Chapter 53

The gap closed, burying Eighth Master deep beneath it, and Zhenzhibao was instantly stunned!

He stood there like a wooden statue, letting the rocks collapse and dust fly, and the sand pour down from his head. In his blurred vision, he still clung to a glimmer of hope, but this hope seemed to be slipping further and further away, becoming harder and harder to grasp. He stretched out his hand in vain, afraid to let go, fearing that if he did, everything would become real before his eyes—

Master, gone!

A loose pebble on the mountain finally couldn't hold on and fell, landing on Zhenzhibao's head with a thud. The pebble shattered the fog like a bolt of lightning, and he suddenly understood everything:

"Master, really... really... gone!"

The deepest, most unwillingly touched scar in his heart was torn open, like the bandage on a scab, and the pain was excruciating! Scenes began to flash through his mind: the dust and debris filling the air, the rocks flying everywhere, the earth shaking like a raging sea, the gap suddenly closing, Master's hopeful eyes, and the moment being shattered by reality, turning into the solid mountain wall!

"Baor, come over and let Master see if you're hurt..."

Master's usual words echoed in his ears, reverberating repeatedly. Zhenzhibao's body began to tremble uncontrollably, whether from pain or cold, his face turned pale and blue, and his limbs twitched and shivered. His vision went black, and he fell to the ground, convulsing and trembling all over. The cuts on his face and body began to bleed, and there were some bruises from the fall, but he felt no pain, his heart was almost numb.

"Baor, stop stealing my wine! If you want to drink, steal from Old Liu!"

"You little brat, daring to catch Master's words? Do you want to go hungry today?"

"Put on your clothes! Master will lead the horse, you just hide yourself, don't get caught in the rain and get sick!"

Memories flashed through his mind, tears welled up in his eyes, blurring Master's weathered, orange-peel-like face. Sadness washed over his heart like a tide, making it hard to breathe, hard to accept the reality.

That weathered, rough face, though old and coarse, was filled with indescribable kindness, like the warmest nest, protecting him from the cold and wind... Now, all of that was gradually fading away, leaving forever!

How could he, who defied ghosts and gods, who defied cause and effect, who was full of vitality in every move, leave him? It was impossible!

Master must be hiding somewhere, waiting for him, just like in the dilapidated house in the ghost market, just like in Laozhi's tavern. He would sit on the ground, cross-legged, drinking wine. He could sneak over and, when Master wasn't paying attention, take a sip from his cup, and Master would laugh and chase him with a stick...

Thinking of those warm memories, Baor couldn't help but smile, a smile that was both sad and desperate, deeply moving.

Finally, he remembered Master's words, to go to Kunlun Mountain's Wanmang Peak to find Mr. Plum and join the Five Rings Sect—he deeply knew that this was Master's wish, hoping that he would learn the mystic arts and live well in this world.

These were Master's last words, still thinking of him, still thinking of his future!

In the end, he crawled out of the mud, wiped the dust from his face, knelt on the ground, and whispered to the mountain wall above: "Master, Baor is leaving. I will find Mr. Plum and learn the mystic arts, learn to descend to the underworld. When the time comes, I will rebuild the ghost market, and then I will see you again!" Master's face appeared before his eyes, as if nodding in approval, and tears couldn't help but slide down his cheeks... Baor quickly wiped away his tears and continued:

"You once said that my fate is unique and I must find it myself. If I have the chance, I will find it... Don't worry, Baor will find his own fate, find his parents, find his origins, find the person who abandoned him!" He couldn't help but feel a bit angry, and his tone became colder: "When the time comes, I will make him know that throwing me into the river was a mistake, a mistake that will cost him dearly! And the gang from Kunshan Fort, not one of them will escape. I will find them all and avenge you!"

He slammed his head into the ground, knocking it into the loose soil and gravel, and after nine loud knocks, he struggled to get up, took one last look at the gap in the ceiling, and resolutely turned to find a way out.

"Master! Goodbye!"

※

Three days later, at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, by the Nuchang River.

Kunlun Mountain stretches for eight hundred miles, with thousands of peaks and ravines. The entire mountain range is like a giant maze lying across the land, with strange hermits, dangerous peaks, and deep gorges, as well as mountain villages, ancient ruins, and the small town of Wuya by the Nuchang River.

Wuya Town is located by the Nuchang River, one of many port towns in the south of the mountain. It has a direct road to Kunlun and waterways connecting to the downstream, making it prosperous and bustling, with many people seeking a living here.

Zhenzhibao followed the cave all the way, feeling the ground gradually slope downward. With no other choice, he continued along the path, but unexpectedly, after half a day, he reached a dark river, and the cave ended there!

The dark river flowed coldly and swiftly downward, and he had no idea where it would lead.

Zhenzhibao, though a young child, was not indecisive. First, he was an excellent swimmer, and holding his breath was no problem for him. Second, he was still angry after leaving Master, and seeing no way forward, he jumped into the water and followed the dark river downstream—half a day later, he was washed into the Nuchang River, right next to Wuya Town.

Baor asked around in the town and learned that he was at the foot of Kunlun Mountain. He wanted to climb the mountain to find the Five Rings Sect, but no one knew where Wanmang Peak was!—not only did no one know, but no one had even heard the name.

It turned out that the Five Rings Sect had few people on the mountain, only Mr. Plum, his second disciple Songbaige, and his fourth disciple Shengwanzhu. The eldest disciple Fengshilu traveled far and wide and rarely returned, while the third disciple Moqiansong stayed at the Zhongkui Temple at the foot of the mountain with a few disciples, exorcising ghosts and demons, and performing rituals for the living. The Zhongkui Temple was like a gateway, and people seeking the Five Rings Sect would usually go there, not knowing that anyone was practicing on the mountain.

Unless it was for disciples to return to the mountain to confess, new disciples to be initiated, friends to visit, or Master's birthday, no one would easily go up the mountain, let alone let outsiders know—according to common sense, the mountain was a place for cultivation, while the Zhongkui Temple was a place for good deeds.

The Zhongkui Temple was located in the south of the mountain, not on the same route as the path he had taken in August, so he didn't detour to visit his senior brother at the temple but went straight up the mountain, hoping to find Master and ask for his acceptance. However, this decision led to his current predicament.

Zhenzhibao, being cautious, didn't reveal that he was looking for the Five Rings Sect's yin-yang master but only mentioned the name of Wanmang Peak, which few people knew. It was normal not to find it, and he searched in vain.

If it were the Zhenzhibao of a few months ago, he would have been at a loss, but after meeting Wudi on the mountain, August and Old Liu had started sending Baor to Huangliang Town frequently. He was also quite intelligent and quickly learned the ways of the world... This is why he was later entrusted to go with Feng San to buy goods and why he encountered the deputy of the Little Bee.

Zhenzhibao thought to himself: "Since this is where Master's sect is, if someone is performing rituals, they must be from the Five Rings Sect. I can go and recognize them; if there are no exorcisms or rituals, and no one is performing magic, I can find a ghost at night to ask, maybe that will work..."

With this plan in mind, he felt more at ease and wanted to find a place to eat and then a teahouse or tavern to gather information. However, when he reached into his pocket, he was suddenly distressed.

It turned out that his money bag had fallen off somewhere in the dark river, and now he had no money, not even a piece of paper left.

Zhenzhibao had been floating in the water for a long time and was already starving. At first, he was preoccupied with Master's command, but now that he had a plan to eat and drink, the hunger gripped him fiercely, making him feel weak, dizzy, and unsteady on his feet.

Just as he was at a loss, he saw two fat women carrying baskets walking by, and he heard them talking about incense and offerings. He immediately remembered stealing offerings from the city god temple and was delighted:

"If I follow them to the temple, can't I ask the monks or Taoists for some alms? If they don't give me any, I'll sneak in and eat my fill, and take some as dry rations for the journey—this will solve everything!"

He quickly followed the two women, heading for the temple.

The two women walked through the entire town and came to the back. Zhenzhibao, hungry, could hardly keep up. If it weren't for the thought of food, he would have collapsed long ago. Even so, he was panting and almost fell several times.

When he arrived, he was stunned!

Before him was a vast cemetery, layer upon layer of graves, clearly the burial ground for the entire town. The two women began to take out wine and offerings from their baskets and place them neatly in front of a grave—turns out he had misunderstood, they were just paying respects to the dead.

Steal... steal the offerings for the dead?

This wasn't a big deal, as long as he wasn't caught by the living, eating the dead's offerings was fine.

(PS: After over a hundred thousand words, the story finally begins in earnest—Zhenzhibao is about to take center stage. Please support Zhenzhibao with your collections, votes, donations, and reviews!)