The next day, Wan Yunting personally escorted Zhou Ruoxi down the mountain, letting Li Zihang drive her to Buxi Da county town to catch a train to Linqing...
Zhou Ruoxi actually wanted to stay a few more days to spend time with her man, but as the sect leader of Emei, she had to consider the entire Emei sect.
Because Wan Yunting was now labeled as an unorthodox figure by the righteous path, if others saw her frequently interacting with Wan Yunting and being close, people in the sect would gossip.
After all, she had only recently taken over the position of Emei sect leader, and many people in the sect were still watching her.
Chang Wude was to stay at the Taoist temple for a while, and Wan Yunting didn't want to return so early. Anyway, he was no longer the abbot, nor the chairman of the Chinese Medicine Association. Having shed all his identities, he felt a sense of lightness.
"Is the Kunlun Sect holding some kind of ceremony?"
As Wan Yunting escorted Zhou Ruoxi down the mountain, he heard her mention going to the Kunlun Sect and asked curiously.
"Yes, the former sect leader of the Kunlun Sect is celebrating his hundredth birthday, so they've invited people from various sects to attend the celebration," Zhou Ruoxi replied with a nod.
Li Zihang, who was accompanying them, added, "Elder Zhang Qing originally wanted to privately invite Madam to attend, but since our Wuliang Taoist temple is currently closed and not involved in martial arts affairs, we had to forgo it."
Wan Yunting chuckled, "In that case, the Kunlun Sect is quite considerate."
Li Zihang said, "The Kunlun Sect and our Wuliang Taoist temple are essentially neighbors. Especially since the former sect leader and my master's generation had frequent interactions, our relationship has always been very good."
Wan Yunting nodded, but Zhou Ruoxi then said, "This trip to the Kunlun Sect is not just to wish their former sect leader a happy birthday. According to Elder Zhang Qing's introduction, it's said that there are demonic disturbances in the depths of Kunlun Mountain!"
"Demonic disturbances?"
Both Wan Yunting and Li Zihang's expressions were shocked. Zhou Ruoxi nodded, "It's not clear if they are truly demonic yet."
Li Zihang widened his eyes, "We haven't heard of any demons in the depths of Kunlun Mountain either."
Wan Yunting waved his hand, "Our Wuliang Mountain is more than two hundred kilometers away from Linqing County, where the Kunlun Sect is located. It's quite normal that we haven't heard if something like demons are causing trouble over there."
"Moreover, Kunlun Mountain itself is a divine mountain, a place where heaven and earth energy converges. If some demonic creatures have truly gained sentience within it, it would be normal."
Zhou Ruoxi and Li Zihang nodded. Kunlun Mountain is the foremost divine mountain in China, known as the Mountain of Ten Thousand Ancestors. Especially in mythological stories, it is believed that a celestial being, the 'Queen Mother of the West,' resides in Kunlun Mountain. She has a human head and a leopard's body, attended by two blue birds, and is a righteous deity in Taoism, sharing with the Eastern King the responsibility for cultivating immortality for both men and women.
Of course, these are just popular mythological stories known to everyone.
However, in the depths of Kunlun Mountain, there have always been many mysterious folk tales, as well as restricted areas!
For example, Kunlun Mountain's Death Valley and Gate of Hell, places that national special departments have always prohibited ordinary tourists from entering.
Therefore, many canyons in the depths of Kunlun Mountain are no-man's-lands. Coupled with this divine mountain, it's normal for animals to become sentient and understand human ways.
"Be careful, and let me know when you arrive."
Wan Yunting saw Zhou Ruoxi into Li Zihang's car after escorting her down the mountain, waved goodbye, and bid her farewell.
After watching the car gradually disappear from sight, Wan Yunting took out his car keys to unlock another car parked in the shed and drove towards Kunlun Mountain...
The back mountain of Kunshan Village is the Kunlun Mountain range. In the forest at the foot of a mountain, a simple wooden cabin emitted wisps of cooking smoke that drifted into the forest. The chirping of various birds filled the entire forest, teeming with life.
In the small courtyard in front of the wooden cabin, there was a low wall built of wood. Within the courtyard, several plots of land were planted with seasonal vegetables. A figure dressed in a grey cloth robe, with jet-black hair tied up with a chopstick at the back of her head, and a few strands of wispy hair falling in front of her face, was crouching in the vegetable patch, weeding...
As the sound of a car approaching was heard, Chen Qiuyun, who was in the vegetable patch, looked up, revealing her stunningly beautiful face. Her eyebrows were like painted calligraphy, and her phoenix-like eyes were as bright and lustrous as black jade, filled with a charming aura that was extremely captivating.
Since Chen Qiuyun had learned the art of charm, every move, smile, and glance she made possessed a seductive and destructive power. When Wan Yunting saw her enchanting face as he got out of the car, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but marvel that her charm had seemingly improved significantly.
Chen Qiuyun watched Wan Yunting enter with a bag in his hand. A hint of confusion flickered in her phoenix eyes. She stood up and asked, "Why are you here?"
Wan Yunting walked into the vegetable patch, looked at the vegetables planted in the garden, and chuckled, "I had some business to attend to at my former sect, and decided to stop by and see you."
Chen Qiuyun's expression was calm. She didn't ask what business he had and went to take the bag from Wan Yunting, but he refused with a smile, "No need, I'll carry it myself..."
With that, they left the vegetable patch and returned to the front of the wooden house. There was a wooden bench. Wan Yunting placed the bag down and opened it, taking out many daily necessities...
Chen Qiuyun also went inside and poured a cup of water before coming out. Wan Yunting took the cup and gestured to the daily necessities placed on the chair, "I know it must be difficult for you living alone in these mountains, so I brought these things for you."
Chen Qiuyun nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you."
Wan Yunting sat down and watched Chen Qiuyun put away the items. Facing her naturally seductive and charming face, it was likely that any man would be unable to resist such temptation, and inexplicable urges and wicked thoughts arose in his heart, including Wan Yunting's at that moment.
"How is it? Are you getting used to living here?"
After Chen Qiuyun finished organizing the things and came out, she also sat on the chair, holding a small basket filled with vegetables she had just picked. She nodded and said calmly, "It's quite good. Your junior brother occasionally visits and brings me some daily necessities."
"That's good."
Wan Yunting nodded, daring not to look at Chen Qiuyun for too long. He quickly shifted his gaze back to the vegetable patch in front of him and said with a smile, "You've planted them well. It seems my worries were unnecessary."
Chen Qiuyun also looked at the vegetable patch with her phoenix eyes, a look of satisfaction appearing on her face. She said, "An old woman from the village taught me how to grow vegetables, and it's quite good."
Wan Yunting glanced at her and chuckled, "It seems you've integrated into the local life."
Chen Qiuyun nodded and remained silent, looking down and picking the vegetables in her hand. Wan Yunting, sitting beside her, didn't know what to talk about with her for a moment, because he knew Chen Qiuyun no longer cared about worldly matters, and even if he, Wan Yunting, told her anything, it would be in vain...
After finishing picking the vegetables in the basket, Chen Qiuyun looked up at Wan Yunting and asked, "Are you troubled by something?"
Wan Yunting, who was smoking, froze and turned to look at her, smiling, "You can tell?"
Chen Qiuyun nodded, stood up, and took the vegetable basket to the well. Wan Yunting also stood up to help her draw a bucket of water to wash the vegetables. He said in a heavy tone, "Lu Xiaodie and Zheng Rong are gone!"
Chen Qiuyun, who was washing vegetables, paused and looked up at Wan Yunting with her phoenix eyes. From the dejection and sadness on his face, she could tell that when he said Lu Xiaodie and Zheng Rong were gone, he meant they were dead.
"They died for me..."
Wan Yunting sat on the edge of the well, his face filled with grief and guilt, making him feel extremely uneasy.
Wan Yunting had come to find Chen Qiuyun today mainly to tell her about this matter. At the same time, he also wanted to find a quiet place to be alone and think about future matters...
Chen Qiuyun's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She had met her fellow disciples Lu Xiaodie and Zheng Rong during her closed-door cultivation in the valley. Although their relationship was not very close, seeing the grief and sadness on this man's face at this moment also made Chen Qiuyun feel inexplicably sad. After a long pause, she said, "My condolences..."
Wan Yunting threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his foot. He watched Chen Qiuyun continue washing vegetables. He wanted to pour out his troubles to her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The two of them continued their tasks in silence. After finishing washing the vegetables, Chen Qiuyun went into the kitchen to prepare lunch, while Wan Yunting sat outside in a daze, listening to the chirping of birds and the sounds of animals in the forest...
"Dinner is ready."
After Chen Qiuyun finished stir-frying the dishes, she brought out a small table from the house and set out the two stir-fried dishes, two bowls of congee, and chopsticks.
Wan Yunting came over to help carry two wooden stools. Looking at the two different vegetable dishes, neither of which contained meat, he didn't complain. He picked up a bowl of congee and started eating without a word...
Chen Qiuyun sat opposite him, also holding a bowl of congee and eating silently. Neither of them spoke until they finished their meal. Chen Qiuyun got up to clear the bowls and chopsticks, and Wan Yunting also cleared the table and stools and put them back. Then he sat on the long bench in front of the door, lit a cigarette, and continued to stare into space, lost in thought...
Chen Qiuyun, who had finished tidying up the kitchen, stood at the kitchen door and looked at Wan Yunting, who was smoking and lost in thought. She could see the change in his mood and the heaviness and oppression in his heart, but she didn't know how to comfort him...
After a long while, Chen Qiuyun came out with a basket. Wan Yunting then snapped back to attention and asked, "Where are you going?"
Chen Qiuyun said in a calm tone, "I'm going into the mountains to pick some wild mushrooms."
Wan Yunting immediately stood up, "I'll go with you..."
With that, they left their home and entered the forest of the Kunlun Mountain range behind them. Chen Qiuyun had previously learned to pick wild mushrooms and other dried goods from some elders in Kunshan Village, so she led Wan Yunting around the forest. Before long, they found a withered tree lying on the ground, covered with many wood ears...
Wan Yunting also saw many wild animals. He had wanted to catch a few to bring back for Chen Qiuyun to have some meat, but now many wild animals in the mountains were protected species, and Chen Qiuyun also told him not to hunt them...
They spent the entire afternoon wandering in the forest and didn't return home until sunset. When Chen Qiuyun was packing his backpack, she discovered two sets of spare clothes, and she knew that Wan Yunting might stay with her for a few days. So she went into the house and quietly tidied up her bed. Wan Yunting helped outside by sorting the wild wood ears and other mushrooms they had picked, along with some pine nuts. The two of them rarely communicated, but they acted like a couple, each doing their own tasks.
Chen Qiuyun went into the kitchen to prepare dinner, while Wan Yunting was outside chopping wood with an axe, splitting all the logs and then stacking the chopped firewood by the corner of the east wall of the wooden house...
By the time he finished these chores, Chen Qiuyun had already prepared dinner: a dish of fresh wood ears, a vegetable dish, and egg drop soup. Wan Yunting picked up the rice and ate with gusto. The freshly stir-fried wood ears tasted truly delicious...
"By the way, how is your charm cultivation progressing?"
Wan Yunting asked Chen Qiuyun, who was sitting opposite him, while eating.
Chen Qiuyun raised her phoenix eyes slightly, glanced at the man, chewed her food slowly, and said calmly, "A few days ago, my charm cultivation broke through to the mid-stage of Danjing."
Wan Yunting's expression was startled. He looked up directly at her and then smiled, "As expected of someone with a naturally charming bone. At this rate of cultivation, you'll break through to the Gangjing realm in another two months."
Chen Qiuyun lowered her head to eat and said faintly, "You can double cultivate with me tonight."
Wan Yunting's expression froze. He looked up at her and then nodded, not continuing the topic...
At night, the sky was hazy. A silver moon hung in the Kunlun Mountain range. The forest was pitch black, with the constant chirping of various birds, beasts, and insects, as if it could purify the soul and immerse one in it.
After taking a bath, Wan Yunting, wearing a vest and shorts, sat on the chair in front of the wooden house, looking up at the starry, hazy night sky. He had to admit that far from the hustle and bustle of the city, coming to these mountains allowed one to witness such a peaceful and serene starry night view.
Soon, Chen Qiuyun also finished bathing, wearing a white bathrobe. Her jet-black, smooth hair cascaded down her chest. Her stunningly beautiful, breathtakingly charming face was captivating. Even under the loose bathrobe, it couldn't conceal her voluptuous figure...
She came to Wan Yunting's side and slowly sat down. She gently tucked a few strands of hair from her forehead with her jade-like hand and looked up at the stars in the night sky. The moonlight shone on her fair and delicate cheeks, as if they were veiled in moonlight, causing Wan Yunting beside her to stare blankly. He could clearly see the fine fuzz on her cheeks shining, making her extremely beautiful...
The two sat together in silence, looking up at the starry sky, enjoying the moonlight, and listening to the symphony of insects from the surrounding mountain forest...
However, after a while, footsteps were heard on the small path ahead, pulling Wan Yunting and Chen Qiuyun back to reality. Their gazes both shifted forward.
Three old men, all in their fifties or sixties, appeared at the courtyard entrance. Their old eyes looked at Chen Qiuyun with a fiery gaze, and their faces showed wicked, mischievous smiles...
At that moment, Chen Qiuyun's eyebrows slightly raised. Wan Yunting, sitting beside her, looked at these three men in their fifties, who had wicked smiles on their faces and clearly looked like trouble. One of them was even carrying a hunting rifle, clearly heading for Chen Qiuyun...