For thousands of years, the attainment of the Dharma Body had declined, with only a handful achieving it. Even Su Wuming had lingered at the threshold of the Dharma Body for many years, and whether he could successfully attain the Dao and ascend as an immortal remained uncertain. Now, a mere youth dares to boast so loudly, claiming to directly point toward the Dharma Body?
Among those who ranked first on the Human List throughout history, only one or two had achieved such a feat. Hadn’t the vast majority been stuck at the External Scenery stage?
He Jiu and Wang Siyuan had ascended to great heights, yet they had never made such bold claims!
Therefore, in the hearts of the Su family members, all they felt was an overwhelming arrogance. Only Su Zi Yue’s eyes sparkled with admiration. In the eyes of a young girl like her, her second elder brother truly walked an unconventional path, scorning titles and family wealth, aiming far beyond the petty, scheming scions of noble families around her. Truly heroic and bold!
That was the true way of the arrogant saber!
That was the true Human List’s number one!
Upon hearing Meng Qi’s final words, the Divine Marquis Su Li frowned and said, “Nonsense! Your mother is naturally still buried in her original resting place!”
He assumed Meng Qi implied that the Su family had moved her grave to an undesirable location.
“Not returning home for many years, I no longer recognize the way,” Meng Qi replied calmly. The more evasive one became in such situations, the more suspicion it would arouse. Fortunately, he had the excuse of having been away for several years.
Su Li glanced at the young man beside him: “Zihua, take your younger brother to pay respects.”
This young man was in his early twenties, bearing a resemblance to Su Li, though taller in stature, with a gloomy temperament and a quiet demeanor.
“Yes, Father,” Su Zihua replied softly, his voice smooth like jade.
He nodded slightly and led Meng Qi out of the main house.
Before they had completely left the courtyard, Meng Qi faintly heard Ke Weilan sneer: “Returning home, he doesn’t first pay respects to the ancestors but instead goes to clean the grave of his concubine mother. What a fine Su family man he is…”
Her hostility was the most obvious… Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully.
Throughout the journey, Su Zihua remained mostly silent, leading Meng Qi out of the Marquis’s mansion, taking a carriage to the estate outside the city, and then walking toward the graveyard.
“This is it…” Su Zihua pointed at a solitary grave.
This grave was at the edge of the cemetery, with no other graves nearby, matching the description given by the man with the horse-like face. The weeds had been meticulously cleared by the servants, showing evident care.
Gazing at the inscription “Tang Clan” on the tombstone, Meng Qi let out a sigh, collected his emotions, and paid solemn respects to his biological mother. It was through her blessings that he had caught his master’s attention. Without proper guidance, his martial arts progress would have been sluggish, and he likely would have perished during a cycle mission.
“Now that your lineage has flourished and my name resounds throughout the land, you may truly rest in peace…” As he bowed repeatedly, Meng Qi’s robes fluttered lightly, his heart calm and steady.
Suddenly, he felt Su Zihua step beside him and also pay his respects.
“Be careful of Fifth Uncle,” Su Zihua murmured, almost to himself, his voice barely audible.
Fifth Uncle? Golden-Eyed Constable Su Yue? Meng Qi did not turn his head either, slowly rising to his feet: “Shouldn’t it be Ke Weilan instead?”
Upon hearing this, Su Zihua was momentarily stunned. He actually addressed her by name directly—truly bold and unrestrained!
Composing his emotions, Su Zihua’s lips curled into a faint sneer: “Her? There’s no need for me to warn you; you’ll be cautious of her on your own.”
“She’s already lost her mind. If not for your identity remaining hidden for these past few years and Father doing his best to keep it from her, she might have already done something outrageous. But in the capital, you needn’t worry about her.”
As Meng Qi was about to ask further, Su Zihua had already straightened up and returned to the carriage, resuming his usual silent demeanor, unwilling to say more.
“Suffering from a hidden ailment, occasionally lapsing into madness…” Watching Su Zihua’s retreating figure, Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brow, pondering.
Without further conversation, Meng Qi returned to the main house of the Su family.
Inside the grand hall, everyone had already taken their seats, but the seat of honor was not occupied by Su Li, the Divine Marquis, but by an elderly lady leaning on a dragon-headed cane.
She was none other than Su Li’s mother, Lady Bai Jingluo, a legitimate daughter of the Bai family in the capital. Her hair remained jet black, and her face showed no wrinkles. If not for her more somber attire, resembling that of an elderly woman, no one would guess she was in her eighties.
“Grandmother…” Su Zihua respectfully bowed, prompting a slight frown from the elderly lady.
However, she quickly shifted her gaze toward Meng Qi.
Meng Qi did not speak but respectfully performed a bow to the elder, neither humble nor arrogant.
“Good,” the elderly lady suddenly praised, her voice similarly youthful. “Throughout the generations of the Su family, no one has ever become the top of the Human List. To witness such an outstanding grandson, I can die in peace. The Su bloodline is no worse than anyone else’s!”
Compared to Su Li and Su Yue, the elderly lady seemed more approachable and kind.
At that moment, Ke Weilan raised her head, feigning dissatisfaction: “If my child had been born healthy, he wouldn’t necessarily be inferior to him. No, he carries the dual bloodline of both the Su and Ke families, so his talent should be superior…”
Her tone was calm, yet it sent chills down Meng Qi’s spine.
The events of the past were truly difficult to judge right or wrong—a murky mess… Meng Qi glanced upward at the elaborately decorated hall, inexplicably feeling a sense of eeriness. The deep, dark secrets of noble families…
The elderly lady’s voice grew stern: “Weilan, let bygones be bygones. No one wanted the accident…”
Before she could finish speaking, Meng Qi suddenly let out a long laugh: “Talent?”
Everyone in the hall turned their gaze toward him, unsure of what he was about to say.
“If we’re talking about lineage, my maternal uncle is a rare genius, having reached the Internal-External Convergence at a young age. Now he’s already at the peak of the External Scenery stage. The Tang bloodline is no worse than the Ke family’s,” Meng Qi seemed to be defending the Tang family.
Xuan Bei… Su Yue, Su Li, and others slightly narrowed their eyes.
Ke Weilan stood up, her gaze burning like fire, wishing to incinerate the person before her: “How dare you compare the Ke family to a lowly servant girl’s family?”
“Lowly servant girl’s family?” Meng Qi laughed heartily. “Most noble families in the capital are indulging in luxury, narrow-minded, unaware of heroes beyond their wells, and each generation grows weaker than the last. Does the Ke family have any promising young talents these days? It may appear glorious and flourishing, but it’s nothing more than gilded decay!”
Ke Weilan’s face twisted: “You dare to belittle this generation of Ke family experts?”
Meng Qi stopped laughing, hands behind his back, calmly replying: “Even if I do belittle them, so what?”
“I said it, and they must bear it!”
His tone was decisive and unyielding, causing Su Zi Yu and others to suddenly realize—he was the current number one on the Human List, the undisputed strongest among the younger generation. As for those who had already become Perfect Half-Step or External Scenery experts, they belonged to a different realm and need not be mentioned—If the Ke family had similar figures, they would have already appeared on the Human List!
Moreover, most importantly, Su Siyuan had not yet turned twenty. At this age, at this level, with such strength, even He Jiu and Wang Siyuan had not matched him in their youth!
Ke Weilan’s eyes blazed, her hands clenched tightly, and the surrounding air suddenly grew heavy.
Meng Qi showed no fear, meeting her gaze head-on. His attention, however, was on observing Su Yue and others’ reactions. Since the Ke family could not be appeased, he might as well stir up trouble and secretly observe the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.
As Su Li, the head of the household, was about to reprimand and mediate, he saw the elderly lady slightly shake her head.
What did that mean? How could he allow them to clash? Su Li was first startled, then suddenly understood—it was using the pressure from the Ke family to force Zi Yuan to return home!
The Ke family boasted a Grandmaster-level figure, one of the Eight Divine Constables, wielding immense influence within the Six Gates. If Zi Yuan thoroughly offended them, he would inevitably face endless troubles and hardships in the future. Though Xuan Bei was formidable, he couldn’t constantly shield this orphan of Shaolin—especially when many issues amounted to mere suppression and harassment. At that point, the Su family could step in to offer protection and win back his loyalty.
Although the Su family couldn’t rival the Ke family, they still had one of the Divine Constables, with years of influence in the Imperial Guards and the Six Gates, making their power not to be underestimated.
Was it worth offending the Ke family alliance for a potential genius? Su Li narrowed his eyes, instinctively glancing at his half-brother, only to see Su Yue still smiling, showing no hint of his thoughts.
If everything went smoothly, in a dozen years, the Su family would have their own Grandmaster…
As they were deep in thought, hesitating and weighing their options, Ke Weilan had already taken a step forward, and the grand hall seemed to gather a fierce wind:
“Say it again!”
“Mother, Second Brother didn’t mean…” Su Zi Yue hastily tried to explain.
Suddenly, she felt a warmth on her shoulder as someone gently patted her. Turning around, she saw her second elder brother smiling calmly, showing not the slightest panic.
“If you’re not convinced, I welcome any challenge from the Ke family’s younger generation,” Meng Qi said calmly, ready to face them head-on.
Seeing this, the corners of the elderly lady’s lips slightly lifted, as if smiling.
Suddenly, a servant rushed in urgently: “My Lord, My Lady, an invitation has arrived—for the second young master, inviting him to a banquet tonight.”
“Whose invitation?” Su Li asked gravely.
“It’s from the Ministry of Revenue’s Wang family,” the servant respectfully replied.
Su Li abruptly stood up: “The Wang family of the Ministry of Revenue? The one recently entered the Council of State Affairs?”
He hadn’t yet adjusted to the new title.
This was none other than the youngest Grandmaster of the Wang family from Zhou County, not only a pillar of the great clans but also highly trusted by the Emperor!
—Although the Wang family of Zhou County, who followed the teachings of the Sages, was also monitored by the imperial court, being dissatisfied with their authority in the local regions, compared to other great clans, they were more trustworthy.
Wang Zai’s father? Did Wang Zai’s elder brother come to the capital as well? Meng Qi was slightly surprised.
Before the servant could answer, another person rushed in: “My Lord, My Lady, the Langya Marquisate has sent an invitation for the second young master to attend a banquet.”
“Langya Marquisate?” The elderly lady couldn’t help but murmur. In her prime, it was during the time when the semi-Dharma Body expert, Old Master Ruan of Langya, presided over the Council of State Affairs. She still vividly remembered his imposing presence, even leaving a shadow in her heart.
—Each of the great clans had their own marquisate in the capital, but since Wang Zai’s father was not the legitimate heir and held a high position, the invitation was sent in his own name.
Looking at Meng Qi again, her gaze had already changed. Even without the protection of the Su family, would Su Siyuan fear the Ke family?
The Wang family of Zhou County and the Ruan family of Langya seemed to value him greatly…
They had previously thought it was merely a matter of friendship, but now, upon his arrival in the capital, they had already set up a banquet to invite him, clearly showing their high regard!
He was of clean background and immense potential. If he were to marry into or become a guest expert of any family, who wouldn’t welcome him?
What was that little glutton up to… Meng Qi was a bit confused, but he could clearly feel the growing shock and caution in the eyes of everyone in the hall. Even Ke Weilan had reined in her anger, watching in astonishment.
Of course, there were also glances of envy, jealousy, and admiration.
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