Mei Qing sighed and said, “Master Liu, there are some things in this world that you cannot escape simply by avoiding them. In truth, are you really so certain about your two senior brothers’ intentions?”
Liu Xing was silent for a moment before replying, “I fear I have been remiss in receiving our honored guests. Please, let us meet in the hall.”
Liu Xing sat at the main seat, with Lu Bing, Mei Qing, and the Sun siblings—Sun Bur’er, Sun Bansan, and Sun Basi—seated on either side.
“As for what happened years ago, I do not presume to comment. But today’s matters are of great importance. I humbly ask that we all set aside past grievances for now, and first deal with the current situation together,” Lu Bing spoke up before anyone else could.
Sun Bur’er glanced at Liu Xing, who still seemed hesitant, and asked in confusion, “Earlier outside, I overheard you mention that some villains were coming today. What exactly is going on?”
“Ah Rou, this matter has nothing to do with you, and it is no ordinary affair. Why don’t you return to Tai Shang Rock first? Once everything settles, I will personally come to explain everything to you,” Liu Xing suggested gently.
Sun Bur’er shook her head. “You know I won’t leave. Otherwise, why would you have locked the door to keep me out? I just don’t understand—your cultivation is so formidable, so what kind of expert could possibly cause you such trouble?”
Liu Xing could only smile bitterly. “What little cultivation I have is nothing in the eyes of true masters. Ah Rou, I won’t hide it from you—those coming today are my two senior brothers. There are some matters I wish to settle once and for all. You are an outsider, so it’s best you stay clear of this.”
Sun Bur’er frowned. “I’m an outsider? Then what are they? Why can they be involved and not me?”
Mei Qing smiled and said, “Senior practitioner, you may not know this, but what Master Liu refers to began twenty years ago, during which Lord Lu was directly involved. As for me, I am actually a descendant of Master Liu’s sect. Moreover, the origin of this matter is closely tied to me. Even if I wanted to stay out of it, there are those who would not allow me to.”
Sun Bur’er was silent for a long moment. If what Liu Xing and Mei Qing said was true, then this was a matter of settling old scores within their sect. According to the customs of the cultivation world, if she insisted on getting involved, she wouldn’t be helping—only causing trouble. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly stood up and said, “Fine, I’ll go. Master Liu, don’t disappoint me this time.”
Then she turned to her brothers, Sun Bansan and Sun Basi, and said, “Let’s go!”
Without another word, she turned and left.
Sun Bansan and Sun Basi were momentarily stunned, not reacting at first. When they saw Sun Bur’er had already left the hall, they finally called out, “Sister, wait for us!” Without looking back at the others in the room, they hurried after her.
No one had expected Sun Bur’er to leave so suddenly, and for a moment, everyone was left in stunned silence. Liu Xing let out a long sigh and said to Lu Bing and Mei Qing, “Old grudges from the past—how embarrassing for you both to witness this.”
Mei Qing shook his head, his gaze distant, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that things would not be this simple.
“Earlier, you asked about my two senior brothers’ intentions. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?” Liu Xing asked Mei Qing calmly.
Mei Qing hesitated before asking, “Senior, I have a question that I hope you can help me with.”
Liu Xing raised his eyebrows. “What is it? Please, speak.”
“I would like to know when and where your master, Master Mei Hua, passed away, and what caused his passing.”
Liu Xing shook his head. “That is an internal matter of our sect, and I’m afraid I cannot discuss it with outsiders.”
Mei Qing sighed. “Senior, if I’m not mistaken, there may be something suspicious about Master Mei Hua’s passing. And—perhaps it has much to do with your two senior brothers and one junior brother?”
Liu Xing was visibly shaken, but still he remained silent.
Lu Bing spoke up from the side. “Master Liu, we came here with a shared enemy. Duan Chaoyong, though skilled in cultivation, is narrow-minded. And Tao Zhongwen, though he appears as gentle as a spring breeze, is in fact cunning and calculating. Their coming to Anlu is no good omen. Master Liu, please do not take this lightly.”
Liu Xing turned his head slightly. “I appreciate your concern, Lord Lu. But this is an internal matter of the Mei Hua Sect, and it would be inappropriate for you to get involved. If we settle our internal affairs first, then we can look into the past matters. Then, Lord Lu, you may act as you see fit.”
Mei Qing added, “Master Liu, perhaps you are unaware, but the events of the past were not only a matter of the Mei Hua Sect—they were deeply connected to me. Perhaps even now, you still do not know why my mother married in such haste.”
Liu Xing was startled. “Could it be that you actually know the truth?”
Mei Qing smiled. “Senior, have you never wondered why such an unusual event occurred while you were away? How could your fellow disciples not take notice? And why did they refuse to speak of it when you later questioned them? If there were no great secret involved, why would they act this way?”
Liu Xing’s surprise deepened. “So it’s true? Then was it really because the Five Petals were forced into marriage? But why would they do that?”
Suddenly, he turned to Mei Qing. “What exactly happened? Yesterday, when the old fourth brother came charging in, demanding you, I already felt something was wrong. At first, I thought it was because you had learned the Mei Hua Sect’s techniques—perhaps the Five Petals had secretly left them to you. Or maybe… there was something hidden in the deaths of the Five Petals and the Master. But now it seems, it’s not entirely that either.”
Mei Qing sighed and asked, “Master Liu, there’s another thing I wish to ask. After I began cultivation, my father-in-law and Uncle Zhong both told me that my constitution made cultivation impossible. When I met you and Lord Bai, you both said the same. At first, I thought it must have been my mother’s last wish, but now I wonder—did she really tell you and Lord Bai about this? So what exactly is different about my constitution?”
Lu Bing was also startled and looked at Liu Xing. Liu Xing smiled bitterly. “Human constitutions vary widely. It’s not strange that you were born unsuited for cultivation.”
Mei Qing shook his head. “It’s not that simple. If I followed the conventional path of cultivation, I would not only fail but risk my life. But if I follow the Mei Hua Sect’s cultivation method, as you do, there are no obstacles—on the contrary, I can progress rapidly. In other words, my body seems almost tailor-made for this method.”
Both Liu Xing and Lu Bing were shocked, their eyes fixed on Mei Qing. Liu Xing was the first to recover, stammering, “You mean… you mean to say…”
Mei Qing nodded and turned to Lu Bing. “Father-in-law, I think you already suspect something, even if you don’t fully understand. Although you knew my mother forbade me from cultivation, and you yourself saw that my constitution was unsuitable, you never considered this possibility, did you?”
Lu Bing nodded. “That’s true. When I told you you were of Pure Yang constitution, it was meant to discourage you from further cultivation. Later, when I saw your rapid progress, I did have doubts, but I never imagined… So, was my wife’s marriage to the Prince of Xingxian all for your constitution?”
Mei Qing nodded. “That’s essentially correct. And I suspect that Tao Zhongwen and Duan Chaoyong are after the same thing.”
“Is that so?” Liu Xing gritted his teeth. “Then all these years, it was indeed those bastards who were responsible for my master’s death!”
“If you think that way, then there must be some secret behind your master’s passing?” Mei Qing asked.
Liu Xing’s expression darkened. “I have only suspicions, and no answers. My master died after a battle with the previous Celestial Master, Zhang Yuchong, and perished from exhaustion. But why my master would fight the Celestial Master—that is what has always been suspicious.”
“I know the Mei Hua Sect challenged many sects in those days, but never the Celestial Sect,” Mei Qing added. “The battle between Master Mei Hua and the Celestial Master was only ever a rumor. But now that you say so, it must have really happened.”
“Actually, my master’s attitude toward the Celestial Sect was always strange,” Liu Xing continued. “At first, he led us to challenge various sects, with both victories and defeats. When the brothers performed poorly, we relied on Ah Nu to hold the line. But later, as we felt the rapid progress of our sect’s techniques and used them in battle, we began to win more often. One day, the fourth brother suggested we directly challenge Longhu Mountain to see how formidable the Celestial Sect really was.”
“The Celestial Sect is the leader of the southern Daoist sects. To have challenged so many sects but avoided them would have been a regret. Even I, with my temperament, felt we should fight. But when the fourth brother excitedly brought it up to the master, he said nothing, not even a word, and the matter was dropped.”
“Later, when we had challenged even the Shangqing and Lingbao sects, the fourth brother brought it up again. He said that although we might not claim to have conquered all sects, we had few rivals in recent years. If we could defeat the Celestial Sect, then who else could claim to be the leader of the Daoist sects? The brothers were all excited, and the second brother even suggested that the master publicly announce our challenge to defeat Longhu Mountain openly, rather than continuing in secret.”
“Actually, all our challenges were done secretly, and we never publicized them afterward. Although we had such achievements, almost no one in the cultivation world knew. The brothers were puzzled and restless. So when the fourth brother suggested it again, everyone naturally agreed.”
“But the master only snorted coldly and said one sentence: ‘The time is not yet ripe,’ and said nothing more.”
“The time is not yet ripe?” Mei Qing murmured. “What did he mean by ‘the time’? Could it be that…”
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