Gong Jun: …Did I just uncover the truth?
Mo Li didn’t even think about it, instinctively rejecting the idea.
“Why me?”
“…Because it’s not very convenient for my true form,” Meng Qi said implicitly.
Mo Li was puzzled, aren’t they all dragons?
Could it be not turning into a dragon, but into a fish? What can a fish do? Leap over the Dragon Gate?
This isn’t the Yellow River, so how can one leap over the Dragon Gate?
Mo Li’s thoughts inadvertently drifted far away. Speaking of leaping over the Dragon Gate, he had seriously considered it before, such as where the legendary Dragon Gate is located? How far is it from Zhushan County to the Dragon Gate? Is it possible to maintain human form until near the Dragon Gate and then leap? Or must one turn into a fish and swim over to be qualified to leap over the Dragon Gate?
He thought about it a lot, often sitting on the stone stools at the entrance of the Mountain God Temple “in his childhood”.
Later, his teacher said that there were no dragons in the world, and that’s when Mo Li stopped thinking about it.
Now, however…
Meng Qi helplessly observed the doctor’s gaze fixed in one place, looking very focused, with a solemn expression.
However, there’s not much to see in a stone, definitely lost in thought.
“Doctor?”
“Hmm, what did you just say?” Mo Li rubbed his forehead.
Meng Qi tentatively repeated: “I said my true form is not very convenient.”
While saying this, he also harbored a peculiar smile, thinking that Doctor Mo might be envious of the majestic posture, grand aura, and the shimmering scales of the Taijing Dragon Vein.
That must be why he involuntarily fell into reminiscence upon the mention.
Mo Li had no idea what Meng Qi was thinking, and directly voiced his confusion: “What’s inconvenient? What plan do you have that specifically requires the Black Dragon?”
“It’s not about the scales,” Meng Qi hurried to explain, lowering his voice, “It’s about the size!”
“…”
Mo Li was stunned for a moment before realizing that Meng Qi was referring to the Black Dragon being smaller, and the Golden Dragon larger.
If it were not for Doctor Mo’s good temperament, anyone else might have glared at Meng Qi by now.
What about being big?
Is being big something to be proud of?
Making it so secretive, it’s practically asking for trouble!
Mo Li wasn’t angry, partly because he was taught by Qin Lu to think thoroughly and to avoid arrogance and rashness, but mainly because he understood Meng Qi’s point; the Taijing Dragon Vein was indeed too large.
“You can’t become smaller? Every time you reveal your true form, you… occupy the entire Taijing?” Mo Li gestured.
Meng Qi nodded gravely.
Dragon Veins, taking the form of mountains and rivers, which mountain can grow or shrink?
“You see, when we transform into human form, our age can change at will, but it all stays within reason. Although tales say there are people overseas ten zhang tall, we can’t even achieve three zhang, neither dwarf nor giant. Do you know why that is?”
“That’s because our subconscious insists that ‘humans’ should be like this, unrelated to the true form’s size, right!” Mo Li wasn’t led astray by Meng Qi’s words.
“No, no, I misspoke… Sand rats and fish, they can’t grow or shrink.”
“Is that so?” Mo Li looked skeptical.
Regarding the true form of Dragon Veins, Mo Li knew too little.
“Even so, it would be difficult for me to do,” Mo Li paused, then said, “I can’t willingly reveal my true form outside of Qimao Mountain. Yesterday was an accident, influenced by the spiritual energy after you transformed into your true form. Now that the Golden Dragon won’t appear, it might not be possible for the Black Dragon to appear either.”
“We could try,” Meng Qi was not certain himself.
Aside from the small dragon vein that formed naturally in Shangyun Mountain, no other of their kind had visited this mountain.
“How should we try? What should I do after transforming into a dragon?”
“I’ll draw you a simple map.”
With a casual gesture, Meng Qi attracted a half piece of a branch into his hand using his inner strength. He quickly drew a few lines on the ground, marking the valleys and streams.
As he drew, he said, “Many years ago, I read some books written by Daoist priests in the royal library of the Chen dynasty, including ones about dragon veins. It is said that four hundred li south of the river lies a mountain called Canglong Mountain, winding like a snake, with no paths on it. The people on either side wishing to trade found it very difficult. At that time, during a period of great chaos, two armies clashed near Canglong Mountain and suddenly experienced an earthquake, with terrible casualties. A general, in a sorry state, led a troop of men in escape, got lost in the mountains, and when they were starving and thirsty, they found a pond with a huge shadow in it. Upon hearing human voices, the shadow broke through the water, revealing itself to be a severely wounded Canglong…”
Mo Li twitched the corner of his mouth, stopping him: “I’ve also read this legend.”
The Canglong transformed into a huge wave and dispersed, scattering the remaining soldiers.
Later, this general became the founder of a dynasty. Because it was written into the annals, although the historians did not comment on what happened to the dragon in the end, there are unofficial histories that say the dragon’s spirit attached to the general, and others say that as the dragon was dying, it sought a host to continue living.
Other scholars upon reading this part wouldn’t think too much about it.
Those who believe the emperor is the true Dragon Son would take it as truth, while those who don’t would just see it as a “fortunate omen.”
Which founding monarch of any dynasty didn’t fabricate some miraculous experiences for themselves? If not born under an omen, then they encountered some extraordinary adventure later on.
The more they brag, the more numb the readers of history become.
Understanding Meng Qi’s intention, Mo Li couldn’t help but ask: “You want me to impersonate that Canglong? Who is the target, Qingwu Ancestor? Will he believe it?”
“If he’s interested in dragon veins, he must know of this legend,” Meng Qi explained enthusiastically, “Doctor, just listen to my plan—”
The two of them whispered heads together, still drawing something on the ground.
As night fell, Gong Jun was too far away to see clearly.
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine and couldn’t help but take three steps back.
There was a murderous aura!
Gong Jun knew the murderous intent might not be directed at him, but the feeling was terrible!
“Your Honor?”
Xiao Baihu saw Gong Jun’s hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for battle, and immediately tensed up.
“What’s wrong? Are there enemies?” Xiao Baihu said, ready to call the other guards.
“Wait.”
Gong Jun quickly stopped him, then shook his head: “No, I just have a bad premonition. Maybe something big is about to happen on Shangyun Mountain, or maybe there’s going to be trouble in the capital. In any case, we must be careful. Do not…”
He lowered his voice, gesturing towards the two ahead.
Because Meng Qi and Mo Li were so close together, from a distance, it looked like one shadow.
“Don’t offend those two, okay? Better to stay far away from them!”
“…Your Honor, what exactly is the relationship between this doctor and Master Meng?” Xiao Baihu asked with confusion.
Mo Li said Meng Qi was his patient, but would a normal doctor and patient be this close? Their shadows almost merged into one, which should make the shadow larger than normal, yet it didn’t seem much larger.
This indicated that part of their bodies overlapped, the posture suggesting one was writing while the other pointed, their shoulders close enough to touch the other’s chest.
Hearing his subordinate’s question, Gong Jun remained silent.
Meng Qi was the Imperial Teacher of the previous dynasty, supposedly over eighty years old now. Meng Qi’s very existence was a mystery, and naturally, anything related to him was also mysterious.
“It could be they are from the same school, perhaps friends with similar interests, or maybe it’s the mutual respect between masters,” Gong Jun could only give Xiao Baihu an answer that even he didn’t believe.
Xiao Baihu continued, “Such a formidable master should also have a prominent reputation in the martial world…”
“There are many ambitious and capable people under the heavens, as numerous as the stars at night, only remaining unknown for various reasons. We don’t know about them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Master Meng doesn’t have a reputation in the jianghu. Would you dare say he’s not a master?”
“You’re right!”
After deceiving his subordinate, Gong Jun began to worry.
Could it really be that nothing serious will happen? His eyelids started twitching, yet he couldn’t get close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. Because as soon as he approached, the two internal masters would immediately detect him.
Gong Jun endured as much as he could, accidentally taking a step forward.
He was startled and immediately wanted to step back.
With his foot in mid-air, Gong Jun suddenly realized that the two men were motionless, and he could even hear Meng Qi’s intermittent words.
“…hand it over to the doctor… they will definitely believe… because the doctor could even cure me…”
Gong Jun couldn’t retract his foot anymore.
What does “cure” mean? What did Doctor Mo do? What did Meng Qi do?
Gong Jun felt an unbearable scratching in his heart, using tremendous willpower to restrain himself from moving forward.
“Stop! Don’t mention this again!”
Doctor Mo’s voice was slightly louder, with a hint of displeasure in his tone.
Then there was a burst of intermittent laughter, but Gong Jun, listening carefully, couldn’t make out what Meng Qi was saying.
He silently retreated, then turned to Xiao Baihu and said, “You’re right!”
These two indeed have issues!
“Ah?” Xiao Baihu was completely confused.
“The most important quality of the Jinyiwei is keenness, to find intelligence in a sea of documents, to identify problems among countless people. You have a talent for this. After this matter is resolved, I will definitely recommend you for the position of Qianhu or Zhenfushi, believing you can handle affairs independently.”
Xiao Baihu immediately perked up.
Upon reflection, if they could survive, perhaps several positions in both the Northern and Southern Zhenfushi might indeed become vacant.
“Thank you for your generous support…”
On the other side, Mo Li sternly said to Meng Qi, “Imitating a cat’s cry is also a targeted remedy, but I’m not confident about your method. Qingwu Ancestor may not buy it.”
“No matter, as long as he goes out, he will realize that things are different from what they planned. The rebels only need to clean up after themselves and hide; they might not need Qingwu Ancestor. However, Qingwu Ancestor needs an emperor who can easily fulfill his wish to cut off the dragon veins. Whether it’s digging canals or building roads, only the court can conscript people from all over the world to work as laborers.”
“The most important thing is, you can do it without spending money, backed by the court?” Mo Li mused.
“Exactly.”
Meng Qi discarded the branch, swept his sleeves, and the marks on the ground disappeared.
He turned to look at Gong Jun, causing the Jinyiwei nearby to tense up.
“Let’s destroy the cannons. If you have the capability, you might as well trace the origin of these gunpowders.”
“The Emperor’s Tomb…”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
With the conversation reaching this point, Gong Jun could only comply.
An arm can’t twist a thigh; the Jinyiwei can’t outmatch the Imperial Teacher, and Gong Jun’s subordinates didn’t make a sound.
Meng Qi first went to the mountain to find several large stones, then effortlessly brought them back with Mo Li, filling them all into the hole and covering it with soil.
After all, the construction of the Emperor’s Tomb was very meticulous, with three layers each supported and extremely sturdy, not collapsing under the weight.
However, Gong Jun and the Jinyiwei were dumbfounded.
Giant stones aside, how could they cover the soil without touching it? Could profound internal strength be used like this?
“Alright, I know some people from the jianghu might come back to dig, but clearing all these giant stones will take quite some effort. There are traps on the second layer of the Emperor’s Tomb, enough to keep them busy for a while.”
Meng Qi clapped his hands and walked away with Mo Li.
Gong Jun silently watched Meng Qi’s back, feeling more and more that the Imperial Teacher had an air of arrogance.
Rubbing his eyes, it was strange; he clearly had the demeanor of a transcendent master.
Gong Jun: …Did I just uncover the truth?
Mo Li didn’t even think about it, instinctively rejecting the idea.
“Why me?”
“…Because it’s not very convenient for my true form,” Meng Qi said implicitly.
Mo Li was puzzled, aren’t they all dragons?
Could it be not turning into a dragon, but into a fish? What can a fish do? Leap over the Dragon Gate?
This isn’t the Yellow River, so how can one leap over the Dragon Gate?
Mo Li’s thoughts inadvertently drifted far away. Speaking of leaping over the Dragon Gate, he had seriously considered it before, such as where the legendary Dragon Gate is located? How far is it from Zhushan County to the Dragon Gate? Is it possible to maintain human form until near the Dragon Gate and then leap? Or must one turn into a fish and swim over to be qualified to leap over the Dragon Gate?
He thought about it a lot, often sitting on the stone stools at the entrance of the Mountain God Temple “in his childhood”.
Later, his teacher said that there were no dragons in the world, and that’s when Mo Li stopped thinking about it.
Now, however…
Meng Qi helplessly observed the doctor’s gaze fixed in one place, looking very focused, with a solemn expression.
However, there’s not much to see in a stone, definitely lost in thought.
“Doctor?”
“Hmm, what did you just say?” Mo Li rubbed his forehead.
Meng Qi tentatively repeated: “I said my true form is not very convenient.”
While saying this, he also harbored a peculiar smile, thinking that Doctor Mo might be envious of the majestic posture, grand aura, and the shimmering scales of the Taijing Dragon Vein.
That must be why he involuntarily fell into reminiscence upon the mention.
Mo Li had no idea what Meng Qi was thinking, and directly voiced his confusion: “What’s inconvenient? What plan do you have that specifically requires the Black Dragon?”
“It’s not about the scales,” Meng Qi hurried to explain, lowering his voice, “It’s about the size!”
“…”
Mo Li was stunned for a moment before realizing that Meng Qi was referring to the Black Dragon being smaller, and the Golden Dragon larger.
If it were not for Doctor Mo’s good temperament, anyone else might have glared at Meng Qi by now.
What about being big?
Is being big something to be proud of?
Making it so secretive, it’s practically asking for trouble!
Mo Li wasn’t angry, partly because he was taught by Qin Lu to think thoroughly and to avoid arrogance and rashness, but mainly because he understood Meng Qi’s point; the Taijing Dragon Vein was indeed too large.
“You can’t become smaller? Every time you reveal your true form, you… occupy the entire Taijing?” Mo Li gestured.
Meng Qi nodded gravely.
Dragon Veins, taking the form of mountains and rivers, which mountain can grow or shrink?
“You see, when we transform into human form, our age can change at will, but it all stays within reason. Although tales say there are people overseas ten zhang tall, we can’t even achieve three zhang, neither dwarf nor giant. Do you know why that is?”
“That’s because our subconscious insists that ‘humans’ should be like this, unrelated to the true form’s size, right!” Mo Li wasn’t led astray by Meng Qi’s words.
“No, no, I misspoke… Sand rats and fish, they can’t grow or shrink.”
“Is that so?” Mo Li looked skeptical.
Regarding the true form of Dragon Veins, Mo Li knew too little.
“Even so, it would be difficult for me to do,” Mo Li paused, then said, “I can’t willingly reveal my true form outside of Qimao Mountain. Yesterday was an accident, influenced by the spiritual energy after you transformed into your true form. Now that the Golden Dragon won’t appear, it might not be possible for the Black Dragon to appear either.”
“We could try,” Meng Qi was not certain himself.
Aside from the small dragon vein that formed naturally in Shangyun Mountain, no other of their kind had visited this mountain.
“How should we try? What should I do after transforming into a dragon?”
“I’ll draw you a simple map.”
With a casual gesture, Meng Qi attracted a half piece of a branch into his hand using his inner strength. He quickly drew a few lines on the ground, marking the valleys and streams.
As he drew, he said, “Many years ago, I read some books written by Daoist priests in the royal library of the Chen dynasty, including ones about dragon veins. It is said that four hundred li south of the river lies a mountain called Canglong Mountain, winding like a snake, with no paths on it. The people on either side wishing to trade found it very difficult. At that time, during a period of great chaos, two armies clashed near Canglong Mountain and suddenly experienced an earthquake, with terrible casualties. A general, in a sorry state, led a troop of men in escape, got lost in the mountains, and when they were starving and thirsty, they found a pond with a huge shadow in it. Upon hearing human voices, the shadow broke through the water, revealing itself to be a severely wounded Canglong…”
Mo Li twitched the corner of his mouth, stopping him: “I’ve also read this legend.”
The Canglong transformed into a huge wave and dispersed, scattering the remaining soldiers.
Later, this general became the founder of a dynasty. Because it was written into the annals, although the historians did not comment on what happened to the dragon in the end, there are unofficial histories that say the dragon’s spirit attached to the general, and others say that as the dragon was dying, it sought a host to continue living.
Other scholars upon reading this part wouldn’t think too much about it.
Those who believe the emperor is the true Dragon Son would take it as truth, while those who don’t would just see it as a “fortunate omen.”
Which founding monarch of any dynasty didn’t fabricate some miraculous experiences for themselves? If not born under an omen, then they encountered some extraordinary adventure later on.
The more they brag, the more numb the readers of history become.
Understanding Meng Qi’s intention, Mo Li couldn’t help but ask: “You want me to impersonate that Canglong? Who is the target, Qingwu Ancestor? Will he believe it?”
“If he’s interested in dragon veins, he must know of this legend,” Meng Qi explained enthusiastically, “Doctor, just listen to my plan—”
The two of them whispered heads together, still drawing something on the ground.
As night fell, Gong Jun was too far away to see clearly.
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine and couldn’t help but take three steps back.
There was a murderous aura!
Gong Jun knew the murderous intent might not be directed at him, but the feeling was terrible!
“Your Honor?”
Xiao Baihu saw Gong Jun’s hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for battle, and immediately tensed up.
“What’s wrong? Are there enemies?” Xiao Baihu said, ready to call the other guards.
“Wait.”
Gong Jun quickly stopped him, then shook his head: “No, I just have a bad premonition. Maybe something big is about to happen on Shangyun Mountain, or maybe there’s going to be trouble in the capital. In any case, we must be careful. Do not…”
He lowered his voice, gesturing towards the two ahead.
Because Meng Qi and Mo Li were so close together, from a distance, it looked like one shadow.
“Don’t offend those two, okay? Better to stay far away from them!”
“…Your Honor, what exactly is the relationship between this doctor and Master Meng?” Xiao Baihu asked with confusion.
Mo Li said Meng Qi was his patient, but would a normal doctor and patient be this close? Their shadows almost merged into one, which should make the shadow larger than normal, yet it didn’t seem much larger.
This indicated that part of their bodies overlapped, the posture suggesting one was writing while the other pointed, their shoulders close enough to touch the other’s chest.
Hearing his subordinate’s question, Gong Jun remained silent.
Meng Qi was the Imperial Teacher of the previous dynasty, supposedly over eighty years old now. Meng Qi’s very existence was a mystery, and naturally, anything related to him was also mysterious.
“It could be they are from the same school, perhaps friends with similar interests, or maybe it’s the mutual respect between masters,” Gong Jun could only give Xiao Baihu an answer that even he didn’t believe.
Xiao Baihu continued, “Such a formidable master should also have a prominent reputation in the martial world…”
“There are many ambitious and capable people under the heavens, as numerous as the stars at night, only remaining unknown for various reasons. We don’t know about them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Master Meng doesn’t have a reputation in the jianghu. Would you dare say he’s not a master?”
“You’re right!”
After deceiving his subordinate, Gong Jun began to worry.
Could it really be that nothing serious will happen? His eyelids started twitching, yet he couldn’t get close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. Because as soon as he approached, the two internal masters would immediately detect him.
Gong Jun endured as much as he could, accidentally taking a step forward.
He was startled and immediately wanted to step back.
With his foot in mid-air, Gong Jun suddenly realized that the two men were motionless, and he could even hear Meng Qi’s intermittent words.
“…hand it over to the doctor… they will definitely believe… because the doctor could even cure me…”
Gong Jun couldn’t retract his foot anymore.
What does “cure” mean? What did Doctor Mo do? What did Meng Qi do?
Gong Jun felt an unbearable scratching in his heart, using tremendous willpower to restrain himself from moving forward.
“Stop! Don’t mention this again!”
Doctor Mo’s voice was slightly louder, with a hint of displeasure in his tone.
Then there was a burst of intermittent laughter, but Gong Jun, listening carefully, couldn’t make out what Meng Qi was saying.
He silently retreated, then turned to Xiao Baihu and said, “You’re right!”
These two indeed have issues!
“Ah?” Xiao Baihu was completely confused.
“The most important quality of the Jinyiwei is keenness, to find intelligence in a sea of documents, to identify problems among countless people. You have a talent for this. After this matter is resolved, I will definitely recommend you for the position of Qianhu or Zhenfushi, believing you can handle affairs independently.”
Xiao Baihu immediately perked up.
Upon reflection, if they could survive, perhaps several positions in both the Northern and Southern Zhenfushi might indeed become vacant.
“Thank you for your generous support…”
On the other side, Mo Li sternly said to Meng Qi, “Imitating a cat’s cry is also a targeted remedy, but I’m not confident about your method. Qingwu Ancestor may not buy it.”
“No matter, as long as he goes out, he will realize that things are different from what they planned. The rebels only need to clean up after themselves and hide; they might not need Qingwu Ancestor. However, Qingwu Ancestor needs an emperor who can easily fulfill his wish to cut off the dragon veins. Whether it’s digging canals or building roads, only the court can conscript people from all over the world to work as laborers.”
“The most important thing is, you can do it without spending money, backed by the court?” Mo Li mused.
“Exactly.”
Meng Qi discarded the branch, swept his sleeves, and the marks on the ground disappeared.
He turned to look at Gong Jun, causing the Jinyiwei nearby to tense up.
“Let’s destroy the cannons. If you have the capability, you might as well trace the origin of these gunpowders.”
“The Emperor’s Tomb…”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
With the conversation reaching this point, Gong Jun could only comply.
An arm can’t twist a thigh; the Jinyiwei can’t outmatch the Imperial Teacher, and Gong Jun’s subordinates didn’t make a sound.
Meng Qi first went to the mountain to find several large stones, then effortlessly brought them back with Mo Li, filling them all into the hole and covering it with soil.
After all, the construction of the Emperor’s Tomb was very meticulous, with three layers each supported and extremely sturdy, not collapsing under the weight.
However, Gong Jun and the Jinyiwei were dumbfounded.
Giant stones aside, how could they cover the soil without touching it? Could profound internal strength be used like this?
“Alright, I know some people from the jianghu might come back to dig, but clearing all these giant stones will take quite some effort. There are traps on the second layer of the Emperor’s Tomb, enough to keep them busy for a while.”
Meng Qi clapped his hands and walked away with Mo Li.
Gong Jun silently watched Meng Qi’s back, feeling more and more that the Imperial Teacher had an air of arrogance.
Rubbing his eyes, it was strange; he clearly had the demeanor of a transcendent master.
