Meng Wudi wasn't truly invincible; at least within the Qingya (Imperial Guard), there were two figures who instilled fear in him at every sight. Yet, Meng Wudi was also truly invincible, for he had never lost a fight since he began practicing martial arts. This wasn't due to any special ability or fighting spirit to rise to the challenge, but rather because he never challenged those he couldn't defeat.
Meng Wudi was the Deputy Commander of the Qingya.
The reason he dared to approach Xi Huamei, the head of the Hongxiuzhao (Red Sleeve Pavilion), at Fenglin Ferry was because he found no one among the Hongxiuzhao members who posed a threat to him. None of the women or guards in Hongxiuzhao, none of the living, inspired his apprehension. On the contrary, it was the plaque in Xi Huamei's hand that truly intimidated him.
Therefore, he spoke politely, though his tone still carried the arrogance characteristic of those from the Qingya of the Imperial Guard.
But he was wrong.
That old cripple, who looked like he could be knocked down by a gust of wind at any moment, made him feel the breath of death again, except from the Garrison Commander. The reason he had risen to the position of Deputy Garrison Commander of the Intelligence Bureau wasn't because his name, Meng Wudi, made him invincible, but because his greatest strength was self-awareness.
In officialdom, this was crucial.
While in the Intelligence Bureau, he never showed the slightest disrespect to Garrison Commander Hou Wenji. Even as the third-ranking figure in the Intelligence Bureau, he consistently displayed no dignity whatsoever in Hou Wenji's presence. Everyone in the Intelligence Bureau was certain that even if the Garrison Commander ordered Meng Wudi to eat his excrement, Meng Wudi would definitely eat it and claim it was sweet and delicious.
The nonchalance and composure he deliberately displayed while fishing by the river stemmed entirely from his imitation of Garrison Commander Hou Wenji.
Someone once said that one could see a small part of Hou Wenji in Meng Wudi, although this imitation was clumsy, crude, and disgusting. The only person who would dare to speak so highly of Meng Wudi within the Intelligence Bureau could be the bureau's second-in-command, a man who held no official position and was essentially a commoner. Yet, Meng Wudi never showed the slightest disrespect to this man. Within the Intelligence Bureau, everyone agreed on one thing… it was better to offend the Commander-in-Chief than to offend his advisor, Zhuo Buyi. The Commander-in-Chief might tolerate some disrespect from his subordinates, but he would never allow anyone in the Intelligence Bureau to show the slightest disrespect to Zhuo Buyi.
The second most powerful person in the Intelligence Bureau was a commoner, and his name was Buyi.
Seven years ago, when Hou Wenji led Zhuo Buyi through the gates of the Intelligence Bureau, he uttered only one sentence, and from that moment on, Meng Wudi, the bureau's second-in-command, became the third. And, for all these years, Meng Wudi had never attempted to challenge the commoner who had usurped his position.
"From this day forward, what you say is my word, what you command is my command. In my absence, the entire bureau obeys you."
Meng Wudi had never seen Zhuo Buyi in action, and he even suspected that Zhuo Buyi knew nothing of cultivation. However, this did not diminish his fear of Zhuo Buyi, because behind him stood Hou Wenji.
Meng Wudi had always been very confident in his insight and judgment, and thus he had indeed thrived in the Sui Dynasty's officialdom.
But today, he had an urge to slap himself.
In fact, the old cripple's words were no different from slapping him several times across the face.
"I find it hard to understand how an idiot like you managed to get into the position of Deputy Commander. Don't you have a brain? A dance hall protected by a ninth-rank master—is it really just a dance hall? A woman who can command a ninth-rank master—can she be an ordinary woman? Even without that title, do you think you can afford to offend her?"
These words forced him to reconsider his actions.
Just as he was feeling ashamed and angry, Gao Tianbao, the commander of the intelligence agency, asked inappropriately, "Sir, should we take everyone down?"
Thump!
After a muffled thud, Gao Tianbao's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. He flew six or seven meters before crashing to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. Meng Wudi had kicked Gao Tianbao squarely in the chest without warning. Although the kick seemed incredibly powerful, he had held back, otherwise it would have killed Gao Tianbao instantly.
Even so, Gao Tianbao felt he had broken at least two ribs.
"I told you to keep an eye on that wanted criminal, and now you're telling me he's gone... Gao Tianbao, three years ago, when you were handling the Jiangdu Qiu family's treason case, you lost the main culprit, and I personally cut out one of your eyeballs. Has your eye stopped hurting after three years? I'm giving you two days. If you still can't find the person who should have been in that carriage, I'll cut out your other eyeball."
Gao Tianbao, almost breathless from the pain, struggled to his feet, knelt on one knee, and bowed, saying, "This subordinate guarantees to find those three people within two days. If I can't find them... this subordinate will take my own life."
"Hmph!"
Meng Wudi flung his sleeves and left, his composed and expert demeanor from when he was fishing by the river completely gone. Now, his face was ashen and horribly ugly, and the shame and anger in his heart was so intense that he wanted to shout curses.
Gao Tianbao spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes as he watched Meng Wudi's retreating figure.
"My lord, please wait."
Just then, Xi Huamei, the head of Hongxiuzhao, softly called out to Meng Wudi, slowly approaching and smiling as she asked, "When will the official boat that you promised to help Hongxiuzhao cross the river arrive?"
...
...
Xiang Qingniu glared angrily at the man in the flying fish robe before him, his eyes fixed intently on the other man's. After a full two minutes of this eye-to-eye stare, the man in the flying fish robe finally gave in and turned away. Xiang Qingniu persisted, circling around to the man's side and continuing to stare intently into his eyes. The man in the flying fish robe turned his head to the other side again, and Xiang Qingniu followed suit, still staring directly into his eyes.
This repeated three times until the man in the flying fish robe finally snapped, muttered a few words, and turned to leave. Xiang Qingniu chuckled smugly, then turned to Cui Lüshang and said, "See? Before my divine gaze, even a mere child like this doesn't dare meet my eyes. Do you know what this is?"
Cui Lüshang, though terrified inside, feigned composure and instinctively asked, "What is it?"
Xiang Qingniu said solemnly, "This is the legendary pressure, the pressure only top masters possess. Under my gaze, filled with pressure, anyone can only retreat."
"Oh."
Cui Lüshang absentmindedly uttered an "oh," looking around... The surrounding figures in flying fish robes whispered, "Then, Daoist Master, quickly unleash your full power and scare these people away!"
Xiang Qingniu sneered, "Do you think power is like the carrots sold by a market vendor? So cheap, you can fill half a cart for a tael of silver? Power...power...power requires effort, don't you understand? It's obvious you don't understand. For a beginner like you, although I'm willing to teach, explaining it is indeed difficult."
Cui Lueshang glanced at Xiang Qingniu with disappointment, then looked towards Hongxiuzhao for help.
Just then, he noticed the middle-aged man turn and leave. The flying fish robe commander who had been kicked away earlier waved, and the flying fish robes surrounding them immediately turned and left. They came quickly and left without hesitation. He was overjoyed and turned to Xiang Qingniu, whispering with delight, "The head of Hongxiuzhao is truly capable! That leading official is gone!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Xiang Qingniu assumed a horse stance, slowly pressing his hands down before exhaling, "See that... that's pressure. With just a little exertion, those people naturally ran away in terror. Only someone as ignorant as you would say that woman was capable."
His face flushed slightly, and he said with a hint of anger, "Didn't you see that I was channeling my energy to release pressure?"
Cui Lüshang was about to reply when he suddenly heard a soft, long, muffled fart.
Pfft...
Xiang Qingniu blushed, gave an awkward laugh, and turned to leave.
Cui Lüshang took a breath, then his expression became incredibly complex. As he ran away, he muttered under his breath, "That damn pressure-induced fart... it really stinks extraordinary!"
Meanwhile, ten miles away from Fenglin Ferry, at the calmest point of the Xiang River... Fishing boats passed by slowly, occasionally spotting large fish leaping out of the water. Although the current was calm, the banks were lined with reeds, unsuitable for mooring. That's why the ferry crossing was originally built at Fenglin Ferry, ten miles downstream.
Suddenly, a fisherman saw several dark shadows flash swiftly underwater and was immediately terrified. The shadows were unusually large, almost the size of a person. Remembering the legendary, ferocious river god, the Iron-Headed Fish, from the riverbanks, the fisherman nearly collapsed in fear.
"Quick, wife, throw the prepared pig's head, pheasant, and lamb into the river! The river god has passed by our boat, don't delay!"
The naive wife was even more frightened and hurriedly threw the pig's head and pheasant, which were always prepared for each trip, into the river. A lively lamb was thrown in, and suddenly, with a splash, the lamb disappeared without a trace. The fisherman and his wife finally collapsed, unable to hold on any longer. They almost simultaneously slumped onto the boat, too exhausted to watch any longer. After an unknown amount of time, they came to their senses and immediately knelt on the boat, clasping their hands together and begging for mercy.
They saw a dark shape in the water, seemingly devouring the lamb. After thrashing about for a while, it even circled the fishing boat once. The fisherman, who had only peeked over, froze, cried out, and fainted from fright.
Fortunately, the dark shape that had swallowed the lamb did not linger. After circling the fishing boat once, it slowly swam towards the opposite bank and disappeared shortly afterward.
The wife, supporting her husband, was too weak to stand. Crying, she pinched her husband's philtrum to revive him. When the fisherman awoke and found his wife still there and the fishing boat still there, he first let out a long sigh of relief, then the two embraced and wept bitterly.
The wife, weeping, glanced into the distance again, only to see what appeared to be several upright reeds drifting further and further away with the dark shadow on the river.
...
On the official boat, Cui Lüshang looked at the abandoned carriage on the shore with lingering fear. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked in a low voice, "Did you bring all the wine and meat from the carriage? If that woman in red and that vicious coachman find out we didn't bring any, we're in big trouble..."
Xiang Qingniu said seriously, "Why would I be afraid of those two? The coachman goes without saying; I could take down twenty of him with one finger. As for the woman... you know the saying 'a good man doesn't fight with a woman'! Of course... for the sake of our five people's safety and unity, I brought all the wine and meat."
Cui Lüshang thought to himself, "Why are you talking so much nonsense? You brag so loudly, but every time you see that woman in red, you're so scared you don't even dare to fart, and you might even shrink back..."
He sat down on the gunwale of the official boat, looking at the waves before him, and couldn't help but sigh.
"What's wrong?"
Xiang Qingniu asked. Cui Lueshang pondered for a moment and said, "Although I don't know Fang Jie, nor do I know the relationship between him and the two people beside him, I think it would be good to give these four 'life-and-death' friends to the three of them. Sharing joys and sorrows, such a bond makes me envious. If I had such friends… I would die without regrets."
Xiang Qingniu rolled his eyes at him and said, "Only someone as new to the martial world as you would say such idiotic things. Relationships between people are simple in essence, boiled down to interests. As for complexity, it's nothing more than emotional bonds."
"Bonds?"
Cui Lueshang was stunned, thinking that Xiang Qingniu's crude word was too obscure. After a moment, he suddenly thought of something and looked at Xiang Qingniu, asking seriously but uncertainly, "Daoist… did you just say 'bonds'… or 'eggs'?"