Chapter 27: The Rainy Night in the Jianghu

"What? You plan to leave now? Why is that?" Real Person Yun Shou asked, somewhat surprised.

"I've been in the temple since childhood and rarely had the chance to go out. The previous times were all due to errands, so I thought I might take this opportunity to travel the Jianghu." Bai Yichen explained.

"Given my martial skills and cultivation level, Master would not still be worried, right?"

Upon hearing this, Real Person Yun Shou thought about Bai Yichen's rapid improvement in martial arts over the past year and found himself speechless.

He could only say, "Alright, perhaps walking the Jianghu alone will be a chance for you to progress further."

Then, he began to inform Bai Yichen about various unspoken rules of the Jianghu, the local forces, those who had friendly relations with the Xuan Zhen Temple, those who were neutral, and those with past grievances.

After chattering for half an hour, Bai Yichen did not show any impatience; after all, more than a hundred years had passed since his previous life.

The world had changed significantly; it was naturally best to learn about it from a leading figure of a major sect.

Later, Bai Yichen returned to his courtyard to pack, bringing several important items and weapons before heading down the mountain.

Originally, this descent from the mountain was supposed to happen three months later when Master Guan He, who had broken through to become the overseer of the Xuan Zhen Temple, would lead Bai Yichen and a few others to Yukun Mountain to celebrate the 80th birthday of the Qing Song Daoist.

However, after a year of calm cultivation, Bai Yichen felt restless.

Apart from the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method, the other martial arts had reached their current limits.

Moreover, since he had used up all three small Chi Shen Dan pills, his cultivation had reached a perfected state, with no further progress to be made, prompting him to seek opportunities for breakthroughs.

This innate opportunity had already been prepared in his previous life; he just didn't know if the circumstances remained unchanged.

While pondering, Bai Yichen's figure had already moved far from the mountain gate, entering a mountain range following the route he had previously investigated.

The Xuan Zhen Temple is located in Qingyang County, the capital of Qingzhou, which is a large county with two waterways connecting the north and south to outside states.

Additionally, it was adjacent to Jiangzhou, Bai Yichen's intended destination, with only the Huangshi Mountain range separating them, making it a crucial junction in Qingzhou.

Bai Yichen planned to traverse the Huangshi Mountain range and then enter Jiangzhou.

A young figure moved continuously through the dense forest, relying on his perfected Inner strength.

Although he didn't use the Bagua Cicada Step technique, he was able to navigate swiftly thanks to the dual enhancement of his inner strength and physique.

Even the ordinary lightness skill, Ti Zong Shu, exhibited great power in his hands.

Originally difficult and perilous terrain in the forest was traversed as if walking on flat ground, with no obstacles at all.

...

Boom!

A thunderclap broke across the dark sky as a sudden gust of wind and torrential rain struck.

The distant, undulating mountains, cloaked in the night and rain, appeared only as vague black shadows, resembling a slumbering giant beast.

An old temple barely withstood the wind and rain, surrounded by a few crooked dead trees whose branches creaked in the strong wind, seemingly on the verge of snapping.

Bai Yichen leaped swiftly over the temple door, the ground beneath him reflecting the faint moonlight in the accumulating water.

The roof was severely damaged, with rainwater pouring down like a waterfall, producing a pattering sound.

On the altar of the main hall, a half-decayed clay Bodhisattva had become unrecognizable, its body covered in spider webs, the air thick with a damp, decaying odor, with occasional droplets falling from the beams, splashing water.

He sighed helplessly, feeling that human strength could not contend with the heavens. Who knew that the weather would be fine in the evening only to descend into a violent storm by night?

Thanks to Bai Yichen's agility and keen senses, he had finally found this refuge.

Though it was a broken temple, having it was better than having none, and being rained on was preferable to getting drenched like a drowned rat.

He glanced around and found a corner that was not affected by the rain, sitting down to prepare for some rest.

Suddenly, Bai Yichen's ears perked up as he heard a rapid sound of footsteps outside.

"Creak!"

The door of the dilapidated temple was pushed open, and an old man hurriedly entered, supporting a young girl.

The old man wore a brown cloth robe, and it was evident he had some martial skills as he ran.

Upon seeing Bai Yichen, he was initially surprised, but then noticed Bai Yichen was alone and looked like a young boy.

He quickly clasped his hands and said, "Old man brought the young lady out, hoping to borrow this place to avoid the rain. I apologize for disturbing you."

Although the old man's figure was slightly stooped, he still exuded a sense of steadiness and competence. His eyes, though somewhat cloudy, retained a sharpness.

A patch of grizzled beard adorned his chin, which should have been neatly groomed, but now looked somewhat disheveled after getting wet in the rain.

"Feel free, this dilapidated temple is not mine," Bai Yichen shook his head, his gaze turning toward the young lady beside the old man.

The girl appeared to be in her prime, dressed in a smoke-colored silk long shirt, covered by a thin, gauzy veil. Her brows resembled distant mountains, her nose straight and delicate, and her lips naturally rosy despite being slightly dampened by the rain, enhancing her beauty.

However, the clarity of her bright eyes held a hint of fear, as if she found something strange.

But she was just a passerby, and Bai Yichen had no desire to meddle. He leaned against the wall, feigning sleep to rest.

After all, in the Jianghu, caution was essential.

Who knew whether the elderly man was once a formidable martial artist, whether the seemingly weak girl hid great strength, or whether the young child was a natural-born dwarf.

Seeing this, the old man relaxed, turning to whisper a few words of comfort to the girl.

He then set down his bag from his waist and found a small candle lamp with a broken wick beneath the altar.

Pouring in some oil, he used a flint to ignite it, also finding some dry grass to light, seemingly intending to warm up and dry his clothes.

Just then, three figures burst into the dilapidated temple.

"Old fool, where do you think you're running? Hand over that young lady, and maybe we'll spare your life."

The three figures rushed in side by side, the leader being a tall and thin man carrying a heavy axe.

"How could that be? In such heavy rain, how did you catch up to us?"

The old man looked at the three in surprise, thinking that the downpour would have covered their tracks.

Meanwhile, the girl had already hidden behind him.

"Heh, our brothers know Huangshi Mountain better than you do."

A triangular-eyed man on the left mocked.

"Enough with the chatter! If you want to know, go ask the King of Hell!"

The stout man on the right drew a large knife, preparing to strike.

"Young hero, please help take my young lady away; I will stay behind to fend off these ruffians."

However, the girl tugged at the old man's robe, signaling, "Wang Bo, that person is gone."

Wang Bo turned to look and found that the young man who had been leaning against the corner had already vanished.