Chapter 59: The Reward

Standing at the bow of the boat, Duan Xiangfei had a thin face and an unhurried demeanor. He didn’t resemble a martial arts expert; instead, he looked more like a learned scholar. However, at this moment, his face showed deep fatigue, and the lines around his eyes revealed his helplessness.

“It is indeed this old man,” he sighed, clasping his hands together. His small boat seemed to have suddenly taken on a thousand-pound stone, sinking abruptly and slowing down, sailing side by side with the larger boat Meng Qi was on.

Meng Qi narrowed his eyes, assessing the strength of these seven Grandmasters. Just from this display, he could tell that unless he played all his hidden cards, he wouldn’t gain the upper hand—there was quite a gap in cultivation levels: “Xian Yin, are you joking with me? In this world, is there anything you cannot accomplish?”

He imitated the method used earlier by “Shen Hou,” deliberately lowering his voice and making it hoarse. This way, even familiar acquaintances wouldn’t recognize him. After all, Shen Hou also used a disguised voice.

Duan Xiangfei shook his head with a bitter smile: “Human strength has its limits. In this vast world, there are countless things this old man cannot do. At the very least, the fleeting nature of youth and the whitening of a beauty’s hair cannot be reversed by human effort. Mr. Shen Hou, if this old man hadn’t been forced into it, why would I ever want to deal with you ‘Twelve Divine Beasts’?”

“Huh, I’m actually interested in something that could leave Xian Yin helpless,” Meng Qi naturally wanted to accept the mission, though he couldn’t appear overly eager, lest Duan suspect him and undo all his efforts.

Duan Xiangfei sighed: “This old man had a son late in life and spoiled him too much. He never applied himself to either literary or martial pursuits, only indulging in gathering friends, living a life of luxury and excess. If it had continued like this, it would have been fine—this old man had enough wealth for him to squander. But then, calamity fell from the sky. Six months ago, my son disappeared in Tianding City, and since then, there has been no news of him. Mr. Shen Hou, you should have heard of this matter. I beg you to accept my plea, find that disobedient son—alive, I must see him; dead, I must see his remains.”

As he spoke the last eight words, his face twitched slightly.

As Meng Qi listened, something seemed off: “Xian Yin, with your martial arts ability and status in the martial arts world, if you spread the word, countless heroes would be willing to help. If there is a hidden hand manipulating things behind the scenes, how could it possibly stand against you?”

Duan Xiangfei remained silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly with a tone of deep weariness: “If I could do that, why would this old man go to such great lengths to track down your whereabouts?”

He raised his right hand, revealing a palm missing its five fingers: “Most of my life’s cultivation has been in sword techniques, but five years ago, I lost by a single move, and someone severed the fingers of my right hand. If this news were to spread, inevitably enemies and rivals would come knocking. Therefore, after my son disappeared, I pretended to be angry, accusing him of straying from the righteous path, claiming he had brought it upon himself, severing all ties as father and son. I also used the excuse of having long since retired from martial affairs, refusing any requests for help.”

“Of course, ultimately, I have already reached this level of cultivation. If any enemies do come, I can still ensure mutual destruction.”

He spoke calmly, as if recounting someone else’s story. Then he smiled slightly: “For that disobedient son, this old man has no choice but to take a risk and tell you this. Sigh, as one grows old, one no longer cares much for martial prestige or strength, only hoping for peace and safety for one’s descendants, free from disaster.”

“Someone actually managed to sever your right hand’s five fingers?” Meng Qi asked in slight astonishment. If Shen Hou were here, he would probably react similarly. As one of the Seven Grandmasters of the world, Duan Xiangfei’s strength was absolutely at the highest level. Yet someone had managed to sever his right fingers, destroying years of painstaking cultivation in sword techniques. Just how terrifying must his opponent have been?

Duan Xiangfei’s eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a trace of his former dominance across the land: “This old man also never imagined there could be such an expert in the world. He must have already unlocked three secret treasuries of the body and approached the boundary of human and divine…”

“You don’t know who it was, Xian Yin? How could such a figure remain unknown in the martial world?” Meng Qi asked in confusion.

Duan Xiangfei shook his head: “This person seemed to have suddenly emerged from a stone, having no reputation before challenging me, and disappearing completely afterward. He wasn’t any of the well-known martial experts. It was extremely strange. This actually reminds me somewhat of your ‘Twelve Divine Beasts.’ Hehe, at the time, this old man even suspected he might be ‘Chen Long,’ the leader of your ‘Twelve Divine Beasts.'”

“As for that, I really don’t know…” Meng Qi raised his eyebrows slightly as he listened. Someone whose origins were unknown, who had no prior reputation, did something, and then disappeared—this description sounded strangely familiar. Wait a second, wasn’t this exactly like me? A cycle warrior completing a mission!

The more Meng Qi thought about it, the more convinced he became of this possibility. For example, Gu Xiaosang was clearly not on the same team as himself and had her own cycle space. Later, there was an accident, and to prevent unexpected complications, she temporarily disguised herself as a novice using a mysterious item.

Yes, five years ago, and then afterward he vanished—this cycle warrior must have already completed his mission and left. No need to worry about it anymore.

Duan Xiangfei wasn’t actually investigating who his opponent was back then. After explaining the reason, he directly asked: “Mr. Shen Hou, I wonder what kind of reward would make you willing to accept this task?”

Meng Qi had no idea about the “pricing standards” of the “Twelve Divine Beasts,” so he could only laugh sinisterly: “That depends on what Xian Yin can offer!”

“This old man’s most precious possession is naturally my martial cultivation techniques. If Mr. Shen Hou doesn’t mind, after the task is completed, this old man will be willing to copy for you the ‘Observing the Waves Manual,’ the ‘White Horse Galloping Sword Method,’ and my years of insights.”

“Years of insights? Including the secrets of the body’s hidden chambers?”

Meng Qi already knew from Duan Xiangfei’s previous words that there were three secret chambers within the human body. This was quite different from the cultivation methods of the Qi-opening stage. It appeared that people in this world had taken a different path. Even though he had chosen the Golden Bell Armor and the Qi-opening path, he might not be able to open the secret chambers simultaneously. Still, it would be good to see other people’s paths, as it would allow him to gather insights from various sources, explore the essence, and use others’ stones to polish his own jade.

Moreover, these could be exchanged for merit points! This was an additional benefit brought by the main mission!

Duan Xiangfei smiled wearily: “Of course, it will include insights into opening the ‘Vitality Treasury’ and the ‘Energy Treasury.’ As for the ‘Spirit Treasury,’ this old man himself has not yet opened it, so I’m afraid I can’t help.”

He knew that a top-tier expert like “Shen Hou” would most urgently need insights and cultivation methods for opening the secret chambers of the body. He was not worried that the other would not be tempted.

“I didn’t expect Xian Yin to have already opened two of the secret chambers. You are truly among the top Grandmasters,” Meng Qi flattered insincerely, hoping to extract more information. He had witnessed experts like Dorchad, whose mere movements could stir winds and clouds and summon lightning, approaching the realm of gods and demons. His own master was even more formidable than Dorchad by an immeasurable degree. Naturally, he couldn’t truly respect the so-called Grandmasters.

Duan Xiangfei sighed with a smile: “No, no. Among the three secret chambers, the ‘Spirit Treasury’ is the hardest to open. It involves the ancestral orifice between the eyebrows, something deeply mysterious. Once opened, one is nearly on par with gods and demons, capable of killing without even lifting a finger. Take Old Master Cui, for example. Even though he has only opened one secret chamber, this old man can at best match him evenly.”

“Mr. Shen Hou, what do you think? Are you willing to accept this task?”

“Not every reward can be enticing,” Meng Qi said pretentiously, standing with his hands behind his back, his monk’s robe fluttering, giving him a somewhat ethereal air.

Duan Xiangfei narrowed his eyes: “Then what would entice you?”

“To be honest, I’m already quite tempted, but I still need a little more. I have a small favor to ask,” Meng Qi said, his monkey mask always smiling.

Duan Xiangfei seemed to relax a bit: “What is it that you require?”

“I’d like Xian Yin to gather some martial arts manuals for me. They don’t need to be too advanced, just ordinary ones. The more, the better.” Meng Qi intended to exchange these for the Six Paths Cycle Master. Although they would certainly be devalued, accumulating a little here and there, he could still earn several dozen or even a hundred merit points.

Of course, each martial art could only be exchanged once.

Duan Xiangfei furrowed his brows, puzzled by Shen Hou’s request. After a moment’s thought, he spoke: “This request is not difficult. I agree.”

“Then it’s settled.” With a nod, Meng Qi’s monkey mask looked even more comical.

Duan Xiangfei let out a long sigh: “Mr. Shen Hou’s willingness to accept so readily is somewhat unexpected to this old man, sparing much persuasion. Very well, upon completion of the task, this old man will present you with another gift. Though not valuable, it is a cherished possession of mine, imbued with a certain air of mystery.”

“I wonder what it could be?” Meng Qi asked curiously.

Duan Xiangfei chuckled: “You’ll know once the task is done.”

With that, he tossed a package to Meng Qi: “This is a list of people my son had contact with before he disappeared.”

Then, his small boat suddenly accelerated, heading downstream and disappearing into the vast river.

Meng Qi caught the package, puzzled as he rubbed his chin. Did the Twelve Divine Beasts not even take a deposit when accepting a task?

This question, of course, could not be answered by the deceased “Shen Hou.”

Nonetheless, he felt a great weight lift from his heart. During the earlier bargaining and adding of conditions, he had been secretly anxious the whole time. If Duan Xiangfei had found the request too much and decided to seek another Divine Beast instead, Meng Qi would have had no choice but to dramatically lower his price and cry over spilled milk, as this was a main mission after all.

“Tianding City… I never thought I’d really have to go there. I must find Zhang Zongxian and his wife,” Meng Qi thought as he gazed at the dark, rolling river. They knew that “Shen Hou” had already been killed, so he needed to find a way to cover up this matter.

After flipping through the documents Duan Xiangfei had given him, Meng Qi collected the scattered silver coins from “Shen Hou” and the many corpses on the deck, putting them into his robe. Then he found ballast stones, tied them to “Shen Hou’s” body, and pushed it into the river.

With a splash, after a few ripples, “Shen Hou” was gone for good.

After finishing all this, Meng Qi hid his mask and token, lowered a small boat on the other side, and headed downstream.

The river wind blew against his face at the bow, the small boat rocked violently, but Meng Qi, standing with his hands behind his back, felt very much in character. His only regret was that he still couldn’t cross the river on a single reed.

An hour later, Meng Qi arrived at Tianding City. Built along the riverbank, it resembled a giant dragon.

Since it was deep into the night, the water gate of Tianding City was already closed, so Meng Qi disembarked directly at the dock outside the city.

He had barely taken a few steps forward when his eyes lit up, for Zhang Zongxian and his wife Li Xinyu were speaking with a red-robed young girl by the water gate.

“Amitabha, fate comes and goes. This humble monk seems destined to meet these two benefactors,” Meng Qi called out with a Buddhist chant from afar.

Zhang Zongxian turned around, his expression a mix of surprise, joy, and confusion: “Master Zhen Ding, you’ve come to Tianding City as well?”

Li Xinyu, on the other hand, leaned over to whisper in the ear of the pretty, delicate girl in red.

“This humble monk came especially to catch up with you two benefactors, for that ‘Shen Hou’ was not actually dead. He faked his death to deceive us and later escaped into the water when this monk was unprepared,” Meng Qi lied effortlessly. “Therefore, this monk has come to warn you two benefactors to be more cautious and not to spread this matter, lest it provoke an even fiercer retaliation from the ‘Twelve Beasts.'”

“Thank you, Master, for coming personally to warn us,” Zhang Zongxian sincerely expressed his gratitude, as he saw no reason to suspect deception. He could never have imagined that the monk before him would impersonate “Shen Hou,” hence his belief in the warning.

After finishing their whispering, the girl in red looked at Meng Qi with interest: “Master Zhen Ding, I am Cui Jinxiu. I came to welcome Sister Xinyu and her husband upon receiving the notice. I just heard about your story. I never expected you to be so young and yet able to defeat Shen Hou of the ‘Twelve Beasts.’ I’m a bit eager to test my skills against yours, if you would be so kind as to grant me a few moves.”

Beside her stood an elderly man with white hair, his eyes lowered as if counting ants on the ground.