Chapter 127 - 126: Encounter at the Wild Mountain Ancient Temple at Night
The downpour was heavy, and the wind was howling.
At that time, the sky was darkened, and within a hundred miles radius, the only source of light was a bonfire that had been lit within a dilapidated ancient temple.
“Master, the meat is cooked.” Pang Hong handed the roasted meat to Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing shook his head, “You eat first, don’t worry about me.”
Pang Hong nodded and started eating eagerly. Clearly, the journey had left him famished.
Pei Xuanjing handed him the water pouch beside him, “Eat slowly, there’s no rush.”
“Thank you, Master.” Pang Hong swallowed his bite of meat and took the water pouch.
Bang!
The temple door was pushed open, and a young man and woman entered.
The two soaked individuals, upon seeing the two men in the temple, hesitated before the young man bowed his fist and said, “My sister and I were caught in the rain and would like to shelter here temporarily. I hope you don’t mind.”
Pei Xuanjing waved his hand, “No problem, we are not the owners of this place. It’s deserted and in ruins. We just arrived a little earlier than you.”
“Thank you.” The young man thanked him and pulled the young girl to another part of the main hall.
The ancient temple was small, with only one main hall. In the center was a statue of an unknown deity covered in cobwebs, suggesting it had been in ruins a long time.
They sat down, also found some wood, and lit a bonfire to stave off the cold.
The girl occasionally glanced at the gluttonous Pang Hong and then at the dry food in her own hand, struggling to swallow.
“Master?” Even though Pang Hong was young, he was quite observant.
Pei Xuanjing laughed, “If you want to give, just give. The decision is yours.”
Pang Hong nodded, sliced a portion of the roasted deer meat with his dagger, and walked over to them.
“Brother and sister, if you don’t mind, you can have some of this. ”
The young man’s face revealed an embarrassed expression, but after seeing his sister salivating over the meat, he accepted graciously, “Thank you, little brother.”
“No problem, we can’t finish it all anyway. As long as you don’t mind.” Pang Hong smiled.
As Pang Hong returned to his seat, Pei Xuanjing watched the siblings who were dividing the deer meat without any doubt, shaking his head internally, confirming his thoughts.
He had thought earlier that the pair seemed somewhat naive. Now that he had seen them eat the deer meat without any doubt, it was clear to him that they were greenhorns just embarking on their journey.
In general, when travelling, one must have some guard against others. Especially in the wilderness, one cannot casually accept food from others.
Pei Xuanjing closed his eyes again to meditate, immersing himself in the realm of martial arts.
But, not long after, he heard the hurried approaching footsteps.
The faces of the young man and woman changed instantly. The young man quickly gulped down his food, did not even bother to wipe his hands, and straightened up his body, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
“Hurry, go hide.”
The girl’s face was anxious. She swiftly drew her sword and carefully hid behind a thick pillar, nervously watching the temple gate.
“Master?” Pang Hong whispered.
Pei Xuanjing opened his eyes, shook his head to Pang Hong, then closed his eyes again, seeming indifferent to the situation.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing as calm as a mountain, Pang Hong’s tension evaporated.
In his eyes, as long as Pei Xuanjing was not worried, he would not be worried either.
The young man looked at the calm master and disciple with surprise. However, hearing the footsteps coming closer, he had no time to say anything.
Clang!
The temple door was brutally pushed open, and a gust of hill wind poured in.
Five burly men walked in, each armed and steady, and with well-balanced bodies. From their looks, they were clearly accomplished martial arts masters.
“Big brother, there are people inside,” the leading man said to the last one.
The man walked to the front, glanced at the unmoved Pei Xuanjing and his disciple, and then at the slightly nervous young man. He understood.
“Folks, we’ve been caught in the night rain and wanted to shelter here. We ask for your understanding.”
Seeing Pei Xuanjing unmoved, the young man forced himself to say, “No problem, we are not the owners here, either. This place has long been deserted, it’s just that we arrived a little earlier.” He actually repeated Pei Xuanjing’s words earlier.
“Thank you.” The one referred to as the Big Brother thanked him and moved with the remaining three to occupy an empty space.
The girl also cautiously came out from behind the deity statue and snuggled up to her brother.
The silence in the main hall was broken only by the sound of the burning firewood and the pounding rain outside the temple.
The five big men gathered together, whispering something.
While talking, they kept glancing at the other five people in the temple.
Suddenly, the first man who had entered stood up and walked directly towards Pei Xuanjing and his disciple.
“Little brother, my brothers and I have been running all day. Could you spare some of your meat for us?” He asked Pang Hong.
“No, we only have this much left, my master hasn’t eaten yet.” Pang Hong refused his request. The big man looked at him, then turned his gaze to Pei Xuanjing, “How about you, brother?”
“No!” Pei Xuanjing didn’t even open his eyes and uttered two words.
“Huh!” The man, who was used to being domineering, was taken aback by Pei Xuanjing’s refusal. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react, his face turning angry.
As if feeling the hostility, Pei Xuanjing opened his eyes and just calmly looked at him.
The big man felt like he was being watched by a fierce beast. His body was tense and a chill rose from his back.
“Fourth brother, come back!” The man called “Big Brother” scolded. He stood up and saluted Pei Xuanjing, “My apologies, brother.”
After speaking, he pulled his brother away.
“Don’t provoke him. He’S powerful and unpredictable,” he whispered into his brother’s ear.
Pei Xuanjing watched the two men and did not say anything further, closing his eyes again.
Even though the situation had calmed down, the atmosphere inside the hall was even eerier.
Squeak!
The temple door was pushed open again, and a man and woman slowly walked in.
Pei Xuanjing’s face darkened, apparently the arrival of this pair was beyond his expectation because, with his perception, he should have been able to predict the arrival of anyone within the vicinity of the temple.
But now, he only noticed these two when they had almost reached the door.
Obviously, these two were far more powerful than he had expected.
The man looked about forty, dressed in white, elegant and indifferent. He seemed more like a scholar than a martial artist.
The woman appeared to be in her twenties, was dressed in a palace gown, wearing white embroidered shoes, giving off a pure air.
Take note, it was pouring outside, but these two walked in impeccably clean, as if unaffected by the rain.
Seeing the man and woman enter, the five burly men turned pale, clenching their weapons and looking at them vigilantly.
“Hand over the thing, and I may spare you.” The woman in the palace dress ignored the men’s vigilance and spoke casually..