I thought that Ho You Tian had changed the subject, agreeing with Si Yan and me.
"But I never expected that his two statements would leave me speechless and in silence."
I need to meet Han Zhaizi, and I even want to take action against the plague demons, as well as settling old grudges...
Sure enough, what you fear comes to pass...
"To bring the master back to the mountain, we need to be extremely careful, and we cannot let our elders feel that we are disrespectful. Although only two of us are coming, we still need to prepare the coffin as if it were for a deceased person." The seventh elder spoke up.
I understand that whatever I say now will not change anything…
"Little apprentice, what's wrong with you? You look a bit unwell." Ho You Tian asked me suddenly.
"No... nothing." I forced a smile and said, "I was thinking about the master."
For a moment, silence filled the car, and Ho You Tian's face also showed a touch of sorrow.
Actually, that was just a pretext on my part. I only know an address and the words Ma You San had told me. The Four Codes Master; I haven't even seen his body.
It took three days to make the journey. Initially, I didn't read the book or draw the symbols, but after that, I sat in the backseat and delved into the runes.
During this time, I was still undecided, so I sent a message to Mao You San, telling him not to stay in Jin Yang but to leave for a while and avoid the heat.
Perhaps I owe an apology to Ho You Tian for this, but I really cannot make a decision. Furthermore, I cannot let Ho You Tian and Mao You San fight to the death.
Mao You San didn't understand why and asked me what was going on. Why was he in a good position in Jin Yang, and would something serious happen?
I hinted at it obliquely that the great elder of the Four Codes Mountain wanted to settle some long-standing accounts with him, and I couldn't stop it.
Mao You San replied with a smile, "Absurd."
He only sent a message after that, saying that he had no enmity with the Four Codes Mountain at all and couldn't possibly have any entanglements with the Great Elder. Although he hunted Daoists, in reality, how many Daoists had he helped to fulfill their wishes?
If the Great Elder of the Four Codes Mountain really sought him out, it must not be because of enmity, but rather because he wanted to sell himself out.
Mao You San's words turned my thoughts upside down.
Have I misunderstood?
Is Ho You Tian not targeting Mao You San?
Then... who is his enemy?
After much thought, a shiver of evil ran through my heart, reminding me that there was still a yin-yang master in Jin Yang who completely matched Ho You Tian's description!
The yin-yang master who built the mental health center and brought up Wei Youming!
Yes, Zheng Ren's problem is selfishness. He has no intention of destroying the Four Codes Mountain, so he wouldn't create unnecessary enemies for it. Some things he would keep secret, but many things, he wouldn't lie.
Indeed, there have been many Daoists who died in the Mental Health Center!
Upon clarifying these thoughts, my mindset suddenly improved.
Finally, we arrived in Jin Yang.
The car headed directly to the Chongfeng Daoist Temple.
When we reached the top of the mountain, it was noon, and the sun was dazzlingly bright.
Since we hadn't notified the Chongfeng Daoist Temple beforehand, no one knew we were coming. When we descended the mountain, all three of us, Ho You Tian, the seventh elder, and I, were dressed in red robes. This caused all the other disciples inside the temple to have a drastic change in expression. Some horror-stricken people ran to the rear hall, while others rushed over to us in a hurry.
Of course, everyone knows Si Yan. I spotted a few familiar faces and noticed that when they saw me, their expressions changed dramatically.
"God Luo Xian?!" someone shouted out my name.
I kept my composure.
There was a hint of displeasure in Ho You Tian's eyes.
Si Yan whispered, "Let's wait for Elder Han to come out."
However, those familiar faces were still staring at me intently.
The people of the Chongfeng Daoist Temple naturally lean towards Sun Zhuo. Apart from Han Zhaizi, who considers me a friend, the rest of them are indifferent to me.
Si Yan immediately stepped forward, cautioning the monks not to be disrespectful, and then whispered about Ho You Tian and her master's identities.
Therefore, no absurd and melodramatic scene occurred where the monks came forward to question me about why I was wearing red clothes. They just looked confused in their eyes.
Soon, Han Zhaizi emerged.
His robe was a lower grade than ours in terms of craftsmanship.
When he saw Ho You Tian and the seventh elder, Han Zhaizi's face lit up with joy, bowing and greeting them.
But when his gaze fell upon me, his eyes were filled with surprise and astonishment.
"Han junior, by the look in your eyes, it seems you haven't done anything wrong. Luo Xian Shen is a disciple left behind by the Four Codes Master. He only returned to the mountain gate recently and has been granted an appropriate status."
"He is my little apprentice, and therefore, he can also be considered your apprentice."
After Ho You Tian finished speaking, he glanced around the Chongfeng Daoist Temple at all the monks.
The monks were even more shocked. Han Zhaizi's eyelids twitched, and his gaze at me shifted from profound to dazed.
"I see. In fact, I must not deceive you. Luo Xian Shen is my son's close friend. Similarly, when I didn't know his identity, he was also a friend of the Chongfeng Daoist Temple."
"That's why Han Qi can be so close to Luo Xian Shen."
Han Zhaizi's face was full of smiles.
The other disciples, although their eyes still had a hint of shock, slowly lowered their heads, as if they had accepted the reality.
We entered the main hall, and the seventh elder spoke up, explaining our purpose: to bring back the Four Codes Master. After making a series of demands, she looked at me.
The eyes of Ho You Tian, Han Zhaizi, Si Yan, and all the disciples of the Chongfeng Daoist Temple were fixed on me.
I paused for a moment before shaking my head and saying, "Eldest brother, please forgive me. It's best if everything is arranged properly first, and then I'll lead the way. If I mention the address beforehand, I'm afraid that there might be people with ill intentions."
Ho You Tian nodded in agreement.
After that, Han Zhaizi ordered the disciples to prepare the coffins as required by the seventh elder.
He also arranged accommodations for us, saying that after the long journey, we should rest well for a day.
Once inside the resting area, I sat on the bed, but I couldn't shake off a feeling of restlessness.
It's strange, there's nothing wrong at the Chongfeng Daoist Temple, and Ho You Tian doesn't need me to argue with Mao You San. However, I still feel uneasy.
Time passed slowly, and as the sun set in the west, we had the wash-dust banquet prepared by Han Zhaizi. After that, we returned to our rooms.
The sky turned dark without me noticing.
Lao Gong quietly appeared behind my shoulder, his eyes darting around.
And his mouth kept emitting a soft hissing sound, as if he were afraid.
"Do you also feel that something is wrong, Lao Gong?" I whispered.
Lao Gong's forehead was beaded with sweat, and he mumbled, "My dear grandpa, oh my life, why have we come to this place?"
During the journey, Lao Gong hadn't shown his face, and I hadn't consulted him about returning to the Chongfeng Daoist Temple.
"What's wrong with this place?" I furrowed my brow, urging Lao Gong to be more straightforward and not hold back.
Lao Gong swallowed his saliva and spoke carefully, "Master, don't you feel that there's a familiar scent here? It's cursed... Have none of you noticed?"
Familiar smell?
I felt even more uneasy.
As Lao Gong was about to speak, he suddenly retreated into his bag, disappearing in a flash. In that instant, I heard a voice in my ear: "Maintain normalcy, don't panic, go see Ho You Tian. Don't stay overnight; leave the mountain immediately!"
