Chapter 135 - Beneath the Mountain

Chapter 135 - Beneath the Mountain

In the small town at the base of Henghua Mountain.

It seemed to be the first time that Bun had met so many people, and so it didn’t leave Li Huowang’s side for even a moment.

After a tiring journey, everyone was exhausted and in need of rest.

Even though the Benevolent Nunnery was right before them, unlike before, Li Huowang was no longer in a hurry. Since that oppressive feeling where he felt like he could be replaced by Dan Yangzi at any moment was now gone, he could finally take it easy.

Li Huowang used his somewhat tired eyes to look around. The town at the base of the mountain was the same as before. Even though it wasn’t a market day, perhaps due to the fact that it was a transportation hub, there were many people going to and fro.

The only difference was the increase in the number of beggars squatting by the walls. When the ragged-looking beggars saw their horse-drawn carriages, they quickly approached them before raising their broken bowls and starting to sing.

“Come gather ‘round, see the poor beggar’s plea~ Oh kind sir, won’t you lend an ear to me~? Have a heart and let compassion take its toll~ A bun, some soup, may you live a life whole!”

Jiang!

At that moment, a long sword was drawn, causing the beggars to scatter like frightened birds.

“Three bamboos!” said a voice.

Pa!

Hearing the voice and the sound, Li Huowang subconsciously looked toward the source.

“Pong! Six characters~”

“Aiya~ what kind of hand is this, nine dots again.”

After stopping his son, Lu Zhuangyuan smiled flatteringly and said, “Young Taoist, please eat first. You’ve had a tough trip, so let this meal be our treat.”

Surprised, Li Huowang glanced at him, and then picked up his chopsticks as he began eating; he couldn’t be bothered with such trivial matters.

At the same time, he had a feeling that in his presence, the Lu Family Troupe was a lot more restrained.

After having traveled for so long, everyone was hungry. Bai Lingmiao and Gao Zhijian both had large appetites, and quickly wiped clean the dishes on the table, as well as two more barrels of rice.

Bun wasn’t left hungry either; it was given all the leftover bones.

After a satisfying meal that included plenty of wine, Li Huowang drank another mouthful of tea and got up. Once he picked up his belongings, he walked out of the inn, “I’m leaving. I should be back before nightfall.”

As soon as it heard him, Bun, who had been gnawing on a bone under the table, picked it up and followed after him.

Once Li Huowang left, Lu Juren put down his clean bowl and chopsticks, then stepped before Lu Zhuangyuan and cleared his throat. “Dad, come with me.”

After a while, they arrived at the quiet stable behind the inn. Then, Lu Juren leaned against a black horse that was eating some beans before whispering nervously, “Dad! Why aren’t we leaving?! Are you really planning to go with them! Did you forget—”

At that moment, he glanced around to check that there was nobody else around before continuing, “Did you forget what they said that night? That’s not a person—that’s a demon! Those Taoist robes of his are stained red due to blood! Aren’t you afraid that someday he’ll eat us as well?”

Hearing this, the wrinkled Lu Zhuangyuan retrieved his tobacco pipe before taking a deep puff. “Perhaps... Perhaps the Taoist has some difficulties?”

“What kind of difficulties can there be to explain doing things like that?! Ah, Dad! You’ve started to become muddle-headed!”

“Hey! Are you asking for a beating?! What do you mean muddle-headed?!” said Lu Zhuangyuan as he raised his tobacco pipe into the air.

Faced with Lu Zhuangyuan’s raised pipe, Lu Juren, who had always been honest, did not dodge it like he normally would. Instead, he stared at his father stubbornly. “For a moment, let’s forget about ourselves! But what about your granddaughter Cui’er? The storytellers often say that demons like to eat children! Can you bear to place Cui’er in such danger?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhuangyuan could no longer retort, which was quite unlike him. After a while, he once again took a deep puff causing the tobacco inside his pipe to start glowing brightly. "Son, I understand what you're saying. But haven't you noticed it? Something has been amiss throughout this journey. I know what's going on. Originally, it just started out with there being more beggars by the roadside. It doesn’t seem like much, but it won't be long before people even start selling out their own children. The world is slowly descending into chaos. Right now, we’re fleeing on our own, and that makes us easy pickings for anyone who wants to have a tasty morsel. On the other hand, following the Taoist at least gives us some safety against the ordinary outlaws and their schemes. Your dad has lived for a long time, and can judge people quite accurately. The Taoist is not that kind of evil person. Though he may possess formidable powers, his character is not immoral. He cannot commit such heinous acts.”

“But...”

“There’s no ‘buts’. Let’s stick with the plan. Earlier, I noticed that your wife didn’t really eat much. That’s unusual for her, and she even has the urge to vomit quite often. Take her to a physician; I have a feeling that she might be pregnant.”