Chapter 767: 比武功你可不是我对手

Ji Yuan’s two slaps were not gentle caresses; he used considerable force. If it had been anyone else standing nearby, one slap would likely have spun their head 180 degrees, and the second would have sent their head flying.

The woman who received these two slaps was no ordinary person. However, under the current circumstances, she was clearly in pain. Her pretty face quickly swelled up as she covered it and looked at Ji Yuan with shock.

After Ji Yuan finished his two reprimands, he immediately continued.

"What? Still daring to glare at me? Was I wrong to call you shameless? Any decent person, even if they were having an affair, would be crying buckets by now. And to commit such a brazen act in this sacred Buddhist place today, do you think no one will recognize you just because you’re away from home?"

The scholar, who had been knocked down by the woman earlier, carefully stood up and quietly tried to blend into the crowd. At such a moment, showing pity for a beautiful woman was absolutely out of the question.

The surrounding people pointed and whispered about the woman who was covering her face.

"Oh, so this woman actually did something like that!"

"Is that true? She’s that immoral?" "How could it be false? Just look at her..."

Some older female devotees were particularly disgusted by such a woman. They pointed and spoke with cold disdain.

"Look how she pounced on that scholar just now—it was clearly deliberate." "Exactly, exactly, I saw it too! How utterly shameless!"

"Heh heh, didn't you hear the great master say it? She's had affairs more than once or twice. And look at her chest, she probably has children at home too."

"I wonder how those children will view their mother in the future!"

Some people in the crowd spoke harshly, others merely chastised her. There were even busybodies and lechers whose gazes lingered over the woman.

In just a few breaths, the atmosphere had transformed. The woman initially didn't understand why Ji Yuan was engaging her in a shouting match, but now, she vaguely realized what was happening. Being pointed at by everyone around her, she even felt a sense of isolation, like an ordinary person. This was highly unusual.

"You're slandering me! Look at you, a respectable scholar, yet you dare to defame an innocent, vulnerable woman like me! I am clearly an unmarried maiden, yet you're so defiling my reputation! You, you, you... you are a disgrace to scholars!"

The woman’s finger was about to poke Ji Yuan’s face, but Ji Yuan instantly dodged to the side. With his right hand, he swung a palm-chop towards the woman's neck. The tearing sound of the wind reaching her ears told the woman how powerful this move was.

Almost instinctively, the woman whipped her head back, flipping backwards. A long leg shot out from her skirt, directly parrying Ji Yuan's hand-chop, and her other leg immediately swept towards Ji Yuan's head.

Ji Yuan's hand-chop was blocked. He evaded the kick from the woman, who was a manifestation of the true demon, by stepping back. Then, he immediately pointed at the woman and declared loudly.

"Everyone saw it, is this how an innocent, vulnerable woman acts? Just moments ago, she could barely walk barefoot and accidentally stumbled into that scholar's arms. But now, her movements are so agile. Clearly, she's a highly skilled martial artist! Was that delicate stumble just now not an act?"

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ji Yuan took another step towards the woman, who was a manifestation of the true demon. He glared at her angrily, causing her to instinctively take a step back out of apprehension.

"Such a person, full of lies and utterly shameless, is truly defiling this sacred Buddhist place! Your family entrusted me to take you back—surrender now!"

Ji Yuan's words left the woman unable to retort. At the same time, his right hand formed a claw and moved directly towards her neck.

At this point, the woman could no longer maintain her act. She retreated rapidly and then leaped with great force, like a master martial artist performing qinggong. She jumped onto the eaves of a Buddhist temple and then leaped away.

"Ji Yuan, I'm not afraid of you here! Self-discipline cannot overcome temptation; such is the human heart. What can you do? Moyun will fall into my hands eventually!"

The woman's voice drifted from afar, her figure already disappearing with a few leaps.

Ji Yuan had no intention of pursuing her. Instead, he looked at the surrounding crowd. The people had retreated significantly when the fight began. However, their inherent curiosity kept them from moving too far away, and a considerable number were still gathered around.

Ji Yuan cupped his hands towards the surrounding crowd and declared loudly.

"This woman is extremely depraved. Though long married, she shows no decorum, seducing men everywhere. From boys not yet of age to fathers, she has engaged in immoral acts. Fickleness is commonplace for her, and she particularly enjoys ruining other families. She's no different from a notorious seducer!"

Many people around exchanged glances, some women found it particularly unbelievable, and older individuals were filled with righteous indignation.

"Someone so shameless and a disgrace to her family..."

"She should be drowned in a pig cage!" "Yes, she should be drowned in a pig cage!"

"Everyone, be careful. If you see her again, you should stay far away." "Exactly, exactly, she even knows martial arts!"

Of course, some men, while outwardly indignant, harbored restless thoughts. However, this did not deter Ji Yuan from his purpose. He quickly recounted a complete story, detailing the woman's name, how long she had been married, how many men she had cheated with, and how many families she had ruined. He even claimed that her legitimate husband was still patiently waiting for her to change her ways, and so on...

All these details were recounted plausibly by Ji Yuan. Crucially, Ji Yuan's serious expression and his appearance as a venerable scholar made his words highly convincing. Even though he didn't mention specific locations or details, he merely stated it was to avoid embarrassing the male victim.

Later, a significant number of monks from the temple and some dignitaries who had come to offer incense also came to listen. Even those who didn't come to listen quickly learned about the matter from others. Some even sought out the scholar to inquire, which further provided indirect confirmation.

Thus, the story of a woman named "Zhen Mo" quickly spread. It was foreseeable that this incident would become a topic of conversation after meals for people, spreading further and wider for a considerable period.

Half an hour later, Ji Yuan emerged from the temple, and Xie Zhi then asked him.

"You expended so much effort, but won't it be wasted if that true demon simply changes form? Even if he can't use much magic power here, changing his appearance shouldn't be difficult."

"Even if he changes, the impact won't be negligible. Otherwise, why would I have gone to all this trouble?"

After leaving the temple, Ji Yuan walked without stopping, moving purposefully through the streets. Every now and then, he would turn down an alley, quickly arriving at a small tavern. The scholar from earlier was dining there with his friends.

"Didn't you say that person wasn't Moyun?"

"Indeed, he isn't. However, Monk Moyun must be nearby. Otherwise, this scholar wouldn't give off such a unique feeling, and that true demon wouldn't have mistaken him. This person must have left a very profound impression on the former Moyun and had a very deep influence on him."

When Ji Yuan arrived at the entrance of the small tavern, the young men inside clearly saw him. The scholar's expression seemed a little flustered, but his friends beside him didn't notice, still joking around.

"Hahaha, Brother Li, you certainly have quite the romantic fortune!"

"Yes, it's said that although the woman was shameless, her beauty and figure were truly exceptional. Brother Li must have really enjoyed himself at that moment, didn't he?"

"Exactly, exactly, hahaha, you must have really enjoyed it, right?"

The scholar coughed a few times, raising his voice slightly.

"We who read the books of sages, how could our thoughts be so indecent? I was merely embarrassed just now. How could I have any other thoughts? You two brothers think too little of me!"

The two men at the table chuckled, one of them nudging the scholar with his elbow while holding his cup.

"Stop pretending. The other day at Yichun Brothel, you were the wildest."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

The scholar, who had just taken a sip of wine, immediately choked and coughed repeatedly. At that moment, Ji Yuan arrived beside them and spoke in a calm, gentle voice.

"Gentlemen, may I join you at your table? There's nothing else; I merely wish to ask this scholar, Mr. Li, a few questions."

"Who are you?"

His friend asked, puzzled, while Scholar Li quickly stood up.

"This is the gentleman who just fought with that vile woman! Sir, please be seated!"

"Thank you!"

Ji Yuan thanked him and sat down. He glanced at the dishes on the table and the people seated there, then surveyed the entire tavern, inside and out. He didn't see anyone particularly noteworthy.

"Sir, what would you like to know?"

"Oh, I just wanted to ask how you encountered Zhen Mo. This person is very dangerous and won't stop until her goal is achieved. She might still be watching you."

Hearing this, Scholar Li felt an inexplicable surge of joy, but his face remained very serious, even showing worry.

"Oh, what should I do? That woman seems to be a martial arts master, and I can't even tie up a chicken..."

Ji Yuan smiled understandingly.

"Even if that woman catches you, just go along with whatever she wants; there won't be any danger to your life. First, tell me how you ran into her, then describe your usual habits and personal details, so I can figure out why she targeted you."

"Alright!"

Ji Yuan looked like a man of great learning, possessing the demeanor of a revered academy master. The scholar harbored no ill will or wariness towards Ji Yuan. He clearly explained how he encountered the woman, then, as if answering his master, spoke of his academic proficiency, his family, and his educational background.

Facing Ji Yuan, Scholar Li spoke openly and comprehensively, holding nothing back. Even the other two scholars beside him occasionally added details, just as if they were answering questions before a master.

Before long, after Ji Yuan had gathered enough information, a child carrying several books hurried into the tavern from outside.

"Dad, I'm back! Oh, Brother Li, you're back from the academy! That's great!"

Judging by the child's attire, he appeared to be a student from a city school. Scholar Li evidently had a good relationship with him and immediately hugged the child, seating him on his lap.

"Hey, little Du, your Brother Li was almost harmed by a female thief today!"

"Huh? A female thief?"

"That's right, that female thief preys on men. If things had gone wrong, your Brother Li might have ended up drowned in a pig cage with her."

The child looked at Scholar Li.

"I heard about it. It's that Zhen Mo who acts immorally and specifically harms other families, right? The old abbot was absolutely right; female beauty truly causes harm. Praise be to the Great Ming King Buddha!"

Ji Yuan sipped the wine Scholar Li had poured for him, a slight smile on his lips as he watched the child. Then, he flicked his hand holding the chopsticks upwards to one side.

The two chopsticks shot towards the roof like two streaks of meteors.

"Clang!" "Clang!"

"Thump!"

The roof directly broke open, creating a large hole. A woman, holding two short blades, parried the two chopsticks while simultaneously dropping through the hole.

"So, this scholar isn't Moyun after all. Good thing I followed closely! Ji Yuan, let's finish this today! You got in some verbal jabs earlier, but here, magical powers aren't paramount. In terms of martial arts, you're no match for me. Mere brute strength is useless, hahahaha..."