The Demon King, reborn in Japan as a monk

"So after thinking it over, he had no choice but to set his sights on your disciple," Ishihara Akira explained.

“No, Mengyao can’t fall into Pang Ban’s hands again.” Yan Jing’an replied without hesitation.

"Of course, Qin Mengyao is the woman I've set my sights on. How could I allow Pang Ban to covet her?" Shi Yuanzhang sneered. "Here's what we'll do: you go and make some preparations, and then I'll take you, Bingyun, Xiuxiu, Qingshuang, Bicui, and Gu Ningqing to go find Mengyao. We'll also let them see the difference between themselves and Pang Ban."

Chapter 405 Ye Yu Invites Meng Yao

"My lord, we've found Qin Mengyao's whereabouts." That day, a lowly soldier knelt before Fang Yeyu, who resembled a scion of a powerful family from the Central Plains, and reported respectfully.

"Where is he?" Fang Yeyu pressed.

“In…” the younger brother carried out a place.

"Have someone keep an eye on her. I'll take some men over in a bit," Fang Yeyu immediately instructed, knowing how important Qin Mengyao was to his master.

"Yes."

After his underling left, Fang Yeyu also arranged for someone to summon his trusted confidants.

That is, those people from the Demon Master's Palace, such as Jue Tian, ​​Mie Di, and the Three Fiends of the Sun, Moon and Stars. After all, this operation concerns the master, and he cannot afford to be negligent or careless. Therefore, people like Tan Yingshou, who have just been recruited and whose loyalty is still unknown, should be used elsewhere.

So in no time, several experts from the Demon Master Palace, who were considered top-tier in the Central Plains martial arts world, gathered around Fang Yeyu. Without lingering, they immediately headed towards the place his subordinate had mentioned earlier.

It didn't take too much time, since Qin Mengyao's activity area was mainly in the Dongting Lake area, just not very fixed, so tracking her was relatively easy.

"Where is he?" Fang Yeyu asked his subordinates, using the secret marks left in the city.

"It's in the inn up ahead. I've already checked; it's the leftmost window," the henchman replied, pointing to a window near the corner of the inn building.

"Is the person still inside?" Fang Yeyu asked again.

“It’s inside,” the henchman confirmed.

"Alright, the Sun, Moon, and Star Three Fiends, you stay here and guard the way back. The rest of you come in with me." Fang Yeyu thought for a moment, then turned to his subordinates and gave them instructions.

"Yes."

Immediately, the three evil spirits, Sun, Moon, and Star, stayed with their underlings, keeping an eye on the window to prevent Qin Mengyao from escaping through it. Fang Yeyu, on the other hand, led Jue Tian, ​​Mie Di, and the five generals of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth directly around to the front of the inn, entered through the main entrance, ignored the innkeeper who was stunned by their attire, went straight up the stairs to the second-floor guest room floor, and quickly walked to the room where Qin Mengyao was.

Fang Yeyu took a deep breath at the door, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.

"Ta-da!"

"Come in," a pleasant female voice came from the doorway.

Fang Yeyu didn't stand on ceremony. He stepped forward, opened the door, and led Jue Tian and Mie Di into the room.

"Disciple Fang Yeyu of the Demon Master's Palace greets Miss Qin Mengyao." Fang Yeyu clasped his hands in greeting and addressed Qin Mengyao, who appeared calm and composed in the room, seemingly oblivious to the danger she was in.

At the same time, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes. He, who thought he had seen so much beauty that he would never be moved by a woman again, couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart...

"It's a pity, she's the woman Master has taken a liking to..." Fang Yeyu muttered to himself, unsure whether it was regret or pity.

"Fang Yeyu? I wonder what brings you here, Little Demon Master, with such a grand visit?" Qin Mengyao glanced at Fang Yeyu with slight surprise before turning her gaze to Jue Tian, ​​Mie Di, and the five generals of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth guarding the guest room door behind him. She asked indifferently.

谷睡

"I am here on the orders of my master to invite Fairy Qin to his residence for a while," Fang Yeyu said, getting straight to the point.

"Is it not enough that Pang Ban has harmed my senior sister, now he wants to attack me too?" Qin Mengyao sneered.

"..." Fang Yeyu did not answer, but stared at Qin Mengyao for a while before continuing, "I wonder if Qin Xianzi would do me the honor of accompanying me on this trip?"

"If I refuse, will you immediately launch an attack on me, even resorting to force to 'invite' me back?" Qin Mengyao scoffed and said again.

Moreover, he felt his stimulation wasn't intense enough, so he emphasized the word "please" to express his dissatisfaction.

"I cannot disobey my master's orders. If Fairy Qin really refuses to give me this face, then I have no choice but to offend her." Fang Yeyu sighed, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

"You're quite honest." Qin Mengyao looked Fang Yeyu up and down again before standing up and saying, "Let's go."

"Does this mean Fairy Qin has agreed to come with us?" Fang Yeyu asked, somewhat surprised.

"What, do I have to resist?" Qin Mengyao asked in surprise.

It wasn't that she didn't want to, but the location was wrong—there was an inn right under her feet. Although she wasn't sure how many guests were inside, she was certain that there were many ordinary people living around, making it unsuitable as a battlefield.

What if the building is broken or the floor is damaged, and the flying debris or swords injure the surrounding guests?

Although she's a woman of the martial world and doesn't need to care about these things, as long as she's comfortable...

That's the behavior of ordinary martial arts practitioners. For a saintess like her, who comes from Cihang Jingzhai and is bound by high moral standards, it's not appropriate to do that.

In addition, she also wanted to see what kind of person Pang Ban was, who had captivated her senior sister and even made her master extremely wary. Therefore, she did not choose to resist, but instead prepared to accept Fang Yeyu's invitation to meet Pang Ban.

Afterwards, Fang Yeyu and the others took Qin Mengyao away from the inn, spent a lot of money to buy a carriage, and drove Qin Mengyao to where their master was.

……

"This is the latest news about Mengyao. Someone saw him being taken away by Fang Yeyu, heading southwest..." On the other side, Shi Yuanzhang, who had brought Yan Jing'an, Jin Bingyun, Lian Xiuxiu, Zhuang Qingshuang, Yun Su, Ning Bicui, and the dual cultivation wife Gu Ningqing, took the note handed to him by Jin Bingyun and listened to Jin Bingyun's report.

The two are currently on the ground. While the flying cruise ship is powerful and impressive, the people in this world can't fly, and there are no special intelligence transmission channels like in the Naruto world—space teleportation, ninja beast teleportation, or even radio—they haven't invented it yet. So, if they want to obtain firsthand information from the ground, they have to come down alone and find the local disciples.

However, the slightly better thing is that both Cihang Jingzhai and Shuangxiufu have good intelligence systems within the Central Plains. In particular, Cihang Jingzai, which has existed since the Han Dynasty and has always been committed to selecting emperors, maintaining peace in the world, and acting as the rightful leader, has an intelligence system that is only slightly inferior to the current imperial guards.

It can be said that they have spies or related forces influenced by them everywhere, so it is relatively easy to obtain some first-hand, up-to-date intelligence.

Otherwise, they really would have missed out.

Alternatively, they could have Ishihara Akira learn skills like Plum Blossom Divination, Six Lines Divination, or Heavenly Secrets Divination to predict Qin Mengyao's whereabouts.

Of course, he could also use the Heavenly Net Void Technique of the Ghost Path. Anyway, he knew the unique aura of the Cihang Sword Scripture practitioners, and he could find Qin Mengyao's whereabouts by just barging through.

Chapter 406 Mengyao Meets Pang Ban

Having received the latest news about Qin Mengyao, the two didn't delay. They found a secluded spot and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the spaceship. Then, Ishihara Akira turned the ship around and flew southwest while releasing his senses. He activated the special technique used by Ichigo in the original Bleach manga to track other people's spiritual energy, slightly modified to become a special tracking technique that could chase true energy aura, and spread it outwards.

Sure enough, not long after, Ishihara Akira saw in his field of vision a pillar of light that looked like a white jade pillar reaching the sky, representing the aura of the practitioners of the Cihang Sword Manual, which gradually moved forward as the spaceship approached.

“Found it,” Ishihara Akira muttered.

"Where?" Yan Jing'an asked hurriedly.

Without any pretense, Shi Yuanzhang pointed into the air, and a round mirror appeared in mid-air, revealing the carriage Qin Mengyao was riding in, as well as the figures of the guards around the carriage.

“It’s the Sun, Moon, and Star Three Fiends and the Five Elements Generals of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth from the Demon Master’s Palace.” Jin Bingyun, who had worked in the Demon Master’s Palace in her early years and was very familiar with its personnel, confirmed.

"Then let's hurry over and rescue them," Zhuang Qingshuang suggested upon hearing this.

"Have you forgotten why I brought you out this time?" Ishihara Akira asked with a smile.

"I remember you said before we set off that you wanted us to know the gap between ourselves and the top masters of the martial arts world, and to test our progress in practicing the new technique." Ning Bicui hesitated for a moment before recounting what Shi Yuanzhang had told them before they set off.

"You wouldn't be thinking of letting Pang Ban test our strength, would you?"

“That’s right, I wanted Pang Ban to test your skills,” Ishihara Akira said with a smile.

"Aren't you worried that if you don't do something right, they might get into danger?" Dual Cultivation Lady Gu Ningqing reminded her.

"Don't worry, Pang Ban won't cause any trouble in my hands," Ishihara Akira said with a confident smile.

Then everyone stopped talking and let the spaceship follow the carriage, moving forward together.

……

A little over a day later, the carriage stopped at the foot of a nearby forest.

Then Fang Yeyu helped Qin Mengyao down from the carriage and led her towards the mountain forest in front of them...

Although the mountain path, full of primitive features, was difficult to traverse, it was not much different from plains for martial arts masters like them. So, after spending about half a day, Fang Yeyu and Qin Mengyao's group arrived at the foot of a mountain stronghold built on a high hill. They showed their tokens and, with a signal, the group of more than ten people successfully entered the fortress, which did not look like a stronghold of any righteous force. Finally, they stopped in a place that looked like a council hall.

"Keep an eye on her, I'll go get my master," Fang Yeyu instructed the Three Fiends of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, as well as the other Five Elements Generals.

Fang Yeyu then left the hall and entered the inner courtyard. Shortly afterward, he emerged with a burly, robust man with jet-black hair. His face did not resemble that of a centenarian; rather, he looked like a middle-aged man, exuding an unusual masculine charm.

He was none other than Pang Ban, the Demon Master who had ruled the martial world for sixty years!

"I am truly flattered that Mengyao has accepted the invitation to come." Pang Ban sat down in the main seat in the hall and looked at Qin Mengyao, who remained composed and proud despite being surrounded by the Three Fiends and the Five Elements Generals. He spoke gently with admiration in his eyes.

"The people you sent don't look like they were invited," Qin Mengyao silently circulated the Cihang Sword Manual she had cultivated, resisting the special mental influence that Pang Ban was constantly eroding, while responding sharply and without showing any weakness.

"Did Ye Yu and the others treat you poorly?" Pang Ban asked with a smile.

谷餴

"No, not at all," Qin Mengyao replied truthfully.

"Was there anything impolite?" Pang Ban asked again.

"No, not at all." Qin Mengyao continued to shake her head.

"Then where did Mengyao's claim that it didn't feel like an invitation come from?" Pang Ban asked with a smile.

"Then why did the Demon Master send someone to invite Mengyao?" Qin Mengyao was silent for a while, then looked at the tall man in front of her who exuded a strange charm at all times and asked in confusion.

"I would like to ask Mengyao for a favor?" Pang Ban asked after a moment of silence.

"Help? I wonder what kind of help?" Qin Mengyao asked curiously.

"I hope that you, Mengyao, can stay by my side for the time being and cultivate with me. I wonder if you are willing?" Pang Ban did not say what specific way he would help, but only gave a specific way of showing his help.

"Don't you have a senior sister? Why do you need me to help you?" Qin Mengyao asked, puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Pang Ban fell silent again for a while before saying with a hint of displeasure on his face, "She has things to do and cannot help me for the time being, so I had no choice but to send my disciple to invite Mengyao back."

"What if Mengyao refuses?" Qin Mengyao probed again.

The fact that Pang Ban is so busy must mean that something extraordinary is happening. If we can figure out what's going on, we might just find something crucial.

"Then I, Pang, have only wronged Bingyun by choosing to force myself on you." Pang Ban gazed at Qin Mengyao for a moment, then spoke with a sigh.

Qin Mengyao remained silent for a long while before drawing her sword and saying, "I humbly request the Demon Master's guidance."

"Excellent! As expected of Yan Jing'an's disciple, your temperament, will, decisiveness, and cultivation are indeed impeccable. No wonder Bingyun always told me that she is not the most outstanding disciple under her master, but you are." Pang Ban was not angry because of Qin Mengyao's performance. Instead, he stood up with an appreciative look on his face and clapped his hands in admiration.

"Senior Sister Bingyun, you flatter me. Compared to you, Mengyao still has a lot to learn. I really don't deserve such praise from the Demon Master," Qian Mengyao said modestly.

"If I can defeat Mengyao, will she be willing to stay and help me?" Pang Ban shook his head slightly, whether to deny Qin Mengyao's modesty or not, and looked at her indifferently to confirm.

"Yes," Qin Mengyao affirmed.