Chapter 438: Each Has Their Own Waiting

“Is the young lady calling for me?” Meng Qi half-turned, his back plastered with a dog-skin poultice.

After hearing what she had said, she still called me back. There might be something to this!

“Miss…” The old nursemaid tried to stop Zuo Yi Qian. She had seen too many con artists like this one—good at reading expressions and speaking boldly to intimidate others, not real cultivators capable of divination. They just said whatever was most frightening, and if they scared the other party, they considered it half a success.

Zuo Yi Qian slightly shook her head, signaling the nursemaid to keep quiet. Just now, this gentleman had struck the most secret place in her heart with a casual remark. He might actually have some skill.

Worry clouds judgment; desire leads to confusion. Zuo Yi Qian took a deep breath and said, “Mister, I’d like to have my fate divined.”

“No, no, no.” Meng Qi feigned disinterest, waving his hand. “Young lady, why spend money only to invite sorrow? I dare not accept your money.”

After speaking, he lifted his bamboo pole and tossed high the sign reading “Divining Marriages and Fates, Not Hearts,” drawing many eyes.

Zuo Yi Qian’s face immediately turned pale, as if covered with a layer of snow, her voice slightly trembling. “Mister, please stop. Even the saddest result is better than remaining in ignorance. Being prepared early might mean escaping suffering sooner.”

The nursemaid and maids exchanged glances. Had their mistress encountered a karmic bond?

What should they do? Advise her privately first, or immediately report to the lady and the Acting Governor?

“Oh well, I’ll consider this a good deed for today. Young lady, if it’s not destined, don’t force it. Be careful not to harm yourself or others, implicating your loved ones. Better to end it early. If you don’t end it, it doesn’t matter either. It’ll only last another one or two days anyway…” As Meng Qi spoke, he shook his head, deliberately imitating the mystical tone of the Celestial Fate Taoist.

After speaking, he turned and walked away without looking back, fully playing the role of a mysterious master.

Zuo Yi Qian watched the gray-clothed figure quickly disappear into the crowd, not even mentioning payment, clearly avoiding it as if it were a plague. She stood there, entranced, unsure whether she was in a dream or an illusion.

“He really didn’t ask for money?”

“He spoke and left immediately. He doesn’t seem like a mere charlatan, but more like a sage wandering among mortals…”

The whispered gossip from the maids reached Zuo Yi Qian’s ears, snapping her back to reality. Her body swayed slightly, as if she were about to fall.

“Miss, are you alright?” The nursemaid quickly supported her.

Zuo Yi Qian took a deep breath, her face deathly pale. “I feel a bit dizzy. Let’s go back to the mansion.”

The nursemaid glanced at the maids, signaling them to hurry and assist, while she kept watch around. According to the fortune teller, her mistress’s karmic bond would end soon, and results would be seen within two or three days. Therefore, for now, she decided not to inform the lady and the Acting Governor, to avoid being scolded for failing to take proper care of the young mistress.

The best outcome would be to keep it quiet and unnoticed!

After leaving the street, Meng Qi found a secluded place to change his disguise and returned stealthily to the Acting Governor’s mansion. He strutted around inspecting the rear, and if he noticed any guards slacking or insufficiently vigilant, he immediately shouted at them, fully embodying the manner of Ji Tao.

Gradually, the moon rose, crows cried, and night fell. Meng Qi inspected the walls and rockeries near the inner mansion repeatedly.

Soon, in Meng Qi’s perception, a figure leapt over the wall and hid behind the rockery.

Meng Qi remained calm and pointed at a group of guards, shouting, “Dawdling around waiting for corpses? Patrol over there!”

The guards nodded meekly, all saying yes, not daring to show dissatisfaction, quickening their steps.

Watching them leave, Meng Qi clasped his hands behind his back and moved toward the rockery. “Senior Brother Qi, any findings?”

“Zuo Yi Qian returned to the mansion, dismissed the nursemaid and maids, sat alone in a daze, and then opened a secret door in her room…” Qi Zhengyan calmly jumped out from behind the rockery, standing beside Meng Qi like someone accompanying General Ji on an inspection. His lips moved slightly, transmitting his voice in secrecy.

“Really hidden in the secret passage…” Meng Qi increasingly suspected it was Du Huaishang. If it were another karmic bond, there would be no need for this.

He had recently mastered the footwork contained in the “Yu Xu Palm,” combined with the Illusion Demon Body Technique. He felt confident in his lightness skill, mysterious and unpredictable. Thus, after clarifying the details, he said softly, “Senior Brother Qi, watch my back. Strike while the iron is hot. No time to waste!”

The two stealthily leapt over the courtyard wall, passed through a garden fragrant with exotic flowers, and arrived at Zuo Yi Qian’s boudoir.

Qi Zhengyan hid in the shadows outside, ready to assist Meng Qi if anything went wrong. Meng Qi, still like a gecko, climbed up the outer wall silently and noiselessly.

In no time, he reached outside Zuo Yi Qian’s private chamber, seeing her sitting behind the desk, lost in thought, even without the mood to play the qin.

“This girl probably won’t fall asleep anytime soon…” Meng Qi grinned, sensing around to confirm the positions of the nursemaid and maids while pondering his approach.

Suddenly, he placed his hand on the window, slightly exerting force, vibrating the latch to slide it open gently.

Then, with a stretch of his hand, he suddenly pushed open the window, dove in silently.

At the same time, he turned and struck a palm behind him, sending a gust of wind that shut the window tightly and perfectly, making only a slight sound.

Immediately after, his left hand grabbed, releasing true qi, and the window latch was “picked up” and placed back into position.

After completing all this, he crouched down and crawled forward along the carpet like a slithering snake.

Feeling the cool breeze from the window, Zuo Yi Qian shivered slightly, slightly regaining her senses, looking puzzled toward the window, but finding it tightly shut with no abnormalities.

“An illusion…” she smiled bitterly.

At this moment, Meng Qi was crawling past her, his mind calm, reflecting the surroundings, yet instinctively breaking into a cold sweat on his back.

He quickly slithered forward, passing the desk in one breath and darting behind the screen.

Zuo Yi Qian turned her gaze away, looking at the qin, the desk, and the carpet in front of her, once again lost in thought.

Meng Qi opened his mouth wide, slowly inhaling, his spirit shielding his entire body, interfering with his senses.

What he had just done seemed simple, but it was certainly not something anyone could accomplish. Without the Eight-Nine Mystical Art’s extreme precision in controlling his body and true qi, he would have already made noise, awakening Zuo Yi Qian and summoning the nursemaid. And without reaching the Subtle Realm, he would not have grasped the timing appropriately. Even with his spirit extended outward and interfering with his senses, the effect would have been poor.

However, this left Meng Qi mentally tense and greatly drained. He slightly recovered before passing the screen and approaching behind Zuo Yi Qian.

The scene inside the room was quite strange. A beautiful young girl in a light red dress sat beside the desk, her eyes empty, her expression sorrowful, staring blankly into space. Behind her, a man dressed as a guards officer leisurely searched for the mechanism to open the secret door. The two coexisted harmoniously, neither making a sound, as if sharing an unspoken understanding.

Based on Qi Zhengyan’s description, Meng Qi soon found the jade Buddha statue. With a gentle twist, the secret door opened silently—if the secret door had made any noise, the nursemaid would have noticed Zuo Yi Qian’s affair long ago.

Meng Qi pondered briefly, changed his breath, and imitated Zuo Yi Qian’s aura before slipping inside and closing the secret door.

Behind the door was a long wooden staircase. Meng Qi carefully stepped onto it, silently descending. After two turns, he finally reached solid ground, with stone walls embedded with night pearls on both sides.

“Miss…” A bold male voice suddenly broke the silence. Even with Meng Qi’s Subtle Realm perception, he had previously detected no signs!

Meng Qi was about to take out the token given by the Red Army when the male voice exclaimed in surprise and anger, “You…”

Before the words ended, he threw a punch, the surrounding airflow strangely solidifying, trapping Meng Qi inside, making it hard to dodge.

No wonder he is the “Heavenly King of Pacification,” even gravely injured, he still has such skill. Meng Qi remained calm, drew his sword, which seemed to hold a segment of flame, and lightly pointed it forward.

He seemed to have miscalculated; the tip of the sword was slightly off from the punch.

However, as the sword thrust forward, a sudden hissing sound filled the air, the solidified airflow dissipated, deflecting the punch.

As the male voice prepared to attack again, he suddenly froze, halting his steps. “Are you the helper sent by Zeng Can and the others?”

Zeng Can was the leader of the Red Army that Meng Qi and others had seen, the second of the Ten Brothers. At this moment, Meng Qi was holding the token he had given, smiling while showing it.

“Indeed. Are you Du Huaishang, the Heavenly King?” Meng Qi tossed the strange, colorful jade pendant to Du Huaishang.

Du Huaishang was a dignified man in his thirties, with slightly golden pupils and a vertical line between his eyebrows. He took the pendant, carefully examined it, and finally smiled, bowing his hand. “That’s me. I don’t know how to address my senior brother.”

“Just call me Old Wang.” Meng Qi smiled. “Heavenly King Du, this place is not suitable for staying long. Let’s leave quickly.”

Du Huaishang’s face turned pale, and beneath his skin, black bulges occasionally appeared, like shackles locking his life force.

He took a deep breath. “Alright, but I owe my survival entirely to Miss Xiao Yi’s help. How could I leave without saying goodbye? I must thank her in person.”

“Heavenly King Du, do you know Miss Xiao Yi’s full name?” Meng Qi still held his sword, not relaxing in the slightest.

Du Huaishang shook his head, puzzled. “What does it matter?”

“She’s called Zuo Yi Qian.” Meng Qi stated succinctly.

Du Huaishang’s gaze froze, his breathing stopped. After a long while, he sighed. “Fate is cruel…”

“Hehe, Heavenly King Du, are you still planning to kill Zuo Hanfeng?” Meng Qi asked with a smile.

Du Huaishang took a deep breath. “My rebellion is not for my own sake, but because I cannot bear to see the people suffer. If Zuo Hanfeng no longer serves the tyrant, there’s no reason to kill him. But if he stands in my way, I won’t be merciful. However, I definitely won’t involve Miss Xiao Yi and her family.”

“If you don’t kill him, none of us can leave Danning City.” Meng Qi said calmly, sword in hand, stepping back onto the stairs.

Du Huaishang’s face darkened slightly, following closely behind.

This time, Meng Qi didn’t go through the window but instead led Du Huaishang along the walls, across the beams, and left through the roof.

Du Huaishang, gravely injured, found movement difficult. It was only with Meng Qi’s help that he could move silently.

Before leaving the room, he looked down at Zuo Yi Qian, who was still lost in thought, closed his eyes briefly, and sighed deeply within.

…

Inside the courtyard where Meng Qi lived.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Heavenly King Du.” After introducing Jiang Zhiwei and others with false names, Meng Qi returned to the topic.

“What is it?” Du Huaishang was somewhat puzzled.

Meng Qi briefly mentioned the Patriarch and reincarnation, finally asking, “Heavenly King Du, have you ever recalled memories from past lives?”

Du Huaishang’s face turned serious. He couldn’t understand why he had been targeted by this mysterious Patriarch. He clasped his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth for a long time before finally speaking. “In the past year, I’ve often dreamed of a man sitting atop a lotus in a sea of blood, but I could never see his face clearly. I only felt an inexplicable familiarity. Until half a month ago, I finally saw through the mist and recognized his face—it was me myself!”

With his divine and demonic bloodline and formidable strength, reaching the Outer Realm level, he had still suffered from nightmares for a whole year. Therefore, he found it very strange but couldn’t figure out why or how to resolve it, keeping it hidden in his heart and never telling anyone. Now, hearing Meng Qi’s description, he felt even more shaken, a sense of inexplicable fear arising.

Meng Qi exchanged glances with Jiang Zhiwei and others, temporarily unable to find an explanation. He then turned and said, “Heavenly King Du, we’re trapped in Danning. At the very least, we must defeat Zuo Hanfeng, Yin Lenghui, and his sect leader to escape. Do you have any good strategies?”

Du Huaishang shook his head. “If I weren’t afflicted by witchcraft, severely injured and unable to recover, and could join forces with you, there would be a decent chance of success. But now…”

Meng Qi and the others were not proficient in medicine. They were contemplating whether to forcibly assist him in expelling the witchcraft techniques when Qi Zhengyan spoke up. “Witchcraft techniques lean towards the yin and evil. If there exists a force that is supremely yang, immensely powerful, and utterly righteous, combined with Heavenly King Du’s own cultivation level, it should be capable of completely expelling them.”

“Really?” Meng Qi looked at Qi Zhengyan in surprise.

Qi Zhengyan, expressionless, said, “Our sect is located in the southwest, near the Southern Wilds, so we know quite a bit about witchcraft and gu techniques.”

“Southern Wilds…” Du Huaishang frowned. He had never heard of this place before.

“That’s great.” Meng Qi smiled. After all, he could simulate the Purple Thunder Energy technique.

Zhao Heng also said, “The Emperor’s Qi also suppresses yin and evil.”

“But we must prevent Yin Lenghui from detecting our location while breaking the witchcraft techniques,” Qi Zhengyan reminded.

“No problem, our sect has secret swords that can sever such connections.” Jiang Zhiwei said confidently.

Since the people of the Southern Wilds dared not venture into the Central Plains, the martial sects naturally had their own secret methods to counter the witchcraft and gu techniques. Of course, countering and curing were two entirely different matters.

“Thank you all.” Du Huaishang solemnly bowed.

Then he sat cross-legged, palms facing upward, his inner energy surging like the tide, gradually expelling the witchcraft techniques.

Black vapors like snakes and insects continuously darted in and out of Du Huaishang’s body. Zhao Heng clenched his fist, a transparent dragon forming, a yellow glow appearing, gently striking Du Huaishang’s back.

The black vapor immediately hissed and mostly dissipated. Seeing this, Meng Qi extended his right hand, purple lightning jumping between his fingers, carrying an extremely yang and strong aura, landing in front of Du Huaishang.

The black vapor let out a silent wail as the purple lightning and yellow glow moved across Du Huaishang’s body, driving them away.

Du Huaishang’s golden eyes shone brightly, and the black vapor dispersed completely.

At that moment, an ethereal zither sound suddenly arose in the air, accompanied by a faint, nearly imperceptible black thread—it was Ruan Yushu’s Heart Zither.

Jiang Zhiwei, who had been closing her eyes and sensing all along, immediately swung her sword. The sword light was like the sun, cutting the black thread.

In a secret room, Yin Lenghui suddenly opened his eyes, his expression a mix of shock and confusion.

“What’s wrong?” the man with closed eyes asked.

Yin Lenghui took a deep breath. “Du Huaishang has broken my witchcraft techniques and severed the connection in the underworld.”

“No worries. The day I finish my retreat will be his death day.” Zuo Hanfeng’s voice echoed in the secret room.

In a side room, golden light crisscrossed around Du Huaishang, completely dissolving the black vapor.

After bowing again to thank Meng Qi and others, his voice was heavy. “After Du recovers for two days, I will go find them and strive to escape the predicament as soon as possible!”