Lu Bing spoke with certainty, “That place indeed witnessed a fierce battle among cultivators, a rather intense one at that. Unfortunately, the site must have been cleaned up, leaving us unable to discern the details or determine how many were involved or their identities.”
“At the time, I was quite curious about the matter, so I specifically ordered people to investigate the altar where Zhang Tian-shi conducted his rain-summoning ritual. I also had people inquire further to find out who sabotaged Zhang Tian-shi’s ritual and caused his failure. But—”
“What was the result?” Mei Qing asked.
“The investigation surprisingly revealed the shadows of several major sects behind the incident, although there was no solid evidence. Those leads we managed to trace all ended the same way—either the people involved were dead or had disappeared,” Lu Bing replied, shaking his head.
“You mean sects like Shangqing Maoshan and Lingbao Pavilion were involved?” Mei Qing asked in astonishment.
“Although there’s no proof, I’m almost certain they were involved,” Lu Bing nodded. “Moreover, the Northern Quanzhen sect likely couldn’t escape implication either.”
Mei Qing exhaled deeply, sighing, “What a grand scheme!”
“Oh?” Lu Bing said, surprised. “Mei Qing, have you figured something out?”
“If I’m not mistaken, this whole affair was likely orchestrated by the Plum Blossom Sect. Consider this: back then, they challenged each sect in the Daoist world one by one, making prior agreements with each. Afterward, all sects remained silent, indicating a grand design. Think further about how the Plum Blossom Sect, while engaging in duels with other sects, must have had ulterior motives specifically against the Tian-shi sect. After all, Longhu Mountain leads all Daoist sects; there’s no way they could have avoided confrontation. Finally, who benefited the most after Zhang Tian-shi lost his title and died? Obviously, it was Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zhongwen. So if someone claims the Plum Blossom Sect had nothing to do with this, it simply doesn’t add up,” Mei Qing explained, ticking off each point on his fingers.
“Indeed,” Lu Bing nodded. “Before we didn’t know Shao and Tao’s true identities, so we couldn’t understand the whole picture. But now that you mention it, only that mysterious Plum Blossom Sect could have had the capability to pull this off.”
Lu Bing shook his head again. “Still, if the Plum Blossom Sect had meticulously planned this, why did they suddenly go silent afterward? If their intention was truly to replace Longhu Mountain, they should have acted decisively back then.”
“I suppose something unexpected must have happened to Plum Blossom Zhenren, or perhaps there was some internal upheaval within the sect, forcing them to halt their plans. To find out, we must first confirm whether Zhang Tian-shi and Plum Blossom Zhenren actually fought back then,” Mei Qing speculated.
“How do we investigate that?” Lu Bing smiled and asked, “Tell me, what clever ideas do you have?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Mei Qing replied solemnly. “We might not be able to investigate directly, but my master definitely has ways…”
“Oh, I see! You mean that old Daoist, right? So he’s from the Tian-shi sect? Haha, I imagine his status must be quite high,” Lu Bing suddenly realized.
Not long after Mei Qing returned from Yongping, Lu Bing had once pressed him about the identities of Zhang Shisan and Ku Dashi. However, since the name Zhang Shisan was unknown to him, Lu Bing could only suspect that Mei Qing’s sudden cultivation breakthrough had something to do with these two, though he didn’t know who Zhang Shisan really was. Now, hearing Mei Qing’s words, he finally understood that Zhang Shisan was actually from the Tian-shi sect.
“I’m not sure either,” Mei Qing said seriously. “But I do know that if it’s just about me, he probably won’t bother much. However, if it threatens the Tian-shi sect itself, my master will definitely find a way to uncover everything.”
As the transmission talisman burned into ashes before their eyes, Bi Zhen chuckled beside him, “I wonder how worried that old Daoist master will be when he sees this. You sending a message to your Daoist master is fine, but why send one to the monk master too?”
“You silly wife,” Mei Qing replied in mock exasperation, “Don’t you know we’re about to have a fight? The more help we have, the better!”
The skill of summoning rain, which the common people viewed as a supernatural feat of calling wind and rain, wasn’t actually that mysterious to cultivators. In fact, most Daoist sects, although not powerful enough to make their talismans obey instantly, could still conjure up a little rain to impress the public.
Yet for the Tian-shi sect, which had dominated Daoist rituals for centuries, to fail in a rain-summoning ritual was something no one could have foreseen.
Such an incident alone could provoke the emperor’s wrath, leading to Zhang Tian-shi losing his title. There must have been other forces at play behind the scenes.
“By the way, you mentioned earlier that Tao Zhongwen and Duan Chaoyong have been acting strangely. What do you mean? Before you arrived, Duan Chaoyong had already come. If it hadn’t been for Liu Xing and that Bai Elder joining forces to resist him, there would have been a real fight,” Mei Qing asked, recalling Lu Bing’s earlier words.
“These two cultivators have cultivation levels far beyond mine,” Lu Bing shook his head. “Although I’ve worked hard to improve over the years and have even used external means to enhance my power, compared to them, I’m still significantly inferior. Thus, I’ve never directly monitored them. However, Tao Zhongwen holds the title of Dian Zhenren in the imperial court, while Duan Chaoyong, backed by Guo Xun’s influence, has the title of Zifu Xuanzhong Gaoshi. Therefore, they both have some subordinates around them, from whom we can gather some peripheral information. Besides, even cultivators need time for cultivation and can’t handle every mundane matter themselves. This time, the information came from a servant under Dian Zhenren, saying that Duan Chaoyong had suddenly visited Dian Zhenren’s residence. I paid attention and arranged further surveillance, discovering that someone had been captured from the Five City Military Command and brought to Dian Zhenren’s mansion for interrogation under torture. I had someone retrieve the confession, which is how we found out about Liu Xing’s connection.”
Mei Qing was somewhat surprised. “You, Tao Zhongwen, and Duan Chaoyong are all cultivators. Why do you still rely on so many mundane methods? If Dian Zhenren needs to interrogate someone, wouldn’t he do it himself instead of letting others handle it?”
Lu Bing laughed. “Do you think even the mightiest warrior would personally fight every battle without using soldiers? Although we cultivators possess great power, our responsibilities and undertakings are vast. We can’t possibly handle everything ourselves. Every day we receive dozens, even hundreds, of messages. If we had to investigate each personally, we wouldn’t have time to cultivate or even rest. Therefore, cultivators usually focus on their cultivation and only personally intervene when dealing with truly significant matters. Take this case, for example: they must have had their subordinates investigate thoroughly before deciding to act themselves. Moreover, Dian Zhenren Tao Zhongwen has a peculiar habit—he refuses to touch anything even slightly dirty. His clothes and belongings must always be spotless. Therefore, he would never set foot in a prison.”
“I see,” Mei Qing nodded. “Lucky for us.”
“Still, I didn’t expect them to be so interested in that old affair. Upon hearing the news, they actually came all the way from the capital. Duan Chaoyong has already arrived. Although they support each other, they also compete. I imagine Dian Zhenren Tao Zhongwen won’t be far behind. Mei Qing, you must have some idea about this, right?”
After hearing Lu Bing’s words, Mei Qing remained silent for a while before slowly saying, “The exact reason, I’m not entirely sure. But one thing is certain—they are here for me.”
“For you?” Lu Bing pondered for a moment before saying, “You do have many secrets. Could it be that Maoyang Zhenren’s arrangements all those years ago were ultimately for you?”
Mei Qing nodded. “That must be the only explanation. Obviously, Maoyang Zhenren was also a member of the Plum Blossom Sect, though I don’t know exactly who he was. You’ve met Shao Yuanjie, Tao Zhongwen, and Duan Chaoyong. Could it be that ‘Anu’ is the one? Who exactly is this Anu?”
Lu Bing abruptly stood up. “Regardless of who it is, the Plum Blossom Sect’s hostility toward you is certain. Back in the capital, I already knew they were searching for you, though at the time we thought it was related to the imperial succession. Now it seems we were mistaken. If it’s truly Tao Zhongwen and Duan Chaoyong working together…”
After pacing back and forth twice, Lu Bing suddenly said, “We can’t just stay here waiting. The current situation is unfavorable for us. Bi Zhen, you stay here and accompany your mother. Mei Qing and I will go to Liu Xing’s manor.”
Bi Zhen looked displeased. “If things are going wrong, I should stay with Qing. If there’s a fight, at least I can help.”
Lu Bing remained silent, looking at Mei Qing instead. Mei Qing coughed and said to Bi Zhen, “Zhen’er, this trip with your father isn’t necessarily about fighting. We’re just going to discuss how to deal with our enemies together. Look, your father has arrived, and your mother only came out briefly before retreating. Obviously, she still has some unresolved feelings toward him. Who better than you to help ease the tension? Let’s each do our part—wouldn’t that be better? Of course, if you’re still worried, you can come along.”
“Hmph,” Bi Zhen laughed. “Like I care if you’re so precious. This time, you’re the one begging to marry that girl, and she might not even want you. Leave Mother to me. I guarantee she’ll come out happily soon, and then you’ll see how capable I am.”
“Mei Qing, if you ever dare to deceive Bi Zhen in the future, I won’t forgive you!” Lu Bing said sternly as they walked out of the courtyard.
“Why would you say that, Father-in-law?” Mei Qing feigned surprise. “I’ve always been devoted to Zhen’er.”
“Hmph, I don’t trust your silver tongue,” Lu Bing glared. “Didn’t you just trick my naive daughter into staying behind with a few sweet words? Don’t take advantage of her kindness and honesty…”
“Aww…” Mei Qing inwardly chuckled, realizing Lu Bing was upset because Bi Zhen only listened to him, not her father. “Father-in-law, I’m doing this for her own good, after all—”
Mei Qing grinned mischievously. “I know you’re just jealous. If you had known how to charm my mother-in-law back then, you wouldn’t still be locked out now, right?”
“That does make sense… Wait, you cheeky brat, daring to mock me!” Lu Bing suddenly realized, his temper flaring. But when he looked up, Mei Qing was already far ahead.
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