Chapter 15
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Chapter 15: Overnight at the Ruined Temple
The sky was dark as if the clouds could be touched, rain poured down heavily in the strong wind, sounding like a rushing waterfall. Bright lightning flashed, followed by thunder that seemed to echo less than ten meters from the ground.
Shi Xuan walked slowly in the pitch-black darkness with his bundle on his back. Despite using the Rain Avoiding Spell and Night Vision Charm on himself, along with his strong inner energy making his lightness skill more advanced and enduring, the harsh environment still made Shi Xuan’s journey difficult.
Since departing from Xia’an Prefectural City, Shi Xuan first headed south to the big river, then traveled upstream, planning to go to the nearest Tongxuan Mountain in Chuzhou. Along the way, Shi Xuan remained relatively relaxed, as if he was traveling in a previous life. Especially when standing alone by the river and seeing the magnificent scene of the river flowing from the west, he felt a sense of vastness and freedom. It wasn’t that Shi Xuan hadn’t seen the Yangtze River in his past life, but this river was at least twice as wide, majestic, and awe-inspiring.
For Shi Xuan, cultivation was seeking longevity and freedom. So, since he had to search for the Dao everywhere, no matter how fast he traveled, it wouldn’t take long to reach his destinations. Why not make himself more at ease and relaxed on the way, instead of rushing? Cultivation isn’t about becoming a stone, after all.
Originally, Shi Xuan planned to travel to Chuzhou by boat, enjoying the river breeze and eating river fish on board. But as he explored and checked out the legend of the immortals along the way, when he arrived at the riverside mansion in June, he encountered the first heavy rain of the year. The river water had risen significantly, and the boats on the river were hesitant to travel upstream. Unable to continue his journey, Shi Xuan had to wait in the city. After several days of relentless rain, with the water level not receding, Shi Xuan grew tired of waiting. When the weather cleared up for a day, he decided to pack his belongings and continue his journey on foot towards Chuzhou.
Although Shi Xuan was now traveling on foot, he was still following the course of the river, ready to switch back to a boat when the rain stopped. To his surprise, it was a calm day without rain when he set out. As evening approached and with no inn in sight, preparing to camp in the wilderness as he had done before, a strong wind suddenly picked up, and heavy rain poured down. Shi Xuan didn’t want to sleep out in the open in such weather, despite having a Taoist spell for protection. Determined to press on through the rain, he realized after a long walk that he might have taken the wrong path, a pitfall of not having a map in such times when maps were rare and secretive items.
Walking in the darkness, thanks to the Taoist spell, Shi Xuan easily navigated around puddles and mud pits ahead. If someone had witnessed his ghostly agility and how he moved effortlessly as if it were daylight, they would have been astonished. Continuing on for half an hour, he finally saw flickering firelight in the distance, easing his worries.
With a newfound goal in sight, Shi Xuan hastened towards the flickering firelight. As he got closer, he realized it was an abandoned temple where fellow travelers seeking shelter from the rain had gathered. It seemed they were all in the same boat.
The sight of the ruined temple sparked imaginations of countless martial arts and supernatural stories in Shi Xuan’s mind. He wondered if there were peerless martial arts masters waiting to take him as a student or perhaps a damsel in distress like Nie Xiaoqian awaiting rescue. Lost in his thoughts, Shi Xuan ascended the steps and pushed open the partially closed doors.
Inside the temple, there were two distinct groups separated by their respective fire pits. One fire pit, farther from the dilapidated Buddha statue, was occupied by two individuals: a handsome young man in blue garments and a boy dressed in a blue robe, resembling a servant. Near the Buddha statue, three fire pits burned closely together, filled with nearly twenty people dressed uniformly in grey martial attire. Next to the statue were some flags with inscriptions like "我武维扬" and "Yangwei Escort Agency," indicating they were a group of escorts.
As Shi Xuan entered, the people from the escort agency side cast wary glances his way. Seeing a young Taoist, they relaxed slightly but still observed him closely. It was clear they remained cautious, which was understandable given their line of work. The young man in blue paid no attention to Shi Xuan, merely focused on his servant roasting dried rations. It was unclear whether he had heard Shi Xuan’s approach or if he simply held an air of superiority.
Despite others being already present, Shi Xuan decided to show goodwill and greeted, "Dear all, I’ve been caught in the rain and had to seek shelter here, I apologize for intruding."
A burly middle-aged man from the Yangwei Escort Agency’s fire pit stood up, his rugged appearance commanding attention, and replied, "No trouble at all. We’re all travelers here; it’s good to make things easier. I’m He Dahai from the Yangwei Escort Agency. No need for formalities, young Taoist." With that, he sat back down, showing no intention of inviting Shi Xuan to join them by the fire.
Shi Xuan then noticed that in the middle of the fire pit, there was a middle-aged man sitting next to a young woman. She looked quite beautiful, but had a proud look in her eyes, and was dressed like a grey bodyguard.
On the other side, the young man in green ignored Shi Xuan, as if he didn’t care about him. Seeing this, Shi Xuan didn’t say much either. He gathered some rotten wood and thatch from other parts of the ruined temple, then turned his back to the people on both sides, softly recited a spell, and made a fire pit. Shi Xuan hadn’t brought anything like matches.
After setting it up, he sat cross-legged by the fire pit. This environment wasn’t suitable for contemplation or meditation, so Shi Xuan closed his eyes to rest, but his keen senses were still aware of the entire ruined temple.
Although there were nearly twenty people from the escort agency, only four of them sat in the middle. One of the fierce-looking bodyguards whispered, "Boss, I think there’s something fishy about that little Taoist. He came here in such heavy rain, but he’s barely wet."
Another ordinary-looking bodyguard chuckled, "What’s the big deal, Xu Ying? Do you think he’s a martial arts expert from birth? Even the Grandmasters of the Microcosm Realm can’t run several miles in the rain without getting wet."
Xu Ying retorted, "I’m not saying that, but I suspect this little Taoist was hiding nearby before."
The ordinary-looking bodyguard continued to smile, "You never know, he’s a Taoist after all. He might have some divine magic or be a ghost in disguise."
"Alright, Xiangshan, don’t argue with Ah Ying. How can such a young boy be a martial arts expert from birth? When I was his age, I had only just started practicing basic martial arts," He Dahai interrupted.
"Daddy, that little Taoist doesn’t seem that amazing. We just need to keep an eye on him," the proud and beautiful lady added.
"I was just worried he had helpers. The package isn’t valuable itself. I brought you and the others along to show you the world. Yuqing, you don’t have to take on this job. It’s better to marry and have a family. I shouldn’t have let you learn martial arts."
"I won’t marry someone weak or vulgar. Even if someone weak looks like that gentleman over there, I wouldn’t accept. What a bunch of misfits." He Yuqing whispered while glancing at the young man in green.
"Yuqing, do you also think there’s something wrong with that young man in green?" Xu Ying happily asked as he saw He Yuqing’s glance towards him. "He seems capable."
He Yuqing was confused.
Seeing this, He Dahai explained, "Though it’s raining heavily and we couldn’t hear if he used light steps to approach, I observed his movements when he entered. He’s definitely skilled."
"So, that young man might be a master?" He Yuqing asked, somewhat excited.
"I’m worried he and the little monk are in cahoots, purposely not saying hello. I’ve seen these tricks before." He Dahai said.
"No, that gentleman looks noble, surely a good person. The little monk looks shifty and even stared at me earlier, made me want to draw my sword." He Yuqing defended.
"Hey, appearance doesn’t always reflect a good person. I’ve seen handsome thieves before." He Xiangshan chuckled.
"Uncle He, that’s different!"
The young man in green clothes over there seemed to have just arrived, at least not as soaked as the escorts from the agency. As they discussed him, he moved slightly towards the fire and sat down cross-legged. Soon, white steam began rising from his body.
He Xiangshan’s bodyguard immediately sat up straight and solemnly said, "Boss, it seems like that young man has even deeper inner strength than you."
He Dahai also said seriously, "Although I had some adventures and reached a high level in martial arts at the age of forty, I’m afraid I can’t achieve what this young man has. It seems like he has opened up several small energy channels at least. Whether he has reached a higher level, I’m not sure."
"What, did he start cultivating in his mother’s womb?" Xu Ying exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah, those children from the major sects and big families have countless medicinal herbs and secret formulas given to them since childhood. Not to mention profound martial arts techniques, they are much better off than us," He Dahai sighed.
He Yuqing remained silent beside them, her eyes shining as she watched.
Before long, the green-clothed young man’s clothes were completely dry. He then rose gracefully and walked towards the escort agency.