The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

Xiaohong seemed to sense something and looked up at Luo Xiaoyu. Seeing that his expression was not right, she followed his gaze. Although she could not see the situation in the room clearly, she could guess a little.

She sighed softly and whispered, "Brother Xiaoyu, don't take it to heart. We just need to have a clear conscience."

Luo Xiaoyu took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, nodded slightly, and continued with the work at hand, but she chopped the wood more vigorously than before, and each stroke seemed to vent the resentment in her heart.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, the little Taoist boys began to increase their efforts and let the two people do more work.

Both of them were exhausted.

In the evening, Luo Xiaoyu came to Xiaohong's room to complain.

"They are becoming more and more lawless. This is outrageous! We are the Prime Minister's men. Aren't they afraid of the Prime Minister's punishment?"

"Let's just be patient. Maybe it will be fine after the two old Taoist priests come out of seclusion."

"Endure? How long can you endure it?" Luo Xiaoyu said angrily.

Xiaohong sighed and said nothing.

Luo Xiaoyu said: "I have to tell the two Taoist priests about this. Why don't I go to their retreat place to find them?"

Xiaohong shook her head.

"There must be someone guarding that place, so you probably won't be able to see it."

Luo Xiaoyu felt helpless again. He returned to his room angrily.

He doesn't care, the key is that Xiaohong has to suffer with him, which makes him very sad.

On the other side, Xi Yu was looking for herbs and was shivering with cold.

Every step I took felt particularly difficult, and there were headwinds.

At this time, a voice shouted in the distance.

"It's dangerous there. Who are you?"

Xi Yu looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man who looked like a hunter in the distance.

He waved his hands, indicating that the other party should leave him alone.

He turned and continued walking forward, and the hunter in the distance shook his head.

What kind of person is this? How could he not listen to advice?

Xi Yu endured the pain and continued to move forward, and finally saw many unknown grasses.

He thought that maybe there really was the herb he was looking for.

If that's the case, it's worth it.

Suddenly, Xi Yu yelled.

It turned out that there was nothing under my feet. Although it looked flat, I soon fell into it.
The void under his feet was particularly large, and Xi Yu kept sinking down.

Xi Yu unknowingly came to a cave, and when he landed, his body fell heavily to the ground.

But it's much warmer here.

But he felt a little depressed. Although it was warm, it was not what he needed.

"Who comes here?" A voice suddenly appeared.

At this time, a figure appeared from a cave. Xi Yu saw clearly that it was an old man.

Xi Yu didn't expect that there was someone here.

"Old man, who are you?"

The old man looked at him coldly.

"I should be the one asking you this. Who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm here to ask for medicine."

The old man walked towards Xi Yu, staring at him coldly, and then asked, "You didn't lie?"

"It's true."

The old man said that this mountain is called Laojun Mountain and he has been protecting it.

Then the old man looked sharp.

"You really didn't lie? I don't believe it."

"What herb are you looking for?"

Xi Yu then took out the herbs that Song Shuwen had drawn for him.

The old man took it, still not believing it.

"I think you have a special purpose. You deliberately prepared this in advance. Just to make me pity you?"

Xi Yu was a little angry, but didn't want to say anything more.

At this moment, Xi Yu was really alone, and the secret guards had been sent away by him.

It turned out that when they were not far from the extremely cold place, Xi Yu asked the secret guards not to follow him.

The secret guards immediately appeared and said they would accompany the prime minister at all times to prevent any accidents from happening to him.

"Don't follow me. It's very cold after all. Besides, there aren't many people in places like that, so safety is guaranteed."

"But Prime Minister, our duty is ..."

"Don't say anything. This is an order. If anyone disobeys, I will hold him accountable."

In desperation, the secret guards had to wait for Xi Yu there.

So, Xiyu came here alone.

"Uncle, why don't you believe me?" Xi Yu asked the old man.

"Based on my feeling, but since you are here, even if you didn't steal anything, you can't leave."

The old man flashed by, as fast as a ghost. Xi Yu felt a flash before his eyes, and then his wrist was firmly locked by a hand like an iron clamp.

He struggled subconsciously, but the old man's grip was so strong that he couldn't move at all.

Before Xi Yu could exclaim in surprise, the old man tapped his toes and took him away as if riding the wind, and instantly rushed to a dark room deep in the cave.

Xi Yu was thrown to the ground hard, and he groaned.

He forced himself to stand up and looked around. The room was dark and damp, filled with a stale and decayed smell.

There are several pictures on the wall whose age cannot be determined. They look like martial arts secrets or some kind of mysterious formation.

"You...what on earth are you going to do?" Xi Yu glared at him, groaning in his heart.

The old man snorted coldly.

"What are you doing? You little kid is sneaky and your origins are unknown."

"Uncle, I really just wanted to save a life. I have no bad intentions at all!"

The old man remained unmoved, pacing around the room with his hands behind his back.

"Humph, no matter how eloquent you are, I won't believe you unless you make things clear."

Seeing that the old man was unmoved, Xi Yu was anxious, but he knew that he could not anger him any more, so he had to patiently say, "Old man, I understand that you are cautious, but my friend really can't afford to delay any longer. Please be kind. If I am sure that the herb does not exist, I will leave immediately and will not stay any longer or cause you any trouble."

When the old man heard this, a fierce light flashed in his eyes. He took a step forward, and his finger almost poked Xi Yu's chest, and said viciously: "You are a very suspicious person now, stay here honestly! Don't mention leaving or not again, wait until I find out your background, if you dare to play tricks, you will be in trouble!"

Xi Yu was frightened by this sudden action and took a step back, hitting his back against the stone wall, causing pain.

He knew that it was useless to argue at this moment and could only nod silently.

When the old man saw that he had surrendered, he snorted coldly, turned around, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the room, glancing at Xiyu from time to time.

Xi Yu calmed down and saw some dried herbs hanging on the wall. He asked, "Old man, you are the guardian of Laojun Mountain, so you must have extraordinary knowledge. These herbs may look ordinary, but are they also very useful?"

He tried to start with the herbs, strike up a conversation with the old man, slowly resolve the other party's hostility, and find an opportunity to get the life-saving herbs.

The old man stopped and glanced at the herbs on the wall. He snorted in response, but his expression softened a little. He said, "Of course, every plant and tree in this mountain has its own spirit. You can't easily see through it." When Xi Yu heard this, his anger suddenly rose. He straightened his back and said coldly, "Old man, do you know who I am? You treated me so rudely today, aren't you afraid of being held accountable in the future?"

The old man seemed to have heard a joke. He threw his head back and laughed. After he finished laughing, his eyes were full of mockery.

"In Laojun Mountain, I am the God! Even if the emperor himself comes and violates my taboos and dares to covet the treasures in my mountain, I will deprive him of his rights!"

After saying that, the old man crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Xi Yu, his eyes seemed to be saying "use it if you have the ability".

Xi Yu gritted his teeth and thought to himself, if he attacked by force, not to mention that the old man was highly skilled in martial arts, just considering the terrain, he was unfamiliar with it and would probably find it difficult to escape. It would also completely anger the old man and cut off his way to getting the medicine.

For a moment, the two of them were in a stalemate, and the air was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder.

At this time, Xi Yu began to regret that he should have let the secret guards follow him.

He secretly blamed himself. He originally didn't want his subordinates to suffer in this extremely cold place, but he didn't expect to fall into such a difficult predicament.

Now he was alone facing this stubborn old man, without even anyone to tip off.

If the secret guards were here, even if the old man was highly skilled in martial arts, at least he could be looked after and have more room to maneuver. Maybe with the skills and cooperation of the secret guards, he could take advantage of the old man's unpreparedness and explore whether there were any herbs needed in the cave, instead of being trapped in this dark room like now, completely in a passive position.

Xi Yu was filled with regret, and his fingers clenched and unclenched unconsciously.

He glanced at the old man and saw that he still had a cold and hard expression on his face, with no sign of softening. He thought that he could only endure it for the time being and then find an opportunity to persuade the old man.

So he quietly moved to the wall, sat on the ground, and thought about what to do next, trying to search his memory for a way to impress the old man.

After a while, the old man said his surname was Cai, and you could just call himself Lao Cai.

Xi Yu was furious and complained to himself: You can call me whatever you want. You have tortured me like this. What's the point of trying to get close to me now?

But he knew very well that he could not disobey the old man at this time, so he just nodded slightly and said nothing.

After a while, Lao Cai asked Xiyu what his name was. Xiyu was full of resentment and replied unhappily: "What does it have to do with you?"

When Old Cai heard this, he sneered, his eyes suddenly cold: "How dare you be so arrogant to me on my territory?"

Xi Yu realized that he could not further anger the other party at this moment, otherwise, let alone asking for medicine, he might not be able to save himself.

His mind raced, and he thought of the name "Yu Xi" again, so he casually replied, "My name is Yu Xi."

Old Cai looked at him suspiciously, as if trying to determine whether the name was true or not.

"Yu Xi? Humph, no matter whether it's your real name or a fake name, you'd better behave yourself in Laojun Mountain."

After a while, a woman came in from outside. She was surprised to see a stranger and asked, "Lao Cai, Dad, who is this?"

Old Cai's expression eased a little, and he looked at Xi Yu and said, "This kid said he came here to ask for medicine. I will keep him here for a few days to observe him."

He then introduced the man to the woman: "This man's name is Yu Xi."

The woman took a few steps closer and looked at Xi Yu carefully. She was wearing a coarse linen shirt, but her graceful figure could not be concealed. Her eyes revealed the simplicity and curiosity of a mountain person.

"Come to ask for medicine? It's not so easy to get medicine in our Laojun Mountain." The woman frowned slightly, seeming a little worried.

Seeing that the situation was improving, Xi Yu quickly stood up and saluted.

"Young lady, to be honest, I have a close friend who is dying and needs a herbal medicine to save his life. I heard that this medicine might be found in Laojun Mountain, so I came here without permission. I hope you can understand."

The woman looked hesitant and looked at Lao Cai. Lao Cai shook his head slightly, signaling her not to believe it.

The woman bit her lower lip and whispered to Xiyu, "Just stay here for now. Daddy will take the final decision on this matter." After that, she turned around and walked deeper into the cave with Lao Cai, seeming to discuss something in a low voice. Xiyu was left anxious, hoping that the father and daughter would show some leniency.

After a while, Lao Cai came to Xiyu again, his eyes sharp as torches, and continued to stare at him closely. The scrutinizing look seemed as if he wanted to see through Xiyu.

At this time, Old Cai's daughter Cai Wenshuang came over with a lot of prepared food. The aroma of the food instantly filled the slightly stuffy house.

Cai Wenshuang put the food on the table and said to Xi Yu with a smile: "My name is Cai Wenshuang. You have come such a long way, you must be hungry. Let's eat together."

Xi Yu frowned, doubtful, and subconsciously took a step back, asking cautiously: "Is there no poison in the food?"

Cai Wenshuang was stunned at first, then he showed some grievance and dissatisfaction on his face, and said angrily: "What are you talking about? Although we have detained you, we will not resort to such means. If you don't believe me, then just starve."

Old Cai listened from the side, glared at Xi Yu, and scolded him: "Humph, your kindness is taken for granted. Wen Shuang made this meal out of his heart. You can eat it or not. Don't talk nonsense here."

Seeing the father and daughter's reactions, Xi Yu felt a little hesitant, thinking that he was indeed hungry, but he was also afraid that he had fallen into a trap. He stood there for a while, not knowing whether to move forward or backward.

After a while, Cai Wenshuang saw that Xi Yu was still hesitating, so he picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it into his mouth, chewing and saying: "Did you see? We are eating so deliciously, you should believe it, right?"

As he spoke, he poured himself a bowl of soup and gulped down a few sips. His calm look dispelled some of Xi Yu's doubts.

Xi Yu nodded slightly, then slowly moved to the table, picked up the bowl and chopsticks and started eating.

After swallowing a few mouthfuls of hot rice, Xi Yu suddenly felt warmer and more energetic. He looked at Cai Wenshuang and Lao Cai and said sincerely, "I know you misunderstood, but you are not bad people."

Old Cai put down his chopsticks heavily and snorted, "Don't try to get close to us. We won't let you go. You are an outsider with unknown origins. You said you were saving a friend, but who knows if you are just making up a lie to cheat me of the precious herbs from Laojun Mountain."

Xi Yu found that it was impossible to communicate with them, so he simply stopped talking.

He had no taste for the meal. He felt helpless and anxious. He just hoped to get the herbs and leave as soon as possible.

After dinner, Lao Cai asked Xiyu to go to another room with him. Xiyu instinctively became alert and asked, "Where to?"

Old Cai frowned and replied impatiently: "You don't need to know."

The unquestionable tone made Xi Yu feel cold in his heart, but at the moment he was under someone else's control, he had no choice but to follow.

The two walked through a dark and damp corridor, surrounded by a stale smell.

Xi Yu secretly kept an eye on the route, thinking that if there were any changes, he would be prepared to deal with them.

Soon, they came to a room that looked like a secret room.

Then Lao Cai locked the door and went out.

Xi Yu was very angry. He thought that on this trip he would at most have to endure the harsh weather in the extremely cold land and go through so much trouble to find medicine. However, he did not expect to be trapped in this dark cave and be subject to all kinds of human restrictions.

He pounded on the stone door angrily, but all he got in response was a dull echo.

"Why is this old man so stubborn!" Xi Yu whispered with gritted teeth.

Looking around, there was no other exit in the house except for the bottles and jars placed in a disorderly manner.

He tried to find a tool to pick the door lock, but found nothing.

Old Cai returned to Cai Wenshuang, looked thoughtful, and asked his daughter.

"What about this person?"

Cai Wenshuang shook his head subconsciously, still thinking about Xi Yu's request for medicine. He felt that this person's origin was strange, yet he was also very persistent.

Seeing this, Mr. Cai's mouth corners suddenly raised and he laughed.

"I mean, how about him being my son-in-law?"

Cai Wenshuang was stunned and her face flushed instantly. She looked at her father with a reproachful look and immediately replied, "Dad, what nonsense are you talking about?" Her eyes were full of shyness and surprise.

Old Cai stroked his beard and looked serious: "I think this kid is tough, but he is quite courageous. He dares to venture into the mountains alone, so he must be extraordinary. Besides, our Wen Shuang is also of marriageable age. If he is sincere, it would be good for him to stay and become a live-in son-in-law."

Cai Wenshuang stamped his feet, his cheeks burning.

"Dad, please don't match us up randomly. He's here to ask for medicine, and who knows which girl he has in mind. Besides, we don't know his background yet."

Although she said this, Xi Yu's face unconsciously appeared in her mind, and a ripple appeared in her heart.

Old Cai just smiled and said nothing, as if he had already made up his mind and was just waiting to see how this outsider would perform later.

Xi Yu paced back and forth in the dim secret room, frowning, thinking about a question in his heart: If I reveal my identity as the prime minister, will they let me go? After all, this identity is very important outside. When others know it, most of them will be afraid and respectful.

But on second thought, Old Cai’s attitude before was so tough that he even looked down on the emperor. Would he easily give in just because he is the prime minister?
Maybe they will feel that I am taking advantage of my power to bully others, which will make them even more disgusted and cause them to watch me even more closely, which will completely cut off my chance of getting medicine.

Suddenly, Xi Yu felt his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier. He felt sleepy, his head was groggy, and his body was filled with discomfort.

After all, he had been exposed to the cold outside for a long time, and his body was already exhausted. The sleepiness was like a tide, constantly pouring towards him, and it was difficult to resist.

He tried hard to stay awake, but he could not overcome the heavy tiredness. Before he knew it, he slowly slid against the wall, his eyelids closed, and he fell asleep.

In his dream, he seemed to see Xiaohong's expectant face.

But he couldn't move his feet, and was sweating profusely, but he was still trapped in the fog and couldn't break free... (End of this chapter)