“Since the Cui Clan of Pingjin has extended an invitation, I must inform my family beforehand,” Meng Qi did not particularly value his foster family’s opinion, but he wished to make this matter public so that the Cui Clan would restrain themselves if they harbored ill intentions. After all, as a top-tier aristocratic family, they would not want to lose face.
Cui Zhe maintained a smile, seemingly oblivious to Meng Qi’s intent: “That is only appropriate.”
After informing Su Li and Su Yue, Meng Qi followed Cui Zhe onto the carriage.
No sooner had he settled in than he heard a voice: “It’s been over a year since we last met, Zi Yuan. Your progress has been tremendous, cough, quite impressive indeed.”
That familiar cough and that sardonic tone instantly caught Meng Qi’s attention. His eyes flickered as he turned toward the corner of the carriage.
Wang Siyuan?
Before entering, Meng Qi had used his Heaven-Man Unity state to sense the interior. Although he couldn’t detect every minute detail, the layout and aura had been clear—but there had been no trace of Wang Siyuan!
The carriage was carpeted and padded with brocade, not overly ornate, yet comfortable and spacious.
Sitting slightly to Meng Qi’s left front, Wang Siyuan sat behind a small table, his Three Reflections Sword placed horizontally before him. Dressed in white, his delicate features resembled a woman’s, and his frail, sickly demeanor persisted, with frequent coughs and a pale complexion.
Did he detect my true cultivation level? Meng Qi concealed his surprise and forced a smile: “Never thought I’d see the eldest young master Wang in the capital incognito.”
Wang Siyuan watched Cui Zhe sit down, his expression half-smiling: “At the beginning of this year, I felt a sudden urge to stargaze. I noticed the Emperor Star trembling, which piqued my curiosity, so I came to Shen Du to investigate.”
He then broke into a violent cough.
This time, without a maid to pat his back, he coughed for a long while, finally spitting out a thin streak of blood.
“The Emperor Star trembling…” Meng Qi furrowed his brow, repeating the words. Unfortunately, the great ‘fortune-teller’ Wang remained silent, offering no further explanation.
Each lost in their own thoughts, the carriage slowly rolled forward, passing through the outer city and into the inner city, finally arriving at the Marquis Cui’s Mansion, where they met the elder Cui Zhe had mentioned.
He appeared middle-aged, with a short beard beneath his chin, dressed in wide-sleeved robes and an ancient-style tall hat, exuding a scholarly elegance. His hands were tucked within his sleeves, adding a casual air. Most striking were his two broken eyebrows. As for his cultivation strength, it was vast and mighty, like purple qi obscuring the sun, making his depth unfathomable.
“Uncle Third, Zi Yuan has arrived,” Cui Zhe bowed, revealing the identity of the person seated above to Meng Qi:
Cui San Ye, acting Clan Head, Cui Qingyu!
He and Cui Qinghe were rare examples of two brothers both achieving great power—one at the peak of Outlying Realm, the other at Dharma Body—ushering in an unprecedented golden age for the Cui Clan.
Cui Qingyu smiled kindly: “I apologize for the sudden invitation; please don’t take offense, young master.”
“Senior, why say such words? It would be this junior’s honor to be of any help,” Meng Qi returned the bow.
Cui Qingyu nodded: “You must be wondering why the Holy Emperor’s Demon Decree involves our Cui family.”
He spoke frankly without the slightest concealment, seemingly not plotting a coup as Meng Qi had suspected.
“I would be honored to hear the details,” Meng Qi replied solemnly.
Cui Qingyu extended his hands, which faintly resembled jade, and caressed the long sword resting on his knees: “Our Cui family has always opposed the Nine Evil Paths, so one of our juniors changed identities and became a wandering member of the Luo Sect. Several months ago, he suddenly contacted our secret agent in South Province, saying the Luo Sect had a major scheme and that he had stolen a crucial item, requesting assistance.”
“Due to the urgency and danger, his message was vague. Our forces in South Province were too weak to respond promptly. By the time our experts arrived, he had already been murdered by the river.”
“Later, we received a secret letter from the Chief Constable of the Zhongzhou Escort Agency, explaining that he had used himself as bait to distract the Luo Sect members, entrusting the crucial item to the Zhongzhou Escort Agency for delivery to Shen Du.”
Meng Qi nodded slightly. He had always wondered how the Zhongzhou Escort Agency became involved. However, the Cui junior had been clever, avoiding sending the item directly to Pingjin, Di Province, instead making the agency appear to be returning to Shen Du, thus preventing the Luo Sect and Heaven-Annihilation Gate from detecting anything prematurely.
Cui Qingyu sighed: “At the time, fearing discovery, the entrusted item underwent many detours, so even the Chief Constable of the Zhongzhou Escort Agency didn’t know the Luo Sect and Heaven-Annihilation Gate’s exact intentions, only knowing the item was crucial and related to our Cui family. Thus, he heroically accepted the mission. It wasn’t until last night, receiving news from the Six Ministries, that we learned the item was half of the Holy Emperor’s Demon Decree, finally clearing our confusion.”
“Because of the previous uncertainty, we became paranoid, hiding and evading, even enlisting Wen Xian to track it, causing you to laugh at us.”
Hearing Cui Qingyu’s thorough explanation, Meng Qi’s many doubts were dispelled. This matter indeed involved numerous parties.
“Given that our Cui junior risked exposing his identity, the matter must be grave. Please, young master, recount the details of last night’s battle,” Cui Qingyu requested without arrogance.
Meng Qi had nothing to hide and recounted the previous night’s events in full.
Cui Qingyu stroked his short beard, listening intently. Finally, he said: “Few can wield the Holy Emperor’s Demon Decree; there may well be accomplices within the Six Ministries…”
How perceptive… Meng Qi inwardly admired.
After a few more exchanges, Cui Qingyu prepared to handle the matter, thus ending the meeting with a polite gesture.
Wang Siyuan remained at the Cui residence, while Cui Zhe personally escorted Meng Qi back.
The carriage slowly rolled along the long street, Cui Zhe chatting casually with Meng Qi about travels, martial arts experiences, and the sights of Shen Du.
As Cui Zhe pointed toward a centuries-old pastry shop, Meng Qi caught sight of someone from the corner of his eye—Qi Zhengyan, dressed in plain blue robes, his face unremarkable.
He walked cautiously, frequently using passersby to conceal himself, seemingly tailing someone.
But he soon stopped, frowning, apparently having lost his target.
Curious, Meng Qi bowed to Cui Zhe: “Brother Cui, please don’t see me off. I’ve spotted an old friend; I’ll catch up later.”
Cui Zhe returned the bow gracefully: “See you at the Qionghua Banquet.”
His eyes subtly gleamed with fighting spirit, unshaken by Meng Qi’s slaying of the Wolf King.
“Great!” Meng Qi leapt from the carriage, heading toward Qi Zhengyan.
He had originally planned to playfully tap Qi Zhengyan’s shoulder to startle him, but while still a few steps away, Qi Zhengyan turned, sensing his presence.
His Huntuan Precious Mirror had reached the Heaven-Man Resonance stage, granting such sharp perception… Meng Qi inwardly marveled, smiling: “Senior Brother Qi, what brings you to leisurely stroll here?”
From Ruan Yushu, Meng Qi knew Zhao Heng had secretly enlisted the help of the Gong Sun family to assist Qi Zhengyan’s infiltration into the Qionghua Banquet.
Qi Zhengyan’s frown did not ease: “Let’s talk while walking.”
Understanding his meaning, Meng Qi invited him to a nearby teahouse.
No sooner had they entered than numerous gazes turned toward Meng Qi. That distinctive odd-shaped long blade, his striking appearance, and his masculine, heroic aura unmistakably revealed his identity!
“Mad Blade!”
“Top of the Human Rankings?”
“The Mad Blade who slew the Wolf King!”
Shouts of surprise erupted, with some even rising to greet him as he passed, greatly satisfying Meng Qi’s desire for public recognition. He thus feigned modesty, nodding in response.
Climbing upstairs, the two secured a quiet private room.
“I recently attended a banquet at the Gong Sun residence. On my return, I accidentally encountered someone,” Qi Zhengyan, despite both having scanned the surroundings with their senses to prevent eavesdropping, chose to communicate through secret sound projection.
“Who?” Meng Qi knew Qi Zhengyan never joked; if he took this seriously, there must be a compelling reason.
Qi Zhengyan hesitated slightly: “During my travels, I had some strange encounters. Once, during a fierce battle with the mythic ‘Blessed Heaven Official,’ I briefly glimpsed a bit of his ‘true’ self beneath his disguise. Just now, I encountered someone vaguely familiar, suspecting it might be the Blessed Heaven Official.”
Meng Qi had long known mythic figures were active here, but how rare was the opportunity to pinpoint a specific member?
Thus, he asked solemnly: “Did you lose him? What did he look like?”
“He was already a seasoned Half-Step to the Outlying Realm over a year ago. Now, he must be nearing the Outlying Realm. Therefore, he sensed my presence and vanished at a crossroads,” Qi Zhengyan recounted the incident. “He appears around thirty, unremarkable features, short and stout, with a mole beneath his right eyebrow.”
Meng Qi nodded slightly: “I’ll ask trustworthy people for help. You also ask Zhao Lao Wu to search secretly.”
Currently, the Six Ministries might harbor mythic members, so Meng Qi planned to seek only “Blood Fang Divine Catcher” Yuan Lihuo, also known as Guangcheng Heavenly Venerable, for assistance.
After chatting briefly, they exited the private room but had not yet descended the stairs when they encountered someone ascending—handsome, with a slightly curved jawline, steady demeanor, and a silver badge at his waist. It was none other than last year’s Martial Arts Champion, Fan Changmiao!
Meng Qi had only met him once, smiling slightly: “What a coincidence! I’ve run into Brother Champion.”
Unaware of the Shen Du rumors, Meng Qi’s words carried no hidden meaning, merely playful banter. However, those around instantly recognized him by his attire and appearance, reacting with amused laughter.
Calling Fan Changmiao ‘Brother Champion’—wasn’t that openly mocking him?
They grew excited, hoping to witness a battle between top human-ranked fighters!
Fan Changmiao replied impassively: “I have an appointment here with someone.”
The cultivation technique he practiced seemed of no low rank. Even with Meng Qi’s Heaven-Man Unity state, he couldn’t discern Fan’s true depth, only roughly judging him to be at the Heaven-Man Resonance stage. Thus, Meng Qi held no contempt.
As Meng Qi prepared to exchange pleasantries, someone emerged from another private room, calling out: “Changmiao, over here.”
This man was tall and imposing, his appearance mighty, yet his demeanor as steady as a mountain. Despite his full beard, he exuded no recklessness. As for his strength, Meng Qi couldn’t fathom it, but it was certainly at the Outlying Realm level.
Fan Changmiao smiled, introducing: “This is the head of the Gu family from Ningzhou, my senior uncle.”
Although he had never left Zhongzhou, his elders naturally had connections from other regions.
Unfamiliar with each other, Meng Qi greeted them and prepared to leave, when Fan Changmiao, without any change in expression, said: “At the Qionghua Banquet, please, Master Su, offer more guidance.”
Whispers of excitement rippled through the crowd. A show was coming! The Qionghua Banquet would truly be worth anticipating!
Although sensing Fan Changmiao was neither arrogant nor rash, Meng Qi still felt confident, laughing heartily: “Gladly, though I dare not presume.”
In the following days, Doumu Yuanjun completed her recovery and quietly departed. Guangcheng Heavenly Venerable secretly searched for Gu Xiaosang and the Blessed Heaven Official, while Meng Qi cultivated himself, awaiting the Qionghua Banquet.
Unknowingly, August arrived, and the Qionghua Banquet commenced.
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