Bi Zhen heard Zhang Shisan ordering her to leave, and couldn’t help but pout. She glanced at Mei Qing again and, seeing his genuinely exhausted expression, reluctantly agreed. She secretly squeezed Mei Qing’s hand before rising. She immediately felt her body stiff and sore, and realized she hadn’t bathed or groomed herself in days, feeling extremely embarrassed. She hurriedly bid the people in the room a quick farewell and fled to her own room to clean up.
“You rest for a while,” Zhang Shisan smiled. “Also, the old baldy has some matters to attend to back at the sect, so you might have to wait a while before you can see him. Your companions are all outside. Wait until you feel a bit better, and then you can meet them all together. Whatever needs to be discussed can wait until later.”
Although Mei Qing had already regained consciousness, he felt completely drained of strength and extremely tired. Therefore, he simply nodded in agreement. Seeing that he was fine, Zhang Shisan and Shi Mengzhu left first. Soon afterward, a servant brought a bowl of rice porridge, which Mei Qing sipped a few mouthfuls of before drowsiness overtook him and he fell asleep once more.
“You young fellow, you even want payment before doing anything. While the Wenchang Sect’s main force attacked the county town, I, Master Huang, calmly stayed put and didn’t make a fuss like you. Just a few stray cats and you nearly lost your life. Haha, but your character isn’t bad after all!” The fat Huang patted Mei Qing’s shoulder and said carelessly.
Hou Shen and others stood behind Huang Fat, all smiling at Mei Qing.
While everyone else showed no reaction to Huang Fat’s words, Hou Shen frowned slightly. He knew a bit of Mei Qing’s secret cultivation and understood that although the enemies Mei Qing faced were few, they were definitely cultivators, meaning that battle must have been far more dangerous than fighting a group of sect members wielding knives and forks.
However, since Mei Qing didn’t mention it, Hou Shen naturally wouldn’t say anything either.
“Of course, Brother Huang, you’re someone of great stature, capable of overshadowing everyone present, so naturally you’re as steady as a mountain,” Mei Qing smiled. “As for me, I’m physically weak and no match for you.”
Seeing that Huang Fat and the others were safe and sound, Mei Qing felt genuinely pleased. According to Shi Mengzhu’s account, on that night the Wenchang Sect had suddenly launched an attack, with tens of thousands of followers storming Yifeng county town. If it hadn’t been for Huang Fat’s early warning and his urgent use of his token to summon soldiers, decisively defeating the rebels, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Mei Qing’s brows slightly relaxed. Naturally, he understood that while either himself or Huang Fat could mobilize the Embroidered Uniform Guard using their tokens, they wouldn’t be sufficient for large-scale military action. The fact that Huang Fat had the ability to mobilize the local garrison at that time suggested that there must be other hidden strengths that hadn’t yet been revealed.
However, Mei Qing had no intention of delving into these matters. Restoring justice and suppressing violence would certainly be a great achievement in this era of peace. Whether it was Huang Fat or the local officials, they would all receive their share of credit. Still, Mei Qing thought for a moment, then asked Huang Fat with some curiosity, “Were the leaders of the sect captured?”
“You mean the sect leader?” Huang Fat laughed loudly. “That fellow was such a coward. At first sight, he wore a ceremonial crown and dragon robe, carried by a group of people—it was quite intimidating. When he started performing his rituals, claiming he would summon heavenly fire to burn us, I actually felt a bit uneasy. But after all that fuss, not even a spark appeared. Haha…”
Hou Shen, listening to Huang Zhong’s account, also laughed and said, “When we captured him, he was still shouting loudly, claiming that he had invited the Star God of Fire that day, but the god happened to be away, which was why the fire hadn’t come. He kept saying that if we dared to disrespect him, the god would return and burn us all to ashes. Later, when the hawk pulled out a knife and rubbed it against his face, the guy immediately shut up, scared to the point of wetting himself. Haha.”
Upon hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but recall the image of Liu Wu he had seen at the time. He never expected that such a coward would dare to lead people to attack the county town. It seemed even a coward could be bold sometimes.
After some casual conversation, Huang Fat mentioned that the imperial court had been greatly shaken by the suppression of the rebellion and that they needed to return immediately to report. Mei Qing smiled and said, “My body is still somewhat incapacitated, so Brother Huang, who personally experienced the events and contributed greatly, might as well return first. I’ll rest for a few days and then follow you later.”
After a brief discussion, they left Hou Shen to accompany Mei Qing, while the others, led by Huang Zhongman, returned to the capital first.
As Huang Fat was leaving, he chuckled, “Don’t worry, Mei Zi. The credit is definitely yours too. If there’s another opportunity like this in the future, don’t forget about your big brother.”
Mei Qing smiled in return, “I don’t need that credit. But do look after the other brothers more.”
After Huang Fat left, Hou Shen finally said to Mei Qing, “I didn’t expect my departure to put you in such danger.”
Mei Qing laughed, “Forget it. You didn’t see the scene that night. Even if you had been here, you might not have been able to help much. Actually, contacting Huang Fat in time and allowing them to prepare in advance was a great achievement.”
As he spoke, Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen and asked, “By the way, after I left, what happened next? How did you deal with that skeleton?”
Upon hearing this, Bi Zhen suddenly giggled, “That big skeleton? Hehe, it was really interesting. Guess how we got rid of it?”
Mei Qing recalled that night, remembering how even Zhang Shisan’s powerful strike had failed to destroy the nightmare spirit, and shivered involuntarily. “That thing was really tough. So, did my master suddenly unleash a powerful treasure, a flash of lightning, and then it turned to dust?”
Bi Zhen laughed, “No way! At that time, Master Ku came to help me, which really angered my master. Haha… Master, don’t glare at me like that. That’s exactly how it was back then, wasn’t it?”
Zhang Shisan rolled his eyes, huffed, and busied himself with refilling his wine gourd, ignoring them completely.
Mei Qing asked in confusion, “Then what happened? Don’t tell me Master Shi unleashed his righteous energy in anger and destroyed it?”
Shi Mengzhu smiled, “An old bookworm like me, with no physical strength, how could I have any battlefield skills?”
Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen, his face full of curiosity. Bi Zhen chuckled, “Can’t guess, can you? That day, we all surrounded that creature, attacking it with everything we had, but couldn’t kill it. Later, the creature became more and more aggressive, scaring the son of Master Shi to tears. In a rage, Master Shi grabbed an axe and charged forward, breaking its leg with one strike.”
“Eh?” Mei Qing was stunned, “That simple?”
“Exactly that simple. When he charged forward, everyone was shouting at him, telling him not to throw his life away. But he went up, chopped off its leg with one swing, and then kept swinging his axe. Not long after, he smashed the skeleton to pieces. The final few swings crushed its head completely, and it was destroyed for good.” Bi Zhen said with a laugh.
“So what’s the point of cultivating?” Mei Qing said somewhat gloomily. “After all this cultivation, we’re not even as effective as a few random axe swings—of course, I’m not talking about you, Master…”
Seeing Zhang Shisan rolling his eyes even more exaggeratedly, Mei Qing realized that his spontaneous remark might easily be misunderstood by Zhang Shisan, so he quickly explained.
Bi Zhen giggled, “Still, Master is amazing. He knew Master Shi would be useful, so he brought his whole family here. I asked Master later how he knew that the foolish master could take down the big skeleton, and Master said solemnly…”
“What did Master say?” Mei Qing looked at Zhang Shisan and seeing his serious expression, turned back to ask Bi Zhen.
“Master said, ‘The secrets of heaven must not be revealed.'”
After Bi Zhen briefly described how Zhang Shisan and Master Ku had cleansed the evil and finally chased their enemies to the fish-bone temple, breaking the seal on the stone tablet, Mei Qing asked a few more questions.
“No wonder the Wenchang Sect was doing all sorts of strange things here, building altars,” Mei Qing murmured.
“There were seven altars in total. We destroyed six of them. Master said that it wasn’t complete—this one in the harbor hadn’t been built yet,” Bi Zhen said.
“Destroyed six?” Mei Qing thought for a moment and said, “I bet it wasn’t just a simple destruction. Was it not a matter of merely destroying the altars, but rather forcefully activating their power, causing all seven stars to rotate together, finally unlocking the entrance to the stone tablet formation?”
“You’re getting a bit sharper,” Zhang Shisan said in surprise. “But you’re still not entirely right…”
Bi Zhen, hearing Zhang Shisan urging her to leave, pouted and glanced at Mei Qing. Seeing that Mei Qing indeed looked exhausted, she reluctantly agreed. She secretly squeezed Mei Qing’s hand before standing up, realizing her body was stiff and feeling embarrassed about not having washed or dressed properly for days. She quickly bid farewell to the people in the room and hurried back to her own room to clean up.
“Rest for a while,” Zhang Shisan said with a smile. “Also, the old monk has some matters to attend to at the sect, so you might not see him for a few days. Your companions are all outside. We’ll meet them once you’ve regained some energy. Whatever it is, it can wait.”
Though Mei Qing was awake, he was utterly exhausted and weak. He nodded in agreement. Seeing that he was fine, Zhang Shisan and Shi Mengzhu left. Soon, a servant brought a bowl of porridge. Mei Qing took a few sips, but drowsiness overtook him, and he fell back into a deep sleep.
“You, kid, always demand payment for every little task,” Huang Pangzi said, slapping Mei Qing’s shoulder. “When the main force of the Incense Sect attacked the county town, I, Master Huang, sat calmly like a fisherman, and I didn’t see you in such a life-and-death situation. Just a few small fries nearly cost you your life. Heh, your character is really something!”
Hou Shen and others stood behind Huang Pangzi, smiling at Mei Qing.
Hearing Huang Pangzi’s words, others didn’t react much, but Hou Shen frowned. He knew some secrets about Mei Qing’s cultivation and understood that although Mei Qing faced few enemies, they were likely cultivators. That fierce battle was probably far more dangerous than dealing with a group of sect members armed with knives and forks.
But since Mei Qing didn’t mention it, Hou Shen naturally wouldn’t bring it up.
“Indeed, Brother Huang, you’re a figure of great stature, naturally as steady as Mount Tai,” Mei Qing said with a smile. “I, on the other hand, am weak and can’t compare to you.”
Seeing Huang Pangzi and the others safe and sound, Mei Qing was quite relieved. According to Shi Mengzhu, that night the Incense Sect suddenly rose up, with tens of thousands of followers storming Yifeng County. If it weren’t for Huang Pangzi’s timely warning and the urgent mobilization of soldiers with his token, the rebels might have caused unimaginable consequences.
Mei Qing’s brow relaxed. He knew that while he or Huang Pangzi could mobilize the Imperial Guards with their tokens, it wouldn’t be enough for a large-scale military operation. Huang Pangzi’s ability to mobilize the garrison at that time suggested there were other hidden forces behind him.
But Mei Qing didn’t bother to delve into it. Suppressing rebellion in this peaceful era was undoubtedly a great achievement. Whether it was Huang Pangzi or the local officials, they would surely be credited. However, Mei Qing thought for a moment and asked Huang Pangzi with some confusion, “Was the sect’s leader captured?”
“You mean the sect master?” Huang Pangzi laughed heartily. “That guy was a real coward. When I first saw him, he was wearing a ceremonial crown and a dragon robe, carried by a group of people, and he looked quite intimidating. He started performing some ritual, claiming to summon heavenly fire to burn us, and I was a bit worried. But after all that fuss, not a single spark appeared. Haha…”
Hou Shen, hearing Huang Pangzi’s story, also laughed. “When we captured him, he was shouting and yelling, saying that he had invited the Fire Star Deity, but the deity was out, so he couldn’t burn us. He kept saying that if we dared to disrespect him, the deity would return and burn us to ashes. But when the hawk took out a knife and sharpened it in front of his face, he immediately shut up and even wet himself. Haha.”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but think of Liu Wu, whom he had seen that night. He never expected that guy would dare to lead an attack on the county town. It seems even cowards have their bold moments.
After chatting for a while, Huang Pangzi mentioned that after the rebellion was quelled, the court was shaken, and they needed to return immediately to report. Mei Qing smiled and said, “I’m still not in good health to move around. Brother Huang, you were directly involved and have made significant contributions. Why don’t you return first, and I’ll follow after a few days of rest.”
After some discussion, they decided that Hou Shen would stay with Mei Qing, while the others, led by Huang Zhongman, would return to the capital first.
As Huang Pangzi left, he chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, Mei, your share of the credit is secure. Next time there’s such an opportunity, don’t forget about me.”
Mei Qing replied with a smile, “I don’t need that credit. Just take care of the other brothers.”
After Huang Pangzi left, Hou Shen said to Mei Qing, “I didn’t expect that my absence would put you in such danger.”
Mei Qing laughed and said, “Forget it. You didn’t see the situation that night. Even if you were here, you might not have been able to help much. But you managed to contact Huang Pangzi in time and allowed them to prepare early, which was a great achievement.”
Then Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen and asked, “By the way, Zhen’er, what happened after I left that day? How did you deal with that skeleton?”
Bi Zhen suddenly giggled and said, “That big skeleton? Oh, it was quite interesting. Guess how we got rid of it?”
Mei Qing thought back to that night, recalling how even Zhang Shisan’s powerful attack hadn’t destroyed the nightmare spirit. He shivered and said, “That thing… was really tough. What happened? Did Master unleash some ultimate treasure after I left, and with a flash of lightning, it turned to ashes?”
Bi Zhen laughed and said, “Not at all. Master Ku came to help me, but it made Master so angry… Master, don’t glare at me. That’s exactly what happened.”
Zhang Shisan rolled his eyes, snorted, and pretended to drink from his gourd, ignoring them.
Mei Qing, puzzled, asked, “Then what happened? Did Mr. Shi’s righteous aura suddenly explode and destroy it?”
Shi Mengzhu smiled and said, “I’m just a scholar, weak and powerless. I have no ability to fight.”
Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen, still confused. Bi Zhen chuckled and said, “Can’t guess, can you? That day, we all surrounded it, attacking it, but it just wouldn’t die. Then, it made such a commotion that it scared Shi Village Chief’s son to tears. The village chief got so angry that he grabbed an axe, charged forward, and broke its leg in one strike.”
“What?” Mei Qing was stunned. “It was that simple?”
“Exactly. When he charged, everyone shouted at him, telling him not to throw his life away. But he went up, broke its leg with one swing, and then kept hacking at it. Soon, he had the big skeleton in pieces. With a few more swings, he smashed its head to bits, and it was completely destroyed,” Bi Zhen said with a laugh.
“Then why do we even cultivate?” Mei Qing said, somewhat frustrated. “After all that cultivation, it’s no match for a few swings of an axe… Master, I’m not talking about you…”
Seeing Zhang Shisan’s eyes roll even more, Mei Qing realized his words might have been misinterpreted and quickly explained.
Bi Zhen giggled and said, “Master is still amazing. He knew that Shi Village Chief would be useful and brought his family here. I later asked Master how he knew that silly village chief could chop down the big skeleton, and Master said very seriously…”
“What did Master say?” Mei Qing glanced at Zhang Shisan, who looked profound, and then turned back to Bi Zhen.
“Master said, ‘Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed.'”
After Bi Zhen briefly explained how Zhang Shisan and Master Ku had swept through the area, eventually reaching the Fishbone Temple and breaking the stone tablet’s seal, Mei Qing asked a few more questions.
“No wonder the Incense Sect was making such a fuss here, building altars and all,” Mei Qing murmured.
“There were seven altars in total. We destroyed six, but Master said it wasn’t complete because the one here in the harbor wasn’t built,” Bi Zhen said.
“Destroyed six?” Mei Qing thought for a moment and said, “It wasn’t just a simple destruction, was it? Did you not just destroy the altars but forcefully activate them, causing the seven stars to align and finally unlock the entrance to the stone tablet’s array?”
“You’ve gained some insight, haven’t you?” Zhang Shisan said, somewhat surprised. “But you haven’t guessed it all…”
“Is it that the seven stars aren’t just the entrance to Qianjin Ye but are connected to something deeper? But Master didn’t have time to think it through, and only by aligning the seven stars did you unlock the entrance to Qianjin Ye and explore the array?” Mei Qing said with a smile.
“How did you know… Ah, I see! I was wrong all along!” Zhang Shisan suddenly jumped up.
“Master, what were you wrong about?” Bi Zhen asked, confused. Seeing Zhang Shisan lost in thought, she turned to Mei Qing, demanding an explanation. Mei Qing smiled wryly and said, “Actually, the seven-star altars are the key to breaking the stone array inside Qianjin Ye. But at the time, you were so focused on finding a way inside Qianjin Ye that you forgot to reverse the seven stars outside, which would have been the proper way to break the array.”
“Exactly, exactly, that’s it!” Zhang Shisan jumped up, his left hand’s fingers moving as if calculating something. “Indeed, impressive! Actually, Qianjin Ye doesn’t require such a big move to enter. Reversing the seven stars was clearly meant to break the array inside. What a grand scheme!… Huh? You, kid…”
Zhang Shisan stopped mid-sentence, looking at Mei Qing with astonishment.
“How did you know?” Bi Zhen asked, surprised. “If this is the way to break the array, what was the Incense Sect’s intention?”
“I don’t know why I know, but I just know,” Mei Qing said, also surprised. Then he thought for a moment and said, “It wasn’t the Incense Sect, but Liu Liu, the second sect master. It was… Zhang Liusun who made Liu Liu do it. Zhang Liusun wanted to escape, so he used a spell to lure Liu Liu into serving him when the array was weak during one of Liu Liu’s visits to Qianjin Ye… Ah…”
As Mei Qing spoke, a sudden headache struck him, and he felt dizzy, collapsing to the ground.
“How did you know… Ah, I see! I was completely mistaken!” Zhang Shisan suddenly jumped up.
Bi Zhen, hearing Zhang Shisan urging her to leave, pouted and glanced at Mei Qing. Seeing that Mei Qing indeed looked exhausted, she reluctantly agreed. She secretly squeezed Mei Qing’s hand before standing up, realizing her body was stiff and feeling embarrassed about not having washed or dressed properly for days. She quickly bid farewell to the others in the room and hurried back to her own room to clean up.
“Rest for a while,” Zhang Shisan said with a smile. “Also, the old monk has some matters to attend to at the sect, so you might not see him for a few days. Your companions are also outside. Once you feel a bit better, you can meet them. Whatever it is, it can wait until later.”
Although Mei Qing was awake, he was extremely weak and tired. So, he nodded in agreement. Zhang Shisan and Shi Mengzhu, seeing that he was fine, left first. Soon after, a servant brought over a bowl of porridge. Mei Qing took a few sips, but as drowsiness overcame him, he fell back into a deep sleep.
“You, kid, always want payment for every little thing you do,” Huang Pangzi said, slapping Mei Qing’s shoulder. “When the main force of the Incense Sect attacked the county town, I, Huang, sat calmly like a fisherman, and I didn’t see you in such a life-and-death struggle. Just a few small fry almost took your life. Heh, your character is really something!”
Hou Shen and the others stood behind Huang Pangzi, smiling as they looked at Mei Qing.
Hearing Huang Pangzi’s words, others didn’t react much, but Hou Shen frowned. He knew some secrets about Mei Qing’s cultivation and understood that although Mei Qing faced few enemies, they were likely cultivators. That fierce battle was probably far more dangerous than dealing with a group of sect members armed with knives and forks.
But since Mei Qing didn’t mention it, Hou Shen naturally wouldn’t bring it up either.
“That’s right, Brother Huang, you’re a man of great stature, naturally as steady as Mount Tai,” Mei Qing said with a laugh. “I, on the other hand, am as weak as a chicken, how could I compare to you?”
Seeing that Huang Pangzi and the others were safe and sound, Mei Qing felt quite relieved. According to Shi Mengzhu, that night the Incense Sect suddenly rose up, and tens of thousands of sect members stormed Yifeng County. If it weren’t for Huang Pangzi’s timely warning and the soldiers he urgently mobilized with his token, who crushed the rebellious sect members in one fell swoop, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Mei Qing’s brow relaxed. He naturally knew that while he or Huang Pangzi’s token could mobilize the Imperial Guards, it was far from enough to raise a large army. Huang Pangzi’s ability to mobilize the garrison at that time suggested there were other hidden forces behind him that hadn’t been revealed.
But Mei Qing didn’t bother to dwell on it. Suppressing rebellion in this peaceful era was undoubtedly a great merit. Whether it was Huang Pangzi or the local officials, they would surely receive their share of the credit. However, Mei Qing thought for a moment and asked Huang Pangzi with some confusion, “Was the sect leader captured?”
“You mean that sect leader?” Huang Pangzi burst into laughter. “That guy was a real coward. When I first saw him, he was wearing a ceremonial crown and a dragon robe, carried by a group of people, and he really looked intimidating. At first, when he started performing some ritual, saying he would summon heavenly fire to burn us, I was a bit worried. But after all that fuss, not a single spark appeared. Haha…”
Hou Shen, hearing Huang Zhongman’s story, also laughed and said, “When we captured him, he was still shouting and screaming, saying that he had invited the Fire Star Lord today, but the Lord was out, so he couldn’t burn us. He kept saying that if we dared to disrespect him, when the Lord returned, he would burn us to ashes. Later, when the hawk took out a knife and sharpened it in front of his face, he immediately shut up and even wet himself. Haha.”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but think of Liu Wu, whom he had seen that night. He never expected that guy would dare to lead an attack on the county town. It seems even cowards can be bold at times.
After chatting for a while, Huang Pangzi mentioned that after the rebellion was suppressed, the court was shaken, and they needed to return immediately to report. Mei Qing smiled and said, “My body is still not well enough to move. Brother Huang, you were directly involved and made significant contributions. Why don’t you go back first, and I’ll follow after a few days of rest.”
After some discussion, they decided that Hou Shen would stay with Mei Qing, while the others, led by Huang Zhongman, would return to the capital first.
As Huang Pangzi left, he chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, Mei, your share of the credit is secure. Next time there’s such an opportunity, don’t forget about me.”
Mei Qing replied with a smile, “I don’t need that credit. Just take care of the other brothers.”
After Huang Pangzi left, Hou Shen said to Mei Qing, “I didn’t expect that my absence would put you in such danger.”
Mei Qing laughed and said, “Forget it. You didn’t see the situation that night. Even if you were here, you might not have been able to help much. But you managed to contact Huang Pangzi in time and allowed them to prepare early, which was a great merit.”
Then Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen and asked, “By the way, Zhen’er, what happened after I left that day? How did you deal with that skeleton?”
Bi Zhen suddenly giggled and said, “That big skeleton, haha, it was quite interesting. Guess how we got rid of it?”
Mei Qing thought back to that night, remembering how even Zhang Shisan’s powerful attack hadn’t destroyed the nightmare spirit. He shivered and said, “That thing… was really tough. What happened? Did Master unleash some divine power after I left, pulling out some ultimate treasure, and with a flash of lightning, it turned to ashes?”
Bi Zhen laughed and said, “Not at all. At that time, Master Ku came to help me, which made Master so angry… Master, don’t glare at me, that’s exactly what happened!”
Zhang Shisan rolled his eyes, snorted, and pretended to drink from his gourd, ignoring them.
Mei Qing asked in confusion, “Then what happened? It couldn’t be that Mr. Shi, in a fit of anger, unleashed his righteous aura and destroyed it, could it?”
Shi Mengzhu smiled and said, “I’m just a scholar, as weak as a chicken. What ability do I have to fight?”
Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen, full of questions. Bi Zhen chuckled and said, “Can’t guess, can you? That day, we all surrounded that thing, attacking it, but it just wouldn’t die. Then, it made such a racket that it scared the son of Village Chief Shi into crying. In a rage, the chief grabbed an axe, charged forward, and broke its leg in one swing.”
“What?” Mei Qing was stunned. “It was that simple?”
“Exactly that simple. When he charged, everyone shouted at him, telling him not to throw his life away. But he went up, broke its leg with one swing, and then kept hacking at it. Soon, he had the big skeleton in pieces. With a few more swings, he smashed its head to bits, and it was completely destroyed,” Bi Zhen said with a laugh.
“Then what’s the point of cultivating?” Mei Qing said, somewhat frustrated. “After all that cultivation, it’s no match for a few swings of an axe… Master, I’m not talking about you…”
Seeing Zhang Shisan’s eyes roll even more, Mei Qing realized his words might have been misunderstood and quickly explained.
Bi Zhen giggled and said, “Master is still the best. He knew that Village Chief Shi would be useful, so he brought his family here. I later asked Master how he knew that silly chief could chop down the big skeleton, and Master said very seriously…”
“What did Master say?” Mei Qing glanced at Zhang Shisan, who looked profound, and then turned back to ask Bi Zhen.
“Master said, ‘Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed.'”
After Bi Zhen briefly recounted how Zhang Shisan and Master Ku swept through the area, finally reaching the Fishbone Temple and breaking the stone tablet’s seal, Mei Qing asked a few more questions.
“No wonder the Incense Sect was making such a fuss here, building altars. So that’s why,” Mei Qing murmured.
“There were seven altars in total. We destroyed six, but Master said it wasn’t complete because the one here in the port wasn’t built,” Bi Zhen said.
“Destroyed six?” Mei Qing thought for a moment and said, “It couldn’t have been a simple destruction, could it? Was it not just destroying the altars but forcefully activating them, causing the seven stars to align and finally unlocking the entrance to the stone tablet’s array?”
“You’ve gained some insight, huh?” Zhang Shisan said with some surprise. “Actually, you’re not entirely correct…”
“Could it be that the seven stars are not just the entrance to Qianjin Ye but are connected to something deeper? But Master didn’t have time to think it through, and only by aligning the seven stars did you unlock the entrance to Qianjin Ye and enter the array to investigate?” Mei Qing said with a smile.
“How did you know… Ah, I see! I was wrong all along!” Zhang Shisan suddenly jumped up.
“Master, what were you wrong about?” Bi Zhen was puzzled and asked Zhang Shisan. Seeing Zhang Shisan lost in thought, she turned to Mei Qing with a look of interrogation. Mei Qing smiled wryly and said, “Actually, the seven-star altars are the key to breaking the stone array inside Qianjin Ye. But at that time, you were so focused on finding a way inside Qianjin Ye that you forgot to reverse the seven stars outside, which would have been the proper way to break the array.”
“Exactly, exactly, that’s it!” Zhang Shisan jumped up, his left hand’s fingers moving as if calculating something. “Indeed, impressive! Actually, Qianjin Ye didn’t require such a big move to enter. Reversing the seven stars was clearly meant to break the array inside. What a grand scheme!… Huh? You, kid…”
At this point, Zhang Shisan suddenly realized something and looked at Mei Qing with astonishment.
“How did you know?” Bi Zhen asked in surprise. “If this is the method to break the array, what was the Incense Sect’s intention?”
“I don’t know why I know, but I just know,” Mei Qing said, also somewhat surprised. Then he thought for a moment and said, “It wasn’t the Incense Sect, it was Liu Liu, the second sect leader. It was… it was Zhang Liusun who made Liu Liu do it. Zhang Liusun wanted to come out, so he found a way to use Liu Liu when he entered Qianjin Ye and the array was weak, using magic to lure Liu Liu into serving him… Ah…”
At this point, Mei Qing suddenly felt a sharp headache, followed by dizziness, and he collapsed.
Upon hearing Zhang Shisan urge her to leave, Bi Zhen pouted and glanced at Mei Qing. Seeing that Mei Qing indeed looked exhausted, she reluctantly agreed. She secretly squeezed Mei Qing’s hand before standing up, realizing that her body felt stiff and that she hadn’t bathed or dressed properly for days. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly bid farewell to the others in the room and hurried back to her own quarters to clean up.
“Rest for a while,” Zhang Shisan said with a smile. “Also, the old monk has some matters to attend to at the sect, so it might be a few days before you can see him. Your companions are all outside. Once you’ve regained some energy, you can meet them. Whatever needs to be discussed can wait until later.”
Though Mei Qing was awake, he felt utterly drained and weak. He nodded in response. Seeing that he was fine, Zhang Shisan and Shi Mengzhu left. Shortly after, a servant brought a bowl of rice porridge. Mei Qing took a few sips, but drowsiness overtook him, and he fell back into a deep sleep.
“You little rascal, always demanding payment for your work,” Huang Pangzi said, slapping Mei Qing’s shoulder with a hearty laugh. “When the entire Incense Sect attacked the county town, I remained as steady as a rock, unlike you, who nearly lost your life over a few small fry. Haha, but I must say, your character is commendable!”
Hou Shen and the others stood behind Huang Pangzi, smiling at Mei Qing.
Hearing Huang Pangzi’s words, Hou Shen frowned slightly. He knew some of Mei Qing’s cultivation secrets and understood that although Mei Qing hadn’t faced many enemies, they were likely fellow cultivators. The battle must have been far more dangerous than dealing with a mob of armed sect members.
But since Mei Qing didn’t mention it, Hou Shen naturally kept it to himself.
“Of course, Brother Huang, you’re a man of great stature, steady as Mount Tai,” Mei Qing said with a smile. “I’m just a weakling, how could I compare to you?”
Seeing that Huang Pangzi and the others were safe and sound, Mei Qing felt relieved. According to Shi Mengzhu, that night the Incense Sect had suddenly risen up, with tens of thousands of followers storming Yifeng County. If it hadn’t been for Huang Pangzi’s timely warning and his urgent mobilization of troops to crush the rebellion, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Mei Qing’s brow relaxed. He knew that while he or Huang Pangzi could mobilize the Imperial Guards with their tokens, raising a large army was beyond their authority. Huang Pangzi’s ability to mobilize the garrison at that time suggested there were other hidden forces at play behind the scenes.
But Mei Qing didn’t dwell on it. Suppressing a rebellion in this peaceful era was undoubtedly a great achievement. Whether it was Huang Pangzi or the local officials, they would all receive their share of credit. However, Mei Qing still had a question for Huang Pangzi: “Were the sect leaders captured?”
“You mean the sect master?” Huang Pangzi burst into laughter. “That guy was a complete coward. When we first saw him, he was wearing a ceremonial crown and a dragon robe, carried by a group of people—quite the spectacle. He started performing some ritual, claiming he would summon heavenly fire to burn us. I was a bit nervous at first, but after all that fuss, not a single spark appeared. Haha!”
Hou Shen chimed in, “When we finally captured him, he was shouting and screaming, saying that he had invited the Fire Star Lord, but the lord was out, so he couldn’t burn us. He kept threatening that if we dared to disrespect him, the Fire Star Lord would return and burn us to ashes. But when we took out a knife and started sharpening it in front of him, he immediately shut up and wet himself. Haha!”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but recall his own encounter with Liu Wu. He never expected that such a coward would dare to lead an attack on the county town. It seemed even the most timid could find courage at times.
After some more conversation, Huang Pangzi mentioned that the court was shaken by the rebellion and that they needed to return to report immediately. Mei Qing smiled and said, “I’m still too weak to move. Since you were directly involved and played a significant role, why don’t you go ahead and report? I’ll rest for a few days and follow later.”
After some discussion, they decided that Hou Shen would stay with Mei Qing, while the others, led by Huang Zhongman, would return to the capital first.
As Huang Pangzi left, he chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, Mei, your share of the credit is secure. Just remember me when the next opportunity arises.”
Mei Qing replied with a smile, “I don’t need the credit. Just take care of the other brothers.”
After Huang Pangzi left, Hou Shen said to Mei Qing, “I didn’t expect my absence would put you in such danger.”
Mei Qing laughed, “Forget it. You wouldn’t have been much help even if you were there that night. But you did a great job contacting Huang Pangzi and ensuring they were prepared.”
Then Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen and asked, “By the way, Zhen’er, what happened after I left? How did you deal with that skeleton?”
Bi Zhen suddenly giggled, “That big skeleton? Oh, it was quite something. Guess how we got rid of it?”
Mei Qing thought back to that night, remembering how even Zhang Shisan’s powerful attack hadn’t destroyed the nightmare spirit. He shivered and said, “That thing was really tough. Did Master unleash some kind of divine artifact and obliterate it with a flash of lightning?”
Bi Zhen laughed, “Not at all! When Master Ku came to help, he ended up making Master so angry. Master, don’t glare at me—that’s exactly what happened!”
Zhang Shisan rolled his eyes, snorted, and pretended to drink from his gourd, ignoring them.
Mei Qing was puzzled, “Then what happened? Did Mr. Shi’s righteous aura explode and destroy it?”
Shi Mengzhu chuckled, “I’m just a scholar, with no strength to fight. How could I have done such a thing?”
Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen, still confused. Bi Zhen giggled, “Can’t figure it out, can you? That day, we all surrounded it, attacking it with everything we had, but it just wouldn’t die. Then, it made so much noise that it scared Village Chief Shi’s son, who started crying. In a rage, the chief grabbed an axe, charged forward, and with one swing, broke its leg.”
“What?” Mei Qing was stunned, “It was that simple?”
“Exactly! When he charged, we all shouted at him to stop, thinking he was going to his death. But with one swing of the axe, he broke its leg, and then kept hacking away until the skeleton was completely shattered. A few more swings, and its head was smashed to pieces, and it was gone,” Bi Zhen explained with a laugh.
“Then what’s the point of cultivation?” Mei Qing said, somewhat frustrated. “All that effort, and it’s no match for a few swings of an axe—Master, I’m not talking about you…”
Seeing Zhang Shisan’s eyes roll even more, Mei Qing realized his words might have been misinterpreted and quickly clarified.
Bi Zhen giggled, “Master is still the best. He knew Village Chief Shi would be useful, so he brought his family here. I later asked Master how he knew the chief could take down the skeleton, and Master said very seriously…”
“What did he say?” Mei Qing glanced at Zhang Shisan, who looked inscrutable, and then turned back to Bi Zhen.
“Master said, ‘Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed.'”
After hearing Bi Zhen briefly recount how Zhang Shisan and Master Ku had swept through the area, eventually reaching the Fishbone Temple and breaking the stone tablet’s seal, Mei Qing asked a few more questions.
“No wonder the Incense Sect was causing such a fuss here, setting up altars,” Mei Qing murmured.
“There were seven altars in total. We destroyed six, but Master said it wasn’t complete because the one here in the harbor wasn’t fully built,” Bi Zhen added.
“Destroyed six?” Mei Qing thought for a moment. “It wasn’t just a simple destruction, was it? Did you forcefully activate the altars, causing the seven stars to align and unlock the entrance to the stone tablet’s array?”
“You’ve gained some insight, haven’t you?” Zhang Shisan said with some surprise. “But you’re not entirely correct…”
“Could it be that the seven stars aren’t just the entrance to Qianjin Ye, but are connected to something deeper? Perhaps Master didn’t think it through at the time, and by aligning the seven stars, you unlocked the entrance to Qianjin Ye and explored the array?” Mei Qing suggested with a smile.
“How did you know… Ah, I see! I was wrong all along!” Zhang Shisan suddenly exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
“What were you wrong about, Master?” Bi Zhen asked, confused. Seeing Zhang Shisan lost in thought, she turned to Mei Qing, demanding an explanation. Mei Qing smiled wryly, “Actually, the seven-star altars are the key to breaking the Jieshi Array inside Qianjin Ye. But at the time, you were so focused on finding a way inside Qianjin Ye that you forgot to reverse the seven stars outside, which would have been the proper way to break the array.”
“Exactly, exactly!” Zhang Shisan exclaimed, his left hand’s fingers rapidly moving as if calculating something. “Impressive! In fact, Qianjin Ye could have been entered without such a grand gesture. Reversing the seven stars was clearly meant to break the larger array inside—what a bold move! … Huh? You…”
Zhang Shisan suddenly stopped, looking at Mei Qing with astonishment.
“How did you know?” Bi Zhen asked, equally surprised. “If this is the method to break the array, what was the Incense Sect’s goal?”
“I don’t know how I know, I just do,” Mei Qing said, equally puzzled. Then, after a moment of thought, he added, “It wasn’t the Incense Sect, but Liu Liu, the second sect master. It was… it was Zhang Liusun who made Liu Liu do it. Zhang Liusun wanted to escape, so he used a spell to manipulate Liu Liu during a moment when the array was weak, making him act on his behalf… Ah!”
As Mei Qing spoke, a sudden headache struck him, and he felt dizzy, collapsing to the ground.
Zhang Shisan suddenly stopped speaking, his expression changing to one of alarm as he stared at Mei Qing.
“How did you know that?” Bi Zhen asked in surprise. “If that’s the method to break the formation, what was the Wenchang Sect’s intention?”
Hearing Zhang Shisan urging her to leave, Bi Zhen pouted and glanced at Mei Qing. Seeing that Mei Qing indeed looked exhausted, she reluctantly agreed. She secretly squeezed Mei Qing’s hand before standing up, realizing her body was stiff and she hadn’t bathed or dressed properly in days. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly bid farewell to the others and hurried back to her room to clean up.
“Rest for a while,” Zhang Shisan said with a smile. “Also, the old monk has some matters to attend to in the sect, so you might not see him for a few days. Your companions are all outside. Once you’ve regained some energy, you can meet them. Whatever it is, it can wait.”
Though Mei Qing was awake, he was utterly exhausted and could barely move. He nodded in agreement. Seeing that he was fine, Zhang Shisan and Shi Mengzhu left. Soon, a servant brought a bowl of porridge. Mei Qing took a few sips, but drowsiness overtook him, and he fell back into a deep sleep.
“Young man, you always want payment for every little task,” Huang Pangzi said, slapping Mei Qing’s shoulder. “When the Incense Sect attacked the county, I stayed calm and collected, unlike you, who nearly lost your life over a few small fry. Hah, but I must say, your character is commendable!”
Hou Shen and the others stood behind Huang Pangzi, smiling at Mei Qing.
Hearing Huang Pangzi’s words, Hou Shen frowned slightly. He knew some of Mei Qing’s cultivation secrets and understood that although Mei Qing had faced few enemies, they were likely cultivators. The battle must have been far more dangerous than dealing with a mob of sect members armed with knives and forks.
But since Mei Qing didn’t mention it, Hou Shen naturally kept it to himself.
“Indeed, Brother Huang, you’re a man of great stature, steady as a mountain,” Mei Qing said with a smile. “I’m weak and powerless, how could I compare to you?”
Seeing that Huang Pangzi and the others were safe, Mei Qing felt relieved. According to Shi Mengzhu, that night the Incense Sect had suddenly risen up, with tens of thousands of followers storming Yifeng County. If it hadn’t been for Huang Pangzi’s timely warning and the soldiers he quickly mobilized to crush the rebellion, the consequences would have been dire.
Mei Qing’s brow relaxed. He knew that while he or Huang Pangzi could mobilize the Imperial Guards with their tokens, it wouldn’t be enough to raise a large army. Huang Pangzi’s ability to mobilize the garrison at that time suggested there was more hidden power behind him.
But Mei Qing didn’t dwell on it. Suppressing rebellion in this peaceful era was a great achievement. Whether it was Huang Pangzi or the local officials, they would all be credited. However, Mei Qing couldn’t help but ask Huang Pangzi, “Was the sect leader captured?”
“You mean the sect master?” Huang Pangzi burst into laughter. “That guy was a complete coward. When we first saw him, he was wearing a ceremonial crown and a dragon robe, carried by a group of people—it was quite intimidating. He started performing some ritual, claiming he would summon heavenly fire to burn us. I was a bit worried at first, but after all that fuss, not a single spark appeared. Haha…”
Hou Shen, hearing this, also laughed. “When we captured him, he was shouting that he had invited the Fire Star Lord, but the lord was out, so he couldn’t burn us. He kept saying that if we dared disrespect him, the Fire Star Lord would return and burn us to ashes. But when we took out a knife and sharpened it in front of his face, he immediately shut up and even wet himself. Haha.”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but think of Liu Wu, whom he had seen that night. He never expected that such a coward would dare lead an attack on the county. It seemed even cowards could be bold at times.
After some conversation, Huang Pangzi mentioned that after the rebellion was quelled, the court was shaken, and they needed to return to report immediately. Mei Qing smiled and said, “I’m still recovering, so why don’t you go ahead, Brother Huang? You were directly involved and made significant contributions. I’ll follow after resting for a few days.”
After some discussion, they decided that Hou Shen would stay with Mei Qing, while the others, led by Huang Zhongman, would return to the capital first.
As Huang Pangzi left, he chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, Mei, your share of the credit is secure. Next time there’s such an opportunity, don’t forget about me.”
Mei Qing replied with a smile, “I don’t need the credit, but please take care of the other brothers.”
After Huang Pangzi left, Hou Shen said to Mei Qing, “I didn’t expect my absence would put you in such danger.”
Mei Qing smiled and said, “It’s fine. You wouldn’t have been able to help much even if you were there. But you managed to contact Huang Pangzi in time, allowing them to prepare early. That was a great contribution.”
Then Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen and asked, “By the way, Zhen’er, what happened after I left? What happened to that skeleton?”
Bi Zhen suddenly giggled and said, “That big skeleton? Oh, it was quite interesting. Guess how we got rid of it?”
Mei Qing thought back to that night when even Zhang Shisan’s powerful attack couldn’t destroy the nightmare spirit. He shivered and said, “That thing was really tough. Did Master unleash some ultimate artifact, and with a flash of lightning, it turned to ashes?”
Bi Zhen laughed and said, “Not at all. When Master Ku came to help, it made Master so angry… Master, don’t glare at me, that’s exactly what happened!”
Zhang Shisan rolled his eyes, snorted, and pretended to drink from his gourd, ignoring them.
Mei Qing, puzzled, asked, “Then what happened? Did Mr. Shi’s righteous aura explode and destroy it?”
Shi Mengzhu laughed and said, “I’m just a scholar, weak and powerless. I have no ability to fight.”
Mei Qing turned to Bi Zhen, still confused. Bi Zhen chuckled and said, “Can’t guess, can you? That day, we all surrounded it, attacking it, but it just wouldn’t die. Then, it made so much noise that it scared the village chief’s son, who started crying. The chief got so angry that he grabbed an axe, charged forward, and with one swing, broke its leg.”
“What?” Mei Qing was stunned. “It was that simple?”
“Exactly. When he charged, we all shouted at him to stop, thinking he was going to his death. But with one swing, he broke its leg, and then kept hacking at it until the skeleton was completely shattered. A few more swings, and its head was smashed to pieces, completely destroying it,” Bi Zhen said with a laugh.
“Then why do we even bother cultivating?” Mei Qing said, somewhat frustrated. “All that effort, and it’s no match for a few swings of an axe… Master, I’m not talking about you…”
Seeing Zhang Shisan’s eyes roll even more, Mei Qing realized his words might have been misinterpreted and quickly explained.
Bi Zhen giggled and said, “Master is still the best. He knew the village chief would be useful and brought his family here. I later asked Master how he knew the chief could take down the skeleton, and Master said very seriously…”
“What did Master say?” Mei Qing looked at Zhang Shisan, who had an inscrutable expression, and then turned back to Bi Zhen.
“Master said, ‘Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed.'”
After hearing Bi Zhen briefly recount how Zhang Shisan and Master Ku had swept through the area, finally reaching the Fishbone Temple and breaking the stone tablet’s seal, Mei Qing asked a few more questions.
“No wonder the Incense Sect was making such a fuss here, building altars and all,” Mei Qing murmured.
“There were seven altars in total. We destroyed six, but Master said it wasn’t complete because the one here in the harbor wasn’t built,” Bi Zhen said.
“Destroyed six?” Mei Qing thought for a moment. “It wasn’t just a simple destruction, was it? Did you forcefully activate the altars, causing the seven stars to align and unlock the entrance to the stone tablet’s array?”
“You’ve gained some insight, haven’t you?” Zhang Shisan said, somewhat surprised. “But you’re not entirely correct…”
“Could it be that the seven stars aren’t just the entrance to Qianjin Ye, but are connected to something deeper? But Master didn’t think it through at the time, and by aligning the seven stars, you unlocked the entrance to Qianjin Ye and explored the array?” Mei Qing said with a smile.
“How did you know… Ah, I see! I was wrong all along!” Zhang Shisan suddenly jumped up.
“Master, what were you wrong about?” Bi Zhen asked, confused. Seeing Zhang Shisan lost in thought, she turned to Mei Qing, demanding an explanation. Mei Qing smiled wryly and said, “Actually, the seven-star altars are the key to breaking the stone array inside Qianjin Ye. But at the time, you were so focused on finding a way inside Qianjin Ye that you forgot to reverse the seven stars, which would have been the best way to break the array.”
“Exactly, exactly!” Zhang Shisan exclaimed, his left hand’s fingers moving rapidly as if calculating something. “Impressive! Actually, Qianjin Ye doesn’t require such a grand gesture to enter. Reversing the seven stars was clearly meant to break the great array inside. What a bold move!… Hmm? You…”
Zhang Shisan suddenly realized something and looked at Mei Qing in astonishment.
“How did you know?” Bi Zhen asked, surprised. “If this is the method to break the array, what was the Incense Sect’s goal?”
“I don’t know why I know, I just do,” Mei Qing said, also surprised. After thinking for a moment, he added, “It wasn’t the Incense Sect, but Liu Liu, the second sect master. It was… it was Zhang Liusun who made Liu Liu do it. Zhang Liusun wanted to escape, so he used a spell to manipulate Liu Liu during a moment when the array was weak, making Liu Liu serve him… Ah…”
As Mei Qing spoke, a sudden headache struck him, and he felt dizzy. He collapsed to the ground.
Before Mei Qing could finish speaking, a sudden headache struck him, followed by dizziness and blurred vision, and he collapsed unconscious.
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