Meng Jianqing had just skinned, deboned, and seasoned with salt and pepper a wild wolf and two wild rabbits, setting them over the fire, when over a dozen companions jumped out from the forest. They lowered their voices as they laughed and talked, surrounding the fire pit, each one salivating as they waited for the aroma of roasted meat to spread.
The reason Meng Jianqing remained outside the temple during evening prayers was simple: today was his turn to hunt.
Killing was forbidden within Tiantai Temple, but they tacitly permitted this group of lay youths with enormous appetites to hunt birds and beasts outside the temple.
Meng Jianqing laughed and joked along with them, but the anxiety in his heart grew deeper and deeper.
He had to find an excuse to return home quickly.
When stripping off Xu Qiao’s clothes, he had seen the flame tattoo on Xu Qiao’s chest, and he had also seen that ancient bronze mirror, seen the secret flames reflected from the bronze mirror.
The former Bright Sect had worshipped precisely this blazing fire.
When he was still a small child, he had seen the same bronze mirror in his own home and glimpsed that cluster of flames reflected in sunlight while playing with the mirror. He had also caught sight of the same flame tattoo on his father’s chest during an unguarded moment.
At that time, he had instinctively felt that his father’s secretly hidden tattoo and the bronze mirror concealed secrets that could not be shown to others. So he had buried this secret in his heart as well. But that fleeting glimpse of flame had been so deeply imprinted in his memory.
Children’s memories are often surprisingly good.
Had Yan Wu and Yan Qi taught him knife techniques merely because they appreciated his natural talent?
Although his father had never come to Tiantai Temple, had Yan Wu and Yan Qi truly never descended from Damo Cliff? Or rather, although Yan Wu and Yan Qi had never descended from Damo Cliff, had his father truly never come to Tiantai Temple? Was there no connection between them at all? If Yan Wu and Yan Qi had made up their minds from the day they became monks never to reenter the world, then what was his father’s purpose in hiding within the military?
The worst possibility was…
Meng Jianqing secretly clenched his teeth.
No matter what, he had to hurry home for a visit. If there truly was another Xu Qiao going to find his father…
A youth said to Meng Jianqing with no small envy: “Jianqing, during evening prayers, I heard from several masters who just returned to the temple that Jiangwu Hall’s recruitment in Zhejiang has already begun. You’re already eighteen, right? When will you go home to register? I’m sure you’ll have no problem.”
Among them, Meng Jianqing was not particularly old in age, but over these years he had unconsciously become a figure who commanded universal respect.
Meng Jianqing’s heart relaxed, and he smiled: “The examination hall is like a battlefield—where is there such a thing as certain victory?”
Yes, calculating the time, it was about right.
His luck wasn’t bad; this was a ready-made excuse.
Just then, he heard faint commotion coming from within the temple. He was startled and alertly turned his head, instructing two youths to go see what was happening.
Before long, the two returned with excited faces: “It’s the Imperial Guard investigating a case, and they’ve come here!”
The famous Imperial Guard—who knew what earth-shaking case they were investigating? No wonder these meddlesome youths were so excited.
Meng Jianqing’s heart sank.
He had long heard of the Imperial Guard’s ability to penetrate everywhere. These people very likely had tracked Xu Qiao to Tiantai Temple. If the investigation reached Yan Wu and Yan Qi, would he also find it difficult to escape?
At this moment, he truly hated Yan Wu and Yan Qi—why did they have to choose him to jump into this trap?
The meat’s aroma spread, and the group of youths quickly forgot about external matters.
The enforcement monk led five Imperial Guards and one masked person toward Damo Cliff. Passing the place where they were roasting meat and seeing the mess everywhere, he couldn’t help but frown, press his palms together, and silently recite a rebirth sutra. A youth said with a grin: “Master Mingguang, wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha sits in the heart—why are you so nervous!”
Mingguang’s frown deepened. Turning to see Meng Jianqing, he beckoned him over.
Meng Jianqing secretly held his heart in suspense and walked over calmly, but it was the lead officer Fan Lishi who spread out Xu Qiao’s portrait and asked if he had seen this person while hunting. Meng Jianqing glanced once at the portrait and laughed: “I didn’t encounter anyone—where would I have seen this fellow?” As he spoke, he called his companions over: “Everyone, take a look. Even if you haven’t seen him before, keep an eye out in the future!”
Officer Fan couldn’t help but take a closer look at Meng Jianqing. Meng Jianqing was the leader of this group of youths, and there seemed to be something very special about him that was quite eye-catching.
However, he quickly remembered what he had to do and put Meng Jianqing to the back of his mind for the time being.
Meng Jianqing watched their group climb up Damo Cliff. After only a moment, suddenly came the strong, clear chanting voices of Yan Wu and Yan Qi from the cliff, like metal and stone striking together. The scripture they chanted was one that Meng Jianqing and the others had never read. Standing below the cliff, only four lines could be heard most clearly: “The present world is dark, evil demons run rampant; reborn through fire, the next world will be bright.”
The short scripture had just finished when they heard Mingguang’s alarmed cry: “Jianqing, quickly notify the abbot—Ming Xin and Ming Xing have passed away!”
Meng Jianqing shot to his feet.
As he ran toward the temple, various thoughts kept turning in his mind.
Yan Wu and Yan Qi were dead.
Before dying, they shouldn’t have said anything they shouldn’t have said, right?
During those years when heroes competed for control of the realm at the dynasty’s founding, the Yan family disciples had suffered heavy casualties. During these years when the Bright Sect had become a demonic sect, the Yan family disciples had suffered even more devastating losses.
Yan Wu and Yan Qi should have had no reason to destroy this disciple they had carefully cultivated, who might very well be the Yan family’s only remaining disciple—having no successor was no laughing matter.
Now they were already dead. No one else in this world knew of his relationship with them.
While feeling relieved, Meng Jianqing also felt an indescribable melancholy and loneliness.
The Yan family’s protective nature was famous, so they were often cursed for not distinguishing right from wrong, black from white. When Yan Qi had once discussed the old martial world’s changing fortunes with him, he had worn the mask of an outsider, commenting on the Yan family with a half-smile.
Yan Wu and Yan Qi must have known about the anxiety and worry in his heart these past days, especially tonight. As soon as the Imperial Guard came knocking, they passed away—such precisely calculated deaths were just to cut off this line of investigation, so that people could not trace back to him.
His ability to live well would represent the continuation of the Yan family knife techniques.
At this moment, Meng Jianqing felt with incomparable clarity the thoughts of Yan Wu and Yan Qi before their passing.
After the abbot arrived, he directed everyone to build a fire at the base of Damo Cliff and placed the gaunt bodies of Yan Wu and Yan Qi upon it. Before lighting the fire, Officer Fan turned to ask the masked person: “Did you see clearly? Are you certain there’s no mistake?”
The masked person nodded definitely but remained silent, perhaps afraid people would remember his voice.
The pyre was lit.
Officer Fan remained by the fire throughout, personally witnessing Yan Wu and Yan Qi’s bodies turn to ash and be buried in the bone pagoda, only then taking the masked person and departing, leaving behind the puzzled crowd to discuss among themselves.
But Officer Fan returned, calling Meng Jianqing over to ask: “I hear you’re the son of Ninghai Guard Centurion Meng Zhiyuan. From here to Ninghai Guard, besides the post road, is there a shorter route?”
Meng Jianqing’s heart suddenly jumped, and he answered: “There’s another small path I often take when going home—it takes just one day.” At this moment, he heard the neighing of horses and immediately realized these Imperial Guards must all have come on horseback. He smiled apologetically: “But that path won’t accommodate horses. On horseback, the post road would be faster.”
Officer Fan nodded and didn’t linger further.
Meng Jianqing watched the group of Imperial Guards and the masked person lead their horses down the mountain in the dawn light. The mountain path was treacherous; being unaccustomed to it and leading horses, it would take them at least an hour or two to reach the post road. The post road wound through towering mountains and steep ridges, extremely circuitous. Even post horses accustomed to this route, who wouldn’t take wrong turns, would need three or four hours to travel from Taizhou City to Ninghai Guard.
His last trip home had taken only five hours—he could probably get ahead of them, and he had to get ahead of them.
The news of Jiangwu Hall’s recruitment couldn’t have come at a better time, allowing the abbot to very understandingly send him off immediately to return home, lest he miss the application deadline.