M49S Vol 1 Chapter 12. Golden Leaf

“What did you say? Who said they could speak for me?”

Wang Ziling’s furious shout struck like a whip, and silence fell instantly. Everyone had heard that the heir of the Wang clan was a good-for-nothing, soft as rotten wood. But seeing him now, people began to realize that the rumors might not match reality.

He looked pitiful. His hairpiece was tilted, wet strands stuck to his plump, pale face, and he was slumped on the ground, completely drained of strength. But the fury in his eyes, that sudden savage energy like he might bite someone, sent chills down more than a few spines.

This heir of the Wang clan was not simple.

In truth, Wang Ziling was barely holding it together. Between the storm, the exhaustion, and an entire journey spent cursing under his breath, his emotions had completely slipped out of control. When he heard Meng Qiqi’s comment just now, he didn’t even realize who had said it. Rage boiled up from his gut, and he exploded.

“I’m the heir of the Wang clan. Who has been giving orders behind my back?”

He scanned the room, breathing heavily, and his gaze locked onto Wang Ziqian. “Was it you?”

Of course it was. This cousin who always competed with him for everything, yet still acted like he was being generous. Maybe Qin Gu had been right. If he hadn’t come, by the time they left this secret realm, the title of heir might have already changed hands.

He used to think it didn’t matter. Let someone else have it. As long as his uncle let him live freely outside, he didn’t care. But right now, he couldn’t swallow this. Not anymore.

He stumbled to his feet and shouted, “Did you think I was dead?”

“Cousin, you…” Wang Ziqian froze. He had never seen Wang Ziling like this. The difference from usual was so stark it was as if he were facing another person. Or maybe all of that pent-up frustration was just finally breaking loose.

He steadied himself, stepped forward, and grabbed Wang Ziling’s arm. “It’s me, cousin. Please calm down. You weren’t here. We were just talking things over. Sit down and catch your breath… Look, your arm is bleeding.”

He saw the torn sleeve and the blood trailing down Wang Ziling’s arm. His face paled with worry as he turned and shouted, “What are you standing around for? Get over here and dress his wounds.”

The Wang clan disciples rushed forward to help, trying to hold Wang Ziling down. But years of self-protective instinct took over, and he shoved Wang Ziqian away.

Wang Ziqian fell back onto the ground. His white robe caught dust as his cheek scraped against the floor, leaving a streak of red. Compared to the heavyset, full-grown Wang Ziling, the fourteen-year-old Wang Ziqian looked fragile and pitiful.

“Ziqian!” Xu Mengyin strode forward and helped him up. He was her Master’s only son. If something happened to him right under her nose, how could she possibly explain it?

Wang Ziqian swayed for a moment before regaining his balance. He coughed behind his hand, unable to stop the shaking in his shoulders, but he immediately held Xu Mengyin back when she stepped forward with a cold face, ready to explode.

“Senior Sister Xu, cough… I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Xu Mengyin manage to restrain herself, though her icy gaze remained fixed on Wang Ziling, making him shiver on the spot. As he listened to the murmurs around him, cold sweat began to bead on his back.

Dear heavens. What had he just done?

Meng Qiqi hadn’t expected Wang Ziling to go that far either. He quietly stepped back into the crowd and exchanged a glance with Shen Qingya. Shen Qingya understood and retrieved a small jade bottle from his spatial ring, handing each of them a pill.

“Thank you, Brother Shen,” Wang Ziqian said sincerely.

Shen Qingya gave a gentle shake of the head. “No need.”

Wang Ziling, however, stood there clutching the pill, unsure how to bring this scene to a close. Just then, Chen Boyan stepped in front of him and asked, “What exactly happened on your way here? Why was my junior sister with you?”

Though it was a question, Chen Boyan’s tone held no hint of reproach. Wang Ziling felt grateful. Thinking of Qing Gu, he immediately asked, “Qing Gu, she’s alright, isn’t she?”

“She’s fine. Sister Song is taking care of her.”

“Good… that’s good.” Wang Ziling let out a breath. “Brother Chen, I ran into Qing Gu on the road, so we came together. The rain was too heavy, and I ended up dragging her down. That’s why… we showed up in such a mess.”

“I see.” Chen Boyan gave no particular response. He turned to look at Wang Ziqian, Shen Qingya, Jiang Xie, and the others. “Then regarding the matter we were discussing earlier, what does everyone intend to do now?”

With that one sentence, Chen Boyan pulled everyone’s attention back to the business at hand.

Master Yinian stepped forward, palms pressed together. “Amitabha.” He gave Wang Ziling a quick summary of the situation, then asked, “What does Young Master Wang think?”

Wang Ziling didn’t hesitate to seize the opening. “Of course I trust Brother Chen. Please rest assured, the Wang clan will give its full support.”

Things had taken a turn, but in the end it didn’t really affect anything. The others all nodded, and the matter was decided just like that. As for the disagreement between the two Wang cousins, well, that was a family matter. Nothing serious had happened, and cultivators focused solely on the path to immortality had no reason to involve themselves in clan disputes.

The cultivators each went their separate ways. Jiang Xie shot Wang Ziqian a questioning look.

Wang Ziqian clenched his teeth and gave a slight shake of the head. Then, he looked over at Wang Ziling, as if wanting to speak but stopped himself.

Wang Ziling’s heart gave a jolt. He quickly followed Chen Boyan, saying he wanted to check on Qin Gu.

No one in this place who bore the surname Wang was on his side. Even the usually fair-minded Wang Zi’an wasn’t here. Staying would only make things worse.

Qing Gu had just finished wrapping her wound and changed into clean clothes in a secluded spot. When she returned, she sat down beside the fire next to Song Ru. The firelight shimmered in her bright, round eyes, and not a trace of worry could be seen on her delicate face.

Seeing Wang Ziling approach, she cheerfully waved at him. “Come over here!”

Wang Ziling thickened his skin and went to sit beside Qing Gu. But Song Ru was giving him a look that clearly wasn’t friendly, as if she thought he was some crook who had lured away her junior sister. Nervous, he didn’t dare sit too close.

He edged back a little and accidentally bumped into someone’s leg. He turned to apologize, but the words caught in his throat.

Meng—Meng Qiqi.

Wang Ziling quickly shut his mouth and forced down the startled cry that nearly escaped. Meng Qiqi was watching him with a faint smile. Wang Ziling had seen him in disguise before. He was the one who had brought Meng Qiqi and his disciples into Chanhua Tower.

Meng Qiqi gave his shoulder a pat and sat down beside him, completely at ease. “How are you feeling now, Young Master Wang?”

“Terrible.” Wang Ziling didn’t dare hide anything in front of Meng Qiqi. After all the hardship he had suffered while traveling south with him, he’d had enough.

“That’s only because you haven’t truly experienced what it means to wish you were dead,” Meng Qiqi said, accepting a cup of hot tea from Xiao Yu’er. “You still have the title of clan heir for now, which gives you some bluffing power. But once that’s gone, do you think old Uncle Chai’s bones will keep protecting you much longer?”

Wang Ziling fell silent. He knew he had taken things far too lightly in the past. But still…

“You can’t even insult people properly. What else are you good for?” Meng Qiqi said with undisguised contempt.

Wang Ziling trembled with frustration. “My aptitude’s lousy to begin with. Most of the clan looks down on me. I have no place there. What else can I do but endure?”

Meng Qiqi tore straight through the pretense. “That’s not patience. It’s just running away. Take this moment for example. You came here not to bide your time, but to avoid what’s coming. Don’t overestimate yourself, Young Master Wang.”

Wang Ziling felt his heart turn over. Every word from Meng Qiqi seemed to poke a new hole in it, until he was left battered and full of cracks. His half-dried clothes clung to him in crumpled folds, and he looked thinner than before, worn out.

“So what do you think I should do?” Wang Ziling slumped, shoulders sagging.

“Don’t give up so easily. The fact that you’ve lived this long and still eat so well suggests your luck is better than most.”

Wang Ziling fell silent again. Why was it that everything Meng Qiqi said sounded so infuriating? He tried to calm himself, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something. Meng Qiqi was holding out a golden leaf. The edge of it was etched with an odd snake-shaped pattern.

Meng Qiqi rested his chin in his hand and tilted his head, smiling. “Don’t doubt it. You really are quite lucky.”

Wang Ziling suddenly recalled his mother’s dying words. If someone ever comes to you with my golden leaf, that person is a friend of mine. He will help you. Trust no one else. Always emember that.

But now, sitting here, Wang Ziling felt like his mother had played a cruel joke on him. Mother, are you sure this is the person you meant?

Meng Qiqi watched the shifting emotions flicker across Wang Ziling’s face. A strangely gentle look flashed in his eyes, startling Wang Ziling enough to sit up straight. “You really knew my mother?”

“To be honest with you, it was my Martial Uncle who knew her. But the golden leaf ended up in my hands, so I’ll honor the promise he made. That said, it doesn’t mean I’ll see it through to the end.” Meng Qiqi grew serious. “You should know what kind of person I am. Don’t get your hopes up. Helping you is just a convenience. I have my own reasons.”

Meng Qiqi spoke so bluntly that Wang Ziling, strangely enough, felt a bit more at ease. At the very least, it didn’t feel like he was being lied to. He asked, “Then why are you only telling me this now?”

“Because it’s the first time you’ve made me take a second look.” Meng Qiqi blinked, then pressed the golden leaf into his palm. “It’s time to go back now. Go where you belong. Stand tall as the young master of the Wang clan. It’s already too late to start hiding. Do you remember what it felt like to shout back earlier? Don’t ever forget that. As long as you still hold that title, let them call you useless behind your back a hundred times. It won’t matter as long as you call one of them an idiot to their face.”

As he listened, something began to stir inside Wang Ziling. He could feel himself wavering. Somehow, Meng Qiqi was getting under his skin.

A moment later, he walked off in a daze. On Meng Qiqi’s other side, Chen Boyan had been sitting quietly the entire time, and thus overheard every word. Meng Qiqi turned his head toward him, and their arms touched lightly through the fabric. Chen Boyan remained upright, still as a slab of cold black jade.

“What’s on your mind, Fangjun?” Meng Qiqi asked.

“She’s glanced over a few times,” Chen Boyan replied calmly. “She likely wants to speak with her martial uncle.”

“But my identity is still under wraps. It wouldn’t be wise for us to seem too close.” Meng Qiqi leaned in again, his breath brushing lightly against Chen Boyan’s neck, carrying a subtle quiver.

He could have sent his voice over using internal force. There was no need to lean in. So why did he still do it?

Chen Boyan couldn’t understand.

But Meng Qiqi was his little martial uncle, his elder. What right did he have to question it?

Seeing that Chen Boyan appeared unmoved, Meng Qiqi asked again, “Why did you suddenly agree to their plan just now?”

“I thought it was what Little Martial Uncle wanted to see. Earlier, Shen Qingya told me you had intervened on my behalf.” Chen Boyan replied.

Meng Qiqi blinked, the corners of his lips lifting. “So you agreed simply because I wanted you to? Fangjun really is Little Martial Uncle’s good nephew.”

Chen Boyan fell silent.

Across from them, Xiao Yu’er offered the last piece of pastry to his senior sister. Seeing his reluctance, Qing Gu broke it in half and returned a piece to him. The two sat close together, nibbling on pastries as they watched their master and senior brother.

“Do they always talk like that?” Qing Gu asked curiously.

Xiao Yu’er nodded. “Yup. Master’s really enjoying himself.”

The other Gushan Sword disciples, too far away to hear what was being said, kept sneaking glances their way. Dai Xiaoshan even began to wonder if their senior brother had eaten some strange herb in the secret realm. Otherwise, how could someone who never let anyone near within three steps tolerate someone whispering in his ear?

Song Ru, however, had already regained her composure and took the chance to ask, “Did you find anything on Beidou’s side?”

Only then did Dai Xiaoshan remember the main point. “There’s a concealed cave behind the mountain. Looks like they found something valuable inside and are trying to keep it hidden. I’ve been tailing them from a distance, they probably haven’t noticed me.”