The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 189 Wounded, he entered the temple and encountered a blue phoenix, thus escaping.

More than ten thousand years ago, on the continent of Huan Chen, in the northwest of the Cai Kingdom of Qingzhou, lay a mysterious basin surrounded by mountains—Qinglan Valley. To the west of Qinglan Valley lay a place called Qinglan Town, situated on a verdant plain, not yet incorporated into the territory of any kingdom in Qingzhou.

To the west of Qinglan Town lies a small hill called Mao'er Mountain. Though not towering, it exudes an indescribable aura of solemnity and mystery. On the hillside, the ancient Qingyun Temple stands quietly, its mottled walls and weathered tiles silently telling the story of the passage of time.

A beam of sword light disappeared into the forest at the foot of the mountain. Wu Cheng's spiritual energy was exhausted, and he and his sword hung from the tree. He did not rush down the tree. Instead, he put the flying sword into his storage bag and simply rested on the tree, recovering his strength through breathing exercises.

This time, Wu Cheng chose a reconnaissance mission, seemingly without any danger, to carry out the sect's mission. However, he never expected it to be so perilous. Recalling the corpses of cultivators and demonic beasts he saw along the way, he couldn't help but feel a chill of fear.

He had originally reached the Great Perfection of the Body Refinement Realm, but now his cultivation had fallen back to the eighth realm. He had planned to continuously accumulate contribution points to exchange for True Essence Pills as soon as possible, so as to break through, condense a True Essence Seed, and step into the True Essence Realm. However, he had now escaped death, but had damaged the very foundation of his Great Dao.

After recovering most of his strength, Wu Cheng looked down at the ground, intending to leap down, but the thought vanished in an instant. Now, suffering from serious internal injuries, he could only slowly climb down the tree.

Wu Cheng walked slowly along the forest path to the foot of Mao'er Mountain.

Looking at the ancient temple on the hillside, Wu Cheng hesitated for a moment before deciding to go up the mountain.

In front of Qingyun Temple, an old monk was sweeping fallen leaves with a broom, his movements slow but powerful, as if each leaf carried some profound meaning. Seeing Wu Cheng approach, the old monk stopped and watched him with a smile.

Wu Cheng approached the old monk, put his hands together, bowed slightly, and said, "Junior Wu Cheng, I apologize for disturbing your meditation, senior."

The old monk smiled slightly and replied, "You're too kind, benefactor. Since you've come, it means you have a connection with Qingyun Temple. Why don't you come in and have a cup of tea?"

Wu Cheng's heart stirred, and he nodded in agreement, following the old monk into Qingyun Temple. Inside the ancient temple, although the incense was not burning brightly, a peaceful and serene atmosphere permeated the air, causing people to unconsciously slow their pace and let go of their distracting thoughts.

In the backyard, a young monk brewed a pot of tea for Wu Cheng. The old monk chatted with Wu Cheng about Zen principles, but seeing the doubt in Wu Cheng's eyes, he stopped and hastily ended the conversation before going to the front hall to meditate.

It's getting dark.

Just then, cries for help rang out from outside the door, and the old monk came out to see a woman in tattered blue clothes, pale-faced and panicked. Upon seeing the old monk, she knelt down with a thud and cried out, "Master, please save me! The owner of the noodle shop sent me!"

In the distance, four figures were rushing towards Mao'er Mountain.

The old monk helped the woman in blue up with both hands and said gently, "Please don't rush, tell me slowly."

The woman in green sobbed, saying intermittently, "Master, save me. There are four bandits who want to take me to the Tang Clan."

Upon hearing this, the old monk frowned slightly and looked at Wu Cheng, as if asking a question. Wu Cheng shook his head, indicating that he knew nothing about it.

"Child, you need not be afraid. The grudges of the Tang Clan have their own cause and effect. You only need to remember that no matter when or where, you must stick to your original heart and not be swayed by the outside world." The old monk's voice was like heavenly music, purifying the woman in green's heart.

"Old monk, we four had no intention of disturbing you, but one of the maids we bought has escaped into the temple. Please return her to us." The eldest of the four was the first to reach the temple gate, his tone urgent.

"I don't know how much silver you spent, but this woman has a deep connection with Buddha. I wonder if the four benefactors would be willing to part with her?" The old monk stepped out of the temple gate, his tone still as calm as still water.

"Brother, stop wasting time with this bald monk. Just charge in, tie that girl up, and hand her over to the Tang Clan. Any further delay might cause more trouble," the second brother among the four urged impatiently.

“Old monk, I understand that Buddha helps those who are destined to be saved, but you must also see clearly whether that little girl is truly human,” the elder brother said to the old monk, his right hand gripping the long knife at his waist, his eyes sharp.

"A thousand-year-old demon beast that has transformed into a human is truly rare..." Before the old monk could finish speaking, a short knife had already swiftly pierced into his chest.

The one who made the move was the fourth brother, who arrived just in time; his actions were decisive and swift.

The old monk swayed, but did not fall. A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth, but his gaze remained unusually resolute. He reached out and grasped the short knife embedded in his chest, but the knife vanished in his hand as if it had never existed.

The four were shocked by what they saw; they had never witnessed such bizarre methods. The eldest brother's face darkened, and he whispered to his second brother, "It seems this old monk is quite capable; we must be careful."

The second brother nodded, and the four of them spread out in a fan shape, surrounding the old monk and the woman in green in the center. The atmosphere instantly became tense, like swords were about to be drawn.

The old monk smiled slightly and said, "Benefactors, why make such a fuss over a woman? Lay down your weapons and become a Buddha on the spot."

The elder brother sneered and said, "Old monk, stop talking nonsense. If you don't hand over the person today, we will massacre this Qingyun Temple."

The old monk shook his head and sighed, saying, "Amitabha, forgive me. Since you benefactors are so stubborn, then this old monk has no choice but to offend you."

Before he finished speaking, the old monk flashed into the middle of the four, his hands rapidly forming hand seals while he chanted incantations. The four felt a powerful force surging in from all directions, trapping them firmly.

The eldest brother's expression changed drastically. He knew they had encountered a formidable opponent today, and if they forced their way in, they feared total annihilation. He glanced at his second brother, who understood his meaning. The two exchanged a look and decided to retreat.

"Retreat!" the eldest brother shouted, and the four of them broke free from the old monk's restraints and turned to escape.

The old monk did not give chase, but simply watched the four figures disappear into the distance and said softly, "Well done, well done. May you turn back to the right path soon."

Seeing that the crisis was over, the woman in green quickly knelt before the old monk and thanked him repeatedly. The old monk smiled and helped her up, saying, "Child, wait here while I prepare some clothes and dry food for you before you leave."

The woman in green nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with gratitude. She understood that the old monk from Qingyun Temple had saved her life today.

Knowing that he could no longer stay after this incident, Wu Cheng bid farewell to the old monk.

"Why don't you two leave together? You can look after each other on the way," the old monk said to the two.

Wu Cheng looked at the woman in green and frowned. He was currently seriously injured and could barely protect himself, let alone others. Moreover, the conversation between the old monk and the four burly men had already revealed the secret: this woman was not human.

But since the old monk had already spoken, Wu Cheng couldn't refuse and could only nod in agreement. The woman in green was delighted to see Wu Cheng agree; she knew that with Wu Cheng by her side, her safety would be more assured.

After tidying up, the two left Qingyun Temple along a secluded path behind the mountain, guided by the old monk. On the way, the woman in green told Wu Cheng about her background. She was a blue phoenix that had cultivated for a thousand years in the mountains. She had long since found a master and recognized him, but not long ago her master encountered a great enemy and his fate was unknown, so she was separated from him.

A flicker of sadness crossed the woman's eyes as she spoke. She continued, "I searched everywhere for news of my master, but unfortunately, I was captured by cultivators and sold to four burly men at an auction house. I suffered terribly along the way, and they said they were going to resell me to the Tang Clan. But the Tang Clan is clearly a reputable and righteous sect..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Cheng was slightly startled, as he had not expected that the woman in green would have such a background. He comforted her, saying, "Miss Qingluan, you don't need to be too sad. Now that you have chosen a master, he will certainly not abandon you. Perhaps he is searching for you right now."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in the eyes of the woman in blue. She nodded gently and said, "Young Master Wu is right. My master will definitely not abandon me. I must find him."

The two walked and talked, and before they knew it, they had walked quite a distance. By then, it was late, and all around was quiet, with only the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind.

Wu Cheng pondered to himself that he was severely injured and would likely be unable to handle a powerful enemy. While the Qingluan woman possessed considerable cultivation, she was still a woman and would struggle to protect herself in danger. With this in mind, he decided to quicken his pace and find a safe place to stay as soon as possible.

The woman in blue seemed to sense Wu Cheng's worry and said, "Young Master Wu, you don't need to worry. Although my cultivation is not high, I still have some means to protect myself. Moreover, we are on this journey to find my master, and I believe my master will not abandon us."

Upon hearing this, Wu Cheng felt somewhat relieved. He nodded and said, "Miss Qingluan is right. We will definitely be able to find your master on this trip."

The two continued their journey and finally found a cave in a dense forest. The cave was small, but sufficient to shelter them from the wind and rain. They decided to stay there for the night and continue their journey the next day.

As night fell, the chirping of insects filled the air outside the cave. The two sat around the fire, each lost in thought. Wu Cheng pondered how to recover from his injuries as quickly as possible, while the Qingluan woman thought about how to find her master.