The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

In the morning, a gentle breeze blows through the lush green mountains, rustling the dense branches and leaves. In the distance, birdsong and the murmuring of streams create a unique symphony on Phoenix Wing Mountain.

The warm sunlight shone on Chang'an, but his heart was ice-cold.

"After finally gaining freedom, I now have to go back to that doghouse where even turning over is difficult???"

"No, this young master must sleep in bed tonight."

He immediately turned back to look at the small house atop Phoenix Wing Mountain, and said with great regret, "It's just a pity that the dirtiest and smelliest bed is no longer usable..."

He looked helplessly at the vast red grassland below the mountain, and the corners of his mouth slowly began to turn up. "Yes, I can go down the mountain and bring back a bed. I should be able to do that now."

"However, since returning from Water Heart Island, I haven't left Phoenix Wing Mountain yet. I wonder how things are at Phoenix Feather Pavilion now?"

The thought of his junior disciples, whom he hadn't seen for many years, looking up at him with adoration at his superior martial arts skills made it harder to suppress the urge to smile.

"Haha, it seems I have no choice but to make this trip."

Chang'an leaped up, and the mountain path that seemed treacherous at first glance now became as simple and efficient as Old Wang breaking into the bedroom next door.

In about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he had already reached the foot of the mountain.

The wind—this was the first breeze he felt after descending the mountain; it was gentle and cool.

The vast maple forest was also rippled by this breeze.

Even the cattle and horses on the maple plains are as free and unrestrained as the wind.

That's why everything seems so wonderful.

Chang'an stretched lazily in the sunlight, feeling more relaxed and comfortable than ever before.

"Cough cough cough."

The coughing sound came from the tree-lined path at the foot of the mountain. It wasn't loud, but it seemed out of place amidst the birdsong and fragrant flowers, which is why Chang'an was able to detect it immediately.

"Who else has reached the foot of the mountain? Could it be my junior sister?! I'd better run!"

He had only taken two steps when he realized, "Wait a minute, my junior sister is made of clay, how could she cough for no reason? Besides, that voice sounds quite rough, how could it be my junior sister's delicate and unruly voice?"

"Could it be that my lovely junior disciples have arrived?!"

So Chang'an, filled with curiosity and excitement, hurried toward the shady grove.

This shady path follows the foot of the mountain, nestled amidst lush, dense forest. It's also the only part of the entire grassland that's out of sight.

As Chang'an walked along the road, he felt increasingly uneasy. Could it be that something shady was happening there?

So after Chang'an quietly arrived, he hid behind a tree, intently watching and listening:

There were three boys dressed in disciple robes, their backs to him, seemingly talking to someone.

Behind them was a wooden cart, and Chang'an couldn't take his eyes off it once he saw it.

The magnificent body combines classic and modern aesthetics. The overall frame lines look very clear and smooth, clearly a work of art that has been meticulously crafted.

The wheels are made of metal, with a fine sheen and a powerful, robust feel.

The black cloth covering the truck perfectly concealed all the contents of the truck.

"It really is three junior disciples who have arrived, but what are they carrying? And where are they planning to take them?"

"I'm exhausted, can we go now?" one of the disciples said, clapping his hands and panting.

"Not yet, you need to help me transport the things back." The person speaking was facing the three disciples, and also facing the direction of Chang'an.

The man was dressed in a long gray robe and wore a red mask with many patterns on his face, with only one eye showing. He looked incredibly mysterious and eerie.

Chang'an was startled. "This person only shows one eye, and he has such an exquisitely crafted wooden cart. Could it be... Senior Brother Bone Cutter has arrived?"

"No, Bone File Senior Brother's voice isn't like that."

The three disciples then said, "We will follow our master's instructions."

"Uncle Master?"

Then Chang'an thought again, "Besides Senior Brother Bone Cutter, who else can dress so mysteriously in the Three Venerable Palace without arousing suspicion? Who else can make such exquisite vehicles? And how many people can command their disciples in the name of their Martial Uncle?"

Three years, a short yet long three years, is enough to change many things.

For someone like Bone Cutter, changing his voice is hardly surprising.

Or perhaps this person is deliberately impersonating Senior Brother Bone Cutter in an attempt to commit some wicked act?

It's too early to draw conclusions. At this moment, the three disciples are standing at the front, left front, and right front of the vehicle, respectively, each holding a rope that extends from a hole in the vehicle body, and slowly walking forward.

The three of them now looked relaxed and walked steadily, as if they were gripping the rope rather than pulling on it. With just a slight direction, the vehicle would follow.

At this moment, the disciple directly in front laughed and said, "Such a heavy thing is pulled up by this cart with no effort at all. As expected of something made by our master uncle, it is truly amazing."

The gray-robed man leading the group walked at the front and said, "I told you, this job isn't as difficult as you think. As long as you're obedient, you'll naturally reap the rewards."

"It seems this matter is most likely related to Senior Brother Bone Crush," Chang'an thought to himself.

The disciple on the right then asked, "So, what exactly does Uncle-Master intend to do with this thing after all the trouble he went through to retrieve it?"

The gray-robed man said sternly, "I'm not doing anything, it's just that this thing originally belonged to me."

The three disciples pursed their lips, looked at each other, and seemed somewhat frightened by the gray-robed man.

"Things that originally belonged to him? Could they be some exquisitely crafted mechanical contraptions?"

"Now all four of them are silent. To find out the outcome, we can only continue to follow them."

The four of them, in one car, made no attempt to hide their presence, striding confidently through Chiyuan and past Fengpo, as if they were doing something perfectly natural.

What's even stranger is that none of the other disciples they encountered along the way suspected anything, not even daring to glance at them...

It wasn't until Chang'an followed them to the fork in the road before Fengyu that she understood what was really going on.

People come and go here now, and their clothing styles are quite different. Although most of them are still wearing disciple robes, the gray-robed man is no longer a conspicuous figure among them.

Almost everyone brought some similar gadgets.

Such mechanical items include lifelike wooden dogs, gracefully flying mechanical birds, and other similar mechanical objects.

Of course, there were also wooden carts used for hauling things, but they were not as good in size or quality as those of the gray-robed man.

So unless you look closely, there's really nothing suspicious about these four people in one car.

Chang'an was dumbfounded. "What...what's going on? Did Senior Brother Bone Crush suddenly become kind? Or has Master already sold the Three Venerable Palace?"

Three years is not a long time, but it can change a lot.