Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 543 Another Second-Rank Expert Appears!
"You old bald monk, you're talking nonsense!"

Muzhaluo charged out like a mad wolf.

His wolf-fur coat fluttered in the wind, and the cold glint of his drawn scimitar made the Master of Sorrow's face appear bloodless.

"You still dare to yell at my boss without learning your lesson? I should have chopped off your bald head back then!"

He thrust his scimitar into the ground with a backhand motion, and the flying sand and gravel hit the feet of the Master of Sorrow like bullets.

The Master of Sorrow stared wide-eyed, veins bulging on his bald head like twisted earthworms.

He was not convinced by this Muzheluo.

Master Beiku's wrist was severed by Muzheluo only because he was terrified and disoriented after Liang Jin's counterattack, which allowed Muzheluo to succeed.

Hearing Mu Zhe Luo utter such foul language, he was so enraged that he glared at Mu Zhe Luo, his eyes practically spitting fire.

However, the Master of Sorrow clearly had no intention of arguing with Mujah, as his target was someone else.

His gaze shifted, now fixed on Liang Jin.

"Ok?"

Master of Sorrow frowned.

Because Liang Jin didn't even glance at him, but kept staring at the sword tablet in front of him.

"You actually don't take this old monk seriously?"

The Master of Sorrow's anger deepened.

However, he did not directly reprimand him, nor did he dare to lay a hand on him.

Master Beiku knew very well that the seemingly young master in front of him was unfathomable, and there were two third-rank martial artists beside him who were eyeing him covetously.

He merely glanced briefly at Yu Zhuoqun beside him.

Yu Zhuoqun had promised to help him.

Although Yu Zhuoqun had no enmity with Qingyi Tower, the favor he received from an elder of Wanfo Temple was enough to make him stand against Qingyi Tower without hesitation.

Yu Zhuoqun sensed the gaze of the Master of Sorrow and immediately understood, taking another step forward:
"Master Meng, I still have some friendship with you, please don't make a mistake for yourself."

"Hand over the sword tablet, and I can pretend you never said those words."

"Otherwise... don't blame me for being ruthless!"

The last few words were squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling intent.

Liang Jin smiled:
"friendship?"

"Who do you think you are, to presume to have any connection with me?"

These contemptuous words were like a resounding slap across Yu Zhuoqun's face.

Yu Zhuoqun's face instantly turned bright red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and he flew into a rage.

He was, after all, an elder of the Xuanyuan Sect, and even enemies would give him the respect he deserved.

But Liang Jin, on the contrary, didn't give him any face at all.

Liang Jin's voice carried a chilling calmness:
"Call out the person behind this."

"You are not qualified."

The simultaneous appearance of Yu Zhuoqun and Beiku is clearly not a coincidence.

The so-called seizure of the sword monument was nothing more than an excuse for Yu Zhuoqun to turn against Liang Jin.

For two mere third-rank martial artists to dare to provoke us so brazenly, they must have powerful backers.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhuoqun and Master Beiku exchanged a glance.

Suddenly.

A peculiar aura suddenly arose in the distance.

As this aura appeared, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned towards it.

In the thick darkness of the night, a group of people rode up on horseback.

The sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached, like war drums striking the hearts of the crowd.

As they drew closer to the firelight, the crowd was able to see their faces clearly.

The leader, a beautiful woman with scars on her face, rode a tall horse. Dressed in the official uniform of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, she looked imposing and arrogant.

It was actually Wang Huaishuang.

Behind her stood a row of riders, holding long black flags high in their hands, the flags fluttering in the wind; they were clearly agents of the Imperial Guard.

These people are not worth attracting attention.

What truly drew everyone's attention was an old monk in the group.

Unlike the Master of Sorrow and Suffering, who was clad in expensive robes, the old monk wore a patched, coarse cloth robe, making him look like an ascetic.

Furthermore, he was not clean at all; his originally snow-white eyebrows and beard had turned gray due to excessive dust.

His skin was as dark as charcoal and extremely rough, clearly the result of years of exposure to the scorching sun and the elements.

Most surprisingly, the old monk was not riding a horse, but walking barefoot on the ground.

Even on foot, his speed was no slower than that of the imperial guards on horseback, demonstrating that he was also a highly skilled individual in light-footed martial arts.

The old monk did not speak, nor did he release any aura or killing intent.

His mere presence was enough to draw everyone's attention to him.

This strange situation left most people completely baffled.

Mr. Ding's eyes widened in shock:

"He is... a second-grade martial artist!"

These words were like a bombshell, exploding in the crowd.

A second-grade warrior!
This is something that the vast majority of people in this world will never see in their lifetime!
For most people, such powerful beings exist only in legends, or even... almost myths!
This identity alone was enough to intimidate everyone, causing them to instinctively take a step back.

They instinctively shut their mouths, not daring to utter a whisper, their eyes filled with deep awe.

For a moment, the entire venue seemed to fall silent.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Muzheluo was also taken aback.

He had long sensed that something was wrong with the old monk, and now that Mr. Ding had spoken, his suspicions were confirmed.

Mu Zheluo, who was usually fearless, didn't utter a word of complaint at this moment, only feeling shocked in his heart:
"This damned place, Daqian... how come there are experts everywhere?!"

Facing the old monk, his palms couldn't help but sweat, and he dared not act recklessly.

soon.

The group of people had already approached.

Because they were from the Criminal Investigation Bureau, Shen Wanshi's men didn't dare to stop them, allowing the group to enter the banquet as if it were empty.

With the appearance of a second-rank martial artist, Cen Ruifeng, the retainer of the Shen family, didn't dare to utter a single word.

Shen Wanshi could no longer sit, so he hurriedly got up, bowed, and stood to the side, not daring to raise his head.

Wang Huaishuang took the lead and charged towards Liang Jin on horseback, showing no intention of slowing down, as if she intended to deliberately ram Liang Jin.

"Protect the poster!"

The members of the Green Robe Pavilion drew their swords and stood in front of Liang Jin to protect him.

The steel knives in their hands gleamed coldly, exuding a chilling murderous aura.

Clearly, if Wang Huaishuang dared to advance any further, they wouldn't hesitate to slash at her with their steel blades.

This scene surprised Wang Huaishuang.

Clearly, she hadn't expected that anyone within the Great Qian territory would dare to openly try to kill her.

These Western Desert people from Qingyi Tower really have no respect for their status whatsoever.

"Shut up!"

Wang Huaishuang finally pulled on the reins, and the galloping horse reared up, its neighing piercing the night sky before coming to a steady stop.

She sat high on her horse, pointing her whip at Liang Jin and demanding in a stern voice:
“Meng Xinghun, we had an agreement before, and you also received payment.”

"Why did you break the contract?!"

Her voice was sharp and piercing, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin slightly raised his gaze, his obsidian-like eyes remaining completely unmoved:

"Oh?"

"When did I break the contract?"

This retort infuriated Wang Huaishuang, causing her face to contort in anger.

She had considered all sorts of answers from Liang Jin, but she never expected him to be so shameless as to deny it altogether.

This made Wang Huaishuang clench her fists so tightly they cracked, and she gritted her teeth as she said:
"You're supposed to be the head of a major sect, do you really have no shame at all?"

Despite such accusations, Liang Jin remained unfazed.

He slowly stood up as he answered:

"Our original agreement was to help you deal with the Demon Slayer King."

At this point, Liang Jin pointed in a direction:
"And now, the Demon Slayer King is coming from this direction, and he will arrive in less than an hour."

"This place is the best location to deal with the Demon Slayer King."

These days, Liang Jin has been keeping track of the whereabouts of the Demon King through the "Thousand-Mile Tracking" system.

But he soon discovered that since he left Yongzhou City, the direction of Tu Xie Wang's journey had also changed.

Judging from the path taken by the Demon King, he no longer passed through Yongzhou City, but instead changed course and headed ahead of Liang Jin, and his speed was much faster.

This situation could be due to either the King of Slaughtering Evil having been keeping an eye on Liang Jin, or his desire to eliminate Liang Jin as his enemy.

Either someone deliberately lured the Demon King this way. Tonight, with the appearance of Yu Zhuoqun, the Bitter Monk, Wang Huaishuang, and others, Liang Jin understood that the reason the Demon King changed course was the latter.

Upon hearing this, Wang Huaishuang's face showed deep astonishment:

"How did you know?"

It was indeed Wang Huaishuang who brought the Demon Slayer King here.

Wang Huaishuang originally planned to lure Tu Xiewang to Yongzhou City to resolve the matter.

However, with Liang Jin's sudden departure from Yongzhou City, she had no choice but to change her mind and lead Tu Xie Wang onto Liang Jin's route, ensuring that the two would inevitably meet.

But she really couldn't understand it.

How did Liang Jin know the whereabouts of the Demon Slayer King?

The Green Robe Tower has only been in the Great Qian Dynasty for a short time, so its intelligence network could not possibly cover such a wide and distant area, even knowing the route of the Demon Slayer King.

Moreover, Wang Huaishuang handled this matter discreetly and shouldn't have leaked the news.

Liang Jin glanced at the old monk in the tattered robe beside Wang Huaishuang and continued:
"You've even invited a second-rank martial artist; clearly, you're determined to win tonight."

"However, it's not the right time yet, so please stand aside for now."

"I have some personal grudges to settle first."

Finally, Liang Jin turned his gaze to Yu Zhuoqun and the Master of Sorrow and Suffering.

Both of them felt a jolt in their hearts when they felt Liang Jin's gaze.

But when they saw Wang Huaishuang and the old monk beside her, they were relieved.

Wang Huaishuang had heard that Master Beiku and Liang Jin had fought, and judging from the situation now, she knew that these people probably had some unpleasantness just now.

Then Wang Huaishuang said in a deep voice:

"Meng Xinghun, put aside any grudges for now and talk about them after the mission is completed."

"Elder Yu and Master Beiku are both helpers I invited. You will be fighting side by side in a while."

"Don't start fighting amongst yourselves before you've even reached your goal. What kind of talk is that?"

She didn't care who was right or wrong; she only cared about whether her mission could be completed successfully.

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin scoffed:
“Wang Huaishuang, since I promised to cooperate with you to deal with the Demon Slayer King, I will definitely do it.”

"But you have no right to interfere in other matters."

Upon hearing this, Wang Huaishuang's eyebrows shot up in anger.

This Liang Jin really doesn't give her any face at all?
The old monk in the tattered robe beside her, who had been chanting sutras with his eyes closed, finally opened his eyes after hearing that Wang Huaishuang had lost control of the situation.

He took a step forward, looked at Liang Jin, and uttered a Buddhist chant:
"Amitabha."

"This humble monk from Wanfo Temple, who has experienced both sorrow and joy, has met with Benefactor Meng."

"I heard before that Benefactor Meng severed my junior brother Beiku's hand."

"Today, this humble monk has the opportunity to meet Benefactor Meng and ask him in person about the reason."

It turns out that this old monk in a tattered robe who called himself "Sadness and Joy" was actually the senior brother of Master Sorrow and Bitterness.

No wonder Master Beiku was so unrestrained today; it turns out he has a senior brother who is a second-rank martial artist as his backer.

Master of Sorrow and Bitterness immediately felt as if he had found a patron, and rushed to the side of Sorrow and Joy, weeping and lamenting:
"Senior brother, you must stand up for me!"

“This Meng Xinghun cultivates the demonic arts of the Western Regions. I only went to his door to persuade him to repent and reform, but who would have thought that he would become so angry that he attacked me and even cut off one of my hands.”

"This boy is utterly wicked and will surely become a major threat to the martial arts world of Great Qian in the future!"

"I implore you, senior brother, for the sake of the Great Qian martial world and my Wanfo Temple, to take action to subdue this demon and eliminate this brat!"

The Master of Sorrow suddenly cried out, adding fuel to the fire, which gave Wang Huaishuang a great headache.

Bei Huan remained expressionless and offered no response, simply gazing calmly at Liang Jin.

Liang Jin said calmly:
“Your junior brother is not yet free from worldly desires. He coveted my secret manual and intended to steal it.”

“I cut off his hand; that was already giving Wanfo Temple face.”

"But I also warned him not to provoke me again, or he would die."

"He has provoked me again today, and I will kill him."

"Sorrow and Joy, do you want to stop me?"

Upon hearing this, Bei Huan sighed helplessly.

He knew his junior brother's character perfectly well.

He also knew that his junior brother was probably at fault first.

After all, Liang Jin had just entered the Great Qian Dynasty, and he shouldn't have any grudges with Wanfo Temple.

But naturally, he couldn't stand by and watch Liang Jin harm his junior brother, so he said:

“Benefactor Meng, since the matter has already occurred, let it pass.”

"As the saying goes, revenge only leads to more revenge. You have already vented your anger by cutting off my junior brother's hand. I will definitely discipline my junior brother more strictly in the future. Let's leave it at that for now."

These words surprised everyone.

As a second-rank martial artist, Bei Huan could destroy an entire sect by himself!
How could such a person not choose to protect his own, but instead intend to quell the conflict?

Surprised, everyone couldn't help but look at Wang Huaishuang beside Beihuan.

It seems that this joy and sorrow is not for the sake of Qingyi Tower, but for the sake of the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

Wang Huaishuang nodded upon hearing this, very satisfied with the outcome of the handling of Beihuan's situation.

Master Sorrow was taken aback, then said indignantly:
"Senior brother! How can our dignified Wanfo Temple remain indifferent while someone rides on our heads and urinates on us?"

"I lost an arm!"

He was clearly very unwilling to accept his senior's suggestion.

However, neither Wang Huaishuang nor Beihuan paid him any attention.

They knew that a great battle was imminent and a powerful enemy was approaching, so they had to prioritize the overall situation.

Everyone relaxed.

After all, a second-rank martial artist has spoken, so this matter should indeed come to an end.

But who knows.

Liang Jin sneered:
"ridiculous!"

Do you really think I'm joking?

Everyone was taken aback by these words.

This Liang Jin, does he not even give face to a second-rank martial artist?

Does he not know the weight of joy and sorrow at Wanfo Temple?

Wang Huaishuang also said sternly:
"Meng Xinghun! Don't push your luck!"

"Doesn't Master Beihuan's words carry more weight than yours?"

"Since you know your formidable enemy, the Demon-Slaying King, is coming, what are you still doing here causing trouble?"

"Let's stop here; it's better for everyone this way."

Liang Jin reached out his hand.

The two gunmen immediately carried their spears to Liang Jin.

Liang Jin grabbed the spear and said coldly:

"I don't know what 'enough is enough' means; I only know that being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to oneself!"

"This sorrow is my enemy!"

"As for that Demon-Slaying King, I'm determined to kill him anyway. It doesn't matter whether you're here or not."

"Don't say I'm being unreasonable and want to wipe them out completely."

"As long as I can make Beiku cripple himself, he will no longer be a threat to me, and then this matter can naturally be dropped."

"otherwise……"

Liang Jin held the gun in one hand and thrust the hilt heavily into the ground:

"Anyone who gets in my way, I'll kill them!"

Upon hearing this, Master Beiku's eyes flashed with a sinister light.

For a martial artist, being forced to cripple their own skills is undoubtedly the greatest humiliation, not much different from being killed.

Master Beiku would never agree to such a thing!
Even Wang Huaishuang felt that Liang Jin had gone too far, and she couldn't help but ask Beihuan in a deep voice:

"Master of Sorrow and Joy, what are your plans to do?"

Bei Huan was, after all, a second-rank martial artist and a key figure in Wanfo Temple.

Although Wang Huaishuang was of extraordinary status, she still had to show him due respect and ask for his opinion first.

In a heart filled with both joy and sorrow, there was also displeasure.

As the saying goes, even a clay Buddha has three parts fire. Bei Huan had already given Liang Jin enough face, but she never expected that Liang Jin would be so shameless.

His junior brother may have made a small mistake, but he has already paid the price.

How could he possibly allow his junior brother to have his martial arts crippled now?

His junior brother was an elder of Wanfo Temple, after all, while what was this Qingyi Tower from the Western Desert? What gave them the right to be so aggressive?

Bei Huan immediately put his hands together in prayer and uttered a Buddhist chant.

He then replied with a cold laugh:
"Let him make a scene if he wants to."

"It doesn't matter."

(End of this chapter)