Chapter Twenty-Five: A String of Marvels (Part Two)

“But the problem is, does anyone here know where the Black Fox Gang’s lair is?” Sun Meng asked. Though he had crossed paths with the Black Fox Gang several times, he had never once charged into their stronghold himself.

That time in the cavern had only been a temporary outpost. Under normal circumstances, it was difficult to even track the Black Fox Gang—when they were spotted, it usually meant trouble was already brewing.

Little Dragon and Little Tiger exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads.

Lan, however, closed her eyes and thought for a moment before saying, “I might know, but don’t ask me how I know.”

Sun Meng’s brow lifted; he suspected this was due to something the future Lan had left behind. “In that case, Lan, you’ll lead the way.”

The four set out promptly. With Lan guiding them, they soon discovered a ruined castle nestled against a small mountain.

“Look, Black Fox soldiers are guarding the place. We’re in the right spot!” Little Dragon exclaimed.

“Alright. Now we need to figure out how to get inside. If you three use the Invisibility Veil, you’ll have to move carefully,” Sun Meng cautioned. “Because with three people under its cover, your movement range will be limited.”

“Why don’t I go in first and scout around?” Lan offered. “Don’t worry, Senior Brother Shao Tan, I promise I’m only going to look around and won’t alert the Black Fox soldiers.”

Sun Meng’s mouth twitched. The more she promised, the less reassured he felt. “Better to send two. Little Tiger, you go with Lan. Remember, if you find any clues, come straight back out. We’ll come up with a plan then.”

Little Tiger and Lan draped themselves in the Invisibility Veil and slipped into the cave entrance, passing the two Black Fox guards without raising any suspicion.

Watching this, Little Dragon turned to ask, “Senior Brother Shao Tan, why didn’t you let me go?”

Sun Meng replied, “What’s wrong? Trying to use this chance to get close to Lan?”

Little Dragon flushed. “Of course not! I just think Lan is too fixated on retrieving the first volume of the Book of Power. She might act on her own, and Little Tiger is too honest—not great at adapting to changes.”

“And you? You think you’re strategic, full of clever plans, everything under control. But in truth, you often miss the small details, which is why your seemingly perfect plans always have holes,” Sun Meng replied mercilessly, dousing Little Dragon’s confidence.

Little Dragon’s face darkened. “Senior Brother Shao Tan, I admit I’m not perfect, but I’m not that bad!”

Sun Meng went on, “I know if Lan gets wind of the Book of Power, she’ll try to seize it, likely blowing her cover and forcing Little Tiger to stay hidden. So, instead of waiting here, we should break in ourselves, staying hidden and ready to back them up without alerting too many Black Fox soldiers.” As he finished, he pointed, and Little Dragon turned to see the two Black Fox guards already unconscious on the ground.

It was Sun Meng’s shadow that had done it. Though he hadn’t yet broken through to the mid-second rank, his mastery of the Shadow Seizing Art had improved greatly, and he’d even developed some unique, practical techniques of his own.

“Let’s go! I have a feeling we’ll be needed soon.” The two of them slipped quietly into the cave, treading lightly. If they encountered anyone, Sun Meng would leap to the cave ceiling, pulling Little Dragon up with him.

It was risky, but they managed to evade several patrols this way.

Until, as they rounded a corner, a shout echoed through the cave: “Intruders!”

Only then did they charge ahead, felling every Black Fox soldier in their path without mercy.

On the other side, Lan—having exposed herself—used her whip and the terrain to tangle with over a dozen Black Fox soldiers. She could already see it: the Book of Power was just ahead!

But then, a black whirlwind appeared. The Black Fox King had returned, seizing the Book of Power. “I’m surprised you managed to find this place! But since you’re here, you’re not leaving!” He sent flames from the torches snaking toward Lan like fire serpents.

Startled by the sudden attack, Lan lost her footing and fell from a rock, where the Black Fox soldiers moved in to seize her.

But in the next instant, they all froze. Little Dragon, sword in hand, leapt into the fray, swiftly knocking out the soldiers. He grabbed Lan’s hand and dashed back into the cave. “Let’s go! We’re no match for the Black Fox King.”

Meanwhile, the Black Fox King, observing everything, mused, “The Shadow Seizing Art? I didn’t realize it had such uses.” Nonetheless, he made no move to pursue Lan and the others, vanishing in a swirl of black wind.

Elsewhere, Little Tiger had already rescued General Wang Daosen’s daughter and led her safely out of the cave. At that moment, General Wang—who had sneaked away from Shaolin Temple—arrived as well.

“General Wang.” Little Tiger removed the Invisibility Veil, allowing the young girl to run free.

“Father!” The girl flung herself into Wang Daosen’s arms, and they embraced as tears streamed down his face.

“Mengdi, my daughter, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s alright, Father. I don’t blame you,” Mengdi replied with a smile.

“It seems the cause of all this is finally clear,” Sun Meng said as he and the others emerged from the cave.

Wang Daosen nodded. “Yes, the Black Fox King kidnapped my daughter to force me to steal the Invisibility Veil. He probably wants to use it to sneak into the palace and assassinate His Majesty. In any case, thank you all. I will go and confess my crime to the emperor.”

In the end, Wang Daosen returned the Invisibility Veil to the royal family. Thus, Sun Meng and the others gained nothing from this ordeal.

But when they recounted the events to Master Sanzang, his brow furrowed. “We may have misjudged the Black Fox King’s intentions from the start,” he said. “We thought a thousand years of imprisonment left him with nothing but a thirst for vengeance, perhaps to unify the martial world at most. We didn’t expect he would attempt to conquer the whole realm. That makes him truly dangerous.”

A master nearly at the grandmaster level, with access to strange and powerful artifacts, could indeed accomplish a great deal.

“Little Dragon, you should contact your father. We must inform His Majesty of these events,” Sanzang said gravely.

Little Dragon nodded. “Yes, Abbot. But didn’t General Wang say he’d report this to the emperor?”

He realized he hadn’t seen his father in a long time, and now he truly missed him.

“Yes, but General Wang cannot make His Majesty understand just how dire the consequences would be if the Black Fox King truly moved against the empire,” Sanzang replied.

Two days later, Sun Meng and the others gathered once more in Master Sanzang’s quarters.

A letter from Little Dragon’s father had arrived. Not only did he report the outcome of his briefing, but he also described strange happenings in Kaifeng Prefecture, hoping Master Sanzang could help resolve them.

Two constables had vanished, and two monsters had appeared in Kaifeng Prefecture.

“The most striking connection between the two missing men is that, years ago, they both arrested a certain apothecary—one who profited illegally through his trade. Did he get out of prison, or did he escape?” Sanzang wondered.

After subduing the two monsters, they quickly found some clues.

“That apothecary was released from prison not long ago,” Little Dragon’s father said, holding the case file.

“Then he must be seeking revenge against those connected to the old case. His next target could well be you,” Sanzang warned.

“Father, you can’t take that risk!” Little Dragon protested. With their current resources, they had no way to restore those transformed back to human form—he couldn’t bear the thought of his father becoming a beast.

“I understand, Master Sanzang. But as the prefect of Kaifeng, it’s my duty to reassure the people. If the culprit strikes now, I trust you can protect me.”

“Stubborn as it may be, your father is a good official,” Sun Meng remarked to Little Dragon.

The next day, Little Dragon’s father addressed the people of Kaifeng, explaining the current situation. But the hidden villain struck again.

A figure concealed in the crowd quietly raised a blowpipe, but the next moment found himself paralyzed.

“What did you gain from this? Do you simply want to keep the constables from ever turning back?” Sun Meng’s voice rang out as the others closed in.

“Xiao Jin!” Little Dragon’s father recognized the man—he was the newly appointed constable.

At that moment, a shrill sound split the air. Sanzang’s wide sleeve flicked, sending a flying needle back and pinning it to a pillar.

“There he is!” Lan called out, giving chase, with Little Dragon and Little Tiger following close behind.