Chapter 145: The Bright Prospect
Since they were certain that they could leave the Evil Ridge soon, these captured ladies were so efficient that they divided the property well in no time and found out the remaining horses. They set up a horse team which was made up of those riders and the ones who were not able to ride. Meng Qi praised their efficiency with admiration.
“OK, let’s leave for the oasis in Tan Han. We are supposed to arrive there tomorrow.” In front of the ladies, Meng Qi kept acting as a gentleman.
Tan Han was not far away from the Evil Ridge, at most three or four hours’ travel. Of course, they could not compare with those horse bandits who were adept at riding. Yet if they could endure hards.h.i.+p, it would be out of question to arrive there tomorrow. But if they put off today’s work till tomorrow, maybe some horse bandits would return here and make new troubles for them. What was worse, even some horse bandits’ leaders would come back on hearing the news.
“Aye.” The ladies sat on the horse backs and gave a salute to Meng Qi, “Thank two masters and Childe Gu for your help! Maybe we can’t repay you for your kindness one day, but we’ll set up a temple and pray for you.”
Since they each had their matters to deal with and were actually difficult for them to pay back Meng Qi and his group’s grace, they expressed their appreciation in the most modest way.
In the camp, most of the ladies had to put up with the horse bandits’ torment. Those beauties might be taken a fancy to by the heads of the horse bandits but would be abandoned as the worn shoes when they got older with their beauty fading away. Unless they gave birth to some children, their outcome might be better. Therefore, none of them would stay for any longer. Instead, they strove to leave here.
Along the path the horse bandits had opened up for riding horses, Meng Qi and his team came out of the Evil Ridge and rushed to Han Tan.
Looking back, Meng Qi saw the flames in the camp rus.h.i.+ng up to the sky with heavy smoke pervading all over the camp. The burning houses collapsed here and there, making the prosperous scene immediately turn into ruins.
“In a moment, he established his red mansion… In another moment, his mansion fell down… ” How changeable the world was! Meng Qi suddenly sighed with emotion, reciting the poem of Mourning the South of the Yangtze River in a low voice.
“No wonder that the Buddhists often say the world is always changing.”
Zhen Hui had no idea of the “shedding tears over the changes of seasons”. Seeing the excited and sorrowful ladies, he adoringly said to Meng Qi, “Senior Brother, Buddha said: save one life, better than build a seven-storied Stupa. So you have already built many Stupas.”
“I never care about Stupas but I can’t bear to see them ravaged by the bullies.” Meng Qi sighed. Generally speaking, if one could understand his own thoughts, he actually had made much progress.
When Zhen Hui was about to say something, his eyes brightened up and he surprisingly said, “Master, here we are!”
Meng Qi was so shocked that he almost fell off from the horseback. “What? Our master is here? Where, where is he?”
Looking around, he saw the familiar figure in the red ca.s.sock stood in front of him. He was captured by mingled joy and cry, saying, “Master, why are you here?”
“What about my escaping plan? My master will fetter me again!”
“What a coincidence…”
Seeing his taller disciples without any misery, Xuan Bei delightedly nodded and said, “You have been lost in the Fish Sea for quite a long time. I am afraid you entered the Heavenly Sea Source by accident. Hence I have come to Tan Han to find the entrance. When I saw the fire in the Evil Ridge, I decided to have a look by the way. Fancy meeting you here.”
The existence of Heavenly Sea Source was not a secret for Shaolin seniors. Their Nine Vitals Venerable of Demons and other big demons were still suppressed under the stupa.
“Master, we were indeed trapped in Heavenly Sea Source for a day. Thanks to Senior Brother Hong Neng, a descendant of Lanke Temple, we could flee away.” As for this matter, Meng Qi honestly answered.
Now that his Master had come here, Meng Qi thought he’d better stay with his master, put his escaping plan aside and try to paper his secrets over.
“A day in the Heavenly Sea Source means nearly a month in mortals world. This does explain their absence.” Xuan Bei thoughtfully said, “Lanke Temple has always been mysterious, even if I myself don’t clearly ascertain their actual situation. It is your lot to meet Hong Neng. Our His Abbots.h.i.+p could claim his Dharmakaya, owing to his entering Lanke Temple to read their scriptures”.
With Xuan Bei’s, their horse team suddenly slowed down. They were not afraid of the Crying Elder, Let alone Ze Luoju and his gang.
Over their conversation, Meng Qi was making every endeavor to draw up “lies” to cover his secrets.
Having a warm and merciful look at Gu Changqing, Xuan Bei said, “It is you donor Gu, Gu Changqing who helped my disciples, isn’t it?”
“Aye, I am Gu Changqing. How do you do?” Faced with a top martialist of the Exterior, Xuan Bei, Gu Changqing was a little bit excited, for there was no expert of the Exterior in Gu family for several generations.
Xuan Bei gently nodded, “I have heard of your story. I’m going to the Evil Ridge after I find you. The Crying Elder and his clan have no conscience and do all kinds of evil. If not in the West Regions, I would ask His Abbots.h.i.+p to capture all of them in one net and put them down at the back mountain.”
“Thank Divine Monk for your care. I have revenged by myself.” Gu Changqing said gratefully and stubbornly.
“Eeeh,” Xuan Bei voiced. With his head aslant, he stared at Meng Qi and Zhen Hui. If his intelligence was right, there would have been a lot of martial experts in the Evil Ridge. There must have been some big secrets because his disciples had killed the two pros having nine acupores opened and they even led the Sky Thunder to break out. It seemed reasonable for them to occupy the Evil Ridge.
Reading his master’s mind, Meng Qi took a deep breath and lowered his head, sincerely saying, “Master, I have something to report.”
“Say it.” Xuan Bei thought it may be a secret, and thus he walked aside, waved his hand and set a Spellbound Frame of illusory Golden Lotuses in a second.
Meng Qi entered the Spellbound Frame and “honestly” said, “I gained a windfall after we parted.”
“I know.” Xuan Bei said without any surprise. It was really strange that he should not obtain a windfall!
He kindly added. “If it does not involve demons and ghosts, evil spirits outside the Buddha, or the secrets of our temple, you can keep it in your heart. It is common for most of us, who are always peregrinating in Jianghu, have a windfall, isn’t it?”
In his thirties, he became a Peerless Master Pro at the four or five N-fold Heavens of the Exterior, so he had encountered many windfalls.
Of course, at this age, since he could obtain such shocking cultivation achievement, Meng Qi was bound to have some windfalls, a good temper, a strong will, gifted talent and some adventures.
“Should I tell my Master how I fought with others?” Meng Qi “sincerely” said, “I narrowly escaped that day. In order not to be caught up with An Guoxie, I strayed into a grave in panic and found the Devil Qi was very heavy and there was a demon peak nailed by a spear formed by Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi.”
“A spear formed by Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi?” Xuan Bei was shocked as if he had thought of something. “What have you seen?”
This did not involve the secrets of the Dominator of Samsara in Six Realms. Meng Qi frankly admitted, “I met Gu Xiaosang from Luo Denomination. Her martial skills were much superior to mine and I was caught. Since she knew that I am adept at Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmans.h.i.+p, she forced me to climb to the demon peak and opened a stone door that could lead to the endless desire. She told me that the maimed body of Devil Lord and Boundary Marker of the Celestial Court remained there.”
“It is really Devil Lord.” Xuan Bei sighed, “She has obtained the impartation of Devil Lord and you have gained Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi?”
Knowing his disciple could call on Sky Thunder to electrocute Yuan Mengzhi and hearing what Meng Qi just said, Xuan Bei absolutely could stipulate that Meng Qi got Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi but this was not the key point. What mattered a lot was that if little demoness form Luo Denomination gained the impartation of Devil Lord, it was possible that she would be a top lady Devil Lord who he should take precautions against in advance.
Meng Qi shook his head, saying, “When we saw the devil shadow, he only told us that we came late.”
“Late… ” Xuan Bei thoughtfully repeated and asked in detail what Devil Lord looked like. Hearing the description, he lightly nodded. “Maybe it is related to the mystery of the fall of the Celestial Court.”
“Yes, according to the clues of the remains of Ninth Heaven, Gu Xiaosang could find this place, aiming at Boundary Marker of the Celestial Court.” Meng Qi openly “betrayed” Gu Xiaosang. He added, “In the end, she acquired Boundary Marker of the Celestial Court and the remaining Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi attached to me, which scared her away.”
As he said this, he reached out his hand with all of his strength, making the soft purple thunderbolt mark obviously highlighted.
“It is really the Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi of Nine Heavens.” Xuan Bei relieved for he was afraid that his disciple had strayed into the Devil Path. Now that he received the Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi, there was no need worrying about him.
Meng Qi continued, “After the Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi had attached to me, it built my body, opened my Eye Acupores and Ear Acupores, and stimulated the Hidden Latch of my mid-brows, making my strength greatly increasing.”
As a result, he tactfully explained why he could judge the Kung Fu levels of physical strength with his eyes and the strength development from the fighting cases. As for the Mortal Dust Fall and the fifth pa.s.s of the Golden Bell s.h.i.+eld he obtained, his Master could not discover them if he did not use them.
Xuan Bei nodded since Meng Qi’s explanation was reasonable.
“When the Devil Tomb collapsed, I was thrown out and fell on the ground, unconscious. Then I was captured by An Guoxie who was chasing me all the way. A Guoxie did not strike me down on the spot because he wanted to take me to Hahler to grill. However, he did not know that my strength greatly increased and I not only opened the Four Acupores but also grasped the secret of exerting the Will-projecting of the mid-brows. Instead, I seized the opportunity to force the acupoint open and made use of the poisonous concealed weapon Gu Xiaosang sent to me and the Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmans.h.i.+p to behead me by surprise. Besides, I found a fairly good script of sword art which I was learning hard.”
Meng Qi did not mention Yuan Mengzhi, for so many people had seen their fight and he had explained the source of the Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi, more explanation was unnecessary.
Since eight out of ten of what he said was true and una.s.sailable, Xuan Bei agreed with him. He lightly nodded, “You have been equipped with the Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi which was equal to the fifth pa.s.s of Golden Bell s.h.i.+eld, your Will-projecting able to directly invade the Vital Spirit, and plus the Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmans.h.i.+p, so no wonder you can conquer Evil Ridge.”
He was confident in Shaolin martial arts. Though the consummate of the fifth pa.s.s of Golden Bell s.h.i.+eld belonged to the level of Four Acupores, its power could compare with most of the Six Acupores of Thwart Kung Fu.
Having heard what Meng Qi said, Xuan Bei thankfully said, “Thanks for your effort! I was so careless that I nearly made you beheaded for I had thought the Crying Elder had been killed by Su Wuming’s sword. Fortunately, you wiped him out and rescued Zhen Hui. Ah, since you have opened Four Acupores, it is time for you to practice the fifth pa.s.s and sixth of the Golden Bell s.h.i.+eld.”
While he was talking, he took out two copies of thin scripts, which obviously had been well copied before.
Meng Qi felt sorry that he had already exchanged Karma points for the sixth pa.s.s of the Golden Bell s.h.i.+eld.
However, he was soon happy again. “Because, in a few days, he could find a good excuse that he had reached the consummate of the fifth pa.s.s with the help of the Heavenly Thunder Energy and Qi. Thus, his secret would be kept. Besides, when he returns to Shaolin, he would enter the Sutras Depository, where he could borrow a copy of martial art such as ‘Outside 58’ or other collections every other time. These copies actually equal countless Karma points!”
Moreover, he had opened Four Acupores, and at present, his strength at least was equal to that of his Master at his age. He could go smoothly through Bronzemen Lane and peregrinate Jianghu by himself. Why must he get his Master into trouble?
Meng Qi giggled at his bright prospect.