Langya’s “Sanqing Temple” is a common Daoist temple where ordinary people come to worship and burn incense. It belongs to no sect or faction. Though not in an ideal location, the temple still enjoys a thriving stream of devotees.
There are only a few Awakened practitioners within the temple, and they naturally had no objection to Meng Qi staying temporarily.
Meng Qi had just settled in and had not yet had time to brew tea and consider Ruan Yaoguang’s attitude when the receptionist came to report that Nie Zhi, the Golden Seal Constable from Pengzhou under the jurisdiction of Jiangdong, had come to visit.
“Golden Seal Constable?” Meng Qi was momentarily surprised but quickly stood up and walked outside to greet him.
Jiangdong includes Jiangzhou and Pengzhou, and Langya is the capital city of Pengzhou. The Six Gates have a city office here, managed by the Golden Seal Constable and his assistant, the Purple Seal Constable, who oversee martial matters throughout the region. The current Golden Seal Constable is Nie Zhi, a supreme expert at the Fifth Heaven level.
Such a figure would typically be someone whose words carry immense weight in most cities, someone whose mere stomp could shake the entire city thrice. However, in Langya, there is the Ruan family. Leaving aside the presence of a Grandmaster-level expert, there are already several supreme experts who could surpass Nie Zhi. If we consider their representation of the imperial court, Old Master Ruan had once served as the Left Chancellor of the Imperial Council, holding a position far above Nie Zhi’s. Therefore, Nie Zhi has always maintained a low profile in Langya, focusing his efforts on other cities within Pengzhou, just like his colleagues in cities like Guangling and Yedu.
So why would he personally come to visit today? With such doubts, Meng Qi walked out of the courtyard gate and saw Nie Zhi.
Nie Zhi was an elderly man with graying hair, but his vitality was robust, his teeth full, and his face showed no signs of wrinkles. His laughter rang like a large bell: “Nephew, you are indeed the outstanding figure of your generation. That previous slash of yours was truly breathtaking. I must admit, even I would have to avoid its edge.”
He wore a deep red constable’s robe embroidered with golden thread, with a golden seal hanging at his waist. His back was straight, showing no sign of aging.
Hearing Nie Zhi address him as “nephew,” Meng Qi wasn’t sure whether this was an attempt to draw closer by referencing the Su family or if it indeed involved them. He bowed and replied, “Uncle is too modest.”
Nie Zhi laughed heartily: “Where’s the modesty? I’ve really grown old.”
As he spoke, Nie Zhi stepped into the courtyard, and the receptionist discreetly withdrew.
After sitting on either side of a stone table, Nie Zhi glanced around the courtyard. A gentle breeze blew, nothing seemed amiss, and the area was effectively isolated to prevent eavesdropping.
“Nephew, you left home without saying a word, caused quite a stir, and then disappeared for over a year, only reappearing briefly in Jiangdong. Your father and uncle were deeply worried you might have met with misfortune. Now that I’ve finally encountered you, how could I possibly ‘let you go’ so easily?” Nie Zhi said with a half-smile.
Meng Qi felt quite embarrassed. He had no particular affection for the Su family. After settling the karmic debts, the only person he truly cared about was Zi Yue, his maternal uncle’s daughter. He hadn’t even sent a few letters back home, most of which were addressed to Su Zi Yue and Gu Changqing, offering guidance on their cultivation.
“I’ve offended many powerful experts. If I had a fixed residence, I would easily become a target for ambushes and assassinations. Therefore, until I grow stronger, I dare not return home,” Meng Qi carefully replied.
This was indeed one of the true reasons.
Nie Zhi shook his head: “Shendu is filled with powerful experts, and evil forces dare not step foot there. It is one of the safest places in the world. What is there to worry about, nephew?”
“Uncle, please understand, Shendu is indeed well protected, and its defenses can intimidate even formidable experts. Even experts at the Dharmakaya level might hesitate to cause trouble. But this is only under normal circumstances. If someone disregards their own life and insists on dragging me to my death, what use would Shendu’s numerous formations and experts be? Danger can strike in the blink of an eye!” Meng Qi recalled the “assassination” attempt in Shendu. “Among my enemies, there are certainly those who can deploy such suicide attackers.”
“Because of the ‘Rulai Divine Palm’ incident?” Nie Zhi showed a slight hint of curiosity.
There’s even more to it than that. Aside from the Eternal Cult, I’ve more or less offended all the nine evil sects, some more than once, especially the “Demon Sage” Han Guang. If he discovers that I’m the one who ruined his perfect scheme, he might personally come after me… Meng Qi silently reflected, increasingly feeling that he had a karmic connection with these nine evil sects—an ill-fated one indeed!
“You could say that,” he replied ambiguously, then asked, “How is everyone at home?”
“The old lady, your father, and your uncle are all in good health. Although they’ve lost their marquis title, the reputation of the Eight Divine Constables is still enough to intimidate most villains,” Nie Zhi tactfully avoided mentioning Ke Weilan, as she was still the same.
He paused and added, “Your father seems a bit dispirited and often reads Buddhist scriptures and Daoist books.”
Meng Qi nodded slightly: “And my younger sister?”
“After the family’s upheaval, Zi Yue has matured, worked hard, and made significant progress,” Nie Zhi praised.
Meng Qi asked about other matters, and Nie Zhi answered each one, just like a meeting between uncle and nephew.
“I wonder what the family thinks about my leaving home?” Finally, Meng Qi couldn’t help but ask.
Nie Zhi smiled bitterly: “Your father says you’re ‘a child of the martial world, unable to bear confinement.'”
A child of the martial world? That’s just a euphemism for “never at home”… Meng Qi joined in the bitter smile.
After catching up, Nie Zhi’s expression turned serious: “Today, I came here with another matter to ask of you, nephew.”
“Uncle, please speak,” Meng Qi knew Nie Zhi wouldn’t visit without a pressing reason.
Nie Zhi stroked his few white whiskers beneath his chin: “I’d like to ask you to help investigate the Ruan family’s actions against the Blue Bloods.”
He seemed quite confident in Meng Qi’s relationship with the Ruan family.
“The specific plan might not be suitable for disclosure,” Meng Qi frowned.
Nie Zhi shook his head: “It’s not that I want to know the details. I just need to grasp the overall situation to prevent any unexpected incidents that might disturb the peace. This is the Six Gates’ duty, and we must fulfill it.”
He spoke with a sense of righteousness first, then continued, “The Ruan family has been closed off for several days, deducing the Blue Bloods’ origins. Besides occasionally sending out Grandmasters to search and confirm, they haven’t taken any other actions, which has led to much speculation.”
At the same time, there are other peculiar developments—such as the Wang family patriarch bringing the “Luoshu” to reside in the Ruan estate, while the eldest Wang heir remains alone at the Western Mountain Buddhist temple, detached from all worldly concerns. Another instance is the East Sea Sword Manor, which has dispatched only the junior-ranked “Invisible Sword” He Jiu and his attendants…
Nie Zhi went on for a while before sincerely saying, “If the information you gather involves secrets or affects the success or failure of the mission, and you find it inconvenient to disclose, I won’t press you for it.”
“I’ll do my best to find out,” Meng Qi said. Thinking about Ruan Yaoguang’s attitude, he was also puzzled and wanted to understand more.
As for where to investigate, he already had an excellent candidate—the eldest young master Wang, Wang Siyuan!
If there were people with “self-destructive tendencies,” then the eldest “Wang the Soothsayer” had a tendency to “mess things up,” with very unstable mental health. Therefore, he often intentionally hinted at things in an attempt to “mess up,” and asking him always yielded some information.
Nie Zhi left satisfied, and Meng Qi sat drinking tea and pondering. Suddenly, he felt a presence and looked ahead.
His vision blurred, and a gray-clothed figure appeared before him!
He had been approached before he even had a premonition—what terrifying power… Meng Qi was fully alert, ready to strike.
Looking closely, it was a gray-robed monk, appearing middle-aged, with a simple and honest face, except for his eyes, which darted around, revealing a mischievous glint.
“Amitabha, this humble monk Jie Du greets Master Su,” he smiled and joined his palms.
Jie Du? Meng Qi had never associated him with Jie Sha, because this monk was famous in the martial world!
Though there are many powerful monks in the vast world, most come from renowned Buddhist temples. Even ascetics usually have some sect affiliation. However, this monk appeared to have no background at all, being a genuine wandering monk who had become a Grandmaster and made it onto the Earth List, leaving many people in disbelief.
Despite his ordinary background, this monk exuded an air of mystery, elusive like a dragon’s hidden body. He was also known for his compulsive gambling, always ready to bet on anything. He often lost everything, nearly cutting off his hands, and swore before the Buddha to quit gambling. But once healed, he would forget the pain and return to his old ways, even changing his dharma name to Jie Du without success.
In theory, a martial artist with such a flaw would either struggle to improve or easily fall into traps. Yet Jie Du lived safely to this day, his strength continuing to grow, adding to the mystery surrounding him.
There were many rumors about Jie Du in the martial world. Some said he was a Qing rank or Lan rank assassin from the Benevolent Pavilion, or even the White identity of the Pavilion’s master. Others claimed he had deep ties with the Iron Garment Pavilion, perhaps even commanding one of its most mysterious three branch pavilions. In short, this monk was full of enigmas.
Meng Qi returned the greeting: “What brings the master here?”
Jie Du smiled cheerfully: “I heard that Master Su can bring people to Lanke Temple to view the general outline of the Divine Palm. This humble monk, well, I’m itching to go and specially came to beg for the favor.”
“Bringing others there casually might anger the Bodhisattva,” Meng Qi had already planned to take Ruan Yushu and others there. If he went too frequently, even if the Moon Mani Bodhisattva strictly adhered to the vow of the Reward Body and remained unoffended, he still had to beware of other monks at Lanke Temple becoming angry and sabotaging his plans at crucial moments.
Besides, he had no particular connection with Jie Du. Why should he bring him along?
Jie Du joined his palms again: “This humble monk just lost everything in gambling, with nothing but empty sleeves. I can’t offer anything valuable in exchange. How about this—we make a bet. If I lose, I’ll sell myself to you for three years. If I’m fortunate enough to win, please take this humble monk to Lanke Temple.”
Gambling… truly never losing the habit… Meng Qi smiled: “What use would I have for a master like you? Having someone follow me around every day would be so inconvenient?”
He had too many secrets. Having a Grandmaster following him around would be pure suicide, unlike Yun He Zhenren, who could hide behind the myriad doors of the Wansiang Sect.
Before Jie Du could speak, Meng Qi asked instead: “May I ask which senior told the master that I can bring people to Lanke Temple to experience the Divine Palm’s general outline?”
If this matter were to spread, he would be pestered to death.
Jie Du looked around and lowered his voice: “This humble monk has a bit of a connection with He Qi. After pestering him for a while, I got this information. Don’t worry, no one else knows.”
“He Qi the Sword Crazy…” Meng Qi pondered once more how this time, only He Jiu and his servant had come from the East Sea Sword Manor. He smiled and said, “Perhaps the master should go back and reconsider what might persuade me.”
Jie Du looked gloomy: “This humble monk is so poor, I only have myself left…”
He sighed and turned to leave, full of sorrow.
Meng Qi watched the gray-robed figure with straw sandals disappear into the distance, his thoughts shifting as he considered the entire matter.
…
Inside the Ruan estate, He Jiu, who had been sitting quietly on his bed for a long time, suddenly stood up, a smile on his face. He stepped out slowly, exuding a bold and confident aura.
“Master, where are you going?” His servant asked in confusion.
He Jiu laughed heartily: “To challenge Su Meng.”
“Why, why?” His servant’s eyes widened.
He Jiu, hands behind his back, sighed: “I entered the Outer Scenery half a year earlier than him, yet now we’re both at the edge of the first tier of the Ladder of Heaven. Going forward, he will gradually pull ahead in cultivation. If I don’t seize this opportunity to challenge him while our realms are still equal, I may not have such a chance for a long time!”
“If there’s a gap in cultivation, neither of us would be able to fully enjoy the match, as one side would inevitably feel like the other is overpowering.”
His servant hurriedly tried to comfort him: “Even if he’s a Four Tribulation expert, you’re still a ‘One Step to Heaven’ expert. There shouldn’t be too big a gap.”
He Jiu smiled without any resentment: “Am I the kind to care about such things? He’s indeed improving faster than me now, but there will come a time when he reaches his limit, perhaps at the Half-Step Dharma Body or Dharma Body level, or maybe even the Six Honored Ones of the Daoist sect. I’ll walk step by step, steadily, and one day I will once again stand on equal footing with him.”
As he spoke, he exuded immense confidence.
After speaking, He Jiu laughed loudly, stepped out of his room, and headed straight to the Sanqing Temple.
Upon reaching the temple gate, he saw the receptionist come forward: “Master He, Master Su has been informed of your arrival and invites you to meet in the Sanqing Hall.”
“Good.” He Jiu did not hide his aura along the way, so it was no surprise that Meng Qi sensed his arrival.
Led by the receptionist, he crossed the square and entered the Sanqing Hall. His gaze first fell on the three statues at the front.
In the center was the Primordial Heaven Lord, with the Virtuous Heaven Lord and the Spiritual Treasure Heaven Lord on either side. From left to right, they respectively conveyed the feelings of old age, middle age, and youth.
The three statues respectively held a jade Ruyi scepter, a Taiji diagram, or a verdant sword. Though devoid of divine radiance, they were carved with such vivid realism that they emanated wisdom, majesty, the weight of time, and boundless profundity. Coupled with the respective legends of the Three Pure Ones in Taoism, the hall was suffused with an extraordinary solemnity and an overwhelming sense of pressure.
He Jiu instinctively softened his breathing. His gaze lowered to see Meng Qi, dressed in black martial attire, sitting beneath the statues with half-closed eyes, profound and restrained, as if merged into one with the surroundings!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage