Chapter 85: The Crying Elder
Having quickly withdrawn his expression, Meng Qi turned back and looked at Zhen Hui grimly. “Your Senior Brother is just going down to order meals. Junior Brother, you are at a critical stage breaking into the advanced success of Qi-cultivation. Don’t think so much on playing! Apply yourself!”
Zhen Hui was indeed compatible with Flower-pinching Finger, and at that moment he was about to make the breakthrough. His speed could rank among the first five monks who had practiced Flower-pinching Finger in history.
Zhen Hui nodded heavily and looked at Meng Qi, “Senior Brother, I want a roast lamb leg.”
Meng Qi guffawed, “Haha, there is nothing here but camels and sheep!” After Zhen Hui resumed the meditation, he stepped to the corridor and closed the door. “Junior Brother, I’m afraid your Senior Brother was not going to order a roast lamb leg for you this time. If we happen to meet up in future, I will compensate you with ten roast lamb legs!”
He still knew that it was not very likely to escape from his master, but as a human, one should at least have hope and be optimistic. After several attempts to escape and endeavors in intelligence and bravery, he felt he had gained a lot. It was like an arduous practice and his master seemed to have intended this way, for he hadn’t told Meng Qi that he could not escape but still played this “game”.
Of course, if there were chances, Meng Qi would not let them go. It was merely because he seemed to be targeted by Commandment Yard and the special Kung Fus he learned in the world of Dominator of Samsara in Six Realms were very easy to find out. It was risky to stay in Shaolin with such a big secret, so the sooner he left Shaolin, the better.
Meng Qi therefore continued his will-projecting, in which he hid his whole body. Then he walked downstairs.
He took each step carefully for fear of disturbing his master, at the same time he was picturing optimistically the life after his escape.
I will go back once I leave Quicksand Town, and as long as I enter to Kanli City, my master should not be able to find me. Then I will go to Zhen Wu Sect to find Senior Brother Zhang. He is very generous and loyal to friends, and should not mind accepting me. His family was among the three secular surnames of Zhen Wu Sect, so if I am with him I would not need to worry about the elixir. After my Four Acupores enlightened, I will start walking the Jianghu, looking for treasures of the world and make a sobriquet of me.
But Zhen Wu Sect is a main stream martial sect with many ears and eyes, and it has a good relationship with Shaolin. One mistake would betray my identity and cause trouble. Besides counting on others is not proper, for I am a self-respecting person! What about going to Sword Washing Pavilion to find Zhiwei? She should be peregrinating downhill and practice her swordwill. Hey, a fair girl and a handsome boy will unite to make stories in Jianghu! What a lovely and remarkable picture!
Wait, it seems wrong to be remarkable… This would make me taken back to Shaolin in no time. Alas, I had better wait for three or four years until I am taller and look mature enough that most people would not recognize. Then I could find Zhiwei and establish our name in Jianghu.
Sure, then Senior Brother Qi, who should be out of Huanhua Swords Sect after Enlightenment and assigned to guard overseas assets of his sect. There should be nobody guarding him and care about him. Haha, then it is done. I am going to find Senior Brother Qi and share meat and mead with him!
Meng Qi’s eyes shone with elation picturing the bright future. He was going through the hall, then the door of the inn, and then the life of freedom.
But suddenly, a familiar voice came into his ears:
“Zhen Ding, order me an unspiced chicken.”
Unspiced chicken… unspiced chicken… Meng Qi’s expression was dull. He took quite a while to suppress his frustrated mood and answered in a low voice, “Yes, master.”
Sure enough, his master was looking at him behind…
He took several deep breaths and went towards the hall. At that time, lots of the noisy guests had left and some tables were vacated.
“Young master, what would you like?” The errand boy in the hall was rather young with bright eyes and graceful eyebrows and wore a broad smile, who was far different from Qu Jiuniang whose insouciant look meant “Guest of bitches, I am your father”.
“So it is not true that the employees’ attitude reflect their employers’?” Meng Qi thought in amusement and felt brighter in mood. “We would like to have a roast lamb leg, an unspiced chicken… ”
“Sure!” The errand boy then repeated the names of the dishes while mopping the table.
After the order, Meng Qi had some tea the boy served to him. Before he could mourn over the 103rd time failure in escaping, Xuan Bei and Zhen Hui walked downstairs.
“Senior Brother, have you ordered a roast lamb leg?” Zhen Hui licked his lip.
Meng Qi was sad deep inside, but he said emotionlessly, “Yes, I have.”
Xuan Bei was still carrying an air of melancholy. He asked the errand boy who was making tea for them, “Donor, is there any news from the west?”
Since he could not escape anyway, Meng Qi was also curious about this question and looked at the errand boy.
“For your master’s information, except for some horse bandits robbing some caravans, only one major event has happened: the Crying Elder has come back after years of missing, and become the Royal Advisor of Hahler. He is recruiting bladesmen and highwaymen, planning to unite the states and oases in the vast area from the Immensity Sea in the east to the God-burying Desert in the west, and form a whole country like Great Jin Dynasty and Great Zhou Dynasty in your Central Plains.” The errand boy had yellowish pupils and curly hair, which was a typical look of natives in the West Regions.
“This is not bad… ” Meng Qi gave a compliment. If this cause should be accomplished, the Crying Elder would somehow resemble Emperor Qin Shihuang, the founder of the first united nation in Central Plains.
While he was complimenting, he suddenly found something different in his master’s expression. Normally except when he praised Meng Qi and Zhen Hui, he was always morose and melancholic, but at that time his face was as grave as a night lake, and no melancholy was seen.
“Master, do you know the Crying Elder?” Meng Qi could only guess so.
Looking at the teacup in his hand, Xuan Bei signed a bit sentimentally, “The Crying Elder, original name unknown, is a grandmaster on the peak of the Exterior level. He dominates among West Tract of Great Jin Dynasty, Immensity Sea of Death and God-burying Desert, ranking 33rd on Terrestrial Rankings. His best Kung Fus were Violent Sand Super Force and Haunter’s 18 Slaps. A true formidable thug of this time.”
“So awesome… ” Meng Qi was no longer a small monk with little Jianghu knowledge. He knew 33rd was quite an amazing position, for there were merely ten Dharmakaya level masters on Celestial Rankings, so even some hermits and reclusive martial master were included, the Crying Elder was at least within the first 60 most powerful men under heaven.
Seeing the errand boy was tending others, Xuan Bei sighed and said lowly, “Your master’s countenance must have looked bad just now.”
“Master, do you bear hatred to the Crying Elder?” Zhen Hui asked bluntly and loudly without avoiding being heard.
Meng Qi sniggered. It was good to have this pert Junior Brother. Otherwise, he did not know how to ask.
Watching some tea leaves floating up and down in the tea cup, Xuan Bei’s melancholy became thicker. “Your master’s secular name is Tang Zhan. I was a Peerless Master Pro along the Gansu Tract, and one step to be ranked among grandmasters. At that time, I was easily excited by seeing evils. Once I was escorting a friend to the God-burying Mount where the Jin Gang Temple is located, and without hesitation I slew a habitual thug who had raped and killed many heroines in Jianghu.
“Unexpectedly, the thug had a strong master called Heaven Wilderness Highman. This guy was not strong enough to defeat me, but to avenge his disciple, he had attacked my village before I returned. All the people were slaughtered except one old servant with my two childish sons. They were heading west to find me, but unfortunately they were caught up before entering the Immensity Sea… ”
Xuan Bei’s voice was insipid and emotionless, but Meng Qi somehow perceived dense solitude and intense hatred camouflaged deep within.
“After I realized what had happened, I felt disillusioned from a good dream lasted 35 years. My hatred was ignited and aspired for vengeance. However, Heaven Wilderness Highman also had a good master.”
“The Crying Elder?” If Meng Qi could not figure out this, the time he had spent on reading so many novels would be wasted.
Xuan Bei nodded, “I had waited for several years until a chance came and I had killed the whole family of Heaven Wilderness Highman. But then the Crying Elder had been chasing after me all the way to the Central Plains. Luckily His Abbotship favored me and introduced me into Buddhism, and I was secure afterwards. Therefore, if one day you encounter the Crying Elder or his disciples, you must behave carefully.”
The plot was plain without too many ups and downs or description of cruel scenes, and Xuan Bei seemed to have told a story irrelevant to himself.
What triggered him to mention again this suffering was a precaution for alerting his disciples. If the Crying Elder really came back to Jianghu, they must not betray their identities to anyone who could be their potential enemy.
He did not lower his volume deliberately, but all the guests around seemed to notice nothing, as if no one was talking just now.
This force had dumbfounded Meng Qi. It was much stronger than Duan Xiangfei, who had achieved perfect Transformation Strategy. It was nothing similar to mortal Kung Fus.
After the talk, Xuan Bei silenced and focused on his unspiced meal. Zhen Hui was biting voraciously the lamb leg. It seemed that nothing could distract him from the food.
As the atmosphere was grave and weird, Meng Qi had to divert himself. He erected his ear to listen to all kinds of conversations nearby, searching for useful information.
Perhaps it was because the errand boy had mentioned the Crying Elder, the table nearby also started a discussion over this topic.
“I didn’t expect that the Crying Elder was still alive!” a “desert tramp” wearing a turban and black robe said in interest. He had a sabre to his waist. The blade was sharp and shining dim bloodlight.
Another guy dressed as a desert tramp but with beard chortled, “Aye, nine years ago when Su Wuming travelled west, the ignorant Crying Elder went to challenge him. Since then he disappeared and everyone assumed him slain by Su Wuming.”
“It was said that Su Wuming was searching for a holy relic inside the God-burying Desert and had no interest in mock combats. But the Crying Elder took initiative anyway, so he wielded one swordstrike casually. Since then the Crying Elder had been missing for whole nine years,” another “desert tramp” with blue pupils said, smiling, as if he himself were Su Wuming and the Crying Elder was nobody.
Meng Qi was entranced by this story. The master of Jiang Zhiwei was indeed a martial virtuoso. With only one casual swordstrike, he defeated this formidable thug. I want to be someone like him one day!
“Sir, ten taels of silver.” After the dinner the errand boy came for the bill, smiling
This is blatant robbing! Meng Qi understood deeper the nature of this blackhearted hotel. Thinking of the bristled brows of Qu Jiuniang, he realized that his master would not help him about this. So he finally took out the taels. The money was not mine anyway!
“Come with your master to a place.” Xuan Bei suddenly talked and walked slowly out of the inn.
With bewilderment Meng Qi stared at Zhen Hui. But Zhen Hui was still with that innocent look. Meng Qi had to forgo his confusion and followed his master out.
After they left the inn, Qu Jiuniang who had been suspending her expression suddenly raised her head, staring at the back of Xuan Bei and knocked with her finger knuckles on the table, puzzled.
The three “desert tramps” who were talking about the Crying Elder softened their talk and whispered.
“Big bro, I don’t see any rich people. Let’s rob these monks. They seemed to be carrying some fortune,” the desert tramp with blue eyes asked.
The one with sabre shook his head, “Better leave this kind of monks alone.”
“Why? Since when did big bro believe in Buddhism?” the desert tramp with beard asked in confusion.
The desert tramp with sabre was enraged, “I believe in f*king Buddhism? Polish your eye balls and see! These monks of so small group crossing Immensity Sea were usually hard characters. Let’s keep watching the caravan instead. Although it is guarded by more people, we could unite with other horse bands.”