"Okay, tell your sister I might not be home tonight, so she can get some rest!"
Li Gongfu thought for a moment and then said.
Xu Xian nodded and was about to leave when the suppressed injury in his chest suddenly erupted. He felt dizzy and lost his balance, falling to the ground.
Just before he lost consciousness, he heard only two exclamations:
"Chinese characters..."
"Immortal Master..."
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Chapter 9 Going Up the Mountain [It's over soon, whatever!]
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In Qiantang County, shops lined the streets, merchants flocked to the area, and all sorts of entertainment were on display, lasting all night long, reaching the height of prosperity.
This city was the political, economic, and cultural center of the Song Dynasty.
At 11:45 PM, the streets were still bustling with people.
Just then, a group of people rushed through the streets of the county town. Leading them was Guo Laosi, the deputy head constable of the county government, with constable Li Gongfu in the middle, carrying an unconscious boy on their backs, and several constables following behind.
"Get out of my way, all of you, get the hell out of my way!"
Guo Laosi swung his sheathed broadsword, waving it around to drive away pedestrians and shouting.
Pedestrians on the road hurriedly swerved to avoid the chaos, and in an instant, chickens and dogs flew about in disarray.
"What's wrong? Guo Laosi is rarely seen in such a hurry!"
Who knows?
Pedestrians stood aside on both sides of the street, pointing and whispering about the group.
"Hanwen, don't fall asleep! Your brother-in-law will take you to find the immortal master right away. You have to hold on!"
Li Gongfu was covered in sweat, but he didn't bother to wipe it away. He ran wildly with his head down, shouting from time to time.
After Xu Xian fainted at Binguilou, Li Gongfu and Su Kangnian were terrified.
Li Gongfu checked Xu Xian's breathing and found that although his breathing was weak, it had not stopped, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
Feeling completely lost, Su Kangnian suggested sending Xu Xian to Qingxu Temple outside the city and asking the abbot to make a decision.
Upon hearing this, Li Gongfu immediately agreed.
Afterwards, several constables were summoned, and together they escorted Xu Xian back to Qingxu Temple to seek treatment from the abbot.
The constable, Guo Laosi, rolled his eyes and clamored to go as well. Li Gongfu agreed without much thought.
The county magistrate, Su Kangnian, also wanted to go and make a good impression on the immortal master, but unfortunately, it was already late at night, and he also had to deal with the follow-up work of the pirate case, so he couldn't leave and had to give up.
"Boss, don't worry too much, good people are always protected by heaven!"
Guo Laosi turned around and forced a reassuring smile.
How much further?
Li Gongfu asked a question.
"Boss, we're almost out of the city, about twenty li away, we'll be there soon!"
Looking at the city gate tower so close at hand, Guo Laosi took a deep breath and replied.
After leaving the city gate, compared to the bright lights inside the city, it was pitch black outside the city. Only the dim waning moon hid behind the dark clouds, and the few stars illuminated the way ahead.
The constables following behind quickly stepped forward, took out torches that had been prepared beforehand, lit them with tinderboxes, and led the way.
The group headed straight for the nameless hill on the eastern outskirts of the city.
With each step, the path was uneven, and after a few minutes of walking and running, the Taoist temple on the mountaintop came into view in the distance.
"Knock knock knock!"
"Immortal Master, Immortal Master, come out and take a look!"
Once he reached the mountaintop, Guo Laosi, ignoring his breath, grabbed the handle of his knife and pounded on the door, shouting and yelling for help.
"Come in, everyone!"
A warm voice rang in their ears, like a clear spring, calming them down and bringing them a sense of comfort and ease, much like drinking a bowl of chilled plum juice on a sweltering summer day.
At the same time, the gate of the Taoist temple opened automatically without any wind, with a "creak!"
After the door opened, the true face of the Taoist temple was revealed.
Countless luminous pearls were erected in the courtyard by a pillar, illuminating every inch of the temple grounds as bright as day.
A young Taoist priest stood in the center of the Taoist temple courtyard. He looked quite young, with an exceptionally handsome appearance and an extraordinary aura about him.
Moreover, the style of his Taoist robe was completely different from that of Xu Xian's. He wore a blue Taoist robe, had no crown on his head, and held a whisk in his hand. He was elegant and graceful, as if he was about to ascend to immortality at any moment.
The young Taoist priest was none other than Xiao Ning!
"Master, quickly take a look at Hanwen, what's wrong with him?"