Liu Xing and Mei Qing listened to Lu Bing’s words with grave expressions. At their level of cultivation, when it came to open conflict, there was little room for strategy or deception. Victory would depend purely on martial prowess. The presence of an additional expert could tip the scales.
Lu Bing and Mei Qing had both deliberately left Bi Zhen and her daughter at home, hoping to keep them out of the conflict. At present, their available allies were limited to four individuals: Lu Bing, Mei Qing, Liu Xing, and Master Bai. Though this outnumbered their opponents, two formidable adversaries, their actual cultivation levels did not guarantee an advantage.
Although Lu Bing’s cultivation was high, it had been artificially boosted through secret techniques and medicinal aids after arriving in the capital, leaving his foundation somewhat unstable. Moreover, accustomed to a life of ease, he lacked actual combat experience. Mei Qing, having reached the Qi Cultivation stage in merely a year, was naturally far behind in terms of experience and knowledge. Liu Xing, while more experienced than the other two, had slackened his training since the incident with the Five Blossoms, and his talent was slightly inferior, making him unable to match his fellow disciples. As for Master Bai, although he had cultivated for a long time, his abilities were roughly on par with Liu Xing’s.
In contrast, their two opponents had received direct instruction from the Plum Sect and had fought against numerous sects, gaining extensive experience. Their continuous years of cultivation meant that their combat strength was significantly greater than that of their side.
Adding to their concern was the thought of hidden experts like Master Mao Yang, whose existence was previously unknown to them. A heavy feeling settled over everyone. Mei Qing pondered, “Surely there must be some arrangements made?”
Lu Bing nodded and replied, “Indeed, there are arrangements. However, half of our forces remain with the Emperor, and we cannot risk pulling them all out at once. Besides, if we have plans, the Master Dian might also have his own hidden strategies yet to be revealed.”
With a smile, Lu Bing continued, “Since the situation has come to this, rather than remaining secretive, it’s better to face things openly. Several friends have already arrived outside the mansion. Master Liu, would you be so kind as to invite them in so we may all meet?”
Liu Xing nodded with a smile and said, “That would be appropriate. It would be a shame for anyone to think the Liu family has been discourteous to guests. I should personally go out to greet them, for that is the duty of a host.”
Lu Bing smiled and replied, “Master Liu is too polite.” With that, he gently tossed a small talisman into the air. It floated gently toward the gate, and from afar, a voice called out, “We respectfully greet Master Liu of the estate. This humble Daoist, Zhang Jingding of the Dragon Gate Sect, and Lu Xixing of the Dan Dong Sect, have come uninvited. We hope Master Liu will forgive our intrusion.”
Liu Xing quickly replied with a smile, “It is a great honor to receive such esteemed guests.”
As they spoke, everyone hurried outside, where several guests, some tall, some short, some in Daoist robes and others in common attire, had already arrived at the courtyard gate.
Mei Qing looked up and saw a man at the front dressed in a worn Daoist robe, slightly hunched, with a dark complexion, deep wrinkles, and sparse, grizzled beard. His eyes, yellowed and dim, met Mei Qing’s gaze. Suddenly, a sharp, brilliant light flashed in the old Daoist’s eyes before vanishing just as quickly.
The old Daoist gave Mei Qing a long look before turning to Liu Xing with a bow. “This humble Daoist, Zhang Jingding, greets Master Liu and Lord Lu.”
Mei Qing, observing the old Daoist’s unremarkable appearance, sensed a powerful, restrained aura emanating from him, indicating a cultivation level at the peak of the realm. He was astonished that such a figure had been summoned by his father-in-law. Clearly, his father-in-law had some powerful allies at his disposal.
Upon hearing the name Zhang Jingding, Liu Xing was secretly taken aback. Mei Qing, being younger, did not fully recognize the significance of the name, but if the Daoist’s title, “Wuwozi” (He Who Has No Self), had been mentioned, he would have understood immediately.
Zhang Jingding hailed from Yuhang and had become a disciple of Master Zhou Xuanpu, known as the Great Simplicity Immortal. He was a direct descendant of the True Pure Sect’s Eternal Spring Immortal. He had gained fame during the Chenghua era, but since the True Pure Sect had long been neglected by the Ming court, he had remained in seclusion and gradually faded from public memory.
Liu Xing, of course, knew of the great reputation of Wuwozi. He also knew that the True Pure Sect had split into seven branches, each led by one of the Seven Sons. The Dragon Gate Sect, founded by the Eternal Spring Immortal Qiu Chujì, was the largest of these seven sects.
However, due to the imperial court’s preference for the Orthodox Unity Sect and its neglect of the True Pure Sect, these sects had struggled. Even the Dragon Gate Sect had seen its influence wane. For Wuwozi, who was nearing the final stage of cultivation, to emerge from seclusion at his age to serve Lu Bing was indeed a matter of admiration.
After the greetings, introductions were exchanged. At Liu Xing’s estate, aside from Master Bai, only his own people were present. Zhang Jingding, aside from himself, had brought a disciple named Zhao Zhensong, a tall and imposing man from Shandong with considerable cultivation. Accompanying them was a white-robed scholar who introduced himself as Lu Xixing, styled Qianxu, from Xinghua in Yangzhou.
Though Lu Xixing’s reputation was not well known and he appeared quite young, his cultivation level was difficult to gauge. Liu Xing and the others dared not treat him lightly and respectfully welcomed them all inside.
Besides these individuals, Mei Qing also noticed several others dressed in civilian clothes, silently following behind. One of them was a familiar face—Lord Lu Zeyou, a senior official from the inner division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
In a way, Mei Qing was under Lord Lu’s command. However, since Mei Qing had gained the favor of Lord Lu, who was secretly the Sixth Master Hua Shen, Lu Zeyou had never dared to treat Mei Qing as a subordinate. Seeing him now, Mei Qing was somewhat surprised, wondering how a mere scholar like Lord Lu had come to involve himself in such dangerous affairs.
Though surprised, Mei Qing politely stepped forward to greet him. Lu Zeyou hurriedly stopped him, saying, “Master Mei, this is not the barracks. Besides, you are the Sixth Master’s esteemed son-in-law. I dare not accept your courtesy.”
Mei Qing humbly responded with a few brief words, then turned to the others accompanying Lu Zeyou. They possessed varying levels of cultivation, mostly at or beyond the凝聚丹 stage. He greeted them all respectfully. These individuals were inner division retainers who naturally knew of Mei Qing’s identity and dared not act arrogantly, quickly returning his greetings.
After exchanging a few words with Liu Xing, Zhang Jingding turned his gaze toward Mei Qing and asked thoughtfully, “This young gentleman is unfamiliar to me. Might I ask which sect he hails from?”
Mei Qing promptly rose and bowed. “Esteemed Senior, I am Mei Qing, merely a wandering cultivator. I hope to learn much from you in the future.”
Zhang Jingding raised his hand to stop him. “Master Mei, you are too humble. In the Dao, there is no fixed order of seniority—only those who have attained more can be considered elders. Given your cultivation level, I dare not presume to call myself your senior.”
Everyone present was greatly surprised and turned their eyes toward Mei Qing, filled with doubt. Zhang Jingding, a highly respected figure in the cultivation world, was known for his lofty reputation and rarely showed respect to others. His unusually courteous behavior toward Mei Qing was unexpected.
The group that had arrived with Lu Zeyou, inner division retainers by trade, had previously regarded Mei Qing merely as a refined scholar with no cultivation, assuming his status was due only to the Sixth Master’s favor. Now, hearing Zhang Jingding’s words, they realized they might have misjudged Mei Qing’s abilities. His cultivation level was likely far beyond theirs. They were secretly astonished and relieved that they had treated him politely, for otherwise, they would have suffered great embarrassment.
Zhang Jingding, however, had his own thoughts. Upon seeing Mei Qing, he immediately sensed a faint purple aura within him and a subtle glow hidden between his brows, indicating a cultivation level very close to his own.
In the cultivation world, seniority had never been determined by age or years of practice. If one could not cross the final threshold, all previous efforts were in vain. Zhang Jingding himself had stood at this threshold for many years without finding a way through. At the age of sixty, he had finally abandoned thoughts of ascension, choosing to leave seclusion. One reason was to seek external opportunities after failing to progress internally; the other was to secure resources and influence for his sect and future generations.
Seeing Mei Qing’s youth and cultivation level, which rivaled his own, Zhang Jingding realized that Mei Qing’s future was boundless. Regardless of the reason, it was wise to cultivate a good relationship with such a person. Thus, Zhang Jingding did not act condescendingly toward Mei Qing due to his youth, addressing him repeatedly as “young friend” and treating him as an equal.
At this moment, Lu Zeyou chuckled and said, “Master Zhang is too modest. Perhaps you are not yet aware—Mei Qing is the son-in-law of the Sixth Master. By that reckoning, he should be considered your junior.”
Zhang Jingding let out a soft “Oh,” glancing briefly at Lu Bing before nodding slightly and falling silent. Lu Zeyou and the others from the inner division were unaware of the deeper implications. However, with Zhang Jingding’s cultivation level and status, even without explanation, he could easily recognize the truth upon meeting them. Thus, Lu Bing did not attempt to hide anything.
Shaking his head with a smile, Lu Bing said, “I never expected the Sixth Master to be so fortunate. Holding such a high position and having such an excellent son-in-law is truly enviable.”
Lu Bing laughed in response, “If the Sixth Master heard you say that, he would surely be delighted.”
The two exchanged glances and laughed heartily together.
Liu Xing, standing aside, was somewhat surprised. He had known that Mei Qing was Lu Bing’s son-in-law, but now hearing that he was also the Sixth Master’s son-in-law, he was momentarily confused, wondering whether Mei Qing had married two daughters. Observing the subtle expressions and words exchanged between Zhang Jingding and Lu Bing, he quickly pieced together the truth. Reflecting on Mei Qing’s qualities—he was the son of Wu Duo, and Liu Xing had once wished to marry Wu Duo himself. Now, if he could help unite the younger generation, it would fulfill his old wish. However, someone had already taken the opportunity, and Liu Xing could only sigh inwardly.
Unbeknownst to him, Zhang Jingding also felt a pang of sadness. Glancing at his disciple Zhao Zhensong, standing beside him, Zhang’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. Though Zhao had a good temperament and was diligent in his cultivation, his talent was lacking. Despite years of hard work and Zhang’s personal guidance, Zhao’s progress had stagnated, and he was far behind Zhang’s own level in his youth. Seeing Mei Qing’s talent only deepened Zhang’s melancholy, reminding him of the decline of the True Pure Sect and the weakening of his own Dragon Gate lineage. A bitter feeling welled up inside him.
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