Chapter 154 Dangerous Monsters

"Master, what's going on?"

The usually taciturn Lao Wu was the first to notice Ning Mingmei's abnormality.

With everyone's attention, Ning Mingmei just put his chopsticks on the edge of the bowl and said, "Nothing."

Among all the people, only Lao Wu noticed that Ning Mingmei's lips curled slightly. It's hard to say whether that arc is a cold mockery or a secret pleasure of watching the fun.

In the blink of an eye, several people had entered the Wen family's courtyard. The door of the Wen family was not locked tightly, which showed that the owner left in a hurry.

"What is that that thatched shed in the yard?" Old Twenty-Five asked curiously.

"It's the toilet." said Old Seventeen.

Sometimes, the embarrassment caused by differences in background is hidden and often occurs in the details. For example, several disciples in this trip have been practicing fasting for many years and have not heard of this term for a long time. Not to mention Jiang Yourong and Ye Yufei, who came from aristocratic families. They had never seen such a place since they were little.

It is no wonder that there are always people in this world who think that those who practice Taoism are no longer considered “human beings”. As many immortal cultivators also believe, mortals who are born and die every day like insects are not considered "human beings".

For a moment, all the disciples showed embarrassment on their faces, except Duan Ying, who lowered her eyes with a complicated expression. All the disciples suddenly scattered like sparks, each going their own way to look for their own clues.

They were never ready to reveal their origins to each other.

Ning Mingmei has been standing in the corner of the yard with his hands folded since just now. Seeing Duan Ying approaching him, he finally spoke: "I didn't expect Wen Siheng's home to be like this?"

The girl said, "I just feel like the number isn't right."

"Um?"

"Over the years, the money that Wen Siheng got from the peak master...even if there was some loss, the Wen family is, after all, spending the money of the fairy world in the mortal world. There is really no need for them to live in a courtyard like this." said the girl.

Ning Mingmei raised his eyebrows. He stared at the girl with some admiration in his eyes: "If it's just for living, of course it won't cost so much. I pay Wen Siheng every two weeks, but he hardly ever saves a penny. Guess where the money goes?"

Duan Ying was obviously confused.

"One is to prolong life. The other is to seek immortality." Ning Mingmei uttered four words, "Since the Wen family has produced Wen Siheng, why can't they produce another Wen Sihui and Wen Siyuan? Mother Wen spent all her money on improving the qualifications of these two."

This is the composition of the Wen family’s population.

Father Wen and his younger brother and sister-in-law died unexpectedly on their way to do business. Wen's mother felt obliged to take care of the only orphan from Wen's father's younger brother's family - Wen Siheng's cousin Wen Siyuan. From then on, she raised her three children alone and lived on her expenses. Wen Siheng had to go out to work at a young age to support his younger sister and brother. Later, Wen Siheng entered the Qingji Sect, and the news that "the Wen family has a disciple of the Qingji Sect" spread throughout the streets and alleys. Wen Siheng is the shadow of Qingji Sect, but he is the pride of the Wen family.

And the pillar of the Wen family.

So this is another thing that the children of aristocratic families in the world of immortal cultivation cannot understand: the children of aristocratic families have no shortage of resources, and even if their parents and clansmen do not have spiritual roots, they have all undergone body training that ordinary people can do, and can take elixirs that prolong life. But Wen Siheng is different. His mother and siblings are all mortals. Twenty years is just a blink of an eye in a cave for immortal cultivators, but for ordinary people, it is the difference between life and death like a surging river.

Most young people have the dream of achieving success and serving their families. But cultivating immortality is different from being an official in the human world. Being an official in the human world is quick and efficient, and your family will be able to enjoy all the wealth and honor very quickly. It is truly the fastest way to realize the value of "treating children as an investment."

As for cultivating immortals?

Traditional thinking holds that immortal cultivators have more good things. But they are descendants of immortal cultivation families, not outsiders who have broken in here. Practitioners from poor families often don't even have time to take care of themselves, and by the time they become capable late-stage foundation-building practitioners, more than a hundred years have already passed. Not to mention getting any reward in their lifetime, their loved ones have long since turned into dust.

Therefore, when Wen Siheng first joined Qingji Sect, he worked three jobs and scraped together money to send back home so that his mother, sister and brother could buy elixirs to prolong their lives. After he became a disciple in the foundation-building stage, a new challenge arose: his sister and brother also wanted to practice Taoism.

But the qualifications are insufficient.

Wen Siheng's sister has three mixed spiritual roots. His younger brother's qualifications were even worse, almost nonexistent. Very few sects are willing to accept two such disciples. What's more, they have their brother Wen Siheng as a role model - no matter from which angle, they don't want to join a lower-rate sect.

In order to improve their spiritual roots, my sister and brother are always seeking various methods. This journey of seeking was accompanied by the advice of Wen's mother. Things that improve your physical condition are the most expensive. A handful of gold thrown down is like a drop of gold into the sea. The path to improving spiritual roots is a melting pot. Wen Siheng's monthly allowance was burned in handfuls, but to no avail.

He also had no way to let his family enter the Qingji Sect through the back door. How could an ordinary disciple have such ability?

People's hearts are bound to be fickle.

According to the wonton stall, Wen Siheng's younger brother ran away from home a few years ago, and it is said that he finally found a sect willing to accept him. From then on, Wen Siheng's sister went out earlier and came back later, looking everywhere for ways to improve her spiritual roots.

"...So that's how it is." Duan Ying looked at the dilapidated courtyard and said softly, "But since Wen Siheng's brother can get what he wants, I think this is not hopeless."

"Maybe that's not the case." Ning Mingmei said.

Unconsciously, Ye Yufei had walked to Ning Mingmei's side and listened to him carefully. In response to Duan Ying's doubts, Ning Mingmei asked, "Look at the house in this courtyard. How many partitioned rooms and beds are there?"

"...Four rooms and three beds." Duan Ying said, but was puzzled.

The disciples gradually gathered around and listened carefully to Ning Mingmei's explanation.

Ning Mingmei always seemed to have such an extremely intelligent reasoning ability.

"There are three beds. One is for Wen's mother, one is for Wen Sihui, and one is for Wen Siheng." Ning Mingmei said, "Wen Siheng is a wanderer away from home. He rarely returns to Xiangyang City for several years. But he also has his own bed. So, what about Wen Siyuan's bed?"

As they were both studying away from home, there was no reason for the Wen family to only keep a bed for Wen Siheng but not for Wen Siyuan.

and.

"This is the fourth room." Ning Mingmei said, "There used to be a bed here. But now it is full of sundries and a big box."

"this……"

Everyone is still confused. But Ye Yufei thought of something, and her eyes widened in an instant: "What the Peak Master means is..."

Ning Mingmei tapped the window paper with his fingers.

"Wen Siyuan has passed away." He spat out the cruel truth from his lips, "The life span of mortals is limited after all. Moreover, in order to practice, he may have used many methods that hurt his body, which further destroyed his health."

What is displayed in this room are Wen Siyuan's relics.

And this is the fate of mortals without talent.

Wen's mother and sister carefully kept the lie that "Wen Siyuan had gone out to study" to the outside world. Judging from what the wonton stall owner said, they did not tell Wen Siheng the truth.

But Wen Siheng might have known it a long time ago. I would rather be confused.

For example, during the first group meeting, Wen Siheng told him: "I only have an old mother and a younger sister at home."

Wen's mother and the three siblings should have had the closest relationship. They worked together to get through the difficult times, but they hid the matter from each other, not knowing that they had already known it to each other.

The disciples were dumbfounded. They simply didn't understand how Ning Mingmei could discover such a profound truth from just a subtle clue and a single inquiry. Jiang Yourong finally asked, "Then, then Master, where should we go to find our senior brother?"

Ning Mingmei used his fingers to pry open the window paper and looked into the dim room.

"If this is the case, things may be worse than we thought." Ning Mingmei said, "Wen Siheng's next paper is about to be published. At this critical juncture, he did not stay at Piaomiao Peak to wait for the review comments, but came here to take a leave to visit his family. How can a student be so confident that his paper will not be rejected? This shows that Wen Siheng must have found some clues - an emergency that made him run back rather than publish this co-first-author paper to me."

We have to find Wen Siheng as soon as possible. Ning Mingmei didn't want to revise the manuscript himself according to the review comments.

The room had been empty for a long time, and a thin layer of dust had accumulated in it. Ning Mingmei did not see Wen Siheng's sword in his bedroom, but he saw Wen Siheng's luggage.

Wen Siheng took his sword with him as well, and was in such a hurry that he only took the sword with him.

The disciples were excited.

"This matter must be related to the qualifications of the eldest brother and sister. Otherwise, the eldest brother would not be so anxious."

"But there has been no news from Wen Siheng for just a few days. His sister is only in the Qi training stage and can't go far." Ye Yufei raised her doubts, "Some time ago, the owner of the wonton stall saw the three of them here. Later in the morning, it was Wen Siheng's sister and her friends who left first. When Wen Siheng came back in the evening and heard about this, his face changed drastically and he immediately chased after them. So, if there really is a disaster, the place where it happened won't be too far away from Xiangyang City."

"As everyone knows, the Lingfeng Sect has been rooted near Xiangyang City for many years. After all, the Lingfeng Sect is the second largest sword-cultivating sect in the world. How could there be a major disaster that dares to start a movement in Xiangyang City? And there is no way that the Lingfeng Sect didn't notice it!" Old Seventeen's mind worked quickly.

Jiang Yourong said, "That's right. Master, should we ask someone from Lingfeng Sect?"

After she said this, she felt something was wrong.

As everyone knows, there is an old feud between the Qingji Sect and the Lingfeng Sect. The Lingfeng Sect is now celebrating the birthday of its leader. What should they do if they find an excuse to reject their visit, or just use the excuse of being busy with the birthday banquet as an excuse to not give them any information?

I think the people from Lingfeng Sect would be happy to see them get into trouble and make a fool of themselves.

"It is indeed related to Lingfeng Sect. Even if Wen Siheng's matter has nothing to do with Lingfeng Sect, Qingji Sect's presence in Xiangyang City is also related to Lingfeng Sect." Ning Mingmei suddenly looked at Ye Yufei, "You came here on the orders of Master Bai Feng to check on Qingji Sect's enrollment in Xiangyang City, right?"

Ye Yufei was stunned and blurted out: "Master Ning, why..."

"Two parts of this matter are related to Mu Hanshan." Ning Mingmei threw out another sentence.

Mu Hanshan, who was standing next to him, was also stunned. He listened to Ning Mingmei continue: "The first part is that in the past few decades, Qingji Sect has not recruited even one qualified disciple in Xiangyang City for a long time. Wen Siheng does not count - because at that time no one thought that Wen Siheng would test his qualifications. No one took a young boy who was washing clothes seriously. And if it weren't for that old man, Wen Siheng would not know that he had the qualifications, and would not have gone for the test at the last minute after his several encouragements. Therefore, no one stopped him at that time."

The old man that Ning Mingmei was talking about was the old Taoist priest that Wen Siheng had talked to Ning Mingmei about before, who died in a dilapidated temple and wasted his whole life trying to enter the Qingji Sect.

Was the reason why the old Taoist priest finally came to Xiangyang City because he saw that in the past hundred years, no disciple from Xiangyang City had been admitted by Qingji Sect? So, he thought that the competition environment here might be relaxed, so he came here specifically to take a look?

And if you think about it more deeply, why did the old Taoist priest die in Xiangyang City instead of earlier or later?

Mu Hanshan was stunned after hearing this. Ning Mingmei said: "The second part is about the murderous ghost in Mu Hanshan's maternal grandfather's farm. How could such a ghost wreak havoc in an area that should have been guarded by the Lingfeng Sect? How could it not be killed until Chang Feichang took action?"

Moreover, after Chang Feichang took action, the relationship between Lingfeng Sect and Qingji Sect further deteriorated. What is the hidden story behind this?

"...It sounds like the water here is very deep." Jiang Yourong said.

The weather changes. Jiang Yourong looked at the dark courtyard and suddenly shuddered.

Only Ye Yufei was very anxious.

"Master Ning Feng, what should we do?"

She came here originally to supervise - to represent the head to check the enrollment situation of Xiangyang City and monitor the disciples who were responsible for recruiting new disciples. But she didn't expect that although this matter seemed straightforward, the part rooted in the soil was actually a complex and intertwined one.

Ning Mingmei said: "The rest is not important. What is important is that Lingfeng Sect's birthday banquet should actively invite us as guests."

What's the reason for this?

"There is a difference between taking the initiative to come and being invited. Especially between our two sects which have a delicate relationship. The latter will allow us to have more control." Ning Mingmei said.

"Then what should we do to be invited?" Jiang Yourong asked.

Ning Mingmei said: "Who among you has a locked monster in your demon-locking bag?"

Everyone:?

Ning Mingmei: "Let it out and let it wreak havoc outside the city. When all the harm to the citizens is over, we will help them. In this way, the citizens will rely more on our protection. We will also become famous and receive invitations from the Lingfeng Sect."

Then they questioned us about copying their methods and infringing their intellectual property rights...tsk.

Disciples: ...

You have to be kidding me.

"Actually, it's not." Ning Mingmei said to the system, "It's a pity that all the monsters in my bag were captured by Xuezhu as experimental materials! Otherwise, I would just release them quietly by myself."

System: "So are you listening to me carefully?"

Ning Mingmei suddenly narrowed his eyes and smiled.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly in his smile, revealing a bit of cunning and shrewdness.

"Fortunately, if you want to create chaos, I don't need to put a monster in this city myself. There is already a monster that thinks it is dangerous and is acting on its own in this city."

Ning Mingmei said softly.

System: “Ah?”

The system was stunned. Before it finished speaking, the noise on the street outside the courtyard had become so loud that it could no longer be ignored.

Originally, the streets outside were extremely noisy. However, the disciples were concentrating on listening to Ning Mingmei's reasoning and had no time to care about what was happening outside. But now, in addition to the noise and pushing outside, there was also the "clang" of a large copper pot falling heavily to the ground, the splashing of boiling water, and the wailing of frightened horses.

"Oh no!" someone screamed, "Lian Xuan's horse is frightened, it——"

The sound of hoarse hooves, accompanied by screams from the crowd and the sound of things being knocked aside, rang out simultaneously. Beneath that, there was a gentle voice that pretended to be tense and solemn.

A very gregarious, excellent voice.

"Cousin Yang, you guys stay here first. Lian Xian, Lian Kuang, come with me to chase him. We are all from the Lian family. We must rescue Lian Xuan!"

In the panic, his voice was like the backbone of everyone, and he achieved his goal in an instant.

"It sounds pretty dangerous."

The system heard Ning Mingmei speaking as if it didn't matter.

"What do you think of Lian Xuan's situation?" the system speculated.

"No." Ning Mingmei said, "I'm not talking about him."