From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 308 Selflessly Saving Others
The snow was falling gently.

Meng Yuan was dressed simply, his demeanor reserved, snow soaking his clothes and hair.

Upon entering the city, one sees a bustling crowd on the road, all clearing the snow as ordered by the government.

The snow kept falling, swept away and then falling again, swept away again, but it could only clear a narrow path, enough for three or four people to walk side by side, but not enough for carriages and horses to pass.

The young children, unaware of the suffering of humankind, played merrily in the snow, while most of the common people looked bewildered.

As Meng Yuan walked slowly among the crowd, he heard the people talking incessantly. Some said that the dynasty was not practicing virtuous governance, some said that the heavens had brought misfortune upon them, and others said that there must be a great injustice.

No solution was found, and no one suggested that the government should provide disaster relief. Amid the looting of food, some said they should go to Lanruo Temple outside the city to invite a high monk to perform a ritual, while others said that only the national preceptor could help.

The heavy snow was merely the lingering effect of the masters' battle of magic, yet it had already deprived many people of their livelihoods, leaving them struggling to survive.

If the heavy snow continues for a few more days, trade routes will inevitably be cut off, and Ping'an Prefecture will become an isolated city.

The villa where the Dugu sisters lived was completely untouched by snow, with only a few footprints visible, making it exceptionally deserted.

These two women, one seriously injured and bedridden, and the other devoted to spiritual practice, truly have little to eat but many tasks to attend to.

Led by a maid, they arrived at Yingmei's residence and saw someone in the courtyard, covered in white snow—it was Mingyue.

Mingyue held a sword in her hand and danced with it in the thick snow in the courtyard. Her footprints on the snow were so faint that they were almost invisible.

"Meng Feiyuan." Mingyue sheathed her sword, looked at Meng Yuan, and asked, "Where did the snow come from?"

After dismissing the maids, Meng Yuan stepped forward and said, "It must be due to the battle between the two patriarchs of Lanruo Temple and the Arhat Wusheng."

"Just as I thought." Mingyue nodded slightly, then looked Meng Yuan up and down and asked, "What brings you here?"

Who's looking for you? I'm looking for Yingmei in the red cloak! She's ruthless and doesn't talk much, unlike you, who's never won a fight!

"I've come to explain this matter to you, young lady," Meng Yuan said.

Mingyue was silent for a moment, then said, "It's lonely at the top. They're too high up. If Lanruo Temple can't stop them, the three Taoist sects should also lend a hand, and if all else fails, there's the Imperial Preceptor."

The Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist sects are arguing so fiercely that the two patriarchs of Lanruo Temple have lost face. The Taoist and Confucian sects are eager to see them make a fool of themselves. If they want help from the Taoists, Lanruo Temple will have to lose everything first!
"That's the only way," Meng Yuan replied casually, then asked, "Where is Miss Ying?"

"She's been in seclusion these past two days, not seeing any visitors." Mingyue looked at Meng Yuan curiously and asked, "Is there something you need from her?"

"I have some questions for Miss Ying regarding cultivation," Meng Yuan said frankly. "Miss Ying is willing to help me with my cultivation."

"It's the same if I help you." Perhaps it was because of the cold weather today, but the bright moon seemed to have a touch of warmth.

"This..." Before Meng Yuan could think of a reply, he heard a noise from inside the room.

"Come in." Dugu Ying's voice drifted through the doorway, like snowflakes.

Meng Yuan immediately stepped forward and pushed open the door, and Mingyue followed.

"Let him in alone," Dugu Ying said.

Mingyue paused for a moment, then stopped in her tracks. She frowned, but didn't say anything, only coldly scrutinizing Meng Yuan.

Meng Yuan felt that Mingyue's gaze was just like Xiangling's when her eggs were stolen.

"Come find me afterwards," Mingyue said before leaving.

Meng Yuan could only sigh and enter the room.

Dugu Ying's room was furnished as before, cold and elegant, unlike a woman's residence.

Outside, snow was falling heavily, and inside the room, it was dimly lit, with only a tiny, faint light shining through.

Dugu Ying sat cross-legged on the bed, her face pale, her small body appearing even more frail.

After closing the door, Meng Yuan stepped forward with great concern, "How is your injury?"

Seeing that Yingmei had changed into clean clothes and the bloodstains on her face and head were gone, it was clear that she had been washed.

There was no blood on the shoulder, indicating that the external injury had almost healed.

"I burned your clothes," Dugu Ying said.

I thought you would wash it clean and return it to me! Meng Yuan immediately replied nonchalantly, "That's exactly right."

Meng Yuan, acting as if he were one of the guests, sat down on the edge of the bed and asked, "How are your injuries?"

"External injuries are easy to heal, but internal injuries are difficult to cure." Dugu Ying's face was exceptionally innocent, and her lips moved slightly as she spoke, just like a child who hadn't grown up.

Seeing Meng Yuan staring at her face, Dugu Ying said, "What did you see? Zhihe's method of sacrificing oneself to become a Buddha is terrifying. The word 'sacrifice' in it means to give up this stinking skin and transform into a Buddha."

"What does Sister Ying mean?" Meng Yuan was not quite clear.

Dugu Ying shook her head slightly and said, "It's hard to concentrate my mind; I always feel like my soul is not in my body."

Seeing that Meng Yuan's concern seemed genuine, she reassured him, "It's alright, you'll be fine after a while of rest."

"That's good." Meng Yuan was about to invite Dugu Ying out for a duel, but how could she go while injured?

"What do you need me for?" Dugu Ying then got down to business.

"Ding Chonglou is investigating Zhihe's matter," Meng Yuan immediately said, mentioning his disagreement with Ding Chonglou at Baoquan Temple.

"What do you want?" Dugu Ying's gaze was intense, looking at Meng Yuan as if he were looking at a sword about to be drawn.

“I want him dead.” Meng Yuan clenched his fist. “It doesn’t matter if he uses his power to suppress me or his rules to suppress me. But what he shouldn’t have done was use the safety of Jiang Tang and Nie Qingqing to threaten me.”

"If you only draw your sword when your family and relatives are threatened, how can you reach the top?" Dugu Ying sneered disdainfully.

"But if you are threatened, I will also draw my sword." Meng Yuan had followed Nie Yannian and Lin Yan for a long time and had no idea what shame was, so he could spout lies without batting an eye.

Dugu Ying remained silent, glancing sideways at Meng Yuan with a cold look.

Meng Yuan knew that at times like these, he couldn't avoid eye contact.

"You're disgusting," Dugu Ying managed to squeeze out.

"..." Meng Yuan could no longer respond.

“Ding Chonglou comes from the Ding family, which is also a prominent clan.” Dugu Ying stopped pursuing Meng Yuan’s shamelessness and instead got down to business. “He once risked his life in the army and was quite talented. He reached the fifth rank of martial arts at the age of twenty-five or twenty-six and was most skilled in fire magic. However, he could not make any further progress in the next twenty years. Later, he joined the Demon Suppression Division and was always very capable.”

"Then he should also have the Ephemeral World as his foundation?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Are you scared?" Dugu Ying asked.

"The world is vast; even a mayfly soaring into the sky can only see a small corner of it," Meng Yuan said confidently.

"Good!" Dugu Ying's obedient face showed admiration. She said, "Ding Chonglou is a member of the Demon Suppression Division. His skills are no less than Zhihe's. The two of us are still not very reliable."

Dugu Ying looked at Meng Yuan and said, "Go find your bald monk friend!"

Meng Yuan did indeed have the idea of ​​pulling Jie Kaiping into the water. Of course, Jie Kaiping was already in the water!
Dugu Ying had a very good idea: "Let Jie Kaiping lure Ding Chonglou, and we'll ambush him, aiming for a fatal blow!"

“Jie Kaiping is not good at fighting, and it might be unsafe for him to act alone.” Meng Yuan was the most prudent.

"It's alright." Dugu Ying said as if she was used to it. "Jie Kaiping is not good at fighting, but she is hard to kill. Besides, if Jie Kaiping dies, she dies. I won't feel sorry for her."

However, Dugu Ying was a kind-hearted person, and she added, "If you consider him a friend, then give him a grand funeral." What's the point of a grand funeral when he's already dead?
Meng Yuan could only agree, "Ding Chonglou and Master Zhichen both believe that Zhihe's death is related to Jie Kaiping, and they are doing their best to investigate."

“Unscrew the veil of silence. If he intends to hide his whereabouts, he will be difficult to find.” Dugu Ying was quite certain.

Meng Yuan thought so too. Having dealt with Jie Kaiping for a long time, he knew that Jie Kaiping was not good at killing or harming people, nor was she good at fighting. However, she was first-rate at escaping and was the best at hiding.

Both of them were steady people who knew the importance of thinking things through before acting. They talked for a long time about Ding Chonglou's temperament and abilities and made many plans.

However, despite having many plans, the two still couldn't decide whether to use unlocking the screen as a secondary measure.

This is not a fight that happens by the roadside, but a trap to lure and harm someone, so we must think carefully about it.

"Meng Feiyuan, stop killing by killing." As Meng Yuan was about to take his leave, Dugu Ying said to him, "We martial artists will naturally use our swords to break through the injustices of the world, but we must never think that everything can be decided by swords."

“I have kept Ying’s words in mind,” Meng Yuan said.

After leaving Dugu Ying's residence, Meng Yuan remembered Mingyue's words and went to find Mingyue's residence.

Mingyue has a cool and aloof personality. Although her residence is simple and elegant, it is more like a woman's residence than Dugu Ying's, at least it is decorated with calligraphy and paintings.

"The Third Miss said you have a good chance of advancing again. How is it going now?" Mingyue didn't ask what Meng Yuan and Dugu Ying had talked about, but only asked about cultivation.

Meng Yuan had just told Mingyue about it two days ago, and now that she's asking again, he can only repeat it.

Mingyue drank her tea amidst the wind and snow, offering little advice, as she didn't have much to offer anyway.

It wasn't until well past noon that Meng Yuan was finally released.

The snow continued to fall, and the streets of the city were piled high with snow, causing the prices of charcoal and grain to immediately rise.

Meng Yuan went out through the west gate, only to find the city gate tightly closed, allowing only exit and prohibiting entry.

After obtaining the token, Meng Yuan revealed his identity and climbed the city wall. He saw that many people had gathered outside the city.

Judging from their attire, most of them were farmers from towns outside the city, with some merchants and travelers from afar mixed in.

Outside the city, there were houses and alleys, but they were all covered by snow-white.

Seeing this, Meng Yuan couldn't help but recall the situation when he first arrived outside Songhe Prefecture, which was exactly the same as today.

Back then, Sister Hua took pity on him, and the Third Miss saved his life, but now, who knows who will come to his rescue?

They jumped directly off the city wall and arrived at a soup kitchen.

This is the relief center for the nuns of Yunshan Temple. Zhao Jingsheng and Yuan Jingfeng are sweeping snow nearby, while Jingshan is maintaining order among the people receiving the relief porridge.

Suqiu of Yunshan Temple was in charge of cooking and serving porridge, while Suwen set up a table on the other side to treat patients, with the other nuns helping out.

"That kid didn't even greet us when he arrived, and he went straight to Master Suwen. What was he thinking?" Zhao Jingsheng complained. "Our junior sister is still young, but the Nie family's daughter isn't young at all, is she?"

"Who can blame me for being so beautiful!" Yuan Jingfeng breathed on her hands to warm them. "Look at her, so delicate and graceful, even with a shaved head, she's still incredibly beautiful! Brother Meng is young and likes to joke around with pretty girls, that's understandable!"

While the two brothers were rambling on, Meng Yuan had already arrived beside Su Wen.

Suwen was taking the pulse of an old man, and she didn't have time to talk to Meng Yuan, only nodding slightly in greeting.

Meng Yuan had asked him before. Su Wen was used to going down the mountain to provide free medical consultations. He was just shy and taciturn by nature, but he was very capable when it came to seeing doctors and asking about their illnesses.

After observing for a while, I saw that there were many people here, some receiving porridge, and others seeking medical treatment.

Perhaps spurred by shame, Zhao Jingsheng and the other two did not slack off.

The person in charge here, Suqiu, has a bad temper and shouts at the people, while Suwen is a nice guy who speaks softly.

Meng Yuan looked at the people who came to collect porridge, and one of them was particularly familiar—it was Jie Kaiping.

Jie Kaiping had changed his clothes. He was no longer dressed as a hermit monk. Instead, he had somehow gotten a set of tattered clothes, put on a thick hat, and his face was dirty. He had his hands in his sleeves and was holding a chipped bowl in his arms. He was breathing out air and standing on tiptoe to look into the big pot in front of him.

"You can even put chopsticks in this porridge and it won't tip over!" Jie Kaiping exclaimed happily.

As expected, the three disciples of Chongxu Temple did not recognize Jie Kaiping, and even Jingshan, who had advised Jie Kaiping to rebel, did not recognize him.

The nuns at Yunshan Temple did not realize that Jie Kaiping possessed great abilities; they simply treated her as an ordinary person.

Finally, when it was his turn to remove the screen, he didn't put his hands behind his back and quickly stepped forward with the large bowl in both hands.

Those who come here to receive porridge are all suffering people, few are educated, and lack courage. They are timid and hesitant towards Su Qiu, who is distributing the porridge, and can only put on a fawning smile with their dirty faces.

But Jie Kaiping, always shameless, had recently become even more brazen by helping Meng Yuan. She immediately uttered auspicious words, "Compassionate female bodhisattva! May Buddha bless the female bodhisattva!"

Suqiu initially thought Jie Kaiping's large bowl was too big, so she only filled it halfway. However, seeing that Jie Kaiping had a messy beard but a smiling face and said something that was pleasant to hear, she added another spoonful to Jie Kaiping's bowl.

After receiving a large bowl of porridge, Jie Kaiping laughed heartily, then turned around and shouted to the crowd of people who had come to collect porridge behind him, "It's time for dinner again, brothers!"

Clearly, this wasn't the first time he had begged for food.

"Junior sister, do you think that person is sick?" Meng Yuan pointed to Jie Kaiping, but then lowered his head to ask his junior master Suwen.

Suwen raised her head, looked at Jie Kaiping who had walked away, and then said, "People have different temperaments. He is probably an optimistic and content person. As for whether he is sick, I can't tell. But judging from his strong voice when he shouted, he is probably not sick."

“That means he’s eaten too much.” Meng Yuan immediately stepped forward and caught up with Jie Kaiping.

As he walked towards the thatched hut not far away, he held the large bowl in both hands and slowly circled around it!
"Why are so many people coming out to collect relief after just one snowfall?" Jie Kaiping asked.

“Some of them have little food left at home, while others are simply here to freeload.” Meng Yuan had already observed this.

“That’s true.” Jie Kaiping sighed, “At least 30% of the people are genuinely starving, 30% are just here to freeload, and 10% have broken up their families. But if it snows for a few more days, I’m afraid 70% or 80% of them will really be starving.”

At this point, Jie Kaiping looked at Meng Yuan and asked, "Brother Meng, are you also here to beg for food?"

"Look at you begging for food," Meng Yuan laughed.

“Those who know me say I am worried, those who do not know me ask what I seek.” Jie Kaiping shook her head slightly. “I am not competing with the people for profit, but rather waiting for the porridge to cool down, then turning it into porridge jelly, and then distributing it to people to eat.”

Meng Yuan naturally believed him, but he didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I want to kill someone, you need to help me!"

"How long has it been?" Jie Kaiping was shocked. "Now your Demon Suppression Division is looking for me, and those bald monks from Lanruo Temple are searching everywhere with my portrait!"

Jie Kaiping said very seriously, “Benefactor Meng, this humble monk is like a clay bodhisattva crossing a river; I can barely save myself! Do you understand what a clay bodhisattva is? Once it's in the water, it's gone!”

“You’ve already gone into the water,” Meng Yuan said with a smile.

"I shouldn't have gotten involved with you guys!" Jie Kaiping said angrily, no longer even bothering to stay on the sidelines.

"This is the payment from last time." Meng Yuan took out a silver ingot and tossed it over.

"Thank you so much!" Jie Kai immediately freed one hand to catch it. "It's going to be..."

He finally stopped talking, and only said in a low voice: "This humble monk does not kill or harm people, but only helps people."

"This time, we invited you, this eminent monk, to guide people!" Meng Yuan made perfect sense, "The kind of selfless salvation!"

"Fine, I'll be the bait, but all this talk about sacrificing yourself to save others! You're more of a braggart than a monk!" Jie Kaiping was a discerning person and not easily fooled, but he still said, "This is the last time!"

(End of this chapter)