"My son!"
The figures from afar finally arrived.
Three middle-aged men, dressed in the same cobalt-blue robes adorned with bird patterns as the young hero, clearly indicating they were also from the Golden Phase Sect.
However, these three had arrived by riding the wind, a feat only achievable by those in the second realm.
The eldest among them, upon seeing the golden light in the young hero's arms, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids.
He carefully reached out, pinched the golden light, and placed it back into the young hero's mouth.
Then, he laid the young hero down in his arms, extended two fingers from which a golden light emerged, and pressed them against the young hero's jaw.
He moved his fingers down the young hero's throat, finally stopping at the right chest, pausing for a moment before withdrawing his hand and letting out a long sigh.
The other two also sighed in relief, both saying, "It's not that your father/uncle is scolding you..."
"Cough, cough!"
The young hero suddenly coughed, blood mixed in.
The eldest quickly soothed the young hero, glaring at the other two, "We'll talk about this later."
The two were startled again, nodding repeatedly, "We'll talk later, we'll talk later!"
At this moment, the young hero suddenly sat up, as if he had something to say, but it seemed his lungs were injured, making it difficult for him to speak, gasping for breath, "Many, many thanks, benefactor, for saving me. Now, now that my elders are here, please come forward so we can properly thank you."
Hearing this, the three men, previously flustered, immediately changed their expressions, each more dignified and alert than the last.
In the span of a breath, they all turned their gaze towards a nearby island.
Rustle~
The sound of grass parting.
A young Taoist leisurely walked out from the grass.
He summoned a crimson cloud, stepped onto it, and then rode the cloud to the front of the group.
He raised his left hand to his chest, palm facing up, while his right hand's middle and ring fingers curled, their tips pressing against his palm, with the thumb, index, and little fingers pointing upwards.
He then gently placed the back of his right hand on his left palm, bowing his head as he said, "Infinite blessings to all, this humble Taoist greets you."
The three middle-aged Taoists exchanged glances.
The eldest, holding the young hero, couldn't move easily, while the other two stood straight, also raising their left hands to their chests, palms up, and gently placing their right hands horizontally on their left palms, fingers pointing left, with the four fingers tightly together without gaps, the thumb pressing against the tips of the index and middle fingers, and the ring and little fingers straight, nodding towards the cloud, "Infinite blessings, young friend."
One of them, with a long beard, added, "I am Jiang Yanxing of the Tai Xi Golden Phase Sect, Taoist name Xuan Hui. Under which esteemed master of the Three Pure Mountains does the young friend study?"
The Taoist replied, "Greetings, Taoist Xuan Hui. This humble Taoist is named Cheng Yunqi, a nominal disciple of the Three Pure Mountains. My cultivation is shallow, and I have not yet been formally registered, so I dare not mention my master's name."
"Hmm."
Jiang Yanxing nodded slightly, "So it is. Meeting by the roadside is fate, and hearing from my nephew that you have saved his life, we must invite you to our humble abode to properly thank you."
Yunqi waved his hand, "We are all of the Taoist path, branches of the same tree. Meeting by the roadside, it was only natural to lend a hand. No thanks are necessary. Please, quickly take the young hero back to your sect to heal."
Jiang Yanxing looked at his nephew.
The young hero hoarsely said, "Benefactor, the skinny Taoist was not truly injured, his strength remains intact. He might be lurking nearby. Please, return with us to our sect, or you might be in danger alone!"
This made sense and reminded Yunqi.
The skinny Taoist's banner was incredibly powerful, and he hadn't even seen him use other techniques.
Realizing he was no match for him now, Yunqi thought it over and decided not to refuse further.
He clasped his hands in a salute, "Then I shall impose. Please wait a moment, I have been traveling and settled here to cultivate. Allow me to fetch my belongings."
The young hero's face showed even more guilt, "Benefactor, please. It seems I have disturbed your quiet cultivation."
Yunqi waved his hand, indicating it was no big deal, then rode his cloud towards the osmanthus forest.
Soon, Yunqi packed up his Eight Trigrams Mother-Child Bells and grabbed his bundle.
As he was about to leave, he noticed the giant rock that had been half-hollowed out and sighed in regret, feeling that the saying "circumstances are ever-changing, water has no constant form" was indeed true.
Change comes swiftly; no sooner had he settled than a troublesome guest arrived, and now he dared not stay any longer.
As he was about to ride his cloud away, Yunqi's eyes twinkled, and he picked up a few lake stones washed ashore, stuffing them into his bag...
Yunqi rejoined the group.
Seeing Yunqi approach with a heavy, large bag, the Golden Phase Sect members exchanged glances, each having their own thoughts.
"Young friend, lend a hand, let's dispel the cloud ride. This lake is vast, and we still have some distance to our mountain gate."
Yunqi obediently complied.
Thus, the three elders, carrying the two youths, rode the wind and were gone in an instant.
Thanks to the three local powerhouses, Yunqi also got to enjoy the majestic beauty of Poyang Lake.
Otherwise, alone, he wouldn't dare venture deep into this unfamiliar aquatic realm.
The group headed north, but even as they flew over the lake, with strong winds in their faces, the northern shore was nowhere in sight.
After traveling a hundred miles, the vast expanse of misty waves stretched endlessly, the shimmering waters blending into the horizon.
If not for the sun overhead, one could easily lose their sense of direction.
Sometimes, the lake was calm, the surface like a mirror; other times, they passed by spiritual islands and fairy mountains, seeing exotic plants and trees, as if stepping into an ink painting; and sometimes, they encountered flocks of seagulls and schools of fish leaping in the waves, as if entering a kingdom of fish and birds.
Indeed: The accumulated waters embrace the vast void, a single glance reveals boundless expanse.
The wind ripples like light silk, the waves reflect patterned brocade.
After traveling about four to five hundred miles, they finally slowed down, and Yunqi saw an island ahead:
This island stretched about a hundred miles, with towering mountains piercing the clouds and beautiful lakes.
Various palaces, temples, and towers stood tall, with people bustling about like ants.
Even more marvelous was the ring of long corridors and waterside pavilions extending into the lake around the island, dense as a spider's web.
These water corridors connected with other small islands and pavilions in the lake, forming a network that more than doubled the area.
"This... may I ask, Taoist Xuan Hui, is this entire island nation under your sect's jurisdiction?"
Yunqi was truly astonished.
How many people must there be? Surely more than at the Three Pure Mountains.
Jiang Yanxing nodded with a smile, but then explained, "However, not all of them are cultivators. Most are ordinary people. Our Poyang Lake islands are like this, with immortals and mortals living together. The sect and the clan are essentially one, as you said, an island is like a country."
Yunqi nodded, making it seem less daunting.
They gradually descended, not landing on the island but at a waterside courtyard to the south of the island.
Jiang Yanxing and his group seemed to be the masters here.
As soon as they landed, a large crowd surrounded them, exclaiming in shock at the sight of the injured young hero.
The way people here addressed them was also interesting.
They called Jiang Yanxing the family head, Jiang Yanxing's brother Jiang Yuexing—the young hero's father—as the second master, and the older Taoist, whose Taoist name was Xian Jing, as the western tutor.
As for the young hero being supported by the western tutor, he was naturally called the young master.
Yunqi had been chatting with the three elders along the way, but the young hero, due to his injured lungs, was ordered not to speak, so Yunqi still didn't know his name.
1. The gestures used by different Taoist sects when greeting each other in this chapter are purely fictional and do not exist in reality.
This is to avoid any misunderstanding or offense.
2. The gesture Yunqi used can be interpreted as: The left hand represents respect, showing humility, while the right hand's three fingers pointing upwards symbolize the Three Pure Mountains.
The Golden Phase Sect's gesture can be interpreted as: The left hand still represents humility, while the right hand is horizontal, with the thumb not counted, and the other four fingers forming four horizontal lines.
The top two are half-covered by the thumb, creating two short lines above and two long lines below, representing the Dui trigram in the Eight Trigrams, which belongs to the metal element.
3. "Infinite blessings" is a correct Taoist blessing, wishing a bright future.
4. Readers are welcome to suggest other gestures in the comments.
5. Continued requests for votes and recommendations.
(End of Chapter)