Chapter 9: After the Old Friend
Time flies, and the flying boat is not far from setting sail.
During the half year of getting along, Bai Qingchen learned that the purpose of Lin Feng's trip was to become a disciple of Lingxiao Sect. Lingxiao Sect recruits a group of disciples every ten years. He arrived in Yunmengze in advance to wait for the flying boat and collect some spirit stones.
The flying boat to Lingxiao Sect's Feixing City set sail half a month earlier than the one to Yaowang Valley's Lingdu.
As usual, Bai Qingchen and Lin Feng went deep into a misty swamp where mist-hidden flowers grew.
They often come to this area and have figured out which road is safe.
Today, there was an unusual movement coming from the front. The two looked at each other in silence, and quietly circulated their spiritual energy to activate the hidden aura paper they carried with them.
The cries for help from the front gradually became clearer. A young man in a luxurious brocade robe was being chased by a group of violent swamp rhinos.
The young man's movements were clumsy, and he was relying on a jade pendant with a gleaming light on his body to barely resist, but the light of the jade pendant was already shaky.
In a hurry, the young man clasped his hands together and a golden light with a unique spinning force burst out, piercing the eyes of the nearest marsh rhino.
Bai Qingchen's pupils suddenly shrank. During the year he lived in Yunmengze, his memory had almost recovered, except for the part about his Taoist partner, which was blurry and unclear.
Relying on his memory, he could tell at a glance that the hand gestures used by the young man came from Yantian Sect.
This starting move is exactly the same as that of Zhou Xuanyi, the close friend of Yantian Sect who was bad at finding his way and loved to meddle in other people's affairs in his previous life.
He was a disciple of Yantian Sect, and he saw that the young man was about to be caught up by the crazy Zedi Rhino.
"Save people." Bai Qingchen said in a low voice. Almost at the same time as he spoke, several talismans flew out of his hands and shot accurately towards the area around the Marsh Rhino.
"The formation is up. Trapped!" The earth and rocks surged, and tough vines broke out of the ground and wrapped around the marsh rhinoceros.
Although Lin Feng didn't understand why, he didn't slow down at all. The moment Bai Qingchen's formation trapped the Marsh Rhino, he swung his sword, and the surrounding trees snapped in half, blocking the Marsh Rhino's path.
Bai Qingchen had already rushed to the young man, grabbed his arm and dragged him backwards, while at the same time sprinkling the pungent-smelling animal repellent powder towards the rhino group.
While the ground rhinos were distracted by the pungent smell, the three men and the fox quickly left the battlefield and disappeared into the thick fog.
After escaping safely, the young Zhou Yan collapsed on the ground, still in shock. His brocade robe was covered in mud and his hair was disheveled, but his eyes were clear and bright, filled with the joy of surviving the disaster.
"Thank you very much...thank you both for saving my life." He struggled to stand up and bowed deeply to Bai Qingchen and Lin Feng, his posture was impeccable.
"It's just a piece of cake." Bai Qingchen looked at him and said, "Why are you here alone?"
Zhou Yan's face immediately showed grievance and embarrassment: "I... I got separated from the guard... I... don't have a good sense of direction..."
His voice became smaller and smaller, almost a mumble in the end, which looked particularly pitiful with his delicate little face.
He was indeed directionally challenged, just like his ancestor. Bai Qingchen sighed inwardly, wondering if the Yantian Sect's directionally challenged nature could be inherited?
"This place is dangerous, let's return to Yunze City quickly." Bai Qingchen didn't want to say more, pointing in the direction they came from and said, "Go straight in this direction and you will see the Yunmengze City Gate."
"Benefactor!" Zhou Yan hurriedly called out to Bai Qingchen who was turning around to leave. His eyes swept over his and Lin Feng's simple clothes, with sincere concern in them.
"I haven't asked for your name yet, benefactor. I will definitely repay you generously for saving my life! Do you live in the city or outside the city? If you don't mind..."
"No need." Bai Qingchen interrupted him with a distant tone, "My name is Bai Qingchen, and this is Lin Feng. There is no need to repay me. Don't get lost and become a feed for the ferocious beasts." After he finished speaking, he gestured for Lin Feng to leave.
Although Lin Feng saw Bai Qingchen stand up, he also bowed to Zhou Yan and said goodbye, then followed Bai Qingchen.
Zhou Yan stood there, watching the two people disappear in the fog, and always felt that the name of his savior sounded familiar.
After bidding farewell to Lin Feng, the day for the Yunsuo to set sail finally arrived.
A huge ship was anchored in the harbor, bustling with people.
Bai Qingchen took ten taels and paid the expensive boat fare, and what he bought was an ordinary room.
The crowded, noisy, and mixed environment of sounds and smells made Shiliang hum uneasily.
"Brother Bai!" A clear voice full of surprise pierced through the noise.
Bai Qingchen turned around and saw Zhou Yan wearing a luxurious moon-white brocade robe. Accompanied by several monks with a deep aura, he squeezed through the crowd and ran towards him with a bright smile.
"Zhou Yan?" Bai Qingchen was a little surprised.
"It's really you!" Zhou Yan looked at Bai Qingchen excitedly.
"I thought your figure looked familiar when I was boarding the ship just now! Brother Bai, are you going to Lingdu too? That's great!"
His eyes caught sight of a fat fox in Bai Qingchen's arms, and he excitedly said, "Isn't this your pet, Brother Bai? It's so cute. What's its name? Can I pet it?"
It seems that he not only inherited the bad sense of direction, but also the talkativeness.
"It's called Shi Liang."
Shiliang didn't like being touched by strangers and was very resistant, but his struggle was in vain. Zhou Yan touched him all over and he collapsed in Bai Qingchen's arms with no desire to live.
While Zhou Yan was teasing Shi Liang, his eyes swept over the wooden signboard in Bai Qingchen's hand, and his brows immediately frowned: "How can we live here? This is too unfair to Brother Bai and Shi Liang!"
He snatched the wooden sign without explanation, shoved it into the steward next to him, and ordered in the tone of a young master who could not be questioned, "Go, clean up the superior room next door and give it to Master Bai and his spirit beast. The cost will be charged to my account!"
The steward agreed repeatedly.
"This..." Bai Qingchen wanted to refuse.
"Brother Bai, don't refuse!" Zhou Yan interrupted him with a sly yet sincere smile, filled with the enthusiasm unique to young people.
"You saved my life, a cabin is nothing. Besides, Juryo is so cute, how can he live in an ordinary room?"
He reached out to touch Shiliang's head again, but Shiliang buried his head in Bai Qingchen's arms, leaving only his round butt facing him. Zhou Yan didn't mind and was still cheerful.
"We still have a long way to go. Brother Bai, if you need anything, just let me know." He pointed to the middle-aged monk next to him. "Uncle Wang is amazing. We'll be safe on the boat with him."
Wang Li clasped his fists and thanked Bai Qingchen, "Thank you, monk, for saving my young master."
Faced with Zhou Yan's rapid-fire arrangements and that smiling face that seemed to praise me for being sensible, all of Bai Qingchen's words of refusal were blocked.
He looked at Shi Liang who was pretending to be dead in his arms, and finally had no choice but to accept Zhou Yan's kindness.
The huge Cloud Shuttle slowly took off and left Yunmengze.
The superior room was bright and clean, with a comfortable couch. Shiliang was rolling around in his own cushioned little nest, feeling curious.
Bai Qingchen stood in front of the porthole, looking at the vast water gradually disappearing into the distance.
The road ahead was still shrouded in fog. He wondered if he could find fragments of his Taoist partner's memories in the Medicine King Valley. Listening to the faint laughter coming from outside the door and feeling the steady snoring of Shiliang at his feet, Bai Qingchen's tense heartstrings seemed to relax quietly for a moment.
What Bai Qingchen didn't notice was that in a guest room, a pair of eyes with a gentle smile were looking thoughtfully in their direction through the porthole.
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