Three miles outside the city, dusk fell and a drizzle of rain fell.
The temple was now overwhelmed with incense, though few came to worship. But many sought shelter from the rain.
Luocheng was located in the north, and during the winter, snow fell, making the mountain temple less suitable for the homeless. But now, as the ice began to melt and the earth revived, during the Qingming Festival, a number of disheveled beggars lay scattered about the temple.
A small bonfire burned in front of the mountain god statue, atop which sat an indecipherable iron pot, simmering something unknown. Only a faint, strange aroma wafted forth, and wisps of smoke rose from the crack in the temple's roof. Drops of water also trickled down through the breach, forming a small puddle within the temple. The raindrops made a tinkling sound as they fell.
The real Ning Huaiyuan was among this group of disheveled beggars, his clothes tattered, his face smeared with mud, and he couldn't tell the difference between his appearance and those beggars.
He huddled in a corner, farthest from the fire and the beggars.
Although the Beggars' Sect is no longer as prosperous as it was in the early days, there are still connections between beggars in Luocheng. He didn't have many connections here, so he didn't want to have too much contact with them.
Anyway, after the rain stopped, he continued on his way, heading east, and reached Shandong. By then, he would change his appearance and identity and become a hero again.
And the martial arts of Shandong Penglai Pavilion should not be like those of Shaanxi Huashan, where most of them are just empty tricks that can't be used in a fight.
As Ning Huaiyuan pondered this, he saw the tightly closed door of the mountain temple being opened from the outside. In the firelight, a sturdy man in a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat walked in, dripping with water. He looked around at the beggars lying around him. He was well-dressed and tall, clearly not a beggar.
"Get up!" The moment he entered, his voice boomed like thunder. Because of the internal energy he was exerting, even those who pretended to sleep felt a buzzing sound in their ears, completely waking them from sleep.
At this sound, the beggars all sat up and looked at the sudden intruder.
"I plan to rest here tonight." The burly man in the straw raincoat said in a muffled voice under his straw hat. He raised his right hand slightly, and a long sword inlaid with rubies could be seen under the straw raincoat. Although only a part of the hilt was exposed, the preciousness and sharpness of the sword could also be felt: "Could you please make room for me?"
A tall beggar stood up from the group of beggars. In the firelight, he was six feet tall, with a fierce look in his eyes and a scar on his face. He was obviously the leader of this group of beggars: "Excuse me, sir, who are you? This is the territory of the mountain god. Even the king of heaven is not as great as the mountain god."
"Come down and rest your feet. When you travel around the world, you have to help others. But now it's raining peach blossoms outside. We brothers have finally found a place to dry our clothes. You are a well-known person, so you come to the inn to rest. Why do you have to stay with us, the lowest class?"
"You think we are not clean."
His words were full of sarcasm. He said all kinds of good and bad things at the same time. He really has a powerful tongue.
But the burly man in the straw raincoat sneered, stepped forward, drew his sword, and then sheathed it, its gleaming blade ablaze.
"Lord Mountain God, please appreciate my skill."
Few could see the instantaneous flash of the man's sword, but a sound behind them made the beggars turn to look and see the clay statue of the mountain god behind them, its arm severed in the firelight, falling beside the altar.
The man's arm span had barely reached three feet, and the sword in his hand less than three feet, yet the distance between him and the statue was a full ten feet. The sword's edge couldn't touch the statue, yet the mountain god's arm fell instantly.
The leading beggar was stunned, speechless.
He had previously teased the man, saying this was the mountain god's territory, and now this man had severed the mountain god's arm with a single blow. His swordsmanship was astonishing, and his intentions were even more devastating.
"I'm so grateful for your guidance, Master Mountain God," the burly man sheathed his sword and bowed respectfully toward the armless mountain god statue. But before him, the beggar, his body a sliver of chaff, stood there.
"May I ask your name?" the leading beggar, his earlier sassy demeanor gone, clasped his fists and asked earnestly, "Please leave your name, and we'll make way for you."
"I'm Ning Huaiyuan from Mount Hua," the burly man announced.
The beggars exchanged glances, and the leading beggar, clasping his fists and bowing, said, "I didn't realize you were a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. We're so sorry to be so rude."
With this, he led the way past the burly man, saying, "A great hero has arrived. We'll make way for you."
With him at the head, the other beggars hurried out.
Ning Huaiyuan, mingling among the beggars, remained silent. However, as he approached the burly man in the straw raincoat, he heard him say coldly, "Junior Brother Ning, since I'm here, why are you leaving?"
Ning Huaiyuan stood still. The other beggars, fearing the presence of these two plague gods, emerged from both sides of the mountain temple, braving the rain and heading for other shelters. However, it was late at night, the ground was slippery, and with the rain still falling, it was inevitable that someone would fall, leading to another round of shouting and cursing.
But the shouting and cursing gradually faded.
Ning Huaiyuan turned, motionless, and stared at the man in the straw raincoat. "I don't think you could find your way here."
He remained calm, unhurried, and even when blocked by his fellow disciples, his expression showed no sign of panic.
He was still a little surprised.
"You are willing to fall into depravity. In such a filthy place, I naturally can't find you. But it will be different if someone guides you." The big man in the straw raincoat said coldly: "Since you have become my Huashan disciple, do you know what crime it is to kill fellow disciples and steal secret books?"
"It's just a death penalty after all." Ning Huaiyuan said with a smile: "But, Senior Brother Yue, do you think you can kill me?"
Ning Huaiyuan's face was covered with mud, and his clothes smelled foul, but his conversation was calm and elegant, with a hint of joking. No wonder he was able to become a Huashan disciple.
"We'll know if I can kill you after a try," the burly man known as Senior Brother Yue said calmly. He then stepped forward, sat cross-legged by the fire, and pulled out two bottles of wine, a plate of beef, and a package of baked goods wrapped in oil paper. He placed them all on the blue brick floor of the mountain temple, then looked up at Ning Huaiyuan. "I've come all the way from Mount Hua to kill you, but we're brothers after all. Have you ever eaten? If you don't mind, we can eat and talk."
"After we reminisce about the past, we'll decide whether to live or die."
Ning Huaiyuan laughed heartily at the words, and sat down in front of this Senior Brother Yue. With a wave of his hand, a bottle of wine flew into his hand from three feet away. He didn't care if it was poisonous or not, he uncapped the bottle and took three gulps.
"Of all the people on Mount Hua, I, Ning Huaiyuan, admire only you, Senior Brother Yue Pingshan."
"But why did you come all the way here to die?"
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(End of Chapter)