After a moment of realization, Meng Qi calmly said, “We came from the north, but passed through Liusha Market. Indeed, Madam Jiu is stunningly beautiful, fiery in temperament, and greedy for money.”
“Exactly! When Madam Jiu sees gems and gold, she practically glows with beauty. Her eyes, her expression—ah, truly enchanting…” Xie the Drunkard became instantly excited, chattering on, “But let me tell you, her most beautiful moments aren’t even then—it’s after she’s had some wine, when she becomes…”
He let out a belch, suddenly stopped, and drowsily slumped down, soon snoring loudly, as if mentioning Madam Jiu had made him impatient to enter his dreams and “meet” his beauty.
Meng Qi heard no useful clues, so he and Gu Changqing left Lao Cao’s tavern together.
After they departed, a pale, delicate hand suddenly appeared near Xie the Drunkard’s ear, pinching it tightly and twisting.
“Ouch!” Xie cried out in pain.
…
As soon as they entered the courtyard they had rented, Meng Qi saw Zhong Yasha pacing back and forth, half excited and half fearful, while Gong Shayue watched nearby with the same expression.
“Big Boss, what’s happened?” Following Meng Qi’s silent cue, Gu Changqing asked with concern.
Zhong Yasha forced a smile, “Yuan Mengzhi and Lord Bai jointly issued invitations, asking all the brothers to the City Lord’s residence for a banquet, thanking us for our escort along the way.”
“‘Escort’?” Gu Changqing questioned with a cold expression, though Meng Qi inwardly chuckled, Yuan Mengzhi was indeed speaking with his eyes wide open.
Zhong Yasha sighed, “Yes, probably Yuan Mengzhi wants to confront us openly. He probably wants us to drink and then leave Fish Sea. Ah, you haven’t spent the gemstones yet, have you?”
“We’ve already arranged an escape route for five thousand silver taels. The rest will be paid after the task is completed.” Gu Changqing first struck Zhong Yasha with a blow of bad news before smiling, “Big Boss, no worries. Since Yuan Mengzhi wants to forcefully drive us out, there must be some who are dissatisfied. There might be trouble tonight, and when that happens, we can take advantage of the chaos.”
“That’s right. There are dozens of horse gangs, probably seventy or eighty Opening experts altogether, with one at Seven Openings and one at Eight Openings. If Yuan Mengzhi tries to expel us forcefully, do they really think these people will obey quietly? Even with Bai Bazheng’s help, we outnumber them, and we won’t be easy prey. Hmph, even if Yuan Mengzhi is made of iron, how many nails can he hit?” Zhong Yasha had already thought this through, but he needed someone else to voice it, to give himself comfort and courage.
He paused, then looked at Meng Qi and Gu Changqing, “Brother Meng, tonight you and Xiao Yue will accompany me to the banquet. Don’t act recklessly. Brother Gu and Brother Wu will stay here, preparing the brothers for action. If chaos erupts, we’ll seize the opportunity.”
Since the banquet was surely no good omen, he naturally needed to bring his strongest fighters. Thus, despite Meng Qi’s reckless and disrespectful behavior, Zhong Yasha had no choice but to bring him along. Gong Shayue, though the third leader, was actually stronger than the second, Wu Yong.
Someone had to attend the banquet, and someone had to stay behind and prepare for the robbery, so Zhong Yasha left “strategist” Gu Changqing behind and assigned Wu Yong to monitor and assist him.
Upon hearing of the banquet, Meng Qi roughly guessed Yuan Mengzhi’s intentions. Even if Zhong Yasha hadn’t invited him, he would have found an excuse to go. Therefore, he didn’t refuse, simply replying, “I’ll follow your orders, Big Boss.”
“Good. Everyone return to your rooms and rest, waiting for tonight. Brother Gu, after we leave, please go back to Lao Cao’s tavern and get Xie the Drunkard ready.” Zhong Yasha gave his final instructions with the air of a true leader.
Back in his room, Meng Qi paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his thoughts swirling and unable to calm.
“If only there was ‘Bei Su Qing Feng’ for this occasion,” Meng Qi sighed. He had been waiting for the “right moment,” but such opportunities were rare in the desert, occurring mostly around oases, and he hadn’t encountered one yet. Without the “right moment,” any plans—whether direct action or diversionary tactics—would have little chance of success, since Yuan Mengzhi was clearly anticipating such moves and had no element of surprise.
If he had more time, Meng Qi could have devised a plan, waiting for the right terrain and following Yuan Mengzhi’s thought patterns to rescue the captives. But time was not on his side!
At such a banquet, with many people and various smells affecting the nasal passages, the “Bei Su Qing Feng,” which was colorless, odorless, and specifically targeted internal martial arts, would be extremely effective, especially since Yuan Mengzhi did not possess the Kuang Sha Kung Fu to resist poisons.
As for the candles made from Qixin Begonia, though similarly colorless and odorless, they were highly toxic and affected everyone, with ordinary people succumbing faster. At such a banquet, there would certainly be servants and attendants. Setting aside the question of whether harming innocents violated his own moral code, the mere fact that they might fall ill first would alert Yuan Mengzhi and others before the poison took full effect, leaving Meng Qi no opportunity and instead facing a hundred bandits.
Another point was that these methods relied entirely on Yuan Mengzhi and his men being completely unguarded against poison, which was nearly impossible. Yuan Mengzhi was obviously trying to use this chaotic situation to lure Meng Qi into attempting a rescue, so he would have considered every angle.
“I can only adapt as circumstances change and seize opportunities as they arise,” Meng Qi sighed again. Perhaps the chance would come when Zhong Yasha and the other bandits clashed with Yuan Mengzhi, creating chaos. But he wasn’t sure whether this opportunity was one Yuan Mengzhi had deliberately created.
If no opportunity arose, Meng Qi knew he wouldn’t throw his life away recklessly. He would preserve his strength to avenge his younger martial brother.
After organizing his thoughts, Meng Qi calmed his mind and sat in meditation. At times like this, anxiety and impatience were useless and would only impair judgment.
Unconsciously, evening arrived, and Meng Qi was startled awake by a knock on the door from Gu Changqing.
“Zhong Yasha wants you to prepare to depart,” Gu Changqing said seriously. “Be careful. If there’s no opportunity, don’t force it.”
Meng Qi smiled calmly, “I know. I won’t do anything without a plan.”
As he stepped out the door into the courtyard, a sudden gust of wind blew through, shaking the branches.
He looked up in surprise, watching the dark red sky, still bathed in sunset, gradually darken.
“The wind is rising…” Meng Qi’s expression was strange, a mix of surprise and joy.
In his mind was only one thought, from a title he had once seen in some textbook or book: “Research on Strong Convection Weather in Large Oases…”
Fish Hai was vast and expansive, a wide oasis.
Gu Changqing also looked up, puzzled, “Yes, the wind is rising. A storm is coming. But why are you sighing like that?”
Generally speaking, such conditions and skies meant a heavy rainstorm was imminent.
Meng Qi’s expression returned to calm, though clearly more relaxed, “Because the moment has come…”
“The moment has come?” Gu Changqing looked at Meng Qi with surprise and hope.
Meng Qi didn’t answer. He walked toward Zhong Yasha and the others with his hands behind his back, humming softly, “It’s raining, thundering. Time to bring in the laundry.”
Another half-hidden clue! Gu Changqing glared at Meng Qi’s back, itching to punch him, but he quickly composed himself and left for Lao Cao’s tavern.
…
The banquet was no good omen, and Zhong Yasha felt heavy pressure. All the way there, he remained silent. Meng Qi kept his left hand on his sword, his face cold and expressionless, also saying nothing.
Upon entering the City Lord’s residence, they were led by servants into a wide hall and shown to their seats. Zhong Yasha looked around and noticed that each bandit seemed to have his own table—Lord Bai admired the customs of Central China and preferred ancient etiquette, so instead of square tables, each person had his own individual table. Zhong Yasha and the other bandit leaders were seated along both sides of the path, with Meng Qi and Gong Shayue behind him.
Zhong Yasha watched familiar bandits entering, calmly arranged by the servants, without any disorder. A sudden fear gripped him. This situation suggested that Yuan Mengzhi or Lord Bai knew their group well, knowing who the bandit leaders were and how many followers each had brought.
“We must not provoke them,” he warned himself.
“Big Boss Zhong, we’re really fated to meet again,” Wang Hong’s voice suddenly sounded in Zhong Yasha’s ear. He had been seated nearby.
Meng Qi kept his left hand on his sword, looking ready to fight at any moment, making the chest-baring Wang Hong both resentful and uneasy.
Wang Hong glanced at the empty seat ahead and hatched a plan. He laughed heartily, “Brother Meng, aren’t you proud and ambitious, eager to make a name for yourself? Now’s your opportunity. Defeat any of the gang leaders here, and you’ll instantly gain fame! If you can defeat Yuan Mengzhi, heh heh, it won’t be long before your name spreads throughout the vast desert!”
“Stop talking nonsense, Wang Hong!” Zhong Yasha was startled. He truly feared Meng Qi would jump out and challenge the bandit leader, which would be a huge insult to Yuan Mengzhi! He signaled with his eyes for Meng Qi to stay calm and not act rashly, while scolding Wang Hong.
Wang Hong sat down with his men, chuckled, and said, “Brother Meng, aren’t you the one who doesn’t care about rules? Now’s your chance. Just defeat Yuan Mengzhi, and we’ll all follow you! Unless you’re a coward?”
Meng Qi closed his eyes, his spirit and energy inwardly focused, waiting for the moment.
Seeing Meng Qi remain composed, Zhong Yasha’s evaluation of him rose. Wang Hong, however, smirked and continued to incite and mock Meng Qi.
After a while, Yuan Mengzhi, with green eyes and light yellow beard, entered from the back hall with Du Mo, Zhen Hui, and others. Bai Bazheng, the City Lord of Fish Hai, accompanied him as the host.
Bai Bazheng had partial Han Chinese ancestry. His features were like carved stone. Over fifty years old, his hair was gray, wearing a tall hat, wide robe, and flowing sleeves, exuding the demeanor of a scholar-official.
Meng Qi opened his eyes and looked at Zhen Hui. Seeing his normal expression, with only a hint of sadness and longing, he felt slightly reassured.
Bai Bazheng, Yuan Mengzhi, and others took their seats, while Zhen Hui was guarded by a bandit nearby, looking longingly at the food on the table and licking his lips.
This guy only cares about food! Meng Qi inwardly scolded with a smile, then closed his eyes again, gathering his momentum.
Yuan Mengzhi looked at the bandits below, lightly coughed, and prepared to speak.
Boom!
Suddenly, thunder cracked across the sky, interrupting Yuan Mengzhi’s speech.
Outside, dark clouds gathered, and bolts of lightning danced like silver snakes.
Yuan Mengzhi coughed again, regaining everyone’s attention. But at that moment, he saw a young bandit with his hand on his sword step out from the crowd and walk to the center of the aisle.
With a bewildered and fearful expression, Meng Qi calmly and coldly drew the Bing Que sword and pointed it at Yuan Mengzhi:
“I challenge you.”
Huh? Everyone, including Wang Hong, opened their mouths in shock.
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