Qing Yu moved his left arm slightly to confirm that there were no serious injuries and smiled, saying, “Hiding won’t help, and this is Jiangdong after all.”
The Jiangdong Wang Clan, known for their family inheritance of the “Suanjing” (Mathematical Classic)… Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully, “I’ll go to the Six Gates later and announce this matter. In times of war between two countries, how can we allow him to act so brazenly?”
Other matters would need to be coordinated by the Six Gates; without using his identity as a secret investigator, he wouldn’t have the prestige for such an undertaking.
At the same time, Meng Qi also harbored intentions of observation, wanting to see exactly how the pursuit and encirclement of Lang Wang (Wolf King) would unfold, so that if he ever found himself in a similar predicament, he would know how to save himself—due to his status as a Revisiter, he always felt a bit insecure and preferred to be prepared for any eventuality.
“Be careful on the way; maybe he’s still lurking nearby,” Qing Yu said, picking up his “Years” blade with his right hand, patting his Taoist robe, and preparing to rise so he and Meng Qi could head together to the Six Gates in Maoling to avoid being taken advantage of by the Wolf King.
Meng Qi chuckled lightly, “Earlier, I just happened to run into him, and barely avoided being bitten by the wolf. Otherwise, how could I have guessed it was Tie Sheng just from your words?”
“You encountered him?” Qing Yu’s expression froze as he stared fixedly at Meng Qi. How could he have emerged unscathed from an encounter with the Wolf King?
Qing Yu had used every trick in the book, sustaining injuries in the process, before finally repelling Tie Sheng with his most secret and potent technique. After all, the gap in cultivation realms was extremely difficult to overcome. If not for the unique properties of the Jade Emperor’s Scroll, the battle would have been far more perilous, likely requiring him to resort to self-damaging blood-based techniques.
Yet “Wild Blade” Su Meng appeared completely unfazed, as if he hadn’t even used his full strength.
Meng Qi secretly felt smug but outwardly smiled and offered a brief explanation: “I just happened to have a small trick. Otherwise, I might have died on the spot. Once the Wolf King recovers, it won’t work again.”
He couldn’t afford to let others overestimate him. Stay low-key, low-key!
Qing Yu composed his expression, resuming his usual calm and restrained demeanor, his outward bearing carefree: “Then let’s go together. If we meet him again, perhaps we’ll have a chance to stop him if we join forces.”
“Fine,” Meng Qi was happy to comply, then paused and said, “Brother Dao, I have a question I’d like to ask you?”
“No wonder you came here late at night; no one visits the Three Jewels Hall without reason,” Qing Yu smiled and pointed at Meng Qi.
Meng Qi came straight to the point, repeating the discussion he had with Jiang Hengchuan. At the end, he asked, “Brother Dao, did you tell anyone about the conversation you had that day?”
Qing Yu was a direct disciple of Xuanyuan Sect, the true heir of the Jade Emperor, with abundant resources and techniques at his disposal. Unless, like Jiang Zhiwei or Zhang Yuanshan, he had been forced into the cycle of reincarnation, Meng Qi could think of no reason why Qing Yu would join Myths or Fairy Traces. Therefore, he chose to show absolute trust.
—After reaching the Exoteric Realm, in order to break through barriers, condense a Dharma Body, uncover ancient secrets, and extend one’s lifespan, it was not uncommon for core members of sects or clans to join mysterious organizations. However, Qing Yu was still at the Qi Opening stage. Breaking through the life-and-death mystery and connecting the internal and external realms was merely a matter of time, depending only on further trials, more foundational work, and solidifying his path. He was still far from such ambitions.
This attitude made Qing Yu feel comfortable. After a moment of thought, he answered, “No, I have not told anyone about this matter.”
“Could it really be ‘Recluse Marvelous Old Man’ Ren Pingsheng…” Meng Qi furrowed his brows.
Qing Yu thought for a moment: “Ren Pingsheng was a wandering cultivator back then, and his background was relatively clear. However, later he had a fortuitous encounter, possibly advancing to the Exoteric Realm, which led him to establish the Heroic Pavilion and forge connections with heroes from all directions. If he were the mastermind, it would make sense. However, the Heroic Pavilion has a well-known reputation, and Maoling is under the influence of the Wang Clan and the Great River Gang. If he had been acting suspiciously, he should have been discovered already.”
“I also think there’s something odd. Ren Pingsheng is likely an Exoteric Realm expert. Killing me would be easy for him, so why go through the trouble of setting a trap…” Meng Qi said seriously.
Besides, the fact that Chu Guan committed suicide clearly indicated that someone had leaked information.
“This matter has too many doubts; we need to plan carefully,” Qing Yu stood up. “Let’s deal with the Wolf King first.”
Without any incident along the way, the two hurried to the Six Gates in Maoling that night and informed the duty officer about Tie Sheng, the Wolf King.
The next day, Maoling returned to its usual bustling state, but secretly, countless people from all walks of life were already on the move, searching for a certain foreigner and not letting slip any clue.
Two days later, in a meeting room of the Six Gates in Maoling.
Silver Badge Officer Yu Wangyuan, Green Ribbon Officer Dai Fei, the head of the Coin Gang, “Money Talks” Sun Ke, as well as Meng Qi, Jiang Hengchuan, and Qing Yu sat together.
“There’s no trace at all. It’s as if this person never came to Maoling or vanished into thin air,” Sun Ke reported based on the information gathered by his underworld contacts.
Yu Wangyuan was a middle-aged officer exuding an official air. Sitting upright, he spoke calmly and unhurriedly: “Other channels have also yielded nothing, and the Great River Gang has had no luck either. Could it be that Tie Sheng secretly entered the city, failed in his attack, and immediately left?”
“Wolves are not easily frightened beasts,” Qing Yu shook his head.
Meng Qi followed up: “Based on Tie Sheng’s previous actions, it’s highly possible he’s still hiding in Maoling.”
“No matter how well he hides, he’ll leave traces—what he drinks, what he eats, who he talks to while gathering information…” Sun Ke disagreed somewhat.
Jiang Hengchuan glanced at the gem-adorned Sun Ke: “Director Sun, can you guarantee that your subordinates have grasped every single detail of Maoling?”
Sun Ke opened his mouth but finally admitted, “No.”
Maoling was a mighty city along the Great River, officially registered with a population of 478,900. The number of wandering martial artists and traveling merchants was countless. Who dared to claim they knew every detail of everyone’s daily life in Maoling?
Even with control over most of the underworld, one could only know about particularly abnormal occurrences.
Sun Ke explained: “Tie Sheng acts alone, unlike the Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon who has many followers and is easily noticed. Besides, in areas like North Street and Old Official Hall Street, my influence is limited.”
“Director Sun, have you found any trace of the Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon and the others?” Hearing Sun Ke mention it, Meng Qi took the opportunity to ask, using the matter of Wolf King Tie Sheng as a cover. He had also informed the Six Gates about his encounter with the Star God of Fire and asked them to help identify the copper ring’s origin and locate the Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon and the Three Eagles of Yunling. The Six Gates had been using their own channels to search while also enlisting local power brokers like Sun Ke.
Sun Ke immediately looked awkward: “Perhaps… perhaps they split up and went separate ways, so we haven’t found them yet.”
Green Ribbon Officer Dai Fei helped Sun Ke save face by speaking up: “Tie Sheng is known as the Wolf King, and his previous actions were quite wolf-like. Perhaps we should think along those lines.”
“If he’s a lone wolf,” Qing Yu mused, “he might take advantage of the crowds, disguise himself, enter the city secretly, sleep in an unoccupied house in a commoner’s district, change locations every night, drink water from courtyards when thirsty, and steal small amounts of unnoticeable food from nearby houses when hungry, without interacting with anyone, effectively disappearing from Maoling.”
Meng Qi shook his head in disagreement: “But he needs intelligence. Otherwise, how dare he attempt to kill us? Without confirming whether Huangting Monastery has an Exoteric expert, would he have come to your door?”
Any attempt to gather intelligence might draw attention, considering that seven out of ten intelligence sources in Maoling were controlled by the Six Gates, the Great River Gang, the Wang Clan, and the Coin Gang.
“Wolves are also beasts that cooperate well,” Meng Qi paused and continued, “Given the hostility between the two nations and Maoling’s status as a transfer city, it’s highly possible that the Steppe forces have secret bases here. If Tie Sheng hides there, others might handle his daily needs, and only familiar neighborhood faces appear publicly, so who would suspect them?”
Sun Ke pondered: “We might detect anomalies by monitoring food purchases.”
“Such secret bases may already have stored food supplies,” Jiang Hengchuan interjected.
Silver Badge Officer Yu Wangyuan thought for a moment and said, “We currently have no clues about Steppe spies. This matter is difficult to handle. We should first go to Suyuan and ask the Wang Clan to perform a divination.”
The opponent was deeply hidden.
“I haven’t visited Suyuan yet. Since I’m in Maoling, how can I miss such an opportunity? Why not let me visit the Wang Clan’s eldest son?” Meng Qi volunteered, and no one else opposed.
…
Suyuan, the Wang Clan’s villa, was a famous garden across the land, built following the natural landscape, fully displaying the charm of Jiangdong.
This place had a total of 365 pavilions, halls, parlors, chambers, pavilions, ferries, corridors, terraces, pavilions, and wus (a type of building), arranged according to the mountain and water features, following the natural rhythms, exuding elegance and beauty. With its layered pavilions, dancing pavilions, winding paths, rare trees, and exotic birds, it was truly a breathtaking paradise, always praised as “the garden within a painting, the painting within a garden.”
Unfortunately, Meng Qi was no connoisseur. After slightly appreciating the garden scenery, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and muttered, “Could this be a grand formation following the cosmic numerology?”
I’m just such a vulgar person!
Wang Siyuan met Meng Qi at the “Listening to the Rain Pavilion,” still dressed in white, his pale face contrasting with his attire. His delicate features were more beautiful than a woman’s, and his frail appearance gave him a sickly look.
He looked at the chessboard before him, holding a black piece in his hand: “You’ve come about Tie Sheng?”
Meng Qi was unfazed, smiling as he sat down and said in a familiar tone, “Talking with you, Young Master Wang, is always easy. Since you already know why I’m here, why don’t you cast a divination right away?”
Wang Siyuan looked up at him without surprise, as if he had long expected such audacity from this person: “It’s not bad that Tie Sheng is causing trouble.”
Despite saying that, he still took out his divination rods, his expression becoming focused, his eyes sparkling like stars.
After a while, he looked at the rods and said, “‘North’… Tie Sheng can maintain a state of unity with heaven and earth, so the divination isn’t very accurate. I only know that he is in North Street.”
“North Street…” Meng Qi frowned slightly.
North Street was the most bustling and chaotic part of Maoling, gathering people from all walks of life, including the oldest professions: prostitutes, assassins, and spies. Due to the competing forces of the Six Gates, the Wang Clan, and the Great River Gang, a power vacuum had formed, allowing various factions to thrive, with rumors of Left Path experts at the Exoteric Realm lurking there.
Wang Siyuan coughed slightly: “That’s the best I can do. I can ask my elders to come to Maoling, but it will take some time.”
At this point, Meng Qi didn’t press further and instead told Wang Siyuan about the Star God of Fire and Ren Pingsheng.
Wang Siyuan listened quietly and then said indifferently, “You’ve made good progress. Keep working hard, cough cough.”
After saying this, he coughed violently for a while before finally catching his breath and then served tea to signal the end of the meeting.
On the way back, Meng Qi felt vaguely strange. Given Wang Siyuan’s “calculating all” personality, he should have made full use of the Wolf King Tie Sheng’s case. Why had he been so compliant with the divination?
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