Zhang Wei’s expression shifted from neutral to downright accusatory as he stared at the imposing monk. “Were you spying on us?”

Since when had these monks turned into peeping Toms?

Guardian Deng, catching Zhang Wei off guard, nodded solemnly. “Any soul that comes within a whisper of the future abbot of the monastery must be kept under a watchful eye!”

‘Future abbot?’ Zhang Wei’s expression darkened—wasn’t this abbot the most revered rank in Shaolin?

In fact, Zhang Wei had only been pretending as calm until now!

‘Heaven’s mandate realm!?’

The very moment he caught a glimpse of Deng Si’s cultivation level, he nearly fainted right then and there!

He suddenly decided it was high time to go console his concubine and forget this nonsensical affair!

“Ahem, your future abbot happens to be my sister-in-law. I’d adore delving deeper into tales of my sister-in-law’s clan, but sigh… my concubine is sick today, and currently demands my attention…” Zhang Wei declared with a sigh.

Guardian Deng, a monk whose honesty was as unexpected as his profession, simply said, “Alright, you can leave.”

His features softened upon learning that this fellow was kin to Murong Jinxiang.

Without further ado, Zhang Wei jumped into his car and peeled out, tires screeching.

Boom!

Fortunately, it appeared the monk had been loitering outside and hadn’t witnessed any of the springtime indoors, or Zhang Wei might have really been in hot water today.

“Disciple Sheng greets Guardian Deng!” As Zhang Wei’s car disappeared into the distance, Monk Sheng appeared, flanked by his two underlings, Monk Jian and Huo.

Guardian Deng barely glanced at them before nodding. “Did you find the man who killed Elder Lian Shen and He Ming?” he inquired, his eyes sharpening suddenly.

The air boomed with an unseen pressure emanating from his aura, sending a shiver of fear through the three disciple monks.

“Guardian, we have confirmed it’s a person named Zhang Wei, and we’ve already created sketches of him! Earlier today, we saw him lurking near our Reverend Sister as well. The disciple seeks permission to apprehend him before he brings harm to our Reverend Sister’s path,” Monk Sheng declared righteously, presenting the poster they had crafted.

Guardian Deng’s frown deepened. “Isn’t this the same guy who was just here?”

At that moment, it dawned on him—he had been thoroughly duped.

______

[Host! Drive faster! They’re still on our tail!]

“Curse it all! Why do these troubles keep hunting me down?” Zhang Wei griped aloud, annoyance lacing his voice.

He never went out of his way to stir up conflicts or pick fights, so why did trouble always come knocking uninvited?

[Host, fucking your fate can wait—vent later! For now, ditch the car and vanish into the mountains! Use your shadow abilities to make your escape!] The system’s advice, practical for once, buzzed urgently.

Zhang Wei would usually dismiss concerns if only the three disciple monks were involved, but Guardian Deng was an entirely different beast—a powerhouse beyond any he had ever faced before.

Not even the formidable Du Yun’er could hold a candle to him.

Whoosh!

Near the spectral valleys of the Northern Ridges, Zhang Wei abandoned the car, which wasn’t even his to begin with, and melted into the shadows.

Utilizing the mountainous terrain as his shield, he darted toward the northern outskirts of Qingyun City.

“Stop right there!” Monk Sheng barked from the co-pilot seat as they halted abruptly behind the deserted Porsche on the highway.

Whoosh!

He leaped out, followed by Monk Huo, still clutching his drink, and Monk Jian, as Guardian Deng alighted softly from the heavens above.

Cultivators of the Heaven’s Mandate Realm, legends who soared the skies, were a rare and frightening sight.

Zhang Wei’s luck had indeed run dry to cross paths with such a being.

“He is over there!” Guardian Deng’s voice was steady, his finger pointing decisively toward the adjacent mountain.

Monk Sheng nodded solemnly, positioning himself centrally while dispatching Monk Huo and Monk Jian to execute a pincer movement from the left and right.

Guardian Deng, meanwhile, took to the skies again, his keen gaze overseeing the operation from above.

In the quiet of the night, Guardian Deng’s eyes, sharp and penetrating, scanned the expansive mountain.

The dark silhouettes of trees cast long shadows, creating a myriad of hiding spots, yet his experienced eyes began to pick out subtle movements in the dark.

“He thinks he can evade us with mere shadows,” Guardian Deng mused to himself, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “Little does he know, we Monks are adept at peering through the darkness.”

Below him, Monk Sheng muttered under his breath as he coordinated the search, “You sly rat, this time you’ve really stepped into the tiger’s den. But we have you cornered now.”

Boom!

“Ahhh! Who the heck dug a hole here!”

Monk Huo’s voice erupted in a scream as he tumbled into a trap, followed by the sharp report of a dynamite stick detonating, abruptly silencing everything.

“Traps?” Guardian Deng was taken aback.

He couldn’t believe these traps had been laid just moments ago.

Clearly, Zhang Wei had prepared them in advance!

“Such a shrewd guy…” Guardian Deng mused, not in a rush to capture Zhang Wei. Instead, he watched with a mixture of irritation and admiration, only to notice Monk Jian unknowingly heading towards another trap.

“Stop!”

Boom!

He shouted, his voice booming across the area, but it was already too late.

The moment Monk Jian’s foot snagged a wire stretched between two trees, another explosion thundered through the forest.

These traps were indeed not Zhang Wei’s immediate improvisation.

They were the work of Rose, who didn’t understand why Zhang Wei had instructed her to place traps around various locations in Qingyun City. Yet, it was precisely for moments like this.

Boom!

On the ground, another explosion, larger than the last two, reverberated.

“Hahah… Cease this useless resistance, sinner.” Monk Sheng emerged from the crater, his body charred but resilient, having survived the blast.

He had spotted Zhang Wei, hiding and observing from a tree nearby.

Whoosh!

In the next moment, behind him, a sea of raging flames erupted, morphing into a massive fiery fist that blasted towards the spot where he suspected Zhang Wei was concealed.

Boom! Whoosh!

“Tch, you are quite resilient…” Zhang Wei leaped away, narrowly escaping the inferno. He hadn’t expected the ordinary explosives to kill Monk Sheng, either.

At the soul-warming realm, it was difficult for mere explosives to do significant damage.

“There you are!” Monk Sheng’s eyes narrowed as he fixed on Zhang Wei, who still appeared confident despite the escalating dangers.

Their eyes locked across the smoky battlefield.