Xia Qiuxi's master was so formidable that both Mo and I were astonished, our mouths agape.
Mo, in particular, blurted out unconsciously, "Your master is so... so powerful!"
Xia Qiuxi smiled faintly at his words, not replying. Instead, she covered her neck and called out into the distance, "Master!" Having said that, she walked towards the sound.
Seeing this, I turned to Mo and Xiao Mei and said, "Let's go take a look too." After clearing my throat, which felt particularly sore, we followed.
Before long, we arrived before Yunxia Daochang, Xia Qiuxi's master. The old demoness Huang Qiniang lay on the ground, on the verge of death. As for Yunxia Daochang, she appeared to be around forty years old, rather slender. She was very beautiful; though she had aged and bore crow's feet, it couldn't conceal the beauty she possessed in her youth. Clad in a simple Daoist robe and holding a horsetail whisk, she exuded an air of immortal grace. This was precisely how I imagined a Daoist master to be. Compared to my own master and Uncle Tang, the two elders seemed to lack a certain something in terms of demeanor.
"Master, it's a good thing you've come. Otherwise, I might never have seen you again," Xia Qiuxi said to her master with a hint of grievance in her voice.
Yunxia Daochang merely shot her a glance. "You! As soon as you descended the mountain, you were so reckless. Fortunately, this demon's cultivation was not high. If you had encountered one with deeper cultivation, even I might not have been able to save you!"
"Oh!" Xia Qiuxi pouted, taking her master's arm and acting like a well-behaved girl in front of her, a stark contrast to her previously aloof demeanor. Yunxia Daochang did not scold her but simply patted her head. Then, she looked towards Mo, Xiao Mei, and me. She then spoke, "Qiuxi, who are these people?"
Xia Qiuxi looked at us and shook her head. "We met them while dealing with this demon. I don't know their origins. Furthermore, they don't have identity tokens, proper talismans, or secret passwords."
Yunxia Daochang listened without much reaction. I, however, immediately clasped my hands in greeting. "Greetings, senior! We are also White School Daoists. My name is Qin Ze. What fellow Daoist Xia said is true; we possess none of those things. My master never taught us."
Mo nodded repeatedly. "Yes, that's right. My master never mentioned those things to me either. But tonight, thank you for saving our lives. Oh, yes, my name is Mo Ting."
Yunxia Daochang nodded slightly, her gaze falling upon Xiao Mei. She seemed to discern that Xiao Mei was a demon and asked us, "Are you disciples of the Hu family who have 'come forth'?"
I had heard my master mention "come forth" before. It referred to mountain spirits seeking disciples for merit and offerings, who would then act as representatives. Such individuals were called "come forth" disciples. Clearly, we were not. Xiao Mei was merely a little fox that Hu San Tai Nai had asked us to accompany her with in the mortal world to gain experience.
I shook my head. "No, senior. Xiao Mei is from the Ba Shan Hu family. Hu San Tai Nai entrusted her to us to bring along and temper her in the mortal world. We ourselves are disciples of the Southern School."
Upon hearing this, Yunxia Daochang nodded slightly. "Oh! I see. But may I know which school or sect you two young friends belong to, who your master is, and where your training grounds are located?" It was evident that Yunxia Daochang wished to probe our backgrounds.
Hearing her questions, Mo and I exchanged glances. We had never heard our master mention this sect. He only said that our ancestor was the God of Mount Tai. If it were anyone else, we might choose to answer or not. However, since Yunxia Daochang had saved us, and we were certain she was a Daoist from the sacred Qingcheng Sect, a senior in the Daoist community, I answered with great respect: "Senior, we have nothing specific. We are merely learning from our master. The place where we currently work is at the Bai Puzi on Huangquan Road, at the foot of Old Huangshan in the east of the city. My master is Gu Hui, and his master is Tang Lin. They are quite renowned Daoists near the Second Factory." Mo nodded in agreement.
However, after hearing my words, Yunxia Daochang's eyes clearly showed a trace of surprise. Beneath her calm expression, there was a hint of astonishment. "Your masters are Gu Hui and Tang Lin?" Yunxia Daochang inquired with a hint of surprise. Mo Ting and I both nodded. "Yes!"
Seeing our affirmation, Yunxia Daochang's breathing quickened noticeably. A flicker of excitement appeared in her eyes. "Are your masters' Daoist names perhaps Long Teng and Hu Xiao?"
At this, Mo and I were both taken aback. Indeed, those were our masters' Daoist names. Besides us, no one who had been with our master for so long had ever heard him mention his Daoist names to outsiders. In our surprise, Mo and I instinctively exchanged glances. Yunxia Daochang knew our masters' Daoist names, which meant she definitely knew our masters.
"Senior, do you know our masters?" I asked, puzzled.
"Yes! I've been with Master for so long, and I've never heard him mention his Daoist names to outsiders," Mo added in agreement.
Yunxia Daochang smiled and nodded, a touch of excitement in her eyes. "Yes, I am an old acquaintance of your masters, known for many years. Are they both doing well?" As she uttered the last sentence, a hint of sadness reappeared in her eyes. I noticed it but didn't pay it much mind. Her disciple, Xia Qiuxi, also widened her eyes, looking like a curious onlooker.
I nodded. "Our masters are doing very well."
"And do they still bicker with each other?" Yunxia Daochang asked again.
Hearing this, Mo and I both showed surprise. It further confirmed our belief; she even knew about our masters' arguments. This Yunxia Zhenren truly knew our masters. Perhaps she was even an old friend...