Chapter 1015 Visiting Old Friends?
That's the sound of someone striking a wooden fish!
On such a towering mountain peak, in the still of the night, behind the dense pine forest, amidst the rustling of the pines, a small hut appeared. From inside came the sound of a wooden fish being struck. Although the scene was not one of carnage or monsters, it was so eerie that even these battle-hardened guards and Turkic soldiers felt a chill run down their spines.
Knock knock knock...
The wooden fish stopped after a while, followed by a clear and melodious chime.
Then, all was quiet.
The wooden fish, the bronze chime, and the faint scent of sandalwood in the air all seemed to indicate that the person living inside was a Taoist practitioner. However, this house was not a Taoist temple, but an ordinary wooden hut, which made it all the more contradictory and strange.
In the eerie silence, Lei Yu took a deep breath and finally mustered the courage to step forward and gently knock on the dilapidated wooden door.
"Sorry to bother you."
...
It remained quiet.
Lei Yu raised his voice a few decibels and said, "We apologize for any offense. We have come here late at night because someone has been injured and we hope to receive treatment here. We hope you will be accommodating."
...
The surroundings were so quiet that even the sound of the wind had disappeared.
Ashina Zhuxie stared intently at the wooden house, his brow furrowed, and said, "Just barge in! I want to see who this arrogant person is!"
Wang Shaoqiu nodded as well.
Seeing their reaction, Lei Yu and Wo Xue were getting anxious. These people were going up the mountain to find Zuo Gong's suspected tomb, so they didn't care how they treated the people and things there. But Shang Ruyi had been bitten by a poisonous snake and was going up the mountain to ask for help. If she offended the people in the house and they refused to help her, wouldn't Shang Ruyi be left to die?
Lei Yu immediately said, "No way!"
At this moment, Green Silk slowly walked to her side and softly said into the room, "We have no intention of offending you, but someone has been poisoned and is in critical condition. We hope you can lend a helping hand."
Her voice was already gentle and pleasant, but after deliberately lowering the pitch, it became even more melodious and captivating, causing many people to pause and take a deep breath.
Wang Shaoqiu, in particular, stared intently at Lüxiao, as if he were enduring something, and then lowered his head.
Just then, everyone's eyes lit up. The dilapidated wooden door, which looked as if it would fall apart at the slightest touch, was finally slowly opened from the inside after emitting a long, hoarse groan.
A tall, yet emaciated figure, as if it might be swallowed by the light at any moment, appeared before them.
Everyone instinctively held their breath.
A Taoist practitioner living on the summit of Mount Tianding, striking a wooden fish and a bronze chime in the quiet of the night, regardless of his level of cultivation, exudes an air of mystery and unfathomable mystery. Moreover, since this person lives here, he may indeed know some clues about the suspected tomb of Zuo Gong. All eyes were now focused on him, their gazes burning as if trying to see through his thin frame.
This was a man, but his face was almost entirely obscured by a full beard and somewhat disheveled hair. His features were also buried deep in the dense beard and hair, making it almost impossible to see his appearance or his age. Only a pair of calm, expressionless eyes could be made out. Looking at the large number of people who had suddenly appeared in front of him, some of whom even had ill intentions written all over their faces, he showed no emotion or fear. He simply glanced at the crowd with his eyes.
Who are you?
The voice was deep, as if it came from a very deep abyss, and it had an unusual hoarseness, like coarse sand rubbing together, making it sound very old.
Green Silk frowned slightly, carefully examined the man, and then said, "And you are—"
The man's gaze swept over her, then turned to Lei Yu and Ashina Zhuxie, and asked, "Who exactly are you?"
Lei Yu hurriedly said, "We're sorry to bother you. We came to visit an old friend, but on the way up the mountain, one of our friends was bitten by a poisonous snake, and we'd like to come here to seek treatment. We don't know—"
"Visiting old friends?"
Upon hearing these four words, the man's already thick, almost continuous eyebrows furrowed, and he said, "I am all alone here. I don't know you. Please leave."
After saying that, he took a step back and was about to close the door.
Lei Yu panicked and hurriedly stepped forward, about to say something, but Lü Xiao was faster, reaching out to brace herself against the wooden door. Leaning slightly forward like a supple snake, she said to the person, "Even if you are not our acquaintance, I heard you just striking fish and chimes, chanting scriptures and incantations. I suppose you are practicing Taoism. Isn't saving a life part of cultivation?"
The man paused for a moment as he closed the door.
At this moment, Green Silk, who was already leaning forward, leaned even further into the room, and was about to fall onto him. Wang Shaoqiu, who was standing outside, suddenly let out a soft exclamation: "Sigh!"
But his voice was very low, and everyone's attention was focused on the man and Green Silk. Almost no one heard him. Only Ashina Zhuxie glanced at him, and when he turned back, the man silently released his hand from the door, took two steps back, and let Green Silk in directly.
Green Silk stopped and bowed to him, saying, "Thank you."
The man's thick, dark eyebrows were almost furrowed together.
As they retreated into the house, the dim candlelight illuminated him completely, allowing everyone to see his appearance clearly. He had gray hair and beard, and seemed to be quite old, but although his voice was hoarse, it didn't sound like an old man's. He wore a faded long robe, not a Taoist robe, but just an ordinary blue cloth robe, with the elbows and knees worn almost transparent. Although his hair was disheveled, it was haphazardly tied into a Tai Chi topknot on his head, making him look like a Taoist priest.
In short, this person was strange in every way.
He watched as Lüxiao entered the room, and did not refuse again. He glanced at the people outside, and finally his gaze fell on Shang Ruyi, who was being carried by the two guards.
Lei Yu was afraid that Lü Xiao's behavior would offend people, so he hurriedly apologized and said, "We were also desperate, which is why we disturbed you in the middle of the night. Please have mercy and save her life."
The man said coldly, "I'm not a doctor, how can I save people?"
"..."
“If she’s been bitten by a snake, you should carry her down the mountain to find a doctor to treat the poison. It’s no use coming here.”
As she spoke, she made a gesture as if to invite Green Silk out.
But Green Silk stopped and looked around the house. When she looked at him again, a faint smile appeared on her face. She said, "Young master? This house looks at least ten years old. You must have lived here all this time."
Upon hearing the word "young master," the man's eyebrows furrowed again.
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