0p0 Chapter 187 Night at the Dilapidated Temple
Chapter 187 Night at the Dilapidated Temple
On a winter evening, the wind howled past, carrying snowflakes that rattled the windows of the dilapidated temple.
The three groups sat around two fires, each filled with curiosity.
The merchants, Shui'er and Xiao He, and the old man who had just appeared together formed the unique scenery of this night.
Xiao He broke the silence first, and she respectfully cupped her hands to the old man, saying, "Old man, I'm really sorry about what happened earlier."
We both thought someone was eavesdropping on our conversation, and in our panic, we attacked you. May I ask your honorable name, sir?
The old man smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes.
"My name is Song Jiuxian."
Upon hearing this, the people in the merchant guild were all moved. They excitedly shouted, "What? You are the eleventh generation leader of the Beggars' Sect, Elder Song?"
Upon hearing this, Shui'er's eyes flashed with curiosity and surprise.
"So it's true! There really is a Beggars' Sect? Xiao He, how did Sister Xiao Ya know about the Beggars' Sect when she was so young?"
Xiao He shook her head, her face full of confusion.
"I don't know either. Sister Xiaoya is so amazing, she even knows martial arts. If you want to know, you can only ask her."
When Chen Junxuan, who was standing to the side, heard that the old man was actually the leader of the Beggars' Sect, a glint of fanaticism flashed in his eyes.
He suddenly stood up, walked to Song Jiuxian, and was about to kneel down without saying a word.
However, all his actions were clearly seen by Old Master Song.
With a slight lift of his feet, Old Master Song stopped Chen Junxuan from kneeling, preventing him from doing so no matter how hard he tried.
Song Jiuxian smiled slightly, and with a gentle flick of his foot, Chen Junxuan stood up again.
He looked at Chen Junxuan, his tone slightly teasing: "What are you trying to do, kid?"
Chen Junxuan's eyes were filled with excitement and longing.
"Old Master, Junxuan requests that you accept me as your disciple and teach me martial arts."
Song Jiuxian shook his head, his tone firm.
"The old man no longer accepts apprentices, so you don't need to ask anymore."
Undeterred, Chen Junxuan continued to plead, "Old Master, Junxuan sincerely wants to become your disciple. Please accept me."
Song Jiuxian's face darkened, and his tone revealed an unquestionable resolve.
"There's no need to say anything more. The old man said he won't take on any apprentices, and that's final."
Hearing Song Jiuxian's firm refusal, Chen Junxuan could only hang his head in dejection.
At this moment, Shui'er suddenly remembered the storybook that Sister Xiaoya had once told her, so she started to disagree with Song Jiuxian.
“If you don’t want to take on apprentices, you can take him as a student. You only need to teach him a move or two, and once he learns it, he can make your martial arts last for thousands of years.”
Upon hearing this, Song Jiuxian couldn't help but chuckle: "Your martial arts skills are quite good too, why don't you teach him?"
Xiao He shook her head and said seriously, "Our martial arts skills cannot be passed on to others without Sister Xiao Ya's permission."
Upon hearing this, Song Jiuxian's curiosity grew even stronger: "I've been hearing you mention a little girl named Xiaoya since earlier. Is she the one who taught you martial arts moves?"
Shui'er nodded, her tone full of pride: "Yes, my little Ya is amazing."
She taught us martial arts; if Sister Xiaoya were to come, you definitely wouldn't be a match for her.
Upon hearing this, Song Jiuxian burst into laughter.
"Oh, so that old man wants to have a competition with your young lady, haha..."
After laughing, Song Jiuxian asked again, "So where is your little sister now?"
Upon hearing this, Xiaohe and Shui'er suddenly became dejected.
Seeing their sudden change in mood, Song Jiuxian quickly asked with concern, "What's wrong with you two? You were just fine a moment ago...?"
Xiao He sighed, her voice filled with sadness.
“Our little sister went missing more than three years ago, almost four years ago. No matter how hard we searched, we couldn’t find her.”
Upon hearing this, Song Jiuxian frowned and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say she was even more capable than the old man? How could someone so capable disappear?"
Shui'er recalled the scene from that year, her eyes filled with tears.
"Back then, Xiaoya was 12 years old and we were 8. We were practicing martial arts in the valley of the village when suddenly Xiaoya shouted, 'Who's there?'"
Then she told us to go home first, and she chased after us, then disappeared.
At this point, she finally couldn't hold back her tears. When Xiao He saw Shui'er crying, she couldn't help but shed tears as well.
Seeing how heartbroken they were, Song Jiuxian felt a strange sense of unease welling up inside him.
He remembered that they had just asked Chen Junxuan about the Shadow, so he hurriedly asked, "Could this be related to the people of the Qin Kingdom's Shadow?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them nodded at the same time.
Xiao He choked up as she said, "Six months after Sister Xiao Ya disappeared, our Su Family Village was massacred by dozens of men in black from the Shadow Clan. Among them was one man whom they all called Lord Wolf."
Upon hearing this, Song Jiuxian's expression became slightly serious.
Song Jiuxian looked gently at the two little girls in front of him, their faces streaked with tears.
"Little girls, don't be too sad. Who can say for sure what will happen in this world? Maybe your beloved little sister is living well somewhere and can't come out for the time being."
And that 'Lord Wolf' you just mentioned, I do know a thing or two about him.
He was a top-ranked assassin in the Shadow Order, number five, highly skilled, but not entirely without trace.
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Xiaohe and Shui'er's dim eyes, as if they had grasped a lifeline in their desperate situation.
The two women bowed to Song Jiuxian and said gratefully, "Senior Song, if you hadn't told us today, we wouldn't have known about these things. We sisters will always remember your kindness."
Xiao He reached down and untied the cloth bag at her waist. She opened it and took out an antique porcelain bottle. She gently poured out a lustrous, jade-like pill and handed it to Song Jiuxian in her palm.
"Senior Song, these are Jade Dew Pills made by my sister Xiaoya. Although they are not rare treasures, they are quite beneficial for conditioning the body. Please accept them as a small token of our appreciation."
Song Jiuxian's gaze swept over the pill, and with a slight twitch of his nostrils, he smelled the delicate fragrance of the medicine.
He smiled and waved his hand, his wrinkled face showing a hint of kindness.
“Little girl, there’s no need for that. I’m just traveling and saw this dilapidated temple where I could take shelter from the wind and snow, so I came in to rest.”
I happened to overhear your conversation and, since I also know about the Shadow, I just mentioned it. This elixir is valuable; you should take it back.”
Seeing Song Jiuxian's resolute attitude, Xiaohe had no choice but to reluctantly take back the pills.
Then she picked up another small bottle, uncorked it, poured out a pill, walked a few steps to Chen Junxuan, took his hand, and gently placed the pill in his palm.
"Chen Junxuan, haven't you always been eager to practice martial arts and make a name for yourself? This is a Marrow Cleansing Pill. After you take it, your martial arts training will be twice as effective. Remember to prepare plenty of bathwater before taking it."
Chen Junxuan was still reeling from Song Jiuxian's refusal of Xiao He's offer of medicine. His head was spinning when he was suddenly given a pill. He stood there stunned, not knowing what to do.
Shui'er's eyes darted around, and she looked at Song Jiuxian with a grin, teasingly saying, "Senior Hong, look closely, Xiao He has brought out all her hidden treasures and given Chen Junxuan this Marrow Cleansing Pill."
Let me tell you, if you don't take him on now, this promising talent, don't regret missing out on such a good disciple in ten or eight years when he's mastered his skills.
Chen Junxuan then came to his senses, clutching the pill in his hand tightly as if it were his life's hope.
He knelt down on both knees in front of Song Jiuxian with a thud, bowed again, and spoke with longing in his voice.
"Senior Song, Junxuan knows that his talent is mediocre, but his desire for martial arts is as clear as day."
Junxuan dares not presume to become your disciple, but only begs that you, seeing my sincere and eager-to-learn nature, impart even a single move or two. Junxuan will be eternally grateful and will never forget it.
Shui'er chimed in from the side, "Senior Song, if you accept him today, you will be able to teach him diligently."
He'll definitely make a name for himself in the martial arts world in the future. You can be secretly happy then; you might even have to thank me for what I did today.
Seeing the two of them singing and acting in perfect harmony, Song Jiuxian couldn't help but feel a long-lost sense of playfulness and laughed heartily, teasing them.
"Little Shui'er, you really know how to talk. Today, this old man has become curious about it."
"I really want to see if this kid really undergoes such a dramatic transformation after taking this pill, just as you say."
Song Jiuxian slowly spoke: "Your name is Chen Junxuan?"
His voice was low, but it echoed faintly in the dilapidated temple.