Chapter 64: The World Has Its Heartfelt People

Chapter 64: The World Has Its Heartfelt People

The Empress Dowager sat under the paulownia tree, taking out an old book to read, while Xun Mei prepared tea by her side.

"Nie Yanian has only one daughter, and I see he treats this young man differently. Has he taken him as an adoptive son or a son-in-law?" The Empress Dowager asked casually.

"Nie Qingqing has killed three people in a row; who would dare to be her son-in-law?" Xun Mei smiled, "As for the adoptive son, I don't think so either. Meng Yuan has a natural talent for martial arts and his character is not bad. In my opinion, Uncle Nie values his abilities and conduct."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly and continued to flip through the book pages. However, she noticed that Xun Mei had not finished speaking and said, "He's also an ambitious person. Besides practicing martial arts, he reads classics and scriptures."

"What kind of books does he read?" The Empress Dowager asked casually.

"He reads classics, literature, and even borrows some Daoist treasures from me. I heard that recently, he's been studying poetry," Xun Mei said with a smile.

"I didn't expect him to be Du Gu Kang's confidant," the Empress Dowager smiled.

Xun Mei couldn't help but chuckle.

"Nie Yanian appears rough on the outside, but he's actually a meticulous person. The fact that he brought that young man to meet me shows his utmost trust. But he's only been teaching that boy for two or three months; how can he trust him so much?" The Empress Dowager asked.

"It might be related to the incident in North City. Uncle Nie has no heir, and he's afraid that Nie Qingqing will be left without a family. That's why he found someone who knows gratitude and is willing to repay kindness as his successor," Xun Mei explained in detail about Sister Hua's matter and also mentioned the incident of beheading the demon monk.

"Those who are righteous often have to slaughter dogs, and the prostitute doesn't know Meng Yuan's name, yet he wrapped the corpse and sent it for burial; the old man doesn't know others' names, yet he spoke up for righteousness and died. Very good," the Empress Dowager said with a slight smile, "The world's heartfelt people are all nameless."

Xun Mei poured tea while murmuring the Empress Dowager's words.

"Since he killed the demon monk outside, he's also considered to have eliminated harm for the people. It seems that Meng Yuan, whom you value, is indeed capable. Don't reward him openly, but secretly give him something," the Empress Dowager suggested.

The Empress Dowager glanced outside and continued, "But remember, this person has respect and no fear in his eyes for me, and Uncle Nie doesn't like straightforward people. Be careful not to be deceived by him."

"Yes," Xun Mei agreed immediately.

"Uncle Nie is from the Demon Suppressing Bureau, and all his martial arts skills are from the Demon Suppressing Bureau. In the future, when you assign tasks to Meng Yuan, if he handles them well, come to me, and I'll give him a Celestial Diagram," the Empress Dowager added.

"Miss, are you planning to promote him?" Xun Mei asked with a smile.

"Uncle Nie is not an outsider, and his people should be utilized. As for whether he'll be promoted, that depends on his capabilities," the Empress Dowager said, lowering her head to continue reading the book.

Meng Yuan stood guard outside the courtyard, and in the distance, the sound of waves could be faintly heard. He still didn't know that he had received such a favor.

The spring breeze was chilly, and after standing guard for the entire night, he didn't encounter any midnight seductions.

After the shift change, Meng Yuan went to the kitchen for a meal and met the middle-aged Taoist priest.

The day before, Meng Yuan had already learned that the old Taoist priest's name was Xuan Ji Zi, and the middle-aged Taoist priest was named Zhao Jingsheng, ranked according to the Daoist philosophy of 'Dao De Tong Xuan Jing'.

"The food at this small temple is simple, please don't laugh at it, fellow Daoist," Zhao Jingsheng said politely.

Meng Yuan would never be picky and asked with a smile, "Why are there so few people here?"

"Actually, I should have been driven out too, leaving the senior brother to receive you all. It's just that the senior brother insisted on going out a few days ago," Zhao Jingsheng explained without feeling embarrassed. "According to reason, I should have been driven out, and the senior brother should be the one receiving you all. It's just that the senior brother insisted on going out a few days ago."

"But what if it's an emergency?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

Zhao Jingsheng sighed, "It's not exactly an emergency. Master Brother has always acted on behalf of the master, teaching us in the rear mountain. There's a reindeer that comes to listen to Master Brother's lectures every day, but it hasn't shown up for the entire last month. Master Brother noticed its absence and said that we're not as diligent as the reindeer in attending classes. He plans to go look for it."

"..." Meng Yuan rubbed his temples, now understanding who the flower girl's secret admirer was. He then asked curiously, "And then?"

"Master Brother cast a divination and left with his sword in the middle of the night." Zhao Jingsheng spread his hands, "I advised him against it, but he kicked me over. The other disciples didn't dare speak up, and even the master couldn't persuade him."

"A Taoist... a Taoist wielding a sword at night?" Meng Yuan said.

"Indeed," Zhao Jingsheng said with admiration, seemingly in awe of the master brother, "Master Brother said that discussing the Tao all day is meaningless. He wants to go demon-slaying."

As Zhao Jingsheng spoke, he took out a wine gourd from his embrace, glanced outside, and took a few sips, his mouth watering. He whispered with anticipation, "Want some?"

"I have my duties to attend to, don't blame me," Meng Yuan declined, only inquiring further about this master brother.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you everything." Zhao Jingsheng reassured him. "My master brother's Taoist name is Jingxu. He's been following our master since he was young, and his Taoist skills are profound, but his martial arts are slightly lacking. Our master said that master brother is a diligent person, but it's not the right time for him to wield a sword..."

He took several more sips, his face already flushed. Without needing any prompting, he continued to ramble about everything he knew.

Meng Yuan asked more questions, but seeing that Zhao Jingsheng was becoming more and more talkative, he hurriedly took his leave.

Meng Yuan headed towards the rear mountain that Zhao Jingsheng had mentioned.

The place was located in the mountains, a small, dilapidated courtyard with a few bamboo mats scattered on the ground.

There was no one in the courtyard, and as Meng Yuan was about to leave, he noticed some movement in the bushes and shrubs at the foot of the small mountain.

He hid behind a large tree to observe, and saw a figure with a brown back and white belly walking along a path covered in weeds, carrying a small bundle but without a headscarf.

The little fellow ran quickly for a while, then hopped and ran for a few steps, and then he shaded his eyes with his hand, looking around. He didn't seem very smart, and he was even humming a tune.

It was clearly Xiang Ling.

"On a sunny day, so bright and beautiful, red flowers, green grass, I'm so happy..." Xiang Ling ran up the path, and as she turned around the tree, she suddenly saw a figure. She stumbled forward, her head feeling lighter than her feet.

Just as she was about to turn and run away, Xiang Ling felt the small bundle on her back being lifted, and her entire body was carried up, "Hurry, hurry, quickly release this great immortal, or else you'll face the consequences!"

Meng Yuan turned her around, "Who taught you such intimidating words?"

"Oh! Little Castrator! It's you!" Xiang Ling immediately beamed with joy.

"What are you doing here?" Meng Yuan asked as he put her down.

"I can't go back home, so I might as well come and burn some paper for my wet nurse." Xiang Ling seemed very mature as she tugged at her small bundle, proudly saying, "Do you want to burn some? I brought five, I can lend you two and a half! How about it? Not too much, right?"

Although she had come to burn paper, she seemed very happy. She had just been singing that cheerful tune, clearly remembering her wet nurse's words, 'Living is good, and dying is fine,' encouraging her to enjoy life.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end