The Supreme Being

Tianding City is a hub of north-south waterways, a key point for east-west traffic, and a top-notch prosperous place in the world. It was noon, and the streets were crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder, very lively.

Cao Manzi, the "gossip-monger", hummed an opera and protected his money bag. He didn't think anything dangerous would happen in broad daylight and in public. Moreover, he had recently set up a gambling game, and there happened to be two hired thugs following him.

As he walked, he suddenly felt something hard against his waist, and a hoarse voice sounded in his ears: "Turn to the alley next door."

The sun was shining, but Cao Manzi's forehead was sweating. He didn't dare to take the risk of testing whether the weapon against his waist was a real murder weapon, nor did he dare to question whether the other party had the courage to commit a murder in the street. He had to slowly change direction and walk into a nearby alley.

During this process, he found that the "murderer" next to him was of medium height, with a bamboo hat hanging down in front, covering most of his face.

At this time, his two thugs also found something wrong, but they didn't dare to act rashly. One followed carefully, and the other rushed forward quickly to inform and seek help.

Passing through two small alleys, the population gradually became sparse, with white walls and black tiles, moss and weeds.

"Okay, let the one behind retreat to the entrance of the alley." Meng Qi continued to suppress his voice and ordered, pressing his index and middle fingers against Cao Manzi's waist without loosening - when he was fully operating the Golden Bell Cover, his hands were comparable to weapons.

Cao Manzi had to tremble and let the thugs retreat, and at the same time begged: "Brother, we are all in the rivers and lakes, and we make money by being harmonious. If you have any difficulties, I, Cao Manzi, will definitely help you."

"I heard that you are the gossip of Tianding City." Meng Qi didn't say that he had been observing for two days.

Hearing this, Cao Manzi felt relieved and just wanted to answer the question quickly and send away the plague god: "Thank you all for your kindness. I have many friends, so I know more."

"Very good, if I want to ask the Twelve Gods to do something, how do I contact them?" Meng Qi asked in a low voice.

The Twelve Gods must have a way to contact them for external tasks, otherwise they would have "starved to death" if they had to rely on Duan Xiangfei to find their whereabouts and come to their doorsteps.

Of course, Meng Qi suspected that Duan Xiangfei must have tried to contact them and got the information, otherwise how could they meet by chance.

Cao Manzi was alert, but he immediately felt the hard object on his waist tighten, so he had to lick his lips and said, "I don't know what you are looking for the Twelve Gods for, and I don't want to know. You can go to the "Autumn Cicada Hall" on Huaishu Street and ask the shopkeeper to buy seven taels and six cents of rootless flowers, and then directly report the task and the reward you are willing to give."

"If the Twelve Gods agree to take it, the "Autumn Cicada Hall" will sell an ointment called "Forget Worry" the next day. You can go in and talk to the shopkeeper directly. By the way, you have to pay part of the reward in advance."

"Not bad, quite honest." The hoarse voice echoed in Cao Manzi's ears, and then he heard a crisp sound, and a few more pieces of silver fell on the ground.

Just as he looked down at the silver, his eyes blurred and he found that the person who had just kidnapped him had disappeared to the other side of the alley.

"Such skills..." He was stunned there, a little scared. If he didn't cooperate so well, the consequences would be disastrous.

His martial arts skills were not high, but he had a wide range of friends and good eyesight.

…………

Although Meng Qi planned to use the method of entrusting tasks to fish out the Twelve Gods, he was not in a hurry. Instead, he monitored You Mansion every night, meditated and practiced martial arts during the day, and inquired about the news everywhere. After all, the duel between the Grandmasters and the Monkey King stealing the Buddha had just spread, and the Twelve Gods nearby might not have arrived yet. If he entrusted the task at this time, it would definitely be accepted by the "Monkey King", which would be a waste of effort.

On the fourth day, people from the nearby martial arts world came one after another, and Tianding City became more and more lively. Many inns and restaurants were overcrowded.

After a full meal, Meng Qi just returned to the temple where he stayed and saw two men and two women in the courtyard. They were all young people in their prime. The man wore a crown with a roll of beams and a big-sleeved shirt, and had an upright figure. The two girls, one wearing a lake green long skirt and white boots, and the other wearing a plain white suit, had a graceful figure and looked pleasing to the eye.

They all used swords, but I don’t know if they can use them well... Meng Qi muttered to himself. The two men and two women all had long swords hanging around their waists.

With Jiang Zhiwei’s example and her words that swordsmanship is difficult to learn and master, Meng Qi always looked at people who used long swords a little more carefully.

Because he couldn’t be too conspicuous when inquiring about information, Meng Qi didn’t wear the white monk robe he bought. When the two men and two women found that it was a gray-robed monk who came in, they thought it was a monk in the temple and didn’t pay too much attention. They talked to themselves, discussing the master battle between Cui Xu and Luo Qing, and the matter of Shen Hou leaving a letter to steal the Buddha, and seemed very excited.

"If we can see the battle between the two great sword masters of the time, our swordsmanship will surely improve by leaps and bounds." The girl in the lake green skirt said leisurely and fascinatedly. She had regular features, fair skin, and a few light pockmarks on her face.

The taller man smiled and said, "By then, the name of our Jiangnan Four Heroes will spread all over the country."

"But only the famous seniors who have been invited can enter the city lord's mansion to watch the battle, alas..." The girl in the plain white tights had a round face, revealing a bit of cuteness.

The relatively shorter man looked at the opposite side and said expectantly: "Brother Ning, don't you have a wide range of friends? Is there any way?"

...

The discussion of several people was no different from the restaurant outside. Meng Qi really couldn't get interested and walked directly to the Zen room where he lived.

The monk who knew guests came to meet him, smiling and clasping his hands together: "Master Zhending, why did you come back so early today?"

"There are too many people outside and it's really annoying, so why not come back and find some peace and quiet?" Meng Qi said casually.

Zhike Monk pointed to the two men and two women in the courtyard: "Yes, many donors can't find guest rooms and have to stay in the Zen Forest."

There are quite a lot of people from the world, even this shabby temple, people come to stay... Meng Qi cursed, and after greetings for a moment, he pushed open the Zen room and entered.

Tuk-tuk-tuk, as soon as Meng Qi sat down, someone knocked on the door.

"This donor?" Meng Qi opened the door and saw the taller of the two men and two women standing outside the door with a smile.

He was dressed in a rather antique style and had an impressive pair of silkworm eyebrows. He smiled and said: "Ning Daogu is from Jiangnan Siying Middle School. Those three are my sworn brothers and sisters, Ji Xin, Le Shishi, Nie Yao, I don't know. Masters up and down.”

I don't need to know your nicknames... Meng Qi murmured and replied: "The poor monk Zhending, why is Ning almsgiver here?"

Ning Daogu tried his best to look personable: "I just thought that the master was a monk of this temple, but I was mistaken. I wonder which eminent monk of the temple the master is? But are you here to watch the battle between the masters and Shenhou stealing the Buddha?"

"The poor monk is Yehu Chan. He wandered to Tianding City a few days ago. He didn't just come here." Meng Qi said, "Tell the truth."

Ning Daogu said "Oh", exchanged a few words and then left.

After closing the door, Meng Qi walked back to Tongpu and vaguely heard Ning Daogu saying to the other three people: "He is an ordinary monk, nothing special."

"Looking at his extraordinary appearance, I thought he was a fellow martial artist like us, a famous monk." Le Shishi, a girl in a green skirt, said with a smile.

Ji Xin chuckled: "It's not like there are good-looking people who are full of weeds. Do famous and upright people recruit disciples based on their looks? I think he probably just practiced a few three-legged cat sword skills casually."

"Ignore him, it's time for Shenhou to steal the Buddha the next night. Should we wait near You Mansion?" Nie Yao said enthusiastically.

Le Shishi's attention was quickly diverted, and she said excitedly: "Yes, the world will definitely gather together tonight. No matter how high Shen Hou's martial arts is, his two fists can't beat four hands. Once he is discovered, he will definitely not be able to escape the dragnet. When the time comes, , we might have a chance to capture him."

"If we can capture Shenhou, our reputation will really spread all over the country, including waterways from east to west..." Ning Daogu was also a little imaginative.

Meng Qi curled his lips and meditated intently. After an hour, he walked out and went straight to Huaishu Street.

"Qiu Chan Tang" was an old-looking drug store. The shopkeeper had dim eyes and dull ears, so he didn't greet Meng Qi.

Meng Qi, dressed in blue uniform and a bamboo hat on his head, walked up to the shopkeeper and said, "I want seven or six dollars for Wugenhua."

Rootless flower, a drug that does not exist at all.

The shopkeeper was dialing the abacus. He paused for a moment after hearing this, and then continued dialing. His voice was old and authentic: "Seven taels and six dollars without roots?"

"Yes, before the Grandmaster's Battle, you captured the youngest son of the You family, You Hongbo, to me, and the reward was the "Transformation Technique."" Meng Qi deliberately changed his voice.

Although there is no complete version of "Transformation Dafa", it is still possible to fool people. Anyway, I am not afraid of being chased by the Twelve Phase God. If I have the ability, I can chase him to the reincarnation space!

When he heard "Transformation Dafa", the shopkeeper's eyelids twitched, he raised his head suddenly, was stunned for a while, sighed and said: "Today there is no stock of rootless flowers, I will pick them up tomorrow."

Meng Qi smiled with satisfaction and changed his route continuously when he went out. He took off his bamboo hat in a quiet place and put on his monk's robe.

Back at the temple, in addition to the "Four Heroes of the South of the Yangtze River", there were also some people from the Jianghu community in the courtyard. They seemed to be their friends and they were chatting happily.

"Who is that monk?"

"An ordinary monk."

"Oh, no wonder you are so young."

After a brief conversation, they quickly returned to their own topic, and Meng Qi also concentrated on meditating on the Ning point.

Everyone in the courtyard was talking and talking, and suddenly they noticed that another man with an impressive appearance came in. He was probably in his early thirties, with thick eyebrows and a red face, and he was very heroic.

"I wonder if Master Zhending lives here?" the man said politely.

Ning Daogu intuitively thought that this man was not an ordinary man, so he greeted him with a smile: "We have just arrived today. I don't know who Master Zhending is. May I ask my brother's name so that we can invite the stranger out."

"Mu Hengtian." The man replied concisely.

Le Shishi's face changed, and she said with surprise and joy: "But Young Master Mu of the Eighteen Waterways in the South?"

What? Everyone present took a breath. The Eighteen Waterways in the South was one of the best in the world. The leader, Mu Shan, was also a top expert in the world. He and City Master Cui were brothers.

Mu Hengtian was famous at a young age, and it was rumored that he was already better than his master. He was a person who was expected to be a master in the future. He was completely different from the so-called Jiangnan knights such as himself.

"There are eighteen waterways in total, and there is no such title as Young Master." Mu Hengtian said with a serious expression.

"Yes, what Master Mu said is absolutely true." Ji Xin said flatteringly, and everyone agreed.

At this time, Mu Hengtian saw Zhike Monk coming in and quickly asked where Master Zhending was.

Zhike pointed to Meng Qi's room: "Master Zhending has just returned."

What? Is that ordinary little monk the Master Zhending that Master Mu is looking for? Ning Daogu, Nie Yao and others were stunned.

Mu Hengtian took a deep breath, walked to Meng Qi's room, raised his hands in salute, and said loudly: "Master Zhending, I am here, Mu Hengtian, to wash away the shame of my father. Please fight me."