Chapter 40

Chapter 40

As Lu Chen walks towards the tavern, he stops when he passes by that large chinese scholar tree. He first glances at the tree root before walking over to the giant rock with a smile. Facing the old fisherman who is sitting on it, fishing, he asks, Old Yu, hows the fishing going today?

Old Yus hat rotates from one side to the other as the person in question remains silent.

As one who had foreseen such an outcome, Lu Chen smiles even more brightly. He squats next to Old Yu and says, I say, Old Yu, persisting on like that here isnt a solution.

Not saying a word, the old fisherman glances at him doltishly. Ignoring him, Lu Chen continues speaking with a bright smile, Why dont we change a location to fish?

Old Yu frowns, Where?

Lu Chen points to the mountain in the distance and says, The Dragon Lake on top of the mountain. It rains often there and the water is deep. Perhaps, you might find the large fish that you are seeking there.

Old Yu shakes his head blankly, The mountain is too high up. Besides, why would there be any fish on top of a mountain?

Lu Chen chuckles. Just as he is about to continue persuading him, he suddenly notices a twinkle by his peripheral vision, and the fishing rod floating in the water suddenly shakes violently.

At this instant, Lu Chen and Old Yu is flabbergasted. After such a long period of time, everyone is already used to the feeling of being unable to fish anything from this stream. Is this going to change today?

A split moment later, Old Yu and Lu Chen bounces upwards. They fumble about in a fluster, shouting here and there as they hurriedly pull up the fishing pole. A short moment later, the fishing line is pulled in and the two of them immediately glances at the end of the rod, only to see an ordinary fish of about a palms size hanging there.

It is slightly larger than the gray-colored fishes in the stream, sufficiently large to bite on the bait, but insufficiently so to be considered a large fish.

Before walking into his cottage, he takes a look upwards toward the tea mountain. There isnt a single human figure that can be seen on the serene peak of the mountain. It is hard to tell where Ding Dang is at this instant. Perhaps, she might be trudging along a certain part of the mountainous path.

Returning back to his straw cottage, Lu Chen sits on the bed without making a single sound. Then, with a lowered head, he falls into contemplation. Bit by bit, he recalls what happened earlier, every single aspect and portion of it, even every single motion and sensation, he doesnt allow any of it to escape him

His expression gradually grows cold, as his gaze brightens and sharpens. He seems to have vaguely guessed something. After a moment, he suddenly stands up and walks towards the door. At the same time, on his right hand which is hanging by the side of his body, the fingers open up slightly. The next instant, a black dagger silently slides from his sleeve into his hand.

The sun outside the cottage is radiant and the sky is clear. He looks at the surroundings through squinted eyes. After musing for a short moment, he starts heading towards the tea mountain.

The mountain is extremely tranquil. With the exception of the rustling of the tea trees due to the mountainous winds, rarely can other sounds be heard. Occasionally, the chirping of the bird could be heard from the woods in the distant. The tea mountain isnt a towering and vast mountain, but there are quite a few wildlife on it. Just that, many years ago, the ground of the front of the mountains had been cultivated by the humans to grow tea trees. As a result, many birds and beasts had migrated from this region towards the peak or the back of the mountain to avoid the humans.

The blade of the black dagger Lu Chen holds in his hand is dull blade, as though it is impossible for even a sliver of light to reflect from it, its radiance concealed deep within it. Yet, its edge is exceptionally thin. His hand is steady and peaceful, but for some reason, the dagger seems to be trembling in agitation. It isnt out of fear, but out of a long-awaited reunion, the kind of agitation derived from long years of mutual absence.

Even the dagger itself seems to be craving for something.

The mans gaze scans the surrounding as he proceeds forwardly slowly. Unknowingly, indifference fills his face.

When he is around the halfway mark of the mountain, the forest gradually grows silent. However, at this altitude, the chirping from the birds in the surroundings crescendos. On the branches of some high-rising trees, the shadows of squirrels can be seen.

Suddenly, the grass in front shakes and a gray-colored head pops out. It is a gray rabbit that can be frequently spotted in the wilderness here. Its mouth quivers non-stop, as though it is chewing on something. At the same moment, it surveys its surroundings warily.

Then, it spots Lu Chen standing on the mountainous path not too far away.

That is a gentle man with a calm expression. For an instant, a trace of a tender smile seems to be hanging on the edges of his lips. Clearly, the wisp of cold desolate aura that seemed to appear on him a moment ago has disappeared without a trace.