Daoist Master and Monkey

That night, most people had settled down to rest. Niu Youdao observed the defensive arrangements of the group. Although the five hundred men were on rotation for rest and guard duty, it seemed that any anomaly within a few miles would not escape their notice, which put his mind at ease.

Inside a tent, a gap in the curtain was pulled aside. Lan Ruoting, after closely observing Niu Youdao's actions, smiled slightly and muttered to himself, "This is interesting..."

After a brief stroll, Niu Youdao returned to his tent and took out the letter. Using the light from the bonfire outside, he carefully pried open the seal with the edge of his precious sword, pulled out the paper, and examined it repeatedly. To his surprise, it was a blank sheet of paper, without a single ink mark.

After examining it again under the bonfire light, he sniffed the paper repeatedly, and finally even licked it with his tongue, tasting it. He was worried it might be treated with some substance to hide the writing. This lick revealed everything; it was a fake letter.

"Abbot of Nanshan Temple, Xiaonan Mountain, Guangyi Commandery... It seems Old Tu's warning wasn't baseless. They really want to harm me. Do they think I'm made of clay..." Niu Youdao frowned as he muttered to himself, contemplating the potential trouble if the Shangqing Sect were to persistently target him, as he still didn't fully grasp the depth of many matters.

After repeated thought, he formed a plan. He folded the blank paper neatly and put it back into the envelope...

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, everyone ate and prepared to depart.

Tents were being packed up and taken down, horses were being fed and brought over. Niu Youdao didn't have to lift a finger; everything was handled perfectly by a group of well-trained individuals.

The group set off again, galloping along. Niu Youdao noticed a difference from the previous day; no one was escorting him in the middle of the formation anymore.

After they had traveled some distance, Niu Youdao suddenly spurred his horse forward, riding abreast of Shang Chaozong and the other two.

The three looked at him. Niu Youdao casually started a conversation, "Your Highness, with your status, do you only have five hundred men with you?"

Shang Chaozong replied, "According to ancestral law, my rank only permits me five hundred personal guards when I hold no official position."

"Oh! I see." Niu Youdao nodded. He had just been looking for an excuse to talk, and now that he had, he stayed at the front, not wanting to be stuck behind, eating dust.

Lan Ruoting suddenly asked with a smile, "Forgive my ignorance, but may I ask the Master, where is the Tomb of the Wuling Heroes located?"

"Uh..." Niu Youdao immediately realized it was related to his Peach Blossom Poem. He couldn't help but glance at Shang Shuqing, but her face was covered, so he couldn't see her reaction – it was useless to look. He chuckled and said, "I just made it up."

This explanation left Lan Ruoting speechless. He then inquired about the Shangqing Sect. Although Niu Youdao had stayed there for a few years, he knew absolutely nothing and brushed it off with "It's a long story."

In truth, he was telling the truth, but to Lan Ruoting and the others, this fellow wasn't saying a single word of it!

Half the morning passed. They traversed mountains and crossed desolate plains, and the road then followed a river. Observing the scenery along the way, Niu Youdao's expression gradually showed a pensive, reminiscent look.

It wasn't until three ancient, sturdy trees appeared side-by-side at the foot of the mountain on the opposite bank of the river that Niu Youdao confirmed his location. He wasn't far from the mountain village he had left five years ago.

The river began to wind into the mountains. As they approached a small path leading into the mountains, Niu Youdao suddenly turned back and said, "Your Highness, could we stop at the intersection ahead?"

By the time he spoke, they had arrived. Shang Chaozong raised his hand, and the men and horses gradually reined in their mounts and stopped.

Shang Chaozong asked, "Does the Master have something to attend to?"

Niu Youdao pointed his whip towards the small path beside them. "To tell the truth, Your Highness, there's a mountain village in there. It's where I grew up. I left when I was young and haven't been back. I'd like to see how it is. It won't take too long; could Your Highness wait for me?"

Shang Chaozong looked at Lan Ruoting, seemingly seeking his opinion.

Lan Ruoting looked around and said with a smile, "Since that's the case, Your Highness, why don't we go together and see what kind of blessed land produced such a Master?"

Shang Chaozong understood the implication – he wanted to take the opportunity to probe Niu Youdao's background. He nodded, "Alright!"

Niu Youdao knew exactly what was going on and couldn't be bothered to explain. He smiled and replied, "It's just a poor mountain village. I fear Your Highness might find it lacking."

"Let's go!" Shang Chaozong flicked his whip, and immediately several scouts galloped ahead to scout the path, while the others followed at a leisurely pace.

Passing through a densely wooded area in the mountains, without any orders, some of the men on the flanks drew their crossbows or gripped their weapons, remaining highly vigilant of their surroundings. Niu Youdao glanced back at these men, sensing that they were not ordinary soldiers and possessed considerable combat experience.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo hoo."

Birdsong suddenly erupted from the mountains. Niu Youdao seemed to be electrocuted, turning sharply towards the direction of the birdsong, his eyes wide.

"Your Highness, this bird is singing strangely," a guard suddenly called out. Shang Chaozong and the others immediately reined in their horses, becoming highly alert to their surroundings.

Some men protected Shang Chaozong and the others, while others began to sandwich Niu Youdao. Crossbows were subtly aimed at him, their gazes menacing, as if they suspected Niu Youdao had deliberately lured them into a trap and were ready to attack at any moment.

"Hoo hoo... hoo hoo."

Distant birdsong could faintly be heard again.

Niu Youdao's expression immediately became excited. He scanned his surroundings and then pursed his lips, mimicking the bird calls with three "hoo... hoo... hoo" sounds.

Silence descended upon the surroundings. After a moment, two more "hoo... hoo" calls came from a distance.

Niu Youdao's eyes lit up. Ignoring the imminent threat from those around him, he shouted, "Make way!"

Lan Ruoting paused slightly, then waved his hand, signaling his men to move aside.

Niu Youdao spurred his horse and charged forward. He stopped again after a short distance, "Hoo..." and let out another long bird call.

Then, he reined in his horse and circled in place, constantly observing his surroundings.

Before long, a figure flashed through the mountain forest. A burly young man rushed to the mountainside and stopped beneath a large tree, staring intently at Niu Youdao, completely disregarding the crossbows aimed at him.

Niu Youdao also looked at the other man with surprise and uncertainty. They continued to size each other up endlessly. Shang Chaozong and the others behind them watched, finding it strange.

The burly young man was clearly very agitated. His lips trembled for a long time before he finally spoke with a trembling voice, "Dao... Dao Master, is that you?"

This long-lost address of "Dao Master" truly made Niu Youdao's blood boil!

Niu Youdao clenched his fist and pulled his elbow back sharply. He suddenly pointed at the young man and exclaimed with immense excitement, "Monkey!"

The word "Monkey" completely broke the burly young man's composure. Disregarding the thorny bushes, he rushed down, leaping onto the mountain path.

Niu Youdao dismounted and the two threw their arms around each other, embracing tightly, patting each other's backs with such force that it was more passionate than a couple in love.

Lan Ruoting and the others watching were on the verge of getting goosebumps, but they finally understood. They could tell from their first meeting that Niu Youdao was a composed and calm person, quite unrestrained. To see him lose control like this now indicated that he had encountered an old friend with whom he shared an exceptionally deep bond.

But the guards around the few people didn't dare to relax their vigilance, remaining highly alert to their surroundings. It would be strange if they still didn't understand that the so-called bird calls were signals from someone. Moreover, one thing was certain: Niu Youdao was very familiar with this type of bird call signal.

Outsiders could hardly comprehend the loneliness the two embraced in this world; it was a loneliness from the depths of their souls. Outsiders also couldn't understand their bond.

When their emotions stabilized, the two pushed each other away and looked at each other, their eyes filled with too many emotions.

Seeing Monkey's robust physique, and that he was even half a head taller than himself, Niu Youdao suddenly burst into laughter, thinking of Monkey's nickname, which came from his former scrawny build.

Monkey's earlier loss of control was nowhere to be seen. He seemed to have returned to his former expressionless, cold demeanor. Very cool!

Some things, ingrained in one's soul, could never be changed.

"Daoist Master, what are you laughing at?" Monkey asked.

Niu Youdao shook his head and chuckled, "Don't you think there's something wrong with your current physique?"

Monkey paused, understood what he meant, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, indicating he also found it amusing.

Suppressing a smile, Niu Youdao asked curiously, "Why are you here? I thought I saw you escape into the corridor."

Monkey calmly replied, "If I hadn't entered the corridor, I might have had a chance to survive."

Niu Youdao was stunned. "What do you mean by that?"

Monkey said, "The entire corridor collapsed. I had nowhere to hide."

"..." Niu Youdao was speechless. He had thought the other person was fast, but he didn't expect his fate to be even worse. He sighed, nudged his chin towards the end of the mountain path, and asked, "Did you also emerge from that Xiaomiao Village?"

Monkey nodded and asked, "Are you Niu Youdao?"

Niu Youdao chuckled, "How did you know?"

Monkey explained, "After I woke up, I found I'd been shot. That's when I learned the village had recently been ransacked by bandit soldiers. While recovering, I heard that someone in the village named Niu Youdao had become a bit strange, acting like an idiot, asking villagers questions, saying he had forgotten everything, just like me. No one in the village knew when he left. At that moment, I realized it must have been you, Daoist Master. However, my injuries were severe at the time, making it difficult to find you, and I didn't know where to look."

Shang Chaozong and the others watched from a distance, unable to hear their conversation.

Niu Youdao silently nodded, then patted Monkey's shoulder. "I always thought you escaped then. I didn't expect you to come too. Otherwise, I wouldn't have left Xiaomiao Village alone."

Monkey responded with a single word: "Understood!"

That one word was enough. Niu Youdao didn't explain further. He clasped his hands behind his back, gazed at the surrounding mountains and forests, and sighed with emotion. He also felt a bit fortunate, "Luckily, I passed by here this time. I wanted to check on those villagers and repay some favors. Otherwise, I don't know when I would have seen you again. By the way, with your abilities, how could a mountain village hold you? Didn't you ever want to see the outside world? Get some girl pregnant?"