Outside Putian City, in a deserted compound, the seekers and the sought had all gathered. Sure, they'd brawled with their heads down, but at least nothing disastrous happened—no irreparable damage done. Everyone introduced themselves and exchanged greetings, stating their identities.
"This is Master Connor Kong of Putian Shaolin, an old friend of mine," Master Yideng introduced the monk in red.
Throughout history, the abbot was never the strongest in Shaolin, and this tradition thrived in Putian Shaolin as well. Master Connor Kong wore a red robe, marking him as one of Shaolin’s senior officials. But he wasn’t the abbot—he was more of a hidden master. With over 110 years of cultivation, his protective arts were formidable. Judging by appearances, he probably practiced the Diamond Body Technique—or at least part of it.
“Amitabha. I was treating Mr. Yang’s injuries and protecting him at a critical moment, when Lady Drake, in her worry, accidentally clashed with you two. Truly, it was a mistake. But Lady Drake’s concern for her husband is understandable, so I hope you’ll forgive her.” Master Connor Kong pressed his palms together, very polite.
Actually, the older a Shaolin monk gets, the more polite he becomes; the younger, the more arrogant. That’s because young folks don’t know their limits and think Shaolin rules the martial world, acting like they’re the number one sect. But as they age, they naturally realize there are plenty of masters out there who can wipe the floor with Shaolin monks.
And the two young ladies before him—no matter how you looked at them—were exactly the type who could cut a bloody path through all of Shaolin, seven times over, with no one able to stop them. Naturally, Master Connor Kong kept his attitude proper. He couldn’t help but size up Wu Zhengfeng—this girl was a once-in-a-generation martial genius, probably trained her skills to the legendary 'reverse aging' level, and he could only sigh in admiration. With a true master before him, there was no room for posturing. Then he looked at Jill Young—her inner strength hadn’t fully matured, but her combat power was no joke. Seems the legendary Freewind Sect is truly unfathomable.
Thinking this, he bowed his head and said, “I didn’t expect that, in a moment of outrage, Mr. Yang managed to steady his inner energy. And that sword strike from the young lady forced out the bad blood that was stuck in his chest and abdomen—the blood clot we’d been struggling to clear. Now it’s finally resolved. Our fight started as a misunderstanding, but ended up a blessing, all thanks to the young lady’s kindness and restraint. That sword strike of hers—now that was true effortless mastery, mysterious and profound.”
“No big deal.” Wow, that was some quality flattery—I’m suddenly the paragon of kindness! Jill Young waved it off, then wondered aloud, “I’ve always heard Gabriel Yang, the Divine Eagle Hero, has friends everywhere. So why hide out in such a remote compound instead of seeking help?”
Gabriel Yang’s expression turned serious. He exchanged glances with Master Yideng and Lydia Drake, as if weighing Wu Zhengfeng and Jill Young’s trustworthiness. Master Yideng gave him a slight nod—he knew all about the Freewind Sect’s secrets. In the end, Gabriel Yang decided to be honest, since with their strength, there was no point playing games. Honestly, sometimes it’s just easier to brawl first and talk later—Queen Jill’s logic isn’t entirely wrong.
Gabriel Yang’s face was somber as he slowly said, “I’m hiding here because, frankly, I don’t know who I can trust anymore.”
Wu Zhengfeng frowned and said, "Go on, I'm listening."
Gabriel Yang's answer was simple, but the implications were chilling: "There's a traitor in the True Reality Sect."
Thanks to that reminder, Jill Young had a flash of insight. Scenes flickered before her eyes: the Tomb of the Living Dead being raided, swarms of poisonous insects flooding the ancient crypt, the True Reality Sect acting clueless, Daoist priests doing the dumbest things imaginable, and even Bobby Tong showing up to no effect. String it all together and the answer was obvious—the True Reality Sect had someone on the inside working with the attackers. Only then could they pull off such a perfect heist and hit the tomb so directly.
A horde of poisonous bugs isn’t like a lone expert—they’d need crates and wagons to move that many, and there’s no way they slipped past the True Reality Sect’s watch. Maybe it’s not just one traitor, maybe the whole sect flipped. And now, thinking back on Chester Chu’s death, the whole thing reeks of conspiracy. Bet the traitor’s involved.
True Reality Sect disciples are still strutting around as the good guys, even joining the Alliance Against Evil. But with so many of them scattered across the country, who’s a real hero and who’s just faking it? At this point, it’s impossible to tell.
"The thugs who raided our sect that day had some serious poison skills. If I hadn’t been poisoned, I wouldn’t be in such bad shape," Gabriel Yang said solemnly. "But those guys were just small fry—someone much nastier is hiding behind the scenes. That person probably killed Chester Chu and is definitely plotting against the righteous path. Now, with all these True Reality Sect disciples pouring into Putian, I can’t risk showing my face. I’ve been hiding out here ever since."
Lydia Drake chimed in, "We’ve tried everything to flush out the mastermind and take them down. But lately, rumors about some big 'Opportunity' in Putian are spreading like wildfire. It’s impossible to tell who’s really pulling the strings."
"Opportunity?" Jill Young perked up. That word was loaded. She glanced around and said, "This place is shot, and if there’s a crook lurking nearby, that commotion probably tipped them off. Let’s move—follow me, we’ll hide somewhere safe first and talk later."
Jill waved her hand and led the group out. They’d barely taken a few steps when muffled thuds echoed from the woods. Sharp bird cries mixed with angry horse whinnies. Gabriel Yang’s face changed—he whistled. Jill couldn’t help but smile and whistled too. Moments later, with heavy hoofbeats, a massive eagle burst from the trees. Right behind it, Ivory and Charcoal charged out.
So that’s where the two horses went—they were brawling with the eagle.
Both horses were covered in scratches, bruises, even a few bloody marks—the eagle hadn’t gone easy on them. But the eagle wasn’t looking too hot either; its feathers were all ruffled and it had two bald spots shaped like horse hooves on its chest. The three animals saw their humans together and instantly stopped fighting, but the way they glared at each other said, "Come on, keep going!" and "You wanna throw down? Try me!"
Their owners couldn't help but grin and went to calm their battle pets.
The group quickly disguised the scene, wiping away obvious signs of the scuffle so it looked like just another old house crumbling apart. Then, they followed Jill Young to the safe house.
Now, when Jill Young said 'safe house,' it wasn’t about muscle. With this crew, there aren’t many forces left on earth that could actually threaten them. Here, 'safe' meant info security—hiding their tracks, keeping their identities secret, knowing what others don’t, and always staying one step ahead. Ideally, it’d be somewhere nobody expects, nobody finds, and nobody can get to.
Naturally, Jill Young’s safe house was the Phoenix Houseboat.
Rumor had it the Phoenix would arrive in Putian in three days. In reality, it wasn’t far at all—just hiding out on the open sea for one last rehearsal.
They zipped a hundred miles with lightness skill and reached a secret bay. Jill Young closed her eyes, reached out with her mind, and sent orders to the Eternal Saint Embryo—her own remote avatar, the most foolproof, impossible-to-intercept communication method there is.
They waited about an hour, swapping every scrap of intel they had. Then, a small boat appeared in the distance, gliding silently through the waves without anyone rowing—clearly, someone with serious skills was at work.
The boat docked, and out stepped a charming woman—none other than Lady Simone.
Lady Simone flashed a dazzling smile, and Connor Kong’s eyes narrowed. She looked delicate, almost powerless, but at the same time, she seemed just as formidable as he was. Her mysterious vibe made the Freewind Sect even more enigmatic.
"Amitabha. With a Freewind Sect master around, Brother Yideng can rest easy." Connor Kong chanted a Buddhist verse and turned to leave. "I’ll take my leave now."
Once Connor Kong was gone, Jill Young shot a look at Jiao Niang. She nodded, took over for Lady Simone, and whisked Gabriel Yang, his crew, and the eagle away. With Guo Xiang and Duan Xingyong present, Gabriel Yang was basically trustworthy. But since the Phoenix Houseboat was a big deal, Jill had Jiao Niang go along to keep things under control.
Lady Simone stayed behind, just as Jill Young had planned.
"Master, one day apart feels like three autumns! I’ve missed you so much, my waist’s gotten skinny from longing!" Lady Simone teased, grabbing Jill Young’s hand and placing it on her own waist. "Go on, touch it—isn’t it thinner?"
"Save it. Talk to me when you’ve starved your chest down too!" Jill Young wasn’t buying it and dragged Lady Simone away. "Come on, I need you to handle the next job and make it look good." Getting intel fast was beyond the Shadow Division’s pay grade—time for Lady Simone to work her magic.
The next day, at dusk, in a Putian residence.
"Master, after a full day of snooping, I’ve got the gist of it," Lady Simone reported. "Putian is the center of attention. First, the emperor is coming here for a big ceremony. Second, the martial arts world is buzzing with rumors about some huge 'Opportunity' or 'Miracle' about to appear, so every sect and wanderer is flocking in. Even the True Reality Sect and Greenridge Sect have sent disciples. Putian may look peaceful, but the surrounding villages are crawling with people in hiding—there’s a storm brewing."
"Hmm..." Jill Young stroked her chin, deep in thought. "Politics and the martial arts world have always clashed. With the emperor here, the imperial power is at an all-time high. But everyone’s still chasing this 'Opportunity'—must be something big. But come on, the emperor shows up and suddenly there’s a miracle? That’s way too convenient. Usually, someone gets lucky and then brags about it. The rest get jealous, but tough luck, they’re late. Miracles that go viral before anyone scores—something’s fishy."
"You’re spot on, Master. My digging suggests this so-called 'Opportunity' or 'Miracle' is getting hyped by someone behind the scenes. It was quiet at first, then suddenly everyone knew. No way there isn’t a secret agenda. But," Lady Simone shook her head, "the real big shots are still in hiding. It’ll take time to flush them out. But all these events probably tie back to the emperor’s movements, and he could arrive any minute—time’s running out."
"That’s easy," Jill Young said, instantly coming up with a plan. "If they’re hiding deep, it means things aren’t wild enough yet. Just toss in a depth charge, stir up a tidal wave, and every big fish will come flying out."
Lady Simone got it instantly. With her master’s personality, of course they’d stir up trouble themselves. She was all for it—"Master, how do you want to make waves?"
"Make waves? Love that phrase—so deliciously villainous. Honestly, only a bad guy could pull this off," Jill Young said, flipping through a little notebook full of Shadow Division intel. Credit to Shadow Lead—she’d finished the boss’s assignment in just a day.
"Putian’s golden girl, Chu Yunluo—heiress of the Chu clan. I’ve seen that name a million times. But if she wants to mess with me, she’d better be ready for my ruthless side. Muahahaha..." Jill’s villain laugh echoed as her bones crackled, muscles shifted, and in a flash, she morphed into someone else entirely.
The most notorious alt persona was back online.
"I, Jade Hawk Johnson, am finally back to doing some real villain work today!"