The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

Dim lights flickered inside the courtyard of green bricks and black roof tiles. Its west entrance overlooked waters and trees. No one guarded the area despite the firmly shut doors. It was unnervingly tranquil.

With his experience ‘waiting’ for Wolf King, Meng Qi felt no agitation whatsoever and waited patiently for the two mysterious persons to come out. If he could grab hold of the weakness of the Cao family, things might be easier to handle. Jiang Zhiwei shared his thought. How could a person capable of Life-risking Hermetic Training lack patience?

Without accumulating patience and going through various challenges, the sword light, capable of breaking away from its binds and soaring to the heavens, would not exist.

Time slowly passed, bringing with it a northern wind so cold that it could freeze drunkards to death. However, neither the cold nor warmth affected Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei now. They were focused on the black doors of the side entrance.

The doors creaked open, sending a slight tremble through the grand formation of the Cao family. However, the tremor was rapidly quelled with the help of a token.

Cao Tai was finally seeing the two mysterious persons off!

He looked as solemn as if he was doing something of utmost importance.

He sent them off with no more than a nod. He then turned around to enter the courtyard, closing the doors behind him. The two mysterious persons swayed in a wave-like motion before turning into fleeing lights. The lights stuck close to the ground as they wandered. Then, they abruptly vanished outside the Cao family manor.

Meng Qi could detect the remnants of their breaths. His eyes gleamed with a light reminiscent of Golden Lotuses as he traced the tracks of the mysterious persons.

Soon, two dim lights appeared in his pupils. They were moving forward, weaving between the crevices of the bluestone ground. The streets on both sides were crystal clear in his vision, tipping him off that it was the Rosefinch Avenue of Peijing.

Meng Qi made haste out of fear that he would lose track of them. Grabbing Jiang Zhiwei, he fled from their waiting place by relying on the remnants of fire in every kitchen in the area.

Rosefinch Avenue, Golden Ripple Bridge, Yuanren Alley, Eight Companions Lane… The two dim lights made a large detour as they made their way forward indirectly.

Suddenly, the two lights crashed into each other. They bounced toward the two opposing streets respectively and fell into the sewage drains. The lights changed again and made a dash forward.  ( NovelFull )

“No!” Having just learned the basics of mental perception, Meng Qi could not lock onto the silhouettes in time. For a moment, he lost track of those two.

Primogenitor Lingbao’s voice suddenly resounded next to his and Jiang Zhiwei’s ears.

“Hemp Garment Alley.”

“Hemp Garment Alley…” Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei flew toward the place without so much as a doubt. They had just arrived when they saw two dim lights leaping from underneath the bluestone and turning into the mouth of the alley.

Sure enough, a Dharmakaya was well-informed. Sects or aristocratic families without divine weapons, metamorphosis, or magical artifacts would essentially be defenseless against one.

While cautiously yet speedily tracking the two dim lights, Meng Qi noticed them slowing down and then regaining their human form. They quietly entered a courtyard located at the end of the Hemp Garment Alley. The place was the ideal spot to escape as it was close to the crystal clear Jinyi River and accessible from all sides.

The fragrant grasses growing on both sides of the river were wilting. The night was so calm that he could hear the gentle flow of the river.

“Should we just go in and grab someone for an ‘interrogation’?” Meng Qi asked Jiang Zhiwei.

Standing behind him was the one who topped the Celestial Rankings, the number one master among commoners on land. Bold and robust, he possessed a quick and decisive nature.

“But we don’t know what is going on inside or who the mysterious persons are…” Jiang Zhiwei was hesitant.

Jiang Zhiwei, a calm and magnanimous person, was particularly skilled in vying for the frontline with her swordsmanship and not returning until victory was in hand. Given a choice, she would never take the long-winded path in achieving her goals. Meng Qi’s suggestion suited her perfectly, but the Bright Sword was akin to a game of chess. Careful consideration must be made before making a move. They must not recklessly give into their emotions.

Meng Qi thought about the two fleeing lights earlier but before he could analyze them, he heard Primogenitor Lingbao’s telepathic voice again. “It is the Secluded Shadow Escape of the shaman technique.”

“Perhaps someone of esteemed status is pulling the strings. I fear we will attract unnecessary attention if we make a move now. Why don’t you two go and test them? I will wait in the dark to see who shows up.”

“Shaman? What does that have to do with Ba Tu’s death earlier today?” Though stunned, Meng Qi agreed without hesitation. “Okay!”

Ever since Meng Qi found out that Primogenitor Lingbao could conjure the Three Trinity and relied on his strength alone to lay down the Immortal-slaying Sword Formation, he developed a deep confidence in the latter. Even if two Dharmakaya masters were hiding inside the courtyard, he knew the Primogenitor could handle them and help him and Zhiwei out of danger.

If he acted like a coward even with the top master of the Celestial Rankings backing him, he had no right to roam the Jianghu or pursue the path of martial arts. He might as well pack up, go home, and sell sweet potatoes!

Jiang Zhiwei shared his opinion. It was much easier to act with someone backing them. They might as well conceal their breaths and quietly enter through the side entrance.

The best outcome was capturing the mysterious persons alive. Thus, they chose not to go on offense and destroy the courtyard along with its residents.

Upon entering the courtyard, the burbling sound of water faded into the background. It was so serene and dark inside that Meng Qi felt like he was slipping into dreamland.

Sure enough, there was a formation set up in this place!

However, this courtyard was located near a marketplace with considerable foot traffic. These people must conceal their tracks as well. Thus, their formation was a mediocre one that primarily functioned as a warning. They would expose themselves if they used anything else. How could such a formation present an obstacle to Meng Qi who was equipped with Eight Nine Mysteries?

Meng Qi stealthily led Jiang Zhiwei through the formation, eventually coming across a well shrouded in the moonlight and the two mysterious persons. They had taken off their outer robes to reveal two faces with distinctive grassland features.

The situation in the side courtyard nearby also appeared crystal clear on Meng Qi’s mind. This seemed to be a caravan of considerable size, with the majority of its members being grassland dwellers.

Suddenly, the two grassland shamans turned to stare at the spot where Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei sneaked in from. They seemed to have detected danger through the use of certain unique methods.

“Now!” Meng Qi made a prompt decision upon seeing this. The golden glow that enveloped his skin glinted as he dashed toward the two men with large strides.

Black gas appeared in the air and then congealed to form a long serpent. Clusters of “weeds” sprouted from the ground; they seemed capable of entering Meng Qi’s body through the hollow of his feet. The two shamans were slow to respond and could only make a frantic response.

One of the shamans fashioned one hand into a palm print while holding a black cane in his other hand. He sent a palm flying toward Meng Qi through the distant void.

Though the cane looked powerless, it prompted formless Qi to rise all over Meng Qi’s body. When it came into contact with the pale golden glow, it emitted a sizzling noise like that of boiling water.

The Primeval Golden Lotus in his midbrows was instantly triggered to help him block this inexplicable force.

The Damnation Cane Technique of the shaman supreme art!

Meng Qi tore apart the serpent congealed out of black gas that was plaguing him with his bare hands. In the span of time it took to take in a breath, he arrived in front of one of the shamans. Holding a saber in one hand, he displayed Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship and lured his victim into degeneration.

On the other side, Jiang Zhiwei’s sword light was so pure that neither the black gas, weeds, nor curses could come close. The sharp, acute light slashed them into multiple shreds as it crossed the courtyard toward the other shaman’s face.

Both Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei did not go all out in their attacks, lest the mastermind that Primogenitor Lingbao warned them about appear.

Meng Qi’s Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship had stimulated the seven emotional states of the two shamans. Sometimes, they would smile obscenely. At other times, they would put on a dignified mask. Once the swordwill struck them, they would be dumbstruck. Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei were so close to capturing them…

Suddenly, a strange air permeated the void. The airflow around them seemed to dissipate in a flash. The force of the earth and his own strength seemed to disappear along with it.

The bodies of the two shamans began to involuntarily expand, rapidly stretching to form spheres. It was as if their bodies were mere shells that hid their true bodies inside.

Thud!

Before Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei could capture them, they exploded as if they were two inflated bubbles and scattered chunks of flesh everywhere. The shock waves of the Exterior-level explosion devoured every item kept on their bodies.

Meng Qi raised his hand before his midbrows just in time before a chunk of flesh strong enough to smash metal and stone hit him. The strike did not sway Eight Nine Mysteries in the least. It merely caused a dull plopping sound. Jiang Zhiwei’s sword light swirled around her in an upward motion, keeping the flying chunks of flesh away from her.

Only when all the commotion died down, leaving behind only flesh and blood on the ground of the courtyard, did the grassland members of the caravan wake up in fright.

“It seems that someone had done something to their bodies. Moreover, there was a breath that distracted me just now.” Primogenitor Lingbao’s voice pierced their Ear Apertures.

“There’s a breath capable of distracting the Primogenitor while not getting caught?”Meng Qi was stunned. “The culprit should at least be a Half-step to Dharmakaya master, no?”

“It is an unfamiliar breath that disappeared in a flash. Since I was hidden earlier, I couldn’t immediately tell who it was,” Primogenitor Lingbao added.

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei had no time to question the Primogenitor any further. It was crucial to control the situation for now. When they interrogated the grassland caravan, they realized the members were all upright and proper smugglers. Though there were decent masters with enlightened Apertures among their ranks, no one was aware that their two business partners were shamans.

Back at the inn, Meng Qi was frowning as he asked, “Is the Cao family colluding with the grassland shamans?”

“Considering their status, resources, and the like, they have absolutely no need to rely on outsiders.” Jiang Zhiwei did not quite believe this possibility.

“It could be a simple collaboration over a particular matter. When profit is involved, one can even work with enemies.” Meng Qi was of the opinion that seeing was believing.

Primogenitor Lingbao listened to their conversation silently as if he was pondering the death of the two shamans. He seemed to have detected a clue and was using it to make a conjecture about the owner of that breath.

Meng Qi continued, “Whatever the case, I am sure the Cao family is involved in the death of the two shamans. Their guilt will cloud their judgment. This will aid in the implementation of our plan and help us enter the forbidden land of Earth Fairy Lake.”

“It would be even better if we can determine the reason behind their collaboration.” Primogenitor Lingbao’s tone was often imbued with a layer of solemnity. He was particularly cautious for he had waged countless wars against the grassland outsiders in his capacity as the leader of the righteous faction of the North Zhou Dynasty.

Meng Qi nodded. Then, a light bulb went off in his head. “There is maybe a way to determine that!”

Since Ba Yan died in the vicinity of Peijing, his master Agula was likely to be hidden in Peijing itself. Perhaps he knew something.

The next day, Meng Qi left the mark of the Wolf-slaying League in several crowded areas of Peijing. He even announced his name and the inn he was currently residing in.

Before listening to the reply of the Cao family, a silhouette stealthily entered the inn and knocked on Meng Qi’s door.

The visitor wore a leather cap atop of a North Zhou Dynasty attire. He looked nervous and uneasy as if he was caught in a desperate situation. It was none other than Agula of the Harisu tribe.

The doors opened, allowing Agula to come face-to-face with a black-robed Meng Qi. His valor and masculinity seemed unchanged. He still looked the same as the man drenched in blood after killing Wolf King in his memory.

“She wants to kill you!” Agula blurted out a hair-raising sentence the moment he met Meng Qi. This was his way of demonstrating his usefulness.

Meng Qi allowed his visitor into the room and asked with a raised eyebrow, “Who?”

He inexplicably thought of the eccentric person of Heaven-destined Temple, Kill-stopping.

Agula looked around cautiously before finally calming down. “Wolf King’s Master, the true Master of the Wolf-slaying League!”

“Speak slower so I can understand you.” Meng Qi feigned ignorance.

Agula smiled wryly. “I would have been in the dark too had I not experienced it myself. Basically, Wolf King’s Master is Saren Gaowa of the Haoyue clan.”

“Haoyue clan?” Meng Qi was aware of this clan. It was the chief tribe of the grassland, second only to the Huangjin clan. Several decades ago, Gu Erduo’s abrupt rise to power led to the extermination of the clan. He did not expect there to be surviving descendants.

Agula nodded. “The Haoyue clan seeks a revival and subversion of the Huangjin clan. They have been secretly expanding their influence. Saren Gaowa was born before the extermination of the clan. It was said that neither sunlight nor moonlight was seen on the day of her birth. Packs of wolves whistled wretchedly and plants within hundred miles grew wildly. All the rats in the vicinity met a sudden death. Her birth was considered a ‘disaster’ and that made her the hope of the Haoyue clan.”

“Later on, she encountered a Chance that expedited her growth. Even so, she was forced to go into hiding due to the powerful Huangjin clan. She somehow adopted Wolf King, who was abandoned by his pack of wolves, and imparted martial arts to him.”

“Saren Gaowa disappeared nearly a decade ago, prompting suspicion that the Huangjin clan had assassinated her. Her subordinate then used Wolf King as bait and established the Wolf-slaying League to establish a land-wide information network.”

“I see…” Meng Qi said pensively as Kill-stopping Cultivator’s face and her elegantly-shaped eyebrows surfaced on his mind.

Agula panted, regaining his breath before saying, “Saren Gaowa made a sudden return after you killed Wolf King. She bears a deep grudge against you. She has been spending the past few years going in and out of the Central Plains; it seems that she has been trying to track you down!”