Liu Xing nodded and said, “I know Fourth Brother well, but what worries me is whether Second Brother might also show up.”
Bai Ya didn’t speak, merely letting out a soft “Hmph!”
Liu Xing shook his head. “As for Second Brother, even back then I couldn’t see through him, and even after all these years, I still can’t figure him out. To be honest, although Fourth Brother is treacherous, I’m not particularly afraid of him. But if I had to face off against Second Brother, I wouldn’t have the slightest confidence.”
Bai Ya replied, “Anyway, everyone in your sect is like this. There’s no use talking about it now. Let’s just figure out what to do next.”
“What else can we do?” Liu Xing sighed. “Now, even if we wanted to send them away, it’s probably already impossible. Since Fourth Brother has already arrived, how could he not be watching our estate? If we let Mei Qing and Meier leave now, it would be like sending lambs into the tiger’s den, right into his trap.”
After listening, Bai Ya remained silent for a long time before finally saying with a smirk, “In that case, as the saying goes, ‘strike first to gain the advantage.’ Why don’t we two follow Fourth Brother’s trail and catch him off guard?”
Liu Xing hesitated greatly and said, “But that might not be good. Although Fourth Brother threatened us with words, he hasn’t actually turned hostile yet. If we strike first, what will people say afterward?”
Bai Ya snorted disdainfully, “You’re always pretending like this. I don’t know whether you’re genuinely indecisive or just like to act all benevolent. If it weren’t for me stepping in, Fourth Brother would’ve definitely turned hostile. Do you really want to wait until he’s fully prepared, until the knife is at your throat, before you finally decide to act?”
“Alright then!” Liu Xing clenched his teeth. “Since things have come to this, we have no choice. I’ll follow your plan. But beforehand, we must make some arrangements. Now that things have turned hostile, we don’t need to be afraid anymore. You and I will go intercept Fourth Brother, while Meier and Mei Qing take the opportunity to escape.”
Bai Ya nodded and said, “Don’t let them go to the place you mentioned. Everyone probably already knows about your old flame. Instead, let that young Mei Qing take Meier to the Pajiao sect in Wuchang…”
“Pajiao?” Liu Xing frowned. “We’ve never had any dealings with them before. How can Meier go there and ask for help?”
“Have you gone senile?” Bai Ya said coldly. “Those old men in Pajiao were all under Lu Zhong back in the day. As long as Mei Qing reveals his identity, won’t they accept him? Since you didn’t think of this place, I bet Second Brother and Fourth Brother won’t be watching it either. It might actually be safer.”
“Alright then, I’ll go call Mei Qing right away. Meier, you’ve been listening for quite a while, so you might as well come out now,” Liu Xing called out to a fake rock next to the pavilion.
Mei Qing and Bi Zhen, hiding at a distance, were both startled. From Liu Xing’s voice, it was clear that the rockery was actually a hidden mechanism, probably also a place designed to conceal people.
Sure enough, the rockery twisted slightly, and Liu Meier emerged with a worried expression, saying softly, “Father, Uncle Bai. I…”
“There’s no need to say anything, Meier. It’s my fault all along. Now, I want you and Mei Qing to leave quickly.”
Liu Meier lowered her head silently. Liu Xing urged anxiously, “Meier, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and go!”
“No,” Liu Meier said softly. “Father, I’ve never disobeyed you before, but this time, you must let me have my way. I won’t leave. I want to stay with you.”
“Foolish girl,” Liu Xing replied. “What are you going to stay for? With your cultivation, you can’t help me, and you’ll only get in the way. Go with Mei Qing now, and I’ll come find you after I settle this matter.”
Liu Meier lowered her head and said gently, “I’ve grown up now, and I understand some things. I know what you and Uncle Bai are about to do. Besides, Father treats your own daughter as a treasure, but what about that Mei Qing? He might not even like me. Why are we so eager to push me onto him? What would that make of me?”
Liu Xing was shocked and said, “What are you talking about, girl? You two were betrothed from childhood. How could he not want you?”
“Father always said I was promised to someone, but never clearly said who,” Liu Meier said, her head still lowered but her voice firm. “Later, when Mei Qing came, you told me it was him, and I was secretly delighted…”
At this point, Liu Meier’s voice trembled slightly as she continued, “But from what I can see, Mei Qing obviously doesn’t feel the same way. Father, haven’t you noticed anything strange about the young man accompanying him?”
“What’s strange about him?” Liu Xing asked, puzzled. “I was so focused on Mei Qing that I didn’t pay much attention to the younger one. Although Mei Qing called him his brother, I noticed no resemblance between them. Perhaps they’re cousins from the same clan?”
“Father, how can you be so careless?” Liu Meier whispered. “Didn’t you notice that person is actually a woman?”
As soon as Liu Meier spoke, not only were Liu Xing and Bai Ya shocked, but even Mei Qing and Bi Zhen behind the tree were greatly surprised. Bi Zhen had disguised herself with a Ghost-Face Flower, a technique so skillful that even cultivators of high levels couldn’t usually detect it. Liu Xing and Bai Ya had been fooled, so how could this young girl, Liu Meier, have seen through it?
“How did you figure it out, girl?” Bai Ya interjected.
“To be honest, I also examined him carefully, but I thought he was just an ordinary man with nothing suspicious about him,” Bai Ya added.
Liu Meier said softly, “Actually, in terms of appearance, clothing, and aura, there really wasn’t the slightest flaw. However, whenever she spoke, especially when mentioning Mei Qing, there was something very strange. If Father and Uncle Bai had paid more attention to her behavior and the way she spoke, you would have noticed some clues.”
Behind the tree, Mei Qing suddenly understood. He thought to himself, of course. The Ghost-Face Flower could change one’s appearance and conceal one’s aura, but it couldn’t change the way one thought or spoke. Bi Zhen, being a young woman, naturally had differences in speech and mannerisms compared to men. Especially when facing Liu Meier, a romantic rival, she inevitably made mistakes. At the time, both Mei Qing and Bi Zhen had been preoccupied with the sudden engagement, so they had overlooked these details. But Liu Meier was perceptive and observant, so once she paid attention, she naturally noticed.
Bai Ya pondered and said, “If that’s the case, then whoever managed to fool us two must be no ordinary person. In my opinion, this disguise must be something beyond ordinary martial arts techniques.”
Liu Xing and Bai Ya exchanged glances and both nodded. Liu Xing took a deep breath and called out loudly, “Young friend Mei, I assume you’ve heard everything clearly. May I ask who you really are, and what brings you here? Since you’ve been here for quite some time, please come out and meet us.”
Bi Zhen was startled, wondering how her mother’s talisman could have been discovered. She looked at Mei Qing, who shook his head and made a hand signal, indicating that their opponents were just bluffing and that she shouldn’t respond.
Bai Ya snorted coldly, “Boy, we might not have found you yet, but we know you’re definitely here. If you’re determined not to show yourself, then I’ll just fly over to your room and catch you red-handed. Let’s see if you can keep pretending then!”
Mei Qing sighed. This time, he had indeed been cornered. Although he and Bi Zhen could remain invisible, they couldn’t use any magic to conceal their presence while flying, so if Bai Ya flew over to the guest room right now, their disguises would be exposed.
Mei Qing shook his head at Bi Zhen and made a gesture for her to prepare to protect them both. Then he quietly held up a talisman and called out, “Esteemed elders, your sharp eyes are truly admirable. I must admit defeat.”
With that, Bi Zhen released the talisman, and both of them revealed themselves.
As soon as they appeared, Liu Xing suddenly moved.
He roared furiously, “Good riddance, you scoundrel! Where do you think you’re going? Forbidden Elements, by the Law, be gone!”
As the incantation rang out, his left hand suddenly lifted, expanding to the size of a table as five glowing orbs emerged from his palm, merging into a gray haze that descended from above.
Mei Qing merely smiled faintly and made no grand movements. Without uttering a sound, he casually extended his left hand, palm upward, fingers curled into a fist, and then, as if flicking something away, he extended each finger one by one.
With each finger flicked, a small orb flew from his palm, spinning lightly along a curved path. When all five fingers had been flicked, the five orbs flew out in succession, forming a spiral curve in the air as they met Liu Xing’s descending gray haze.
There was no sound, not even a flicker of light. Each orb struck the gray haze and was instantly absorbed, as if swallowed by smoke or water. When all five orbs had been consumed, they merged into a single dark spot of light, which suddenly reversed direction and flew back into Mei Qing’s sleeve, vanishing without a trace.
Everyone was shocked, and both Liu Xing and Bai Ya exclaimed simultaneously, “Plum Thunder Technique!”
Mei Qing politely bowed to the two men and said, “Esteemed elders, why did you attack me with magic the moment we met? I was forced to eavesdrop, but I had no choice. I am truly grateful for the way you two protected me in front of that villain just now. I will never forget it.”
“Boy, who exactly are you?” Bai Ya calmed himself, suddenly opening his eyes wide, revealing a pair of eyes with more white than black, as he stared at Mei Qing.
“Esteemed elders, your guess is spot on,” Mei Qing said earnestly. “I came to Anlu precisely to search for my mother, who was separated from me long ago. I beg you both, in memory of your old friendship with my mother, to tell me the truth.”
Before Bai Ya could speak, Liu Xing had already snorted coldly, “Boy, don’t think you overheard a few words and now you’re trying to pretend to be someone you’re not! You’re clearly a cultivator, but the child we were talking about could never cultivate! Tell me, who are you really!?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage