Martial Arts Crossover: The Sweeping Monk of Wudang? That's our patriarch!

He sighed and finally stopped: "Could it be... that I really have to go to the fields and work? If that's the case, wouldn't it be a huge waste of my time? Senior, stop beating around the bush—just tell me clearly what you're after!"

Seeing Lin Daochen's furrowed brows and impatient expression, the uncle couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. This child probably only believed him if he opened his heart to him.

He glanced left and right at the empty field ridges, then silently slammed the hoe he was holding into the ground—the hoe sank heavily into the soil, its blade gleaming with a dark red light, like congealed blood or lingering embers, faintly revealing a sense of grimness.

The uncle sighed deeply, his gaze fixed on Lin Daochen: "Some things are far more complicated than they seem. Your arrival here is not a coincidence, but rather an attempt to escape disaster. The Heavenly Water Immortal has his eye on you, and he hasn't let go since the day you broke ties with him."

Lin Daochen's mind went blank, and his body stiffened. Was he fleeing disaster? Being hunted? Had the Heavenly Water Immortal truly laid a trap in secret? But if he wanted to eliminate him earlier, why didn't he act back then at the Cloud Cliff Cave? He was alone then, completely unprepared…

His fingertips unconsciously dug into his palm, and he suddenly remembered that confrontation: to obtain the "Nine Revolutions Qi-Inducing Technique," he visited the Heavenly Water Immortal. The immortal feigned agreement, but then summoned three Yin puppets to block his path, sealing his spiritual meridians with forbidden magic for three days, thus ruining his chance to break through to the next level. From then on, there was no turning back between the two, only swords drawn against each other.

He slowly exhaled, and his mind calmed down—since he was already in the game, there was no point in thinking too much; he might as well go with the flow.

Lin Daoquan didn't press further, but simply waved his hand gently: "Alright, sir, what's your surname? We can't keep calling you 'sir, sir,' we need to have a proper name to talk properly."

The uncle's lips twitched, and he finally couldn't hold back anymore. He chuckled dryly, his face full of embarrassment: "It's not that I don't want to tell you... it's just that this name is too unseemly. In my early years, I mingled with various sects, specializing in finding out secrets. I was disliked by everyone, and my reputation was terrible."

He paused, scratched the back of his head, and said in a weak voice, "If you really want to know, just call me... a hooligan. Yes, that kind of 'hooligan'."

Lin Daochen almost choked on his saliva, his eyelids twitching—someone actually uses this word as a title? Absurd as it may be, questioning it now is pointless.

"Alright, senior rogue." He grinned, straightforwardly. "I'll remember your name. You just said farming is a method of cultivation, so let's not beat around the bush and get to the point. What secrets are buried in this soil?"

The thuggish old man's eyes darted around, his fingers unconsciously digging into the cracks in the hoe handle. He stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

"Oh?" Lin Daochen raised an eyebrow. "You rascal, you really don't know? Senior Shen Gongbao personally entrusted you with this task. If you can't even explain the reason, wouldn't that be disobeying orders? That's not appropriate."

He shook his head, his heart pounding – what kind of person leads someone in spiritual practice who can't even explain the principles? If they really can't come up with a coherent explanation, they're probably just trying to trick him into wielding a hoe.

The middle-aged thug's face froze, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his eyes darted around, clearly having been hit where it hurt. After a moment of silence, he finally slumped his shoulders, shrugged, and spread his hands with a wry smile:

"Ahem... I can't hide it anymore. To be honest, there was indeed a bit of 'selfish motive' involved in this."

"This land is a medicinal garden that I personally cultivated, specifically for several endangered spiritual plants—Nine Peaks Frost Stamen, Soul-Severing Vine, and Thunder-Patterned Ink Lotus. When refined into pills, they can strengthen the body's foundation and nourish the vital energy, as well as detoxify all poisons and restore severed meridians. They will be of great use to both of us."

"But these seedlings are very delicate. They need to be nurtured with spiritual energy, watered with moonlight, and smelted with the fire of the heart. I can't handle it all by myself. But Senior Shen Gongbao has strictly ordered that no outside help be hired and that no word be leaked."

"Saying that might damage our relationship."

"Since things have been laid bare, what else can I say? I can only follow the arrangements of the two seniors."

Lin Daochen paused, his brows furrowing slightly, and he truly felt that this was true—he had long heard of the temperaments of his predecessors, Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao: they were stern, meticulous, and intolerant of even the slightest imperfection. The rules they set were never open to negotiation, and they never showed any leniency.

After a moment, he shook his head slightly, his voice lower: "Alright, alright... Senior Rogue, I suppose you have your own difficulties, so I won't force you. Since you've come here with other plans in mind, then I'll go along with your wishes."

A look of embarrassment immediately appeared on the rogue senior's face, and even the tips of his ears turned red. How could he not feel guilty? Lin Daochen was a cultivator personally selected and sent by Shen Gongbao, and he should have been doing his best to guide him. But instead, he turned around and wanted to order the man around to run errands for him. If this got back to Shen Gongbao, even if he wasn't punished, he would probably be categorized as "unreliable" in front of the two seniors in the future.

"Brother, you'd better keep this a secret! If the seniors find out what I've done... sigh, where will I put my face? I probably won't even be able to get back into the sect!"

"In short, don't let a single word slip out, understand?"

Lin Daochen glanced up and sighed inwardly: There really are people like that. But the words were already out, and to refuse would seem petty. However—how could he let him order him around with just empty words?

His gaze shifted, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Speaking of which, you're practically my senior brother. I won't make things difficult for you, but since you were the one who first had these wicked thoughts and then used your seniority to put me on the defensive... how about you spare a few crystals as a token of your appreciation? Consider it a 'service fee'."

"This...isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

The rogue senior rubbed his hands together with a wry smile. Those few crystals were something he had risked his life to snatch from the crevice in the valley; handing them all over would be equivalent to giving away half a year's worth of food. He waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no! It really won't do! I really can't make this decision—didn't I make it clear to you before? I don't even dare to touch those things! You'll have to think of something else yourself!"

Seeing that he wouldn't budge, Lin Daochen understood: there was probably more to this than met the eye, and it was far more complicated than it seemed on the surface.

He sighed and stopped pressing the issue: "Alright, rogue senior, I understand your difficulties. However—there's something you absolutely must help with right now. If you don't agree, I'll turn around and go to Qingya Terrace and tell Senior Shen Gongbao everything, word for word, about the three old magical artifacts you asked me to 'carry along the way,' the two scrolls of forbidden technique fragments, and the Heart-Eating Gu seed you asked me to 'keep safe' for you."

The rogue senior froze on the spot, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his mouth opening and closing, but he couldn't utter a single word. He stared at Lin Daochen as if he were a hot iron—stubborn? He couldn't win; coaxing? He couldn't coax him; hide? The man was right under his nose.

Finally, he sighed dejectedly, his shoulders slumped, and he turned to leave. Lin Daochen didn't waste any words and silently followed. The two crossed the field ridges, went around the furrows, and just as they climbed over the earthen slope, they suddenly saw seven or eight people gathered at the edge of the woods ahead, talking in hushed tones, their eyes glancing in their direction from time to time.

Lin Daochen paused, about to lean closer to listen, when his wrist was grabbed.

"Shh—wait!" The thug's voice tightened. "Don't listen to a word these people say. If they see us, we'll both be in trouble."

Lin Daochen was taken aback, his heart sinking: Why did a group of familiar faces suddenly appear here, gossiping about him? Although he didn't recognize them, the eyes staring at him clearly showed familiarity, and even... a hint of probing sharpness.

He suddenly turned to the side, his gaze piercing the "senior brother" beside him, and unleashed all the questions he had been holding back all the way.

"Senior brother, I was full of doubts when I first stepped into this place—what exactly is this place? When I first saw this place, the yin energy was floating, the light and shadow were disordered, and even the wind had an unreal and ethereal feel to it, as if I had stepped into a painted mask."

Before he could finish speaking, the rogue senior next to him shook his head repeatedly, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he had a thousand words stuck in his throat, but didn't know where to begin, and was even more afraid that if he spoke, he would lose his composure.

But one thing he insisted on: this was indeed a world carved out and built brick by brick by the elders Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya. The rules of heaven and earth, the flow of yin and yang, the rhythms of birth and death... were all established by those two elders and could not be altered.

His brows furrowed deeper and deeper, his expression so somber it could drip water. If he had once harbored a sliver of hope, expecting to forge his own path, now he felt utterly drained of all his strength—that overwhelming power, capable of turning the world upside down with a flick of the wrist, made even breathing difficult, leaving no room for any "personal insights."

Lin Daochen slowly shook his head, his fingertips slightly cool. So it really wasn't a legend; it was truly created by the two of them... Just thinking about this sent a chill down his spine. To be able to mold a world with flesh and blood? This wasn't just a matter of strength; it was an insurmountable chasm between mortals and gods.

His perception of those two seniors was completely shattered and reshaped at this moment, and it was no longer possible to simply describe them as "impressive".

We knew they were towering giants, but who could have predicted that they could create a world out of thin air? And this world is so vibrant and alive, with frost on the grass and trees, and the sound of flowing streams, that even the finest threads of cause and effect are woven together so tightly that they are impenetrable.

Recalling the wrinkled, unremarkable old faces of Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao, Lin Daochen's throat tightened, and he was somewhat stunned.

What exactly went wrong? How did it lead to such a shocking situation? He didn't want to delve into it, nor was he capable of doing so—this path was the only safe way to survive, and also the most efficient choice.

Lin Daochen quietly settled a thought in his heart: if he had the chance, he would definitely visit them in person, kowtow three times respectfully, and ask the two old men to accept him as a disciple and teach him how to understand the essence and structure of this world.

At this moment, dust rose slightly in the distance. The thug who had fought with the villagers earlier had returned, followed by several shadows, walking slowly towards them.

Lin Daochen looked up and saw that the group of people were dressed in ordinary clothes and had no unusual figures, but a chilling aura pierced his skin like needles, drilling straight into his bones. Just standing there, it felt as if a cold wind carrying ice shards was blowing in his face, and even his ears felt a chill, and his cheeks were almost frozen.

His gaze swept over them, and he immediately understood—these men were no good. He guessed they were specially summoned by a seasoned rogue to give him some real, hard-fought training.

Sure enough, the senior had already approached with a smile, gently pushing the group forward with one hand on each arm. The group lowered their eyes, their shoulders slightly hunched, like chicks being carried onto the stage, their shyness tinged with a barely perceptible hint of fierceness.

Lin Daochen didn't bother with beating around the bush, and simply fixed his gaze on them, waiting for what was to come.