Chapter 120: The Nine Impermanences
In Liuxian Temple, Wang Suqing apparently heard Song Yuqu's words through the door. She was stunned at first, and then an expression of understanding appeared on her face.
"I see..." The past flooded back to her mind, and she chuckled bitterly, "Brother, you were the one who said we should eradicate it completely, but you're also the one who regretted it at the last minute."
Bai Jingze and Wang Lingqi looked at each other in shock, "What does this mean? How is it related to the Zhao family?"
Wang Suqing lowered her eyelashes, her mind drifting away for a moment. She recalled that night over ninety years ago, during a thunderstorm, when a man leaning on a sword appeared outside Qingcheng Temple. The lightning and thunder illuminated his fierce profile and the soaked swaddling clothes he held in one hand.
"Junior sister, I have no one to trust, so I want to entrust him to you temporarily."
The young and energetic Taoist Lingsu, holding a long sword and looking proud, saw this and raised his eyebrows and asked, "Whose child is this?"
Meng Bujiu was silent for a moment, then replied, "It's my child."
Wang Suqing took the swaddling clothes and looked at the other person suspiciously: "When did you owe such a debt?"
Raindrops trickled down the man's temples, dripping from his jaw onto his collar. He wiped his face, speaking calmly as if about the day's rainy and windy events. "Oh, I was confused for a moment and made a terrible mistake. His biological mother is no longer with us, and I've been harassed by a gang of thieves lately. It's hard to take care of him, so I'd like to ask you to keep him for a while."
Wang Suqing pursed her lips, glanced at the sleeping baby in the cradle, then raised her head and glanced at him casually, deliberately sarcastically saying, "If you just want to reject me, you don't have to kidnap a child to make excuses. After all, I don't have to find a man to start a family."
"You misunderstood, it's really my child." Meng Bujiu stood under the eaves, with the wind and rain behind him rolling into a ball of white fluff, and the people and scenery were bathed in the indigo night.
Seeing this, Wang Suqing advised him kindly, "Brother, the Song family girl looks down on you, so don't bring trouble to others. Marriage is destined by heaven, and it is difficult to have both."
Meng Bujiu was speechless, but he pulled a smile from the corner of his mouth. "Don't think too much. I haven't let the child's biological mother down. It's just that her life has come to an end... Someone is chasing me. I have to leave first. I will come back to pick him up after I deal with those things."
Wang Suqing said nothing more and nodded: "Then go ahead."
The man disappeared in the rainy night with the sword in hand. After a long time, Wang Suqing, who had returned to the room, suddenly came to his senses and thought to himself: I forgot to ask what the child's name was.
…
…
After piecing together all the clues from the past, Wang Suqing came back to his senses and sighed lightly.
Senior brother, you really tricked me!
"Chengyin is actually the newly born child from the Zhao Mansion..." Wang Suqing whispered something that was no less than a bombshell: "Even I was fooled."
Bai Jingze was shocked: "Zhao An's child? How could this happen?!"
Wang Lingqi opened his mouth wide and his cigarette butt dropped to the ground with a plop, as if he had been stunned by this bombshell news.
Wang Suqing sighed, "We had already beheaded the thief Zhao, but Senior Brother insisted on annihilating the entire Zhao Mansion. I knew he was a man who only believed in what was right, and I couldn't persuade him. Who would have thought that in the end, he would actually keep Zhao An's youngest child? Later, he pretended that the child was his own and fostered him in my temple for several months. During that time, many unofficial stories spread in the martial arts world, saying that the child was born to Meng Bujiu, and they said it was very convincing."
She suddenly turned her head and looked at the two people beside her, saying meaningfully, "I guess you guys think so too."
Bai Jingze and Wang Lingqi were sweating profusely: "No, no."
In fact, this rumor does have some truth to it. Meng Bujiu and Wang Suqing, the senior and junior brothers and sisters, never got married in their lives. Everyone speculated that Meng Bujiu fell in love with his junior sister because he pursued Song Zhen in vain. Meng Chengyin's biological mother has always been a mystery. In addition, Wang Suqing once appeared in Qingcheng Temple holding a cradle. After Meng Chengyin took charge of Taiqing Palace, he took good care of her, so the rumor evolved into this.
Although it sounds wild, everyone actually believes it secretly.
Wang Lingqi answered a call and stepped forward. "Director, Senior, our people have already dealt with the remaining doors. An emergency call has been issued on the app. If any doors appear again, we will be responsible for destroying them again."
Bai Jingze's frown softened slightly: "Okay, although Song Yuqu is probably just using the door to deliberately pass on information, we must also be prepared for his resentment to be leaked."
"But someone in the Zhu League has already found out. The Third Master of the Ying Family and Master Song of the Miaoxuan Temple are looking for you at the bureau."
Bai Jingze shook his head: "The Ying family has been eyeing us covetously for a long time. I'm afraid they are here to step on us. Tell them I'm not here and don't let them come looking for me."
He raised his head and looked back inside, worried. "Song Yuqu went to all this trouble just to deliberately allow the Heart-Embedding Curse to take effect, confirming his identity... Killing someone is worse than destroying their heart. It seems she truly hates Meng Bujiu."
"I just don't know what Lao Meng will do."
Wang Suqing's fingers hidden in her sleeves were rubbing faintly. The resentful power in the formation made her feel threatened for the first time in a long time. She had not been so eager to try for a long time, but she had to wait for a good opportunity, otherwise the formation would be destroyed and people would die.
She looked at Meng Caiyun in the formation and said sadly, "If a person walks on the right path, what difference does it make whether his surname is Meng or Zhao? It's a pity that they all attach too much importance to their bloodline."
Like her father Meng Chengyin, Meng Caiyun is a person who is proud of the Meng family bloodline. The same proud blood flows in their bodies.
And now, she has become the descendant of the thief she hated.
To her, this truth was far more cruel than what Song Yuqu had shown.
Meng Chengyin raised his hands with difficulty and found that there was very little spiritual power left. This formation was deliberately set up against him. Now he felt like he was in a swamp. The harder he struggled, the more he fell into a stalemate and could not move.
He struggled to raise his head and saw his daughter looking straight at him, her eyes filled with heartbreaking emotions.
"Dad, that's not a talisman on me. It's your sealing talisman, right?" Meng Caiyun's expression was terrifyingly calm. As intelligent as she was, she quickly figured out some things she hadn't dared to think about before: "It's to suppress the heart-embedding curse on us, right?"
Meng Chengyin's face was gloomy: "Caiyun..."
"You were the one who sealed Madam Liu," Meng Caiyun said, his expression unchanged, but he felt a surge of heat in his eyes. "Liu Wu didn't die because of the Taiyin Immortal Law, but because of that old photo stuck in the book."
The muscles on Meng Chengyin's cheeks twitched slightly, and he looked as if he was smiling bitterly.
Meng Caiyun recalled the scene he saw in Liu Meng's dream. When taking the group photo, Zhao An's wife, who had arrived late, felt incredible the moment she saw him because his facial features were almost identical to her father's... But at this moment, all her doubts were cleared up.
"I don't understand why someone should be killed just because they look 90% like each other in a photo, Dad."
"'Benevolence is the human heart; righteousness is the path of man,' didn't you often tell me this before? Now, which of your actions are benevolent and which are righteous?"
She spoke in the calmest tone, but her words were heartbreaking.
"Caiyun, I will explain it to you slowly...!" Meng Chengyin was eroded by the dark resentment, but he was still unwilling to let Song Yuqu succeed. He would rather have his limbs trapped than let the effect of the Heart-Embedding Spell show up.
At the same time, Meng Caiyun, who was forced to use the Punishment Bureau as her resentment grew stronger, felt her throat dry and her limbs felt heavy. She tried to look in the direction of Meng Chengyin, trying to summon the Imperial Spirit Scissors to help him break free from the shackles, but at this moment the Imperial Spirit Scissors fell to the ground and did not move.
She woke up in shock, realizing that she was now using her resentment power, and it was impossible for her to activate the Imperial Spirit Scissors like before.
So if she removed the remaining spiritual power from the Yuling Scissors and injected resentment into them, would it be able to be driven by her current self?
The thought flashed through her mind, and she did just that. Surprisingly, the Yuling Scissors actually slowly rose into the air. At this moment, a thick murderous aura emanated from their surroundings, and the blade trembled slightly, emitting a bloodthirsty cry.
"Go!" Meng Caiyun swung the scissors and slashed straight towards Meng Zhao and Song Yuqu. A thin light flashed, and the scissors pierced into the pile of earth. Meng Zhao and Song Yuqu disappeared on the spot, and suddenly appeared from one side to the other, looking at her leisurely.
Meng Chengyin gritted his teeth and whispered, "This formation is their territory. Caiyun, don't act rashly. Wait for me to recover my spiritual power..."
Before he could finish his words, the ground beneath his feet exploded, and rocks grew out of the ground. He was thrown straight back and embedded in the cracks of the standing mountain wall, coughing up a mouthful of dark brown blood.
"Dad!" Meng Caiyun blurted out. She subconsciously ran forward, but was trapped by the same wriggling rocks. It seemed that this formation was determined to separate the father and daughter.
"I was careless..." A flicker of realization crossed Meng Chengyin's eyes. He looked at his daughter again, his expression calm but slightly sad. "Caiyun, listen to me. They've made thorough preparations. I'm doomed, but you still have a chance... Meng Zhao." As he spoke, he suddenly raised his head and looked at his nephew, who had been paying little attention to him. "Since only my death can appease your resentment, I can agree to your request now. However, my daughter has never done anything wrong. I hope you will show some mercy."
When Meng Zhao first heard what seemed to be Meng Chengyin's last words, he was stunned for a moment, but the rest of the sentence somehow angered him. The dark look on his face deepened, and he returned to his previous state of being dominated by anger. "Wrongdoing? My sister Fangcai has done nothing wrong, and neither have my family. Why do they deserve to die?!"
Meng Chengyin was silent for a moment: "When will this cycle of revenge end?"
"I don't care what happens. After all, only when the Meng family members die can my resentment be resolved and their anger be appeased!" Meng Zhao's expression twisted. "If you want to blame someone, blame you for being a member of the Meng family for so long. If you want to blame someone, blame your father for not dying in the Zhao Mansion. Why was he the only one who was saved? Xiaoliu was obviously a premature baby..."
He held his head and screamed hysterically, his usual calm and composed side no longer visible.
A layer of dark blue aura gradually spread across Meng Chengyin's face, the muscles on his forehead were knotted, and his expression could be described as ferocious. He seemed to have mustered up the courage to take a gamble and make a decision.
Song Yuqu noticed the other party's mood change, and said with a smile: "Okay, I'll make the first move. I agree to your request. As long as you die, we won't touch her."
Looking at the other party's gloating expression, Meng Chengyin seemed to fall into deep thought. Finally, the blue-black aura gradually disappeared, and he returned to his usual posture. In silence, he slowly lowered his head, as if ready to be slaughtered.
Meng Zhao waved his hand, and thousands of resentful spirits broke through the cage and rose from the ground, rushing straight towards Meng Chengyin's eyebrows.
"No!"
Following a shrill, broken cry, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
The attacks of those vengeful spirits swooping down were blocked, and they stopped in mid-air. Then, as if attracted, they enveloped Meng Caiyun and rushed to merge into her body.
She was lifted up by some invisible force, her resentment was burning, the black light was strong, and there seemed to be thunder in the sky and rumbling in the distance.
"...Is this really her first time breaking the seal?" Song Yuqu's eyes were filled with undisguised amazement. She even had time to sigh with Fang Qing, "She's truly a talented person."
But what a pity.
Meng Zhao looked at the other party in disbelief, but found that his body was out of control and gradually turned into black gas and was pulled towards Meng Caiyun.
"What are you doing! Stop it!"
"etc……"
The Punishment Department can forcibly summon the souls of evil spirits to possess a person. Meng Zhao is a ghost and is also bound by this rule.
In addition to being astonished by Meng Caiyun's quick understanding ability, he also felt a certain worry in his heart that he was unwilling to admit. This complex emotion that was difficult to think deeply about made him fall into a dilemma for a while. When he came to his senses, his soul had already forced itself towards Meng Caiyun.
"Stop! What the hell are you doing?!"
There was panic in Meng Zhao's voice. He seemed to realize that the other party had made a decision, a decision that he definitely did not want to see.
After absorbing the vengeful spirit, a hint of melancholy appeared between the brows of the woman in the green dress. She slowly opened her eyes. Unlike what she had imagined, her eyes were still clear and bright, just like usual.
She opened her arms and gently trapped Meng Zhao's soul in this embrace, murmuring, "Come to think of it, the last time I hugged you like this was when we were little. You had a serious illness in Taiqing Palace, and it was snowing in the courtyard at that time."
Meng Zhao sensed a hint of nostalgia in these words. Looking at the other person's gentle expression, his inner panic increased instead of decreasing.
"You, you..."
Meng Caiyun looked at him with a smile, then suddenly put his fingers to his lips and muttered something silently.
Meng Zhao naturally heard it, and a crazy fear suddenly ignited in his heart.
"No, no, no! No! Don't do this, you will die, you can't die, don't do this!" He was covered in cold sweat, his lips opening and closing rapidly incoherently. Although he was clearly a ghost, he could still feel a rapid and panicked drumbeat in his chest.
The Imperial Spirit Scissors that fell not far away began to tremble. Everything happened so quickly that the people around them had no time to understand the meaning of this second.
But Meng Zhao's eyes widened instantly, the two emotions wrestling within him threatening to burst through his skull, seemingly vying for control of his consciousness. Finally, he suddenly cried out, "No! Stop! I'll do whatever you say!"
Swish—the Imperial Spirit Scissors soared into the air.
Tears fell silently from Meng Zhao's eyes one after another. He seemed unaware of it and just kept repeating the words in his mouth numbly.
In the distance, Meng Chengyin also understood his daughter's actions in an instant. In an instant, his head buzzed, his chest heaved violently, and he shouted with bloodshot eyes, "Caiyun, don't be impulsive!"
Meng Caiyun ignored him, rested his chin on the other's shoulder and smiled softly.
"No, no, I was wrong." Meng Zhao's eyes twitched, and he tried his best to save something. However, at this moment, under the influence of the Punishment Department, he had gradually lost control of everything and stayed in this embrace like a puppet.
He couldn't see Meng Caiyun's expression, but he felt as if his whole body was drenched in cold water, and even his breathing began to slow down.
"I know I was wrong!" Meng Zhao became agitated, his expression distorted with panic: "I'm sorry! I know I was wrong! I was wrong! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! - Sister!"
As the last word fell, the Imperial Spirit Scissors, with a cold arc of light, pierced through the bodies of the two men in one fell swoop.
In an instant, the surroundings seemed to fall into extreme silence. The shouts of others, the clamor of resentful spirits, and the roar of the wind all disappeared in that instant.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
