Chapter 67

In the midst of the desolate mountains, the forest was dark and gloomy, with rolling thunderclouds rumbling ominously.

A heavy rain began to pour down.

In a dilapidated Taoist temple in the mountains.

Guan Ye, Guan Qing, and Yang Jie rushed into the temple in a disheveled state.

To get from the forest to the temple, they had to circle around a stone staircase.

Originally, the three had been fleeing in a panic, almost losing their way, when it suddenly started raining halfway through.

It hadn't rained for so long, and it just had to start pouring now.

The three were worried about catching a cold from the rain, and the heavy rain made it difficult to track their footprints. They had run such a long distance that even if someone were chasing them, they probably wouldn't be able to find their way.

Moreover, the heavy rain and their exhausted state meant that if they continued to run in the rain, they might die from a fever rather than from being caught. That would be truly unjust.

So, seeking shelter in the temple became their top priority.

The temple was divided into two parts, with the upper section built on a higher platform. The few connected rooms were all leaking, offering no protection from the heavy rain.

Only the lower section, a small hall where a statue was enshrined, provided some shelter from the rain.

Guan Ye, Guan Qing, and Yang Jie, panting heavily, rushed into the small hall and sat down in a corner.

The originally stifling heat had rapidly cooled down due to the heavy rain. The three were drenched, and they could feel themselves shivering.

Guan Qing took out a flint to start a fire, but unfortunately, there was hardly any dry material around to make a fire.

The branches and leaves were all soaked by the rain.

He futilely piled up a bunch of wet branches and tried to light them several times with tinder, but nothing caught.

"When will this end?" He threw the flint and tinder away in frustration, plopping down on the ground and watching the rain outside the hall's entrance intensify.

"I don't know... but we should have temporarily shaken off our pursuers. With that person's help." Yang Jie, smoothing her wet hair, replied softly.

"Chen Jun, that old scoundrel, from now on, my family will surely kill him!" Guan Qing suddenly gritted his teeth and said.

He had grown up in luxury and had never endured such hardship.

Guan Ye, however, was in a daze, holding a black, broken piece of medicinal herb. She recognized its origin.

This was a piece of poison she had previously given to Wei He.

This poison, called Green Capital Water, needed to be ground into a fine powder, boiled in hot water for ten minutes, then dried and mixed with locust leaf powder before use.

Before processing, this poison looked like an ordinary piece of rock, completely harmless.

Only someone with deep knowledge of poisons could recognize it immediately.

And in the entire Feiye City, the only family that had this Green Capital Water was her own.

"Could it really be...?" Guan Ye still found it hard to believe.

"Did he not acknowledge me because he was afraid of revealing his identity?" She speculated, feeling both grateful and relieved.

Plop, plop, plop.

Suddenly, low, heavy footsteps sounded outside the hall.

It seemed to be the sound of boots splashing through the rain.

The three immediately tensed up, on high alert, ready to defend themselves.

At this moment, they were just ordinary people, and in the deep mountains, encountering anyone could be dangerous.

Even a small wild beast could pose a threat.

Before long, a tall, robust figure in a black raincoat approached the hall, standing at the entrance without coming in.

"Guan Ye, it's me."

A deep male voice echoed inside.

Hearing the voice, Guan Ye's tense face immediately relaxed, and she almost jumped up.

"Really you! Really! Really you!!"

She was about to rush to the door.

"I knew I was right! Cheng Shaojiu that kid didn't lie to me!" She became incoherent with excitement.

In this desolate place, to meet a friend who came to help, this was truly like receiving charcoal in the snow.

Guan Ye moved so quickly that she almost ran out the door, but was stopped by the person who came in.

Guan Ye, who was 1.6 meters tall, collided with Wei He's 1.9-meter-tall, muscular body.

Her small face hit the bulging muscles and bounced back, making her a bit dizzy.

But she didn't mind, laughing loudly and slapping Wei He hard.

"You did it! You really did it!! Hahahaha! From now on, I'll change my name to Guan Dachang!!"

There was once a person who widely recruited guests, treated them with respect, and helped anyone in need. Later, when he was in trouble, he was saved by his guests, and he became famous for this. That person was the Mengchang Jun of this world, whose name was Dachang Jun.

So Guan Ye now called herself Guan Dachang, believing that her efforts had not been in vain.

Wei He was speechless, lifting Guan Ye by the back of her collar with one hand and carrying her into the hall to avoid the rain.

He then stepped into the hall.

Guan Qing and Yang Jie also stood up. Guan Qing looked puzzled but could tell from his sister's reaction that the person was a friend, not an enemy.

However, he didn't understand the people his sister associated with, so he looked to Yang Jie for help.

Yang Jie immediately recognized Wei He, her eyes flashing with surprise.

"It turns out it was Master Wei He!" She clasped her hands and bowed deeply to Wei He.

"Master Wei, your timely assistance in this crisis, I, Yang Jie, will remember this favor!"

She didn't speak for the Guan family because she couldn't represent them. But she could represent herself.

She and the Guan family were in an employment relationship, not a life-or-death bond, so she said she would remember it.

Guan Qing, hearing Yang Jie deliberately mention the person's full name, immediately understood and also clasped his hands in a serious bow.

"Thank you for your help. I am Guan Qing, Guan Ye's brother. The Guan family will remember this!"

"You're welcome," Wei He said solemnly. "Guan Ye is my friend. When a friend is in trouble, I should help if I can.

I rushed here as soon as I received the message, but unfortunately, I was still a step too late."

In fact, he had arrived much earlier and had been following them secretly. When he saw Chen Jun and the other three high-level experts appear, he knew he couldn't win and didn't show himself.

He waited until the Guan family and the three experts were both exhausted, and then he struck at the critical moment, using his full strength.

Theoretically, he couldn't defeat Chen Jun in a direct fight, but that was Chen Jun in a normal state, not a poisoned and injured Chen Jun who had run for over ten miles without rest.

When a person is tired, their attention drops, and Chen Jun was no exception.

Moreover, the Guan family had many hidden tricks, which required him to remain highly alert and focused.

Over time, even someone as strong as Chen Jun would become less vigilant.

When Wei He used the poison, he wore a special mask and had taken multiple antidotes, holding his breath to avoid being affected. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to retreat so far.

The fight between the two lasted only about half a minute, but the outcome was already decided.

This was partly due to Wei He's careful timing and precise strike, and partly due to Chen Jun's fatigue and carelessness after being poisoned.

Unfortunately, he had other means prepared but didn't need to use them.

Additionally, Wei He was quite wary of the Guan family's poison and tricks, and he had a good understanding of their danger.

So, he deliberately made the footsteps to alert the people inside and only approached the entrance of the hall, not entering rashly to avoid any misunderstandings or being attacked by Guan Ye and the others.

When a person is on high alert, even the slightest unexpected change can trigger a strong reaction.

"You... you are one of the people my sister invited to her banquet!?" Guan Qing finally realized, pointing at Wei He in surprise.

He had just seen Wei He fight Chen Jun, a high-level expert.

Could his sister, who casually hosted banquets, have invited such a hidden expert? Were there so many high-level experts in the world?

Guan Qing was now in awe.

He looked at his sister and then at Wei He, suddenly feeling the urge to host banquets and make friends.

"I'm sorry for the delay," Wei He said, bowing again.

"Sorry my ass, if you hadn't come, we would have been done for." Guan Ye was a bit disappointed.

The large business she had built in Feiye City was now gone, and it was impossible not to feel sad.

But she had a resilient personality and didn't place much value on wealth, which was why she had been willing to spend heavily to recruit guests and friends.

"Master Wei, you're the boss now. What should we do? If you have time, could you take me to Qingfeng Mountain? There, my family's team will be waiting to pick me up."

"Qingfeng Mountain? No problem." Wei He had passed by there before, and it was only a few miles away.

"Only, I wonder when we'll meet again." Guan Ye suddenly felt a bit melancholic.

"There will be a day." Wei He patted Guan Ye's head. "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?"

"Do you have food?"

Wei He took out a small wooden box, opened the red box, and inside were slices of meat-filled pastries.

These were pastries made by Wei Ying.

"Do you know how much one of these pastries costs?" Wei He pointed to the box and smiled.

"I don't know..." Guan Ye blinked.

"These are made by my family, priceless." Wei He laughed.

He waved his hand. "Here, take them."

Guan Ye couldn't help but laugh.

Guan Qing and Yang Jie, standing nearby, had no idea what they were laughing about.

The small hall was filled with a light-hearted atmosphere.

But as Guan Ye laughed, she suddenly thought of the many loyalists who had sacrificed themselves to protect her in the battle, and her mood sank again.

She took the wooden box and opened her mouth to speak.

Suddenly, there were hurried footsteps outside the door, and it seemed that more than one person was approaching.

"Friends inside, can we come in to take shelter from the rain? The weather can change suddenly, and there's no place to take shelter around here."

A rough voice came from outside.

"The place is too small, no more people can fit." Wei He turned and said loudly.

"Friends, please be kind. When traveling, it's said that helping others is helping yourself. In the wilderness, anyone can run into trouble..."

"That's true." Wei He smiled and suddenly walked out the door.

In the heavy rain, a series of sharp cries and the sound of bodies hitting the ground followed.

"You!?"

The rough voice seemed to want to say something but was cut off abruptly.

Before long, Wei He returned, holding several small leather bags and some rain capes.

He threw the capes on the ground, his body still slightly bloody, and smiled at the three.

"Coincidentally, I was worried about where to get you some rain gear, and here they are, delivered right to us."

"You... you killed them!?" Guan Ye couldn't help but ask.