Chapter 460

"We've arrived in Yuxi."

Elder Zhai opened his eyes and looked out the car window.

This was a gentle and tranquil city.

Elder Zhai had been here before and had worked and lived here for a period of time.

By current standards, if you come here for the purpose of short-term tourism, you might feel it's a bit plain, but if you stay a little longer, you will find that you are reluctant to leave it.

Elder Zhai said to the staff beside him: "Call Xiaoyuan."

The old man's eyes slowly narrowed again.

He was very tired, not only because of his busy work recently, but more because his insistence on paving the way for young students had attracted a lot of criticism and pressure.

Some said he was relying on his age to break the rules, others said he was abusing personal connections to act recklessly, and even more said that Li Zhuiyuan was his illegitimate grandson.

Although he quite liked hearing the last piece of criticism, and he really wanted it to be confirmed.

But this kind of thing was a huge drain on an old man's energy. Since he set off for Yuxi, he couldn't help but feel sleepy. The closer he got to Yuxi, the heavier his drowsiness became.

"Elder Zhai, Team Leader Xiaoyuan's phone cannot be reached; there should be no signal where he is."

"Then Xiaoyuan should be in the mountains. Let him be busy first. You organize everyone to settle down first and tell everyone to rest well. Once the work officially begins, there will be no time to be lazy."

"Okay, Elder Zhai."

The bus drove toward the guesthouse.

On the way, it drove through a town where a temple fair was being held.

Currently, with the increasing convenience of information exchange, folk cultures in various places are also absorbing and merging. The single temple-shrine narrative of the past, which took the village as its carrier, gradually could not meet people's daily cultural activity needs.

The most obvious change is that people crave to see more deities in activities like temple fairs. Even if the location of the mythological story is thousands of miles away from their home, as long as the fame is great enough and the specialty matches, they can all be used.

For example, strange things have been happening frequently in the local area recently, making people panic. Some old people said that this is because the ghost gate of the underworld has cracked, causing little ghosts to sneak out.

In today's temple fair, the portrait of the Great Emperor of Fengdu was painted the largest and most conspicuous, held high and hung on a bamboo frame. People hoped that this Great Emperor, who manages the underworld in mythology, could visit the local area and take away this group of little ghosts who are causing trouble.

After seeing that portrait, Elder Zhai's head felt even heavier.

After checking into the guesthouse, he was helped into the room. The accompanying staff saw his condition and wanted to ask a doctor to come and take a look, but Elder Zhai refused, saying he would be fine after a solid sleep, and instructed them to wake him up and notify him immediately if there was news from Xiaoyuan.

After Elder Zhai lay on the bed and fell asleep, the accompanying staff exited the room and closed the door.

The sunset slanted down.

Elder Zhai's shadow kept stretching, finally extending to the window.

The shadow slowly stood up, looking as gentle as Elder Zhai, and also as solemn as if wearing a crown.

At the entrance of the guesthouse, several taxis were lined up waiting for passengers.

Clearly, there were passengers waving for a car ahead, but the first car in line didn't start and drive up.

The driver of the second taxi got out of the car with a cigarette in his mouth, pointed to the first one, and smiled at his colleagues behind:

"This guy must have fallen asleep."

When he walked to the window of the first taxi, preparing to wake him up, he discovered that the driver inside wasn't sleeping; he looked as if he were possessed, sitting straight in the driver's seat, his gaze vacant, his mouth constantly muttering one sentence:

"If you are good to him, he will also be good to you..."

Outside the guesthouse, the temple fair lit fire baskets, preparing to welcome the most enthusiastic noise of the evening.

"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..."

The suddenly rising wind blew the fire baskets over. Many sparks wantonly darted toward the various god and Buddha portraits, igniting them all.

There were many villagers around, but facing this situation, it was really not easy to put out the fire. The beings on these god statues were all solemn and respectful; it was inappropriate to splash water on them, and it was even more inappropriate to pull them down and put them on the ground to pat or stomp out the fire.

When all the other gods and Buddhas turned into fly ash, everyone was stunned to find that only the largest portrait of the Great Emperor of Fengdu was not scorched by fire at all, still standing there completely, looking into the distance.

The organizers of the temple fair didn't actually believe this themselves, but they were like masters of ceremonies at a wedding; if something went wrong, they first had to find a way to make up for it in a good direction, so someone immediately shouted:

"The Great Emperor has manifested, come to catch the little ghosts~"

The wave has come, the wolves have come.

The three wolf packs gradually merged as they approached their destination.

Everyone marched together with tacit understanding, both looking out for each other and guarding against each other.

Those who took the path of physical martial artists were in the front, swordsmen and bladesmen were on the sides, and the physically weak spellcasters and formation masters were in the back.

The scale of the crowd was not small, not inferior to the wave of the Yu family.

Actually, the scale of the lamp-lighters in the Yu family's wave should have been larger. It was mainly because Zhao Yi had long ago created an alliance, and the style of this alliance was too sharp. On the way from Jiujiang to Luoyang, they would fish whenever they were free. The Luoyang Ancient Tomb Museum was the final net, clearing out those who were not qualified to be on the stage in advance.

This time, because the quality of the second wave in the local area was much higher than the first, plus Lin Shu You had cleared a path in the town in advance, and under the suppression of a mysterious team, everyone instead didn't have much thought of internal strife.

The mountain road ahead narrowed, creating a necessary path under normal marching conditions.

There was a shed set up, a campfire lit, hot water boiling on top, and many disposable paper cups placed on a flat stone below.

Runsheng was focused on chopping wood to feed the fire, and Lin Shu You was responsible for making tea.

The tea leaves were Grandma Liu's rations when she was at home.

In the past, Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin would only occasionally drink it, but because it was too expensive, they basically wouldn't take it.

Last time Li Zhuiyuan took A-Li to Fengdu, while doing preparatory work, A-Li put a box of tea leaves into her mountaineering bag.

It turned out that when A-Li was just born, Liu Jinxia had set aside a tea mountain and registered it under A-Li's name. It wasn't prepared for A-Li's future river-walking, but it substantially became a form of dividing the family property before river-walking.

Now, everyone had no psychological burden. When they went out, everyone's bag was equipped with this box of tea leaves. Even Runsheng, who couldn't appreciate tea, could pinch a pinch and chew it like a cow eating peonies to refresh himself while keeping watch at night.

The wolf pack very consciously stopped after seeing the tea stall.

For a wave with multiple teams, the biggest taboo is unconventional behavior, because this is very likely to make you a common target for others.

The short woman in front of Luo Xiaoyu whispered:

"Really ostentatious."

Luo Xiaoyu yawned and said: "There are formation stakes buried under the tea stall, prepared to run away at any time."

Short woman: "Heh, so it's just a facade."

Luo Xiaoyu: "Only by being sure that we can run away do we dare to set up this facade. Sister Hua, you have become more and more extreme recently."

Sister Hua: "I'm doing this to comfort your damaged state of mind."

Luo Xiaoyu: "Fine, fine, fine."

Sister Hua: "What are you going to do?"

Luo Xiaoyu: "I'm thirsty, I'm going to ask for a cup of tea."

Everyone's gaze first focused on the tea stall, and finally fell on the "three leading wolves."

However, Xu Mofan, Zhu Yiwen, and Feng Xionglin were the ones who least understood the current situation.

They were forced to do things according to the other side's line of thought. Who knew that things were basically handled properly, and at the most critical node, the other side actually appeared like this.

No way, plans couldn't keep up with changes. Who told Deer Family Manor to really have a deer.

Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing were the first to step out of the team.

As members of the Dragon King family, they naturally had a special status in the wolf pack. The three leading wolves were able to lure the wolf pack over so well, which also couldn't be separated from their stirring up trouble.

At this moment, seeing Tan Wenbin standing in front of the tea stall, the two looked at each other and then took the initiative to walk over.

Entering this territory, they sensed that there was a formation setup below, but the two's footsteps only paused slightly, and they each brushed aside their subordinates and entered together.

"Brother Tan, it's been a long time since we parted at the Yu family, I've missed you very much."

"Brother Tan, do you still remember the two of us?"

Tan Wenbin: "How could I forget? When I was at home, every time I heard Tianjin crosstalk on the radio on the wall, I immediately thought of you two."

"Haha, Brother Tan is apt!"

"Haha, Brother Tan is witty."

The two were not angry at all, because they both thought so themselves, and they also liked this mode of getting along.

Competition in the Dragon King sect is fierce. Those who can obtain the qualification to light the lamp and walk the river in this generation are all outstanding figures who have won the competition within the family. Among those with the same surname, there are often no real friends.

When traveling away from home, encountering someone with the same status and style, and whose temperament is on par with each other, they really enjoy this kind of singing and echoing, acting as each other's mouthpiece.

Nothing else, they have been lonely for too long.

Tao Zhuming: "Brother Tan's spirit is gradually rising. I suppose you've had a bountiful harvest on the river recently?"

Ling Wuxing: "The wind rises and the waves surge, rising with the trend, naturally one step ahead of others. We should encourage ourselves."

Last time at the Yu family, the limelight of command was on Zhao Yi, and the limelight of fighting was on Chen Xiyuan. Tan Wenbin at most showed he was neither humble nor arrogant.

Today, this formation and this opening joke clearly set up a high-profile stance.

Tan Wenbin: "Coming early is not as good as coming at the right time. Knowing that all fellow travelers in the world are working hard to eliminate demons and defend the way, I specially cooked tea here to relieve everyone's fatigue."

Tea was served.

Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing each caught it, and their peripheral vision all bypassed Tan Wenbin and looked at the youth and girl sitting deep in the tea stall.

Now, seeing Tan Wenbin standing outside welcoming guests and the youth and girl sitting inside, it confirmed their previous suspicions.

The one lighting the lamp for this team was indeed not Tan Wenbin.

As for that girl, it was the first time they had seen her. Although she was dressed in relatively modern mountaineering gear, her temperament exuded an innate classical feel.

This really seemed to be influenced by that Zhao Yi from Jiujiang, using "male beauty" to hook people at a young age, attracting the daughter of some unknown sect or family to follow and assist in walking the world.

The two thought to themselves while sipping the tea in the paper cup.

Just this one sip, their gazes froze, and then their peripheral vision quickly met.

Tao Zhuming: Damn it, we were deceived by that Zhao Yi from Jiujiang!

Ling Wuxing: No wonder that girl from the Dragon King Chen family appeared with them when at the Yu family!

The Dragon King sect doesn't necessarily live extravagantly, but no matter how low-key they are, the tiny bit that flows out from between their fingernails is something that can't be bought with any amount of real money on the market.

There are many famous teas in the world, and top-notch good teas are priceless, but this kind of tea is "priceless in life."

This kind of tea has a special flavor that can only be bred in that kind of ancient and mysterious place. There is a place in the world suitable for planting it, and that is the Dragon King ancestral home.

Moreover, even in the Dragon King sect, only the generation of tribal elders with noble status are qualified to enjoy it. The younger generation, unless they specifically ask for it, cannot enjoy this kind of standard.

At this point in time, in this environment, only someone with water in their brain would use good tea that was hard to find just to disguise and raise their status.

Tao Zhuming held the cup with one hand, and the other hand lifted forward toward Li Zhuiyuan, his gaze looking at Tan Wenbin: "Not coming to get to know each other?"

Ling Wuxing had the same action: "At least make some contact?"

Tan Wenbin: "Soon, it's not time yet."

Tao Zhuming: "Really quite mysterious."

Ling Wuxing: "Looking forward to it more and more."

The two had long ago screened the forces of the same sect over and over again, wanting to find the corresponding slot, but they all failed. It was mainly because the youth was not a dwarf, his age was real, and they couldn't figure out which sect would send an underage child to light the lamp and walk the river.

And walking it so terrifyingly.

The two were now certain in their hearts that the group of people before them were the ones who accepted all the probes and killed the Yama of the Small Hell in the town that day.

Tao Zhuming deliberately said loudly: "Since Brother Tan arrived here early, did you encounter a group of high-profile people heading forward?"

Tan Wenbin: "I saw them, and we fought. That group of people is indeed arrogant, but they are also really not to be trifled with. We couldn't take advantage."

Ling Wuxing also raised his volume: "Did they get their hands on the divine deer of Deer Family Manor?"

Tan Wenbin: "They did make a scene, but it seems they haven't succeeded yet. Deer Family Manor is a heritage after all, and it's not so easy to deal with."

Tao Zhuming: "Then why is Brother Tan waiting here instead of taking the opportunity to take it first?"

Tan Wenbin: "This is a divine deer, not something that can be obtained by force; it should naturally belong to those who are fated."

Ling Wuxing: "Brother Tan doesn't want it?"

Tan Wenbin: "We don't want it."

Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing stepped back holding their disposable paper cups. They didn't believe they didn't want it; this divine deer should be an empty bait.

After the two retreated into the crowd, they continued to drink tea while setting up restrictions, communicating with secret sounds:

Ling Wuxing: "This is clearly deliberately diverting trouble. Which sect has a grudge against this Deer Family Manor?"

Tao Zhuming: "You're asking me? Why not go back and ask your elders if they have ever worn deer-skin gloves."

Ling Wuxing: "My elders?"

Tao Zhuming: "My elders mentioned this Deer Family Manor to me; they are errand dogs raised by some top-notch forces in the world, which means my Tao family is not among them."

Ling Wuxing: "How can that mean my Ling family is among them?"

Tao Zhuming: "There are only so many top-notch forces in the world. From a probability point of view, since my Tao family is not, then your Ling family is highly likely to be."

Ling Wuxing frowned and nodded: "That makes sense."

Tao Zhuming: "You had better hope that this is 'use and destroy, destroy the evidence'."

Ling Wuxing smacked his lips.

Tao Zhuming: "If it's to take revenge... this Deer Family Manor, I'm afraid it's just the first step."

Xu Mofan stepped forward to drink tea. He drank it most decisively. After drinking, he looked at the bottom of the cup, put down the paper cup, and turned to walk back.

He didn't taste the flavor inside; he also had no flavor left on this river.

Zhu Yiwen not only drank the tea but also put the tea leaves into his mouth. He also kept the empty paper cup in his hand, smiling at Runsheng who was feeding the fire while chewing.

After Feng Xionglin drank half a cup of tea, he poured the remaining half over his head, looked up to see if the cup was empty, and then said while touching his bald head: "I originally thought those two families were already willing enough to put down their airs, but I didn't expect you all to be the real 'white dragon in fish clothes'."

The white-robed monk stepped forward, took the tea, sipped it, and said: "It has a similar flavor to what is produced in the tea fields under the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda of my Green Dragon Temple."

Luo Xiaoyu stepped forward to take the tea, and after tasting it, said: "The tea is good tea. I used to act like a grandson and a waste, and I couldn't drink this kind of tea. Sigh, my youth."

A woman carrying an ancient zither stepped forward to drink tea.

A-Li's gaze fell on the ancient zither on the woman's back.

Li Zhuiyuan's hand gently patted the back of the girl's hand.

Among the people who probed him that day, there was one who entered by condensing the weather of wind and water with morning glow, and was neutralized by him; it should be her.

But probing is probing, it's not tearing off the mask. Li Zhuiyuan is also not the kind of person who will try his best to snatch good things into his hands when he sees them; no matter what, he has to be justified.

However, the waves are dangerous, and no matter how strong a person is, they can't guarantee what accidents they will encounter.

Who can ensure that this ancient zither, which A-Li has lost for a long time, won't return to its original owner in a while?

When others came to drink tea, the youth and girl sitting inside didn't react, but when it was her turn, the other side cast their gaze, and the youth even smiled friendly at her.

The zither-carrying woman was a little surprised, so she nodded to them in response.

Although she didn't know what kind of etiquette this was, the wolf pack also had a group effect. Since the people in front took the lead in drinking, the people behind followed.

Among these people behind, two groups attracted Li Zhuiyuan's extra attention.

One group was a fat man. He carried his own luggage and also brought pots and pans. He was a lone river-walker who loved life. His smile was gentle and cheerful, as if he was specially taking advantage, drinking ten cups of tea in one breath, and also asking Tan Wenbin for some tea leaves.

Tan Wenbin gave them to him, and he thanked him very happily. When thanking him, he specifically reported his name: Wang Lin.

Listening to his accent, it was a bit like Chen Xiyuan's. Tan Wenbin asked:

"From Qiongya?"

"Hey, from Hainan."

"Do you know the Chen family?"

"That's a high-gate and big family, hehe, we can't climb that high."

After drinking his fill and getting his things, seeing that the team was not in a hurry to leave, he simply found a place with dense grass and lay down to sleep.

Many people nearby cast their gazes at him, not because of his act of sleeping, but because when his eyes closed, all his energy disappeared, as if he were dead.

Looking at the relaxed expression on his face again, the fat man left very peacefully.

The other group was a man and a woman who called each other "brother and sister," but it could be clearly seen from their faces that there was no blood relationship.

The brother was blindfolded, and the sister had no legs. She was carried by her brother, giving him directions. It was also her who reached out to take two cups of tea, first feeding them to her brother and then drinking them herself.

This combination of brother and sister was really too classic, so classic that Tan Wenbin couldn't help but ask a few more questions, learning that the brother's surname was Luo, called Luo Yang, and the sister's surname was Zhu, called Zhu Qing.

The two laughed and said they were the "drags" brought by each of their parents in a reorganized family.

This pair of brother and sister, who had no blood relationship and different surnames, reminded Li Zhuiyuan of the Liang sisters beside Zhao Yi.

But the Liang sisters were twins and walked the path of twin secret arts. This pair of brother and sister didn't have any prerequisite conditions, but they could achieve a stronger soul-breath synchronization than the Liang sisters.

It can only be said that this world of rivers and lakes never lacks outstanding people. It was just that Li Zhuiyuan's team's overall strength was already a grade higher than their competitors; otherwise, every group here would be a powerful competitor worth analyzing and guarding against.

Since they were not planning to compete for this deer, they might as well be generous to the end. After everyone had drunk tea and met, Tan Wenbin stepped forward, holding a cup of tea, and said in public:

"I have heard that this Deer Family Manor has monstrous sins, imprisoning the divine deer and damaging the local blessings to supplement itself. It is truly an act that angers both man and god. We of the righteous path should naturally uphold heavenly principles, save the divine deer from fire and water, and return the blessings to the local area.

Here, I make a promise:

On this trip, we will not participate;

If there are injured, we will heal; if there are disasters, we will eliminate them; if there is chaos, we will suppress it!

If anyone violates this promise, everyone can attack together!"

This meaning was very straightforward: not only did they not want the divine deer in Deer Family Manor, but they were also responsible for logistics and medical support.

That sentence "if there is chaos, we will suppress it" was a guarantee of order, meaning you can compete and grab, but don't be too ruthless, don't kill without a bottom line, we are watching as referees.

When everyone heard this, they all showed deep thought, but in fact, they were embarrassed to frown.

Tao Zhuming: "What does this mean, setting up half a banner?"

Ling Wuxing: "It's a bit too much like treating everyone as fools, just like publicly saying, please, you bunch of fools, help me take revenge for my private grudge."

The people present, although generally young, were all outstanding figures of the younger generation who could reach this step and were in this batch of waves.

If they were big-believing and small-doubting about Deer Family Manor having a divine deer before, then now, it was equivalent to being reversed.

Tao Zhuming: "What if they didn't treat everyone as fools?"

Ling Wuxing: "It's broken, Deer Family Manor really has a divine deer!"

The tea stall remained in its original position, and the wolf pack continued to move forward.

Wang Lin, who was sleeping, fell to the very last. He opened his eyes, and he was alive again.

Getting up, carrying his heavy luggage, he followed the large team. When he passed the tea stall again, he stopped and drank all the remaining tea.

Wiping his mouth, Wang Lin glanced at A-Li and said: "I had a nightmare, it scared me to death."

After leaving this sentence, Wang Lin ran away.

Tan Wenbin put his hands on his hips and sighed: "In this world of rivers and lakes, there are really many interesting people."

Lin Shu You: "They should think we are more interesting."

Tan Wenbin: "Very philosophical."

The barrier of Deer Family Manor was right there.

After everyone reached their destination, they stopped again.

Xu Mofan didn't know how to continue to advance. Zhu Yiwen looked at Feng Xionglin, who was using a mirror to admire his hairstyle.

Tao Zhuming took the initiative to walk out of the team, came to the barrier stone tablet, patted the stone tablet lightly with his palm, and said in a deep voice:

"Tao Zhuming, the contemporary successor of the Dragon King Tao family, together with all fellow travelers in the world, asks to visit Deer Family Manor!"

The sound definitely went in, but there was no response at the first moment.

The longer the waiting time, the stronger the special meaning in the eyes of the people on the periphery.

The possibility of something they originally thought didn't exist was instead increased under this kind of "guilty conscience."

At the entrance of the Deer Family Manor ancestral hall, Lu Jiu looked at the direction of the mountain gate in disbelief.

"Coming... so fast?"

No, this is impossible.

He had locked the shadow that came to give orders in the secret room of the ancestral hall, but the power behind the shadow couldn't possibly be preparing to destroy his sect while sending gifts.

This doesn't fit logic... logic?

Lu Jiu first looked at the location of the divine deer's prison, and then suddenly raised his head to look at the sky.

Although his lamp-lighting was for the purpose of exchanging pieces, he had also walked on the river and had experienced that kind of mysterious and mysterious feeling.

"The river water, pushed to my Deer Family Manor?"

Lu Jiu couldn't understand. Although the things Deer Family Manor had done through the generations couldn't be called clean, and could even be said to be very dirty, it was far from being judged as an evil spirit by the Heavenly Dao, requiring the river water to be moved here.

Even if it were to be moved, it should have been moved toward the Valley of the Living in Mount Ailao, not far from Deer Family Manor.

People in the manor came to report that they couldn't find Elder Shi and could only come to find Lu Jiu, who had a transcendent status in the manor, to make a decision.

At present, in the manor, the divine deer was about to be completed, and the Deer-Surname Deer-Sharing Conference for all those with the surname Deer was also being prepared. Deer Family Manor at present was truly "harboring a jade and being guilty of a crime."