Chapter 89: Making Friends

Behind him, Kuang Yanqi rushed forward and said urgently, “Senior Sister Meng, please forgive us. The matter concerning Senior Brother Yu is tied to Junior Brother Jin’s family—it’s very complicated…”  

During this, he secretly exerted force to wake up Jin Chuan. The two still shared a bit of understanding. 

Jin Chuan regained consciousness just in time to catch Kuang Yanqi’s last words. At this moment, he dared not quibble anymore, knowing that the more lies he told in front of this unassuming female cultivator, the more severe the consequences would be. He could only admit dejectedly, “Senior Sister Meng, it’s my fault. I was impulsive and drew false conclusions, making things difficult for Senior Brother Yu.”  

He held back some details in his words, but at this point, the situation was more or less clear. 

Meng Wei looked at him for a while before saying, “Junior Brother Jin, you came to the mountain gate through the Hall of Collective Merit, so you aren’t officially a disciple of the sect. However, as long as you’re here, you must follow the sect’s rules to reflect the conduct of a cultivator. Acting selfishly and framing others are serious offenses. I cannot make a hasty conclusion and will report this to the Disciplinary Hall. You can voice your objections after we return to the sect. Do you have any objections?”  

At this point, what else could Jin Chuan do but shake his head?  

With the situation settled, there was no reason for Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi to stay any longer. The two exchanged a glance, saluted the others present, and hastily left.  

Bao Guang laughed out loud with a “ha,” but as soon as Meng Wei turned to look at him, he quickly shut his mouth and put on a serious expression.  

Meng Wei glanced at him, the corner of her lips seeming to smile faintly. However, when she turned to Li You, her tone changed: “Senior Brother Li You, those two acted this way, but you too were negligent.”  

Li You sighed heavily, raised his hands in surrender, and said, “Fine, fine, it’s no big deal for me to take on another fault when we return. Those two brats…”  

He was about to complain further, but under Meng Wei’s gaze, he promptly shut his mouth, avoiding further reprimands.  

Both Yu Ci and Bao Guang chuckled. However, besides finding this amusing, Yu Ci was also curious. Senior Sister Meng’s words and actions were reasonable and methodical, but they didn’t seem like enough to make someone like Li You fear her so much. Moreover, he was even more curious about what information Li You had swallowed back when introducing her earlier.  

It seemed Bao Guang knew something and cared about it too?  

Yu Ci thought about asking Bao Guang later, but at that moment, the sound of flapping wings rang out again. 

A bird flew out of the forest with a flutter. When it perched atop the tree branches, it still looked like a magpie, but as it reached above the group, it transformed into a titmouse, chirping joyfully.  

This time, Bao Guang was the one surprised: “A Flat-feathered Bird!”  

Before his voice fell, the Flat-feathered Bird had already landed in front of Meng Wei, hovering mid-air as if trying to resume its earlier game with her. However, this time, Meng Wei did not tease it. She merely extended a hand to gently pat the bird’s head. Then, holding her arm horizontally, the Flat-feathered Bird obediently perched on it, tilting its head to look around. Even at this point, its gaze toward Yu Ci and Bao Guang was still somewhat hostile.  

“Hey, hey, isn’t this…”  

Compared to Yu Ci, Bao Guang had a much deeper impression of the Flat-feathered Bird. He was so excited that he repeated “this” seven or eight times, unable to finish his sentence.  

“It’s that one!” Yu Ci helped him out.  

“Yes, it’s that one! It’s the Flat-feathered Bird that Senior Brother Yu and I caught at Southern Frost Lake. There can’t possibly be a second one like it in the sect!”  

While saying this, Bao Guang unconsciously touched his face. The scratches left by the bird’s claws seemed to faintly ache again. However, all of this paled compared to the delight brought by this coincidence:  

“So it was Senior Sister Meng who wanted this bird!”  

Meng Wei was also surprised. Her gaze swept across Yu Ci and Bao Guang’s faces before she smiled faintly. That small touch of brightness was enough to shine through her plain daoist robe and crown:  

“So it was Daoist Yu and Junior Brother Bao. When I listed the request for merit at the Hall of Collective Merit a few days ago, I didn’t expect to obtain the bird so soon. I am truly surprised. Thank you both.”  

With that, she gave a small salute. Bao Guang hurriedly said, “No need,” a few times before remembering to return the Hallesy, flustering himself.  

Yu Ci, however, was not so stiff. He merely inclined his head slightly and looked at her smile, finding it quite pleasing.  

The female daoist did not deliberately maintain a solemn and serious demeanor just because she was from the Disciplinary Hall. She smiled when appropriate, never pretentious. Her words and actions were all reasonable and disciplined, leaving a strong impression. No wonder Li You had praised her as a top figure in the Disciplinary Hall. It now seemed quite fitting.  

However, Li You, who had just been praising her, suddenly had a realization. He leaned in, his round face filled with exaggerated expressions:  

“Junior Sister Meng, you, a top disciple of the Disciplinary Hall, are raising a creature as a plaything? Doesn’t this violate any sect rules?”  

The female daoist glanced at him and replied calmly, “There is no rule in the sect prohibiting the keeping of animals.”  

Li You, having finally found a point to argue, wouldn’t let it go easily. He vigorously shook his head: “That’s not right. I’d say the Disciplinary Hall has thousands of precepts, restricting people until they’re almost like puppets on strings. How could they allow you this kind of frivolous behavior?”  

Meng Wei, not annoyed by his teasing, replied plainly, “How can puppets on strings practice cultivation? You jest, Senior Brother Li You.”  

Li You persisted, “One precept here, one rule there, layer upon layer binding people—it’s no different from being a puppet!”  

“Precepts, in the context of cultivation, are never meant to bind one’s actions. They exist to correct and regulate a cultivator’s mindset, helping them see their true nature, understand their purpose, and align with the Dao. If one’s heart is already pure and virtuous, embodying the Dao completely, then in their every action—whether walking, sitting, or resting—there is no precept to observe, no rule to follow. This is the true meaning of ‘precepts without precepts, non-precept is the precept, precepts beyond precepts, that is the true precept.’” 

Meng Wei spoke up to this point, fixed her gaze on Li You, and said softly, “If you truly violated the precepts, you might as well reflect on yourself. Is your dao heart truly firm? Are your words and actions rooted in pure intentions, or are they influenced by personal likes and dislikes? Senior Brother Li, you know this better than I do.”

Li You’s expression turned awkward, clearly unable to refute her. 

Meng Wei didn’t push further. With a slight lift of her arm, the Flat-feathered Bird spread its wings and soared into the sky. At this moment, she said, “This Flat-feathered Bird wasn’t for me—it’s something I bought on behalf of a friend.”

“Huh, you’re giving this Flat-feathered Bird away?”  

After having it lost and recovered, Bao Guang seemed somewhat reluctant to part with it and asked, “Who is it for?”  

Meng Wei replied, “It’s for Senior Sister Murong of the Myriad Cosmos Sect.”  

“Myriad Cosmos Sect?”  

“Senior Sister Murong?”  

These two names were completely unfamiliar to both Bao Guang and Yu Ci. However, Li You, standing nearby, suddenly cried out:  “Murong? Which Murong? Murong Qingyan?”  

Yu Ci glanced over and noticed that Li You’s expression was one of genuine shock—not the exaggerated amusement he had shown earlier, but true disbelief. 

Upon receiving Meng Wei’s affirmative response, Li You’s expression nearly froze.  

“Junior Sister Meng, given your temperament, how did you become friends with her?”  

Meng Wei caught the implications in his tone, frowned slightly, and said nothing. 

Yet Li You pressed on: “Junior Sister Meng, do you not know? Over at the Jade Cleansing Alliance, that woman Murong is infamous for…” Halfway through his sentence, he seemed uncertain of how to describe her. After a brief pause, he added, “…for being ruthless! The Myriad Cosmos Sect can hardly contain such a ‘Great Personality.’ How did you end up getting involved with her?”  

Meng Wei shook her head and said, “Senior Brother Li You, don’t speak ill of others behind their backs!”  

Whenever she addressed someone formally like this, it indicated they were violating precepts. 

But this time, Li You stood firm and said, “What I’m saying is the truth! Over at the Jade Cleansing Alliance, who doesn’t know about that woman’s methods? A mere ordinary disciple from a sect, relying on recognizing sworn brothers and godmothers, even changing her family name, and suddenly rising to become the sect’s leader—isn’t that the truth?  

“It’s not just that alone. Under her leadership, the Myriad Cosmos Sect has become nothing but a wall of grass, swaying whichever way the wind blows—and the more it sways, the worse it gets. Isn’t that real? Junior Sister Meng, you spend most of your time in the sect and rarely venture out. You lack experience, so don’t let yourself be deceived…”  

Compared to Li You, Meng Wei was clearly calmer. She did not argue with him and simply said, “I have my own judgment when it comes to making friends.”  

Li You still wanted to continue, but on the other side, Yu Ci gave Bao Guang a meaningful look. After their experience the previous night, the two of them had developed an even better rapport. 

At once, Bao Guang called out, “Can you two talk about something we can understand? Senior Brother Yu and I are both standing right here.”  

Only Bao Guang could say something like that, and it worked well. However, the young daoist’s curiosity soon got the better of him, and he muttered, “So… is that Murong Qingyan really that…?”  

Seeing Meng Wei nearby, the young daoist didn’t dare to speak too directly and let the sentence trail off. Yet this only brought the conversation back to its earlier topic.  

Yu Ci rolled his eyes. 

Just as Li You seemed ready to pick up the thread again, the bell from the Heart Prohibition Temple suddenly rang—it marked the end of the daoists’ midday prayers.  

Li You had still more to say, but as the bell’s lingering chime echoed, he seemed to remember something. Startled, he turned to Bao Guang and said, “Wait, didn’t you say that Master Yu asked me to see him before the midday prayer?”  

Bao Guang was dumbfounded. “Did I say that?”  

The two of them looked at each other in dismay. Clearly, the incident with the Flat-feathered Bird had caused them to completely forget Yu Zhou’s instructions.  

Bao Guang let out a shout, quickly formed a hand seal, and summoned the Ghost Silk Cloud to descend. Li You, being thick-skinned, realized they were already late and simply scratched his head and laughed. Bringing up Murong Qingyan again at this point would be inappropriate. 

When the Ghost Silk Cloud descended to a suitable height, he grabbed Bao Guang and leaped onto it. Sitting on the cloud, he still couldn’t resist asking Meng Wei, “So how is Murong Qingyan coming here?”  

Meng Wei hesitated for a moment but finally told him, “She’s arriving on the Mountain-moving Cloud Boat.”  

“The Mountain-moving Cloud Boat? That means she’ll be here within the next two days. Hmm, that’s strange. That woman, though she doesn’t hold the title of sect master, wields the actual power of one. How does she have the time to waste a year and a half traveling all the way here?”  

He glanced back at Meng Wei, but the daoist ignored him.  

Li You snorted softly, waved goodbye to Yu Ci, and flew off with Bao Guang on the cloud. From the distance, his voice still echoed: “If she comes, Junior Sister, be sure to let me know. That famous ‘Jade Veiled in Drifting Mist’—I definitely have to see her for myself!” 

---

This chapter was released on goblinslate by translator Goblin. Your support makes Goblin translate more. So, do the right thing please.

Goblin: Want to read more? Become a Ask the Mirror ($5 per month) member at Goblinslate Patreon and get Five or More Advance Chapters immediately, then stay 5 or more chapters ahead of the regular release for the month! Or, become a CN WN Bundle ($10 per month) member and have access to all the CN webnovel advance chapters on Goblinslate. Get more chapters by sponsoring at BuymeaCoffee or Patreon Shop.

Check out my other projects: Flower Stealing Master, Immortal Divine Tribulation, Dual Cultivation with a Fox Demon, The Way of Restraint