The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun

Page 156

Jiang Ning smiled upon hearing this, and then recounted the difficulties the elderly couple had encountered.

"After the old couple's son was killed by Tian Boguang, their relatives wanted to eat their childless offspring. I want you to help me solve their problem."

If Jiang Ning were to handle this matter himself, those people would only end up in one fate, and it would also cause trouble for the elderly couple. It's better to leave professional matters to professionals.

"That's it?"

Upon hearing this, Officer Tan looked surprised. He had thought Jiang Ning wanted him to do something for his own benefit, but he hadn't expected it to be like this.

"I agreed."

Without hesitation, Officer Tan nodded directly. He didn't need Jiang Ning to ask him for help with this kind of thing; he would have taken care of it himself if he had heard about it.

"Thank you very much."

Jiang Ning smiled and nodded.

He had originally planned to make a trip to Prefect Chen's residence to ask for his help, but now he didn't need to.

Chapter 221 See you again, acquaintances

Have you always been like this?

Officer Tan looked at Jiang Ning with a strange expression.

"What kind?"

Jiang Ning was puzzled.

"Willing to stand up for strangers and help them without expecting anything in return."

Officer Tan said, "This is the first time I've ever met someone like you, a江湖人 (jianghu person) like you."

People in the martial arts world despise the government, and government officials also dislike martial arts figures. Officer Tan had seen too many ugly martial arts figures before, but he had never seen anyone like Jiang Ning.

"If you were an official, you would probably be a good one."

Officer Tan looked at Jiang Ning with a serious expression.

Jiang Ning smiled upon hearing this but said nothing.

"In that case, let's go."

Without further ado, Constable Tan followed Jiang Ning directly to the elderly couple's home.

When Jiang Ning arrived, the Taoist priests were already waiting at the street corner.

"Master Jiang, this..."

The Taoist priest who had initially spoken to Jiang Ning frowned when he saw that a constable was following behind him.

"Is this the place?"

Officer Tan pointed to a house not far away. Jiang Ning nodded, and Officer Tan walked over and knocked on the door.

"Master Jiang, what is this?"

A Taoist priest frowned and asked Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning then explained to them, and the Taoist priests finally understood Jiang Ning's intention.

Not long after, Officer Tan came out of the room and said to Jiang Ning, "I have already told them that if their relatives come to me again, I will help them resolve the issue."

"Thank you very much."

Jiang Ning nodded and thanked him.

"You don't need to thank me. Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have done something about it if I had encountered it."

Officer Tan shook his head, glanced at Jiang Ning and the Taoist priests, said nothing more, and left directly.

"let's go."

Watching Constable Tan's departing figure, Jiang Ning turned back and said.

"it is good."

Several Taoist priests nodded and then followed Jiang Ning out of the city gate, heading south of the city. After traveling for more than ten miles, they arrived at a small, secluded hilltop.

"The Taoist priest and the others are inside."

The Taoist priest spoke as he walked.

After walking for a while, Jiang Ning indeed saw many Taoist priests.

At this time, all the Taoist priests were in the mountains. When they saw Jiang Ning and his group, they came forward to greet them. The one leading them was Taoist Zhang.

"Master Jiang?"

Zhang Quandao was overjoyed to see Jiang Ning.

"I was worried about how to contact your sect, but I never expected to meet Layman Jiang here."

Some people who knew Jiang Ning also came forward to reminisce.

"Fellow Taoist priests, it's been a long time."

Jiang Ning replied to each of them, and then asked, "Daoist Master, when did you arrive?"

Zhang Quandao replied, "We've been here for seven or eight days. We originally wanted to go up Mount Hua to help you, but the foot of Mount Hua is now completely surrounded, so we have no choice but to wait here."

"Now that Layman Jiang is here, why don't we just charge over there!"

A young Taoist priest looked excited. He had worked with Jiang Ning to eliminate the Green Gang before, and the thrill of that experience excited him.

"Well... I think it's better to be more cautious."

Jiang Ning declined.

He looked at the Taoist priests, about 190 or so, close to 200, but most of them were ordinary Taoist priests, and few knew martial arts. With so few people, they wouldn't even make a splash, and would only increase casualties.

"So, what do you think we should do?"

Zhang Quandao couldn't help but ask.

Jiang Ning pondered for a moment, then said, "You all stay here for now and don't make any moves. I'll go see if there are any other sects coming to support my Huashan Sect. If not, we'll head to Huashan together. However, the foot of Huashan is already surrounded, so it'll be difficult to get up there. We can only hope that we can set up an ambush behind it."

The only way to get to Mount Hua now is through the Thousand-Foot Cliff and the cliff on the back of the mountain. Although it is possible to climb that cliff, it is a difficult problem for these Taoists. Besides, even if they get up there, they won't be of much help. A few hundred people on Mount Hua are enough for now.

"Okay, then it's up to you."

Zhang Quandao had no objections; he trusted Jiang Ning completely.

"Then I'll trouble you Taoist priests to wait for me here for the time being."

After their brief encounter, Jiang Ning planned to go to other places to see if there were any more people supporting the Huashan Sect.

"Master Jiang, wait a moment."

Zhang Quandao quickly stopped Jiang Ning and said, "I encountered a group of women when I went out a couple of days ago. They were a large group of three or four hundred people."

"Their clothing looked like Buddhist attire, and the leaders seemed to be a few nuns, but they didn't quite look like it. The women they were with weren't dressed like Buddhists either. It was all very strange. I could tell from their accents that they were from Sichuan. I don't know how they ended up in Shaanxi."

Zhang Quandao continued, "When I went up to talk to them, they said they were from the Emei Sect and had come to support the Huashan Sect on the orders of their sect leader."

At this point, a hint of doubt appeared on Zhang Quandao's face: "Didn't I hear that the Emei Sect is now all men? Why are all the disciples here female? I felt something was off, so I didn't go with them."

Emei Sect? By order of the sect leader?

Upon hearing this news, Jiang Ning's gaze sharpened.

Have they succeeded?

Jiang Ning had not heard from the nun named Huiyin for several months since she left Mount Hua. He had no idea how they were doing. He never expected that they would come to his aid.

"Is there a nun named Huiyin among them?"

Jiang Ning inquired.

Zhang Quandao asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

The nun he had spoken with earlier was Huiyin.

Upon hearing this news, Jiang Ning confirmed it.

“They are indeed from the Emei Sect. I have met Master Huiyin on Mount Emei.”

"Really?"

Zhang Quandao's eyes lit up.

Jiang Ning nodded and asked, "Where are they?"

He needed to hurry and find the group of Emei Sect members, contact them, and ask them how things were going on their end.

"It's about 30 li to the west of here."

Huiyin planned to invite the Taoists from Qingcheng Mountain to travel with her, but Zhang Quandao was afraid that these people had ill intentions and that their arrival would be like offering themselves up as food, so he refused.

"That's great! I didn't expect that Venerable Jin Guang would also send the Emei Sect to help."

A smile couldn't help but appear on Zhang Quandao's face.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning's gaze turned slightly strange, but he didn't have time to explain to Zhang Quandao at the moment.

"In that case, I will go find Master Huiyin and the others first. Please wait here for me, fellow Daoists."

Jiang Ning left after saying just one sentence.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't wander off."

A young Taoist priest waved his hand.

After bidding farewell to Zhang Quandao and the others, Jiang Ning traveled westward for thirty miles and arrived at another mountain peak.

Jiang Ning was halfway up the mountain when suddenly several loud shouts rang out from above.

"Who is coming!"

Several women suddenly jumped down from the tree above, pointing sharp swords at Jiang Ning.

Crash.

A rustling sound came from the woods above, and groups of women appeared, looking at Jiang Ning with hostile expressions.

Jiang Ning remained expressionless and spoke loudly.

"I am Jiang Ning from the Huashan Sect. Are you all disciples of the Emei Sect? Is Abbess Huiyin here?"

Upon hearing Jiang Ning's voice, several more figures descended from the mountain, one of whom was Huiyin.

"Benefactor Jiang?"

Huiyin was also surprised to see Jiang Ning again.

She never expected to see Jiang Ning here.

Chapter 222 Emei Sect

"Master Huiyin, how have you been lately?"

Upon seeing Huiyin, Jiang Ning cupped his hands in greeting.

"Amitabha."

Huiyin quickly came down from the mountain, returned Jiang Ning's greeting, and smiled, saying, "Thank you for your concern, benefactor. I am well."

Upon seeing that the newcomer claimed to be from the Huashan Sect and knew Huiyin, the group of women put away their swords.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Huiyin raised her question: "How did Benefactor Jiang find us?"

“I met Master Zhang from the Qingcheng Sect. He told me that the nun and the disciples of your sect were here, so I came to look for them.”

Jiang Ning explained.

"I see."

Huiyin nodded.

She remembered that she had indeed run into Zhang Quandao a couple of days ago.