The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

As intense and ill-tempered as Qu Jiuniang might be, she was a free-spirited woman who suffered from an overzealous passion for wealth and riches; but, she was hardly an inept, insensitive person. Her eyebrows jerked at her guest’s comment. “Who are you after?” she asked.

“Ze Luoju,” Meng Qi answered promptly, flapping his sleeves wide as he took a seat directly in front of his host.

Qu Jiuniang clicked her tongue at her guest’s answer. “Devious and cunning are the schemes of Ze Luoju. He strikes with pure malice, without an ounce of clemency. How is it be possible he had allowed you to roam free in the past, only for you to return for a reckoning with him now…”

Meng Qi smiled. “There was a time he pursued me in Jiangdong.”

“Jiangdong…” Qu Jiuniang wondered in silence. Her thoughts drifted to the Exterior sentinels of The Immortals who had watched the city from its shadows. The mere utter of their names would have sufficed in terrifying Ze Luoju from the vicinity of the region. “You are certain of your success?” she asked.

A dazzling smile flashed upon her beautiful face like the alluring charm of a blossoming flower. Her deep gaze burrowed into Meng Qi bewitchingly, as if to say, “Request my assistance… Entice me with promises of riches… And my help shall be yours in return… So long as the hate of the Crying Elder rests only on your shoulders…”

Meng Qi tapped on the surface of the table lightly with his finger. “Not at the moment,” he replied. “Ze Luoju has long attained the powers of the Exterior Scenery. He even has the powers of Third Fold Heaven of the Exterior. However, he has remained a few steps behind his breakthrough of the First Celestial Ladder. The powers he possesses at his disposal are all but finite. The crux of a triumphant execution of my quarry lies not merely on the difference in strength. My presence here alone has elevated the chances of my success!”

Provided that the difference of strength was hardly distinct or apparent, there were numerous instances of weaker assassins from Unrelenting Tower that had triumphed against enemies who were greater and stronger.

Qu Jiuniang did not attempt to conceal her dismay at Meng Qi’s rejection of asking for her assistance. “Ze Luoju has been notorious for many years. His past as a horse bandit must have endowed him with untold wealth and riches.”

“We are hardly lacking in instances where warriors of the Exterior Scenery have found themselves slain even before they were able to make use of their magical artifacts and tools,” said Meng Qi, “He would have escaped without a trace if given any chances to react and unleash the powers of his artifacts and tools. Our efforts would have been for naught, especially with the Immensity Sea’s treacherous terrain and Ze Luoju’s Violent Sand Super Force,” he continued. Needless to say, a sudden ambush and a speedy retreat would almost ensure a more successful endeavor with the help of his Eight Nine Mysteries technique. The inclusion of Qu Jiuniang into the equation would instead create further complications.

“There would be no expense spared in the extent of my assistance as long as a fitting price is offered,” Qu Jiuniang pressed further. Her lips pursed in disgust before her expression took a somber turn as disappointment struck her. Pensively she remarked, “I was merely testing your confidence earlier. He who endured the Four Judgements of Heaven is exceptional indeed.”

“I would have declined your request for an alliance anyhow,” said Qu Jiuniang, “Ze Luoju is no longer in the Evil Ridge. He ventured West five days ago to the city of Hahler, to seek help from the Crying Elder, I believe. The city of Hahler lacks not hidden greats of the Exterior Scenery. I would expect that with your Eight Nine Mysteries technique, an escape unscathed should be manageable if all hell breaks loose in Hahler. I, on the contrary, would not dare to tread such perilous waters with you.”

Qu Jiuniang had not been genuine in her refusal to help. Clearly, assistance from her could be rendered with greater promises of rewards and remuneration for the risks that she would have to take. “A true shyster with a voracious appetite for riches indeed!”

“This woman…” Meng Qi said to himself. Quietly, he pondered the facts at hand,“It has been five days since Ze Luoju left for Hahler…”

All signs indicated that Ze Luoju had received word of Meng Qi earlier than he had expected. It seemed that Ze Luoju had not been idle. On the contrary, he had been prowling intently for any news of Meng Qi for quite some time.

“Even I would be restless and fearful if a nemesis like you was hot on my trail,” Qu Jiuniang snickered. “One would be wise to watch his steps with care. Surely Ze Luoju would never rest while you grow and improve. Hence, he must have concocted a plan; be it to seek the protection of the Crying Elder, or to hunt you down and eliminate you directly.”

Meng Qi continued patting the table lightly, “Still, no one would have been able to fully predict the time of my journey North after the attunement of my newly-acquired powers. As the Crying Elder seeks to establish his rule over the western wastelands by the banks of Lake Baikal, he would not bend to the frivolous begging of Ze Luoju for protection. Ze Luoju would most likely just receive some item or an artifact with powers of protection from him. He would bide his time as he hid until he could risk a journey across the Central Plains to eliminate me.”

“The Crying Elder’s infamous technique, Haunter’s 18 Slaps, is known across the lands for its deadliness,” continued Qu Jiuniang. “The artifact he bestows to Ze Luoju might have certain connections to this. It might not be a genuine magical artifact after all. You might not have an opening to strike even if he doesn’t expect your presence in the Evil Ridge when he returns from Hahler,” Qu Jiuniang further deduced along the lines of Meng Qi’s guess.

“The Crying Elder is in Hahler at the moment?” Meng Qi asked, as his mind spun with calculations.

The scarcity of secured information remained the largest impediment that hindered a great many warriors from the Central Plains from exacting retribution in the regions of Lake Baikal. Procuring information rashly would instead reveal the trails of one’s pursuit in the vicinity, allowing their enemy to pick up the scent of pursuers and vanish. Hence Meng Qi’s decision to first visit Qu Jiuniang for much-needed information and counsel before his deed.

Qu Jiuniang beamed radiantly as her eyes twinkled at Meng Qi. She surreptitiously rubbed her fingers together. Money. Of course. “I have revealed to you the trails of Ze Luoju without payment,” she said suggestively. “However…”

Understanding her affinity for wealth and riches, Meng Qi rummaged within his robes and said, “I have no gems or diamonds with me, only the deed of a land.”

“A deed for land in Jiangdong… Very well, this should suffice…” With a swift stroke, she whisked the piece of paper from the Meng Qi’s fingers, hastily stowing it into her Space Ring before her benefactor could raise any notion of dispute.

Delighted by the acquiring of wealth, she showed a final act of defiance. “He has brought much devastation to Hahler, for he himself possessed powers of a great warrior, leaving the Crying Elder to personally address the issue of the annoyance. He is now deep within the God-Burying Desert, hunting for the former King. It would take at least half a month for him to return in spite of a successful campaign.”

“As expected, the Crying Elder has his hands full at the moment…” Meng Qi heaved a sigh as the news filled him with relief. He would have to wait for Ze Luoju to return to the Evil Ridge otherwise. The assistance of Qu Jiuniang would be integral to his success then. Yet, Meng Qi could hardly imagine the price of her assistance. “A disastrously exorbitant price, no doubt!”

He would now dare to traverse the perils that awaited him in Hahler- for now.

…

Ze Luoju raced through the whirling winds of sand that battered at him, speeding for the refuge of Hahler as fast as his legs could bear.

Somberly, he trudged through the sand, his eyes narrowed behind a veil. The emerald-green glow shone from his eyes faintly as he fought to look through the billowing winds and sand.

“The monk Zhen Ding had improved by leaps and bounds, enduring even the Four Judgements of Heaven, reminiscent of the feats of the Human Sovereign himself!” Ze Luoju thought to himself.

As the crisis began to grow out of hand, he could but only plead to his teacher for help. Not even the fear of his admonition nor the fear of being infused with vengeful souls into his body as punishment would dissuade him from appealing to his teacher now!

“It would not be far into the future, nine years maybe, or even before that for him to achieve enough power to eliminate us all! Including the teacher himself!” Ze Luoju gasped to himself.

Never had it occurred to Ze Luoju that he should have traps and snares waiting for his nemesis that would come to seek vengeance. He had expected that his arrangements of protection from his teacher, Crying Elder, would be completed by the time Meng Qi had finished the attunement of his powers.

Putting himself in his enemy’s shoes, he would have patiently waited for nine years. With the gifted talents he possessed, he could have easily inflicted his will upon any enemy that dared stir his wrath in a matter of years. No snares nor traps, not even the protection of his teacher, would be able to prevent the coming reckoning!

The changes that Xuan Bei had adopted in this training method during the meditation of his Hidden Latch had stalled his progress following his attainment of the peak of the Exterior Scenery. Without the opportunity to visit the top story of Stupa Tower to steal a glimpse of the relics of the great monks of the past, Xuan Bei lacked the inspiration to precipitate his improvements and leap through the hurdles of his attainment, grasping the Nirvana of his powers by reaching the Half-Step from the Dharmakaya. It was for that very reason that he and his teacher had not feared Xuan Bei coming to seek revenge. Instead, Su Meng’s leaps and bounds in his quest for power and his infamous endurance of the Four Judgements of Heaven had impressed upon the entire world that he possessed rare gifts and talents which would barely pale in comparison to the Su Wuming of old. The candles which represented their lives would burn shorter for them both each year as time faded swiftly.

“I must beg the teacher for his Nether Ghouls of Five Venoms. With that, I would be much at ease if Killing Blade comes knocking in a few months from now,” Ze Luoju thought as he raked his mind for solutions, “I will also ask of the teacher for the assistance of Unrelenting Tower to dispatch its minions to track and watch Killing Blade while I wait for a secure opportunity to eliminate him myself.”

Ze Luoju could only suffer the drawbacks of the Nether Ghouls of Five Venoms and the ill-defined, painful wait as the clock ticked, each second a possible moment of Killing Blade’s arrival. He never wished to live in fear and doubt, casting wary glances over his back at every turn.

“Two years! No matter what! In two year, I will eliminate Killing Blade!” Ze Luoju swore to himself, his eyes glinted with malice. He was quite confident that his teacher will concur with his decision!

The cruel winds howled and billowed as choking clouds of sand flew around in the fierce gales. Ze Luoju readied himself and plunged into the raging storm as he sped on.

…

The blistering sun hung high upon the canvas of the sky, sparing no one from its scornful rays. Sandy winds lapped at the faces of all who walked among the dunes of sand, their gusts dry yet strong.

Sitting cross-legged, Meng Qi rested behind the sand dunes. He unsealed the apertures on his body, absorbing the incandescence of the blazing sun above and other natural Vital Qi energies that could be found in the vicinity. The energies were fused into the genuine Qi of his Eight-Nine Mysteries technique.

The blaze of the burning sun began to build up in the apertures of his body like miniature suns. Meng Qi emptied his thoughts to meditate as the burning heat around him began to resonate with the sun overhead. The fiery heat boiled within him, threatening to melt everything around him.

A murky breath of air escaped from Meng Qi mouth as he began to rise. It had been nine days and Meng Qi had finally reached the western edge of Lake Baikal. Before him, stood the great oasis city known as Hahler.

From the counsel of Qu Jiuniang that he had received nine days before, he had deviated from the common course of travelers in the desert where bandits and demons could be found roaming around to prevent the spreading of his trail to his foes. Unlike his current disposition, he had willfully left traces of his tracks to convince any stalkers that lurked in the shadows of his presence within the boundaries of the Jin Empire. Unlike in his country, every bandit and traveler of the desert could possibly be an agent of Ze Luoju. “Secrecy is absolutely paramount to the success of my designs!”

Throughout his journey, Meng Qi had deliberately avoided the oasis of the deserts, speeding across the sand in the day and flying in the night. The tireless exertion had fatigued him tremendously. He needed to meditate and recuperate for a night, before his entry into the bounds of Hahler, by absorbing and consuming the innate energies of Nature; from the forces of the cosmic stars to the blazing incandescence of the searing sun, he had to restore his condition and health to its peak.

The kingdom of Hahler sat deep within a large oasis. Heavy walls encircled the entire cityscape where tipped and crowned roofs of diverse exotic architecture filled the skyline. Descendants of the line of divine and demonic beings abounded every corner of the city; some donned irises of varying colors, some had a third eye upon their foreheads, while others had wings on their backs.

In robes of white Meng Qi disguised himself as a common tradesman of the desert, stepping through the doorway of a bustling tavern.

The setting of the tavern varied greatly from the city-states at the east of Lake Baikal. A bar counter could be found displaying wares of liquor. A row of stools lined before the counter, where clients could sit and drink without occupying an entire table.

It was close to noon when most drunkards would still be deep in their intoxicated slumber. There was only a handful of patrons in the tavern. Meng Qi strode to the counter and knocked at the countertop in a rhythmic sequence. Hoarsely he croaked, “A thimble-full of Firewhiskey please.”

The tavernkeeper caught the sound of Meng Qi’s knocking on the wood of the counter. His eyelids drooped as he answered, “We are out.”

The man was tall and thin with a dark complexion and a bearded face.

“I see…” Meng Qi replied as he took the hint. He circled to the back of the tavern.

The tavernkeeper waited there, expecting him.

Meng Qi displayed the token provided to him by Qu Jiuniang, “I have paid Jiuniang,” he said.

“What news do you require?” asked the tavernkeeper. He was an associate of The Immortals, a source cultivated by Qu Jiuniang for purposes of intelligence in the city of Hahler. However, Meng Qi had approached him not as a member of The Immortals, but as a patron of Qu Jiuniang, seeking news and counsel with payment in return.

“Where is Ze Luoju currently?” Meng Qi asked at once.

“He returned six days ago,” the tavernkeeper replied immediately. “He now resides in the residence of the Royal Advisor.”

“How about Crying Elder?” Meng Qi asked sharply.

“He has yet to return,” the tavernkeeper answered nonchalantly. It was general information known to all residents of the city.

Meng Qi nodded in acknowledgment before his next inquiry, “How many in the city possess powers above the Exterior Scenery?”

“Three, aside from Ze Luoju and Yan Shiche,” answered the tavernkeeper as he combed his thoughts for the details. “The strongest of them would be the Great General Wusun Qi, a grandmaster of the Seventh Fold Heaven.”

Qu Jiuniang had informed Meng Qi before his journey to Lake Baikal of the warriors residing in the city. There were eleven warriors with powers of the Exterior Scenery, one grandmaster and another two who would have dwarfed the rest in the great kingdom of Hahler, aside from the line of Crying Elder.

“Where is the mansion of the Royal Advisor? Do you have a map of the city?” Meng Qi asked again, taking a breath.

Producing a map from within his robes, the tavernkeeper pointed out the directions to the mansion of the Royal Advisor to him. “There are magical barriers around the city, as well as the residence of the Royal Advisor,” warned the tavernkeeper hastily. “Be careful of your actions!”

Meng Qi stowed the map into his robes without a word and smiled at the tavernkeeper as he turned and left.

“How would the barriers of Hahler fare against the barriers of Luoyang?” he mused.

…

Arrays of barriers were conjured in the sparring hall of the Royal Advisor’s mansion as Ze Luoju practiced on his martial skills to prevent him from damaging the buildings around him.

A swing of his blade shot forth and vengeful spirits trailed the dancing edge of his saber. Gales of obsidian-black energies enclosed the flurry of his moves as a bronze figure before him crumbled into dust and drifted with the winds of sand.

Ze Luoju exhaled heavily, envisioning the bronze figurine before him as his nemesis, the accursed Killing Blade!

He discontinued the barriers following his training, his deep-lying resentment and anger upon the poor bronze figure that had been reduced to nothing but mere dust. He left the training hall and returned to his chambers.

His fear of his safety had all diminished since his arrival at the boundaries of the city. To him, the city of Hahler was one of the safest places where he could seek refuge.

Night descended upon the city’s horizon. The protective barrier of the residence of the Royal Advisor was conjured. Ze Luoju remained in his chambers, meditating and training to improve his powers.

Unbeknownst to him, a little mouse had slunk into the confines of the residence before the had sun come down. It waited there outside his chambers in the garden!

Ze Luoju would have at least one artifact of protection, Meng Qi anticipated. It would be wise to expect the successful execution of his quarry in the second or third strike!

Three strikes! That would be all that he could risk. He would escape and flee nonetheless if the three strikes did not yield the successful outcome of his attempt!

Meng Qi closed his eyes as he waited patiently for daybreak. The night would keep his enemy cautious. The break of dawn, however, leaves most unwary!