"": 200,
"": "",
"": "His face tensed slightly as Zhang Yunxi walked forward.
Luo Bin followed close behind. Wei Dong's legs had recovered considerably, yet he stumbled and staggered on the level ground, as though his earlier fear was only now finding an outlet.
Soon, the three of them reached the archway. Directly behind it stood a stone wall roughly two meters high, stretching far enough to surround almost the entire summit of the small mountain.
A tightly shut gate stood in the center, with two lanterns hanging on either side of its eaves, swaying gently in the wind.
Zhang Yunxi walked straight up to it.
After a brief hesitation, he raised his hand and knocked. Knock, knock, knock!
At first, there was silence. Two or three minutes later, footsteps sounded.
The gate was pulled open inward.
The man who opened the door was an Old Man in his sixties.
He was clean-shaven, and his robes were spotless and tidy.
Luo Bin was full of questions, but he said nothing, quietly watching how things unfolded.
At the sight of the three of them, joy immediately appeared in the Old Man's eyes.
"It's been years since anyone came to visit. The Taoist Grounds have been terribly lonely. Please, come in."
The Old Man gestured for them to enter, seeming very hospitable.
Perhaps he knew that the Heavenly Mechanism Taoist Grounds were difficult to find, yet also knew that people would eventually come.
But the Old Man's hospitality did not make Luo Bin lower his guard.
This place was so easy to find, yet none of those who came had returned.
Then was the problem with the Taoist Grounds themselves?
Zhang Yunxi did not immediately step inside.
The Old Man made another inviting gesture.
Wei Dong slipped past Zhang Yunxi and