章節 109: Chapter 109: The Call of Destiny

Upon hearing this, Mo Yuanjiao's eyes lit up, and he eagerly nodded, promising, "Don't worry! I won't tell anyone! I'll keep it a secret!"

The old man motioned for him to come closer, then leaned in and whispered in his ear, his voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz, "In our Xiushui Village, there's one."

Mo Yuanjiao, with his keen hearing, caught the words but was a bit puzzled. "Xiushui Village? A sect in the village?"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down, kid!" The old man quickly motioned for him to lower his volume. "What's wrong with it being in the village? Let me tell you, the kids from that sect are quite something..."

Seeing Mo Yuanjiao's face full of disbelief, the old man huffed and started to walk away, saying, "Hmph! If you don't believe me, I'm not interested in telling you anymore!"

"Hey, hey! Don't go, old man! I believe you, I believe you!" Mo Yuanjiao hurriedly stopped him.

"Then tell me, where exactly is Xiushui Village?"

The old man paused and pointed towards the eastern road. "You see that road? Just keep walking straight. When you reach a three-way junction, take the middle path, and don't turn off. That'll take you right there. As for the sect... just ask anyone in the village how to get to the foot of the mountain near the stream on North Mountain."

Mo Yuanjiao carefully memorized the directions.

"Thank you very much!"

Waving his hand dismissively, the old man replied, "No need, no need," and then continued into Cuifeng Town.

He was, in fact, Du Liushui, the village head of Xiushui Village. His wife and grandson had gone to visit relatives, and his sons were all out in the fields, so he had come into town to buy some oil and stretch his legs.

Unexpectedly, he had run into a young man searching for a sect.

Du Liushui recalled how Lin Xiao had once tried recruiting disciples for his small sect in the village but hadn't attracted many people. So, seeing someone who might be interested, Du Liushui decided to do a good deed and point him in the right direction.

Feeling quite pleased with himself for helping, Du Liushui hoped Lin Xiao's sect would soon flourish and bring some protection to the village.

Du Liushui and Hu Deli were good friends, and they often chatted. Du Liushui had heard from Hu Deli that the sudden weather change in the village some time ago was likely resolved by Lin Xiao.

Meanwhile, Mo Yuanjiao was thrilled to have received directions. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Mo the guard. Though he didn't say a word, Mo the guard could practically hear his unspoken thoughts.

See? I told you there'd be a chance!

Mo the guard was less convinced. "Young Master, this is just what a random old man on the street said. It might not be reliable. What if it's just the hideout of some mountain bandits...?"

But Mo Yuanjiao didn't listen to the caution in his voice. He excitedly mounted his horse and urged, "Let's go, let's go, Old Que! We need to hurry before it gets dark!"

By now, Mo Yuanjiao had developed selective hearing, focusing only on the opportunity that he believed was calling to him.

Following the old man's directions, they eventually arrived at Xiushui Village as the sky began to darken.

The village was peaceful, with crisscrossing paths, the sound of chickens and dogs, villagers returning from the fields with their tools, and smoke rising from chimneys—a typical idyllic countryside scene. This sight reassured Mo the guard somewhat, easing his fear that they might be heading into a bandit's den.

Mo Yuanjiao shot him a triumphant look, as if to say: See, it's my destiny! Not danger!

Mo the guard looked away, thinking to himself that many bandit hideouts could look just like ordinary villages.

But he said nothing.

This young master was blinded by his obsession with destiny. All Mo the guard could do was follow him.

Mo Yuanjiao dismounted, grabbed his horse's reins, and strode confidently into the village, with Mo the guard quickly catching up.

As they led their impressive horses through the village, dressed in fine clothing, they drew the attention of many villagers.

Fortunately, most of the villagers were tired and hungry after a long day and just wanted to get home for dinner, so Mo Yuanjiao and Mo the guard were spared from being surrounded by curious onlookers.

Mo Yuanjiao politely asked a friendly-looking woman for directions to the foot of North Mountain by the stream, and after getting the directions, he eagerly set off.

He paid no attention to the villagers' curious glances as they passed by. After all, he was used to being the center of attention.

At the same time, the disciples of the Lingxian Sect, who had just finished their day of cultivation and were heading down the mountain, noticed Mo Yuanjiao passing by and joined the villagers in watching him.

It wasn't often that outsiders visited their village, so it was quite the sight.

By the time Mo Yuanjiao and Mo the guard reached the foot of the mountain, the sky had grown completely dark.

Mo Yuanjiao pulled a torch from his storage bag, lit it, and handed it to Mo the guard to hold. With the torchlight guiding their way, they began climbing the narrow mountain path.

The path had become wider recently, thanks to frequent use by the Lingxian Sect disciples.

They hadn't gone far when Mo Yuanjiao suddenly stopped, sniffed the air, and asked Mo the guard, "Old Que, do you smell something?"

Mo the guard sniffed the air and nodded. "It smells like... peach blossoms?"

Mo Yuanjiao nodded excitedly. "Exactly! But we didn't see any peach trees on the way up the mountain."

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and his eyes gleamed with excitement in the firelight.

"It must be my destiny calling me!"

With that, he rushed forward, pulling his horse along, his footsteps quickened by the prospect of destiny.

Mo the guard: …

What do you do with a young master who sees destiny in everything?

Inside the Lingxian Sect.

Xiao Luan, who had just finished fertilizing the spiritual field, was about to return to the shed to continue teaching its stubborn disciples when it heard movement on the mountain path.

Curious, it waddled over on its little chicken feet.

It saw a figure running up the path, only to be stopped and bounced back by an invisible barrier with a loud thud.

Xiao Luan blinked in surprise at the noise.

Then it heard a panicked voice.

"Young Master!"

Xiao Luan opened its eyes to see a man frantically cradling another man who had been knocked unconscious by the impact, gently slapping his face in an attempt to wake him.

Scratching its head with a wing, mimicking Tie Tou's usual gesture, Xiao Luan wondered if it should go and inform that block of wood.