636 Many Meetings (1/2)
The Three-clearness Monastery of Langya city was an ordinary Taoist monastery where the common folk nearby would come to offer prayers and burn offerings. The monastery was not aligned with any sects or martial guilds. It was not located in any site of great prominence or significance, yet it was no less popular amongst the residents of the city.
The monastery has only a handful of martial practitioners, wielding powers below the Exterior level, all of whom obliged to Meng Qi's request for accommodations.
With the matters of his lodgings settled, Meng Qi had brewed some tea and was about to take the first sip as he pondered over Ruan Yaoguang's puzzling demeanor earlier when a steward came to his door. The steward reported that the Golden Badge Arrestor of Peng Province, Nie Zhi has come to visit.
”A Golden Badge Arrestor?” Meng Qi was surprised by the sudden visit. He got up immediately and went to the door.
The lands of Jiangdong included both Jiang Province and Peng Province. The city of Langya was the capital of the Peng Province which has a magistrate's court manned by a division of the Six Fan School. The division in Langya was led by a Golden Badge Arrester and his assistant, a Purple-ribbon Arrester, both of whom were in charge of all judicial affairs of the province. The present Golden Badge Arrester was Nie Zhi, a Peerless Master Pro of the Five-fold Heaven.
An Arrester of such caliber equal to Nie Zhi would normally be revered with great respect and esteem. But in the city of Langya, a man of his prowess could easily be overshadowed by the greatness of the Ruan Clan. The Clan itself has more than a handful of kinsmen who possessed powers that could dwarf that of Nie Zhi's with little difficulty. Moreover, the Patriarch of the Ruan Clan was a former Minister of the Political Affairs Hall who still commanded strong respect even within the Imperial Court. Thus, like his colleagues stationed at the cities of Guangling and Yedu, Nie Zhi has always shied away from notice unless needed to with most of his focus on the neighboring Peng Province and other nearby cities.
”Why would he come now to visit me on his own initiative?” Meng Qi walked through the doorway of the courtyard, still puzzled, and saw Nie Zhi waiting for him.
He was an old man with hair white as snow, yet with pretty teeth and a face without any wrinkles, looking youthful and energetic. With a strong laughter, he spoke, ”You are indeed one of the most remarkable of your generation, young nephew. The blow that you unleashed earlier was most astounding that I myself would have avoided its terrifying force if I had been your opponent.”
He was clad in the dark-crimson garb of an Arrestor of the Six Fan School, adorned with threads of gold and a golden badge which hung from his waist. Tall and erect Nie Zhi stood, a man of vim and vigor despite his age.
Meng Qi noticed that his guest had addressed him as ”Nephew”. This made him wonder if his guest was trying to fraternize with him due to the prominence of the Su Clan in the organization of the Six Fan School, or if the matter he had come to discuss was indeed related to the Su Clan. With one hand cupped on the other in respect, Meng Qi bowed and replied, ”You are very modest, Uncle.”
Nie Zhi roared with laughter again, ”On the contrary, I am but an old and feeble man, my boy. Very old indeed.”
As he spoke, he stepped through the entryway into the courtyard. Noticing this, the steward knowingly wandered away.
They took their seats around a stone table in the courtyard. Nie Zhi turned his head around and surveyed the surroundings. A light breeze blew by them. He found nothing was amiss and cast a spell to separate themselves from the outside to prevent any prying ears.
”Your surreptitious departure from your family's residence, the havoc that you have wrought and your silent disappearance for more than a year before your brief re-emergence in Jiangdong has distressed your father and your uncle. They have been terribly worried about your safety. Woe betide if I were to miss you when you have made such a dramatic appearance here.” Nie Zhi spoke with a slightly amused expression.
Meng Qi could not help but feel embarrassed. He was hardly close to his own kin, caring only for Su Ziyue who was related to his uncle on his mother's side. Following the resolution of his incarnation's Karma, he has since never corresponded to any of his kin save for Su Ziyue and Gu Changqing, writing to both of them, giving them guidance and advise on their practice of martial skills.
”I have incurred the wrath of many powerful enemies. It would only be easy for them to ambush and hunt me down if I were to reside permanently there. It is prudent that I keep myself away from home,” Meng Qi answered, choosing his words carefully.
Still, the pretense that he gave has a certain degree of truth to it.
Nie Zhi shook his head and said, ”There are many powerful warriors who watch the capital of Luoyang that evil folks will never dare to trespass its boundaries. It is one of the safest places under all heavens. Why should you be worried about your safety there?”
”Be that as it may, Uncle. There are various security measures set up in the capital that can keep away any evildoers with malicious intent that not even a powerful warrior of the Dharmakaya level would dare brashly provoke. But that is only so under normal circumstances. The outcome can be completely different if one were to deliberately make an attempt on my life in a suicidal endeavor. No security measures, defenders or guards in the capital will amount to anything against such tenacious will to take my life. My life is in constant peril.” Meng Qi was reminded of the previous attempt on his life during his stay in Luoyang. ”And I have more than a handful of enemies that are capable of fielding such talents.”
”Because of the affair involving The Buddha's Palms?” Nie Zhi asked with a hint of interest.
”Moreover, I have incurred the irk of almost every factions within the Nine Evil Path except for the Changsheng Denomination. And I have managed to anger a few of them at more than one occasion, namely Han Guang, the Evil Master. If he had known that I was the one who have, more than once, thwarted his evil plans, he would have long came to claim my life personally...” Meng Qi reflected silently on his inseverable kismet with the evil folks of the Jianghu.
”One way or the other.” Meng Qi replied dismissively. He asked his guest instead, ”Do you have news from my family?”
”All is well with the health of all your elders; your grandmother, your father, and your uncle. Despite the loss of your father's dukeship, the name of the Eight Distinguished Super Arrestors still commands certain respect and keeps any scoundrels at bay.” Nie Zhi knowingly avoided mentioning the name of Ke Weilan, conveniently hinting that she was also fine.
He paused briefly before he continued, ”Your father, however, seems to be slightly dispirited since the ordeal. He reads a lot of scriptures and sutras lately.”
Meng Qi nodded gently and asked, ”What of my sister?”
”With the devastating ordeal that your family has gone through, little Ziyue has shed much of her youthful immaturity. She has been working hard and has made good progress.” Nie Zhi said approvingly.
Meng Qi and Nie Zhi continued their exchanges like a true uncle catching up with his nephew.
”What do you know of my family's response to my quiet departure?” At the end of their discussion, Meng Qi could not help but ask.
Nie Zhi replied with a weak smile, ”Your father said that you are a free spirit who needs to soar.”
”A free spirit? Is he hinting that I am 'one who does not sit quietly'...” Meng Qi did not answer. He only giggled wryly in return.
They concluded their small talk and Nie Zhi put on a solemn expression. ”There is another matter which has compelled my visit today, dear nephew.”
”Pray relate, Uncle.” Meng Qi had expected that his guest was hardly here for a trivial family talk.
Nie Zhi stroked his white beard as he spoke, ”I would like to ask you to help us and supply us with information on the Ruan Clan's campaign against the Blue-blooded People.”
His words seemed to imply his confidence in Meng Qi's relationship with the Ruan Clan.
”But I am afraid that the deeper specifics of their plans might not be convenient to be revealed,” Meng Qi grimaced at the conundrum.
Nie Zhi shook his head. ”The matter is not of my personal interest. But, as the administrator of the local Six Fan School office, it is my duty to keep myself abreast of everything in case anything turns ugly.”
With a noble pretense to start, Nie Zhi continued again, ”For days, the Ruan Clan has assumed a low profile while they have been trying to divine the whereabouts of the lair of the Blue-blooded People. The only movements that we have observed from the clan were the grandmasters of their kin that were sent out to investigate their findings. The lack of information is most vexing.”
”At the same time, there are also several other peculiarities. The Master of the Wang Clan has been taking up residence with the Ruan Clan since he arrived days ago with the Book of Luo, but the Young Master Wang lodges in a Buddhist temple on a hill east of this city and he has kept himself entirely away from the whole affair. On the other hand, He Jiu, the Shapeless Sword and a few of his men are the only other reinforcements that have arrived from the Eastsea Sword Village...”
Nie Zhi finally came to an earnest plea after his long oratory. ”I will understand if the information you procure is sensitive and is pertinent to the success of the endeavor, which you may deem unfit to be exposed. I will never begrudge you for it.”
”I will try my best, Uncle.” Meng Qi thought of Ruan Yaoguang's puzzling demeanor. With rising interest and curiosity, Meng Qi decided to find out more.
Meng Qi already had the perfect candidate that would provide him with answers: the Young Master of the Wang Clan, Wang Siyuan!
Some people have tendencies to ”kill and mutilate themselves” while Wang Siyuan, affectionately dubbed as ”Trickster Wang” by Meng Qi, has an inclination to ”take things too far”. He has always suffered from unstable mental conditions. Thus, Meng Qi decided that he would rely on one of Wang Siyuan's fits where the latter might provide sound advice for Meng Qi to ”break the stalemate” of his calculations.