MTLNOVEL Chapter 136: Confucius, standing by the river, said, "Waiting by the stump for a rabbit.
Meng Yu stood quietly atop a peach tree, yet his thoughts were filled with the various scenes of Great Wu.
A child on the riverbank once said, "Wait by the stump for a rabbit to come crashing into it."
It means that you do nothing at all, and the enemy will crash to their death right in front of you.
And what about Meng Yu?
When the Imperial Court lacked grain, he emptied every granary in his domain. When the Imperial Court lacked weapons, he sold all the swords and spears from his lands. Of course, he didn't do it for free; he wanted the Imperial Court's propaganda that he was a truly virtuous, people-loving, and patriotic individual.
The exchange was readily accepted by the Imperial Court, after all, when you lack money, lack time, and a great calamity is forthcoming, why worry about the consequences when such a fool is willing to help?
Meng Yu's name spread quickly throughout the world; everyone knew there was a philanthropic good Samaritan here, a hero utterly loyal to the Imperial Court.
Of course, many thought Meng Yu foolish, actually believing that such a reputation could keep him safe?
Yes... A good reputation alone is not enough to ensure Meng Yu's safety, but what about with this sword, too?
They regarded Meng Yu as a foolish rabbit, and he just waited for foolish rabbits to come crashing to their deaths!
From a distance came thunderous cheers; the onlookers woke up from their shock, and from that moment on, they started clapping and shouting as loudly as they could, as if they were each a person who had won the lottery.
Three hundred years ago, Great Wu was established because, three hundred years ago, the Five Peaks Swordsman, Xu Kefa, with his unrivaled swordsmanship and martial myth, swept away all adversaries, creating the Xu Family's dynasty!
And now, Fiery Young Master—no, Your Majesty Meng Yu, we are your loyal subjects!
...
Su Qingqing was the most distinguished guest, and Meng Yu approached her.
"I apologize, Sister Su, my control of True Qi was inadequate, and that peach tree was burnt to a crisp," he said.
Meng Yu looked a little guilty at Su Qingqing. Had he completed his Foundation Establishment, he could have saved the peach tree. Su Qingqing's eyes were now bigger than ever.
"You, you, what martial skill did you practice? Why is it so formidable? And, are you still in Qi Cultivation? This kind of power is only possible with Foundation Establishment. You…"
She was a bit incoherent, stuttering as she spoke.
"What you just saw was the Fire Crow Sword Technique. Where is Bai Zhenren?"
Meng Yu looked around; Bai Zhenren... seemed to have vanished into thin air right after his sword strike.
"Am I that frightening?"
Of course, he couldn't say this out loud, after all, he was just a beginner in cultivation, with no understanding of anything. After all, he had seen the formidable techniques of Bai Zhenren in the Memory Stone; his attack was merely trivial in comparison.
"What happened to Bai Zhenren? Does she think I was showing off too much? Or..."
Meng Yu seemed a bit anxious, like a child who had put all his effort into drawing a beautiful picture, eagerly waiting to show it to an adult, only to turn around and find the adult missing.
Of course, he was somewhat uneasy. If Bai Zhenren really had fled, how would he ascend to the Upper Realm?
"My mentor said you did well, and she was impressed and happy to meet you. However, she had an urgent matter and had to leave first," she explained.
"But I still want to join the Moon-Watching Sect..."
"Joining the Moon-Watching Sect poses absolutely no issue for you. Even if the ancestor master does not agree, we'll kneel down until she does. You're incredibly powerful, and the Moon-Watching Sect needs someone like you. You might not be aware, but we've been bullied by quite a few people..."
There was nothing amiss with Su Qingqing's expression, and it was perfectly normal for Immortal Bai to flee—after all, rabbits are naturally timid. Her descent to the mortal realm could be attributed to her belief that, even if her Golden Core cultivation level was suppressed to the Great Perfection of Qi Cultivation, she would still be strong enough to defeat all her enemies unharmed or simply escape.
But now, Meng Yu had surprised her.
"Rest assured, I am not ungrateful. I reciprocate kindness with kindness. The Moon-Watching Sect has shown me immense generosity these past days. Thank you for all the Spirit Fruits and Vegetables. My cultivation base has improved by leaps and bounds. Immortal Bai is the most beautiful woman I've ever met, with such a pleasant personality. I genuinely want to join the Moon-Watching Sect."
...
"I nearly died of fright, died of fright!"
Bai Qianqian slapped her chest forcefully, feeling her heart pounding wildly.
Where did this monster come from, to have cultivated to such an extent?
The cultivation techniques Meng Yu practiced couldn't escape her notice—weren't they the White Crane Swordsmanship, Fire Crow Sword Technique, and Shaoyang Mysterious Skill from the Immortal Sect of yesteryear?
Him practicing those was quite normal. The Immortal Sect had been destroyed a million years ago, but that didn't mean its cultivation techniques hadn't been passed down. The combination of White Crane Swordsmanship, Fire Crow Sword Technique, and Shaoyang Mysterious Skill was a basic one in itself.
It must've been a cultivator who, possessing the secret manuals, arrived in the Great Wu Minor World before her, faced with no hope of breaking through and thus died of old age, leaving behind manuals that Meng Yu stumbled upon. And this guy must've been a genius who, by imitating these techniques, cultivated successfully and became so formidable.
She hesitated a bit as she looked at the dark smoke in the distant sky. It was already thirty miles away from Meng Yu's location. When she saw Meng Yu's sword strike, the thought that it was a trap and how terrifying it was suddenly flashed through her mind. She turned around and ran, but now, after thinking about it, it was purely because of her timidity.
After all, a Golden Core entering a Minor World is incredibly fragile!
If someone truly wanted to harm her, wouldn't they just need to get close and activate the Fire Crow Battle Formation? Why bother with such a display?
That's right, should she go back? Wouldn't it be a bit embarrassing?
However, Meng Yu's personality was really nice, just as timid as herself, which wasn't good.
...
Meng Yu walked towards the crowd and came to the front of a person who was trembling with excitement. Meng Yu then bowed deeply to him.
It wasn't Wang Fugui or Liu Qingshuang, but this person.
He was the second one.
"Mister Huo, I am very sorry. It was my fault back then."
Mister Huo, Meng Yu's former strategist, was the very one who had pointed at Meng Yu's nose and furiously accused him of being too foolish to plan. After berating Meng Yu, Meng Yu did not kill him but simply dismissed him from his position.
Meng Yu didn't even offer private consolation. If he left, Meng Yu would have secretly arranged for someone to ensure his safety. However, this man did not leave. Upon realizing that Meng Yu hadn't killed him, he chose to stay locally.
Well, this straightforward man was reinstated by Meng Yu six months later, but he was not allowed to stay by Meng Yu's side to prevent him from making various admonitions and such.
This time, when the Divine Martial King's army attacked, Meng Yu had thought he would leave. However, to his surprise, while he sent his family away, he himself remained in Meng Yu's territory.
The message from the Secret Guards conveyed that he was drinking wine, cursing Meng Yu for being an idiot and weak, yet sighing with the deep sense of gratitude he felt towards Meng Yu, unable to leave, crying tears that soaked his face, laughing brilliantly, while surrounded by the unblemished Sage's Book.
Meng Yu couldn't even recall what kindness he had afforded Mister Huo. Perhaps it was resettling several hundred thousand refugees, allowing them to live days where they could eat their fill about seventy percent of the time. Among them, many were his fellow countrymen, many as gaunt from hunger as he was...