlock the door, he said: "I certainly know who he is, the former Cult Leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, Ren Woxing."

Hearing that Lu Li knew Ren Woxing's identity, the Meizhuang Four Friends turned pale as sheets, their bodies trembling like chaff.

To think that all of this was premeditated!

With a soft click, one of the iron door's mechanisms was opened.

But this was not enough, as there were four locks on the iron door.

Lu Li tried for a while longer before he finally opened the iron door.

Behind the iron door was a narrow prison cell; a man with disheveled hair and beard stood up, his limbs and waist bound by several iron chains and collars, fixed to the wall behind him.

Lu Li threw the keys in his hand to Ren Woxing all at once.

"Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying asked me to take action; find the keys yourself and undo the chains."

Ren Woxing was ecstatic and laughed loudly: "Good brother, good daughter."

"What is your name, and what is your current position in the Holy Cult? Once I get out, I will certainly reward you."

Lu Li ignored Ren Woxing, and by the light of the kerosene lamp, he found the place on the bedside where the text was densely carved.

"Star-Sucking Great Art"

The corners of Lu Li's mouth curled up slightly; he took a rubbing sheet from his bosom, pressed it against the text, and made a rubbing of those characters.

The Star-Sucking Great Art was in hand!

"Eh? How did you know I carved the Star-Sucking Great Art there?"

Ren Woxing had already undone his shackles, and seeing Lu Li's actions, he was very puzzled.

Lu Li laughed: "There are some things I just know.

It is only a pity that what I remember is incomplete; for instance, I know the location of Meizhuang, but I did not know the entrance to the secret passage.

If I had known the entrance, I would not have gone to such trouble."

In fact, the reason Lu Li agreed to Ren Yingying's request was because of the unique nature of the Meizhuang incident.

First, the Meizhuang Four Friends were four peculiar people.

If Lu Li had merely come to challenge them with the sword, they would never have taken him to see Ren Woxing; it was only possible to lure them with treasures of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Since Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying had already found three of those items—the chess, calligraphy, and painting—Lu Li decided to go with him to save himself from having to collect the "admission tickets" again.

That is, the acquisition of the admission tickets.

Now that the entrance and the key had been obtained, Lu Li no longer needed to follow the pace of Xiang Wentian and the others.

Ren Woxing frowned slightly, very displeased with Lu Li's attitude.

He looked at the Meizhuang Four Friends, and the intent to kill had already arisen in his heart.

Lu Li chuckled: "Don't be in such a hurry to kill; you must first go out and compete with me in swordsmanship."

"Only if you win the competition can you kill."

Lu Li blocked Ren Woxing.

Having just been released from prison, Ren Woxing was eager to leave this lake-bottom cage as soon as possible, so he said no more and walked outward.

Before long, the two had walked out of the tunnel and arrived at Meizhuang.

As for the Meizhuang Four Friends, they were still in the secret passage at the bottom of the lake, and their acupoints would self-release after half a day.

At this moment, there were two more people in Meizhuang, and two fewer.

The missing ones were Ding Jian and Shi Lingwei, and the additional ones were Ren Yingying and Lvzhuweng.

"Father."

"Cult Leader."

Seeing Ren Woxing come out, the group bowed and saluted.

"Cult Leader, that we were able to rescue you this time is all thanks to this little brother."

Xiang Wentian pointed at Lu Li and said.

Ren Yingying also said: "Many thanks to Young Master Lu for your help."

By this time, Lu Li had already retrieved his own sword, 'Taiyue'.

Facing the four members of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, Lu Li held his long sword horizontally.

"Ren Woxing, I rescued you, and now you must compete with me in swordsmanship."

Ren Woxing snorted coldly: "It seems the reason you rescued me was just to compete with me in swordsmanship?"

"Correct."

"You just said that only if I win the competition against you can I kill?"

"Correct."

"And if I lose the competition?"

Lu Li tilted his head and laughed: "If you lose, you must die."