Chapter 420: 394 Father and Son

Meng Huazhou ultimately chose to enter the door alone, leaving the two factions, who were at odds like fire and water, outside.

As he crossed the threshold, he took in the entire Thunder Court at a single glance.

The Thunder Court was empty and desolate, truly without a single person, as bleak as a sandy plain just swept by a gale.

It really had been cleared out from top to bottom.

Meng Huazhou himself was a true martial arts expert; although he had only just stepped across the threshold of a Loose Practitioner, his foundational skills were extremely solid. Since childhood, he had trained his eyes and ears, and had even developed a keen intuition that could only be honed amidst countless poisonous insects. All these senses told him: there was no one hiding in the courtyard.

His mood shifted from worry to... worry.

A different kind of worry.

His old father had not been held hostage or harmed, yet he had dismissed all his Disciples and servants to meet him alone. What did this mean?

Could it be... that his time was up? That he wanted to see him one last time?

In truth, their father-son relationship was poor. Meng Huazhou held much resentment toward his father for his harsh training since childhood and for obstructing his pursuit of his dreams. Recently, a major incident had even brought them to the brink of a falling out. But in the end, the bond between father and son had not been severed. Thinking that the old man's time was truly near, he could not help but feel worried and sad.

Beyond the emotional sadness, there was also worry regarding the situation.

The Gu fight was currently halfway through, and powerful figures had already emerged. His own topic had not yet been set; the old Manor Master could not die. Once he died, the situation would spiral out of control.

After all, what allowed everyone to participate in the Gu fight with peace of mind was, in the final analysis, the foundation of Jingzhe Villa and the deterrence of the Sword Guest. The rules were one aspect, but the old Manor Master holding down the fort was another. According to the rules, Meng Tiansheng had to pass the sword to the new Manor Master before he could die. Only this could ensure the smooth inheritance of the sword, passing it only between Manor Masters and giving no one else an opportunity to exploit.

If Meng Tiansheng were gone now, the sword would instantly become a masterless blade, and that was a hidden danger.

Viewed from the overall situation of Jingzhe Villa, this problem was actually manageable. After all, the Gu fight was effectively decided, and the winner was right outside.

If it were merely to ensure an orderly succession, if Meng Tiansheng were to die now, one could immediately call Black Widow in to receive the Jingzhe Sword, and the matter would naturally be settled. But didn't Meng Huazhou have his own selfish motives?

He was still counting on Black Widow and the others to find the Cloud Sword for him, which had to be done under the guise of his topic. If Black Widow came in directly and took the sword, the title would be set; what chance would he have left?

In an instant, four words often used in history books flashed through Meng Huazhou's mind:

"Keep the death secret."

As soon as he entered the room, Meng Huazhou smelled an extremely heavy fragrance, but the sandalwood was mixed with the strange scent of realgar and mugwort. The fragrance was so heavy that it formed a faint mist in the room, and the light of the single candle was exceptionally dim within the haze, making the lighting in the inner chamber obscure and unclear.

In the dim and misty gloom, Meng Huazhou saw his father, leaning sideways on the couch, his oil exhausted and his lamp dried up.

For an instant, Meng Huazhou forgot many grievances; he heaved a long sigh, and his eyes turned red.

Meng Tiansheng slowly opened his eyes and said, "Come here."

Meng Huazhou was slightly stunned and immediately thought: Could it be that I was wrong?

This didn't look like someone on their deathbed.

This "come here" was still quite full of vigor, lacking that look of extreme weakness; in fact, it was about the same as the state Meng Tiansheng was in before he left. Before he left, Meng Tiansheng still had the energy to point at him and scold him for half an hour.

With this distraction, the sadness from just a moment ago was immediately scattered by more than half. He walked over with his arms crossed and said, "Old man, you..."

Meng Tiansheng still kept his eyes closed, but slowly said, "You still know how to come back?"

Meng Huazhou found himself returning more and more to their original state of being at loggerheads, saying, "Yeah, I didn't expect it either. I thought I was coming back to put on mourning clothes for you directly."

Meng Tiansheng said coldly, "You still have the heart to wear mourning for me? I thought you were Tianxing's son."

This picked up on the conflict that had caused them to fall out. Meng Huazhou fully regained his state, his temper flaring, and said, "That would be fine too. I was originally Third Uncle's heir; now it would be perfectly justified for me to observe mourning for him. You drove him to his death, and now paying back a son to him can only be considered a small compensation."

Meng Tiansheng suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over coldly, and Meng Huazhou glared at him without showing any weakness.

Meng Tiansheng's gaze remained fixed on his son, staring for a long time, until, without knowing when, he gradually restrained his ferocity, leaving only a long, lingering look. Time passed quietly, bit by bit. Meng Huazhou felt quite uncomfortable being watched and shifted his hands and feet. Before he could speak, Meng Tiansheng suddenly closed his eyes again and said, "Your Third Uncle's affair is a matter between us brothers. I am about to go down and find him soon; the two of us will naturally settle it properly. But you must live on. The affairs of the Human World can only be handled by you. Can you do it?"

Meng Huazhou also calmed down. Remembering that his father truly did not have much time left, his pent-up resentment had nowhere to land, so he said, "Speak."

Meng Tiansheng gasped for breath and said, "Two things. First, for the next Manor Master, I favor Cha Feiyan. The second choice is Beigong Qi."

Meng Huazhou paused, thinking: These two... aren't they both dead?

He wanted to speak bluntly, but seeing Meng Tiansheng's state, he softened his tone: "Is the Manor Master something we decide behind closed doors? Isn't it supposed to wait for the result of the Gu fight?"

Meng Tiansheng said, "Fool, you understand nothing. What Gu fight? That is just a game. The result is not important; in fact, it is ultimately up to us to decide. If the position of Jingzhe Villa Manor Master were determined solely by the Gu fight, this family business would have been finished long ago."

Seeing Meng Huazhou hesitate to speak, he scoffed and said, "Foolish boy, I originally saw that you were incompetent, only capable of dreaming with your Third Uncle over old papers, and I didn't intend to hand Jingzhe Villa to you, so I didn't tell you these things. Remember, all seemingly uncertain results can be manipulated. Take Cha Feiyan, for example; he is the heir I have long favored. I specially gave him a Dharma Artifact for Body Protection and the keys to all the rooms, and I even told him everyone's intelligence, so he naturally stood in an invincible position. I even instructed Mi Yiwei to protect Cha Feiyan's life. With both measures in place, how could he... *cough cough*... how could he possibly fail?"

Listening to this, Meng Huazhou thought: With all this cheating, how on earth did he die? This person is just too useless.

Meng Tiansheng continued, "As for Beigong, although I didn't favor him early on, he has his own development plan and great insight; handing Jingzhe Villa to him would also be acceptable. Therefore, I gave him a Dharma Artifact to save his life, ensuring he wouldn't die. These two will likely survive to the end. As for the others, I only gave them keys and arranged for them to kill each other. Even if they manage to survive by luck, Protector Mi will eliminate them one by one."

Meng Huazhou was silent for a moment, weighing his words, and finally said, "What do you think of Black Widow?"

Meng Tiansheng said coldly, "This woman has ulterior motives; she is not a person of our Jingzhe Villa. She is clever and capable, but her direction is wrong. The smarter she is, the more of a disaster she becomes. If she were to become the Master of Jingzhe Villa, I fear she would treat this fine family business as a dowry to facilitate her own climb to higher branches. I specifically instructed the Protector that she must be killed."

Meng Huazhou was speechless for a moment. Meng Tiansheng gasped for air and said, "If you are unwilling to inherit Jingzhe Villa, that is fine too. Given your ability and ambition, you were never the top choice anyway. I have instructed Feiyan and Beigong; whoever takes the stage will be able to support you as a Sword Guest. This is no empty promise; I have already prepared the means to restrain them, and they cannot go back on their word."

Meng Huazhou thought: They certainly can't go back on their word; now they can't do anything at all.

Meng Tiansheng kept his eyes closed, seemingly conserving his energy, so he did not notice Meng Huazhou's various strange expressions, and just said in one breath, "They shouldn't all be dead by last night. If they haven't decided the winner yet, take them out to do your business. I will die soon, and you cannot let the news of my death spread now. After you go out, lock the door and say that I am going into final seclusion to rest; no one is allowed to enter. Do not... do not let anyone see the state of my death. After you finish your business and return, open the door. When you see my corpse, whether it is a rotting body or white bones, or in any other state, do not be surprised. You must immediately come up and present the sword on my body to the new Manor Master. You must present it personally, so he will remember your favor. If the sword is gone..."

Meng Huazhou said, "How could the sword be gone?"

Meng Tiansheng said, "Shut up and listen to me. In the event that the sword is gone, you directly announce the candidate for Manor Master, then, in the name of the former Young Villa Master, vouch for the new Manor Master, allowing the Manor Master to ascend the position directly. Then, use the strength of the entire villa and even the Five Poisons Society to find the Jingzhe Sword. Do not stop until the Jingzhe Sword is found, for generations to come..."

Meng Huazhou found it strange; why was there this whole business of finding the Jingzhe Sword again? But thinking about it carefully, there was deep meaning behind it, and the more he thought, the colder he felt. He asked repeatedly, "Why would you say that? Do you know the Jingzhe Sword will be lost? Why would it be lost, and where would it be lost to? Who is coming to steal it?"

Meng Tiansheng opened his eyes, his gaze like lightning, glaring at Meng Huazhou, and said, "I told you to shut up. You never listen to me. At a time like this, just listen well! Remember, support Cha Feiyan or Beigong Qi..."

Meng Huazhou was somewhat agitated and said, "Stop mentioning Cha Feiyan or Beigong Qi; they are just two pieces of trash, and you are still hanging on to them? Old man, you've hunted geese your whole life only to have your eyes pecked by a goose; you've misjudged people. If you won't tell me why the Jingzhe Sword would be lost, fine, I'll ask you: if Black Widow wins the Gu fight and becomes the heir, what then?"

Meng Tiansheng was startled, then immediately reacted, saying, "The Gu fight has already produced a result? Then who... Black Widow won? Then... the Manor Master..." He lay on the bed, and once he couldn't control his expression, he looked like a fish on a cutting board.

Meng Huazhou looked at his father, suspicion rising in his heart. Although Meng Tiansheng's voice was not weak, his gaze could still focus, and his tone was even harsh, something was always not quite right. At this moment, he suddenly realized: no matter what emotions Meng Tiansheng had, he was completely motionless, never making a single movement.

Given Meng Tiansheng's condition, it shouldn't be like this, right?

He grabbed Meng Tiansheng's hand and lifted it up. Meng Tiansheng remained motionless, his arm dangling like a puppet, without even the most basic reaction. Meng Huazhou gasped, "What is this? Is your body out of control? Is this an illness, or were you..."

He suddenly stood up and looked around. Everything around them was shrouded in a misty haze, as if slightly distorted, yet there was truly not a single person there.

He was about to move again when Meng Tiansheng said again in quick succession, "Black Widow won? Is it really her?"

He couldn't move; if he could, he would definitely be pulling on Meng Huazhou in his nervousness.

Meng Huazhou had no choice but to turn back and reply, "Yes, she is more skilled than the others, and you can't control it anymore. Even a wise man makes a mistake once in a thousand thoughts. Jingzhe Villa wasn't passed down by our ancestors anyway; giving it to anyone is the same..."

Meng Tiansheng said, "Come here... come here... I have words..." He seemed to grow ten times weaker all at once, truly entering his final moments.

Meng Huazhou leaned in, getting closer and closer, until finally his ear was pressed against his father's lips.

Meng Tiansheng said in an extremely soft voice, "Kill me."