Mei Qing and Hou Shen, led by A-San, wandered for some time across the Minghai Sea, eventually leaving the sea from one side and visiting a nearby small island. Locals referred to such sandy islets as “tuo.” Surprisingly, despite being a small sand island in the sea, there was a well of sweet water with delicious, clear water, which amazed Mei Qing and Hou Shen greatly.
A-San had brought various prepared foods, and seeing that it was already noon, he casually spread them out on the island, setting up a simple meal for Mei Qing and Hou Shen. The sand island also had several fishing huts and the ruins of an old lighthouse to explore. According to A-San, these had been built during the previous dynasty for maritime purposes but had long since fallen into disrepair and disuse.
It was nearly sunset when Mei Qing and Hou Shen, guided by A-San, finally returned to the dock near the village.
“One, two, three, two, two, three, follow the master up Maoshan…” As soon as they landed, Mei Qing once again heard the familiar tune of a beggar’s song. Looking up, he indeed saw the same yellow-faced street performer who had appeared before, setting up his act at the village entrance.
“Heh, this magician must have a keen nose for news—he must have heard there was a happy occasion in the village today and come to offer his blessings,” A-San chuckled.
It turned out that this was a local custom: whenever there was a celebration, any traveling performers or beggars who came to offer good wishes would be welcomed with a pair of chopsticks and a bowl, no matter who they were.
However, Mei Qing felt a bit suspicious. He had seen this magician several times since arriving in Yongping. If they had merely happened to be on the same route, that might be understandable. But now that they were in this small port village, the magician had appeared again—this time, it was hard to believe it was just a coincidence. Quietly, Mei Qing extended his spiritual awareness to scan the man thoroughly, but found nothing unusual. Shrugging, he withdrew his mind probe and followed A-San into the village. As he walked, he couldn’t help glancing back a few times at the magician, who was now staring intently at a tasseled ball in his hand, muttering incantations, seemingly completely indifferent to Mei Qing. Mei Qing shook his head, thinking he had probably been too suspicious, and quickened his pace toward the Shi residence.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that, as soon as he turned away, the magician’s eyes flickered slightly, glancing at Mei Qing’s retreating figure, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Gangli Village had no more than a few hundred people at most. Thus, the wedding of two young villagers naturally became a major event for the entire village, with every elder and child attending as honored guests.
As a distinguished guest from afar, Mei Qing was even invited to sit at the main table alongside Shi Mengzhu. Only just before the banquet did he realize how inappropriate it was to arrive empty-handed. In a rush, he had A-San bring him paper and ink, and he painted four floral and bird scenes as wedding gifts.
The village banquet was vastly different from the refined feasts Mei Qing had experienced in the capital—lively and chaotic, with people constantly raising their cups to toast one another. The bride was the girl Mei Qing had met before, Sweetie, though naturally she could not appear in public now. The groom, Dashan, was tall and looked honest and simple. After being forced to drink several rounds by his rowdy friends, his face turned as red as Guan Gong’s. Finally, Shi Mengzhu smiled and intervened, calming the group down.
Mei Qing also noticed that the yellow-faced magician had indeed appeared at the banquet. However, according to local customs, traveling performers were seated separately and not mixed with the villagers. Thus, the magician sat alone at his own table, eating quietly and politely, ignoring anyone who looked his way.
Mei Qing was also warmly toasted by many enthusiastic villagers. Fortunately, his cultivation had improved, so a few cups were no problem. Hou Shen, on the other hand, accepted every toast without hesitation. After dozens of cups, he remained as composed as ever, while several of the villagers at the same table were already passed out.
Shi Mengzhu seemed to be in a particularly good mood. Though everyone looked at him with deep respect, they were also very familiar with him, and many came to toast him. By the time the banquet ended, he was clearly quite drunk.
It was not until the moon rose in the east that the feast finally ended. While the younger crowd stayed behind for the traditional wedding pranks, most of the villagers staggered home, tipsy. The magician, seeking a place to stay for the night, was led by A-San to an empty servant’s room in Shi’s residence. Shi Mengzhu, still chatting joyfully with Mei Qing, returned with him to the main house.
Shi Mengzhu was in such a talkative mood that even upon returning home, he did not wish to rest. He ordered tea to be brought and wanted to continue their conversation through the night. However, Mei Qing noticed that Shi Mengzhu had drunk quite a bit, and considering his age, staying up late might harm his health. Thus, Mei Qing politely declined, saying he himself had drunk too much and had a slight headache, and suggested they rest early.
Back in their guest room, Hou Shen chuckled and said, “Your drinking capacity is really impressive. If we had kept going, even the last guy pouring drinks would have collapsed.”
Hou Shen winked, then suddenly pulled out a leather pouch from somewhere on his person. Shaking it lightly, the sound of liquid sloshing inside could be heard. It turned out he hadn’t drunk a single drop—somehow, he had poured all the wine into the pouch.
Mei Qing burst into laughter. After tidying up a bit, the two went to bed.
Outside the window, the moonlight bathed the room in silver. Mei Qing sat cross-legged on his bed, drawing in the moonlight, refining it twice through his body’s sun and moon energies, and then slowly guiding the golden elixir downward, circulating the true essence around the elixir, gradually integrating it into a unified whole.
His cultivation of the Thunder Dao had become increasingly refined and complete. His internal energy was almost liquid-like, a testament to the extraordinary power of the Shenxiao technique. Unfortunately, despite his abundant true essence, he had very few corresponding Daoist spells at his disposal. Before leaving, when he told Bi Zhen of his journey, she had expressed great concern. However, most of her techniques were exclusive to her sect and incompatible with Mei Qing’s path, leaving her helpless and frustrated.
The only somewhat comforting technique was the ability to internalize objects. Though not a major technique, it was extremely practical. Now, the talisman for his teleportation technique was stored within it. When needed, it could be summoned instantly with a mere thought, making it very convenient.
This technique did not create a physical space within the body but instead stored objects that had been refined by spiritual awareness within the mind itself. Mei Qing could hardly describe the exact nature of this method—it was as if he had placed an object into a pocket, except this pocket existed entirely within his consciousness.
Only objects he had personally refined could be placed into this space. However, to Mei Qing’s surprise, the inkstone was an exception. He had only tried it on a whim, and the inkstone had effortlessly vanished from sight and appeared within his mind as he wished.
After finishing his cultivation, Mei Qing gazed blankly at the moon, his heart filled with longing for Bi Zhen, whose whereabouts were unknown. After their night exploring the Yang family ruins, when he recounted the events to Bi Zhen, she had gasped in shock and scolded him fiercely for acting recklessly without supervision, accusing the “old man” of neglecting him and sending only “two useless guys” to accompany him, clearly intending to let him fall into danger—a “murder by proxy,” as she put it. Mei Qing had tried to defend himself, but Bi Zhen’s complaints had drowned out his words.
“If you ever take such a reckless risk again, I won’t speak to you anymore!” she had pouted angrily.
Thus, when Mei Qing left the capital this time, Bi Zhen had been deeply worried. It had taken him a great deal of effort to calm her down.
Now, alone beneath the bright moon, Mei Qing suddenly felt an emptiness in his heart. At this time of night, they would usually be whispering to each other in the quiet hours, their spiritual minds intertwined. Now, separated by distance, they gazed at the same moon from afar, sharing the same longing and sorrow.
Just as Mei Qing was lost in thought, a sudden fluctuation in his internal energy startled him. Instantly, he extended his spiritual awareness and sensed a powerful surge of spiritual energy not far away, clashing and vibrating intensely. In his ears, he faintly heard thunder-like sounds, accompanied by several dull thuds.
Puzzled, Mei Qing got up and went to the window. The night sky was clear, with not a cloud in sight—no sign of a storm. He probed again with his mind, but found nothing. It was as if his earlier perception had been an illusion.
Shaking his head in confusion, Mei Qing could only return to bed and lie down to sleep.
Under the guidance of Ah San, Mei Qing and his companion wandered around the Ming Sea for a while before exiting from one side and arriving at a nearby small island. Locally, these small sandy islands are referred to as “tuo.” What was particularly fascinating was that, despite being a sandy island in the sea, there was actually a sweet water well on it, with water so delicious that it left Mei Qing and his companion marveling.
Ah San had also brought along various cooked foods, and seeing that it was already noon, he casually laid out the food and drinks on the island, inviting Mei Qing and his companion to have a simple meal. The sandy island also had several fish shops and the remnants of a lighthouse for them to explore. According to Ah San, the lighthouse was built during the maritime activities of the previous dynasty but had long been abandoned and fallen into disrepair.
It wasn’t until the sun began to set that Mei Qing and Hou Shen, led by Ah San, returned to the village’s dock.
“One, two, three, two, two, three, follow the master to Maoshan…” As soon as they disembarked, Mei Qing heard the familiar tune of the Lotus Song. Looking up, he saw the sallow-faced magician setting up his performance at the village entrance once again.
“Ha, this magician is quite well-informed. Knowing there’s a celebration in the village today, he’s here to join in the festivities,” Ah San remarked with a laugh.
It was a local custom that whenever a traveling performer encountered a celebration, they only needed to say a few auspicious words at the door to be offered a meal, even if they were beggars.
However, Mei Qing found it strange that he had seen this magician several times since arriving in Yongping. While it was possible they were coincidentally on the same route, it was hard to believe it was just a coincidence that he appeared in this small village. Mei Qing quietly extended his spiritual sense to probe the magician for a long time but found nothing unusual. Reluctantly, he withdrew his spiritual sense and followed Ah San into the village. Before leaving, Mei Qing couldn’t help but glance at the magician a few more times, only to see him focused on the embroidered ball in front of him, muttering to himself, completely unaware of Mei Qing’s presence. Mei Qing shook his head, thinking he might be overly sensitive, and quickened his steps towards the Shi residence.
Unbeknownst to Mei Qing, after he turned his gaze away, the magician’s peripheral vision caught Mei Qing’s retreating figure, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
The village of Gangli had no more than a few hundred people. The wedding of two young villagers naturally became a major event for the entire village, and almost everyone, young and old, was invited to the celebration.
As a distinguished guest from afar, Mei Qing was even invited to sit at the head table with Shi Mengzhu. It was only before arriving that he realized it might be inappropriate to show up empty-handed. In a moment of quick thinking, he asked Ah San to prepare some paper and brushes, and he painted four birds and flowers as a congratulatory gift.
The village banquet was vastly different from the formal banquets Mei Qing had attended in the capital. It was much more lively and chaotic, with people everywhere raising their glasses to toast. The bride was the sweet girl Mei Qing had met before, but naturally, she couldn’t appear at the banquet. The groom, named Dashan, was tall and had an honest and simple appearance. After being plied with several cups of wine by a group of young men, his face turned as red as Guan Yu’s. It was only after Shi Mengzhu intervened with a few words that the young men let him off the hook.
Mei Qing also noticed that the sallow-faced magician had indeed appeared at the banquet. However, according to local customs, traveling performers were seated separately and didn’t mingle with others. Thus, the magician occupied a table by himself, eating very politely, ignoring anyone who looked his way.
Mei Qing was also toasted several times by the enthusiastic villagers. Fortunately, his cultivation had reached a level where a few cups of wine were no challenge. Hou Shen, on the other hand, accepted every toast without hesitation, drinking dozens of cups without showing any signs of intoxication, even knocking out several of his drinking companions.
Shi Mengzhu seemed to be in a good mood, and although the villagers showed him great respect, they didn’t hold back from toasting him. By the end of the banquet, his steps were unsteady, clearly having drunk quite a bit.
It wasn’t until the moon rose in the east that the banquet finally ended. While the young people stayed behind to continue the wedding festivities, most of the villagers returned home drunk. The magician, looking for a place to stay, was directed by Shi Mengzhu to a spare room in his house, arranged by Ah San. Shi Mengzhu and Mei Qing chatted and laughed all the way back to the residence.
Shi Mengzhu was in high spirits and, even after returning home, didn’t rest. He called for tea, intending to continue his late-night conversation with Mei Qing. However, seeing that Shi Mengzhu had drunk quite a bit and considering his age, Mei Qing worried that staying up late might affect his health. He quickly persuaded Shi Mengzhu to rest, claiming that he himself had also drunk a lot and had a headache, so it would be better to sleep early.
After returning to their guest room, Mei Qing said to Hou Shen with a smile, “Your drinking capacity is truly impressive. If we had continued, even the last drinking companion would have been knocked out. I saw his face change color.”
Hou Shen blinked and chuckled, “Drinking with me? Even three more would have been knocked out by him.”
With that, he suddenly pulled out a leather bag from somewhere on his body, shaking it slightly to reveal the sound of liquid sloshing inside. It turned out that he hadn’t drunk a single drop, having somehow poured all the wine into this leather bag.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but laugh at this. The two of them tidied up and lay down to rest.
Outside the window, the moonlight was pure and bright. Mei Qing sat cross-legged on the bed, drawing the moonlight into his body, refining it twice with the sun and moon’s essence, before slowly guiding it into his golden core, circulating his true essence around it to nourish and integrate with it.
His current thunder cultivation technique had gradually become ethereal and complete, with his true essence almost turning into a liquid state. The Shenxiao method was indeed extraordinarily profound. Unfortunately, despite having an abundance of true essence, he lacked corresponding Taoist techniques. Before leaving, when he explained his journey to Bi Zhen, she was deeply concerned. However, most of her Taoist techniques were unique to her sect and incompatible with Mei Qing’s methods, so she couldn’t teach them to him, leaving her helpless.
The only comforting aspect was that the technique of transforming objects into his body faced no obstacles. Although this technique wasn’t a major one, it was extremely practical. Now, Mei Qing’s escape technique token was stored within it. Whenever he needed to use it, he could summon it with a thought, which was quite convenient.
This technique didn’t involve creating a space within his body but rather storing objects refined by his spiritual sense within his consciousness. The subtlety of this method was something Mei Qing couldn’t fully describe. It was like putting an object into a pocket, except this pocket wasn’t on his clothes but existed within his consciousness.
Thus, objects he hadn’t refined couldn’t be stored in this space. However, to Mei Qing’s surprise, the inkstone was an exception. He had only tried it casually, but the inkstone effortlessly disappeared before his eyes and appeared within his consciousness, following his will.
After finishing his cultivation, Mei Qing couldn’t help but gaze at the moon, missing Bi Zhen, who was somewhere unknown. After their nighttime exploration of the Yang family’s old residence, when they recounted their experiences, Bi Zhen repeatedly exclaimed in surprise. She didn’t care that Mei Qing had acted on his own, accusing “that old man” of neglecting Mei Qing and only sending “two useless people” with him, implying some sinister motive. Mei Qing couldn’t bear it and tried to defend himself, but Bi Zhen’s complaints drowned him out.
“If you dare to take such reckless risks again, I’ll ignore you!” Bi Zhen scolded angrily.
Therefore, when Mei Qing left the capital, Bi Zhen was genuinely worried. It took Mei Qing a great deal of effort to reassure her.
Now, facing the moon alone, Mei Qing suddenly felt an emptiness in his heart. At this time, they would usually be sharing their thoughts and whispering to each other late into the night. But now, they were separated by distance, looking at the same moon, sharing the same longing and idle sorrow.
Just as Mei Qing’s thoughts surged like a tide, his true essence within him suddenly fluctuated. Startled, he immediately extended his spiritual sense and felt a massive spiritual energy colliding and surging not far away. In his ears, he faintly heard thunderous sounds accompanied by several dull impacts.
Puzzled, Mei Qing got out of bed and walked to the window to look outside. The night was clear and cloudless, with no sign of thunder. When he extended his spiritual sense again, there was no trace of anything, as if his earlier sensation had been an illusion.
Shaking his head, unable to understand what had happened, Mei Qing returned to bed and fell asleep.
The next day, Ah San came again to invite Mei Qing and Hou Shen for breakfast. Mei Qing was surprised to see that Shi Mengzhu hadn’t appeared. He also noticed that the servants in the residence all looked gloomy, as if something had happened. Even Ah San, who had been all smiles the previous day, now wore a forced smile.
After breakfast, when Shi Mengzhu still hadn’t appeared, Mei Qing couldn’t help but ask, “Ah San, is Mr. Shi not at home?”
Ah San forced a smile and said, “Mr. Mei, something happened in the village last night. Early this morning, the master went there.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What happened?”
Ah San hesitated, seemingly reluctant to speak. Under Mei Qing’s direct gaze, he finally whispered, “The bride from yesterday’s wedding, Sweet Girl, has died.”
Sweet Girl was dead.
When Mei Qing and Hou Shen arrived at her bridal chamber, her body had already been placed on a door plank in the hall. A white cloth covered her, but the bright red wedding dress beneath it was still dazzling, and the large red “double happiness” character on the wall was so glaring that Mei Qing could hardly look directly at it.
Looking at the stiff body under the white cloth, Mei Qing felt a heavy weight pressing on his heart, making it hard to breathe. Was this the same girl who, just two days ago, had been singing clear fishing songs, boldly questioning and teasing, full of vitality and innocence, standing gracefully at the bow of the boat?
Shi Mengzhu, who had arrived earlier, greeted Mei Qing and Hou Shen as they approached. However, his long eyes couldn’t hide the deep sorrow and anger within.
Mei Qing and Shi Mengzhu exchanged a glance, both unconsciously letting out a long sigh.
After the meal, Shi Mengzhu still hadn’t appeared, so Mei Qing finally asked, “A-San, is Master Shi not at home today?”
A-San forced a smile and replied, “Master Mei, something happened in the village last night, and early this morning, the master went to deal with it.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing asked, surprised. “What happened?”
A-San hesitated, clearly reluctant to speak. But under Mei Qing’s steady gaze, he finally whispered, “The bride from yesterday’s wedding—Sweetie—is dead.”
Sweetie was dead.
When Mei Qing and Hou Shen arrived at the newlyweds’ home, Sweetie’s body had already been placed on a wooden plank in the hall. A white cloth covered her, but the bright red wedding dress beneath it still shone vividly. The large red “Xi” character on the wall glared at Mei Qing, almost unbearable to look at.
Looking at the stiff body under the cloth, Mei Qing felt a heavy weight in his chest, as if something was suffocating him. Was this the same girl who, just two days ago, had sung cheerful fishing songs, scolded with laughter, and stood so lively and innocent at the bow of the boat?
Shi Mengzhu, who had arrived earlier, came forward to greet Mei Qing and Hou Shen. His long eyes, however, betrayed deep sorrow and anger.
Mei Qing and Shi Mengzhu exchanged a glance, and both instinctively let out a long sigh.
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