Chapter 211: Discussions by the Fire
“Forget it…”
Xiang Jiannan stared at the finger Gao Yu’an had raised for a long while. During this time, the anger within him fluctuated repeatedly. Xiang Jiannan saw unease on the old Taoist’s face.
The internationally recognized hand gesture in the distance really had no other meaning. His Master seemed to be trying to remind him.
The worry in his tone made the atmosphere in the tent tense. Wang Yixing, who had been silent all along, widened his eyes again.
Since entering Ping’an Temple, Wang, the eldest son of the Wang family, who originally had a very expressive face, had gradually become more monotonous.
“Master, why are you always so wishy-washy?”
He was annoyed by the old Taoist’s habit of only saying half of what he meant. Because of his actions, Xiang Jiannan felt the anger within him begin to surge.
He had just started to think better of the old Taoist, but who knew he wouldn’t give him any face at all.
Couldn’t he put his finger down when he spoke? He kept gesturing with it. Could it be that he had learned this without a teacher?
“Where am I being wishy-washy, as your Teacher? I’m just afraid of upsetting you if I say it.”
He symbolically got up from the soft couch. After speaking, he saw that Xiang Jiannan’s expression was very unpleasant. He pondered for a moment, and finally Gao Yu’an put down his finger and added:
“As your Teacher, I saw three green lights enter the sea with you at that time. When you entered the water, they formed the shape of the character ‘death’.”
“Master, are you sure?”
Listening to Gao Yu’an’s words, he didn’t feel anything. Xiang Jiannan asked, his tone neither hurried nor slow.
He seemed numb now. If it had been before, he would definitely have had the same expression as Wang Yixing.
At this moment, he was staring blankly at himself, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
The word “death” really didn’t arouse his interest.
“I’m not very sure. The green light was too fast. As your Teacher, I can’t be sure if there were three of them.”
Under Xiang Jiannan’s calm questioning, he showed hesitation and muttered softly. Gao Yu’an tried hard to recall.
The little Taoist was even more indifferent after seeing this. Without waiting for him to finish thinking, he turned around and continued to roast his Taoist robe.
If the old Taoist was like this, he could rest assured. The two of them were often not on the same wavelength.
Was he asking about the number of green lights?
“Senior Martial Brother.”
Wang Yixing squatted down next to Xiang Jiannan, feeling the waves of heat coming from the fire. He finally spoke cautiously.
He felt that Xiang Jiannan was very abnormal now, perhaps he hadn’t come out of the previous events yet.
He didn’t even think about his Master’s words. Even he himself wasn’t as calm as him now.
He should at least listen to his Master finish speaking.
“Master, I’ll leave him to you from now on.”
He took the opportunity to instruct Wang Yixing. Seeing that he was reluctant to speak and looked as if he was preparing for his funeral in advance, Xiang Jiannan’s voice was lowered.
As soon as he said this, he saw Wang Yixing’s mouth twitch a few times. Before his teasing heart was fully satisfied, a cold wind suddenly blew into the tent.
It was Li Si, who had returned after finishing his business. Behind him were Li Jin, Tang Ning, and others.
As soon as they entered the tent, they realized that the atmosphere inside was not right. The old Taoist was lying comfortably on the soft couch with a contented expression, while his two disciples didn’t look too happy.
He could understand Xiang Jiannan’s expression, but why was the other Taoist so emotional?
He hadn’t seen him with such an expression by the sea. He was holding his Taoist robe, looking as if he was about to cry.
Had they come at the wrong time? Were they interrupting the two Taoists’ heartfelt exchange?
“Old Taoist Priest!”
Forcibly suppressing the momentum because of the newcomers, Wang Yixing immediately turned his face away under Li Si’s gaze. He was very embarrassed in his attempt to hide it. After he looked seriously at the stove, he spoke up immediately. Li Si first spoke to Gao Yu’an on the soft couch:
“We have already set up a banquet in Master Wang’s tent and brought several sets of clothes for you to change into.”
“The two Taoist Priests should change first. You can hand over the Taoist robes in your hands to a servant later.”
After speaking, he saw Li Jin come forward with a tray and hand over the prepared dry clothes.
Why didn’t they say they had clothes to change into sooner!
If Li Si hadn’t said anything, he wouldn’t have thought of it at all. Xiang Jiannan gladly accepted the clothes. He suspected that Li Si had only thought of it afterwards as well. After changing, he felt that they fit quite well. He immediately threw the Taoist robe that he had been roasting for a long time to the side.
Judging from the color, the clothes he was wearing belonged to a taciturn person. The banquet was set up in Master Wang’s tent. He was indeed the chief person in charge of this flood control.
He didn’t know what his background was, but he had actually made Li Si of the Fu Mo Si act like a lackey.
“This first cup of wine should naturally be offered to the Old Taoist Priest.”
After taking their seats at the table, they immediately got down to business. The group didn’t exchange many pleasantries. Master Wang took the lead in raising his wine cup.
He was only worried that the Azure Dragon would make a comeback. Judging from the current situation, it shouldn’t.
After returning, he only needed to report the truth. To be safe, he would leave a few people behind after the banquet.
“I dare not accept this. What I, the Old Taoist, did was only my duty. Please, everyone.”
He and his two disciples stood up at the same time. Gao Yu’an was smiling as he spoke, holding his wine cup with the air of a grandmaster.
At this time, he no longer mentioned Xiang Jiannan, because he knew that his disciple couldn’t hold his liquor.
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Li Si say something leisurely from the side, implying something else, but he just smiled and didn’t say anything.
After the flood was eliminated, it would naturally be the turn of the internal struggles within the Great Zhou Dynasty’s officialdom. As a person of the Taoist faith, he should be careful.
“Old Taoist Priest, don’t be so modest. What do you mean by ‘only my duty’? It makes Li feel disgusted.”
He put down his wine cup and sat down as well, looking directly at Gao Yu’an. After Li Si finished speaking, he didn’t touch his chopsticks.
This sudden sentence made Master Wang and the others pause. They knew that he wanted to argue with everyone now.
One of the officials immediately wanted to speak, but was stopped by a look from Master Wang.
He wanted to take care of it himself.
“Master Li, what do you mean? We are all citizens of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Is there something wrong with what the Old Taoist Priest said?”
“I, Li Si, am laughing at the words ‘only my duty’. Everyone, just eat your wine and don’t be suspicious.”
“I should be punished, I, the Old Taoist, used inappropriate words.”
He spoke again, but it made Master Wang and the others even more uncomfortable. They felt that Li Si might as well have stated it directly. The officials present were about to explode. Just as they were about to speak, they were interrupted by Gao Yu’an. They saw him raise his wine cup high, apologize, and drink another cup by himself:
“This matter has nothing to do with the Old Taoist Priest.”
Seeing Gao Yu’an tilt his head back and drink again, he wanted to follow suit while speaking. Li Si continued to look straight ahead. But as soon as he touched his wine cup, he saw the old Taoist stand up again. It seemed that he wanted to end the argument at the table:
“I, the Old Taoist, think I should be a few years older than all of you. I wonder if you can listen to my words?”
“Taoist Priest, please speak your mind.”
“Since you are all officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty, why do you insist on arguing over words?”
“Now that the flood has been eliminated, even an old man like me knows that there is no need to endure any longer. You have been talking nonsense for half a day. Can’t you be more serious?”
