The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

Ji Xin, Yue Shishi, and the others all looked at the closed door in disbelief, wondering if they had any hearing illusions.

Mu Shan, the head of the south 18 waterways, a grandmaster in the world, the sworn brother of the Master, and a powerful man under 60, was humiliated by a little monk who was no more than 16!?

It was so shocking!

Even if he had begun practicing Kung Fu since before he was born, his reputation of years of Mu Shan’s bladesmanship is well earned!

“Is it because of another issue?” They guessed unconsciously.

In the room, Meng Qi twitched his lips after hearing what Mu Hengtian said.“What is it now? I beat down the old, and then the young come?”

Actually, he knew there were personal animosities in Jianghu. “I have ‘completely’ won against Mu Shan, making him disgraced, and naturally, his filial son and disciples will come and challenge me for revenge.”

“This is what Jianghu really is…”  Meng Qi sighed to himself. Then he peacefully said, “Donor Mu and I just shared and learned some moves with each other and I just narrowly won. How could it be his disgrace? Please leave, little donor Mu.”

The plain words were just like thunder as Gu Daoning, Nie Yao, and other people were listening, shocking them out of their wits. “This young monk should really defeat Mu Shan? This is incredible!”

Is it that he carries his age well and thus feels rejuvenated? Or has he had some mysterious encounter and was empowered with massive strength?

If it is the latter, thinking of myself, what have I done all of these years?

Mu Hengtian still had one hand cupped in the other in front of his chest. “Since that day, my father has been depressed. He keeps sighing and saying that Master’s bladesmanship can equal that of the immortals, which surpasses nature. And he even says that he has wasted half of his life. I can’t bear to see my father like this, so I must come to challenge you, though I know it’s not a serious fight. Master, please agree to it.”

While trying to refuse, Meng Qi suddenly recalled one thing. “Now I don’t have any fame, so many things are hard to do and nobody will listen to me.”  Then he sighed and said, “Little donor Mu is truly filial. Then I agree to your challenge. I will give you five chances to attack me with your blade. If you can force me off my hassock, then I lose.”

“How big-headed he is!” This was the first thought that arose in Yue Shishi, Nie Yao, and others’ minds. “He wants to withstand five attacks from Mu Hengtian sitting still without moving!”

Mu Hengtian was a figure comparable to a grandmaster, who now was only second to You Tongguang, Cui Jinhua, and Ennea Monkey. And he was better than his father Mu Shan. So besides a grandmaster, who could manage this challenge?

Mu Hengtian knew what happened that day, and he also understood Master Zhen Ding had the actual strength to say it. He took out his long blade and gave a respectful bow. “Please give me instructions, master.”

After the words, he pushed open the door of the meditation room and came in with his blade.

Yue Shishi, Ning Daogu, and a few dozen other people were all staring inside wide-eyed. But the door of the meditation room was small, and Mu Hengtian was jumping, blocking their view. So they could only see the glint and flash of the blade, and they heard five clangs. They then saw Mu Hengtian walk out with a palest face. He walked to the door and turned back to give a bow. Then he bitterly said,

“Master, your bladesmanship can surely equal the immortals. I was so arrogant.”

“Amitabha. Bladesmanship is a mere worldly possession. Donor Mu, you don’t need to take this too hard.”

The voice was not loud, spreading out from the meditation room. But to Ning Daogu, Ji Xin, and the other people who had seen this fight, it was as if from a master of masters. And that little monk sitting on the hassock with his legs crossed was as if out of the secular world.

Mu Hengtian heaved a deep sigh. “Thanks for master’s instructions. Today I have learned that there’s always someone stronger than you, no matter how strong you are.”

After finishing the words, he turned back and left full of disappointment. Within a few steps, he changed his mood to what it was originally, without any fluctuations on his face.

“Alas. Silly man.” Ning Daogu and the others heard a slight sigh, making them spontaneously feel an unexplainable emotion. They blankly stared at the monk in the gray robe, who was chanting with his head bowed.

Meng Qi, who was trying hard pretending to be an eminent monk, was quite satisfied with his performance just now. “The image of a master has been established, but the only problem is that I haven’t reached Enlightenment, thus I’m not able to use the palm wind or the finger wind. Otherwise, I’ll wave my robe and the door will slowly close, gradually covering me with chanting inside. How cool it is!”

Meng Qi knew that he loved to show off, pretending to be a master and acting cool, and he was not ashamed of it.  “It is not a big deal if I’m not always like this and it doesn’t affect my business. Who doesn’t have a hobby?”

Alas. Right now, it’ll damage my image of a master if I either jumped down to close the door or asked the people outside to do it.

Meng Qi just ignored it and directly closed his eyes to harmonize Qi-circulation.

After a while, the reception monk slowly walked over and closed the door. Ning Daogu and other people also gradually composed themselves. Looking at one another, they all noticed the amazement unconcealed in each other’s eyes.

Such a strong figure like Mu Hengtian could even not force Master Zhen Ding to stand up or to move within five attacks. His bladesmanship was truly terrifying! The saying of equaling the immortals was really not an exaggeration?

This big news that could shake the entire Jianghu made them uneasy. A moment later they all went out to brag that they had just experienced a big event which could be recorded in Jianghu history. Only Ning Daogu and Yue Shishi, two of the Four Meritocrats in the South of the Yangtze River, stayed in the yard. They seemed to be waiting for Master Zhen Ding to finish his meditation so they could talk to him and receive some instructions.

The blade and sword were totally distinct from each other, but they would eventually unite in one road, where there was always some connection between them.

After quietly estimating the time, Meng Qi opened the door and walked out.

“Master Zhen Ding, I was too blind to mistake you for a normal monk just now.” Ning Daogu did not hide his purpose but said it out loud in order to be closer to Meng Qi.

Meng Qi himself was not good at the sword, thus he did not have a favorable impression of these people wearing long swords. He bowed and said with a smile, “It doesn’t matter. We monks won’t seek undeserved reputations.”

I’ve never regarded myself as a monk though.

“Master is indeed an eminent monk.” Though it was weird to say it to a young monk, Ji Xin still flattered him with a smile.

Seeing the Buddhist Commandment Blade by Meng Qi’s waist, Yue Shishi curiously asked, “I don’t know which sect you are from, master. Your bladesmanship is so great that it equals the immortals.”

“I learned the Wild Fox Dhyana, gaining a mysterious encounter by accident.” Meng Qi said it on purpose, letting them spread this around.

“Mysterious encounter…” Yue Shishi and Nie Yao’s eyes both lit up, as if dreaming that they could have a mysterious encounter one day.

Though not obvious, it could be seen from their looks that Ning Daogu and Ji Xin also had similar thoughts.

Having talked for a while, as they rejoiced in making friends with a real master, Meng Qi said seriously, “I enjoy quietness. Later on, if there are other challenges, please just say I’m not here. Haha, tonight I won’t be here. I will go out and visit my friend.”

“I understand,” Ning Daogu answered with all smiles. “It’s a great privilege to help a master like Master Zhen Ding.”

At night, the news had gotten around. All people in Jianghu, and normal people who liked Jianghu hearsay in Destiny City, knew that a teenaged Master Zhen Ding, who was young but had excellent Kung Fu, easily withstood five blade attacks from Mu Hengtian without a single move.

Suddenly, numerous public figures in Jianghu came to the ruined temple, trying to challenge him. Master Zhen Ding was a monk, thus he would not kill anybody. It was most safe to challenge him, and if they lost to him, no one would laugh at them for being beaten by a big figure. And if they won, they would become famous immediately and be a person not too much worse than a grandmaster!

But thanks to Meng Qi’s bidding earlier, Ning Daogu, Yue Shishi, and the other two Meritocrats in the South of the Yangtze River held them back with the excuse that he was not there.

Meng Qi continued to keep watch on You’s Mansion, at the same time watching the night activities on the fringe of the Castellan Mansion. At noon of the second day, he disguised himself and again went to Locust Tree Street.

A wooden board was hung up outside of Cicada Hall, which had written on it: “Carefree Ointment on Sale Today”. Seeing this, Meng Qi nodded slightly and entered through the door.

The shopkeeper took a look at Meng Qi with his eyes shining. “I have connected with an Animal God, who has agreed. Please show your identity and give me the first several chapters of  Transformation Strategy as a deposit.”

“Show my identity?” Meng Qi deliberately asked. He felt relief in his heart. It could not be Ennea Monkey that he would be contacting with.

The shopkeeper said with an aged voice, “Quite a few people set traps against Animal Gods through the mission. How can we get revenge after this happens if we don’t know the guest’s identity? And if the guest repudiates the debt later, we also know who we should ask for the payment. Relax, we won’t leak the guests’ information.”

He was quite frank when talking about revenge.

“Very well, OK.” Meng Qi was already prepared. He slowly nodded and agreed, walking with the shopkeeper into the wing room behind.

Taking off his bamboo hat, Meng Qi directly said, “I’m Zhen Ding.”

“Well, you’re Master Zhen Ding. Haha, no wonder you have great Kung Fu at such a young age. And no wonder you are against the You family.” The old shopkeeper was suddenly enlightened. Obviously, he mistook Meng Qi, who took out the Transformation Strategy, for the inheritor of the Snow God Palace.

He did not know the name of Master Zhen Ding until last night. At first, he even did not believe this young monk could defeat Mu Hengtian.

Human name and tree shadow, the old shopkeeper did not doubt Meng Qi’s identity anymore. He took the first part of the Transformation Strategy, which Meng Qi had already made a copy of and studied.

“You Hongbo will be brought to you within three days, by then please hand over the rest of the parts.” The old shopkeeper stood up and showed his guest out, asking Meng Qi no question such as: “Why do you ask the Twelve Animal Zodiac Gods for help while you have enough strength?”.

Meng Qi left immediately. He did not want to interrogate the shopkeeper, who surely knew nothing about the key secrets as a liaison, and it might easily alert the enemies.

And the Twelve Animal Zodiac Gods acted mysteriously; they contacted each other mostly by secret signs, which were hard to trace. And he would not gain too much even if he kept an eye on the shopkeeper all the time. If it was really so easy to find the Twelve Animal Zodiac Gods, then this organization would have been destroyed a long time ago.

Out of Locust Tree Street, Meng Qi saw the main street crowded with people, all of whom were wearing a blade or sword. He looked at the sky, where the dark clouds overhung. The atmosphere was oppressive, and a big rain was coming.

“I don’t know how many events will happen in the next few days…”  Meng Qi sighed in his heart.