The sky approached dusk, with red clouds staining the mountains and forests, just as the birds returned to their nests.
Normally, Mo Li wouldn’t pay much attention to them, but as he walked through the dense woods, he couldn’t help but glance at the sparrows on nearby branches, suspecting that a certain dragon vein was hiding among them.
— The dragon vein of Feihe Mountain had already said it liked to crouch among a flock of sparrows to watch the excitement.
If it really hid like this, it would be quite hard to find.
The gray-feathered sparrows had only two white patches on their cheeks.
They were small, with squat bodies that hid among the leaves, leaving only their puffed-up bellies and dark heads visible.
Moreover, since Feihe Mountain probably raised too many birds, Mo Li couldn’t find a single skinny sparrow; regardless of their feather colors, they all had round bellies. From a distance, it was impossible to tell whether a sparrow was fatter than a fist or smaller than one.
Especially since birds had fluffy feathers, with just half a proud wing extended, their bodies instantly appeared much larger.
How could one recognize them? It was too difficult for a fish!
Mo Li simply stopped looking. If it came to follow, then let it follow; with him and Meng Qi around, nothing major would happen.
Meng Qi took out a piece of mulberry paper from his bag and began to draw the marshy river pathways that the dragon vein of Feihe Mountain had “painstakingly” outlined.
He drew without hesitation, not intentionally depicting the size of the river islands. The lines were neat and orderly, making it seem at a glance like a geomancy problem.
“A formation?” Mo Li frowned and asked.
Meng Qi kept drawing without looking up, saying as he walked, “I visited once many years ago and thought it resembled a natural trap, but I didn’t study it in detail, since I was just looking for the dragon vein at that time. There were no high grounds near the marshes to overlook the terrain. Today, seeing that foolish sparrow running along the riverbank drawing a map, it became clear.”
“……”
Mo Li thought to himself that they even had a nickname now.
If someone else had said that, Mo Li would have surely advised against mocking the dragon vein, as the dragon vein of Feihe Mountain wasn’t easy to find. It was absurd that someone came to deceive it, wanting its life, while it simply wanted to live peacefully like a sparrow at home. If they kicked this life-threatening person away, years later, they would come back looking for trouble after raising the child they had taken in.
It wasn’t right to keep shearing the same sheep.
But who could blame them? Finding dragon veins was hard! Hence, the dragon vein of Feihe Mountain became that unfortunate soul cursed with bad luck.
“Doctor?”
“Hmm?” Mo Li came back to his senses, looking at Meng Qi with confusion.
Meng Qi was puzzled, having accidentally blurted out “foolish sparrow.” He originally thought Mo Li would say a few words of advice.
Yet, he didn’t. This wasn’t like him!
Based on the doctor’s temperament, why didn’t he defend the sparrow?
Waiting for a jealous outburst but finding none, Meng Qi: “……”
Mo Li, who favored the sand rat due to “personal affection”: “……”
Both stared blankly at each other, unable to understand what was going on.
Unable to explain, and not wanting to, Meng Qi coughed lightly, disguising it: “What were you thinking just now, so lost in thought?”
Mo Li, unaware of Meng Qi’s thoughts, naturally sighed, “I was thinking about how your blunt remarks scared off the dragon vein of Feihe Mountain. There’s something I hadn’t gotten around to asking yet.”
Meng Qi perked up, glad he hadn’t guessed wrong, just that the doctor had been distracted by something else. Very good.
Meng Qi put away the mulberry paper and said calmly, “If it’s about that swordsman; this is easy.”
Mo Li looked at him with confusion.
“You think the dragon vein of Feihe Mountain doesn’t possess such good medical skills and want to ask directly.” Meng Qi adjusted his bag, smiling, “Doctor, you’ve studied Qi and Huang for many years and have also observed things through the lens of medical practice. I think that foolish sparrow, if it could manipulate spiritual energy, might inadvertently save that woman’s life. If that woman gave birth prematurely, the spiritual energy could combine with the baby’s innate energy; it’s not impossible.”
“This—”
Mo Li hesitated. This was a rather difficult task.
Spiritual energy is hard to generate, gathering along the veins, and while it could be manipulated, forcing it to stay in one place would cause it to dissipate over time.
Su Li was a living person, who had been alive for decades!
“That sparrow is so foolish, it couldn’t manage it.” Mo Li couldn’t help but say through a secret transmission.
Meng Qi’s mouth curved upwards, even more so.
— He had led the doctor astray, and it felt particularly wonderful to be in cahoots with the doctor!
Laughing aside, he still needed to conceal it. Meng Qi said earnestly, “What if someone teaches it?”
“Who?” Mo Li asked in surprise.
“Didn’t the foolish sparrow say that the hawk taught it many things?” Meng Qi pretended to be serious, “Although it only mentioned manipulating spiritual energy, let’s not forget what it learned this for—to conjure auspicious signs, like glowing feathers, to deceive the villagers. It shows some interest in impersonating the mountain deity; if it can play the god, it might occasionally save people too. Without medicine or needles, it could just infuse spiritual energy, helping them avoid an early death and allowing them to live… doesn’t that resemble a mountain deity manifesting?”
This was basically a whole set of tricks for impersonating gods. Only the first part didn’t make sense; the latter parts made villagers genuinely believe in the mountain deity.
“Furthermore, the clues we found in Feihe Mountain are exactly what the old man from the fishing village mentioned about the mountain deity, right? Ayanpuka aims to set a trap for us, starting with the mountain deity, and the only evidence we have confirming the existence of the dragon vein in Feihe Mountain, besides that glowing feather, is that swordsman from Piaoping Pavilion.”
Meng Qi clasped his hands behind his back, taunting, “In Ayanpuka’s view, we are probably going to bring the swordsman along. This way, we’ve restrained three masters, allowing the Xiliang people to free up their hands to continue dealing with Fengxing Pavilion, and perhaps we can also use your talent from the Taijing dragon vein to find the elusive dragon vein of Feihe Mountain.”
Mo Li was left speechless; it was truly absurd to misidentify the dragon vein.
But fortunately, Ayanpuka had made a mistake, or it would have been even more troublesome to deal with him.
No one could plan for everything; unexpected events always arose, just like when Meng Qi wanted to beat up Gong Jun but never imagined that Gong Tongzhi had eight cats at home. Ayanpuka couldn’t guess Mo Li’s true identity; they were all unexpected surprises.
“I still want to ask the sparrow.” Mo Li pondered, fearing that a fourth or fifth malicious dragon vein might emerge.
It was really hard to find one, and upon discovering it, he realized that his kind might not be as good as the white fox at home.
In fact, Mo Li had considered the possibility that other dragon veins could “do evil.”
But first, he encountered Meng Qi, then met the pitiful Silang Mountain. Even when he sought Feihe Mountain, although he felt vigilant due to Ayanpuka’s presence, he hadn’t truly worried. After all, with the golden dragon as a backing, he wasn’t afraid of a fight.
Two against one, could they still suffer losses?
If it was two against a group…
Then he would have to think carefully and retreat for now.
Sand rats could shed fur; if they got hurt, the doctor would surely feel sorry.
“There are no other dragon veins; if there were, Ayanpuka wouldn’t keep a close watch on Feihe Mountain.” Meng Qi sneered, mocking, “Anahduo Mountain failed to swallow the foolish sparrow, yet Ayanpuka still risks it. Could it be that they think Feihe Mountain is dumber and easier to deceive than other dragon veins?”
Mo Li shot a sideways glance at Meng Qi, suspecting that someone was trying to flatter him, but he spoke out: “It’s because they bully the weak and fear the strong, not daring to touch the mighty golden dragon vein, yet unable to find other dragon veins.”
“Exactly!”
Meng Qi proudly raised his head and said, “I have traveled across the seas; aside from Shangyun Mountain, I have never seen a place with more spiritual energy than Feihe Mountain. Those mountains and rivers might conceal hidden dragon veins, but in Ayanpuka’s eyes, they should be easier to deal with. If the Feihe Mountain dragon vein couldn’t save anyone, and the swordsman wasn’t born here, Ayanpuka would become suspicious. He is even more eager than us to find a new dragon vein.”
Mo Li fell silent again, recalling the strange death aura surrounding Ayanpuka, and a thought struck him. “The swordsman can’t use the spiritual energy within the veins, as it’s something the sparrow can’t learn. But what if someone could use it?”
This other person was naturally Ayanpuka.
The dying dragon vein was, of course, Anahduo Mountain.
The mystery shrouding this Xiliang man had gradually unraveled, no longer feeling elusive.
—Because as long as his origins and intentions were known, everything could be traced.
Mo Li sighed in relief; he believed in Meng Qi’s abilities.
Just like the unexpected changes in Jingzhou, which left others bewildered, Meng Qi had tightened the principles of “wasting resources” and “creating discord,” gradually peeling back the layers to reveal the plans of the mastermind behind the scenes. If it weren’t for Meng Qi being unclear about the power distribution in Jiangnan, the identity of the mastermind would have been exposed long ago.
As for Ayanpuka, he was focused on “deceiving the Feihe Mountain dragon vein” and “growing his own power to seek restoration,” no matter how crafty or cunning his strategies were, he would eventually face setbacks.
“Let’s go, let’s raid this guy’s lair.”
Meng Qi pointed to the southwestern depression of Feihe Mountain, gesturing as if he were holding a feather fan.
He spoke with the confidence of someone who could effortlessly send a million troops to oblivion, boldly declaring, “Today we will level opium, turning a place the Xiliang people value into their burial ground.”
—
As the sky grew darker, the person seated at the top grew increasingly grim.
“Zanpu?”
A few Xiliang men felt anxious, calling out cautiously.
Xiliang had not yet been restored; Ayanpuka’s subordinates had a very chaotic way of addressing him.
Some, whose ancestors came from slavery, regarded him as their master.
Others, like Manager Sun and Li Zhu, who considered themselves wise talents, followed Han customs and called him ‘Lord.’
The remaining noblemen from the party of the eight tribes, who were steeped in the former prosperity of Xiliang, still referred to him as Zanpu.
This title came with the high monks from the Mojie Temple; among the distant mountains, their leaders were called Zanpu, meaning ‘divine spirit.’
As a descendant of the Xiliang royal family, a disciple of the Mystic Law King, and the inheritor of the highest martial arts of Mojie Ti Temple, he certainly deserved this title.
“Has there been any news from the Yin family’s peach blossom winery recently?”
“This… none.”
“And what about the collapsed mountain god temple at Dongya?”
Ayanpuka’s expression grew increasingly ferocious as he asked about every place he thought Meng Qi might appear.
In the end, he only received news that no suspicious outsiders had shown up anywhere.
“Zanpu, shall we send a message with a pigeon? Perhaps there is an oversight; I can go personally?”
One Xiliang man speculated about Ayanpuka’s thoughts, tentatively asking.
Ayanpuka coldly surveyed the crowd, and aside from a few impulsive young men, the others instinctively averted their gazes.
Among them, an elderly man with waning strength coughed weakly and said, “Zanpu, Master Meng’s age should be about the same as mine. Why provoke him?”
If they waited a few more years, wouldn’t Meng Qi just die?
The Xiliang people held a grudge against Meng Qi, but it wasn’t as intense as against Marquis Jing Yuan and Yin Qingheng. If Ayanpuka were facing those two today, these Xiliang men would surely flee without a second thought.
“A man has no intention of harming a tiger, but a tiger has the heart to harm people,” Ayanpuka stated word by word. “You are old, but Meng Qi is not, just like during the height of Chu dynasty.”
“This is impossible.” The old man was shocked, his mouth agape, revealing his toothless gums.
His few younger relatives stammered, saying that rumors in the martial world suggested that the undercover agent in the Sweet Spring Bathhouse at Fengxing Pavilion had seen him, and he looked young.
“This… could it be a demon?”
The Xiliang people believed in demons, as described in the Buddhist teachings of Mojie Temple, who were born as bad people that ruined the lifespan and fortune of others; whoever encountered them would suffer misfortune.
The old man rolled his eyes, coughing and choking as he waved his arms, “No, no, we have to go.”
Ayanpuka did not stop him; he was pondering where the problem lay.
Suddenly, a flash of bright red appeared outside the window.
“The water has burst! Zanpu, the flower fields over there have burst!”
The author has something to say:
Zanpu is actually a title from Tubo; it’s a fictional setting… just using it OTZ
