The dim light from the eternal lamp on the wall cast a faint glow on Mei Qing’s face, reflecting a hazy light in his slightly puzzled eyes.
Slowly stepping into the somewhat eerie storeroom, Mei Qing felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
For a long time, he had harbored suspicions about this peculiar inkstone. The fact that several people who had come into contact with it had mysteriously died suggested that it was no ordinary object.
Yet, deep down, he felt an inexplicable connection to the inkstone, though his rational mind resisted getting too close to it.
However, today, his golden core, sensing the inkstone’s call, suddenly became restless, swirling within him as if eager to break free.
For Mei Qing, who had been yearning daily to lift the seal, this temptation was irresistible.
Accompanied by Qian San, he entered the storeroom. Seeing the bearded man’s unease, Mei Qing remained silent, only instructing him to open the iron door of the small chamber where the inkstone was kept, then dismissed him.
Standing before the chamber door, Mei Qing could feel the inkstone’s call growing stronger, and in response, his golden core became even more active, its impatience surprising even himself.
Though anxious, Mei Qing’s hand remained steady as he slowly retrieved the inkstone box from the wooden case before him. The box looked familiar—it was the same one Li Mei had placed in Scar Liu’s coffin. At that time, Li Mei had secretly taken out the inkstone, leaving only the box in the coffin. After Li Mei’s death, the inkstone was confiscated by Magistrate Zhao of Shuntian Prefecture. Later, when the Imperial Guards exhumed Scar Liu’s coffin and retrieved numerous burial items, the inkstone box fell into their hands.
Presumably, after Magistrate Zhao’s death, the inkstone was seized as contraband by the Imperial Guards, returning to the box and stored in this sunless treasury.
Feeling the fine grain of the peach wood under his fingers, Mei Qing slowly opened the inkstone box. Under the light from the wall, a stone inkstone emitting a strange, sapphire-blue glow came into view—it was the Big Dipper Inkstone. Mei Qing reached out and took it, feeling its cool touch. Upon closer inspection, he was startled to see that the two active “eyes” on the stone had now become four.
The strange stone eyes seemed to possess a unique charm, with halos forming on the jade-green base, layer upon layer, as if peering deep into the soul, making it impossible to look away.
Mei Qing felt a sudden explosion in his mind, his vision blurred, and his body felt weightless. Shaking his head vigorously, he realized he was floating in mid-air, surrounded by mist and clouds. Looking around, he saw flashes of golden light, seemingly endless, with no sense of direction.
“Good, good, today it’s either you or me! You destroyed my temple, ruined my foundation, do you really dare to disregard the entire Taoist world?” A voice filled with deep hatred suddenly rang in his ears. Turning to look, Mei Qing was stunned.
Before him stood a tall Taoist priest, his red robe tattered and bloodstained. The priest had sharp eyebrows and piercing eyes, with a thick beard like swords, glaring at him with fiery rage.
“Hahaha… the Taoist world? At this point, can’t you see, fellow Taoist? Ah, the famous Master Mo has come to such an end. The ways of heaven are indeed unpredictable!” Mei Qing saw himself in the scene suddenly speak, laughing arrogantly.
“Scoundrel, I’ll fight you to the death!” The red-robed priest’s hair and beard bristled as he shouted, “Release!” Five golden talismans suddenly appeared around him, spinning rapidly, their golden light intensifying, revealing a look of determination on his face.
“Five Thunder Talismans? Haha, but Master Mo, your cultivation is severely weakened, barely a fraction of what it was. Even with the Five Thunder Talismans, what can you do to me?” Mei Qing heard his own clear laughter, his internal energy flowing like lightning, streams of purple light the size of palms continuously flowing out, gradually forming a massive net of light before him, with characters faintly flickering, rapidly expanding to encompass the surrounding area for miles.
“Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap! You scoundrel, how dare you… Enough! The Five Elements of Heaven and Earth, all paths perish, by the decree of the Supreme Lord Lao!” The red-robed priest, furious, let out a low growl. A flash of golden light erupted as his tall figure and the five golden talismans suddenly exploded, illuminating the sky with blinding golden light. Mei Qing felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, the immense force shaking his consciousness, leaving him dazed for a long time before he finally calmed down.
The sky before him was clear and empty, the priest who had self-destructed had turned to ash, leaving no trace.
Mei Qing heard himself let out a long laugh, followed by uncontrollable coughing.
…
“No! No! How could this be!?” Mei Qing’s vision suddenly changed, the previous mist and clouds vanished, replaced by streaks of purple lightning. Thick beams of light descended from the dark, boundless void, striking his body, riddling it with holes. The bone-deep pain made him tremble, a mix of immense fear and rising anger.
“Why? Why?” he roared, his vision blurred. The lightning suddenly disappeared, replaced by endless purple flames, trapping him within. The flames licked at him, his consciousness wavering in agony, as he muttered curses, “Wretched disciple! Wretched disciple! This is… ah…”
…
Mei Qing’s vision flashed like a revolving lantern, scenes appearing and disappearing one after another. He saw himself as a child, sitting alone by a stream, suddenly struck by a sense of enlightenment, filled with confusion and excitement. He saw his youthful confidence and pride as he mastered the Tao, the thrill of defeating opponents in duels, and the immense pain and hatred he felt during moments of great mental turmoil…
Mei Qing was lost in these memories, unsure of where he was. These events felt both familiar and alien. Suddenly, his vision brightened, and he found himself standing before a small thatched cottage, a sea of wild plum blossoms blooming brilliantly before him. On a wooden pillar behind him, a faint inscription read:
“Occasionally calling the moon to share eternity,
Once dwelling with plum blossoms on a mountain.”
“Mei Ji! Have you made up your mind?” he heard himself say calmly.
Suddenly, the image of a young girl appeared before him. Dressed in white, she stood serenely outside the sea of plum blossoms, her elegant face wearing a faint, mocking smile. “Since the master has commanded, how could Mei Ji have any objections?”
Mei Ji… Mei Qing suddenly felt an intense familiarity with this woman, a mix of affection and complex emotions—love, hate, reluctance, and unwillingness. These conflicting feelings were so strong that his mind was thrown into turmoil.
No! This woman… I don’t know her… This isn’t me! Who am I? Where am I? Where?
Stimulated intensely, Mei Qing’s Taoist heart began to spin wildly, his consciousness fluctuating violently. The suppressed self within him suddenly emerged, letting out a confused roar.
With this roar, Mei Qing felt the scenes before him—the mountain, the cottage, the plum blossoms, and the woman—all shatter into nothingness. A clear sound of breaking echoed in his mind, as if something inside him had shattered. A wave of immense pain swept through every corner of his body, and before he could even groan, everything went black, and he fainted.
The Big Dipper Inkstone rolled to his side, its seven active eyes emitting a cold, mysterious glow under the dim light.
Slowly stepping into this slightly eerie warehouse, Mei Qing felt a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
For a long time, he had felt uneasy about this peculiar inkstone. Without mentioning anything else, the fact that several people had died mysteriously after coming into contact with it was enough to suggest that this inkstone was no good.
Yet deep inside, he always felt an inexplicable connection between himself and this inkstone. However, his rational mind resisted approaching it.
But today, after his golden elixir responded to the inkstone’s call, it suddenly became active. It kept swirling wildly within his body, almost as if it were about to break free.
For Mei Qing, who had longed every day to unravel the seal, this temptation was irresistible.
Accompanied by Qian San, he entered the warehouse. Looking at the somewhat uneasy bearded man before him, Mei Qing said little. He simply ordered him to open the iron door to the small room where the inkstone was kept, then waved him away.
Standing before the small room, Mei Qing could feel the inkstone’s call growing stronger. Correspondingly, the golden elixir within his body became even more active. This urgent eagerness surprised even himself.
Though his heart was racing, Mei Qing calmly extended his hand and slowly took the inkstone case from the wooden box before him. This case looked very familiar—it should have been the one Li Mei placed into Ba’er Liu’s coffin back then. At that time, Li Mei had secretly taken the inkstone out, leaving only the case to be buried. Later, after Li Mei’s death, the inkstone had been confiscated by Prefect Zhao of Shun Tian. Afterwards, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard excavated Ba’er Liu’s coffin and retrieved various burial items, the case had fallen into their hands.
Presumably, after Prefect Zhao’s death, the inkstone was seized again by the Embroidered Uniform Guard as contraband and placed back into this case, stored in this hidden, lightless treasure house ever since.
Feeling the smooth texture of the peach wood beneath his fingers, Mei Qing slowly opened the case. Under the dim light from the wall lamp, a stone inkstone gleamed with an unusual bluish-purple light—indeed the same Big Dipper Seven Stars Inkstone. Mei Qing reached out and took it, feeling an immediate chill upon contact. As he held it up for a closer look at the seven star-like inclusions, he was startled—only two of them had been active before, but now there were four.
These strange inclusions seemed to possess a unique allure. On the jade-green stone base, concentric rings radiated outward, layer upon layer, as if peering deeply into one’s soul. Once seen, one could not look away.
Mei Qing suddenly felt a thunderous ringing in his head, his vision blurred, and a strange floating sensation overtook his entire body. He shook his head hard, only then realizing he was floating midair, with swirling mists beneath his feet. Looking around, he saw golden lights flickering everywhere, boundless and directionless.
“Good, good, good! Today, it’s either you or me—either I survive or you do! You destroyed my sanctuary, shattered my cultivation base—do you truly dare to treat the entire Daoist sect as nothing?!” A voice filled with deep hatred suddenly echoed in his ears. When he turned his head, Mei Qing was stunned.
Before him stood a tall Daoist priest, his once-red robe now tattered and stained with blood. The priest had sharp eyebrows and glaring eyes, with a thick beard like swords pointing outward, his gaze burning with fury.
“Haha… Daoism? Fellow Daoist, don’t you understand yet? Alas, the famous Mo Daoren ends up like this—how unpredictable is the heavenly Dao!” Mei Qing saw his own figure in the scene suddenly speak, laughing arrogantly.
“You despicable traitor! I will fight you to the death!” The red-robed priest roared, his beard and hair bristling. With a shout of “Shè!” (Seal!), five golden talismans suddenly appeared around him, spinning rapidly with golden light. The priest radiated a golden glow, his expression filled with determination.
“Five Thunder Talismans? Hmph, too bad you, the true master, are now severely weakened, retaining barely one or two out of ten parts of your former power. Even with the talismans, what can you do to me?” Mei Qing felt himself laughing clearly, his inner energy surging like lightning. Palm-sized purple rays continuously flowed from his body, gradually forming a massive net of light. Within it, faint characters flickered, expanding instantly to encompass the entire sky and earth around the two for dozens of miles.
“Heavenly Net and Earthly Cage! You villain—you actually… Fine! Heaven and Earth, the Five Elements, all shall perish—Taishang Laojun, as per the decree!” The red-robed Daoist, furious beyond measure, roared with rage. Accompanied by his snarling growl, a golden flash blazed forth. The tall figure and the five golden talismans suddenly exploded, instantly filling the heavens and earth with blinding golden light so intense that Mei Qing could not bear to look. He felt as if his very soul had been struck by a massive blow, his consciousness shaken violently. It took a long time before he could finally calm himself.
Before him, the sky was clear and empty, the Daoist who had exploded into nothingness now completely vanished without a trace.
Mei Qing heard himself laughing for a long time, followed by uncontrollable coughing.
…
“No! No! How could this happen!?” Suddenly, Mei Qing’s vision changed. The previous mists vanished, replaced by streaks of violent purple lightning. Thick beams of light rained down from the endless darkness above, piercing his body with unbearable pain. The agony made him tremble uncontrollably. Along with immense fear, a boundless rage surged within him.
“Why? Why?” He roared, his eyes blurring. Suddenly, the lightning vanished, replaced by endless purple flames engulfing him. The flames licked at his body, his consciousness writhing in unbearable torment. He heard himself muttering, “Rebellious disciple! Rebellious disciple! This is… Ah…”
…
Scene after scene flashed before Mei Qing’s eyes like a revolving lantern—each appearing and vanishing in an instant. He saw himself as a child, sitting alone by a stream, suddenly filled with the desire to cultivate. He saw his youthful confidence and pride upon achieving Daoist mastery, his exhilaration in defeating opponents one by one, and also the boundless pain and anger he had endured during moments of great inner turmoil…
Lost in these memories, Mei Qing no longer knew where he was. These events felt both deeply familiar and strangely distant. Finally, his vision brightened, and he found himself standing before a small thatched cottage. Before him, wild plum blossoms bloomed in a sea of beauty. On the wooden pillar behind him, elegant calligraphy read:
Once I called the bright moon to share eternity,
Once I lived with plum blossoms on a mountain.
“Mei Ji! Have you made your decision?” He heard himself ask calmly.
Suddenly, a young girl appeared before him. Dressed in white, she stood quietly beyond the sea of plum blossoms. Her face, elegant and peerless, bore a faint mocking smile. “Since my master has commanded it, how can Mei Ji refuse?”
Mei Ji… Mei Qing suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity toward this woman. A strange mixture of affection stirred in his heart, entangled with deep, indescribable emotions—love and hate, unwillingness and reluctance. These feelings were so contradictory and intense that his mind trembled.
No! This woman… I don’t know her… This isn’t me! Who am I? Where am I? Where?
Stimulated intensely, Mei Qing’s Daoist heart suddenly spun wildly. His consciousness fluctuated violently, and the suppressed true self within him surged forth, letting out a confused, anguished scream.
With that scream, the scenes before Mei Qing’s eyes—the mountains, the cottage, the plum blossoms, and the woman—all shattered instantly. A clear cracking sound echoed in his mind, as if something inside him had been broken. A surge of immense pain swept through every part of his body. Before he could even cry out, his vision went black, and he fainted.
Beside him, the Seven-Star Inkstone rolled away. Under the dim light, its seven living eyes glowed with a cold, mysterious sheen.
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