The night was colder with greater temperature differences, and the hotel even provided electric blankets as standard amenities.
I leaned against the head of the bed, holding the thigh bone I had obtained from Luo Kuan, and examined it closely.
The residual hostility of the disemboweled entity is extremely intense. There's a soul hidden within, but the malevolent energy has been resolved through special means.
But, Shang Tai Sui has no interest in it at all, saying that looking at it too much will shorten one's lifespan.
Lao Gong's lonely head was at the window, looking outside all the time, muttering something in his mouth.
Drowsiness gradually overtook me, and I put away the thigh bone, then fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, after I woke up, there were local breakfasts downstairs. However, the butter tea and tsampa were not to my taste, so I could only manage to eat enough to fill my stomach. Then I took a look at this small county with unique national characteristics while asking for directions. After that, I started walking towards the address Luo Kuan gave me at that time.
The county is not big, it feels like there are at most a dozen streets, which can be walked through in half a day.
Shortly after, I arrived at a commercial street where the shops were all selling shawls, scarves, and other tourist trinkets, giving off a strong atmosphere of commerce.
In the middle of the street, there was a small building with many stalls set up in front of it. The passage was quite wide, covering the area of one shopfront, but the lighting was particularly dim.
I went in straight away, with odd-shaped sculptures on both sides. At the end of the passage, to the right, there was a staircase.
The stairs were narrow and the walls were very dry, constantly peeling off the paint.
The second-floor motion-sensor lights came on, allowing me to see a few room doors relative to the hallway. I didn't hesitate, and continued climbing upwards. On the third-floor roof, I saw a closed iron gate.
This must be the place Luo Kuan told me about.
The iron gate was very old, covered in patchwork rust. There was also an old bell handle.
I pressed it once, and heard a crisp sound from inside.
About two or three minutes later, an old man with rough skin and cheeks that were extremely flushed, and lips slightly darkened, appeared behind the iron gate.
He had a serious face, and said a bunch of things I couldn't understand. He looked at me intently.
I took out a jade piece the size of a fingernail, pinched it between my fingers, and held it flat in front of my chest.
The old man's eyes widened for a moment, he paused in his speech, opened the iron gate, and gestured for me to enter.
I walked into the building without changing my expression, and the old man turned and walked towards the other side of the hallway.
The third floor was much narrower than the floors below, with only two doors facing each other. The old man led me into one of them.
The layout of the room was heavy and substantial, with a cow skull decoration hanging on the wall, its sharp horns glinting with a bit of chill. On the sofa, there was an animal skin that I couldn't identify.
The old man nodded at me slightly and then left the room, the door was closed with a heavy creaking sound.
I remained calm and walked to the window. I watched quietly as the bustling commercial street below had cars, waters, and passersby.
Luo Kuan didn't mention this place or show the jade piece under duress; it was just a casual remark. The likelihood of him setting me up is low.
The old man, probably just a doorkeeper.
After about half an hour, the door opened again. A tall man with yellowish-brown skin, slightly flushed cheeks, and thick eyebrows rushed in. He was about twenty-seven or eight, still quite young.
He glanced at me, and a smile appeared on his face. Approaching me, he extended a hand as large as a palm fan with great courtesy and said, "My name is Luo Kang."
"I am Li Ziyu." I kept a straight face, and extended my hand to shake hands with him.
Intentionally, I added a little force to my handshake.
Luo Kang was taken aback, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his hand tightened instantaneously.
However, I immediately released the force, as if it was just a drop of water.
Luo Kang's smile on his face became careful and meticulous, scrutinizing me attentively.
"I want to meet the person in charge of your group. And also, Luo Kuan brother," I added.
Luo Kang slightly relaxed, saying, "Luo Kuan brother hasn't returned yet. However, since the Taoist master has come here, the Taoist master is a friend of the Luo family. Just... what is your purpose?"
I didn't say anything, only watching Luo Kang quietly.
His eyelids twitched slightly, and the composure on his face seemed quite forced.
Often, eye contact is a form of pressure, and even silence can be intimidating.
The reason I impersonated Liu Ziyu was simple. Luo Kuan had mentioned many details about my father, Luo Muye. He was banished from the family for making a mistake, but he was allowed to return after bringing something back. However, he has been under soft confinement and imprisonment ever since.
For all these years, neither my parents nor I have looked for each other. Their situation in the Luo family must not be good at all.
What Luo Kuan said was too conservative, and maybe even oversimplified.
I must say that I am Luo Xianshen. If the Luo family discovers my existence or associates it with something, things will get complicated.
I didn't agree to Lao Gong's plan, but through his words, I already had a complete plan in mind.
Through my methods, I will definitely be able to bring my parents out of the Luo family!
"Taoist Liu... This is just a contact point. There are no elders in charge. If you state your purpose, I can take you there." Luo Kang said again.
I still didn't answer, just watching him quietly.
Luo Kang's forehead was slightly sweating.
Then he made a gesture of invitation.
The two of them left the room and walked downstairs, where a rugged SUV was parked by the side of the road.
Luo Kang drove, and I sat in the backseat.
It didn't take long before we left the city.
Daxian's terrain is unique, and there are continuous mountains outside the city, covered with green and yellow grass.
I came here last night when it snowed. Today, it was a sunny day. Occasionally, there were still some snow on the ground. The mountains further away looked white as snow.
Yaks were leisurely chewing on the grass, and the air carried a fragrance.
In addition, you can see some houses every few hundred meters.
About half an hour later, the car entered a grassy area. Besides our entry point, there were fences on both sides.
After getting out of the car, Luo Kang walked directly towards a cluster of houses in front.
I looked around, and on the right side there was an informal shed with three horses tied up.
As Luo Kang entered a flat-roofed house, the inside was warm and there was a fragrance of dairy products.
The warmth came from an iron stove in the middle of the room. Beside it, there was a person sitting with a very small file in hand, holding a piece of cow horn, and carving it.
The person raised his head and looked at me and Luo Kang. He had even darker skin, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He had very heavy frown lines on his forehead.
Luo Kang rushed forward and whispered a few words.
He put down the file and the cow horn, and his smile was very genuine.
"Luo Kuang has indeed not returned to report yet. If he has said anything to the Taoist master, the Taoist master can say it without worry. I am a person who can handle matters." He spoke with a heavy tone, not aimed at me but rather his own voice.
I looked at him and appeared to be thinking something over. I took out the copper staff and pounded it onto the ground, making a clang sound.
"Luo Kuan encountered some trouble in Jiang Huang. I saved many of their people, and we talked briefly about some people and things. Luo Kuan said that we could cooperate for a win-win situation. And because I attended a convention, I temporarily parted ways with him, and we arranged to meet here."
The middle-aged man and Luo Kang both showed a confused expression. They just looked at the copper staff briefly, without paying much attention to it.
This is a detail. They don't recognize it.
Perhaps when my father got the item from the Gaotian Dao Temple, he didn't mention any details about the temple to them? Or maybe, my father's group had never come across this copper staff?
The middle-aged man coughed and explained to me again, "Luo Kuang indeed hasn't returned yet, and we haven't contacted him in this period. However, since we have agreed to cooperate for mutual benefit, I can explain the details again. What he knows is sure to be more than Luo Kuang, and he has more decision-making power."
