Chapter 45: Protecting the Elder
Before Meng Xueli set off, his eldest disciple, Xiao Tingyun, helped him prepare. Aside from ‘Hundred Generations of Time,’ he didn’t bring any other magical tools since he found them unwieldy.
Many years ago, thanks to Ji Xiao’s rescue, he had vowed to eat vegetarian food after becoming a human, swearing off meat. He always carried some snacks with him to satisfy his cravings from time to time.
Later, when he arrived at the Hall of Legal Principles, the younger disciples often brought him food to express their gratitude for resolving their doubts, which spoiled his palate. Although he was now on a fasting regimen, he still longed for snacks.
At Meng Xueli’s strong insistence, his disciple Xiao Tingyun had no choice but to fill the storage bag for him.
At that moment, amidst the heavy rain of pine nuts, other items like sesame flowers, candied chestnuts, and crab-flavored melon seeds also fell from the sky.
No matter how quick-witted a cultivator was, seeing this scene unfold left them in disbelief, wide-eyed and speechless.
Only a long spear, infused with immense power, pierced through the curtain of rain and charged toward the enemy camp.
The three figures in black cloaks were struck with terror, scrambling to evade, but it was already too late. Meng Xueli swept his spear, unstoppable in its might.
“Wait!” Seeing the situation had turned against them, with his comrades gravely injured, the leader of the black cloaks found himself alone and said as he retreated, “We are willing to give up everything we have, along with a passage jade talisman. Please show mercy and spare our lives!”
Meng Xueli remained unmoved. He hadn’t intended to kill them; he only aimed to teach them a lesson and avenge his disciple.
The leader, believing Meng Xueli had made up his mind to kill, erupted with a desperate survival instinct and crazily blocked with his long knife, saying, “I have another piece of information; if you really are Meng Xueli, this news is definitely valuable! Someone wants you dead in the secret realm!”
“Bang!”
Meng Xueli seized the opening and sent the man flying several feet with a single strike, crashing down hard.
Seeing that the man was curled up and coughing up blood, unable to struggle, he advanced forward, looking down at him and said, “Speak carefully.”
The man raised his eyes, quickly swallowing the blood in his throat. Being in such a helpless position, he could only gamble once more: “We are six rogue cultivators who usually take on assassination jobs for money. Three days before entering the secret realm, someone approached us with an exorbitant offer to take your life. The buyer was very cautious, and we couldn’t discern their origins; they must have a significant background.”
Meng Xueli asked, “Did you accept the money?”
“No, no!” the man hurriedly denied. “Even though the secret realm cuts off external sensing, who knows what abilities the saints have? This job was too risky; we feared retribution from the Realm Master and dared not accept it. We just happened to run into you and thought…”
So, they tried to rob you. Who would have guessed their attempt would land them in such peril?
The three Han Shan disciples looked grave and uneasy upon hearing this.
“Is that all?” Meng Xueli said casually, “You hand over the jade talisman, and I’ll consider it a forfeit. This is a rule set by the Sword Sovereign. Of course, I won’t kill you to silence you. You can keep the jade talisman and the storage bag, just leave.”
The black cloaks exchanged glances, supporting each other as they barely stood. The leader asked warily, “Is this true?”
Meng Xueli thought they were being absurd, while they found him to be quite the enigma.
Neither side could communicate effectively with each other.
Meng Xueli smiled and said, “If you don’t leave, then I’ll change my mind.”
The leader gritted his teeth and told his companions, “You all go ahead.”
One person shouted, “Boss!”
“Quick, go!”
After a fierce battle, the dust had yet to settle. Trees lay broken, and the blood-soaked ground was riddled with trenches and deep pits, a stark contrast to the layer of pine nuts that had fallen inappropriately across the scene.
Meng Xueli instructed his three disciples to count the spoils. He stretched his muscles and felt good, leaning against a tree trunk as he spoke to the man, “Your friend has already run off. You’re quite the righteous bandit.”
The man stared in disbelief as the three from Han Shan collected their storage bags, his face showing disdain. Just as he opened his mouth, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Indeed, the loose cultivators were not wealthy; he had thought that finishing this job would recoup their losses and had reluctantly spent the most valuable explosive talisman.
With a sigh, he said, “We brothers have braved mountains and seas, even crossing borders to kill lesser masters. I prided myself on my extraordinary talent, invincible in the Breaking Barrier stage, but seeing you today made me realize that there are always people better than oneself.”
Meng Xueli didn’t respond, merely chuckled, “Your cloak is quite interesting. Is ‘Hengtong Juyuan’ selling them? Take it off so I can have a look.”
If they weren’t available, he could have Qian Yuzhi replicate a batch to open up a revenue stream for Changchun Peak.
The leader trembled slightly, falling silent.
He Ming shouted, “Be honest!”
Meng Xueli waved his hand, and He Ming quieted down, stepping aside.
The man hesitated for a moment before removing his cloak. His long black hair flowed down like a waterfall, cascading over his shoulders, revealing a stunningly beautiful woman with fair skin.
The contrast was so striking that the three disciples from Han Shan were momentarily stunned.
Her voice returned to a gentle, melodious tone as she looked up at Meng Xueli and said, “Now that you’ve seen my face, if you seek revenge in the future, I’ll accept it. Just let me know who you really are.”
She suspected this person might be related to Meng Xueli but still didn’t believe he was the real Meng Xueli.
Meng Xueli laughed in disbelief and raised an eyebrow, “I’m Yu Qishu! The ‘Qi’ from ‘Qimoren Xiangchen’ and the ‘Shu’ from ‘Shuying Hengxie.’ Any questions?”
The woman was even more puzzled, wondering who Yu Qishu was. Wasn’t the strongest young disciple of Han Shan Cui Jing?
She nodded, “Alright, I’m Qing Dai.”
With that, she stood up and walked into the forest, disappearing in an instant.
Meng Xueli weighed the storage bags and jade talismans in his hands, feeling quite bewildered. Did robbing others now require exchanging names?
As the early spring eastern winds blew, the ice and snow on Han Shan’s sword training ground began to melt, and the pond to the west of the plateau was crystal clear.
Yu Qishu stood by the cold pond, sneezed violently, and wondered who was cursing him from behind.
He had won three consecutive battles, surrounded by disciples from Han Shan watching the fight. His senior brother across from him asked, “Junior Brother Yu, are you feeling unwell? Why not fight again tomorrow?”
Yu Qishu remembered Xiao Tingyun’s instructions and quietly groaned, “Cough, I’m fine. Please guide me, Senior Brother.”
…
The Biyun Valley returned to tranquility, and Meng Xueli and the others began to divide the loot, taking a moment to rest.
“I have six jade talismans; you each take two to celebrate the successful conclusion of our first team mission,” Meng Xueli said, patting He Ming’s shoulder. “I didn’t consider your safety this time; it was my oversight.”
Meng Xueli reflected on his past tendency to work alone without considering the welfare of his teammates. Fortunately, the issue wasn’t severe, and it was still not too late to change.
The three from Han Shan wore complex expressions.
Zhang Suyuan said, “We shouldn’t have received these; they were all won by Elder Meng.”
He Ming’s eyes turned slightly red, “We were sent by the Master to protect Elder Meng, but instead, we failed to do so and even hindered him. It’s truly embarrassing to follow him now!”
Li Wei said, “It’s all because our sword skills weren’t good enough.”
Meng Xueli frowned and pretended to be displeased, “I am the team leader after all; it’s only natural for me to look after my juniors. Before you entered the secret realm, didn’t you all say you would follow my commands? Were you lying to me?”
The three quickly denied it.
Meng Xueli stood up and smiled, “Alright, let’s pack up the things and move out.”
The three hurried to catch up. Zhang Suyuan examined the map, excitedly saying, “Are we heading east now, crossing the Heishui River to Central City?”
Meng Xueli nodded but suddenly said, “Wait a minute.” The ideas from the robbers provided him with a new perspective.
He hung four empty storage bags from his waist, sparkling in the clear sky, and asked the three beside him, “Are these eye-catching enough?”
“Um…”
Meng Xueli sighed deeply, “When you grow up, take on disciples, and become masters, you’ll understand how hard it is to accumulate wealth.”
Zhang Suyuan cautiously asked, “So when we’re on the road, the three of us will continue to protect the elder?”
Meng Xueli felt gratified by his perceptiveness and nodded, “Right, you got it. In our team, every person is essential!”
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
