Chapter 116: Toad Skill

Huo Yuanzhen had shot himself in the foot with his words. He had said too much and ended up letting slip a piece of information that caused Luo Caiyi to storm off. The good relationship they had just started to build instantly fell to freezing point.

Shaking his head helplessly, Huo Yuanzhen couldn't do much. After all, he had been too thorough in observing her figure, and it was no surprise that she was angry.

Using the golden-eyed eagle in the sky to track his position, Huo Yuanzhen found the direction of Shaoshi Mountain.

The place wasn't too far from Shaoshi Mountain, about three hundred miles away, still within the borders of Henan.

This time, Huo Yuanzhen rode on the golden-eyed eagle, soaring in the clouds. In less than an hour, he covered the distance of three hundred miles.

However, Huo Yuanzhen didn't land directly on Shaoshi Mountain. That would have been hard to explain to others. Instead, he chose to land in Luyè Town.

After landing outside the town, Huo Yuanzhen walked leisurely toward the town center.

Along the way, people greeted him warmly, bowing as they recognized him. It seemed that no one had noticed his disappearance for the past month, and the news of the Shaolin Temple was being kept tightly under wraps.

He walked a bit further before arriving at the Zen Forest Inn. He intended to check it out.

Now that Ning Wanjun was no longer staying at this inn, Lin Yi was still there.

Huo Yuanzhen had a good impression of this pure-hearted little nun. If she took off her monk robes and let her hair down, she would probably be a lovely young girl, just on the verge of blossoming into adolescence.

Since Ning Wanjun had left, Lin Yi had been left alone in the inn. It wasn't easy for her, so Huo Yuanzhen wondered if he could arrange for her to change her living place.

As he approached the inn's entrance, the innkeeper immediately spotted him and greeted him with a flattering smile, wiping his white towel as he rushed over.

"Yo, Abbot! What brings you here today?"

Huo Yuanzhen was quite familiar with this innkeeper, who was his loyal fan. A rather amusing young man.

"Ah, a whirlwind blew me here."

"Haha, Abbot, you're always so humorous! Come on in, we've got some food ready inside. And tell everyone inside: no more chicken or fish, just bring the best greens!"

Huo Yuanzhen felt a little nauseous at the mention of greens and quickly waved his hand. "No need for that. I just came to see a friend. Is the little nun still here?"

"She's here. Been two months now, doesn't leave her room, only eats once a day."

"Good, I'll go see her. Don't worry about anything else."

The innkeeper nodded vigorously. Huo Yuanzhen's words were absolute orders to him. Even if the innkeeper had a dispute with the shopkeeper, he would stand firmly on Huo Yuanzhen's side.

Huo Yuanzhen headed up to the second floor and gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

It was Lin Yi's voice from inside.

"It's me, the Abbot, Huo Yuanzhen."

There was a flurry of footsteps, and Lin Yi quickly opened the door. When she saw Huo Yuanzhen, her face broke into a delighted smile. "Abbot, you came to see me?"

"Amitabha, little nun, are you managing okay on your own?"

"It's fine, just a bit lonely. The only thing I do every day is go to Shaolin to offer incense. Wanjun and the others have left, so I don't really have anything to do."

"Would you like to change your environment? I can find you some company."

"Where would that be?"

"It's a little girl's house, about your age. You two can hang out together, maybe tend some sheep or sing mountain songs. It'll definitely be better than staying here alone."

"Wow! I know who you're talking about. Is it that pretty shepherdess, with a big black dog?"

"Exactly. And you two share the same last name. Her name is Lin Rou, and you two are both about the same age, so it'll be perfect for you two to stay together."

"Alright, I'm going now!"

Lin Yi was clearly getting restless here. Although she had taken vows as a nun, she was still a young girl, and since she was following a path of cultivation rather than full monastic vows, she could always leave. The idea of living with Lin Rou, a fellow surname holder, made her very happy.

Soon, Lin Yi packed a small bundle with some clothes and a Buddhist scripture.

The two of them left the Zen Forest Inn and made their way toward Fenglin Village.

Luyè Town wasn't far from Fenglin Village, about four to five miles. No sooner had Huo Yuanzhen left the inn when the golden-eyed eagle sent word that a few people had entered Luyè Town.

Among them was the old nun Juedie, who had left some time ago.

Huo Yuanzhen's heart sank. Just after his return, he had run into an enemy. The return of Juedie could only mean trouble, and she was bound to cause him some problems.

Fortunately, the path to Fenglin Village was a small road, taking them in the opposite direction from the official road. Otherwise, they might have crossed paths.

Juedie coming after him meant she was either after the Duantian Sword or she was coming for Lin Yi. If it was the latter, Huo Yuanzhen would have to reconsider whether he should take Lin Yi to Fenglin Village.

After some thought, Huo Yuanzhen decided to take Lin Yi to Fenglin Village first.

He and Juedie still had unfinished business. Now was not the time for Lin Yi to know too much. In Huo Yuanzhen's heart, Lin Yi, this little nun, should maintain her innocence.

He had the golden-eyed eagle continue to monitor Juedie's movements, while he escorted Lin Yi to Lin Rou's home in Fenglin Village.

Upon entering, a big black dog barked a couple of times, but when it saw Huo Yuanzhen, it tucked its tail and ran away.

Animals had a keen sense. Huo Yuanzhen had once planned to roast the dog, and apparently, it still remembered that. The dog immediately bolted upon spotting him.

Huo Yuanzhen felt a bit irritated, holding back the urge to chase it down and kick it, as he led Lin Yi inside.

Lin Rou came out just in time to see them and was secretly pleased. Although she knew that the young abbot would never develop any romantic relationship with her, she still liked seeing him.

When she saw the nun behind him, Lin Rou was puzzled. "Young monk, who is this?"

Huo Yuanzhen had no choice but to accept the title of "young monk" from Lin Rou. From the beginning, she had called him that, and now that he was an abbot, she had yet to change it.

"This is Lin Yi, a little nun. She's homeless right now, and I was hoping she could stay here for a while. Would that be alright?"

"She's also surnamed Lin. Wow, she's so cute."

Lin Rou immediately felt affection for the shy little nun, who seemed even younger than herself. She quickly reached out to take Lin Yi's hand.

Lin Yi had seen Lin Rou before when she went to Shaolin to offer incense, and they had a good rapport, especially since they shared the same surname. Naturally, she felt more connected to her.

Seeing the two of them getting along so well made Huo Yuanzhen feel relieved. He entrusted Lin Yi to Lin Rou and decided to head back to the mountain. When the issue with Juedie was resolved, he would return to inform Lin Yi.

Back in Luyè Town, Juedie entered an inn—the only one she had not been kicked out of previously. She was with two others.

One of them was a middle-aged swordsman, who seemed quite capable, with a magnificent sword strapped to his back. The other was an elderly man, dressed in black.

In front of them, Juedie, once a respected figure in Emei, now seemed to have little status. She spoke cautiously, her voice lower than usual.

The three of them sat down in the inn, having some food and discussing matters.

"Sir Sima, Lord Zheng, the two of you must help me get revenge. Shaoshi Mountain is right in front of us, and that bald monk is on the mountain. I've lost the Duantian Sword and without it, I can't get my revenge. I rely on both of you to help me," Juedie said.

The middle-aged swordsman, Sima Lang, gently tapped the table twice. "Juedie, as the head of Emei, a sect leader, and a nun, you should maintain some composure. Why the impatience?"

The elderly man, Lord Zheng, spoke coldly. "Indeed. We didn't come here to seek revenge for you. We have our own agenda. The martial world in Henan is in turmoil, and this is a good opportunity for us. We're here to gather information and plan our next move. Helping you with revenge is just a side task, not something we'll do right away."

Sima Lang, known as the "Great Hero Sima," added, "That's right. We're unfamiliar with the situation in Henan, so we must be careful not to provoke the wrong enemies."