Chapter 4 The Shepherd Old Man
The afternoon of the fourth day, at sunset, Xiao Yunlong, carrying two jars of fine wine treasured by the Old Northern King for many years, and holding Liu Ruyan’s hand, arrived at a grassland fifty li northwest of the Northern Territory Great Camp.
It had just snowed, and the setting sun dyed the entire grassland a golden yellow. The white snow on the ground emitted a dazzling and hazy glow.
With the snow clearing, people’s moods finally seemed to lift. Xiao Yunlong and Liu Ruyan walked together to a wooden house on the edge of the grassland.
The wooden house looked somewhat dilapidated, and the two sheepdogs inside were as skinny and old as the house.
An aged old man was lazily leaning against the courtyard wall, basking in the sun. His clothes were also very worn, but the pipe he held in his mouth was quite bright.
The fire in the pipe flickered with the old man’s inhales. He appeared to be an ordinary, solitary shepherd.
Liu Ruyan was very curious why her fiancé had specifically come to this place, even bringing two bottles of their scarce good wine. However, she didn’t ask, knowing that Xiao Yunlong must have a profound reason for doing so.
Her intuition told her that this seemingly ordinary old shepherd was not simple.
In fact, if one looked closely in the dim, setting sun, the smoke exhaled from the old man’s mouth resembled a slender dragon, lingering without dissipating.
This was clearly a sign of powerful internal energy, otherwise, it would be impossible!
Xiao Yunlong didn’t knock but directly pushed open the old wooden fence gate and walked in, saying, “As soon as I finished my tasks, I came to see you. It’s the same as always; you truly haven’t changed at all.”
Unexpectedly, the old man didn’t get up. Instead, he grumbled, “You’re talking nonsense. The entire grassland has been buzzing for the past two or three days about how the Northern King and his little wife have been sightseeing all day, singing and dancing by the bonfire at night. What do you mean, ‘as soon as I finished my tasks’? Who would believe that!”
Judging by his demeanor and tone, the old man sounded like a petty, complaining wife, which greatly surprised Liu Ruyan and made her feel a bit embarrassed.
However, Liu Ruyan could tell that this old man had a close relationship with Yunlong, otherwise, they wouldn’t be conversing in such a manner.
Xiao Yunlong ignored the old man’s complaints and walked directly to the crudely built wooden table, poured out the aged wine, placed a roasted chicken on the table, and a plate of peanuts.
Instantly, the aroma of wine filled the old, dilapidated wooden house courtyard.
Xiao Yunlong spoke to himself, “These two bottles of wine are vintage treasures, the finest Shaoxing Nu’er Hong. Even the Old Northern King was reluctant to drink them back then. If you’re still sulking, I’ll drink them all…”
However, before Xiao Yunlong could finish, the old man zipped to the table with a whoosh, his hand already holding a bowl of wine from the table.
Liu Ruyan was stunned on the spot because she couldn’t see how the old man had moved so quickly. By all accounts, she was now a Martial King with the cultivation of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, her strength not low.
Yet, even so, she couldn’t even track his movement.
“He’s an unparalleled master!” Liu Ruyan immediately thought.
Xiao Yunlong showed no surprise and picked up his wine bowl with a slight smile.
But just as he was about to clink glasses with the old man, the old man tilted his head back and gulped down the wine in the bowl.
“Good wine, damn good wine! What a pity, that brat Old Northern King treasured it for so many years, reluctant to drink it even in death. What a shame!” the old man lamented, shaking his head repeatedly.
“If the Old Northern King had drunk it himself back then, would there be any for you today?” Xiao Yunlong chuckled and poured him another bowl of wine.
“That’s true.”
The old man chuckled, grabbed a chicken leg, and devoured it. After finishing, he said, “I’ve heard about the recent affairs in the Northern Territory. You’ve done well. That brat Old Northern King truly didn’t misjudge you back then!”
Xiao Yunlong shook his head and said, “But old man, I crippled your two disciples and banished them from the Northern Territory forever. Don’t you resent me?”
Hearing this, Liu Ruyan’s heart tightened. She now understood that this seemingly ordinary old shepherd was the master of those two Northern Territory guardians!
No wonder his movements earlier were so terrifying that even Liu Ruyan, who was already at the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown Martial King realm, couldn’t see him clearly!
The old man, with the wine bowl suspended in his hand, froze for a moment. After a long sigh, he said, “If I resented you, I wouldn’t be drinking your wine. You did nothing wrong; they were the ones who were wrong. Of course, it’s also my fault as a master for not teaching them well. I am ashamed, ashamed!”
“Sir, you truly possess noble character and integrity, worthy of being called a national scholar admired even by the Heavenly Strategy Mansion’s Wen Tian Pavilion!” Xiao Yunlong said, raising his wine cup with both hands to toast.
Frankly speaking, there were few people in this world whom Xiao Yunlong truly admired and would personally pour wine for, not even exceeding three. The old man before him was one of them!
Regarding the old man, Xiao Yunlong didn’t know much about his past deeds. He only knew that he was over a hundred years old and a legendary figure from the last century.
After finishing his bowl of wine, the old man waved his hands repeatedly and said, “I am old. What national scholar am I talking about? Now I just want to stay in this place, herd sheep, and bask in the sun every day, ending my life like this.”
Xiao Yunlong also finished his wine and said, “Old man, I won’t hide it from you. The four great guardians of the Northern Territory are either dead or crippled, and the situation in the Northern Territory is unstable. Therefore, I want to invite you to emerge from seclusion again!”
The old man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head and glanced at the last sliver of the setting sun in the western sky. After a long while, he said, “I won’t hide it from you either. In fact, I’ve abstained from alcohol for so many years, but today, I couldn’t resist. It’s all because of this vintage, exquisite Shaoxing Nu’er Hong. Damn, it’s so fragrant!”
Hearing this, Liu Ruyan couldn’t help but chuckle. Realizing her lapse in composure, she quickly said, “I apologize, sir. I wasn’t mocking you, but I find your words very amusing.”
“My words are amusing?” the old man blinked, then pointed at Xiao Yunlong and said, “Kid, your little wife is good. You have good taste. You’re better than me in this regard!”
Liu Ruyan’s ears turned red, and she didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
Xiao Yunlong naturally ignored the old man’s teasing and asked, “So, senior, are you agreeing?”
The old man gulped down another full bowl of wine and then said, “Of course. After drinking your wine, I am yours. Once it’s finished, I’ll go with you!”
Liu Ruyan then teased, “If you leave, what about your two sheepdogs and the flock of sheep nearby?”
Unexpectedly, the old man waved his hand and said, “Isn’t that simple? Just take them to the Northern Territory Great Camp and slaughter them all. We’ll have a bonfire party tonight and eat roast lamb chops. Don’t you young couples like to sing and dance by the bonfire?”
“…” Liu Ruyan was completely speechless, thinking that this old fellow seemed quite different from ordinary people.
Xiao Yunlong nodded and said, “Good. I’ll have someone come over later to take them to the Great Camp and slaughter them all. Also, burn down this old wooden house of yours. That way, you won’t have to return, and you can stay at the Great Camp from now on.”
The old man was stunned and didn’t know what to say for a moment, only looking at the wooden house with some reluctance.
After finishing the wine and roasted chicken, Xiao Yunlong and Liu Ruyan left. However, on their way back, an old man followed behind them.
This old man, whose seniority and qualifications were as frightening as his age, had agreed to emerge from seclusion, but he had a condition: his identity must not be revealed. Even when he arrived at the Northern Territory Great Camp, he only wanted to live quietly as an ordinary person, waiting for death.
Xiao Yunlong readily agreed. After all, he knew that such reclusive masters always had some unique quirks. As long as he could stay at the Northern Territory Great Camp, it would be enough. With him there, the Northern Territory would have a stabilizing force.
The reason Xiao Yunlong invited this former Northern Territory guardian out of seclusion was mainly because he would be heading to the Imperial Capital after the New Year, and it would be unacceptable for the Great Camp to lack a capable master.
Upon returning to the Northern Territory Great Camp at night, Xiao Yunlong received news that the three northern desert kingdoms had compromised and accepted his two exchange conditions.
However, the time and place would be determined by the three northern desert kingdoms, set for three days later. But the location of the handover would only be notified by the three northern desert kingdoms on the day of their departure!
“Master, could this be a trap? We don’t know the location in advance, which is very improper. What if the other party has already laid an ambush there?”
Before Pan Chaofeng could finish, Xiao Yunlong waved his hand to interrupt, “Don’t worry. In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are mere paper tigers!”
He paused, then snorted coldly, “If they dare to do so, they are seeking death. Don’t blame me for slaughtering them all then!”