Chapter 5

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In the courtyard where the ancestral hall was located, an old man and a young man were still staring at each other...

Without much thought, the village of Qijia had to uncover the truth about the chicken thief in one day. Before that, the school could only be temporarily closed. As for Mr. Wu, whether he was a respected scholar or a hypocritical gentleman, the truth would be revealed the next day.

Qisan pondered for a moment and asked, "To be honest, did you really..."

Wujiu did not rush to answer but turned around to close the courtyard gate before responding, "Since you can predict the future, why not try another divination..."

Qisan leaned on his wooden cane and sat down in the courtyard, shaking his head and saying, "You wander around every now and then, clearly unwilling to settle down! Now that things have come to this, what should we do..."

Wujiu paced back and forth, smiling bitterly to himself, "I'm not as bad as you say; I'm just seeking joy in hardship. However, Fenghua Valley is no longer a place I can stay..." After a moment's thought, his eyes lit up, and he stopped walking. He grabbed a stool, sat down next to Qisan, and took out a jade pendant to hand over, "If this place won't keep me, there must be somewhere that will. I'm going to Lingxia Mountain, and I hope you, Old Daoist, can give me some guidance..."

Qisan sat holding his wooden cane, glanced briefly at the jade pendant, and a flash of insight appeared in his deep eyes before quickly fading. He then moved away, seemingly distracted, "So you've already decided to leave! But Lingxia Mountain... is not a place you should go..."

Wujiu had indeed made up his mind, but the true reason was hard to explain. Seeing Qisan's mysterious words, he asked curiously, "Is it a dragon's lair or a tiger's den? Why can't I go?" He then shook the jade pendant, smirking, "See this? I got this jade pendant last night for saving someone. I think the fairy must have foreseen it and left this token so we could meet again, hehe..."

Qisan, seeing the man's face full of joy and endless imagination, seemed reluctant and hesitated before asking, "I wonder... what kind of women they were?"

Wujiu replied casually, "They were extraordinarily beautiful, the most beautiful I've ever seen! They could use magic, like fairies..."

Qisan nodded and said, "Since they are not ordinary people, they must be Daoists. Even if they left you a token, it was not a sign of favor..."

Hmph, this is sheer jealousy! I'm also a handsome young man; why can't I win the favor of a fairy?

Wujiu glared at Qisan,不服气地问道: “什么是羽士？”

Qisan thought for a moment and explained, "In this world, there are those who cultivate Dao or immortality, called Daoists or hermits..."

Wujiu was surprised, "Is that true? You call yourself a hermit; are you also one of them?"

He slightly moved back, examining the other person. In front of him was just an old Daoist who seemed weak and poor, lacking any trace of immortality, and far inferior to the two women from last night. As for demons, ghosts, and immortals, he had heard of them in the capital, but they were too elusive and mysterious, so he never took them seriously.

"Could it be false?"

Qisan countered, straightened up, and tapped his wooden cane, about to speak passionately. Suddenly, he slumped and looked desolate, saying helplessly, "I once sought Dao and immortality on Lingxia Mountain, but my fate was not good enough, so I ended up here, wasting my remaining years..."

Hmm, this neighbor has a background!

Wujiu suddenly became interested and listened intently.

Qisan seemed to wake from a dream, paused, and then turned to ask, "What did I just say..."

Wujiu rolled his eyes and scratched his ear.

Qisan's memory wasn't great, but he still briefly described the world he knew.

Fenghua Valley was located north of Nanling Kingdom. Twenty thousand miles to the south, there was a mountain towering above the clouds, Lingxia Mountain, which was the Daoist site for cultivators in Nanling. Mentioning cultivators, one couldn't help but talk about the legendary immortals. It was said that they were divided into several ranks. Beginners and those who had built a foundation were not yet considered immortals but were called Daoists, hermits, or foundation cultivators. Only those who had cultivated a golden core could be called human immortals. Additionally, there were earth immortals, flying immortals, and ghost immortals. With different levels of cultivation, their lifespans and magical abilities varied...

Wujiu listened intently and was very excited.

Regardless of their lifespans or magical abilities, the girl Ziyun was undoubtedly the fairy he imagined. If he could be with her, he would have no other desires in life. Besides, with no other options, Lingxia Mountain was undoubtedly the best place to go. Moreover, making decisions promptly was the key to his survival!

However, after talking for a while, Qisan seemed to regain his memory and asked with a puzzled look, "You... really want to leave Fenghua Valley for those two women?"

Wujiu chuckled, "Guess what..."

Qisan tapped his cane and repeated, "Lingxia Mountain is not a place for you to go. That's all I can say..." He stood up and slowly walked back to his room.

I also want to live in peace, but circumstances are stronger than people! Not to mention other things, being accused of being a chicken thief is unbearable. The secret cave on the hill behind the courtyard is not unknown. The children from the school often play there and might tell their parents. If that happens, I will be unable to defend myself and my reputation will be ruined. It's better to leave cleanly than to be expelled from Fenghua Valley...

Wujiu made up his mind and couldn't sit still anymore. After a brief consideration, he got up and went back to his room to pack his belongings. He also collected the wet robe drying in the courtyard.

In a short while, everything was ready.

Wujiu, carrying a bundle with an oiled umbrella and a broken sword, turned to the next room. In his hand, he held paper and a pen.

Qisan was sitting alone at a small table, silent. Suddenly, he saw Wujiu come in, ready to leave, and was taken aback, "Mr. Wu, you're leaving so suddenly..."

Wujiu nodded firmly, "Yes, to Lingxia Mountain, to find my Ziyun." He put down the paper and pen, indicating, "Please draw me a map, and I'll repay you later..."

Qisan didn't say anything, his expression becoming inscrutable. After a moment, he couldn't help repeating, "Those two women left the jade pendant out of concern for cause and effect and their cultivation. You took it seriously, which is absurd..." He glanced at the paper and pen, pushed them away, and said dismissively, "Repay me later? We'll see if you come back alive!"

"Old Daoist, we've been neighbors for two months. Even if we don't have a close relationship, you can't curse me like this!"

Wujiu, seeing Qisan unwilling to help, became anxious. If not for his previous serious words, he wouldn't have suddenly decided to go so far. He knew nothing about Lingxia Mountain. It was unfair to be misled like this.

"Since I have nowhere to go, I'll confess to Mr. Qi. There were two chicken thieves, and you won't escape either!"

Wujiu untied his bundle and threw it on the table, sitting opposite Qisan in a huff.

Qisan, originally indifferent, couldn't stand being framed and glared, "What does my stealing chickens have to do with you..."

Wujiu argued, "I shared the roasted chicken with you..."

Qisan replied, "I didn't eat it..."

Wujiu said seriously, "Whether you ate it or not, you're an accomplice. Hiding and protecting a criminal is a more serious crime..."

Qisan wanted to argue but then sighed, "You don't look like a scholar; you're clearly a spoiled young man. Forget it..." He hesitated, took out a piece of animal skin from his pocket, and indicated, "If you stay, you'll cause more trouble. Even I can't bear it, let alone the innocent villagers. Go, then. This is a map of Nanling Kingdom..."

Wujiu's face showed a triumphant smile as he leaned in to look.

The animal skin was about a foot square, slightly worn but smooth, with terrain and annotations.

Qisan pointed to the animal skin and explained, "This central part is Nanling Kingdom. To reach Lingxia Mountain, you need to travel twenty thousand miles south, passing through a large marsh, a desert, and the Yunling Mountains. The journey is fraught with danger and mostly uninhabited. You're going..." He pinched his beard, moved his fingers, and divined again, "No water in the marsh, trapped; no life, dead!"

Wujiu grabbed the animal skin, unconcerned, "If everything is predetermined, what fun is there in life? If you hide in your room all day for a moment's peace, you'll suffocate. It's better to walk with your own feet and explore a vast world!"

These words were passionate and resolute, but in his heart, he knew it was just an excuse to leave. He couldn't say he was fleeing because of a few chickens; that would be too embarrassing. He was about to embark on a journey to find immortals, and perhaps Ziyun Fairy was waiting for him on Lingxia Mountain!

Qisan muttered to himself, "All these principles are illusions; survival in troubled times is the truth. For you to succeed, you must face life-threatening challenges to overcome your difficulties!"

Wujiu tucked the animal skin into his pocket, grabbed his bundle, and slung it over his shoulder. He didn't pay attention to what the old Daoist was saying, only thinking about how to avoid the villagers of Qijia Village to avoid embarrassment.

Qisan wanted to say more but found it futile. He slowly stood up, his eyes showing pity, and said regretfully, "Life is good, but you insist on making it hard for yourself..." He hesitated, then took out two more pieces of animal skin, indicating, "I have two talismans from my travels, one for escape and one for sword summoning. They might be useful..."

Wujiu's eyes lit up, and he took the animal skin.

The animal skin had strange drawings, which were talismans. He remembered Ziyun and Yezi using them, tapping them on their bodies to either spout fire or control the wind, very powerful. They looked similar. He didn't expect Qisan to have such treasures, which was quite surprising!

Seeing Wujiu nodding, Qisan wanted to give some advice but saw him carefully put away the two talismans and say somewhat embarrassedly, "Such a generous gift makes me feel uneasy! I have nothing to offer in return, so I can only feel ashamed!"

Wujiu wasn't lying. Besides two sets of clothes, an oiled umbrella, and a broken sword, he only had some loose silver and was single. Suddenly getting two magical talismans was like a windfall. With this support, he felt much more confident.

Qisan's eyes fell on the broken sword in the bundle, and he mused, "Though I don't expect repayment, I must advise you. According to my divination, your short sword might be a very dangerous object. It's better to discard it..."

"Hmph! You old Daoist only predict bad things!"

Wujiu slung his bundle over his shoulder, turned, and walked out, shouting, "A family heirloom, I can't lose it."

Qisan watched the departing figure and couldn't help but sigh. He didn't like the young neighbor but couldn't bear to see him go astray. To travel far for an unfounded idea was too absurd. Fate is unpredictable, and everything happens for a reason. The person wasn't entirely worthless, at least free-spirited and open-minded...

Wujiu went to the kitchen, stuffed the remaining two pancakes into his bundle. Though hard to eat, they could fill his stomach, better than nothing on the road!

Qisan walked out, stood under the eaves, and watched the person busy, unable to resist asking, "You call yourself a scholar but lack refinement; you call yourself a young master but are so destitute. Before you leave, can you tell me your background?"

Wujiu walked to the courtyard gate, slightly opened it, and peeked out. Seeing no abnormalities, he turned back and smiled, "In your eyes, my name and identity are all fake. If so, why bother to explain..."

Qisan honestly replied, "That's not true; the surname 'Wu' has existed since ancient times..."

Before he finished, the courtyard gate was gently closed, and the figure disappeared, leaving only a laugh, "Hehe! Old Daoist, I'll miss you, see you later..."

Qisan wanted to say more but remained silent, leaning on his wooden cane under the eaves. He then silently moved his fingers, his deep eyes following the dark clouds in the sky.

See you later? Today is the eighth day of the fifth month, the hour of Chen, overcast and rainy, someone is leaving. Let's use this to divine again: Earth below and Mountain above, the image of a mountain underground. It signifies not being proud of one's achievements, not boasting of one's fame, and not being arrogant in a high position, a gentleman's end, the hexagram of Humility. It seems ordinary but is always favorable, a great omen! He should have been trapped in difficulties, but perhaps there is a change... Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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