Please call me Huanxian

Chapter 409: Explanation, Successor

The little girl had poor eyesight, but she recognized the voice of the distinguished guest who had visited her home the day before yesterday. She held the gentle big hand tightly, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw. Tears welled up in her eyes, heat flowed through her body, and her knees, which had been stiff and painful, returned to normal.

She suppressed her fear and grievances and walked to the end of the street without saying a word.

Men and women of all ages kneeling in a row on the side of the street, as silent as a piece of wood, were heart-wrenching and created an indescribable scene in this cruel and cannibalistic world.

Even the spring sunshine is icy cold and can’t dispel the chill that permeates the sky.

Xu Yuanchang held the little girl's hand and walked forward step by step.

"The nectar cannot moisten the rootless grass, and the great way cannot save those who have no destiny." He cannot change the world where the strong prey on the weak, because the way of heaven is the most ruthless.

He once had the idea of ​​saving the common people, but later found that trying to change the cause and effect of the weak was too heavy and tiring, and he couldn't bear it...

Shi Qiyuan glanced at the human trafficker who was still chattering along, and sneered at the human trafficker's strong recommendation of "the good stuff in the shop that can warm quilts, burn incense, and play the piano." He guessed that since the little girl had ended up here, the old man might have been doomed.

I am quite curious about what is so special about the little girl's eyes?

The cultivators who have cultivated to the seventh level have experienced a lot of blood and gore, and they have never been soft-hearted towards outsiders.

To be valued so highly by Fellow Daoist Xu, the little girl must have something extraordinary.

The human trafficker felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar when he was glanced at. He stood there for a long time with fear in his heart. Several of his men nearby noticed something was wrong and ran over to support their leader. Someone whispered a suggestion.

"Should we call Brother Ban Ya and the others?"

"What the hell, calling someone here doesn't cost money? You have a human head and a pig brain."

Ren Yazi slapped the subordinate who came up with the bad idea, venting his anger.

It's not easy to make money in this world. I have to offer a lot of spirit stones every year, otherwise I can't make a living. I'm really a prodigal son who doesn't know how expensive food and daily necessities are.

The cultivation levels of those two men are unfathomable. Are they going to ask Ban Ya and the others to come and get beaten up, and then pay the sky-high price for the medicine?
Can you be any more stupid? Don't you know that being friendly to ruthless people will bring you wealth?

Xu Yuanchang took the little girl to the woods at the end of the street, stopped, took out an empty bowl, and with a random touch of his finger, half a bowl of clear water like a spiritual spring gushed out of the bowl, which he handed to the little girl with chapped lips.

The thirsty and hungry little girl gulped down the water, raised her head with a pleading look, and said timidly: "I want to go home. Grandpa has been captured by bad guys. Can you save Grandpa?"

Xu Yuanchang had already used his spiritual sense to scan the yard beside the lotus pond a hundred miles away. The gate of the yard was wide open, and he saw Old Zhangtou's body, twisted like a torn sack, lying in the backyard vegetable garden. His body was covered with scars and he must have been tortured to death.

The water tank was broken, the vegetable patch was dug up and turned upside down, and the courtyard wall was in critical condition.

The bedroom and kitchen were not spared. They were full of holes and things were scattered everywhere.

Looking at the little girl's eyes that seemed to be covered with a layer of green mist, Xu Yuanchang really couldn't bear to let a child face the cruel life and death of her only relative, so he had to prepare the child in advance.

"I can take you home. Something might have happened to your great-grandfather."

"Thank you very much, benefactor. I..."

The little girl finally couldn't hold back her tears. Children living in chaotic areas tend to be sensible. She had actually guessed it a long time ago but just didn't want to believe it. She wanted to call for help to rescue her grandfather who had been captured.

Xu Yuanchang looked at Shi Qiyuan apologetically, then pulled the little girl into the air. When they landed a moment later, they had arrived in front of the dilapidated courtyard.

Shi Qiyuan flew after him without caring. He wanted to see how Fellow Daoist Xu, who seemed to have a good temper, would handle such a matter.

"Go look in the backyard."

Xu Yuanchang sent away the little girl who was stunned by the destruction of her home, looked around, and looked at a mountain twenty miles to the south, and said, "Come here, some of you who are breathing, give me an explanation."

The cold tone penetrated the ordinary protective formation and exploded on the top of the mountain, blowing down the trees, houses and pavilions, and knocking many drinking and noisy monks to the ground.

He does not have a kind heart like a bodhisattva. He has his own powerful methods, but he does not use them normally.

Zuandilong said that he also had a sphere of influence outside Jiuzhu City. The Lotus Pond area, for example, was previously under the jurisdiction of Zuandilong's outer subordinates. It housed many disabled brothers who had followed Zuandilong to fight, or family members and descendants, as well as wandering cultivators who paid protection fees to seek shelter, and rebels who fled from the mainland to avoid disaster.

The people are mixed and varied.

There is no pure land anywhere on Jiuzhu Island; there is infighting everywhere.

"Hurry up and tell Mr. Meng that there is a master coming to cause trouble."

"You dare to come to Mengye's territory and act so recklessly? You must be tired of living. Brothers, let's go and take a look."

The two leading men cursed and sent a message, leading everyone to fly to the lotus pond. They thought that other forces came to cause trouble. Even though they knew that the other party was a master, they were not afraid at all and put on a negotiation posture.

From the backyard came the sound of a little girl crying sadly.

Xu Yuanzhang frowned and shouted, "All of you, get off my throne."

The eight monks fell to the ground with a few thumps as if struck by lightning. They were suppressed and unable to get up.

The two leading men had the fifth level of cultivation and they immediately realized that they had hit a wall this time and had offended the wrong person. The other party came to seek justice for the coward Old Zhangtou.

"Did you kill Old Zhangtou?"

Xu Yuanchang asked coldly.

A sturdy man who was leading the group was so depressed that his blood boiled. He felt like he would be crushed to death at any moment. He quickly moved his finger and pointed at a thin man behind him with difficulty, shouting, "Reporting to the ancestor, it was the water monkey who did it. It has nothing to do with us. Please spare my life, ancestor."

"Grandmaster, spare my life. It was the water monkey who did it."

Others pointed out the truth.

The thin man was trembling all over and his face was as pale as paper. He wanted to deny it but couldn't.

Several people present here are involved, why should he be the only one to take the blame?

"Can you tell me the reason and cause of this incident?"

Xu Yuanchang continued to ask.

The sturdy man who was pointed out felt the pressure on him relieved immediately. He pointed to the left yard and shouted, "It was Old Zhangtou's neighbor, the ground mouse, who reported that Old Zhangtou had hidden the late Haoye's treasure, which was taken away by two outsiders...honored guests. We wanted to inquire about the situation, but the water monkey was eager to make a contribution and acted without thinking, killing Old Zhangtou."

Xu Yuanzhang saw the wooden door of the left courtyard quietly closing, and shouted: "Come here!"

A middle-aged man with a rat-like beard who had been hiding behind the door staggered out in a daze and fell beside the crowd with a thump.

Xu Yuanchang looked towards the southeast sky and saw several black spots flying towards him quickly.

He didn't expect that things turned out to be related to him. None of the guys in the chaotic area were easy to deal with. They were able to find Lao Zhangtou through him and Shi Qiyuan and actually guessed what happened.

I heard from the Zui Di Long that guys living on Jiuzhu Island all have the habit of hiding treasures.

Perhaps the mole used this to threaten Old Zhangtou, but failed to gain any benefits. He became angry and reported Old Zhangtou to the new group that took over, resulting in Old Zhangtou being tortured to death and the little girl being sold.

"Grandfather, please spare my life. I only reported Old Zhangtou for hiding Master Hao's treasure, but I did not kill him." The man with a rat-like beard lay on the ground, crying and snotting, looking like he regretted his decision.

The little girl, covered in mud and with red and swollen eyes from crying, heard the commotion outside the yard and ran to the door again, pointing at the bearded rat man and accusing him, "It was him... who sold me to a human trafficker."

Thinking of her grandpa's tragic death and the fact that she would be alone from now on, she couldn't help but feel sad and sobbed.

Xu Yuanchang ignored the rat-whiskered man who was curled up in pain and unable to make a sound. Instead, he looked at a group of monks who had flown nearby and hurriedly landed on the ground. His eyes fell on the burly, black-faced man from the sixth floor who was leading the group.

"Meng Heizi pays his respects to the senior."

The black-faced man led a few others and bowed respectfully. Facing the gazes of the two unfamiliar masters of the Seventh Floor, he had already killed those subordinates who were more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything eight times in his heart.

Yesterday the eldest brother specially called all of them from the Sixth Floor and warned them not to bump into the two Seventh Floor monks who were strolling around the streets, and not to bring about fatal disasters, otherwise no one would be able to save them. They could easily crush the burrowing dragon and drive the pineapple out of the Liuyun Domain, and it would be easier for them to crush a few Sixth Floor monks who were not very good at seeing than to drink water.

They were shown images of the two men's disguised appearances.

As luck would have it, what you feared came true. A few of your incompetent subordinates brought about their hapless death.

But they sent him a message, asking him to die together. How could he be a companion on the road to the underworld?
"Several of your men killed Old Zhangtou, and now Old Zhangtou's body is still lying in the backyard. Meng Heizi, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its creditor. How are you going to give me an explanation?"

Xu Yuanchang felt a little annoyed and said coldly.

The black-faced man didn't know who Lao Zhangtou was. The boss threw this dry place to him like garbage and asked him to send a few people to take over. How come there is a person who is related to the master of the Seventh Floor hiding here?
He immediately stated: "Killing someone means paying with one's life. Please wait a moment, Senior. Meng Heizi will give you a satisfactory explanation right now."

He understood the other party's meaning of "every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor" and did not want to escalate the matter.

It was a close call. There is still room for maneuver.

The figures flashed a few times, and there were a few dull sounds of skulls breaking. The man with a rat-like beard and blood gushing from all seven orifices suffered the same fate. He was killed on the spot by Meng Heizi, and the Nascent Soul of the subordinate from Wu Chonglou was shattered together with it.

The little girl was so scared that she hid behind the door and didn't even dare to cry.

The black-faced man took off his storage bracelet, bowed and presented it to the master, saying, "Meng Heizi failed to control his subordinates and caused the death of Taoist Lao Zhangtou. I will give you all my wealth as compensation. Please punish me, senior!"

Xu Yuanchang shook his head and said, "Let's stop here. You will host the funeral of Old Zhangtou and bury him in the vegetable garden in the backyard. From now on, you will assign someone to take care of this yard."

The dark-faced man nodded his head rapidly, and hurriedly agreed with a smile: "Of course, please rest assured, I will do it."

Xu Yuanchang walked into the dilapidated courtyard and said to the little girl, "You will keep vigil for seven days. After the funeral, I will take you to Liuyun Continent. Are you willing?"

The little girl tilted her little face up and nodded vigorously, trying to smile to express her happiness, but tears started flowing again.

Xu Yuanchang rubbed the poor child's hair, took out a dark golden plate, and asked, "What's your name?"

"My full name is 'Nie Xiaomeng' and I am eight years old."

"Nie Xiaomeng, from now on, you are a disciple of Wuliu Mountain."

Xu Yuanchang used his magic power to engrave his name on the back of the card and asked the little girl to keep the identity card safe.

Shi Qiyuan was secretly surprised, for he recognized that it was the elder badge of Wuliu Mountain, which meant that Brother Xu had already reserved the little girl as his personal disciple.

He didn't think that Brother Xu was doing this for the sake of the dead Old Zhangtou. Old Zhangtou didn't have that much nerve.

He couldn't help but be curious, so he touched the little girl's head and said, "Nie Xiaomeng, please accept my condolences. Your grandfather doesn't want to see you too sad."

The brief contact made him a little disappointed.

The little girl has the aptitude to practice cultivation, but her aptitude is just average, not the rare talent and beauty in the world of cultivation.

The black-faced man respectfully saw the two elders off, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and quickly ordered his men to deal with the corpses on the ground so as not to scare the little ancestor who was pretending to look up at the sky at the door.

No matter how dumb he was, he could see that Senior Xu had already chosen the little girl as his disciple.

After thinking about it, he sent a message to the boss, emphasizing his handling process and that Senior Xu had said "stop here" and did not expand the disaster, etc.

Seven days later, Xu Yuanchang appeared in front of the courtyard gate beside the lotus pond on time.

In just a few days, the yard was renovated.

The little girl, wearing clean and simple clothes, carrying a green cloth bundle on her back and holding an old huqin in her hands, walked forward and took the hand of the senior who had made her look forward to it and was afraid that he would leave her alone. She finally felt at ease.

"gone."

"Congratulations, senior."

The black-faced man led the crowd and bowed to see them off. Seeing the two figures, one big and one small, disappear into the horizon, he straightened his back and his face regained the dignity that a leader of the Six-Story Tower should have.

"This yard, you have to keep a close eye on it. Don't let any outsiders live in it. It will ruin the feng shui. Do you understand?"

"Yes, understand!"

Everyone responded loudly.

Xu Yuanchang put the little girl into the space and rushed back to Wuliu Mountain that day.

He had already separated from Shi Qiyuan, and a few days ago he specially sent a message to Brother Cao to say hello and inform him that he had found his successor on Jiuzhu Island.

If he hadn't tried hard to stop him, his senior brother would have almost flown from Black Reef Island to see the wonder.

Of the first two disciples he accepted, one was a pure physical practitioner. Apart from teaching them some chanting and how to be a good person and do things through words and deeds, he really couldn't provide any specific guidance. Later on, Zeng Wanglou taught the disciples personally. He was just a boss in name only.

As for the second disciple, it was to settle the cause and effect of his transformation into a mortal at Xishui Temple that year.

He only gave some general pointers on how to practice, while Dong Xing had to explore and comprehend the rest on his own, which was the most difficult and bumpy journey.

The third disciple at present will be his successor after two years of observation. He will devote himself to cultivating his knowledge, especially the art of illusion.

It is not easy to find a successor who is to your liking, in line with the Taoism, and has good character in the world of cultivation.

He released Nie Xiaomeng from the space, pointed to the vague mountain gate shrouded in clouds and mist, and said, "We have arrived at Wuliu Mountain. From now on, you can practice at the mountain gate with peace of mind. When you miss home, just play the erhu." He lowered his head and asked again, "Can you play the erhu?"

"Yes, my great-grandfather taught me. He also taught me how to read."

The little girl held the huqin and looked at the hazy shadow in front of her with wide eyes.

Xu Yuanchang raised his hand to signal the several disciples on duty to stand up and refused the respectful request to open the mountain gate.

He led the little girl through the side door and into the picturesque sect gate.

The dancing cranes bring good luck and spring is bright.

……

(End of this chapter)