"Hoo..."
Lin Zhao also sat down in the rain. The battle had been simple and short, but in that brief moment, Lin Zhao had used all his strength and every trick he could think of. Coupled with Xu Ming'an's Daoist attacks, they had barely managed to slay the old fox. If the old fox had not died, Xu Ming'an would have remained in constant danger.
"Lin Zhao."
Xu Ming'an looked up at him. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Lin Zhao patted his backside and rose from the rain, walking over to the corpse of the Nascent Soul realm old fox. He wasn't interested in the shed skin, it smelled too foul. So, he picked up the storage bag left behind by the Nascent Soul realm demon fox. After weighing it, he said, "Let's go back and take shelter from the rain. We can also see what treasures this Nascent Soul realm demon fox had."
"Alright."
The two returned to the ruined temple. Lin Zhao poured out the contents of the storage bag with a rustle. The treasures of a Nascent Soul realm demon fox weren't too numerous, but they weren't few either. There were as many as 27 Jin Zi coins, and a pile of Fei Yu coins and Qing Fu coins. In addition, there were several magical artifacts. Among them was a wine gourd that gave off a moon-like glow in the darkness. It contained wine brewed by demons and a Golden Core realm demon core, presumably spoils from the Nascent Soul demon fox's cannibalism. The wine in this gourd would surely be very nourishing!
Unfortunately, Lin Zhao was a player, and these things were of no use to him. So, he directly threw the wine gourd to Xu Ming'an. "The mountains in the Northern Territory are mostly very cold. You take this. When winter comes, go down the mountain to get some wine. If you're cold, take a sip to warm yourself up. It'll be better than shivering alone in the Daoist temple."
"..."
Although Xu Ming'an had very little experience in the martial world, he knew that this wine gourd was definitely a treasure, perhaps the best treasure the Nascent Soul realm demon cultivator possessed. Lin Zhao, whom he had met by chance, not only saved his life in the recent battle but also gave him such a treasure. What was a life-and-death friendship? The young Daoist thought this was it.
"Lin Zhao."
Xu Ming'an frowned. "It's not easy for you to travel the martial world alone. You should keep these things. Besides, I've heard from those martial artists that even Sword Immortals in the heavens cannot do without fine wine. Lin Zhao, you are also a Sword Immortal, so this gourd is a perfect match for you. I don't want to take what belongs to you."
"What are you saying?"
Lin Zhao said with a laugh, "This broken wine gourd has an eighth-realm demon core soaked in it. The spiritual energy it nourishes is extremely abundant, but do I, a dignified Golden Core Sword Cultivator, need these external things to aid my cultivation? No. On the other hand, you, although you are now a fifth-realm cultivator, your foundation is not solid. The spiritual energy from this demon core soaked in wine is abundant. If you drink it, your cultivation of Daoist magic will surely yield twice the results with half the effort. Besides, you, Xu Ming'an, are guarding a dilapidated Daoist temple. What foundation do you have? Keep it. My foundation is much more solid than yours."
Xu Ming'an scratched his head. "Then... thank you."
"You're welcome."
Lin Zhao smiled and placed all the coins from the Nascent Soul realm demon fox on a wooden board. Then, using a bamboo branch, he divided them, one coin for each person, equally splitting the Jin Zi coins, Fei Yu coins, and Qing Fu coins with Xu Ming'an. In fact, Lin Zhao, as the lord of Xueyu Tianchi, didn't lack money at all, but he still insisted on splitting it to ease Xu Ming'an's mind. Otherwise, he would feel guilty taking so many things.
Before long, the division of goods was complete, and most of it was given to Xu Ming'an. Lin Zhao took some Jin Zi coins, just for the sake of it.
The two lay down to rest, using their swords as pillows.
"Xu Ming'an," Lin Zhao suddenly called out.
"Hmm."
Xu Ming'an looked at the roof of the ruined temple. "Lin Zhao, what is it?"
"Hide your Zhenwu Sword well."
Lin Zhao frowned. "You can learn from me and wrap the entire sword in a piece of cloth. This way, it won't attract attention. When you're traveling the martial world, just use a sharp long sword. This Zhenwu Sword was passed down by your master, and it might hold some secrets. In short, it's not as simple as you think. You need to learn to conceal your sharpness to better protect yourself."
"Got it."
Although Xu Ming'an was only sixteen, he had lived alone for nearly ten years and had experienced countless desperate situations in the mountains. Now that Lin Zhao had pointed it out, he naturally knew that Lin Zhao was looking out for him. He immediately sat up, took out a piece of ragged cloth from his pack, and wrapped the Zhenwu Sword, just like the one on Lin Zhao's back.
...
A while later, Xu Ming'an fell asleep. Lin Zhao went offline for three hours, and then logged back in. By then, it was already dark. He made a simple torch, then woke Xu Ming'an and called out Wang Yue. Together, they set off under the clear moonlight. Along the way, as before, they helped bury any roadside remains they encountered. In addition, Lin Zhao would light a tracking talisman every so often to search for lone souls and wandering ghosts in the mountains. Then, depending on their wishes, he would guide them into reincarnation if they wished to be transcended, but he wouldn't force them if they didn't.
Along the way, Xu Ming'an didn't say much, and Lin Zhao didn't say much either, but the two were very taciturn, constantly doing practical things.
Sometime in the early morning, after crossing dozens of mountains, the three arrived at a towering mountain range. As they stepped onto the peak, a magnificent landscape unfolded before their eyes. Just then, a light drizzle began to fall again. It was the plum rain season in the human world, and the rain was indeed abundant.
Lin Zhao looked up at the sky. Rainwater dripped from the crowns of the towering trees. He couldn't help but smile faintly. A hundred years ago, the sages of the Sea of Heavens had frozen the world. During those days, even in the plum rain season, the entire world was covered in continuous heavy snow. The world today was different. After this abundant rain, all things would grow, and the vitality of heaven and earth was far from comparable to a hundred years ago.
"It's raining..."
Xu Ming'an took out the bamboo hat he had made a few days ago to shield himself from the rain. "It's almost dawn. Shouldn't we find a place to take shelter?"
"Hmm."
Lin Zhao pointed ahead. The mini-map showed a mountain village called Qinghe Village in the mountains ahead. "There are people there. Let's go and have a look."
"Okay!"
The three of them braved the rain, stepping on the slippery mountain rocks as they descended. Fortunately, their agility was good, and traveling in the mountains was not a problem.
When they arrived at Qinghe Village, the rain had become heavier, almost a downpour. Lin Zhao walked at the front and approached a thatched hut. He knocked on the wooden door. Soon, an old man opened it. Without a second thought, he said, "It's raining so heavily, where did you come from? Come in quickly and take shelter."
"Thank you, old sir!"
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded. He and Xu Ming'an entered the small house one after the other. The old man didn't notice Wang Yue entering with them. Ordinary humans couldn't see souls and ghosts.
The old man carried a bundle of firewood and lit a fire in the brazier inside. "Quickly dry your clothes. It's still very cold. Don't catch a cold."
"Thank you, old sir!"
Lin Zhao smiled and asked, "Old sir, are you alone?"
"Hmm."
The old man smiled. "Where did you come from?"
"The north."
Xu Ming'an clasped his hands in greeting. "I am a Daoist priest from Wuji Temple in the northern mountains, my name is Xu Ming'an."
Lin Zhao said, "I am a wandering swordsman traveling south from the north. My name is Lin Zhao."
"I see..."
The old man smiled. "My surname is Qin, and everyone in the village calls me Old Qin. I had a wife, but she passed away ten years ago. Now I live alone. You can rest assured to stay here and take shelter from the rain. Are you hungry? I'll make you something to eat."
"No, don't trouble yourself, Grandpa Qin."
Xu Ming'an had grown up on the mountain since he was young and had a natural affinity for these simple mountain folk, so he was very sweet-tongued. Calling him Grandpa Qin made Old Qin's heart bloom with joy. Moreover, the two young men who had come to take shelter today were better looking than each other. It was one thing for the Daoist to be handsome, but even the swordsman was exceptionally refined and handsome, which was truly rare.
Old Qin's heart was filled with delight. If only he had two such grandsons, his life would not have been lived in vain. His wife in heaven would surely be very happy!
Thus, Lin Zhao and Xu Ming'an were warming themselves by the fire, while Old Qin began to busy himself. First, he took out a pheasant from a cage in the hut. There were three pheasants in the cage, two large and one small, likely caught by hunters in the village. Old Qin took the largest pheasant and killed it to cook for the two young cultivators. After preparing the chicken, he put on a straw cloak and rushed into the heavy rain.
Shortly after, Old Qin returned, holding a handful of scallions and garlic in his left hand and three stems of wild potatoes from the mountains in his right. Beneath the roots were small, bell-shaped fruits. These potatoes were originally wild in the mountains, and the villagers learned to cultivate them, passing them down through generations. Each potato was not large, at most the size of an egg, but they were soft, glutinous, and very delicious.
"Grandpa Qin..."
Lin Zhao looked at the ingredients in Old Qin's hand and felt extremely embarrassed. "You could have let us pick these things... It's so inconvenient for you to be so busy at your age!"
"What's inconvenient about it!"
Old Qin laughed. "Our Qinghe Village is like a paradise described by the scholars in the Great Shang Dynasty. Normally, others can't find it even if they try. It's fate that the two of you stumbled upon it. Rest assured and warm yourselves by the fire. Grandpa will make you a delicious meal. After eating, get some sleep and rest well before continuing your journey when the rain stops."
For a moment, Lin Zhao and Xu Ming'an showed embarrassed expressions, and then they said in unison, "Thank you, Grandpa Qin..."
Old Qin felt as if he had eaten honey and was incredibly happy.
Before long, Old Qin started a fire to cook. He was stewing wild pheasant with potatoes over a wood fire. As the aroma of the stew filled the air, pancakes were being plastered around the pot. In an instant, the entire room was filled with a refreshing fragrance. Even though Lin Zhao and Xu Ming'an weren't very hungry, they felt like they could eat a large bowl.
...
Outside, the rain poured down.
Lin Zhao, while smelling the aroma of potato and wild chicken stew, glanced towards the mountains to the south. He couldn't help but frown. In the heart of his Golden Core Sword Cultivator consciousness, he clearly felt a wisp of spiritual energy fluctuating and swaying in the wind and rain.