Chapter 119: 119. Qin Shan goes up the mountain
With a laugh, Qin Shan strode out of the inn, and Miao Yin quickly followed.
A stick of incense later, the two stood at the foot of Yunlan Mountain.
Just as they were about to ascend the Thousand Layers, Qin Shan noticed a commotion from the nearby dense forest. Before he could see clearly, a yellow dog darted out from the woods, barking fiercely at him, seemingly unwelcome.
Miao Yin was about to step forward to drive it away, but Qin Shan stopped her and instead laughed, saying, "Interesting, this dog dares to bark at me."
As a Great Demon, it was the first time he had been disregarded by such a mutt.
Perhaps motivated by a playful thought, Qin Shan did not reveal the aura of a Great Demon but instead took out some jerky from his pocket and approached slowly, hoping to pet the fearless dog.
Yet the large yellow dog glanced at the jerky and walked away, not even looking back.
Before leaving, it even gave a special side-eye, as if to say: "Jerky? Do you underestimate me?"
This left Qin Shan’s hand holding the jerky paused awkwardly in front of him, so he had no choice but to toss it into his own mouth, "Hey, this dog has personality, even jerky doesn’t impress it!"
After his enthusiasm was dampened by the dog’s indifference, Qin Shan decided not to bother with the dog anymore and continued up, soon reaching the top of Yunlan Mountain.
It was near dusk by now, and as he stepped onto the last step of the Thousand Layers, Qin Shan glanced around, seeing an old man sitting at a distant stone table with a chess game set up in front, muttering words that no one could understand.
Qin Shan scrutinized the old man and, seeing he was just an ordinary person, lost any desire to converse with him.
Turning back, he hurriedly said to Miao Yin, "Take me to see the Trial Tower."
Miao Yin quickly responded, "Sir, only the Sect Leader can open the Trial Tower. It won’t help if I take you there."
"Then go call him over."
"I don’t know where the Sect Leader is, I’m not familiar with the place..."
"Useless." Qin Shan snorted coldly, then glanced at the majestic yet empty Main Hall, frowned, walked up to the old man playing chess, and bluntly asked, "Friend, playing chess? Can I ask something, where is your Immortal Sect’s Sect Leader?"
"I know, I know." The old man replied somewhat impatiently, showing displeasure on his face—this old man was naturally Wang Bo.
Qin Shan looked at Wang Bo’s displeased expression, bemused, but since Wang Bo claimed to know, he pressed on, "Then where is he?"
To his surprise, Wang Bo immediately lashed out, "No way, this piece will be taken now. If you don’t understand, stop talking? Don’t speak while watching chess, you don’t even know that? Like that Yu guy, no chess etiquette at all."
"No, I’m asking, where is your Sect Leader?"
"What dumplings in a chess game!"
"You old man, can’t you understand human speech?"
Qin Shan looked at Wang Bo who was speaking nonsensically, feeling helpless.
This Immortal Sect is really amusing.
There’s a dog with personality and an old man who hears nothing clearly.
Is this really a proper sect?
Just as he was about to continue asking, someone ran out from the woods beside them, it was Yu Mo who had fished until he vomited.
Yu Mo emerged from the path between the woods, apologizing as he ran, "Wang Bo, sorry, detoxing lately, my stomach’s been uncomfortable."
Wang Bo, hearing the apology, still looked somewhat upset, fiddling with the chess pieces at hand and complaining, "You disappeared for half a day with just a chess move, still playing or not!"
"Playing, of course, playing!"
"Hurry up, no chess etiquette. Next time you ask me to play, I won’t come."
Qin Shan, watching Wang Bo suddenly responding fluently, felt rather unsettled.
He thought to himself: The old man must’ve been doing it on purpose earlier; when I spoke with him before, I didn’t get a single coherent answer.
Just as he planned to teach the old man who was amusing himself a lesson, Yu Mo approached.
As Qin Shan inadvertently glanced at Yu Mo’s face, he initially felt some déjà vu. When Yu Mo came closer and he saw his full face, Qin Shan’s expression immediately turned into shock.
"Wandering Sword Yu Mo?"
Yu Mo sat back at the stone table, raised his head, and examined the man in front of him carefully. Not recognizing him, he asked, "Do you know me?"
"The solitary Wandering Sword, Qin certainly has heard of and seen your portrait."
"Oh, then do you know how to play chess?"
As he asked this, Yu Mo held a chess piece and began playing.
However, because he was a bit slow, Wang Bo scolded him again, saying he had no chess etiquette and was dilly-dallying in chess.
Qin Shan was surprised by this scene, which seemed more fitting for the marketplace, yet it appeared in a Profound Realm, quite astonishing.
"Heard Yu Mo spent half his life wandering, preferring to sleep on the grass than in a warm bed, how come you’re here playing chess with an old man?"
"Why so many ’whys’... Haha, capturing!"
Yu Mo laughed heartily as he took a few chess pieces from Wang Bo’s side on the board.
Qin Shan was left unsure of what to say.
Originally, Flying Fish Island had promised him the position of Sacrificial Elder, even rewarded a city, yet he was not moved or delighted, persisting in living with heaven as his blanket and earth as his bed.
He thought such a person wouldn’t join any power; yet he had stopped at the Immortal Sect, now playing chess with an old man, showing a smug smile over a small win.
No longer possessing the demeanor expected from someone in the Profound Realm.
Qin Shan looked around, his gaze tinged with confusion.
At this time, Wen Ping’s voice came from behind, "Senior, it’s been a few days, you look well."
Qin Shan turned immediately to see Wen Ping’s face, his own turning serious.
"You rascal, you dared to deceive me that night."
Wen Ping shrugged helplessly, saying, "I never said I wasn’t the Sect Leader of the Immortal Sect that night. Senior’s preconceptions took the lead, can’t blame me."
"You rascal!" Qin Shan’s serious face changed, showing a rare smile, "You’re the first Body Cultivation Realm who amused me and continues to banter freely. Just for this, I won’t pursue that night’s events."
"Hehe..."
Wen Ping replied with a polite yet awkward smile.
Immediately, he looked down at the Thousand Layers.
At the foot of the Thousand Layers, Huan Shan arrived again wearing armor.
But unlike that day, today he brought two unfamiliar Profound Realm powerhouses.
...
One Profound Realm is enough to make Cangwu City tremble, and now two have come to Yunlan Mountain together.
If this spreads, others might think Cangwu City birthed a new Giant Level Two-star power.
...
At the foot of the Thousand Layers.
Huan Shan removed his Half-Faced Golden Armor, heading up the mountain, speaking to the two middle-aged men behind him as he walked, "Did you find the wrong person? My buddy doesn’t know how to heal, he hasn’t even left time for himself to cultivate, how could he have spare time to learn medicine?"
A somewhat thin middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "No need to say much, once you’re up the mountain, just convince Wen Ping. As long as Wen Ping agrees to go with us, the Hundred Sects Alliance will ensure your father crosses the Profound path smoothly."
"Okay!"
Huan Shan turned around, looking at their backs with delight in his heart.
He hadn’t anticipated the face of the City Lord’s Mansion to be so useful, just helping Wen Ping with a favor, and he could gain the Hundred Sects Alliance’s assistance.
Given his family’s relationship with the Wen Family, it was just a matter of a word.