At this critical moment, a figure flashed by the young man, and an old man emerged, effortlessly catching the big man's foot. The big man yelled as soon as he saw the old man, "You told me to carry that guy named Zhou, and now you disappear! I almost got humiliated by that little brat. Step aside, and let me kick him!" The old man replied, "Stop being shameless! Do you think he's easy to mess with? If I hadn't restrained him for being too arrogant, you'd have already suffered a heavy loss."
By now, Zhou Chun had clearly seen that this was the same strange old man he had earlier helped pay the bill for, the one who pretended to be his master to con food and drink. Seeing the old man's actions, Zhou Chun knew he was no ordinary person and immediately knelt down, addressing him with respect, "Master, I, your disciple Zhou Chun, greet you." The old man said, "So now you're not calling me a swindler just trying to eat for free, are you? Hold on, let me take care of this fellow first." With that, he lightly patted the young man on the shoulder, instantly waking him up.
The young man's face was full of shame. After a moment's thought, he suddenly opened his mouth, and a flash of white light shot out. Zhou Chun, worried for the old man, watched as the old man laughed and said, "A mere grain of rice, and it dares shine?" He casually reached up and caught the white light in his hand. The light seemed to have a life of its own, wriggling like a snake, trying to escape from the old man's grip. The young man, seeing his sword light captured, glanced at the old man, sighed, and turned to leave. But after taking just a few steps, the old man had already blocked his path. Whether the young man went east or west, the old man always stood in his way.
Frustrated, the young man said, "You immobilized me, took my sword light, and humiliated me. Why do you keep chasing me?" The old man replied, "It's our first time meeting, and you try such a vicious move. Did that slave Li Yuanhua teach you this?" The young man was startled by these words, realizing the old man must be of significant status. He quickly changed his tone and pleaded, "Master, you immobilized me and humiliated me in public. I lost my temper and foolishly tried to use my sword light to shave off your hair to save face. I didn't mean to offend you, senior. My master has very strict rules about when to use the sword, and this is the first time since leaving the mountain that I've broken those rules. You can verify this."
The old man looked at the sword light in his hand and said, "You're telling the truth. Since this is your first offense, I'll forgive you. But you'll need to do something for me as punishment. You see, I've returned after many years, and most of my old contacts are either dead or in hiding. I don't want to bother with those old men; you young folks are more energetic and efficient." With that, he tossed the sword light back to the young man. The young man quickly agreed, "Whatever you ask, as long as it doesn't go against my master's rules, I'll gladly do it, even if it costs me my life."
At this point, Zhou Chun realized that the big man was Wei Qing, the husband of the woman Zhou had saved during his first encounter with Mao Tai. When Wei Qing returned that day, his wife told him how Zhou Chun had rescued her. Naturally, Wei Qing was furious and wanted to seek revenge on Mao Tai and thank Zhou Chun, but after searching for days, he couldn't find them. He accidentally met the old man, who initially played tricks on him but then pointed out that Zhou Chun was drinking at Wangjiang Tower. The old man warned him, "If you approach him with good intentions, he won't pay attention to you." He then taught Wei Qing a technique to dislocate joints and told him to carry Zhou Chun to the forest. Being somewhat simple-minded, Wei Qing followed the old man's instructions.
As the old man spoke with the young man, Zhou Chun asked Wei Qing what had happened, and Wei Qing explained everything. Realizing Wei Qing meant no harm, Zhou Chun didn't blame him. By this time, the old man had finished speaking with the young man and led him back. Zhou Chun and the young man then asked for the old man's name. The old man turned to the young man and said, "When you return to the mountain, tell your master that Bai Lao from Shaoshi of Mount Song sends his regards, and he'll understand."
The young man was startled and quickly knelt again, bowing, "Are you the legendary Bai Lao Sword Master, known fifty years ago as the Cloud-Chasing Hermit, one of the Three Immortals of the East Sea, and one of the Two Elders of Mount Song? I was blind and failed to recognize such a great master. Please forgive me!" The old man smiled and helped him up. Zhou Chun now realized that this was the very elder the Drunken Daoist had mentioned, one of the Two Elders of Mount Song. He knelt again, pleading to be taken as a disciple.
The old man said, "You've wandered all over seeking a master, and no one would accept you. I, on the other hand, have a peculiar temperament. If others say you're not good, I'll say you are. If others don't want you, I'll take you. I've given you two chances, and you refused. Now, I won't take you anymore." Zhou Chun quickly said, "Master, you were teasing me, but with my mortal eyes, how could I have recognized you? Please show mercy for my sincere desire to be your disciple!" He continued to kowtow, not stopping.
The old man laughed heartily and said, "I was just messing with you. Look at you, so pitiful! But if you want to be my disciple, there's one condition. Can you agree to it?" Zhou Chun quickly replied, "Master, the grace of being accepted by you is like a mountain to me. I will obey anything you ask." The old man said, "I love drinking wine, but I have no money. And at my age, I can't go stealing wine like the Drunken Daoist. You'll have to cover the tab for my three daily meals of wine. Do you agree?" Knowing the old man loved to joke, Zhou Chun respectfully agreed and stood aside to serve.
He then asked the young man's name and learned he was Sun Nan, a prized disciple of Li Yuanhua, known as the Bearded Immortal. Zhou Chun also inquired about Zhao Yan'er's whereabouts and was glad to hear that Zhao was progressing well in his studies and would be ready to enter the world in three years, bringing joy to Zhao's mother.
As they were talking, a strange laugh suddenly echoed from the forest, and a voice said, "Who's accusing someone of stealing wine?" Everyone looked over and saw a Daoist with a bright red wine gourd on his back, followed by a woman. Everyone except Wei Qing recognized the man as the famous Sword Immortal, the Drunken Daoist, and they all stepped forward to greet him. Zhou Chun's heart skipped a beat when he saw the woman in black. Just as he was about to speak, the woman stepped forward and knelt before him. Looking closely, he saw that it was indeed his beloved daughter, Qingyun. He asked her why she had only arrived now. Qingyun explained that she had been refining a magical artifact in the mountains and met the Drunken Daoist on the way. Knowing that her father and Master Bai were here, she came along.
Zhou Chun introduced her to the group and thought, "There must be a reason why my master and the Drunken Daoist have gathered here today." Just as he was about to inquire further, the Drunken Daoist turned to the Cloud-Chasing Hermit and said, "With all these heroic swordsmen here, we can finally confront that bald monk. I heard that Zhitong sent Qin Lang to Tibet to gather medicinal herbs, and on his way back, he took a detour to Da Jianlu to invite Abbot Yun of the Plague Temple and Flying Yaksha Ma Jue to assist him. Ma Jue is not much to worry about, but that Abbot Yun has cultivated the Five Poisons Soul-Chasing Red Cloud Sand, which is extremely dangerous. While you and I are not afraid, our younger comrades cannot handle it. We must act quickly and strike before their reinforcements arrive. What do you think, old friend?"