novelhk Chapter 236 Temple
Chapter 236 Temple
Just then, the old man who had been sitting quietly stood up without warning. His movements were a little slow. He slowly bent down and began to carefully feel the wooden carvings scattered around him.
He touched the wood carvings around him and placed them one by one into the bamboo basket beside him.
Seeing this, Zheng Luoqi instinctively thought the old man was about to leave, and he was about to say something to persuade him to stay.
Before he could even speak, the old man's voice rang out: "Let's go, this is no place to stay, let's find somewhere else to talk!"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Luoqi was slightly taken aback at first, but then immediately realized what was going on.
He gestured with his eyes to the guard standing not far away. The guard understood immediately, quickly stepped forward, took the bamboo basket full of wooden carvings from the old man, and stuffed the silver into the old man's hand.
After putting away the silver, the old man picked up his cane and carefully probed the path ahead, walking slowly forward.
As he walked down the street, a loud hawking voice reached his ears.
"Steamed buns, steamed bread, fresh and hot steamed buns and steamed bread, delicious steamed bread!" The voice came from a small stall with steamers on the roadside, where the stall owner was enthusiastically hawking his wares.
The old man heard the sound and slowly walked towards the stall, leaning on his cane.
As the old man approached, the steamed bun vendor recognized him immediately, his face lighting up with a warm smile as he called out, "Uncle, you're here again! Are you ordering steamed buns as usual? How many do you want today?"
The old man smiled and nodded, saying, "I want more today, give me twenty!" As he spoke, he carefully took out the silver that Zheng Luoqi had just given him from his pocket and handed it to the steamed bun vendor.
The shopkeeper took the silver, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He didn't ask any questions, and his gaze passed over the old man, landing on Zheng Luoqi and her group standing not far behind him.
They were dressed smartly and had an extraordinary air about them. The boss knew in his heart that the old man must have met a benefactor.
He deftly wrapped twenty steaming hot buns in lotus leaves, five at a time, then tied them together with hemp rope, carefully making a knot, and presented them to the old man with both hands.
"Grandpa, please be careful holding these steamed buns, they're very hot! There are so many, you'd better hold them firmly!" The shopkeeper said, handing the buns to the old man while giving him a word of advice.
A light drizzle was falling from the sky, making the roads extremely muddy, and splashing mud and water with every step.
Zheng Luoqi followed cautiously behind the old man, walking silently. He didn't say anything, only occasionally offering a few words of advice when they encountered obstacles.
Every time he heard Zheng Luoqi's reminder, the old man would always say thank you in the direction the voice came from: "Thank you for the reminder, young master!"
About an hour later, the old man led Zheng Luoqi and the others to a secluded temple.
The temple is not far from the market, but it takes the old man an hour to walk there.
The temple looked somewhat dilapidated and was surrounded by weeds. Zheng Luoqi looked at the temple in front of her and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
As Zheng Luoqi and her group approached the temple, they discovered that many children had gathered there.
These children were all very thin and frail, their emaciated appearance clearly a result of long-term malnutrition.
When the children saw the old man returning, their previously dull eyes lit up instantly, and they cheered and ran towards him.
"Grandpa! Grandpa..."
The children shouted and rushed towards the old man.
The children swarmed forward and instantly overwhelmed the old man.
"Oh dear, slow down! It's raining. Come inside and sit down, or you'll catch a cold!" The old man said with a kind smile, gently scolding the children as he hurriedly pulled out the steamed buns he had just bought from his pocket and handed them to them. "Don't rush, everyone, there's enough for everyone!"
The taller children took the packaged steamed buns and helped distribute them one by one. The younger children excitedly reached out their little hands to receive the plump, white steamed buns that exuded an enticing aroma.
Some children couldn't wait any longer and took big bites; others held the steamed buns carefully, as if they had obtained some rare treasure, reluctant to eat them right away.
Two young children did not eagerly pick up the steamed buns and devour them like the others. Instead, they carefully helped the elderly man up and slowly led him into the temple.
The two children finally noticed Zheng Luoqi and her group following closely behind them.
One of the slightly taller children broke the silence first, staring intently at Zheng Luoqi and the others, and asked loudly without any fear, "Hey! Who exactly are you people?"
Just then, the old man explained, "Young Zhao, don't be rude! They are our guests!"
After being scolded by the old man, Xiao Zhao, though unwilling, obediently shut his mouth and stopped talking.
However, his eyes kept glancing furtively at Zheng Luoqi and the others, seemingly filled with both curiosity and wariness towards these strangers.
After finally managing to carefully help the old man to a side wall inside the temple and settle him down comfortably,
Zheng Luoqi stopped hiding her intentions and asked directly, "Uncle, why did you bring us here? Is there something you want to tell us?"
Faced with Zheng Luoqi's direct question, the old man smiled and replied:
"This young master has come here to inquire about the recent mysterious disappearances of commoners in Yangzhou, hasn't he?"
"Let me guess, young master, you also have servants with you, so you must be a person of some status and position."
After a brief pause, the old man continued his analysis: "Besides, there are now explicit rules in Yangzhou City prohibiting anyone from discussing this matter."
“But young master, you dare to ask so directly, you can’t be a local of Yangzhou.” At this point, the old man raised his head, as if trying to see Zheng Luoqi’s appearance through the darkness, but in the end it was all in vain.
"Do you think my analysis is correct, young master? Hahaha!" the old man said to himself.
"You guessed right, I'm indeed not a local!" As soon as Zheng Luoqi finished speaking, the guard beside her quickly drew his sword. With a flash of cold light, the blade was already firmly placed against the old man's neck.
This sudden change startled the children nearby, who took a few steps back.
The old man sat there motionless, seemingly oblivious to the sword at his neck, his expression remaining calm and serene.
Zheng Luoqi, who was standing to the side, stared intently at the old man with a mocking smile on her lips, and said slowly, "Old man, in my opinion, you must also be a person who is skilled in martial arts."
After hearing Zheng Luoqi's words, the old man's expression changed. He seemed to have never expected that he had been discovered despite hiding so well. However, the change in his expression was only for a moment, and he quickly returned to his previous calm demeanor.
Seeing this, Zheng Luoqi sneered and said, "Although you have been trying your best to hide your martial arts skills, the lightness of your steps when you walk makes it easy to see that you have been practicing martial arts for many years."
After speaking, Zheng Luoqi took a step forward and said sternly, "Alright, since some things can't be said in the market, what is your purpose in leading us here?"