"Are you afraid to climb the mountain? Afraid to face the deceased disciples, and afraid to face the other disciples?"
"You, know how cowardly you are?"
For the sorrow in Second Elder's tone at this moment, He You Tian showed no softness, his tone remained cold, and his words remained piercing to the heart.
Compared to when he was dealing with Zheng Ren, there is a world of difference.
But when I thought about it again, Zheng Ren maintained his dignity as a real person and the dignity of the Four Rule Mountain until his death. Long Fu, the second elder, directly broke through my defense and accused me in public without caring about his face.
Though I pondered over it, I did not open my mouth to say much else.
Second Elder looked old by more than ten years in a short while, and his waist and back were completely stooped.
"Yes... The eldest brother's words are right... I really don't deserve it..." Second Elder drooped his head and sighed, pausing for a moment before continuing to speak in a low voice: "I can't do much, but at least one thing, that counts as redemption, and I heard that the younger brother is going. If I go with him, he will be safer."
"Little junior brother, the second elder was confused by evil spirits and spoke to you unkindly. Please forgive him."
As he spoke, Second Elder deeply bowed to me, his head completely buried.
To be honest, I never expected him to do this.
In terms of etiquette, as an elder, he only needed to apologize to the junior; the bow was excessive.
"Time is of the essence. I ran into Wu Ling earlier behind me. He was on his way down the mountain to check if there was a problem with the residential area, but when I told him about the incident at the gate, he said he had to save Si Yan and promised to come soon. Although his legs are slow, he's almost here. Wu Ling, though his Daoist skills are weak, has been staying in Four Rule Town for a long time. Now that no one is there, he can drive us." Second Elder raised his head again and looked at He You Tian: "Wu Ling cares deeply for Si Yan and should let him come too. He knows a little bit about Yin-Yang techniques, which will be beneficial to us. It will be troublesome at night for Xuan Zhi Golden Fang to appear."
Second Elder's speech was long, and the mention of Wu Ling's name caused my heart to sink slightly.
"However, if you, the eldest brother, are concerned about the safety of the little junior brother, he can leave the Xuan Chi Jin Xiang to me, as well as the contact information for his servant. I and Wu Ling will go to rescue them." Second Elder continued.
To me, it seems that Second Elder's words are casual, but are they really that casual?
Previously, He You Tian had scolded Second Elder, saying that he was worried about Wu Ling's safety. At this point, he questioned He You Tian whether he was worried about my safety.
At first hearing, it may not seem like much, but when the elders reflect on it later, they might place He You Tian on the same level as Second Elder, seeing him as lacking in perspective as well.
"Second Elder, your words are too kind. The eldest brother wouldn't let others take risks while he himself wouldn't go. He wouldn't suspect that you, or Wu Ling, would do anything to harm me." I spoke directly before He You Tian had a chance to open his mouth.
This is quite direct.
Once something happens to me, it's natural for people to speculate whether it was the Lama's doing, or the fault of Second Elder and Wu Ling.
"The little junior brother insists on going, and I won't stop him. Second Elder, you must protect his safety. He is the hope for the Daoist inheritance of our Four Rule Mountain and the youngest disciple with the most potential to become the next true master. As for Si Yan's matter, you should let Wu Ling give up his idea. Although all the elders support him, I know that Si Yan has already had a heartfelt attachment." When He You Tian spoke these words, Wu Ling happened to be walking from a distance. He was slightly hurried.
Stopping in front of us, Wu Ling's face turned a pale blue, full of anxiety.
Second Elder clearly still felt some disappointment, but he portrayed a slight bit more composure, saying, "Wu Ling, don't be in a hurry. I heard the little junior brother mention earlier that there were clues about Si Yan's whereabouts. We now have a target."
"That would be great! Then I'll handle this minor matter of mine after we return!"
"Little Uncle, there's no time to waste, my car is over there!" Wu Ling pointed in a direction.
I nodded to He You Tian, bowing to the other elders at the same time.
After the second elder and Wu Ling bowed to each other, they quickly walked ahead to lead the way. I didn't hesitate and followed them.
We turned slightly back into the town and soon saw a parking lot.
When I got into Wu Ling's car, Second Elder went to the passenger seat, and Wu Ling quickly climbed into the driver's seat.
I contacted Xu Jin again, asking him to send me the coordinates.
But Wu Ling suggested adding him on WeChat, directly sharing the location, pursuing at the fastest speed, and taking a shortcut.
Wu Ling's intention is to get Xu Jin's contact information.
Otherwise, I would have to leave my phone with him.
Actually, there's not much secret on my phone, but with Wu Ling being the person he is, one can't be too careful.
Therefore, I let Wu Ling add Xu Jin, and also gave a simple reminder to Xu Jin. Wu Ling is a person to be careful, and he can't have any private contact. Moreover, we must conceal all things related to Qin Yang, especially the Xu family's annihilation. If Wu Ling knows about it, he would certainly stir up trouble for revenge against the Mengfang.
Xu Jin replied with an "ok" sign.
Xu Jin is a stubborn-minded person, much like when Xu Fanglan came to find me, he was beaten so severely that he vomited blood.
He has already learned about the connection between Wu Ling and the Xu family. Although the details are not clear, if Wu Ling really tries to lure him or extract information, he will definitely be turned away.
The car quickly drove off.
Wu Ling drove at an incredible speed, leaving people in awe. On the national highway, with speed limit signs everywhere, he was driving at least 140 kilometers per hour. Everything outside the window seemed to flash past rapidly.
After we got on the expressway, he accelerated even further...
We were about two hours away from Xu Jin, and as soon as we moved, Xu Jin started to do something too. After driving for another four hours, the gap between us and Xu Jin had narrowed down to about one hour.
The car's onboard system warned Wu Ling not to drive tired.
Those lamas are quite organized, they stopped again.
Because Xu Jin's coordinates had stopped moving.
I sent messages to Xu Jin from time to time to ensure he was safe and sound.
After driving for another hour and a half, we saw a service area on the expressway. Our distance to Xu Jin's coordinate had become very close.
But we didn't expect that as soon as we entered the service area, we saw a car driving out ahead of us...
At a glance, the car looked very old and was similar to the hearse we had taken to transport the body for sky burial.
Later, a familiar car followed the car ahead, which was indeed Xu Jin.
Wu Ling finally showed a bit of exhaustion, but he gritted his teeth and shook his head, then endured it and continued driving forward.
At this moment, Second Elder suddenly said, "Little junior brother, may I borrow your female Jade Slips for a moment? You were able to kill a lama because of the female Jade Slips, right? If the Jade Slips are in my hands, it would be easy for us to deal with them and ensure that Si Yan and other disciples are safe."
I furrowed my eyebrows slightly and said, "Yes, it's because of the instrument that I killed that lama. However, it's not the female Jade Slips, but rather the high heaven staff and sword. The lama's skin is very tough, it can withstand the high heaven staff but not the high heaven sword that directly beheaded him. The female Jade Slips have been returned to Thunder God Cliffs."
At this moment, Wu Ling seemed to glance at the rearview mirror and accidentally made eye contact with me.
I knew in my heart that he was observing my eyes, seeing if I was lying.
But what does it matter if I lie? Will he directly expose me?
No, I won't lend it, I won't lend it. I'm not going to believe Second Elder has any sincere intention.
"This..." Second Elder hesitated for a moment, as he was about to continue speaking.
I added on the way, "The high heaven staff and sword are personally owned by the High Heaven Swordsman. They are even weapons of execution for him. I have a trace of the High Heaven Swordsman's soul integrated into me, which is why I can use them."
In an instant, I noticed in the rearview mirror that Wu Ling's eyes no longer looked into mine. It seemed as if he was avoiding them out of fear.
"Originally... like this... not only does Little Brother have extraordinary talent, but also he has abundant opportunities." Second Elder finished speaking dryly, and then didn't say anything more.
