Meng….” Han Bei looked at him in shock for a moment. She studied his face and then laughed. “So, you are Fellow Daoist Meng. This here is a contract. Would you please mark it with your thumbprint? Then I can give you your Sieve Earth Pill. Afterward, if you follow all the requirements laid out by the Sect, then you will get a second.” She lifted her delicate hand. Around her wrist was an emerald green bracelet. A glow flashed off of it, and within her hands appeared a paper scroll. She handed it to Meng Hao.
His expression the same as ever, he looked at her bracelet for a long moment, then accepted the scroll. He looked it over, then lifted his right thumb and left a mark on the paper.
Han Bei gazed at him the entire time. After he placed his thumbprint on the paper, she produced a jade box the size of a hand and placed it off to the side.
“Here is your Sieve Earth Pill. Please note, the pill cannot be consumed during the daytime. After all, its full name is Moon Sieve Mother Earth Pill. When you consume it, it will drink in the moonlight.” She smiled, then rose to her feet to take her leave.
Before she could depart, Meng Hao suddenly said, “Have we met before?”
His words caused her to stare at him in shock.
“I don’t recall ever seeing you before, Fellow Daoist Meng.”
“My mistake,” he said. “I took you for someone else.” He frowned as if he were thinking deeply. Han Bei laughed. With a final nod, she transformed into a beam of light and departed. As she left, her smile turned into a thoughtful look.
Meng Hao picked up the jade box containing the Sieve Earth Pill. After heading back into his residence, he opened it. Inside was a medicinal pill about the size of an infant’s hand. It was white, and wrapped in a wax seal. Despite that, a thick medicinal aroma wafted off of it, as well as rippling spiritual energy.
“Actually, one of these pills is enough for me. But, I can’t casually consume it. I need to test it out to see if it’s real or fake.” He put the jade box away, then closed his eyes and continued to meditate.
Time slipped by, and soon it was late at night. The moon hung brightly in the sky, and everything was quiet. Outside of Meng Hao’s mountain, however, a shadowy figure appeared noiselessly. It was very strange in appearance, like a rippling piece of hide. A closer look revealed that the person’s features were none other than the sallow-faced middle-aged man who had passed away.
His eyes shone. He looked around at the surrounding mountains, then selected Meng Hao’s. His body flashed, and he floated up toward Meng Hao’s residence.
As he approached the residence at the top of the mountain, Meng Hao, who was sitting cross-legged meditating, suddenly lifted his head. His eyes glittered brightly.