Needless to say, the return trip with Song Qingshu was still a river boat hire in Hankou and headed straight upstream along the Han River.
However, when it was time to disembark, Meng Xiuyuan did not return to Wudang immediately with Song Qingshu, but said that there was still something to do.
Song Qingshu knew that Meng Xiuyuan must have had his own plans, so he didn't ask any more questions and just waved goodbye to him with a smile.
After Song Qingshu left, Meng Xiuyuan immediately went straight to the Shaolin Temple.
Not for anyone else, only for the Hunyuan thunderbolt hand Cheng Kun who hid in the Shaolin Temple under the pseudonym "Yuanzhen".
Ever since the Kunlun Sect's "Bat Extermination Conference", when Wei Yixiao said that someone was plotting secretly, Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but suspect the great conspirator and the great avenger in this Yitian world.
It's just that there was too little information at the time, so it was just random thinking without reason, and there was no way to do anything about it.
Now, after hearing about the "Holy Fire Order" mentioned by Yang Xiao, Meng Xiuyuan became more and more suspicious that Cheng Kun was behind this.
After all, there are only a few people in the world who can do such things as forging the Holy Fire Order and injuring Wei Yixiao. And there are even fewer people who have such thoughts and deliberately plot against the Ming Cult.
Therefore, although Meng Xiuyuan still had no real evidence, he couldn't help but want to find out. It was better than doing nothing.
However, Meng Xiuyuan thought over and over again along the way and decided to act cautiously.
Don’t seek merit, but seek no faults.
After all, there is a vague shadow of the Yuan court behind Cheng Kun. At this time, there is still some time before the official full-scale resistance against the Yuan. If he is targeted by them in advance, it will inevitably bring trouble to the Wudang Sect.
Therefore, after arriving at the Shaolin Temple, it is impossible for Meng Xiuyuan to blatantly go to worship the mountain and ask people such questions as "Is Master Yuanzhen in the temple?" After all, he is not a small person now. If he does this for no reason, he will definitely be suspected by Cheng Kun, who is very alert.
.
Similarly, he also thought about whether he should sneak in at night and use his superior skills to explore and search the Shaolin Temple. However, this idea was quickly rejected.
After all, he didn't even know what Cheng Kun looked like, so what would he be able to find out even if he sneaked in overnight.
So, Meng Xiuyuan thought about it for a while, and finally decided to hide his face and identity, and secretly bribed a nearby farmer with money to provide information to the Shaolin Temple.
Of course, just in case, when Meng Xiuyuan communicated with him, he couldn't show that he was heading towards Yuantong. The task Meng Xiuyuan gave him was as simple as "inquiring whether the senior monks of the Yuan generation or above in Shaolin Temple have recently left the temple."
, and then asked him to summarize the information regularly and put it in a hidden place for Meng Xiuyuan to pick up regularly.
Even if the Shaolin Temple was aware of such an innocuous thing, they would never think of it involving Meng Xiuyuan.
As for how much information can be collected in this way, Meng Xiuyuan did not force it. After all, this is just a trick of his. Whether the effect is good or not depends on fate.
In the final analysis, Cheng Kun's goal was to destroy Mingjiao, not Wudang, so it was not a serious problem. After a few years, when the Yuan court was weak and rebels spread all over the world, his end would naturally come.
After doing this easily, Meng Xiuyuan turned around and headed back to Wudang.
What he didn't expect was that he would bump into Hu Qingniu and Wang Nangu by chance on the road.
The two of them had just treated the plague there in Yuzhou, and after leaving, they happened to wander here.
After the two parties met, they were both in a good mood. They arranged to have a casual meal in a small inn and talked in detail about their recent encounters.
The main content was about the disaster in Yuzhou. So without even talking a few words, they all mentioned Master Shubu and the disciples of the Mingjiao branch he led.
Hu Qingniu talked about how he collected herbs with the help of Shuo Bu and distributed medicinal soup to the refugees, while Meng Xiuyuan talked about how he and Shu Bu met by chance on the Snake Mountain Mountain Road and turned enemies into friends.
After the conversation, both of them admired his unspeakable behavior and praised him profusely behind his back.
However, to Meng Xiuyuan's expectation, according to Hu Qingniu, during the Yuzhou disaster, the Yuan court's relief operations were actually much better than in the past.
The reason seems to be that Princess Minmintemuir of the Ruyang Palace was involved.
Hu Qingniu didn’t know the specific details, so he didn’t explain them in detail.
But when Meng Xiuyuan heard the news, he felt somewhat relieved.
…
Before saying goodbye to Hu Qingniu and his wife, Meng Xiuyuan took out a small bag of valuable gold jewelry from his arms and gave it to them. Meng Xiuyuan took it from Hongmei Villa before, and now it is for them to buy some medicinal materials for daily relief.
The victims of the disaster can be considered to have been used to their best advantage.
So the two parties parted ways again, each going his own way.
Then Meng Xiuyuan hurried all the way to the boat, and everything went smoothly.
On the contrary, when he returned to the gate of Wudang Mountain, he saw that the sect was very lively, and all the Taoist disciples had happy faces, which surprised him.
Meng Xiuyuan stopped a firework Taoist priest who was in a hurry to go down the mountain to make some purchases, and found out that it turned out that the three-year period had come, and the brothers had just returned to the mountain together after finishing their travels in the south of the Yangtze River.
After three years, the Seven Heroes of Wudang returned to the mountain gate together, so naturally they had to celebrate.
"Junior brother, you are finally back. I feel sorry that you will be missing from today's dinner.
Just right, just right, let’s have a nice reunion!”
Just after entering the mountain gate and walking a few steps, Meng Xiuyuan bumped into Song Yuanqiao, whose face was glowing red, and he happily grabbed him.
"When did Senior Brother come back? Are you all okay, Senior Brother?"
Meng Xiuyuan was very emotional after seeing his senior brother again after three years. However, he was not very good at conveying such subtle emotions, so he could only smile slightly and ask his senior brother briefly.
"Everything is fine, everything is fine.
We just came back and we didn’t even go up the mountain for half a day.
Just now we all paid our respects to the master and the old man. Now everyone except me should have gone back to their rooms to take a bath and rest.
You have traveled thousands of miles, so you must be exhausted. Go back home and have a rest. If you have anything to say, we can talk about it together during dinner tonight."
Song Yuanqiao said with concern when he saw Meng Xiuyuan also covered in dust.
"Okay." Meng Xiuyuan smiled when he heard this without being pretentious.
…
When the sky got dark and the banquet was set, Meng Xiuyuan and others came to sit down one by one at the reminder of the Taoist boys.
It was said to be a dinner party, but after all, it was a dinner for my family, and since I had not seen each other for three years, I finally returned to the mountain gate, so there were no rigid rules and the main thing was to make everyone happy.
When Zhang Sanfeng finally sat down and said a few simple words, everyone laughed and moved quickly.
Life on Wudang Mountain has always been simple, so even the dishes on the table today are home-cooked, with no delicacies. However, everyone is in a good mood, and the food is delicious, and no one cares whether the ingredients are precious or not.
During this period, Meng Xiuyuan had a lively discussion with his fellow apprentices, sharing their experiences and knowledge in the past three years, while master Zhang Sanfeng looked at them with a smile, did not speak, and just quietly enjoyed the family happiness.
"Junior brother, in the past three years, you have become famous in the world.
The eight of us have done a lot in Jiangnan, but even if we put it all together, we can't compare to you..."
Fourth senior brother Zhang Songxi looked at Meng Xiuyuan and praised with a smile, his face full of sincere relief.
"Well, not only did he become famous, his junior brother also did many rare and chivalrous acts." Second senior brother Yu Lianzhou continued Zhang Songxi's words and said:
"The eight of us were operating in the south of the Yangtze River, and we only heard about the Kunlun Sect's 'Bat Extermination Conference' later.
We were all very surprised at that time. No one expected that, junior brother, you would actually kill Wei Yixiao, the Green-winged Bat King of the Ming Cult, with your own hands.
Such a vampire monster has been notorious for a long time, so he must be guilty of serious sins.
I heard from my colleagues in the Kunlun Sect that this time he even harmed a lot of righteous people and innocent people.
Junior brother, you kill well!"
Second senior brother Yu Daiyan happened to be sitting next to Meng Xiuyuan. When he finished speaking, he rarely smiled and reached out to pat Meng Xiuyuan on the shoulder.
"Hahaha, Second Senior Brother doesn't usually praise others casually. If you praise me a few times, I will use it very much."
Meng Xiu couldn't help but feel happy when he saw this, and started joking with Yu Lianzhou.
Unexpectedly, Yin Susu, who was sitting across the table, also took the initiative to answer the conversation:
"When I was young, I once heard my father say that the top leaders of the Ming Cult, the Dual Envoys and the Four Dharma Kings, actually have roughly the same kung fu, and they are all top figures in the world.
It's just that each has its own areas of expertise and different characteristics.
Wei Yixiao, the green-winged bat king, is good at lightness kung fu.
It is not easy for ordinary masters to escape with their lives even if they want to take a few moves from him. But even if someone with better martial arts than him defeated him with fists, feet and swords, if he wanted to escape, no one in the world would be able to do so.
Can catch up.
It is indeed very powerful that my junior brother can kill him."
Meng Xiuyuan looked up and saw a natural smile on Yin Susu's face. She was obviously admiring from the bottom of her heart. He couldn't bear the ridiculous praise and explained honestly:
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"Actually, when it comes to Qinggong alone, I'm still not as good as Na Wei Yixiao.
It's just that he was holding someone in his hand, so he couldn't get rid of me.
As time went by, his internal strength was not as good as mine, so he asked me to catch up..."
"Junior brother, there is no need to be modest, he is already very powerful." Song Yuanqiao waved his hand and said with a smile:
"Qingshu also told me about the incident at Hongmei Villa.
If you hadn't been careful and found out the evidence, he would have been plotted by someone with ulterior motives, and he wouldn't even know it..."
Having said this, Song Yuanqiao's expression suddenly changed, and he scolded Song Qingshu beside him with a frown:
"Humph, you are such a traitor, you never listen to me, learn more from your junior uncle.
I have wasted all my years of education, but I still can’t control myself when I see a woman, how can I succeed?!
Also, it's not enough that your junior uncle has saved you once. He left you to deal with some trivial matters at Hongmei Villa, but you were kidnapped by Yang Xiao again...
You really embarrass our Wudang sect. What would you have done if your junior uncle hadn’t worked so hard to save you?!
When can I rest assured and let you wander the world on your own?"
This string of reprimands caused Song Qingshu to change from a happy look to a bitter look in just a few breaths, and even the chicken drumsticks in the bowl no longer tasted good.
Seeing this, Meng Xiu could only help Song Qingshu with a smile, and told Song Yuanqiao many things that Song Qingshu had done well, and praised him for becoming very mature and steady in handling subsequent matters at Hongmei Villa.
Unexpectedly, Meng Xiuyuan had just finished speaking. Before Song Yuanqiao could express his position, the sixth senior brother Yin Liting, who had been silent all this time, could not bear it anymore and suddenly interrupted and asked him:
"Junior brother, did you go down the mountain this time to find the villain Yang Xiao?"
As soon as Yin Liting said these words, the dinner table fell silent for an instant.
The incident of Yang Xiao forcing Ji Xiaofu to give birth to a daughter has always been a scar in Yin Liting's heart that cannot be healed, so everyone usually avoids it, not wanting to provoke him.
He was happy today, and his words were less restrained, but it was Song Yuanqiao who was the most mature and prudent person who let it slip and mentioned Yang Xiao's name.
But now that the matter has come to this, Meng Xiuyuan feels that there is no need to hide it.
After all, there are still many days to come, and Sixth Senior Brother will eventually step out of this shadow and face the facts.
Thinking of this, Meng Xiuyuan simply spoke frankly and told a series of things that happened when he went down the mountain. Song Qingshu was on the side, helping him add some details from time to time, and bragging about him.
During this period, everyone listened very carefully, especially Yin Liting himself, who stared straight at Meng Xiuyuan.
When they first talked about starting a fight with Yang Xiao, everyone was still a little worried about Meng Xiuyuan. Although they knew that he was highly skilled in martial arts, after all, the opponent was outnumbered at the time. According to the opinions of Song Yuanqiao and Zhang Songxi, they still had to give in and take Wudang with them in the future.
It would be better for our fellow disciples to take revenge together.
But when Meng Xiuyuan knocked out several of Yang Xiao's teeth with a slap and defeated his dagger sword move with one hand, the senior brothers all became happy again and applauded Meng Xiuyuan.
Until the end, when Meng Xiuyuan used a "Tiger Claw Execution Hand" to grab Yang Xiao's waist and eyes, causing him to faint, the dinner table was quiet for a moment, and then suddenly it started to boil.
"Okay! Well done, little junior brother!
If I were at the scene, I would definitely use this move to avenge Sixth Senior Brother!"
The seventh senior brother Mo Shenggu was so excited that he ignored the rules and stood up, his face flushed and he praised Meng Xiuyuan.
"Yes, this move is just right for that lewd thief.
Junior brother could not have done more reasonably!"
Third senior brother Yu Daiyan also clenched his fists, as if he wished he could do it with his own body.
"With such a claw from my junior brother, all my hard work is not in vain."
Yu Lianzhou, who was originally taciturn, patted Meng Xiuyuan on the shoulder again, his eyes full of joy.
Meng Xiuyuan saw that the excited expressions of his senior brothers were all expected. But what he was more concerned about was what Yin Liting thought of this matter.
Yin Liting lowered his head and was silent for a long time. Then he suddenly stood up, walked to Meng Xiuyuan, bent down and hugged him:
"Junior brother, you are serious.
Between us brothers, there is no need to say thank you, and senior brothers will always remember it in their hearts."
At the end of the story, Yin Liting had tears streaming down her face.
When the Wudang heroes saw this scene, they stepped forward one after another and patted Yin Liting on the back to express their comfort.
After a long while, everyone's emotions gradually calmed down, everyone returned to their seats, talked about other things.
Besides, there are the many good deeds performed by Qixia and Yin Susu during the three years in Jiangnan.
The Seven Heroes of Wudang have always upheld the spirit of chivalry and have done countless good deeds. Of course, there is no need to go into detail. Speaking of Yin Susu, she really did a lot of good deeds during this trip.
Regardless of her deeds or her intentions, no matter what, she has changed for the good.
This lasted for a while, and when the food on the table was almost finished, when the banquet was approaching, Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu suddenly stood up, walked up to Meng Xiuyuan, and gave him a big salute.
"Fifth Senior Brother, Fifth Senior Sister, what are you doing?!" Meng Xiuyuan hurriedly helped the two of them up.
"Junior brother, you have really worked hard for our little boy Wuji. You have traveled thousands of miles to the Western Regions to search for traces of the "Nine Yang Divine Art" in the snow-capped mountains. It is really hard work.
If it weren't for you, Wuji would still be suffering from the cold poison, and he wouldn't live for a few more years.
The two of us bowing to you, how can we be worthy of your kindness?"
Zhang Cuishan, who had been slightly silent during the banquet, now showed his true feelings and his words were very sincere.
Meng Xiuyuan smiled and shook his head. He was not used to such an atmosphere and said deliberately:
"Although the "Nine Yang Divine Art" was hard to come by, it was not just for Wuji. Fifth Brother, you don't have to be like this.
Even if there is no such thing as him, I will still look for him.
Besides, I have gained a lot along the way, far more than just the "Nine Yang Magic".
If you don’t believe it, just ask Master.”
Zhang Sanfeng was just watching with amusement, not wanting to interrupt Meng Xiuyuan and his brothers talking about brotherly love, but he didn't expect that Meng Xiuyuan actually threw the words at him.
Seeing this, Mr. Zhang simply burst out laughing and told the good news he had been holding back for a long time:
"Yes, your junior brother, you did bring back a lot of magical secrets this time.
I have been studying hard recently and gained a lot of insights, and I have even greatly improved many of our Wudang sect’s techniques.
It just so happens that you all are back, so don't go down the mountain again for a while.
I have prepared a lot of work here, and I want you to practice hard.
I think after this time, your respective skills will be able to reach a big level."
Speaking of this, Zhang Sanfeng looked at Meng Xiuyuan and said to him with a smile:
"Xiuyuan, even you. I have been studying the "Nine Yang Divine Art" these days, and I have figured out something."