"I say, gentlemen, when we meet later, let's play it by ear."
Zhang Shaozhong reiterated, "If anything seems amiss, such as if there are many of them, or if that 'strange object' is particularly eerie, I'll give you a signal, and we'll retreat!"
Ye Meier waved her hand dismissively: "I know! Stop nagging! With me here, how can anyone bully us?"
Ling Qingxue opened her eyes and responded faintly, "Mm."
Following the navigation, they quickly found the "Forget-Worry Tea House" at the foot of the mountain.
It was an antique-style building with white walls and black tiles, a quiet and secluded environment, and bamboo curtains hanging at the entrance, giving it a rather elegant feel.
Zhang Shao took a deep breath and was the first to lift the bamboo curtain and go inside.
The teahouse was not crowded, with soothing guzheng music playing and a faint aroma of tea filling the air.
His gaze quickly swept across the entire room, soon locking onto a corner by the window.
There sat a middle-aged man wearing a gray Chinese-style jacket with frog buttons. He looked to be in his forties, with a lean face, gentle and clear eyes, and a neatly trimmed short beard. He had a calm demeanor and gave people a very comfortable and clean feeling.
On the table in front of him were a purple clay teapot and several teacups, and he was leisurely pouring himself a drink.
Seemingly sensing their gaze, the middle-aged man raised his head, looked towards the door, and gave a gentle smile and a slight nod.
Zhang Shaozhong's heart skipped a beat: Could he be "Qingfeng Mingyue"?
This image... is quite different from the venerable old Taoist priest or the sinister swindler I imagined!
He led Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier over and tentatively asked, "Hello, are you... Mr. 'Qingfeng Mingyue'?"
The middle-aged man stood up, smiled, and cupped his hands in a natural and fluid gesture, carrying an air of antiquity: "It is indeed I. You three must be Fellow Daoist Ling Qingxue, Ms. Ye Meier, and young friend Zhang Shaozhong, right? Please, have a seat."
His voice was gentle and mellow. His gaze swept over the three of them, lingering briefly on Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier. A hint of surprise and understanding flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
The four people sat down.
Zhang Shaozhong, acting as the "agent," broke the silence first: "Mr. Qingfeng, I didn't expect you to be so... young."
He originally wanted to say that he was so "normal".
"Qingfeng Mingyue" smiled slightly: "Having wasted more than forty years, I am not worthy of the word 'young'. On the contrary, the three of you are extraordinary and captivating."
He spoke with neither servility nor arrogance, his gaze primarily fixed on Ling Qingxue, "Fellow Daoist Ling, watching your live stream, everything you said pointed directly to the origin of the Great Dao. Although your terminology differs slightly from that of this world, the purity of its core is truly admirable. May I ask who your master is…?"
He began to probe Ling Qingxue's background.
Ling Qingxue picked up the tea that the other person had poured for her, took a light sniff, and did not drink it directly. She simply said, "I am a person from the mountains and fields, without any sect or school. I just happened to obtain a fragment of a book and am trying to understand it on my own." She brought out the words that she had already rehearsed with Zhang Shaozhong.
"Qingfeng Mingyue" didn't delve into the matter further, but instead looked at Ye Meier with a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Ms. Ye is straightforward and genuine, and her live-streaming interaction segment is also... unique." He phrased it very tactfully.
Ye Meier didn't care about all that and cut straight to the point: "Hey, you there, 'Gentle Breeze and Bright Moon,' right? Stop with the pleasantries! Where's that 'strange thing' you mentioned in your letter? Show it to me! Let me see what kind of treasure it is!"
Upon hearing this, "Qingfeng Mingyue" was not angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "Ms. Ye is indeed a straightforward person."
As he spoke, he carefully took out a palm-sized wooden box from a cloth bag he carried with him.
The wooden box is made of ordinary sandalwood and looks quite old.
He opened the box, inside which lay soft silk, and on the silk lay a stone the size of an egg, perfectly round, dark brown in color, and covered with natural pores...
The stone looked unremarkable, much like a pebble picked up casually by the river. The only difference was that there seemed to be a faint, warm luster slowly flowing through the pores on its surface, which could not be noticed at all without careful observation.
Moreover, a very light yet invigorating herbal fragrance emanated from the stone.
"This is it." "Qingfeng Mingyue" pushed the wooden box to the center of the table. "I obtained it a month ago by a secluded stream in the Western Mountains. It is warm to the touch, contains vitality, and can absorb the meager essence of the surrounding plants to nourish itself. I am not very knowledgeable, and even after searching through all the ancient books in my home, I still cannot identify its origin. I only feel that it is extraordinary."
Almost the instant the wooden box was opened, Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier's expressions changed!
Ling Qingxue's originally calm face showed obvious surprise. She subconsciously sat up straight and stared intently at the stone.
Ye Meier exclaimed "Eh!" and moved closer, staring intently at the stone with burning eyes: "This...this thing...it seems to contain a very pure...wood spirit essence? Although it's very faint, its quality is frighteningly high! How could such a thing exist in this wretched place?!"
Although Zhang Shaozhong couldn't sense any "Wood Spirit Origin Qi," he could see the reactions of the two powerful figures, and his heart immediately started pounding: Treasure! This is definitely a treasure! "Clear Breeze and Bright Moon" didn't lie!
Ling Qingxue took a deep breath, looked at "Qingfeng Mingyue," and asked in a much more serious tone: "Where did you obtain this item from? Does anyone else know about it?"
Seeing their strong reaction, Qingfeng Mingyue was even more certain that this item was extraordinary, and quickly said, "It's located at 'Luoxia Ravine' on the northern slope of West Mountain. I can lead the way to the exact location. No one else knows about this except me."
He paused, then said sincerely, "I invited the three of you here for no other reason than that I feel this object is extraordinary. Perhaps you three are destined to find out its true purpose, which is better than letting it remain buried in my hands."
His attitude was very honest, and his eyes were clear, showing no sign of hypocrisy.
Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier exchanged a glance and quickly communicated with their eyes.
Ling Qingxue: 'This object is indeed a wood-type spiritual creature. Although its grade is not high, its appearance in this realm is truly exceptional. This person's aura is upright and peaceful, unlike someone who is wicked.'
Night Enchantress: 'Who cares if he's evil or not! This stone is somewhat useful for my recovery! Even if it's stolen... uh, let's cooperate! We have to cooperate!'
Zhang Shaozhong also came to his senses, suppressing his excitement, and said to "Qingfeng Mingyue": "Mr. Qingfeng, to be honest, this thing... is indeed very special. What do you plan to do with it?"
"Gentle Breeze and Bright Moon" looked at the three of them, smiled slightly, and said something that surprised everyone:
"This item is like a pearl covered in dust to me. If the three of you do not mind, I am willing to give it to someone who is destined to receive it. I only ask that... I can form a good connection with the three of you, and that we can occasionally exchange ideas and discuss things on the path of cultivation in the future. That would be enough for me."
He's actually going to give it away for free?!
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