Under One Person: The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain

Cheng Mo looked completely bewildered.

What did I just say? How did it make Bibi cry?

However, that's not important.

Cheng Mo reached out and ruffled Zhang Chulan's hair: "Let's not talk about anything else, you should call me 'Shishu' (a term of respect for a senior martial arts master).

Zhang Chulan sobbed, "...Shishu, thank you."

The boy was made to cry, and Cheng Mo lost interest in talking.

He ruffled Zhang Chulan's hair again: "Alright, stop crying, let's go."

After saying that, he pulled Xia He toward Dean Yang.

Dean Yang didn't hear what they were talking about, but he saw Zhang Chulan lower his head and sob after a short while.

She herself started wiping away tears.

This kid has never cried once since he came to the orphanage; he always seems to be having a lot of fun playing with the other children.

Now, I finally cried.

very nice.

Cheng Mo said goodbye to Dean Yang: "We have other things to attend to, so we'll be leaving now. We'll have to trouble Dean Yang again in the future."

Dean Yang wiped away his tears: "It's alright, it's alright, we'll take care of him the same way. Just come and visit him more often when you have time."

Cheng Mo nodded: "Definitely."

He pulled Xia He away.

They were almost out of the orphanage when Zhang Chulan finally looked up at their backs.

Dean Yang walked over, ruffled Zhang Chulan's hair, and teased, "Didn't you just deny that they were your older brother and sister?"

Zhang Chulan sniffed: "That's my martial uncle."

After saying that, he turned and ran away, rejoining his friends in the game.

Dean Yang scratched his head: "How did you become a senior apprentice? Are relationships among young people this complicated these days?"

……

Cheng Mo and Xia He boarded a train bound for Fengtian.

As the train departs from the station, the scenery outside the window gradually changes from the city to the fields.

In the fields of Shandong, the winter wheat is still green, scattered in patches on the grayish-yellow earth.

The village flashed past the window, with red brick houses and gray tiled roofs. Occasionally, a few bare poplar trees could be seen, with magpie nests in them.

The train headed north, crossed the Yellow River, and the green in the fields decreased while gray increased. Farmland turned into wasteland, wasteland into hills, and on the hills grew some short, gray pine trees.

Further north, the terrain becomes increasingly flat.

The mountains in Shandong are all low, like little buns squatting there, unlike the steep mountains in western Hunan or the wild mountains in Guizhou.

After the train passed Texas, the fields became even more open.

Winter wheat is scarce, and there are mostly bare cornfields. The corn stalks have long been harvested, leaving only rows of stubble stuck in the ground.

Occasionally, you can see a few farmers busy in the fields, turning the soil and fertilizing, preparing for the spring.

As the train entered Hebei, it grew dark.

Xia He fell asleep with her head on Cheng Mo's shoulder, her breathing even.

Cheng Mo looked out the window, where occasional light shone in and flickered across her face.

The train continued northward.

As dawn broke, the scenery outside the window changed again.

The plains are flatter, the sky is lower, and the land is larger.

Vast swathes of black soil remained frozen, their surfaces still a deep color.

Occasionally, you can see large groves of birch trees, bare, with branches reaching towards the sky.

In the distance, undulating mountains begin to appear, not high, but stretching endlessly.

After a journey of nearly twelve hours, the train finally arrived at Fengtian Station.

The two got out of the car and stretched vigorously.

Xia He took out her phone and called Xia Liuqing.

Beep beep beep—Connection complete.

"Grandpa Xia, we've arrived in Fengtian. Where are you?"

Xia Liuqing's voice came through the receiver: "I'm in Bingcheng right now, you don't need to come. The previous information was wrong, the knife hasn't been found yet."

Xia He was taken aback: "This... isn't this just a joke?"

Xia Liuqing explained, "The news came from Japan. They wouldn't deliberately spread false information; they must be hiding something. Let's investigate separately and share our information."

Xia He said helplessly, "This is the only way."

After hanging up the phone, Cheng Mo looked at her: "Where did you start your investigation? Do you prefer fantasy novels?"

Xia He shrugged: "You're asking me? Who should I ask?"

She thought for a moment: "Don't you want to calculate it?"

He thought for a moment, then took out his phone and called Cheng Shou.

It rang twice before being answered.

"Senior brother!" Duoduo's cheerful voice came through the receiver.

Cheng Mo asked her, "Duo Duo, where's Master?"

Duoduo said, "Master is talking to the teacher. Why are you calling Master?"

Cheng Mo was taken aback: "Teacher? What teacher?"

"My kindergarten teacher," Duoduo said, "I'll be a kindergarten student soon!"

Cheng Mo chuckled and replied, "Oh, our Duoduo is really amazing! Where does she go to kindergarten?"

Duoduo chuckled: "It's the kindergarten in the county town, called Red Star Kindergarten."

Cheng Mo asked in confusion, "Then where do you stay?"

"It's the place where we celebrated Chinese New Year last time. Master said he rented it." Duoduo is so happy now, because she can video chat with her senior brother and sister more often in the future.

Cheng Mo's expression was strange.

He didn't go to kindergarten when he was a child, but he attended primary school for a few days. Back then, his master didn't rent a house and let him run the mountain roads by himself every day without worrying that he would get lost.

Xia He leaned over and snatched the phone: "Duo Duo! Is kindergarten fun?"

Duo Duo's voice became excited: "School hasn't started yet! But there are so many toys here, and a slide and a seesaw. I saw a lot of other kids today, it should be a lot of fun!"

The two of them then started chatting idly.

Xia He asked Duo Duo what she had eaten, what cartoons she had watched, and if she missed her sister. Duo Duo answered each question, occasionally adding, "Sister, when are you coming back?"

After chatting for quite a while, Cheng Shou's voice finally came through the receiver: "Duoduo, who are you talking to on the phone?"

Duoduo's voice softened, clearly she was talking to the person next to her: "Master, it's my senior brother and sister."

Cheng Mo nudged Xia He's shoulder and pointed at his phone.

Xia He said into the phone, "Duoduo, your senior brother wants to talk to Master."

She returned the phone to Cheng Mo.

Duoduo said "Oh," and handed the phone to Cheng Shou: "Master, my senior brother wants to talk to you."

Cheng Shou's voice came through, still as energetic as ever: "Hey, brat, what are you doing?"

"There's something wrong with the information about that knife; we don't know where it is now," Cheng Mo explained the situation, then asked the old Taoist priest, "Master, do you have any other news?"

There was a two-second silence on Cheng Shou's end: "Wait a minute, let me ask."

The phone hangs up.

Ten minutes later, Cheng Shou called back: "The information about the Demon Blade is very vague right now, and there are no clear clues."

Cheng Mo then stated, "Then I won't concern myself with that knife."

Cheng Shou scoffed, "Why don't you ask other people for information?"

Cheng Mo shrugged: "I don't know anyone in Northeast China, but I plan to go and learn about shamanism and spirit mediums, and ask about this while I'm there."

Cheng Shou suddenly said, "Wait a moment."

Cheng Mo asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Cheng Shou said impatiently, "Don't make a sound. I'm thinking about something. I think I have an old friend over there... but I can't remember..."

Cheng Mo was surprised.

The old man's memory has always been excellent, how could he forget things? Could it be dementia?

Suddenly, a "slap" sound came from the other side.

Cheng Shou's voice rang out: "Hey, I remember now! I have a brother or two over there!"

Cheng Mo was shocked.

Have you forgotten your brothers?

He carefully chose his words: "Master, why don't you go to the hospital for a brain CT scan? You don't have Alzheimer's, do you?"

On the other end of the phone, Cheng Shou's face darkened: "Go to hell, you little brat!"

Duo Duo's voice came from the side: "Master~~ Although Senior Brother can be annoying sometimes, you can't swear~"

Cheng Shouchao coaxed from the side, "Okay, Duoduo~"

Then he covered his phone and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense, kid. Your master is perfectly sharp."