“What is it? Only after you tell me can I decide whether I can agree or not,” Meng Qi said calmly, his eyes showing a hint of pity.
It wasn’t that he sympathized with Sikong Tu, the King of Thieves, but rather he felt a sense of lamentation. Sikong Tu was quite formidable among those at the threshold of the semi-external realm. He had fought five draws with Qinglian, the young master, and with his superb concealment skills, exceptional lightness kung fu, secret techniques, mastery of mechanisms and hidden weapons, and his ability to disguise himself, he had an extremely strong survival capability. He had repeatedly committed thefts in Jiangdong and remained free.
Yet even such a figure had met his end due to a single misstep, his wish unfulfilled. The martial world is indeed perilous, and one’s fate is often beyond personal control.
But Meng Qi had no choice. Trapped in the cycle of reincarnation, he had to wander the martial world, improving himself through trials or he would surely die during missions. At least for now, his sole goal was to grow stronger and survive. Only then could he hope to resurrect Senior Brother Zhang and uncover the secrets of the Six Dao, ultimately escaping the cycle of reincarnation.
Of course, had the banquet not piqued Meng Qi’s interest, his original intention was to find a city where he could quietly cultivate for half a year. He had recently absorbed too much knowledge and needed time to digest it rather than face further trials. For instance, through the first volume of the “Sutra of the Golden Body,” he could gradually elevate the quality of techniques such as the Undying Seal Art, the Lone Sword of Heaven, and the Phantom Demon Steps. He could also study the first move of the “Tathagata Divine Palm,” further master techniques like “Heaven and Earth Collapse,” “Immovable Golden Lotus,” “Three Treasures Fist,” and “Heavenly Thunder Five Lightning Strike,” and, in conjunction with the “Sutra of the Golden Body,” strive to open the ninth acupoint to complete the seventh stage of the Golden Bell Cover and fully transition to the Eighty-Nine Mysteries.
Sikong Tu was unaware that Meng Qi already knew about him. In his final moments, he summoned his remaining strength and said, “Ah, for a moment of greed, I thought I had found a rare opportunity. I planned to lure in two groups of people, hoping to benefit from both sides and raise the price. But who knew they were all like wolves and tigers, and there were hawks and demons watching me. Ha ha, cautious all my life, free all my life, yet in the end, I still died because of greed.”
He was already at death’s door, barely able to move. If not for using secret techniques and burning his soul, he might not even have been able to speak.
“Rare opportunity?” Meng Qi feigned ignorance.
“In the martial world, the greatest mistake is to seek danger…” Sikong Tu sighed. “I found a secret tomb in the Valley of the Dead and unearthed an artifact forged by the last dynasty’s Emperor Ai. It gathers the fortune of the human race, enhances the emperor’s fate, and imitates the aura of the Human Emperor’s Sword. It is called the ‘True Emperor’s Seal.'”
“For ordinary people, it’s of little use. However, anyone with the emperor’s fate or cultivating human path techniques would find it an invaluable treasure. For the former, it enhances fortune, making the intangible fortune stronger, bringing occasional lucky encounters while their enemies suffer misfortunes. For the latter, it can significantly boost their power and help them break through barriers.”
“Back then, Emperor Ai seemed to want to stabilize the dynasty’s fortune with the ‘True Emperor’s Seal,’ but it is no match for the Human Emperor’s Sword. In his final moments, he could not resist the overwhelming tide.”
As Sikong Tu spoke, the still-muscular half of his face twisted, as if he were trying to suppress extreme pain. Feeling pity, Meng Qi added, “You had no use for it, so you sent a message to the capital, inviting the Crown Prince and Prince Jin to come to Ying City, hoping to negotiate with both sides for greater profit?”
“How did you know?” Sikong Tu was slightly surprised. At this moment, he was fully focused on fighting pain, fearing he might die before he could explain clearly, which would be a regretful end.
“Prince Jin resides in the Mi family, and the Crown Prince stays at Puxian Studio. These are not secrets to those who pay attention,” Meng Qi vaguely explained.
Sikong Tu smiled bitterly, “Yes, there are very few people qualified and desperate enough to use the ‘True Emperor’s Seal.’ A fine horse must meet its connoisseur to be worth a thousand pieces of gold, but this connoisseur is a deadly one.”
“I originally planned to retire after this last heist, living peacefully with my wife and children. So I intended to make a big profit, allowing my son to walk the righteous path, joining the Hua Shan Sword Sect. With the treasures I left him, he could become a true expert, no longer living in fear or dying on the roadside.”
His emotions were complex, seemingly lamenting that he would not see his son grow up.
The martial world is perilous, but disciples of great sects and noble families often live better and longer lives, dying peacefully in old age.
Generally, those who say they will retire after one last job or go home to marry often end up dead… Meng Qi remained silent, watching Sikong Tu, waiting for him to reveal his request.
“Ai, greed harms people. I’ve come to this end; I can blame no one,” Sikong Tu’s gaze was full of affection. “Since I’m about to die, I must leave something for my wife and children. Friend, I ask you to sell the ‘True Emperor’s Seal’ to one of the two princes. You can take half of the proceeds, and the rest should be sent to my home.”
Meng Qi chuckled, “You can’t even move now. Aren’t you afraid I’ll just take it by force?”
“Who carries a treasure on their person when going to negotiate a price?” Sikong Tu’s eyes were clear as he met Meng Qi’s gaze without flinching. “If you try to take it by force, I can ensure mutual destruction, and no one will ever find the ‘True Emperor’s Seal’!”
He inhaled deeply, enduring extreme pain, “I know this is dangerous, not just because of the two princes, but also other mysterious forces. It’s hard to navigate between them, and a single misstep could lead to my fate. But if you don’t get greedy and quickly decide on a buyer, there’s still a good chance you can leave safely with the reward.”
“But neither of the two princes are kind-hearted people. Once you take their favors, you might not be able to leave,” Meng Qi said calmly, a faint smile on his face, showing no sign of tension.
Sikong Tu nodded, “Yes, this task is dangerous. Please think carefully, but do it quickly. I don’t have much time left.”
He added, “The Crown Prince is better, as he devoutly believes in Buddhism and Taoism and won’t be too ruthless if given a choice.”
Meng Qi hesitated for a moment and said, “Alright, I, Su Qi, will take on this matter.”
His quick agreement left Sikong Tu feeling somewhat surreal. He looked at Meng Qi in astonishment, “You won’t reconsider? This is very dangerous!”
“Fortune favors the bold,” Meng Qi replied impassively.
Sikong Tu, already at death’s door, lacked the energy and time to explore the reasons behind Meng Qi’s eagerness. He took a deep breath and said, “I don’t know your honorable name. Please make a soul oath.”
“My name is Su Meng,” Meng Qi exhaled.
Sikong Tu’s pupils contracted, “The Crazy Blade? That explains it…”
With strength naturally comes the qualification to seek fortune amidst danger!
“Su Qi, I entrust you with selling the ‘True Emperor’s Seal’ to one of the princes and obtaining something worthy of its value…” Meng Qi began to make his soul oath.
Just then, Sikong Tu’s slightly brown pupils suddenly became deep and unfathomable, with tiny points of brilliant light appearing within them, forming lines like constellations in the cosmos.
Suddenly, Meng Qi lost all sense of his surroundings, as if he were in an indescribable void, surrounded by chaos. Lines of starlight pierced through the chaos and plunged back into it, appearing and disappearing intermittently, sometimes twisting into knots.
In front of him, Sikong Tu’s figure floated, with lines of starlight radiating outward like a spider’s web.
He stared at Meng Qi, and his voice echoed in the void, “Don’t worry, this is just a minor trick, a causal technique I obtained from excavating a tomb. I fear that Mr. Su might not do your best, so I will transfer this karma to you while you willingly accept it. If you fail to complete the task, the entanglement of karma will make it difficult for you to manifest the inner scene in the future.”
Since you can make a soul oath, you must be willing.
The transfer of karma…
Benefiting from you, inheriting your karma…
A sudden insight while impersonating the second young master of the Tang Clan surfaced again, even clearer. Meng Qi seemed to touch upon the mystery of the last move of Ananda’s Broken Precept Blade Technique, “Involving Karma,” which was an unstoppable blade technique!
Meng Qi paused his oath and said solemnly, “I can forgo half the reward and only take this secret technique!”
With this technique, the mastery of “Involving Karma” would no longer be elusive!
The Master of the Six Dao Reincarnation certainly had similar secret techniques, but with countless items on the exchange list, it would be extremely difficult to find without any clues!
“…Ha, alright! My wife also knows this technique; you can obtain it with the reward from exchanging the ‘True Emperor’s Seal,'” Sikong Tu first hesitated, then laughed.
Crack! A sound from the void echoed, and a brilliant star line broke off from Sikong Tu’s body, slowly drifting toward Meng Qi. At this speed, Meng Qi had ample opportunity and ability to dodge and escape, but he did not move, quietly waiting for it.
The weight of karma pressed upon him, and suddenly Meng Qi’s mind was filled with the images of the Crown Prince, Prince Jin, and others, as well as the appearances and residence of Sikong Tu’s wife and children, as if he now completely understood everything, with all karma belonging to himself!
Meng Qi’s aura changed accordingly, the Eighty-Nine naturally operating, and his entire presence felt very much like Sikong Tu.
With your karma, naturally, you can imitate you!
Sikong Tu’s eyes widened in disbelief, almost feeling as if he were looking in a mirror.
What’s going on? He had no time to think, as he had already fallen into darkness.
Indeed, the secret technique of karma was unfathomable. Sikong Tu was truly not someone to be judged by appearances alone, no wonder he had escaped from Gu Xiaosang’s ambush… Meng Qi opened his eyes just in time to see Sikong Tu burst into flames without any external cause, dark fire erupting from within and quickly reducing him to ashes, likely due to the backlash of transferring his karma.
Soon, only a small golden seal remained at the scene. Sikong Tu had indeed lied—he had carried the “True Emperor’s Seal” with him all along!
The small seal was engraved with scenes of agriculture, forestry, fishing, animal husbandry, and landscapes of mountains and rivers on its four sides. Although small, it gave a feeling of immense weight, like a mountain. Meng Qi gazed at this “culprit” behind the turbulent undercurrents in Ying City, feeling a sense of unreality.
Others may have searched high and low without success, while he had obtained it effortlessly…
His mind began to wander, conjuring up one scene after another:
He would impersonate Sikong Tu, continue to stir up the undercurrents in Ying City with the “True Emperor’s Seal,” and find an opportunity to incite battles between the Crown Prince, Prince Jin, Mythos, and the Luo Sect, making them fight fiercely like dogs tearing each other apart!
And he, as the hidden hand behind the scenes, would sit with a wine glass in hand, watching their life-and-death struggles from afar!
Lost in the thrill of his thoughts, Meng Qi couldn’t help but smile, then wiped his lips and straightened his expression, silently assuring the “True Emperor’s Seal,” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Old Five Zhao pays a good price for you.”
As pleasant as these thoughts were, he was ultimately not a reckless person. Why take unnecessary risks when there was a safer and more secure choice? Why provoke conflicts among experts in the martial world at the cost of his life?
After all, the soul oath and the core of the karma were simply to sell the “True Emperor’s Seal”—who the buyer was didn’t matter at all!
Moreover, if Sikong Tu no longer appeared and the “True Emperor’s Seal” vanished, the Crown Prince, Prince Jin, and Mythos would likely suspect each other of having obtained it, leading to probes and conflicts.
Heh, for the next few days, I’ll hide the “Imperial Jade Seal” and watch the storm brew with a smile!
(Note: “风云” is idiomatically translated as “storm brew” to convey the sense of unfolding events and turmoil. “True Emperor’s Seal” is rendered as “Imperial Jade Seal,” a more culturally recognizable term in English for the historical Chinese artifact.)
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