Chapter 5
“Master…Master.”
Lying on the lounge chair under the cherry tree, Rong Zhou, who had entered standby mode, was awakened by the housekeeper's repeated calls of "Master".
When I opened my eyes, I saw the butler Wen Ci Qiu standing respectfully one step away and calling softly.
After the guest named Zhang Yihui left, the entire courtyard fell back into a state reminiscent of a dimensional rift. During the day, I looked out at the scorching sun and the warped desert. At night, a lonely moon hung in the sky, a blanket of stars. Even clouds were rare here, and sometimes I could even hear the distant chorus of desert wolves.
Only time was frozen: one day, two days, three days... N days. Because it was meaningless, he didn't pay attention to the days that passed. Every day was the same, which made Rong Zhou afraid to wake the two children.
For the past N days, he chose to sleep until he was awakened by his butler.
"Master, there are intelligent life forms approaching."
"How long has it been?"
"According to this world's time, the master has slept for 64 days."
This news was indeed enough to wake him up from his slumber. He didn't expect that after only two months of sleep, another human being would come to the depths of the desert.
Humans are creatures that need to communicate. The butler who changed the manual could not replace humans and could not give Rongzhou the sense of identity that comes with communicating with his companions. Therefore, Rongzhou is lonely. This kind of loneliness can be tolerated for a short time and sometimes it can be regarded as a kind of enjoyment.
Over time, the negative impact will be very huge, and he doesn't want his two children to face the loneliness of having no one to communicate with.
He was somewhat surprised but also happy to see his kind coming again.
Rong Zhou climbed up to the pavilion on a high place and saw a line of black dots in the distance. There were quite a few people coming. Could this be the Silk Road?
The men slowly approached and saw that the man in front looked familiar. Wasn't this Zhang Yihui, the man who had been rescued from near death? Why wasn't it enough once, so he brought so many people into the desert to die a second time?
He was quite happy about the arrival of humans. Rong Zhou was not a naive person. Where there were people, there was the world of martial arts. Not to mention that there were hundreds of people coming in such a large group, which made him have to be on guard.
"Why did this guy come back again, and bring so many people with him?" Rong Zhou's mind had already run to murder and robbery. After all, any layman would know that this house was worth a lot of money. He was also a single old father with two children, and this desert wilderness was the best place for robbery.
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The general was busy for two months and had almost finished all the matters at hand. Before returning to Beijing, he led his men to find the immortal that Zhang Yihui mentioned.
During the days of trekking in the desert, I didn't encounter any danger, but I was followed by a pack of wolves. Maybe they saw that there were people here, so they followed me for a few more days and then disappeared.
"Deputy Captain Zhang, are you sure you're heading in the right direction? We've been in the desert for six days and haven't seen the flower-filled courtyard you mentioned." The captain, who had fully recovered from his injuries, and Zhang Yihui, the leader, walked in front. It wasn't that he was impatient; he simply asked the same question everyone else was asking.
The desert isn't a pleasant place after all. Even if we prepared everything before setting off, the days of walking in the desert left everyone unkempt and with cracked lips. The food and water we prepared had to be enough for the return trip.
"I think this is the place. I told you so before we left. When I stepped out of the yard and looked back, there was nothing but desert. The housekeeper also told me not to come back and look for it."
"Is this true? Are you sure this wasn't just a dream? Your description is too unbelievable. One moment you were in the yard, and the next moment you were out, and everything disappeared. How else can you explain it except a dream?"
"It definitely wasn't a dream. I said I met an immortal. If it was a dream, how would you explain the water I gave you?"
“…….”
The captain felt his abdomen, where the wound had healed. He'd thought he wouldn't make it, like so many of his fellow soldiers, with a fever and festering wounds, and ultimately, death. After drinking the water Zhang Yihui insisted on, the swelling and festering in his wounds gradually subsided, and the fever subsided. He drank a few sips of that water daily, and within half a month, he was completely healed.
Zhang Yihui checked the location again, and when he was sure it was here, he asked everyone to stop. He turned back to the general and bowed, "General, wait a moment."
Zhang Yihui dismounted and walked towards the flat desert he remembered. He bowed deeply to the empty desert and said, "I, Zhang Yihui, have come to visit Mr. Rong to thank him for saving my life."
The wind blew, and the yellow sand in front of me rose and fell, silently and without a sound. If a crow flew by in front of me at this time, it would be even more appropriate.
A moment later, Zhang Yihui knelt firmly on the sand with a plop, kowtowed to the desert and shouted: "I am Zhang Yihui, a boy, and I beg to see Mr. Rong." He was so eager to meet him not only for the life-saving grace, but also for the general. If the general ran so far and did not see the immortal he mentioned, it would be a great sin for him.
He kowtowed again and continued, "I am Zhang Yihui, begging to see Mr. Rong."
He kowtowed three times and shouted, "I am Zhang Yihui, and I beg to see Mr. Rong." He looked as if he would keep kowtowing if he couldn't see him.
Before he raised his head after the third kowtow, a pair of white boots appeared on the sand in front of him, and the hem of a black robe embroidered with silver bamboo leaves fluttered down.
"Mr. Zhang, the master has nothing to thank you for. Please go back." Wen Ci Qiu, the butler who was wearing a slim black long gown, bowed to the group of people in front and politely declined.
Wen Ciqiu had no choice but to come out. Rong Zhou stood in the small pavilion, watching everything unfold below. He'd assumed they'd just shout a few words and leave if no one came out, but then they suddenly knelt and kowtowed. As a modern person, he'd never seen such a scene before.
If it was someone else kneeling and kowtowing to someone else, then it would be just for fun. But if someone keeps shouting about himself, how could he stand there and watch the show peacefully?
Wen Ci Qiu had no choice but to let Rong Zhou go out to stop their behavior. Except for Rong Zhou himself who could not leave the yard, Wen Ci Qiu was like the real red knife that was given away. They were all made up of energy and could move freely outside before the energy was consumed. After it was consumed, it would evaporate like water vapor. Before that, if they returned to the yard, Rong Zhou could replenish their energy and continue to condense.
The butler's silent appearance was so sudden that the group of people in front of him didn't react. From their perspective, it was truly a sudden transformation. In the empty desert, the sudden appearance of a person didn't even disturb the surrounding sand.
"Butler Wen, I'd like to see you, sir." Zhang Yihui's confidence soared when he saw someone emerge. He pointed behind him, toward the cargo pulled by camels. "I've come to thank you, sir, for saving my life. I've brought you a small gift. Please accept it."
"The master just couldn't bear to see any living creature die in front of him. Even if it was an animal, the master would save it, so there's no need to thank me specially. Please go back." What Wen Ci Qiu said was true. As long as a normal person in modern times sees injured kittens and puppies on the road, he or she will be willing to lend a helping hand if he or she is able.
Not to mention people, in that situation, you would definitely save them if you could. Besides, there's no such thing as a hit-and-run case these days. In a desert situation like this, at most you could save someone's life, feel guilty about it, and bury them properly. If you didn't save them and they died, that would make the people who saw them live with guilt, and Rong Zhou would definitely feel guilty anyway.
At this point, everyone dismounted and stood still, watching. The general also dismounted and approached. He saw that the steward was truly remarkable. He had never seen a steward so extraordinary. His first-class appearance was nothing to him; his aura rivaled his own, and it gave him a sense of otherworldliness. "I am Uncle Yu, the Duke of Yu. I have heard of your distinguished status, and have come to pay my respects." He bowed politely to the steward.
"The master does not wish to be disturbed, please leave."
Rong Zhou has some social phobias that are unique to modern people. He doesn't like to deal with unnecessary people. It's not that he can't, but he just doesn't want to. He is just waiting for the time anchor point of another dimension in this world. Once the anchor point of another world appears, he will leave. There is no need for him to have any contact with the people in this world.
If it were so easy to leave, the king's uncle would not be the regent: "I am very grateful to your Excellency for saving my important subordinates. Only by meeting Mr. Rong in person can I express my gratitude. This small gift is not enough to show my respect." After saying this, he waved his hand, and the people behind him were very considerate and unloaded the box on the camel's back.
"I heard that the doctor is very skilled in medicine, and these herbs will definitely be of use." The captain opened a wooden box. The herbs inside were neatly arranged, and they were all rare and precious.
"No, my master doesn't..." Wen Ci Qiu wanted to say that my master doesn't need medicine to save people (saving people is a game skill formed by energy, which can directly fill up the blood and milk.), but before he finished speaking, the second wooden box opened.
"This is red coral tributed from the south. It is a rare thing in this desert. It looks very lively and worth seeing." The second wooden box was filled with a whole red coral, which was placed on a giant clam. The giant clam was covered with pearls of various sizes for embellishment.
"..." This time, Wen Chiqiu didn't even open his mouth. Was he asking him to say that this thing would just take up space in the yard? The model in the game was much better looking than this.
The third box was opened, and inside was a neatly folded tiger skin.
This time, Zhang Yihui rushed to speak: "This is what I got during my travels. I hope it can warm Mr. Rong's feet." The things in front were all prepared by the general. This tiger skin was made by him personally. It was also the only thing he could give away. He sincerely hoped that it could be of some use to Mr. Rong.
Zhang Yihui felt it was unlikely. This tiger skin was unfitting for an immortal. Imagine an immortal sitting on a tiger skin, a weird mountain king? Zhang Yihui quickly shook his head, trying to get rid of those images. He couldn't think about it, it was too disrespectful.
Two more wooden boxes were carried in from behind. "These two boxes only contain some yellow and white things, so as not to pollute your eyes, sir."
"I sincerely beg you to see me, sir." After being rejected several times, the general remained patient.
"There's really no need to see my master. I don't know what you're thinking." Wen Ciqiu tilted his head to listen. "Since you're asking so much, then let's meet."
As soon as Wen Ci Qiu finished speaking, a courtyard full of flowers appeared behind him. The bamboo wall was covered with small yellow flowers. Pink petals fluttered out of the courtyard, fell on the yellow sand and disappeared.
The scene was shocking. The general couldn't help but open his eyes wide, and the soldiers behind him made sounds of surprise.
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