The Plenitude Gate towered over Meng Qi in silence, etched with all sorts of patterns. In its simplicity was a touch of the vicissitudes of life.
Before leaving the Immortals, Meng Qi exchanged the Dharmakaya chapter of the Heavenly Golden Scripture’s Primary Instruction and the opportunity to comprehend the “Yuan-xin Seal” for the impartation of the “Fan-tian Seal” and “Wu-ji Seal”. With five seals in hand, he was fairly sure that he was the one holding the most seals out of the Nine Primeval Seals after the Celestial Court was ruined.
Without making unnecessary delays, he found a secluded spot after leaving the Immortals and took out the Plenitude Gate. He pushed the doors open and once again stepped inside the Grotto, immediately flying towards the Plenitude Sect.
Meng Qi had just reached the main peak of the mountain range when he heard Immortal Yunhe’s calm and elegant voice ringing next to his ears. “It’s been a while. Have you been well, my young friend?”
Immortal Yunhe’s calm and easygoing tone told Meng Qi all that he needed to know. He smiled and saluted in the air. “Congratulations, Immortal. With your breakthrough, you’re no longer the same person as you were the last time I saw you.”
It appeared that the Primary Instruction of the Buddha’s Palm had given Immortal Yunhe, with his many years of cultivation, a most crucial push.
His voice had barely faded when he detected a change in his perception of heaven and earth. The void darkened before swiftly brightening, plunging him into a state of vertigo. He then reappeared inside a secret chamber with two suspended black-and-white fish that symbolized Yin and Yang. Immortal Yunhe sat on a cloud high above with a teacup in hand, sipping tea with closed eyes.
“If I don’t make a breakthrough soon, I will end up watching you youngsters overtake me.” Immortal Yunhe had a rosy face and a head of white hair that retained its luster. He grinned at Meng Qi, saying, “It hasn’t been that long but you have already crossed the second step of the Celestial Ladder! I was so surprised that I nearly suffered Qi-deviancy Derangement!”
Meng Qi had always been the type to be brazen after becoming familiar. He grinned and sat down on the praying mat opposite Immortal Yunhe. “If I had known this earlier, I would’ve come several years later. I probably would’ve reached the third step of the Celestial Ladder by then.”
“Your high spirits and utmost confidence sure brings out the envy in others,” Immortal Yunhe said, sighing with emotion. He rubbed his bright and clean chin. “But considering your character, you wouldn’t be so idle as to miss me. Surely, you must have a reason for coming to meet me?”
Meng Qi did not look guilty in the least bit at having his scheme exposed. He grinned, replying, “You deduce secrets of the heaven as if you’re reading the lines on your palm. I’m truly in awe.”
“Drop the act. Just say what you have to say. I am a very agreeable person as long as there are benefits to be gained.” Immortal Yunhe reprimanded Meng Qi with a laugh. He had been on cloud nine ever since his breakthrough.
With his face turning serious, Meng Qi briefed Immortal Yunhe on the affairs with Gu Erduo and the Nine Evil Paths, as well as his and “Ice Fairy” Ye Yuqi’s analysis of the forces of both sides. He was honest and made no concealments. Finally, he concluded with, “That’s the current situation. Make of that what you will, Immortal.”
Immortal Yunhe was no longer smiling. He sighed as he placed his horsetail whisk on his left arm. “The wheel of time has turned and chaotic times are once again upon us. Some destinies are inescapable…”
He was silent for a long time before slowly opening his mouth to say, “Since this concerns the Taoism lineage, I’d certainly not reject your request. However, I shoulder the burden of seeing the sect through its rise and fall; I dare not let emotions influence my decision.”
“Here come his conditions…” Meng Qi’s mind turned bright and clear. He saluted Immortal Yunhe and said, “The evil spirits of the heretical path have grown into a formidable force that jeopardizes the world. The world will owe you a favor should you be willing to lend a helping hand. Feel free to mention whatever you need.”
He was not worried about Immortal Yunhe posing conditions. The outcome he feared most was Immortal Yunhe immediately turning him down!
Immortal Yunhe nodded and said frankly, “Before this matter settles, you must hand the Plenitude Gate to me for safekeeping. Should anything unfortunate happen, at least I’ll be able to destroy the gate and prevent anyone from entering the Grotto. That way, I can make sure that the Plenitude Sect lives on.”
“No problem.” Meng Qi could understand Immortal Yunhe’s line of thought very well.
“Secondly, if the final outcome is the retreat of the evil spirits or a stalemate, I wish to set up a residence of the Plenitude Sect in the outside world on a secluded mountaintop somewhere,” Immortal Yunhe said calmly.
Suddenly, his expression turned grim and his tone became solemn as well. “Our impartation is descended from the Plenitude Immortal Venerable. It’s our primary goals to pinpoint our Master’s whereabouts and we’ll never rest until we succeed. If I can help pacify the situation, I’d like you and your friends’ help in obtaining some information from the Snow Mountain Sect.”
The “friends” that he was referring to were the Dharmakaya masters. He was asking Meng Qi to pass on the message because he knew Meng Qi would not be able to make this decision himself.
While Meng Qi was free to decide on the first condition, he dared not recklessly agree to the latter two conditions. When Immortal Yunhe was done speaking, Meng Qi stood up and bade him farewell.
“Immortal, please let me speak to the other seniors first.”
…
Over at Huamei Heights, Master Lu and Taoist Chong He had yet to make their journey up north and “Ice Fairy” Ye Yuqi had yet to head to Peijing and test “Lord of Purity and Magic” Cao Xianzhi.
When Meng Qi stepped inside the Flowers Hall, the cold and aloof Ye Yuqi stared at him. She had just seen him the day before but now he had become a grandmaster.
Master Lu did not comment on his improvement, while Taoist Chong He kept quiet for he was well aware of what had happened. They watched Meng Qi salute them in silence.
Meng Qi went straight to the point. He took out the Plenitude Gate and gave them a summary of Immortal Yunhe’s affairs.
“If we can get another Taoist friend on our side then it increases our hopes,” Taoist Chong He said happily. “I won’t reject his second condition provided that it’s an uninhibited place. What say you, my dear friend Lu?”
He was giving his implicit permission for the Plenitude Sect to “re-establish” themselves.
Master Lu was seated on a chair with his sword placed vertically on the table. “I agree.”
“I will try my best to fulfill his third condition but I won’t compel the Snow Mountain Sect. Of course, that’s unless the Snow Mountain Sect is colluding with the evil spirits,” Immortal Chong He said, first establishing his limits.
“That applies to me as well,” Master Lu said, following suit.
When the discussions of the second and third conditions were complete, Taoist Chong He turned to look at Meng Qi. “The Plenitude Gate is your personal item. I won’t make the decision on your behalf.”
“It’s just the Plenitude Gate. Why worry our heads over it?” Meng Qi put on a show of wealth and extravagance. He then saluted them and said, “I will leave you two to discuss the second and third conditions with Immortal Yunhe. I will immediately make my way north and ‘seek refuge’ with the Golden Tent.”
Matters involving the spies of the Nine Evil Paths were sure to be among the top secrets. The heretical masters who were close to being exposed as one would certainly be left out. Those involved would have to cut ties with even neutral organizations like the Unrelenting Tower so as to ensure that the spies would be unscathed even when the aristocratic families of the orthodox path were frantically searching for them. On the other hand, Meng Qi’s disguise “Merciless Tyrant” had always been a lone wolf with few friends in the heretical path. No one would have thought of him if he did not go to the Golden Tent himself.
Thus, he needed to immediately head north and pretend to be “seeking refuge” with the Golden Tent. Even though he would not receive much favor as a “Nine-fold Heaven” master that was close to becoming a grandmaster, he would nevertheless be considered an asset to the central force. No one would turn him away; at most, they would strictly examine his loyalties.
Meng Qi would need to find a chance to adopt the disguise of another grandmaster of great importance before Gu Xiaosang and the Sect of the Plain Lady find out about Merciless Tyrant defecting to the Golden Tent. After that, he would join the core force.
“Be careful,” Master Lu, Taoist Chong He, and Ye Yuqi all reminded him.
…
Even when early spring approached, it was still cold in the grassland with many places covered in snow.
Ice floe floated on the surface of the expansive Guna River, traveling with the flow. The waters irrigated the land, making it rich and fertile.
There was a large and towering Golden Tent near the estuary of Guna River. The tent was nearly three hundred meters wide. It was inlaid with gold and engraved with drawings of falcons as it glittered under the sunlight.
The so-called “Golden Tent” was Gu Erduo’s residence in the grassland. He was a nomad who shifted from place to place at different times of the year.
In the broadest sense, however, the “Golden Tent” was the area that was several hundred kilometers wide that surrounded this immense tent. Smaller tents surrounded the main tent in loops. The neighing of oxen and horses resounded in the air alongside the howling of mythical animals. People flocked together in different areas based on their status. Some areas stank of animal manure, while some areas had jingling sounds resounding nonstop. Some areas gleamed every now and then, while some areas would have shamans going in and out of it.
The two Exterior experts who guarded the path leading to the core area of the Golden Tent were on high alert. To them, the veil of war was shrouding the Golden Tent and turmoil was boiling underneath. The Central Plains barbarians might ambush them at any given time.
The traitor had made a mess of their plans!
Suddenly, their vision blurred. When their sight returned to normal, they saw an elegant and aloof man dressed in a green robe. He had a pair of lively eyes and white hair on the temples that lent him a sophisticated air. He was an incredibly good-looking person.
“Who are you?” The two Exterior experts were respectively a warrior and a shaman of the Golden Tent. They had been accumulating power all along, ready to strike at any time.
Meng Qi smiled as he saluted them. “I’m Merciless Tyrant. I came here to seek refuge after hearing that the Great Khan is gathering heretical masters from all over the world.”
His tone was amiable and his choice of words elegant. Unconsciously, the two Exterior experts found this stranger to be likeable. They stared at him from top to bottom and finally asked, “Could you be Merciless Tyrant of the Black List?”
They were no strangers to the Black List.
“That’s me.” Meng Qi’s green robe swayed along with the wind, looking like a perfectly carefree gentleman.
The two Exterior experts exchanged looks as they could tell that the person in front of them was deeply unfathomable. Furthermore, Merciless Tyrant had a bewitching charm that prevented others from suspecting or guarding against him. He made people want to help him to the best of their abilities.
“Merciless Tyrant, please wait inside the ‘Golden Tent’ while we report your arrival and clarify your identity.”
Meng Qi walked slowly toward them and asked calmly, “How will you do that, I wonder?”
The Golden Tent warrior felt as if he could not resist this person and thus, replied honestly, “We will look for a grandmaster who can recognize you.”
“There’s some animosity between me and Luo Denomination as well as the Sect of the Plain Lady. It would be best if I could avoid them,” Meng Qi said placidly.
“Alright.” The shaman agreed without hesitation as he found Merciless Tyrant’s request to be perfectly reasonable.
Bathed in sunlight, Meng Qi watched the shaman leave before turning to look at the sunset. In his apathetic eyes were ironically deep emotions. He secretly lamented the terrifying ability of the “Yuan-xin Seal”.
