Chapter 212 - Negotiating with Meng Po

Shi Yuqing nudged Xu Ying’s lower back and whispered, “Uncle-Master Ah Ying, is the tea-selling granny you wanted us to gang up on Meng Po?”

Xu Ying kept a straight face and replied in a hushed voice, “No. And don’t poke my waist.”

Shi Yuqing said, “You even planned to jump her and were worried you couldn’t win alone, so you recruited me... ”

“I said no! Stop guessing. I never said that!” Cold sweat drenched Xu Ying’s forehead as he denied it.

Meng Po raised her blurry, aged eyes and scanned him up and down a few times. She grinned. “I’ve hung those who came to drink tea, beg for tea, just pass by, or try to kill me beneath the bridge. I’ve seen many such people, but it’s rare for people to ask questions. I’m just someone who sells tea at the bridgehead. What can I do for you, Young Master? Please, have some tea.”

She pushed a tea bowl toward Xu Ying and filled it.

Shi Yuqing immediately grew tense. She poked at Xu Ying’s waist lightly, like a raindrop, and whispered, “Don’t drink it. You’ll be done for if you drink it... Great, now we’re finished!”

Xu Ying had picked up the tea bowl and downed it in one gulp.

Despair appeared on Shi Yuqing’s face, and she stamped her foot. “Why did you drink it? We’re doomed!”

Xu Ying set the tea bowl down. “A bit bland. Sect Leader, stop poking. It hurts.”

Shi Yuqing’s eyes went wide. The corner of Meng Po’s eye twitched as she smiled. “You’ve finished your tea. You may leave.”

Xu Ying continued with a faint smile. “Granny, I need your help with something.”

Meng Po looked up at him, poured another bowl of tea, and said casually, “What is it? Have some tea, Young Master.”

Xu Ying picked up the tea bowl, finished it in one gulp, and set it down. “I would like to ask you about my origins. Do you know Xujiaping Village?”

Meng Po’s eye twitched again. She poured yet another bowl of tea and chuckled. “Try this bowl, Young Master.”

Xu Ying picked it up and downed the tea.

Her hand trembling, Meng Po said, “Please wait a moment, Young Master.”

She yanked the tea bag from the pot, tossed it into the Hell River, and called out, “Consider yourself lucky.”

Bright light rippled across the Hell River as a massive black dragon erupted from the depths, twisting like a rolling mountain range. It snapped its jaws around the tea bag, swallowed it, and plunged back into the dark water.

Hanging beneath the Bridge of Oblivion, Dazhong and Yuanqi trembled in fear. Dazhong saw that the Purple Immortal Herb was also trembling and was taken aback. I thought he was a tough man just like Master Jin. Turns out he’s open-minded like Master Qi and me.

A wave of kinship washed over Dazhong, washing away his hostility toward the herb. Grave Weed has beaten up Old Ancestor Chanchan, Master Jin, Master Qi, and Ah Ying before, but not me. Heroes recognize other heroes. He obviously sees my greatness.

Meng Po retrieved a new tea bag and put it into the teapot. She cupped her hand underneath, summoning a dance of ghostly nether-flame that radiated an eerie, freezing chill as it brewed the tea.

Xu Ying waited quietly.

Shi Yuqing glanced behind her uneasily and saw that the number of ghosts behind her was steadily increasing.

These ghosts populated only the Bridge of Oblivion on the Yuanshou Realm; across the myriad realms, endless queues of ghosts lined countless such bridges.

More and more ghosts piled up, and the queue grew increasingly long. Gradually, its end vanished into the distance.

As the number of ghosts increased, the Bridge of Oblivion automatically extended. The Hell River also gradually widened.

Meng Po simmered her brew down to a single bowl, then poured it out. The tea glowed a sickly green and looked thick and viscous, giving off an unknown smell.

A single whiff sent Shi Yuqing collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud, unconscious.

The ghosts on the bridge were bewitched one after another. Their memories dissipated and drifted away.

Meng Po set down the teapot and stared at Xu Ying. “Please have some tea, Young Master!”

Xu Ying picked up the tea bowl. His hand trembled slightly as he tilted his head back and emptied the bowl in one gulp.

As the tea went down, Xu Ying’s vision blurred, and his head felt groggy. The world spun, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Meng Po sighed in relief and chuckled. “Perhaps you’ve gained some resistance to my tea after drinking it countless times, but a fresh tea bag brought you down. This single pouch brews enough for one billion six hundred million wandering spirits. Since you’ve downed it in one gulp, you can obediently go lead a new life.”

She snorted, and her expression turned somewhat fierce. “Those guys, Fu Yi and Bei Chenzi, have caused trouble for me again. I didn’t expect him to find his way here.”

Just as she was about to resume her business, she saw Xu Ying’s leg twitch.

Meng Po’s heart leaped into her throat as Xu Ying dragged himself back to his feet. He raised his right hand to rub his temple, his eyes glazed and unfocused.

She stared back at him with an equally vacant expression, cursing in her head. Has my tea really lost its efficacy? Should I have a taste myself?

She quickly dropped that dangerous thought. Though she had concocted the tea herself, wouldn’t it be a disaster if she couldn’t handle it and forgot everything after drinking a cup?

Xu Ying shook his head hard. A moment later, he came to his senses. He looked at Meng Po and praised, “What potent tea. Meng Po, can you answer my question now?”

Meng Po’s expression flickered between light and dark, then she suddenly giggled. “When did I promise you to answer your question if you drank my tea? You’re free to drink my tea if you want, or get lost if you don’t. I won’t stop you. This bird, that bell, that snake, and grass, take them all with you!”

Jin Buyi flew into a rage. Swinging out from under the bridge, he poked his head up and called out, “Damned old hag, playing tricks on my young master, are you? Do you believe I’ll chop you to death?”

Dazhong and Yuanqi hurriedly urged, “Master Jin, don’t be like this! Don’t be like this!”

“Leave Ah Ying a path of survival; don’t be like this!” said Yuanqi.

Xu Ying looked at Meng Po calmly. “You’re a senior, Meng Po. You should have seen my past, so you also likely know that I won’t stay trapped forever.”

Meng Po’s hand trembled, and her expression flickered.

Xu Ying continued, “You just admitted I’ve downed your soup countless times. Doesn't it worry you that my memories could return one day?”

Meng Po’s expression shifted slightly. She chuckled. “What worry? I’m just following orders and cooperating with the watchers. I’ve never forced you to drink my tea, Young Master.”

Xu Ying replied, “Save that explanation for my future self.”

Meng Po’s expression shifted once more. She sneered coldly, “Xu Ying, though you were formidable back then, we’ve never clashed once. Who triumphs remains an open question. What makes you so sure you can beat me?”

Boundless darkness suddenly appeared behind her, enveloping thousands of space-time and myriad realms. Her form expanded endlessly. Beneath her robes, a long river surged, rushing from countless worlds, carrying countless wandering spirits!

She said grimly, “Look at my Dao avatar. Do I need to fear you?”

Suddenly, sunlight blazed across the Bridge of Oblivion. She raised her arm to block the sunlight with her sleeve and spotted a skeletal Golden Crow beating its wings as it soared toward her. Bound in chains, it dragged a ruined red sun as it skimmed across the Hell River.

Inside the red sun, swirling fragments of paper money violently transformed into jackdaws and scattered into the air.

When the paper money vanished completely, the red sun burned hotter than flames and rolled over the Hell River.

The skeletal Golden Crow dragged the massive sun along as it flew toward the Bridge of Oblivion, emanating a suffocating pressure.

Suddenly, the skeletal Golden Crow stopped in place and hovered in the air, flapping its wings.

A humanoid silhouette materialized inside the red sun, growing until it filled the entire burning orb.

Countless paper money swirled around his towering figure, making him seem like a giant of ashes.

Seated within the sun, that figure’s voice reverberated. “Meng Po, you have offered up countless servings of Meng Po Soup over the years. Though forced, you’ve sown seeds of enmity nonetheless. Enmities are better unknotted than knotted. Since he’s offered you an easy way out, why not use this opportunity to bury the hatchet?”

Recognizing the speaker, Meng Po immediately bowed. “So it is Dongyue[1]. It’s not that I refuse to give you face, but that his matters carry great implications. Revealing what I know will cost me my life. Besides, I swore an oath never to disclose any crucial information!”

The giant of ashes within the red sun said leisurely, “I never asked for a full confession. Simply give him a clue so he can hunt down the answers himself.”

Meng Po remained hesitant and said, “Although the higher-ups don’t rule the underworld, they’ve been keeping an eye on it for a very long time! I’m afraid they are searching for an opportunity to interfere with the underworld...”

The giant of ashes’ laughter rang out from within the red sun. “If they possessed real power over the underworld, we’d be long dead. Why would they wait until now?”

Meng Po fell silent.

As the paper money dispersed around the giant of ashes, his deep voice boomed, “You know the underworld is treacherous. Should the higher-ups send an emissary to punish you, our experts will eliminate them before they even set foot inside.”

Meng Po sighed in relief and smiled. “With your word, I feel much more assured. Young Master Xu, you’ve drunk my Meng Po Soup countless times. From now on, you cannot hold me accountable for it.”

Xu Ying nodded. “If you’re willing to tell me about my origins, I will not hold you accountable.”

Meng Po dispersed her Dao avatar. “You can head to Kunlun to look for the Xujiaping Village. You emerged from there back then.”

“Kunlun?” Xu Ying pressed on, “What else?”

Meng Po hesitated, wanting to say more but not daring to.

The giant of ashes’ voice rang out from within the red sun. “She swore an oath back then. She cannot speak of it, or she’ll face a deadly calamity.”

Xu Ying bowed toward the red sun. “Thank you for speaking out for righteousness, Senior.”

The figure slowly stood up from within the red sun. He bowed slightly and smiled. “Fellow Daoist Xu, those who show you kindness may not have your best interests at heart. Who says I’m not simply using you?”

Xu Ying was taken aback.

The skeletal Golden Crow flapped its wings and set off once more, dragging the red sun with it, soon fading into the distance.

Meng Po removed her golden rope, releasing Yuanqi, Dazhong, Jin Buyi, and the Purple Immortal Herb. “You should leave as soon as possible, Young Master Xu. I divulged the secrets of heaven. I’m afraid it won’t be long before disaster strikes. You’ll be implicated if you delay.”

Xu Ying expressed his gratitude and picked up the unconscious Shi Yuqing. “Senior, will she forget her past?”

Meng Po replied, “She didn’t drink the tea. She only fainted from the scent. At most, she’ll suffer from a little bit of amnesia. It’s nothing serious. Immortal arts protect her soul. She’ll wake up before long, and her memories should recover gradually.”

Xu Ying sighed in relief. He excused himself and walked off the Bridge of Oblivion.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Shi Yuqing slowly woke up. She looked around and realized she was lying on a giant snake’s head. A chilling wind howled, making her feel cold.

Not far away, a youth in black robes with a red sash stood. He was studying an “imprison” character seal.

Shi Yuqing scrutinized the youth, finding him unfamiliar. She asked in confusion, “Who are you? Where am I?”

That youth looked back and revealed a smile tanned by the sun. “You’re awake? We got married last night, and you drank a little too much. Have you forgotten?”

“Married?” Shi Yuqing cried out in shock. She quickly got up.

“No! When did I get married to you? I clearly remember being at the sword sect yesterday. That’s right! The grand apprenticeship ceremony was held just yesterday. I got first place and was taken in as the sect leader’s disciple!”

Standing atop Yuanqi’s white horn, Jin Buyi said in puzzlement, “Ah Ying, didn’t Meng Po say she’d only suffer a little bit of amnesia? Why does she seem to be even worse than I am?”

Xu Ying’s expression turned grave. Shi Yuqing’s amnesia went back three thousand years.

“When Meng Po said she’d recover slowly, how slow did she mean? What if it takes her another three thousand years?”

Xu Ying didn’t rush to Mount Kunlun. Instead, he made a quick return trip to the Fusang Tree to rest.

A Shang citizen said, “Ten days ago, a man named Xue Ying’an came. When he saw that you weren’t here, he left a letter and departed.”

Xu Ying unfolded the letter. Xue Ying’an wrote that some young Qi Cultivators in strange attire had been emerging recently, challenging experts in exorcism arts. He mentioned that they were extremely formidable, and some people were looking for Xu Ying, so he told him to be careful.

Xu Ying didn’t take this to heart and set the letter aside.

For the past few days, Shi Yuqing had been following Xu Ying around like a shadow. She acted very carefully, as if afraid of losing track of him.

Meng Po’s claim that she would slowly recover her memories was giving Xu Ying a headache. Shi Yuqing was showing no signs of recovery at all.

Xu Ying blinked. Is the Mount Shu Sword Sect going to die out just like this?

On this day, Xu Ying was walking ahead of Shi Yuqing when a scripture suddenly fell from his robes with a clatter. Xu Ying didn’t seem to notice it and kept walking.

Shi Yuqing picked it up and saw the words “Six Secrets Dragon Tracking Techniques” written on its cover. As if compelled by some strange instinct, she flipped it open and read it.

Clatter!

Xu Ying dropped another scripture. Shi Yuqing walked over and picked it up, only to see a book titled Mud Pill Longevity True Art.

Clatter!

Another scripture fell. Shi Yuqing walked over to pick it up and saw a scripture titled Yellow Court Divine Sense True Art.

Just like that, Xu Ying kept dropping scriptures as he went. Before long, Shi Yuqing came across texts like the Jade Pool Primordial Qi True Art, Crimson Palace Heart Energy True Art, Jade Capital Yin Yang True Art, and Gushing Spring Soul True Art.

After Shi Yuqing picked them up along the way, she waved and called out, “My dear, your ethereal void is leaking! My dear, my dear?”

Xu Ying took off, leaving a trail of smoke behind and vanishing without a trace.

Shi Yuqing couldn't catch up to him. With no choice, she carried the books to the base of the Fusang Tree and sat down to wait for Xu Ying.

Just then, a massive serpent slithered down from the Fusang Tree and lowered his head. In a seductive whisper, he asked, “Little Miss, would you like to learn these six exorcism arts?”

Shi Yuqing replied joyfully, “Sure! Do you know them?”

The giant snake circled her with fluid, unpredictable movements. “I can teach you.”

A giant bell flew over and hovered in front of Shi Yuqing. He said slowly, “I can help you unlock your six secrets.”

1. Dongyue means Eastern Peak. He’s likely the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, a deity of the sacred mountain Mount Tai. As the incarnation of Mount Tai, he is the holy messenger of communication between heaven and the world. ☜