Chapter 55: Delving into the Details

When Lord Liu arrived at the warehouse upon hearing the news, Zhao Dayou had just begun to recover from his shock. After repeatedly patting himself from head to toe and confirming that he had indeed escaped death unscathed, he finally calmed down. He puffed out his belly, about to speak, when suddenly his limbs went weak. The teapot he was holding plummeted toward the ground. Fortunately, Yao Dingguo was standing beside him and quickly reached out to catch it, sparing the teapot from certain shattering.

It turned out that the man’s limbs had been completely weakened by fear. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now, even the teapot he never parted with slipped from his grasp. The boastful words he had planned to say were swallowed back into his belly.

As soon as Lord Liu entered the warehouse and saw the scene inside, before he could even speak, he suddenly noticed Mei Qing. After giving him a few long, scrutinizing glances, his face turned astonished. His eyes widened like copper bells, and his mouth hung open for a long time without a sound.

Everyone in the room knew of Lord Liu’s usual severity and had never seen him react this way. They were puzzled by his expression and felt an inexplicable surprise and confusion toward Mei Qing.

After a while, Lord Liu finally regained his composure. He asked a few brief questions of Lu Zeyou and Mei Qing. After understanding the entire sequence of events, his expression turned grim, though he did not scold anyone. Instead, he ordered the strange man to be imprisoned immediately and issued a strict order of silence, forbidding anyone from revealing what had happened that day.

“Mei Qing, come with me first. Everyone else, go about your business,” Lord Liu said, his expression shifting between shadow and light as he looked at Mei Qing.

Inside Lord Liu’s chamber, the latter ignored Mei Qing and sat down in a chair, fiddling with the paperweight on the desk in deep thought before finally asking, “Alright, boy, explain yourself. What exactly happened?”

“What do you mean, ‘what happened?’” Mei Qing replied calmly, his expression unreadable.

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Lord Liu snapped, eyes flaring. “Didn’t I seal your golden core? How did it suddenly break free? And don’t tell me someone helped you.”

“So that’s what you were asking,” Mei Qing said coolly. “It’s nothing too important. But first, I’d like to ask you, Lord Liu, someone went ahead and sealed my golden core without even determining guilt or innocence. Could you kindly explain why?”

“Who said I sealed your golden core?” Lord Liu growled, his mustache bristling. “Why are you asking me? How should I know why they sealed it?”

Mei Qing remained unmoved, simply staring at Lord Liu in silence. After a while, Lord Liu finally sighed in defeat. “Alright, you stubborn brat. If I don’t explain, you won’t talk either. Fine. Since you managed to break free even with your golden core sealed, it seems Heaven itself is on your side. We can only accept it.”

He spun the paperweight in his hand a few times, then sighed again. “Mei Qing, if I told you that sealing your golden core was for your own good, you probably wouldn’t believe me. But it’s the truth.”

Seeing Mei Qing’s skeptical expression, Lord Liu didn’t get angry. Instead, he chuckled. “Don’t be in such a rush to doubt me. Do you think I, of all people, would lie to a brat like you? I know you’ve always been wondering why I helped you.”

“That’s right,” Mei Qing said. “Earlier, I asked you, and you said you’d tell me only after I completed the matter at Dongyue Temple.”

“Well, back then, I just didn’t want to tell you. I knew your father and mother. I was entrusted by them to look after you a bit. There’s nothing strange about that,” Lord Liu said, his face clouding with a wistful sorrow, as if recalling old memories.

Mei Qing was surprised. If Lord Liu claimed to know his parents, why had he been so evasive before? Moreover, Mei Qing had no memory of his parents at all. Even the people in the household, including Zhong Shu, had never spoken of them. When he had asked, Zhong Shu only sighed and said they were good people before refusing to say more.

“You were sickly from childhood, so many things were never told to you. Even after you recovered mentally, you still had a hidden physical ailment. Now that you’ve entered the path of cultivation, you should have some understanding. You were born with a Pure Yang Constitution. Now do you understand what I mean?” Lord Liu gazed intently at Mei Qing.

Pure Yang Constitution? Mei Qing vaguely recalled hearing Bi Zhen mention it once. Normally, humans are balanced between Yin and Yang. Pure Yang is the nature of immortals, while Pure Yin belongs to ghosts. Being born with a Pure Yang constitution was no blessing.

Solitary Yang does not grow. Those born with Pure Yang are often weak and sickly, rarely living long. Worse still, in the cultivation world, such a person would be an ideal furnace for others to refine. If they attempted to cultivate themselves, it would be like drinking poison to quench thirst—not only would they never achieve the Dao, but they would hasten their own death.

Though Bi Zhen hadn’t explained in detail, Mei Qing could understand the basics. The path of cultivation was about harmonizing Yin and Yang to refine true energy. A person with only Pure Yang would be imbalanced, making it impossible to attain the Dao.

“We never expected that with your constitution, you’d actually manage to establish a foundation and enter the path,” Lord Liu said with a sigh. “I won’t hide it from you. After you succeeded, I had those two Taoists from Taiqing Palace brought here and thoroughly investigated everything, but we still couldn’t figure out how it happened.”

Mei Qing could only smile bitterly. He was no longer the clueless novice he used to be. After intense study, he had gained a solid grasp of the fundamentals of cultivation. Reflecting on how he had established his foundation, he could only say it had been a fluke. Beyond exclaiming at the will of Heaven, he had no explanation.

“As for how I managed to establish my foundation, even I don’t understand it,” Mei Qing mused. “It should have been impossible. Even if I did manage to pass the foundation stage, my Pure Yang body lacks the Yin to balance it. My energy flows abnormally, and continued cultivation will only make it worse, eventually leading to my body exploding.”

“That’s exactly what puzzles us,” Lord Liu said, frowning. “First, how could you cultivate at all? Second, your speed is terrifying. From what I know, cultivators are like fish crossing a river, but none have ever been as fast as you. Even Master Fan Wentai of the Plum Blossom Sect, who achieved his golden core in ten years, was considered a rare genius. But if he heard about your progress, he might die of shame.”

When Sixth Master arrived at the warehouse upon hearing the news, Zhao Dayou had just regained his composure from the shock. After repeatedly checking himself from head to toe to confirm that he had escaped death unscathed, he finally calmed down. Just as he was about to speak, his limbs went weak, and the teapot he was holding fell straight to the ground. Fortunately, Yao Dingguo, who was standing beside him, caught it in time, saving the teapot from shattering into pieces.

It turned out that Zhao’s limbs had gone limp from fear, and he hadn’t noticed it earlier. Now, he couldn’t even hold the teapot that he always carried with him. He had wanted to boast a bit, but naturally, all his words were swallowed back.

As soon as Sixth Master entered the warehouse and saw the scene, before he could speak, he suddenly noticed Mei Qing. After giving him a few glances, his face showed a look of astonishment, his eyes widening to the size of copper bells, and he stood there speechless for a long time.

Everyone present knew Sixth Master to be a man of great dignity and had never seen him with such an expression. They were all puzzled and couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of surprise and confusion towards Mei Qing.

After a while, Sixth Master finally regained his composure and asked Lu Zeyou and Mei Qing a few questions. After understanding the sequence of events, his face turned as calm as water. He didn’t reprimand anyone but ordered the strange man to be imprisoned and issued a gag order, strictly forbidding anyone from leaking what had happened that day.

“Mei Qing, come with me for now. The rest of you, go about your business,” Sixth Master said with an inscrutable expression, looking at Mei Qing.

“Young man, tell me, what’s going on here?” Once they were in Sixth Master’s room, he ignored Mei Qing and sat down in his chair, fiddling with the paperweight on the table for a moment before asking.

“What do you mean?” Mei Qing remained calm and composed.

“Don’t play dumb with me. Wasn’t your Golden Core sealed? How did it suddenly get unsealed? Don’t tell me someone helped you with it,” Sixth Master glared and scolded.

“So that’s what you’re asking about,” Mei Qing said indifferently. “It’s nothing major. But before I answer, I’d like to ask you, Sixth Master, why was my Golden Core sealed without any explanation? Could you enlighten me?”

“I didn’t seal your Golden Core, so why are you asking me? How would I know why it was sealed?” Sixth Master retorted, his beard bristling with anger.

But Mei Qing remained unmoved, simply looking at Sixth Master without saying a word. After a while, Sixth Master finally sighed and said, “Fine, you stubborn brat. If I don’t explain, you probably won’t talk. Alright, since you managed to break free even after your Golden Core was sealed, it seems the heavens are on your side, and we’ll just have to accept it.”

With that, Sixth Master twirled the paperweight in his hand a few times and sighed. “Mei Qing, if I told you that sealing your Golden Core was for your own good, you might not believe me. But it’s the truth.”

Seeing Mei Qing’s skeptical expression, Sixth Master didn’t get angry but chuckled. “Don’t be in such a hurry to disbelieve me. With my status, do I need to lie to a brat like you? I know you’ve been wondering why I’ve been helping you.”

“That’s right,” Mei Qing said. “I’ve asked before, and you said you’d only tell me after I completed the Dongyue Temple matter.”

“Well, there’s really nothing to it. I just didn’t want to tell you back then. I knew your father and mother. They asked me to look after you, and there’s nothing strange about that,” Sixth Master said, a hint of nostalgia crossing his face.

Mei Qing was surprised. If Sixth Master knew his parents, why had he been so secretive about it before? Moreover, Mei Qing had no memory of his parents at all. Even the people in the mansion, including Uncle Zhong, had never mentioned what his parents were like. When he had asked, Uncle Zhong had only said they were good people and refused to elaborate further.

“You’ve been sick since childhood, so naturally, many things weren’t told to you. Even after you recovered, there were still hidden ailments in your body. Now that you’ve entered the path of cultivation, you must have some understanding. Your body is what’s known as the Pure Yang Body. Do you understand what I mean?” Sixth Master said, staring intently at Mei Qing.

Pure Yang Body? Mei Qing vaguely remembered Bi Zhen mentioning it. Generally, humans are a balance of yin and yang, while immortals possess a Pure Yang Body, and ghosts have a Pure Yin Body. Being born with a Pure Yang Body is far from a good thing.

As the saying goes, “Lone Yang does not grow.” Those with a Pure Yang Body are often weak and sickly, rarely living long lives. Moreover, if they enter the path of cultivation, they become excellent vessels for others’ cultivation. But if they try to cultivate on their own, it’s like drinking poison to quench thirst—not only is there no chance of achieving enlightenment, but it also accelerates their death.

Although Bi Zhen hadn’t gone into detail, Mei Qing could roughly understand. The path of cultivation is about harmonizing yin and yang to refine one’s true essence. A body that is purely yang is inherently unbalanced, making it nearly impossible to achieve great enlightenment.

Sixth Master sighed in frustration. “But none of us expected that with your constitution, you could actually establish a foundation and enter the path of cultivation. To be honest, after you achieved enlightenment, I had the two Taoist priests from the Taiqing Palace brought here to investigate the matter thoroughly. But no matter how much we looked into it, we couldn’t figure out the reason.”

Mei Qing could only smile wryly. He was no longer the clueless novice he had been before. After this period of intense study, he had gained a solid understanding of the basics of cultivation. Looking back on how he had established his foundation, he could only say it was a stroke of luck. Apart from attributing it to fate, he couldn’t find any other explanation.

“As for how I established my foundation, I’m just as clueless. It’s something that should have been impossible, yet it happened by sheer coincidence. But even if I managed to get past the foundation stage, a Pure Yang Body lacks the nourishment and balance of yin. My energy flows in a biased path, and continuing to cultivate will only make it more extreme, leading to my body exploding and death, right?” Mei Qing asked thoughtfully.

“That’s what we’ve been puzzled about as well. First, how could you even cultivate? Second, your speed is terrifying. As far as I know, there are countless cultivators in the world, but none as fast as you. Back in the day, the Plum Blossom Taoist Fan Wentai took ten years to form his Golden Core, and he was considered a once-in-a-generation talent. If he knew about your speed, he’d probably die of shame on the spot,” Sixth Master said, frowning.

Mei Qing naturally knew that his so-called cultivation was different from others’. While most people followed the standard methods of refining mercury into lead, step by step, he had a mysterious purple flame inside him. By refining that flame, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. If it hadn’t been for Bi Zhen teaching him the Nineteen Secrets of Alchemy, he would still be refining that purple flame every day.

“But even if you found a way to cultivate, there’s no way you could get past the stage of forming a Golden Core. Some even said that the day you formed your Golden Core would be the day you died. As someone who’s also on the path of cultivation, I can’t say that’s wrong. At the time, I couldn’t tell you directly, so I used some methods to try to damage your foundation, hoping to prevent your cultivation from advancing and save your life. But as they say, man proposes, and God disposes. Not only did you not suffer any harm, but that reckless girl Bi Zhen even helped you take it a step further and form a Golden Core,” Sixth Master said, shaking his head with a sigh.

Hearing Sixth Master’s words and recalling Bi Zhen’s earlier remarks, Mei Qing gradually pieced things together. It seemed that after he had formed his Golden Core, Sixth Master and the others had no choice but to seal his cultivation and observe him cautiously. Thinking of this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but ask, “Since you say you were entrusted by my ancestors to look after me, I’m naturally grateful. But I still don’t know what kind of people my parents were. Why did you keep it from me before, and why are you telling me now? What’s the reason behind all this?”

Sixth Master’s expression turned serious. “What kind of people your parents were, you’ll find out when the time is right. As for why I didn’t tell you before and why I’m telling you now, it has to do with this inkstone.”

Mei Qing was puzzled. The inkstone had been found on the thief, stored in a small leather pouch, and was now placed on the table next to Sixth Master. But Mei Qing still couldn’t sense the inkstone’s presence, as if the pouch had some special isolating effect.

“At first, I wasn’t sure, but now I believe that the inexplicable aspects of your cultivation must be somehow connected to this inkstone,” Sixth Master said slowly.

Mei Qing was startled, his mind filled with doubt. In fact, he had always harbored suspicions about the inkstone, and now that Sixth Master had brought it up, his suspicions only grew stronger.

Recalling his experiences since coming into contact with the inkstone, there were many things that were difficult to explain. It was hard to believe that there wasn’t some mystery behind it.

“But even if you found a way to cultivate, you should never have been able to cross the threshold to form a golden core. Some even said that the day you formed your core would be the day you died. I’m a cultivator myself, and there’s nothing wrong with that statement. But I couldn’t tell you directly at the time. Later, I tried various methods to weaken your foundation, hoping to stop your cultivation from endangering your life. But fate had other plans. Not only did you not suffer any damage, but Bi Zhen was also reckless enough to help you go even further and actually form a golden core,” Lord Liu said, shaking his head.

After hearing Lord Liu’s words and recalling Bi Zhen’s earlier remarks, Mei Qing gradually pieced everything together. It seemed that Lord Liu and the others, seeing that he had formed a golden core and having no other options, had decided to seal his cultivation first and observe. As these thoughts crossed his mind, new questions arose. Unable to help himself, he asked, “Lord Liu, if you say you were entrusted by my ancestors to look after me, I’m naturally grateful. But who exactly were my parents? You’ve never told me before, yet today you’ve chosen to be honest. What is the reason behind all this?”

Lord Liu’s expression turned serious. “You’ll know who your parents were when the time is right. As for why I didn’t tell you before but am doing so now, it has to do with this inkstone.”

Mei Qing felt puzzled. The inkstone had been taken from the thief and was now in a small leather pouch on Lord Liu’s desk. Yet Mei Qing still couldn’t sense its presence, as if the pouch had some special isolating property.

“Earlier, I wasn’t sure, but after this incident, I believe that the many inexplicable aspects of your cultivation must be connected to this inkstone in some way,” Lord Liu said slowly.

Mei Qing was shaken. In truth, he had always suspected this inkstone. Now, hearing Lord Liu say the same, his doubts only deepened.

Reflecting on all his experiences since coming into contact with the inkstone, he realized how many things had been difficult to explain. If there was no mystery involved, it would be hard to believe.