Please call me Huanxian

Chapter 456: Farewell and Revisit

The sky is high and the clouds are clear, the wind is gentle and the sun is beautiful.

Two people were hiking in the wilderness canyon, either thinking silently or admiring the boundless autumn scenery. No one spoke, and the black cat burrowed into the ground and ran away to an unknown place.

Suddenly, several people flew out from the other side of the mountain. When they saw the monks at the bottom of the valley, they surrounded them with a roar.

"Hey, who are you? How dare you trespass into Mr. Qiao's territory?"

"If you are sensible, each of you should hand over a treasure to save your life!"

About ten miles away, the two leading monks from the sixth floor sang the snippet of robbery rhythmically, one sentence at a time.

A black cat emerged from the ground and cast a sinister glance upward.

The six monks in the air seemed to be cast into a spell, standing there dumbfounded... An old man in a black robe and with his face covered, an ordinary-looking Taoist carrying an old bamboo basket, and a black cat that was not an ordinary creature, everything matched the mysterious combination in the rumors.

Didn’t they say that the two people and the cat had been away from the Great Wilderness Mountain Area for five years?
It can't be such a coincidence that they would run into each other and seek death?

Because they didn’t see the black cat just now, they dared to collect the “protection fee” without hesitation.

Xu Yuanchang chuckled, seeing that this was a living target that had been delivered to his doorstep. He took out his stick and sword with their sheaths, raised them forward with ease, and hit one of the stunned monks in the head with it.

The two sides were ten miles apart, and the scabbard appeared like an afterimage.

The monk was suddenly startled and twisted his body to dodge.

"Bang", the scabbard followed like a shadow, turned a corner and hit the top of his head heavily.

The sixth-floor monk’s eyes went dark, blood spurted out of his mouth, and he fell headfirst onto the rocks below.

"Senior, please spare my life. Please spare my life. We are willing to hand over all our treasures in exchange for our lives. In exchange for our lives."

"Please forgive me, senior. We have no intention of offending you. We accept the punishment."

The other five people were so frightened that they dared not scatter and run for their lives. The distance between them was too big to escape. Instead, they would anger the mysterious master and be caught in one fell swoop.

They can only gamble on the lessons learned from countless bloody experiences, take the initiative to admit their mistakes, and seek a glimmer of hope for survival.

They were unsure whether the rules of the Great Wilderness Mountain Area applied to outsiders.

Xu Yuanchang's raised scabbard was stuck in the air. He couldn't hit it with his second stick anymore. He had no choice but to take it back and said, "Each of you leave a treasure behind and get out!"

The five people swiftly took out a treasure each, and rushed to fly away, not daring to stay for a moment.

The intense thrill of escaping death turned into infinite ecstasy in my heart.

It's not easy to save your life.

"return!"

Xu Yuanchang shouted: "Take that fellow away. We only taught him a lesson, but didn't kill him."

The five people were almost frightened to death and subconsciously wanted to run away regardless of everything. They came to their senses after hearing the next sentence. They complained in their hearts, "Senior, can you please stop breathing heavily when you speak? You're scaring people to death."

In a panic, they left behind a treasure and dragged their unconscious companion, and the five of them fled faster than rabbits.

In less than half a day, the shocking news that the two men and the cat had reappeared in Xiantao Island spread throughout the twelve continents of the Great Wilderness Mountain Region, attracting many brave seventh-story monks to cross mountains and seas to come and see the novelty.

Xu Yuanchang unceremoniously used the scabbard as a stick, and took it as a practice of "Dongxu Strike", knocking down several sneaky guys who were flying within thirty miles. The domineering display scared people so much that no one dared to spy within a hundred miles.

If you want to make friends and communicate, you should come forward and introduce yourself openly. Acting sneakily will make people hate you.

In the days that followed, the two people and the cat went through wind and rain together and were rarely disturbed.

Xu Yuanchang would set aside two hours every day, while on the road, to continue to ponder the magical power of "Dongxu Yiji". He never let go of the stick and sword, and kept raising his hand to hand over the sword and then pretend to stab, or chop, or hit, and occasionally one or two flashes of sword light would be emitted.

He always firmly believes that practice makes perfect. The master can only lead you to the door, but the practice is up to you.

Another hour was used to comprehend and absorb the power of the fire element.

In the afternoon, he separated his spiritual consciousness and, according to the rudimentary method of "word thinking", disassembled the complicated characters such as "demon, soul, ghost, god, immortal, and human" in the space of the Fantasy Fairy Ring, trying to find matching word groups.

When you rest at night, you should feel the heaven and earth and realize the way of emptiness and tranquility. This cannot be missed for a single day.

With the perseverance of water dripping through a stone, move forward firmly on the path of cultivation.

The old man in black robe trudged along with the help of crutches, his mind wandering all day long without saying a word, and he seemed even more silent.

The black cat that fell behind would occasionally dive into the ground and disappear for varying periods of time.

Everyone has their own thing to do and does not interfere with each other.

After walking around and arriving at Maixianzhou, another seven years had passed. During this time, I witnessed the chaos, disorder, and slaughter in the Great Wilderness Mountain Area. It was the cruelest side of the world of cultivation, ugly but real.

"A tragedy in which tens of millions of lives were sacrificed almost occurred here, and I almost followed the crowd and became one of the accomplices."

Stepping on the land of Maixianzhou again, Xu Yuanchang felt many emotions, as if he was talking to himself.

This time when he revisited the place, he wanted to visit Qixing Mountain and the market town, and walk along the "Broken Star Lake".

The old man in black robe poked a piece of gravel with his wooden crutch, looked up at the sky, and said leisurely: "I have had a great time. It is time to leave. I can no longer 'wander around the mortal world and taste the flavors of life'."

In just over twenty years, he has figured out the path he wants to take in the future and made up his mind.

Those who do not have great perseverance and determination dare not take the risk to try.

Xu Yuanchang looked at the old man who looked different with his back straight, and saluted with his fists: "I wish you to get out of your predicament, ascend to the immortal world, and achieve immortality."

The old man's face, which was wrapped in black cloth and looked like dry bark, showed a bitter smile. He was silent for a moment, paused with his wooden crutch, and said, "I originally wanted to give you this semi-immortal weapon as a small gift for our good relationship, but you said yourself that your master was worried that you would rely on the benefits of the semi-immortal weapon and forget the original intention of the Tao, and go astray. So I decided to owe it to you first. Or if you have any secret method you want, please tell me."

Xu Yuanchang showed a look of surprise on his face, then he chuckled a few times and said, "Don't worry, no matter how many semi-immortal soldiers you send, I have the confidence to control them. Just send them, I won't miss my cultivation."

He used jokes to dispel the sudden sadness of parting.

Getting along with the old man in a transactional manner, with neither of us owed anything to anyone, is very good.

The old man in black robe laughed and said, "You are not polite at all, and you have a big appetite. But I can't hurt you. Since you can't think of a suitable request, I will leave first."

Without any hesitation, he used his wooden crutch to make a move in the air.

He took a step into the dark void and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Xu Yuanchang clasped his fists and said, "Take care, Senior Wu!"

After spending so many years together day and night, he felt a little uncomfortable suddenly losing a companion.

After gazing for a while, he calmed down a little, reached out and rubbed the head of the black cat that came forward, and said proudly: "Lazy Tiger, go and travel the world with me."

A man and a cat walked towards the vast mountains, one in front and one behind, following the long shadows of the setting sun. Although it is nice to be under a big tree to enjoy the shade, no grass grows under a big tree.

The road is still long, and you have to walk it steadily.

……

Zhoushan District, Gudui Mountain, in front of Baozhou Temple.

The old man in black robe and the tall Master Sanzhou were strolling on the ancient bluestone platform.

At midnight, the ancient temple fell into a deep sleep and everything was silent.

"Donor Wu, since you have found a way to deal with the calamity, why don't you spend more time to calm down and deal with it slowly?"

Master Sanzhou tried to persuade his old friend to change his mind by whispering, "Reincarnation is extremely risky. If you make a mistake, you will be doomed. Why gamble on such an illusory future?"

He raised his head slightly and glanced at the night sky.

It indicates that God has eyes and may embarrass old friends who have fallen into trouble.

Although he had gained some magical powers to peek into time, he could not "deduce" the secrets of hundreds of years later.

Five hundred years ago, he deduced a solution for his old friend to eliminate the disaster. In fact, it was according to the instructions of Taoist Yanshan. He told him to go to the mountain temple at a certain place on a certain day to meet the Taoist priest. He could not bear to see his old friend fall into despair and lose hope, and embark on the path of self-destruction.

We should give it a try as we can.

But he didn't expect that the final result would be such a disappointment.

He was somewhat suspicious as to whether the old centipede monster had misunderstood the intention conveyed by Taoist Master Yanshan through the mouth of his disciple.

The old man in black robe sighed and said, "I don't have much time left. I have only temporarily stopped my body from decaying. The next explosion will be like a blocked flood, with even greater power. I won't be able to survive it. Otherwise, I would have ignored the opportunity to ascend and chosen to take the risky path. My brain is not decayed."

Master Sanzhou lowered his head and pondered for a moment. Seeing that the old man in black robe had made up his mind, he stopped trying to persuade him. He put his hands together and said, "Is there anything I can do for you? Just tell me."

The old man in black robe chuckled and said in his heart, "I've been waiting for you to say this. When I go to Fangcun Mountain, I'll tell my disciple about my affairs and make arrangements for the future. Then I'll ask you to accompany me to the netherworld and negotiate a deal with the Lord of the Ghost Realm to ensure a smooth reincarnation, so as to achieve the goal of getting rid of the backlash of the Heavenly Dao."

Master Sanzhou nodded silently.

They have been friends for thousands of years, and they are both top masters of the demon clan. Even if it means sacrificing his merits, he is willing to support his old friend.

"Peace is the most important thing. Try not to use violence."

"I know. If that old ghost refuses to compromise, we might have to fight. I am now barefoot and I am not afraid of wearing shoes. 'If the heart is not dead, the truth will not live.' I will bet everything I have on it. The outcome will be decided in one round."

The old man in black robe gritted his teeth and said in his heart language, "Thank you!"

He used a wooden crutch to cut through the void, and his figure disappeared after one step.

Master Sanzhou was as silent as a statue.

He was worried about his old friend and hoped that Taoist Yanshan would not lie to him. In two hundred years at most, he would have completed his merits and ascend to the fairyland. By then, they would meet each other every day.

……

Half a year later, a man and a cat walked into the territory of Qixing Mountain.

Wu Shanbi, who had already advanced to the seventh level of cultivation, heard the news and hurriedly summoned his subordinates including Zhang Wu to discuss the matter.

"Boss, don't pay attention to that Taoist priest. He's on his own path, and we're doing our business. We shouldn't interfere with each other. I heard that the mysterious Ninth Floor Master in the black robe has been gone for half a year."

"Yes, without the support of the Nine-Story Tower masters, the Taoist priest would have to keep a low profile and not dare to act overbearingly."

"Try to control the people below and don't offend the Taoist priest."

"Yeah, what if the mysterious master suddenly comes back?"

There are many different opinions, but roughly two consensuses have been reached: ignore them and don't offend them.

Wu Shanbi appointed his former partner and current right-hand man Zhang Wu to be responsible for keeping an eye on the Taoist's movements. He did not want to show up to avoid unnecessary trouble.

But on the next morning, Wu Shanbi received a message that the Taoist priest carrying a bamboo basket and a black cat suddenly appeared in the market place of Qixing Mountain. This was a big surprise because it was said that the Taoist priest seldom went into the city of cultivation and the market place.

Why did it come so suddenly this time?

When Wu Shanbi arrived at the market town, he saw Zhang Wu, smiling and careful, leading the mysterious Taoist priest through the shops, introducing the characteristics of the market town in a low voice.

He felt relieved, thinking that Zhang Wu was experienced and nothing would go wrong.

Xu Yuanchang changed his appearance, and he had no intention of recognizing his former subordinates Wu Shanbi and Zhang Wu. He just hurriedly visited the market, which had expanded significantly in size, without buying anything. As long as he showed his intention to take a fancy to a certain treasure, Zhang Wu would definitely give him the treasure without charging him spirit stones, and he would not even bother to take advantage of such a small and shameful thing.

Half an hour later, Taoist Xu left with the black cat.

Zhang Wu bowed and saw the guest off, and did not look away until the guest was a hundred miles away.

He was a little confused in his heart. The mysterious Taoist priest gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, but he had definitely never seen this person before. Isn't it really strange?

Seeing Wu Shanbi waving at him from the rooftop in the middle of the market town, he quickly put aside his doubts and flew over.

Xu Yuanchang came to Broken Star Lake and walked leisurely along the gravel path, enjoying the lake breeze. The weeping willows planted by the lake grew into ancient trees as thick as buckets, their green branches and leaves gently brushing the water surface. Groups of white water birds circled over the lake, creating a beautiful scene.

The black cat emerged from the water, its fur completely dry, conveying its discoveries under the lake in a unique way.

Xu Yuanchang's face darkened. Wherever the black cat went, it liked to burrow into the ground to look for the roots of the earth and spiritual veins, and found many treasures along the way.

The black cat told him that there was a water palace built at the bottom of Broken Star Lake. A group of evil cultivators occupied the place and kept many women as captives. They even used unborn fetuses to make elixirs. It was a den of filth and dirt, and there were countless bones there.

He did not act immediately, but took out the message and sent it to Wu Shanbi and Zhang Wu.

Wu Shanbi and Zhang Wu were surprised when they received the message. The Taoist turned out to be Taoist Xu, who summoned them to Broken Star Lake for a discussion. The two of them had a brief discussion and did not dare to alarm their many subordinates, so they quietly rushed to Broken Star Lake.

In his day, Taoist Master Xu was able to withstand two moves from an expert from the Eighth Floor Tower. Over two hundred years later, his cultivation has become even more mysterious.

"I am late in welcoming you, please forgive me, Master Xu!"

"Stand up, I just want to ask you one question, have you ever participated in the activities under the Broken Star Lake?"

Xu Yuanchang returned to his original voice, raised his hand, and asked calmly.

Wu Shanbi and Zhang Wu looked at each other and they guessed that something bad was going to happen.

"Reporting to Master Xu, I don't know what is under the lake, please tell me clearly!"

Wu Shanbi replied with his hands clasped in greeting, and suddenly remembered something, saying, "Could it be that... Lao Luo and the others have done something without telling us?"

……

(End of this chapter)