The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

Before leaving, Wen Ying started scribbling on her face again. Although Lu Xiaosan was used to it and wouldn't ask, every time he saw her like this, his heart ached, and he couldn't figure out why.

If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it anymore.

Both of them were seasoned wanderers, and they didn't prepare any luggage for their long journey. They just took some money and set off lightly.

As she was leaving, the golden retriever whimpered and looked aggrieved. Wen Ying comforted it for a long time before reluctantly saying goodbye.

Wen Ying drove the carriage, seemingly silent and dazed, as if she had been separated from the big golden retriever.

Seeing this, Lu Xiaosan also sat down in front of the car, intending to say some comforting words, but unfortunately, he was not quick-witted and even more tongue-tied.

So I sat next to her for a long time without letting out a single warm fart.

Helpless, he could only pick up the horse reins and stay by her side.

The carriage traveled south, and he quietly stayed with her for a very long time…

An hour or so later, Wen Ying excitedly pointed to a deer by the roadside, and the two started chatting, followed by laughter and joy all the way.

Lu Xiaosan's hand unconsciously began to gently feel her hair. Wen Ying, seeing that he had been bald for many years, couldn't bear to refuse.

When night fell, the two parked the carriage by the roadside and made do with spending the night inside.

The next morning, they continued their journey south without stopping, and finally arrived in Jiangcheng, where the Yangtze River flows and the Yellow Crane Tower stands, before nightfall.

The two rested in Jiangcheng for one night, and the next day they went to a pharmacy in the city to buy lily buds.

But every drug dealer covered their noses and said disdainfully, "No, no, we only got a little this year, and it's all sold out."

One shop after another gave the same reply, and Wen Ying finally couldn't help but ask the medicine vendors, "Where do you get this flowing lotus grass?"

Seeing that it was Wen Ying who asked the question, the medicine vendor said, "This flowing lotus grass only grows at the bottom of East Lake, and ordinary people like us can't pick it."

The pharmacy owner pointed to a lush green hill in the distance, "See that? It's right by East Lake. There are two hunters on that hill. They're the only ones in the whole city who know how to get deep into the bottom of East Lake. We buy our lily-shaped grass from them, so you can try your luck with them."

"Thank you very much, I wish you a prosperous business, Uncle," Wen Ying said with a smile.

After saying that, he pulled Lu Xiaosan and headed towards East Lake.

Because East Lake is located in the city, the mountain is not far away either, and the two arrived at the foot of the mountain at noon.

Upon reaching the top of the mountain, one is greeted by lush grass and verdant trees. Looking down, one can see a gentle breeze rippling across the mirror-like surface of the lake.

Continuing up the mountain road, you will see a towering earthen platform.

Upon reaching the rooftop, one sees no trees around, a desolate scene, while in the center stands a massive black cauldron.

The blackened lining of the furnace has long been cracked and covered in filth, clearly having withstood hundreds of years of wind and rain and long since fallen into disrepair. Yet, judging from its majestic and imposing appearance, it still seems to reach for the heavens.

The two arrived at the front of the stage. Now that they were high up, they felt a strong wind blowing in their faces, carrying rain. Looking out, they saw that the mountains and water were surrounded by water on three sides, with six peaks connected and each peak plunging into the heart of the lake. The mountain range was so vast that it was like a giant hand reaching to the sky. Holding this hand, they asked the heavens, "What do we have to fear?"

At this moment, Lu Xiaosan felt a surge of ambition and heroic spirit, and couldn't help but roar at the heavens: all his ambitions were swept away by the gale and blown into the boundless sky.

Lu Xiaosan couldn't help but sigh, "Something big must have happened here before..."

"Hehehe, not bad, something did happen here before." An old voice came from behind.

The two turned around at the sound and saw a woodcutter sitting at the corner of the platform. He was wearing a straw hat and a black cloth robe, with a wooden axe at his waist and bundles of wood piled up beside him.

The two stepped forward together, and the woodcutter proudly laughed, "This is the place where Liu Bei offered sacrifices to Heaven back then."

The two were startled and exclaimed in unison, "Uncle Liu? Liu Bei?"

The woodcutter stroked his beard with his calloused, dark hands and continued, "Back then, in the Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Bei captured Jingzhou, while Eastern Wu wanted to seize it."

"Therefore, Sun Quan used the promise of marrying his sister as bait to try to harm him. Liu Bei and Kongming then turned the tables on him. They sailed south and, when they passed by this place, they were attracted by the beautiful scenery. So they abandoned their boat and climbed the mountain to come here."

Lu Xiaosan tilted his head and asked in surprise, "This Liu Bei, even though people wanted to kill him, he still had the mood to get off the boat and enjoy the scenery."

The woodcutter grumbled, his face showing displeasure, "They've fought wars their whole lives, can't they stop and enjoy themselves?"

Lu Xiaosan curled his lip, thinking to himself, "Is he your father?"

The woodcutter paused for a moment and then said, "Liu Bei disembarked and climbed the mountain, just as he was enjoying this view, when suddenly a strange wind blew by and blew his hat away without a trace."

"Liu Bei was greatly alarmed, feeling that his luck had run out. He then decided to build an altar here to offer sacrifices to Heaven."

"After the ceremony, the sky cleared. Liu Bei finally won the beauty from Eastern Wu and returned safely. Hence, this place is called Liu Bei's Suburban Terrace."

"Since it's a ceremony to worship Heaven, why not call it the Altar of Heaven Worship but the Altar of Suburban Heaven?" Wen Ying asked doubtfully.

The woodcutter pointed at Wen Ying and laughed, "That's right, a good question. Since ancient times, only emperors could use the altar to worship heaven. But at that time, Liu Bei was just a local lord. To avoid these inconveniences, he called it the altar for suburban sacrifices."

Wen Ying nodded, "I see, no wonder there's a large cauldron here..."

The woodcutter grinned, his yellow teeth standing out starkly against his dark skin. He said, "I didn't expect you young people to enjoy listening to these kinds of stories so much, and to have come all the way up the mountain. You're quite the young men."

Wen Ying said awkwardly, "Sir, you flatter us. We came here to find two hunters in the mountains."

Upon hearing this, the woodcutter's expression hardened, and a hint of wariness appeared between his brows. "What do you want with them?"

"What else can we do besides shopping? Are we supposed to flirt with them, huh?" Lu Xiaosan cursed.

Wen Ying quickly stopped Lu Xiaosan and smiled at the woodcutter, "Don't bother with him, sir."

The woodcutter snorted, "This monk is foul-mouthed and stinky. It's a pity that he has such a beautiful girl beside him."

Lu Xiaosan started biting his nails, looking smug. "What, envious? You can't stink even if you want to."

Wen Ying slapped Lu Xiaosan, then looked at him with a resentful expression, signaling him to shut up. She then turned around and said, "Sir, you don't need to be so nervous. We came to them just to ask for some lotus grass."

The woodcutter sighed, "Young lady, let me give you my advice, you should go back."

"What's wrong?"

The woodcutter shook his head and said seriously, "I come to this mountain every day. The two hunters you're looking for have been missing for several days now. Moreover, there are often eerie screams coming from near their house. What's even more frightening is that I can see a woman in green wandering around the house..."

"Also, in the days since they disappeared, a huge black whirlpool has been forming in the middle of East Lake every night; it might be related to them too..."

"Besides, even if these two hadn't gone missing, given their temperaments, they might not be willing to help you. So, young lady, I advise you not to get involved in this mess..."

The old woodcutter spoke with a serious expression, not at all like he was joking.

Lu Xiaosan laughed twice and said happily, "You mean there are ghosts or demons here? Then you've come to the right person."

Lu Xiaosan got into position, ready to start pretending.

The wind whipped at his clothes, but it couldn't shake his arrogance in the slightest. He pointed to his forehead, his face radiating pride, his eyes gleaming with unwavering confidence. "Mere demons and maggots, nothing more than toys in my palm!"