No one answered, no matter how many times he called.
Liu Xiaolou climbed the steps at an unhurried pace and slowly approached the main hall. Only then did he discover an iron lock hanging from the doors. It seemed the master was absent.
He gently pushed the door open a crack and peered inside. A statue over ten feet tall stood within the hall, its features solemn and its eyes bright and piercing.
Liu Xiaolou met the statue's gaze for a moment and felt a vast, desolate presence sweep over him, leaving his mind dazed. He could not help taking several steps back.
The statue had been exquisitely carved, truly lifelike.
Steadying himself and awakening from his daze, he suddenly felt a fresh, clear sensation seep into his mind.
A mountain wind swept over him, carrying rain as fine as ox hair. It washed over Liu Xiaolou and refreshed his spirits. He did not know whether that fresh sensation had come from the statue's gaze or from the cool mountain rain.
He then moved to the eastern side hall and the western wing, looking through the cracks in their doors. They too were empty. He could only vaguely make out tables, chairs, beds, firewood in the kitchen, and other necessities of daily life.
The moon gate connecting the side halls to the main hall stood at the mountain's edge. A few steps beyond lay a bottomless abyss. Looking out from there, Liu Xiaolou saw that the sun had already set. Thick clouds had somehow filled the sky, and the world was shrouded in gloom.
Since he had come, he might as well settle in. Liu Xiaolou decided to rest here for a few days and quietly wait for the master's return.
Naturally, an iron lock could not stop Liu Xiaolou. Though such locks looked large, they could not withstand a pry. But he had come to ask someone for help, so there was no reason to force the lock open. Thus, he sat cross-legged beneath the eaves of the eastern side hall, ate two pieces of dried provisions, held a Spirit Stone in his palm, and began cultivating with his eyes closed.
Of the nine major acupoints of the Hand Jueyin Meridian, Tianchi and Tianquan had already been opened, costing him five Spirit Stones in all. He now held fifteen Spirit Stones. As for the remaining seven acupoints—Quchi acupoint, Ximen, Jianshi point, Neiguan, Daling, Laogong, and Zhongchong—he did not know how many he could open. He was greatly looking forward to finding out.
Thread after thread of spiritual power transformed into true essence within his body. After passing through the essence pools of the Tianchi and Tianquan acupoints, it surged all the way to the Quchi acupoint and battered against its acupoint gate. Like wave after wave crashing against a shore, it burst into sprays at the gate. The acupoint at the bend of his elbow pulsed constantly under the impact of true essence, visible even to the naked eye.
This was a long, grinding task, not something that could be accomplished overnight. Liu Xiaolou had cultivated for ten years and was long accustomed to it.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, he awoke from cultivation, stretched his slightly stiff body, and went to the mountain's edge to survey the surroundings.
Cloud and mist blanketed heaven and earth, making the day somewhat gloomy. As yesterday, the mountain wind carried threads of rain that seeped into his skin with a faint chill.
He circled the mountaintop, which was about an acre in size, but found no sign that the master had returned. Liu Xiaolou was in no hurry. After eating some dried provisions and taking a few drinks from the large water vat in the corner, he continued assaulting the Quchi acupoint.
Several days passed like this, yet the master never returned. Liu Xiaolou gradually came to like this place. Clouds and mist curled around it, and no one came to disturb him. Was this not the perfect place for cultivation?
Once he had eaten all his provisions, he went down into the valley to hunt. Worried that the master might dislike it, he simply finished eating the wild rabbits, pheasants, fish, and crabs before returning.
Late on the fourteenth night, he could no longer draw even a trace of spiritual power from the Spirit Stone in his palm. With the slightest exertion, it crumbled into dust and fragments. One Spirit Stone had been exhausted, yet the Quchi acupoint had not budged in the slightest. Liu Xiaolou judged that this acupoint would likely require three Spirit Stones to open.
Relaxing his limbs, he leaned against the base of the house and lay down. Liu Xiaolou stretched lazily, then slept his fill.
Meditating in cultivation could indeed refresh the mind, but one's nerves could not remain taut forever. Given enough time, exhaustion would still build up. Even for a Qi Cultivator, it could not wholly replace sleep. He had not slept properly for half a month, and this sleep was exceptionally sweet.
Liu Xiaolou awoke amid snow filling the sky. This was the first snowfall since winter began. Snowflakes drifted down in endless profusion, the mountain ranges fading from view. It seemed as though he were the only person left between heaven and earth.
After wandering about for a while, he was just about to begin cultivating when he heard a cough from beyond the temple gate.
Liu Xiaolou hurriedly straightened his lapels and stood solemnly with a respectful bow, ready to welcome the master.
He waited for a long time, yet no one appeared. He went outside the temple, but there was still not a soul in sight. Only the rugged mountain path twisted and turned away, vanishing into the flying snow.
He had definitely heard that cough just now. Certain it had not been an illusion, Liu Xiaolou followed the mountain path downward. As he rounded a Mountain Hollow, he saw someone lying slanted across the stone steps, already half-buried by the drifting snow.
He checked the man's breath and felt his pulse. He was still alive. Liu Xiaolou turned him over, lifted him one-handed, and hurried back to Xingde Temple.
He laid the man beneath the eaves and brushed away the snow covering him, revealing his appearance. The man was tall, at least half a head taller than Liu Xiaolou, and appeared to be around forty or fifty. Three long strands of handsome beard hung beneath his chin. He was a dignified and imposing figure, and although his complexion was presently ashen, it could not conceal his dashing, elegant air.
Checking his pulse again, Liu Xiaolou determined that he had suffered an internal injury, seemingly somewhere between his heart and lungs.
Who was this man?
Liu Xiaolou reached into the man's robes and pulled out a pile of miscellaneous items, hoping to find something that could confirm his identity, or perhaps some medicinal pill for healing. Yet there were only several gold ingots, a handful of loose pearls, two pieces of green jade, and two Spirit Stones.
Eh? These two pieces of green jade resembled the jade token on his person. Both exuded dense spiritual energy.
Liu Xiaolou's gaze flickered as he looked back and forth between the two pieces of green jade and the two Spirit Stones. Hmm, the gold ingots weighed ten taels altogether, and those loose pearls were each huge and perfectly round. They clearly were no ordinary pearls.
He looked again at the path down the mountain, then at the wind and snow filling the sky... Should he...
Just as he was mulling it over, the Handsome Bearded Gentleman began coughing again. Threads of blood came with each cough, and the fit was so violent that it jolted him awake from his coma. With his eyes half-open, he grabbed Liu Xiaolou's arm.
Liu Xiaolou jumped in fright. With a light shake, he freed himself, but heard the man mutter a few words in a low voice that he could not make out.
The man raised his other arm and pointed toward the eaves above, then let it fall limply and sank back into unconsciousness.
With a tap of his toes, Liu Xiaolou sprang upward and found a key beneath the eaves, tucked against a section of crossbeam.
He inserted the key into the lock and gave it a gentle turn. With a click, the iron lock opened.
All right, now he understood. This Handsome Bearded Gentleman should be the master here. He just did not know how many people lived at Xingde Temple, or whether this Handsome Bearded Gentleman was Lord Xingde.
Pushing the door open, he found that the side hall also had three rooms. The main room contained the octagonal table he had seen through the door crack earlier, two chairs on either side, and a table against the wall. The left room held a large bed, while the right room was lined with shelves piled with all manner of implements.
Liu Xiaolou abandoned his other thoughts and carried the Handsome Bearded Gentleman into the bedroom. He stripped off the filthy, disordered outer robe covering him, laid him flat on the bed, then found a thick wool blanket in a cabinet and covered him with it. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
After thinking for a moment, he gathered up the scattered belongings from the ground outside and placed them beside the man's pillow.
This Daoist came to ask you to refine an array disk, not to rob you. I'll spare your valuables this time.
So what should he do next...?