From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 347 High Priest

Meng Yuan took the poetry collection, opened it, and saw that it contained many poems by the three founders of the Laobiekeng Poetry Society, all neatly recorded.

"The turtle pit is thriving, with lotus roots, fish, and shrimp growing inch by inch. Xiangling came to the edge of the pit and asked, 'Why aren't egg yolks growing here?'"

This poem, themed around "eating," was composed by Xiangling on the spot. At that time, the three of them were reciting poems and making merry in front of the Old Turtle Pit.

After flipping through the collection a few times, Meng Yuan put the poetry collection into his pocket, wondering why Dugu Kang had come here.

Now that Dugu Kang has arrived, where is Qing Guangzi? And where are Abbess Liaocun and Yun Huanian of Yunshan Temple?

Seeing Meng Yuan hesitate, Su Xin's eyes were no longer filled with lust as before; instead, she was extremely calm. Even though Mingyue shamelessly snuggled into his arms, she no longer responded.

"Who is this old friend? Is he an enemy or a friend?" Su Xin asked.

"I don't know." Meng Yuanzhen didn't know. Dugu Kang was originally a friend and could even be an ally, but he had been captured by Qing Guangzi for so long, and he didn't know if there had been any other changes.

Upon hearing this, Su Xin didn't ask any more questions, but simply said, "Senior brother, since the High Priest wants to see us, we must meet him."

"I know." Meng Yuan nodded slightly and said with a smile, "These past few days have been too absurd, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Junior Sister."

Meng Yuan looked at Su Xin and said, "Su Wen is unconscious, and I left you alone to protect her. You must have been worried and afraid. I'm sorry for the trouble."

Upon hearing this, Su Xin knew that Meng Yuan was no longer troubled by lust. Only then did she feel wronged and angry from the bottom of her heart. Her eyes immediately reddened, but she said, "This time it's all thanks to you, Senior Brother. I'm fine."

“Once I’ve cured Mingyue of the poison, we’ll go and meet that high priest,” Meng Yuan said.

"Are you really poisoned?" Su Xin asked blankly.

"I was poisoned without my knowledge, and I don't even know when or where I was poisoned. Or rather, it's not a tangible 'poison,' but a 'poison' in my heart," Meng Yuan said.

Su Xin agreed, seeing that Mingyue was still dazed, her eyes filled with longing, and she didn't consider herself human at all.

After Su Xin left, Meng Yuan pressed Ming Yue down and grabbed her hand.

Over the past two weeks, Meng Yuan has become intimately familiar with Mingyue, both inside and out.

Thinking back on the past, Mingyue has always been stubborn and capable, but she always lost when she faced Buddhist disciples who were skilled in the method of planting thoughts.

The reason is simple: this girl's obsession was too strong, making her most vulnerable to being exploited by that kind of mental manipulation.

Meng Yuan held Mingyue's hand, but Mingyue whimpered like a child, her face flushed, and kept snuggling into Meng Yuan's arms, clearly wanting to ask for something.

"What kind of magic is this? If this continues for so long, not only will people not be able to withstand the daily pleasure, but they will also lose their minds and become brainless idiots."

Thinking this, Meng Yuan stirred his mind, activated the starfire within his body, and caused his essence fire to rise, immediately obscuring the bright moon.

In an instant, Meng Yuan felt the essence fire slowly dissolve, turning into countless sparks that gently entered Mingyue's body.

Soon, the essence fire that had been nurtured for so long slowly dwindled to just a few drops, and the mist in Mingyue's eyes finally dissipated.

Mingyue was leaning against Meng Yuan's chest when she suddenly felt her desire being abruptly pulled away, causing her to have an unbearable headache, as if her head was about to split open.

Those joyful times are still etched in my heart, those countless absurd things still linger, and the lust and greed of that time have not been forgotten, resurfacing one by one in my mind.

Mingyue felt as if she had become a beast driven by desire, a gluttonous creature that only knew how to take and wanted to squeeze the person in front of her dry.

Even if one loves this person deeply, one is only driven by lust and has no intention of cherishing or making him hold back, which leads to all sorts of absurd things.

At this moment, Mingyue felt sore all over, had an unpleasant taste in her mouth, and felt empty beneath her.

Especially when one feels empty inside, yet still has a lingering longing for the past, but one's mind has returned, the desire for greed and lust is suppressed even more, but the shame is even stronger, and the anger is even greater.

"I'm going to kill the High Priest!" For the past two weeks, whenever Mingyue spoke, it was always something like "come quickly" or "I want," but now it all turned into murderous intent.

"You're awake?" Meng Yuan asked with a smile.

Seeing the smile in Meng Yuan's voice, Mingyue glanced at him, her face turning bright red. She quickly turned her head away, not daring to meet his gaze, but still scolded, "You got caught out outside, and you dragged me into this..."

"You were the one who fell for it first. Besides, you're even more..."

Before Meng Yuan could finish speaking, Mingyue quickly covered his mouth and said angrily, "This is not the time to talk about these things!"

"There's no need to rush." ​​Meng Yuan calmed down at this moment.

Mingyue, having seen many grand occasions, knew she couldn't panic. She quickly put on her magnificent robes, tore off the colorful feathers, and asked, "Where's my sword?"

Meng Yuan searched for her in the corner, and Mingyue took her without even looking at Meng Yuan, clearly still feeling somewhat ashamed.

"Don't act rashly. Dugu Kang is here too. He's with the High Priest." Meng Yuan grabbed Mingyue's hand and pulled her downstairs. "You protect me later. I'm going to see the High Priest."

Mingyue nodded. She tried to pull her hand away, but seeing that she couldn't, she stopped forcing it. However, she murmured something under her breath.

The two tacitly agreed not to mention the absurdity of the past two weeks and left the library together.

The hundreds of women outside were still waiting. The two elders of the upper clan, Gan and Shui, led the leaders of the eleven lower clans. After seeing Meng Yuan and Ming Yue, they bowed their heads slightly in a gesture of respect.

“Please, the High Priest is impatient,” Elder Gan said.

Su Xin supported the unconscious Su Wen. She had been busy these past few days, not only making a set of simple black robes by hand, but also shaving her own head and even shaving Su Wen's head while she was unconscious.

It was noon, and the two bald heads shone brightly. There was no one within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) of them. The people of Xiangji Kingdom also kept their distance from the two, clearly afraid of being tainted by the filth.

Meng Yuan held the knife in his hand, with Mingyue on his left and Su Xin supporting Su Wen on his right.

Upon arriving at the largest library tower, we found its main gate tightly closed.

The Kingdom of Xiangji has many library towers containing all kinds of books, but they have always been abandoned. Only this largest library tower is used for meetings and is regularly maintained, so it has not yet fallen into disrepair.

The gate was heavy, and Meng Yuan felt that if he pushed it open, he would know the secrets of the Xiangji Kingdom.

With a single kick, the wooden gate shattered into dust.

The nobles and slaves following behind were all startled. They rarely saw such violence and retreated in disarray, whispering that Fei Yuan Zhenjun was being rude.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Meng Yuan, gripping the hilt of his sword, entered the library tower.

The place was extremely dark, devoid of sunlight, with only a dim yellow candle burning, and a heavy, decaying odor permeated the air.

Under the lamplight, a person sat cross-legged, with two people standing behind him, a middle-aged man and a middle-aged woman, both draped in colorful feathers, but they could not find Dugu Kang, the bald man.

The man sitting there was very old, with a snow-white beard that, when he sat cross-legged, had his beard wrapped around his knees twice.

His white hair was disheveled and spread out on the ground behind him. His eyebrows drooped down, sparse and thin.

Seeing this, Meng Yuan didn't think this person was a wise and venerable old immortal, but rather a wicked villain who was old but never died.

The old man's face was withered and emaciated, without a trace of flesh. His eyes were slightly closed, and his hands were placed on his knees, like dried chicken feet.

According to what Meng Yuan knew, the high priest of the Xiangji Kingdom was named Shui Xiangsheng, and he was nearly 150 years old.

As for what abilities he possessed, the nobles of the Xiangji Kingdom couldn't say for sure, but they all said that the high priest could observe the changes in heaven and earth and loved to observe and absorb the essence of the sun and moon from the top of the library tower.

Meng Yuan approached step by step, his aura slowly emanating and settling on the old man.

In an instant, the two became connected, and Meng Yuan was able to discern the other's strengths and weaknesses.

But as the energy flowed deeper and deeper, Meng Yuan sensed that the old man was like a candle flickering in the wind, a cicada in the cold willow, his whole body decayed and rotten. Even with the fragrance of medicine surrounding him, he still looked like a dying man.

Mingyue and Suxin stood guard outside the gate, each on their own.

"Are you the high priest of the Xiangji Kingdom?" Meng Yuan asked.

Upon hearing this, the old man's robes stirred slightly, and his white beard and white hair also moved. After a while, he opened his eyes.

"I am Shui Xiangsheng, are you a disciple of the Ying clan?" The old man indeed identified himself as High Priest Shui Xiangsheng, but the fact that he knew about the Ying clan suggested that he was aware of some matters outside the clan.

"Indeed." Meng Yuan did not hide anything. "My name is Meng Yuan. I have met you, sir."

Shui Xiangsheng was extremely old, his eyes were cloudy and dull. He looked at Meng Yuan and scrutinized him for a while before saying, "It is dark here, but I can still see that you are radiant and have a strong aura."

He spoke slowly, with a decaying air about him, yet it was as if he were experiencing a final burst of energy before death, his voice still quite strong.

Meng Yuan kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, the sparks and the essence of fire echoing each other, he was on high alert, ready to strike and repel the enemy if they made the slightest move.

"My friend is unconscious, please ask the High Priest for help." Meng Yuan was very polite, because it was the High Priest who had helped Su Wen when he fell unconscious.

"Is that the young benefactor from Yunshan Temple?" A kind smile appeared on Shui Xiangsheng's thin, bony face. "She'll be fine. She'll wake up in a few days."

"What nonsense! They're going to burn her as a sacrifice to the heavens, and she'll wake up in a few days?" Meng Yuan didn't believe it and just looked at Shui Xiangsheng.

Shui Xiangsheng seemed to understand Meng Yuan's meaning, and explained, "Whether you believe me or not, young friend, I will not deceive you."

"Then when did I fall into the old gentleman's trap?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Young friend, you've been poisoned by love." High Priest Shui Xiangsheng laughed, "When love runs deep, that's when you're poisoned."

"Is the old gentleman a physician?" Meng Yuan stared intently at the high priest.

“Exactly,” Shui Xiangsheng said.

"Since arriving in your esteemed place, I have not seen the old gentleman heal people or save lives; all I have seen is people being injured and killed," Meng Yuan sneered.

Shui Xiangsheng said, "Young friend, a doctor saves lives by observing, listening, inquiring, and feeling the pulse, and then treating the patient with medicine. A true doctor should be able to prevent problems before they arise and eliminate the lesions before they take hold."

He makes a good point: "In fact, medicine can be poison, and poison can be medicine. The key is where the doctor uses it. Sometimes a good medicine is a deadly poison to others, and sometimes a deadly poison that can harm countless people can save them from disaster."

This aligns with the Taoist principle of Yin and Yang, which Meng Yuan was accustomed to hearing, but what Shui Xiangsheng said did indeed make some sense.

"So, the old gentleman was actually doing this for my own good?" Meng Yuan asked with a smile.

“Young friend and that girl are in love, it’s only natural that things are going well. I’m just helping out.” Shui Xiangsheng smiled slightly, but his skinny face looked even more eerie. “Incidentally, it will also let you two know that although love between men and women is in accordance with the principles of yin and yang and is a wonderful thing in the world, one should not be greedy.”

"So, the old gentleman was testing me?" Meng Yuan sneered. "If I hadn't been lucky enough to escape, I don't know what I would have become."

Shui Xiangsheng said, “You are devoid of spirit and will, only knowing lust. That woman is not as physically strong as you, so she will surely become an idiot first, and then die under your body. Your lust will become stronger and stronger, and you may then be driven to all kinds of disordered desires, and your mind will be confused. You may even go on a killing spree, forcibly taking other men’s wives and daughters, and finally die from exhaustion.”

"What if I fail the old master's test and become a lecherous thief, and never awaken?" Meng Yuan asked, gripping the hilt of his sword.

“Then it is because my opportunity is not yet ripe, young friend, that I cannot help you succeed.” Shui Xiangsheng’s white beard and hair fluttered, and his eyes suddenly shone with a spirit. “If one cannot even rid himself of lust, how can he accomplish great things?”

"What important matter is the old gentleman referring to?" Meng Yuan asked.

Shui Xiangsheng didn't turn back, but instead slightly raised his head and looked up at the stairs.

A fat man slowly walked down the stairs.

The fat man was dressed in a black robe, walked silently, held a string of prayer beads in his hand, and wore a Buddhist rosary of unknown origin around his neck.

"Are you Liao Kong or Dugu Kang?" Meng Yuan looked at Dugu Kang.

After a long time, Dugu Kang was no longer the pathetic figure he had been in Songhe Prefecture. Although he was still quite fat, he had taken on the appearance of a high monk, with a clear and compassionate look in his eyes that seemed to have seen through the ways of the world.

"Emptiness is emptiness, and so is Dugu Kang." Dugu Kang slowly descended the stairs, a warm smile on his face, and said, "Why must Benefactor Meng ask such a question?"

“Then you’re one of those stinky rats,” Meng Yuan said.

Upon hearing this, Dugu Kang showed a hint of disappointment on his face and said, "My master only likes others to praise him as the Holy King of Light."

At this point, Dugu Kang looked at Meng Yuan and asked, "How is Miss Ying?"

"I hope the Third Miss is well," Meng Yuan said.

"Where is the president?" Dugu Kang asked again.

“That’s perfectly fine too,” Meng Yuan said with a smile.

Dugu Kang also laughed and said, "Don't blame Shui Xiangsheng. Actually, it was for your own good that I asked him to commit the poison."

This statement is both believable and unbelievable. It is believable because back in Songhe Prefecture, Dugu Kang repeatedly advised Meng Yuan to stay away from women; it is unbelievable because Dugu Kang was too kind-hearted, and even if it were a trial, even if he and Mingyue were mutually in love, he would not do such a thing that would tarnish someone's reputation.

Meng Yuan just looked at Dugu Kang, but didn't know how to get him to turn around.

"What are you going to do?" Meng Yuan asked.

Dugu Kang pointed at Shui Xiangsheng, who had a long beard, and said, "Let him speak."

High Priest Shui Xiangsheng pondered for a long time before exhaling a turbid, decaying breath and saying, "Save Xiangji Kingdom."

He looked at Meng Yuan and said, "And friends from Yunshan Temple and Qingyang Palace."

Shui Xiangsheng's eyes lit up, and he continued, "I know the purpose of your visit, young friend, and I am willing to help. I only ask to borrow your swift blade!"

(End of this chapter)