1073 Chapter 1073 Now, I Just Wanna Talk
Meng’s in charge.
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Meng waved her hand, the weaker qi signatures fluttered for a moment and all fell to the ground, their minds wrapped in illusions so tightly that they would be lucky to escape before the sun exploded. There were just two remaining. “Come on out, we can have a little chat. I’ll even swear on the heavens not to attack you first!” shouted Meng.
*If they agree that should help me buy Bing and Feng plenty of time to get away from here. I don’t know if they have any others chasing us so far, but I doubt it. It’s not like they have infinite manpower to throw around.*
“I’ll take your deal!” shouted the voice, Meng could vaguely recognise. “If you also promise not to trap is in illusions unless we attack as well,”
*Damn. Well, I didn’t expect to get away with it anyway.* “I accept. In the name of the heavens, I promise, that for the next 24 hours, or until I am attacked, I will not place illusions down without permission, nor will I attack first,” said Meng.
The sound of lightning crackling above seemed to prove that her vow had been accepted… but she’d seen more than one person get out of promises to the heavens. Why people trusted them so much, she wasn’t sure.
It didn’t take long for the two attackers to make there way there, and they were easily recognisable to Meng. The first was an older man, Elder Shun. He had a long thin beard that he kept neatly trimmed and a head of slicked back black hair. Of course, Meng knew he used dye for the hair… the fact that his beard was grey made it easy to figure that out. Meng really wanted to know why, but had never asked just in case the original Meng had asked once before. Apparently he was a mole, so it might not have mattered.
The other attacker was both more, and less, of a surprise. It was Jian, Master Marksman. He’d belonged to the organisation almost as long as she had, and it was a surprise to see him standing there so casually. “It seems my betrayal was anticipated if you’re already here Jian. I’m surprised, really, what gave me away?” asked Meng.
.....
“Technically Meng, nothing. This was a test. You were given what you desired… a family. You didn’t exactly hide it, and you made it very easy for the higher ups to figure out how best to put you on a leash. If you’d told them you wanted to keep the kids…” Jian was interrupted when…
Meng cut him off, “Yeah they’d have been used as a perpetual weight around my neck. They would be hostages in all but name, and perhaps including name, and I wanted nothing to do with that,”
Jian shrugged, “You are a powerful cultivator Meng, and apparently you can raise powerful children. You could have had a much greater role in the running of the organisation and sure we’d implant a bomb into your kids, but they’d get the best of resources and only have to run a few missions every now and then. It’s a pretty good deal… if you were loyal to the organisation at all,”
Meng let out a barking laugh, “Oh Jian, all I’ve ever wanted was a family, yet being barren meant I couldn’t even have that. Then you just hand me children on a silver platter and you expect me to be anything less then the best mother I can to them? I’m sure you saw me arguing with Feng’s blatant disrespect before, but I still took the arrow for him. Why would your offer look even remotely enticing if I’m willing to take a potentially lethal hit even when I’m furious with my kids?”
“Oh it wasn’t an offer anymore Meng, that was what you’re missing out on. Besides, it might’ve been lethal for the kid… but it’s not particularly lethal. Well, not by itself anyway,” said Jian with a grin.
Meng rolled her eyes, “It’s poisoned isn’t it,”
“Indeed, I have managed to harness perhaps the deadliest poison the continent has ever seen. While I was stationed here watching over you I didn’t have much to occupy my time so what I did was I took some venom from a Swamp Alraune, blended it with-” once again, Jian was cut off.
By Meng of course, “With Undead Manticore Venom and Thousand Needle Berry picked on the night of the full moon?”
“How!” hissed Jian.
“Oh, Jian, you sweet summer child,” Meng’s smile stretched wide and madness started to glint across her eyes, “You think I’ve never been contracted to kill a Rank 4? Of course I have you fool. Plenty of times. One of my riskier missions was killing a Rank 4 cultivator while I was still Rank 3… I’m sure you’ve heard of it… didn’t you ever wonder how I managed it?”
“The silent killing of Master Shoa…” whispered Jian in horror.
“Yes,” hissed Meng, her tongue snaking out, with an illusion wrapped around it to look even more like a snake. She was after all, willing to have illusions placed on herself. Perhaps it would spook them a bit too, if they noticed. “I’ve forgotten more about exotic poisons then you’ve ever learnt Jian. You were always so… lazy when it came to anything that wasn’t cultivation.
“Even your little baby hobby about poisons… it’s sad honestly, that you thought babies first Rank 4 mixture would be enough to off me. It’s actually a little insulting,” Meng let out a long sigh, like she was disappointed in a naughty child.
“Impossible! I made it so that poison has no antidote! It doesn’t matter that you know what it is, you shouldn’t be able to escape from death!” yelled Jian.
Meng nodded and explained, “Sure, you’re right there’s no antidote… but it’s super easy to build up a resistance to this stuff. I think I only needed ten batches? Then again, even the first time I suffered through it, I barely needed to use my poison purging techniques. It’s a strong poison sure, but it takes forever to activate. You need to get someone while they’re asleep otherwise it doesn’t work properly. Honestly, it uses Alraune extract. What were you expecting?”
Jian just grit his teeth and didn’t say anything so Meng turned to face Shun. “Anything you want to add elder Shun? I’m a little surprised you were a mole, I didn’t take you for the type…”
Shun just shrugged, “Eh, I cut a deal with the organisation. It’s nothing personal against you, and I don’t even mind the sect… but I’m old Meng. I’ve been stuck at Rank 4 for over a thousand years. I’ve been lucky and found quite a few precious treasures to extend my life, and I can stick around at least another 500 years… but I’ll never make it to Rank 5. So… when they made the offer to help my kids get there… I took the chance,”
Meng scoffed, “The organisation hasn’t had anyone at Rank 5 for centuries, I doubt they can help you with it,”
Once again Shun just shrugged, “Eh, if they can help that’s great, if they can’t I’ll just live with the disappointment. I was the only elder that worked out you’d replaced the original… and I had a good guess as to who was pulling the strings. So I jumped onto their ship. I don’t care much for the sect, it was likely going to die this generation anyway. Too much mismanagement from the grandparents you know? Better to leave with my wealth and a few bonuses. I’m sure you can understand,”
“I’m sure you realise I can’t just let you go Shun?” said Meng.
Shun shrugged, “Are you sure about that? I already said, nothing personal. If you break my legs and steal my storage ring, I won’t be able to chase after you for some time.”
“Why are you giving her ideas!” hissed Jian.
“Because unlike you Jian, I’m not getting emotional over one deserter. This is purely a business transaction on my part, and clearly your poison wasn’t up to scratch. If she gets away, sure maybe I’ll get punished but I’m an old man, and I’m used to it. If your lot tries to go after my kids? I’ll just make a few more and try to deal with you guys a few hundred years later,” said Shun with a careless shrug.
“How can you not care?” asked Meng. “Why would you want them to reach Rank 5… if you don’t care?”
Shun smiled, “Ah but I do care, somewhat. You see, to be a cultivator is to walk the fine line between respecting, and attacking the heavens. I love my children, but if they should be slaughter as punishment for my actions, then that too must be the will of the heavens. If they defy that fate, their cultivation will be strengthened, and my love for them will grow. I want them to have chances Meng, not a free ride,”
Meng growled, “I can see why you’re buddies with my old organisation now,”
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l