M49S Vol 1 Chapter 31. You’ve Stirred My Heart

Meng Qiqi spoke with Shen Qingya late into the night before finally returning to his room, weighed down by thought. The situation remained unclear, and Shen Qingya could not provide him with the answers he needed. All the two could do was discuss possible changes to the plan.

Still, Meng Qiqi was reluctant. If the plan could proceed without alteration, that would be ideal. As for the secret Daoist Wuyan had been guarding, he had little hope of retrieving it now.

When he returned, Chen Boyan had yet to come back. Meng Qiqi wondered if something had gone wrong on Jin Man’s side. He waited a while longer, but there was still no sign of him. Just as he was about to go out and look, the moment he pushed open the window, Chen Boyan leapt in from outside.

“You’re late,” Meng Qiqi said, frowning.

Chen Boyan turned and shut the window behind him. “The Lord wasn’t in when I arrived. Yao Guan had taken some men to look for him, so I followed. They managed to find Wuyan, but Lu Yunting happened to be there. I helped draw him off.”

“Did Lu Yunting recognize you?”

“No. It was dark, and I was masked. As long as I don’t use Gushan sword techniques, he won’t recognize me.”

Meng Qiqi gave him a sideways glance, something thoughtful flickering across his face. He recalled several things from earlier that day and found himself doubtful. But he said nothing aloud.

“Did you get him?”

In answer, Chen Boyan took a human-skin mask from his robe and handed it over. The meaning was clear.

Meng Qiqi looked at the wrinkled old face of Wuyan on the mask and could already picture Jin Man, hair bristling with fury as he tore it off. That must have been quite the scene. But with only this mask as evidence, which possibility did it truly support?

Chen Boyan spoke at just the right moment. “He’s already been questioned. His cultivation is too shallow. There’s no way someone like him could have impersonated Wuyan inside the Wang clan without being discovered.”

“In other words,” Meng Qiqi murmured, “this supports my first theory, that he’s just a decoy Wuyan arranged to confuse the situation.”

But even as he said it, he remained unconvinced. The appearance of the mask seemed to confirm that guess, but what about the second possibility?

Had it really been ruled out? No.

Meng Qiqi pressed on. “And the woman Wuyan abducted, has she been questioned?”

“Just as Little Martial Uncle instructed, we asked everything. It was definitely Wuyan who took her. If it had been an impersonator, there would have been no need for such a move. According to her, the Third Elder’s visits to her had grown less and less frequent over the past six months. As of today, it’s been more than a month since she last saw him.”

Would Wuyan really go to such lengths, risking exposure and hiding her beneath the Wang clan’s nose, only to grow tired of her so easily? Especially when she had borne him a son?

A faint suspicion stirred in Meng Qiqi’s heart. “Anything else? Did she say more?”

“The Lord seemed furious. That stand-in kept his mouth shut, so I imagine he’ll be interrogated through the night,” said Chen Boyan. His eyes moved over Meng Qiqi’s slightly weary face, and something in his expression softened. “Little Martial Uncle, you should rest. Everything else can wait until morning.”

Meng Qiqi gave a small nod. He had been plotting for this trip to Jinling for a long time, and today had indeed left him drained. He knew Chen Boyan wouldn’t stay the night with him, so he went to wash up on his own, then lay down and fell asleep almost immediately.

Within the time it took for one stick of incense to burn, Meng Qiqi had slipped into slumber.

Chen Boyan stood at the bedside, looking down at Meng Qiqi as he slept, utterly unguarded. He had no idea what to think. The longer he watched, the more dazed he became. Only when Meng Qiqi muttered something and turned in his sleep did Chen Boyan finally snap out of it.

He thought he must be mad, to find every feature of Meng Qiqi’s face exactly to his liking. He had once believed that with those luminous eyes closed, his face would lose its brilliance and become plain.

But it hadn’t.

Chen Boyan turned and walked to the table, poured himself a cup of tea. The tea had already gone cold. He drank it in one long gulp, the cool liquid sliding down his throat and temporarily quelling the restlessness that had crept into his chest. But that inexplicable fascination still clung to his heart, refusing to dissipate.

He looked back at Meng Qiqi, the very one who had thrown his heart into turmoil.

That culprit was sprawled carelessly in sleep, curled around his blanket. A pair of pale feet stuck out from under the covers, and half his slender waist was also exposed.

He seemed to be dreaming, letting out a soft, dissatisfied hum, as if he were being coy with someone in his sleep.

That almost inaudible sound made Chen Boyan’s throat tighten. With a helpless sigh, he walked over and pulled the blanket over him. In an instant, all four corners were tucked in neatly, but Chen Boyan’s heart was no longer at ease.

The next morning.

Meng Qiqi was woken by the noise in the building. He rubbed his brow, draped on a robe, and stepped out of bed. When he saw Chen Boyan coming in with breakfast, he instinctively reached out, took hold of his arm, and leaned against him, his half-lidded eyes still hazy with sleep.

“What’s going on outside?”

The sudden closeness made Chen Boyan freeze for a moment. But Meng Qiqi seemed not fully awake, so he pretended not to notice.

“Wang Ziling is hosting a banquet for the guests. The disciples from the other sects heard there’s going to be a Lion Banquet and got excited.”

“I see…” The mention of business helped clear Meng Qiqi’s head a little. He let go of Chen Boyan naturally and glanced at the food in his hands. “What are we having today?”

“Lotus seed porridge,” Chen Boyan said, setting out the dishes as if nothing had happened.

The meal passed without incident. But Meng Qiqi couldn’t stop turning things over in his mind.

What exactly did Chen Boyan mean by this? Was he pretending nothing happened? Was he really such a gentleman that he could remain unmoved with someone in his arms? But what kind of martial uncle and nephew cling to each other like that? Didn’t he find it strange at all?

The more Meng Qiqi thought about it, the more something felt off. But Chen Boyan’s expression remained calm as ever, and this was not the right moment to confront him.

Before long, Wang Ziling arrived at the Gushan Sword quarters. Meng Qiqi quickly invited him in and carefully explained everything that needed to be handled for that evening’s Lion Banquet.

Wang Ziling listened attentively, though the worry on his face did not fade. “Do you really think the Lion Banquet can actually go ahead? What if the Wang clan tries to interfere? Jinling is their territory. Believe me, their influence here runs far deeper than you think.”

“But Lion Tower is under Wang Wan’nan’s control. If he accepted your commission, he will not damage his own reputation,” Meng Qiqi said, hitting the mark directly.

Wang Ziling’s eyes brightened. He nodded several times. “All right. I’ll do my best.”

Meng Qiqi reminded him again, “Do not panic. I will be there tonight. Just follow my instructions, and everything will go smoothly.”

What Wang Ziling lacked most right now was not cultivation or appearance, but confidence. Meng Qiqi hoped he would be able to carry the situation. Otherwise, all their preparation would be wasted.

Wang Ziling understood the weight of the task. After leaving Meng Qiqi, he continued to invite disciples from the other sects. It had been Meng Qiqi’s idea to have him make the invitations personally, visiting each group one by one to build momentum. The goal was to ensure that everyone at the tower knew this banquet was being hosted by the Wang clan’s young master, Wang Ziling, and that the favor extended from him directly.

If, during those visits, Wang Ziling managed to form a bond with anyone through his words, then it would be a fortunate outcome.

News finally came from Jin Man. A disciple from Wuhou Manor delivered a letter. It contained only a single line, written in wild, hurried script, but it was enough to make Meng Qiqi’s expression change.

The fake Wuyan had hidden poison in his teeth. He was already dead.

A trained killer with poison sealed in his mouth, prepared to die the moment a secret was at risk, was an outcome that left no room to maneuver. Meng Qiqi narrowed his eyes, then crushed the paper between two fingers. His heart sank slightly.

It seemed he would have no choice but to alter the plan.

Xiao Xiao returned at midday.

At that moment, Meng Qiqi happened to run into Master Yinian in the building. The two sat down together to share tea. Xiao Xiao greeted Master Yinian with a respectful nod, then leaned close to Meng Qiqi and said quietly, “The Wang clan sent someone to Lion Tower. Also, I’ve looked into it. The person they’ve been meeting with frequently these past two days is the Lingnan sword cultivator Gu Shutong. Just yesterday, they even sent gifts to the inn where he’s staying, but he turned them all away.”

Meng Qiqi calmly took a sip of tea and continued discussing Buddhist philosophy with Master Yinian. Buddhist monks often held very senior ranks, so although Master Yinian was still young, his standing placed him on equal footing with Meng Qiqi.

Before long, Shen Qingya arrived as well. He acted as though he was only casually acquainted with Meng Qiqi, and instead carried on as if he were closer with Master Yinian.

With Shen Qingya’s arrival, the tea and conversation took on a more refined air. While the two spoke, Meng Qiqi gave Xiao Xiao a few quiet instructions, all the while keeping one ear trained on the sounds around him.

The spot he had chosen was the convergence point for all sound in the building.

At the table to the east, two cultivators were discussing the upcoming Lion Banquet. Both had taken beast cores the previous day, but the time had been too short for them to fully absorb the energy. For them, the banquet that evening could not have come at a better moment. Their words carried sincere gratitude, and even their view of Wang Ziling, the young master often rumored to be a good-for-nothing, had begun to shift.

This kind of conversations were spreading throughout the entire Chanhua Tower.

At the northwest corner, by the railing, two other cultivators were speaking about Beidou Sect. Meng Qiqi listened carefully for a moment and caught one of them saying, “If you ask me, that old turtle Yexin is just scared of Meng Qiqi. He’s hiding in his shell and refusing to show up. Gone missing? What a coincidence. People don’t just vanish like that. He probably ran.”

“Keep your voice down,” his companion whispered anxiously, tugging at his sleeve. “Don’t let anyone from Beidou hear you. You know what they’re like. They even dared to provoke Gushan Sword. If you bring trouble on yourself and miss the competition, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

The man, however, remained unconvinced. “So what if it’s Gushan Sword? Didn’t they say Meng Qiqi’s Lotus Bloom can only unleash forty-nine strikes? He probably isn’t all that impressive. Look at yesterday. He made a big show of force all day long, but did he ever actually make a move? Not once.”

His companion suddenly paused, then began to think it over more carefully. “You mean… he held back on purpose?”

“I’m only saying it’s a possibility. And tomorrow’s competition is for the younger generation. Even if Meng Qiqi really is that strong, he won’t take the field. As long as we avoid Chen Boyan, what else does Gushan have to fall back on? Even if Chen Boyan pulls off a win, he’s from the Chen family. At most, Gushan only gets partial credit for that. And look at Futu Temple, Tianlao, Ruizhu… which of them doesn’t have outstanding talent?”

The more the cultivator spoke, the more excited he became. It was as if the competition had already begun, with heroes from every sect gathering in a grand spectacle.

Meng Qiqi listened quietly for a while, then stood up and said to the two at the table, “Please, take your time with your conversation. I have something to attend to.”