CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 34 ZHENG ZHILAN

Zhou Li walked out of the observatory with a letter in hand.

The letter contained only about two hundred characters. The handwriting was sloppy, expressing the elder of the observatory’s greetings to Miss Zheng, whom he had not seen for a long time, and detailing Zhou Li’s task of borrowing books. At the end, the Temple master’s seal was stamped.

In this age, that someone still preserved such a form of communication made Zhou Li feel disoriented for a moment.

Quite fascinating.

Behind him, the elder of the observatory advised, "Don’t dally on the way. Hurry up; it’s going to rain. It’s best to come back before dark so you can spend the night in the observatory."

Zhou Li turned and expressed his thanks.

He took out his cell phone and looked up the village called Yin Yang Temple.

It was now nearly two o’clock in the afternoon.

The navigation showed twelve kilometers of mountain roads. It would take an ordinary person at least three hours to walk. However, he could move fast and even run, so if nothing unexpected happened, there would be ample time.

Zhou Li walked onto the path and glanced back.

The elder of the observatory sat back down under the eaves on a small bamboo stool. He looked up at the small temple, where the old demon was leisurely sitting atop, enjoying the breeze and also looking in his direction.

Zhou Li withdrew his gaze and continued on his way.

He advanced at a brisk pace, interspersing it with short sprints. An hour later, the air grew moist. Huai Xu was waiting for him on a roadside burial mound, his hand outstretched as if to catch something in the air.

"It’s raining."

"Yes, we’re not far off."

"I can sense a very frightening presence." Huai Xu rarely showed concern. "Ahead lies a Great Demon’s territory."

"Hmm?"

Zhou Li immediately halted and looked at Huai Xu.

Choosing his words carefully, Huai Xu said, "Its aura is terrifying, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s skilled in combat. It might simply have strong spiritual energy but not be good at fighting. I see that human Heavenly Master lives safely in its territory, so it’s probably easy to talk to."

Before Zhou Li could respond, a roar echoed.

The man and the demon both looked up to see a gigantic, winged creature weaving through the dark clouds.

It’s huge!

"GULP!"

Huai Xu was dumbstruck, and so was Zhou Li.

Then, the massive being dove into the clouds and disappeared from their sight.

Zhou Li looked at Huai Xu.

After a long thought, Huai Xu instructed seriously, "If things go south, pretend you don’t know me right away. That demon definitely won’t harm people; otherwise, it would’ve made the news by now. I’ll hide my aura for now. If I’m discovered, I’ll abandon you and run first. Otherwise, I’ll get thrashed, at the very least!"

Zhou Li nodded.

The rain began to fall quickly, but they saw no more of the Great Demon. The man and the demon walked along the path into a pine forest, a rare sight in Yan City.

"Who’s there!?"

A pinecone fell on Huai Xu’s head, causing him to clutch it and look up. "Who launched that sneak attack?!"

"CAW!"

A crow stood on a branch watching him, tilting its head.

Huai Xu almost killed it, but wary of the Great Demon, he swallowed his anger.

However, crows are highly intelligent birds with a penchant for mischief. Seeing Huai Xu angry but helpless, it cheerfully embarked on its journey of courting disaster, until Huai Xu snatched it. It struggled desperately in his hand.

If not for Zhou Li’s persuasion, it would probably have become Huai Xu’s dinner.

The terrified crow flapped its wings and flew away.

Emerging from the pine forest, they were confronted by a steep, high mountain. A small village lay on its side some distance away, with a path along the cliff edge leading to it.

The small village looked as though it housed twenty or thirty families, but a landslide had destroyed much of it. It was a harrowing sight from afar.

Zhou Li had good eyesight and could see sheep moving on the distant mountainside, as well as a yellow dog running along the path toward them.

People actually lived in such a place!

Moments later, the yellow dog stopped in front of them. It barked a few times, walked a few steps ahead, then turned back to look at them.

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

"Here to pick us up?" Huai Xu asked, bewildered.

"Seems like it."

Zhou Li followed the yellow dog, suddenly feeling as though he had stepped into a painting.

After passing through half the village, Zhou Li realized no one had lived here for a long time. The walls of the houses were covered in green moss, and the entrances and courtyards were overgrown with weeds and bushes. Eventually, they arrived before a somewhat solitary courtyard situated behind the village.

The old house’s cement courtyard had turned somewhat black.

The ducks’ quacking was noisy. Chickens in the adjacent fenced area huddled together to shelter from the rain, and a crow perched on the electric wires beside the house.

Seven or eight dogs sheltered under the eaves, watching Zhou Li and the yellow dog. Among the local mongrels were surprisingly some finer breeds and Rottweilers, suggesting the owner might not be as isolated from the world as one might think.

A fair-skinned, pretty young girl stood at the door waiting for them, accompanied by a terrifying humanoid demon.

In that moment, Zhou Li felt an indescribable emotion stir within him.

The girl appeared to be about Zhou Li’s age, or perhaps even younger. She only managed to glance at Huai Xu before her eyes fixed on Zhou Li.

"We have guests, I see."

"My apologies for intruding unannounced."

Zhou Li stepped forward. He then noticed her eyes were a cloudy blur. After a pause, he said, "I’ve come from Zhihong Guan. I was hoping to look at the books left by Master Chushan. The Temple master also gave me a letter to bring to you."

As he spoke, he took out the Temple master’s letter.

The young girl’s stare made him slightly uncomfortable.

After receiving the letter, she finally looked away. She didn’t look at the letter but instead said to Zhou Li, "It’s raining outside. Come in."

Her voice was clear and crisp.

Zhou Li sat down on a long bench inside the house and looked around.

The items in the house were somewhat old. This must be the main hall. There was no television, but there was an old landline telephone. Although the items were old-fashioned, they were tidy and clean—perhaps the work of that demon.

The humanoid demon silently came over, carrying two teacups and a pot of hot water, and poured some for Zhou Li and Huai Xu.

The young girl sat opposite him. "I only knew a guest had arrived because Xiao Hei told me," she said. "I didn’t expect such an extraordinary visitor."

"My name is Zhou Li. I came here specifically to find you."

"Mm, my name is Zheng Zhilan. The ’Lan’ in my name means ’blue,’ not the ’lan’ found in poetic descriptions of orchids and fragrant riverside grasses." As she spoke, she continued to look at Zhou Li. Her features were lovely, but her eyes lacked vivacity, giving her a cold, indifferent air. "You are the first person I’ve met... who is like me."

"Same here."

Zhou Li quickly lowered his head to take a sip of water, which was a bit hot. He searched for something to say. "Your eyes..."

"I can see, but not clearly."

"Can it be cured?"

"No."

"I see. Sorry..."

No wonder she had been staring at him all this time.

Zheng Zhilan pursed her lips. "I think I know why you’re here," she said. "It’s just that Daoist Master Chunfeng’s books are numerous and heavy, so they’re not easily carried away. Besides, the content is profound, and the text isn’t in simplified characters, so it’ll be hard for you to learn."

"So, what you mean is..."

"I’ll teach you."

"Hmm?"

"It’s simpler if I teach you."

"You..." She was much more direct than Zhou Li had imagined. This was certainly a good thing for him, but...

"But I can’t really stay here for long."

"Is that so?"

A hint of disappointment flickered across the young girl’s face. "Then let me help you understand the basics," she said. "It will only take a few days."

"I appreciate your offer, but wouldn’t it be an inconvenience for you?"

"Not at all. I’ll go prepare a room for you right away."

"This..."

Before he could respond, Zheng Zhilan got up and left, the demon following her.

She’s afraid I’ll run away, Zhou Li thought.

Huai Xu whispered in his ear, "That demon isn’t all that strong. I’m not sure how capable the young girl is, but conservatively, I could take on at least four or five of them. So don’t worry, I’ve got your back."

Zhou Li remained silent.