Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Seeing this, Rong Yu sighed inwardly, "Oh, my dear disciple, wake up! Being so dense won't win you a wife! This world isn't so strict about gender segregation; why aren't you riding with your crush instead of coming to my carriage?"

Lu Shitu froze, then looked somewhat bewildered, like an abandoned puppy. But he obediently withdrew his leg and turned towards the other carriage.

Rong Yu watched him slowly board the other carriage, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

A confined space, alone together, a world for two—these were powerful catalysts for deepening relationships!

That was precisely why he had arranged for two carriages. If there had been only one, he knew well that with him, a glaring third wheel, the two youngsters would never have relaxed.

Rong Yu clenched his fist with contentment: "I shall safeguard my disciple's love life!"

Half a day later, they arrived at Wushui Town.

Wushui Town was a sizable settlement. It was Rong Yu's first time seeing a town from the book, and after dismounting, he couldn't help but observe his surroundings with curiosity.

Houses stood shoulder to shoulder, pedestrians bustled about speaking in local dialects, and a young girl sold golden flower branches by the carriage—everything felt fresh and delightful.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

As soon as Rong Yu and his companions stepped out of the carriage, they attracted many gazes. Even in plain clothes and with their cultivation suppressed, their looks and demeanor were still remarkably striking.

A waiter from a nearby inn, eyes gleaming, eagerly called out, "Young masters and miss, are you here for a visit? Our tavern serves excellent Snowflake Milk Cake, a specialty of Wushui Town. Young master, you absolutely mustn't miss it!" As he spoke, he moved to usher Rong Yu inside.

Rong Yu instinctively recoiled: "Huh? Who are you calling 'young master'?"

Only then did he recall the original text's description: his current body had formed its Golden Core at the age of 16, so his appearance remained that of a 16-year-old. Lu Shitu and You Weiwan were both around 14 or 15, so to outsiders, the three of them... were peers.

...Damn it.

Rong Yu was genuinely stunned by this realization, internally cursing for a moment. Then, regaining his composure, he subtly gestured to You Weiwan with his eyes, signaling her to pump the waiter for information.

Understanding, You Weiwan stepped forward and smiled at the waiter. "Brother, we're just passing through. Has anything interesting or unusual happened in town lately? Or any strange occurrences? We heard... there have been traces of demonic cultivators recently?"

The waiter, who had been grinning broadly, stiffened instantly at the mention of "demonic cultivators." His expression turned visibly uneasy as he glanced towards the mountain behind the town, stammering, "Our... our little town doesn't have anything special. The scenery isn't much either. Only..."

Noticing his reaction, a flash of insight struck Rong Yu, and he interjected, "Lingtai Mountain's Flowing Cloud Gorge?"

The waiter flinched violently, almost hopping on the spot. His demeanor changed completely as he frantically waved his hands. "No, no, no! Our place is small, nothing to see. Guests, you should move on." With that, he turned and fled back into the inn, a picture of hasty retreat.

Rong Yu looked thoughtful. He beckoned the two youngsters forward, and as they walked, he murmured, "Let's go check out Flowing Cloud Gorge first."

You Weiwan asked curiously, "Elder, what is Flowing Cloud Gorge? I've never heard of it."

Rong Yu explained, "It's a tributary of the Wushui River. Years ago, it was a scenic spot in Wushui Town, though never particularly famous. In recent years, it seems to have fallen into obscurity, and no one mentions it anymore." This was a vague memory from his current body, and something about Flowing Cloud Gorge felt familiar to Rong Yu...

Lu Shitu, looking pensive, said, "That waiter's reaction was clearly off, as if he was hiding something. Master, please wait a moment. I'll try to gather more information."

Rong Yu nodded, and Lu Shitu went to speak with some passersby. With his handsome looks and friendly demeanor, he quickly obtained the information he needed from several people and returned to rejoin Rong Yu and You Weiwan.

Frowning, Lu Shitu reported, "Master, the people in this town are almost pathologically wary of terms like 'demonic cultivators' or 'strange occurrences.' It's very odd."

In this world, demonic cultivators were generally despised—they were like rats scurrying in the streets, universally scorned. But demonic cultivators were also distant and vague concepts, so emotions like "fear" or "taboo" were rarely associated with them.

Rong Yu tried hard to recall the later plot of the original story, but since he had skimmed through those parts too quickly and carelessly, he couldn't remember anything at the moment.

As he pondered, Lu Shitu suddenly stepped closer. Rong Yu instinctively turned to look at him and noticed that Lu Shitu’s cheeks were slightly flushed, his eyes darting nervously as he slowly handed something to Rong Yu.

A golden flower branch.

It had been given to him by the flower-selling girl while he was asking around.

Lu Shitu whispered, "Master, it's very beautiful."

Rong Yu: "???"

He took it in a daze and only processed what had happened after walking for a while: "Wait, something's wrong. Why give me flowers? And the female lead is right here??"

"You silly kid, you're trying to win over the wrong person! I'm not your target—I'm just an NPC!"

Using their sect’s movement techniques and following the map, they soon reached the back of Lingtai Mountain via a little-used path.

The path up Lingtai Mountain was paved with stones, clearly ancient, with the grooves on the stones worn smooth. However, the path was overgrown with weeds, indicating that no one had been there for a long time.

They followed the path uphill and soon reached the location marked on the map as Flowing Cloud Gorge.

Flowing Cloud Gorge was nestled between jagged rocks on both sides, flowing quietly at the bottom of the valley. Its inaccessibility to pedestrians made it even more beautiful. The stream was clear, with a dark bottom and a bright surface, like a strange, shimmering mirror. On clear days, the water reflected the drifting clouds, soothing to the soul.

In the past, when visitors still came, many would sit here quietly, watching the clouds drift by.

But when Rong Yu arrived and looked down, he frowned immediately.

You Weiwan gasped softly, her tone shocked. "Elder, this..."

Even Lu Shitu showed rare astonishment.

Rong Yu frowned thoughtfully. "The demonic energy is intense. And this stream is very unusual."

Of course, it was unusual. The entire Flowing Cloud Gorge had turned pitch black, like a bottomless chasm, as if something unknown lurked beneath the surface.

What kind of underworld stream is this?! Anyone with thalassophobia would be terrified!

The more Rong Yu looked, the more uneasy he felt. He furrowed his brow, deep in thought. After a moment, he grasped at a plausible idea among the thoughts flashing through his mind: "Check the barrier between the front and back of the continent!"

Without hesitation, he said to You Weiwan and Lu Shitu on either side of him, "You two, guard me. Take positions according to the sect’s formation. I need to inspect the barrier here first. I suspect the demonic energy mentioned in this mission originates from it."