918 The Furnace (1/2)
The stars were so bright that they made the moon look dim. The shadows of the trees were dancing in the wind like demons.
Under the moonlight, a person in a green robe was holding a long blade while walking on the road.
Although he was going to do something that risked his life, he felt that it was worth it because he had already experienced a great deal throughout the twenty years in the Jiang Hu.
...
When Meng Qi arrived at the Samsara Square, the statues of mythical creatures, the white-jade floor tiles, the misty surroundings, and the Central Light Pillar had come into his sight. All of them looked so familiar as he had been here many times.
However, the state of mind of Meng Qi was no longer the same as before - he was neither feeling tense nor excited. He was just looking at this place quietly.
Since the Tree of Da Dao had been retrieved, there was no need to exchange anything else.
Just then, a light pillar surrounded by mist appeared. Zhao Heng, wearing a bright yellow imperial robe, was stepping out of the pillar. He had a black mustache above his lips. Looking like a real emperor, his aura was far more mature and dignified than before. In fact, he looked like a totally different person from ten years ago.
When Zhao Heng saw Meng Qi, he was neither surprised nor curious. Instead, he grinned and walked up to Meng Qi with big steps. Raising his right hand, he clenched it into a fist and moved it closer to Meng Qi.
Although the look in Meng Qi's eyes was still filled with a sense of dispiritedness, his expression was obviously softened. Smiling a little, he gave Zhao Heng a fist bump.
Bump!
”Finally, we can fight together again!” Zhao Heng drew back his hand and said with a smile. He asked nothing about the things that happened to Meng Qi in the past ten years.
Everyone seemed to have changed a lot with the passage of time. Zhao Heng, in particular, had become more calm and mature.
Meng Qi was about to say something when two other pillars fell from the sky. Jiang Zhiwei, wearing an light-yellow dress, was holding a longsword. Showing a bright smile, she was as still and confident as before. She seemed to be the only one who did not change much, probably due to her considerable experience in dealing with life-or-death situations that made her a strong and determined person.
Ruan Yushu, on the other hand, looked like she was still in her twenties. Having her hair tied in a bun, she was wearing an elegant white dress and carrying an ancient zither. She was as graceful as a fairy who had come down to the earth. However, the innocent look in her eyes had disappeared completely. With a fairy-like aura, it was as though she was going to leave the world of mortals at anytime to fly up to the Ninth Heaven.
She took a look at Meng Qi. After noticing his white sideburns, there was a mixed expression on her face.
Without saying anything, she kept the Phoenix-Perching Zither and took out a food container gracefully. Then, she went to Meng Qi, squatted down slowly, put the container on the ground, and opened the lid. Throughout the process, she did not look up at all. Then, she spoke in a soft and melodious voice,
”The Cloudy Date Cake… The Dragon Claw… Monster-crab soup… Stewed bamboo sprout… The Five Tastes of Dragon-Fish…”
Ruan Yushu took out the dishes one by one and placed them in front of Meng Qi.
Feeling in peace, Meng Qi watched her present the dishes while listening to her voice attentively.
”Last time, I treated you to all these delicacies,” Ruan Yushu looked at Meng Qi with bright eyes while biting her lips unknowingly. ”But this time around, I made them all by myself.”
Meng Qi touched his lips with his right fist and closed his eyes. After a while, he opened his eyes, sat cross-legged on the ground, and tasted the food with chopsticks.
”The Cloudy Date Cake is newly-baked today. Compared with those that are kept in the formation, it is more fresh and natural. That's why it still smells good now…”
”The Dragon Claw is very crispy. If you eat it after the Cloudy Date Cake, it will taste even better…”
”As for the monster-crab soup, I've taken out the crab mustard, and cooked it along with two turtles…”
The voice of Ruan Yushu was full of joy. Standing next to her, Jiang Zhiwei and Zhao Heng looked at her with a smile. She has trained her cooking skill for ten years. How could anyone possibly belittle her effort?
Meng Qi was tasting the food slowly and appreciatively. Eventually, he finished all the dishes.
”They definitely taste better than last time,” praised Meng Qi in a serious tone while putting down the bamboo chopsticks.
Ruan Yushu gave him a smile, and a dimple appeared beside her mouth.
Since Meng Qi and his teammates already possessed a lot of items after completing so many Samsara Missions, they did not need to exchange their good deeds for items anymore. Instead, they were going to save up their good deeds in preparation for the special mission of a Heavenly Weapon, or for the penalty of failing a mission.
Four of them were sitting cross-legged. As Jiang Zhiwei shared about the interesting experiences they had in the previous missions, Zhao Heng and Ruan Yushu were making some comments occasionally. The atmosphere was peaceful.
Just when Meng Qi thought that this precious moment would last longer, he saw a light in front of his eyes. At the same time, he heard the apathetic voice of the Master of the Six Dao of Samsara.
”After the fall of the Heavenly Court and the death of Gautama Buddha, the Demonic Sage - who has made a breakthrough in the realm - had led a team of great sages and demon fairies to invade the Spirited Mountain that is located at the core of the Buddhist Sect of Amidism. Thousands of Buddhas and demons had lost their lives in this war. Only the Demonic Sage and a few people from the Spirited Mountain managed to make an escape. Since then, the Spirited Mountain has been mostly destroyed, and the Buddhist Sect of Amidism has been hidden. They are nowhere to be found.”
”Main mission: Return to the Spirited Mountain to search for the great sages and demon fairies. A mission success will result in a reward of fifteen thousand good deeds. A failure to complete the mission will result in a deduction of the same amount of good deeds.”
”Side mission: Investigate the truth behind the war of the Spirited Mountain in the past. You will be rewarded an Immortal Pill of Good Fortune if the mission is completed. However, no punishment will be given if you fail to complete it.”
As soon as the voice faded away, Meng Qi and his teammates found that they were inside a Grand Hall that was dark and dilapidated. The crumbling hall seemed to be a result of age and man-made destruction. Although they could see a table in front of them, there was nothing on top of it.
”This is the Grand Hall that once had the Green Lamp of Buddha…” Jiang Zhiwei had figured out where they were.