The sunlight always dispels darkness when people need it most, as the night always makes one appear somewhat fearful. I also need it to drive away the darkness, not to remove the fear in my heart, but to clear the thick fog before my eyes.
Sitting in the car, I could see the Fox Immortal Temple shrouded in rain and mist, resembling a celestial dwelling in the heavens as seen on television. The red glazed tiles, the blue high courtyard walls, and the vermilion main gate wide enough for four cars to pass side by side, all showcased the Hu family's grandeur, making me feel completely out of place for a family with a century of cultivation.
In my imagination, the more a cultivation sect has been passed down for thousands of years, the more it should be low-key. Although I haven't been to Longhu Mountain or Maoshan, these two titans of the Yin arts, they are probably similar to the Fox Immortal Temple before me. Is this the aura of a sect passed down for thousands of years?
Chen Yun saw all the expressions on my face. Now that we are cooperating, she is obligated to explain the Hu family's current situation to me. Before I could speak, she began, "The Hu family outwardly keeps to themselves, but in reality, they are developing themselves in secret. They can now be considered the uncrowned kings of the Northeast; no one dares to provoke them." As she said this, Chen Yun clenched her fists tightly, her crimson-dyed fingernails breaking without her noticing, indicating how furious she was that the Hu family had captured Xiao Yun.
Sometimes, anger is a good thing. As the saying goes, "A common man's rage can spill five steps of blood," but now is not the time for her to be angry. They ostensibly want you to bring something to exchange for Xiao Yun, but their hidden schemes are still unknown. Furthermore, a cultivation sect that has been dominating the Northeast for so many years, how can it be overthrown by just one or two people?
"Chen Yun, I understand how you feel, but I hope you won't act impulsively, otherwise..."
"I understand, but I just can't accept it. Why doesn't heaven punish the Hu family for their wickedness? Is heaven truly blind?" Chen Yun withdrew her gaze, her eyes slightly reddened, with a hint of tears as she roared at me.
"I..." I uttered a single word and then didn't know what to say, as I didn't know how to comfort her, nor did I know if she had any other conflicts with the Hu family. I could only wait for her to vent and calm down on her own.
As a strong woman, Chen Yun's anger came and went quickly. After venting to me, she realized her tone was a bit off and quickly apologized.
I shook my head, indicating I didn't mind, understanding her current state of mind. Xiao Yun, as her household guardian spirit, could be considered the person closest to her in this world besides her parents. Anyone whose family member was captured to threaten them would be furious.
"Let's get out of the car! Didn't they say to arrive before dawn, or they would harm Xiao Yun..."
"No need to get out of the car. The Hu family always likes people to wait. The Fox Immortal Temple opens at seven thirty in the morning. They won't open before then. You can try knocking if you don't believe me?"
"Really?" I took out my phone and checked. It was only five fifteen, more than two hours before seven thirty.
"Are we just going to wait here foolishly?"
"What else?" Chen Yun regained her strong woman demeanor and calmly said, "Since we arrived here, we have been under the Hu family's surveillance. Every move we make is within their monitoring range."
I was speechless. These Hu family members were too overbearing. They told us to come before dawn, and if we didn't, they would kill Xiao Yun. But now? They were lying inside, sleeping soundly. This was completely disregarding us!
Just as I was silently complaining, the vermilion main gate was opened from the inside, and two men, one appearing to be in his thirties and the other in his twenties, dressed in Taoist robes, walked out.
Their appearance made Chen Yun frown. "Why aren't they playing by the rules?"
Seeing this, I opened the car door and got out.
"Mr. Song, Miss Chen, thank you for waiting. Please come in?" The older man said to us with a smile. Although his words were polite, the arrogance in his tone was hard to conceal. The young man who came out with him glanced at me coldly, then shifted his gaze to Chen Yun, clicked his tongue, muttered something, and then yawned widely, looking as if he hadn't woken up.
Before Chen Yun could speak, I spoke first, as Chen Yun's anger had not subsided, and a wrong word could easily cause unnecessary trouble.
I reached out to the middle-aged man before her, enthusiastically grasping his right hand and saying, "You're too kind, too kind. Just call me Xiao Song, no need for Mr. Song! You're flattering me! I can't bear such a 'ghostly' title as 'mister.' May I know your name?" Su Dan Novel Network
My action completely surprised Chen Yun. Even the middle-aged man who came to greet us was a bit stunned. However, he was only stunned for a moment. After a brief pause, he subtly pulled his hand away from mine.
"I have no title; I am merely a doorkeeper. It is best not to mention it, lest it offend your ears. The abbot of our temple has been waiting for you both inside for a long time. Please proceed, so as not to keep the abbot waiting and cause trouble."
"Understood, understood, we'll hurry over. Please..."
The middle-aged Taoist gave the young Taoist a look and then led the way through the main gate. I furrowed my brow slightly, watching the middle-aged Taoist walking ahead.
My unusual behavior naturally caught Chen Yun's attention. She glanced at the two Taoists who had already walked away and quietly asked me, "What's wrong with you? This doesn't seem like your usual style."
"This middle-aged Taoist is not simple. Look." As I spoke, I extended my right hand to her.
When I shook hands with the middle-aged Taoist earlier, I had condensed my Xuanyang True Qi into my hands. However, my hands were covered in frost, and my hands were red, looking like freshly boiled shrimp.
"Did you fight him just now?" Chen Yun asked in surprise.
"It wasn't that I wanted to fight him; he made the first move!" I said, looking at the middle-aged Taoist standing inside the gate, his smile unchanged, and then quickly walked into the gate.
While the middle-aged Taoist was speaking, I felt like I was being stared at by a fierce beast, as if a tiger that had been hungry for an unknown time was glaring at me fiercely, making me extremely uncomfortable.
This feeling only occurred when the other party's strength was several times greater than mine. Even facing Sui Wan'er, I didn't have this feeling. It seemed that the strength of the middle-aged Taoist before me was beyond my comprehension; perhaps it even surpassed my master's strength.
Upon entering the temple gate, the scene inside was different from the outside. The outside appeared shrouded in mist like a fairyland, but the scene inside was vastly different. It was not adorned with dragons and phoenixes as it seemed from the outside, but rather exuded an ancient simplicity, with buildings primarily made of bluestone.
Occasionally, one could see pairs of eyes of various colors watching you from the corners. By the time you looked, their owners had already disappeared.
The middle-aged Taoist walking in front seemed to have eyes behind him and explained our curiosity, "Those are the descendants of immortals."