"Since Master Abbot is so certain, I will not inquire further."
Li Yang could see the Abbot's resolute attitude. No matter how much he asked, he wouldn't be able to get any clues about the treasure map.
Moreover, he knew that the Abbot was not lying, and perhaps he truly didn't know the whereabouts of the treasure map.
It seemed he would have to find another way to uncover the secret of the treasure map.
"The scent is just ahead. Everyone, quicken your pace and come over!"
Just then, the voice of the Sakura country's curse master from earlier echoed again from the direction of the temple.
Li Yang clearly heard their footsteps approaching, and his brow furrowed.
He looked back at the Abbot and said sternly, "Master Abbot, you should hide. I will lure these curse masters away."
"Benefactor, I am eternally grateful for your great kindness. You must be very careful, these people are ruthless." The Abbot reminded him earnestly.
"Don't worry, they can't harm me. They are getting close. Abbot, hurry and hide, and don't make any noise."
Li Yang heard their voices drawing nearer and quickly urged.
Upon hearing this, the Abbot immediately followed Li Yang's instructions, hiding himself in the grass, holding his breath, and making no sound at all.
Li Yang, on the other hand, immediately looked in the direction of the approaching individuals, a cold glint in his eyes. He deliberately left some clues here, picked up a stone, and casually tossed it in the direction they were coming from, creating a sound.
"There's a sound over there. They must be there."
The leader heard the distant noise and his gaze instantly shifted towards the direction Li Yang had fled. Indeed, he saw a dark figure quickly darting past. He frowned and said, "I saw that person. Everyone, follow quickly."
Thump! Thump!
Without a word, several curse masters followed Li Yang, desperately chasing him.
The Abbot, hidden in the grass, remained completely silent. He pinched his nose and watched until they had disappeared before leaping out of the grass and running back towards Dengfeng Temple without hesitation.
On Li Yang's side, he ran for over three hundred meters through the jungle before stopping. He looked back to see that they hadn't caught up for the moment. With a light leap, he ascended a tree.
From his vantage point, he could clearly see all the movements of the group behind him.
He held a few small stones in his hand. When the group came within his striking range, he quickly used his finger strength to flick all the stones away.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The flying stones were like bullets, accurately hitting everyone present.
The moment they were struck, their bodies were sent flying backward, the powerful force tossing them four to five meters away.
Before they could even get back on their feet, a dark cloud suddenly swept across the sky. Li Yang, standing on the treetop, used his palms to unleash astonishing palm force. The palm force transformed into blade-like slashes, instantly attacking from mid-air.
The curse masters were greatly alarmed. Their bodies were still injured, and although they tried to dodge, they had no chance. As soon as they stood up, their wrists were sliced by the blade-like energy. Their weapons fell to the ground, rendering them unable to pick them up.
They now possessed their skills but had permanently lost their ability to fight.
"Retreat, retreat quickly."
The leader realized that the attacker was a top expert. Now that they had lost their ability to resist, if the opponent decided to kill them, they would surely perish.
Soon, they quickly disappeared from Li Yang's sight.
Li Yang let out a soft snort. After they had all left, he jumped down from the treetop and calmly returned to Dengfeng Temple.
He had not killed them because he did not want to create enmity between Dengfeng Temple and them.
It was enough to let them know that Dengfeng Temple harbored an expert they could not afford to provoke. In the future, their actions would become much more cautious.
Furthermore, after they reported back, Zao Ri Feng Chun would soon learn of the situation here. Li Yang was also planning to personally welcome her and discuss a collaboration.
At this moment, Zao Ri Feng Chun was having tea in an antique shop in the provincial capital. Having just arrived in the provincial capital, she was unfamiliar with the terrain and local conditions.
She had learned the location of the second treasure map from her father in Sakura country and had come personally to search for it.
She believed that the few experts she had sent out were more than enough to deal with the monks of Dengfeng Temple.
However, so much time had passed, and by all accounts, the plan should have succeeded by now, yet there was still no news.
"Miss Feng Chun, something terrible has happened! All the curse masters you sent out have had their powers crippled and have fled back in a panic."
While Zao Ri Feng Chun was still drinking tea, a subordinate rushed in from outside and reported in a panicked tone.
"What did you say? They are elite experts from Sakura country. How could anyone in Huaxia cripple their powers?"
Upon hearing this, her expression became very solemn, and she asked sternly.
"It's true. They are waiting outside the gate. Their mission failed, and they feel too ashamed to see you, so they dare not come to you personally," the subordinate continued.
"A bunch of useless trash. Have them come in and see me."
Zao Ri Feng Chun's face turned angry, and she shouted coldly. The subordinate immediately went out to summon them.
Upon seeing Zao Ri Feng Chun, they all knelt down in unison and kowtowed, saying, "Miss Feng Chun, we are sorry. We failed our mission. Please spare our lives."
"You useless lot! Didn't you promise to bring back the treasure map? If you couldn't, you were all supposed to commit seppuku. How is it that you've returned empty-handed, and your powers have been crippled?" Zao Ri Feng Chun asked coldly.
"Miss Feng Chun, this was truly unexpected. We didn't expect Dengfeng Temple to harbor a top expert. We were no match for that person at all. We didn't even see the person's face before our powers were taken."
"Yes, Miss Feng Chun, we are not lying. What the boss said is true. That person's martial arts are extremely high. We had no chance to even exchange blows with him."
Two subordinates spoke truthfully.
Zao Ri Feng Chun's expression was serious. She wondered who this person was, to be so powerful as to cripple her men without even revealing themselves.
It seemed that Huaxia truly had an abundance of masters!
No wonder Kū Téng's previous battles had all ended in failure!
"I will give you a chance to redeem yourselves. Go and find the person who dealt with you, and thoroughly investigate his identity."
"If you can find any clues about him, I will spare your lives. If you cannot, then there is no need for you to return," Zao Ri Feng Chun commanded coldly after regaining her composure.
"Yes, we will definitely complete the mission. Thank you, Miss Feng Chun, for sparing our lives."
The leader immediately kowtowed in gratitude and then left with his subordinates.