331 The New Ranking Lis

Though Meng Qi said he would head for Shaolin immediately, he couldn't really do so when there was still follow-up work to do. He still had to put on a show to fool his enemies before he could leave secretly!

Inside the Flowers Hall of the Zhong mansion, the scents of various kinds fused into a peculiar fragrance. The smell was unpleasant at first but once taken it, it had the effect of unwinding one's body. It was a novel sort of enjoyment.

The next day, Meng Qi and Zhengyan had visited the mansion to bid farewell to Zhong Taiping. "Doctor Zhong, Duan Rui is still occupied by the demonic art and his Soul-dissociating Syndrome is still not cured. I have to find him as soon as possible and put an end to it. Have you made your decision?"

Inside the hall, Zhong Taiping was stroking his goatee as he made a final consideration over his decision.

Zhong Wei was feeling somewhat resentful for his father had denied nearly all his choices. Nevertheless, the other options were still great. If he couldn't learn Young Master Qi and Young Master Su's supreme arts, there really wasn't any difference wherever he went.

Feng Yuanjing was standing beside him with an anxious expression, looking as if she wanted to say something. She was evidently worried about Duan Rui.

"Young Master Su," Zhong Taiping said, having finally made up his mind. "Though I said I'd treat the Soul-dissociating Syndrome, everything ended before I could barely begin. I truly don't deserve your favor."

His tone was rather rigid. Evidently, he wasn't used to saying such insincere words of refusal.

Meng Qi laughed heartily. "Why say such a thing? It's our good fortune to befriend you. Who won't be occasionally impulsive while venturing in Jianghu? I believe others would be insanely jealous once they find out I'm your friend."

He spoke frankly as if he would shamelessly establish their friendship on the basis of this incident. But his words didn't seem distasteful due to Zhong Taiping's insincere refusal.

Zhong Taiping coughed, very much pleased with Meng Qi's implicit compliment. "Young Master Su, Warrior Qi, it's my good fortune to have you two as my friends. Please speak up if you need my help in the future."

He sighed. "I only became a father after reaching middle age. I only have this unfilial son. If he's too far away from him, I'd worry too much. In addition, I don't wish for him to claim his Dharmakaya and it's good enough that he can become an Exterior expert. Could he perhaps be allowed to join the Ruan family from Langya?"

His choice killed two birds with one stone. Though it was impossible for Zhong Wei to learn the "12 Magical Sounds of Langhuan" and the "Heaven-shattering Earth-changing Tune", but the Ruan family had other Exterior arts that he could study. To any aristocratic family, even the "Donghua's Green Book" that Ruan Yaoguang and Ruan Yushu had taken could be considered a treasure. Besides, the Ruan family was as influential as the Wang family. If Zhong Wei could become associated with the family, his own family's status in Changchuan would rise and be solidified.

Though the other aristocratic families and powerful sects were also great, they were too far away after all.

"The Ruan family? No problem," Meng Qi answered without hesitation. The Ruan family and the Sword Washing Pavilion posed the least problem for him.

He said solemnly, "The rules in aristocratic families are the strictest. With my recommendation, Zhong Wei can easily become a Foreign Official. But there's nothing I can help with if he wants to acquire Exterior arts and cultivation resources. He can only depend on his effort and potential. I can only assure that he'll be fairly treated. If he works hard and makes sacrifices, he'll have the corresponding return."

"Perhaps the Ruan family might be willing to harbor a few useless disciples, but they would definitely not waste arts and elixirs on them. This is the same for other sects."

After all, Zhong Wei wasn't the illegitimate son of the Master of the family nor the relative of any leader…

Zhong Wei seemed to be a man of verve and confidence in a measure. With his head held high, he said, "Thank you for your advice, Young Master Su. I'm happy enough to hear that they would treat my son fairly!"

Only the inexperienced would be so bold… Meng Qi laughed to himself. The maid beside him handed him a pen and paper. He took it and wrote this recommendation, his writing resembling flying dragons and dancing phoenixes. His letter mainly recorded his greetings to Ruan Yushu and Senior Yuan, only tacking on his recommendation of Zhong Wei at the end.

Doctor Zhong was a famed doctor in the River East. If not for his ill temper and bashfulness, it would be a simple matter for his son to be accepted to aristocratic families and sects. This was a win-win situation for the Ruan family. This way, he wouldn't be wasting the favor that the family owed him.

Meng Qi left the secret mark that only his friends knew, folded the letter, and put it inside the envelope. He handed the letter to Zhong Taiping. "Give it to Master Ruan when you arrive in Langya. Remember to prepare some tael to bribe the doorman since they strictly guard the place."

The eldest Master of the Ruan family was the former Minister of Zuopuye of the Jin Dynasty, commonly known as the hand of the king. In other words, he was once the true prime minister.

"I know." Zhong Taiping's face was flushed. When he thought about bribing the doorman, he felt irritated and embarrassed.

Humph! If not for this brat…

Meng Qi and Qi Zhengyan stood up and said their farewells. Looking imploring, Feng Yuanjing said quietly, "Childe Duan suffers from the Soul-dissociating Syndrome and he's doing these things without knowing about it. Please don't kill him."

"Rest assured. Duan Rui is a kind man and there's still hope for him. He'll make amends for the victims to redeem himself," Meng Qi said seriously.

If Duan Rui was truly incurable, then he must be euthanized.

"Thank you, Young Masters." Feng Yuanjing bowed at them.

...

After leaving the Zhong mansion, Meng Qi and Qi Zhengyan made several turns before stopping in front of a pawnshop.

Qi Zhengyan stayed outside to keep an eye out. Meng Qi made slight alterations to his face and walked in with his head held high.

"Shopkeeper, I'd like to pawn something."

The grey-haired shopkeeper was examining the golden vase in front of him, pondering. "What's it?"

"A seven-acupored delicate heart," Meng Qi said quietly.

The shopkeeper immediately raised his head, his eyes clear and twinkling as he replied, "I only accept the nine-acupored kind."

"And a seal," Meng Qi added, taking out his green-ribboned official seal and gently poured his genuine Qi into it. The seal gleamed with green light.

The shopkeeper instantly became deferential and said, "Please follow me to the back of the shop."

Having considered that Nine-nos Doctor would be included in Duan Rui's escape route, Meng Qi believed that Duan Rui would stay in Changchuan. Thus, he made a request to his superiors to have the headquarters of the Six Fan School send their reply to his confidential report to this pawnshop.

The shopkeeper entered the vault in the back and retrieved a letter from the slit. "Green-ribbon Su, this is the reply from the headquarters."

Meng Qi opened the letter and read it carefully. It was a letter of commendation from the headquarters: 'Meng Qi, the Secret-searching Nark, went deep into Maoling and discovered the truth behind all the chaos. He caught the tail of a mysterious organization. He has contributed greatly to this task. He will be awarded three months' worth of salary. The bonus can be exchanged for elixirs, refined weapons, and other items in the local Six Fan School. It can also be accumulated to be exchanged for an Exterior art in Luoyang.'

There wasn't any mention about his acquisitions in the Dongyang Villa. After all, it wasn't a part of the treasure-hunting mission of the Six Fan School. It was his little adventure while he was investigating the chaos in Maoling.

When it came to the highly autonomous and rarely restricted Search-searching Narks, the school would only penalize them for betrayal, disobedience, or corruption. The school would turn a blind eye to the things they obtained during an adventure, considering them as motivation. Even in their own missions, the school would only take the lion's share and leave the rest to the Narks as rewards. Obviously, they wouldn't interfere in Meng Qi's acquisitions in his recent adventure.

This was also the reason why the reward from the school was so ordinary, merely three months' worth of salary. They didn't want to evoke the jealousy of other arresters.

There weren't any other missions… Meng Qi nodded lightly. He asked the shopkeeper for a pen and paper to write another confidential report, requesting the headquarters to investigate the whereabouts of the eminent monks of the Shaolin Temple over the past month. He also requested for information on the people inside the temple as well as those near the River East.

He then wrote, "I'm willing to give up my reward as well as half a year's worth of salary for this request…"

Reaching the end of the letter, he thought about his route and considered the time it would take for the reply to come. He then put down the name of the city that the reply could be sent to before stamping with his seal.

Meng Qi heaved a sigh of relief after submitting the secret report. He left with Qi Zhengyan, acting as if they were going to hunt Duan Rui.

...

Over in the Di County, the first snow of the winter had just come to an end in the Dragon-rocky Mountain. The road was still muddy even inside the city. The path was paved with white snow and dark mud. Under the feet were the slippery snow and footprints, embodying the indescribable filth and the infinite cold.

There was a teahouse by the road that many people treated as a shelter. A simple cup of hot tea and two steaming stuffed buns were better than any exquisite cuisine.

The owner wittily put up a wooden board in the teahouse and stuck the latest Ranking List of Young Masters on it. Many paladins passing by stopped at the teahouse for the rest. They began to harangue while drinking their tea. It was a successful day for the teahouse.

"Rumors had it that some major events happened in the River East?" A Taoist-like layman asked a friend he just met.

A wealthy-looking fat man grinned. "Of course! You'll see if you take a look at the list. The Astounding died in Maoling and Master Lotus has progressed into the top 10. Major events, aren't they?"

Though Jiang Hengchuan's corpse was destroyed and disposed of well, there were still traces left. Under the request of the Six Fan School, Wang Buchi divined Jiang Hengchuan's fate with the gathered flesh and blood and confirmed his death after talented people appraised it. However, he still didn't who was the murderer.

"Even a top 10 master died..." The Taoist-like layman gasped before turning to look at the list.

When his eyes moved down, he saw an unfamiliar name.

"Name: Qi Zhengyan."

"Kungfu: Seven Acupores; cultivates the Sword Art of Afterglow and Autumn Water and the Sword Art of Bright Moon Rising with Tide; his adventure during his travel made him impart the Gist of Trueness of ancient Peerless Godly Kung Fu; cultivated an eccentric genuine Qi with his peculiar barite; capable of mobilizing the force of heaven and earth in the enlightenment period, which comes with spreading clouds, steaming mists, and powerful freezing lights; possesses an Exterior killing move."

"Battle record: easily defeated Fang Bai, the Cloud-rubbing Dragon, in Changchuan, Jiang province."

"Ranking: 26th."

"Nickname: Descending Devil."

"Identity: A disciple of the Huanhua Swords Sect."

"Capable of mobilizing the force of heaven and earth in the enlightenment period! No wonder he's ranked 26th with just one battle!" The layman was shocked. A frown then crept into his face. "Why is the description so vague? Spreading clouds and steaming mists? The list isn't a prose! Why didn't they just write down their specific uses? And what's his killing move?"

He didn't question any further for his attention was on Jiang Hengchuan's death. As he looked upward swiftly, he discovered Wang Zai, the Right-guarding Sword, was ranked 19th while Five Emperors' Knife had risen to the 12th rank.

"Qing Yu, the Five Emperors' Knife, had allegedly mastered an Exterior killing move derived from the Heavenly Emperor Tramping Times. That was why he's ranked 12th," the fat and rich man explained.

The Taoist-like layman nodded. "If so, he truly deserves the rank. Eh, why is his description so detailed?"

His Heavenly Emperor Tramping Times and Fire Emperor Incinerating Heaven and Earth were both meticulously described. It was a sharp contrast with that of Qi Zhengyan.

Looking upward, he saw a name that had risen even faster. "H-How could he be ranked this high in an instant?"

"Name: Su Meng; former Dharma name: Zhen Ding."

"Kung fu: Seven Acupores; the level of his Golden Bell Shield is unknown; seemingly cultivates a similar mortal body kung fu; strong spirit and incredible strength; uses a sword in his left hand and a saber in the right; skilled sword art and specializes in close combat; master of a sword art as beautiful as a Heavenly Fairy; bladesmanship is mingled with Gist of Trueness of the first and second moves of the Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship, it can be performed continuously without urging the Blood Essence."

"Capable of deriving a thunder-featured bladesmanship of the Exterior level with the precious weapon in his hand; capable of performing an attack close to the Exterior level with all his strength; having achieved success in Knife Dao and Essence; qualified to be compared to a Master; master of a thunder-summoning move."

"Battle records: killed An Guoxie, the White-headed Vulture; killed Yuan Mengzhi, the Gray Jade Hand with a Sky Thunder; wiped out the Evil Ridge; repelled You Huanduo, the Uprising Yama; defeated Wang Zai, the Right-guarding Sword in the practicing field of Yedu with one move's advantage; successfully retreated from Jiang Hengchuan, the Astounding who had intended to kill him in the Flower-viewing Garden, Maoling, Jiang Province; forced Wang Siyuan, the Ledgerkeeper of Lives to defend himself in the Dongyang Villa; narrowly defeated Qing Yu, the Five Emperors' Knife in the street of Changchuan, Jiang Province…"

"Rank: 11th."

"Nickname: the Killing Blade, Reckless Monk, Thunder Blade Furious Monk."

"Identity: an abandoned disciple of Shaolin Temple; a swordsman in Jianghu."

"An attack close to the level of Exterior and a bladesmanship qualified to rival a Master..." the Taoist-like layman murmured to himself in shock.

He suddenly heard the clip-clops of a horse and turned his head around to see a man riding a horse. The man looked plain at first, but upon closer look, he actually looked handsome. The man was constantly whipping his horse as they traveled along the slithery road. His face was somber and he seemed to be in a great hurry.

Under the snow-covered green hill, the man on the horse rushed past on the grubby road as the cold wind blew.