The whole weird world is waiting for me to go to heaven

Chapter 1040 The unexpected person
Zhu Jun walked up the mountain path.

As darkness fell, the mountain wind made the hem of my clothes flutter.

But as I walked, I started to feel uneasy.

"Excuse me... young lady, did you say you saw that strange... person on this mountain?"

A faint reply came from behind:
"Yes, my mother and I came here for tourism. We didn't expect that as we were walking, we would suddenly see a person wearing a Taoist robe standing in the middle of the road... It scared us to death."

Zhu Yun frowned: "And then your mother followed...this Taoist priest all the way up this mountain?"

“Yes…” the girl said in frustration, “My mother suddenly seemed to be unable to hear me and followed me all the way. I chased after her, but strangely, no matter how hard I ran, I couldn’t catch up! I could only watch her head down into the mountains.”

Zhu Yun listened and nodded. In fact, this was a common kind of "ghost story," but for some reason, she paid more attention this time.

"You see that Taoist priest ahead?"

"Do not."

Unexpectedly, the girl who called herself "Liu Sheng" denied it outright.

“That Taoist priest… is right behind me.”

Zhu Yun's heart tightened.

The night wind crept in through my neck.

She mustered her courage and glanced back.

Behind him was only the girl, and beyond that was an empty mountain path with only sparse tree shadows swaying.

"What's wrong?"

Liu Sheng seemed oblivious, only reacting when she said:

"Oh, sorry, I meant 'at that time'! At that time, the Taoist priest suddenly appeared behind me!"

"To be precise, I didn't dare to look back at all. I just heard that voice, which was very old and intermittent, like someone who was about to die."

"The Taoist priest told me not to go with him. My mother was only asked to take care of the disciples in the temple, and she will be back soon."

Zhu Jun swallowed hard.

"and then?"

"Then I turned around and the Taoist priest was gone, as if he had never been there at all."

The wind suddenly picked up a bit.

The leaves rustled, like someone whispering.

Zhu Yun gripped the peach wood sword tightly, her voice trembling slightly, perhaps from the wind:

"Why don't you wait and see? Why rush up here?"

"But I'm scared..."

“I feel something is wrong with this situation—first, I asked around, but I’ve never heard of any Taoist temple in the mountains! Second, the way this Taoist priest appeared and the way he spoke were all strange. If he really wanted to invite my mother, why couldn’t he have spoken to her properly? It’s more like he was taking her hostage.”

"So I still wanted to follow, but I didn't dare. So I inquired around the village and heard that you, Master Zhu, are really capable, and since you are all from the Xuanmen sect, you should be easier to talk to."

Zhu Yun's lips twitched.

I won't even mention his "real skills".

But let's forget about being "easier to talk to".

If it really is...

How do I speak properly?

But it cannot be expressed directly.

The deposit given by the girl was quite generous, and no one knew where it came from. It was a real silver ingot, and its antique style meant it was definitely an old item.

She originally wanted to postpone it until tomorrow morning, but the other party seemed impatient and said that if it couldn't be done today, she would find someone else.

Zhu Yun had no choice but to bite the bullet and go up the mountain.

and--

For some personal reasons, Zhu Yun also felt that it was better to come herself than to let others come.

She coughed lightly: "Yes, sister, you've come to the right person. What strange and wonderful things haven't I seen? I can definitely find your mother."

"Phew, that puts my mind at ease." Liu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. "But do you know...where on this mountain there's a Taoist temple?"

Zhu Jun narrowed her eyes, pretending to ponder: "I do know of an old site, but it has been abandoned for a long time."

"Sigh, it has to be you!" Liu Sheng sighed. "I asked so many people and they all said they didn't know."

Zhu Yun felt a surge of pride, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.
"Of course, after all, I am also a member of the Xuanmen sect, so I have some sense of these places. Don't worry, I'll take you there right away."

"That's wonderful! It really is Master Zhu!"

Zhu Yun's steps were much lighter at that moment.

Go to the place you remember.

Although she felt that the girl's words were a bit strange, she didn't really take them to heart.

Strange things happen too often in this village, especially lately.

Didn't she herself make a lot of money through these strange incidents?
“What your mother encountered is nothing unusual,” Zhu Jun said proudly. “If you ask around in the village, you’ll know. Things like Aunt Wang’s grandson going missing, Zhu Laoliu being locked in the outhouse, and a little girl talking to a cloth doll—I’ve resolved them all.”

"Yes, I've inquired, and it's all thanks to you. Otherwise, why would I have come to you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yun laughed even harder.

“Young lady, you do have some insight.”

"Thank you for the compliment, Master Zhu."

The two walked along the mountain path for a long time, one in front of the other.

The deeper the night, the colder the wind.

The chirping of insects in the mountains and forests has fallen silent.

Finally, the fog ahead dissipated, revealing a blurry outline.

It was a Taoist temple.

The surrounding area was overgrown with weeds, wild vines climbed up the dilapidated walls, and the bricks and tiles had long been cracked by the roots.

There were no lights, and none of the fluffy little figures that used to surround her whenever she went up the mountain.

Zhu Yun felt a chill in her heart, and she involuntarily stopped walking.

"What's wrong, Master Zhu?"

Behind him, Liu Sheng's voice sounded softly.

"No...nothing."

Zhu Yun took a deep breath.

Suppress those memories in your heart.

All of that is in the past.

"There's nobody here, your mother shouldn't be here—"

As they were talking, a light suddenly came on in the main hall of the Taoist temple.

The swaying orange light cast a warm glow on the hilltop, as if it were reviving from ruins.

Zhu Jun stood there, stunned.

It felt like I was back in my teenage years, going up the mountain with my mother...

Putting aside her memories, she walked forward step by step.

The fallen leaves at my feet were crushed underfoot, making a crisp, cold sound.

I could hear some meowing and barking sounds, but when I came to my senses, I realized it was just the sound of the wind.

She was in a daze.

"That's strange, there don't seem to be any disciples here."

Liu Sheng's murmur reached his ears from behind.

Zhu Yun paused for a moment, then inexplicably replied:

"Those... aren't real disciples. This old Taoist priest has just gone mad and is treating the cats and dogs he picked up and raised as his disciples..."

"Master Zhu, do you know that Taoist priest?"

“Yes…” Zhu Yun closed her eyes slightly and then opened them again, sorting out some of her emotions. “This Taoist even said that this mountain is called ‘Wangmiao Mountain’.”

"Wangmiao Mountain..."

"Isn't it ridiculous? He's just a madman."

Zhu Yun smiled.

Step by step, I walked toward that tiny ray of light.

suddenly--

A coughing sound came from inside the Taoist temple.

Intermittent, dry and hoarse.

Each sound was like a breath squeezed out from the depths of the chest.

Immediately following was a low, painful groan.

Zhu Yun paused, her heart clenching almost instantly.

That voice was so familiar.

An old Taoist priest who falls ill every few days.

My mother even brewed medicine to take care of him, saying that he was pitiful too.

She squatted outside, playing with the cats and dogs on the mountain, listening to the heart-wrenching coughs coming from inside the house.

Neither her mother nor the Taoist priest inside would allow her to enter, saying they were afraid she would pass on the illness's energy.

But she refused to believe it.

She would sneak in from time to time and see the Taoist priest leaning against the headboard reading a book. Whenever he saw her, he would always sigh helplessly.
"Why are you so disobedient, child..."

One time, she finally couldn't help but ask directly:

"Master, what book are you reading?"

"Me? I'm reading books from my old sect."

"Sects? Are they all Taoist sects?"

"I didn't expect you to have heard of it, young lady."

"Yes! I've heard that Taoist priests can tell fortunes, cure illnesses, and drive away evil spirits. Is that true?"

The old Taoist priest smiled.

The coughing continued intermittently.

"Who did you listen to?"

“I…I heard it from the old blind man in the village. He claims to be a Taoist and travels between several villages, but my mother says he’s a fraud and you are the real one.”

"hehe."

The old Taoist priest neither confirmed nor denied it.

He simply put down the book he was reading.

Zhu Yun curiously peeked over.

But she couldn't understand the words on it; the dense symbols and patterns snaked across the paper like snakes, forming a small vortex.

In a flash, she was sucked in. Suddenly, the Taoist priest raised his hand and flicked his fingertips lightly.

A chill ran across her forehead.

Like a gentle breeze.

Zhu Yun then suddenly woke up.

That was the first time she witnessed "real skill".

My heart suddenly burned with passion.

I couldn't help but blurt out:

"Taoist Priest!"

She imitated the "apprenticeship ceremony" described by the storyteller and knelt down with a thud:
"Please teach me! I want to learn too!"

……

These memories linger in my mind.

It was autumn then, and then winter came.

Paper money and snowflakes fell together.

She and her mother buried the Taoist priest behind the Taoist temple.

The small grave was just big enough to accommodate the Taoist priest's thin, bony body.

She didn't cry much then.

I was sad for a while, but I gradually forgot about it.

From that time on, the temple was never lit again.

Zhu Yun recalled this incident and looked again at the light in the Taoist temple.

His eyes flashed.

No, there shouldn't be anyone here.

Could she really be Liu Sheng's mother?

"Master Zhu, could you please go in and take a look?" Liu Sheng asked timidly. "I'm scared... I don't dare..."

Zhu Lin's gaze sharpened.

"Okay, you wait here, I'll go in and take a look."

"Well... then I'll leave it to you."

Zhu Yun nodded, took a deep breath, and gripped the hilt of the peach wood sword tightly with her right hand.

She tiptoed closer and closer to the half-open door.

The sounds of "shush shush shush" and "ping-pong ping-pong" rang out.

Someone is rummaging through things!
Her heart skipped a beat.

This is not possible!

She flung open the door abruptly, and the flickering candlelight revealed a scene that instantly enraged her.

"It's you! Liu Ziyu!"

He was holding a lamp, coughing as he rummaged through drawers and cabinets.

Hearing the voice, he looked up in a panic, but was stunned to find it was Zhu Yun.

"you……"

"Speak! What are you doing here!"

Zhu Yun was so angry that her eyes widened, and she pointed the peach wood sword with a "whoosh," the tip of the sword almost piercing his chest.

Liu Ziyu was startled and quickly raised her hands in surrender:

"Wait, wait, wait! Listen to me, I don't know either!"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Zhu Yun was furious at his monkey-like appearance and knew no reason to believe him.

The peach wood sword was thrust forward even further.

"I really don't know!" Liu Ziyu staggered back, almost dropping the candlestick in her hand. "I woke up here! I also want to know how I got here!"

Zhu Jun stared intently at him, her face clearly saying, "I don't believe it."

Liu Ziyu was so anxious she was jumping up and down, pointing to her own neck:
Look here!

Looking in the light, you could see a ring of red, swollen marks on the back of his neck.

"I was knocked unconscious!"

"And I have bruises all over my head and body. I guess I bumped into something when I was being dragged up the mountain. You can see for yourself!"

As he spoke, Liu Ziyu was about to roll up his sleeves and trouser legs.

I almost wanted to take off my clothes to prove it.

Zhu Yun's eyelids twitched as she read it.

"Stop! Stop! Don't move! I don't want to see you take your clothes off!"

Liu Ziyu awkwardly withdrew his hand.

Zhu Yun frowned suspiciously, her expression softening slightly despite her skepticism.

"But who would go to such lengths to knock you out and drag you up the mountain?"

“A girl.” Liu Ziyu thought for a moment, then clicked her tongue. “To be honest, I actually quite liked her…”

"Hmph, I guess you've offended someone again with your dirty tricks, haven't you?" Zhu Jun sneered.

"Hey, don't make false accusations!" Liu Ziyu glared. "I don't look like that kind of person at all!"

"You know the answer yourself."

"Anyway, it's a girl named 'Liu Sheng,' I don't know what grudge she has against me..."

Zhu Yun was suddenly taken aback. "Wait, what did you say your name was?"

"Liu Sheng, you probably can't guess how to write this name, right? Anyway, it sounds quite cultured, unlike the names in your village..."

Zhu Yun didn't know how to write those two characters.

But when I heard the pronunciation, my heart skipped a beat.

"There was definitely something wrong! Damn it!"

Zhu Yun's expression suddenly changed and she rushed out the door.

However, the outside was deserted.

Only the mountain wind howled.

"What's wrong?"

Liu Ziyu chased after her, panting.

Zhu Yun's eyes were as dark as ink:

"I was brought up here by her too."

"What!" Liu Ziyu was also shocked. "It seems that this girl really does have a problem."

Zhu Yun gripped the peach wood sword tightly.

"She did this on purpose."

"on purpose?"

Zhu Yun gritted her teeth, "She wants us to meet here."

"But...why?"

Liu Ziyu was still completely baffled.

Zhu Yun had a sudden thought and turned around.

His gaze pierced Liu Ziyu, and he asked sharply:

"Wait, what were you looking for?"

Liu Ziyu was taken aback, her eyes flickering.

"N-nothing!"

"Don't tell me!"

Zhu Yun shouted, and the peach wood sword "whooshed" straight at his chest.

However, this peach wood sword was not sharpened, so frankly, it posed no threat to Liu Ziyu.

Liu Ziyu stared at her, then suddenly smiled.

"What? Why are you so nervous?"

He extended two fingers and gently pried the sword tip aside.

"Afraid I'll find out your...little secret?"

Zhu Yun's throat tightened. "What little secret? Stop playing games! Just say what you want to say!"

"Of course, it's the little secret that has allowed you to swindle and deceive people until now..."

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

“I know,” Liu Ziyu said in a low voice, his eyes gleaming, “that you have things from Longhu Mountain.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yun's expression changed drastically.

Liu Ziyu exclaimed upon seeing this, "Oh my! I knew it!"

Zhu Yun also regretted that she hadn't hidden her expression, and gritted her teeth as she growled:
"Liu Ziyu! Do you want to die?!"

"Don't rush." ​​He raised his hands, smiling meaningfully. "I have no intention of harming you; on the contrary, I want to help you."

"What can you do to help me?" Zhu Jun sneered.

“Although you obtained the secret manual from Longhu Mountain,” Liu Ziyu narrowed his eyes, “you don’t know how to use it at all, right? Otherwise, how come you’re still just a half-baked expert?”

"What do you mean!"

“You don’t need to hide it anymore. I know people who are really from Longhu Mountain, so I know very well whether what you’re saying is true or false.”

Zhu Jun gritted her teeth, unable to utter a single word.

She certainly didn't want to admit she was a liar, but those words pierced her heart like a needle.

Liu Ziyu continued speaking to herself:

"That's strange... Didn't your mother teach you? Why don't you know the reason?"

"My mother?"

"Isn't your mother—"

As Liu Ziyu spoke, she noticed Zhu Jun's expression and suddenly understood.

"I see. Your mother is not. She just hid someone in these mountains. That person is a Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain."

Zhu Yun realized that she had been exposed again.

In frustration, he said angrily:

"So what? Just say it! I hate city folks like you, beating around the bush and so scheming!"

Liu Ziyu's smile remained unchanged as she whispered:
"I just want to tell you—I can help you truly master the martial arts of Longhu Mountain. What do you think?"