Chapter 53: Wuming's Assistance

The four of them arrived at the backyard, where Wuming was already sitting by a stone table waiting for them.

Bu Jingyun cupped his fists and said, "Thank you, Senior, for your hospitality. We have come today to ask for your guidance on a matter, and we hope you can help us clear up our confusion."

Wuming replied, "Speak. As long as it is something I know, I will certainly provide you with answers."

Thereupon, Bu Jingyun recounted the story of the mysterious woman Mu Xuanqing and the West Lake Leifeng Pagoda to Wuming.

After listening, Wuming murmured, "I never expected this legend to be true. Is this faction about to re-emerge in the Jianghu?"

Duan Fengyun asked skeptically, "What legend is the Senior referring to? And what is this mysterious faction?"

Wuming began to slowly explain to the four of them: "It is said that two hundred years ago, there was a gargantuan faction in the Jianghu called the Search God Palace. This faction was even more formidable than today's World Society, and the leader of this faction was named Bu Jingyun!"

Wuming looked at the dazed Bu Jingyun and continued, "It is said that this Bu Jingyun went by the nickname Chang Sheng Bu Si Shen. The Search God Palace led by this Chang Sheng Bu Si Shen burned, killed, and looted throughout the Jianghu, committing every evil imaginable. After a period of glory, it suddenly vanished from the Jianghu, as fleeting as a flash in the pan. And the location of this Search God Palace was none other than today's West Lake Leifeng Pagoda."

Duan Fengyun asked, "Does the Senior mean that the mysterious faction that abducted Chuchu is the Search God Palace that mysteriously vanished two hundred years ago?"

Wuming replied, "If I am not mistaken, it should indeed be the Search God Palace."

Bu Jingyun asked, "We have always had no grudges against the Search God Palace. Why would they target us and abduct Chuchu?"

Wuming shook his head and replied, "I do not know this either, but I feel it must be related to Chang Sheng Bu Si Shen. You are both named Bu Jingyun; I believe there must be some story behind this."

Duan Fengyun wondered to himself, he had never seen any records of this Chang Sheng Bu Si Shen on television. Could it be that history has begun to change drastically?

He continued to ask Wuming, "Senior, according to you, this Chang Sheng Bu Si Shen was a figure from two hundred years ago. How could he still be alive today?"

Wuming replied, "There are many things in this world we do not know about. Just because we have not seen them does not mean they do not exist. You should rest at Zhonghua Lou for the night. Tomorrow, I will accompany you to the West Lake Leifeng Pagoda to see what kind of schemes and plots lie behind this."

Hearing that Wuming would go with them, the group instantly felt their spines straighten. With a great master like Wuming around, what was there to fear from the Search God Palace? The reputation of the Martial Arts Myth was not just empty talk.

After agreeing on the time, the group was led by people arranged by Wuming to their respective rooms. Thinking of the mysterious Search God Palace, the mysterious Mu Xuanqing, and the unknown situation of Chuchu, they were unable to sleep all night and only drifted off in the early hours of the morning.

As for Wuming, after the others had left, he took out a book titled *Bai Niangzi Zhuan*. While reading, he murmured to himself, "A legend from two hundred years ago. Tomorrow, I shall go and see how much of it is true or false."

The next morning, Bu Jingyun, anxious for his wife, woke up very early. To save her, he woke up the others who were still fast asleep.

When they arrived at Wuming's courtyard, they found Wuming already sitting there. The group could not help but feel ashamed; there was a reason why others became the Martial Arts Myth.

Looking at Wuming, the group finally remembered a question, and Duan Fengyun asked:

"Senior, why haven't we seen Jian Chen for these two days? Where has he gone?"

Wuming explained, "Chen'er knows he is trapped by his Heart Demon, so he has gone to Dasheng Si to listen to Buddhist teachings and the tolling of the evening drums and morning bells to dispel his Heart Demon."

So that was it; no wonder none of them had seen Jian Chen.

Seeing that all four were ready, Wuming instructed the steward to look after the shop, as he was going out for a trip.

Wuming and the four of them traveled by fast horses, and after a day of rushing, they finally arrived at Xihu Cheng by dusk.

Upon entering Xihu Cheng, the five of them already felt that something was wrong with the city.

The eyes of these commoners were too kind, as kind as those of newborn babes.

As seasoned veterans of the Jianghu, the five of them did not believe that in this world, everyone would have such eyes.

Exhausted from the journey, the five of them found an inn and settled in.

In the early hours of the morning, the wary group heard rustling sounds outside their respective rooms.

Knowing that something was likely amiss, the five of them remained silent, wanting to see what the people outside intended to do.

The people outside, seeing that those in the rooms were sound asleep, took out some Soul Bewitching Incense from their bags, preparing to blow it into the rooms to knock everyone out.

Having been on guard, the five of them sensed the strange smell in the rooms and instantly understood what the people outside were trying to do. They immediately held their breath and circulated their internal energy to eliminate the Soul Bewitching Incense they had just inhaled.

The people outside each room, thinking the five had fallen for the trap, opened the doors and moved them all into one room.

Inside the room, a fat man who appeared to be the leader of the group looked at the five unconscious people and said with disdain:

"And they call this the Martial Arts Myth? Bah! If it weren't for the Master's orders, I would have taken your lives today."

The fat man ordered his men to collect all their weapons. He looked at the Peerless Sword and the Snow Drink Saber before him, daydreaming about holding the Peerless Sword in his left hand and the Snow Drink Saber in his right in the future.

Just as the fat man was daydreaming, a woman walked in. This woman was none other than the mysterious woman Duan Fengyun and the others had seen before—Mu Xuanqing.

Mu Xuanqing looked at the fat man, who was drooling in his dreams, with a face full of disgust and said:

"Feibo, can't you go pee and look at your own reflection? Are these divine weapons something a person of your caliber could possess?"

The man named Feibo nodded and bowed on the surface, but inwardly he muttered, "Stinking woman, acting fierce because of your master. If I ever get the chance, I will definitely pin you to the ground and rub you into the dirt a hundred times, then sell you to a brothel for looking down on me."

Mu Xuanqing was unaware of Feibo's thoughts, otherwise, she would have killed him long ago.

She looked at the four unconscious people, then looked at Duan Fengyun, and remembering the humiliation she had suffered from him a few days ago, she decided to take revenge on Duan Fengyun.

She had Feibo get someone to bring needles and thread. That's right, today she would fulfill her promise and sew Duan Fengyun's mouth shut.

Seeing the needle and thread about to pierce Duan Fengyun's mouth, he could no longer pretend. He opened his eyes and kicked Mu Xuanqing away with his Wind God Leg.

Wuming and the other three also opened their eyes and stood up.

Feibo looked at the five of them in disbelief and said, "How is this possible? You clearly inhaled five times the dose of my Soul Bewitching Incense."

Duan Fengyun looked at the fat man with contempt and said, "I've seen more of these little tricks of yours than I can count."

Nie Feng also retrieved their weapons. Duan Fengyun walked up to Mu Xuanqing and said, "Babe, we meet again so soon."

Mu Xuanqing looked at the smirking Duan Fengyun and said angrily, "Duan Fengyun, if you have the guts, just kill me."

Wuming signaled Duan Fengyun not to act rashly; such people were still useful.

Duan Fengyun thought for a moment, found the five-fold dose of Soul Bewitching Incense on Feibo and the other lackeys, and ignoring Mu Xuanqing's shouting and screaming, he sealed everyone's acupoints and locked them in a room. As the Soul Bewitching Incense was lit, the people in the room gradually lost their voices.

With no one to disturb them, the five of them prepared to continue sleeping and interrogate this group of mysterious people the next day.