The city of Linhai was covered in plain mourning clothes, but it could not hide the spring flowers, the gentle breeze, and the warm sun.
The carriage passed through a long and wide street and turned into North City, where the aristocratic families gathered. After several turns, it stopped in front of a rather luxurious inn. Mengqi, Madam Baihua, and Ying Ning entered the rooms they had booked.
Late at night, under Madam Baihua's lead, they quietly sneaked to the front of a vast mansion. They passed through a small unlatched door and a half-open formation. A quiet servant led them to an embroidery building in the back garden.
"We'll hide here for the time being." Madam Baihua looked at Mengqi with an enchanting smile after tidying up, with Ying Ning standing behind her.
Mengqi nodded slightly but did not comment.
On the way here, Ying Ning did not make any seductive moves. Instead, she was like a young lady from a wealthy family. She was evasive and shy, giving others a feeling that she was neither too close nor too distant. She seemed to be affectionate yet conservative. She had an extremely appropriate sense of propriety. She did not act cold and avoid him everywhere, nor did she flatter him passionately and devalue his expectations.
In this regard, Mengqi only looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze. He did not take any initiative, causing Madam Baihua and Ying Ning's meaningful actions to go nowhere.
Madam Baihua stood by the window and looked at the colorful garden. "Does Mr. Tyrant know whose house this is?"
"I'd like to hear the details." Mengqi paced to the window with his hands behind his back.
"Haha, no one will suspect us hiding here. Even if we do something in Linhai, no one will suspect us as long as we're not caught on the spot." Madam Baihua laughed so hard that her body swayed. It was an extremely beautiful sight. "It's the Zhu family's ancestral home."
"The Zhu family …" Mengqi did not hide his surprise.
Before the Yun family rose to power, the ancestors of the Zhu and Tie families had been servants. The two families had been loyal to the Yun family for generations, sharing their prosperity and decline. Even after they were granted freedom and established their own families, they still considered themselves servants. They had always been the leaders of the Yun family's secret guards, obeying only the patriarch's orders and not meddling in the family's internal affairs. They had always been regarded as one of the Yun family's pillars.
In this dispute with the Yun family, they stood aloof and became an important target for all parties to rope in.
How could such a clan be colluding with the Evil Dao?
As Mengqi lamented, Madam Baihua explained, "The Zhu family has secretly pledged allegiance to Ninth Master Yun Feiyang. He arranged for us to hide here. The Zhu family doesn't know our identities."
"I see …" Realization dawned on Meng Qi. "So we're supporting the Ninth Childe?"
The children of the Yun Family who had the qualifications to compete were actually not Old Master Yun's descendants, but his great-grandchildren. He had lived for too long, and almost two generations had died. In the family, he was called "Old Master Yun".
Ninth Master Yun was one of the most influential contenders of this generation. He was the son of the first wife, around sixty years old, and had a cultivation base of Level Five. If not for his elder brother, Second Master Yun, Yun Feihu, he would have been the best candidate for the position.
Other than the two brothers, there were also Sixth and Thirteenth Master Yun. The former was seventy years old and once ranked in the top ten of the Ranking List of Young Masters. He had a good chance of becoming a grandmaster. His grandfather was also a direct descendant. His status was not much lower than Second and Ninth Master Yun, but his strength and potential were greater. For the Yun family, which was closer to the customs of the East Sea, he was the best candidate.
Thirteenth Master Yun was the father of Seventh Lady Yun. Because the family had more men than women, they had very few daughters. Seventh Lady Yun was doted on by Old Master Yun. Thirteenth Master Yun was favored by Old Master Yun. Thirteenth Master Yun was also quite capable. He was fair and tactful, and his strength was not bad either. He had crossed the First Celestial Ladder in his early fifties. For the past ten years, he had been the de facto leader of the family's affairs. He was considered the best candidate for the position of Master Yun.
Hearing Mengqi's question, Madam Baihua giggled. "Ninth Master Yun is forthright and generous. He values relationships and loyalty, especially to his confidantes."
That was all. There was no need to say more!
In the next few days, Madam Baihua and Ying Ning often went out and hid their whereabouts. Mengqi looked on coldly from the sidelines. He was neither impatient nor curious. He focused on his cultivation.
The biggest advantage of reaching the Heaven in one step was that he had a preliminary understanding of the path. The resonance between certain rules of the Inner World and the Outer World was the strongest, which was the closest to the Dharma and Logos. This saved him a lot of time and effort when operating the Dharma Form, interweaving, or integrating the Dharma and Logos. He would not have to take detours and would not encounter bottlenecks. Therefore, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort when crossing the first two Celestial Ladder!
With his Aperture acupoints opened, his Interior activated, and his Dharma Form manifested, Mengqi's surroundings became dark and frightening. Through the changes in his Inner World that interfered with the outside world, he could distinguish and sense the seemingly unchanging rules and comprehend the Dharma and Logos contained within.
Four days later, Madam Baihua knocked on Mengqi's door with Ying Ning.
"You're really patient, Mr. Merciless Tyrant. You didn't ask about the development of Lin Hai, nor did you ask about our arrangements or what we're doing." Madam Baihua looked at Mengqi, who had opened the door calmly with hidden bitterness. His frosty white skin made him seem always calm and unperturbed.
Mengqi glanced at them and said with a chuckle, "I have nothing to do with the Yun family. It doesn't matter to me who becomes the Master. There's no need to worry."
"As for you, Madam, you won't pin your hopes on an outsider like me for such an important matter. I believe you have other helpers. I just need to do what you ask of me. Miss Ying Ning, am I right?"
Ying Ning blushed as he switched between "I" and "I" depending on who he was referring to.
"Madam Baihua brings her along for everything. This girl is not simple …" Mengqi shifted his gaze and looked at Madam Baihua.
"Mr. Merciless Tyrant has fused the Dharma with the Devil Arts. You have an outstanding temperament, "Madam Baihua praised, though it was hard to tell if she was sincere or not." I have something I need your help with today. "
"What is it?" Mengqi turned around and let the two women into the room.
Madam Baihua smiled. "The boy Soul-chasing is looking for has shown up."
"Him?" Mengqi paced to the window with his hands behind his back.
"Yes. Although he's a heterodox, he hasn't committed any evil deeds. He has a wide circle of friends and is friends with many Exterior experts of the orthodox path. That's why he secretly snuck into Lin Hai and met with the Exterior experts of the Tie and Zhu families. He said that Old Master Yun didn't die of natural causes but was assassinated. He asked them to report the matter to Eastsea Sword Village and have them investigate the matter thoroughly before deciding on a Master."
"Old Master Yun was assassinated and didn't die of natural causes?" Although Mengqi looked surprised, he was actually curious. It was easy for him, the "elixir seller", to notice the problem. How did this strange boy know?
Could it be that there were obvious traces at the time? If so, why didn't others see it?
Madam Baihua frowned. "He said that grandmasters have a good grasp of their lifespans and have a premonition when they're nearing the end of their lives. For example, they build a tomb in advance or make funeral arrangements. But why would someone like Old Master Yun suddenly die of natural causes? He didn't appoint a Master and caused the Yun family to fall into a dispute?"
"Maybe someone deliberately destroyed these because it was disadvantageous to himself?" Mengqi raised his suspicions.
His biggest doubt was that no one seemed to know that Old Master Yun had bought two life-prolonging elixirs. It was impossible for him to die of natural causes!
What was going on?
Ying Ning interrupted. "He said he had obtained strong evidence and was waiting for a critical moment to throw it out. That's why the Tie and Zhu families are skeptical."
"What do you want me to do?" Mengqi looked at Ying Ning and asked.
"Please deal with Dark Broadsword, Mr. Tyrant." Madam Baihua smiled again. "But don't kill him. It's best to give him the illusion that he finally escaped after trying his best."
"Dark Broadsword? Don't kill him? "Mengqi walked back with his hands behind his back.
Ying Ning said, "He's always called himself Dark Broadsword, but we don't know his real name."
Madam Baihua smiled charmingly. "What's the use of killing a kid who's just entered the Exterior? We can just scare him and make him think that someone lost his cool and wanted to silence him. It's better to muddy the waters."
"Are you trying to lure him to the others?" Mengqi asked with a faint smile. He wasn't surprised or concerned.
Madam Baihua blinked at Mengqi. "If Mr. Tyrant says so, then so be it."
Mengqi didn't pursue the matter. He chuckled. "Dark Broadsword can evade Soul-chasing and the others. He's not a careless person. How could his whereabouts be so easily exposed?"
The premise of making a move was to find him!
"Someone will naturally reveal his hiding place." Madam Baihua smiled charmingly.
"May I know who it is?" Mengqi asked casually.
"Thirteenth Master Yun." Madam Baihua looked at Mengqi with a smile as if waiting for his surprise.
Mengqi smiled casually. "How unexpected."
How many people in the Yun family are involved with Ying Ning and the suspected Method of Mistress Su?
…
The rain was heavy and early summer was approaching.
Dark Broadsword was dressed in a black robe. He moved as fast as a ghost under the eaves on both sides of the street. Occasionally, he would use his escape technique to change his direction to prevent anyone from following him.
The rain beat down on the stone slabs of the long street, bringing a sense of peace that separated them from the world.
Dark Broadsword slowed down slightly as he recalled his own plan. The mastermind would not be able to sit still when news of the matter spread and would try to silence him. When that time came, he could deliberately spread the news and set up an ambush. That way, he would be able to catch a turtle in a jar. It would be best if he could lure Soul-chasing Demon Monarch and his gang and use them to solve the problem!
In this way, he could resolve the Yun family's matter and his own troubles!
Suddenly, he saw a man walking slowly through the waterfall-like rain. The man was dressed in a green robe and had white hair at his temples. He held an oil-paper umbrella in his hand and looked like a middle-aged scholar strolling in the heavy rain. However, his vicissitudes and elegance were unforgettable.
The moment he saw the man, Dark Broadsword became alarmed. He felt the rain recede, the dark clouds vanish, and the long street disappear. There was only himself and the strangely charming green-robed man in front of him left in the world!
The mastermind?
The heterodox troll?
