Night fell, and the mountains grew silent.
It was a rare bustling day in Bali Village.
Shuanzi arranged for more chickens, ducks, and geese to be slaughtered, and prepared two large tables of countryside delicacies to treat these distinguished guests from the city.
"Xiao Hei, come here."
Lu Fei picked up a large piece of meat and threw it to Xiao Hei, rewarding it for waiting obediently in the village for him.
Although this meal couldn't compare to the one they had at Zhao Fengchun's house, the ingredients were fresh and clean, giving it a unique flavor.
Old Man He was generous with his money, and Shuanzi handled things efficiently and thoughtfully.
Old Qin didn't know how to socialize like he did; during the meal, he remained silent, eating and drinking without trying to get close to the honored guests.
"That turtle shell is quite old. I don't think Old Qin is an ordinary villager," Duan Tiankui said in a low voice.
"In the countryside, it's not uncommon for a village to have its own diviner. If he were incompetent, I wouldn't trust him to guide us tomorrow."
He Yunsong wasn't concerned. He gazed toward the southeast, a complex look in his eyes.
"Zhisheng has been sensible since he was a child. I owe him so much. I hope this trip will be worthwhile..."
"Old He, I need to remind you," Duan Tiankui said with concern, "The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. The dragon breath elderberry is, after all, a legendary evil object, and even Little Friend Lu can't be certain of its existence. If we can't find it, don't get too fixated on it."
"I understand."
He YunSong sighed and averted his gaze.
"If we can't find the Dragon's Breath Elderberry, I will find another way to compensate..."
Full from the meal.
Shuanzi arranged accommodations for everyone.
The best houses in the village had rooms cleared out specifically for their stay.
Although the conditions couldn't compare to a hotel, they were clean.
There was nothing much for amusement in the mountains, and since they would be entering the mountain tomorrow, everyone went to bed early.
Lu Fei and Jing Jian shared a room and squeezed into one bed.
Jing Jian sat cross-legged on the bed, lovingly wiping his precious life-bound magic sword, his mind full of fantasies.
"It's a pity that the dragon has already ascended to immortality. If I could see a real dragon with my own eyes, how impressive that would be! In the future, when I meet my half-master, it will be my turn to tell stories to him."
"Why is he a half-master?" Lu Fei was puzzled.
"He hasn't agreed to take me as his disciple yet, so he can only be considered a half-master. But it doesn't matter, I have a life-bound magical artifact now, and he will definitely accept me in the future!"
Jing Jian was full of confidence for the future.
"Go for it, I believe in you!"
Lu Fei put down his backpack and looked at the black oil paper umbrella on the side, a hint of confusion rising in his heart.
This Netherworld Umbrella usually only appears to save his life in the most dangerous moments. Why did it fall out for no reason today?
Could it be trying to remind him of something?
"Is there a problem with the Dragon God Temple?"
But Old Master Duan had already checked; there was indeed the aura of a real dragon here, and the worship ceremony today went very smoothly.
"Am I overthinking it? Brother Jing, when we were praying to the Dragon God today, did you notice anything strange…..."
Lu Fei wanted to ask Jing Jian a few questions, but when he turned around, he found that he was already asleep with the Seven Stars Sword in his arms.
"I hope I'm just overthinking it. Maybe the black umbrella just happened to fall out by chance."
Turn off the light.
Lu Fei took off his jacket and lay down.
The little black dog obediently lay down beside him.
A peaceful night.
When Lu Fei woke up in the morning and saw that everyone was normal, he temporarily put aside his doubts.
During breakfast, Shuanzi brought a large pot of ginger soup.
"Uncle Qin ordered it. The mountain is very damp, so everyone needs to drink a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold before we go."
The ginger soup was thick, and everyone pinched their noses to drink it down, immediately feeling a fiery sensation in their bodies.
After breakfast.
Old Man Qin tapped his tobacco pipe, put it away, and cast his gaze over everyone, finally settling on Duan Tiankui and He Yunsong.
"The mountain path is treacherous, are you two also going?"
"Our bodies are still in good shape. In my spare time, I often go into the mountains to gather herbs," He Yunsong said with a smile.
If he really couldn't walk anymore, there were bodyguards. Otherwise, why would he have gone to such lengths to gather so many people?
"On the way, follow closely behind me. Don't wander off or look around, and don't push yourself if you can't keep up. When you enter the Dragonfall Cave, don't be greedy. Each person can only carry one item out. Taking more will anger the dragon god."
Having said this, Old Man Qin picked up a bamboo basket and led the way.
Everyone exchanged glances and then followed.
Although Old Man Qin was not young, he was quick on his feet and walked with great agility, even outpacing the sedentary young people in the city.
If everyone doesn't walk a bit faster, they really won't be able to keep up with his pace.
Soon, they were out of the village.
The group set off on a winding path, heading towards the great mountain in the southeast that looked like a reclining dragon. Suddenly, the slovenly old madman darted out from the side and stood in the middle of the road.
"Kind-hearted passersby, give me a sip of water! Just one sip!"
He stank all over, his skin covered in black scars, with dirty hands holding a filthy, broken bowl. He forced an ugly smile at the group.
"Old Madman You, you've come to cause trouble again! Can't you see we are in a hurry? Get out of the way!"
Old Qin immediately frowned, driving away the old madman as if he was swatting a fly.
The old madman refused to leave.
"Are you going to move or not? If you don't, I'll make you move!" Old Qin raised his foot and kicked him a few times.
The old madman endured the pain, staring pitifully at Lu Fei and the others, persistently begging for water.
"Please, give me some water to drink..."
Old Man Qin instantly became furious and drew his woodcutter's knife from his waist.
The old madman shrank his neck in fear.
"Oh no, Uncle Qin, don't hit him. He just wants some water; just give it to him!" Duan Lingyue couldn't bear to watch and took a bottle of mineral water, handing it to the old madman.
The old madman still didn't take it, shaking the tattered bowl in his hand with a pleading look in his eyes.
"Give me some water to drink..."
Lu Fei, lost in thought, took the mineral water from Duan Lingyue, twisted off the cap, and poured the water into the old madman's tattered bowl.
"Thank you! Thank you! Kind-hearted person, kindness will be rewarded!"
The old madman's face lit up with joy, holding the bowl of water as if it were a precious treasure, and he bounced away, skipping and jumping.
"He really is not right in the head!" Jing Jian couldn't help but shake his head, "A perfectly clean bottle of water he wouldn't take, insisting on having it poured into a dirty bowl, making it all unclean. Is that even drinkable?"
"Don't say that, it's already pitiful enough that his mind isn't well," Duan Lingyue said sympathetically. "Uncle Qin, doesn't anyone take care of him? What about his children and family?"
"They all died long ago!" Old Man Qin snorted coldly, putting away his firewood axe and turning to walk forward. "He got them killed."
"Ah? How could this happen?" Duan Lingyue's fair, delicate face immediately changed color.
"Offend the Dragon God, and this is the consequence."
Old Man Qin didn't even turn his head, his voice muffled as he spoke.
"When the Dragon God Temple was being built, he was drunk and damaged a corner of it. No matter how people tried, they couldn't fix it."
"That year, there was a flood that killed many people."
"He and his family were swept away by the water. In the end, everyone else died, but he alone survived."