From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 384 The Holy King of Light
Dark clouds lingered above the capital, making it seem as if it were still dusk.

The weather was extremely hot and humid, without a breath of wind. Fish occasionally leaped out of the lake, as if they could not bear the scalding soup in the pot, or as if they wanted to open their eyes and see the world.

Wang Ersu picked up the fish food with her bare hands, feeding them while speaking softly, as if she were not trying to recruit them, but simply talking ordinary words.

After hearing these words, Ning Qufei and Mo Tingyu thought that he was recruiting on behalf of the king. Only Lin Yan seemed to understand. He stroked his chin and kept looking at Meng Yuan, muttering something to himself, as if he was thinking on Meng Yuan's behalf.

"Junior brother, your two wives should get closer to the Third Miss. They can get a big bed together then." Lin Yan quickly came to a conclusion, showing that he had gone to great lengths for this junior brother.

"..." Upon hearing this, Mo Tingyu and Ning Qufei looked at each other, somewhat confused, yet seemingly understanding something at the same time.

Wang Er smiled slightly and said, "When Mingyue came to find me last time, she accompanied you to a distant land. Her hardships are beyond words."

Wang Er looked at Meng Yuan and continued, "After Mingyue returned to the capital, she asked you about your affairs abroad, but she didn't say a word. It's clear that she has already given herself to you. Meng Feiyuan, are you going to betray the heart of this beauty?"

"Are you here to act as an envoy for Dugu Shang?" Meng Yuan asked.

"I'm just relaying a message." Wang Er threw all the fish food in his hand into the lake and said, "As the king said, the bright moon will naturally be your pair, and whatever other request you make, I can grant it. For thousands of years to come, the Meng family will prosper together with the country."

"Brother Meng, you absolutely cannot agree to this!" Mo Tingyu exclaimed anxiously, "This is nothing more than making you a dog!"

“Junior sister, Brother Meng must be a man of unwavering resolve to have reached this point. You need not say anything more.” Ning Qufei pulled Mo Tingyu back.

"Senior brother, you really understand Brother Meng!" Mo Tingyu said with admiration, "Is this what they mean by heroes recognizing heroes and good men cherishing good men?"

Lin Yan secretly pursed his lips at Mo Tingyu, then looked at Wang Er and said, "Master, while such a beauty is indeed hard to come by again, the current king relies on Qing Guangzi, and my junior brother will certainly not sit idly by while Qing Guangzi runs rampant."

Wang Er nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on Meng Yuan, and said, "The king also said that as long as you remain neutral, the conditions will remain the same."

Meng Yuan pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword and said, "Back then, during the upheaval in Songhe Prefecture, my late master was killed by the black-clad messenger while protecting our lives."

The black-clad messenger was a trusted confidant of the king, so as soon as he said this, Wang Er knew that it was absolutely impossible to persuade Meng Yuan.

Ning Qufei and Mo Tingyu exchanged a glance, both of them already understanding that Brother Meng's trip to the capital to slay the demon was one thing, but he also had other grand ambitions.

“Just as I thought.” Wang Er nodded with a smile and said, “The king asked me to pass on a message, and I knew you would say the same thing. Mingyue also said that although you are of humble origin and have learned the skill of castration, you are destined to reach the pinnacle of martial arts and will never be destroyed by this so-called wealth and status.”

After saying this, Wang Er looked up at the sky and sighed softly, though it was unclear what he was sighing about.

Before the sigh had even faded, a mist began to rise slowly from the lake's surface, drifting and fine, yet lingering and persistent.

Footsteps could be heard in the distance, and a large crowd had already gathered around the lake.

In no time, the area around the lake was completely surrounded. Most of the people there were armored soldiers with bows and arrows, as well as Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist figures, and many others dressed in black.

The armored soldiers, needless to say, were mostly low-ranking martial artists. Those who practiced Confucianism and Taoism, however, were different; most were at the seventh rank or even higher.

As for the Buddhist visitors, judging from their black robes and monastic attire, they included not only monks from Lanruo Temple but also eminent monks from Western Buddhist countries.

As for the men in black, they were at least at the seventh rank. Among them was even a fifth-rank commander from the Demon Suppression Division.

Meng Yuan and his companions had been followed before they came to see Wang Er. When they climbed up to the pavilion in the middle of the lake, they sensed that many people were lurking around them, so it was quite normal for these people to suddenly appear.

"Master, what does this mean?" Lin Yan looked surprised, as if he had been betrayed by his beloved mentor.

Wang Er didn't look at Lin Yan, but turned to look at Meng Yuan without saying a word.

"Where is Mingyue?" Meng Yuan, now possessing the Flame of Transformation and having reached the fourth rank, would be powerless to stop the gathering of people unless a fourth-rank expert intervened. Therefore, he didn't even glance at the people who had surrounded him. "I don't know either. From what Mingyue said, she..." Wang Er smiled slightly, "She lost both her parents at a young age, and her two brothers fought each other. Now that she has finally found someone she loves, her surname is Dugu. After much thought, she probably intends to become a nun."

"Well then, I must recommend a place for her!" Lin Yan had witnessed the splendor of Yunshan Temple when he was in Ping'an Prefecture. "Miss Xiang knows the nuns at Yunshan Temple, so why don't we have her go and ask Xiangling for directions?"

"Brother Lin, it's come to this, stop joking." Mo Tingyu couldn't stand Lin Yan. She pouted angrily and grabbed Ning Qufei's hand. "Senior Brother, they outnumber us. We might not be able to get back today. But thankfully, if we can be buried together, I..."

"Junior sister, don't talk nonsense." Ning Qufei pressed his sword. "Even if it costs me my life, I will help you leave."

Mo Tingyu's eyes reddened. "But if I don't have my senior brother, what's the point of my life?"

"Junior sister..."

"Senior brother..."

The two senior and junior disciples kept arguing, which not only annoyed Lin Yan but also made Wang Er glance at them sideways.

"Why don't you two have heaven and earth bear witness now, and get married before you die? That way, you won't have lived in vain," Lin Yan suggested with a chuckle.

Mo Tingyu felt that this trip north with Lin Yan was the first time he had spoken a truly human word.

Mo Tingyu wiped away her tears, and a shy expression appeared on her face.

Ning Qufei was initially bewildered, then said, "Junior Sister, although I am fortunate enough to have entered the Daoist sect, I am ultimately just a crude martial artist, I..."

"Senior brother, we're about to die, hurry up!" Mo Tingyu urged.

With no other option, Ning Qufei knelt down first, and Mo Tingyu followed. The two of them recited the names of their ancestors, and thus they were considered to have become husband and wife.

The three people in the pavilion in the middle of the lake couldn't help but frown, while the people waiting by the lake thought that these two Taoist disciples were going to do some kind of secret technique.

Among the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist practitioners, some even looked up at the sky, seemingly worried that Ning Qufei and Mo Tingyu had summoned the old Taoist masters of the Lingxiao Sect.

Only when he saw that dark clouds remained in the sky did he feel relieved.

Mo Tingyu and Ning Qufei got married hastily. Mo Tingyu clung to Ning Qufei, her excitement and joy barely contained, as if the enemies surrounding her were nothing but smoke and clouds.

"Even if I die this time, it won't have been a wasted life!" Mo Tingyu was overjoyed.

“Yes, let’s die together.” Ning Qufei held Mo Tingyu’s hand, looked at Meng Yuan, and said, “Brother Meng, your supernatural powers are extremely high, and you are not afraid of those who come. However, there are still many of them. Brother Meng, you have a great responsibility, so please do not worry about us and do not let us distract you.”

“You two underestimate Wang Er. How could I allow these two newcomers to suffer any harm?” Before Meng Yuan could speak, Wang Er interrupted, looking at him and saying, “Now that I am acting as the mediator, I will absolutely not allow your relatives and friends to be harmed. As for you—”

Wang Er looked up at the sky and saw that the world was getting darker and darker, and above the thick clouds, there was lightning flashing in the sky.

Suddenly, a gust of wind arose in the sky, followed by thunder, and raindrops fell in the blink of an eye.

The rain was sparse at first, then became more and more intense, and the sky and earth were a vast expanse of white.

Fish in the lake would occasionally leap out, as if chasing after the lightning in the sky.

Before long, a small crack suddenly appeared in the thick, dark clouds in the sky, revealing a dazzling light.

The light pierced through the clouds and rain without hindrance, as if a deity had opened its eyes to clearly see the suffering of all living beings on earth and to alleviate their suffering.

(End of this chapter)