The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Upon hearing the somewhat familiar name, Wang Zhenhuan was momentarily stunned. Although it differed from the scripture he had studied the previous night by only one character, for some reason, he was certain it was the same book.

Seeing that Wang Zhen was somewhat stunned, the bearded man subconsciously asked, "Young man, have you also heard of this true scripture?"

Wang Zhenhuan was startled, but turned around and smiled naturally at him, saying, "Of course I've heard of it, but this is the first time I've heard of the name 'True Scripture.' After all, it's already all over Jizhou City; it's hard not to know about it."

"This young man is right, brother. Weren't we attracted to Jeju by the reputation of the True Scripture? Now look what happened, it's all for nothing." The tall, thin man nodded and said to the bearded man.

"Alas, such things are nothing to a mere unarmed man like me. If it weren't for the two brave men informing me, I wouldn't even know about the tomb battles."

Wang Huanzhen shook his head and sighed, then returned to sit down beside Xuan Yangzi with his hands behind his back. He appeared calm on the surface, but his palms were actually soaked with sweat. The copy of the true scripture in his arms felt like a scalding hot potato, making him somewhat uneasy.

"Sigh, it's good to be an ordinary person. You don't have to live like us, constantly on the edge of a knife. Kid, I think your personality is a good match. Let me give you some advice. This Song Dynasty is probably going to fall soon."

"Jeju looks pretty good now, but who knows, it might fall to the Jurchens one day. All the officials in the court are cowards; we should head south as soon as possible..." The bearded man seemed to recall something and said with some emotion.

"Why are you telling this to a child? Go drink your water! If you think the dry rations are cold, roast them." The tall, thin man slapped his beard, then looked up at Wang Zhenhuan and said.

"Brother, don't take offense at my brother's harsh words; that's just how he is. But he's right about one thing: before the Jurchens reach Jizhou, we should hurry south and escape. These officials are cowards themselves, and they look down on us warriors. I think the Song Dynasty is doomed!"

"What this brave man says is true. I am also a refugee from the south. Please continue your conversation, my master has an eye ailment and has difficulty moving around, so I will go back to take care of him and will not disturb you any longer."

Wang Huanzhen cupped his hands in greeting to the two men, then returned to Xuan Yangzi's side. After sitting down against the wall, he realized that his back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

Although he had countless questions in his mind at this moment, he knew that now was not the time to ask. He opened the water bag and handed it to Daoist Xuan Yangzi, who shook his head and did not take the water bag.

He had no choice but to take a sip himself. After putting the water bag back on, he was about to put it down when Xuan Yangzi suddenly grabbed Wang Huanzhen's hand. Just as he was about to speak, a cool sensation suddenly came from the Laogong acupoint in his palm. He immediately felt much more alert, and the cold sweat on his back completely disappeared.

When Wang Zhenhuan first visited, the two were somewhat reserved, but now they've become more familiar with each other and their voices have risen considerably. After he returned, the two took out their dry rations and water bags and began to eat.

As soon as the water bag was opened, a strong aroma of alcohol wafted out. The bearded man held up the water bag to Wang Zhenhuan, who quickly waved his hand in refusal. The man smiled and shook his head, then he and the tall, thin man began to eat.

These two martial arts practitioners certainly struck Wang Zhenhuan as bold and unrestrained, and their actions differed greatly from those of the Taoist priests. During their earlier conversation, Wang Zhenhuan had noticed that these martial artists didn't place much importance on right and wrong.

On the contrary, they value relationships and interests more. Their conversations mostly revolve around petty squabbles. If the relationship is close, they'll make money together, like the two of them. If the relationship is distant and someone blocks their path to wealth, they'll eliminate them one by one.

It sounds like a tale of revenge, but in reality, it all boils down to nothing more than self-interest. After last night, Wang Zhenhuan had a very clear understanding of the true nature of things. As for Daoist Xuanyangzi, he hadn't let go of Wang Zhenhuan's hand since he had grasped it earlier.

The spiritual energy in his palm continued to flow into his body. After so long, Wang Zhenhuan even felt a faint stinging sensation all over his body. However, he did not make a sound, but instead closed his eyes to carefully perceive the energy.

He believed that Daoist Xuan Yangzi would not harm him. After dawn, the dark clouds dispersed and the sky cleared. The sun also made its long-awaited appearance. After the two martial artists finished eating, they bowed to Wang Zhenhuan and left the dilapidated temple.

Wang Zhen watched them leave, then turned to Daoist Xuan Yangzi and said, "Sir, would you like something to eat? They're gone now."

"Don't rush, rest a little longer. It's not too late to set off at Chenshi (7-9 AM)." Master Xuanyangzi shook his head, released his grip, and spoke to Wang Zhenhuan.

Wang Huanzhen nodded in agreement, then got up, took out some dry rations, heated them by the earthen stove, and went to Xuan Yangzi's side. As he handed them to him, he asked curiously, "Sir, what about the true scriptures those two mentioned earlier...?"

"That's right, it's the very book I gave you," Master Xuanyangzi replied, accepting the provisions.

"I see." Wang Zhenhuan nodded and didn't press the matter further. A smart person should know what to ask and what not to ask.

If Xuan Yangzi wanted to tell him, he would naturally tell him the origin of the true scripture. Since he did not explain, he certainly did not want Wang Huanzhen to know, so Wang Huanzhen simply did not continue to ask.

Seeing Xuan Yangzi eating, he got up, intending to fetch some firewood. Suddenly, Daoist Xuan Yangzi stopped eating, seemingly sensing something, and frowned. He then fumbled in his sleeve for a moment, took out a small golden bean, and handed it to Wang Zhenhuan, saying:

"I suffer from an eye ailment and have difficulty moving around. Take this gold bean and go to the town ahead to buy a carriage, and then purchase enough provisions for the two of us for a month. Go as soon as possible and return as soon as possible."

After Wang Zhenhuan agreed, he took the gold beans and turned to leave the house. He had originally wanted to add some firewood to the earthen stove, but Xuan Yangzi refused. He only said he would return as soon as possible. Wang Zhenhuan didn't suspect anything and ran towards the town with the gold beans.

They hadn't walked far when they entered the town. However, to Wang's surprise, the carriage and horse shop wasn't open yet. Left with no other choice, he went to buy some dry rations. After buying a large bundle, he returned to the carriage and horse shop.

Having never driven a carriage before, he spent half an hour learning from the carriage shop's clerk. It was only with great difficulty that he was able to get the horse to obey. By this time, nearly an hour had passed since he entered the town.

Wang Zhenhuan, preoccupied with Xuan Yangzi, refused the shop assistant's help and, after paying, drove his carriage out of town. However, being a first-time driver, he was afraid of hitting pedestrians and dared not let the horse run too fast.

And so, by the time he left the town, it was already noon. He drove his carriage along the path toward the mortuary. Just after turning a corner, he heard the voices of several people talking.

Startled, he quickly drove the carriage into the woods and hid it. He crouched low and cautiously approached the mortuary. The scene before him made his blood boil, and his face flushed crimson.

The martial artists they had encountered earlier at the City God Temple were now besieging Daoist Xuan Yangzi! Three or four of them were already lying on the ground, clearly not going to survive!