Chapter 64:
Chapter 64:
Nanzhou has many mountains.
Among the various mountain ranges, the Qingming Mountain range to the west of Yan City is the most famous, with the towering Qingming Peak reaching into the sky. The Qingyun Temple on the mountain is flourishing, with a constant stream of incense-burning visitors.
However, what Qiao Canxue arrived at was not the famous Qingyun Temple, but a small Taoist temple at the foot of Qingming Mountain to the south.
The owner of this small Taoist temple, named Lingling Taoist Priest, was a plump and kind-hearted nun.
Although the temple was small and had fewer worshippers than the famous Qingyun Temple, Lingling Taoist Priest was still respected by the passing pilgrims.
Lingling Taoist Priest has been in a very good mood lately.
Recently, a person she had been waiting for for many years came to this small Taoist temple.
"Canxue, the last time I saw you, you were just a little child. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed, and you have finally arrived here."
"Only waited for ten years, it’s nothing. For us practitioners, ten years is just a fleeting moment. It’s our destiny to meet like this…"
"I have long known that we are destined to be together…"Inside the Taoist temple, the plump nun Lingling Taoist Priest squinted her eyes, looking very friendly.
And in front of her, there were three or five young female disciples sitting on the ground, quietly listening.
After the plump nun talked for a long time without Qiao Canxue responding, she asked,
"Canxue, why aren’t you saying anything?"
Qiao Canxue was still sitting there, not moving, her eyes tightly closed.
"Master, it seems like the junior sister is asleep," a young female disciple said.
"Nonsense, your junior sister is blind, she can’t see anything. Closing her eyes doesn’t mean she’s asleep, she’s probably deeply focused in her meditation," Lingling Taoist Priest frowned and said.
Just as the words fell.
Qiao Canxue, who was sitting with her eyes closed, made a sound: zzzZZZ….
The chubby nun was at a loss for words and then changed her statement:
"Your junior sister has a natural talent for cultivation. Two days of refining qi and one day of practice may not be equal to your ten years of hard work. Besides her innate talent and exceptional perception, she must also practice day and night, which is why she appears tired during the day…"
"During the Qi refining period, cultivators still have physical bodies, so it’s inevitable to feel tired during the day…"
Just as the chubby nun finished speaking, she noticed another young female cultivator gradually closing her eyelids and nodding off. She immediately shouted:
"Master is talking to you, and yet you dare to fall asleep?"
This cultivator was startled awake by the shout, turned around, and saw that Qiao Canxue was still sitting there with her eyes closed, motionless.
It turned out that the chubby nun used a technique similar to a martial artist’s "transmission via sound" method. She only transmitted her voice into Qiao Canxue’s ears, causing a buzzing sound in her ears.
At this moment, Qiao Canxue, who had kept her eyes tightly shut, suddenly twitched her eyelids, revealing a small patch of bright white before closing them again.
She turned her head and looked towards the entrance of the Taoist temple.
At this time, several pilgrims were entering this small Taoist temple that had few worshippers. As they walked, they were discussing something.
"Have you heard? The Yan City Lord from the east was killed in broad daylight by a man named Qiao Sen. I wonder who this Qiao Sen is and how strong he is to be able to break through the Lord’s guards, kill him in public, and still manage to leave freely."
"Hey, you’re behind on the news. I heard that this Qiao Sen has two sons, Qiao Mu and Qiao Lin, who are both righteous heroes. They died one after another because of that Yan City Lord…"
The pilgrims chatted briefly about the recent hot topic before entering the temple to burn incense.
Qiao Canxue, on the other hand, listened in astonishment, feeling as if thunder was roaring inside her heart.
"I never expected Qiao Mu to still have a living father who personally killed that Yan City Lord, Guo Yan."
This news was incredibly good for Qiao Canxue.
Originally, Qiao Mu died because of him, and she couldn’t find a way to repay him, so she had the idea of killing Guo Yan for revenge.
But since Qiao Mu still had a father alive, she had more ways to repay him.
Although Qiao Mu has already passed away, it’s a bit slow to show gratitude now, but it’s different from before.
Her emotions gradually stirred up, and her eyelids slightly opened, revealing a vast whiteness.
"I originally wanted to wait until I had achieved great skills, and then personally kill Guo Yan for revenge."
"Since he still has family members alive, that makes it easier."
"Grandfather killed the Yan City Lord, which will likely cause trouble. When my divine skills are perfected, I will protect Grandfather’s safety."
The plump nun next to Qiao Canxue suddenly saw her eyes open slightly, and her aura surged three times in a row.
"Hmm? Epiphany? Is she already at the fourth level of Qi refining period?" The plump nun first widened her eyes in shock, then happily narrowed them into slits.
"With such a cultivation speed, she surpasses the disciples of the major sects who rely on the power of incense and practice with ‘Incense Symbol of Divine Fire.’ Perhaps this girl can truly forge a path in this world that is different from the Nine Immortal Gates…"
…………….
Heyang City.
Inside the teahouse’s Dawn Emerald Pavilion, a storyteller in a green robe and a sword at his side was energetically pounding on the wooden stage, telling a story:
"Just listen to the heroic Qiao Sen shouting, ‘We martial artists shall always charge forward!’"
"After saying that, he immediately pierced the Yan City Lord with a spear and left triumphantly…"
The tea guests would cheer and applaud from time to time.
In a corner of the teahouse.
Several soap-clothed constables with swords on their waists were also sitting at the Eight Immortals table, seemingly listening to the storyteller tell stories.
"Captain Qiao, this doesn’t seem right," one of the constables whispered:
"We received orders that Qiao Sen, who had committed murder and assassination in Yan City, has just become a wanted criminal of the court. That’s why we have to drive away the storyteller in this teahouse. But why on earth did you come here to listen to the storytelling?"
"Why is it not right? If we don’t listen to him finish, how would we know the twists and turns of the matter? We’ll take action after he finishes."
Qiao Mu sat lazily, sipping tea and listening to the storytelling.
Ever since that day when he accidentally bumped into the storyteller praising himself, he had somewhat fallen in love with this feeling.
Little did he expect that after arriving in Heyang City that day, he would encounter that familiar sword-wearing storyteller, who happened to be telling his own story.
"Yes. This storytelling is indeed quite interesting," said the tea drinker at the neighboring table. He was a middle-aged man wearing a long robe, looking around forty years old. He smiled and struck up a conversation.
"But since you are the chief of Heyang City, don’t you have official duties to fulfill? Is this really the time to listen to stories? There are priorities and urgencies in all matters, aren’t official duties important?"
Qiao Mu frowned and turned to look at the middle-aged man in the robe at the next table.
This stranger who struck up a conversation, his way of speaking is strange. Though he’s clearly a stranger, there is a faint sense of condescension and inquiry.
"Matters have their own priorities," Qiao Mu casually replied.
"Trivial matters can be handled casually, but if there are major matters, I won’t hesitate to risk myself."
"It seems you enjoy teaching others how to do things. Why don’t you give Emperor Yonghe some guidance on fighting the Inhuman War?"