In the distance, the sun rises, and the rosy clouds instantly dye half the sky red.

Qin Luo put away his bamboo flute and looked at the sunrise. "Stone, never give up hope!"

"Uh-huh!"

Stone's eyes were bright; he had seen the light and believed in the existence of hope.

Let's go!

Qin Luo walked down the mountain.

When he was going down the mountain, Shi Tou felt like he was floating, and he was not used to it until he carried his bag and the black pot on his back and regained the feeling of being grounded.

The old woman from the Vermilion Bird Temple stood at the foot of the mountain. When she saw Qin Luo, she greeted him with a smile, "Thank you so much, Daoist Master, for helping us solve our troubles. You are our great benefactor."

The crimson clouds that had enveloped Tiannan Peak disappeared, and overnight, life returned to the area around the peak, with everything flourishing.

Qin Luo shook his head and chuckled, "This is what a junior should do. Please take care, senior."

After saying that, Qin Luo led Shi Tou eastward. They were heading to Pingyuan County and then to the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom.

Shortly after Qin Luo left.

A girl in green appeared at the Vermilion Bird Temple.

The old woman frowned when she saw the oil-paper umbrella in her hand. "Qingluan, you always waste money on these things. Don't you know how to save some money?"

The girl in green raised an eyebrow and said haughtily, "Grandma, this was given to me by a young Taoist priest. He must like me."

Upon hearing this, the old woman thought of Qin Luo, who had just visited the Vermilion Bird Temple yesterday. "At your age, you like to daydream. You are the black mud on the ground, and he is the cloud in the sky."

"Mother-in-law, how can you be so mean?"

"To put it another way, old lady, you are a mayfly in the vast ocean, fleeting in an instant, while he is a star in the high sky, eternal and indestructible, do you understand?"

The girl in green was puzzled: "Grandma, have you seen him before? Why are you belittling me like this?"

The old woman said sternly, "Didn't you see the changes along the way?"

The girl in green suddenly realized, and exclaimed in shock, "He did it?"

The old woman raised her head and looked at the sky. "Even the Vermilion Bird God couldn't handle the disaster, but he solved it with ease. Only He has such ability."

The girl in green placed the oil-paper umbrella on a high place and said earnestly, "From now on, I will enshrine this umbrella."

Why are you offering an umbrella?

"Grandma, this is the umbrella that Taoist priest used. It might have become spiritual. There's no harm in worshipping it," the girl in green said with a charming smile.

The old woman thought there was some truth to what she heard.

......

Qin Luo walked very fast, and now Shi Tou could keep up with him.

They traversed mountains and valleys, arriving at the edge of Jiangnan County, the Nine Dragons Valley, in just half a day.

Nine Dragon Valley consists of nine mountains, each resembling a coiled dragon. As soon as Qin Luo arrived nearby, he sensed a strong demonic aura. In addition to demonic aura, there were also powerful Yin spirits in the mountains.

Qin Luo said softly, "Stay close to me."

Shi Tou stayed close to Qin Luo, also sensing that something was wrong nearby.