The Grandmaster of the Joyous Union Sect, Shen Qingzhe, wanted to learn Wang Bingxia's whereabouts from the Wang family members, but none of them knew where she had gone.
So, he had to settle for less, inquiring about the whereabouts of Old Master Wang Chunfeng. After all, if he could find this old man, he would most likely discover Wang Bingxia's location, or even use the old man as a hostage to force Wang Bingxia to appear.
Soon, he got the answer he wanted, learning that Old Master Wang had moved to Longpan Mountain.
The Wang family didn't know much about Longpan Mountain, and very few people in the martial world knew about it.
The Wang family only knew that Longpan Mountain was a Taoist temple about a hundred kilometers away, and that was all.
Therefore, Shen Qingzhe made a decision: to go to Longpan Mountain and capture Old Master Wang Chunfeng.
He left the Wang family and got into a luxurious RV. Besides the driver, the rest of the people in the RV were female disciples of the Joyous Union Sect.
The group chatted and laughed, the car filled with a pleasant atmosphere, as they headed towards Longpan Mountain.
On the way, Shen Qingzhe searched online for some information about Longpan Mountain. After all, many travelers often ventured into deep mountains and old forests, and remote places.
There wasn't much information, but he learned that Longpan Mountain was tall and densely forested, with beautiful scenery and a Taoist temple. It seemed like a good place to relax one's mind.
Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, Shen Qingzhe instructed his subordinates to wait there. Then, he unfurled his form, employed his Qinggong, and ascended the mountain at a very fast speed.
For the Joyous Union Sect, Qinggong was their foundation. It was important to remember that being a philandering thief was a high-risk profession in ancient times. Not only were they not spared by officials and the victim's families, but the Righteous Alliance and even ordinary martial arts sects did not consider them good people.
Therefore, mastering a skill for escaping was the key to the Joyous Union Sect's continued existence!
By the time he reached the mountain gate of the Taoist temple, it was already evening. Shen Qingzhe lurked near the gate. For philandering thieves, nighttime was the best time for action; the darkness would be their best cover.
He observed from the outside and found that not many people had come, nor was there much incense. After all, it took a ten-kilometer mountain trek from the parking spot to get here.
Night finally fell, and lights were lit inside the Taoist temple. Shen Qingzhe was not in a hurry, showing great patience, and waited until midnight.
Then, he stealthily approached. The Taoist temple's wall, over two zhang high, posed no obstacle to him. He tapped his toes on the ground and floated over the wall.
The Taoist temple was quiet, with no cats or dogs, nor any patrolling guards. After all, it was just a Taoist temple, and not many people would run dozens of kilometers on a mountain road in the middle of the night to steal something.
However, Shen Qingzhe did not know that the moment he climbed over the Taoist temple's wall, a Taoist priest who was meditating cross-legged in a meditation room opened his eyes. He said to a monk who was also meditating not far away, "Second brother, it seems we have an uninvited guest tonight!"
This Taoist priest was none other than the master of Longpan Mountain, the abbot of the Taoist temple, and Er Gou's grandmaster, Immortal Master Daoyuan!
And that monk was naturally Er Gou's second master, Monk Jienu.
Although this Taoist temple appeared to have no guards and could be entered freely, in reality, many formations were set up around it.
Especially at night, these formations would be activated. If one did not enter the Taoist temple through the normal channels, the formations would be triggered, and Immortal Master Daoyuan would be alerted immediately.
Upon hearing this, Monk Jienu's eyes widened.
"Amitabha, how dare someone disturb my cultivation! Let me go and meet him! I'd like to see who has the audacity to do such a thing!"
"Second brother, act with restraint. Do not commit wanton killing. Of course, if he is an extremely wicked person, then please help him transcend."
"This humble monk understands!" Before he finished speaking, Monk Jienu's figure had already disappeared from the meditation room.
Shen Qingzhe wandered around the Taoist temple for a few laps and quickly understood the layout. He headed towards the side hall, where the Taoist priests and guests resided.
As soon as he reached the courtyard, Shen Qingzhe suddenly felt as if he had been locked onto by a powerful aura.
Using the moonlight, he suddenly saw a tall monk standing more than ten meters in front of him.
The moonlight shone on his bald head, making it gleam, appearing incredibly eerie. What was even more unsettling was a monk appearing in a Taoist temple in the middle of the night; it was too incongruous.
"Your Excellency, trespassing here in the middle of the night without permission, what is your intention?"
Monk Jienu's voice was like a booming bell, exerting great pressure in the dark night.
"And who are you? You're a monk, appearing here in the middle of the night. What right do you have to question me!" Shen Qingzhe didn't take Monk Jienu seriously at all.
As one of the protectors of the Heavenly Demon Sect, he knew of all the capable and well-known monks in the martial world and the Righteous Alliance, and he had seen their photos. Monk Jienu was not among them.
"Amitabha, this place belongs to my old friend, and I am cultivating here!"
"So that's how it is. Monk, I advise you not to meddle in other people's affairs! I am looking for someone. As long as you let me find that person, I will leave immediately!"
"Who are you looking for?"
"An old man named Wang Chunfeng, who lives here, right? I've come to find him!"
"What business do you have with Brother Wang?"
Hearing Monk Jienu's question, Shen Qingzhe felt more confident. It seemed that Old Master Wang Chunfeng was indeed in this Taoist temple. This trip was not in vain.
"Naturally, I have something to discuss with him. Stop wasting my time and tell me quickly where Old Master Wang is, or I will burn down your Taoist temple!"
"Benefactor, you speak recklessly. This humble monk advises you to turn back from your misguided path, otherwise..."
Before Monk Jienu could finish, Shen Qingzhe's figure had already shot in front of him and struck directly at Monk Jienu's chest with his palm.
It was known that the people of the Joyous Union Sect were skilled in absorbing yin to nourish yang and yang to nourish yin, and their cultivation grew far beyond other sects.
Especially Shen Qingzhe, as the sect leader of the Joyous Union Sect, his internal energy was profound. Although he was only in his early thirties, he had at least sixty years of cultivation!
In his opinion, dealing with this meddling monk would only require one palm strike!
"Amitabha!"
Monk Jienu's eyes widened in anger, and he chanted a Buddhist name. Without dodging, he struck out with his palm. Their palms met squarely in mid-air.
"Bang!"
Where their palms crossed, the air rapidly scattered outwards, even creating a shockwave. This was something that could only be produced by a collision of immense power!