He Lan Tianxia

Before parting, Murong Junlan instructed Jiang He to fetch thirty jars of wine from the cellar as a token of gratitude to the dwarves. While it was meant as a token of appreciation, it was still a heartfelt gesture, considering they had been fed, lodged, and cared for. However, he hadn't thought much of it before leaving, and was truly short of money. Murong Junlan then took out half of the elixir from the giant bird's egg and gave it to the dwarves. The dwarves repeatedly declined, saying they desperately needed the medicine to detoxify and absolutely could not accept it; thirty jars of wine were already an overwhelming gesture. Murong Junlan and his companions had no choice but to thank them again, bow, and bid farewell.

Murong Junlan and his group walked aimlessly, as they were still searching for three of the five items: Crimson Spirit Spring Water, Purple Jade Snow Lotus Fruit, Black Overlord Flower, Poisonous Wolf Infant, and Lei Yu. They had no idea where to find the remaining three, and since none of them had fully recovered, Murong Junlan decided to proceed slowly. The advantage of this slow pace was that it would facilitate healing, and he also wanted to wait for the White-Faced Scholar to develop an antidote for Yan'er's "Deeply Rooted Love." Murong Junlan had secretly reached an agreement with the White-Faced Scholar: once he cured Yan'er's poison, he would immediately release him and the shopkeeper. The White-Faced Scholar neither agreed nor objected, and Murong Junlan let him be, figuring the White-Faced Scholar was in a state of near-death and couldn't cause any trouble.

After walking for nearly ten days along desolate mountain paths, we finally saw wisps of smoke rising ahead. Three thatched huts, a fence of wild chrysanthemums, a wolfhound barking wildly in the distance, and an old man leaning on a wooden cane, his body hunched over, peering out.

Murong Junlan was about to go over and say hello when a boy ran up to the old man from the opposite path, panting, and reported, "Grandpa, it's terrible, it's terrible! Anqiao Temple is smoking, it's smoking! And, and..."

The old man's hands trembled as he reached for the kettle on the wooden table, trying to calm himself, but his hands still shook uncontrollably. His lips also clenched, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "What else is there to say?"

The little boy grabbed the kettle, filled a cup, and handed it to the old man. He then filled his own cup and gulped it down, looking extremely thirsty. He licked his lips contentedly before continuing, "They also said the abbot of Anqiao Temple fainted."

With a "clatter," the old man's cup fell from his hand, spilling tea all over the table. The cup spun around a few times before rolling off and shattering on the floor. As he reached for it, he knocked over a wooden stick beside the table.

The little boy noticed something was wrong and, while picking up the stick, asked with concern, "Grandpa, are you alright?"

The old man said, "Hurry up, go and find out whether the abbot has fainted or is dead?"

The little boy thought the old man, who was usually indifferent to worldly affairs, was acting strangely today. He blinked, wanting to ask, but in the end he just said "Oh," then quickly picked up the broken pieces on the ground, said "Grandpa, be careful," and ran out the door.

Murong Junlan felt that the old man was blind but not quite, so in order not to frighten him, he went up to greet him himself.

"Old man, we apologize for the intrusion, but we are just passing through and would like to ask for lodging for the night. Would you be so kind as to do us this favor?"

The old man sat there warily without responding. Seeing this, Murong Junlan bowed slightly and said apologetically, "If it's inconvenient, then I apologize for disturbing you."

Just as Murong Junlan turned to leave, the old man spoke: "Is the guest a martial artist?" His voice was not loud, but it was powerful.

Murong Junlan had already dispelled all his martial arts aura, but the old man still sensed it. He immediately focused his mind and felt the other party's continuous, subtle force, which would not be detected if one's skill was insufficient. So he respectfully bowed again: "Senior, I have offended you. I hope you will forgive me."

After speaking, Murong Junlan turned and left. Behind him, the old man softly said, "If you don't mind, you may stay."