From the beginning of Swordsman, he created a legend in the martial arts world.

Although the Fuwei Escort Agency was destroyed and Lin Zhennan and his wife died, the whereabouts of the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual remained uncertain.

"You step back now, but keep a close eye on Meng Fei. Don't let your guard down for a moment."

Yu Canghai waved the man away, then suddenly stood up and shouted at Yu Renhao and the others who were waiting nearby, "Go!"

Around midnight, deep in Xiangyang Alley, several dark figures appeared silently outside the courtyard wall of the Lin family's old house, like ghosts.

"Enter!"

The leader surveyed the area around the residence, then raised his hand and made a simple gesture.

With a few soft "whoosh" sounds, the dark figure leaped up, vaulted over the wall, and landed in the courtyard, clearly demonstrating considerable skill in light footwork.

"Search! Be thorough, don't overlook any suspicious traces, mechanisms, or hidden compartments!"

Yu Canghai's voice sounded unusually cold in the silent courtyard.

Several dark figures responded to the call and quickly and tacitly dispersed, rushing into the front yard, back yard, side rooms... every corner.

About half an hour later, several dark figures returned to the agreed meeting point one after another and reported the results of their search.

"Master, we've searched the entire front yard, and there's nothing unusual."

"Master, we have searched the east and west wing rooms and the study, but we have not found any hidden compartments or mechanisms."

……

The reports of finding nothing were like a bucket of cold water poured over Yu Canghai's heart, making his face grow increasingly gloomy. Could it be that he was just being paranoid and overthinking things? Was the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual not hidden here at all?

Just when he was about to give up, the last disciple responsible for searching every corner of the backyard rushed over, his voice filled with suppressed excitement.

"Master, there's a Buddhist shrine in the northeast corner of the backyard... It seems... it seems like someone has been inside... This disciple feels like... someone has been looking for something inside!"

"What?"

A terrifying glint suddenly flashed in Yu Canghai's eyes, and the weariness and disappointment on his face were instantly replaced by an almost manic greed.

With a flash, he swiftly sped off in the direction the disciple was searching.

Arriving at the entrance of the Buddhist hall, Yu Canghai carefully examined the place by the light of a candle handed to him by a disciple.

Sure enough, a thin layer of dust was found on the edge of the door, which was completely different from the thick dust in other places. There were even slight signs of opening and closing. This door had definitely been opened!

Before Yu Canghai could ask any questions, the disciple who was searching the Buddhist hall leaned closer and whispered something.

"When I searched this place before, I noticed that the dust here was different from that in other places, and... there seemed to be subtle marks on the beams inside that had been hooked by a grappling hook."

Upon hearing this, Yu Canghai did not hesitate any longer, and suddenly pushed open the half-closed wooden door and rushed in.

The Buddhist hall was cold and damp, covered with cobwebs and thick with dust. He carefully examined the beams and, in the candlelight, discovered something different.

Immediately, he leaped lightly onto the roof beam. Just as the disciple had said, there was not only a mark of a hook entangled on the beam, but also traces of someone lying prone. At the corner of the beam, a clearly pressed mark proved that an item had been placed there.

"That's it?"

Someone beat us to it!

"Who is it?! Who on earth is it?!"

Seeing this, Yu Canghai's eyes widened in fury, and he slammed his palm hard against the beam beside him.

He went through countless hardships and humiliations to finally find a clue, only to have someone else snatch the sword manual first. This feeling of gaining and then losing was even harder for him to accept than gaining nothing at all!

Following the rage came a deeper resentment and irrational suspicion; a name appeared in his mind almost instantly—

Meng Fei!

Who else could it be but him? It must be him!

The so-called Thirteen Deadly Swords are all lies that deceive the world. His swordsmanship, which is as fast as a ghost and ruthless and fierce, is clearly the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique!

At this moment, Yu Canghai was blinded by jealousy, hatred and greed, completely ignoring other possibilities and even the differences between Meng Fei's swordsmanship and the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique.

Now, all he needs is a target to vent his anger and hatred, and Meng Fei is the perfect target.

"Meng Fei—! I will tear you to pieces!"

Enraged, Yu Canghai disregarded everything and was about to rush out of the Buddhist hall to seek revenge on Meng Fei's residence.

"Master, you mustn't!"

Yu Renhao, who was standing nearby, was shocked to see this and, in a moment of panic, reached out to stop him.

"Get out of here!"

Enraged, Yu Canghai retaliated with a palm strike, sending Yu Renhao flying.

"puff--"

Caught off guard, Yu Renhao let out a muffled groan and flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

"Master, please don't act impulsively..."

At this moment, the other disciples also reacted, and several of them stepped forward together to hold Yu Canghai, who was in a frenzy, back tightly.

"Master, we are no match for Meng Fei! Going there now would be like throwing eggs against a rock, a pointless suicide mission!"

"Yes, Master! As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn! Although Meng Fei's martial arts are high, he is not without weaknesses."

"Yes, yes! Master, I found out that Meng Fei took on a disciple in Fuzhou and apparently started something called the 'Divine Sword Gang.' They drove a local gang called the 'Black Snake Gang' out of their territory, and now the Black Snake Gang is looking for someone to deal with his disciple!"

"We can use the Black Snake Gang's name to lure that kid out and capture him! Also, aren't there two Miao girls with Meng Fei? If we have these three in our hands, are we afraid Meng Fei won't obediently submit?"

"At that time, not only might we get our hands on the 'Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,' but we might also be able to force him to reveal the secrets of his 'Thirteen Deadly Swords.'"

The disciples all tried their best to persuade him, one after another.

These words were like cold water, gradually extinguishing Yu Canghai's raging fury.

He was panting heavily, his scarlet eyes scanning the terrified faces of his disciples, and his twisted and frantic thoughts began to slowly return to normal.

They captured his beloved disciple and took his wife hostage... using them to blackmail Meng Fei...

"good!"

Yu Canghai finally managed to squeeze out a single word.

"Ren Ying!"

"Disciple is here!"

A lean disciple quickly responded.

"Go contact the Black Snake Gang immediately. Use them as a pretext to lure Meng Fei's apprentice out! Then capture him cleanly and efficiently! Remember, alive!"

"A man of great stature, a man of exceptional ability!"

He then looked at Yu Renhao, who had barely managed to get up and whose face was deathly pale, and another disciple.

"You two keep a close watch on Meng Fei's residence, find out the patterns of those two Miao women's activities, and when the opportunity arises... capture them! And alive!"

Gazing at the pitch-black night, a cold glint of resentment and scheming flashed in Yu Canghai's eyes.

"Then... I'll see if you, Meng Fei, can still be so arrogant! I'll make you pay back every last penny, plus interest, for all the humiliation you've inflicted on me!"

A few days later, one afternoon, a strange medicinal fragrance filled the air through the doors and windows of the backyard room. The scent was invigorating, yet it also caused a strange sense of unease.

Inside the room, Aya looked focused, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

Before her, a medicine furnace was being carefully manipulated, the medicinal liquid inside churning, displaying a deep purplish-black color.

"Sister Aya, how are you?"

Seeing the light inside the furnace gradually fade, A'Luo couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Aya examined the medicinal liquid in the furnace and smiled with relief: "The timing is right. Just wait half an hour, and this 'Seven Heart Begonia' will be ready."