Chapter 46

"!?"

Mei Qinghe was so shocked by Liu Baiyun's answer that she couldn't make a sound.

Who!?

The Plum Blossom Thief!?

No matter how wild Mei Qinghe's imagination was, she couldn't connect this matter to him!

Liu Baiyun said: "Fifteen years ago, I found you in the mountains and forests and brought you back to the Huashan Sect."

"Have you ever wondered, since the Huashan Sect is close to the western border of the Great Shuo, why I appeared in the Qilu region?"

"In the wilderness, there were no people around, and it was not near any villages, towns, or roads. How could I be so coincidental to run into you?"

Mei Qinghe had never thought about this question, only thinking it was fate between her and Liu Baiyun. But when Liu Baiyun said this, she immediately reacted.

That's right, Qilu and Huashan are far apart on the east and west sides of the Great Shuo territory, and she was in an uninhabited forest. Why would Liu Baiyun appear there so coincidentally?

No matter how coincidental, if she didn't know beforehand, what would Liu Baiyun be doing running into that uninhabited forest?

"Do you know why I agreed to that Embroidered Uniform Guard so quickly just now?"

Mei Qinghe was stunned again.

That's right, Liu Baiyun was not a weak person. Working for the imperial court meant cutting herself off from fellow Jianghu members, and even the sect's inheritance might be taken away by the court.

Even if forced by the situation, why would Liu Baiyun agree so readily? As if—she had already had a plan in her heart.

Liu Baiyun didn't keep her in suspense and said directly: "Because, I am also afraid."

"More afraid than Zuo Lishan, and afraid earlier than the Taishan Sect."

"Because, if we really talk about colluding with the Ming Cult... my Huashan Sect is the one that stuck its neck out."

"As early as fifteen years ago... I had already colluded with the Ming Cult..."

"Drinking poison to quench thirst, asking a tiger for its skin, how can it last... Relying on the imperial court was one of the methods I envisioned to preserve the Huashan Sect."

Liu Baiyun told the story slowly.

"Fifteen years ago, it was people from the Ming Cult who brought the Plum Blossom Thief to find me, and they gave me a Huashan mental cultivation method modified by the Plum Blossom Thief that progressed more rapidly, and a disciple whose talent was even higher than mine."

"That's why I was able to find you."

Mei Qinghe looked steadily into Liu Baiyun's eyes.

She only felt that this master who rescued her from the mountains and forests and raised her to adulthood had become so strange at this moment.

Was she a gift sent to Master by her mother's murderer? If everything was not fate, but a plan, a calculation, then this master-disciple relationship of more than ten years... could it still be taken seriously?

How should she conduct herself?

After a while, Mei Qinghe said hoarsely: "Master... tell me clearly about this matter..."

Liu Baiyun sighed again and started from the beginning.

The decline of the Huashan Sect did not start after Zuo Lishan took power; clues had already appeared fifteen years ago. If not for this, Zuo Lishan would not have chosen the Huashan Sect as his target for suppression from the beginning.

At that time, because of insufficient talent, Liu Baiyun had only just reached the level of a first-rate expert. The Huashan Sect was failing to produce new talent, and apart from Liu Baiyun, there were no other experts to hold the fort.

It was precarious.

One day, a middle-aged man came to visit the sect, saying he wanted to give the Huashan Sect a big gift and wanted to talk to Liu Baiyun in private.

After everyone retreated, the man revealed his identity to Liu Baiyun—he was the Left Envoy of the Ming Cult, Lan Lechuan.

Ming Cult Leader Ji Tianrui was purged by the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the Miao border, and many of the Ming Cult's experts were killed. The Ming Cult was also precarious.

To avoid the court's pursuit, the Ming Cult needed a sect's territory to hide and cover for them. The Huashan Sect was located on the border, far from the court, and its structure and territory were suitable, and it was also precarious, making it the most suitable target.

Liu Baiyun naturally refused at first. Colluding with the Ming Cult was too dangerous and could easily invite the court's hostility. At that time, although the Huashan Sect's situation was not good, it hadn't reached the point of being wiped out, so there was no need to wade into the Ming Cult's muddy waters.

It's just that if talk doesn't work, there are still fists.

Ming Cult Left Envoy Lan Lechuan was a top-tier expert. Excluding the leader Ji Tianrui, he was the strongest in the Ming Cult.

The Huashan Sect only had one first-rate expert, Liu Baiyun, and was unable to resist. After being subdued by Lan Lechuan and leaving behind evidence, she had no choice but to cooperate.

Later, Lan Lechuan said he needed Liu Baiyun to go with him to Shuntian Prefecture to do a big thing. Liu Baiyun had no choice but to follow him east to Shuntian Prefecture.

The two walked to the Qilu region, and Lan Lechuan met a person who told him: The matter in Shuntian Prefecture had been discovered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and was exposed. The surviving manpower had all withdrawn.

So Lan Lechuan and Liu Baiyun had no reason to go to Shuntian Prefecture.

Lan Lechuan told Liu Baiyun that he needed to meet someone right here in the Qilu region—the name was "Plum Blossom Thief."

This person was extremely important to the Ming Cult and could not have any mishaps.

So the two came to Yanzhou Prefecture and found the Plum Blossom Thief.

Just at this time, the Plum Blossom Thief gave Liu Baiyun the modified mental cultivation method and informed her of Mei Qinghe's location.

He smiled and said that although the Ming Cult's plans in both the Miao border and Shuntian Prefecture had failed, and most of their manpower was gone, they no longer needed to borrow the Huashan Sect's territory. But there would always be a use for the Huashan Sect in the future, and this was a gift he had prepared in advance, please accept it, Liu Baiyun.

This led to Mei Qinghe being brought back to the Huashan Sect, practicing Wu Gong to success, going down the mountain to seek revenge, and running into Li Miao.

"The Plum Blossom Thief, whose real name is Yun Zelin. He was born with extremely poor talent, and his Wu Gong was hard to progress. He was only at the third-rate level when he was in his twenties."

"But his insight can be said to be unprecedented and will not be seen again. It is enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the legendary Bodhidharma."

"He can casually create a handed-down cultivation method for a third-rate sect, or modify my Huashan Sect's cultivation method and innovate."

"He had long joined the Ming Cult. After the Shuntian Prefecture incident failed, he fled to the Qilu region. He discovered your excellent talent, so he deliberately committed the murder of your mother back then."

"For one, he used Zhao Dehua to cover his purpose. Even if exposed, the attention of those who knew would be on Zhao Dehua, only thinking that Zhao Dehua was the successor he chose in a hurry, and would not notice you, who were only five years old at the time."

"Secondly... he deliberately murdered your mother in front of you, so that your temperament would be more in line with the cultivation method he modified."

Liu Baiyun sighed: "The two of them left then, and I found you in the forest and brought you back to the Huashan Sect."

"My insight is okay, but it can be said to be worlds apart from Yun Zelin. I couldn't find the problem in that cultivation method."

"And at that time, the Huashan Sect was failing to produce new talent, and I was eager for success, so I passed this cultivation method that progressed more rapidly to you."

"A few years later, I realized that your temperament was becoming more and more rigid and extreme. But at that time, your internal energy had already been achieved, and with my cultivation, I couldn't look after you to switch to other cultivation methods."

"I thought that after your Wu Gong reached the top tier, I would tell you the truth. At that time, your internal energy would be achieved, and with your talent, you could switch to other cultivation methods. If you wanted to seek revenge on Yun Zelin, without a top-tier realm, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to break through the protection of the Ming Cult experts."

The sword hilt in Mei Qinghe's hand had been gripped by her until it creaked.

"So... the Plum Blossom Thief is still alive?"

Liu Baiyun nodded: "Alive. He left countless traces of fake death back then, with cultivation methods and successors."

"Although I didn't see it with my own eyes, the one who died so carelessly at the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard back then was definitely not him; it should have been just a look-alike substitute."

"Now... he should still be in the Ming Cult, and given Lan Lechuan's importance to this person back then, his status in the Ming Cult should not be low. Even his talent might have been improved by the Ming Cult's methods and heavenly treasures."

"With his insight, if there were no restrictions on talent, his Wu Gong progress would be rapid. In fifteen years, I don't know what level he has reached now."

Hearing this, Mei Qinghe closed her eyes.

She only felt that her life was a huge joke.

Li Miao, however, nodded in the private room upstairs and said in his heart: "Heh... Plum Blossom Thief, Yun Zelin..."

"I really looked away back then, only caring about killing those with high Wu Gong, and missed such a person."

"It matches, it all matches."

The world is big, but excitement is the biggest. He didn't have such a high moral bottom line to really let this master and disciple finish the story behind his back.

They said they were eating separately, and Gao Ling didn't speak, so he naturally couldn't help but use his listening skills to hear Mei Qinghe and Liu Baiyun's conversation. And Mei Qinghe and Liu Baiyun wouldn't think that Li Miao's listening skills could hear their conversation clearly through several door panels.

At this moment, Li Miao filled in the last piece of the puzzle—connecting all his encounters since entering the Qilu region.

Even he himself was involved.

Fifteen years ago, Ming Cult Leader Ji Tianrui entered the Miao border and combined with witchcraft to create the cultivation method Zuo Lishan practiced.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard received the news, and everyone went south to the Miao border to purge Ji Tianrui.

Ming Cult experts saw that the matter was exposed, so they split into two paths: one went to the Miao border to support Ji Tianrui, and one carried the witchcraft methods and Miao border witchcraft experts created by Ji Tianrui to Shuntian Prefecture, wanting to do something big while the Embroidered Uniform Guard was in the Miao border and the defense was empty.

Li Miao, as a trusted aide of Commander Zhu Zai, took the mission to purge the Ming Cult experts who came to Shuntian Prefecture and rescued Li Xiaosi from the hands of the Miao border Great Witch.

After a fight, Li Miao was seriously injured and dying, the Ming Cult people were almost wiped out, but the Plum Blossom Thief, whose Wu Gong was not obvious, escaped.

Because of this, Li Miao was promoted to Battalion Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, forcing Zhu Zai to sign that "eight-hour workday" labor contract, and officially began to use his golden finger to practice Wu Gong unscrupulously.

On the Miao border side, the Embroidered Uniform Guard won a complete victory, and the Ming Cult people died or fled. Ming Cult Left Envoy Lan Lechuan was one of the survivors.

The Ming Cult was hit hard and needed a place to recuperate and cover their tracks, so Lan Lechuan picked the Huashan Sect. After threats and inducements, Liu Baiyun left evidence and had no choice but to follow.

Later, Lan Lechuan took Liu Baiyun to Shuntian Prefecture, preparing to support the plan in Shuntian Prefecture.

Walking to the Qilu region, they received news that Li Miao had destroyed the Ming Cult's affairs in Shuntian Prefecture, and many experts were almost wiped out. So they turned to the Qilu region to meet the Plum Blossom Thief.

The Plum Blossom Thief received the news and knew that the Huashan Sect had already colluded with the Ming Cult, so he began to modify the mental cultivation method.

He found Mei Qinghe, murdered her mother, left traces on Mei Qinghe's temperament, and made Mei Qinghe more in line with the temperament requirements of the mental cultivation method he modified.

By the way, he also passed his claw technique to Zhao Dehua, creating the illusion that he couldn't escape the Embroidered Uniform Guard's pursuit, so he left a successor. This was to cover his plan to fake his death and escape.

The internal energy and light-body technique You Zi'ang obtained were also part of his plan to fake his death and escape. His substitute should have been the one who practiced that internal energy, which gave him the birthmark exactly the same as the Plum Blossom Thief's.

Twelve years ago, the Plum Blossom Thief's substitute was discovered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and killed. The body was transported to Shuntian Prefecture. His plan to fake his death succeeded.

Eleven years ago, because the Embroidered Uniform Guard slaughtered the Miao border witchcraft experts, the Miao border Gu-raising villages no longer dared to have contact with the Central Plains, becoming increasingly closed off. This caused Ge Pu-shi to have fantasies about the Central Plains, so she escaped the village, came to Pingshan Garrison, and became Squire Wu's concubine.

Five years ago, the Ming Cult colluded with Zuo Lishan and gave him Gu-insects and the cultivation method created by Ji Tianrui back then.

Time comes to the present.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard received news that Zuo Lishan had colluded with the Ming Cult, and Li Miao took the mission and came to the Qilu region.

Mei Qinghe received news that the Plum Blossom Thief had been killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard back then, so she had to come to the Qilu region to seek revenge on Zhao Dehua and ran into Li Miao, who had taken the mission.

Li Miao killed Ge Pu-shi, who had escaped the Miao border.

Li Miao seriously injured Zuo Lishan, forcing him to practice the cultivation method given to him by the Ming Cult.

Because Liu Baiyun left evidence in the hands of the Ming Cult back then, she had been worried, so she immediately agreed to the conditions of working for the imperial court, thereby eliminating the hidden danger of her colluding with the Ming Cult.

Everything Li Miao experienced after entering the Qilu region—Mei Qinghe, Liu Baiyun, Zuo Lishan, You Zi'ang, Li Xiaosi, Ge Pu-shi, Zhao Dehua.

Witchcraft, evil arts, grievances.

Taishan Sect, Huashan Sect, Five Mountains Sword Sects, Embroidered Uniform Guard, Ming Cult.

Everything, at this moment, was all connected by one person.

Plum Blossom Thief, Yun Zelin.

Li Miao laughed softly, revealing his white teeth, leaking a trace of deep, heavy killing intent. Gao Ling, who was sitting next to him, felt cold all over, as if falling into an ice cellar, feeling like a lamb in the mouth of a beast, even the operation of her internal energy was frozen.

"Good, good, good."

"I underestimated you back then, only thinking I let go of a small fish or shrimp, I didn't expect you to be such a character!"

"After escaping from my hands, you did so many things. I can't even pretend not to see it anymore."

"After settling the Five Mountains Sword Sect matter, I will personally come to your door..."

"I hope, you are still alive..."

Gao Ling trembled, not knowing why Li Miao revealed killing intent, and not knowing where Li Miao's pure, heavy killing intent came from, so she had to lower her head to her chest, not daring to look at Li Miao.

On Mei Qinghe's side, after listening to what Liu Baiyun said, her face revealed an abnormal crimson.

Pfft—

She spat out a mouthful of blood, splashing on the ground.

She was at the critical moment of switching cultivation methods, extremely prone to going into a demonic state. Hearing her background, she only felt that her life was a huge joke in the hands of the Plum Blossom Thief. How could she keep calm?

At this moment, her heart was burning with anxiety, and she immediately had signs of going into a demonic state. Her internal energy went astray, damaging her heart meridians, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out.

"Qinghe!" Liu Baiyun stepped forward urgently, wanting to support Mei Qinghe.

But she was stopped by Mei Qinghe's raised hand.

"Master!" Mei Qinghe wiped the blood from her mouth.

"My heart is already in chaos, I don't know how to treat Master..."

"At this moment, I have gone into a demonic state, and my state of mind is unstable. That beast's cultivation method would make my temperament extreme. Don't come near, otherwise, disciple... is afraid of hurting you..."

Liu Baiyun only then discovered that Mei Qinghe's hand gripping the sword hilt was bleeding from being too forceful.

Mei Qinghe closed her eyes and tried hard to adjust her breathing for a while, then let out a long breath, but there was still a trace of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

"Master, please go back to your room and rest..."

"Your kindness of saving my life, kindness of raising me, Qinghe dares not forget. Every single thing in these fifteen years, Qinghe remembers in her heart."

"It's just... my survival was the result of my mother's murderer and Master's planning, my mother's tragic death was because I became a gift sent to the Huashan Sect... I don't know how to face you, face the Huashan Sect, face my mother's spirit in heaven for a while..."

"Even the cultivation method I have practiced hard for more than ten years is the work of that beast... Qinghe truly doesn't know how to conduct herself..."

"My heart is in chaos... Master..."

"Let Qinghe be quiet for a while... be quiet for a while..."

Liu Baiyun looked at Mei Qinghe and sighed long.

With a wave of her hand, she drew her sword and slashed directly at her own left forearm.

Pfft—

Blood surged, and Liu Baiyun's arm fell to the ground.

"Master!?"

Mei Qinghe couldn't stop her, desperately stepped forward, and pressed Liu Baiyun's acupoints to stop the bleeding: "Qinghe has never resented Master! What is Master doing!?"

Liu Baiyun looked down at Mei Qinghe's tear-stained face and gently hugged her into her arms with her right hand.

"It's okay, it's okay... Master practices right-handed sword, losing the left hand, still a first-rate expert..."

"Qinghe, the matter back then, in the end, it was my Huashan Sect, it was I, Liu Baiyun, who owed you and your mother..."

"In the future, when you want to kill your way to the Ming Cult to seek revenge, Master will go with you..."

"Don't let me, this master, leave a flaw in your state of mind. If the state of mind is lacking, your Wu Gong will be hard to be perfect, so how can you seek revenge on that beast..."

"It's okay, it's okay... a minor injury, I am the White Cloud Sword after all..."

"Just stay like this for now... help me sit down..."

Mei Qinghe was crying uncontrollably, supporting Liu Baiyun to sit down. Her heart was full of remorse, and she just hugged Liu Baiyun with both hands, crying bitterly.

Liu Baiyun's face was pale, with a smile, gently stroking Mei Qinghe's hair.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open.

Li Miao walked in slowly, looked at the hugging Mei Qinghe and Liu Baiyun, and smiled: "Finished chatting?"

"Really, mother and daughter chatting, it's the first time I've seen one self-mutilating. I've learned something today."

Then he reached out into a claw, his internal energy sucked, and he sucked the severed arm on the ground into his hand. He walked to the two and said to Mei Qinghe with a smile.

"Run into me, you two should be happy."

"Come, come, Little Mei, move aside."

"Any later, this arm won't be able to be reattached."

(End of chapter)