A nonsensical remark from the middle-aged Taoist made Chen Yun ask me subconsciously, "Is he a dog? His ears are so sharp?"
Looking at the middle-aged Taoist, whose footsteps had suddenly paused slightly, I shook my head and told her not to speak carelessly. What if she angered him, and we would be the ones to suffer? Besides, Xiao Yun was still in his hands. He was the cleaver, and we were the fish, weren't we?
Let alone him threatening us with Xiao Yun, this middle-aged Taoist who came to receive us could easily beat the two of us back and forth with plenty to spare. If even a gatekeeper was this strong, the strength of the Fox Immortal Temple's master, whom we hadn't met, could only be imagined. Wouldn't that be heaven-defying?
Chen Yun wasn't stupid either. Seeing my gaze drift towards the middle-aged Taoist in front of us, she naturally understood my meaning. She pursed her lips, made a face at the middle-aged Taoist's retreating back, and continued up the mountain.
The mountain path was long, with only steps visible and no people. At the same time, the feeling of being watched grew stronger. At first, I could sense where the people watching me were, but halfway up the mountain, I could only feel that I was being watched, but I couldn't sense where the eyes were actually coming from.
Chen Yun, beside me, was even more useless. She only admired the surrounding scenery, seemingly forgetting the purpose of her visit to the Fox Immortal Temple, proving the saying that sometimes women's words are as reliable as pigs flying.
The middle-aged Taoist walked at a moderate pace. As long as our steps slowed down, his pace would also slow. After walking for ten minutes,
"Senior, how much further do we have to go? We've been walking for over ten minutes, and my legs are weak and my steps are heavy. I didn't eat breakfast, and if we keep walking, I'm afraid I'll have to leave my life here." After taking another step, I plopped down on a nearby stone stool, not caring if there was dew on it. My tongue was hanging out, and I feigned exhaustion.
In fact, it wasn't entirely feigned. After tossing and turning all night and not eating anything in the morning, climbing the mountain on an empty stomach for nearly half an hour, it was only because my physical fitness was better than before that I hadn't collapsed.
My stomach was growling. If I continued climbing, I wouldn't even need the Hu family to make a move; I would collapse from exhaustion myself.
The middle-aged Taoist paused for a moment, looked at Chen Yun, who also had sweat on her face, and seemed to ponder something. Then, he said something to the young Taoist beside him, and I saw him quickly run upwards, disappearing into the mist in the blink of an eye. Sudan Novel Network
"My apologies! I forgot that you haven't reached the state of 'Bigu' (abstinence from food). You are still mortals. I have already ordered someone to bring you food and drink." As soon as he finished speaking, he sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and his lips moved slightly, as if he were chanting scriptures.
His action surprised me greatly. Earlier, when I had used my Xuan Yang True Qi to test his strength, I was repelled by the true qi within him with just a brief encounter. Now, he was saying that Chen Yun and I were mortals who hadn't reached the state of 'Bigu'. Had the Fox Immortal Temple ceased to be a sect of wild immortals and become a sect of cultivators?
Chen Yun, beside me, was equally surprised. The expression on her face had not stopped changing since we entered. It was either surprise, curiosity, or exclamations. Fortunately, she still knew that this was the Fox Immortal Temple, so her exclamations and surprised cries were kept very quiet, only audible to us who were considering her.
Glancing at the meditating middle-aged Taoist, Chen Yun gently nudged me and whispered, "Do you feel like we've entered another place?"
"Another place? What do you mean?" The Fox Immortal Temple's exterior was grand and imposing, giving a feeling of nouveau riche. However, its interior was simple and unadorned. Occasionally, one could see many dilapidated buildings. Compared to the prosperity outside, it was like comparing clouds in the sky to mud on the ground. However, this could also be understood.
After all, external things are for outsiders to see, while internal things are for oneself to see. Just like my master's house, it looked dilapidated on the outside, especially the main door, which looked like even an old man could kick it down. But who knew that the dilapidated door, which looked rotten, was actually made of the finest Xuan Yang wood and refined through special methods, making it no less hard than a steel door.
"I... forget it, I can't quite explain it. I just feel like we've arrived in another world, as if... as if we've time-traveled. Do you understand what I mean?" Chen Yun searched her mind for words and gave a shocking explanation.
I looked at her with understanding, pointed to my stomach, indicating that I was very hungry and didn't want to talk now. Then, I found a relatively dry spot and sat down. I didn't want to get hemorrhoids.
Seeing that I didn't believe her, Chen Yun stomped her feet in anger, but that was all. She then found a spot and sat down, but she was pouting, and it was unclear whether she was angry at me or at the Hu family.
The young Taoist was very fast. In about seven or eight minutes, he jumped out of the mist, holding a tray in his hand with several steamed buns, two bowls of porridge, and a plate of pickles.
I didn't stand on ceremony and took them to eat. At first, Chen Yun still pretended to be reserved, not eating or drinking. After I had eaten two steamed buns and a bowl of porridge, and was about to reach for the remaining bowl, she finally couldn't resist. She snatched the rice porridge from me faster than I could and began to eat it greedily, disregarding her ladylike demeanor.
With food in my stomach, my mind felt much clearer, and a question arose in my mind: what exactly did the Hu family want to do?
If they wanted us to redeem someone, they should have stated it directly, laid out the conditions, and then exchanged the person for the items. But from what I could see, the Hu family didn't seem to have any ill intentions towards us. Even when I "provoked" them by trying to grasp the middle-aged Taoist with my Xuan Yang True Qi-filled hand, he didn't say anything, only passively retaliated.
It was even more so now. I said I was hungry, and the middle-aged Taoist arranged for someone to bring food and drink. The food couldn't be called good, but it was enough to fill our stomachs. This contradicted what Huang San had said about the consequences of not rescuing the person before dawn.
Could it be that the Hu family's claim of wanting us to redeem someone was false, and they had other motives? But what could their motives be? The Tiger Kui Seal in my hand?
It shouldn't be.
If their target was indeed the Tiger Kui Seal, the middle-aged Taoist would have attacked me the moment we met, snatched the Tiger Kui Seal from my hand, and then floated away. I would have been powerless to stop him.
If it wasn't the Tiger Kui Seal, then were their motives really related to Chen Yun's family property, that KTV? Although it was a good place for cultivation, its location in a busy area was a huge hidden danger. Unless the Hu family could buy up tens of miles around it, which seemed unlikely. Not to mention the demolition alone would cost an astronomical sum, and the country would not allow organizations related to ghosts and gods to appear in a busy urban area.
As Chen Yun finished the last bite of her steamed bun, the middle-aged Taoist also opened his eyes and said, "Hurry up and go up the mountain, lest the master gets angry."
Looking at the stone steps nestled in the clouds, I wondered if the master was deliberately making things difficult for us and playing with us.