Chapter 216

Chapter 216: Nameless Taoist Temple, Rain from the Sky

“Master, I don’t think we’ll make it to our next town today.”

Unbeknownst to Lu Qing and his companions, a demonic force, the very one causing chaos and unrest across Jeju, was pursuing them.

They gazed at the gloomy clouds overhead, feeling a sense of worry.

The sky looked as if a torrential downpour was imminent, but they were now in the wilderness, dozens of miles from the next town, and feared they wouldn’t be able to reach it for a while.

“Since we can’t make it, let’s find shelter. I remember there used to be a semi-abandoned Taoist temple nearby; I wonder if it’s still habitable.”

The old doctor surveyed the heavy, dark clouds, realizing that if they didn’t find shelter now, it would be too late. Fortunately,

they had a carriage to shelter them from the rain, so they didn’t have to worry about getting wet.

But they were worried that if the rain got too heavy, the carriage would get stuck in the mud, which would be troublesome.

Under the guidance of the old doctor, Ma Gu drove to the abandoned Taoist temple.

After a thorough inspection, he found that while the temple was a bit dilapidated, with many parts of the roof collapsing and light leaking through,

the main hall was still quite intact, providing protection from the wind and rain.

However, there wasn’t even a plaque out front, leaving them in no doubt as to what kind of temple it was.

“Alright, let’s stay here tonight. I think the rain is going to be quite severe. We’ll set off tomorrow,”

the old doctor said after a moment’s glance.

Lu Qing and the others naturally agreed.

They were all ordinary people, and staying outdoors wouldn’t be a big deal, aside from the inconvenience.

Even Xiaoyan, now quite brave, wasn’t frightened at all.

“Master, I’ll go get some firewood so we can start a fire and cook,”

Lu Qing said, noting that Ma Gu was tending to the carriage.

“Okay, go ahead,” the old doctor nodded.

As for Wei Zian, even if he wanted to go out and help, Lu Qing and the others wouldn’t be reassured.

Not long after, Lu Qing returned with a pile of firewood.

As soon as he lit the fire, the dark clouds that had been brewing in the sky for a long time finally began to rain.

At first, it was just a sparse raindrop, but soon, it turned into a downpour, so loud that Lu Qing and the others were shocked.

“Fortunately, Master, you know there is a Taoist temple here, otherwise, if we were still on the road, we would have really become drowned rats.”

Lu Qing looked at the heavy rain curtain outside, which almost made it impossible to see the scenery ten meters away, and said with some relief.

Ma Gu and Wei Zian also nodded repeatedly.

Although the carriage they were riding in was specially made by the Wei family and could protect against wind and rain, it was difficult to guarantee that it could withstand such heavy rain.

As for Xiao Li, he huddled a little closer to Xiao Yan’s arms.

He hated rain the most.

“This rain is indeed quite heavy! It’s the heaviest I’ve seen in years. As for this Taoist temple, I used to have some friendship with the abbot. After he passed away, the temple was left unattended and gradually abandoned,” the

old doctor sighed, looking at the pouring rain outside, a hint of sadness in his tone.

Lu Qing’s heart was moved

when he heard this. He knew very little about his master’s past, and his master rarely mentioned it.

This was a rare occasion when his master brought up the past.

“Master, does the abbot have any disciples?” Lu Qing asked.

“No,” the old doctor shook his head. “He’s alone, he doesn’t accept any disciples.”

“So what about the abbot’s martial arts skills? Is he very formidable?” Wei Zian became curious.

The old doctor smiled. “My friend only knows some techniques for cultivating the mind and nourishing the spirit. He hasn’t made any significant contributions to the martial arts. However, he has a noble character, which I have always admired.”

Wei Zian and Ma Gu were immediately filled with respect.

In their opinion, the old doctor’s medical ethics were rare in the world, and for someone who could even make him admire him, one could imagine his character and that he must be a very respectable person.

Only Lu Qing had some doubts about his master’s words.

He knew that his master’s words about martial arts were always half-believed.

He always claimed he had poor aptitude and wasn’t good at fighting.

Turns out, while his lack of fighting skills was true, his aptitude was truly exceptional.

Otherwise, how could he have created the Nourishing Body Fist and comprehended the concepts of the harmony of water and fire and the innate realm?

So, his claim that the temple master’s martial arts cultivation hadn’t achieved much was probably just modesty.

How could someone who could survive alone in such a remote Taoist temple be anything but ordinary

? Sadly, he had passed away, never to meet him.

As the group chatted, Lu Qing skillfully prepared a pot of meat porridge and shared it with everyone.

As for Xiao Li, who didn’t like porridge, he enjoyed a large bowl of dried fish.

Naturally, the Wei family had prepared abundant supplies for this trip.

But Lu Qing’s preparations were even more extravagant, considering he possessed the magical artifact Qiankun Yiqi Bag.

For Xiao Li alone, he’d packed dozens of kilograms of dried fish.

This was because they didn’t have enough time to prepare and couldn’t buy that much fish right away. Otherwise, he would have wanted to prepare over a hundred pounds.

Of course, Lu Qing wouldn’t use the contents of the Qiankun Qi Bag unless absolutely necessary.

For the past few days, their supplies had been limited to what they had brought with them on the carriage and what they had replenished from towns along the way.

On this slightly cool, rainy day, a few mouthfuls of hot porridge brought a sense of relief to everyone.

“Brother Lu Qing, your cooking skills are truly amazing. Even this simple bacon porridge is so delicious.”

Ma Gu couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up after downing a large bowl of porridge.

Wei Zi’an, who was also guzzling his porridge, nodded in agreement.

“That’s not so exaggerated. I just added some homemade seasoning to the bacon, which makes it taste a little special,” Lu Qing said with a smile.

Fresh meat is naturally not suitable for traveling.

So this time, Lu Qing brought all the bacon he had stored at home.

He’d been drying and smoking these cured meats for the past two years while idle, and he’d unexpectedly needed them just for this trip.

Lu Qing and the others were enjoying their hot porridge in the Taoist temple, but outside, the rain was getting heavier.

Later, it was like a crack in the sky, pouring down with water, intensifying with each passing second.

Watching the stream of water pouring down from the eaves outside, Lu Qing and the others were a little apprehensive.

They feared the main hall’s roof would give way and collapse,

or that the water from outside would flood in.

Fortunately, while the main hall was older, it was of good quality, and it was built on an elevated site.

So, until the rain eased, it didn’t collapse, and the water didn’t flood in, which gave Lu Qing and the others a sigh of relief.

But the old doctor still had some concerns: “This rain is a bit unusual,”

Lu Qing thought.

This was the first rain since the strange event. Could such a heavy downpour portend something?

The old doctor had obviously thought of this question as well. After exchanging a glance with Lu Qing, the worry in his eyes grew even heavier.

A silence fell in the hall.

However, it didn’t last long.

Just as Lu Qing was pondering the omen of this heavy rain, his expression suddenly changed.

At the same time, Xiao Li’s ears pricked up.

After a few breaths, the old doctor also raised his head.

Only Ma Gu and Wei Zian were still unaware.

But not long after, they also heard a loud noise coming from outside.

(End of this chapter)