Chapter 52 Stone Tablet
"Help..." Ye Wanning cried out weakly, her voice echoing in the empty valley, but there was no response.
Just then, Ye Wanning suddenly heard a noise from above. She looked up and saw an old man dressed in coarse cloth climbing down the vines. His movements were very agile, and he didn't look like an old man at all.
"Little girl, how are you?" the old man climbed over to her side and asked with concern.
Ye Wanning felt as if she had seen a savior, and looked at the old man, saying, "Grandpa, please save me."
The old man grunted in agreement, untied a rope from his waist, and tied it around her waist: "Hold on tight, I'll pull you up."
Ye Wanning gripped the rope tightly, feeling herself being slowly pulled up. Once she reached the top of the cliff, she discovered a small cave, from which the old man had clearly come down.
"Thank you, grandpa," Ye Wanning said, panting.
"You're welcome," the old man chuckled. "How did you end up here?"
Ye Wanning told the old man what had happened. After listening, the old man sighed deeply, "The people of the Tantric sect are becoming more and more outrageous; they actually dared to commit violence in broad daylight."
"Grandpa, do you know anyone from the Tantric sect?" Ye Wanning asked.
“I know them more than just people.” The old man shook his head. “It’s a long story. I used to be a member of the Tantric sect, but I left because I couldn’t stand their behavior.”
"You're also a member of the Tantric sect?" Ye Wanning was taken aback.
“You could say that,” the old man said. “I was originally a protector of the Tantric sect, guarding its treasures. Later, everyone in the Tantric sect became greedy, resorting to any means to seize the treasures, so I took my books and left, coming to this cave to live in seclusion.”
"The book you're talking about?" Ye Wanning suddenly remembered the book she had snatched from the Tantric practitioners and had her maid take away. "My maid has already taken the book back with her."
"That book is a treasure of the Tantric sect," the old man said with surprise. "It's called 'The Tantric Mind Method,' which records the martial arts techniques and some secrets of the Tantric sect. The Tantric sect has always wanted to retrieve it so they can dominate the martial arts world."
"Do you know what secrets are inside?" Ye Wanning asked.
The old man thought for a moment: "It mentions a place called Begonia Valley, saying that there are more secrets there. What exactly those secrets are, I don't know."
Ye Wanning's heart pounded. It really was related to Begonia Valley!
"Grandpa, could you take me to Begonia Valley? My mother left some things there, and I want to retrieve them."
The old man hesitated, "Begonia Valley is very dangerous right now. There are Tantric practitioners everywhere. Going there at this time..."
"I must go. Those things are very important; they concern the lives of many people," Ye Wanning said resolutely.
“I understand.” The old man looked at her, hesitated for a long time, and then nodded. “I’ll take you there, but you must be obedient and absolutely cannot let the Tantric people find out.”
“I promise you,” Ye Wanning said gratefully.
The old man took out some dry rations and water from the cave and handed them to Ye Wanning: "Eat some quickly, fill your stomach, and regain your strength. We'll set off tonight; that way, we won't be easily discovered."
Ye Wanning nodded, took the dry food and water, and began to eat heartily. She was extremely hungry; the fight had almost exhausted her strength.
After eating, Ye Wanning leaned against the cave wall and lay down, closing her eyes. The old man sat cross-legged beside her, looking very peaceful.
Ye Wanning looked at the old man, her heart filled with curiosity: Who exactly was he? Why was he cultivating in a cave on a cliff? What grudge did he have against the people of Tantric Buddhism?
But she knew now wasn't the time to ask those questions. Perhaps the answers would come when she found what her mother had left behind.
Night finally fell, and the dark cliff looked especially terrifying. A few scattered stars twinkled in the sky, barely illuminating the two of them.
The old man led Ye Wanning down a very secluded path. The path was steep and covered with loose stones; one wrong step and you could slip and fall. The old man was clearly familiar with the place and walked steadily. Ye Wanning followed cautiously behind, not daring to be careless.
After walking for about an hour, the two finally descended the cliff and reached the edge of Begonia Valley. The valley was pitch black, and they could see nothing but a few rows of blurry tree shadows.
“Let’s go this way,” the old man pointed. “This path is more secluded; it’s unlikely anyone will find it.”
Ye Wanning nodded and followed the old man into Begonia Valley. The valley was very quiet; the only sounds were the patter of their footsteps and the occasional chirping of insects. Ye Wanning's heart pounded; she was getting closer and closer to her mother's secret!
Begonia Valley was much larger than Ye Wanning had imagined. Moonlight filtered through the sparse branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. A faint floral fragrance filled the air, likely from begonia blossoms, but it was too late to make out the flowers' appearance.
"Be careful, the Tantric sect's outpost is just ahead." The old man lowered his voice, pulling Ye Wanning behind a large tree, and pointed, "If we go this way, we can avoid their sight."
Ye Wanning nodded and followed the old man into the stream. The water wasn't deep, just above her ankles, but it was very cold, making Ye Wanning shiver. The two walked carefully in the water, not daring to make a sound.
As he approached the sentry post, the old man suddenly stopped, took out a small bamboo tube from his robes containing some powder, and blew it towards the post, sending the powder flying in the wind.
Before long, the two guards collapsed one after another, swaying precariously—it must have been a sleeping potion.
"Hurry up!" The old man pulled Ye Wanning and quickly crossed the intersection.
After getting ashore, she found a place to hide and wrung out the water from her clothes. Ye Wanning looked at the old man, filled with admiration. She hadn't expected this old man to have such great abilities.
"Where are we going?" Ye Wanning asked.
“Go to the stone tablet,” the old man said. “Your mother’s things should be there!”
Ye Wanning hummed in agreement and followed the old man into the valley. The deeper they went, the stronger the fragrance of the crabapple blossoms became, mixed with a faint smell of blood, which made them very uncomfortable.
"It looks like there was a fight here," Ye Wanning said, frowning.
The old man hummed in agreement: "It seems that people from the Tantric sect fought here over something."
As they walked on, they suddenly heard voices ahead and quickly hid behind a tree. They saw several members of the Tantric sect surrounding someone, interrogating them about something.
"Tell me! Where did you hide the 'Esoteric Buddhist Mind Manual'?" a leader shouted.
The person surrounded was Chun Tao! Chun Tao was tied to a tree, her face filled with fear, but she still bit her lip tightly and refused to speak.
"Chuntao!" Ye Wanning couldn't help but call out.
Upon hearing the voice, the people from the Tantric sect quickly turned around and saw Ye Wanning and the old man, their faces revealing a sinister smile.
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