The young man of the Tang Clan had his clothes torn and tattered from scraping against the sharp edges of the boat and the rocks he passed, and from being nibbled by fish, leaving him completely stripped of all his belongings, even his long saber sinking to the river bottom. Meng Qi could not find anything of value.
The pale moonlight shone upon the young man’s face, making the frozen plea and resentment in his eyes particularly evident. Two streams of tears had evaporated significantly, leaving behind mottled traces.
“Huh?” Meng Qi, whose vision had long been opened, noticed something odd about the tears under the shifting light—not the tears themselves, but the skin.
His left hand explored the young man’s face, gradually slowing, until suddenly he pinched up a layer of skin from the ear corner and peeled it off.
It was a human-skin mask!
Holding the mask, Meng Qi looked at the young man’s face and softly exclaimed again.
This was not because the young man had transformed into another person, but because his true face beneath the mask was identical to the features he had while wearing it. The only difference was that his real face bore deep, crisscrossing wounds. Though not fresh, these wounds were so deep they had not faded. After scabbing and wrinkling, they appeared even more hideous and terrifying.
“He must have worn this mask to hide his disfigured face,” Meng Qi speculated, examining the thin mask in his hand.
The mask was exquisitely crafted. If not for the young man shedding tears before his death, Meng Qi doubted even his sharp eyes could have detected it.
“With so many wounds across his face, they certainly weren’t caused in a fight. It seems more like he was tortured like this by someone…” Meng Qi concluded.
If it had been from a fight, there would only be one or two deep cuts. But now, the dense, crisscrossing wounds were chilling to behold, clearly inflicted deliberately.
Recalling the young man’s slightly fearful and alert expression when he mentioned going out to travel, and remembering how he was attacked by another assassin while watching Dan Xiumei battling the Joyful Demoness and Iron-Handed Demon, then jumping into the river, Meng Qi was certain the situation was not simple. The young man must have offended someone he shouldn’t have, or discovered something he shouldn’t have known, leading to his cruel torture and eventual assassination.
After a moment of contemplation, Meng Qi tucked the mask into his robe and found some heavy objects to bind to the young man’s body before throwing him into the river for a water burial.
“With the situation still unclear, I can’t afford to get involved in your mess,” Meng Qi sighed, wiping away traces and returning to his cabin. He planned to use the mask in the reincarnation world; if there were faction battles, enemies returning to the main world would only be able to seek revenge from the long-missing Tang Gongzi.
In the following days, the large boat crossed the “Winter Cold” and entered the “Summer Heat,” with steep mountains flanking the river banks, constant cries of monkeys, and endless green trees.
After passing the steep mountainous terrain, the boat entered the plains, with fertile land stretching for miles and houses scattered across the fields.
Meng Qi stayed in his cabin all the time, and with the help of Thunder Mark, he finally entered the “Purple Thunder Force” and could begin cultivating the “Purple Thunder Sword Art – Thunder Shocking the Nine Heavens.”
The large boat traveled upstream, entering the tributary Ya River. Not long after, it arrived at Yicheng, and beyond that lay Yedu.
Due to the highly visible killing of the Iron-Handed Demon, no one had disturbed Meng Qi during these days. Upon arriving at Yicheng, he left the remaining fare in his room and left at night, making it unclear exactly where he disembarked.
With a bag on his back, Meng Qi looked like a scholar visiting relatives. At dawn, he paid the gate tax and stepped into Yicheng, not a large city, but a bustling one.
Finding Qi Zhengyan was easy. He randomly approached someone who looked like a martial artist and asked where the steward of the Huanhua Sword Sect, Qi Zhengyan, was located. He soon got the answer and leisurely made his way there, looking around and occasionally buying a skewer of candied hawthorns.
The signboard of “Huanhua Rice Shop” came into view, and Meng Qi adjusted his hat and clothes before smiling and walking in.
It was early morning. Qi Zhengyan, dressed in a green robe, was giving instructions to the manager and assistants with a blank expression. Suddenly, he noticed a handsome young man entering the door, and his face changed slightly, clearly showing surprise.
The manager and assistants rarely saw Qi Zhengyan, whose face was usually expressionless, show any emotion, so they all turned to look. Meng Qi smiled brightly and warmly said, “Cousin, I’ve come to rely on you!”
Qi Zhengyan’s lips twitched slightly, his expression returned to normal, and he said in a brotherly tone, “Come inside with me.”
He turned and walked toward the backyard. Although Meng Qi had previously mentioned he would come to stay with him, Qi Zhengyan hadn’t expected him to arrive so quickly and suddenly.
The manager and assistants, realizing the young man was Qi Zhengyan’s cousin, exchanged surprised and strange glances, forgetting to greet him, which caused Meng Qi a slight sense of confusion.
After entering the backyard house, Qi Zhengyan closed the door and poured Meng Qi a cup of tea. “Meng Shidi, aren’t you still in Xuanwu?”
Previously, during their conversations, Meng Qi had mentioned that he was staying with Zhang Yuanshan in Xuanwu.
“Brother Zhang is too prominent, so I thought it best to come rely on you, Senior Brother Qi. Don’t tell me you’re not happy to see me?” Meng Qi said teasingly, “Oh, right, we should call each other cousin and younger cousin, so we don’t blow our cover.”
Qi Zhengyan’s face twitched slightly, “It’s not that I’m not happy to see you, but you should have come to meet me secretly first and discussed what to say.”
“Hey, what’s wrong with being a cousin?” Meng Qi had previously asked Qi Zhengyan whether he had bought land and property for his parents back home, as he hadn’t brought them with him, considering that the steward’s position wasn’t fixed and he might be assigned to oversee other properties.
Since his parents weren’t here, pretending to be his cousin should be fine, right?
Qi Zhengyan shook his head, “Previously, my cousin came to rely on me and got into trouble. Now another cousin suddenly appears, which will surely draw attention.”
“No wonder the manager and assistants looked so strange,” Meng Qi realized, “When we last met, I noticed you looked worried. Was it about your cousin’s trouble?”
He took the opportunity to fulfill Jiang Zhimei’s request.
Qi Zhengyan’s expression became more somber, “It’s a long story.”
“Then let’s take our time,” Meng Qi stared into Qi Zhengyan’s eyes.
Qi Zhengyan tapped the table, “There are two stewards in Yicheng from our sect, one primary and one deputy.”
“I know. You’re the deputy, and the primary steward is one of your masters’ uncles,” Meng Qi replied.
Qi Zhengyan clasped his hands together, “At first, my senior uncle was very wary of me. Later, seeing that I was quiet and honest, and often didn’t leave the courtyard, he gradually entrusted me with managing the rice shop and some of the farmland and estates.”
The Huanhua Sword Sect owns vast farmland, many estates, and shops in Yicheng. While this might not be significant for a major sect, for ordinary disciples at the Qi-opening stage, even a small portion could ensure a comfortable life and ease resource shortages.
Therefore, the senior uncle from the Huanhua Sword Sect was initially very cautious about Qi Zhengyan trying to seize his position or undermine him. However, as time passed and he observed Qi’s quiet, honest nature and his preference for staying indoors to practice martial arts, the senior uncle gradually delegated some less critical authority to him, to prevent Qi from becoming dissatisfied and requesting a transfer back to the mountain, which would bring in a more difficult deputy.
“Cousin, you don’t really care about these things anyway. The extra income is just a bonus. You can enjoy the good life,” Meng Qi emphasized his address to avoid slipping up and calling him by the wrong title outside.
Qi Zhengyan shook his head, “I’m quite satisfied with the current situation. The extra money allows me to provide for my parents and siblings. However, the situation in Yicheng has changed.”
“Hmm?” Meng Qi began to understand Qi Zhengyan’s concerns. He feared losing his stable life in the main world, which would hinder his martial arts practice and progress, as well as his ability to handle tasks in the reincarnation world and achieve future fame and success.
“Although Yicheng is small, it is backed by Yedu, with many merchants passing through, making it prosperous and bustling. There are four major clans: Tang, Ye, Ling, and Wan. The Ye and Ling families are under the protection of the Zhou Jun Wang family, seeking to suppress us and encroach upon our sect’s properties here. Meanwhile, the Tang and Wan families are close to our sect, supporting each other and maintaining the balance in Yicheng.”
Qi Zhengyan had long harbored these worries, and now Meng Qi finally coaxed them out. “A month ago, the head of the Tang family fell seriously ill and could no longer manage affairs. His sons began fighting for control, some wanting to ally with the Wang family, others hoping for our intervention. The situation became chaotic and tense.”
“Since then, the Wan family has gradually distanced themselves from us, and something unknown happened in between.”
Meng Qi frowned slightly, “Why don’t you, the Huanhua Sword Sect, publicly declare your stance and fully support one side? There shouldn’t be much to worry about, right?”
“That’s the sect’s intention, but if we take sides, conflicts are inevitable. I’m not afraid of most of the experts in Yicheng, but my martial arts are unique. I can’t fully unleash my abilities in broad daylight, or it might arouse suspicion,” Qi Zhengyan said with a trace of concern.
“The Hun Tian Bao Jian” is an unparalleled martial art listed on the first page of the Six Reincarnation Lords’ exchange chart. Comprehensive and powerful, it differs from most other martial arts. Although Qi Zhengyan had only opened four acupoints and was nearing the opening of the fifth (nose), after reaching a minor level of the Green Ice Snow technique at the fourth layer, he was confident that he could challenge even seven or eight acupoint masters in a head-on fight.
Meng Qi laughed heartily, “No problem at all. I’ll handle the future conflicts for you, cousin. If you and your senior uncle encounter any enemies that you can’t handle openly, you can always request more help from the sect.”
“Mm.” Qi Zhengyan slowly nodded. With Meng Qi here, most of his worries were gone.
“What happened to your cousin?” Meng Qi asked further.
Qi Zhengyan rarely showed anger, “Half a month ago, my cousin came to Yicheng to rely on me, but one night, he was crippled by Ye family’s guest, ‘Ghost Shadow Sword’ Li Sui, who severed his tendons. The evidence was clear, but the Ye family claimed we deliberately framed Li Sui, fabricated evidence, and had their allies give false testimony to protect him. My senior uncle feared the matter would escalate, triggering a direct conflict between the Ye family and our sect, drawing in the Wang family’s intervention. He advised me to heal my cousin first and wait until the Tang family matter settles before taking further action.”
Meng Qi slightly frowned, “What was the Huanhua Sword Sect’s stance?”
“My senior uncle didn’t report the matter upwards,” Qi Zhengyan’s expression darkened. “I sent my cousin back home to recover. Even if his broken tendons heal, his future in martial arts is ruined.”
Meng Qi nodded and then asked, “How strong are the four major families: Tang, Ye, Ling, and Wan?”
“They have long-standing traditions, each with their own treasures to protect their families. However, they haven’t produced any half-step external masters for years, and their influence has declined, not extending beyond Yicheng,” Qi Zhengyan briefly explained. “Nevertheless, as aristocratic families, they have no shortage of resources and accumulated strength, with many experts at the eighth and ninth acupoints.”
Meng Qi nodded slightly and smiled, “Let’s not talk about unpleasant things anymore, cousin. You should treat me to a welcoming feast!”
“I’ll go get a jar of osmanthus wine,” Qi Zhengyan said expressionlessly.
Meng Qi smiled, “Great! What are the good eats in Yicheng? I’ll go buy some to go with the wine.”
“There’s a place nearby called Wufeng Lou; their pig’s head meat and marinated beef are quite good,” Qi Zhengyan thought for a moment and said.
Meng Qi walked out of the backyard and stepped onto the street under the watchful eyes of the manager and assistants. He casually stopped a passerby and asked, “Brother, do you know the way to the Ye family residence?”
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