Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Not even the people in mourning clothes thronging Linhai was able to suppress the beauty of spring flowers and the warm breeze.
Weaving through long and wide streets, a carriage made its way toward the north city walls where the aristocratic families were gathering. Meng Qi, Madam Baihua, and Ying Ning unboarded the carriage outside a lavish inn and entered their prebooked rooms.
When late night arrived, Madam Baihua quietly led them into a mansion that extended far and wide through a secluded little door. The formation of the mansion was left partially open. Under the guidance of a quiet servant, they entered an embroidery building in the back garden.
“We’ll be hiding in this place for this period of time.” Madam Baihua smiled sweetly at Meng Qi after tidying up the place. Ying Ning was standing behind her.
Meng Qi gave a small nod without replying.
Ying Ning did not seduce him throughout their journey here. She was bashful and evasive like a lady from a wealthy family, giving the impression of being neither close nor distant. She acted conservatively despite having an obvious crush on him. Her restraint was precise, not neglecting and evading him nor fawning over him lest her value dropped.
Meng Qi looked at her in pure admiration and took no initiative in getting close, thwarting many of her and Madam Baihua’s meaningful actions.
Madam Baihua stood next to the window, her eyes on the garden of blossoming flowers of every color. “Do you know which family does this courtyard belong to, Mr. Tyrant?”
“Do enlighten me.” Meng Qi walked to the window with his hands behind his back.
“No one will even dream that we’re here. No one will search this place whatever we do as long as we’re not caught redhanded or pursued,” Madam Baihua said, chuckling. Her body was shaking along with her laughter, making for a delightful scene. “This is the ancestral residence of the Zhu family.”
“Zhu family…” Meng Qi did not conceal his surprise.
The ancestors of Zhu and Tie families were servants of the Yun family long before the latter made its mark in Linhai, with their later generations continuing their legacies. They were loyal to the family through prosperity and decline. Even after being granted freedom to establish their families, they regarded themselves as Yun family servants and remained the left and right chiefs of the family’s secret bodyguards. They lived only for their masters while keeping their nose out of family politics. They were often considered a pillar of strength of the family.
Their influence surpassed that of external forces in this family feud, making them a prime target for favor-currying.
Were such families also colluding with Heterodox Doctrines?
While Meng Qi was lamenting over the fact that no goodwill would last forever, he heard Madam Baihua explaining, “The Zhu family has secretly thrown their support behind Ninth Childe, Yun Feiyang. It’s he who arranged for us to stay here. The Zhu family doesn’t know our true identities.”
“So that’s the case…” Meng Qi suddenly asked, “So we’re supporting Ninth Childe?”
Those with the right to be the next Master of the Yun family were not the sons and grandsons of the late Master, but his great-grandsons. The Master had lived for so long that he survived past the two generations after him. In the family, he was addressed as Elder Master Yun.
Ninth Childe, a son of the first wife, was a candidate with a strong claim to the seat. In his early sixties, his cultivation was in the Five-fold Heaven realm. If not for his close relative and Second Childe, Yun Feihu, he ought to be the most obvious choice.
Candidates also included Sixth Childe and Thirteen Childe. The former was a 70-year-old with a Six-fold Heaven cultivation. He was once ranked among the top 10 of the Ranking List of Young Masters and was quite likely to become a grandmaster. His grandfather could be considered the son of a first wife, making his status on par with Second Childe and Ninth Childe. His strength and potential were greater and that made him the best choice for the Yun family, who had close ties to the East Sea customs.
The grandfather of Thirteen Childe was the father of Seventh Lady of Yun family. Yang triumphed over Yin in the family, making daughters few and far in between. The late Master doted on Seventh Lady, and by extension, her child too. Thirteen Childe was hardworking as well and handled affairs fairly with clean, smooth methods. He possessed considerable strength, having crossed the first step of the Celestial Ladder in his early fifties. In the past decade, he was the de facto leader of the family and considered the successor that the late Master had personally groomed.
Madam Baihua giggled when she heard Meng Qi’s question. “Ninth Childe has always been an outspoken and frank person, as well as loyal and dutiful, especially so with his close female friend.”
Nothing else had to be said after these words!
In the several days that followed, Madam Baihua and Ying Ning often left the building without explaining their whereabouts. Meng Qi watched with disinterest, showing neither irritation nor curiosity. He focused on his cultivation instead.
The benefit of rising through the ranks at once was that the resonance and reaction to the rhythm of the Inner and Outer Worlds would flourish along with the initial reflection of the path. It would be closest to Dharma and Logos and would save a lot of painstaking work in operating Dharma Form and interweaving with or initially thawing Dharma and Logos. It would save him from going through many trials and errors and prevent him from hitting a bottleneck. Thus, this would double or even triple the efficacy in crossing the second step of the Celestial Ladder!
He opened his Aperture acupoints and quietly operated his Interior. His Dharma Form emerged internally, turning his surroundings dim and exceptionally terrifying. Creating changes through the disturbance of his Inner World on the Outer World, he distinguished and sensed the seemingly unchanging rhythm as well as experienced the Dharma and Truth within it.
Four days later, Madam Baihua and Ying Ning knocked on Meng Qi’s door.
“Mr. Tyrant is indeed patient, neither inquiring the development of affairs in Linhai nor questioning our plans.” Madam Baihua looked at him ‘chidingly’. The impression of the vicissitudes of life that he exuded made him seem eternally calm in the face of chaos.
Meng Qi spared them a glance before chuckling. “The Master of Yun family has nothing to do with me. It doesn’t matter to me whoever occupies the seat. Naturally, there’s no need to worry about it.”
“You wouldn’t rely on an outsider like me for something this important. I believe you have other help. I just have to make sure I do whatever you request of me well. Isn’t that right, Ms. Ying Ning?”
The unexpected intimacy in the way he addressed himself caused Ying Ning to blush.
“Madam Baihua brings her along for everything that she does. This young lady sure isn’t simple…” Meng Qi looked away, turning to Madam Baihua instead.
“Mr. Tyrant is most definitely remarkable for being able to transform the Teachings of Buddhism into Devil Arts.” He could not tell if Madam Baihua’s compliment was sincere. “We do have a task for you today, Mr. Tyrant.”
“What is it?” Meng Qi turned his body, allowing the two women into his room.
Madam Baihua smiled at him. “The youngster that Soul-chasing is looking for has shown up.”
“Him?” Meng Qi walked to the window, hands behind his back.
“Yes. Though he travels the heterodox path, he never acts nefariously and has an extensive network. He’s even friends with many Exterior experts of the righteous path. Thus, it’s uncertain when he had first sneaked into Linhai and met Exterior experts of Zhu and Tie families secretly. He told them that the late Master of Yun family died not of old age but of an assassination. He asked that they report this to Eastsea Sword Village and investigate the Master’s death before deciding the successor.” Madam Baihua’s smile faded, leaving a rather solemn expression on her face.
“The late Master of Yun family died not of old age but of an assassination?” Meng Qi felt curious despite his flabbergasted appearance. It was easy for him, as the ‘seller of elixirs’, to notice something was wrong. But how did this random youngster find out?
Could there be a clear trace left behind? But if that was the case, why did it escape everyone else’s notice?
Madam Baihua raised her thinly drawn eyebrows. “He said experts on the level of grandmasters knew their lifespans well and will always get a premonition when they’re near the limit. For example, they’ll build their tombs in advance or put their affairs in order. But why would someone like the late Master pass away without appointing a successor and cause a family feud?”
“Perhaps someone purposefully ruined all these because it’s unfavorable to him?” Meng Qi suggested.
His greatest doubt was that no one seemed to know that it was impossible for the late Master to die so soon when he had bought two life-extending elixirs!
What exactly was going on?
Ying Ning interrupted their conversation, saying, “He said he’s waiting for the right time to reveal a powerful evidence that he obtained. That’s why the Zhu and Tie families are unsure to trust or doubt him.”
“What can I do for you?” Meng Qi asked, looking at Ying Ning.
“Please deal with Dark Broadsword.” Madam Baihua regained her smile. “But please don’t kill him. It’s best if you can give him the impression that he has escaped with his life after an immense struggle.”
“Dark Broadsword? Don’t kill him?” Meng Qi paced around the room with his hands behind his back.
“He has always addressed himself as Dark Broadsword but it’s unsure if it’s his real name,” Ying Ning said.
Madam Baihua flashed him an enchanting smile. “What’s the use of killing a freshly minted Exterior expert? It’s enough to scare him and let him think that someone has lost control and wants to shut him up for good. It’s only beneficial for us if the situation gets confusing.”
“So we’re shifting the blame to the other candidates?” Meng Qi chuckled, neither surprised nor concerned.
Madam Baihua winked at him. “If that’s what you think, then so be it.”
Meng Qi asked no further questions. “If Dark Broadsword can evade the likes of Soul-chasing, he must be a careful sort. How could he easily expose his whereabouts?” he said with a laugh.
Before he could make his move, he must know where to find Dark Broadsword!
“Well, there’s naturally someone who has revealed his hiding spot.” Madam Baihua’s smile turned even lovelier.
“Who is it, I wonder?” Meng Qi asked casually.
“Thirteenth Childe of Yun family.” Madam Baihua smiled at him as if waiting to see his shocked face.
Meng Qi smiled back and said carefreely, “How unexpected.”
Just how many of the Yun family members were these demure ladies, who he suspected were from Method of Mistress Su, involved with?
…
Torrential rain fell, signaling the advent of early summer.
The black-robed Dark Broadsword traveled underneath the eaves with a ghost-like speed. He sometimes unleashed his escape technique to change his direction, preventing any followers.
Raindrops pitter-pattered as they fell on the flagstones on the street, ushering in a peace that isolated the place from the world outside.
He slowed his pace as he recalled his plan. When the news spread, the mastermind would be forced to act. Perhaps the mastermind might kill him. When that time comes, he would purposefully leak his whereabouts and set up an ambush, making himself an easy target. It would be best if he could lure Soul-chasing Demon Monarch and the others into the trap and borrow the strength of others to handle them!
This way, he would be able to clarify the Yun family matter while ridding himself of his pursuers!
Suddenly, he saw a green-robed person with white hair on the temples emerge from the waterfall-like rain and walk toward him. With a paper umbrella in hand, the man seemed like a middle-aged scholar taking a walk in the rain after gaining inspiration from it. However, the impression of having experienced the vicissitudes of life made him an unforgettable sight.
Dark Broadsword was on high alert as soon as he saw the man. It was as if the rain had diminished and the stormy clouds had disappeared. He could no longer see the long street. He felt as if only he and the man with a bizarre charm were left in this world.
“Is he the mastermind?”
“Or is he a Heterodox Great Demon?”
