Chapter 7

As the last flower spirit was cut down, Zhou Yi's experience increased to 40%, and a system prompt followed:

"Exorcise evil and defend the righteous path; you have gained 500 merit points."

With the benefit of the merit points, Zhou Yi bowed to the old man with satisfaction. The purple cloud of divine energy still rose above his head, but the great being did not descend. Zhou Yi was not in a hurry. Before leaving, he looked around to see if there were any other benefits to be had. He noticed the shepherd boy's green wooden flute lying among the flowers and grass, and out of kindness, he went to pick it up for him, thinking it would please the child. However, when he bent down to reach for the green bamboo flute, he found he could not lift it no matter how hard he tried!

Zhou Yi looked back at the old man and the boy, somewhat embarrassed. The old man's green ox turned its large head and stared at Zhou Yi, then snorted disdainfully, as if mocking him.

Zhou Yi felt his face flush with embarrassment. "I was once a peak physical saint," he thought. "It's one thing to be looked down upon by an NPC, but for it to be a cow, that's too much to bear." He put away his green sword and used both hands to try to lift the green bamboo flute, but it seemed to be rooted to the ground, and no matter how hard he pulled, it did not budge.

"I'll do it!" the shepherd boy's clear voice rang out. Zhou Yi quickly stepped back, thinking that the longer he lingered, the more embarrassing it would be. The boy, who had been beaten by the flower spirits and looked quite disheveled, ran over in a few quick steps, picked up the flute with ease, and ran back to the green ox.

The old man on the ox straightened his clothes and said to Zhou Yi, "Thank you, young hero, for your rescue. However, I have a request. Although this place is not far from the Hangu Pass, there are many demons along the way. I would be grateful if you could escort us to the Hangu Pass. You will be well rewarded."

"There's a follow-up quest..."

Zhou Yi suddenly remembered that in his previous life, while exorcising demons in a deep mountain cave, he had triggered a quest to deliver a child to his uncle in Guan Prefecture. At the time, he treated it as a minor task, but when he delivered the child to the Guan Prefecture border in the Six Imperial Carriages, escorted by 1,200 grass-head deities, the grand procession reached the Yangtze River mouth where the Second Lord Yang was in seclusion...

As he was daydreaming, the system prompt came again: "Do you accept the escort mission?"

"Escort! Why not, it's not that far." Zhou Yi quickly replied, "Of course, of course. Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is my moral code, and upholding justice is my epitaph! Sir, please, as long as I have a breath left, I will ensure your safe arrival at the Hangu Pass!"

The green ox snorted again. If the previous snort was a coincidence, Zhou Yi was now certain that this one was a sign of contempt. He didn't bother to argue with the animal and urged the old man to leave, glancing at the purple cloud above.

"This great being has been holding back for so long, don't let him ruin my good deed at the crucial moment." At the entrance to the flower valley, Zhou Yi muttered to himself, leading the way for the old man and the boy. He no longer held back, holding a medicine gourd in his left hand and swinging his green sword with his right, cutting down the small flower spirits that blocked their path.

It was only a short distance to the official road, but as they left the flower valley, Zhou Yi noticed something was amiss. The sky was filled with a vast purple cloud, like a flying dragon, completely obscuring the sky above the Hangu Pass. The purple cloud cast a strange light on the ground, and the crowds on the road were immediately drawn to the sky, each person staring in amazement, and many players stopped to watch.

"This is a big deal! The person I'm escorting must be..." Zhou Yi looked back at the old man and the boy. The old man sat on the ox, looking content, while the boy with two topknots had an unreadable expression. The green ox looked at Zhou Yi, and its large face seemed to mock him, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead.

"My goodness! It's this great being. I should have noticed earlier. A celestial being descending wouldn't take so long to emit the purple cloud, and this is near the Hangu Pass. The only person who could trigger such an event and invoke the purple cloud of the celestial realm is this one."

"Laozi is leaving the Hangu Pass. I didn't expect to trigger such a big event just by leveling up near the Hangu Pass. The full merit points are not to be underestimated. With so many players watching, this event will surely be recorded in history. Thinking of this, Zhou Yi couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. Being Laozi's disciple is out of the question, but his promise of a great reward is not empty. I will definitely get some significant benefits."

"If my guess is correct, this should be Laozi's westward journey out of the Hangu Pass, a formal operation. Indeed, there are many new elements. I wonder if the player who triggered this event is the one following Laozi. Regardless, you should send a message to the people inside to closely monitor the situation."

In the distant sky, not far below the vast purple cloud, two figures stood on sword clouds, each wearing a Taoist robe, with flying swords circling around them. After their conversation, a jade slip attached to one of the flying swords turned into a stream of light and disappeared.

With sword qi and auspicious clouds, and flying swords for protection, the skills of these sword immortals were clear.

"The news from the Wangan Flower Valley is likely true. It seems a novice triggered this incredible opportunity through his good fortune. However, it's uncertain if he will reach level 10. Even with your flying sword, Jingwu, it's unlikely to yield much."

One of the figures, with an ordinary appearance, said with a frown. The other, named Jingwu, had green temples and a silver-white flying sword, looking very impressive.

"Let's see what happens when he reaches level 10. I'm curious to see what benefits he will receive."

Jingwu, whose level was unknown, had already established a foothold in the game "Pianan" in just over a month, showing great potential.

At the Hangu Pass, a middle-aged man in a green robe stood at the gate, with a neatly trimmed beard, looking like a schoolmaster. He raised his eyes to see the purple cloud approaching the Hangu Pass, with auspicious clouds and a flying dragon, a truly divine sight. A gust of wind blew, lifting his green robe. He squinted his eyes, stroking his beard, and saw the old man on the green ox, led by a shepherd boy, slowly approaching. He couldn't help but smile and went to greet them.

"Long ago, I saw the purple cloud rising in the east, like a dragon in motion. It turns out you have arrived, Sir. Your disciple Wenshi has been waiting for a long time, and the road has been swept and incense burned. Please stay at the Hangu Pass for a while, and Wenshi will do his best to host you."

Wenshi stepped past Zhou Yi and bowed respectfully to the old man, greeting him with respect. Zhou Yi stood aside, lost in thought.

"Guanyinzi, Wenshi the True Man! This is a key figure in my lineage of cultivators!" Zhou Yi thought to himself. Unfortunately, the great being ignored him, and he didn't dare to speak up. These two great beings, who were playing tigers in human form, were not to be trifled with.

Laozi nodded slightly in acknowledgment and patted the ox's head, smiling, "I said I would feed you when we reach the Hangu Pass. You, beast, are still throwing a tantrum."

Wenshi was taken aback, then looked down at the shepherd boy and sighed, "Fellow Daoist, how have you been?" The boy nodded but did not speak, just like Laozi.

Zhou Yi glanced at the green ox, which was also impressive, ignoring the old man on its back and lazily swishing its tail. Zhou Yi thought to himself, "This mount is so impressive, no wonder he's putting on such a grand show. He was calling for help in the Wangan Flower Valley, but now, in front of everyone, he won't even reply to Wenshi. Truly a master of playing tigers in human form."

Wenshi, seeing the crowd of onlookers, said, "This is not a place for conversation. Please come to my residence, Sir. Wenshi has prepared a feast for you."

Laozi suddenly turned to Zhou Yi, who was lost in thought, and said, "Young hero, you saved me, and I promised a great reward. Now that Guanyinzi has set up a banquet, you can join us."

What? I've been clearing the way for you all this time, and you're just going to offer me a meal? That's not enough to dismiss me. I'll follow you, and if it ends with just a meal, I'll report it to the system.

Zhou Yi widened his eyes and quickly nodded. Wenshi stroked his beard, glanced at Zhou Yi, and smiled, "Please, please."

Thus, a group of soldiers in iron armor and long spears cleared the way, and Zhou Yi followed the green ox with a high head, ignoring the envious looks from the onlookers, and entered the Hangu Pass with Laozi.

The iron-armored soldiers cleared the way, saving a lot of time. The onlookers, no matter how envious, could only be held back on the side of the road. After entering the pass, the vast purple cloud in the sky disappeared, hidden in the blue sky and white clouds.

They arrived directly at Guanyinzi's residence. Seeing Laozi's affection for his mount, Wenshi even sent someone to cut a basket of grass for the ox. However, the ox snorted again, and Zhou Yi couldn't help but laugh to himself: "Well, that's a waste of a basket of grass. Flattery to a cow's leg!"

In the hall of Guanyinzi's residence, the banquet was already set. Wenshi seated Laozi at the head of the table, while he and the shepherd boy sat at the lower end. Laozi did not speak and did not touch the food, just sitting there. Zhou Yi, sitting behind the shepherd boy, saw that none of the three had touched their food, so he didn't dare to either.

Seeing that no one was eating, Wenshi stood up and bowed to Laozi, then said earnestly, "I have heard that you are traveling west, and I boldly ask you to stay."

Finally, the main act began. Laozi, instead of answering directly, turned to Zhou Yi and said, "Why don't you eat, young hero? Is it because you don't like the banquet?"

Zhou Yi looked at the green ox, somewhat embarrassed. Indeed, the great being's mount was impressive. The ox had somehow entered the hall and had just licked a piece of cooked meat from Zhou Yi's plate, looking quite content.

"You don't bother anyone else in the room, but you lick my plate. Grandpa, I won't eat, and it's not your turn! Are you deliberately looking down on me!"

This tirade was only in his mind. Zhou Yi smiled bitterly and said, "I just feel a bit uncomfortable."

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