Although Meng Qi wished to rush to Shaolin at once, he couldn’t leave immediately due to unfinished business. He had to maintain appearances, create diversions, and employ the strategy of “openly repairing the plank road while secretly advancing through Chencang.”
Inside the flower hall of the Zhong family mansion, various medicinal herbs intermingled into a strange fragrance. At first sniff, it wrinkled one’s brow, but upon closer examination, it brought a feeling of comfort throughout the body, possessing a unique charm.
“Master Zhong, Duan Rui practices demonic arts and his soul-severance syndrome remains unresolved. I must track him down as soon as possible to eliminate this hidden danger. Have you all made your decision yet?” The next day, Meng Qi and Qi Zhengyan came to bid farewell to Zhong Taiping.
Inside the flower hall, Zhong Taiping stroked his goatee, making his final deliberations.
Zhong Wei harbored slight resentment because his father had deprived him of the right to choose. However, he consoled himself knowing that all the available options were excellent. If he couldn’t learn the martial arts techniques of young master Qi and young master Su, then almost anywhere else would be similar.
Feng Yuanjing stood nearby, hesitating to speak, with visible anxiety on his face, clearly worried about Duan Rui.
“Master Su,” Zhong Taiping finally made his decision. “You spoke of curing the soul-severance syndrome, but everything ended before any action was taken. I feel unworthy of this reward.”
His tone was somewhat stiff, clearly indicating that he rarely spoke such words of feigned refusal.
Meng Qi chuckled and said, “Master Zhong, why say such words? It is our fortune to have befriended you. While traveling the martial world, who doesn’t occasionally suffer from headaches or fevers? To have a divine physician as a friend, others would envy us endlessly.”
He spoke frankly, wearing a shameless expression of using this situation to strengthen their friendship. However, compared to Zhong Taiping’s feigned refusal, surprisingly, this approach didn’t provoke any dislike.
Zhong Taiping coughed slightly, clearly pleased with Meng Qi’s subtle flattery. “Master Su, Master Qi, having you two as friends is also my good fortune. In the future, if there is anything you need my help with, please don’t hesitate to ask directly.”
“Cough, I had this child late in life, my only troublemaker. If he goes too far away, I won’t feel at ease. Besides, I don’t expect him to achieve the Dharma Body. If he can attain the Outer View realm, that would be sufficient to honor our family. Would it be possible for him to enter the Ruan family of Langya?”
This was a two-birds-with-one-stone choice. Although Zhong Wei definitely wouldn’t learn the “Langya Twelve Divine Sounds” or the “Splitting Heaven and Changing Earth Melody” in the Ruan family, how could the Ruan family’s Outer View techniques be limited to just a few? For example, the “Donghua Qing Shu” recently brought back by Ruan Yaoguang and Ruan Yushu would be considered a family treasure even in ordinary clans. Moreover, the Ruan family was a prestigious clan in Jiangdong, rivaling the Wang family. Establishing this connection would significantly elevate and stabilize the Zhong family’s position in Changchuan.
Other sects and clans, although powerful, were simply too far away.
“The Ruan family? No problem,” Meng Qi readily agreed, as the Xijian Pavilion and the Ruan family were the easiest choices.
Then he turned serious and said, “The aristocratic families have the strictest rules. With my introduction, it won’t be difficult for him to become a guest disciple. However, to learn the Outer View techniques and gain resources, he must rely on his own efforts and talent. I can’t help with that. I can only guarantee that he won’t be mistreated and will be treated fairly, ensuring that his efforts and hard work will bring corresponding rewards.”
“The Ruan family might tolerate failures, but they would never allow failures to waste techniques or medicinal pills. Other sects are the same.”
After all, he wasn’t the illegitimate son of the family head or a relative of the sect leader…
Zhong Wei displayed some courage and confidence, proudly saying, “Thank you, Master Su, for your guidance. Fair treatment is sufficient for me!”
Ah, the young bull unafraid of tigers… Meng Qi chuckled, took the paper and brush offered by a nearby servant girl, and swiftly wrote a letter to Ruan Yushu with a casual flourish, sending greetings to the Ruan elders, and finally mentioned Zhong Wei’s matter.
Zhong Taiping was a renowned physician in Jiangdong. If not for his stubborn personality and shyness, actively reaching out would easily gain acceptance from aristocratic families and sects. For the Ruan family, this was a mutually beneficial arrangement, so Meng Qi wasn’t completely wasting his favor.
After leaving a secret mark known only to his companions, Meng Qi folded the letter, placed it into an envelope, and handed it to Zhong Taiping: “When you arrive in Langya, just deliver this letter to Master Ruan Yaoguang. However, you should prepare some silver to bribe the gatekeepers. Even the prime minister’s gatekeepers hold the rank of seventh grade official.”
The Ruan family’s patriarch had once served as the Shangshu Zuo Pushe of Taijin, commonly known as the Left Chancellor or Prime Minister, a genuine prime minister.
“I understand,” Zhong Taiping slightly blushed, feeling embarrassed and annoyed at the thought of bribing the gatekeepers.
Hmph, if it weren’t for this little rascal of mine…
Meng Qi and Qi Zhengyan stood up to take their leave. Feng Yuanjing, with a pleading look on her face, softly said, “Master Duan suffers from the soul-severance syndrome and often acts involuntarily. Please, don’t be too harsh on him.”
“Don’t worry. Duan Rui has the potential to recover. His nature is inherently pure, so we will let him redeem himself and make amends for those who died unjustly,” Meng Qi solemnly replied.
If Duan Rui had already “fallen beyond salvation,” then he would have to “humanely destroy” him.
“Thank you, Master Su, Master Qi,” Feng Yuanjing gracefully bowed.
…
After leaving the Zhong residence, Meng Qi and Qi Zhengyan twisted and turned through several alleys, eventually arriving at a pawnshop.
Qi Zhengyan waited outside while Meng Qi slightly altered his appearance and strode in confidently.
“Shopkeeper, I have something to pawn,” Meng Qi announced loudly.
The shopkeeper, with graying hair, was carefully examining a golden flower vase in front of him. “What is it?”
“One Heart of Seven Orifices,” Meng Qi lowered his voice.
The shopkeeper abruptly looked up, his eyes clear and sharp. “This shop only accepts nine orifices.”
“Then add this seal,” Meng Qi said as he produced his own green-tasseled official seal. He channeled a slight amount of true energy into it, causing it to emit a faint green glow.
The shopkeeper’s attitude turned respectful. “Sir, please come to the back.”
Earlier, considering that there was a “Nine Notable Physicians” along Duan Rui’s escape route, Meng Qi believed he would stay in Changchuan for a while. Therefore, he requested his superiors to have the headquarters of the Six Ministries send his secret report’s reply here.
“Su Qingshou, this is the headquarters’ document,” the shopkeeper said as they entered the back treasure vault, pulling out a letter from among several pledged items.
Meng Qi opened it and read it. It was a commendation from the headquarters of the Six Ministries. “Fengmi investigator” Su had deeply infiltrated Maoling, clarified the chaos, captured the tail of a mysterious organization, and achieved great merit. He was rewarded with three months’ salary, which could be exchanged locally at the Six Ministries for medicinal pills, weapons, and other items, or he could return to Shen Du with a written request to accumulate it and later exchange it directly for an Outer View technique.
As for the gains Meng Qi obtained in the Dongyang secondary mansion, the headquarters of the Six Ministries didn’t mention them at all. After all, this wasn’t a treasure-hunting mission organized and provided with intelligence by the Six Ministries. It was an “encounter” he happened upon while investigating the chaos in Maoling.
Regarding Fengmi investigators who had less constraints and more autonomy, the Six Ministries headquarters always strictly punished betrayal, disobedience, and corruption. They turned a blind eye to any treasures encountered by these investigators, considering it an incentive. Even if the Six Ministries specially organized, provided information about ruins, and dispatched personnel for assistance, they would take the majority of the spoils and leave the rest to reward the Fengmi investigators. They were even less likely to intervene in cases like Meng Qi’s borderline encounters during investigations.
Precisely because of this, the reward was relatively ordinary, only three months’ salary, to prevent jealousy and resentment from other system investigators.
No other tasks… Meng Qi nodded slightly, asked the shopkeeper to bring paper and brush, and began writing a secret report requesting the Shen Du headquarters to investigate the whereabouts of Shaolin monks in the past month—those within the temple and those near Jiangdong!
Then, he wrote, “…I am willing to forgo the reward and the next six months’ salary in exchange for a request…”
Finally, Meng Qi reconsidered his route, calculated the time, determined the city where the reply should be sent, and stamped it with his green-ribboned official seal.
After submitting the secret report, Meng Qi heaved a sigh of relief, exited the shop, and left with Qi Zhengyan, first pretending to pursue Duan Rui.
…
At the edge of Longyan Mountain in Di Prefecture, the first snow of winter had just fallen. Even within the city, the roads were muddy, and along the main roads, white and black were mixed, with footprints scattered in the remaining snow, hiding slipperiness, making the scenery indescribably dirty and unbearably cold.
Inside a roadside teahouse, many people were resting and avoiding the cold, drinking hot tea and enjoying two steaming hot buns, feeling as if they were feasting on rare delicacies.
The owner of the teahouse, with keen eyesight, had placed a wooden board inside, pasting the latest rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man, attracting many passing martial artists to stop, rest, drink tea, and chat enthusiastically, making business very prosperous.
“I heard that several major events recently happened in Jiangdong?” a man who looked like a layman asked his newly acquainted friend.
A plump, wealthy-looking man laughed, “Of course! Just look at the changes in the rankings of Man to know. ‘Shocking for Hundreds of Miles’ Jiang Hengchuan died in Maoling, and Qinglian Gongzi moved up to the top ten. Aren’t these major events?”
Although Jiang Hengchuan’s body was destroyed beyond recognition at the time, traces of his remains were still left. The Six Ministries invited Wang Buchi, known as “Just Right,” to cast a divination based on the collected flesh and blood, revealing his death. Combined with the identification of the flesh and blood by the sect’s extraordinary experts, the news was confirmed, although the identity of the murderer remained unknown.
“A top ten figure in the rankings of Man has perished…” The man who looked like a layman inhaled sharply, looking at the rankings of Man.
His gaze fell exactly at the center of the rankings of Man, where he saw an unfamiliar name.
“Name: Qi Zhengyan.”
“Skills: Seven Orifices, practicing Luoxia Qiushui Sword and Mingyue Chaosheng Sword. During his travels, he encountered a fortunate chance, obtaining the true inheritance of an ancient supreme martial art. Then, with the aid of peculiar crystals, he cultivated a strange true energy. At the Kaitian stage, he could initially mobilize the power of heaven and earth, creating a misty and foggy atmosphere, with cold light freezing people, possessing boundless power. He also possesses an Outer View killing move.”
“Battle Record: Easily defeated ‘Moyunlong’ Fang Bai at the Yanxia Tower in Changchuan, Jiangzhou.”
“Ranking: 26th.”
“Nickname: Descending Demon God.”
“Affiliation: Disciple of Huanhua Sword Sect.”
“He can initially mobilize the power of heaven and earth at the Kaitian stage, comparable to a half-step Outer View cultivator! No wonder he immediately ranked 26th!” the man exclaimed in astonishment, then frowned, “Why is the description so vague? Talking about misty and foggy atmosphere, steaming white fog, it’s not like writing parallel prose. Why not explain specifically what it does? What is the Outer View killing move?”
His attention was mostly on Jiang Hengchuan’s death, so he didn’t dwell on it for long, quickly looking further ahead. Soon, he noticed that “Guardian Sword” Wang Zai had risen to 19th place, and “Five Directions Emperor Blade” had even surged in ranking, surpassing several ahead and now ranked 12th in the Man rankings!
“They say ‘Five Directions Emperor Blade’ Qingyu has mastered an Outer View killing move derived from ‘Emperor of Heaven Treading on Yin and Yang,’ which is why he is ranked 12th in the Man rankings,” the plump wealthy man explained.
The man who looked like a layman nodded slightly, “If that’s the case, it’s only natural. Hmm, why is his introduction so detailed?”
Details like Emperor of Heaven Treading on Yin and Yang, and Fire Emperor Burning the Qian and Kun were all described in detail, forming a stark contrast with Qi Zhengyan’s earlier vague introduction!
Looking further up, he noticed someone who had risen even faster: “Kuang, how did Kuangdao Su Meng suddenly climb so high in the rankings?”
“Name: Su Meng, formerly known by the dharma name Zhen Ding.”
“Skills: Seven Orifices, the level of the Golden Bell Cover is unknown, but it is suspected that he has switched to a similar physical cultivation technique. His spirit is strong, and his strength is astonishing. He wields a sword in his left hand and a saber in his right, his sword techniques are exquisite, and he excels in killing techniques. He has a sword technique as beautiful as a celestial fairy descending from the sky. His saber techniques have mastered the true essence of the first and second moves of the A-nan Breaking Precepts Saber, and he can use them consecutively without activating his blood essence.”
“With the help of his precious weapon, he can also manifest thunder-like Outer View saber moves. When he exerts his full strength, he can unleash a strike nearly equivalent to an Outer View move. Moreover, his saber techniques have reached mastery, his essence refined to perfection, earning him recognition as a master. Additionally, he possesses the ability to summon heavenly lightning.”
Battle Record: Killed the “White-headed Vulture” Anguo Xie; summoned a bolt of heavenly lightning to slay the “Green Jade Hand” Yuan Mengzhi; destroyed Evil Ridge; repelled the “Standing Yama” You Huanduo in a direct confrontation; narrowly defeated the “Guardian Sword” Wang Zai by half a move at the training ground of the Yedu Prefecture Office; at the Jin Garden of Maoling Observation in Jiangzhou, escaped unharmed despite being targeted by the deadly intent of “Shocking for Hundreds of Miles” Jiang Hengchuan, causing the winds and clouds to shift and lightning to flash; within the Dongyang Secondary Mansion, forced the “Calculating Immortal” Wang Siyuan to defend with his sword; narrowly defeated the “Five Directions Emperor Saber” Qingyu on the streets of Changchuan, Jiangzhou…
“Ranking: 11th.”
Nicknames: Kuangdao, Mang Jingang, Thunder Saber Mad Monk.
“Affiliation: A former Shaolin disciple, a wandering martial artist.”
“An attack nearly equivalent to an Outer View move, his saber techniques have reached the level of a master…” the man who looked like a layman muttered in astonishment.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of horse hooves clattering. Turning his head, he saw on the muddy main road covered with remnants of snow, a man in a blue robe galloping hurriedly on horseback. His features appeared ordinary at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they were quite remarkable. His face was tight, and on the slippery road, he kept whipping his horse, clearly in a hurry for some important matter.
The cold wind was sharp, the snow-covered mountains were bleak, the road was dirty, and the rider sped past.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage