MM Racing Chapter 35 Going down the mountain
Chapter 35 Going down the mountain
The next day, it was dawn.
At the foot of Sanyimen Mountain, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.
Zuo Ruotong, dressed in white, walked at the front, her pace neither fast nor slow, her Taoist robe fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze.
Li Cunzhen and Li Muxuan followed behind him, each carrying a small bundle on their backs.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, Li Muxuan suddenly spoke.
"Master, I was so happy yesterday that I forgot to ask."
He quickened his pace to walk alongside Zuo Ruotong: "Isn't there still a month until the birthday banquet? Fujian isn't far from Jiangnan, and there are trains now; it only takes a few days to get there. Why did you set off so early this morning?"
Zuo Ruotong kept walking without turning her head.
"We don't take the train, nor do we use any tricks; we just walk there."
Li Muxuan paused, almost falling over.
"Walk there?" His eyes widened.
"How many days will that take?"
"One month." Zuo Ruotong said calmly.
"We've just arrived in Jiangnan."
Li Muxuan opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.
He turned to look behind him; the mountain gate of Sanyi Gate had already disappeared into the morning mist. Looking ahead, the mountain road wound and twisted, with no end in sight.
"Why?"
Zuo Ruotong finally turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with a hint of testing: "You two have been cultivating in seclusion on the mountain for eight years. Do you intend to continue cultivating in seclusion forever? You are almost adults now, it's time for you to experience some trials."
Li Muxuan paused for a moment, then nodded.
That makes sense.
Having been cooped up in the mountains for eight years, I've long wanted to get out and explore. Now, traveling all the way to Jiangnan, seeing the mountains, the water, and the people, isn't this exactly what I've been looking for?
"Okay then."
After thinking it through, Li Muxuan chuckled and said, "If we're going to walk, then we'll walk. We can enjoy the scenery along the way."
Li Cunzhen walked at the back, looking at Li Muxuan's silly and simple-minded appearance, and shook his head speechlessly.
After that incident, they hadn't gone far.
Li Muxuan moved closer to Zuo Ruotong.
"Master, you told us about the four great families yesterday. What other sects are there in the world of extraordinary people? Could you tell us about them too?" He rubbed his hands together. "So that when we get to Jiangnan, we won't be clueless and others will think our Sanyi Sect is ignorant."
Zuo Ruotong smiled helplessly.
This Li Muxuan, he's been a disciple for eight years, and he still talks so incoherently. He clearly wants to hear something, but he insists on bringing up the reputation of the Sanyi Sect.
However, talking along the way is a good way to pass the time.
"Alright."
Zuo Ruotong nodded and slowed her pace:
"Let me tell you something."
Li Cunzhen also perked up his ears.
Although he had read the original work and knew a lot about the sects, what Zuo Ruotong told him personally was definitely much more than what was shown in the few panels of the comic.
"Among the extraordinary forces in the world, although my fellow Daoist Zhang Jingqing and I are both known as the leaders of the righteous path, in terms of history and the overall power, the Celestial Master's Mansion has indeed been ahead of my Sanyi Sect most of the time."
Zuo Ruotong spoke in a calm tone, simply stating a fact.
"That's normal. Not to mention the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, even the Golden Light Mantra, which is the introductory technique, has great potential."
"It is a righteous path that leads to heaven."
"In addition, his family has produced a constant stream of outstanding disciples, so most of the time, the Celestial Master of that generation was the number one person in the world. So although it was not explicitly stated, everyone assumed that the Celestial Master's Mansion was the number one sect in the world."
Li Muxuan listened attentively without interrupting.
"Go down one level, and there's more."
Zuo Ruotong continued:
"The major esoteric sects such as Sanyimen, Quanzhen, Qingcheng, Wudang, and Maoshan, plus the Four Great Families, Shaolin, and the shamanic sects. Although there are some differences among them, they are generally considered to be in the same category."
He paused, then said:
"Further down, there are the Tang Clan, the Huode Sect, and the Yanwu Hall, all of which are powerful factions that occupy their own territories."
Upon hearing the name Tang Clan, Li Cunzhen immediately felt a surge of respect.
"Besides these, there are also small but elite sects like the Three Demon Sect and the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect."
Zuo Ruotong glanced at Li Muxuan:
"You may seem unremarkable, but a master like you appears every now and then, whose strength is comparable to that of the leaders of the major sects outside."
Li Muxuan listened with great interest, his eyes darting around: "What kinds of methods do these sects use?"
"You still ask? Don't you know that you can't bite off more than you can chew?"
Zuo Ruotong shook her head, but continued speaking anyway:
"The Five Thunder Orthodox Method is divided into five Qi, corresponding to the five internal organs. The Golden Light Mantra is a protective method. With the golden light protecting the body, all magic cannot invade."
"The Quanzhen School mainly cultivates internal alchemy, which is somewhat similar to the reverse life cultivation of our Sanyi School, but the methods are different. They emphasize the cultivation of sexual energy more than we do, while we focus more on the cultivation of life force."
"Qingcheng has its Qingcheng scriptures, Wudang has its Wudang swordsmanship and Tai Chi, Maoshan has its talismans and spirit summoning..."
Zuo Ruotong rarely had the mood to talk, so he talked as he walked, from the origins of the founders of various schools to their representative techniques, and from masters of all ages to contemporary talents.
Li Muxuan's eyes lit up as he listened, and he would occasionally interject with a few questions, while Li Cunzhen silently kept them in mind.
Before we knew it, the sun was setting in the west.
The three of them walked along the official road for a whole day, and at a fast pace, they had already covered dozens of miles.
People gradually appeared along the roadside, and a small town came into view. A signboard stood next to a small building at the town entrance.
The character "客" (guest) is written on it.
This is an inn.
Zuo Ruotong glanced at the sky and stopped walking.
"I'll spend the night here."
The Li brothers nodded and entered the inn.
Zuo Ruotong followed behind, observing silently.
The inn wasn't big, but the facade was clean and tidy.
Behind the counter stood a middle-aged shopkeeper, dressed in a gray cloth long gown, holding an abacus. When he saw the Li brothers enter, he quickly put it down and greeted them with a smile.
"Gentlemen, would you like to have a meal or stay the night?"
Li Muxuan pointed to Zuo Ruotong behind him:
"The three of you, please check into the inn."
The shopkeeper bowed and counted on his fingers:
"Our inn has three types of rooms: upper, middle, and lower. Which type would you three prefer? How many rooms would you like?"
Li Muxuan thought to himself that since he had finally come down the mountain, he should stay in a better place. Besides, he had enough money on him, so there was no need to make himself suffer.
Thinking it over, he took out some silver from his pocket and slapped it on the counter: "Two superior rooms, please!"
The shopkeeper took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and his smile widened. He immediately shouted upstairs:
"Two superior guest rooms—"
"Three guests—please come in—"
Li Cunzhen stood to the side watching, and couldn't help but lean close to Zuo Ruotong's ear and whisper:
"Master, should I go and remind him?"
The world is in chaos now.
When traveling, remember not to flaunt your wealth.
Zuo Ruotong waved her hand, her voice calm:
"It's alright, let him go."
At this moment, Li Muxuan turned around and called out:
"Master, brother, we're going upstairs."
The three of them started walking towards the stairs.
It immediately attracted a lot of attention.
This is normal, after all, their attire and demeanor are completely different from ordinary passersby. The guests eating in the inn's lobby all turned their heads to look at them. Some whispered to each other, some stared at them, and some even recognized the robes of the Sanyi Sect.
Li Cunzhen remained calm and followed behind.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the door and were about to push it open.
A furious roar suddenly came from the entrance of the inn.
"Run! I'll let you run!"
"You think you can just run away after taking my money? No way!"