Chapter 71, Chapter 71: The Girl?

On the other side

Below the Cliff of Repentance, a slender figure swung his sword upwards. The silver sword in his hand moved like a dragon's tail, soaring straight into the sky. With a light leap and turn, the boy's entire upper body suddenly bent downwards, and the tip of the sword collided with the cliff face, revealing a scarlet flame.

A white-haired young man sat quietly to the side, his ears twitching slightly.

Suddenly, he said:

"Too slow."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sword in the boy's hand came to an abrupt halt. His toes touched the ground, and the long sword in his hand, having been pulled back too quickly, backfired, cutting a bloody gash on his handsome and elegant face.

Still unable to control the sword, Meng Youhui's face flushed red. "Yes."

Xu Zhao, who was standing far away, found this scene cruel and whispered to the person next to him, "Isn't that too harsh? Even the sword intent of regret has emerged. To possess sword intent at such a young age is already a genius."

Bu Wang first glanced at the distance between them, then at the barrier enveloping them, making sure the other party couldn't hear him before agreeing, "That's right, the sect leader is too strict with his own child."

He paused, then pondered for a moment, "I remember when the sect leader was this age, he seemed to have not only sword intent, but also his own Dao."

"Having sword intent is already good enough. Someone like Senior Brother is a genius; there hasn't been one like him in tens of thousands of years." Xu Zhao sighed. "Perhaps we had too high expectations."

No one dares to mention what happened hundreds of years ago, but those images are deeply etched in everyone's minds and cannot be forgotten—since then, the Immortal Lord has been blind, yet he stubbornly killed Leng Dandan with his own hands, facing Xu Jinan's desperate killing intent and the encirclement and suppression by the elders.

There were also those who, despite having just taken over as sect leader and whose foundations and influence were unstable, managed to carve out a path through a sea of ​​blood.

No one can describe the scene at that time; it just felt like the god of death had descended upon the world.

After that, the Immortal Lord, with his hair turned white overnight, plunged into the Six Realms to search for that person's figure.

For a time, the sect was leaderless, and many outer disciples were planning to pack their bags and join other sects.

Unexpectedly, the immortal lord returned at this time, bringing with him a child, whom he claimed was his own child, named Youhui.

This news caused an uproar. No one would doubt the relationship between the Immortal Lord and that person, but where did this child come from?

It wasn't that no one suspected that the child was just randomly adopted, but as Youhui grew up day by day and his features became more and more similar to the Immortal Lord's, no one questioned it anymore.

Now, several hundred years have passed. Youhui has long since grown into a handsome young man, while the Immortal Lord has become more and more composed, and also more and more lifeless.

When dealing with matters within the sect, he's fine when he's talking, but once he falls silent, the atmosphere becomes so cold it freezes you in place.

Just like now.

The long silence left Meng Youhui somewhat at a loss. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, bowed his head, and clasped his hands in greeting, "Please enlighten me, Father."

Upon hearing the word "father," Meng Ji abruptly turned to the side, the ribbons of his white veil swaying in a considerable arc. His lips were pressed tightly together, and his body trembled slightly. His thin frame resembled a butterfly with broken wings in the wind, ready to fall at any moment.

After a long pause, he said in a hoarse voice, "Your sword shows no fear."

The path with pebbles was like flat ground for Meng Ji. In just a few steps, he stood in front of Meng Youhui and pointed his finger directly at several of Meng Youhui's acupoints. "Your sword strikes are too sharp and your moves are too wide and sweeping. You have exposed vital points such as Zhongfu, Lianquan, and Tanzhong."

"These will give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage in future battles. If the other party is patient and reserved, they can easily turn the tables on you at the last moment."

"As if standing on the edge of an abyss, as if treading on thin ice."

"Only by not underestimating anyone can you protect your loved ones."

The white veil covered most of Meng Ji's face, making it impossible to see his true emotions, but the taut lips beneath his straight nose still betrayed some of his inner helplessness.

Meng Youhui didn't know why his father was so helpless. The deep self-blame made him feel even more ashamed. He glanced at Meng Ji, quietly straightened his posture, and imitated his father's demeanor. "Yes, Father, I will pay attention."

"Okay, let's practice some more."

This training session usually lasted until late at night. Meng Ji stopped listening, released the barrier, and strolled off. When he passed Xu Zhao, his expression softened. "What happened?"

Xu Zhao quickly straightened his expression and said, "Master, we have captured a lot of demons at the mountain gate recently. There is a possibility that the demon realm is making a comeback."

Xu Zhao wasn't particularly gifted; he believed his rise from an outer disciple to the sect leader's personal apprentice was solely due to his loyalty, hence his exceptional dedication to matters concerning Buzhou Mountain. Since the matter involved several realms, such important matters couldn't be discussed outside, so the group headed towards the Immaculate Pavilion.

However, Meng Ji paused for a moment, "Come to Wugou Pavilion after you finish practicing your swordsmanship."

The current strictness is so extreme that even describing it as wishing one's son to become a dragon would be an exaggeration. When he arrived at Wugou Pavilion, Xu Zhao was still in shock. "Master, aren't you being too strict?"

Anyone else would not have dared to say that, but since his master had never spoken harshly to him, Xu Zhao dared to say a few more words. And because his words were from the bottom of his heart, Meng Ji was not angry.

He still treated Xu Zhao differently.

"Too slow, his speed is too slow." After saying this ambiguously, Meng Ji did not intend to say more. He picked up the book on the desk and prepared to assign Meng Youhui the homework for the evening.

Seeing this, Xu Zhao stopped the conversation, saying, "The Demon Realm's invasion this time may be related to the theft of the Original Mirror."

"Oh?" Meng Ji paused his movements slightly, but after a moment, he said without changing his expression, "The Mirror of Origin has been left untouched for hundreds of years. Why do you want to take it now?"

Speaking of this, Xu Zhao gritted his teeth, "It's all because of that storyteller who spouted nonsense in the world, saying that you have an illegitimate son who will pass the position to him, that you will retire from the world, and that you will take the Suyuan Mirror with you."

Rumors stop with the wise, but there are too many fools in the world. As true and false news spread, not only the Demon Realm but also the other factions secretly harbored treacherous intentions. It's just that the Eight Great Sects act more covertly, and Xu Zhao is too young to notice yet.

What Xu Zhao couldn't think of, others might not be unable to think of.

After a moment's thought, Meng Ji said, "Come with me to see this storyteller first thing tomorrow morning."

next day

The Banbu Dian Inn was bustling with activity.

Because the storyteller's tale was so captivating, and happened to stop at the climax, the inn's tables and chairs were full early in the morning.

For some reason, I've been coming to Yaojin every day for the past few days.

She was generous and, being a woman, despite her only pretty face, received preferential treatment among the men, with the restaurant reserving a seat for her every day.

The others crowded together, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the storyteller.

Meng Ji arrived just then, carrying the imperial edict. He disguised himself by changing his hair color to black.

The smell of humans mixed with the smell of demons made the lobby smell foul and noisy. Meng Ji frowned slightly and walked straight to a corner.

"Miss, are you waiting for someone?"

The area was bustling with people. A waiter carrying a tray kept shouting "Excuse me!" while people at the next table yelled, "Where's the wine?" The cacophony of voices made the place seem particularly lively and vibrant, making the emotionless question seem utterly insignificant.

But in that instant, distant memories, like a sealed wine jar suddenly opened, made Yao Jin feel somewhat dazed and confused.

She didn't look up, but blinked with her eyelashes lowered, and flicked the candied fruit that had just been served with her fingertips. "No."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Zhao handed her a high-grade spirit stone with a grin, "Shall we share a seat, young lady?"

Yao Jin had considered the possibility of meeting an old friend, but a sudden surge of emotion prevented her from remaining calm as she had envisioned. "No," she thought.

Meng Ji, who had already taken his seat, paused for a moment, then looked up as if sensing something, asking, "Why?"

A high-grade spirit stone, when exchanged for silver, could sustain an ordinary family for a year. Putting aside its monetary value, the spiritual energy contained within the spirit stone also makes it highly sought after by many cultivators; no one should be able to refuse it.

"Why?" Meng Ji turned to face the woman sitting opposite him, his fingers lightly tapping the table. His voice was as gentle as ever, conveying a sense of patient listening.

But he was never the kind of person who would give up without a reason.

Every action and every word has a deeper meaning.

She didn't think it was a good omen, but so what? She still won a hundred years ago, didn't she? Yao Jin curled her lips and leaned back happily.

After a long silence, they gave an impeccable reason: "It's not enough."

Greed is the origin of human desire. Upon hearing the words "not enough," even though Xu Zhao knew this principle, he couldn't help but gasp, "Not enough?"

"Did you know that this one high-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for a thousand low-grade spirit stones, or five hundred mid-grade spirit stones? And that's still not enough. You might have the life to take it, but not the life to spend it..."

"I must issue an edict," Meng Ji stopped him, "and give the young lady ten more coins."

Xu Zhao immediately showed a pained expression. It wasn't that he was stingy or couldn't afford to give, but that hundreds of years had passed, the spiritual energy in the air had become increasingly thin, and the major spiritual veins of the past had long been plundered to the point of having almost nothing left. This undoubtedly cut off the path for most cultivators.

If it weren't for Buzhou Mountain having its own spiritual veins, the disciples in the sect would have stopped their path to immortality long ago.

Now that so many spirit stones have been given to a woman of unknown origin and who is arrogant, Xu Zhao is naturally heartbroken.

Even though it hurt his wallet, he still had to give it to Xu Zhao. He counted the money in his purse, then his gaze suddenly stopped on the table for a moment. He then casually counted out nine, and the spirit stones clattered onto the table with a clear and melodious sound. "Here, ten in total."

The pile of glowing spirit stones immediately attracted everyone's attention. The hall suddenly fell silent for a moment, and the two men with pointed faces at the next table exchanged glances.

It's not uncommon for someone to produce ten high-grade spirit stones at once, but it's not rare either; most of them have powerful backgrounds. So, the restless thoughts were quietly suppressed, and on the surface, the atmosphere in the main hall was once again harmonious. At this moment, the storyteller also stepped onto the stage to perform.

Yao Jin looked at the pile of spirit stones, not very interested, but since she had already spoken, she couldn't very well send him away. On the spot, she gave Xu Zhao face by not exposing his attempt to take advantage of the situation.

The kindness shown by the other party years ago still warms my heart when I think about it now.

Seeing that Yao Jin didn't speak, Meng Ji slowly turned back to his original sitting position. He was a man of few words to begin with, and now that he was quiet again, his thin profile returned to its lifeless appearance.

Listen quietly to the storyteller's words.

With a snap, the gavel fell.

The storyteller cut straight to the point, "To be honest, this immortal lord has done a lot to benefit the people, and his achievements are beyond reproach. But his personal conduct is not very good."

The people below immediately became interested. "What do you mean? Everyone knows about this immortal lord's affair with his wife. How could such deep affection be faked?"

"These things can't be denied, but men are all the same. Otherwise, where would the Immortal Lord's illegitimate children come from?" At this point, the storyteller gave a knowing look.

Although Meng Ji did not hide the fact that he had a child, only the people of Buzhou Mountain knew about it. Now that it has been suddenly announced to the public, it is no less than a thunderbolt falling from a clear sky.

There was an uproar, and the table where Meng Ji was sitting was filled with a clattering sound.

This commotion stirred up a stagnant pool.

Meng Ji tilted his head and asked:

girl?

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels for your continued support, which made it possible for me to enter the VIP section. I'll be updating daily starting from the next ranking list! [starry eyes][starry eyes][starry eyes][starry eyes] Love you all!