Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

The middle-aged man's face showed a joyful smile as he solemnly bowed to Lao Han, his voice slightly choking as he said, "The future is in your hands now. Don't let me be restless even in the Nether Springs."

After these words, he instantly turned into a gust of cold wind, howling past. Lao Han felt a chill rise on his body and subconsciously wrapped himself in his blanket, only then waking up to realize it was all but a dream.

He looked at the candle still burning beside his desk and sighed softly, saying to himself, "So it was really just a dream." His tone was indescribably melancholic.

His gaze then fell onto the desk, where he saw a shining bronze lock quietly lying under the candlelight, glowing brightly.

He recognized the object as his old friend's personal belonging… a longevity lock his deceased parents had made for him. He had always carried it with him, never daring to lose it, and he would even take it out to clean from time to time.

Lao Han stood up excitedly and asked the people outside, "Has anyone entered my tent just now?"

"No one has," a young voice responded. Lao Han immediately sat down, staring blankly at the bronze lock on the table. After a while, hot tears began to stream from his eyes. He gently picked up the bronze lock, murmuring to himself, "So you really did come, old friend."

His voice echoed faintly in the tent, while a flame of hope ignited in his eyes. He was eager to meet the Crown Prince his old friend had spoken of, but he now awkwardly realized that he had no idea where the Crown Prince might be hiding.

After all, ever since they had conquered the Capital City, the Crown Prince had vanished without a trace. Numerous Noble Families and Clans had wished to keep him under their control but had never discovered his whereabouts. Instead, they had found many imposters, leading the people to mock. How was he to find him?

Sleepless through the night, Lao Han with deeply dark circles under his eyes began patrolling the camp. Ever since the main troops had invaded the Central Plains, successfully attracting the attention of the Noble Families and Clans, their army no longer lived in fear. However, the urgent issue of food supply was laid on the table. As time passed, the food had become scarcer, and this place, dense with jungles and sparse in population, lacked food supplies for the army.

The only solution now was to mobilize the troops to hunt in the deep mountains to provision the army, barely managing to scrape by. Visiting them one by one, he found that their spirit was still good; after all, these were carefully selected individuals yet to be corrupted by reality, still possessing ideals and beliefs.

Just then, he heard a report from an ear, a scout from outside saying, "Sir, a Taoist is outside asking to meet you, claiming to be here specifically to ease your worries."

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Lao Han and his old friend never believed in ghosts or spirits, so they generally disregarded these self-proclaimed Taoists who came knocking, usually having them sent away indifferently. But after last night's event, Lao Han had changed his mind and decided to meet this self-recommending Taoist to see how he might resolve his perplexities.

Soon, led by the scout, Mr. Wu entered the tent. Seeing Lao Han, he was momentarily taken aback, not expecting to see a familiar face. Although his focus had been entirely on Da Hei and his group initially, the stern middle-aged man and Lao Han next to him had caught his significant attention. Such a pity that after that day, he had parted ways with Chen Tao; otherwise, he would surely have investigated thoroughly.

Lao Han, upon seeing the visitor, was also startled. He had seen Mr. Wu's methods before and indeed, they were not those of the deceiving Taoists. Hence, his attitude warmed, and he smiled saying, "I never thought that it would be an old acquaintance who came."

Mr. Wu also smiled back, saying, "Nor did I expect to encounter this legendary Mr. Wu here. It seems that after I left that day, you were the ones who opened the city gates and destroyed the Chen Family."

"What, Mr. Wu, are you intending to seek revenge for your old master?"

Mr. Wu shook his head and said, "Chen Tao and I merely had a fleeting relationship, and I helped him solve some problems with his funding, but we never had a deep friendship. I exerted all my efforts that day, almost at the cost of my own life, which has repaid his kindness. I naturally have no obligation to seek revenge for him."

"Then what brings you here, sir?" Lao Han asked with a keen look on his face, a guess forming in his mind.

"Naturally it's to find a good way out for this army of yours."

"\\"What a joke, we have plenty of people and weapons, there's nowhere in this vast world we cannot go. Why must Mr. Wux exhaust himself finding a way out for us?\\""

Mr. Wux, however, shook his head and said, \\"You may deceive others, but you cannot deceive me. Although I am an outsider, I have mingled among mortals for a long time and naturally know you have already reached a dead end. Now, the Noble Families and Clans view you as catastrophic beasts, eager to feast on your flesh and drink your blood. It is only because some are currently wreaking havoc in the Central Plains that they have temporarily spared you.\\""

\\"Once you leave these deep mountains and old forests, countless Noble Families' Armies will swarm over and kill you completely, and judging by my guess, your food supplies are probably running low.\\""

The words of Mr. Wux made Lao Han's face change instantly. He stared intently at Mr. Wux and asked coldly, \\"What exactly do you want to do?\\""

Mr. Wux, with a profound smile, said softly, \\"Didn't I tell you? I am here to point out a Great Celestial Way for you.\\""

\\"Why?\\" Lao Han asked very calmly, he didn't believe for a second that this person in front of him was so benevolent."

\\"It is of course for my own benefit. The distinguished person is currently in trouble. It would naturally be quite beneficial for me to offer help in these tough times.\\""

\\"However, I have heard that you outsiders always regard money as mere dirt, yet you run around for the riches and honors of the mortal realm.\\""

\\"What I'm after is not riches or honors,\\" Mr. Wux said, a smile on his face."

\\"Oh! I would like to hear more about it.\\""

\\"Although riches and honors mean little to us, Fortune and Destiny is extremely important. However, not everyone has the courage to meddle in the changing of dynasties,\\" Mr. Wux said, revealing some secrets of the Cultivation Realm."

Lao Han looked at Mr. Wux with surprise, smiled, and said, \\"I didn't expect you to tell me so straightforwardly.\\""

\\"After all, we might have to work together in the future, so making a good impression is worth it.\\""

\\"Then do tell, where is our way out?\\""

Mr. Wux gently stroked his beard before finally saying, \\"The Great Chu fell, but the Crown Prince Lu Xun did not die. Instead, he escaped and is now meeting with the Lu Family's elder, the Immortal. With such support, a revival of the country is hopeful. Now, if we join him, it would undoubtedly be timely support.\\""

Upon hearing this, Lao Han's eyes brightened, aligning exactly with what his old friend had mentioned. However, he remained composed and said, \\"The Crown Prince of the Great Chu, Mr. Wux, don't joke. We have a vendetta of country destruction and patricide; how could he possibly welcome us? If he doesn't kill us, that would already be merciful.\\""

\\"If it were an average man, he would naturally do so, but since the Crown Prince aims to revive his country, he must be extraordinary. I am certain he will forgive you,\\" Mr. Wux said confidently. Although he had never met Lu Xun, he was unsure of his character but trusted Lu Yu's capabilities. The name Tea Saint is not ordinary, and the feats of such an able person are often unimaginable."

However, Lao Han did not agree directly but just had someone take him down to rest. It made the once confident Mr. Wux slightly puzzled. However, upon seeing the departing army the next day, he broke into a delighted smile. With such a potent army, Lu Xun had enough backbone for revival."

As for the food supplies that worried Lao Han, Mr. Wux did not care at all. The Tea Saint must have ways to change that, after all, he is a Sage with endless Mana and Divine Skills."

That is the reason the two came to Mountain Luoxia. Now, looking at these towering peaks, they realized that they had inadvertently lost their way and could only exchange glances in bewilderment.