“Among all beings with seven orifices, any can attain spiritual essence,” Mei Qing said. “This seven-star inkstone was originally a writing implement, offered as tribute to the imperial collection. Seven naturally formed stone eyes were stored within its body. Though shaped by nature and never refined by the essence of sun and moon, it possessed a spiritual form, yet lacked true spiritual consciousness.”
“But when Zhang Liusun found himself cornered with no escape, he finally discovered this inkstone could temporarily shelter his spirit. At the cost of severe damage to his soul, he tore himself from his physical body and fled into the stone, hiding within a chest of scriptures.”
“However, though the stone possessed some spirit, it was not a complete vessel. Zhang Liusun’s soul was already gravely wounded before entering the stone, and suffered further damage upon entry—only about thirty to forty percent remained. What remained mostly were resentment and bitterness. Fortunately, due to his weakened state, he narrowly escaped destruction. Eventually, with his remaining strength, he influenced Liu Qu—also known as Ba’er Liu—to carry away those two chests of Daoist scriptures.”
“As for what happened afterward, you can probably imagine. After Zhang Liusun’s soul entered the stone, he fell into a deep slumber. Ba’er Liu sensed something eerie about the stone, yet couldn’t bear to abandon it. He crafted a peach-wood box, hoping to suppress its influence. However, Zhang Liusun gradually awakened. His intense resentment, stirring hearts and disrupting minds, transformed the stone into a malevolent object. When I eventually obtained this stone—well, since my physical form had previously established a connection with Zhang Liusun’s soul, I managed to integrate it into my body.”
“However, Zhang Liusun’s original consciousness was already extremely faint, and by now, it has completely vanished.”
“Is your body alright?” Bi Zhen asked with concern. “And what about that cauldron? What exactly happened with it?”
Mei Qing smiled and replied, “It’s fine now. As for the cauldron, it was quite a coincidence. When we were in Yongping, you happened to steal it.”
“You mentioned two cauldrons, a mother and a child. Why was that? Could it be related to the other half of Zhang Liusun and Xu Fu’s transformation?”
Mei Qing nodded. “The remaining part of Zhang Liusun, naturally, wouldn’t just wait idly inside the Jieshi Mountain. Although he never found someone like Fan Wentai again, he did seize an opportunity to deceive Liu Liu, the sect leader. His original intention was to have Liu Liu construct seven ritual altars for him, to absorb the essence of sun and moon, break through the Jieshi Mountain’s oceanic barrier formation, and escape. He just didn’t expect that, through a thousand twists of fate, I also happened to be there, encountered the cauldron, and was drawn into it together.”
At this point, Mei Qing chuckled and continued, “Also, Duan Chaoyong was overly cautious, not revealing the cauldron’s true value to his subordinates. As a result, that sect leader, bold and reckless, took the cauldron himself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the chance to obtain it.”
“What about the mother cauldron?” Bi Zhen remained puzzled. “Isn’t that something belonging to Xu Fu? How did it end up inside you?”
Mei Qing smiled bitterly and said, “I only understood all this later, after gaining Zhang Liusun’s memories. When we escaped from the stone, the two of them had ulterior motives and eventually fought. All three were sucked into the channel as the formation exploded, destroying the Jieshi Mountain array. In the chaos, how could their spirits survive? Zhang Liusun, having a connection with my physical body, was directly integrated into me, while Xu Fu perished entirely. The mother cauldron, left without a master, was drawn into my body by the child cauldron’s energy. At the time, I was puzzled why the cauldron wouldn’t obey me. It turned out the child cauldron was hidden inside the mother cauldron, and I couldn’t sense it, mistakenly taking the mother cauldron for the original child one. It wasn’t until a life-or-death moment, when the bronze figure was stimulated and emerged, that I gradually understood the truth.”
“I see,” Bi Zhen exhaled deeply. “Only now do I understand. I never imagined the events behind everything were so complex.”
After saying this, she shook her head again and said, “It’s a pity we can never uncover your mother’s identity, the cause of her death, or where she was buried. Even the location of the Plum Blossom Valley remains unknown.”
Mei Qing sighed and said, “Those who knew these things—Zhang Liusun, Fan Wentai, Shao Yuanjie, Tao Zhongwen, and Duan Chaoyong—are all gone. Only Uncle Liu, though he knew, refused to tell me. I must find a way to make him speak.”
Bi Zhen looked somber and said, “You probably don’t know—Lord Liu sustained severe injuries in that battle on that day and has since passed away.”
“What?” Mei Qing was shocked. “How did that happen?”
Originally, after Tao Zhongwen set up the heavenly net formation, everyone was on high alert, especially Zhang Yuchong and others who were even more cautious. However, no one expected that Tao Zhongwen, from within the formation, would first target Liu Xing.
“In the world, those with seven orifices can all become spirits,” Mei Qing said. “This Seven Star Inkstone, a cultural artifact, was presented to the imperial court and stored in the treasury. Its seven stone eyes were naturally formed, without the refinement of the sun and moon’s essence. Although it has a spiritual form, it lacks spiritual intent.”
“But when Zhang Liusun was at his wit’s end, he finally discovered that this inkstone could temporarily house his spirit in his final moments. He exerted immense effort, breaking free from his physical body and hiding within the stone, concealed in a scripture box.”
“However, though the stone has a spirit, it is not a complete vessel. Zhang Liusun’s spirit was already severely damaged, and entering the stone caused further harm, leaving only about thirty to forty percent of his original essence. Most of what remained was his resentment and discontent. Fortunately, because his spirit was so weak, he managed to escape disaster. With his remaining energy, he influenced Liu Qu—also known as Scar Liu—to flee with the two boxes of Taoist scriptures.”
“What happened afterward, you can probably guess. After Zhang Liusun’s spirit entered the stone, he began to slumber. Scar Liu also sensed something sinister about the stone but was unable to part with it. He crafted a peach wood box to ward off evil. However, Zhang Liusun eventually awakened, his resentment so powerful that it disturbed people’s minds, turning the stone into a malevolent object. When I finally obtained the stone, alas, my physical body had already established a connection with Zhang Liusun’s spirit from years ago, so I was able to merge with it. However, Zhang Liusun’s own consciousness, already extremely faint, was completely gone by then.”
“Is your body alright?” Bi Zhen asked with concern. “And what about the cauldron? What exactly happened?”
Mei Qing smiled. “Now, everything is fine. As for the cauldron, it was quite a coincidence. When we were in Yongping, you happened to steal it.”
“And what about the two cauldrons you mentioned, one mother and one child? Why were they there? Did something happen to the other half of Zhang Liusun and that Xu Fu?”
Mei Qing nodded. “The remaining part of Zhang Liusun, trapped within the Jieshi stone, was not idle. Although he never found another person like Fan Wentai, he did manage to deceive Liu Liu, the sect leader. His original plan was to have Liu Liu build seven altars to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, break the Jieshi stone’s formation, and escape. However, by sheer coincidence, I ended up there as well and encountered the cauldron, bringing it with me.”
At this point, Mei Qing chuckled. “It was also because Duan Chaoyong was overly cautious and didn’t inform his subordinates about the cauldron’s value. As a result, Sect Leader Liu, bold and reckless, took the cauldron himself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to obtain it.”
“And what about the mother cauldron?” Bi Zhen asked, still puzzled. “Wasn’t that Xu Fu’s? How did it end up inside you?”
Mei Qing sighed bitterly. “I only learned this later from Zhang Liusun’s memories. When we escaped from the stone, both of them had ulterior motives. During the struggle, all three of us were sucked into the passage, and the formation exploded, destroying the Jieshi stone. Both of them, being spiritual entities, could not survive the shock. Zhang Liuson, due to his connection with my physical body, merged directly with me. Xu Fu, however, was completely destroyed, and the mother cauldron, now ownerless, was drawn into me by the child cauldron’s aura. At the time, I was puzzled why the cauldron was unresponsive. It turned out the child cauldron was hidden within the mother cauldron, and I couldn’t sense it, mistaking the mother cauldron for the child cauldron. It wasn’t until a life-and-death moment when the bronze figure was activated that I gradually understood the truth.”
“So that’s how it was,” Bi Zhen exhaled deeply. “Now I understand how complicated the situation was.”
She then shook her head. “It’s a pity that we still can’t figure out the identity, origin, and cause of death of your mother, nor where she was buried. We haven’t even found that Plum Blossom Valley.”
Mei Qing sighed. “Those who knew about these things—Zhang Liusun, Fan Wentai, Shao Yuanjie, Tao Zhongwen, and Duan Chaoyong—have all passed away. Only Uncle Liu knew, but he refused to tell me. I need to find a way to make him talk.”
Bi Zhen said sadly, “You don’t know yet, do you? Master Liu was severely injured in the battle that day and has already passed away.”
“What?” Mei Qing was shocked. “What happened?”
It turned out that after Tao Zhongwen set up the Heavenly Net Formation, everyone was on guard, especially Zhang Yuchong and others. But no one expected that Tao Zhongwen’s first target in the formation was Liu Xing.
Liu Xing’s cultivation was inferior to Tao Zhongwen’s, and he was trapped within the formation. Tao Zhongwen immediately struck him with a palm thunder, leaving him with no way to escape.
At that moment, Sun Bu’er suddenly appeared from the side, using a parasol-shaped magical tool to block the attack for Liu Xing. Although it didn’t completely stop the strike, it delayed it enough to prevent Liu Xing from being killed on the spot.
“Sun Bu’er had said she was leaving, but she never actually left. Her magical tool was formidable, allowing her to conceal herself so well that none of us noticed. However, that one act of saving Liu Xing caused her golden core to shatter, and her spirit immediately dispersed.”
“And then? Did Uncle Liu… not make it after all?”
“Master Liu wasn’t necessarily doomed, but Master Ku said he had lost the will to live, and we couldn’t bring him back.”
“Did he… say anything before he passed?”
“He entrusted Liu Mei’er to my mother, but actually…” Bi Zhen glanced at Mei Qing. “I think he wanted to entrust her to you. Additionally, he asked Liu Mei’er to bury him by the plum pavilion in the back garden, without a tomb or a gravestone.”
Mei Qing let out a long sigh and remained silent.
“By the way, Master Bai has also left, saying he will wander the world from now on. Actually, A’qing, people can’t figure everything out. Master Liu and the others didn’t want to tell you about your mother’s background, and they must have had their reasons. You shouldn’t dwell on it too much.”
Mei Qing nodded, somewhat despondently. “I need to visit Uncle Liu’s burial site.”
A few slender willows, a crescent moon, a quiet grass pavilion, and the soundless flow of water.
When Mei Qing and Bi Zhen arrived at the back garden of the Liu residence, the moon had already risen over the eastern hills. The atmosphere in the Liu residence was solemn due to the master’s passing, but the servants, who had been with the family for many years, ensured that everything remained stable.
Mei Qing and Bi Zhen sat on the spirit crane, and as they approached the back garden, Bi Zhen, with her sharp eyes, tugged at Mei Qing and pointed.
Looking over, they saw a young girl standing alone by the pavilion, lost in thought.
It was none other than Liu Mei’er.
Mei Qing felt a pang of sadness and hesitated, but Bi Zhen had already urged the spirit crane closer, softly calling out, “Mei’er.”
Liu Mei’er turned around in surprise. “Sister Bi… Ah…”
Seeing Mei Qing, she exclaimed, “Mei Qing, you… are you alright?”
Mei Qing nodded. “Fortunately, I’m fine.” He sighed. “I just didn’t expect Uncle Liu to meet such a tragic end. Mei’er… the dead cannot be brought back to life. You must take care of yourself.”
Liu Mei’er lowered her gaze and whispered, “I understand. The night is cold and the dew is heavy. I’m feeling a bit tired, so I’ll take my leave now.” With that, she bowed slightly to Mei Qing and Bi Zhen and walked away.
Bi Zhen’s lips moved as if she wanted to call out to her, but no sound came.
Turning to Mei Qing, they both let out a long sigh.
After a long while, Mei Qing looked around and realized they were standing beside the plum pavilion, next to a tall willow tree. An incense table and offerings were set up. Knowing that Liu Xing had no tomb or gravestone, Mei Qing guessed that this was his burial site. He stepped forward and bowed respectfully, with Bi Zhen following suit.
Standing up, Mei Qing stared at the grass pavilion, his heart filled with emotion, and remained silent for a long time.
“A’qing, what are you thinking?” Bi Zhen asked, seeing Mei Qing lost in thought.
“Zhen’er, do you remember when Uncle Liu said that Fan Wentai took him as a disciple because he needed something from his family?” Mei Qing pondered.
“Yes, he didn’t say what it was. I guess it was some kind of magical tool or medicine that his family didn’t recognize, and the Plum Blossom Master took it,” Bi Zhen speculated.
Mei Qing shook his head and slowly walked up to the plum pavilion, looking up at the somewhat aged pillars. He said slowly, “Do you remember when we sneaked in here that night and overheard Uncle Liu and Master Bai talking about having me take Liu Mei’er to safety? Master Bai mentioned ‘that place,’ and Uncle Liu said we shouldn’t disturb my mother anymore. The place they were talking about must be my mother’s burial site. But where could that place be?”
Bi Zhen shook her head. “I remember that, but they didn’t say more. However, I recall Master Liu also said ‘it’s too dangerous.’ Could that place be a perilous location?”
Mei Qing thought for a moment, his eyes fixed on the grass pavilion, and suddenly they lit up.
He stepped forward, circled the pavilion a few times, and looked at the large willow tree where Liu Xing was buried. He sighed, “So that’s it? No wonder Uncle Liu wanted to be buried here. Plum Pavilion, Plum Pavilion—that’s what it means.”
“What? Are you saying…” Bi Zhen suddenly understood Mei Qing’s meaning and exclaimed, “Are you saying this grass pavilion hides some secret?”
Mei Qing didn’t answer but raised his hand, summoning a spirit crane. He and Bi Zhen rose into the air, looking down.
Bi Zhen didn’t say more and followed his gaze. Mei Qing nodded and said, “So that’s it, so that’s it.”
“What’s going on? Did you find something?”
“The Liu residence has been here for so many years, and your mother and others never noticed any spiritual fluctuations here. We’ve seen the protective formation of this courtyard, and it’s quite tight. But we never realized that this formation wasn’t just to protect against external enemies but to seal this place, preventing outsiders from discovering the hidden cave here! Watch my move!”
With that, Mei Qing stood straight, extended his hands, one forward and one backward, and shouted, “Command!” Suddenly, five elemental spheres appeared in the air, one set rotating outward like meteors, each leaving a trail of light as they shot toward five different locations outside the Liu residence’s walls.
The other set of spheres moved inward, merging into one and descending directly into the grass pavilion.
With a loud boom, spiritual energy erupted, and a colorful light appeared. A massive stone suddenly materialized within the grass pavilion.
“What?” Bi Zhen exclaimed in shock. “How did that get there? People have been walking around here all the time without noticing anything. How could there be such a large stone here?”
“This must have been set up by Zhang Liusun. This cave must have been left by ancient people, and the Liu family had no idea. When Zhang Liusun, who was inhabiting Fan Wentai, discovered it, he opened the cave and set up a protective formation. Since this was the Liu family’s ancestral land, he took in Uncle Liu as a disciple to make amends. If I’m not mistaken, behind this stone should be…”
Mei Qing didn’t finish his sentence but took Bi Zhen’s hand and walked toward the stone.
The dark stone loomed before them, but Mei Qing acted as if it weren’t there, walking straight into it.
A swirl of light and shadow enveloped them, and everything twisted and turned. When it all settled, Mei Qing and Bi Zhen found themselves standing at the entrance of a valley.
The valley was filled with blooming plum blossoms, stretching as far as the eye could see. The gentle breeze swayed the flowers, making the entire valley look like a sea of blossoms, dazzling to the eyes.
Mei Qing, deep in thought, walked into the valley. The path, barely visible, wound through countless plum trees, leading to the deepest part of the valley.
Rounding a gentle curve, they saw a thatched cottage in the distance. Mei Qing quickened his pace but suddenly stopped in his tracks.
A massive plum tree stood proudly before them. Its thick branches twisted and turned like a dragon, and countless branches intertwined, covered in white blossoms that shone like silver. The tree grew in the open space in front of the cottage.
Mei Qing was deeply moved. He walked over, placed his hand on the rough, cold bark, and looked up at the snow-like blossoms. Tears streamed down his face.
Petals of plum blossoms drifted down, gently brushing Mei Qing’s cheeks, shoulders, and arms, like a tender caress.
Bi Zhen came over and gently supported Mei Qing, whispering, “Could it be… could it be… this is…”
Mei Qing nodded softly, choking back tears. “Yes, she is my mother.”
Just at that moment, Sun Bu’er, who had said she would leave but actually hadn’t, suddenly appeared from the side. Using a parasol-shaped magical artifact, she blocked the attack for Liu Xing. Though it didn’t completely stop the blow, it delayed it just enough to prevent Liu Xing’s immediate death.
“Sun Bu’er’s magical artifact was indeed formidable, capable of concealing her form so skillfully that none of us noticed her presence. However, although her action saved Liu Xing, it shattered her golden elixir, causing her spirit to disperse instantly.”
“What happened afterward? Did Uncle Liu survive?”
“Lord Liu didn’t have to undergo the corporeal dissolution. Master Ku simply said that he had already lost the will to live, and nothing could bring him back.”
“Then… did he say anything before he passed away?”
“He only entrusted Liu Meier to my mother. Actually…” Bi Zhen looked at Mei Qing and said, “I think he wanted to entrust her to you. Also, he requested that Liu Meier bury him beside the plum pavilion in the backyard, without a grave mound or tombstone.”
Mei Qing sighed deeply and said nothing.
“By the way, Master Bai has also departed, saying he will wander the four seas. Actually, A Qing, people can’t possibly understand everything. The reason Lord Liu and others refused to tell you about your grandmother’s background must have its own reasoning. You don’t need to dwell on it anymore.”
Mei Qing nodded and said somewhat despondently, “I want to visit the place where Uncle Liu was buried.”
A few slender willows, a crescent moon, a quiet grass pavilion, and silent flowing water.
When Mei Qing and Bi Zhen arrived at the back garden of the Liu residence, the moon had already risen over the eastern mountains. Due to the master’s passing, the Liu household was unusually solemn. Fortunately, the servants were all long-time retainers, so there were no unexpected incidents.
Riding on a spirit crane, Mei Qing and Bi Zhen approached the back garden. Bi Zhen, with sharp eyes, pulled Mei Qing’s sleeve and pointed.
Looking closely, it was a young girl, standing alone by the pavilion.
It was none other than Liu Meier.
Mei Qing felt a pang in his heart. As he hesitated, he saw Bi Zhen already urging the spirit crane closer, softly calling out to Liu Meier, “Meier sister.”
Liu Meier was startled and quickly turned around, “Bi sister… ah…”
Seeing that Mei Qing had come with her, Liu Meier couldn’t help but cry out in surprise, stepping forward and saying, “Mei Qing, you… are you alright now?”
Mei Qing nodded and said, “Fortunately, I am unharmed.” Then he sighed and said, “I just didn’t expect Uncle Liu to meet such a tragic fate. Meier sister… the dead cannot be brought back to life. You must take care of yourself.”
Liu Meier lowered her gaze and softly replied, “I understand. It’s getting late and chilly, and I feel a bit tired. Please excuse my rudeness.” Saying this, she bowed lightly to Mei Qing and Bi Zhen and turned to leave.
Bi Zhen opened her mouth, wanting to call her back, but no sound came out.
Turning to look at Mei Qing, both of them sighed deeply.
After a long while, Mei Qing looked at where he stood, right beside the plum pavilion, next to a tall willow tree, where an incense table and some offerings were placed. Mei Qing knew that Uncle Liu had no tombstone, so this must be the place where he was buried. He stepped forward respectfully to pay his respects, and Bi Zhen followed behind.
After straightening up, Mei Qing stared blankly at the grass pavilion, his heart surging with emotion, silent for a long time.
“A Qing, what are you thinking about?” Bi Zhen asked, seeing that Mei Qing had been silent for a while.
“Zhen’er, do you remember when Uncle Liu spoke of how Fan Wentai took him as a disciple because he needed something from his family?” Mei Qing asked thoughtfully.
“Yes, he never said what it was. I suppose it was some kind of magical artifact or medicine that he didn’t recognize, which was taken by Mei Hua Zhenren?” Bi Zhen guessed.
Mei Qing shook his head, slowly walked up to the plum pavilion, looked up at the somewhat aged beams, and slowly said, “Do you remember when you and I secretly came here one night and overheard Uncle Liu and Master Bai talking about having me take Liu Meier to hide somewhere? Master Bai mentioned ‘that place,’ but Uncle Liu said it was not appropriate to disturb my mother anymore. That place they spoke of must be where my mother was buried. But where exactly could that place be?”
Bi Zhen shook her head and said, “That did happen, but unfortunately, they didn’t say more. I remember Lord Liu also said ‘too dangerous.’ Could that place be some perilous location?”
Mei Qing thought for a moment, his eyes fixed on the grass pavilion, suddenly lighting up.
He stepped forward, circling around the grass pavilion a few times, then looked at the tall willow tree where Uncle Liu was buried, suddenly exclaiming, “So that’s it! No wonder Uncle Liu chose to be buried here. Plum Pavilion, Plum Pavilion—it makes sense now!”
“What is it? Are you saying…” Bi Zhen suddenly understood Mei Qing’s meaning, astonished. “Are you saying this grass pavilion hides some secret?”
Mei Qing didn’t answer. He raised his hand, summoned a spirit crane, and with Bi Zhen, soared into the air, looking down at the scene below.
Bi Zhen didn’t ask further, just watching along with him. She heard Mei Qing nodding and saying, “So that’s it, so that’s it.”
“What’s going on? What did you find?”
“This Liu family has been here for so many years, yet your mother and others never noticed any spiritual fluctuations in this place. We’ve seen the protective formation around the estate, which was quite elaborate. But we never thought that this formation wasn’t just for defense against outsiders, but actually to seal this place, preventing outsiders from discovering a hidden cave dwelling here! Watch my technique!”
With that, Mei Qing stood straight, stretched out both hands, one palm facing forward and the other backward, and shouted, “Chi!” Immediately, ten orbs of the five elements appeared in the air.
The outer set of five orbs began to rotate suddenly, each orb shooting out like a meteor, leaving trails of light, each heading toward one of five locations outside the Liu estate walls.
The other set moved inward, merging into one, directly descending into the grass pavilion.
With a thunderous boom, spiritual energy burst forth, colorful radiance appearing. Within the grass pavilion, a massive stone emerged.
“What?” Bi Zhen was greatly surprised. “Where did this come from? People have walked here all the time without any hindrance. How could such a stone suddenly appear here?”
“I suppose this was set up by Zhang Liusun back then. This cave dwelling must have been left by ancient cultivators, and the Liu family was completely unaware. Zhang Liusun, who was residing within Fan Wentai, discovered it, opened the cave dwelling, and set up the formation for protection. Since this was the Liu family’s ancestral land, he took Uncle Liu as his disciple to make amends. If I’m not mistaken, behind this stone should be…”
Mei Qing finally didn’t finish his sentence. He took Bi Zhen’s hand and walked toward the stone.
The dark stone stood right before them, yet Mei Qing seemed not to see it, walking straight into it.
A flicker of light and shadow swirled before their eyes, the surroundings twisting and distorting. When everything settled, Mei Qing and Bi Zhen found themselves standing at the entrance of a valley.
The entire valley was a sea of blossoms, a breathtaking sight. Gentle breezes swayed the flowers, turning the whole valley into a dazzling ocean of blooms, dazzling their eyes.
Mei Qing, deep in thought, stepped forward into the valley. The original path through the valley was faint, winding through countless flower trees, leading all the way to the valley’s deepest point.
Turning a gentle bend, they saw a thatched cottage hidden among the trees. Mei Qing quickened his pace, then suddenly froze.
Before him stood a massive plum tree, proudly blooming. Its thick branches twisted like coiling dragons, countless branches crisscrossing, and the tree was covered with white plum blossoms, radiant as silver, growing in front of the cottage on an open space.
Mei Qing’s heart was deeply shaken. He walked over in a daze, looking at the blooming plum blossoms, slowly placing his hand on the rough, cold bark of the thick trunk, gazing up at the snowy blossoms, tears streaming down his face.
Petals of plum blossoms drifted down, gently brushing against Mei Qing’s cheeks, shoulders, and arms, like gentle caresses.
Bi Zhen came over and gently supported Mei Qing, whispering, “Could it be… could it be… this is…?”
Mei Qing nodded slightly, his voice choked with emotion. “Yes, this is my mother.”
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