Lord of the Desert

Chapter 468 Wandering
On the first day of September, the summer heat in the south has not yet dissipated, but it is already deep autumn in Liangzhou.

For more than half a month, Hong Fan visited all the coastal cities in the east of Shengzhou that had six-story pagodas, but unfortunately he found nothing. Thinking of changing his luck, he gave up the neighboring Zhanzhou and went straight into the ocean.

As the smallest part of Kyushu, Haizhou is located directly south of Zhanzhou and is a giant island isolated in the ocean.

Hong Fan first heard of this place four years ago. At that time, the Jinjiao Island mentioned by Xiao Zhenxie and Xiao Kefei was approximately located to the east of Zhanzhou and Haizhou.

[A hexagonal pagoda, a three-story mansion, a moon hanging from the eaves, and the sound of waves rising and falling. ]

During the three days, Hong Fan traveled through four cities and counties, but still did not find a place that met the above sixteen words. However, he passed by the mountain gate of the Xinsheng Sect, one of the four major sects.

The name of the mountain is Jinghua. It is less than two thousand meters high and cannot be described as majestic, but because it is moist, rainy and surrounded by clouds and mist, it has a fairy-like atmosphere.

The Xinsheng Sect inherits "The Great Dream Without Awakening Sutra", one of the ten scriptures, and has Shi Haoran, the youngest Martial Saint in the world. The latter's only daughter, Shi Jiyue, who is born in his old age and has the name "Mirror Flower and Water Moon", is one of the earliest geniuses on the list heard of by Hongfan. He was at the bottom of the list of geniuses four years ago, and then failed to break through for a long time and fell back again. He only recently broke through to the state of communication between heaven and man and is ranked 86th on the list of geniuses.

As time goes by, the unparalleled pride that once amazed everyone has been left far behind by Hong Fan.

At the foot of Jinghua Mountain, many young people who came from afar climbed the steps and plunged into the sea of ​​giant trees without hesitation. It is said that this sect is different from other sects. Those who want to join do not need an introduction. They will find the mountain gate if they are destined. Otherwise, no matter how long they stay, they will end up going back to the foot of the mountain.

With Hong Fan's current attainments in martial arts, he naturally understood that the "fate" here refers to spiritual talent. Only if one is sharp enough can one see through the deception set up by the Xinsheng Sect.

Jinghua Mountain is located on the south bank of Haizhou, facing the boundless ocean.

Hong Fan sat alone in the shade of the trees at the foot of the mountain for two quarters of an hour before walking away and flying into the sky ten miles away. It was already dusk on the third day of September when he arrived at the northern coastline of Haizhou.

The setting sun half melted and half dissolved into the sea.

It was low tide at this time, and the receding sea water revealed rugged reefs that looked like the ribs of the sea.

Hong Fan was standing on a low cliff when he suddenly heard the sound of a car behind him.

He turned around and saw an old monk coming from afar on the dirt road. He was carrying a hemp rope on his shoulder and pulling a large cart with seven children on it.

This scene is really weird.

Hong Fan frowned slightly, jumped off the cliff in one step, and moved forward.

Even though he was dozens of meters away, it was not difficult for him to see the person coming - the old monk was of medium height, with a half-inch long stubble of white hair on his head, and his face was full of wrinkles. He was already in his eighties, and in the hot summer in Haizhou, he was still wearing a thick monk's robe that made it difficult to tell the age of the monk.

"What is this Master doing?"

Hong Fan asked loudly.

The cart approached quickly.

"Send these dolls home."

The old monk pulling the cart replied with an innocent smile and slowed down the car.

Hong Fan looked over his body at the cart - the seven children were of different ages, the oldest was five or six years old, playing with a rattle in his hand, the youngest had just learned to lift his head, was at most two months old, and was looking at Hong Fan's unfamiliar voice with his dark eyes wide open.

"Why do such young children leave home? Where are their parents?"

Hong Fan's expression remained unchanged, and he was secretly circulating his true energy.

"They were all stolen by human traffickers. Their home is in the Qianzhang Village in the east. They originally sent someone to take them there, but the old monk saw that they were untidy and burly, and didn't look like they could take care of children. He was really worried about them, so he had to come here himself."

The old monk replied in a friendly manner, pulling the cart as he spoke, his pace faster than that of a horse or ox trotting, as if he was dragging a feather.

【This monk is not an ordinary person. 】

Hong Fan thought to himself that the other party's words sounded sincere and he could not find any flaws for a while.

“What about the traffickers?”

he asked again.

"I took it and handed it over to the government."

The old monk looked sad and answered all the questions.

"Do mages also arrest people?"

Hong Fan was stunned when he heard this.

"Buddhism is in the world, and it is not separated from the worldly awareness."

The old monk shook his head and replied.

Hong Fan hurried along with the cart and was about to test it again when he heard the youngest child in the cart crying.

With this beginning, another child who was about seven months old and had just learned to sit was also moved to tears.

When the old monk heard the crying, sweat suddenly broke out on his red cheeks.

He took a few steps and stopped the car steadily, his movements were hurried but efficient.

"Don't cry, baby, don't cry!"

The old monk walked around the side of the car, supported the baby's head and neck with one hand and the butt with the other, and held the smallest baby in his arms like tender tofu. His shoulders and arms were as stiff as two wooden wheels, and he only relied on his body to move.

This skill is obviously not enough to comfort a baby.

"Master, the child is probably hungry."

Hong Fan guessed.

"Oh, yes, that's right. When I went out of town, I asked someone about this. A two-month-old baby needs to be fed every hour and a half. Now is the time!" The old monk widened his eyes, nodded gratefully, and carefully put the child back in the car.

"Please wait here for a while. Grandpa will go find something to eat."

After he finished speaking, he didn't say anything to Hong Fan and quickly walked into the woods by the roadside.

Strangely enough, Hong Fan felt that the old monk's movements were ordinary and he could see his hands and legs clearly, but his speed was incredibly fast and he disappeared into the nearby woods in almost a moment.

[Warrior? Why is there no spiritual energy and true essence fluctuation? ]

Hong Fan’s first reaction was that he had encountered a ghost, but then he came to his senses and realized who he had met.

Only five minutes later, the old monk appeared at the edge of the woods again.

This time he held the front of his monk's robe with both hands, which was filled with various washed wild fruits, and a doe followed behind him.

The deer has swollen breasts, obviously in the lactation period.

"Here I come, don't cry, here I come!"

The monk came running over and quickly led the deer back to the car.

Many nimble shadows flashed through the bushes at the edge of the woods. Hong Fan looked carefully and saw that it was a whole herd of deer following them.

The deer were waiting quietly at the edge of the woods.

The doe came to the side of the car and lay quietly.

The monk first divided the wild fruits, and then, with his upper body stiff, he carried the two babies who were still breastfeeding to the side of the doe's belly. He saw them skillfully hold the nipples and suck, and stopped crying for a second. Only then did he have time to wipe the sweat off his face.

"Ah, this is much more tiring than carrying water in the temple."

He straightened up and pressed his waist.

"Master, do you know where these children live?"

Hong Fan asked carefully.

"Losing a child is a big deal. It's not hard to find him."

The old monk shook his head, but showed no hurry.

"The traffickers disguised themselves as street performers and sneaked here along Qianzhang Market. When the old monk saw them, the youngest child was crying loudly, and his diaper was completely wet and he didn't change it. The older children were more or less aware of the situation, and their eyes were all staring with fear..."

When he said this, tears immediately fell from his eyes.

"I feel sorry for the children, and I wonder how worried their parents must be. How can I leave?"

The old monk sat by the road and gently stroked the baby's back.

It was not until half an hour later that the children pushed the nipple out with their tongues that they were finally held in their arms.

"Hey, hey, look, he's laughing, and he's scratching my beard!"

With tears on his face, the old monk saw the baby smiling and he also laughed out loud.

Hong Fan looked at the old man and two children, and the three people with the same simple smiles, and couldn't help but smile too.

The doe stood up.

The old monk gently stroked its head.

"My dear deer, thank you for your trouble. The fruits I shook down earlier are your reward. Come back now."

The deer seemed to understand the old monk's words and returned to the group obediently. Then the group of deer quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest.

The dirt road was quiet, without any noisy children.

"Master, is your Dharma name Huai Zang?"

Hong Fan asked suddenly.

The old monk looked at him carefully and nodded.

This was the sixth Martial Saint seen by Hong Fan in person, and also the most legendary one.

But after getting a positive answer, he was speechless and didn't know what to say.

The slight crunching sound of the children chewing wild fruits on the cart gradually died down.

"Have you finished eating? Let's go home after we finish eating."

Huai Zang asked with a smile, and with a wave of his hand, the scattered fruit cores were lifted up into the air and shot into the soil at the edge of the forest in the distance.

"Young man, there is nothing crueler than the separation of flesh and blood. I am in a hurry to leave now."

He settled the children, put the hemp rope on his back, got in the car and drove away, leaving Hong Fan standing there in a daze as if he had been struck by lightning.

The setting sun sank into the horizon, and the world was immersed in a cold color.

The sound of waves remains the same, just like in my hometown.

Hong Fan looked toward the sea and saw that the waves created by the tide were inevitably being sent wandering.

(End of this chapter)