A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

People in the countryside really like snowy days, as a good snowfall promises a good harvest.

But it won't work if it snows too heavily.

The damage caused by the heavy snow was severe.

Collapsed houses and a lack of winter clothing and food could be a devastating blow to the lives of ordinary people.

In the eyes of the people of Linbin Town, the heavy snowfall on Peach Blossom Mountain was definitely a very serious snow disaster.

fortunately!

fortunately!

The heavy snow only fell on Peach Blossom Mountain.

Then all sorts of rumors started circulating.

The most widespread and widely believed story among the people of Linbin Town is that the Taoist patriarch enshrined in Taohua Temple offended someone in heaven, so heaven sent down heavy snow to warn his grand-disciple Zhang Zhengdao.

Winter arrived unexpectedly because of a snowfall.

This is Zhang Zhengdao's first winter in this world.

Zhang Zhengdao was undeterred by the bitter cold, as were the two female warriors, and even the ghost Shu Baimei was unafraid, saving them the expense of burning charcoal. Because of the snow, the path up the mountain became even more difficult.

Fortunately, road repairs will begin in the spring.

Almost no one from the Taoist temple comes up here.

For several days in a row, not a single person was seen.

Judging by the time, it should be time for the Mount Hua martial arts competition.

Since there was no business, Zhang Zhengdao had the female ghost Shu Baimei watch over the house. Keeping her around was the right choice; with her guarding the house and appearing and disappearing unpredictably, who would dare to steal or pickpocket in the Taoist temple?

"Would you two like to sign up for the martial arts competition at Mount Hua this time?"

Zhang Zhengdao asked.

Hu Yunying: "I signed up. I went to town to buy things a couple of days ago and ran into Qin Shouzhong. He and Hai Tianfu were also going and promised to sign me up."

Guo Lanying shook her head: "I won't compete."

Zhang Zhengdao said, "Debi, you've improved a lot now, you've reached the Innate Realm, haven't you?"

Guo Lanying nodded, indicating that she had reached the mid-stage of the Innate Realm.

The Peach Blossom Temple is a place that nourishes the body.

Hu Yunying, in particular, felt that she had reached the mid-stage of the Grandmaster realm and was showing signs of a breakthrough. She wanted to break through to the late stage under pressure through a competition.

As long as you firmly follow Zhang Zhengdao, becoming a Grandmaster is within reach.

"Sir, this is a flag I made."

Hu Yunying was skillful and actually managed to buy some cloth in town and make a large flag. Guo Lanying, who was next to her, took out a bamboo pole from the Taoist temple and tied the flag together.

It flutters in the wind, and the three large golden characters on it are particularly eye-catching.

—Peach Blossom Sword Sect.

The calligraphy is excellent; it was written by Lu Tongsheng from the town, and he paid four taels of silver for it.

It was all Hu Yunying's private savings.

Writing four characters costs four taels of silver, which once again proves that knowledge is money.

Hu Yunying never hesitated to spend money that was necessary. Otherwise, she could never have written such bold and unrestrained characters. Written in ancient clerical script, it's easy to recognize and exudes a grand air.

Moreover, the characters embroidered with golden silk thread exude even more wealth and nobility, which the master will surely appreciate.

Zhang Zhengdao really liked it.

But what the hell is the Peach Blossom Sword Sect? It's clearly just a Taoist temple with one abbot. The two women are just unofficial servants who haven't even received their ordination certificates yet. And he himself doesn't know any swordsmanship! He's completely ignorant of all the sword techniques in the martial arts world.

Peach Blossom Sword Sect

The smell of cosmetics hits you.

However, since the embroidery was already done, there wasn't enough time to make another one, and it would be a waste of money. He didn't know that this flag, including the fabric, needle and thread, and Lu Tongsheng's inscription, cost a total of seven taels of silver.

Otherwise, they would definitely curse Hu Yunying as a spendthrift who'd behead her.

Having not roamed the martial world for a long time, Hu Yunying was quite excited, while Guo Lanying remained calm. The massacre of her entire Guo family had extinguished her former enthusiasm for the martial world.

When the topic of the martial arts world comes up, the light in their eyes has disappeared, a light that should be present in a young person's eyes.

"set off!"

Zhang Zhengdao, carrying a peach wood sword, took the lead and walked down the mountain.

Shu Baimei watched the three of them descend the mountain from the entrance of the Taoist temple, her eyes filled with envy.

It takes more than half a month to walk from Peach Blossom Temple to Mount Hua. Then there's a twenty-day martial arts competition on Mount Hua. And then another month to return from Mount Hua to Peach Blossom Temple, just in time to go home for the New Year.

This is a grand event in the martial arts world, and Zhang Zhengdao is very much looking forward to it.

Lu Xiaohua was waiting for Zhang Zhengdao at the town's crossroads. She knew about it when Hu Yunying asked her father to write a letter.

Her petite body stood ramrod straight.

She held up a bowl filled with wine and presented it to Zhang Zhengdao. She was short, so she had to stand on tiptoe to hold the bowl up to him.

Her serious and earnest demeanor as she stood on tiptoe made Zhang Zhengdao really want to touch her long braid.

Her hair, which was originally styled in a bun with two small braids, has now become one long braid.

Your face has matured!

"Master, you're about to embark on a long journey. I'll offer you three bowls of wine."

Zhang Zhengdao did not refuse, took the bowl, and drank it all in one gulp. Lu Xiaohua refilled it, and Zhang Zhengdao drank it all again.

He drank three bowls in a row.

Lu Xiaohua then advised, "When you're out and about, don't be reckless. Your life and safety are more important than any empty fame."

Like a little adult.

Zhang Zhengdao smiled and nodded, saying, "Let's raise it for a few more years!"

Lu Xiaohua was clever and smiled gently.

Watching Zhang Zhengdao's departing figure from afar, even in winter, her face felt hot.

It was a young girl's first love that caused her to spill her rouge.

Once outside Linbin Town, Hu Yunying unfurled the large flag, which fluttered in the slightly chilly wind.

According to the rules of the martial arts world, as long as disciples of a sect are traveling and displaying their sect's banner, bandits and robbers generally won't provoke them. On the contrary, many sects along the way will try to establish ties with them and provide them with food, drink, and travel expenses.

Especially the big sects, those are what you call big sects, they have people to receive them along the way.

Although Peach Blossom Temple gained some fame in the martial arts world after the two grandmasters presented their precious swords, the grandmasters presented the swords to the temple and to the Taoist patriarch. What did that have to do with the righteous path?

Therefore, the owner of Peach Blossom Temple was not very famous.

When people mention this matter, they only say that it was a certain Taoist priest from Peach Blossom Temple.

In addition, Hu Yunying made such a big flag with four large characters on it: Peach Blossom Sword Sect.

Does anyone know what the Peach Blossom Sword Sect is?

All the food and drinks along the way were paid for by Zhang Zhengdao. When they stayed at the inn that night, Zhang Zhengdao quietly calculated that apart from broadening his horizons, he probably wouldn't make much money on this trip.

The travel expenses were too high.

Major sects have many people and much wealth, and most of them have businesses to back them up.

Small sects and wandering martial artists travel and beg for alms. They can even earn a considerable amount of money as travel expenses by helping others with their escorts.

Zhang Zhengdao liked to travel, and the longer he traveled, the fewer nights he had to stay at the inn.

As early winter approached and the weather grew increasingly cold, the three of them could walk briskly along the mountain paths. Zhang Zhengdao, in particular, possessed a technique from Taoist scriptures that could shrink distances to an inch, which he used to travel with incredible speed. If it weren't for taking care of the two women, he felt he could have arrived in a day.

Even though Hu Yunying was already a grandmaster, compared to Zhang Zhengdao's technique, it was like comparing a firefly to the light of the sun and moon.

The wind rises at the Mountain God Temple.

The three of them gathered some firewood in the dilapidated temple.

Zhang Zhengdao snapped his fingers, and a glimmer of light fell into the pile of firewood, igniting the fire.

The crimson flames, the warmth on her body, and the three of them passing around a leather water bag filled with wine—all these feelings reminded Hu Yunying of the days when she was a young girl, adventuring in the martial world with her senior brothers.

Even though she spent the night in a deserted temple, she was happy.

The flames illuminated the three people's faces, making them appear reddish, and the burning firewood crackled and popped.

Zhang Zhengdao asked Hu Yunying, "Have you ever lived in a place like this before?"

"I've stayed here!" Hu Yunying said with a smile.

Have you ever encountered a killer on a rainy night... or a down-on-his-luck scholar... like that?

Zhang Zhengdao wanted to verify a plot point from a martial arts novel on Earth.

"It really does!"

Hu Yunying said, "When I encounter situations like this, my senior brothers always take care of me. Once I have some strength, I will have to take care of my disciples. The martial world is like that... you can meet all kinds of people and encounter all kinds of things."

Guo Lanying didn't interrupt; in reality, she rarely had the chance to travel alone. She simply used a stick to stir the firewood in the fire.

The winter rain started falling heavily in the first half of the night.

The howling of wolves in the mountains drowned out the sounds of other wild animals.

Hu Yunying didn't care. She lay down on the dry straw by the fire and closed her eyes slightly.

However, she didn't lower her guard just because Zhang Zhengdao was around; the habits of a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone from the martial arts world) are hard to change. Her ears were already carefully listening to every sound around her.

"If a handsome fox spirit came at this moment, would you be tempted?"

Zhang Zhengdao teases Guo Lanying.

Guo Lanying blushed, turned away, and didn't want to talk to him.

However, as soon as she turned around, her eyes involuntarily looked outside.

There seemed to be the sound of bowstrings in the distance.

Guo Lanying couldn't hear.

But Hu Yunying, who had been lying with her eyes closed, suddenly leaped up like a swallow and darted past the fire. Guo Lanying saw the flash of her sword.

The wind that blew through the fire as she flew by stirred it, causing sparks to fly and the fire to crackle and burn even brighter.

"Dodo dodo..."

It sounded like raindrops hitting a pipa, falling densely into the night sky.

Then someone shouted, and soon after, screams were heard.

Guo Lanying held her sword horizontally in front of her, her eyes fixed on the dark forest outside the mountain god temple. The eyes and ears of a master of innate cultivation were constantly listening and observing this pitch-black night.

Then a gust of wind, with a whoosh, sent a figure flying backward through the darkness, staggering several steps back before being caught by a gentle force and brought to a stop.

"The Lotus Sect!"

Hu Yunying said something, her gaze cold as she stared into the dark night.