Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 39 Zhong Weiguo

When Qi Yun's hood was roughly ripped off, he was already standing in a farmhouse courtyard.

Qi Yun squinted, adjusting to the sudden light.

The light yellow hue, dim and dim, barely pierced the thick darkness of the night.

A light bulb, its age unknown, hung under the low eaves, its halo fragmented by the endless rain, casting a blurry yellow glow on the wet, muddy ground.

The rain continued to fall tirelessly, pattering against the tiles and the mud, making a continuous rustling sound that made the farmhouse courtyard even more quiet.

To his right was Zhao Yue, his shaved head still dripping wet, but his face held the excitement of escorting a "big fish" ashore; to his left was the woman riding the Harley, her black leather jacket gleaming in the dim light, her chestnut curls clinging to her cheeks.

"Captain! We've brought the person back!" Zhao Yue's voice, loud and boastful, pierced through the rain.

"He was quite well-behaved on the road, didn't cause any trouble," the woman added.

Qi Yun's gaze passed over them and landed directly in front of the courtyard.

Under the eaves, a middle-aged man wearing a worn military green jacket was smoking.

His square face, with its sharp angles, seemed to have been sculpted by time and weather, exuding a heavy, resolute air.

His thick eyebrows were tightly furrowed, with a deep vertical line etched between them.

He smoked with a deep, resonant posture. With each puff, a bright red glow emanated from the cigarette butt, illuminating his eyes hidden beneath the shadows of his brows.

His gaze was like a searchlight, deep and sharp, fixed firmly on Qi Yun, as if trying to scrutinize him from head to toe.

There was a man and a woman standing next to him.

The man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wore a faded jacket, was lean and had a lively eye. With undisguised curiosity, he looked Qi Yun up and down, muttering to himself, "Looks... nothing special, huh? How could he cause such a commotion?"

The woman was younger, with a neat ponytail and wearing a plain cotton shirt. She had a pretty and delicate appearance, but her eyes also held a scrutinizing look and a hint of barely perceptible wariness. Hearing this, she nodded slightly and whispered in agreement, "Yes, could it be... a mistake?"

Zhao Yue was immediately displeased and retorted, "What?! Nothing special?"
"I've fought him! He's stronger than me! He traveled from Guizhou to Yunnan in one night, and what's more!" He suddenly pointed at Qi Yun, his voice rising, "He also has a Taoist robe in his bag!"

The two words "Taoist robe" were like a needle, piercing the dullness of the rainy night.

The middle-aged man who had been silently smoking finally spoke, his voice low, instantly silencing Zhao Yue's loud outburst.

He stared at Qi Yun, the cigarette butt glowing between his fingers.

"Qi Yun." He exhaled a puff of smoke. "That Taoist robe you're wearing, is it something you brought from Shenxian Mountain?"

Qi Yun met the searchlight-like gaze, but his heart calmed down instead.

The other party had clearly figured out his background.

He nodded, his voice clear amidst the rain: "Yes, that's the one. Who exactly are you people?"

The man flicked his cigarette ash, his tone unreadable: "My name is Zhong Weiguo."

We've taken note of what happened at Shenxian Mountain.

I was planning to talk to you after you returned to Hangzhou. I never expected…

He paused, his eyes suddenly sharpening. "Such a huge mess happened on the train!"

The entire train carriage was filled with people, neither alive nor dead!

We had no choice but to drop everything and rush over to investigate.

Before they even set off, someone who should have been on the missing persons list suddenly appeared in Yunnan Province! Qi Yun!

He leaned forward slightly, and the invisible pressure intensified. "Don't you think that before asking who we are, it's more important to know who you are and what you've done?"

Facing the pressure, Qi Yun forced a weak smile: "I said, that matter has nothing to do with me. I'm a victim too. And you, Comrade Zhao!"

He glanced at Zhao Yue and said, "He attacked right away without listening to any explanation."

The law also stipulates the principle of presumption of innocence. What evidence do you have?
Why are you treating me like a criminal from the start?

A few short, low laughs echoed in the courtyard, carrying a hint of youthful indifference.

Zhao Yue scoffed, "Qi Yun, your rules don't apply here. We believe in 'better safe than sorry'."

"Alright!" Zhong Weiguo's deep voice interrupted Zhao Yue.

His gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Qi Yun: "What Comrade Qi Yun said makes sense."

The reason we invited Comrade Qi Yun here is to gain a full understanding of the situation!

He turned to the lean man in the jacket next to him: "Xiao Wu, remove his handcuffs and shackles."

He then said to the pretty young woman, "Xiao Lin, go to the kitchen and make him a bowl of hot noodles with two eggs. He's been soaked in the rain all the way here; this will help him get rid of the chill."

Xiao Wu deftly took out his key and stepped forward to unlock the door.

Kobayashi responded and quickly walked into the kitchen next door, where a dim light was on.

Zhong Weiguo beckoned to Qi Yun: "Come with me, change into some dry clothes, don't catch a cold."

Qi Yun stretched her wrists and ankles, which had regained their freedom, and followed Zhong Weiguo into a side room next door.

The room was simply furnished with an earthen bed, an old table, and a dim incandescent light bulb.

On the table lay a garment—his faded blue Taoist robe!
The robes were folded neatly, clearly having been thoroughly "studied" inside and out.

Zhong Weiguo stood at the door, neither coming in nor closing the door, just watching with his arms crossed.

Qi Yun understood.

They couldn't find any pattern in the robe, so they wanted to see if it would "show its power" when they wore it.
This meticulous thinking carries a professional coldness.

He didn't really care. Apart from being given to him by Xuanjizi and being made of sturdy material, this Taoist robe was just an ordinary item, at most an "old item".

Without saying a word, he began to take off his wet, cold, mud-covered clothes in front of Zhong Weiguo, his movements swift and decisive.

He picked up the robe, shook it open, and the dry fabric felt like it carried the scent of dust.

Put it on neatly and fasten the buttons.

Wrapping my body in dry fabric insulated me from the damp cold, which was indeed much more comfortable.

Just as he finished fastening the last button and turned to face the door, his eyes suddenly narrowed!
Zhong Weiguo had somehow stood up straight, his right thumb tucked in, his index and middle fingers held together and upright, and his ring and little fingers bent inward—clearly forming a Taoist "Midnight-Noon Seal"!
What made Qi Yun's heart skip a beat was that Zhong Weiguo's eyes were now faintly gleaming with two points of deep blue light!

The blue light seemed tangible, piercing through the darkness of the rainy night, scanning his body like a probe!

"How is it?" Qi Yun steadied himself, facing the two points of blue light, his tone calm and even. "Did you notice anything 'problematic' about me?"

The blue light in Zhong Weiguo's eyes suddenly disappeared, and his hand, which had been forming a hand seal, naturally fell down, restoring his calm and steady demeanor.

A faint, meaningful smile appeared on his face: "It seems you do know quite a bit. This Taoist robe," he pointed to Qi Yun's clothes, "is indeed just an ordinary item. However..."

He changed the subject, his gaze sharpening again, "Your body and energy are unbelievably vigorous."

As far as I know, you were just an ordinary college student before, and you've never practiced martial arts, right?

Is this physique also thanks to Shenxian Mountain?

(End of this chapter)