So the ambition is not small
After the group of black-clad individuals stood up, they quickly retreated, clearing the spacious front courtyard.
They moved silently, keeping their heads down and avoiding any unnecessary glances. Their disciplined behavior was nothing like the usual demeanor of martial artists in the jianghu. Anyone who saw them couldn’t help but wonder if they were changing their profession to become assassins or planning a rebellion.
Meng Qi raised an eyebrow slightly, and the two individuals wearing Zhong Kui masks instinctively stood behind Ancestor Qingwu.
Meng Qi looked at the two individuals with a cautious expression and casually said, “Are these two disciples of Master Zhao? Impressive, they are truly talents of the jianghu.”
The two masked individuals with only their eyes and hair exposed remained silent. “…”
“And were all those people earlier also followers of Master Zhao? They certainly have a strong presence. By the way, aren’t they going to pick up their black masks?”
Zhao Cangfeng, the Ancestor Qingwu, looked gloomy and was ready to answer questions: “…”
As the wind blew, the black masks scattered on the ground in the front courtyard, some even getting caught in the tree branches.
The atmosphere was indeed strange—why were there black masks strewn all over the ground?
Ancestor Qingwu’s face grew even darker, and the female disciple wearing a mask secretly cursed those people as worthless for not picking up their masks before leaving the courtyard.
“Coo, coo.”
Inside the main hall, a pigeon was cooing.
This poor pigeon, frightened and lost, had flown in circles for a while, feeling both hungry and tired. Finally, it managed to deliver its message and returned to its familiar “home,” hoping to find water and food. However, the person who should have fed it was nowhere to be seen.
Meng Qi suddenly entered the scene and placed the pigeon in the main hall, where offerings to the Three Pure Ones were made.
The confused pigeon flew up to a beam and instinctively tried to escape to the back of the Daoist temple where the pigeon cage was located.
A large eagle perched on a tree outside suddenly swooped down, heading straight for Ancestor Qingwu.
Thinking this eagle was a pet of Meng Qi’s, Ancestor Qingwu acted without hesitation, sweeping his dust-cloth in a swift motion, leaving several long marks on the tree trunk.
Meng Qi simply rolled up his right sleeve and pushed back the force with ease.
His robe sleeve swelled due to his inner energy, conveniently covering the eagle that had nearly met its end.
“Master Zhao acts swiftly and directly, not wasting any words, going straight to action,” Meng Qi casually said in a Jianghu manner he had heard before, regardless of whether it was appropriate or not.
Ancestor Qingwu showed no significant reaction, but his two disciples looked at Meng Qi with deep perplexity and strangeness.
This was supposed to be the legendary former State Teacher with mysterious martial skills?
He had a good appearance, but this situation was beyond comprehension.
Meng Qi calmly reached into his sleeve and took out the eagle, holding it by its wings. His posture was much more skillful than when he held the pigeon, causing the eagle’s feathers to ruffle.
Without looking back, Meng Qi released the eagle, which flew away in haste.
“Do you want to leave on your own like this eagle, or shall I drive you out?”
Meng Qi’s demeanor was arrogant, and his tone was confident. In reality, he had already started channeling his inner energy, ready to take action at any moment.
After recovering his memories, Meng Qi realized that he had been practicing his inner cultivation for nearly sixty years.
In the first fifteen years of this time period, he had done very little.
When Meng Qi was “young,” he roamed around aimlessly, and by chance, he came across a martial arts manual that was not only shallow but also incomplete. He had to rely on his own exploration. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t have been able to develop any profound martial skills, and they might even have fallen into a devilish path.
During his travels with Li Yuanze for over a decade, while the Chu Dynasty was being pacified, Meng Qi had the opportunity to access various ancient texts left by the Chen Dynasty. Among them were lost internal martial arts techniques of the jianghu because later generations couldn’t understand their meaning. These texts had eventually gathered dust in the royal library. Meng Qi gradually discovered many insights into internal cultivation through his study of these texts and matched them with his own knowledge. He became immersed in the ancient books, and in the end, he mastered this set of martial skills.
Meng Qi had no formal master.
He even had to comprehend the most basic principles by himself, and he had taken many detours along the way.
In contrast, Mo Li had a great teacher. Despite being “young,” he had acquired advanced martial skills. Meng Qi had taken sixty years of stumbling and struggling to achieve what Mo Li had accomplished in just twenty years. The only difference was the accumulation of inner energy.
The doctor truly had an innate advantage that ordinary people couldn’t compare with.
Although Meng Qi didn’t have the same good fortune, he was ultimately a mountain spirit, and this was the Shangyun Mountain, where his inner energy flowed freely. Those in the jianghu who had practiced internal cultivation for sixty years and could achieve half of Meng Qi’s accomplishments would already be considered experts.
Looking at Ancestor Qingwu before him, it seemed that he was not older than sixty years old, but his inner energy…
According to the calculations of the jianghu, it was likely that he had cultivated for over a hundred years.
Could it be that this person, like Ning Changyuan, had a natural gift and had made rapid progress in his cultivation after breaking through?
Regardless, Meng Qi realized that he had underestimated Ancestor Qingwu. His original plan of avoiding schemes and directly confronting him might not work.
If he were to fight Ancestor Qingwu, it was uncertain who would win or lose.
However, one thing was clear: Meng Qi couldn’t kill him under normal circumstances, and vice versa.
Ancestor Qingwu was also preparing to use his full strength. His robe fluttered without any wind, and the two masked disciples had sensed that something was wrong and began to retreat anxiously.
Ancestor Qingwu’s surprise was no less than Meng Qi’s.
His three steps backward earlier were a result of underestimating Meng Qi’s abilities.
“I have heard of the reputation of the State Teacher for a long time, and today’s meeting is truly surprising,” Ancestor Qingwu said with a smile on his face, but his eyes held a cold edge. He asked in a deliberate tone, “It seems that the State Teacher is interested in the treasures of Emperor Li’s tomb?”
“Emperor Li’s tomb contains mostly valuable items that are difficult to move. There are no divine weapons or secret martial arts manuals. The pearls embedded in the walls have dimmed over the centuries. While the gold and silver items are finely crafted, they bear the seal of the Chen Dynasty, making it inconvenient to sell them unless you keep them for personal use.”
Meng Qi spoke confidently, and the female disciple began to doubt whether the treasures of Emperor Li’s tomb had already been discovered and perhaps even looted by the Chu Dynasty. She glanced anxiously at Ancestor Qingwu but dared not speak up.
Meng Qi noticed the changes in Ancestor Qingwu’s expression and became even more convinced of his speculation.
Ancestor Qingwu indeed did not come for the treasures of Emperor Li’s tomb. He seemed to care little about what he could obtain from the tomb. Even if the tomb had been emptied, as long as the jianghu knew about Emperor Li’s tomb, they would gather in the capital.
Everything he had seen and heard along the way now made sense.
Whenever people from the jianghu went somewhere, it caused a great commotion, and everyone knew about it. But this time, it was different. It wasn’t about some weapons or secret manuals that the common people couldn’t understand, but the mysterious Emperor Li’s tomb!
In addition to the people from the jianghu, the guardian of the Qi Dynasty’s Emperor, Lu Zhang, was also interested in the situation.
The imperial court needed money, and so did the three kings of the Chu Dynasty in the south.
As the situation escalated, the capital city would become a chaotic mix of various factions, and different powers would emerge.
In such a scenario, the capital city would naturally tighten its security, and the city guards would want to expel all the martial artists from the jianghu. Lu Zhang would leave enough manpower in the palace while secretly sending people to Shangyun Mountain to gather information and strike when the opportunity arose.
Was Ancestor Qingwu planning to use the treasures of Emperor Li’s tomb to capture all these people in one fell swoop?
Meng Qi suspected there was more to it than met the eye.
Meng Qi’s thoughts raced, and he quickly came to a conclusion.
He casually placed his hands behind his back and spoke with an ambiguous tone, “It seems that the capital city is about to witness another bloody turmoil.”
Then, he noticed a look of shock in the eyes of the older masked disciple.
Meng Qi raised a finger and continued, “Lu Zhang values power, and the Qi Dynasty has yet to produce a powerful minister. To seize the throne without military power may not be so stable. So, is it possible that one of the imperial princes is being used by your leader? Is there a palace insider who will help with the palace coup? Breaking into the palace is not easy, and there are too many Imperial Guards. Even the most skilled martial artists will find it challenging to succeed. Are you planning to infiltrate with the help of an insider? And assassinating the Vice Commander of the Jinyiwei, Gong Jun, not to prevent leaks but to eliminate the most formidable person under Lu Zhang’s command? He is the most powerful figure in Lu Zhang’s camp, and capturing him would prevent any unexpected developments.”
Ancestor Qingwu’s expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure. He replied with a hoarse voice, “Master, you’re thinking too much.”
“A wise man speaks in riddles,” Meng Qi retorted casually, “Isn’t there a saying among you martial artists? When your schemes are exposed, why struggle at the brink of death? It’s better to face the reality… ‘The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit.’ Isn’t that the way of the world?”
Meng Qi had barely finished the first word of “The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit” when he suddenly made his move.
Unfortunately, Ancestor Qingwu also attacked at the same moment.
A powerful force turned into an invisible shockwave, causing the ground to shake.
The two of them clashed palm to palm, with a three-foot gap between them that they couldn’t bridge.
“Why would the State Teacher, a former State Teacher, be concerned about the matters of the Qi Dynasty?” Ancestor Qingwu asked sarcastically.
“Back in the day, I was in the court, and you Taoists used to be a nuisance. Now, I wander the jianghu, and you’re causing trouble again,” Meng Qi replied with a push of his palm, increasing the force. He sneered, “I find you people annoying. What does it have to do with the court?”
Ancestor Qingwu’s expression changed again, and he said with a sinister tone, “It’s a pity, I thought the State Teacher was one of our kind.”
“What kind? Conspiring for power?” Meng Qi laughed instead of getting angry. He continued, “Do you dare to discuss your actions with me, even though they are those of petty individuals?”
At this moment, a strange vortex of energy began to form around Meng Qi and Ancestor Qingwu, affecting everything in the temple. Pebbles, dust, and even the black masks that had fallen on the ground were drawn into the vortex. Then, the tiles on the temple’s roof followed suit.
“Not good!” The two masked individuals saw the danger and tried to escape the range of the vortex.
But when they moved, the pressure became even greater. The female disciple vomited blood and collapsed to the ground, while her senior brother managed to roll several yards away.
“Boom!”
The front courtyard turned into a deep circular pit.
The two figures moved at lightning speed and rushed into the forest. Trees along their path initially remained intact, but when the wind blew, they began to shatter.
Another loud noise followed, and the female disciple was buried beneath the courtyard wall. The entrance gate, stone steps, and courtyard walls of the Xianyue Temple had all turned into rubble.
The palm strike unleashed by both sides at full strength was extraordinary, and the entire valley felt its impact. Birds scattered in alarm, and animals cried out in distress.
Far away at Liuhe Temple, Mo Li suddenly felt his right eye twitch and instinctively reached for his belt.
“…”
Oops, Meng Qi’s sword was still on his waist!
Author’s note:
Meng Qi: Even if I don’t have the talent for politics, I can see through your schemes easily.
Ancestor Qingwu: You can play political games, aiming for the throne? It seems you consider me one of your kind among martial artists.
Readers: So what exactly do you mean, Ancestor? Do you think we martial artists have low intelligence?
So the ambition is not small
After the group of black-clad individuals stood up, they quickly retreated, clearing the spacious front courtyard.
They moved silently, keeping their heads down and avoiding any unnecessary glances. Their disciplined behavior was nothing like the usual demeanor of martial artists in the jianghu. Anyone who saw them couldn’t help but wonder if they were changing their profession to become assassins or planning a rebellion.
Meng Qi raised an eyebrow slightly, and the two individuals wearing Zhong Kui masks instinctively stood behind Ancestor Qingwu.
Meng Qi looked at the two individuals with a cautious expression and casually said, “Are these two disciples of Master Zhao? Impressive, they are truly talents of the jianghu.”
The two masked individuals with only their eyes and hair exposed remained silent. “…”
“And were all those people earlier also followers of Master Zhao? They certainly have a strong presence. By the way, aren’t they going to pick up their black masks?”
Zhao Cangfeng, the Ancestor Qingwu, looked gloomy and was ready to answer questions: “…”
As the wind blew, the black masks scattered on the ground in the front courtyard, some even getting caught in the tree branches.
The atmosphere was indeed strange—why were there black masks strewn all over the ground?
Ancestor Qingwu’s face grew even darker, and the female disciple wearing a mask secretly cursed those people as worthless for not picking up their masks before leaving the courtyard.
“Coo, coo.”
Inside the main hall, a pigeon was cooing.
This poor pigeon, frightened and lost, had flown in circles for a while, feeling both hungry and tired. Finally, it managed to deliver its message and returned to its familiar “home,” hoping to find water and food. However, the person who should have fed it was nowhere to be seen.
Meng Qi suddenly entered the scene and placed the pigeon in the main hall, where offerings to the Three Pure Ones were made.
The confused pigeon flew up to a beam and instinctively tried to escape to the back of the Daoist temple where the pigeon cage was located.
A large eagle perched on a tree outside suddenly swooped down, heading straight for Ancestor Qingwu.
Thinking this eagle was a pet of Meng Qi’s, Ancestor Qingwu acted without hesitation, sweeping his dust-cloth in a swift motion, leaving several long marks on the tree trunk.
Meng Qi simply rolled up his right sleeve and pushed back the force with ease.
His robe sleeve swelled due to his inner energy, conveniently covering the eagle that had nearly met its end.
“Master Zhao acts swiftly and directly, not wasting any words, going straight to action,” Meng Qi casually said in a Jianghu manner he had heard before, regardless of whether it was appropriate or not.
Ancestor Qingwu showed no significant reaction, but his two disciples looked at Meng Qi with deep perplexity and strangeness.
This was supposed to be the legendary former State Teacher with mysterious martial skills?
He had a good appearance, but this situation was beyond comprehension.
Meng Qi calmly reached into his sleeve and took out the eagle, holding it by its wings. His posture was much more skillful than when he held the pigeon, causing the eagle’s feathers to ruffle.
Without looking back, Meng Qi released the eagle, which flew away in haste.
“Do you want to leave on your own like this eagle, or shall I drive you out?”
Meng Qi’s demeanor was arrogant, and his tone was confident. In reality, he had already started channeling his inner energy, ready to take action at any moment.
After recovering his memories, Meng Qi realized that he had been practicing his inner cultivation for nearly sixty years.
In the first fifteen years of this time period, he had done very little.
When Meng Qi was “young,” he roamed around aimlessly, and by chance, he came across a martial arts manual that was not only shallow but also incomplete. He had to rely on his own exploration. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t have been able to develop any profound martial skills, and they might even have fallen into a devilish path.
During his travels with Li Yuanze for over a decade, while the Chu Dynasty was being pacified, Meng Qi had the opportunity to access various ancient texts left by the Chen Dynasty. Among them were lost internal martial arts techniques of the jianghu because later generations couldn’t understand their meaning. These texts had eventually gathered dust in the royal library. Meng Qi gradually discovered many insights into internal cultivation through his study of these texts and matched them with his own knowledge. He became immersed in the ancient books, and in the end, he mastered this set of martial skills.
Meng Qi had no formal master.
He even had to comprehend the most basic principles by himself, and he had taken many detours along the way.
In contrast, Mo Li had a great teacher. Despite being “young,” he had acquired advanced martial skills. Meng Qi had taken sixty years of stumbling and struggling to achieve what Mo Li had accomplished in just twenty years. The only difference was the accumulation of inner energy.
The doctor truly had an innate advantage that ordinary people couldn’t compare with.
Although Meng Qi didn’t have the same good fortune, he was ultimately a mountain spirit, and this was the Shangyun Mountain, where his inner energy flowed freely. Those in the jianghu who had practiced internal cultivation for sixty years and could achieve half of Meng Qi’s accomplishments would already be considered experts.
Looking at Ancestor Qingwu before him, it seemed that he was not older than sixty years old, but his inner energy…
According to the calculations of the jianghu, it was likely that he had cultivated for over a hundred years.
Could it be that this person, like Ning Changyuan, had a natural gift and had made rapid progress in his cultivation after breaking through?
Regardless, Meng Qi realized that he had underestimated Ancestor Qingwu. His original plan of avoiding schemes and directly confronting him might not work.
If he were to fight Ancestor Qingwu, it was uncertain who would win or lose.
However, one thing was clear: Meng Qi couldn’t kill him under normal circumstances, and vice versa.
Ancestor Qingwu was also preparing to use his full strength. His robe fluttered without any wind, and the two masked disciples had sensed that something was wrong and began to retreat anxiously.
Ancestor Qingwu’s surprise was no less than Meng Qi’s.
His three steps backward earlier were a result of underestimating Meng Qi’s abilities.
“I have heard of the reputation of the State Teacher for a long time, and today’s meeting is truly surprising,” Ancestor Qingwu said with a smile on his face, but his eyes held a cold edge. He asked in a deliberate tone, “It seems that the State Teacher is interested in the treasures of Emperor Li’s tomb?”
“Emperor Li’s tomb contains mostly valuable items that are difficult to move. There are no divine weapons or secret martial arts manuals. The pearls embedded in the walls have dimmed over the centuries. While the gold and silver items are finely crafted, they bear the seal of the Chen Dynasty, making it inconvenient to sell them unless you keep them for personal use.”
Meng Qi spoke confidently, and the female disciple began to doubt whether the treasures of Emperor Li’s tomb had already been discovered and perhaps even looted by the Chu Dynasty. She glanced anxiously at Ancestor Qingwu but dared not speak up.
Meng Qi noticed the changes in Ancestor Qingwu’s expression and became even more convinced of his speculation.
Ancestor Qingwu indeed did not come for the treasures of Emperor Li’s tomb. He seemed to care little about what he could obtain from the tomb. Even if the tomb had been emptied, as long as the jianghu knew about Emperor Li’s tomb, they would gather in the capital.
Everything he had seen and heard along the way now made sense.
Whenever people from the jianghu went somewhere, it caused a great commotion, and everyone knew about it. But this time, it was different. It wasn’t about some weapons or secret manuals that the common people couldn’t understand, but the mysterious Emperor Li’s tomb!
In addition to the people from the jianghu, the guardian of the Qi Dynasty’s Emperor, Lu Zhang, was also interested in the situation.
The imperial court needed money, and so did the three kings of the Chu Dynasty in the south.
As the situation escalated, the capital city would become a chaotic mix of various factions, and different powers would emerge.
In such a scenario, the capital city would naturally tighten its security, and the city guards would want to expel all the martial artists from the jianghu. Lu Zhang would leave enough manpower in the palace while secretly sending people to Shangyun Mountain to gather information and strike when the opportunity arose.
Was Ancestor Qingwu planning to use the treasures of Emperor Li’s tomb to capture all these people in one fell swoop?
Meng Qi suspected there was more to it than met the eye.
Meng Qi’s thoughts raced, and he quickly came to a conclusion.
He casually placed his hands behind his back and spoke with an ambiguous tone, “It seems that the capital city is about to witness another bloody turmoil.”
Then, he noticed a look of shock in the eyes of the older masked disciple.
Meng Qi raised a finger and continued, “Lu Zhang values power, and the Qi Dynasty has yet to produce a powerful minister. To seize the throne without military power may not be so stable. So, is it possible that one of the imperial princes is being used by your leader? Is there a palace insider who will help with the palace coup? Breaking into the palace is not easy, and there are too many Imperial Guards. Even the most skilled martial artists will find it challenging to succeed. Are you planning to infiltrate with the help of an insider? And assassinating the Vice Commander of the Jinyiwei, Gong Jun, not to prevent leaks but to eliminate the most formidable person under Lu Zhang’s command? He is the most powerful figure in Lu Zhang’s camp, and capturing him would prevent any unexpected developments.”
Ancestor Qingwu’s expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure. He replied with a hoarse voice, “Master, you’re thinking too much.”
“A wise man speaks in riddles,” Meng Qi retorted casually, “Isn’t there a saying among you martial artists? When your schemes are exposed, why struggle at the brink of death? It’s better to face the reality… ‘The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit.’ Isn’t that the way of the world?”
Meng Qi had barely finished the first word of “The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit” when he suddenly made his move.
Unfortunately, Ancestor Qingwu also attacked at the same moment.
A powerful force turned into an invisible shockwave, causing the ground to shake.
The two of them clashed palm to palm, with a three-foot gap between them that they couldn’t bridge.
“Why would the State Teacher, a former State Teacher, be concerned about the matters of the Qi Dynasty?” Ancestor Qingwu asked sarcastically.
“Back in the day, I was in the court, and you Taoists used to be a nuisance. Now, I wander the jianghu, and you’re causing trouble again,” Meng Qi replied with a push of his palm, increasing the force. He sneered, “I find you people annoying. What does it have to do with the court?”
Ancestor Qingwu’s expression changed again, and he said with a sinister tone, “It’s a pity, I thought the State Teacher was one of our kind.”
“What kind? Conspiring for power?” Meng Qi laughed instead of getting angry. He continued, “Do you dare to discuss your actions with me, even though they are those of petty individuals?”
At this moment, a strange vortex of energy began to form around Meng Qi and Ancestor Qingwu, affecting everything in the temple. Pebbles, dust, and even the black masks that had fallen on the ground were drawn into the vortex. Then, the tiles on the temple’s roof followed suit.
“Not good!” The two masked individuals saw the danger and tried to escape the range of the vortex.
But when they moved, the pressure became even greater. The female disciple vomited blood and collapsed to the ground, while her senior brother managed to roll several yards away.
“Boom!”
The front courtyard turned into a deep circular pit.
The two figures moved at lightning speed and rushed into the forest. Trees along their path initially remained intact, but when the wind blew, they began to shatter.
Another loud noise followed, and the female disciple was buried beneath the courtyard wall. The entrance gate, stone steps, and courtyard walls of the Xianyue Temple had all turned into rubble.
The palm strike unleashed by both sides at full strength was extraordinary, and the entire valley felt its impact. Birds scattered in alarm, and animals cried out in distress.
Far away at Liuhe Temple, Mo Li suddenly felt his right eye twitch and instinctively reached for his belt.
“…”
Oops, Meng Qi’s sword was still on his waist!
Author’s note:
Meng Qi: Even if I don’t have the talent for politics, I can see through your schemes easily.
Ancestor Qingwu: You can play political games, aiming for the throne? It seems you consider me one of your kind among martial artists.
Readers: So what exactly do you mean, Ancestor? Do you think we martial artists have low intelligence?
