San Lang glanced at him, smiled, and said, "I'm leaving for a bit."
After saying that, he turned around and left. According to reason, Xie Lian should have chased after him and asked him about it. However, he had a strange feeling that since this youth had already said that he was going to leave for a while, then he shouldn't be gone for too long. He would definitely return. Thus, Xie Lian first entered the monastery.
Xie Lian rummaged through the things he had collected last night on the streets. His left hand pulled out an iron pot, his right hand felt for a kitchen knife, and he looked at the pile of fruits and vegetables on the offering table before standing up.
After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the sound of footsteps could be heard outside Pu Qi Monastery. The footsteps were neither fast nor slow. Listening to them, one could imagine the youth's unhurried appearance as he walked.
At this moment, the things in Xie Lian's hands had become two plates. He looked left and right at the things on the plates before letting out a long sigh. He didn't want to look anymore, so he went out to take a look. Sure enough, he saw San Lang again.
That youth stood outside the monastery. Perhaps because of the scorching sun, he had taken off his red clothes and casually tied them around his waist. He only wore a white robe with his sleeves rolled up, making him look very neat and tidy. His right foot stepped on a rectangular wooden board while his left hand spun a hatchet. That hatchet was probably borrowed from a villager's house. It looked blunt and heavy, but in his hands, it was easy to use. Moreover, it seemed to be extremely sharp. From time to time, he would cut the wooden board twice, as if he was peeling skin. He glanced over and saw Xie Lian come out. "I'm making something."
Xie Lian went over to take a look. He was actually making a door leaf. Moreover, the size was just right. It was neat and beautiful, and the surface was very smooth. His craftsmanship was excellent. Because this youth seemed to have a big background, Xie Lian thought he was the type who didn't know how to distinguish between five grains and four limbs. Who knew that he would be very efficient in his work. "You've worked hard, San Lang."
San Lang smiled and didn't reply. He casually tossed the hatchet aside and installed it for him. He knocked on the door and said to him, "Since you're going to draw talismans, wouldn't it be better to draw them on the door?"
After he finished speaking, he nonchalantly lifted the curtain and entered.
It seemed that the strict talisman on the curtain did not have any effect on him, and San Lang did not care about it at all.
After Xie Lian closed the new door, he couldn't help but open it again, close it again, open it again, and close it again, thinking that this door was really well made. After switching it on and off a few times, he suddenly woke up with a start and felt that he was really bored. San Lang had already sat down in the room. Xie Lian threw the door down and took out a plate of steamed buns that the villagers offered this morning and placed it on the offering table.
San Lang looked at the steamed buns and didn't say anything. He only laughed quietly, as if he had seen through something. Xie Lian nonchalantly poured two more bowls of water. Just as he was about to sit down, he saw San Lang's rolled-up sleeve. On his arm was a small row of tattoos. The tattoos were extremely strange characters. Noticing his gaze, San Lang pulled down his sleeve and said with a smile, "I got it when I was little."
Since he put down his sleeves, it meant that he didn't want to say anything more. Xie Lian understood. He sat down and raised his head to look at the portrait again. "San Lang, your painting is really good. Did someone teach you at home?"
San Lang poked the steamed bun a few times with his chopsticks and said, "No one taught me. I just drew it myself to make myself happy. "
Xie Lian asked, "How did you even know how to draw the Xian Le Crown Prince's Pleasing the Gods Painting?"
San Lang laughed and said, "Didn't you say that I know everything? Of course I know how to draw it. "
Although this was a very shameless answer, his attitude was magnanimous. It was as if he wasn't worried at all about Xie Lian's suspicions or being questioned. Xie Lian smiled and didn't mention it. Right at this moment, a clamor came from outside. The two of them raised their heads at the same time and looked at each other.
Then, they heard someone fiercely knock on the door and say, "Great Immortal! It's terrible! Great Immortal, save us! "
Xie Lian opened the door and saw a group of people standing in a circle at the entrance. When the Village Chief saw him open the door, he was overjoyed and said, "Great Immortal! This person looks like he's about to die! Quickly save him! "
When Xie Lian heard that the person was about to die, he hurriedly went up to take a look. He saw a group of villagers surrounding a Daoist priest. His hair was disheveled and his face was dirty. His body was covered in yellow sand, and his clothes and shoes were tattered. It seemed like he had been running around for many days and finally couldn't take it anymore and fainted. Only then had he been carried over. Xie Lian said, "Don't panic, he's not dead." He bent down and poked the Daoist priest a few times. In the process, he discovered that the Daoist priest had a few objects hanging on his body, such as the Eight Trigrams and the iron sword. They were all effective magic tools. It seemed like he wasn't an ordinary jianghu Daoist. Xie Lian couldn't help but feel his heart sink. Not long after, the Daoist priest slowly regained consciousness and asked in a hoarse voice, "… … Where is this place?"
The Village Chief said, "This is Pu Qi Village!"
The Daoist priest mumbled, "… … I'm out, I'm out, I've finally escaped … …"
He looked around and suddenly opened his eyes wide. He said in alarm, "Save, save me, save me!"
Xie Lian had long since expected this kind of reaction. He said, "Fellow Daoist, what happened? Whose life did you save? What happened? Don't be anxious, slowly explain."
All the villagers also said, "That's right, don't be afraid. We have a great immortal here. He will definitely settle everything for you!"
Xie Lian, "???"
In fact, this group of villagers hadn't seen him display any godly might, yet they truly treated him as a living immortal. Xie Lian didn't know what to say either. He thought, "Settling everything, I really can't guarantee anything." Then, he asked the Daoist priest, "Where did you come from?"
The Daoist priest said, "I … … I came from Ban Yue Pass!"
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in dismay. "Where is Ban Yue Pass?" "I've never heard of it!"
Xie Lian said, "Ban Yue Pass is in the northwest region. It's very far from here. How did you get here? "
The Daoist priest said, "I … … I escaped here with great difficulty."
His words were incoherent, and his mood was extremely unstable. In this kind of situation, the more people there were, the harder it was to speak. With everyone talking at the same time, it was hard to speak clearly. Xie Lian said, "Let's talk inside."
He gently lifted the Daoist priest and helped him into the house. Then, he turned around and said to the villagers, "Everyone, please go back. Don't stand around and watch."
However, all the villagers were extremely enthusiastic. "Great immortal, what happened to him?!" "That's right, what happened?" "If he has any difficulties, everyone should help him out!"
The more enthusiastic they were, the more they wouldn't be able to help. Xie Lian had no choice but to lower his voice and solemnly say, "This … … he might have been possessed."
When the villagers heard this, they were greatly alarmed. If he was possessed, then that would be terrible! It was better not to watch and quickly disperse. Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He closed the door and saw that San Lang was still sitting at the offering table, playing with the chopsticks in his hand. He squinted at the Daoist priest, his gaze filled with a sense of scrutiny. Xie Lian said to him, "It's nothing, you can continue eating."
He let the Daoist priest sit down while he himself stood. He said, "This Daoist friend, I am the monastery master of this place and can also be considered a cultivator. You don't need to be nervous. If there's anything you need, you can say it. If there's anything I can help with, perhaps I can do my bit. What did you say just now, what happened to Ban Yue Pass? "
The Daoist priest gasped for breath a few times. It seemed like he had arrived at a place with few people, and after hearing Xie Lian's words of comfort, he finally calmed down and said, "You've never heard of this place?"
However, Xie Lian said, "I've heard of it. Ban Yue Pass is located in an oasis in the desert. The scenery on the night of Ban Yue Pass is very beautiful. It could even be said to be a bright and beautiful scene, hence the name. "
The Daoist priest said, "Oasis? Beautiful scene? That was something from one or two hundred years ago. Now, it's more appropriate to call it Ban Yue Pass! "
Xie Lian was slightly startled and asked, "What do you mean?"
The Daoist priest's complexion turned green, so green that it was frightening. He said, "Because no matter who passes through that place, at least half of them will disappear without a trace. Could it be that it isn't a Ban Yue Pass?"
This was truly something he had never heard of before. Xie Lian asked, "Who did you hear this from?"
The Daoist priest said, "I didn't hear it from anyone, I saw it with my own eyes!" The Daoist priest sat up and said, "There was a caravan that wanted to pass through that place. Knowing that this place was strange, they invited our entire sect to escort them. In the end … …" He said in grief and indignation, "In the end, after this trip, I'm the only one left!"
Xie Lian raised his hand, indicating that he should sit properly and not get agitated. He asked, "How many people are there in your party?"
The Daoist priest said, "My entire sect, including the caravan, has around sixty people!"
Sixty people. That female ghost Xuan Ji had been wreaking havoc for a hundred years. In the end, Ling Wen Palace had calculated that the number of people who had been killed didn't even reach two hundred. Listening to the Daoist priest's words, it seemed that this kind of thing had already been going on for over a hundred years. If so many people went missing every time, then when added together, it would truly be no small matter. Xie Lian asked, "When did Ban Yue Pass turn into Ban Yue Pass?"
The Daoist priest said, "About a hundred and fifty years ago, after that place became the domain of the demonic path."
Xie Lian still wanted to carefully ask him about the matter of them being killed on this trip and the "demonic path" he spoke of. However, from the start of the conversation until now, he had a faint feeling that something wasn't right. At this point, he couldn't conceal the strange feeling in his heart no matter what, so he stopped talking and frowned slightly.
At this time, San Lang suddenly said something.
He said, "You escaped all the way back from Ban Yue Pass?"
The Daoist priest said, "Yes, ai! Nine out of ten, one out of ten. "
San Lang let out an "oh" and didn't say anything else. However, with just this one sentence, Xie Lian had already sensed that something was wrong.
He turned around and said in a warm voice, "Then you must be thirsty after escaping all the way back."
The Daoist priest was startled. Meanwhile, Xie Lian had already placed a bowl of water in front of him and said, "There's water here. Fellow Daoist, come and have a sip."
Facing this bowl of water, the Daoist priest had a flash of hesitation on his face for a moment. Meanwhile, Xie Lian stood to the side with his hands in his sleeves, quietly waiting.
Since this Daoist priest had come from the northwest and had fled in panic all the way, he must be thirsty and hungry. Looking at his appearance, it didn't seem like he had had the leisure to eat or drink on the way.
However, after he woke up and said so much, he hadn't made any requests for food or drink. After he entered the room, he didn't have the slightest desire for the food and water on the offering table. He didn't even glance at them.