flstandardbreds Chapter 126 Visitors to the Dilapidated Temple
Chapter 126 Visitors to the Dilapidated Temple
Large raindrops pounded on the ground, splashing mud and water onto the travelers' clothes, like tiny hands tugging at their hurried steps, making them slow down a fraction.
Shen Tianbao stopped and wiped the rain from his face. In the pitch-black night, the sudden downpour made the road ahead even more difficult to traverse.
Should we continue on our way or...?
Shen Tianbao was somewhat undecided.
Changchang Escort Agency hasn't received any big orders in a long time. The brothers need to eat, and Wan Niang's child, born after a life-threatening ordeal, needs precious medicinal herbs to prolong its life.
The reward for this escort mission was incredibly generous. If his family hadn't been dealing with the Lin Hai Valley, known as the "Death Corridor," for generations, he wouldn't have had such a good job.
The employer was very easy to talk to and knew that bandits had been rampant in this area in recent years. To ensure the success of this shipment, he even hired three skilled warriors to keep them in check.
Perhaps it was because these three experts were present that they had a very smooth journey, without encountering any bandits or even petty thieves.
But their good luck only lasted until they entered the valley.
Upon entering the valley, Zhang Er, one of the experts, somehow provoked a flower-tailed bee and died on the spot from its tail.
Fortunately, the two remaining experts were willing to follow his orders. After losing several brothers in succession, the group managed to escape with the goods.
The road ahead became increasingly difficult, the weather in the valley was unpredictable, and poisonous insects were rampant.
Shen Tianbao suspected that this escort mission was the "year of natural disasters" his grandfather had mentioned.
A natural disaster struck; a massive earthquake devastated thousands of miles, leaving no trace of human remains.
Natural disasters are always preceded by warnings. The current rampage of poisonous insects in the valley is just like the signs of an earth dragon about to rise up.
If they had truly encountered a "natural disaster," their chances of survival would be slim. However, they had already made it halfway through the journey and could not turn back. Moreover, their employer had said that they would be met once they left the valley.
These past few days he has been gritting his teeth and making his way, hoping to leave this cannibalistic place before everything becomes irreversible.
With a deafening roar, the night sky seemed to be torn apart by a silver snake, and the pitch-black earth was instantly illuminated as if it were daytime.
His resolute face showed that he had made up his mind after seeing the road ahead clearly.
"Brothers, listen up! There's a dilapidated temple ahead. We'll take shelter there from the rain tonight!"
While getting on the road is important, it is not a wise move to travel in the pouring rain and darkness.
Outside the temple, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and rain poured down. Before long, hail began to fall, and the previously warm air suddenly turned chilly, seeping into people's collars.
Shen Tianbao shivered, secretly relieved that he had made the right decision. He methodically instructed his brothers to take out their belongings for the night and prepare a fire to keep warm, as they would definitely be spending the night in this dilapidated temple.
After everything was arranged, he finally had the mind to look around the dilapidated temple where he would be staying for the night.
The temple had been in disrepair for many years, but the main hall must have been made of good materials. Apart from a few holes that were leaking, it looked very sturdy and could shelter them for a good night's stay.
I wonder which deity is enshrined in this temple?
Shen Tianbao had heard his great-grandfather say that many years ago, people lived in Linhai Valley, and that their Shen family ancestors had lived there.
However, the place became increasingly eerie, and the Shen family had no choice but to leave their homeland and relocate to Dongshan Pass.
Even after leaving, the Shen family never forgot their homeland, always hoping that they could return someday.
The statue in the dilapidated temple was covered by a black cloth, making it impossible to see clearly, just like a person wearing a black cloak. Shen Tianbao recalled his great-grandfather's voice and appearance when he longed for his homeland, and walked curiously towards the statue.
"what!"
A frail, terrified scream suddenly came from behind the statue.
Shen Tianbao instinctively took two steps back and immediately gripped the hilt of his sword. Even faster than him was the expert Wu San, who, relying on his superior martial arts skills, reached out and grabbed the woman from behind the statue, throwing her in front of the crowd.
Tears welled up on her pale face, and her frail, petite body seemed to have been injured by Wu San. She lay half-prone on the ground, looking fearfully at the people in the temple.
The woman wasn't the kind of beauty that would immediately strike you as stunning, but her expression was filled with sorrow and melancholy, like an lingering mist in the rainy Jiangnan region. Her dark hair brushed against her crimson lips, and her delicate face was streaked with tears. Her shy and hesitant demeanor was so pitiful that it easily stirred pity in all the men present.
"Who are you! What are you trying to do, hiding in the shadows like this?" Shen Tianbao suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and gripped the hilt of his knife even tighter.
"I……"
The woman seemed frightened by Shen Tianbao's stern questioning; her pale face showed that she was too scared to speak for a moment.
"Chief镖 (Shen) don't get so angry. Young lady, how did you end up in a place like this? I didn't mean to hurt you. Don't be afraid, we're not bad people. If you have any trouble, just tell us."
After seeing the woman's face clearly, Wu San's attitude changed 180 degrees. He tried to put on a gentle and harmless smile on his fierce face, which made him look ridiculous and laughable.
"Waaah... My grandfather is sick, please, please don't kill us."
As soon as the woman finished speaking, Shen Tianbao's men carried out an unconscious old man from behind the statue.
Upon seeing this, the woman immediately threw herself on the old man, and began to sob pitifully as if she had found her pillar of support.
Shen Tianbao breathed a slight sigh of relief and was about to ask for more details.
Something strange suddenly happened outside the temple!
A series of footsteps approached from afar.
In the blink of an eye, a figure rushed in from outside.
Before Shen Tianbao could see clearly, Zhao Yi, another expert who had remained silent, struck the newcomer with a palm.
The newcomer's momentum did not diminish; a sword met a palm strike, the sword energy arrogant and fierce, forcing Zhao Yi to retreat several steps.
The black cloth covering the statue behind the temple was cleaved in two by the sword energy and fell down, but no one present noticed this detail.
At this moment, no one paid attention to anything else; they all gripped their weapons tightly with tension.
The newcomer's martial arts skills surpassed those of Zhao Yi, the most skilled among them. If the newcomer was hostile...
Fortunately, the swordsman did not press his advantage after making his move.
As the two sides confronted each other, everyone finally saw that the one who had rushed into the temple was a young swordsman. The swordsman had a hard face, and his facial features were so sharp that they seemed to be carved by a knife, making him look cold.
After he entered the temple, everyone realized that the swordsman was not alone; he was carrying an unconscious girl on his back.
Seeing this, Shen Tianbao waved for his brothers to step back. He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and said it was a misunderstanding, and briefly introduced himself and his group.
The swordsman coldly glanced at everyone present, ignoring no one. He walked directly to the best corner of the main hall and threw the person behind him onto the cushions that Shen Tianbao and his group had prepared.
Then they lit a fire and started warming themselves.
His arrogant attitude immediately enraged several of Shen Tianbao's men.
Shen Tianbao stopped his men with the words, "Don't cause any unnecessary trouble."
There are countless martial arts masters with eccentric temperaments, and the other party has no intention of making things difficult for them, and their martial arts skills far surpass their own.
Moreover, it's actually a good thing that the other party doesn't want to deal with them; they're probably just coincidentally seeking shelter from the rain, so they should just avoid them.
Shen Tianbao told his men to move the items to the other side, and then kindly left two sets of bedding and some dry rations for the ruthless swordsman. After that, he focused his attention on arranging for the night and guarding the goods.
While busy at work, Shen Tianbao asked about the story of the two frail women behind the statue.
The frail woman said her name was Shu Qiu, and that she and her grandfather were robbed by bandits on their way back to their hometown.
Fortunately, the third leader of the bandits took a liking to her and wanted to take her as a concubine, which saved her grandfather's life.
On their way back to their stronghold, the bandits somehow offended someone they shouldn't have, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.
The third leader decisively led his men, along with her and her grandfather, to escape into Linhai Valley.
After entering the valley, the third leader's subordinates kept dying in accidents, and she took the opportunity to escape with her grandfather.
However, something happened during their escape, and Grandpa seemed to have been bitten by a poisonous insect, and suddenly fell into a coma.
"Oh... Esteemed heroes, I beg you to save my grandfather's life. I, Xiao Qiu, am willing to serve you as my servant to repay your great kindness."
Shen Tianbao did not agree immediately after hearing this. He called over Lu Bo, a skilled doctor, to examine him.
After taking the old man's pulse, Uncle Lu nodded to him.
The old man was indeed poisoned, but Uncle Lu couldn't identify what kind of poisonous insect had caused it.
Before Shen Tianbao could say anything, Wu San stepped forward and helped Shu Qiu, who was about to kneel down, to her feet.
"Young lady, I do have a Heavenly Fragrance Jade Dew Pill here that can cure all poisons, but this pill is extremely difficult to obtain..."
As Wu San spoke, he touched the woman's delicate, soft hand.
Shu Qiu's face flushed instantly, and she turned her head away, whether out of fear or shyness, tears streaming down her face like pearls.
This scene infuriated the men of Changchang Escort Agency, who secretly cursed Wu San for taking advantage of their vulnerability.
The woman's tears, like pear blossoms in the rain, stirred their hearts. They, too, secretly dreamed of being the recipient of this Heavenly Fragrance Jade Dew Pill.
As a fellow man, Shen Tianbao naturally understood his brothers' thoughts. He coughed heavily and, with a gloomy expression, told everyone to get out of there and do what they were doing.
Afterwards, he asked Uncle Lu to send some antidote herbs to Shu Qiu.
The names of Zhao Yi, Wu San, and the deceased Zhang Er were obviously aliases.
These three people were the employer's men, and they wouldn't even reveal their real names. He couldn't control them, nor did he have the ability to manage them.
As for whether the girl named Shu Qiu would submit to Wu San for the sake of the medicine, he had no way of commenting.
All he can do is to do his best and have a clear conscience.