Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 143 Chance Encounter

Chapter 143 Chance Encounter
"You've already arrived at Nanshan Temple?"

The Yanran Mountains are rich in spiritual energy.

Besides the Dongyuan Sect, one of the six major sects, there are also the Ziyang Sect and the Xuanmiao Sect, as well as a bunch of small mountain sects and Taoist temples that I can't even name.

Nanshan Temple is one of the temples that local monks remember well.

It serves as a landmark; seeing it tells cultivators exploring the mountains that if they go further south from here, they will be leaving the Yanran Mountains.

Small Taoist temples like these are not much different from independent groups of practitioners.

There are usually only a dozen or twenty people in the temple, and at most no more than a hundred.

The abbot's cultivation level ranges from the late stage of Qi Refining to the Foundation Establishment stage.

The Nanshan Temple has declined generation after generation, and in this generation, it seems that only a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refining stage remains as the abbot.

The abbot's surname seems to be Lu, and his name is Lu Yuan...

When Song Yan was still in the outer sect, he took on many sect missions.

Some of these requests came from smaller sects and Taoist temples in the surrounding area who, due to a shortage of cultivators, sought help from the Dongyuan Sect.

For example, collecting the pelts of low-level demonic beasts, the spiritual herbs for refining low-level pills, and even helping to find lost disciples—these are all trivial tasks.

During a mission handover, Song Yan met this Abbot Lu.

He was approachable and kind-hearted, treating the disciples in the temple almost like his own children.

They even served Song Yan, an outer disciple whom no one in the sect paid any attention to, a cup of spiritual tea.

Therefore, I have a very deep impression of him.

Cultivators from major sects naturally have the advantage of having powerful backers, making many things more convenient for them.

However, this small Taoist temple is different. With a dozen or so cultivators sticking together for warmth, it is perfectly normal for them to be short of various spiritual resources.

The world of cultivation is turbulent; without resources, all things in the world are filled with sorrow.

"We've gone too far..."

Song Yan turned around and walked northeast.

The warm spring sun cast dappled light through the woods. We hadn't walked far when we passed through a thicket of trees.

Suddenly, amidst the gurgling sound of the stream, a faint gasp could be heard.

Follow the sound.

A tree-lined path, a clear stream flowing over the rocks.

The girl sat curled up on a blue stone by the stream, her robe and skirt rolled up to her knees, revealing a section of her pale and thin calves.

At that moment, she was biting a strip of cloth and scooping up a handful of stream water to wipe the wounds on her ankles and calves.

Water droplets mixed with streaks of blood spread a pale red hue across the stream.

His fair face was dotted with freckles.

The man's clothes were tattered, but Song Yan recognized him.

"Ju Lu Yi?"

Of course, he still remembered the strange girl who got lost in the mountains and wasted half a year trying to sew a Taoist robe for him.

For some reason, Song Yan's voice startled her so much that she trembled violently, and the strip of cloth fell into the stream and was swept away in the blink of an eye.

She hurriedly lowered her skirt to cover the wound on her leg and tried to stand up.

"hiss--"

But because he moved too quickly, he aggravated his injury and gasped again.

However, the girl did not linger and quickly stepped off the bluestone.

"Senior Song... Senior Song."

She originally intended to address Song Yan as "fellow Daoist," but seeing that he was dressed in Daoist robes, she realized he was already an inner disciple, so she changed her address.

Originally, Song Yan subconsciously wanted to use some of his spiritual power to heal her injuries, as that would be the fastest way.

But thinking about it, it would be somewhat inappropriate for a woman to need to lift her skirt.

He took out a bottle of ordinary healing pills from his storage bag and tossed it to the other person: "Ordinary healing pills, worthless."

Although he hadn't had much contact with the girl, he had some understanding of her temperament.

"Thank you... thank you very much, Senior Song."

Song Yan nodded: "What... are you doing here?"

"Lost again?"

"no."

The girl lowered her head, mistakenly thinking that Song Yan was mocking her "great achievement" of sewing a Taoist robe in the previous six months.

"I came here to deliver a custom-made Taoist robe."

She slightly raised her face, her eyes filled with stubbornness.

Whether out of shame or anger, her originally fair face was now flushed.

The freckles have turned crimson.

"Sending a Taoist robe?"

Song Yan was taken aback, wondering if someone really wanted her to make a Taoist robe.

"Yes, Abbot Lu of Nanshan Temple contacted us, wanting to sew a batch of new Taoist robes for the disciples..."

"But he doesn't have that many spirit stones."

"So I took the job at a low price."

"Senior Lu paid the spirit stones and left. It seems he was going to find some spiritual items for his disciples to cultivate."

As she said this, a hint of envy flickered in Ju Luyi's eyes, but she hid it very well.

"Let me make the Taoist robe and send it to the temple." The girl paused here and didn't continue.

"..."

Song Yan looked at her calmly, without saying a word.

If everything went smoothly, how could he have gotten injured? There must be some hidden story behind it.

However, he is not the kind of person who likes to meddle in other people's private affairs.

"Do you need me to escort you back to your clan?"

"No, thank you for your help."

The girl bowed, her steps unsteady, and tried to sit back down by the stream.

"I need to go up the mountain again when it gets dark."

"Up the mountain?" Song Yan looked suspicious. "What mountain..."

"Tainan Mountain."

Tainan Mountain is the mountain where Nanshan Temple is located.

Do we have to go up the mountain again?

Now he was really interested. Why wait until dark to go up the mountain?

Song Yan keenly sensed something unusual. He raised his head slightly and glanced in the direction of Nanshan Temple.

"Tell me."

Upon hearing this, Ju Luyi raised her head and looked at him.

What met his eyes was a pair of clear, bright eyes.

"What happened at Nanshan Temple?"

Song Yan had a handsome face and a gentle tone, but the young girl felt an air of unquestionable authority.

The words that had been hidden in his heart were slowly spoken.

"Nanshan Temple... has been targeted for revenge."

The girl made a surprising statement.

"When I arrived at the temple, all the male disciples had been killed, and only a few female disciples were still alive."

"I...I was spotted by those three people and stumbled down the mountain."

"..."

Song Yan remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was astonished.

He couldn't help but ask, "Where is Abbot Lu?"

"Listen to the conversation between those three..."

"It seems that Abbot Lu was killed while searching for spiritual objects outside."

"..."

Nanshan Temple...

Just like that, they were wiped out?

Sigh.

At first glance, it seems unbelievable, but upon closer inspection, it makes perfect sense.

It's really a pity.

At this very moment, countless small Taoist temples and mountain gates like these within the territory of Chu are heading towards extinction.

The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, has remained unchanged since ancient times.

"The other three were able to wipe out the entire sect... How did you manage to escape?"

Ju Luyi's cultivation level is only at the third level of Qi Refining.

The opponent is at least at the mid-to-late stage of Qi Refining.

"Those three were..."

"I am..."

The girl seemed hesitant to speak, only pausing briefly.

"...The person who attacked me had weak magical power, and I also used my magical artifact to put up a little resistance, so I only suffered some injuries to my legs and feet."

Song Yan understood.

He nodded: "However, according to you, these people are all vicious criminals, so why didn't they come down the mountain to capture you?"

"..."

The girl was stunned.

He then smiled, but there was a hint of self-deprecation in that smile.

"Hey……"

"Xiao Ju..."

"Xiao Ju is ugly and has black spots on her face, which is an ominous sign of disaster."

"Penniless, thin, and short, no man would have any evil intentions towards Xiao Ju."

To her.

Strength and luck are certainly enviable.

Even the weak and the ominous can be exploited!