Chapter 290: My Uncle

"Old man, have you been to Wu Temple?"

"I have."

"What kind of place is Wu Temple exactly?"

"The place where the hearts of martial enthusiasts in the world turn toward the gods."

Liang Doger rolled his eyes. "That's like not saying anything at all!"

On the official road of Jingchao, the honest Liang Maor was driving the ox cart.

Zhu Yunxi sat cross-legged at the back of the cart, constantly using breathing techniques to nurture the Liang family's knife intent.

Liang Doger lay on the cart, his own left arm as a pillow, biting a dry straw in his mouth. His beard had grown long, and his messy hair covered his face!

Everyone was wearing gray cloth clothes. This was because in Jingchao, except for titled nobles, common people were only allowed to wear gray!

If you looked at the common people in a bustling market at a glance, you would feel as if this world was gray!

In this northern country, color was a kind of power, and power was more than just color!

They had walked fifteen days all the way north from Lüshun. It was impossible to change to a carriage that could shelter them from wind and rain. With their commoner identity, they could only drive an ox cart!

Liang Doger looked at the azure sky and continued to ask, "Old man, tell me more about Wu Temple, or about matters in Jingchao. Otherwise, what if we talk and reveal our flaws?"

Old Man Yao lifted an eyelid and glanced at him. "Keep your mouth shut and pretend to be mute!"

Liang Doger's expression froze. "We're not going to be three mutes in one cart, are we?"

Old Man Yao snorted. "You want to hear stories, but you're still lazy and don't even know how to say a kind word. Do I owe you something?"

Liang Doger quickly sat up fawningly and massaged Old Man Yao's legs. "It's hard to find someone who has been to Wu Temple. Please give us a lecture!"

Old Man Yao squinted at him. "According to legend, Wu Temple is located at Tianchi in Changbai Mountain, which is the birthplace of the world's Soldier Lord..."

Liang Doger's eyes widened. "These kinds of nonsensical mythological stories! I only heard storytellers lecture about them when I was a child. They're all fake!"

Rarely, Old Man Yao didn't mock Liang Doger. He just said calmly, "Maybe it's real!"

Liang Doger looked at Old Man Yao in surprise!

He had seen this old imperial physician make a move. His opponent's realm was only higher, not lower, than his own. At least he was a high official above the fifth heaven of the Seek Dao realm!

If his opponent said it was real, then it was indeed possible that it was real!

Liang Doger was suspicious. "Old man, you're not fooling me, are you? Aren't things like Fuxi performing the Eight Trigrams and Nüwa mending the sky all fake?"

Old Man Yao said indifferently, "If Nüwa hadn't mended the sky, where would the forty-nine heavens have come from?"

Liang Doger was shocked again. "Wait! Are you saying that the forty-nine heavens are related to Nüwa mending the sky?"

Old Man Yao didn't answer this question, but said to himself, "Legend has it that when chaos first began, the Soldier Lord was nurtured by Changbai Mountain. When he was born, the volcano erupted, accompanied by a million divine soldiers, creating the place of the Ten Directions Refining Hell! Later, the place where the volcano erupted accumulated over time and became a lake, which is Tianchi in Changbai Mountain!"

"Wu Temple was originally not a mysterious place either. Just a martial enthusiast named Jiang Xiansong suffered a love injury and happened to travel here. He obtained a short sword in Tianchi at Changbai Mountain. Later, he discovered that when he cultivated by Tianchi, he gained a lot of enlightenment, and it was even easier than usual to enter meditation!

Thus, he built a hut by the edge of Tianchi and lived there. He lived there for thirty-seven years and entered the Divine Path realm!"

Liang Doger was doubtful. "That's not right, that's not right. I've heard of Jiang Xiansong, but I heard that he obtained a cultivation method in Wu Temple, not a short sword!"

Old Man Yao pondered for two breaths. "Did Jiang Xiansong write you a letter?"

Liang Doger was speechless for a moment. "He's not going to write me a letter! He's a figure from several hundred years ago."

Old Man Yao snorted mockingly. "Isn't that the case? What I say is the standard. After Jiang Xiansong entered the Divine Path realm, many people came to admire his name and built huts by the edge of Tianchi to live. That's how Wu Temple came about!"

Liang Doger was doubtful. "But you still haven't said why the legend of the Soldier Lord is real. Which era was the Soldier Lord from? Why is he not mentioned in mythological stories?"

Old Man Yao said casually, "Someone carved big words with knife intent below Tianchi!"

Liang Doger became energetic. "What did they carve with knife intent?"

"The world was born with me, and all things are unique to me!"

Liang Doger savored these twelve words and after a long time said sourly, "Arrogant to no end. It's just a few words. If I go carve a few words, won't I also become a Soldier Lord?"

At this time, Liang Maor saw the outline of a town appearing on the official road ahead and turned his head to say, "Master, we've reached the foot of Changbai Mountain. The front should be Erdao White River Town!"

Erdao White River Town was the last place with people before entering Changbai Mountain. Countless martial artists from Jingchao who couldn't enter Wu Temple built huts and lived here!

Some people cultivated for several years and were lucky enough to enter Wu Temple!

Some people wasted their lives here, only being able to look up at the distant majestic snow-capped mountains from the foot of the mountain!

As soon as the ox cart drove into Erdao White River Town, Liang Doger was shocked to see dozens of armored soldiers in black armor and pheasant tail helmets hiding in the alleys. They were concentrated and alert, with short crossbows strapped to their left waists and their right hands pressing the handles of their waist knives!

Liang Doger parted the messy hair in front of his face. "Old man, they're not here to catch us, are they? Can you handle so many armored soldiers? Why don't we run!"

Old Man Yao snorted. "With you few burdens, where can I, an old man, run? They're not here to catch people, keep walking forward!"

Liang Maor braced himself and drove the ox cart into the town!

The closer they got to the armored soldiers, the more nervous he became. The palms of his hands gripping the reins were sweating!

However, when they brushed past the Jingchao armored soldiers, the opponents only glanced at them, watched them enter the town with icy eyes, and didn't make a move!

Inside Erdao White River Town, it was as silent as a grave!

When they passed a blacksmith shop, Old Man Yao saw that the furnace fire was still burning inside the shop, but the craftsman was hiding to the side, having stopped hammering!

Liang Doger looked at Old Man Yao and whispered, "Old man, you've seen a lot and know a lot. What's going on?"

Old Man Yao said expressionlessly, "These are the Jingchao Tiger Symbol Army. A big figure has come to Erdao White River Town. At least it's a positive second-rank high official from one of the three surnames of Jingchao!"

The three great surnames of Jingchao were Yuan, Lu, and Jiang!

Liang Doger asked, "Then what do we do?"

Old Man Yao said in a low voice, "Don't cause trouble, quietly pass through the town, and go straight up the mountain!"

When they passed through the middle of the town, they saw over a hundred armored soldiers guarding a tavern, looking menacingly alert!

Inside the tavern, a gray-robed middle-aged man sat alone in front of an Eight Immortals table. In front of him was only a simple clay bowl with only half a bowl of white rice inside!

No dishes!

The gray-robed middle-aged man solemnly picked a mouthful of white rice, then closed his eyes and slowly chewed!

When he reopened his eyes, he smiled at the shopkeeper. "Grab a handful of raw rice and bring it over!"

The shopkeeper hurriedly responded, grabbed a handful of white rice from the back kitchen, and was blocked by a young man!

The young man took the white rice from the shopkeeper's hand, turned back, and gave it to the gray-robed middle-aged man. "Adult!"

The middle-aged man looked at it for a long time. "Tokyo Road rice, plump grains. I hope this year's planting will have favorable weather and a peaceful year, and a good harvest in autumn. It would also be good to let fewer people starve on Xijing Road. Bring some corn and beans to look at!"

The shopkeeper again went to the back kitchen and brought out corn and beans. The middle-aged man looked at them with reluctance to part.

The sound of ox cart wheels rolling came from outside the door. He turned his head and looked outside, just seeing Liang Maor driving the cart past!

The middle-aged man originally didn't pay attention, but the young man beside him saw the people sitting on the cart and immediately bent over to whisper a few sentences!

The middle-aged man was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "Quickly invite them in. Tell them I want to invite them to eat a meal!"

The young man quickly went out of the tavern and politely cupped his fists in front of the ox cart. "Elder, my lord wants to invite you to rest in the room for a while. The stewed chicken with ginseng and hazelnut mushrooms at this tavern is a specialty, and the plaque at the door was personally written by the first emperor before entering the mountain for the shopkeeper... You can taste a bit and then continue your journey!"

Liang Doger said hoarsely, "No need, we still plan to before sunset..."

But Old Man Yao smiled and interrupted him, saying to the young man, "Meeting is fate. Since the host is so polite, we'll eat a meal and then enter the mountain!"

After saying that, he boldly jumped down from the ox cart and walked straight into the tavern, sitting opposite the middle-aged man!

The middle-aged man waved his hand at the shopkeeper. "Go, make a table of signature dishes!"

The shopkeeper hurriedly retreated!

At this time, Liang Doger and the others didn't sit down, but just stood behind Old Man Yao!

They pretended to be Old Man Yao's son and grandson, and there was no reason for them to sit!

The middle-aged man glanced at them and signaled the young man behind him to pour tea!

He looked at Old Man Yao and asked with a smile, "Elder, where do you come from?"

Old Man Yao answered casually, "Ning Dynasty!"

Liang Doger and Zhu Yunxi instantly widened their eyes and looked at the old man incredulously!

They thought the old man was an old Jianghu and would definitely be able to muddle through. As a result, he revealed his background as soon as he opened his mouth?

Admitting their Ning Dynasty identity in front of a Jingchao high official, wasn't this seeking death?

Liang Doger subconsciously wanted to grasp his knife, but then he remembered that he no longer had his right arm and his governor meridian was also broken, so he couldn't use a knife!

At this time, the middle-aged man heard that they had come from the Ning Dynasty, but his smile didn't change. "It's not close from the Ning Dynasty. How did you come?"

Old Man Yao answered, "Boarded a ship in Qidong and drifted on the sea for a while, and got off in Lüshun!"

The middle-aged man praised, "I assume you took a merchant ship of the Xu family. Were there spices on the ship?"

Old Man Yao said, "There were spices and silk!"

The middle-aged man calculated the days and said apologetically, "When you got off the ship in Lüshun, there should have been a military disaster. It didn't disturb you, did it?"

Old Man Yao drew out a pair of chopsticks from the chopsticks tube and said carelessly, "No harm, at my age, I've seen big winds and waves! Instead, you, at the eye of the wind and the tip of the wave, how did you come to this remote mountain?"

The middle-aged man smiled, avoiding this question, and raised his head to look at the three people behind Old Man Yao. "These are... disciples you've taken?"

Old Man Yao said disdainfully, "No, my disciples are much stronger than them!"

Liang Doger raised his eyebrows, looked around at the standing armored soldiers, and swallowed down the retort words in his mouth!

The middle-aged man sat opposite the Eight Immortals table and slowly asked, "You seem to treasure that disciple of yours quite a bit."

Old Man Yao raised his head and stared straight at the middle-aged man opposite. "He is a wild boy, his birth mother doesn't love him, his uncle doesn't care for him. I, an old man, naturally want to treasure him more!"

The middle-aged man sighed, "Perhaps his mother and uncle have their own hardships."

Old Man Yao asked curiously, "What hardships? Are they dead?"

The gray-robed middle-aged man was startled and waved his hand, signaling everyone to retreat, leaving only four confidants!

After everyone in the tavern had left, he laughed heartily. "I heard early on that you are harsh by nature and have the ability to anger people to death and save people to life. Today I finally experienced it."

Liang Doger's face changed. Although the opponent didn't mention a name or surname, the four words "harsh by nature" were no different from pointing out his name!

The opponent actually recognized Imperial Physician Yao's identity from the beginning. When did he recognize him, and how did he recognize him?

As he was thinking, the shopkeeper brought out the dishes and arranged them on the table one by one!

Old Man Yao picked up a piece of hazelnut mushroom and put it in his mouth, saying casually, "Lu Jin, Master Lu has just been restored, he should be in charge of world power, drunk on the knees of beauties. Why does he have the leisure to come to Changbai Mountain to appreciate the snow?"

Lu Jin! Chen Ji's uncle!

More than ten days ago, he just seized power through a military mutiny and became the new Privy Envoy of the Jingchao Privy Council!

From now on, above him were only Zhongshu Pingzhang and the emperor, these two people!

And the young man behind Lu Jin was strikingly Wu Hongbiao, whom Chen Ji had once saved and risked his life to send away!

Old Man Yao used his chopsticks to point at the food on the table. "Why aren't you eating? Are you a big figure afraid of someone poisoning you?"

Lu Jin looked at the dishes on the table and didn't move his chopsticks, just slowly explained, "Sixteen days ago, my dynasty's Tiance Army was defeated at Guyuan, and the great commander Yuan Zhen is missing. Xijing Road also has a locust plague, and disaster victims are starving everywhere! In such a difficult situation, how can Lu have the mind to enjoy himself? So I have been eating only one meal a day recently, and only wild vegetables, sharing the hardships with the refugees on Xijing Road!"

Old Man Yao praised, "Master Lu should change into inner class costumes and go sing opera!"

Instantly, except for Wu Hongbiao, the other three confidants behind Lu Jin drew their knives, but didn't speak!

Old Man Yao smiled and took another mouthful of hazelnut mushroom. "But if this opera can be sung for a lifetime, making people unable to distinguish between inside and outside the play, that's not bad either!"

Lu Jin raised his hand to signal the Tiger Symbol Army to sheathe their knives. "Don't be rude! The Elder is venting his anger on behalf of others, no harm. Say all the anger out, and your heart will also be calm!"

He saw that Old Man Yao's face didn't change and asked again, "Why didn't you bring your disciple to Jingchao?"

Old Man Yao snorted. "He said his uncle wouldn't let him come to Jingchao! He also said that staying in the Ning Dynasty might still help his uncle busy later!"

Lu Jin sighed lightly. "It's hard for him!"

A confidant glanced at the sky, bent over, and whispered a few sentences in Lu Jin's ear!

After saying that, Lu Jin stood up and cupped his hands in greeting to Old Man Yao. "Thank you very much, Imperial Physician Yao, for your care. I, Lu, thank you here! You are his master, and now you are involved in the matter of Jing Wangfu and have come to Jingchao. Why don't you return to Liaoyangfu with me tomorrow to avoid the arduous journey! After some time, when the situation is stable, I will send people to receive him and have him live with you in Liaoyangfu!"

Old Man Yao said coldly, "I won't go. When you receive him and bring him to Jingchao, then send people to Wu Temple to find me!"

Lu Jin didn't force him. "I, Lu, still need to go up the mountain today, so I won't delay here. When you want to come to Liaoyangfu, I, Lu, welcome you anytime!"

He turned around and walked outside. The armored soldiers scattered in every corner of Erdao White River Town followed him, the sound of dense armor rubbing together, with the momentum of a dragon!