I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 516 Seeking Relief at Qingyang Palace

at dusk.

After taking the medicine, the little sparrow's fever subsided, and the two elderly people's condition also improved.

Seeing this, Old Meng, along with Crippled Kong and Liu the Reed Pole, found Zhou Cheng'an. In front of everyone, the three of them knelt down before Zhou Cheng'an.

“Young Master Zhou, on behalf of the elders of the village and Little Sparrow, I thank you for saving our lives.”

"There's no need for that, you may rise."

Upon hearing this, Kong the Cripple and Liu the Reed Pole were about to stand up, but Old Meng grabbed them and stopped them.

"Is there something else?"

Old Meng nodded, paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

“I know that you must be a very important person, Mr. Zhou, and you will have to leave sooner or later.”

A high-ranking person?
He's just a prince of a fallen kingdom, what kind of important person is he?

Zhou Chengan smiled but didn't say anything, gesturing for Old Meng to continue.

"As you can see, we live a very hard life. It's alright for adults, but it's really hard for children."

"If you are leaving, could you please take Little Sparrow and Little Hawthorn with you, so that these two children can have a way to survive?"

“Children from poor families are easy to raise; just give them food. I only beg you not to let the two children become slaves. When we came up the mountain, we still had the pride of men who valued their knees above gold. We can’t let ourselves go back to our old ways.”

“I, Old Meng, have never been very capable in my life. I only kneel to heaven, earth, and my parents. This is the first time I’ve ever knelt to a stranger. Young Master Zhou, you have saved our village twice. You are like our second parents. It is not shameful for me to kowtow to you.”

"I only beg you to have some compassion and take the two children with you when you leave."

Zhou Chengan remained silent, because he never expected that Old Meng, who was usually so taciturn, would be so talkative.

To the others, this was interpreted as him refusing to agree, so Liu Luwei, who was kneeling on the ground, hurriedly said, "Young Master Zhou, Little Sparrow has a hard life. If she follows us, there will be no tomorrow. You have a kind heart, please, take the two children with you."

Of all the people present, the one who most agreed with Old Meng's proposal and most hoped that Zhou Cheng'an would agree was undoubtedly Liu Luweiganzi. After all, as a father, who wouldn't want their children to have a better life?

Following Zhou Cheng'an, putting everything else aside, the fact that they would never have to worry about food and clothing was something they could only dream of.

"You guys get up first."

Zhou Chengan spoke up, stopping Liu Luwei from kowtowing, and said with a smile, "Perfect timing, I also have something to say to you."

When Old Meng saw that he had spoken, he readily stood up.

He's timid and lacks great skills, but he's quick-witted and perceptive.

Having lived most of his life, he had met quite a few people, including the so-called gods and immortals of Qingyang Palace.

But no one possessed the calm and composed demeanor of this young master Zhou. The moment he sat there, he seemed like a true immortal or Buddha, inspiring genuine respect from the bottom of one's heart.

"Young Master Zhou, please speak, we are listening."

Seeing Old Meng and the other two standing in a row, waiting for his orders, Zhou Cheng'an couldn't help but smile.

"You don't need to be so formal, I don't eat people."

“I’ve known you for a while now, and I know what kind of people you are.”

"As for who I am, I think you can probably guess a thing or two."

"Aside from your identity as a Taoist priest of the Nine Pecks of Rice sect, you will naturally learn about the rest in the future."

"I just want to ask you all what your plans are for the future."

"Are you really planning to spend your whole life as a bandit on this mountain, barely scraping by?"

Zhou Cheng'an's question stumped Old Meng and his group.

These people have been bandits in the mountains for nearly twenty years. Although they are not living a good life, they have never thought about leaving Qingcheng Mountain.

Life in the mountains is indeed tough, but compared to the world down below, it's still quite comfortable.

Old Meng thought Zhou Cheng'an wanted to take them all down the mountain. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Young Master Zhou, we old bones can't walk anymore, and we don't want to leave."

We've lived in the mountains for twenty years, and now this is our home. We really can't bear to leave.

I'm not afraid of being laughed at by you, Mr. Zhou, but we've actually already found good burial sites and are just waiting for the day we die.

"If you're leaving, just take Little Hawthorn and Little Sparrow with you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng'an shook his head and smiled, "Who said I was going down the mountain?"

Everyone present was stunned by these words.

"Aren't you going down the mountain?"

Old Meng looked puzzled.

"I'll definitely be going down the mountain, but I certainly won't be leaving anytime soon. Such a good place for cultivation is hard to find." Zhou Cheng'an laughed. "I'm asking you what your plans are now because I want to know if you intend to be bandits for the rest of your lives?"

"On this mountain, without grass, there's no way to survive," Kong the Cripple couldn't help but sigh.

Liu Luwei nodded in agreement and chimed in, "Yes, we're not very capable. We even have trouble catching pheasants and rabbits. If we don't go out to farm, it'll be even harder for us to survive."

Old Meng had already picked up on Zhou Cheng'an's tone and tentatively asked, "Young Master Zhou, do you have any plans for us?"

"I do have some ideas."

Zhou Cheng'an laughed and said, "Isn't there a Qingyang Palace on this mountain? I heard that those bastards from Qingyang Palace come to collect money from you every now and then?"

When Old Meng heard Zhou Cheng'an refer to the gods and immortals in Qingyang Palace as "bastards," his heart skipped a beat, and he became even more certain that Zhou Cheng'an was some extraordinary figure.

Otherwise, how could an ordinary person dare to address the immortals in Qingyang Palace like that?

Even so, he lowered his voice and said, "Young Master Zhou, you wouldn't dare to curse the immortals in Qingyang Palace."

This was Old Meng's subconscious reaction. He only realized it after he finished speaking. Zhou Cheng'an was a Taoist priest of the Nine Pecks of Rice sect, and he already had a grudge against the Taoist priests of Qingyang Palace. It was normal for him to curse a few words.

So he quickly apologized, saying, "Young Master Zhou, I misspoke."

"It's alright. You're living under their thumb, so it's understandable that you'd be cautious in your words and actions."

Old Meng breathed a sigh of relief and said honestly, "Young Master Zhou, actually, the Taoists in Qingyang Palace don't come here every few days. They rarely come here on weekdays. We only run into them when we go out to find food."

If you encounter this, you have to make offerings.

Otherwise, even if they beat us to death, no one can do anything about it.

Zhou Cheng'an nodded slightly and said calmly, "This winter is tough. I'm planning to go to Qingyang Palace to seek some relief and ask those so-called immortals you mentioned for some help. What do you think?"

"what?!"

"This won't do!"

Almost everyone present gaped open at the same time; they simply couldn't believe such a thought.

It's already a miracle that the immortals of Qingyang Palace don't come to collect money from them, let alone approach them for help.

That's like trying to light a lantern in the toilet—it's suicidal!
“Young Master Zhou, those gods in Qingyang Palace don’t care about the lives of ordinary people. I know you are capable, but King Qingcheng is no pushover.” Old Meng said cautiously, “The little gods under him are all more wicked than the last. You are alone, and it’s definitely not going to work in Qingyang Palace.”

"How do you know it won't work if you don't try?" Zhou Cheng'an smiled faintly, glanced at the sky, and said to himself, "Well, it's getting late today, let's do it tomorrow."

"I'm going to Qingyang Palace early tomorrow morning. If any of you want to see the immortals, you can come with me."

"Alright, everyone go back to your rooms and rest."

The people present looked at each other in surprise, not expecting that Old Meng's persuasion would result in this outcome.

But since Zhou Chengan had made his decision, there was nothing they could say.

Old Meng didn't try to persuade them any further and led everyone out.

……

Early the next morning.

The snowflakes continued to fall, turning the world into a vast expanse of white. The heavy snow that had been falling for seven or eight days showed no sign of letting up.

As soon as Zhou Chengan stepped out of the room, he saw Old Mengtou, Crippled Kong, Liu Luweiganzi, and Little Hawthorn waiting at the door.

"You're up early enough. What's up? Are you coming with me to Qingyang Palace to see the immortals?"

Old Meng crossed his hands and put them in his sleeves, shivering and breathing out warm air.

Upon seeing Zhou Chengan come out, he quickly bowed and said:
"Young Master Zhou, would you like to reconsider?"

"Those Taoist priests from Qingyang Palace are really not to be trifled with."

Liu Luwei followed closely behind, echoing, "Yes, Young Master Zhou, they outnumber you and you're all alone. Don't get hurt!"

“Those people are ruthless, Young Master Zhou. It’s not worth it for you to do this for us,” Kong the Cripple added, trying to persuade him.

Zhou Chengan ignored them, stretched, and looked down at the silent little hawthorn.
"Don't you say something?"

"Brother Zhou, I believe you."

"Then do you dare to go to Qingyang Palace with Brother Zhou?"

Deeply ingrained beliefs made Xiao Shanzha somewhat afraid of Qingyang Palace, but she still took a step forward and puffed out her chest: "With Brother Zhou here, I dare to go anywhere."

Zhou Chengan smiled upon hearing this: "Then what are you waiting for? Lead the way."

Little Hawthorn paused for a moment before laughing and saying, "Oh... okay, Brother Zhou, come with me."

The two, one big and one small, left the Taoist temple and crunched through the snow as they made their way to Qingyang Palace.

Old Meng, Crippled Kong, and Liu the Reed Stick, standing at the entrance of the Taoist temple, watched the two men's retreating figures, speechless for a moment.

Only after the two figures completely disappeared into the wind and snow did Old Meng sigh: "Alas... I hope Young Master Zhou can bring Little Hawthorn back safely."

"Old Meng, what's the background of Young Master Zhou? How come he's so powerful that he dares to go to Qingyang Palace to ask those immortals for help?" Liu Luwei asked with a curious look.

"May I ask if the immortal lord needs relief? He must be an immortal himself, only he is an immortal lord of the Nine Pecks of Rice sect," said Kong the Cripple.

Upon hearing this, Old Meng nodded in deep agreement: "You know what, I think Young Master Zhou is even more like a god than a god himself."

the other side.

The two, one big and one small, weren't going up the mountain, but were going down.

Because Qingyang Palace is not located on the mountain where Fumo Temple is located, but on the nearby Qingyang Peak.

Qingyang Peak is steep and precipitous, resembling a sword pointing straight to the sky.

Zhou Chengan led Xiao Shanzha on a fast ride along the snow-covered mountain path. At first, Xiao Shanzha was able to keep up, but by the time they reached the halfway point of Qingyang Peak, she was already exhausted.

As the saying goes, "Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death," and there is still a long way to go to reach Qingyang Palace at the top of the mountain. If Xiaoshanzha were to walk on his own, he might not even make it to the top by nightfall.

Zhou Cheng'an naturally wouldn't make things difficult for the child. He picked up Xiao Shanzha and strode towards Qingyang Palace at the top of the mountain. He had let Xiao Shanzha run on her own earlier only to train her endurance and stamina.

The scenery along the way is picturesque, with ancient trees reaching for the sky, deep ravines and secluded valleys, and monkeys leaping among the cliff carvings, making it anything but boring.

Although Zhou Chengan was hiking up the mountain, he was not slow. Before long, Xiao Shanzha raised his hand and said, "Brother Zhou, just a little further up is the Zhuhe Pavilion."

I heard that it takes several hours to walk from the top of the mountain to the Zhuhe Pavilion, and an hour to ride a horse. But Brother Zhou, you walk faster than a horse, so it shouldn't take you more than an hour.

I've been here a few times with Old Meng before, but we only dared to get to the edge of the pavilion. The goddesses on that mountain aren't very good-tempered; if you get too close, they'll scold you.

Zhou Cheng'an knew that there were many female Taoist priests on Qingyang Peak, and he had also heard that Wu Lingsu was able to be appointed as the King of Qingcheng by Emperor Liyang because she had a superior bedroom technique that pleased Emperor Liyang.

In the time it took Xiao Shanzha to speak, they had already arrived at the Zhuhe Pavilion.

The Zhuhe Pavilion, as its name suggests, is a place where cranes reside.

However, Zhou Cheng'an and Xiao Shanzha didn't see a single crane, let alone a single feather. Instead, they were surrounded by six or seven female Taoist priests who were looking after a handsome young man.

The young nobleman was dressed in a Taoist robe, with a carefree turban on his head decorated with cloud patterns. He was reclining on a long bench in the pavilion, holding a fragrant peach wood sword in his hand. He was waiting for the female Taoist priests to feed him peeled chestnuts, looking quite dissolute.

In addition, the female Taoist nuns were all beautiful and charming, which made the young Taoist priests seem even more unrestrained and dissolute.

When Zhou Chengan and Xiao Shanzha arrived at the pavilion, the young Taoist priest initially ignored them, but upon seeing that the two were about to continue climbing, he immediately became restless.

He gently pushed the female Taoist priest aside, sat up, and hung the peach wood sword in his hand at his waist. At this time, Zhou Chengan and Xiao Shanzha had already passed the Zhuhe Pavilion, leaving only their backs.

Seeing that Xiao Shanzha was dressed in rags, he could tell at a glance that he was a bandit from Qingcheng Mountain.

The young Taoist priest frowned immediately, pointed to the female Taoist priest beside him, and ordered, "Go, stop those two scoundrels."

Upon hearing the commotion, the two female Taoist priests came out and shouted at Zhou Chengan and Xiao Shanzha on the mountain path: "Hey, you two blind thieves, why don't you get down here right now? If you dare to go any further, I'll chop off your hooves."

Zhou Cheng ignored him and continued upwards, only slowing his pace considerably.

The little hawthorn, whom he was carrying, looked back and whispered, "Brother Zhou, they seem to be with us."

"I know."

Zhou Chengan smiled faintly, but did not stop walking.

Seeing that the other party dared to ignore them, the two female Taoist priests immediately took flight and caught up with Zhou Chengan and Xiao Shanzha in a few leaps, blocking their way.

One of the Taoist nuns glared at Zhou Cheng'an with a cold and angry expression, and said, "What a scoundrel! How dare you trespass into Qingyang Palace? Have you eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard?!"

As for the other Taoist nun, she drew her sword directly and pointed it at Zhou Cheng'an.

"You scoundrel! Did you hear me when I told you to stop?!"

"Since it's deaf, then don't keep it!"

As he spoke, he swung his sword at Zhou Cheng'an, clearly intending to cut off one of Zhou Cheng'an's ears.

Instead of getting angry, Zhou Cheng'an laughed as he watched the female Taoist's sword about to slice off his ear.

Then, he moved.

He shifted his body to the side and then raised his hand to deliver two punches.

The two female Taoist priests were instantly blasted into the sky. When they fell back down, one was half dead and the other was completely lifeless.

As Zhou Chengan made his move, he continued walking uphill with the small hawthorn berries in his hand.

(End of this chapter)