Chapter 56
I was shocked. I thought he was at most 90 or 100 years old, but I didn't expect he was already 150 years old.
How old is Master Zhang now?
"I thought grandpa was only in his seventies or eighties. You couldn't tell at all."
"Hahaha!" He laughed heartily at my amusement.
We were walking and talking when Master Zhang and his two brothers came over.
When the father and son met, the scene suddenly became quiet. Master Zhang looked at Zhang Jingzhi, saluted solemnly and said, "Father!"
"Hmph!" Zhang Jingzhi snorted coldly.
Zhang Pingyin saw that the atmosphere was not right, so he quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Father, Pingyang's return today is a happy occasion. I will take him to meet up with his fellow apprentices first."
After saying this, he tried to pull Zhang Pingyang away, but no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't move.
"Father, son..."
Before Master Zhang could finish, Zhang Pingyin interrupted him and said, "Pingyang, if you have anything to say, we can talk about it tomorrow."
"Let this rebellious son speak." Zhang Jingzhi looked at Master Zhang and said.
"Father, I have come specially to say goodbye to you."
When Zhang Jingzhi heard this, he was filled with unspeakable anger and shouted, "Get out! Get out now!"
Zhang Pingyin also complained: "Pingyang, you finally come home once in more than ten years, so don't be angry with your father."
"My son's disciple is now in critical condition, and I am really worried about him," said Master Zhang.
"Grandpa, don't be angry. Let Master Zhang go back first and cure Senior Brothers Danyang and Danxi. Master Zhang's disciples are also your grandchildren, right? After they are cured, let him bring all the disciples of Baiyun Temple back to Longhu Mountain. At that time, you can do whatever you want." I said.
"That's right, the little girl is right. Father, please calm down first and let Pingyang go back to heal the disciple. You have also seen the disciple who came back with Pingyang. He is also a smart person. Let him wait here first. It will be troublesome to go back and forth." Liu Danchen didn't know yet that Zhang Pingyin had made him a "hostage" with just one sentence.
After listening to what we said, Zhang Jingzhi said nothing with a cold face, but walked towards the Tianshi Hall with a wave of his sleeves.
I was just about to go with him when Zhang Pingyin stopped me.
"You are quite thoughtful, young lady." He smiled and said, "I heard from Pingyang that you have already obtained the Resurrection Herb and the Fountain of Youth. Let me help you heal your wounds first, so that Pingyang can return quickly."
"Then I'll go call Senior Brother Danchen!" I said excitedly.
The ceremony was held in a side hall.
I released the Resurrection Herb and Fountain of Youth from the Feather Stone and deposited them into the jade vase Zhang Pingyin had brought. These rare treasures could only be stored in jade containers, as jade is a pure and flawless natural treasure, untainted by the world's foul air. Now, with the addition of the Ganmu wood that Zhang Jingzhi had given Master Zhang when he knelt at the door, the three treasures were neatly placed in the jade vase, laid out on the yellow silk.
Master Zhang, Liu Danchen, and I sat side by side. Zhang Pingyin stood before us. He was now dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a whisk, looking particularly formal. As his ceremony began, I closed my eyes and disappeared into a black space.
There was not a single ray of light in the entire space, and I couldn't even see myself.
A burst of light descended before me. It was a seed. As the seed landed, a drop of black water landed on it. The seed began to take root, sprout, and grow leaves, illuminating the entire space with dots of light. Finally, a shimmering white light descended from the sky. This must be the legendary Ganmu. The three treasures rapidly grew within this space, transforming into a lush forest. I was within the forest, a rich aura of life pouring into my body from all directions. I could feel every part of my body greedily consuming this life force until every cell was saturated.
The feather stone was not idle either. After I completely absorbed the life force, the remaining energy was absorbed by it, leaving nothing behind.
I opened my eyes to find Master Zhang and Zhang Pingyin watching Liu Danchen and me. Seeing me awake, they both wore expressions of astonishment. Master Zhang, before me, had regained his former vigor and vitality, his wrinkles vanishing, his face rosy and full of energy.
About half an hour later, Liu Danchen slowly woke up. His gray hair had been replaced by black hair, and he felt full of energy, even a sense of overflowing vitality.
When Master Zhang saw Liu Danchen wake up, he felt relieved and took Sanbao with him and went down the mountain alone.
"Has the rebellious son left?" Zhang Jingzhi's voice came from outside.
"Father, Pingyang has already gone down the mountain." Zhang Pingyin said respectfully to Zhang Jingzhi who came in.
"Did he say why he was injured so seriously this time?" A hint of concern could be heard in Zhang Jingzhi's voice.
"We were injured by the Demon King." I replied.
"Demon King?" Zhang Pingyin waited for me to continue.
I recounted my experiences at Broken Soul Mountain in detail, and finally, my encounter with the demonic ape in Jiuzhaigou while seeking the Fountain of Youth. Speaking of Jiuzhaigou, I suddenly remembered Erma. I said to Zhang Jingzhi, "Grandpa, I met a special person in Aba. She could sense the extraordinary aura of Senior Brother Danchen and me, and she was just an ordinary person."
"The world is so big and full of wonders. I wonder if she is willing to join my Xuanmen?" Zhang Jingzhi said.
"Then we have to ask Senior Brother Danchen," I said.
Zhang Jingzhi and Zhang Pingyin were discussing the matter of the Demon King, and Liu Danchen and I couldn't get a word in.
Their tone hinted at a crucial piece of information: twenty years ago, Zhang Jingzhi had single-handedly slain a demon king in Anhui. This shocked me. After those two encounters, I'd assumed a demon king wasn't something a single person could defeat. Then I realized that Zhang Jingzhi, with his strength, was arguably one of humanity's strongest. His victory over a demon king wasn't entirely surprising.
"Grandpa is really amazing. He must teach those demon kings a lesson. We were bullied by them so badly that we almost died in Broken Soul Mountain."
Zhang Jingzhi smiled and shook his head, saying, "That Xiqu was injured a hundred years ago. I didn't expect him to be hiding in the so-called Broken Soul Mountain."
As the sky darkened, I ate dinner at the Tianshi Mansion and went to bed. Perhaps the effects of the three treasures of the Resurrection Grass hadn't fully absorbed into my body yet, but I couldn't sleep. Thinking back to what Zhang Jingzhi had said earlier that day about the ghost tribe, a glimmer of hope suddenly rose in my mind. Hadn't I stubbornly left home to find my grandfather and parents? But with my current strength, and the unknown origin of the Feather Stone, even if I found the ghost tribe's location, I wouldn't be able to rescue them.
The image of the dilapidated courtyard emerged in my mind. In the courtyard grew an old tree with lush branches and leaves, where people could sit under it and enjoy the coolness in the summer. Under the old tree, my grandfather was holding a palm-leaf fan, smoking a pipe, and telling stories to Maomao and me.
I miss home a little.
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