“Master, we’ve been practicing day in and day out. When are we finally going after the Wenshang Sect? I’m still on official duty, you know.”
“Foolish boy, what fun is there in wiping out the Wenshang Sect? It’s dangerous and brings no benefit. Better not to go if possible.”
“But Master, didn’t you say that inviting Master and Mistress Shi here was specifically to prepare for fighting the Wenshang Sect?”
“Little fox, those two have their own grudge with the Wenshang Sect, so I let them settle their scores. The Wenshang Sect hasn’t wronged you personally. Your wife even stole their precious cauldron and cooked it for you, then turned around and threatened to kill them to cover it up—how can you feel justified?”
Mei Qing, having learned a few techniques, felt a strong urge to go out and show off his skills. After all, in the past, he mostly went out with a group of hired thugs and merely sat watching from the sidelines. Now that he finally possessed defensive talismans and offensive符, he couldn’t help but feel excited, often getting the urge to lead a battle at night.
But Zhang Shisan showed no urgency at all, and Master Ku looked even more like a compassionate monk who preached against violence. As for Shi Mengzhu—just looking at the old scholar’s frail body, there was no need to involve him in any fighting.
“The problem is, we’ve already confronted them at the imperial villa, and Bi Zhen stole their cauldron. Even a fool would know to start searching everywhere. If they can’t find it locally and expand their search outward, they’ll definitely think of this port town first. If we wait until they come knocking on our door, won’t we be at a disadvantage?” Mei Qing, trying to reason with facts and logic, earnestly explained to Zhang Shisan.
“Haha, alright, alright. Seems like you’re not completely clueless after all,” Zhang Shisan chuckled with his eyes half-closed. “Your reasoning actually makes some sense. It’s not that I don’t want to eliminate them—it’s just that they’ve been behaving themselves, only making a few paper horses and soldiers. They haven’t wronged us, so why should we go charging in with swords drawn? You’re an official, so if things go wrong, just report it to the local authorities. Let them handle it. This isn’t how things are done in the cultivation world.”
“But what about their harmful cultivation techniques? Surely such evil practices deserve to be eradicated?” Mei Qing, seeing Zhang Shisan’s indifferent attitude, raised his voice slightly.
“Which eye of yours saw them harming people? Did you catch them red-handed during their cultivation?” Zhang Shisan snorted. “You need evidence to catch a thief, and proof to catch an adulterer. Just because your wife followed them to Changchun Dian, you assume the Wenshang Sect is using evil techniques to harm people?”
“Then why did you have Master Shi and his wife prepare for battle? Why did you make all these arrangements in the first place?” Mei Qing was confused. “If we can’t attack the Wenshang Sect, why did you bring those two here? Isn’t Mistress Shi also part of the cultivation world?”
“Foolish boy, why can’t you understand?” Zhang Shisan replied. “If we go charging in first, we’d be the ones causing trouble. But as you said, they’ll surely come after us eventually. Then they’ll be the aggressors, and we’ll be forced to defend ourselves. Hehe…”
“Ah… Master, you’re really…” Mei Qing didn’t know what to say.
“Hehe, don’t think that the cultivation world is some pure and noble place,” Zhang Shisan sneered. “It might actually be even murkier than the outside world. Out there, there are officials and courts, no matter how corrupt, at least there’s some place to appeal for justice. In the cultivation world, it’s all about power. That’s why Zhang Liusun could just wipe out the Shenxiao Sect back then. What could he do? Now, we’re just a master and apprentice with few people and fewer weapons. We need to be extra cautious or we’ll end up in trouble.”
“So we’re just going to sit here and wait for them to come after us?” Mei Qing asked unwillingly.
“What do you mean, waiting for death?” Zhang Shisan rolled his eyes. “We’re sitting calmly, like a fisherman waiting for the fish to bite. But foolish boy, this time, I won’t be stepping in. Your bald master probably has his own score to settle with that laughing Maitreya. When the time comes, you’ll have to take care of yourself.”
“Ah…” Hearing this, Mei Qing suddenly felt his confidence drain away. “Well, you know, I’m not really that eager to go around fighting and killing. A harmonious society is better after all…”
While Mei Qing and his master were plotting how to gain the moral high ground at Shi’s residence, dozens of miles away in the largest mansion of Changchun Dian town, Liu Liu, the second leader of the Wenshang Sect, was standing under the gaze of two elderly men, sweating profusely and stuttering incoherently.
“Leader Liu,” the thin, white-haired old man on the left spoke in a cold, raspy voice. Although he addressed Liu as “leader,” there was little respect in his tone. “You say the item is lost, and several days have passed. Even if we two old men say nothing, what do you think will happen when that other person asks about it, hmm?”
That cold, rasping hum sounded like it came from the depths of hell, making Liu Liu, who stood with hands clasped respectfully, shiver all over. He hurriedly replied in a trembling voice, “Elder Left Guardian, please give me a few more days. I will definitely…”
“Enough,” the smiling, fat monk beside the white-haired old man interrupted. “Even if you squeeze him dry, he won’t produce much oil. But old Yuan, I think there’s something strange about this. The formation at that location was originally set up by that person years ago. The place has been peaceful for years, hidden and unnoticed. How could it be so coincidental that just when we two were away for a short while, the item was stolen? Perhaps there’s a traitor within the sect?”
The white-haired old man slowly shook his head. “Everyone in the sect is here, and you’ve already checked them all. I don’t believe anyone could escape our notice. That item… even if it were in our hands, unless it was placed within that formation, its aura would be hard to completely conceal. How could there be no sign of disturbance at all?”
The monk’s smile deepened. “Maybe it was just a coincidence? Liu Liu, have you checked the nearby areas? Any news on those unfamiliar faces you mentioned a few days ago?”
Liu Liu hurriedly replied, “Right Guard, I’ve already sent all my men to investigate the nearby villages. I expect to have news tomorrow.”
“Good, good. Don’t rush,” the monk smiled kindly. “Brother Yuan and I do trust you. But we can’t just focus on this one place. I suggest we also send more people to the nearby counties and towns. Think about where someone might hide locally. Brother Yuan and I aren’t familiar with this area, so we really need your help as a local expert.”
As he spoke, the monk chuckled, his fat face jiggling with each laugh.
Upon hearing this, Liu Liu quickly nodded in agreement, repeatedly thanking the two guardians before backing slowly toward the door and then dashing away in a hurry once outside.
Watching Liu Liu disappear beyond the courtyard gate, the monk’s smile gradually faded, replaced by a look of resentment. “These pigs! Can’t do anything right!”
The white-haired old man’s face darkened. “Brother Xiao, what should we do now given the situation?”
The monk’s fat face twitched slightly, his voice filled with hatred. “What else can we do now? If that person finds out the cauldron is gone, there won’t be a single one of us left alive! We can only hope this kid proves useful. Brother Yuan, we two can’t stay idle either. We should go out and check around ourselves in the next couple of days. Relying solely on these useless pigs, there’s little hope.”
The white-haired old man lowered his voice. “But what if we can’t find it? You know how that person is. The messages have been coming urgently these past few days, as if something isn’t going smoothly in the capital. We’ve been preparing for years, and just when it’s time to act, this happens. If blame falls on us…”
At this, the white-haired old man seemed to recall something terrifying, shuddering involuntarily and saying no more.
“Ai…” the monk sighed heavily. “At this point, we can only take one step at a time.” With that, he closed his eyes and said nothing more.
The white-haired old man’s face grew even darker, his eyes flickering with uncertainty as he fell silent.
Night gradually enveloped the courtyard. The large elm tree in the yard had already begun to show signs of aging, its leaves looking even more withered and desolate under the pale moonlight. The returning cold birds had already nestled among the branches, seemingly too tired to utter even a single chirp.
Inside the house, Liu Liu paced back and forth restlessly. Although the weather was getting colder, sweat was pouring from his forehead.
Suddenly, a dim light flickered in the dark room, illuminating the face of a young woman in her twenties, making her appear even more seductive. However, her beautiful face clearly showed signs of fear and anxiety. She put down the oil lamp she was holding, hesitated for a moment, and then softly called out with a timid voice, “Husband…”
“What are you shouting for!?” Liu Liu didn’t even turn around, shrieking in a sharp voice. “You’ve been living off me, eating and drinking at my expense. When things get urgent, all you can do is cry and look gloomy. Who are you trying to impress? Get out! Out! Don’t show your ugly face in front of me!”
With that, Liu Liu’s voice turned into an uncontrollable roar. He slapped the woman across the face and then kicked her twice, sending her sprawling to the ground in shock.
Watching the terrified woman crawl out of the room in panic, Liu Liu’s anger eased slightly. He turned his gaze toward the dark side yard, thinking of the series of reports that had come back empty, the helpless and fearful expressions on his subordinates’ faces, and the increasingly gloomy expressions of the two guardians. He couldn’t help but sigh deeply, feeling as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees.
Only the messages from the southern routes hadn’t come back yet… Liu Liu calculated in his mind. If those messages didn’t bring any news either, then those strangers were probably gone for good. But even if they were found, could he be sure that they were the ones who stole the cauldron? Thinking back to what he had seen, it was just a few beams of light. Especially the last one, which hadn’t been stopped even by the strange bones he had desperately deployed. Such a level of cultivation must belong to someone formidable.
“Leader! Leader!” Suddenly, a hoarse voice filled with excitement came from outside the room. “We found them! We found the trail of those people!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage