As the voice faded, the mist quivered and rapidly dissipated. Meng Qi found himself alone, no longer seeing the figure in feathered robe and tall hat. The boat was still sailing on the lake, beside him Gu Changqing and Zhen Hui remained in meditation, and the boatman behind continued rowing as if unchanged through the ages, his oars moving rapidly, riding the wind like an arrow.
Staring at the shimmering lake surface, Meng Qi felt as if he had just awoken from a dream—perhaps his encounter with the feathered-robed figure had been nothing more than an illusion, vanishing upon waking. Yet the yellowish talisman in his hand, with its intricate and hard-to-discern patterns, reminded him otherwise. Someone had indeed been there, without disturbing Gu Changqing or Zhen Hui, and without arousing the slightest alertness in himself.
Such power was clearly beyond the mundane!
“What organization could this be…” Meng Qi frowned, carefully tucking the talisman into his robe. It was always wise to keep an escape route.
He had a vague suspicion about the identity of this organization. It was very likely the same mysterious group behind Xie Jiugui. After all, the only other secretive organization he had ever encountered was this one; no other group would have reason to take interest in him without cause.
“Could Qiu Jiulang also be part of this organization…” Meng Qi recalled the captivating innkeeper, the most famous beauty of the Haihai region. If she truly possessed the strength of an Outer Courtyard expert and was affiliated with this group, then its power was indeed formidable. Stationing an Outer Courtyard-level expert as an innkeeper was a luxury few could afford.
After much thought with no progress, Meng Qi gave up and resumed meditating, restoring his energy.
By the late hours of the night, Meng Qi had recovered part of his strength, enough to fight again if needed. At this moment, the wind ceased and the rain stopped, the bright moon breaking through the clouds, casting a dreamlike glow.
“We’ve arrived.” The boatman moored the boat at the shore, staring at Meng Qi expressionlessly.
Meng Qi reluctantly took out the bag he had obtained from Shen Zui, poured out some gems, and handed them to the boatman: “Is this enough?”
Bandits found it inconvenient to carry gold and silver, so they often exchanged part of their loot for gems. Thus, various gems were a form of hard currency in the Western Regions, with a relatively uniform valuation standard. Of course, there were always discrepancies; prices determined by different people in different places inevitably fluctuated. Given the urgency, Meng Qi had no time to haggle.
The gems from Shen Zui were of better quality than those of Zhong Ya She. The boatman examined them carefully, counted them, and returned two to Meng Qi: “Too much.”
At least he was honest… Meng Qi felt slightly better. After all, it was unearned wealth; he could afford to let it go. His earlier regret was due to his plans being upended, preventing him from further indulging in Zhong Ya She’s riches.
“Senior Brother, where are we going? Master is still at Bomi.” Once the boatman rowed away, Zhen Hui looked at Meng Qi expectantly.
Meng Qi replied with a headache: “Junior Brother, don’t rush. Master is powerful and blessed with great fortune. Perhaps he has already driven off the Crying Old Man. We’ll hide in Tanhan for a few days, wait out this storm, and then look for his whereabouts.”
Since the two sides had battled for over ten days without a clear victor, Meng Qi believed there wouldn’t be a major change soon. And with Shaolin reinforcements approaching, the Crying Old Man, unless a fool, would know to retreat.
The real problem now was how to send his junior brother back to Master without getting caught himself… Meng Qi felt deeply troubled.
Though Zhen Hui was a bit slow, he understood reason. He knew that his senior brother had risked his life to rescue him, which would surely stir up a storm. If they didn’t wait out these dangerous days, it would be very risky. Thus, he nodded: “Alright, let’s go to Tanhan.”
After speaking, he gazed intently at Meng Qi: “Senior Brother, when did you learn to summon lightning? Isn’t that an Outer Courtyard technique?”
Are you just realizing this now! Meng Qi looked skyward in exasperation. It seemed this guy’s calm and composed demeanor earlier was due to his long reaction time.
Meng Qi concealed his expression of disdain and replied kindly: “I had a lucky encounter while being chased.”
“Oh, a lucky encounter.” Zhen Hui’s eyes sparkled even more. From the stories he had heard, lucky encounters were an inevitable part of a martial artist’s journey.
Beside them, Gu Changqing nodded thoughtfully. So that thunderbolt had indeed been summoned by Xiao Meng. That was almost the power of an Outer Courtyard expert. He wondered what kind of encounter had led to this.
Seeing the two looking so curious, and not yet having decided how to explain himself, Meng Qi could only laugh loudly, trying to change the subject.
“Why are you laughing, Xiao Meng?” Gu Changqing asked, puzzled.
Meng Qi pointed ahead: “We’ve rescued my junior brother and escaped the bandits’ encirclement. Now the sea is wide for fish to leap and the sky high for birds to fly. Isn’t that worth laughing about?”
“Haha, indeed worth laughing about.” Gu Changqing felt he had just completed a righteous deed, making friends with a chivalrous companion, and was in high spirits.
Suddenly, Meng Qi felt something was off. That conversation just now sounded like something from Cao Mengde. He hoped no bandit cavalry would suddenly appear and block their path—it would be no fun at all.
He shook off the bad thought and laughed loudly: “This place is not safe for long. Let’s hurry to Tanhan. After today, the Haihai region will surely remember our names!”
Gu Changqing also laughed heartily: “What lies ahead is uncertain, but once your story spreads, Xiao Meng, you will surely make it onto the Human Rankings, drawing the attention of the entire world.”
No matter what methods he used, the fact that he had defeated two experts at the peak of the Nine Orifices stage proved Meng Qi’s terrifying strength. He would certainly be included in the Human Rankings, which ranked martial artists by combat power. Of course, how high he would rank, whether others would think it deserved, and whether they would consider challenging him, were entirely different matters.
I hope I get a good nickname… Meng Qi mused silently. The three of them activated their lightness techniques and rushed toward the edge of the oasis.
…
The wind and sand were fierce, stinging their faces painfully. Even with Meng Qi’s opened Eye and Ear Orifices, he could barely discern anything beyond five zhang.
Less than half a day after leaving Yuhai, the three encountered a real sandstorm on their way to Tanhan. The might of nature was terrifying—wind and sand swirling, blotting out the sky and sun, as if trying to bury them alive.
Golden light swirled around Meng Qi, blocking the sandstorm. Thanks to the Golden Bell Cover, the initial damage from the storm had little effect on him. However, the evaporation of body moisture left his throat dry and his breathing difficult—conditions the Golden Bell Cover could not yet counteract, forcing him to endure.
Compared to him, Zhen Hui and Gu Changqing fared worse. They lacked the Golden Bell Cover and the experience of training before the Fire Gull. With scarves covering their faces, they struggled forward step by step.
“We need to find some wind-eroded rocks or small hills to shelter behind…” Meng Qi whispered to Zhen Hui and Gu Changqing using secret sound transmission. He himself was fine, but if the sandstorm intensified, the three of them might be scattered.
Zhen Hui quietly hid behind Meng Qi, using his senior brother as a shield against the wind and sand. Suddenly, he said: “Senior Brother, there seems to be a light ahead!”
“A light?” Meng Qi was taken aback. He looked intently and indeed saw a vague dark silhouette beyond the layers of sand and wind. It seemed to be a house, with a faint light shining through.
How could there be a building here, far from any oasis? Meng Qi was puzzled, but seeing Zhen Hui and Gu Changqing’s current condition, he realized they couldn’t continue like this. He nodded: “We’ll take shelter there for now, but stay alert.”
“Perhaps it’s a remnant of an old oasis settlement…” Gu Changqing guessed.
In the Western Regions, as water sources shifted and sandstorms ravaged the land, some oases were buried and abandoned by humans. Gu Changqing was not surprised by this.
“That makes sense.” Meng Qi eased his concerns slightly. Leading the way like a shield, he pushed forward against the wind and sand.
After breaking through the layers of wind and sand, Meng Qi suddenly froze. The building ahead was not a ruin, but a seemingly new Buddhist temple. It wasn’t large, just a single hall, and not ornate—built simply from ordinary Gobi rocks, dull and unremarkable.
Yet at this moment, amidst the raging sandstorm, seeing it and the tiny flickering lamp inside brought an unimaginable sense of peace and calm.
Surely it’s not some place where people are eaten… Meng Qi, his senses impaired, could only do a quick check before approaching the temple gate and gently knocking.
“Amitabha, the sandstorm is fierce. There’s no need for formalities,” a clear voice came from within.
Meng Qi pushed open the temple gate. His first sight was a stone statue of the Buddha, its face full of kindness and compassion. The statue sat in the Nirvana Pure Seal posture, with a small green lamp flickering before it, illuminating the entire room.
His second glance fell upon a young monk seated before the Buddha statue. He looked to be in his early twenties, his features unremarkable but exuding a refreshing, otherworldly aura—one Meng Qi had long aspired to mimic but had never quite achieved.
“Amitabha, thank you, Master, for taking us in.” Meng Qi clasped his hands in respect.
Though it had been over ten days since his last shave, a thin layer of black hair had already grown on his head, yet instinctively, he performed the Buddhist gesture.
The young monk smiled calmly: “Senior Brother, no need for formalities. I built this temple in this desolate Gobi land precisely to provide shelter for those who have lost their way. Pure Land exists not only in the Western Paradise but also in one’s heart and beside every devoted monk.”
“Senior Brother, did you build this temple yourself?” Meng Qi asked in astonishment.
When meeting fellow Buddhists, if one didn’t know their Dharma names, one could address them as “Master” or use the terms “senior brother” and “junior brother.”
The young monk gestured with his right hand, indicating Meng Qi and the others to sit on the ground, then smiled: “I have been here for over half a year, building this temple with my own hands.”
“Senior Brother, this is truly a meritorious deed,” Zhen Hui said, admiration evident on his face.
Meng Qi frowned slightly. Could this be a wandering monk?
Still smiling calmly, the young monk said: “On the day I descended the mountain, I made a great vow before the Buddha—to build forty-nine temples in the desolate Gobi and desert lands of the Western Regions, providing shelter and rest for travelers.”
He paused, then added with a self-deprecating smile: “Perhaps it’s also for merit. My Dharma name is Hong Neng. May I ask the names of you two junior brothers and this layperson?”
“I am Zhen Ding, and this is my junior brother Zhen Hui. This is Gu Changqing of the Gu family fortress,” Meng Qi introduced them one by one, then asked, “May I ask, Senior Brother, where is your sect’s mountain gate?”
As Hong Neng was about to speak, he suddenly smiled and said: “This place does not forbid demons. Layperson, please come in.”
“Demons?” Meng Qi and Gu Changqing turned in surprise toward the door. Could there be a monster?
Zhen Hui’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
The temple door opened, and a man carrying a bundle entered. He was thin, his face gaunt, his brows slightly furrowed, giving him a cold, unapproachable air.
“Senior Brother Zhen Guan!” Zhen Hui blurted out in surprise.
Meng Qi also recognized the man. He was Zhen Guan, who had once attacked Meng Qi due to madness and was expelled from the temple. He was the Zhen Guan who had escaped through the secret passage behind Shaolin Mountain, the same Zhen Guan whom Master had said had become half-demon!
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