Zhou Xingchuan looked at Lan Qin, seemingly considering whether to believe her. Looking at Lan Qin's petite figure and her skin, which was chapped from the cold wind, he decided, "Alright, then I'll listen to you for a while longer. If I find out that you've uttered even a single falsehood, then I won't be polite."
Lan Qin nodded, then slowly began to recount some things Zhou Zhenggang had told her about her second disciple in the underground prison. These were conversations between Zhou Xingchuan and his master Zhou Zhenggang when they were young, conversations known only to the two of them during their studies of Taoist scriptures. For example, once, while practicing swordsmanship, Zhou Xingchuan, in an attempt to quickly increase his internal energy, consumed large quantities of ginseng and he shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum), tonics he had dug up from the mountains. He was reprimanded by Zhou Zhenggang and punished by being made to dig up wild herbs. No one else knew about this except for the master and disciple. During that time, Zhou Xingchuan dug up herbs every day from dawn till dusk, and even when his senior brother asked him about it, he didn't say anything.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xingchuan was now completely certain that Lanqin must have learned this from her master, Zhou Zhenggang. Otherwise, how could a girl in her early twenties know this, especially considering that these events occurred thirty years ago?
"Manager Zhou, now you can believe that I wasn't lying, right?" Lan Qin said.
Zhou Xingchuan's expression changed several times, then he became gloomy and seemed not to have heard Lan Qin's words, lost in his own thoughts.
Lanqin wasn't in a hurry. She sat there quietly, waiting for him to think about it on his own.
"Master, where is he trapped now?" Zhou Xingchuan suddenly asked.
"Master Zhou is in the dungeon below the Five Dragons Platform," Lanqin said quickly.
Zhou Xingchuan's expression changed drastically. He looked at Lan Qin in disbelief and exclaimed in surprise, "The fourth brother's place!"
Lanqin nodded, and then slowly recounted Zhou Xingkun and Wang Xingbin's betrayal of their sect, as well as how the old Taoist priest Zhou had been attacked, switched, and hidden under the Five Dragons Platform for fifteen years.
After listening to Lan Qin's account, Zhou Xingchuan remained silent for a long time before slumping into his chair in despair. He was now over fifty years old, and the sudden realization that the master he had served for fifteen years was actually an imposter, and that his true mentor was actually in his junior brother's dungeon, was a feeling that was hard to describe.
"Master, you have no time to be despondent now. You must rescue Master Zhou as soon as possible, find a way to eliminate the traitor of Wudang, and expose that imposter," Lan Qin said.
Zhou Xingchuan's expression changed several times, his heart churning with turmoil. He recalled that fifteen years ago, his master had taken his third and fourth junior brothers down the mountain. Upon their return, they began refining elixirs, no longer concerning themselves with the sect's affairs. It was from that time that the four of them, his fellow disciples, began to manage the sect's matters. From then on, their master became obsessed with alchemy and rarely paid attention to them.
For the past fifteen years, the four chief stewards have focused on alchemy, no longer pursuing martial arts skills. However, they have maintained their daily practice routine in private.
"Girl, how did you find out that my master is with Lao Si?" Zhou Xingchuan asked, pulling himself out of his reverie.
"It's all because you captured my master. I secretly came up the mountain and accidentally ended up in that dungeon." Lanqin then told Zhou Xingchuan everything that had happened since she entered the mountain.
"You trust me so much? Aren't you afraid that I've already betrayed you, and that I won't only not go to save Master, but will also capture you as well?" Zhou Xingchuan said after listening.
Lanqin was taken aback. She had actually considered this question before, but in the end, she resolutely suppressed the thought. Because if even Zhou Xingchuan had betrayed her, then it was truly the old Taoist's fate. She could reveal the Fourth Prince's identity, and surely they wouldn't dare kill a prince.
"Your master was betrayed by both of his disciples, his shoulder blade was pierced, and he was locked up in such a dark and damp place. The only person he could think of was you, Daoist Master. If even you betrayed him, then perhaps this is the fate of Daoist Master Zhou." Lan Qin stared into Zhou Xingchuan's eyes and said. In fact, she had already seen his struggle. After all, fifteen years had passed, and the human heart is the easiest thing to change.
After saying this, Lanqin remained silent, letting him think about it and decide for himself.
"It won't be easy to eliminate the third and fourth brothers, as well as that fake one, all at once. We must find our eldest brother and join forces with him. Otherwise, I might be framed by them on my own," Zhou Xingchuan said.
Lanqin nodded and said, "What the Daoist Master said makes sense. In fact, Master Zhou had already thought of this, so he also told me some things about your senior brother, in order to convince him to believe it."
Upon hearing Lan Qin's words, Zhou Xingchuan immediately said, "Then we should not delay. We need to find our senior brother, explain everything to him, and try to get his help in our endeavors."
Seeing the doubt on his face, Lanqin asked, "Judging from the Taoist priest's expression, is it possible that this senior brother might not be able to win him over?"
Zhou Xingchuan was surprised that Lanqin, a woman, could see through his concerns so often, so he nodded approvingly and said, "Senior Brother has been highly regarded by that fake master in recent years. I don't know if he still remembers the kindness of Master in giving him a second chance back then."
Lanqin pondered, "Daoist Master, why don't you try to rescue my master first? My master's abilities are definitely superior to your senior brother, who may or may not have betrayed you. Also, Daoist Master Zhou Tianhao down the mountain should be able to help."
Zhou Xingchuan had been hesitating, but Lanqin's resolute words surprised him. He was shocked by Lanqin's decisiveness and ashamed of his own hesitation.
"Who exactly are you people?" Zhou Xingchuan asked.
"Master, your master asked the same question. But I still can't answer unless my master tells me himself. But believe me, I'm willing to risk my life to infiltrate Wudang Mountain; I must have a backup plan. Otherwise, a woman like me wouldn't dare venture into Wudang alone. Think about it, doesn't that make sense? So, Master, you really don't need to worry. Just rescue my master first, then find a way to subdue the third and fourth brothers, and finally besiege Jin Ding and capture the imposter," Lan Qin said.
“But what about the disciples of the third and fourth brothers? Whose side are they on? That’s not easy to deal with now either. This time, it’s not just about taking down those three.” Zhou Xingchuan said.
“Master Zhou, we should rescue the old master first. If he’s out, those who are wavering or even *** will naturally decide what to do. Once things are settled, you can then slowly clean up your own mess, it’ll be much simpler,” Lan Qin said.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
