Ancient People Were Not Deceiving Me

He vaguely sensed something was wrong with this internal setup. A stir also emanated from within the Guanyin statue beneath his feet.

He yanked the bronze mirror off its strap. Before he could even jump down from the statue's shoulder, the sound of "creak, creak, creak" from the machinery beneath the palace floor erupted. This sound was far more intense than any of the previously triggered traps. The ground vibrated with a hum, and the entire underground palace began to shake violently.

The Daoist Master, who had almost jumped down, hooked an arm around the statue's head and quickly scanned the surroundings with his flashlight. Blundering into something in this situation was not a good idea.

Something rustled and fell from above. He shone his flashlight upwards, discovering that the dome was cracking.

"Monkey, the dome is about to collapse, let's go!" the Daoist Master yelled, already leaping from the statue's shoulder.

However, his luck was poor. A massive falling rock directly smashed him from the air.

When he landed on the ground, coughing up blood, he looked up and dimly saw, amidst the rumbling cascade of stones, the slender man's figure flashing rapidly. With a roll, he darted into the entrance tunnel. Immediately afterward, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness...

His mind was a chaotic mess. As the feeling of a splitting headache receded like a tide, he slowly opened his eyes. The light was dim, and firelight flickered.

He looked around and saw the source of the light: a torch stuck diagonally in a pillar. He seemed to be in an old, dilapidated temple with a very ancient style. He didn't know where he was, but he guessed that the Monkey, who had escaped, had saved him.

The feeling of being smashed to the ground lingered. Given the weight of those stones, he figured he couldn't be in much better shape than near death. Being alive was already a stroke of luck.

Based on his experience, it was best not to make any sudden movements when severely injured. Although his body didn't feel any pain, it might be due to nerve numbness.

He first wiggled his fingers, confirming they moved freely. All good!

He moved his palms and arms, finding they operated smoothly. Also good!

He then lifted his feet, bent and straightened his thighs, and still found no issues!

Overjoyed, he pushed himself up with both hands, about to test his body's condition. Suddenly, an old face with a smile appeared above his line of sight. Judging by the hairpin, hairstyle, and clothing style, it was an old man dressed in ancient attire.

"Little brother, you're awake? It seems it's truly my good fortune," the old man said with a smile. He placed a hand on his shoulder and helped him up.

The Daoist Master remained somewhat wary, wanting to circulate his Internal Energy to prepare himself. However, he found he couldn't regulate it, likely due to his severe injuries. Still, he sat up and twisted his body, finding no major issues. Only his back of the head ached faintly, as if he had suffered a heavy blow.

He glanced around the dilapidated temple's interior and then at the old man's face, asking, "Brother, where is this..." As soon as he spoke, he realized his voice sounded off, becoming somewhat childish. This was likely also due to his injuries. He coughed lightly and continued, "Where is this place?"

"Brother?" The old man was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "Young man, you have quite the spirit. Alright, 'Brother' it is. I like your individuality. I'm not entirely sure of the specific name of this place, and I don't have the energy to investigate. It's in a mountain hollow within the Yan Kingdom's Ziyun Commandery."

Yan Kingdom's Ziyun Commandery? The Daoist Master paused blankly. What was this all about?

He couldn't help but size up the other person. He noticed large bloodstains on the front of the old man's clothes, and he could faintly smell blood. The old man's complexion was a bit pale, as if he were injured, but his eyes were still clear. He asked, "May I know your esteemed surname and given name?"

The old man smiled, "This old man is a disciple of the Shangqing Sect, Dongguo Haoran."

The Daoist Master was stunned again. He heard the words clearly but didn't understand their meaning. He looked the man up and down again. He was wearing ancient clothes and spoke with an archaic tone. Could this guy be too immersed in his role? If you're going to play an ancient person, at least look the part. An ancient person speaking such clear, standard Mandarin? He suspected someone was playing a trick on him and turned to shout around, "Monkey! Monkey..."

The old man was also taken aback. "I just arrived too. I didn't see any monkey. Are there monkeys in the surrounding mountains?"

Without a response from the Monkey, how he ended up here was a question. However, the person who could get him out of that ancient tomb was definitely not simple. The Daoist Master said gravely, "Brother, which path do you walk?"

The old man smiled, "The Shangqing Sect is naturally part of the righteous path."

The Daoist Master sneered, "Brother, if you keep this up, it's no longer fun. Let's speak plainly."

"Alright!" The old man nodded. "I am severely injured, and I don't have much time. You might not understand what I mean, but just remember one thing: the Shangqing Sect is also within this Ziyun Commandery, about three hundred li from here. There's a river not far down the mountain. Drift downstream, and when you reach a cliff with a waterfall, you can stop. That place, blessed with spiritual energy, is where the Shangqing Sect is located. Do you remember?"

After speaking, the old man sat down cross-legged and gently pushed his palm forward in front of his chest.

The Daoist Master's expression instantly turned to shock. He found himself held by an invisible force, completely immobilized. He floated lightly off the ground. He was utterly stunned, never imagining that such profound Internal Energy existed in this world. He had always thought his cultivation was already top-tier in the martial world, but now he realized he was merely a speck of dust compared to the bright moon. As the ancient saying goes, there is always someone better, and the ancients never lied to me!

The old man suddenly struck his own chest with his palm, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The blood formed a ball and floated in the air. The old man inserted his fingers into the floating blood ball and stirred it rapidly. From the blood ball, blood runes sprang out, drifting and swirling around the Daoist Master.

This bizarre and magical scene filled the Daoist Master with dread. The level of mastery in controlling Internal Energy was beyond his wildest dreams.

As more and more runes emerged, the blood ball grew smaller until it vanished completely, leaving thirty-six blood runes rotating around the Daoist Master.

The old man suddenly moved both his hands in unison, and the floating Daoist Master began to rotate up, down, left, and right.

The old man struck out palm after palm, each one hitting a rotating blood rune. The blood runes rapidly condensed, transforming into a red light that precisely entered the Daoist Master's acupoints and meridians.

The sensation of something being forcibly drilled into his body made the Daoist Master break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

Once all thirty-six blood runes had been struck and injected into the Daoist Master's body, the old man's rapidly moving hands stilled. The Daoist Master slowly floated down and sat cross-legged opposite him, staring at him blankly.

The old man's solemn expression shifted back to a smile, but the brilliance in his sharp eyes had dimmed. His voice was weak as he said, "I have used the Shangqing Sect's Secret Technique to transform my remaining life's cultivation into thirty-six Protective Talismans to guard you and ward off evil. Following the path I described should be enough to escort you to the Shangqing Sect. My injuries are too severe, and my life is hanging by a thread; I cannot return to the Shangqing Sect. Meeting you, little brother, at this dying moment is my good fortune, and also the Shangqing Sect's good fortune. For you to meet me is also your good fortune. It can be considered that we have a master-disciple fate. Becoming my disciple is better than you staying in this mountain hollow as a villager in troubled times. I presume you have no reason to refuse. When you go to the Shangqing Sect, say you are my disciple. The Protective Talismans I've infused into you will be proof, and they will believe you."

The Daoist Master blinked, absorbing his words.

The old man then took another bronze mirror from his bosom and handed it to him. "To obtain this item, my life has been forfeit. Tang Mu, the Sect Master of Shangqing Sect, is my Senior Brother. Take this item to the Shangqing Sect and give it to my Senior Brother. Remember this clearly: do not show this item to anyone else. Only give it to my Senior Brother himself. It must not fall into anyone else's hands. Do you understand?"

The Daoist Master nodded subconsciously and reached out to take the bronze mirror, examining it. His heart pounded with surprise and uncertainty. This... this must be the ancient bronze mirror he had taken from the Guanyin statue. He couldn't be sure because he hadn't looked closely at the time, but the mirror in his hand looked very similar.

He looked up at the old man. The divine abilities the man had just displayed made him believe him a little, but this bronze mirror pulled him back to reality somewhat.

He wanted to ask something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the old man closed his eyes, a smile on his face, and fell forward onto him decisively.

"Brother! Brother..." The Daoist Master patted him and called out twice. Seeing no response, he reached out to check for breath and felt for the pulse in the old man's neck. He was dead!

After repeatedly confirming the old man was truly dead, the Daoist Master stared blankly for a long time. It wasn't necessary to be so realistic if they were playing a trick or joking. This was real death!

He slowly laid the old man's body flat, then examined the bronze mirror in his hands. It was only then that he noticed he was also wearing ancient clothing, and his hands didn't look like his own. His head felt strange. He reached up to touch it, tugged at it, and felt pain! It was a real topknot!

He couldn't help but get up and look around. Suddenly, a "caw" cry came from outside, like a crow.

The Daoist Master quickly walked towards the door, wanting to see the situation outside and confirm something. He pulled the bolt, and as the door opened, he stepped out onto the steps outside.

The mountains undulated under the bright moon, and the night sky was dotted with cold stars. A "caw" cry from a large tree outside again drew his attention. It seemed to be a real crow, but its eyes were clearly visible, faintly glowing red, as if staring at the bronze mirror in his hand.

The crow's eyes lit up with a red glow. It flapped its wings, expanding into a mass of black mist that surged forward. The front of the mist formed a human shape, and it swung a gleaming saber, hacking down.

This bizarre scene was unlike anything the Daoist Master had ever heard of or seen. Greatly shocked, he instinctively dodged, but his body's functions seemed unable to keep up with his usual reaction speed. Seeing that he was about to be killed by the saber, in his panic, he reflexively raised his arm to block. A stream of heat shot out from his palm, his palm burning intensely. A red light sprayed out, transforming into a giant blood rune that forcefully collided with the charging crow monster.

Boom! A muffled thunderous sound echoed. The crow monster that hit the blood rune was instantly blasted into smoke, and the blood rune disappeared with it.

The Daoist Master, holding one arm and bent over, remained stiff and unmoving for a moment, seemingly unable to believe this was his own doing. He couldn't help but recall the old man's words after imparting the technique earlier.

Damn it, it looks a bit dangerous out there!

The Daoist Master flashed backward, leaping back into the house. He quickly shut the door and extinguished the torch inside...

PS: Please be kind and click to cast your recommendation votes and add this to your collection. Starting tomorrow, the daily update schedule will be temporarily set at one chapter each at 8 AM and 5 PM. Thank you for your support!