From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 346 Empty
They knew nothing of heaven and earth, nothing of the sun and moon.

For the past two weeks, whenever Meng Yuan made a move, the bright moon would respond; whenever the bright moon made a move, Meng Yuan would respond.

You take from me, I take from you. The two hid in the library tower, going from the first floor to the seventh floor, and then from the seventh floor back to the first floor. Apart from the female slave who brought them food every day, they didn't see anyone else.

At first, the two were a little reserved and restrained, but as they became more familiar and their relationship deepened, Meng Yuan felt more and more that Mingyue was an exceptionally beautiful person in the world, a rare gem.

Her skin was snow-white, her figure tall and slender, and apart from her jet-black hair, her entire body was like a white jade disc, pure and flawless.

This is also why Meng Yuan became so engrossed in it.

Although Mingyue was inexperienced in such matters and initially felt somewhat shy, after spending every day together in the library tower, she had already grasped the subtleties. Although she still felt a bit absurd deep down, and the images of the red cloak and the Third Miss would occasionally pop into her mind, her shame only fueled her desire to explore further, and even made her more interested.

Mingyue felt that if this life could last forever and continue like this every day, then she would have lived it to the fullest.

Neither of them had any desire to explore the Kingdom of Xiangji anymore; all that remained was to explore each other. They also lost interest in rescuing Suwen, instead feeling that they should save themselves first, and the way to save themselves was to stay indoors.

As for seeking the highest level of martial arts and bringing peace to the world, that should not be mentioned again.

That morning, the two had been busy all night and had just rested when they heard a knock on the door.

The two, who were on the top floor of the library tower, had long been accustomed to the knocking sound.

Soon, a female slave came up to the top floor, carrying a plate of food, which was still plain rice, grass leaves and grass roots.

"Please have your meal, my lord." The female slave knelt down respectfully, her head bowed, seemingly oblivious to the mess in the room, as if it were commonplace.

"Are there any painters in the city?" Meng Yuan wanted to record their story.

The female slave looked up blankly, not knowing what a painter was.

This female slave, named Fengyao, came from a slave family in the outer city. She was seventeen or eighteen years old and had the good fortune to enter the inner city to serve the nobles five years ago.

Feng Yaosheng was as delicate as a willow in the wind, with fair skin and a rosy glow. She was also at the prime of her life, and her skin was so fair that it seemed like it could burst with moisture if you pinched it.

Moreover, she was quite beautiful, especially with her dark eyes, which made her more lively and spirited than the other female slaves. She also occasionally showed a curiosity about the outside world, which made her all the more precious.

Because most of the servants here have lifeless eyes, their lives seem to end at a glance, and they only hope to be reborn as nobles in the next life.

As Meng Yuan looked at the medicine being served, he suddenly remembered that although Mingyue and he had become very familiar with each other over the past few days, and responded to each other tacitly, Mingyue was somewhat unusable.

If a few more people could be added to help when Mingyue is exhausted, or to take over when Mingyue falls into a sweet sleep, that would be truly wonderful.

As for whether Fengyao agrees or not, there's no need to elaborate. Fengyao was born a slave, and in the Xiangji Kingdom, she was someone who could be taken and taken at will, with no say in her affairs.

Thinking this, Meng Yuan reached out and lifted the chin of the person offering the medicine, saying, "Do you want to stay here?"

Feng Yao, clearly having received instruction, bowed his head and said, "I am willing to serve the True Lord."

"What are the people outside the tower doing here?" Meng Yuan had already heard the commotion outside the library tower.

Although those people were quiet, none of them escaped Meng Yuan's ears. However, they were all useless people, without any skills whatsoever, and Meng Yuan didn't even bother to be wary of them.

"The Master said that knowing the True Lord loves beautiful women, he selected women from the Kingdom of Xiangji for the True Lord to choose from," said Fengyao.

"A beauty pageant?" Meng Yuan couldn't help but laugh, clapping his hands and saying, "Great! Great!"

As he spoke, he grabbed his clothes, put them on, and hurriedly went downstairs.

Upon seeing the women lined up outside, Meng Yuan felt that nothing in life could be more delightful than this.

These women ranged in age from fifteen or sixteen to their forties, some like delicate, vibrant flowers, others like flourishing flowering trees. Their diverse colors made it seem as if one had stepped into a flower garden.

Most of the people in Xiangji Kingdom were quite good-looking, and at this moment, Meng Yuan was even more dazzled by the choices.

“True Lord Feiyuan, all the eligible women of Xiangji Kingdom are here for you to choose from.” The white-feathered nobleman stepped forward, very pleased with himself.

Meng Yuan slapped him across the face and roared, "Those who came this time are all slaves, and the older ones are all things that your nobles have already discarded! Now give them to me?"

"Go!" Meng Yuan grabbed the white-feathered nobleman's long hair again and said irritably, "Send your wife and daughter over here too!"

The white-feathered nobleman was so frightened that he didn't know how to answer.

"Meng Feiyuan!" Su Xin stepped forward and grabbed Meng Yuan's arm, angrily saying, "Even if Bai Yu Mao is bad, you can just kill him. Why do you have to humiliate his wife and daughters?"

Su Xin was furious and kept muttering to herself.

Meng Yuan found the little nun very noisy and lacked the tranquility expected of a Buddhist disciple.

Although he was disgusted with Su Xin, Meng Yuan was well-versed in the classics of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and was not lacking in cultivation, so he ignored her.

"How is Suwen?" Meng Yuan couldn't help but think of the beautiful and enigmatic little nun, Suwen.

"You still have the nerve to ask about my junior sister?" Su Xin yelled angrily. "You said you wanted to find a way to awaken my junior sister, but what have you done? All you do is shut yourself in and act recklessly. You don't act like a disciple of the Ying family at all! You are a member of the Ying family, and Third Madam Ying values ​​you the most, but your current behavior is hardly the behavior of someone who has been trained by the Ying family."

Su Xin finally released Meng Yuan's arm. "You weren't poisoned, you were infected! You're just like my junior sister, except she can't wake up, while you've forgotten Ying's instructions!"

As she spoke, Su Xin barged into the library tower, rushing upstairs while calling out Mingyue's name.

Upon hearing the name of the Third Miss, Meng Yuan felt as if he hadn't seen her for a very, very long time.

The garden was quiet, the lake was still, and the beautiful woman with bare feet stood there. Meng Yuan felt no remorse; on the contrary, his covetousness only grew stronger.

However, there was no need to rush this. Meng Yuan looked at the hundreds of people in front of him.

The white-feathered nobleman stood in front, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty, clearly intimidated by Meng Yuan's strange request.

Next came female slaves of varying looks and ages. They didn't dare to look up, but they seemed eager to try.

After all, Meng Yuan's hair was past his shoulders, not as fine as that of a true nobleman, but not bad either. Moreover, Meng Yuan was quite capable, and his appearance was not bad. Unlike the people of Xiangji Kingdom, who were all effeminate, he was very masculine.

"Go and bring your wife and daughters, as well as the wives and daughters of Elders Gan and Shui. I want them to serve you!" Meng Yuan said in a deep voice.

The nobleman with white feathers was first taken aback, then asked curiously, "Both of the wives of the two noble families are already eighty years old, Elder Gan has no offspring, Elder Shui's daughter is seventy years old, and you, True Monarch Feiyuan..."

The white-feathered nobles were less terrified and more curious.

Meng Yuan then realized he had misspoke and said firmly, "I told you to go find them, so go find them. Stop talking nonsense. If they don't come, I'll pluck all the hair off the heads of the two families above you!"

The white-feathered nobleman remained silent, his eyes filled with resentment, but he dared not retaliate.

"I heard you say just now that the High Priest has returned?" Meng Yuan asked.

“The High Priest is in the council tower,” said the White Feather nobleman.

Meng Yuan looked up and saw that several miles ahead, the largest tower stood quietly.

From a distance, the tower looked like a monster, as if it could devour someone at any moment.

"Wait a moment, I'll go pay my respects." Meng Yuan said in a deep voice, then asked, "Does the High Priest have a wife and daughters?"

This time, the White Feather Noble's eyes widened in surprise.

The other slaves also looked up at Meng Yuan, their eyes filled with disbelief, as if they were looking at a dead man. Meng Yuan said nothing more and turned to enter the library tower.

Upon reaching the top floor, they saw Suxin dressing Mingyue. Although Mingyue had woken up, she still felt weak all over.

When Mingyue saw Meng Yuan come upstairs, her body trembled, and her face showed the shyness one might expect after a first time.

But the affection in his eyes was unmistakable, clearly indicating that he wanted to be intimate with her again.

"You two should rest for a while!" Su Xin helped Mingyue put on her clothes. Looking at the mess in the room, she put her hands together and recited a few Buddhist scriptures.

"Didn't you two notice anything wrong?" Su Xin scratched her head.

She was extremely bored lately, so she found a razor and shaved off the few strands of hair that had grown out. Now her bald head was smooth and shiny.

Su Xin took out a string of prayer beads and said seriously, "I've thought about it. You weren't infected with a thought, but it's no different from being infected with a thought."

She looked at the two of them very seriously and said, "Have you forgotten that the Kingdom of Xiangji is a place with a medical tradition? It's nothing that they silently fed you medicine!"

Su Xin looked at Mingyue and continued, "Benefactor Mingyue, you are a noble person. Although you have been practicing martial arts since childhood and do not care about worldly rules, you should not have become like this."

Mingyue lowered her head, showing no martial demeanor whatsoever, and even secretly glanced at Meng Yuan, clearly finding Su Xin an obstacle.

"It's hopeless." Su Xin muttered under her breath, then looked at Meng Yuan and said, "Senior Brother Meng, don't you notice anything wrong?"

"I've noticed." Meng Yuan had already sensed something was wrong as soon as he left the library tower.

In fact, after their first night together, Meng Yuan sensed that something was amiss, but since he was unharmed, Mingyue was unharmed, and the nobles weren't plotting anything significant in secret, Meng Yuan didn't think much of it.

At that time, Meng Yuan and Ming Yue were only one step away from each other, and both of them felt that it was a natural progression.

Half a month has passed, and Meng Yuan has found that his mind is becoming increasingly muddled, and he has become someone who only wants to sleep with Mingyue.

Today, he even had other ideas. He not only wanted to sleep with Mingyue, but also wanted to find more girls outside.

“Lust gave rise to greed,” Meng Yuan murmured, and sat down cross-legged.

It was nearly noon.

Lost in thought, a ray of sunlight fell through the window and shone on him. Meng Yuan felt warm and cozy, but also felt a bit tired.

Although he had undergone several body temperings and was extremely strong, spending every day in the tower, with the days and nights reversed, inevitably made him somewhat weak.

Looking up outside, I was struck by how dazzling the sunlight was, and I dared not look directly into it, even feeling a sense of shame.

"How many days have I held a knife in the past two weeks? I'm afraid I've only held Mingyue's..." Meng Yuan murmured, raising his hand to look.

"How many days has it been since I examined the changes in my own essence and sparks? Since I examined the changes within myself?"

As Meng Yuan thought this, he looked inward at himself and found that his dantian was full of jade liquid, and it had not been damaged by the debauchery of the past half month.

The essence fire and starlight flowed slowly within the body, like silk threads, ceaselessly cleansing itself.

Meng Yuan was completely unaware of any changes in his body or even his mind.

Even with the slightest stimulation of the jade liquid, Meng Yuan felt a slight stagnation in its circulation. Consequently, the circulation of both the starfire and the essence fire gradually weakened.

If this continues for a long time, the body will be completely drained, the dantian will shrink, the jade liquid will loosen, and it will no longer have the condensed and profound feeling.

Moreover, the tiny spark that was so hard to obtain may disappear at any time, leaving him stuck at the fifth rank, unable to find any more sparks.

Meng Yuan remained calm, the spark he had sensed was still there, the spark that had led him to this place to seek answers was still there.

Looking south, Meng Yuan felt that it was just ahead.

"My initial plan was to uncover the secrets of the Xiangji Kingdom before searching for Xinghuo. But then I thought I'd spend a few days fooling around with Mingyue before going to find Xinghuo."

"But as the days went by, I actually started choosing concubines and completely forgot about Xinghuo."

Meng Yuan tried to hold the hilt of the sword, but realized that he was not wearing the sword today, even though he used to carry it with him every day.

He tried to visualize the essence fire, but the essence fire that was previously only a hair's breadth away from perfection was now only half left, and he had no idea when it had been consumed.

“The essence of life has the ability to nourish itself, but I have not been injured in the past half month... Even if I work hard every day, it is not enough to damage my body, let alone nourish my essence.”

As Meng Yuan pondered this, he reflected on when he had fallen into the trap.

Over the past two weeks, Meng Yuan has realized that he and Mingyue have been gradually broken down by desires, gradually eroded by desires, to the point that they are no longer human, but controlled by desires and can no longer control themselves.

As a result, dust accumulates in one's heart, obscuring one's true nature, to the point that many tall trees grow on this dust.

These tall trees represent all kinds of evil, all kinds of wicked thoughts and greed that have never existed before.

When Meng Yuan thought of this, he couldn't help but think of the Buddhist secrets, supernatural powers, and the path to annihilation.

The path to enlightenment requires great compassion and perseverance to be awakened, and afterwards one's mind will inevitably be clouded, so it cannot be used frequently.

The reason Meng Yuan was able to use the Bodhi Extinction of the Path as a unique skill was because he could use the essence of fire to cleanse the dust from his heart.

Thinking this, Meng Yuan activated his essence fire, letting it circulate throughout his body.

In an instant, the essence fire within his body rapidly collapsed and shrank, and Meng Yuan felt an unbearable stinging pain all over his body, as if many thoughts had been forcibly extracted from him.

These thoughts are strange; they are greedy and domineering, devoid of any compassion or genuine kindness.

These strong thoughts stemmed from Meng Yuan's relentless pursuit over the past two weeks, causing him to completely forget his ambitions; they also reflected Meng Yuan's excessive desire to humiliate female slaves or even seize other men's wives and daughters.

"Although I used to be lustful, I always pursued it in a proper way. I would never force others, much less bully the weak."

"When I first came here, I thought I would broaden the horizons of the slaves, but gradually, I even wanted to be the master of these slaves, or even the leader of the nobles."

Thinking this, Meng Yuan opened his eyes.

The bright moon is still there, but where has Su Xin gone?

He took the knife and hung it on his waist. Mingyue had already wrapped herself around him, her face pressed against Meng Yuan's body. When Meng Yuan did not respond, she felt neither shame nor embarrassment. She muttered something about how she couldn't do anything to him, and then turned downwards.

Previously, Meng Yuan thoroughly enjoyed Mingyue's service, but now he felt that things couldn't continue like this.

Meng Yuan held Mingyue's wrist down, and Mingyue whimpered, insisting on serving him.

Soon, someone came up from downstairs, and Mingyue paused slightly, but her eyes were filled with a dazed look.

"Senior brother, the High Priest sent someone to invite you, saying that one of your old friends is here." Su Xin said irritably, pulling Mingyue away.

"Which old friend?" Meng Yuan asked.

“They said he was an old friend from Songhe Prefecture.” Su Xin pulled out a small booklet from her sleeve; it was clearly the Old Bee Pit Poetry Collection.

(End of this chapter)