The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

The carriage skirted the edges of the forest. Thick puffs of cloudy breath emerged from the nostrils of horses in rhythmic bursts in the snow.

Meng Qi knocked on the door of the carriage and said in a hushed voice, “We’ll abandon the carriage and enter the forest.”

He had recovered in the strength he lost in using the Heavenly Fairy technique with his sword. He estimated that Master Xiyue would arrive sometime soon. The continued use of the carriage would allow their enemies to easily track them. The trail left behind by the carriage was as clear as the bright sun hanging over their heads. Moreover, it would be effortless for one with Exterior Scenery skills to catch up to the horses. It would be prudent to discard the carriage and slip inside the snowy forest on foot.

Having gained a clear understanding of the skills of an Exterior expert from Huangfu Tao, Madam and Miss Huangfu had no problems with his idea.

“Leap out of the carriage windows and run into the forest. I’ll drive the horses to travel further and distract our pursuers,” Meng Qi said, hands still on the reins to steer the horses.

Both ladies weren’t ones to waste their breath. With an unwavering resolution, they removed the felt blankets and threw themselves out of the speeding carriage. They entered the frosted thickets of the icy forest, leaving no footprints on the trail.

Moments later, the mad neighing of the horses resounded in the air. The thundering of their gallops continued as the rabid beasts bucked and darted ahead with greater speed. With a light push of his hand, Meng Qi lifted off the coachman’s seat and soared into the air like a great bird. He flew into the thick forest of frozen trees and continually propelled himself by hopping off trees and branches. In no time, he caught up with the women and found them safe.

He had used his spiritual energy to drive the horses into madness so they sank into streaks of insanity and trample further on. His plan was to lead Master Xiyue and other pursuers down a wrong trail.

Branches from the tall trees canopied their path as they made their way deeper into the woodland. There were pine trees and other plants that still bore green leaves, though they were covered in snow and ice. Silver-sleeved branches extended from the trees with glistening strands of ice or razor-sharp icicles hanging perilously above. An immaculate soft white blanket of snow covered the forest bed. Rays of winter sunlight illuminated the forest and glistened off the ice-covered trees, making for a picturesque scene as they walked through the forest.

The two ladies walked ahead, with Meng Qi trailing behind them. He struck his Palm Strokes as they walked, covering their tracks.

They gradually entered the depths of the frozen timberland. With soft and low steps, they avoided waking any beasts hibernating in the winter and revealing themselves.

They had probably managed to avoid Master Xiyue by now… The mother and daughter exchanged glances as the same thought occurred to them. It wouldn’t be a simple task to track them down in a forest so deep and thick.

Meng Qi was relieved as well. The pounding of his heart had eased as he shifted his attention to other deliberations that required his thoughts—obtaining the Five Thunder Skill and the Heavenly Night Spear Arts from Huangfu Fei.

“Daughter, how should we repay the Taoist for his help?” Madam Huangfu asked, using the Secret Voice-Sending technique.

Huangfu Fei was puzzled and replied, “Didn’t the Taoist help us to repay Father’s kindness?”

“You…” A delicate smile appeared on her mother’s face. “You’ve learned considerably in the course of our predicament with the Moon Village, but you still lack the worldly wisdom of dealing with people.”

“I’m afraid he’s been less than forthcoming. If he didn’t rescue us as a gesture of repayment, he may have some other designs of his own. I feel that it’s better for us to take the initiative and make him an offer. The idea of reward may way any ill thoughts he has of harming us. However, if he’s truly here to redeem our freedom as an act of repayment, he’d leave once the deed is complete. Your father’s torment by these fiends remains. It’d be wise to make a powerful ally out of him.”

Prior to their confinement, she hadn’t expected the God-gathering Heights to be defeated when they had the talents and strength of the Taoist of Infinitude and Huangfu Tao’s other acquaintances. The ferocity and shrewdness of the Exterior expert had exceeded her calculations.

The mother and daughter could only drift helplessly in the wild without the God-gathering Heights. They desperately need as many dependable allies as possible to ensure their survival.

“What should we offer him?” Huangfu Fei asked curiously. “He seems interested in the Black Tortoise Jade Pendant, which I had offered to him earlier so he could ward off the evil ghost.”

Madam Huangfu’s expression took a heavy and solemn turn. She muttered quietly, “Reveal to him the pithy formula for the Five Thunder Skill and the Heavenly Night Spear Art.”

“What?” Huangfu Fei’s eyes went wide at her mother’s instructions. “Mother, those are the heirlooms of the God-gathering Heights. We can’t let a stranger have them! It’s the same as allowing the Moon Village to seize them from us! We might not have to abandon the manor then…”

Madam Huangfu looked at her daughter with utmost adoration and once again sighed. “You…”

“In his fights against with Red-eyebrowed Saber King and Green-blood Dragon King, weren’t you puzzled over the resemblance of his strokes to the Heavenly Night Spear Arts?”

“Yes, Mother. Are you saying that Father would agree to reveal the pithy formulas since he has already taught him the cursory knowledge about the skills?”

Madam Huangfu nodded and explained further, “That’s one possibility. I’m certain of your father’s temperament. He looks upon the issue of succession with an absolute zeal. He wouldn’t have so flippantly imparted the essence of the Heavenly Night Spear Art to an unknown stranger except out of need and necessity. We’ll follow the course he has instructed.

“The other possibility is that Taoist Qingyuan speaks the truth. He had seen another ancient mark of the thunderbolt in the hidden mausoleum and had been illuminated of the principles of the Thunder Execution. They were left by the same powerful beings that came before, thus they’d look identical.”

She paused and, even with the Secret Voice-Sending technique, her daughter noticed the dip in her mother’s tone. “Your father had been troubled by the lack of progress in his study of the thunderbolt mark. He felt that he needed to enter the mausoleum again to get inspiration for a breakthrough. If the Taoist has also been hindered in his headway as well, the pithy formula might be the object of his pursuit.”

“Revealing the formula to him will result in a favorable outcome for us all. We can share our knowledge and gain improvements in the martial skills we’ve been training for, improvements that have eluded us for so long. We can test him after this and see what we can make of his intentions.”

“Yes, Mother.” Huangfu Fei had been distressed since leaving the God-Gathering Heights. The manor had been her home since young and abandoning it to evade the clutches of the Moon Village had left her with an emptiness that distressed her more than anything she had been through. She was also concerned about Taoist Qingyuan deserting them. Her mother’s assurances had laid to rest the concerns that bothered her.

Madam Huangfu couldn’t help smiling lovingly at her daughter as she watched her remove the anguishing concerns that troubled her. She said, “We’re making this choice out of consideration for your future. Without the legacy of our forefathers, it wouldn’t be a simple feat to restore the glory of the family while wandering in the wild Jianghu. It’ll be an onerous task to progress gradually in your inherited martial skills like your father once did. The burden will be all the more laborious without the guidance and resources of your ancestral legacy. To reach the level of the Exterior Scenery, you’d need the potential that your father had and the fortune he chanced upon.”

“The Nine Villages have been blessed with extensive resources, Precious Weapons, and profound experiences amassed over the years. But still, they’ve yet to produce any Exterior experts. There’s simply no definite assurance that we’ll be welcomed with opened arms. In spite of the remote possibility that we’ll be accepted into their ranks, you’ll be nothing more than an expendable pawn which they can eliminate without an ounce of loyalty. The inherited skills that you’ll try to hone might even diminish into nothingness while your father remains lost.”

“Therefore, you must grasp any chance to enhance your skills. It doesn’t matter if Taoist Qingyuan possesses another set of principles of the Thunder Execution technique. The skills with the blade that he had displayed embodied the essence of the Heavenly Night Spear Arts. His mighty strength and discipline of his martial skills are undoubtedly good enough to help you make progress in the Five Thunder Skill and the Heavenly Night Spear Arts. Later on, I’ll quietly take you to see Taoist of Infinitude and the other elders. With your father’s reputation and connections, we’ll have no shortage of guidance and resources.”

Before retreating into the mausoleum, Huangfu Tao had been the most invincible master of martial skills. The mere mention of his name invoked fear and respect. Growing up with a silver spoon had left Huangfu Fei with an air of improvidence. Thus, she showed little interest in her martial skills study in the past and was absorbed only in her infatuations and desires. The invasion by the Moon Village on their ancestral estate in her father’s absence had steered her back into consciousness. However, her enemy had dealt a blow too swift and deadly. It was too late for her to do anything in the face of the enemy’s overpowering might. The martial skills she had inherited encompassed challenges comparable to reaching for the stars. Without proper guidance and demonstration, she couldn’t fully master the entirety of the martial skills through mere hints or poring through the scripts alone.

Thus, she had comprehended considerably in the course of her experiences and training but remained far from being quick in progressing her proficiency. If she continued down that path, she would probably be stuck at the level of an ordinary nine apertures, much less master any Exterior techniques or skills in the hereafter.

Huangfu Fei nodded in deference after listening to her mother’s lengthy explanation. Despite not having all nine of his apertures fully unsealed, the skills that Taoist Qingyuan had demonstrated filled her with wonder and admiration. Even if his prowess probably depended on the potency of his Precious Weapon, his abilities were undoubtedly above that of the Red-eyebrowed Saber King who was on Heaven-man Connection level. With or without the complete mastery of the martial skills she had inherited, his guidance in the essence of the Thunder Execution would definitely better her future.

The similarity of the martial skills they were training in and the essence they studied convinced her that Meng Qi would be a far more valuable guide to her than other Half-Steps from the Exterior masters, including Taoist of Infinitude.

Passing through the ice-coated trees glistening in the winter light, Meng Qi made his decision. He would trade his comprehension of the Five Thunder Bombardment of sky with Huangfu Fei. Pondering in silence during the mother and daughter’s muted discussion, he was certain she would be interested in his offer. Of course, he could also grab what he wanted by force.

Venturing deeper into the thick labyrinths of icy trees, Meng Qi decided it was time to initiate the negotiations and make his offer. He was about to call out to the pair to slow their pace when Huangfu Fei turned and walked to him with a shy and slightly perturbed smile. “Taoist Qingyuan, I noticed that you possess the essence of the Five Thunder Skill and the Heavenly Night Spear Art. Can you offer me some guidance once we’re safe?”

“The evil ghost has hounded my father late in his years. In his absence, the progress of the other disciples and I have been hindered. I humbly ask for your advice.”

Compared to her mother, she was still far too young and inexperienced. She said bluntly, “In exchange, I’ll demonstrate everything I know about the entirety of the Five Thunder Skill and the Heavenly Night Spear Art.”

Her choice of words made it seem like Meng Qi was a thief who had painstakingly conspired to seize her secret manuscripts.

“Do I look like a person who would do that?” Meng Qi feigned an exceedingly solemn expression, putting an air of honesty and righteousness. Inside, he was shocked. Why would these two suddenly bring this up? He hadn’t even opened his mouth to ask!

Madam Huangfu quietly reprimanded her daughter and hastily explained, “Master Taoist, it’s a misunderstanding. What she means is that she wants to reveal the secrets of our family heirloom so you can guide her in learning them…”

Before she could even finish her sentence, she saw that the Taoist’s expression had already softened.

Meng Qi felt like he had nearly ruined his image earlier. They could’ve withdrawn the offer then. He could’ve slapped himself for his lack of control. He quickly reassured them and said, “It was by the grace of the lord of the God-Gathering Heights, Master Huangfu himself, that I managed to master the skills of my blade. I’m deeply grateful to have the opportunity of guiding Miss Huangfu and repay the Lord for his kindness. The technique of the Thunder Execution of mine seems similar to that of your family. It might help us all to learn from one another.”

Madam Huangfu and her daughter exchanged a smile, overjoyed at the prospects of the Taoist’s continued company.

Boom!

Just then, a loud noise reverberated and a tremor shook through the forest as if the sky had cracked open. Sounds of cracking and falling trees followed.

Meng Qi stared in the direction of the loud noises, feeling a sense of foreboding. A slight whimper escaped his lips.

“Master Xiyue?”

“Is he trying to destroy the entire forest to hunt us down?”

Clearly, he hadn’t anticipated that his enemy would travel to such lengths. It never occurred to him that Master Xiyue would be so unyieldingly resolute.

The entire forest was about a few hundred miles wide at most. Given time and effort, anyone with Exterior Scenery skills could lay waste to a land one to two miles wide. If he patiently uprooted the entire forest, he could leave them nowhere to hide.

Furthermore, with the capacity of flight, he would be high above the ground. He could instantly observe any movements and actions they made.

This was the so-called air superiority of his foe.

In the main world, Meng Qi had had experience dealing with Exterior Scenery experts with greater powers and abilities. However, rarely did they destroy forests and landscapes out of fear of disturbing any dormant demons or supernatural beings. They could also be trying to prevent unnecessary carnage for the observance of karma, as well as avoid divine judgment and the gratuitous annoyance posed by any family, clans, or sects.

Besides, he hadn’t had much experience getting hunted down by an Exterior expert! He never thought Master Xiyue would do this!