The old valley master patted his hand to reassure him. The old valley master regarded Linghu Zhou as his own child, so how could he let the child face danger outside alone? He couldn't sit still, nor could he do that. He waited in the house for a long time, and when there was no movement outside, the old valley master panicked and tried to get up, but he failed several times. The pain in his legs made it impossible for him to stand up, and he could only sit or lie down in a sorry state.
He picked up a wooden stick and struggled to his feet. When he arrived, he heard Xu Yuehuai's words, and he was actually happy. No one is a saint, and no one does so much and then willingly asks for nothing in return. At least he didn't think he was. He was selfish, wanting everyone to remember his good deeds and not to forget him, so that his actions would seem to have existed. Otherwise, he would feel as if he hadn't done anything at all, and Xu Yuehuai's words had given him that feeling.
"You're disciples of Qingtao Valley? How did you end up here? Even if Zisangyi sent you, this place is so dangerous, did you really agree?" The old valley master looked at their clothes and could barely make out some Qingtao Valley emblems on them. When he looked up again, his eyes held a mixture of relief and joy, but also confusion. He couldn't understand why young people these days would risk their lives for the sect's cultivation resources, coming to a place like this.
Seeing the expression on the old valley master's face, Xu Yuehuai knew that he had probably cursed Zisangyi many times in his heart. She put her hand to her lips, coughed twice, and defended Zisangyi, saying, "It was Master's idea, but it was our own choice. Master has been thinking of you and wondering when he can see you again."
Xu Yuehuai spoke fluently, while the culprit who caused this incident stood aside with his head down, not daring to speak. He felt that he had already received his retribution. Half a month later, his toes had completely healed, but he didn't have any spare shoes and could only wear the broken ones, with part of his toes exposed. When he awkwardly tried to grip the ground, he actually did. Fortunately, no one's attention was on him, and no one noticed him. Shi Mu could only comfort himself with this thought.
The old valley master chuckled softly twice. Xu Yuehuai explained the situation, explaining why they had come to him. This step omitted the fact that Shi Mu had accepted the wrong mission. Their goal was to gain the old valley master's trust and have him leave with them. "Senior, this is a pill I refined myself. Its pain-relieving effect should be quite good. I'm giving it to you now. You can consider whether you want to come with us. You can also come and talk to us if you need anything. We'll set up a tent nearby for a couple of days. Just call us if you need anything, and don't hesitate to ask."
The old valley master didn't stand on ceremony; he only hesitated for a moment before taking the medicine. The white porcelain bottle looked dazzling in his rough, aged hands. He chuckled softly, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Zisangyi is always full of tricks. Seeing how tired you all are, you must have been working hard for a long time. Rest here and don't rush. If you need anything, just tell Azhou. I'm getting old and my strength isn't what it used to be, so I won't stay here with you young people. I'll go back and rest first."
After the old valley master left, Linghu Zhou stepped forward to support him and led him away from there. After returning to the cave, the old valley master took out the pill that Xu Yuehuai had given him and was about to take one when Linghu Zhou tried to snatch it to check if there were any harmful ingredients in it. However, the old valley master dodged him, and even after dodging him, he still had a smile on his face. "I knew you were going to steal my things. How about that? I dodged in time, didn't I?"
The old valley master swallowed the pill in one gulp, showing no doubt or discomfort on his face. On the contrary, Linghu Zhou kept frowning. Seeing this, the old valley master comforted him, "Alright, you're looking so gloomy. It doesn't look good at all. Look at you, so young, yet you look so mature. You must have been keeping this old man company all this time and haven't had time to go out and play. A child your age should be like those other children, adventuring everywhere, fearless and carefree. The Azure Sky Forest can come whenever you want."
"Speak less. Are you feeling unwell?" Linghu Zhou asked. He was worried that the pills Xu Yuehuai had given him might be problematic, but he couldn't say it directly. He could only hint at it to the old valley master in this way. The old valley master shook his head. "Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust. If they really wanted to harm me, they wouldn't even need to use any medicine. They could just kill me directly and save themselves the trouble of using poison. Do you think the two of us are a match for them now? Can we even last a few moves against them?"
The old valley master's words were indeed a bit too realistic, leaving Linghu Zhou speechless for a moment. He was the one who led the old valley master away from Dragon Roar Valley. Many people outside didn't want him to live; he had done so many good deeds that made those people seem utterly wicked, so everyone wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. In this way, when everyone becomes evil, their evil won't be so prominent. But when a good person suddenly appears among the evil, the others will seem so wicked and helpless.
The old valley master was pleased that someone remembered the good deeds he had done. He didn't want to stay here forever, in this dark and gloomy place. He could stay, but Linghu Zhou couldn't. Linghu Zhou was still young and had a bright future. But he knew in his heart that if he stayed here, Linghu Zhou wouldn't leave, much less abandon him. So he had to say these things and do these things.
Xu Yuehuai settled down outside. While carrying firewood, Nangong Yu couldn't help but bring up the matter, "Do you think it's possible that the sect leader and the old valley master don't get along, so when we said that the sect leader came to ask us to take him back, he felt uncomfortable and refused to come with us?"
As soon as Nangong Yu said this, everyone's eyes turned to him, as if they were looking at a fool. Nangong Yu touched his face, thinking there was something on it. "No, why are you all looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong? Isn't that the logic? The sect leader issued this mission to bring the old valley master back, didn't he?"
"I figured the poison here should only be fatal, not affect the brain, but why are you acting so brainless? It's really puzzling." Fu Ziyi crossed his arms, leaned against a tree, and said sarcastically with a faint smile and disdain on his face.
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