Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

The faint light inside the cave gradually turned from dawn to dusk. Xiao Nianba stayed by Su Yan's side, never leaving his side. She checked Su Yan's breath again and again, feeling the weak but continuous breath. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, eased a little, but the worry in her eyes did not diminish at all.

Su Yan's eyes remained closed, her face as pale as paper. Although she had bandaged the wound on her back, bloodstains still seeped through the cloth, staining the cold stone ground.

Xiao Nianba patted her chest and pulled out the last half of the mixed grain cake. The cake was already hard and covered with dust. This was their last food. She looked at Su Yan's chapped lips, then looked down at the cake, and without hesitation placed it next to Su Yan and weighed it down with a stone.

Yan Ge'er was seriously injured and unconscious, so she needed even more strength, but she could endure it.

But the hunger in her stomach gnawed at her internal organs like tiny worms, her throat was parched and burning, and her water sac was already empty. If she couldn't find water and food, not only would she not be able to hold on, but the unconscious Su Yan wouldn't last much longer either. Little wilted, she gritted her teeth, gripped the short knife Su Yan had left her for self-defense, and her eyes hardened.

She remembered Su Yan saying that in chaotic times, one must rely on oneself to survive.

I found some leaves from the trees around me that my mother and I had eaten, and filled my stomach with them.

They busied themselves at the cave entrance, digging three half-person-deep pits with a short knife. They inserted sharpened wooden sticks into the bottom of the pits, the tips of which were as sharp as blades. Then they covered the pits with withered leaves and loose soil to disguise them as if they were on the ground.

They tied several knots to the tree trunk next to the pit. The ropes were similar in color to the withered grass, so that if anyone accidentally stepped on them, they would trip and fall into the trap.

After doing all this, she checked again to make sure it was hidden before gripping the dagger tightly, slinging the empty water bag over her shoulder, and walking out of the cave step by step.

It was dusk outside the cave, and the only sound in the quiet forest was the chirping of insects.

Little Nianba followed the direction Su Yan had remembered from searching for water, her toes aching from the rough stones beneath her feet, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent. She knew she couldn't afford to get hurt; Yan-ge'er was still waiting for her to return.

She walked for an unknown amount of time, and as darkness fell, just when she was about to despair, she suddenly caught a glimpse of light on the hillside ahead.

She carefully climbed up the rocks, the slope was steep, and she almost slipped several times. Her palms were rubbed raw by the loose stones and bled. Finally, she reached the top of the slope.

It turned out to be a wild fruit tree, its branches laden with small, bright red fruits. Though unremarkable, they exuded an enticing fragrance.

Little Nianba was overjoyed. He tiptoed to reach the low-lying fruits and stuffed them into his arms. He then risked climbing up the low branches and picked a whole bundle full of fruit.

She climbed down the hillside contentedly when her bundle was no longer full. The wild fruits in her arms were heavy, which made her feel much more at ease.

Then she followed the damp soil downwards and sure enough, found a mountain spring at the bottom of the valley. The spring water was crystal clear and made a tinkling sound. Little Nianba rushed to the spring, scooped up the water with both hands and drank it down her throat. The sweet spring water moistened her parched throat. She drank until her stomach was bloated before picking up her water bag and quickly filling it.

Just as I was about to turn around and walk back, I suddenly heard voices talking not far away. The voices were calm and had a touch of otherworldly elegance.

Xiao Nianba's heart tightened, and she instinctively hid behind a large tree, gripping her short knife tightly. In chaotic times, strangers often meant danger, and remembering Su Yan's warning, she dared not be careless in the slightest.

But as soon as she moved, her foot slipped, and she fell to the ground, the bundle in her arms spilling out, wild fruits rolling all over the ground with a crackling sound. The conversation stopped abruptly, and three figures walked over following the sound.

Xiao Nianba looked up and saw that the leader was dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, with a black silk sash around his waist. His face was thin but his eyes were sharp. Three long strands of beard hung down to his chest. Although he was over fifty years old, he was tall and straight and had an otherworldly majesty. He was Qiu Chuji, one of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen.

Behind him followed two young Taoist priests, both dressed in blue robes, with clear features and respectful expressions. They were Li Zhichang and Xia Zhicheng, his third-generation disciples. Their robes were slightly dusty, indicating they had traveled a long way, but their air of otherworldly wisdom was undeniable, and they did not look like villains.

"Little girl, don't be afraid."

Qiu Chuji spoke, his voice gentle as a spring breeze brushing against withered wood, carrying both the loving kindness of an elder and the tranquility of a Taoist practitioner.

"We meant no harm."

Xiao Nianba gripped the short knife tightly, the hilt digging painfully into his palm. His body trembled slightly, but he forced himself to stand up, quickly gathered the scattered wild fruits into his arms, protected them tightly with his arms, and stared warily at the three people, his teeth clenched tightly, without uttering a word.

She recalled the soldiers, bandits, and refugees she encountered along the way; the greed and cruelty behind their smiling faces made her hesitant to trust any strangers.

These wild fruits are for Yan Ge'er; they must not be taken away.

Looking at her tattered clothes, her face covered in dust and blood, and the cuts on her palms, Li Zhichang felt a pang of pity in his eyes and asked in a gentle tone.

"How could a little kid like you be out here alone in the mountains? This wilderness is full of wild animals and very dangerous."

He sighed inwardly, thinking that even children had to endure such hardship in these chaotic times, and his heart sank even more when he thought about his mission to go down the mountain.

They were on their master's orders when they heard that an epidemic was rampant south of Tongguan and that the Jin army was plundering refugees everywhere. So they took medicine and dry food down the mountain and helped the suffering people along the way, delivering medicine and porridge.

I was just passing by this mountain spring, intending to take a break and get some water, when I bumped into this lonely little girl. She looked so pitiful.

Xia Zhicheng stood beside Qiu Chuji, his gaze falling on the wild fruits and bulging water pouch in her arms, and added softly.

"We are Taoist priests from Chongyang Palace in Zhongnan Mountain. My name is Xia Zhicheng, this is my senior brother Li Zhichang, and this is our master, Taoist Master Qiu Chuji."

Fearing the young girl might not understand the sect's name, he made sure to spell it out clearly and even offered his own name to show his openness.

Qiu Chuji's gaze swept over the scattered wild fruits, their peels bright and fresh, carrying the freshness of the mountains and fields. He then noticed the little rascal guarding its food and smiled slightly.

"Little girl, we have some dry rations and biscuits in our bags. We were thinking of trading some of them for a few wild fruits from you. We've been traveling for a long time and haven't tasted fresh fruit since. We're not after yours."

He thought to himself that it was not easy for a child to find wild fruit in this chaotic world. The fact that she was being protected like this meant that someone important was going to feed her. He felt even more sorry for the little girl because of her resilience.

Li Zhichang quickly took out a piece of multigrain cake wrapped in oil paper from his bag, handed it aside, and added.

"These cakes are clean, without any sand or stones. They're more filling than wild fruits. If you need more, we can exchange them for you."

Looking at the little girl's chapped lips and thin figure, he thought to himself that the child must have been hungry for a long time, yet she was protecting the wild fruit so tightly. He wondered what kind of hardship she was hiding behind it.

"The Quanzhen Sect? Master Qiu Chuji?"

Xiao Nianba suddenly raised his head, his eyes instantly shining like stars in the dark night, and the vigilance he had been suppressing relaxed in an instant.

She had heard Su Yan mention this name countless times. It was the name of the master at Chongyang Palace in Zhongnan Mountain, a place they were willing to risk their lives to reach, a place where Yan-ge'er said they could find a way to survive and learn real skills.

Her voice trembled slightly, barely perceptible, and she couldn't suppress her hope. Her fingers, which were clutching the wild fruit, loosened their grip a little.

Seeing that her expression relaxed, Xia Zhicheng quickly nodded and smiled.

"That's right! The reason we came down the mountain is to help the refugees who were robbed by the Jin army and are suffering from the plague, and to deliver medicine and food to them."

He recalled the starving corpses and cries of agony he had seen along the way, and his heart sank. He looked at Xiao Nianba with even more sympathy.

"Are you having some trouble being here all alone?"

Xiao Nian'er's eyes reddened, and tears welled up instantly, but she bit her lip tightly to keep them from falling. She couldn't cry; Yan Ge'er was still waiting for her to come back.

She mustered her courage and asked in a low voice.

"You...you are Taoist priests, do you know how to heal?"

Her voice carried the naivety unique to children, yet it also revealed a resilience beyond her years, with every word filled with anxiety and anticipation.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Chuji's eyes narrowed. His gaze swept over the dark red bloodstains on her clothes and then looked at the deep forest behind her. He already understood a bit of what was going on.

Having cultivated Taoism for many years and witnessed the suffering of chaotic times, he felt compassion welling up when he saw the child's lonely and helpless appearance. He asked gently.

"Young lady, is your family member injured?"

Little Nianba could no longer hold back, tears streaming down her cheeks and splashing onto her clothes, but she still forced herself to speak.

"My Yan-ge'er... he was slashed by soldiers while protecting me and hasn't woken up since... You say you're from the Quanzhen Sect, can you really save him?"

Her voice was choked with sobs, yet filled with a desperate hope, like grasping a glimmer of light in boundless darkness, piercing the twilight of the mountains and the gloom of a chaotic world.

Li Zhichang and Xia Zhicheng exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's eyes. In this desolate wilderness, a child had been carrying a seriously injured person for who knows how long.

Qiu Chuji nodded slightly, his tone becoming increasingly firm.

"If you trust us, then take us to see for ourselves. Although our Quanzhen Sect emphasizes cultivation, we also uphold the principle of helping the world and saving people. We have no reason to stand by and watch someone die."

He sighed inwardly. In chaotic times, the lives of ordinary people were as worthless as grass. This young man stood up to protect the children. His chivalrous heart was worthy of being saved.