radicalducati Page 93
Page 93
They looked at Tian Jinzhong, who was being helped in and whose face was deathly pale, and then at Feng Baobao, who was following behind Zhang Yunyuan with empty eyes and indifferent to everything around her. Their expressions darkened.
"Master, Senior Brother."
Tian Jinzhong struggled to bow, but the old Celestial Master stopped him by raising his hand.
"Sit down and talk."
The old Celestial Master's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.
Tian Jinzhong dared not disobey and sat down as instructed. He then recounted in detail how he had been ambushed by the Lü family at the foot of the mountain, how he was no match for them, and how, at the last moment, it was this seemingly foolish girl who had frightened away the Lü family heroes with a single palm strike.
He spoke slowly, but every word was filled with lingering fear and horror.
In the quiet room, you could hear a pin drop.
The old master and Zhang Zhiwei listened quietly, their expressions growing increasingly solemn as Tian Jinzhong recounted his story.
When Zhang Zhiwei heard that Feng Baobao had knocked out Lu Wen, a renowned hero of the Lu family, with just one slap, even his usually sleepy eyes showed a hint of undisguised surprise.
Their gazes once again fell on the girl who had been standing quietly in the corner the whole time, like a soulless puppet.
This time, their eyes changed completely.
It's no longer just simple sympathy and curiosity.
Rather, it is examination, exploration, and the instinctive vigilance and solemnity one feels when facing an unknown existence that cannot be fathomed by common sense.
In their perception, Feng Baobao's body was still a chaotic void, with no visible fluctuations of Qi.
Yet this seemingly empty shell gave them the illusion of facing an abyss or a vast starry sea.
Her very existence exudes an unprecedented, almost "Taoist" purity.
Simple and clean, yet it contains the potential to overturn everything.
But in Zhang Yunyuan's eyes, the Qi within Feng Baobao's body was like a mighty river, extremely powerful.
It's just that Feng Baobao is new to cultivation, and the dantian and meridians in her body are not yet clearly defined.
Therefore, in the eyes of the Old Celestial Master and Zhang Zhiwei, it was like chaos, and no sense of Qi could be seen.
"Jinzhong, you should go and rest well first."
The old master waved his hand at Tian Jinzhong, his voice tinged with weariness.
"Yun Yuan, you stay."
Knowing that his master had important matters to discuss, Tian Jinzhong dared not say much. He bowed to the old Celestial Master and then withdrew with the help of a young Taoist disciple.
The door to the quiet room was closed again, isolating it from the outside world.
Inside, only the master and his two disciples remained.
The old Celestial Master looked at his youngest disciple, and a wise light, insightful about the ways of the world, shone deep within his cloudy eyes.
"Just who is this girl?"
Zhang Yunyuan then repeated what he had said to Tian Jinzhong earlier.
He briefly recounted how he "picked up" Feng Baobao on the roadside, how she was almost violated by bad people, how she suffered from amnesia and mental illness, and how he took her in and cared for her.
The general outline of the story is based on the original novel, which tells the tale of Xu Xiang's family finding Feng Baobao.
This statement is half true and half false, but there are no obvious flaws in it.
The old master and Zhang Zhiwei exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke.
They knew things were not that simple.
But they also knew that if Zhang Yunyuan didn't want to talk about it, they wouldn't press him.
This trust is an unspoken understanding between the master and his disciples at Longhu Mountain.
"Master, Senior Brother."
Zhang Yunyuan's expression turned extremely serious.
"The Lü family has already set their sights on the baby."
"The look in the eyes of the Lü family elders when they looked at her last was full of greed and determination. I am certain that they will not let this go."
Zhang Zhiwei leaned back lazily in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
"A 'silly girl' who can slap a hero away with one hand also harbors secrets that even we can't see through. If it were me, I would be tempted too."
His tone seemed playful, but his eyes were icy cold.
"The Lü family will do anything to get what they want."
Zhang Yunyuan nodded and continued.
“Leaving the baby on the mountain will surely bring endless trouble to Longhu Mountain.”
"The Lü family went so far as to ambush and kill me and my senior brother Jinzhong in order to obtain the Eight Extraordinary Techniques. This shows that the so-called four families are nothing but petty thieves."
"Then by the same token, the Lü family might go to any lengths to obtain the baby and incite other sects to start a war against Longhu Mountain."
"This disciple does not want to cause the sect to repeat the tragedy of the Jia Shen Rebellion because of personal selfishness."
Silence fell once again in the quiet room.
The old master lowered his eyes, his withered fingers tapping unconsciously on his knees, as if he were undergoing some difficult test.
After a long while, he slowly raised his head.
"So...what are your plans?"
"This disciple wishes to take the baby down the mountain to cultivate."
Zhang Yunyuan stated his decision after careful consideration.
"Firstly, we can continue searching for Senior Brother Huaiyi's whereabouts."
"Secondly, it can also avoid the Lu family's sharp edge and prevent them from pointing their spears directly at Longhu Mountain."
"Thirdly, the baby's mind is still immature, like a blank sheet of paper. Staying on the mountain would make her too conspicuous. It would be better for her to wander in the world, which might be beneficial to her recovery."
This decision is the best option at present.
This not only preserved his sect and protected Feng Baobao, but also gave him a perfect reason to continue his travels and explore.
The old master looked at him, and a trace of relief, as well as a hint of barely perceptible worry, flashed deep in his cloudy eyes.
He knew that his youngest disciple had grown up.
He has his own sense of responsibility and his own principles.
The old celestial master finally nodded slowly.
"I agree."
He paused, his tone becoming extremely solemn.
"But you must promise me one thing."
"Master, please speak."
“You and this girl must return to the mountain once every three years to let them know you are safe.”
The old master looked at him, his eyes filled with the deepest concern of an elder.
"Let your teacher know that you are still alive and well."
Zhang Yunyuan felt a warmth in his heart, and his eyes welled up with tears.
He kowtowed heavily.
"Disciple, obey your command!"
The matter was settled.
Zhang Yunyuan bid farewell to Tian Jinzhong.
Although Tian Jinzhong was extremely reluctant to part with him, he knew that the matter was of great importance, so he could only tear up and repeatedly tell him to be careful in everything.
"Junior brother, take good care of yourself."
"And... take good care of that girl as well."
Zhang Zhiwei simply leaned lazily against the door frame, watching Zhang Yunyuan and Feng Baobao prepare to leave. A meaningful glint flashed in his always sleepy eyes.
"It's windy down the mountain, be careful."
A simple sentence carries more weight than any admonition.
Zhang Yunyuan nodded heavily at him.
It was night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.
Two figures silently left Longhu Mountain, once again merging into the boundless mortal world.
A new round of check-in journey begins.
This time, however, Zhang Yunyuan was not in such a hurry as before.
He chose to slow down his pace in secluded places among famous mountains and rivers rich in spiritual energy.
While checking in, he also carefully nurtured the girl beside him who was like a blank sheet of paper.
He knew that he had picked up more than just a problem.
It is also a heavy responsibility, and a variable that could change the entire future.
Chapter 108 Years of Secluded Cultivation, Bao'er's Early Development
After leaving Longhu Mountain, Zhang Yunyuan was not in a hurry to travel far.
He took Feng Baobao with him, and their first stop was Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province.
This place is a sacred site of Taoism, the Taoist temple of Zhenwu the Great. The mountains are majestic, shrouded in clouds and mist, and its spiritual energy is second only to Longhu Mountain.
Last time he came to Wudang to check in, he was in a hurry and only checked in once at the Golden Summit, where he obtained the Wudang Ladder Cloud Leap.
But in fact, Wudang covers a vast area, just like Longhu Mountain, with many scenic spots and places to visit.
He has time this time, so he's going to stay and check it off his list.