The leading man was in his early thirties. With sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes, and a high nose bridge, he was quite handsome. There was a natural air of chivalry about his every gesture.
Everyone was taken aback. Qian Lin from the group suddenly brightened up. "Uncle? What are you doing here?!"
The man nodded, but his manner was not warm. His eyes still rested on Yu Nian, as if waiting for her response.
Yu Nian put the hairpin transformed from Liu Mo back on her head. Then she turned to look at Qian Lin, looking a bit puzzled. "Who is he?"
Qian Lin coughed abruptly, looking incredulous. "You don't even recognize my uncle?"
Yu Nian looked even more confused. "Should I?"
Ming Mingzhong stepped forward and gently tugged at Yu Nian's sleeve. Her voice, though lowered, was tinged with a hint of excitement. "He's Xie Yiming! A legendary figure in the celestial master world in recent years. He was apprenticed to the real person of Yu Yin Mountain since childhood and became famous as a young man. He's captured countless great demons and evil ghosts. He's the object of admiration for many juniors."
Yu Nian was silent for a moment. If it were in her previous life, she might have been able to sort out the master-disciple relationships of various sects. But now, a hundred years had passed. There were so many names on the generation list that she couldn't even count them all. Knowing a name didn't necessarily mean she could recognize the person. She didn't say much and just nodded in response.
Xie Yiming raised his eyebrows. He had been pampered since childhood. His peers and juniors were eager to get close to him when they saw him. The elders doted on him and never hesitated to praise him. Xie Yiming was almost used to the admiration and surprise on people's faces. He was a bit surprised by Yu Nian's almost cold reaction.
"You really don't recognize me?" After all, over the years, he had also met many juniors who pretended to be cold out of shyness when facing him.
Yu Nian smiled politely. She really didn't recognize Xie Yiming, but she might actually know one of his grandmasters or great-uncles...
Seeing Yu Nian's silence, Xie Yiming sized her up and looked a bit confused. "You're the one who got rid of the resentment? Which sect are you from? Where's your magic tool?"
Strange things had been happening frequently in Ningyuan Village recently. After a discussion on the forum, a group of people in the metaphysical world decided to come together. But they were blocked by the soaring evil aura and couldn't get close to the reservoir.
Just as everyone was wracking their brains to find a solution, the evil aura actually dissipated on its own!
Everyone knew this trip was dangerous, so they all brought the useful treasures from their sects with them, like talisman robes, Bagua mirrors, and vajras... In short, they brought everything they could. They walked all the way from the foot of the mountain to the village, out of breath. And here was this little girl in front of them, only carrying a simple bag?
Yu Nian casually sized up the people behind Xie Yiming. There were Taoists, shamans, and Buddhist monks.
There were more or less interactions among the metaphysical sects. Yu Nian didn't want to waste any more words, so she just smiled. "I'm just a casual person temporarily staying at the Qingxin Temple. I don't rely on magic tools to capture demons and ghosts."
It was the first time everyone had encountered a Taoist who could capture ghosts and demons empty-handed. Their eyes then turned to Feng Chengyuan, who had an extraordinary air beside her. Everyone had a vague guess in their hearts: Could Yu Nian be a swindler who deceived this rich fool and accidentally broke the evil situation with just a bit of mediocre skills?
The faces of several Taoists looked a bit ugly, and Xie Yiming's eyes also turned cold. In this era, the metaphysical world was a jumbled mess. He hated most those who swindled in the name of Taoists. It was precisely because of people like Yu Nian that the reputation of the celestial master world was getting worse and worse.
He looked at Qian Lin standing beside Yu Nian and said coldly, "How long do you still want to stand there? Come here!"
Qian Lin was a bit dazed. Although he didn't know why his uncle suddenly got angry, he still obediently walked over.
Seeing the situation was a bit awkward, a Buddhist chant slowly came from the crowd.
"Amitabha. Long time no see, Benefactor Feng. How have you been?"
A kind-looking monk in a white Buddhist robe slowly walked up to Feng Chengyuan.
Feng Chengyuan was a bit surprised to see the person coming. He returned a Buddhist salute. "Master Qingdeng, you're actually here too?"
Master Qingdeng smiled. Seeing that Feng Chengyuan still wore the bodhi bracelet steadily, his eyes briefly lingered between Feng Chengyuan and Yu Nian for a moment, but he only said, "Since the matter has been resolved, could I trouble Benefactor Feng to give us a ride when you go down the mountain?"
Feng Chengyuan nodded without hesitation. When he was a child, he was plagued by diseases. If it weren't for the magic tool given by Master Qingdeng to protect him, he might not have survived that year.
Seeing that Yu Nian and the others were about to leave, Qian Lin was a bit anxious. "Uncle, why don't we also take President Feng's car down..."
Before he could finish, Xie Yiming's cold gaze swept over. "What? Do we all not have legs and can't walk down by ourselves?"
Qian Lin shut his mouth awkwardly, but Yu Nian stopped walking. She checked the time and said, "It's exactly six o'clock now. If you can't leave Ningyuan Village before seven o'clock, you might have to stay here forever."
Yu Nian's tone was calm, but it somehow made people feel a bit creepy. A young Taoist behind Xie Yiming angrily said, "What are you talking nonsense about! The road was fine when we came up. What could happen in just one hour?"
But Xie Yiming suddenly waved his hand to interrupt the young Taoist. He sat cross-legged on the ground, took out three copper coins from his pocket, and after divining several times, his face suddenly darkened. He looked at Feng Chengyuan's car parked not far away. It was quite spacious and could still accommodate them.
But he still felt a bit reluctant in his heart. How did Yu Nian see the ominous sign that he only sensed after divination?
Seeing that the time was getting closer and closer to seven o'clock, he gritted his teeth and got into Feng Chengyuan's car with the other juniors.
In the blink of an eye, the originally clear sky suddenly turned overcast. Dark clouds rolled in, and the heavy rain kept pounding on the ground. The road became more and more muddy. Yu Nian glanced at the sky and said to Feng Chengyuan, "Don't take the way we came. Go around from the back of Ningyuan Village."
Qian Lin was startled by the thunder outside the car window. He wondered, "The weather forecast didn't say there would be a heavy rain today..."
The mountain road was extremely rough. The car swayed as it drove for a while. Just as the hands on the watch precisely pointed to the number seven, a loud "boom" suddenly came from not far away, and the road they were driving on also shook violently.
Mud and gravel kept falling from the surrounding mountains. Fortunately, Feng Chengyuan's driving skills were good enough, and he successfully drove out of Ningyuan Village. But the rain was getting heavier and heavier. Although it was daytime, even with the high beams on, it was so dark that they couldn't see anything. Along with the howling wind, there were continuous "gurgling" bubble sounds on the ground. If anyone went out rashly at this moment, they would either be blown away by the wind or hit by the gravel.
Feng Chengyuan was turning the steering wheel while observing the surrounding terrain. Finally, he parked the car outside a relatively hidden natural grotto. He turned up the temperature of the air conditioner and said, "For safety's sake, we can't drive the car any further. Everyone, don't run around. Stay in the car. We'll drive out as soon as the rain stops."