The four people watched the latecomers, knowing they were also sent by the elders.
Although they hadn't met the elder, the current situation allowed them to guess.
Among the group, there was one elder.
Since the four elders had not participated in this rescue plan, this elder must be the elder.
Gao Xuewei stepped forward with a single glance, cupping his hands.
"I presume you are the elder, sir."
Thirteen Niang said.
"You guessed correctly, this is the elder."
Upon receiving the affirmative reply, the four immediately knelt down and cupped their hands together.
"Dongzi Tian Li Shi, Gao Xuewei, pay respects to the elder."
"Nanqi Shan Yong Shi Hua Jian, Can Yu, pay respects to the elder."
The elder smiled slightly, surprised that the elder's men had arrived first. It seemed they were a bit slow.
The elder lowered himself, bent down to help the four young people up, and said.
"You have worked hard. You must have gone through some trouble to get here."
Can Yu cupped his hands.
"It was indeed a bit difficult to get here, but fortunately, we could read the map, so we didn't get lost.
Oh, right, Elder, our elder asked me to bring you a letter."
As he spoke, he took out the letter from his embrace and handed it to the elder.
The elder took the letter and opened it. It read:
Elder, I have sent two people for this operation.
One is learned, and the other is martial. Both are carefully selected individuals. I have instructed them to obey all your arrangements.
Wan Gu.
The elder smiled slightly, thinking.
"It seems they put in effort."
Gao Xuewei also said.
"Elder, I also have a letter from our elder for you."
As he spoke, he took out the letter from his embrace and handed it to the elder.
The elder took the letter and opened it on the spot. It read:
Elder, I have selected personnel to rush to the stronghold. One is strong, and the other is resourceful. Both are useful individuals.
Besides this matter, there is one more thing to tell you.
According to reports from our spies, while resting at a restaurant, they overheard a minor official say.
In the next few days, Qianmen Cave may be reinforcing its troops.
I think the rescue plan may need to be expedited.
Hei Yi.
The elder had already learned this news, but it wasn't his greatest concern. His concerns were elsewhere, such as... Lin'er.
The elder put the letters away in his embrace and introduced the people behind him.
"Let me introduce you to these few behind me. This is Thirteen Niang, I don't know if you have met her before.
This is Xue Gucheng, Young Master Xue, this is Yan Wushuang, Miss Yan, and this is my nephew, Li Lin'er."
After the elder's introduction, the four cupped their fists together.
"Greetings, Young Master Xue, Miss Yan, Thirteen Niang, Lin'er."
Xue Gucheng and the others smiled slightly and returned the salute with cupped hands.
At this moment, Thirteen Niang also noticed something peculiar: the people from Ximen Mountain and Beifeng Mountain had not yet arrived.
She thought for a moment and then said to the elder.
"Elder, some people are still missing."
The elder nodded slightly, having anticipated these matters.
Then, he said to everyone.
"Since some people have not arrived yet, let's wait a bit longer. I think they will be here soon."
The crowd could only wait helplessly. After waiting for a long time, no one arrived.
Xue Gucheng suddenly recalled some details and stood up to say to the elder.
"Elder, I think it will take some time for the other brothers to arrive, and it's inconvenient for them to carry much wine on their long journey.
I think I should go find some wine."
The elder considered it feasible but then mused.
"Qianmen Cave is heavily guarded, so there shouldn't be any wine there. We'll have to look elsewhere."
Xue Gucheng suddenly thought of someone, the person he had met who loved drinking the most.
If he could find that person, he could easily get any wine they wanted.
So he said.
"Elder, please leave this matter to Yan'er and me. I know where to get good wine."
"That's fine, you two go and come back quickly."
"Okay."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Gucheng pulled Yan Wushuang out of the cave.
After leaving Yuxial, they headed south.
Yan Wushuang suddenly felt confused. Going south, there weren't many people. Going north led to Nanhai City, which made her even more puzzled. She asked.
"Brother Xue, aren't we looking for wine? Why are we going south?"
Xue Gucheng smiled sweetly, finding the confused Shuang'er very cute. He patiently explained.
"Don't you remember? When we traveled the world in our early years, we happened to meet a famous drunkard.
We only knew his nickname was the Drunken Immortal, but we didn't know his real name. I remember he lived in the mountains south of Nanhai City back then."
Yan Wushuang then remembered there was such a person, but that seemed like a long time ago.
"Brother Xue, we met that immortal over two hundred years ago. Will he still be there now?"
Xue Gucheng was quite confident. He said.
"This Drunken Immortal has a peculiar temper and is a loner. He shouldn't easily wander far, so I guess he's still in the same place."
As they chatted, the two of them unknowingly arrived at the official road from Nanhai City to Wangyang Sea.
Xue Gucheng, relying on his memory, led Yan Wushuang into the woods on the left and onto a forest path.
The path was winding and sinuous. On the dirt ground, leaves had fallen, making it look like no one had walked there for a long time.
Xue Gucheng looked up; many things were different from his memories.
It was evident that with the passage of time, the place had changed drastically over two hundred years.
Seeds that had recently fallen had sprouted in the soil and, with the flow of time, had grown into dense wild forests.
Further in, the path became increasingly unclear, gradually buried by weeds and losing its trace.
The two stood at the end of the path, both somewhat at a loss.
Yan Wushuang said.
"Brother Xue, I remember we've been to this place, but now, with the passage of time, it's not like before.
It's still a bit difficult to find the way."
Xue Gucheng lowered his head slightly, also thinking about the matter. After a moment, he said.
"Let's look again. There should be a way out."
Yan Wushuang had no choice but to follow him to search again.
The two walked into the mountains and forests again, wandering and searching everywhere.
Xue Gucheng remembered that the place they had accidentally stumbled into was a mysterious mountain pass, vaguely recalling it was halfway up the mountain.
Therefore, while searching for the path, he looked up several times towards the mountain.
However, there were only tall, upright trees and low bushes.
They saw no entrance or exit.
The two wandered in the mountains and forests for a long time. By the time the sun began to set and the moon rose, they still had no clue.
Xue Gucheng, uncharacteristically, felt a bit dejected. It was the first time he had experienced a sense of failure, feeling that he had made a promise too early.
Yan Wushuang turned her head and saw him standing still, not moving. She guessed his disappointment and spoke to comfort him.
"Brother Xue, what are you thinking about? It's not your fault that we can't find it. People always need to experience failure.
If there were only success, wouldn't life be meaningless?"
Xue Gucheng was amused by her words and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, yes, those who haven't experienced failure will have no desire for success.
Thank you, Shuang'er, for always giving me courage when I'm down."
Yan Wushuang also laughed and said.
"Brother Xue, don't you always comfort me? I'm just doing what you taught me."
Xue Gucheng stepped forward lightly, unexpectedly embraced her, and smiled slightly, saying.
"Alright, let's keep looking. I think we can find it."
"Yes, I believe so too."
So, the two continued their search.
Just then, the sound of flowing water came from a distance.
The two followed the sound and arrived at a cliff, seeing a scene like "the Milky Way falling from the nine heavens."
Even though it was night, they could imagine the magnificent sense of grandeur.
As they looked up, they suddenly saw a blurry figure stumbling into the waterfall.
Xue Gucheng immediately said.
"It seems to be that person."
Yan Wushuang also saw it and said.
"It should be. Let's hurry and follow."
So, the two leaped forward, flew to the waterfall, and plunged into it.
Passing through the waterfall, they arrived in front of a cave entrance. The cave was pitch black, with no trace of light.
Xue Gucheng drew his snow blade from behind and aimed it into the cave, about to unleash a powerful move for illumination.
Before he could act, he heard a slightly drunken voice echo in the air.
"You are guests, do not resort to violence."
As soon as the voice fell, a faint light appeared ahead. Xue Gucheng quickly retracted his snow blade and, together with Yan Wushuang, moved towards the light source.
They finally reached the other side of the mountain.
At this moment, the moonlight had just begun to rise, and the surroundings were as if covered with a silver blanket, quiet and beautiful.
And on the protruding platform in front of them, a person sat with their back to them.
The person propped their head with one hand and held a wine pot with the other, drinking unhurriedly, as if anticipating their arrival.
Xue Gucheng knew this was the person he was looking for and respectfully cupped his hands.
"I presume you are the Drunken Immortal, sir."
The person turned around. He opened his upper garment, revealing his belly, and held a jar of good wine. Putting down the small wine pot in his hand, he asked with a slight intoxication.
"You two children, I've seen you. Weren't you just leaving? Why have you returned?"
Yan Wushuang found it a bit amusing. Their last meeting was over two hundred years ago, yet he insisted it was just a recent farewell. It seemed he really didn't like going out.
Xue Gucheng was direct and stated his purpose.
"I didn't expect you to remember us, sir. I know you have some good wine, and I'd like to borrow a few jars to try."
He smiled slightly, raised his hand, and tossed the wine jar in his embrace. Xue Gucheng caught it and sniffed it carefully, his face full of joy as he exclaimed.
"Good wine, good wine!"
"How much do you need?"
He asked.
Xue Gucheng replied.
"Five or six jars."
"I thought you needed more. You didn't accompany me for a drink last time. I'm afraid you're borrowing this wine for someone else this time."
To think he knew everything. Xue Gucheng dared not hide it and said directly.
"Indeed, it's for someone else, but it's to save a life."
Upon hearing this, the Drunken Immortal stood up and performed a set of Flying Dragon Fist under the moonlight, swaying left and right with his drunkenness.
Yet, he still remembered to ask them.
"Do you two happen to know someone?"
"Who are you referring to, sir?"
Yan Wushuang asked.
The Drunken Immortal smiled faintly and said.
"Myriad Ghost King. I suppose you might feel some apprehension hearing that name, but that's how the world sees him.
I find him quite interesting. He used to come and drink with me often, but for some reason, he stopped coming later.
I couldn't figure it out, and the one time I went out to look for him, I heard from others that he had passed away. What a pity, what a pity."
Xue Gucheng didn't expect the Drunken Immortal to have had a connection with the Myriad Ghost King. Now that the Myriad Ghost King had been resurrected, he hesitated for a moment before deciding not to mention it.
The Drunken Immortal suddenly said again.
"I can give you the wine, but I hope you can take a jar to see my old friend, pour two cups at his grave, and tell him I haven't forgotten him."
Yan Wushuang looked back at Xue Gucheng, wondering whether to reveal the matter. Xue Gucheng thought that he would eventually find out anyway, so he decided to tell him.
He then nodded to Yan Wushuang.
Yan Wushuang then told the Drunken Immortal everything about the Myriad Ghost King's resurrection.
"Sir, there's something I'd like to tell you."
"Oh? What is it?"
"It's about the Myriad Ghost King. You haven't been out for a long time, so you must not know what has been happening outside.
The Myriad Ghost King has been resurrected, but the Four Cities do not tolerate him and are pursuing him."
Yan Wushuang deliberately omitted the fact that the Myriad Ghost King had been captured. Firstly, she feared that the Drunken Immortal would be sad and distressed again, and secondly, to keep their plan to rescue the Myriad Ghost King a secret.
However, upon hearing this news, the Drunken Immortal laughed heartily as if relieved.
"Hahaha, hahaha, I knew it, he couldn't die, he couldn't die."
In his excitement, he even asked them about a very secret matter.
"What about the Myriad Ghost King's wife? How is she?"
The two were immediately stunned, as if they had heard some unknown secret, and remained speechless for a long time.
Xue Gucheng even asked.
"Old sir, you said the Myriad Ghost King has a wife?"
The Drunken Immortal smiled slightly and retorted.
"What? You don't know?"
The two shook their heads in confusion. Since the Myriad Ghost King's emergence, no one in the Four Cities had heard of him having a wife; they only heard of his battles with the Four Cities.
The Drunken Immortal chuckled and waved his hand.
"Oh, actually, what I said isn't quite right. They weren't married yet, but the Myriad Ghost King kept saying she was his future wife.
I asked the girl, but she only said they were friends."
At this point, Yan Wushuang also became curious and pressed.
"Old sir, when did that happen?"
The Drunken Immortal thought seriously for a long time before recalling.
"That was probably about two thousand years ago. Back then, the Myriad Ghost King was still a young hero, and there was always a woman by his side.
When that woman wasn't smiling, she looked like an icy mountain and a sea of snow, but when she smiled, she was like the blooming flowers of April, competing to open.
I met them around that time."
So that's how it was. They had heard this secret for the first time. After the gossip, Xue Gucheng remembered the main business.
"Old sir, look, you need to lend us a few jars of wine."
The Drunken Immortal stretched lazily and laughed.
"No need to borrow, I'll give them to you. I think you've seen the Myriad Ghost King. If you see him again, please invite him to visit me.
Just tell him I miss him."
Xue Gucheng agreed.
"Alright, if we see him, we'll definitely ask him to come and see you."
"Mm."
The Drunken Immortal nodded deeply and pointed to the house down the mountain.
"All my wine is there. You can go and get it."
Xue Gucheng looked down the mountain and saw a courtyard that resembled a quadrangle.
He then pulled Yan Wushuang and jumped down the mountain, entering the courtyard. Seeing the courtyard full of wine, they picked five or six jars of good wine.
Afterward, they summoned Xiao Shuang'er and had it carry them back.
Before they parted, the Drunken Immortal handed them a jar of his aged fine wine, then picked up another jar and sang.
"Tomorrow after tomorrow, how many tomorrows there are. My life waits for tomorrow, and all things become wasted."