Recalling the process of obtaining this treasure, Bao Ning could be said to have sighed, "Senior, you really don't seem like a greenhorn, to be able to find a treasure like this!"
"That's why I said the two of you weren't wrong to listen to me." Miao Yi flicked his sleeves and turned around to leave. "Let's go!"
The three of them exited the cave and left the cliff, heading straight for the Liu Clan Village. After the matter was settled, Senior Brother Bao Ning and Senior Brother Bao Xin listened to Miao Yi's words and decided to save themselves for later. The matter of subduing demons and devils could be discussed later. They brought Miao Yi along as they returned to the Vitality Sect.
Along the way, Miao Yi and Bao Ning shared the same mount. He could have directly brought the two of them back to the Vitality Sect, but after some thought, he decided to take a look at the local customs along the way. Thus, he felt it was a pity that he didn't bring Charcoal along for a stroll. Next time, he would bring that bastard out to have some fun.
Relying on his dragon steed's leg strength to return to the Righteous Qi Gate, this journey could be said to be a long one.
It was only after he left King Liang's territory that Miao Yi realized that it was actually not that bad. Flames of war were raging everywhere, and countless commoners had lost their homes. Along the way, it wasn't uncommon to see wild dogs feeding on human corpses, and it was even more common to come across skeletons along the way. The people truly had no way of making a living. The more this was the case, the more the commoners would pray to the gods they came across, and the more they would worship the temples they came across.
Bao Ning and Bao Xin seemed to be used to such a situation. Along the way, they encountered refugees galloping past without stopping, causing many people to cry and beg for alms.
Along the way, Miao Yi saw an old woman carrying a crying infant. He couldn't bear to see her like this, and couldn't help but toss some food over to her. However, before she could thank him in return, Miao Yi turned around and saw a huge fight breaking out. The crowd dispersed, leaving behind the old woman lying motionless on the ground with the infant in her arms.
"Senior, the affairs of the world still require the appearance of a capable ruler. The rise and fall of the world are part of the natural order of things. We can't manage such matters, and the more we manage, the more chaotic it will become. All we can do is subdue the demons and not give them a chance to stir up trouble," Bao Ning turned around and reminded him.
He had never seen such a miserable situation in the Small World before. He really didn't know if he should praise the Small World or this place. Even though the people in the Small World had lost their freedom, they could at least live and work in peace and contentment. On the other hand, the commoners here had gained their freedom, but even their basic survival was a problem.
Several days later, the dragon steeds were exhausted. Under the night sky, the three of them rode into the deep mountains to rest and reorganize, but then they ran into a group of refugees who were screaming and fleeing in the mountains. They saw a pack of wolves chasing after them, eating them as food. Blood-curdling screams and cries filled the air.
Whoosh! Miao Yi leapt up from Bao Ning's back, his flying sword in hand. With a burst of rapid slashes, he killed over a hundred wolves in the blink of an eye. As soon as the flying sword returned to his hand, Miao Yi disappeared in a flash. They chased after the pack of wolves that were fleeing in panic.
Bao Ning and Bao Xin rode up to the top of the hill and looked into the distance. When they saw Miao Yi slaughtering the pack of wolves like a madman, and one wolf was even slashed by Miao Yi a dozen times in a row, as though he was venting his anger, the two of them couldn't help but look at each other.
"Senior Niu is a kind person." Bao Xin sighed.
Bao Ning sighed as well. "Master once said that in this world, the people's hearts are in chaos. No matter how high one's cultivation is, one can punish evil, but one can't punish the evil in the hearts of the people!"
When Miao Yi came out of the forest again, he carried a huge withered tree over. His flying sword slashed wildly, chopping up a pile of firewood. He then threw out a dozen pots of different sizes, allowing the refugees to fill their stomachs with wolf meat. Then, he asked his Senior and Junior Brothers to contribute the only pot they had with them, and asked them to treat the wounds of the people who were bitten by the wolves.
Not long after, bonfires were lit up in the wilderness, and groups of people gathered around the pots of meat, swallowing their saliva.
Soon, the fragrance of meat permeated the wilderness. Some people couldn't even wait for the meat to be completely cooked, and used wooden sticks to pick it out to snatch it. Fortunately, they had killed enough wolves. When the second pot of meat was cooked, everyone finally quieted down.
After the meat was cooked, the refugees were all eating heartily. A little woman wrapped in a coarse headscarf led a child up the hill. She used a piece of white silk to hold a steaming hot piece of meat, and cupped her fists as she said, "Great Immortal, please enjoy!"
Miao Yi looked at the refugees who only cared about eating heartily. He didn't expect there to be a woman who could endure her hunger and abide by etiquette. He was a little surprised. The woman's eyes were bright, but her face was dirty, so he couldn't see her face clearly.
He wasn't the only one. Bao Ning and Bao Xin were also looking at the woman in astonishment.
Miao Yi waved his hand and said, "I'm not hungry. You can eat by yourselves."
"Child, kneel!" the woman suddenly said to the child. The child endured his hunger, swallowed his saliva, and knelt down. The woman also knelt in front of Miao Yi, and begged with tears in her eyes, "Great Immortal, please take my child away. Take him as a disciple, or take him as a slave. Whatever it is, just give him a chance to live." After saying this, she kowtowed and sobbed. "Great Immortal, I beg of you. In the next life, this little woman will repay your kindness."
Miao Yi's gaze swept across the refugees. He thought about how his kindness had brought trouble to the recipient along the way, and how his future was uncertain. He couldn't help but sigh and say, "Go to Great Liang City in King Liang's territory. If you can take your child there, then look for King Liang's consort. Tell her that it was her cousin who asked you to look for her. She will naturally know who I am. When the time comes, you can tell her that as long as she takes you and your child in, I will owe her a favor."
The little woman understood Miao Yi's intentions very well. When she heard Miao Yi's words, she knew that it was useless to continue begging. She raised her head and asked, "May I ask for the Great Immortal's name? If this little woman and my child can survive, I will definitely set up a longevity tablet for the Great Immortal in the future!"
Miao Yi didn't care about her longevity tablet, so he naturally wouldn't tell her his real name. He casually said, "Niu Youde!"
After receiving the Great Immortal's name, the little woman bowed and led the child away. Only when they reached the foot of the mountain did she give the meat to the child to allay his hunger.
Bao Ning and Bao Xin looked at each other and sighed, lightly shaking their heads. They then looked at Miao Yi, only to see Miao Yi standing there motionlessly with his hands behind his back, looking up at the stars.
After the starving people below had their fill, one by one, they surrounded the bonfire and lay down. A deep and melodious sound of a flute broke the silence of the night.
Everyone looked over, and Miao Yi also lowered his head to look. He saw that it was the little woman from before. She had taken out a flute from somewhere and was blowing it. The child was lying on his mother's lap, listening to the sound of the flute as he slowly fell asleep.
Miao Yi's gaze was deep, and he slowly raised his head to look at the night sky …
The next day, the sky had just begun to brighten when the sound of dragon steeds' hooves suddenly rang out, startling the refugees. Only then did they realize that the Immortal who had saved them last night had already left.
Miao Yi and the others had originally wanted to rest here for a day, but because of these refugees, they had to leave early …
After a long journey of more than a month, the party finally arrived at Perching Parasol Mountain, where the Vitality Sect was located.
The mountain was high, the path was dangerous, and the forest was dense. Birds and beasts of the land came and went, and the dragon steeds galloped to the top of a mountain. Bao Ning pointed to the beautiful mountain range in front of them, "Senior, our Vitality Sect is right ahead."
Miao Yi looked over with a face full of suspicion. He didn't see a single building. One of the Nine Major Sects wouldn't stay in a cave, right?
The two of them continued to ride over the mountains, and arrived in front of a valley. The valley was sealed off by a dense fog, and there was a gazebo on each side of the valley entrance. A cultivator was sitting cross-legged in meditation in each gazebo. Looking at their attire, they were obviously Vitality Sect disciples, just like Bao Ning and Bao Xin.
"Senior Brothers, we have returned from our training." Bao Ning and Bao Xin jumped off their mounts and cupped their fists in greeting.
The two people in the gazebo also stood up. One of them frowned as he stared at Miao Yi, who was looking around, and asked, "Junior Brother, who is this?"
Bao Ning replied, "This is Senior Niu, a fellow disciple of our generation. Senior Brothers, please don't neglect him. We will make a decision after we report this to the sect."
The two guards at the mountain gate nodded. Bao Ning then cupped his fists towards Miao Yi and said, "Senior, please wait outside for a moment. We will report this to the sect."
Miao Yi smiled and nodded, watching as the two of them rode their dragon steeds into the dense fog in the valley.
He waited for almost four hours, from morning till afternoon. Miao Yi couldn't help but feel a little anxious as he wondered if something had gone wrong. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be. If the Blood Jade Branch was really as valuable as the two of them said, then there was no reason for the people from the Vitality Sect to refuse to see him.
As his thoughts ran wild, the dense fog in the valley suddenly parted, revealing a path.
Bao Ning walked out from within, and smiled at Miao Yi as he cupped his fists, saying, "Senior Niu, our sect's Sect Master wishes to see you."
Miao Yi's spirits lifted, and he cupped his fists towards the two guards at the mountain gate. Hearing that the Sect Leader wanted to meet this person personally, the two of them did not dare to be negligent. They cupped their hands in greeting and invited him in!
Miao Yi was somewhat taken aback as he followed Bao Ning through the foggy passageway. It was as though he had instantly arrived in another world. The valley was nowhere to be seen. Before his eyes were clear springs and waterfalls, flowers bloomed in the mountains, and birds chirped under the shade of the trees. The scenery of the mountains was enchanting, and he could vaguely see richly ornamented houses on the peaks of the mountains.
Miao Yi was a little confused. He had only walked a few zhang, so how could there be such a change? With such a wondrous realm hidden here, how could he not see it from the top of the mountain?
When he turned around to look behind him, he was even more stunned. There was no entrance to the valley, not even the slightest trace of mist could be seen. There was only a smooth mountain wall.
"Baoning, what's going on?" Miao Yi asked curiously.
Bao Ning was already used to his abnormality, and said with a smile, "Senior, this is the Mountain Guarding Grand Formation, outsiders can't easily see it from the outside, and they can't easily barge in. We can talk about this later. Don't let the Sect Leader wait for too long. "
Miao Yi replied with an 'oh', and quickly followed him, heading straight for the palace on the highest peak.
They walked up the stairs, and arrived at the flat ground at the top of the mountain. A jade archway stood tall, with the words' Righteousness of Heaven and Earth 'written on it in large, unadorned characters.
When they arrived at the entrance of the palace, two boys bowed and welcomed them. The interior of the palace was spacious, and the floor was paved with black jade. A one-zhang tall golden statue of a Daoist sat cross-legged on the throne, and below it stood a white-haired old man in purple robes with a youthful complexion. There were another five or six people standing to his left and right, all of them staring at Miao Yi.
Bao Xin was also standing at the side with his head lowered. He tilted his head to look at the two people entering.
Bao Ning, who was leading the way, introduced them. Miao Yi immediately cupped his fists and greeted, "Junior Niu Youde greets the Sect Leader and the various Seniors."
Everyone nodded slightly, as though they had a good impression of Miao Yi. They heard that he was here to present a treasure, so it would be strange if his impression wasn't good.
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
