Going Down the Mountain

Senior Brother Niu was about to speak when a burst of footsteps sounded from not far outside the mountain gate. At some unknown point, a figure had appeared there and was walking toward them.

Surprised, everyone turned to look in that direction, Shen Luo included.

They saw a young man dressed in Spring Autumn Temple robes and wearing a woven bamboo conical hat. Step by step, he climbed the stone stairs with a steady rhythm, slowly approaching the mountain gate.

The man had black hair and a somewhat slender build. Most of his face was hidden beneath the hat, but the portion visible was enough to show that he was exceptionally handsome, with a faint air of otherworldly detachment.

"Who is that?" someone beside them muttered softly.

"Why is he wearing our Spring Autumn Temple robes? I don't recognize him..." another person said hesitantly.

Could it be him? Shen Luo had a guess, but he did not voice it.

"That is Gu Hualing, Junior Brother Gu." Senior Brother Niu had guarded the mountain gate for many years and naturally recognized him. His expression shifted slightly as he gave the answer.

"Gu Hualing?"

Everyone, Shen Luo included, was startled upon hearing that name.

He was one of the three great Inner Disciples, renowned alongside Ding Hua and Bai Xiaotian. He was also the most mysterious among them. It was said that he cultivated in seclusion year-round and rarely showed himself on the mountain.

His master was none other than Martial Uncle Wang, a member of the same generation as Daoist Luo and Fengyang Zhenren.

Shen Luo had been on the mountain for more than two years. Though he had never met Gu Hualing, he had often heard Bai Xiaotian mention him. At least in Bai Xiaotian's eyes, this man was more worthy of attention than Ding Hua.

"I heard earlier that the temple had already permitted him to descend the mountain alone to vanquish demons and eliminate evil. I never thought it was true," an older disciple could not help murmuring.

"Alone... Even Senior Brother Ding has never gone down the mountain alone, yet he..." another disciple said.

As everyone whispered among themselves, the man arrived before them. They immediately fell silent and respectfully saluted him.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Gu..."

"Junior Brother Gu..."

Gu Hualing stopped, lifted the conical hat from his head, and revealed a face beautiful enough to make women jealous. He gave everyone a Daoist salute.

"All you brothers have gathered at the mountain gate. Could it be that you came to welcome me? That truly makes me feel rather ashamed." He smiled warmly, as though joking.

Everyone regarded him with awe and envy, but also jealousy and shame. For a moment, no one responded.

"Ahem... Junior Brother Gu, this is your first time traveling down the mountain. What did you gain?" Senior Brother Niu was somewhat more familiar with him. After a light cough, he asked with a smile.

"I killed a yellow rat that had only just gained intelligence. It was nothing worth calling a gain." Gu Hualing patted the pack on his back and smiled.

The others were all shocked when they heard this. On his first journey down the mountain, he had not dealt with some Yin Fiend or other evil entity, but an intelligent Monster!

Shen Luo could not help studying him a few more times.

"Junior Brother Gu truly is valiant. Admirable, admirable," Senior Brother Niu praised sincerely.

Only then did the others come back to their senses, hurriedly joining in to flatter him from all sides.

"You brothers flatter me. As long as you cultivate diligently, regardless of whether your progress is swift or slow, and persevere, you will surely accomplish something in the future. I still need to return and report on my journey to Master, so I will not keep you any longer." Gu Hualing gave the crowd a slight cupped-hand salute, his manners impeccable.

Everyone felt flattered beyond measure and hurriedly returned the salute.

Shen Luo had to admit that, among the three great Inner Disciples, Gu Hualing was indeed more able to win the favor of ordinary disciples than the uninhibited Bai Xiaotian or the arrogantly proud Ding Hua.

Even after Gu Hualing's figure had gone far away, everyone still felt as though they had been touched by a spring breeze. But when they came to their senses, Shen Luo had already quietly left the mountain gate as well.

Having not left Spring Autumn Temple for more than two years, even someone with Shen Luo's temperament could not help feeling a faint sense of liberation and freedom.

Once he reached Tuji Town, he first went to Good Fortune Tower and ordered a tableful of food and wine. After eating his fill, he went to the market and spent twenty taels of silver on a sturdy black-maned horse.

After preparing water and dry provisions for the road, he mounted his horse, left Tuji Town, and galloped away amid a cloud of dust.

Dengping Commandery governed more than a dozen counties of varying sizes. Among them, Chunhua County had the flattest terrain and the most fertile fields, making it comparatively prosperous. Tianping County, to its east, was affected by the terrain of Nine Ridges Mountain within its borders. It had less land and was the poorest of them all.

Songfan County, west of Chunhua County, benefited from the Luan River passing through it. Thanks to the convenience of water transport, it had become a small transfer point for river traffic, and its commerce was even more flourishing than Chunhua County's.

At this moment, Shen Luo, dressed in a long azure robe, sat by a second-floor window in the well-known Qinyang Restaurant in Songfan County Town. Several exquisitely prepared dishes steamed before him.

However, after traveling for three consecutive days and being jolted about the entire way, he had little appetite. He picked up his chopsticks with one hand, then put them down again. Finally, he grabbed the teacup beside him and took a light sip.

At that moment, a busy waiter passed by his table and was stopped by Shen Luo's call of "Waiter."

The waiter adjusted the towel draped over his shoulder. Seeing that the food on Shen Luo's table had barely been touched, he raised his brow almost imperceptibly.

"What can I do for you, sir?" He bent forward as he approached, his face covered in a smile.

"Excuse me, may I ask you something?" Shen Luo said.

"Please ask, sir. I will certainly tell you everything I know," the waiter said. Hearing that Shen Luo was not looking for faults, he immediately relaxed and smiled.

"Along the stretch of the Luan River within Songfan County, are there any ferry crossings?" Shen Luo asked.

The waiter's expression stiffened slightly at those words, but he quickly smiled. "Sir, you are being too formal. Songfan County alone has three water-and-land docks, and there must be more than ten ferry crossings of all sizes."

"So many..." Shen Luo frowned slightly upon hearing that.

He had left Spring Autumn Temple under the pretext of visiting relatives and come straight to Songfan County for no other reason than the Nameless Heavenly Scripture that Yu Meng's ancestors had discovered in the Luan River.

If everything from the dream was real, then based on the timing, Yu Meng's ancestors had most likely not yet found that scripture. It was highly possible that it was still hidden beneath some rocky shoal in the Luan River.

The chance of Shen Luo obtaining the Pure Yang Sword Art from Spring Autumn Temple was minuscule, while life-saving immortal medicine was even harder to come by. Searching for this Heavenly Scripture that recorded immortal arts and using it to seek a slim chance of survival was now his final hope.

Even if he likewise could not learn the spells and cultivation methods within it, he could still trade the scripture to Spring Autumn Temple for Immortal Jade or other pills that could replenish his vital essence.

"Good sir, do you know whether any of the families running ferry boats at these crossings are surnamed Yu?" Shen Luo considered for a moment, then asked.