M49S Vol 1 Chapter 17. A Gift For You

Wang Jing was seething with fury. That worthless brat Wang Ziling, who usually did nothing but indulge in food, drink, and idle pleasures, had the nerve to speak with such force now, as if he truly were the rightful heir of the Wang clan.

Absolutely laughable.

The two elders who had attempted to retrieve Wang Zi’an were forced to swallow their anger. They glared at Tu Youqiong, who had taken shelter behind Meng Qiqi, but in the end, they could only fall back and return to stand behind Wang Jing.

But then…

The cold glint in Wang Jing’s eyes quietly faded. He looked at Wang Ziling and, with little respect, flicked his sleeve. “Since the young master has spoken, of course I will give you this face. The Qilin Plate was brought in by a collateral branch of the family, who came upon it by chance and offered it up. During last year’s clan awards, it was given to Zi’an as a reward. If you believe something is amiss, you are free to summon that branch for questioning once we return.”

He turned his face away, no longer sparing Wang Ziling a single glance.

Wang Ziling froze. Wang Jing’s explanation clearly rang false, but who could actually prove it? Meng Qiqi had demanded an answer, and now Wang Jing had given one. What could be done about it?

Yet by now, Wang Ziling had already boarded Meng Qiqi’s boat. It was too late to back out. He scrambled to think of a response, then stiffened his spine and said, “Grand Elder, may I ask which collateral branch that disciple belonged to?”

Before Wang Jing could respond, the Fourth Elder behind him spoke. “The young master is rarely present within the clan. Even if we told you, you would not know who it was.”

Wang Ziling burned with frustration and snapped back, “If you won’t tell me, how am I supposed to investigate when I return?”

“Young Master Wang, no need to be so anxious,” Meng Qiqi said with a smile. “Since the Grand Elder has already stated clearly that the Qilin Plate was brought back by someone from the Wang clan, then once we leave the secret realm, I imagine your uncle, as head of the household, will certainly provide an explanation to the cultivation world. There are so many people here who have witnessed this. How could the Grand Elder possibly go back on his word, right?”

He paid no attention to the darkened expression on Wang Jing’s face. He turned slightly and said, “Let him go.”

Tu Youqiong hesitated. After all that trouble, they had finally caught the man, and now they were just letting him walk? But it was an order from his Little Martial Uncle, so Tu Youqiong had no choice but to obey.

Then Meng Qiqi continued, “The Vault of Ten Thousand Swords is about to close. Go secure whatever treasure you’ve claimed. Xiao Xiao, find that mischievous little junior disciple of yours. Why hasn’t he returned yet?”

Xiao Yu’er.

Xiao Xiao’s face changed. He instinctively scanned the three elders from the Wang clan. Five of them had entered the secret realm. So where were the remaining two? Among them was the so-called Third Elder, who, if Meng Qiqi was right, was actually that infamous Wuyan Daoist.

“What are you waiting for?” Meng Qiqi’s voice grew a little cold.

Xiao Xiao no longer dared delay and immediately turned to leave. As he moved, he suddenly remembered that Qing Gu had slipped away earlier. She must have gone to look for Xiao Yu’er.

Song Ru, Mu Guinian, and Tu Youqiong quickly followed. Chen Boyan remained where he was. Meng Qiqi raised a brow. “You’re not going, Senior Nephew?”

“I’ll stay with you,” Chen Boyan replied.

In the span of a few blinks, Little Martial Uncle had provoked a major figure of the Wang clan. Chen Boyan did not feel at ease leaving him alone. Someone needed to keep an eye on him, especially since, in a few days, he was responsible for bringing him back to Gushan.

Whatever Chen Boyan’s intentions may have been, Meng Qiqi was clearly pleased by his words. With his hands behind his back, he said calmly, “Good nephew. Wait here. Your Martial Uncle will pick out a treasure for you.”

Before Chen Boyan could say anything, Meng Qiqi had already soared into the sky. In full view of the crowd, he rose like a lone white crane of Gushan, riding his sword high into the clouds. He reached out with practiced ease and caught two glowing orbs that were darting through the air, then drifted back down to land beside Chen Boyan.

“Here,” Meng Qiqi said, offering him the larger orb.

“Thank you, Little Martial Uncle.” Chen Boyan accepted it and reached inside. What he drew out was a sword manual. Among all the treasures in the Vault of Ten Thousand Swords, swords were the most common. What truly counted as rare were sword manuals and alchemical recipes. And any sword technique preserved in this vault was certainly no ordinary thing.

The surrounding cultivators fell completely silent.

Wang Jing looked as if he might explode. Not only did the two completely ignore his presence, they even stood there acting out a warm-hearted uncle and nephew scene while leaving him aside like a stone.

Even though Wang Zi’an had been returned, there was not the slightest comfort in Wang Jing’s heart.

Which only made Meng Qiqi even happier. He looked down at his own treasure and found a miniature treasure sword, no longer than the length of his palm. It seemed to be made of some cold, translucent material and emitted a faint chill. Its form was delicate, elegant, and clearly something rare.

Turning it over a few times, Meng Qiqi could feel the envy radiating from all around, which left him quite satisfied. He then held the sword out toward Chen Boyan.

“A fine sword deserves a fine man. Your Martial Uncle offers it to you.”

The cultivators around them stood in stunned silence. The bond between these two was clearly something else.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the forest—

Xiao Yu’er rolled across the ground, narrowly dodging a streak of sword qi. His young face was tense with focus. Before he could catch his breath, he spun around and loosed an arrow.

The feathered arrow slipped through the gaps in the leaves, flying at high speed toward its target. But the man swiped his sleeve through the air, and the arrow was cut down instantly.

Xiao Yu’er did not seem discouraged. He kept retreating while firing.

His pursuer in the forest narrowed his eyes. All he wanted was to grab this little brat who had been hiding in the shadows so he could use him to force Meng Qiqi’s hand. But the boy’s quick thinking and sharp reaction had gone far beyond his expectations.

He had no idea how the situation at the valley mouth was developing. Any delay might shift the outcome. He had to take the boy quickly, without raising alarm.

The Third Elder of the Wang clan shed his playful attitude. His speed surged as he reached out with one broad hand toward Xiao Yu’er. Once he caught the boy, there would be plenty of time to enjoy the game later.

The distance had grown too short. Xiao Yu’er’s heart jumped. He recalled Meng Qiqi’s teachings and immediately tossed aside his bow and drew his blade.

A metallic clang rang out. Xiao Yu’er’s black sabre struck the Third Elder’s hand with a sharp impact, ringing like metal on stone.

The Third Elder glanced at the faint white mark on his hand and let out a cold laugh. “Little brat, your strength is far too soft.”

Xiao Yu’er ignored his mad rambling. He gasped for air and focused only on running. The forest undergrowth and thorny brambles scratched at his legs, but he moved unhindered, darting through the woods like a young leopard.

The Third Elder’s eyes lit up. He was beginning to like this little boy even more. With a midair somersault, he cut off Xiao Yu’er’s path and reached for his throat once again.

Xiao Yu’er’s eyes widened in alarm, his pupils shrinking. But just as danger loomed, a small figure suddenly darted out from behind the Third Elder, raised her sword and thrust it hard toward his back.

The strike was fast and vicious. Even with all the lives the Third Elder had taken, his spine tensed for a split second. But experience trumped surprise. He gave up on catching Xiao Yu’er and swung a palm behind him. A surge of internal qi forced the sword to veer off by three inches.

With a loud rustle, the attacker was thrown back. Her back struck a treetop, sending leaves scattering through the air.

The Third Elder looked up and finally saw that his attacker was just a young girl, barely older than the boy he had been chasing.

“Well now, what luck I’m having today,” he laughed, flicked out his sleeve and struck Xiao Yu’er, who had tried to take advantage of the opening.

“Xiao Yu’er!” Qing Gu immediately unleashed a burst of sword light and fired a signal into the air. Her expression turned icy as she charged toward the Third Elder. Anyone who dared harm her younger brother deserved to die.

The moment he saw the signal, the Third Elder’s heart sank. He gave a cold snort and drew his sword.

“You refuse the polite way and insist on the hard one.”

Qing Gu’s face tensed as the blade appeared. Xiao Yu’er, lying flat on the ground, quietly reached for the sabre that had been knocked aside. He and Qing Gu exchanged a look, then moved in tandem, one in front, one behind, moving with perfect coordination.

“Xiao Yu’er! Qing Gu!” Just then, Xiao Xiao and the other arrived.

The moment Song Ru saw Xiao Yu’er lying on the ground, a flash of killing intent lit up her eyes. Who dared strike the new junior disciple of Gushan Sword? Did they think the sect was defenseless?

“Go!” Song Ru didn’t hesitate for a moment. Mu Guinian said nothing at all. He met the Third Elder’s gaze for barely an instant before sending his sword straight in.

Tu Youqiong followed close behind his senior brother and sister. “Take this!”

There were six disciples from Gushan, wielding sabres, swords, and arrows. All of them attacked at once in a chaotic flurry.

Meanwhile, the standoff between Meng Qiqi and Wang Jing had not shifted. Meng Qiqi held his ground, knowing that keeping Wang Jing and the two elders from moving was the most advantageous move. Chen Boyan also remained in place. A single Little Martial Uncle might not be enough to hold the attention of so many cultivators on his own.

That thought clearly annoyed Meng Qiqi. He told Chen Boyan to wipe down a large green stone so he could sit and rest. The surrounding cultivators exchanged glances once more. This man, they thought, truly was impossible to predict.

“What does Little Martial Uncle plan to do next?” Chen Boyan asked. He sat beside Meng Qiqi, leaving just enough space between them, neither too close, nor too far.

“That Third Elder of the Wang clan is Wuyan. I want to kill him, knock him down a few notches. What do you think?” Meng Qiqi made no attempt to hide his intentions, but he watched Chen Boyan closely for his reaction.

Chen Boyan paused to think, then replied, “There is nothing wrong with punishing evil and promoting good.”

Meng Qiqi gave a satisfied smile. Punishing evil and promoting good… his dear senior nephew certainly knew how to speak sweetly. In that moment, even the resentment he had held toward the Chen family lightened slightly.

As Meng Qiqi held his position against Wang Jing, the other cultivators, seeing that no further conflict had broken out, offered respectful farewells in accordance with junior etiquette, then scattered once more to hunt spirit beasts. The secret realm would close at sundown today, and they had only a bit of time left to collect beast cores.

Not long after, the rain began to fall again.

Wang Ziqian quietly took in the expressions of everyone present, then found a quiet place to sit and cultivate. Since Wang Ziling had arrived, this jade-like young noble had abruptly taken a more reserved approach, fading into the background without drawing any attention to himself.

Wang Ziling, on the other hand, was full of anxiety. He had already offended Wang Ziqian and the Grand Elder. Now he had to think of a way to survive this situation. Or perhaps… it was time to tear off the pretense and fight for a complete reversal.

He couldn’t help but glance over at Meng Qiqi. But Meng Qiqi was still focused on speaking with Chen Boyan and didn’t spare him even a single look. Wang Ziling clutched his chest, feeling a dull ache. Mother, what is your son supposed to do?

Another incense stick’s time passed. The six disciples of Gushan finally returned, one after another.

Xiao Yu’er bounded forward and rushed to Meng Qiqi’s side. “Master!”

Seeing that he was unharmed, Meng Qiqi finally relaxed a little. “You’re not hurt?”

Xiao Yu’er shook his head quickly, but Qing Gu interrupted, “His hand is injured, Master.”

Meng Qiqi’s expression darkened at once. “Xiao Yu’er, do you remember what I taught you?”

“Master, Senior Sister Song already bandaged it for me,” Xiao Yu’er mumbled in his own defense. His master hated it most when they tried to push through injuries. If he found out someone had, there would definitely be a spanking.

“Hmph.” Meng Qiqi gave a cold snort. Xiao Yu’er immediately covered his backside in reflex. Fortunately, Meng Qiqi had no habit of disciplining his disciples in front of others, so he let it go for now.

At that moment, the Third Elder had reappeared behind Wang Jing, though he vanished again just as quickly after showing his face. Meng Qiqi narrowed his eyes. Five elders had entered, and four had now appeared. Where was the last one?

Most likely, he had returned to the Wang clan ahead of them to deliver news.

But what did it matter? If Meng Qiqi wanted someone dead, he refused to believe he could not kill them.

Half a day later, the sun dipped behind the western hills. The training in the secret realm came to an end. The cultivators returned once more to the lake they had entered from, preparing to leave by the same path.

Meng Qiqi and Wang Jing exchanged one last look. Both of them made no attempt to hide the killing intent in their eyes.