After Transmigrating as an Immortal Master, I Hold a Group Meeting - Chapter 86

Moonlight brushed past the treetops and the sound of people rising from their beds echoed from the surrounding houses.

Ning Mingmei figured that the commotion in the courtyard had woken the disciples sleeping nearby. With his arms crossed, he spoke indifferently to Lian Chengyue, “The person beside me is my senior brother, Qi Miancheng, the Sect Master of the Supreme Clarity Sect. He and I share a deep brotherly bond. Greet him, and whatever it is, we’ll talk in the morning…”

Again…

Ning Mingmei rarely saw such an expression on that little troublemaker’s face. Lian Chengyue’s eyes widened, his face blank with genuine shock, looking every bit like an innocent child.

?

The child stammered, “He…”

Suddenly, a thick scent of blood filled the air. Ning Mingmei turned his head—

And was stunned.

Bathed in moonlight, Qi Miancheng, the ever-graceful Sect Master, was clutching his lips. Blood flowed like water, seeping through his fingers.

Scarlet droplets splattered across his white robes, speckled like shattered rubies.

Ning Mingmei: “Qi…”

What was this? Was this another display of your fragility?

Surely not.

Yet this time, Qi Miancheng did not say his usual phrase. His eyes had dimmed, like dying stars, and the last flicker of their light landed on Ning Mingmei.

“Ming…” he murmured.

Ming (bright)? What had suddenly become bright? This wasn’t the moment for a tragic farewell or last words, was it?

But in the next instant, Qi Miancheng collapsed and fell straight into Ning Mingmei’s arms.

Ning Mingmei stared at him for three seconds before finally reacting, “My clothes…” His clothes, freshly changed that day and worn only once, were now stained with Qi Miancheng’s blood!

For a brief moment, Ning Mingmei’s face twisted in frustration. That fleeting expression did not escape the sharp eyes of the child beside him.

But Ning Mingmei quickly regained his composure and instructed the disciples who had rushed over to carry Qi Miancheng to his room. He ordered them not to spread the news and sent Gui Ruoxue to check his pulse.

…Once again being called ‘Wig,’ Gui Ruoxue entered the room with a sour expression.

Everyone was in chaos, except for Ning Mingmei, who sat under the tree and let out a long breath.

The system, seeing him frowning at the bloodstain on his robe, wanted to comfort him.

Ning Mingmei: [It’s fine. I have plenty of disciples and the Lian family has plenty of people. They can all wash my clothes for me.]

The system: …

[Qi Miancheng just coughed up blood and fainted! Aren’t you even a little worried?!] the system exclaimed in disbelief.

Meanwhile, in a shadowed corner beyond the reach of the moonlight, the child pressed his lips together.

After waking up that night, he had sat under the moon, waiting with his frail and sickly body for half the night. Only when the cold night wind seeped into his bones did he finally see Ning Mingmei return.

Why had he waited there? The child pondered.

If his intentions had a full ten parts, nine of them were simply to show that he was a grateful and dutiful child.

He longed for Ning Mingmei to recognize his worth.

That way, he could convince himself that all the seemingly irrational waiting was worth it. It would become his ticket into the immortal sect, his stepping stone upward.

As for the last remaining part of his intention… it was something difficult to put into words. He had originally thought it was just because he wanted to see that immortal one more time.

Until he saw the two figures approaching him.

To the child, Ning Mingmei was always the benevolent giver, the one who sat on an intricately carved wooden chair, lazily sipping tea. With just a single word, he held the power to decide another’s life or death.

But he never exercised that power, nor did he care to. Only pearls and gemstones could adorn a crown. The honor of one standing above all did not need the submission of ordinary children to embellish it.

Yet Ning Mingmei and that man stood side by side as equals. Ning Mingmei called him Senior Brother, spoke of their deep brotherly bond, and when that man fainted…

He had shown such a panicked expression.

An expression the child had never seen before.

So the child suddenly realized that he was born too late. Before he even existed, more than three hundred years of Ning Mingmei’s life had already passed, filled with countless experiences. Long before his birth, there had already been many stories between Ning Mingmei and the one he called Senior Brother, Qi Miancheng.

It made perfect sense. Yet, despite that, he still felt unwilling.

A deep-seated, bone-engraved unwillingness.

***

Qi Miancheng’s sudden collapse disrupted everyone’s plans. Even more strangely, even Gui Ruoxue who was known as a divine healer couldn’t find anything wrong after checking his pulse.

“I couldn’t find any issues. Maybe he’ll wake up in a few days,” Gui Ruoxue said, crossing his arms.

Ning Mingmei: “Oh.”

Such a calm reaction.

Gui Ruoxue asked again, “What were you two doing, coming back together in the middle of the night?”

Ning Mingmei replied, “I couldn’t sleep and neither could my senior brother, so we took a walk in the courtyard.”

Gui Ruoxue: …

“You expect me to believe that?” he gritted his teeth. “So what’s your plan now?”

Of course, Gui Ruoxue wasn’t actually concerned about Qi Miancheng’s well-being. As a morally ambiguous evil cultivator, if Qi Miancheng were truly in trouble, he’d probably be more amused than worried.

His real concern was something else. “You promised to take me back to Misty Peak. Now that he’s unconscious, will that cause any complications?”

…The way Gui Ruoxue phrased it, it almost sounded like he was afraid of being abandoned by Ning Mingmei in some tragic love affair.

Ning Mingmei said, “We’ll wait for three days. If my senior brother still doesn’t wake up, we’ll return to the sect.”

Gui Ruoxue: “Why wait three days?”

As sharp as Gui Ruoxue was, even he couldn’t figure out Ning Mingmei’s reasoning.

Ning Mingmei: “First, because the Lian family isn’t a good place. If they find out my senior brother has collapsed, it might lead to unnecessary complications.”

Gui Ruoxue agreed, “Makes sense.”

Ning Mingmei: “Second, because I checked. We still have eighteen missions left to complete.”

Gui Ruoxue: …

Ning Mingmei continued, “Right now, we have ten disciples of our own. Qi Miancheng has two and the Ice Quenching Pavilion has another two. That’s fourteen disciples. Finishing eighteen missions in three days isn’t too much to ask.”

…Don’t start exploiting other people’s disciples just because they’re unconscious!

And why are you counting the Ice Quenching Pavilion’s workforce too?

Ning Mingmei then turned to Gui Ruoxue and said, “Help me disguise myself. Today is the day Qi Miancheng is supposed to inherit his mother’s relic. Since he’s unconscious, I’ll do him a small favor and help him claim the inheritance first.”

While altering Ning Mingmei’s appearance, Gui Ruoxue asked, “You’re going to claim the inheritance but who’s going to take care of your sect master?”

Even if Qi Miancheng wasn’t in critical condition, they couldn’t just leave him lying in bed alone.

Ning Mingmei adjusted his glasses. “Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

Gui Ruoxue was undeniably skilled. After finishing the disguise and teaching Ning Mingmei how to alter his voice, he slammed the door and left in irritation.

Now alone, Ning Mingmei sat there, contemplating who would take care of Qi Miancheng.

Among the remaining workers, Wu Yun was depressed, Hu Yang was still recovering from serious injuries, and Ren Miao’s leg hadn’t healed yet. After thinking it over…

Ning Mingmei said, “Let’s have Lian Chengyue take care of Qi Miancheng.”

The system was shocked. [He just recovered and you’re making a little kid take care of an unconscious adult? Even capitalists aren’t this ruthless.]

Ning Mingmei said, [Heaven is about to entrust a great mission upon him and I forgot the rest of the quote. This will be Lian Chengyue’s first real challenge. He just got better and I’m giving him such a wonderful opportunity. He not only gets to develop his skills but also builds connections with a high-ranking figure in a major enterprise. Anyone else would consider this an incredible stroke of luck. Even from a storytelling perspective, this could be described as ‘mutual salvation.’] |35|

Mutual salvation.

Ning Mingmei said, [Besides, isn’t Qi Miancheng quite interested in him? If Qi Miancheng takes him as a disciple, Lian Chengyue should really thank me, the head of the admissions office.]

The system: …

The system was speechless. Logically speaking, it believed Ning Mingmei wouldn’t let Qi Miancheng take Lian Chengyue as a disciple, since that wouldn’t benefit Ning Mingmei’s mission at all.

But Ning Mingmei’s actions this time were hard to read.

After finalizing his plan, Ning Mingmei had someone bring Lian Chengyue in. When he explained his intentions, he noticed that the boy’s reaction was thirty percent surprise and seventy percent silence.

Something was off. With Lian Chengyue’s ambitious nature, shouldn’t he be completely overjoyed?

Ning Mingmei said, “If you have any concerns about this plan, you can voice them now. But this opportunity is highly beneficial for your future development.”

The boy sat across from Ning Mingmei, gripping his robes tightly. After a long pause, he suddenly asked, “Immortal Master, are you asking me to take care of your senior brother… because you trust me?”

Ning Mingmei replied, “It’s also because there’s no one else available. But don’t worry, my senior brother is incredibly strong. Even without you, he’ll be just fine.”

The Immortal Master said his senior brother was incredibly strong.

Yet, despite that, he still wasn’t completely at ease about his safety.

The boy felt something burning in his chest, a dark emotion that made his heart race, as if a dying rabbit had been stuffed into his throat. After a moment, he smiled, his eyes curving. “Alright, I’ll do my best for the Immortal Master.”

Ning Mingmei said, “It’s no trouble. Consider it repaying a favor. Speaking of which…”

“?”

“These days, I’ve been considering taking a few disciples from my travels back with me.” Ning Mingmei tapped his fingers lightly on the tea table. “But I haven’t made a decision yet.”

This time, he clearly heard the boy’s breath quicken and saw the sudden brightness in his eyes.

So he still couldn’t hide his excitement.

Ning Mingmei said, “A’Yue, you’re a smart kid. You should understand what I mean.”

With just two simple sentences, he had painted a grand vision for the future. Watching the boy leave the room, practically glowing with excitement, Ning Mingmei knew there was no longer any need to worry about Qi Miancheng’s care.

He put on Qi Miancheng’s mask, changed into Qi Miancheng’s clothes, and left the courtyard.

Meanwhile, A’Yue had already arrived at Qi Miancheng’s bedside.

The sect leader lay on the bed, his eyes closed, his complexion paler than paper. His brows were furrowed as if caught in a nightmare.

The child lowered his head and looked at him.

Being able to get close to the sect master of the Supreme Clarity Sect should have been an opportunity beyond his wildest dreams, a chance to rise to the top, something his past self wouldn’t even dare to imagine. Especially since he had been entrusted with the task by Ning Mingmei himself.

If he were still the same as before, he would be thinking, ‘When Qi Miancheng wakes up and sees how carefully I’ve been tending to him, will he be impressed by my diligence and talent?’

After all, compared to Ning Mingmei, Qi Miancheng’s status in the cultivation world was undoubtedly higher.

A greater position and superior resources, those were the things the boy had always pursued. Using Ning Mingmei’s request as a stepping stone to eventually enter Qi Miancheng’s ranks, that should have been his real goal.

But right now, all he could hear was the pounding of his own heart.

His heartbeat was rapid. But he understood that it wasn’t because of the sect leader, nor because of the promising future within his grasp.

It was because of what Ning Mingmei had said to him.

Ning Mingmei… thinks highly of me?

Ning Mingmei… wants to take me in?

The joy was hard to contain. Perhaps it was the satisfaction of a plan nearing completion. But even he was confused. Clearly, the man before him was the sect master of the Supreme Clarity Sect, while Ning Mingmei was just one of the peak lords under his command.

In terms of status, Qi Miancheng was far above Ning Mingmei.

And the master he had always aspired to should have been someone like Qi Miancheng, a true powerhouse with supreme authority.

Yet, looking at the sect master now, an inexplicable sense of displeasure arose in his heart. Instead of joining Qi Miancheng’s side, he found himself yearning more to become Ning Mingmei’s disciple.

“Why am I thinking like this?” the boy murmured to himself.

He adjusted his robe and sat down across from the unconscious man, resting his chin on his hand as he observed Qi Miancheng. His brows furrowed, his gaze shifting between gloom and uncertainty.

And in the places he couldn’t see, beneath Qi Miancheng’s hand lying on the bed…

A faint wisp of black mist was rising.

‘Wake up,’ a voice murmured in Qi Miancheng’s dreams. ‘It’s time to remember who you are.’

A single tear of blood slowly trickled from the corner of Qi Miancheng’s eye.

The elongated crimson streak looked like the trail of a falling star, stretching down his face, fading into the shadows.

Sinister. Enchanting.

And terrifying.

***

Qi Miancheng’s clothes carried a faint magnolia fragrance, which Ning Mingmei found difficult to get used to at first. As he walked, he kept tugging at the corner of his robe.

Ning Mingmei: “Qi Miancheng’s build seems slightly bigger than mine, tsk.”

Qi Miancheng looked slender on the outside but he was actually quite well-built.

The system: …

People die for wealth, just as birds die for food. Was Ning Mingmei not afraid of being exposed?

However, soon enough, Ning Mingmei was acting no differently from Qi Miancheng.

Two days passed and Ning Mingmei, posing as Qi Miancheng, attended banquets and even inherited all the assets left behind by Lian Tingyu, not that there was much.

What surprised the system was how adept Ning Mingmei was at handling those banquets. His social skills were impressive, rivaling anyone else at the table.

The system was puzzled. Ning Mingmei had such a sharp tongue, yet the moment he entered a banquet, he seemed like a completely different person.

Ning Mingmei’s response was, [I spent seven years in a PhD program.]

Being the sect master of the Supreme Clarity Sect was indeed a nice experience. Ning Mingmei enjoyed unprecedented status and treatment. However, during a banquet, even the patriarch of the Lian family asked where Ning Mingmei had gone.

The first day’s excuse was easy to come up with but by the second day, it became harder to explain.

Drinking his wine, Ning Mingmei responded calmly, “My junior brother is in my room. He got injured and can’t get out of bed for now.”

The Lian family members: …………

The system: …

Understood. Ning Mingmei must never be allowed to drink again.

Other than that, everything went smoothly. Ning Mingmei even joined the crowd to watch Lian Zhao’s performances, ranging from Qi techniques demonstrations to aptitude tests and even talent showcases at the banquet. Lian Zhao was doing everything he could, as if he wanted to write ‘I need bonus points for independent admissions’ on his forehead.

In the dim evening light, Ning Mingmei hadn’t gotten a good look at Lian Zhao’s face. Now, under better lighting, he realized that Lian Zhao actually bore a 50% resemblance to the male protagonist.

The proud and flamboyant Lian Zhao acted humbly before him. If it were anyone else, they might see Lian Zhao as either a promising talent or at least a useful pawn.

Unfortunately, he had encountered Ning Mingmei.

Ning Mingmei fully embraced the art of vague responses used by university admissions offices, never giving a definitive answer if it could be avoided and always saying ‘there’s hope’ instead of outright approval. The Lian family elders, unfamiliar with that kind of trickery, were thoroughly fooled. They were delighted, treating Ning Mingmei with fine wine and lavish meals. Only after he left did they realize that he had never actually promised anything.

By the time they figured it out, the Lian family was like ants on a hot pan. They had no choice. Given their current position, they could not afford another century of failure.

Besides… there was another reason they dared not speak of.

Thus, they were willing to use even more aggressive enhancement techniques to cultivate an exceptionally talented Lian Zhao. Only by securing Lian Zhao a place in the Supreme Clarity Sect, the top sect in the world, as Qi Miancheng’s personal disciple, could the Lian family establish ties with the Supreme Clarity Sect, gain its protection, and restore their former glory.

Otherwise, they would remain nothing more than fish on a butcher’s block, at the mercy of others.

It wasn’t just the Lian family members who were anxious. Even Lian Zhao himself was restless.

Ning Mingmei overheard some rumors in the Lian family’s household. In private, the family was filled with resentment, all blaming themselves for letting that boy named A’Yue escape back then.

They believed that the reason Qi Miancheng had not taken an interest in Lian Zhao was because Lian Zhao no longer had his living refining vessel, making his power unstable. If A’Yue were still around, Qi Miancheng would surely have been astonished by Lian Zhao’s talent and taken him in, fulfilling the family’s ambitions.

The truth is, in any era, failing to gain an advantage isn’t always due to one’s own lack of ability.

But it made Lian Zhao hate that runaway child with a passion. Ning Mingmei heard that Lian Zhao had sent people everywhere to hunt down the ‘suitable child.’

If he caught him, he would make sure to ‘use him up completely.’

Aside from that, Lian Zhao spent all his time relentlessly tracking down ‘Qi Miancheng.’

Ning Mingmei showed no reaction to this at all. The other disciples of the Supreme Clarity Sect all knew he was impersonating Qi Miancheng and were helping him keep the secret. In any case, the third day was their last day at the Lian family’s residence and they would be leaving early the next morning.

That night, Ning Mingmei returned to his original appearance and sat in the courtyard enjoying the cool air. Gui Ruoxue stood nearby and said, “I checked on him this morning. Qi Miancheng still hasn’t woken up. I really don’t know what illness he has.”

Ning Mingmei replied, “Doesn’t matter. We’re heading back to the Supreme Clarity Sect first thing tomorrow.”

Gui Ruoxue frowned. He still felt something wasn’t right about this.

Seeing that Lian Chengyue was still in Qi Miancheng’s room, Ning Mingmei called out, “Kid.”

A small head peeked out.

The child’s face was still pale and he shrank into his blue-gray robe, looking thin, obedient and pitiful. Ning Mingmei said, “You’ve worked hard these past few days. Come here and tell me how my senior brother is doing today.”

The child took a few steps toward him.

Suddenly, he stopped.

Ning Mingmei frowned. At the same time, he heard the sound of something falling behind him.

Clatter!

Something had slipped from a maid’s hands.

Two maids stood trembling behind their young master. The one who had dropped the item was so frightened she was on the verge of tears.

Everyone knew how violent the young master of the Lian family was. On a normal day, that maid would undoubtedly be punished severely.

But that night, the young master of the Lian family acted as if he hadn’t heard the noise at all. He simply stood there, staring fixedly at the one who had caused the maid such fright and made her drop the gift meant for Ning Mingmei.

It was a child.

A child dressed in a blue-gray robe.

Hearing the sound, Ning Mingmei turned to look. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Lian Zhao? Why are you in our courtyard so late at night?”

Lian Zhao’s eyes remained locked on the person behind him. After a long moment, he finally reacted and said, “Immortal Master Ning… How is your health?”

“Much better,” Ning Mingmei shamelessly replied.

Lian Zhao said, “I came to see Sect Master Qi. He has been a guest at the Lian family’s residence for several days and we have troubled him greatly. Yesterday, I noticed he seemed interested in our fine wine, so I specially prepared two boxes as a gift for him.”

Ning Mingmei glanced at the boxes on the ground. He didn’t recall being particularly interested in the wine yesterday. He said, “Oh? Then why were they dropped?”

Why were they dropped…

Suddenly, Lian Zhao heard a soft chuckle. It was a very light sound, as faint as a feather, yet somehow, he caught it clearly.

The one laughing was A’Yue who stood behind Ning Mingmei.

The child in the blue-gray robe had his hands behind his back. His delicate features resembled a porcelain doll. He tilted his head slightly, his lips tinged a faint pink, and he smiled maliciously, watching Lian Zhao as if he were nothing more than a joke.

“You…”