RNP Chapter 16 The Cult Leader?
Chapter 16 The Cult Leader?
Upon seeing this, Fang Liu immediately lowered his voice and said to Zhong Yuan, who was standing next to him, "Brother Yuan."
"That man in blue looks like the Green Mountain Dharma King, one of the four Dharma Kings of my Ming Cult."
Zhong Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"King Qingshan?"
Fang Liu said in a low voice, "My sect has four great Dharma Kings: Crimson, White, Black, and Azure."
"Three years ago, I also attended a conference at Bangyuan Cave with Master Wang, and I saw what Dharma King Qingshan looked like at the conference!"
"Let's go, let's go and see the Dharma King of Qingshan."
As Zhong Yuan followed Fang Liu closer, he could see the Green Mountain Dharma King more clearly.
Although the Green Mountain Dharma King was thin, he was very upright.
His hair was streaked with white, making him look like a middle-aged scholar who had lost his way.
"The six of us below pay our respects to the Dharma King of Qingshan."
Fang Liu walked up to the Green Mountain Dharma King with a humble expression and bowed respectfully.
The Green Mountain Dharma King did not turn around, but simply said, "You recognize me?"
Fang Liu respectfully replied, "This subordinate is under the command of the Qingxi Altar Master, Wang."
"Three years ago, I had the opportunity to see the Dharma King's true face at the Bangyuan Cave Assembly."
The Green Mountain Dharma King nodded slightly, a strange look flashing in his eyes.
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over Fang Liu for a few moments before settling on Zhong Yuan beside him.
Zhong Yuan held the White Rainbow Sword in his hand.
The Green Mountain Dharma King smiled faintly, glancing past Fang Liu, and said to Zhong Yuan, "Are you also a subordinate of King Yin of the Green Stream Altar?"
Zhong Yuan nodded slightly.
Fang Liu spoke directly on behalf of Zhong Yuan: "King Qingshan, this is my fellow townsman Zhong Yuan, who is highly regarded by Master Wang."
"This is my first time being ordered to attend the Bangyuan Cave Conference."
The Green Mountain Dharma King, however, pointedly remarked, "Your sword is quite nice."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Yuan was taken aback, while Fang Liu lowered his head with a respectful expression.
The Green Mountain Dharma King raised an eyebrow at him.
Zhong Yuan immediately realized what was happening.
Could this "King of Green Mountain" be Huo Tianjiao in disguise?
This disguise technique is truly amazing; if Huo Tianjiao hadn't given him a meaningful look...
He couldn't tell at all.
However, he was puzzled. Since Huo Tianjiao could disguise herself and avoid being seen by others, why did she need to drag him along to help Yuan Cave?
"The main altar is just ahead."
"You two, go ahead and scout the way."
Upon hearing this from the Dharma King of Qingshan, Fang Liu didn't dare to ask why and simply agreed.
Immediately, he pulled Zhong Yuan along and continued walking forward.
The three of them climbed the mountain, only to find that the mountain was becoming increasingly steep.
On the cliff face, ancient pines hang upside down, their gnarled branches twisting and turning, a masterpiece of nature.
The Green Mountain Dharma King followed behind the two at a leisurely pace.
The mountains are shrouded in mist, sometimes like a light veil brushing against your face, sometimes like rolling waves, enveloping the peaks in mystery.
Not long after.
A cave entrance appeared ahead, facing slightly to the southwest, hidden behind dense vines.
The entrance to the cave is not wide, only wide enough for one person to pass sideways.
Fang Liu led the way into the cave.
Zhong Yuan followed closely behind, and upon entering the cave, he discovered that it was a completely different world inside.
The cave is deep, winding, and interconnected.
The stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling resemble icicles or bamboo shoots, each with a unique shape.
On the cave walls, strangely shaped rocks are scattered in a well-organized manner, some resembling tigers descending the mountain, others like dragons emerging from the sea, all lifelike.
We wandered around the cave for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
The view ahead suddenly opened up.
A huge cave appeared ahead.
at this time.
Inside and outside the cave, figures mingled.
There are at least five or six hundred people.
A large crowd was gathered in front of the spacious hall inside the cave.
The large hall was spacious and bright, and could easily accommodate hundreds of people.
The hall is filled with stone pillars, each carved with exquisite patterns.
In the center of the hall, there was a huge stone table, surrounded by dozens of stone chairs.
Fang Liu turned to the side and looked back. He saw Zhong Yuan appear, but he couldn't see the Dharma King of Qingshan for a long time.
He hurriedly whispered to Zhong Yuan, "Brother Yuan, where is the Dharma King?"
Zhong Yuan shook his head.
"How should I know!"
Fang Liu looked regretful.
"It is quite normal for someone like the Dharma King of Qingshan to appear and disappear unpredictably."
"However, if Abbot Wang sees that Dharma King Qingshan came up the mountain with us, what will happen?"
"They will definitely think highly of us."
Zhong Yuan remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he thought to himself that the [Green Mountain Dharma King] had already gone in another direction while he was in the cave.
at this time.
Fang Liu pulled Zhong Yuan along, heading towards a side hall in front of the main hall, saying as they walked, "Brother Yuan, I'll take you to see Master Wang now."
Zhong Yuan followed Fang Liu through the crowd and saw a middle-aged scholar dressed in plain clothes in a corner of the side hall.
Upon seeing the middle-aged scholar, Fang Liu hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to him.
"Your subordinate, Liu, pays respects to the Altar Master!"
The middle-aged scholar was sitting in the corner, meditating. Hearing Fang Liu's words, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Fang Liu before landing on Zhong Yuan behind him.
Upon seeing Zhong Yuan, a hint of suspicion flashed deep in the eyes of the altar master.
immediately.
He stood up abruptly and asked Fang Liu in a rather polite manner, "Fang Liu, this young man must be Brother Zhong Yuan, the one who wrote 'What joy is there in living, what sorrow in dying?'"
Upon hearing this, Fang Liu immediately nodded and said, "Of course."
"Brother Yuan, why aren't you paying your respects to the sect leader yet!"
Zhong Yuan noticed that this Master Wang was being quite polite, which was different from what he had expected.
He then cupped his hands towards the altar master and said, "Zhong Yuan greets Altar Master Wang."
Seeing this, Master Wang smiled and stepped forward, grabbing Zhong Yuan's wrist and patting the back of his hand, saying, "Brother Zhong is truly exceptionally talented."
"I have already presented the [Edict of the Venerable One] that you wrote to the leader."
"After reading it, the leader was full of praise and wanted to see you, the envoy of the Bright Venerable, in person."
"You've come at just the right time."
"Come, I'll take you to see the leader."
Master Wang's enthusiasm made Zhong Yuan feel somewhat uneasy.
In his imagination, the Ming Cult's high-ranking members should all be figures who are neither entirely good nor entirely evil.
This altar master gave him a different feeling; rather, he had a sense of being a neighbor in the countryside.
Fang Liu, standing to the side, looked on with envy as Zhong Yuan was led away by Master Wang.
Zhong Yuan has really hit the jackpot this time.
Even the cult leader had to meet him personally.
I have been a member of the cult for five years, but I have never seen the face of the cult leader!
From now on, you'd better hold on tight to Chung Won's coattails.
Zhong Yuan was led by the enthusiastic Master Wang to the main hall. After passing through the hall, they went through a hidden door on the side of the hall.
But then the view outside suddenly opened up.
A garden full of flowers and plants appeared, and the flowers and plants in the garden were of all shapes and sizes.
Zhong Yuan was a little dazzled by what he saw.
After passing through another narrow corridor.
Under the pavilion, a figure of average height sat and flipped through a book.
He was a middle-aged scholar wearing a brocade robe.
He was around fifty years old, with a handsome appearance, slightly drooping eyebrows, and some white hair between his temples.
Master Wang led Zhong Yuan to a spot not far from the pavilion.
He bowed respectfully to the figure beneath the pavilion and said, "Master!"
"We've arrived at Zhongyuan Village, Jie Village, Wannian Township."
The figure under the pavilion turned around slowly, holding a book in his hand, and looked in their direction.
When Zhong Yuan saw the man's face, his heart skipped a beat.
It's because... that person's face is seven or eight parts similar to his!
Zhong Yuan's mind was buzzing, and a familiar yet unfamiliar face flashed through his mind—the face of Zhong Yuan's biological father.
Are you kidding me!
His father, who had been missing for two years, was actually the leader of the Ming Cult?
At this time.
The middle-aged scholar smiled faintly at Zhong Yuan, put his hands behind his back, and said, "Yuan'er, it's been more than two years since we last met. Don't you recognize your father?"